The situation isn't as dire as its frontpage headline suggested ("Space storm heads toward Earth" - I was about to start building a shelter), but the pictures are way cool. Make sure you check out the galleries.
3.30.2001
Well, Whadya Know
Why do we call uproar "pandemonium?"
Some years ago, when China made a gift to the Washington D.C.
zoo of a pair of pandas, newspaper headline writers had a
field day playing off this word to describe the hullabaloo
caused by the creatures. The sound of the word, for me,
conjures up an image of people banging on pots and other hard
surfaces to make a racket. Maybe that occurred as well to the
17th century poet John Milton when he invented the word.
Speaking of Washington, Milton needed a name for the devil's
capitol city in his epic poem, Paradise Lost. So he played
around with Latin and Greek and came up with "pandemonium."
If you look at the middle of the word, beginning with the 4th
letter, you'll see an appropriate word within the word.
[source: The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology]
Why do we call uproar "pandemonium?"
Some years ago, when China made a gift to the Washington D.C.
zoo of a pair of pandas, newspaper headline writers had a
field day playing off this word to describe the hullabaloo
caused by the creatures. The sound of the word, for me,
conjures up an image of people banging on pots and other hard
surfaces to make a racket. Maybe that occurred as well to the
17th century poet John Milton when he invented the word.
Speaking of Washington, Milton needed a name for the devil's
capitol city in his epic poem, Paradise Lost. So he played
around with Latin and Greek and came up with "pandemonium."
If you look at the middle of the word, beginning with the 4th
letter, you'll see an appropriate word within the word.
[source: The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology]
I'm sorry but... No freakin' way!
"Good evening everyone. I just got in from Peru and boy are my arms tired."
Badump bump.
"Good evening everyone. I just got in from Peru and boy are my arms tired."
Badump bump.
Well, Whadya Know
People who ran illegal dice games in England three centuries
ago weren't taking any chance on going to jail. They employed
a man whose sole job was to swallow the dice in the event of
a raid. Maybe that's why they called playing dice "shooting
cr...," uh, never mind.
The ancient Greeks made dice from the shoulder blades of
sheep. Losers in crooked dice games might thus truly feel
that they had been fleeced.
[source: 2201 FASCINATING FACTS by David Louis]
People who ran illegal dice games in England three centuries
ago weren't taking any chance on going to jail. They employed
a man whose sole job was to swallow the dice in the event of
a raid. Maybe that's why they called playing dice "shooting
cr...," uh, never mind.
The ancient Greeks made dice from the shoulder blades of
sheep. Losers in crooked dice games might thus truly feel
that they had been fleeced.
[source: 2201 FASCINATING FACTS by David Louis]
The man behind the curtain, blogger, was unavailable for the past 16 hours due to some system upgrades. Hence the lack of posts from moi.
Looks like things are back up and running, though. Thanks, Ev!
Looks like things are back up and running, though. Thanks, Ev!
3.29.2001
Oh, MAN. Makes me think of the scene in A Fish Called Wanda, when Otto opens the safe to steal the diamonds, finds it empty and yells, "DisaPPOINTED!"
Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire...
I've never been to Vegas and have very little desire to do so any time in the near future. The place just never really appealed to me - I don't gamble and I am not a shopper (at least not in the recreational sense). Despite the city's declarations that Vegas is now a family vacation destination, it seems its dark underbelly is thriving. The Salon article "Bright Lights, Big Weirdness" chronicles a couple of wild murder cases that have come out of Vegas in the past couple of years:
"The myriad connections -- innocent as they may be -- between the Rudin and Murphy cases do nothing to dispel the notion of Vegas as the glittering capital of inbred thuggery, a hot, cheap burg where amoral yahoos party with mobsters while the town's behemoth gambling factories trick hardworking saps out of their vacation money. "
I bet the Las Vegas Tourist Board is gonna love that.
I've never been to Vegas and have very little desire to do so any time in the near future. The place just never really appealed to me - I don't gamble and I am not a shopper (at least not in the recreational sense). Despite the city's declarations that Vegas is now a family vacation destination, it seems its dark underbelly is thriving. The Salon article "Bright Lights, Big Weirdness" chronicles a couple of wild murder cases that have come out of Vegas in the past couple of years:
"The myriad connections -- innocent as they may be -- between the Rudin and Murphy cases do nothing to dispel the notion of Vegas as the glittering capital of inbred thuggery, a hot, cheap burg where amoral yahoos party with mobsters while the town's behemoth gambling factories trick hardworking saps out of their vacation money. "
I bet the Las Vegas Tourist Board is gonna love that.
