Wild & Wooly
Woo! What a weekend. I made up for my lame-o birthday night in grand fashion on Friday, an evening that included such drunken antics as dancing on tables in a cowboy hat and giving my telephone number to a 28-year-old Yale PhD candidate with freckles on his face. Many photos were taken, some of which I may even post here, if Sheila's extortion price isn't too high.
Everything is a blur from that night on...Mary and the kids came to stay the weekend and we did the mall thing and the amusement park thing on Saturday. The night was capped off with an overnight visit from our cousin, Karen. Finally, yesterday was the Jack and Jill Bridal Shower/Luncheon/Brunch for my brother Tommy and his fiance Stacey, who just arrived from Florida. It was wonderful to see them after so long, and the food was awesome. I had plates and plates of shrimp and clams on the half shell - even the cocktail sauce was to die for. I finished off the meal with a big ole warm Belgian waffle covered in raspberry sauce and real whipped cream. I'm sure you can imagine how I felt by the time I got home! I went for a nap at around 6:00 and slept for too long - I ended up not falling asleep later until after 2:00 A.M.
And now it's Monday, I'm at work, and I'm a wreck, at least physically. Just a few more hours to go...
7.13.2001
7.12.2001
"No, but I got a hug and a handshake, and that's better than an autograph"
He just makes me weak in the knees.
He just makes me weak in the knees.
7.11.2001
ID, please.
I'm how old?
Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday Dear Mee-eeee,
Haaaappy Biiiirthday tooooooo Meeeeeee!
Oh man, how sad is that? Not as sad, I suppose, as the fact that I am seriously considering watching Chicken Run prior to the chicken documentary I mentioned below, giving the night a general chicken theme. Oh, the depths to which I have sunk.
Never fear, faithful readers. I will be hitting the town on Friday night to celebrate with friends, so life is not quite so desperate. Yet.
And if I'm really lucky, I'll get carded at the bar.
I'm how old?
Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday Dear Mee-eeee,
Haaaappy Biiiirthday tooooooo Meeeeeee!
Oh man, how sad is that? Not as sad, I suppose, as the fact that I am seriously considering watching Chicken Run prior to the chicken documentary I mentioned below, giving the night a general chicken theme. Oh, the depths to which I have sunk.
Never fear, faithful readers. I will be hitting the town on Friday night to celebrate with friends, so life is not quite so desperate. Yet.
And if I'm really lucky, I'll get carded at the bar.
The Natural History of the Chicken
Tonight at 9:00 PM EST , on PBS.
Most people best know the chicken from their dinner plates -- whether as thigh, wing or drumstick. Consumers barely pause a moment to consider the bird's many virtues. Filmmaker Mark Lewis (Cane Toads: An Unnatural History and Rat) expands the frontiers of popular awareness and delightfully reveals that this small, common and seemingly simple animal is as complex and grand as any of Earth's creatures.
Tonight at 9:00 PM EST , on PBS.
7.10.2001
Invisibles!
Invisibles #31 - come and get it! I think I should win a prize for the Most Consistent Scoring. Mhm, I got 5 out of 8. If you'd like to see the answers to last week's quiz, um, click on what I just typed. Sorry, didn't think that last sentence through.
Invisibles #31 - come and get it! I think I should win a prize for the Most Consistent Scoring. Mhm, I got 5 out of 8. If you'd like to see the answers to last week's quiz, um, click on what I just typed. Sorry, didn't think that last sentence through.
Well, Whadya Know
Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
[source: National Science & Technology Week]
Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
Identical twins are born virtually indistinguishable, mirror images from the same egg. But that's only the half of it. As they age, life leaves separate tracks on each in the forms of scars and more subtle markings. It's the same with their fingerprints, which are very similar but also different on close examination. In addition to the influence of their environment after birth, they are even born with very slightly different prints due to chance occurrences in the womb, such as position, etc. - what scientists cryptically call "random events."
[source: National Science & Technology Week]
In the Get-A-Life Category...
I suppose this dodo thinks everything else in the Harry Potter books is real.
I suppose this dodo thinks everything else in the Harry Potter books is real.
Could somebody open a window, please??
Thankfully this was just a false alarm, but I think someone needs to ask the crew what they had for lunch. ;-)
Thankfully this was just a false alarm, but I think someone needs to ask the crew what they had for lunch. ;-)
My sister will be out of town for the next couple of days for business and will be away for my birthday (tomorrow...*wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*). Anyhoo, I woke to find a birthday card this morning, with this message:
I hope you wake up the morning after in a strange bathtub with your underpants on your head and a carrot in your navel and absolutely no recollection of the previous 12 hours.
Well, hell...so do I!
I hope you wake up the morning after in a strange bathtub with your underpants on your head and a carrot in your navel and absolutely no recollection of the previous 12 hours.
Well, hell...so do I!
7.09.2001
GeekSpeak
XF-related news: Much to our shared pleasure, Red has taken up writing her CRCs (Character Report Cards) once again. If you miss them at the XPA Board, you can find them at GeekSpeak. For those of you unfamiliar with GeekSpeak, well, it's an archive, of sorts, of fan commentary from this past season of The X-Files. You should really check it out - it makes for some interesting reading, whether you're a fan of the show or not.
[yes, some of the commentary posted at GeekSpeak is my own. just what are you implying?]
XF-related news: Much to our shared pleasure, Red has taken up writing her CRCs (Character Report Cards) once again. If you miss them at the XPA Board, you can find them at GeekSpeak. For those of you unfamiliar with GeekSpeak, well, it's an archive, of sorts, of fan commentary from this past season of The X-Files. You should really check it out - it makes for some interesting reading, whether you're a fan of the show or not.
[yes, some of the commentary posted at GeekSpeak is my own. just what are you implying?]
7.06.2001
I hear dead people
Sheila and I were watching television the other night and we came across this show on ghosts and paranormal phenomena. As part of the demonstration of "proof" of hauntings, several photographs with strange glowing orbs floating through them were presented. I suddenly got extremely creeped out.
