The kitty went as close to the brink as a kitty can and came back to tell us about it. “Rawr” and “Purr” seem to sum things up. When we took him to the emergency room Tuesday night (Wednesday morning?), he’d come out of his siezures. Blood work was done, and his red blood count was half what it should be. They stabilized him, and by the time he saw his regular vet the next morning, the blood count was down to a third of normal. After more searching, it was discovered he had the best of the possib;e diagoses: blood parasites. Little things that swim around in the blood stream, chomping on the tasty red blood cells. Icky, but curable. He’s now on many medicines and we’re watching for signs of things to come: blood damage like this lead to organ damage. How much damage and which organs remain to be seen. But for now, he’s chatty and eating fish.

Looking at the “This Week at Tech” section of the Socorro, New Mexico newspaper, I see that not much has changed since I was there.

Wonderful loving kitties suddenly getting seizures is a very sad thing.

“Ha ha,” I’ve said. “The ol’ snake in a can gag. You know, I’ve seen this a thousand times,” I’ve said. So why is it that when I really, truly need the ol’ snake in a nut can, I can’t find one. I’ve been all over Athens, looking in the stores that should have these things, sheepishly telling the clerks “I’m looking for the snake in the nut can thin. Got one?” Nothing. Luckily, there’s the internet. I can’t believe FedEx is delivering me a snake in a nut can. The things I do for theater…

I just found Jodi at i will dare. Wish I’d found her earlier. I spent two days reading all of her archives. Well, I did do a lot more during those two days then that, but I was at work, after all. She’s on my favorites list now, so I’ll keep current with all things Jodi.

If it’s photographs of rooms insode homes in the riuns of the Roman city of Herculaneum you’re after, here you go.

Tom Tomorrow’s This Modern World has been animated on the internet for several months and I didn’t know? For shame! (Flash player required, but worth it.)

The opening prayer at the inaugural ceremonies was delivered by Rev. Franklin Graham (Real Audio NPR broadcast – forward to 45:47 for the prayer). You’d think he was ushering in the government from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Maybe GW could have done better by choosing a Unitarian minister to help us unite?

A transcript of the prayer:

Blessed are you, oh lord our god. Yours, oh god, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, oh lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you. You are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and to give strength to all. As president Lincoln once said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties from heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown, but we have forgotten god. It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended powers, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. Oh lord, as we come together on this historic and solemn occasion to inaugurate once again a president and vice president, teach us afresh that power, wisdom, and salvation come only from your hand. We pray, oh lord, for president-elect George W Bush and vice president-elect Richard D Cheney, to whom you have entrusted leadership of this nation at this moment in history. We pray that you’ll help them bring our country together so that we may rise above partisan politics and seek the larger vision of your will for our nation. Use them to bring reconciliation between the races, healing to political wounds, that we may truly become one nation under god. Give our new president and all who advise him calmness in the face of storms, encouragement in the face of frustration, and humility in the face of success. Give them the wisdom to know and to do what is right, and the courage to say no to all that is contrary to your statutes and holy law. Lord, we pray for their families and especially their wives, Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney, that they may sense your presence and know your love. Today we entrust to you President and Senator Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore. Lead them as they journey through new doors of opportunity to serve others. Now, oh lord, we dedicate this presidential inaugural ceremony to you. may this be the beginning of a new dawn for America as we humble ourselves before you and acknowledge you alone as our lord, our savior, and our redeemer. We pray this in the name of the father, and of the son the lord Jesus Christ, and of the holy spirit. Amen.

Animal rights activist Alicia Silverstone wearing leather biker’s gear? No… it’s “pleather”! (While you’re at PETA’s cowsarecool.com, you can watch a group of cows sing to you (in a song written by B-52’s keyboardist Pat Irwin), pleading not to use them for leather. You could have watched this during the superbowl, but CBS refused the ad.

What’s that written on George W.’s palm?