After much procrastination I finally set myself down and spent about 3 hours updating this site tonight. I made some small changes to the about me page and the I like page. I've also decided to keep an archive of my X-Files episode commentary here. You can find it at ex post facto. I've also linked to it through the I like page.
I have other updates in mind (such as getting rid of "the latest" - who was I kidding?) for the future. I'll let you know when they happen. Give me a holler if you find any bad links, content errors and the like. I am quite googly right now and don't trust my proof-reading skills.
Have a good night!
I have other updates in mind (such as getting rid of "the latest" - who was I kidding?) for the future. I'll let you know when they happen. Give me a holler if you find any bad links, content errors and the like. I am quite googly right now and don't trust my proof-reading skills.
Have a good night!
3.28.2001
I get a daily trivia e-mail from Mailbits.com, and I thought I'd start posting some of these tidbits here, with due credit, of course. Some of them are really pretty interesting. I even have a title for these posts.
Well, Whadya Know
Why is an easy mark a "sucker?"
Do you like fish tails . . . uh, tales? Bear with me. It
begins with the bottom-scavenging fish known as the sucker,
from the way it purses its "lips" to draw in the garbage it
eats (how low can you sink?). The early settlers of America
saw lots of these fish and soon they were indiscriminately
using the name as well for other fish that made the same
motion with their mouths. Eventually so many kinds of fish
bore this name that if you baited a hook you were likely to
haul in a sucker.
Suckers, being so easy to catch, became synonymous with an
easy mark. Any person who would figuratively go for the bait
was also labeled a sucker.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Well, Whadya Know
Why is an easy mark a "sucker?"
Do you like fish tails . . . uh, tales? Bear with me. It
begins with the bottom-scavenging fish known as the sucker,
from the way it purses its "lips" to draw in the garbage it
eats (how low can you sink?). The early settlers of America
saw lots of these fish and soon they were indiscriminately
using the name as well for other fish that made the same
motion with their mouths. Eventually so many kinds of fish
bore this name that if you baited a hook you were likely to
haul in a sucker.
Suckers, being so easy to catch, became synonymous with an
easy mark. Any person who would figuratively go for the bait
was also labeled a sucker.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Finally!! How to Dance Properly a site that demonstrates 10 different dance "steps" in hysterical fashion, including video and a brief description. I'm sorry, but this is LOL funny.
Pretty cool:
"I ordered 10,000 tubes last week. I usually order a few hundred. My distributor called and said, 'Hey, doc, are you sure there isn't a comma in the wrong place?'"
-- Julia Roberts' hometown dentist, Dr. Ted Aspes, who's making good on his 26-year-old promise that he would give every kid in town a tube of toothpaste if she (or any of his other young patients) won an Oscar. [from salon.com]
"I ordered 10,000 tubes last week. I usually order a few hundred. My distributor called and said, 'Hey, doc, are you sure there isn't a comma in the wrong place?'"
-- Julia Roberts' hometown dentist, Dr. Ted Aspes, who's making good on his 26-year-old promise that he would give every kid in town a tube of toothpaste if she (or any of his other young patients) won an Oscar. [from salon.com]
3.27.2001
Oh come on! This is like asking me which is my favorite soft drink, Diet Coke or Diet Coke. Decisions, decisions. I think maybe I need to review the photo evidence one more time...
Okay, where's the logic in this? The animal rights group PETA has petitioned Indiana prison officials asking that Timothy McVeigh not be allowed to have meat in his last meal because, "McVeigh should not be allowed to 'take even one more life'". So, McVeigh should not be allowed to eat a steak from a cow that is most likely already dead as a last wish before he himself is killed? I'm not presenting an argument for or against capital punishment. I'm just suggesting that maybe PETA choose their battles a little more carefully.
3.26.2001
I don't know which is more pathetic, the reason for the assault described in this police report or the writing skills of the officer who filled out the report form.