We live in a renovated farmhouse, in a second floor apartment, in Connecticut. I don't know how old the house is, exactly, but I do know it was likely built before WWII. I'm not really a believer, so to speak, in paranormal phenomena. I love thinking about it and a good ghost story is hard to beat, but I'm a pretty matter-of-fact sort of person, possessed of very little imagination, and so I tend to dismiss or try to explain away most ghost stories. I do admit, however, to the occasional speculation that my house, especially my bedroom, is haunted. Why? Well, the usual things - my cats are always popping up from a dead sleep, hearing or seeing something I don't. And this is going to sound crazy, but there have been a couple of times, when I have been juuuust about to fall asleep, that I have heard someone say my name, whisper it actually. Up until now I have written that off as one of those moments you have when you're floating somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, where you can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
Then I saw that show with those pictures and recalled the photo that I took of my room and posted here in the In My Life gallery:
view larger image here.
Yikes. I got myself into a state that night and by the time I got to bed I was Shaggy and Scooby. I laid there in bed, willing myself to sleep despite the fact that my body was completely rigid with fear. I jumped out of my skin every time one of the cats would push open the door on the way in or out of my room. All of a sudden, my door slammed shut, making me shoot right up in bed. I nearly freaked right out when I realized that my room was bathed in a bright, flashing light. A few seconds later I realized it was the wind that slammed the door shut and the light I was seeing was a police car outside my window, but damn, that scared the shit out of me! It's amazing how easily I just freaked myself out.
I found a site today, Ghost-Hunter.com, that features paranormal photos. This is what it had to say about "orbs":
"The orb or globule- round transparent balls (sometimes rumored to be the wayward souls) that are produced by spirits. (Watch out for water spots or dust particles on your camera lens- especially under adverse conditions!) Globules are usually white to yellow in color and are normally translucent but are sometimes known to appear on film in every color, size, shape and translucency. Sometimes only one may appear on film or, if taken at a graveyard, you may find numerous globules.
Did you ever wonder why most of these "orb" photos occur outside or in dusty basements and old homes? Some interesting research has been conducted over the past several months, and the number one cause for these objects - SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN MYSTIFIED - is dust, pollen, and fibers in the air. When caught in transit, close enough to the camera lens with a bright enough flash and quick enough film, you too can produce your own "orb" photos to delight and mystify all."
I would like to think that those moons over my bed are simply dust particles - God knows there are plenty of those to go around in my house - but I just don't know... I was using a disposable camera, which does not have a particularly bright flash or fast film. And none of the other photos on the roll had those moons.
What do you think? I know one thing - my mother gets that room!
Sheila and I were watching television the other night and we came across this show on ghosts and paranormal phenomena. As part of the demonstration of "proof" of hauntings, several photographs with strange glowing orbs floating through them were presented. I suddenly got extremely creeped out.
We live in a renovated farmhouse, in a second floor apartment, in Connecticut. I don't know how old the house is, exactly, but I do know it was likely built before WWII. I'm not really a believer, so to speak, in paranormal phenomena. I love thinking about it and a good ghost story is hard to beat, but I'm a pretty matter-of-fact sort of person, possessed of very little imagination, and so I tend to dismiss or try to explain away most ghost stories. I do admit, however, to the occasional speculation that my house, especially my bedroom, is haunted. Why? Well, the usual things - my cats are always popping up from a dead sleep, hearing or seeing something I don't. And this is going to sound crazy, but there have been a couple of times, when I have been juuuust about to fall asleep, that I have heard someone say my name, whisper it actually. Up until now I have written that off as one of those moments you have when you're floating somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, where you can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
Then I saw that show with those pictures and recalled the photo that I took of my room and posted here in the In My Life gallery:
view larger image here.
Yikes. I got myself into a state that night and by the time I got to bed I was Shaggy and Scooby. I laid there in bed, willing myself to sleep despite the fact that my body was completely rigid with fear. I jumped out of my skin every time one of the cats would push open the door on the way in or out of my room. All of a sudden, my door slammed shut, making me shoot right up in bed. I nearly freaked right out when I realized that my room was bathed in a bright, flashing light. A few seconds later I realized it was the wind that slammed the door shut and the light I was seeing was a police car outside my window, but damn, that scared the shit out of me! It's amazing how easily I just freaked myself out.
I found a site today, Ghost-Hunter.com, that features paranormal photos. This is what it had to say about "orbs":
"The orb or globule- round transparent balls (sometimes rumored to be the wayward souls) that are produced by spirits. (Watch out for water spots or dust particles on your camera lens- especially under adverse conditions!) Globules are usually white to yellow in color and are normally translucent but are sometimes known to appear on film in every color, size, shape and translucency. Sometimes only one may appear on film or, if taken at a graveyard, you may find numerous globules.
Did you ever wonder why most of these "orb" photos occur outside or in dusty basements and old homes? Some interesting research has been conducted over the past several months, and the number one cause for these objects - SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN MYSTIFIED - is dust, pollen, and fibers in the air. When caught in transit, close enough to the camera lens with a bright enough flash and quick enough film, you too can produce your own "orb" photos to delight and mystify all."
I would like to think that those moons over my bed are simply dust particles - God knows there are plenty of those to go around in my house - but I just don't know... I was using a disposable camera, which does not have a particularly bright flash or fast film. And none of the other photos on the roll had those moons.
What do you think? I know one thing - my mother gets that room!
I apologize to all who have been experiencing difficulty accessing this site this week. Besides my publishing difficulties and the fact that the site was unavailable for most of yesterday, there are still people who can only intermittently get here. Unfortunately, my provider provides very little tech support for personal home pages. Basically they say here's your free space - you're on your own from here on in. Hopefully I'll be able to zero in on the problem soon.
I also have to apologize for a lack of content updates recently. No new pictures, no new X-Files commentary...there is really no excuse except that I have found other things that I would rather be doing. And since those "other things" constitute nothing more than watching movies or going out and partying, there really is no excuse! Some of the things I would like to work on in the coming weeks:
updates to the photos section (kids, vacations, etc)
finish season 8 x-files episode commentary and hopefully start on some older episodes
add content to the I like page
polish off my home page
Life will be getting particularly crazy in the coming month(s), however; my mother will be moving in with us on a temporary basis either at the end of July or August, depending on how quickly we can get our butts in gear and get her out of her current place. It's going to be a swell time, getting her packed up! I'm trying not to think about Life with Mommy once she gets here. I'll keep you posted.
