Batten down the hatches. It’s another windy weekend.

Don’t forget about the 1- year anniversary bash at Mama Mia’s in Gainesville Sunday from 1-4.

Lafayette promises red velvet cake–plus, you can drink beer, wine, meals, sandwiches, pizza.  

 

 

Mama Mias Pizza

7669 Limestone Dr # 110
Gainesville, VA 20155-4038
(703) 753-4605

150 Thoughts to “Open Thread………………………………………….Friday, February 25”

  1. Censored bybvbl

    Nice to meet everyone, eat great cake, and enjoy some good conversation.

    Marinm, congrats to you and your wife for getting the best of both worlds. You’ll have to be careful that your daughter doesn’t wrap you around her little finger and walk off with the entire kingdom.

    Cindi, I haven’t been home an hour and already half a box of my spouse’s Girl Scout cookies is gone.

  2. It was great to see so many new faces on old friends!!! Thanks to everyone who came out to our first anniversary bash. A special thanks to Steve and Lafayette for arranging the event.

    Everyone behaved, not one threw so much as a sarcastic remark, much less a punch.

  3. Juturna

    Sorry I missed the cake….. work called…

  4. Lafayette

    @Juturna
    Big Love will just have to make up for it. 🙂 I baked one from scratch w/cream cheese icing for the first time ever, and a back up one from the box with cool whip icing w/cherry pie filing on top. I’ll bake one and take it to the Blue Bell Festival this spring. 😉

  5. Elena

    I truly enjoyed putting real faces to names. Wish I could have stayed longer to actually chit chat! Great venue Steve, I will be back.

    Marinm, congratulations a million times over.

    Rick b,Emma, and cargo…..thanks so much being a part of this very diverse gatherinng.

  6. Just wanted to let everyone know that I survived the trip back. It was very nice meeting everyone. We’ll have to do that again sometime. Maybe a cookout or something when its warmer.

    @marinm
    Shot at? I think that there was probably only one other person there CCWing….. That would put him on your side….. These are not the droids you’re looking for….too funny. 🙂 Congrats on you new castle.

    @Lafayette
    That was great cake. I’m still full.

    @Elena
    I was good meeting you. I hope the little one is feeling better.

    1. @Cargo, there are lots of places for a cook out. What a good idea. We could sic Event Managers Steve and Lafayette on such a mission.

    2. @Cargo, how long did it take you to get back?

  7. Emma

    I had such a great time meeting everyone. Moon, I wish I had a little more time to chat with you, but home duty called. Alanna’s reaction when she met me–priceless! 😉 Elena, your little girl is so beautiful. And I’m sorry I missed the cake!

  8. Juturna

    Here comes BL!!!

  9. You too, Emma.

    Lafayette, I liked the homegrown one best.

  10. Juturna

    @Lafayette – Aha, I just caught the Blue Bell Festival…. we must coordinate. Cream cheese frosting – hurry up spring 🙂

  11. Steve Thomas

    I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet many for the first time, and to see others again.. It was a very nice afternoon.

  12. Lafayette

    It was great to visit with old friends and meet new friends. I even saw a friend of mine from high school just as I was telling Cindy about planning our 25 year reunion.

    @Juturna
    Just keepin’ ya on your toes. 🙂 Now, off to Utah.

  13. Mrs. T

    I just wanted to say I enjoyed meeting all of you today. Thank you for including me 🙂
    My box of thin mints is looking a little thin right about now…Thank you Cindy for helping me get my thin mint fix.

    1. Mrs. T

      It was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks for lending us Steve.

  14. Cato the Elder

    3M chief on immigration policy: “About 68 per cent of our science PhD candidates are from outside the US,” he said. “Many want to stay here afterwards but we’re not allowed as many visas as we would like.”

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd9b4100-429b-11e0-8b34-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1FBsrSriZ

    Fix legal immigration. Now.

  15. @Moon-howler
    Two hours. Left at five. Traffic was fine.

  16. @Cargo

    Glad you had an easy trip back. Did you go 95 or 17?

  17. Republican disease…alert alert! There is a new Republican disease going around. First, John Boehner, now Gretchen Carlson. She is turning orange!!! Just like Boehner. Save Gretchen!!!

  18. Rick Bentley

    Had a great time, good to meet everyone.

  19. Rick Bentley

    Had a little explaining to do when I showed my wife those door prizes!

  20. Bwaaahahahahaha@Rick. Just tell her that you learned how to use them while you were at the party. That should get you off the hook. NOT!

    [aside–Rick won edible candles. Was that Rick whistling that old Doors’ song, Come on baby light my fire and he exited Mama Mias?]

  21. @Moon-howler
    95.

    And I agree on the Republican disease. There’s already been an Orange Revolution. Plagiarism!

