Check out these VERY cool photos taken by the recently upgraded Hubble telescope.

Holy Christmas -- was I really gone for that long? I'm not sure what happened...there was a bright light, and these little guys with really big heads were looking down on me, speaking but not really speaking...then I woke up really groggy, with my clothes on backwards and a sore spot at the nape of my neck. I figured I just had a bit too much to drink on Saturday night, but now that I look at the date...

Just popping in quickly to say I knew there was more going on here than we knew at first. Hmmm...

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Cindy and Cyro.

So that's where my tablecloth went!

As if I wasn't insecure enough about my body, now I'll have the trauma of knowing that those airport security yahoos will be seeing me naked.

The story of the woman who has been held captive by her ex-boyfriend on his truck, and was subsequently rescued after a janitor read her plea for help on a restroom stall, is remarkable. So remarkable, in fact, that I get this feeling that there is more to the story than we're hearing. I don't know what yet, but I have a feeling.

Taylor County High School, in Butler, GA, will have its first integrated prom, ever, on May 3.

Ralph Noble, president of the 37,000-member Georgia Association of Educators, said the students' decision "truly shows that children are wiser than adults many times."

Amen, Ralph.

New POTW posted.

Oh my word. LOL, that looks soooooooo bad.

Run away! Very fast!

The dog has been saved. I can now return to ignoring the plights of actual human beings who suffer everywhere.

My GeekQuotient has gone through the roof with the last three posts, hasn't it?

R.I.P., boys.



In Memorium, their first scene on The X-Files:

LANGLY: So, check it out, Mulder, today I had breakfast with the guy
who shot John F. Kennedy.
MULDER: Is that so?
LANGLY: Old dude now, but yeah. Says he was dressed as a cop on
the grassy knoll.
BYERS: And, Mulder, listen to this. Vladmir Zhirinovsky, the leader of
the Russian Social Democrats? He’s being put into power by the most
heinous and evil force of the 20th century.
MULDER: Barney?
BYERS: The C.I.A.
SCULLY: Hmm.
LANGLY: Is this your skeptical partner?
FROHIKE: She’s hot.
BYERS: You don’t believe that the C.I.A., threatened by a loss of power
and funding because of the collapse of the cold war, wouldn’t dream
of having the old enemy back?
SCULLY: I think you give the government too much credit.
SCULLY: I mean, the government can’t control the defecit or manage
crime…
SCULLY: …what makes you think they could plan and execute such
an elaborate conspiracy?
FROHIKE: She *is* hot.
MULDER: Settle down, Frohike.
BYERS: I’m not talking about the bunch of idiots up on the hill trying
to bone the capital pages. We’re talking about a dark network,
a government within a government, controlling our every move.
SCULLY: How can they do that?
BYERS: How? I’ll show you how. You got a twenty dollar bill?
SCULLY: Hmmm… I’ll check.
(She digs into her back pocket, looking at Mulder, who smiles back.
She pulls out a twenty.)
SCULLY: Um-hmmm.
(Byers holds the bill in front of him and rips off its left side.
Scully crosses over to him)
SCULLY: Hey!
(Mulder laughs. Scully looks back at him. Byers pulls out the magnetic
anti-counterfeiting strip.)
BYERS: That’s just one method. They use this magnetic strip to track
you. Whenever you go through a metal detector at an airport, they know
exactly how much you’re carrying.
MULDER: Hey, Byers, it is a federal crime to deface money.
SCULLY: This strip is an anti-counterfeiting measure.
LANGLY: How come it’s on the inside? Other countries put that strip
on the outside.
BYERS: What are they hiding?
(Mulder waves his hands to get their attention.)
MULDER: O… o… ok, alright. What do you know about the Gulf
War Syndrome?
LANGLY: Agent Orange of the 90’s.
BYERS: Artillery shells coated with depleted uranium.
MULDER: Have you heard of any classified planes being flown during
the Persian Gulf War?
BYERS: Why would you need to expose a secret plane to an air force
that runs to Iran whenever you take to the air?
MULDER: What about UFO activity during that period?
(Langly and even Byers laugh.)
LANGLY: Yeah, UFOs caused the Gulf War Syndrome, that’s a good one.
BYERS: That’s why we like you, Mulder, your ideas are weirder than ours.

In a continuing Star Wars theme...

"An inside look at the new Star Wars episode: how the young Darth Vader fell in love and George Lucas rediscovered the heart and soul of his epic series."

TIME.com's cover story this week is the new Star Wars movie, set for release next month (May 1? Jeez, I can't find the release date anywhere). The good news: it sounds like Episode II is a better movie than Episode I; the bad news: Jar-Jar Binks is in the new movie, albeit in a smaller role.

Overheard

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Who did I just hear say this and what are they talking about?

Zap2It talks to Eddie Izzard about playing Charlie Chaplin in The Cat's Meow.

Good morning. How about some good news to start your day: The dog that whose rescue attempt was aborted after it was believed he had gone down with his ship has been found, alive, still wandering around the drifting barge.