I also have to apologize for a lack of content updates recently. No new pictures, no new X-Files commentary...there is really no excuse except that I have found other things that I would rather be doing. And since those "other things" constitute nothing more than watching movies or going out and partying, there really is no excuse! Some of the things I would like to work on in the coming weeks:
updates to the photos section (kids, vacations, etc)
finish season 8 x-files episode commentary and hopefully start on some older episodes
add content to the I like page
polish off my home page
Life will be getting particularly crazy in the coming month(s), however; my mother will be moving in with us on a temporary basis either at the end of July or August, depending on how quickly we can get our butts in gear and get her out of her current place. It's going to be a swell time, getting her packed up! I'm trying not to think about Life with Mommy once she gets here. I'll keep you posted.
Well, Whadya Know
Why might we say that someone who acts crazy has gone 'berserk?'
In Old Norse, "berserk" meant "bear shirt" - a shirt made from bear skin, not a shirt typically worn by bears. It's what Norse warriors wore when they went into battle, earning them the name, "berserkers." These guys really went nuts when they took up the sword -- hence our modern meaning of berserk -- in no small measure because they first got stoned out of their minds by munching on hallucinogenic mushrooms.
[source: Who Put The Butter In Butterfly? By David Feldman]
During the McCarthy period in the US in the 1950s, anti- communist feeling was so strong that it even reached into the world of sports. The Cincinnati Reds baseball team, in order to prevent any misunderstandings, temporarily changed its name to the Cincinnati Redlegs. After the hysteria died down they reverted to their original name.
[source: Just Curious Jeeves]
Why does the president of the United States work in an oval office?
When the White House was built, in the late 1790s, it contained several oval rooms, one of which, on the second floor, was used by early presidents as an office. But before there could be a TV program called "The West Wing," the executive mansion had to have same. Teddy Roosevelt added it in 1902, and the proponent of the "Square Deal' went to work in a similarly shaped office in the new wing. It was the next president, William Howard Taft, who turned it into an oval when he renovated, because people had come to associate oval rooms with the White House.
[source: Why Things Are & Why They Aren't by Joel Achenbach]
Why might we say that someone who acts crazy has gone 'berserk?'
In Old Norse, "berserk" meant "bear shirt" - a shirt made from bear skin, not a shirt typically worn by bears. It's what Norse warriors wore when they went into battle, earning them the name, "berserkers." These guys really went nuts when they took up the sword -- hence our modern meaning of berserk -- in no small measure because they first got stoned out of their minds by munching on hallucinogenic mushrooms.
[source: Who Put The Butter In Butterfly? By David Feldman]
During the McCarthy period in the US in the 1950s, anti- communist feeling was so strong that it even reached into the world of sports. The Cincinnati Reds baseball team, in order to prevent any misunderstandings, temporarily changed its name to the Cincinnati Redlegs. After the hysteria died down they reverted to their original name.
[source: Just Curious Jeeves]
Why does the president of the United States work in an oval office?
When the White House was built, in the late 1790s, it contained several oval rooms, one of which, on the second floor, was used by early presidents as an office. But before there could be a TV program called "The West Wing," the executive mansion had to have same. Teddy Roosevelt added it in 1902, and the proponent of the "Square Deal' went to work in a similarly shaped office in the new wing. It was the next president, William Howard Taft, who turned it into an oval when he renovated, because people had come to associate oval rooms with the White House.
[source: Why Things Are & Why They Aren't by Joel Achenbach]
7.04.2001
Success!
But not for the reason I mentioned below. Cleaning out the site, although a task that was desperately needed, didn't take care of the problem. So I turned to Blogger's troubleshooting section for help. Up until now, my blog settings had my ISP's FTP server name, pages.cthome.net, for the FTP path. Blogger Help suggested that I ping my FTP server and get the IP address and substitute the server name with the IP address in my blog's FTP settings. And it worked. Yay!
Why the server name no longer worked is beyond me. I'm just glad it's fixed.
But not for the reason I mentioned below. Cleaning out the site, although a task that was desperately needed, didn't take care of the problem. So I turned to Blogger's troubleshooting section for help. Up until now, my blog settings had my ISP's FTP server name, pages.cthome.net, for the FTP path. Blogger Help suggested that I ping my FTP server and get the IP address and substitute the server name with the IP address in my blog's FTP settings. And it worked. Yay!
Why the server name no longer worked is beyond me. I'm just glad it's fixed.
I guess what they say is true...
You get what you pay for. This site is hosted for free by my ISP and there are, of course, space limitations. I've been having trouble publishing the past couple of days (hence the dirth of fascinating insights from me), and I believe it's because I grew too big. The bathroom scale's been trying to tell me the same thing for a while now, but I just don't wanna hear it.
I've done some site cleaning in the hope that it will take care of the problem, at least for now. Here goes nothin'...
You get what you pay for. This site is hosted for free by my ISP and there are, of course, space limitations. I've been having trouble publishing the past couple of days (hence the dirth of fascinating insights from me), and I believe it's because I grew too big. The bathroom scale's been trying to tell me the same thing for a while now, but I just don't wanna hear it.
I've done some site cleaning in the hope that it will take care of the problem, at least for now. Here goes nothin'...
7.03.2001
The Man, The Myth, The Shoes
Ladies and Gentleman, the Most Fabulous and Groovy Executive Transvestite Comedian in the world...
Eddie Izzard. This is my favorite Eddie Izzard site. Who in blazes is Eddie Izzard, you ask? Well, I already said who - he's the Most Fabulous and Groovy Executive Transvestite Comedian in the world. Go read about him and rent a couple of his tapes. You won't be sorry. (Or maybe you will, who knows)
~"If you've never seen an elephant ski then you've never been on acid!"
Ladies and Gentleman, the Most Fabulous and Groovy Executive Transvestite Comedian in the world...