When I went to take a shower yesterday morning, I opened the shower curtain to find about 2 inches of water still in the tub from the night before. I had filled it the previous night to shave my legs before going out, and now it seemed that the drain was clogged. I mean *clogged*. This happens periodically, and it did seem to be draining slower lately, but this was sort of abrupt. I unscrewed the drain cover and started plunging, to see if I could get whatever it was in there to loosen up enough to drain the standing water so I could pour in the Crystal Drano. I was so aggravated - I needed to get showered and out the door or I would be late in picking my mother up. I plunged and plunged and plunged, but to no avail - whatever it was wasn't budging. So, I got a big cup and started bailing.
After about 10 minutes of scooping and dumping (and spilling dirty bathwater all over the bathroom) I managed to get just about all of the water out of the tub. I poured the Drano into the drain and left the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Sheila and I were talking about how quickly the drain got clogged and how thoroughly clogged it was when I was struck with a thought... while she had her back turned to play on the computer, I got up and walked back to the bathroom, peeked around the corner and was faced with confirmation of my idiocy - the reason there was still 2 inches of water in the tub was that I didn't unstop the drain after shaving. A half hour of my life down the drain (sorry).
Thank God it didn't get as far as a call to the plumber.
After about 10 minutes of scooping and dumping (and spilling dirty bathwater all over the bathroom) I managed to get just about all of the water out of the tub. I poured the Drano into the drain and left the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Sheila and I were talking about how quickly the drain got clogged and how thoroughly clogged it was when I was struck with a thought... while she had her back turned to play on the computer, I got up and walked back to the bathroom, peeked around the corner and was faced with confirmation of my idiocy - the reason there was still 2 inches of water in the tub was that I didn't unstop the drain after shaving. A half hour of my life down the drain (sorry).
Thank God it didn't get as far as a call to the plumber.
3.23.2001
Up for some Dream Interpretation? I haven't had a chance to try it myself, but it looks fairly extensive and at the very least like a fun way to waste some time. Check it out and let me know how you like it.
Where's the beef?
I went to the mall at lunchtime today in order to treat myself - hell, the entire lunch hour was going to serve as a salve for my soul. I was going to (and did) buy some perfume and some shoes. I even managed to get 2 pair of shoes for about $42.00. Then I was going to top it all off with a trip through the McDonald's drive-thru since I had been craving a quarter-pounder with cheese. As I sat idling in the drive-thru line, my mouth watering at the prospect of devouring a #4 value meal, I remembered... foot-and-mouth, mad-cow disease. And it's Lent! And it's Friday! Damn! I didn't let that stop me, though, nosiree I got myself a heart-attack in a bag anyway: Bacon Ranch Crispy Chicken sandwich. I am salved.
I went to the mall at lunchtime today in order to treat myself - hell, the entire lunch hour was going to serve as a salve for my soul. I was going to (and did) buy some perfume and some shoes. I even managed to get 2 pair of shoes for about $42.00. Then I was going to top it all off with a trip through the McDonald's drive-thru since I had been craving a quarter-pounder with cheese. As I sat idling in the drive-thru line, my mouth watering at the prospect of devouring a #4 value meal, I remembered... foot-and-mouth, mad-cow disease. And it's Lent! And it's Friday! Damn! I didn't let that stop me, though, nosiree I got myself a heart-attack in a bag anyway: Bacon Ranch Crispy Chicken sandwich. I am salved.
The sun is shining this morning! And I get to wear jeans to work. Life is good.
I stayed up last night to watch the CNN Mir Fall webcast. Despite my proclamations of geekiness, I had never watched a webcaast before. My old computer was just too slow and I didn't think my dial-up connection would do it any justice. The feed was a little jumpy at first, but then it smoothed out and the audio was fine. So, I sat and listened while I played computer games. What I would have given to have been able to see Mir fall from the sky last night! The space station was an oustanding accomplishment on the part of the Soviets:
Once the crown jewel of the Soviet space program, Mir racked up an impressive number of accomplishments in the sky -- longest time in orbit for a space station, 15 years; longest time in space for a human, 438 days; and the heaviest object ever to orbit Earth, except for the moon.
Mir survived the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, as a stranded cosmonaut watched the events unfold below. It hosted U.S. shuttle astronauts, a Japanese reporter and a British candy chemist who won a contest for the trip...
..."Overall, Mir did a wonderful job for far longer than its design lifetime and it ought to get credit for it," said Norm Thagard, a NASA astronaut who visited Mir in 1995.