OK, how could these two not know that the Church of the Nativity has been under seige for what, about 2 weeks now? And what the hell are they doing vacationing in that hot spot anyway? Good Lord.

Police arrest Robert Blake for the murder of his wife a year ago. It was just the other day that I was wondering if they were ever going to charge him. Why I was wondering about Robert Blake's wife's murder, I can't tell ya. My mind works in mysterious ways.

FOX cancels Ally McBeal. Watch as I dance around the room like that weird little CGI baby. I don't like to be mean-spirited about it, but I never took to that show. I tried a few times to watch it, but all it did was irritate me. I even found the ads for it annoying.

thursday thoughts

The weather has been scorchingly hot in these parts the past couple of days, and today is no different, about 85. That's a bit cooler than the 90s we had yesterday and the day before, but they're still mutant temps for April in Connecticut.

The cloud of disappointment that was hanging over me yesterday has actually lifted a bit today, which I suppose says a lot about my ability to feel anything too deeply, lol. My ego and self-confidence have taken a hit, no doubt about that, but in the grand scheme of things my life hasn't changed all that much. Just my plans for it. For now.

With all of the sunshine and warm weather we've had, Spring is bursting through everywhere I look. Walking little Marty has become an exercise in stop-and-go as he stops to smell every dandelion while I try to go. The lucky locals will be subjected to the 37th annual appearance of my legs in public as I venture out in shorts for the first time this year on a trip to WalMart. I hope the glare coming off my lily-white legs doesn't cause too many accidents in the parking lot.

I'm wearing the Birkies I bought in Key West, but I can't find my toe ring. Damn.

On a lighter note...

A young German couple hid in a bed shop after closing time and passionately tested the water beds for several hours before being caught by police, officials said Wednesday.

No News is Good News

But bad news is still bad news. I never did get that hoped-for good news in the mail, just the opposite as a matter of fact. My application for acceptance into an advanced teacher certification program was denied. There are other avenues to certification that I can pursue, but I don't think I'm ready take this on again, not right now. And so I have renewed my job search, in earnest.

Although I don't know this for certain, my lack of recent experience with children probably contributed to my rejection. It is a very competitive program, and things like assistant teaching, mentoring, participation in programs like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc., give candidates an edge over others. Sensing my disappointment yesterday, my mother wrote me this note:

I'm writing this so I don't cry in front of you. Although this paper contains words - believe me there are hugs and kisses and many thank yous in between the lines.

You must understand that for the last 10 years you have been mentoring, caring, protecting and loving to me, and me being me - I didn't leave you much time to mentor others.

I love you. You are certainly a successful woman in whatever you choose to do with your life and I'm so proud of you. Thank you for all your love and kindness. Mommy.

"I'm thinking of becoming a real S.O.B. but I just don't know where to begin."

According to The Spark's latest quiz, The Cuttthroat Test, I am "35% cruel and unusual". How much of a bastard are you?

This week's quiz is waiting for you - Invisibles #71.

which "monty python and the holy grail" character are you?

this quiz was made by colleen

[thanks, fark]

Look at what you get when you scrape the bottom of the human gene pool.

How about a couple of good Cinescape articles about the ending of The X-Files?

Series overview.
Get Carter.

New POTW!

Going away for the weekend again - see you Monday! Have a good weekend!

You've all seen the recent headline claiming that a new study shows that alcohol is responsible for about 1,400 deaths of college students annually, right?. This great FOXNews report breaks down the so-called "study" to show its junk-science basis.

[thanks, fark]

This 8-year-old boy drives to school - stopping to pick up a friend, no less! - after missing the bus and gets suspended for his efforts. No, I don't think an 8-year-old should be gallavanting around town at the wheel of a car, but talk about initiative! He should be punished for doing something so dangerous, but I think a 10 day suspension is a bit harsh for an 8-year-old, especially one who actually made an extraordinary effort to get to school rather than stay out of it. Of course, the little guy could have been looking for any opportunity to go for a joy ride and "missing the bus" could just have been a convenient excuse. And how did his little feet reach the pedals?

Peter Bogdanovich's first new movie in 8 years, "The Cat's Meow", opens this weekend. Normally, I could give two hoots about a new Bogdanovich movie, but this one features Eddie Izzard in a well-reviewed portrayal of Charlie Chaplin. The movie actually looks pretty interesting, but since I believe it will only be in limited release (NY and LA) for now, this may have to be a rental.

(registration required)

"Consistent Love takes Masters Lead."

Oo! A report on how to be a better lover?? NO, of course not - just some boring old story on golf.

I had a dream.

You know, Dr. King has ruined that phrase for use by the rest of us.

Anyway, I had a dream last night, and the night before, in which I received some much hoped for good news in the mail. A good omen? I certainly hope so. I'll let you know what it is when I get my answer.

"Just wait till you're 50 ... 50 ... " He turns to Sharon. "How old did you say I was?"

Ozzy her, Ozzy there, Ozzy Ozzy everywhere!

Ozzy and Greta have a date with W. And the world just gets weirder and weirder.

"Powell backed in Mideast bid."