Eddie Izzard. This is my favorite Eddie Izzard site. Who in blazes is Eddie Izzard, you ask? Well, I already said who - he's the Most Fabulous and Groovy Executive Transvestite Comedian in the world. Go read about him and rent a couple of his tapes. You won't be sorry. (Or maybe you will, who knows)
~"If you've never seen an elephant ski then you've never been on acid!"
Things That Make You Go Hmm...
Salon has an article up today that recounts the experience of a man who underwent the same procedure as Vice President Dick Cheney this weekend. He wonders how the hell Cheney was able to just walk out of that hospital.
Salon has an article up today that recounts the experience of a man who underwent the same procedure as Vice President Dick Cheney this weekend. He wonders how the hell Cheney was able to just walk out of that hospital.
Oh, the horror!
Well, what are you waiting for? Get on over to Filmwise and play Invisibles #30: Oh, the Horror!. The one I couldn't get in last week's quiz was Billy Madison. No wonder. I don't like to admit that Adam Sandler even exists, nevermind that he makes millions of dollars making movies.
While you're at Filmwise, check out their new contest, Heavy Petting. It's fairly challenging, but most of the fun comes from looking at the pictures, especially the one on the bottom left, LOL.
Well, what are you waiting for? Get on over to Filmwise and play Invisibles #30: Oh, the Horror!. The one I couldn't get in last week's quiz was Billy Madison. No wonder. I don't like to admit that Adam Sandler even exists, nevermind that he makes millions of dollars making movies.
While you're at Filmwise, check out their new contest, Heavy Petting. It's fairly challenging, but most of the fun comes from looking at the pictures, especially the one on the bottom left, LOL.
Long time no see!
Here I am. My life has been a bit topsy-turvy lately, but in a not-so-bad way. Just a lot of stuff going on.
But I'm back with a bunch of goodies for ya...to start with, why don't we take a peek at Dennis Miller's most recent rant. My favorite part (well, the one with the least swear words):
"You know, I may pretend not to care about what happens thousands of miles away in a place I'll probably never see. But I know that all of life is deeply interconnected and interdependent in a symbiotic, primal dance. That a butterfly beating its wings in the African bush can dislodge a particle of dust that makes a monkey sneeze, which startles a herd of gazelle into stampeding, causing a rockslide down a hill which dams up a stream and floods it, creating moisture which evaporates and cools the air, which rushes into the hot air above it, becoming a cyclone, which whirls out to sea and joins up with other storm clouds, forming an enormous raging squall that travels thousands of miles across the ocean, disrupting electromagnetic fields and making my cell phone cut out. Fuckin' butterflies. "
Here I am. My life has been a bit topsy-turvy lately, but in a not-so-bad way. Just a lot of stuff going on.
But I'm back with a bunch of goodies for ya...to start with, why don't we take a peek at Dennis Miller's most recent rant. My favorite part (well, the one with the least swear words):
"You know, I may pretend not to care about what happens thousands of miles away in a place I'll probably never see. But I know that all of life is deeply interconnected and interdependent in a symbiotic, primal dance. That a butterfly beating its wings in the African bush can dislodge a particle of dust that makes a monkey sneeze, which startles a herd of gazelle into stampeding, causing a rockslide down a hill which dams up a stream and floods it, creating moisture which evaporates and cools the air, which rushes into the hot air above it, becoming a cyclone, which whirls out to sea and joins up with other storm clouds, forming an enormous raging squall that travels thousands of miles across the ocean, disrupting electromagnetic fields and making my cell phone cut out. Fuckin' butterflies. "
6.28.2001
I'll have what she's having...
"It's more effective for a woman than having 30 men."
Romania must be a weird and wonderful place.
"It's more effective for a woman than having 30 men."
Romania must be a weird and wonderful place.
Microsoft to Stay Together - For Now
An appeals court has partially reversed the 1999 decision against Microsoft - apparently Microsoft, even though it is a monopoly, should not be forced to break up.
An appeals court has partially reversed the 1999 decision against Microsoft - apparently Microsoft, even though it is a monopoly, should not be forced to break up.
6.27.2001
Somebody's Having Fun
Unisys Corporation today issued a public apology for the many human inconveniences resulting from its invention of UNIVAC I, the world's first commercial computer, introduced on June 14, 1951.
Definitely chuckle-worthy, and it looks to be for real.
link courtesy usr/bin/girl
Unisys Corporation today issued a public apology for the many human inconveniences resulting from its invention of UNIVAC I, the world's first commercial computer, introduced on June 14, 1951.
Definitely chuckle-worthy, and it looks to be for real.
link courtesy usr/bin/girl
Comments Option Available Again!
Oh, I am just pleased as punch with myself.
I was driving home tonight and was struck with an idea for a post. The only problem was that I wanted to get feedback and without BlogVoices working, there was no way for me to do that (easily). I decided to do a little poking around and I quite accidentally stumbled upon Reblogger, an alternative comments script. The installation was very simple, just a few minutes of copying and pasting and voila! And not only does it work, it has a counter capability that allows me (and you) to see at a glance if there is already a discussion going on.
I can't vouch for its stability yet, and the counter aspect may cause congestion on the host server, but I'm glad to have discussion capability again and will take it one day at a time.
Discuss!
Oh, I am just pleased as punch with myself.
I was driving home tonight and was struck with an idea for a post. The only problem was that I wanted to get feedback and without BlogVoices working, there was no way for me to do that (easily). I decided to do a little poking around and I quite accidentally stumbled upon Reblogger, an alternative comments script. The installation was very simple, just a few minutes of copying and pasting and voila! And not only does it work, it has a counter capability that allows me (and you) to see at a glance if there is already a discussion going on.
I can't vouch for its stability yet, and the counter aspect may cause congestion on the host server, but I'm glad to have discussion capability again and will take it one day at a time.
Discuss!
Do you think if I asked politely that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would change his last name to something else? I have trouble whenever I read his name - if it appears as Ariel Sharon, I pronounce it correctly, as "Share-own". If, however, the headline uses only last names, such as the New York Times headline Bush and Sharon Differ on Ending Violence, I invariably read it as the girl's name "Share-on". Drives me nuts!