"Mir could have continued to serve a useful function. The problem is the Russians don't have the economic wherewithal to support both the Mir and their role in the international space station. So in this case, my head overrules my heart. I think the Russians are doing the right thing."
[from CNN]
The opportunities Mir presented for a US-Russian partnership, at least in space, were very significant for me, having grown up in the shadow of the Cold War. Dosvedanya, Mir.
I stayed up last night to watch the CNN Mir Fall webcast. Despite my proclamations of geekiness, I had never watched a webcaast before. My old computer was just too slow and I didn't think my dial-up connection would do it any justice. The feed was a little jumpy at first, but then it smoothed out and the audio was fine. So, I sat and listened while I played computer games. What I would have given to have been able to see Mir fall from the sky last night! The space station was an oustanding accomplishment on the part of the Soviets:
Once the crown jewel of the Soviet space program, Mir racked up an impressive number of accomplishments in the sky -- longest time in orbit for a space station, 15 years; longest time in space for a human, 438 days; and the heaviest object ever to orbit Earth, except for the moon.
Mir survived the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, as a stranded cosmonaut watched the events unfold below. It hosted U.S. shuttle astronauts, a Japanese reporter and a British candy chemist who won a contest for the trip...
..."Overall, Mir did a wonderful job for far longer than its design lifetime and it ought to get credit for it," said Norm Thagard, a NASA astronaut who visited Mir in 1995.
"Mir could have continued to serve a useful function. The problem is the Russians don't have the economic wherewithal to support both the Mir and their role in the international space station. So in this case, my head overrules my heart. I think the Russians are doing the right thing."
[from CNN]
The opportunities Mir presented for a US-Russian partnership, at least in space, were very significant for me, having grown up in the shadow of the Cold War. Dosvedanya, Mir.
3.22.2001
How can this be? It's snowing again. We've had 2 days of chilly, torrential downpours, bringing with them the threat of flooding. As I was driving my mother home tonight I said to her, "God, I am so ready for some nice weather." To which she replied, "Well, at least it's not snow." Well Mommy, now it is.
Was I imagining things, or didn't we just have some sort of equinox? Hmm?
Was I imagining things, or didn't we just have some sort of equinox? Hmm?
3.21.2001
VH1 will be airing the 2001 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony tonight at 9:00 PM EST. They've posted some cool event pictures at their site, showcasing the antics of such rock and roll luminaries as Keith Richards, Aerosmith, Queen, Michael Jackson (please go and look at his nose), Paul Simon, etc. Looks everyone but Mr. Jackson performed. Unless they're trying to keep it a secret until air time, but I somehow doubt that.
Excuse me while I observe a moment of silence. Oh, my aching heart. I love how the article appears in their "Sex" section.
A little information on upcoming X-Files episodes, from The X-Files Official Site :
After a long month of waiting, the conclusion to "This is Not Happening" airs on April 1st. "DeadAlive" is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Tony Wharmby.
On April 8th, the episode "Three Words" airs. It is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz and directed by Tony Wharmby.
First Assistant Director Barry Thomas moves into the director's chair when he helms "Empedocles." The episode written by Greg Walker airs April 15th.
"Vienen," written by Steve Maeda and directed by Rod Hardy, airs April 22nd.
After a long month of waiting, the conclusion to "This is Not Happening" airs on April 1st. "DeadAlive" is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Tony Wharmby.
On April 8th, the episode "Three Words" airs. It is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz and directed by Tony Wharmby.
First Assistant Director Barry Thomas moves into the director's chair when he helms "Empedocles." The episode written by Greg Walker airs April 15th.
"Vienen," written by Steve Maeda and directed by Rod Hardy, airs April 22nd.
Hey, more space-related stuff (sorry, it's the geek in me): NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day - I don't claim to understand everything that they say, but aren't those pictures pretty?
3.20.2001
I'm on my way to pick up my mother and her dog Petey for a short visit - 2 overnights. Am I ready for this? Am I in the right frame of mind? She has just recently been bitten by the X-Files bug, so we should be able to consume much of the time in front of the VCR, catching up on old episodes. And she is bringing pork chops and perogies.
Just imagine the publicity if the damn thing hits their target, LOL.