  22. Steve Thomas

    Moon-howler :Republican disease…alert alert! There is a new Republican disease going around. First, John Boehner, now Gretchen Carlson. She is turning orange!!! Just like Boehner. Save Gretchen!!!

    They might be trying to be tan, while avoiding the tanning tax called for in Obamacare. If Snookie turns orange, you’ll know I’m right.

  23. Whatever it is, I hope I don’t start seeing orange Democrats. They should at least have a green tinge, if we are sticking to the color wheel.

    Oh Dear God! It has even attacked Citizen Tom on his blog !!!

    http://citizentom.com/2011/02/27/you-deserve-it-why/

    Find a cure! Qucikly.

  24. marinm

    @Steve, +1 on the tan tax. Interestingly, after it passed we found out that my wife needs it (UV) to treat a skin condition so we’d be impacted. But, the doctor that we use is so anti-Obama that he simply allows anyone [patient] to use his tanning light for free as long as he’s ordered the treatment – so he doesn’t have to charge people and collect the tax.

    I got an alert on my phone about Obama, healthcare and waivers. I need to look into that.

  25. Lafayette

    Prince William County has published the 2011 Real Estate Assessments.
    http://www04a.pwcgov.org/realestate/LandRover.asp

  26. Morris Davis

    Since this is an online community, thanks to the community organizers for planning the birthday event yesterday. It was a pleasure to see everyone. A special thanks to Cargo for making the long drive to be there.

    A new report from Moody’s says the Repub spending plan will knock .5% off of domestic growth this year and kill 700,000 jobs by the end of 2012. It paints a slightly more rosy picture than the report last week by Goldman Sachs that said the Repub plan would take 2% off of growth. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022802634.html

    David Koch, a Tea Partier, and a Wisconsin school teacher are sitting at a table with a box of Thin Mints. Koch reaches in the box and takes all of the thin mints but one. He turns to the Tea Partier and says, “hey, you’d better do something or that fat cat union teacher is going to try and steal some of your cookie.”

  27. Censored bybvbl

    Orange is opposite on the color wheel from blue. In close proximity to each other, their colors are intensified. So Boehner is making a statement that he is absolutely not blue and stick him next to a blue Dem and he’ll look even more orange. However, if you stare at the orange image for about 30 seconds or so and then look at a white paper, you’ll see a blue after-image. OMG! Boehner is a closet Democrat!! (So much for color theory…)

  28. Rut Roh. I saw the fallacy of my thinking…I think. We can’t have him going purple though because we end up with a similar condition.

  29. Lafayette :

    Prince William County has published the 2011 Real Estate Assessments.
    http://www04a.pwcgov.org/realestate/LandRover.asp

    Man, that Corey Stewart is right! Hell of a come back. My assessment went up less than 3k. The county is going to get rich off of me.

  30. marinm

    @Moon-howler

    My value went up almost $2k.. I think I’m going to protest it to get the value lower and pay less tax.

  31. Pat.Herve

    my assessment has gone down, slightly – does that mean that my tax base will go up or down?

    marin – re the phototherapy service – it is exempt from the tan tax, as long as it is medically ordered, so either your provider is billing your insurance anyway, or he is telling you a story.

  32. Steve Thomas

    As a proud Republican, I disavow this type of legislation, and fail to see how this would advance society in a positive direction. This is just a couple of steps away from Sharia Law on rape, where there must be three (male) eyewitnesses before a rape accusation can be made:

    http://www.politicususa.com/en/for-rep-bobby-franklin-of-georgia-rape-isnt-a-crime

    When I read stuff like this, and see that it has actually made it into a bill, I can’t help but think of Proverbs 12:15 “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who seeks counsel”. I wonder, has he actually ev

    1. @Steve, all groups have idiots amonst them, I am sorry to say. Let’s hope this meat head is not re-elected.

      Maybe this guy has something to hide?

  33. Steve Thomas

    ever spoken with a rape victim?

  34. Censored bybvbl

    M-h, if blue and orange joined forces, it would really muddy things up.

    Wow! My assessment went up about 1%! The hood is thriving!

  35. marinm

    For the record. Pat is right.

    Is phototherapy service exempt from the indoor tanning services tax?

    A. It is exempt from the indoor tanning services tax if performed by a licensed medical professional on the medical professional’s premises. – IRS

  36. Lafayette

    Here’s a big surprise. Corey’s running for re-election.
    http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/feb/28/stewart-will-run-re-election-ar-873608/
    Now, if we could just have some challengers for the other board members.

  37. Cato the Elder

    Remember Jaws when they caught that first shark, and everyone thought it was safe to get back into the water? That’s kinda how I feel about the recent market correction.

  38. Bubberella

    I don’t think real estate has recovered and I don’t think that the economy is going to improve until real estate does. I think we’re going to see a little more reduction in real estate values.

  39. @Lafayette

    shhhhhh…I think they are out there.