6.26.2001
6.25.2001
Well, Whadya Know
Why do we sometimes call someone with below average intelligence a moron?
Moron was a word coined in 1910. It seems that psychologists, never happy unless they can stick a label on someone, felt they needed a new word to describe people who were quite slow on the uptake. So, in that year, at the convention of The American Association for the Study of the Feeble Minded ("moron" did symbolize progress), the delegates went to work. Someone remembered that the French dramatist, Moliere, had written a play in which a stupid character was named Moron (ancient Greek for stupid was "moros"). Voila! Everyone went home happy.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Why can't you buy cashew nuts in the shell?
Cashews have no shells. What's more, they're not nuts. The cashew is a seed, just like sunflower and pumpkin seeds. They grow on shrubs and hang from cashew apples, which also taste pretty good. Anyone who tells you otherwise IS a nut.
[source: Imponderables: The Solution To The Mystery Of Everyday Life by David Feldman]
Why do we sometimes call someone with below average intelligence a moron?
Moron was a word coined in 1910. It seems that psychologists, never happy unless they can stick a label on someone, felt they needed a new word to describe people who were quite slow on the uptake. So, in that year, at the convention of The American Association for the Study of the Feeble Minded ("moron" did symbolize progress), the delegates went to work. Someone remembered that the French dramatist, Moliere, had written a play in which a stupid character was named Moron (ancient Greek for stupid was "moros"). Voila! Everyone went home happy.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Why can't you buy cashew nuts in the shell?
Cashews have no shells. What's more, they're not nuts. The cashew is a seed, just like sunflower and pumpkin seeds. They grow on shrubs and hang from cashew apples, which also taste pretty good. Anyone who tells you otherwise IS a nut.
[source: Imponderables: The Solution To The Mystery Of Everyday Life by David Feldman]
Invisibles
Invisibles #29, for some time-wasting fun. I got 7 out of 8 again! The only one I can't get is the one with the guy in the baseball cap with the sleeping kids. There's a new visual quiz at Filmwise, too - Movie Combos. Some of these images are pretty funny. I managed to figure out all but #'s 3 and 5. How did you do?
Invisibles #29, for some time-wasting fun. I got 7 out of 8 again! The only one I can't get is the one with the guy in the baseball cap with the sleeping kids. There's a new visual quiz at Filmwise, too - Movie Combos. Some of these images are pretty funny. I managed to figure out all but #'s 3 and 5. How did you do?
Ten years of genocidal tyranny and all we got was THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT!!
(Ten years is a completely made-up number)
(Ten years is a completely made-up number)
Photo courtesy Dreamworks SKG Fansite
Have you all seen Shrek yet? In one of the film's funniest scenes Lord Farquaad mercilessly tortures The Gingerbread Man, who in my opinion steals the movie. Apparently, Entertainment Weekly magazine agrees with me; in this week's print issue, devoted to its annual "It List", Gingy's bit part gets noticed:
Shrek's Gingerbread Man
*It Scene Stealer*
AGE: "I'm actually 76," says the upstart bit player in Dreamworks' computer-animated smash Shrek. "I was baked back in 1925 as a Christmas gift and shared a tin with a fruitcake for years...an unpleasant memory I'd prefer not to discuss." WHY HIS VOICE IS SO HIGH: "I am, as Howard Stern says, hung like a raisin - literally." ON WORKING WITH JOHN LITHGOW: Despite the reciprocal torture pictured here, Gingy has nothing but respect for his Shrek costar, the actor behind the gumdrop-yanking Lord Farquaad. "What can I say about John...he was a real treat. We really fed off of each other, so to speak - he a little more than I." COOKIE NOOKY: "I used to date Little Debbie until I found out she was a real Ho Ho. I'm currently seeing a Po-Tart, though I'm reluctant to say what flavor." WORK HABITS: Between takes, "I like to get laid on a cookie sheet." BEAUTY SECRET: To stay soft and supple, Gingy sleeps in a Tupperware container. WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT: "My Lord and Baker, Julia Child. Amen." NEXT: "Dreamworks and I are negotiating my contract for stipulations for the Shrek sequel. You want the man, you gotta grease the pan, if you know what I mean."
Monday, Monday
Only God knows why I'm feeling so chipper this morning, but I thought I would take advantage of it while I could and wish you all a good day.
I am highly jealous of my friends Holly and Krys on this beautiful summer morning - they are camping somewhere up in the Northeast, which is exactly what I wish I was doing right now. I love waking up and emerging from the tent to the smell of bacon cooking. Damn, I'm hungry.
Have a good one, everyone, and watch out for those bears this time, H&K!
Only God knows why I'm feeling so chipper this morning, but I thought I would take advantage of it while I could and wish you all a good day.
I am highly jealous of my friends Holly and Krys on this beautiful summer morning - they are camping somewhere up in the Northeast, which is exactly what I wish I was doing right now. I love waking up and emerging from the tent to the smell of bacon cooking. Damn, I'm hungry.
Have a good one, everyone, and watch out for those bears this time, H&K!
6.24.2001
Earth to Captain Tony...
In the bedroom area stands a cardboard cutout of Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
In the bedroom area stands a cardboard cutout of Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Auuuggghhh!!
WARNING: This photo may cause nightmares in small children. Please make sure you have sent them out of the room before viewing this picture.
WARNING: This photo may cause nightmares in small children. Please make sure you have sent them out of the room before viewing this picture.
Whoa! Three days since my last entry? Jeepers. Funny how time slips away.
Friday was a complete wash, as was yesterday. I spent the workday on Friday on the road and then spent the evening at my Uncle Pete's. Yesterday I went to my cousin's daughter's high school graduation party. Cripes, it seems not so long ago that all the cousins were going to each other's graduation parties. It was a nice day, despite the occasional torrential downpours. Megan is a lovely young girl and I wish her all the best.