I have to say, the whole prospect of a 135-ton space station crashing to the earth at 17,500 mph is somewhat terrifying yet ultimately fascinating. They say "only" 40 tons of the thing will make it through the burn-up of re-entry, but some of those pieces will be the size of a small automobile. Christ, you get hit by a penny going 17,500 mph you won't be long for this world. I am looking forward to catching some glimpses of the live video that the Mir-watchers are planning on taking. They keep putting off the day of the actual descent, but they do have a deadline.
I have to say, the whole prospect of a 135-ton space station crashing to the earth at 17,500 mph is somewhat terrifying yet ultimately fascinating. They say "only" 40 tons of the thing will make it through the burn-up of re-entry, but some of those pieces will be the size of a small automobile. Christ, you get hit by a penny going 17,500 mph you won't be long for this world. I am looking forward to catching some glimpses of the live video that the Mir-watchers are planning on taking. They keep putting off the day of the actual descent, but they do have a deadline.
3.19.2001
3.16.2001
"Greenskeeper runs himself over." Why did God give me this sense of humor if he's only going to punish me for it in the end?
How psyched am I? The Farscape Season 3 Premiere airs tonight at 9:00 PM EST on the SciFi Channel. For the uninitiated who are wondering what the heck this show is about and are considering watching the premiere, SciFi is airing a one hour Farscape 'primer' called "Farscape Undressed" (at 8:00 PM EST) that will recap the show so far. This is, in my opinion, the most creative television show on the air, followed closely by The X-Files and Buffy. It features truly unconventional plotlines and outlandish characters, a villain you absolutely love to hate and alien creatures by Henson (muppets!). And the special effects and art direction rival just about any sci-fi film that's ever been released. I wish more people I knew watched it - I feel like I'm the only one sometimes! Check it out if you get the chance.
I was trying to think of way that I could observe St. Patrick's Day here, and decided that I would pull out all my old photographs from Ireland, scan the best ones in and stick 'em up here for whoever wants to take a peak. The first 5 or so are from 1975, and oh brother was I a goober. The rest are some of the prettiest pictures I took in 1991, when I stayed for a portion of my visit on Inismore, one of the Aran Islands. You can start viewing the photos by clicking here.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back,
the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again may God
hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Peace be to ya, as Grammy used to say.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back,
the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again may God
hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Peace be to ya, as Grammy used to say.
3.15.2001
I would say "Thank God that's over with," but I don't think Ms. O'Hair would have thought God had a thing to do with it.
Soothsayer : Caesar!
CAESAR : Ha! who calls?
CASCA : Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!
CAESAR : Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.
Soothsayer : Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : What man is that?
BRUTUS : A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : Set him before me; let me see his face.
CASSIUS : Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.
CAESAR : What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.
Soothsayer : Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
Famous last words.
CAESAR : Ha! who calls?
CASCA : Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!
CAESAR : Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.
Soothsayer : Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : What man is that?
BRUTUS : A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : Set him before me; let me see his face.
CASSIUS : Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.
CAESAR : What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.
Soothsayer : Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR : He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
Famous last words.
Not much to say this morning, except that I hope you all have a fantabulous day!
I have a Moby song running over and over in my head (the one with Gwen Stefani, can't recall the name this early in the morning). I swear, that man is everywhere. He certainly has no qualms about using his music to sell consumer goods, and a couple of his songs have been used to great effect in The X-Files. Last night I was watching The West Wing and there was an ad for a new show called The First Years and that Stefani remix was used in it. The First Years is about lawyers, btw. Like we need another show about lawyers. Like I need to watch a show about lawyers. There are enough in my life already, thank you very much.
I'm late - gotta fly!
I have a Moby song running over and over in my head (the one with Gwen Stefani, can't recall the name this early in the morning). I swear, that man is everywhere. He certainly has no qualms about using his music to sell consumer goods, and a couple of his songs have been used to great effect in The X-Files. Last night I was watching The West Wing and there was an ad for a new show called The First Years and that Stefani remix was used in it. The First Years is about lawyers, btw. Like we need another show about lawyers. Like I need to watch a show about lawyers. There are enough in my life already, thank you very much.
I'm late - gotta fly!
3.14.2001
My horoscope for this week, according to The Onion:
"Cancer: (June 22--July 22) It's time to end your long, foolish disagreement with an old friend. Her pronunciation of "tomato" is, in fact, correct."
Thank God, the stress was killing me.
"Cancer: (June 22--July 22) It's time to end your long, foolish disagreement with an old friend. Her pronunciation of "tomato" is, in fact, correct."