  40. @Cato, that doesn’t sound very good.

  41. So, how do you feel about unionized police taking the side of union protesters in “solidarity?”
    http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/l-a-police-union-urges-members-to-stand-in-solidarity-with-seiu-and-moveon-org/

    The LA union is asking cops to march in a parade put on by MOVEON.org and National People’s Action, among others…..

    Do we really want the police to take sides in a political matter? Since the union protesters are turning violent, where does the loyalty of unionized police lie? Police are human. Its a valid question.

  42. Elena

    Steve Thomas :ever spoken with a rape victim?

    When I was working on my undergrad, part of my internship involved being trained as a rape crisis counselor for Victims Assistant Network (VAN). It was heartbreaking listening to these women, some of them so terrified to close their eyes, they just needed a human voice in the middle of night to stay their fears. I was an anonymous voice they could share with, they could be silent with, they could shed their tears to with no condemnation.

  43. Elena

    Morris Davis :Since this is an online community, thanks to the community organizers for planning the birthday event yesterday. It was a pleasure to see everyone. A special thanks to Cargo for making the long drive to be there.
    A new report from Moody’s says the Repub spending plan will knock .5% off of domestic growth this year and kill 700,000 jobs by the end of 2012. It paints a slightly more rosy picture than the report last week by Goldman Sachs that said the Repub plan would take 2% off of growth. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022802634.html
    David Koch, a Tea Partier, and a Wisconsin school teacher are sitting at a table with a box of Thin Mints. Koch reaches in the box and takes all of the thin mints but one. He turns to the Tea Partier and says, “hey, you’d better do something or that fat cat union teacher is going to try and steal some of your cookie.”

    I have been wondering, how does one create jobs in the private sector? Well, you fire so many government empolyees, cut so many programs and contracts that feed the private sector in a struggling job market that they will have to become sudden entrepeneurss I guess!

    I don’t think Northern Virginians realize how hard we are going to be hit. One of the reason that this area rarely suffers like the the rest of the country in times of deep recession is that we are the guts of the government. So many people work either directly or indirectly for the government that I shudder at what will happen if the republican budget passes.

    Think about it, how many companies live off the government payroll, all the defense contractors (raytheon, lock heed martin, boeing, etc etc) and who do those people support, all the places they spend their money. The “trickle” down effect is not what Reagan had in mind when he talked about “trickle down economics” !

  44. Elena

    @emma

    Thank you, my little girl is a piece of work, I will tell you. Beautiful, smart, normally very social, and devious! When she was four she ever so casually swiped a piece of candy off the counter, leftover from Halloween. I saw her out of the corner of my eye and said “what did you just grab baby girl” she replied, without a milliseconds hesitation “just some fruit mommy” . Then she tore up the stairs. I calmly went after her and inquired “what did you really take, and if you are honest, and tell me the truth, I will not be upset”, so she reaches under the bed, and opens her hand to a resees cup. I said thank you, took the candy, and walked away. What amazed me was that that at the age of four she could think of such a great lie so fast!

    I hope next time I will get a chance to really talk with everyone more! I would love to hear more about your career moves and your family.

  45. Elena

    I am being somewhat prolific because I was just able to get back on my computer since yesterday!

    Steve,
    Your wife is as kind hearted as she is beautiful, that was clear from her very sweet smile and kind eyes. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk more, but hopefully we will do this again in Spring!

  46. @Cargosquid

    Are they off or on duty? On duty, follow orders. Off duty, you are your own person.

  47. Raymond Beverage

    Moon-howler :@Cargosquid
    Are they off or on duty? On duty, follow orders. Off duty, you are your own person.

    Moon, in our fine Commonwealth, that ain’t the rule – what you do off duty does impact. My son is busy filling out the applications for 8 various PDs across the State, and they are like completing a military security clearance run. I love Alexandria’s question where they ask “Have you ever placed a bet with a bookie, to include a lottery?”

    Guess all those clerks at 7-11 are bookies…:-)

    1. @Raymond, yes your off duty behavior does affect getting hired by the police department in many areas. PWC has some of the strictest criteria of all the jurisdictions. However I don’t think an off duty cop is prevented from participating in demonstrations. I guess it would have to do with rules of the jurisdiction.

  48. Raymond Beverage

    Oh…forgot to add to my comment #10 above – in those States WITHOUT a Police Union, what you do off duty, affects the job.

  49. http://www.comcast.net/articles/entertainment/20110301/US.Obit.Jane.Russell/

    Am I feeling OLD! Jane Russell died today. I don’t know how we did it but my friend Sammy Stewart and I managed to get in to see “The Outlaw”, her first picture that was supposedly so scandalous–she got in bed with Bkilly the Kid (Jack Buetel). Never really saw much of her sexy body, but for a 12 year old boy it was breathtaking!

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