The rest of the evening was devoted to visiting my sick father. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease this week and was in so much pain yesterday that he couldn't stand. He has severe joint pain in his left hip and knee, the poor thing. So, we brought him some ice cream and sat around yacking for a couple of hours. There's not much he can do but take his pills and ride this thing out. I hope he's not laid up for too much longer.
Well, the weekend is just about over, which means I have to start preparing myself mentally for the return to work. To that end I will proceed immediately to the couch, where I will veg in front of the TV and probably indulge in a snooze.
Friday was a complete wash, as was yesterday. I spent the workday on Friday on the road and then spent the evening at my Uncle Pete's. Yesterday I went to my cousin's daughter's high school graduation party. Cripes, it seems not so long ago that all the cousins were going to each other's graduation parties. It was a nice day, despite the occasional torrential downpours. Megan is a lovely young girl and I wish her all the best.
The rest of the evening was devoted to visiting my sick father. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease this week and was in so much pain yesterday that he couldn't stand. He has severe joint pain in his left hip and knee, the poor thing. So, we brought him some ice cream and sat around yacking for a couple of hours. There's not much he can do but take his pills and ride this thing out. I hope he's not laid up for too much longer.
Well, the weekend is just about over, which means I have to start preparing myself mentally for the return to work. To that end I will proceed immediately to the couch, where I will veg in front of the TV and probably indulge in a snooze.
6.21.2001
Moon Over Zimbabwe
The New York Times has a great article on today's solar eclipse as it was viewed in Zimbabwe. I especially liked this quote:
"Phiri gave an excited commentary, watching in awe as the last glint of sunlight combined with the halo around the moon to create a celestial diamond ring. 'I wish I could take that and give it to my girlfriend, just put it on her finger,' he said."
The pictures accompanying the article are good, too. But the best picture has to be at Yahoo - take a look at this character.
The New York Times has a great article on today's solar eclipse as it was viewed in Zimbabwe. I especially liked this quote:
"Phiri gave an excited commentary, watching in awe as the last glint of sunlight combined with the halo around the moon to create a celestial diamond ring. 'I wish I could take that and give it to my girlfriend, just put it on her finger,' he said."
The pictures accompanying the article are good, too. But the best picture has to be at Yahoo - take a look at this character.
6.20.2001
The Fifth Annual Webby Awards are approaching quickly - have you voted? What are the Webby Awards, you ask? Well, according to their site:
The Webby Awards presents two honors in each category: The Webby Award and The People's Voice Award. Judges from The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences select on the nominees for both awards, and the winners of The Webby Awards. The online community determines the winners of The People's Voice Awards.
...
From online galleries and up-to-the-second news sources, to interplanetary exploration and cyber-communities, The Webby Awards nominees exemplify the kinds of sites that Internet users should visit every day for information and entertainment. In addition, The Academy honors individuals for significant achievements and major contributions that have shaped the industry.
So, I invite you to log on and vote for your favorite websites at the Webby's People's Voice Awards. The awards will be webcast on July 18 and will be hosted by Sam Donaldson (weird!).
Shameless promotion time...In order to show your gratitude to the exemplary personal publishing service that allows me to enthrall you all with my brilliance, a vote for Blogger (in the "Personal" category) will help to promote a great provider of independent publishing on the web. Thanks!
Gotta run - a storm's a'comin'!
The Webby Awards presents two honors in each category: The Webby Award and The People's Voice Award. Judges from The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences select on the nominees for both awards, and the winners of The Webby Awards. The online community determines the winners of The People's Voice Awards.
...
From online galleries and up-to-the-second news sources, to interplanetary exploration and cyber-communities, The Webby Awards nominees exemplify the kinds of sites that Internet users should visit every day for information and entertainment. In addition, The Academy honors individuals for significant achievements and major contributions that have shaped the industry.
So, I invite you to log on and vote for your favorite websites at the Webby's People's Voice Awards. The awards will be webcast on July 18 and will be hosted by Sam Donaldson (weird!).
Shameless promotion time...In order to show your gratitude to the exemplary personal publishing service that allows me to enthrall you all with my brilliance, a vote for Blogger (in the "Personal" category) will help to promote a great provider of independent publishing on the web. Thanks!
Gotta run - a storm's a'comin'!
The coolest thing about these glasses is their name. And they don't even mention where they got it from!
6.19.2001
OK, that's enough playing around with this thing for the night. I'll be adding more links and favorites and that sort of thing to this page soon. I was just tired of that red. The page needed to be more open, and now that it's summer, I wanted a lighter feel to it. Silly, I know, but hey, I can do what I want with it. ;)
"...if the stories sound too good or too bad to be true, they probably are. "
Remember John Sacrosante, the homeless dot.com casualty that I couldn't quite muster up sympathy for? Well, it looks like my instincts still serve me well. (For the most part)
Remember John Sacrosante, the homeless dot.com casualty that I couldn't quite muster up sympathy for? Well, it looks like my instincts still serve me well. (For the most part)
The IronMan says that not even he can play forever.
In a nifty little coincidence, Lou Gehrig was born on this day, June 19, in 1903.
'Scuse me while I whip this out...
"The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy," he has said. "Comedy is a red rubber ball and if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard will of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively."
Silly man knocks 'em dead on Broadway. If I'm lucky I might be able to get tickets for next summer.
"The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy," he has said. "Comedy is a red rubber ball and if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard will of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively."
Silly man knocks 'em dead on Broadway. If I'm lucky I might be able to get tickets for next summer.
6.18.2001
Well, Whadya Know
Why do we call that children's game hopscotch?
The game - called scotch hoppers in the seventeenth century - - is played on squares cut into the ground or marked on pavement. The name was derived from the Old French word "escocher," which meant to cut or mark. It was anglicized to "scotch." From the same source, we get the expression, to "scotch a rumor." And butterscotch - didn't you ever wonder about that? - is simply butter-colored candy cut into squares.
[source: A Browser's Dictionary by John Ciardi]
Why do we associate Dalmatians with firemen?