Thank God, the stress was killing me.
I should be getting my photos tonight from the parade on Sunday, so I hope to be able to post some soon. In the meantime, I'll be gearing up to do it all over again this Saturday. Well, not exactly. We'll be watching the parade in Newport, but there will be much less alcohol consumed, seeing as how we'll be towing around the kids. Although, I may need to calm some nerves while I'm there. I had forgotten until I spoke with my sister Mary yesterday that she and her friend Meg will be playing matchmaker this weekend. I guess there's a guy they want me to meet - a 40-something-year-old fireman named Harp. Which is all fine and dandy, but I do so hate situations like this. It would have been fine if I didn't know that's what they were up to - I would have no idea what was going on and I could be the self-assured dork I usually am; but now I will be so self-conscious, and I will probably drink myself into a not-so-attractive stupor. And I have way too much time to think about this before I go - I keep wondering, "Why doesn't Mary remember what he looks like? Okay, okay, I get it, he's really nice - but what does he look like?" I chastise myself for being so shallow, but then I think, "If he's so nice, why is he a 40-something-year-old, never-been-married single-person?" Um, we won't mention the fact that I'm a soon-to-be-37-year-old never-been-married single woman.
Oh my God, what is wrong with me?
Oh my God, what is wrong with me?
3.13.2001
I sincerely wish this poor woman a speedy recovery, but at the same time I can't help but be reminded of that Farside cartoon with the people walking around with bullseyes on the tops of their heads.
My parents would be so proud (if they ever found out!). We're the first picture on the page, top left. You know you've peaked when your picture appears on Drunks.com. ;-)
3.11.2001
I've mentioned this site before (there's a link on the cool stuff page), but I wanted to share my HeroMachine creation with you all. You still can't save a local copy of the file, but you can use a work-around if you want to have one - once your super-hero is finished, pres Alt+PrintScrn, open an image editor (such as Adobe Photo Deluxe, which is what I used) and paste. You can then trim down the image to include only the character. Click here to see my first creation - she's kind of boring-looking, but most of you will know what I'm getting at.
St. Patrick's Day festivities last generally about a week around here. It all begins today as we head down to New Haven for a day of eating, parading, live Irish music and, of course, drinking. I hope it's not too cold out there. We'll wrap up the week next Saturday with a trip out to Newport, RI for that town's parade and revelry. Maybe I'll have some decent pictures to share with you all.
Have a great day!
St. Patrick's Day festivities last generally about a week around here. It all begins today as we head down to New Haven for a day of eating, parading, live Irish music and, of course, drinking. I hope it's not too cold out there. We'll wrap up the week next Saturday with a trip out to Newport, RI for that town's parade and revelry. Maybe I'll have some decent pictures to share with you all.
Have a great day!
3.09.2001
From Salon:
The WhackoJacko Watch continues:
If you're wondering what it is between Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin, the answer, it seems, is ... teddy bears. The buddies apparently spent a recent evening together watching "Toy Story 2" at a posh London hotel surrounded by stuffed animals. "It was quite surreal -- one of the world's biggest megastars and a fading actor sitting on a bed watching a cartoon surrounded by cuddly toys," a hotel worker told the U.K. Sun. "There didn't seem to be anything sinister in it, but you'd have thought they had something better to do." At least they weren't home alone. [from Salon's Nothing Personal column]
Geek TV: I can't say whether or not I agree with her assessment of LGM since I have yet to see it, but I do think the article as a whole has its merits.
The WhackoJacko Watch continues:
If you're wondering what it is between Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin, the answer, it seems, is ... teddy bears. The buddies apparently spent a recent evening together watching "Toy Story 2" at a posh London hotel surrounded by stuffed animals. "It was quite surreal -- one of the world's biggest megastars and a fading actor sitting on a bed watching a cartoon surrounded by cuddly toys," a hotel worker told the U.K. Sun. "There didn't seem to be anything sinister in it, but you'd have thought they had something better to do." At least they weren't home alone. [from Salon's Nothing Personal column]
Geek TV: I can't say whether or not I agree with her assessment of LGM since I have yet to see it, but I do think the article as a whole has its merits.
beansie cam
<it's snowing AGAIN>
This is pretty funny - What would happen if Dr. Seuss wrote a Star Trek: TNG episode?