Backed by who? And this is said as another suicide bomber kills 8 near Haifa. Until the zealots who strap explosives to themselves in the name of Allah decide to "back" Powell, there will never be true peace in the region.

I came across this accident on my way to the mall today. The truck overturned on the ramp that I normally take to get on I-84. It was so scary to see it hanging over the edge of that high overpass, and I was worried about the driver. Thankfully, he only suffered minor injuries, unlike another truck driver who took that corner too fast a few years ago and fell down into the river.

I think I know where he hides his money. LOL, hasn't he seen a picture of himself?

"The success of the program has turned the self-proclaimed "f---ing prince of f---ing darkness" into the most lovable metal maniac to ever grace the small screen. And the fact that Ozzy appears oblivious to America's fascination with him as an affable tattooed teddy bear only adds to his endearing allure."

Don't forget, Ozzy's on tonight! It's in heavy rotation on MTV, and you can find last week's episode, "Tour of Duty", at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM. It's worth watching just to see Ozzy fall backward off his chair. A new episode, "Break a Leg" (well, new to me, anyway), airs at 10:30 PM (all times EST)

D'Artagnan Makes a Courtesy Call

The phone rang this morning and I knew who it would be. Virtually the only calls we get during the day are from telemarketers. It was indeed a sales call, and as I nimbly escaped yet another solicitation for accidental death and dismemberment insurance from my credit card company, my mother came into the room and asked, "Who was that on the phone, a telemarketeer?" All for one and one for all!

New Picture of the Week, left-hand column.

Invisibles

Eip, that one we both missed last week? The Sting. Dur. This week's quiz - the 5 I guessed were correct, but 3 of them had me stumped.

I meant to mention this a while ago: William...Shatner..has a...weblog.

Talking Washing Machine Unveiled. If my washing machine could talk to me, I shudder to think what it would say. "You are disgusting" comes immdediately to mind.

Ah, it's that time of year again..." "It's time for workplace nappers to lie down and be counted," says William Anthony, repeating one of the slogans of his napping advocacy organization, the Napping Company."

It's National Workplace Napping Day, people. I'm sure if you told your boss that you needed to take a nap in observance of this national 'day', he/she would totally understand, right? For those of you who don't have such understanding bosses, allow me to step in and take that nap for you ;).

McGregor, 31, said fans could expect a return to the style of the first three films when "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" opens next month in the UK. God, I really hope so.

D'Oh!!

Confessions of a Spoiler Whore. You know who you are.

(no spoilers, lol)

A nice tribute to Billy Wilder by filmmaker Cameron Crowe.

(registration required)

Once famous for writhing around atop a sports car in her then husband's music video, Tawny Kitaen has re-claimed the spotlight by beating the crap out of her new husband. A career to be proud of.

Probably the one and only time I will ever link to a picture of Celine Dion. LOL

A woman hangs herself in a Florida jail and leaves a suicide note in which she asks her lawyer to sue her jailers for not preventing her suicide, earmarking the settlement money for the two children she left behind. I would say that the kids would be better off if their mother didn't kill herself, but I don't know...

A woman accused of trying to trade her baby girl for a Chihuahua puppy has been charged with trafficking in children.

The irony here: she is arrested for trying to sell her baby to someone who can take better care of her and as a result the baby remains in her custody. I'm not sure if the baby wouldn't have been better off sold to the neighbor.

Invisibles #69...And the Oscar goes to...

The news webfeed will be temporarily disabled while I work on expanding it.

'Nother New Feature

I'll be posting a "Picture of the Week", ostensibly on a weekly basis but don't hold me to that. The photo will be something from our excessive stock of photo albums and will be either something old, or funny, or dorky - basically whatever strikes my fancy. This week it's my father's picture from the Navy. The photo is extremely damaged, but I managed to clean it up a bit after scanning it in. What a dreamboat.

"Gimme all your money or your garden gets it!"

Sharon may offer Arafat exile. I've been quiet on this subject, but not because it doesn't interest me. My silence comes simply from not knowing what to say about it. This conflict is so historically and politically complex, a peaceful resolution is beyond my figuring.

Farrell Eaves' camera was a perfectly ordinary Nikon CoolPix 990 until he accidentally knocked it into a pond last summer. Now it's a magic camera. If that had happened to me, all I'd have was an $800 paperweight!

More of Mr. Farrell's photos.

Easter Morning

mouseover for description, click on image to view larger pic

Peeps!



They say cockroaches will be all that's left if there ever was a nuclear war. I say they forgot about Peeps.

The Official Home Page.

More Peeps thank you can shake stick at.

Where do Peeps come from?

I got your back, Ruth. I was saying the same thing to my mother the other day. I read something the other day in which Liza claimed he was an animal in bed. Okay, first of all - ew. Second, why the hell am I talking about this?

Bullseye!

"After crashing her car through the store's entrance, Morsicato drove down one aisle to the rear of the building, scattering merchandise in her wake, store manager Coyle said."

Target is having a bad week.

"UConn Passes Toughest Test Of The Season To Win Title, Finish 39-0"

Congratulations, Ladies!