The answer is simple. The key facts are that there is a natural affinity between Dalmatians and horses, and Dalmatians make good watchdogs. People who owned valuable horses often kept Dalmatians around to guard them against horse thieves. Fire engines used to be drawn by fast and powerful horses, a tempting target for thieves. So, Dalmatians were kept in the firehouse as deterrence to theft. The horses have long since gone, but the Dalmatians, by tradition, have stayed.
[source: The Handy Science Answer Book compiled by The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh]
Why do we call that children's game hopscotch?
The game - called scotch hoppers in the seventeenth century - - is played on squares cut into the ground or marked on pavement. The name was derived from the Old French word "escocher," which meant to cut or mark. It was anglicized to "scotch." From the same source, we get the expression, to "scotch a rumor." And butterscotch - didn't you ever wonder about that? - is simply butter-colored candy cut into squares.
[source: A Browser's Dictionary by John Ciardi]
Why do we associate Dalmatians with firemen?
The answer is simple. The key facts are that there is a natural affinity between Dalmatians and horses, and Dalmatians make good watchdogs. People who owned valuable horses often kept Dalmatians around to guard them against horse thieves. Fire engines used to be drawn by fast and powerful horses, a tempting target for thieves. So, Dalmatians were kept in the firehouse as deterrence to theft. The horses have long since gone, but the Dalmatians, by tradition, have stayed.
[source: The Handy Science Answer Book compiled by The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh]
High Heeled Hell
I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again - I hope the man who invented high-heeled shoes (and you know it was a man) is spending eternity in 3-inch heels. And not just walking around in them. No, he has to go up and down stairs, carry heavy objects, go grocery shopping, dance for 2 hours at a stretch and drive a stick. Every day. For eternity.
If I ever think of wearing these damn strappy 3-inch heels to work again, please slap me. Hard.
I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again - I hope the man who invented high-heeled shoes (and you know it was a man) is spending eternity in 3-inch heels. And not just walking around in them. No, he has to go up and down stairs, carry heavy objects, go grocery shopping, dance for 2 hours at a stretch and drive a stick. Every day. For eternity.
If I ever think of wearing these damn strappy 3-inch heels to work again, please slap me. Hard.
I missed the first half of Dennis Miller this weekend (of course!). Here's a snippet from this week's rant on Death (you can read the entire rant at his site):
There is a school of thought, usually promulgated by the topaz-jewelry-wearing, multiple-cat owning, ancient-Volvo-with-"Practice Random Kindness And Senseless Acts Of Beauty"-bumpersticker-driving segment of our population, that says we as a society need to remove the stigma from death and regard it as just another part of life. These rainbow-and-unicorn simpletons ask, "Why do we insist on portraying death as cruel?" Well, it's difficult to answer that question, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say, because it fucking kills us.
Does the prospect of my death frighten me? Hell yes. Do I think about it often? Hell no.
There is a school of thought, usually promulgated by the topaz-jewelry-wearing, multiple-cat owning, ancient-Volvo-with-"Practice Random Kindness And Senseless Acts Of Beauty"-bumpersticker-driving segment of our population, that says we as a society need to remove the stigma from death and regard it as just another part of life. These rainbow-and-unicorn simpletons ask, "Why do we insist on portraying death as cruel?" Well, it's difficult to answer that question, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say, because it fucking kills us.
Does the prospect of my death frighten me? Hell yes. Do I think about it often? Hell no.
Oh, my.
Er...Anyone else feel like they just intruded on a private moment?
And while we're at it...
Distracted, President Bush forgets what exactly it was he was reaching for...
Er...Anyone else feel like they just intruded on a private moment?
And while we're at it...
Distracted, President Bush forgets what exactly it was he was reaching for...
Quiz Time
Invisibles #28 is up, and it's not as hard as last week - I got 7 out of 8! Anyone know where the one with the bowtie-wearing man is from? You can see last week's answers and top scores here.
Filmwise also has other quizzes at their site, Text and Visual, and they've posted some new ones. Dog Days is a visual quiz that asks you to name the movie in which the dog(s) pictured appeared. I apparently do not pay too much attention to dogs in movies - I only got 2 out of 12 correct. I fared much better with the Text quizzes - Movie Limericks asks you to identify a film by a limerick (10 is my favorite - but watch out, 12 spoils the end of the movie it is describing), and I got 11 out of 12. I am ashamed to say that I missed a perfect score because I couldn't remember where I heard him yelling, "Aunt Beru!"
Invisibles #28 is up, and it's not as hard as last week - I got 7 out of 8! Anyone know where the one with the bowtie-wearing man is from? You can see last week's answers and top scores here.
Filmwise also has other quizzes at their site, Text and Visual, and they've posted some new ones. Dog Days is a visual quiz that asks you to name the movie in which the dog(s) pictured appeared. I apparently do not pay too much attention to dogs in movies - I only got 2 out of 12 correct. I fared much better with the Text quizzes - Movie Limericks asks you to identify a film by a limerick (10 is my favorite - but watch out, 12 spoils the end of the movie it is describing), and I got 11 out of 12. I am ashamed to say that I missed a perfect score because I couldn't remember where I heard him yelling, "Aunt Beru!"
6.17.2001
Tom
In honor of Father's Day, Joel Siegel has come up with a list of movies to watch with your father. Personally, I would prefer to watch an old Abbott and Costello movie, or one of those Bowery Boys flicks, like the ones we would often watch on Sunday mornings. Or maybe one of those B horror movies they used to show on channel 5 on Saturday afternoons, before it was FOX 5 and all weekend programming that wasn't sports-related was an infomercial. WNEW out of New York City aired a program called Creature Feature on those afternoons, usually spotlighting some gothic Hammer Studios vampire movie or maybe a Japanese monster movie like Godzilla vs. Mothra. I used to love watching those movies with my father. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my sisters and I saw him every other weekend. Some may not consider sitting and watching a movie quality time with your father, but I disagree. Sitting and laughing along with Daddy at the bumbling Lou Costello or the poorly-dubbed dialogue in a Japanese monster movie was a way for me to share something with him. And nothing makes a kid feel more grown-up than to be in on the joke. Thanks, and Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
Also, for more father-related reading, check out this salon.com column, a moving reflection on an alcoholic father. Don't worry, it's not as depressing as it sounds.