<it's snowing AGAIN>
This is pretty funny - What would happen if Dr. Seuss wrote a Star Trek: TNG episode?
3.08.2001
We actually managed to avoid getting infected by the "Naked Wife" this week. Here's a pretty funny article about what we could expect for future virus names. My favorites: FW: JamesGandolfiniInaThong and FW: TedKoppelGigglingUncontrollably.
Geek humor.
This picture was taken in the town adjacent to where I live. That's pretty much what it looked like out my window as well. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood today, though. And it's supposed to get up to above 50 degrees on Sunday! Perfect for a St. Patrick's Day parade. :-)
This picture was taken in the town adjacent to where I live. That's pretty much what it looked like out my window as well. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood today, though. And it's supposed to get up to above 50 degrees on Sunday! Perfect for a St. Patrick's Day parade. :-)
3.07.2001
Friends of mine (you know who you are) were telling about dreams they had last night, so I thought I would post my dream from last night here for you. I'll post other (suitable) dreams as I have them and if I can remember them.
I had some really weird dreams about work first, short ones. Then the next thing I knew I was in Vancouver, but it wasn't really Vancouver, if ya know what I mean... and I didn't have a place to stay. Thankfully, my good friend Janet Reno (!) lived there and she said that I could stay in her apartment that night. She lived on the 6th floor of this beautiful old brick apartment building. I let myself into her place while she wasn't there and started walking around, checking things out. Everything looked like it belonged to someone's grandmother - old, worn wall-to-wall carpeting, doilies everywhere, crocheted spreads on the beds. I peeked in the bathroom and noted that she was just as bad a housekeeper as I was. I walked from room to room, checking them out and then I stopped - I went back and counted. *Six* bedrooms! That's when I started to look at the place differently, thinking "Hey, this place has possibilities," and started to set my sights on it for myself.
Then I woke up.
I had some really weird dreams about work first, short ones. Then the next thing I knew I was in Vancouver, but it wasn't really Vancouver, if ya know what I mean... and I didn't have a place to stay. Thankfully, my good friend Janet Reno (!) lived there and she said that I could stay in her apartment that night. She lived on the 6th floor of this beautiful old brick apartment building. I let myself into her place while she wasn't there and started walking around, checking things out. Everything looked like it belonged to someone's grandmother - old, worn wall-to-wall carpeting, doilies everywhere, crocheted spreads on the beds. I peeked in the bathroom and noted that she was just as bad a housekeeper as I was. I walked from room to room, checking them out and then I stopped - I went back and counted. *Six* bedrooms! That's when I started to look at the place differently, thinking "Hey, this place has possibilities," and started to set my sights on it for myself.
Then I woke up.
Listen up, Sopranos fans -- HBO has redesigned its Sopranos site and they seem to be having a little fun with JeffreyWernick.com . Check it out.
3.06.2001
I don't know if it's a morbid fascination of mine, or simply the desire to learn more about the scientific aspect of crime-solving (or likely a combination of both), but I love watching all those forensic investigation shows on the Discovery Channel. Check out Discovery's New Detectives and FBI Files web site. Features include microscopic images of blood, sperm and saliva; links to the FBI's Most Wanted List, Interpol and the Secret Service; and a behind-the-scenes FAQ.
Under the heading of Just Plain Freaky, I give you this, from today's Nothing Personal colum at Salon.com:
Hey, guess what? Psychic Uri Geller can not only bend spoons with his mind, he can bend Michael Jackson as well.
"He is very humble and shy," Geller says of Jacko in an interview with the U.K. Telegraph. "When he walks into the room, he almost bows to me."
Bowing aside, Jackson will stand up for Geller as his best man when the psychic and his wife renew their vows on Wednesday on the grounds of his estate outside London.
And while Geller calls Jackson's wedding role a "spur of the moment" decision, the two men have been buddies for three and a half years. They met through Mohamed Fayed (owner of Harrods and father of the late Dodi) and bonded over spoon-bending.
"He wants to learn about the mysteries of the universe, and so do I," Geller says.
They also have the universe's ridicule in common. "People have said that my psychic powers are nonsense, that I use laser beams," Geller tells the paper. "There is no doubt that all the allegations made against Michael are equally false."
But even Geller admits that friendship has its limits. "As far as his face goes ... I wish he wouldn't do it," he says of his buddy's penchant for plastic surgery. "I have told him not to wear that mask, but there are some things you cannot say."
Well, can't he tell him telepathically?
Tomorrow I will be returning to work after 2 glorious snow days. Guilt-free time away from work - thank you, Mother Nature. Of course, I'll be cursing her when I'm playing catch-up, but that's the price one pays, I suppose.
Under the heading of Just Plain Freaky, I give you this, from today's Nothing Personal colum at Salon.com:
Hey, guess what? Psychic Uri Geller can not only bend spoons with his mind, he can bend Michael Jackson as well.
"He is very humble and shy," Geller says of Jacko in an interview with the U.K. Telegraph. "When he walks into the room, he almost bows to me."
Bowing aside, Jackson will stand up for Geller as his best man when the psychic and his wife renew their vows on Wednesday on the grounds of his estate outside London.
And while Geller calls Jackson's wedding role a "spur of the moment" decision, the two men have been buddies for three and a half years. They met through Mohamed Fayed (owner of Harrods and father of the late Dodi) and bonded over spoon-bending.
"He wants to learn about the mysteries of the universe, and so do I," Geller says.
They also have the universe's ridicule in common. "People have said that my psychic powers are nonsense, that I use laser beams," Geller tells the paper. "There is no doubt that all the allegations made against Michael are equally false."
But even Geller admits that friendship has its limits. "As far as his face goes ... I wish he wouldn't do it," he says of his buddy's penchant for plastic surgery. "I have told him not to wear that mask, but there are some things you cannot say."
Well, can't he tell him telepathically?
Tomorrow I will be returning to work after 2 glorious snow days. Guilt-free time away from work - thank you, Mother Nature. Of course, I'll be cursing her when I'm playing catch-up, but that's the price one pays, I suppose.
3.05.2001
I spent my first snow day in years today doing absolutely nothing but napping, reading and watching the TV. Well, my sister and I played Trivial Pursuit, but she won so that doesn't count. We're getting hit pretty hard with snow right now, but it appears as though we won't be getting hit quite as hard by this storm as they said we would. Instead of 1 to 2 feet of snow we will probably end up with about 10 inches (The heavier accumulations will from MA on up north - get going on that igloo, Krys!). The kid in me is disappointed, but I can't really complain now, can I? Chances are pretty good right now that our office will open an hour or two late, time I will most likely need to clean off the truck.
I spent a couple of hours tonight trying to clean up this site (behind-the-scenes stuff). Because of server space issues, I pared down the Vancouver and Family photo galleries, and got rid of some stuff that I didn't even know I still had on here. It was a daunting task that I am glad to finally have over with - now I can work on building up certain portions of the site without the worry of all the clutter.
Not much to link to today since I was offline most of the day in fear of power outages (we only had a short one - so far!), but I thought I'd recommend the site for the new Planet of the Apes movie that will be released in July of this year. It's a flash heavy site, but it's worth the download wait, I think. I love the original movie, and Tim Burton is the director of this one so I am psyched. Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, but then again this is not your father's Planet of the Apes.
I spent a couple of hours tonight trying to clean up this site (behind-the-scenes stuff). Because of server space issues, I pared down the Vancouver and Family photo galleries, and got rid of some stuff that I didn't even know I still had on here. It was a daunting task that I am glad to finally have over with - now I can work on building up certain portions of the site without the worry of all the clutter.
Not much to link to today since I was offline most of the day in fear of power outages (we only had a short one - so far!), but I thought I'd recommend the site for the new Planet of the Apes movie that will be released in July of this year. It's a flash heavy site, but it's worth the download wait, I think. I love the original movie, and Tim Burton is the director of this one so I am psyched. Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, but then again this is not your father's Planet of the Apes.
3.02.2001
I don't want to offend any of my friends who watch reality shows -- actually, all of my friends watch reality shows! -- but I agree with so much of what is said in this article that I just had to link to it. Particularly of interest to me: what he says about the selling of our youth culture, the limits of acceptability and this week's rockin' Buffy episode. Believe me, it all makes sense. To me, at least. Please, no flames - this is not a condemnation of the people who watch any of these shows but of the corprate culture that sells them.
[:::]
On a lighter note, Mommy goes to Catholic High School - my, how time flies!
<those were the days>
[:::]
On a lighter note, Mommy goes to Catholic High School - my, how time flies!
<those were the days>
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