In honor of Father's Day, Joel Siegel has come up with a list of movies to watch with your father. Personally, I would prefer to watch an old Abbott and Costello movie, or one of those Bowery Boys flicks, like the ones we would often watch on Sunday mornings. Or maybe one of those B horror movies they used to show on channel 5 on Saturday afternoons, before it was FOX 5 and all weekend programming that wasn't sports-related was an infomercial. WNEW out of New York City aired a program called Creature Feature on those afternoons, usually spotlighting some gothic Hammer Studios vampire movie or maybe a Japanese monster movie like Godzilla vs. Mothra. I used to love watching those movies with my father. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my sisters and I saw him every other weekend. Some may not consider sitting and watching a movie quality time with your father, but I disagree. Sitting and laughing along with Daddy at the bumbling Lou Costello or the poorly-dubbed dialogue in a Japanese monster movie was a way for me to share something with him. And nothing makes a kid feel more grown-up than to be in on the joke. Thanks, and Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
Also, for more father-related reading, check out this salon.com column, a moving reflection on an alcoholic father. Don't worry, it's not as depressing as it sounds.
Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
As fans of Monty Python's Holy Grail are most surely aware, the film will be released on DVD in the fall. The "enhanced" DVD version of the film will include 23 seconds of never-before-seen footage, as well as stereo sound. Ooo. Salon.com's cover story is a very silly interview with John Cleese and Terry Jones.
Oh, and by-the-way...Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!
As fans of Monty Python's Holy Grail are most surely aware, the film will be released on DVD in the fall. The "enhanced" DVD version of the film will include 23 seconds of never-before-seen footage, as well as stereo sound. Ooo. Salon.com's cover story is a very silly interview with John Cleese and Terry Jones.
Oh, and by-the-way...Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!
6.15.2001
More dot.com casualties...
From salon.com:
John Sacrosante, who earned more than $100,000 a year as a free-lance database engineer, spent his 39th birthday last week with the "brothers" he met at the church shelter where he has been living.
I know I should feel more sorry for these guys than I do. But I don't. I mean, you make $100,000 one year and then you have no money the next year? Where did it go? If you were working 110 hours per week, how did you manage to spend it? And don't you think it might be a good idea to move somewhere where the cost of living wasn't through the roof?
From salon.com:
John Sacrosante, who earned more than $100,000 a year as a free-lance database engineer, spent his 39th birthday last week with the "brothers" he met at the church shelter where he has been living.
I know I should feel more sorry for these guys than I do. But I don't. I mean, you make $100,000 one year and then you have no money the next year? Where did it go? If you were working 110 hours per week, how did you manage to spend it? And don't you think it might be a good idea to move somewhere where the cost of living wasn't through the roof?
Farscape Continues...
Television's best space opera is back after a brief hiatus. Farscape (another Saturn Award winner) returns tonight to the Sci-Fi Channel with an all-new episode entitled, "Thanks for Sharing", airing at 9:00 P.M. EST (with an encore showing at midnight). What's wrong with Talyn? Will we ever see Zhaan again? And what are they going to do with two - yes, 2 - John Crichtons?? [I could think of a few uses for them, but this is a family show - sorta]
Tune in as Season 3 of Farscape continues...
(For those of you tuning in tonight - Enjoy!)
Television's best space opera is back after a brief hiatus. Farscape (another Saturn Award winner) returns tonight to the Sci-Fi Channel with an all-new episode entitled, "Thanks for Sharing", airing at 9:00 P.M. EST (with an encore showing at midnight). What's wrong with Talyn? Will we ever see Zhaan again? And what are they going to do with two - yes, 2 - John Crichtons?? [I could think of a few uses for them, but this is a family show - sorta]
Tune in as Season 3 of Farscape continues...
(For those of you tuning in tonight - Enjoy!)
6.14.2001
At last, it's official. According to The Onion:
Vatican Declares Hours Between 3 A.M., 5:30 A.M. 'Ungodly'
V A T I C A N C I T Y-- In the first papal edict against a time of day since 1560, Pope John Paul II declared the two-and-a-half-hour interval between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. "wholly ungodly." "If a man dares to come home during these demonic hours, he shall be declared anathema," said His Holiness. "Likewise, anyone calling during these hours shall face excommunication." The pope added that in some cases, devout Catholics may receive special dispensation from a priest in a different time zone.
Vatican Declares Hours Between 3 A.M., 5:30 A.M. 'Ungodly'
V A T I C A N C I T Y-- In the first papal edict against a time of day since 1560, Pope John Paul II declared the two-and-a-half-hour interval between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. "wholly ungodly." "If a man dares to come home during these demonic hours, he shall be declared anathema," said His Holiness. "Likewise, anyone calling during these hours shall face excommunication." The pope added that in some cases, devout Catholics may receive special dispensation from a priest in a different time zone.
Well done.
The 27th Annual Saturn Awards were handed out last night, honoring excellence in science-fiction. Robert Patrick, who plays John Doggett on The X-Files, took home the award for Best Actor on Television. He was handed what was probably the hardest job on television this past year, and he knocked 'em dead. Congratulations, Mr. Patrick!
The 27th Annual Saturn Awards were handed out last night, honoring excellence in science-fiction. Robert Patrick, who plays John Doggett on The X-Files, took home the award for Best Actor on Television. He was handed what was probably the hardest job on television this past year, and he knocked 'em dead. Congratulations, Mr. Patrick!
6.13.2001
Oh, how embarrassing.
[can I just say that I had to smile while reading this - my mother has called the police when she couldn't contact us, and she wasn't wasted. I remember one time my sisters and I, all teenagers at the time, were home while she was at work. She tried to call and, for a reason I can't recall, she couldn't get through on the phone. Next thing we knew there was a gigantic policeman knocking on the front door, asking us if everything was alright. Sure, everything's fine, officer, except now I'm completely mortified! Well, at least she didn't call out the helicopters and dogs ;)]
K I S S I M M E E, Fla. Next time Donna Gillum isn't sure where her daughter is, she might want to call the baby sitter instead of 911.
Gillum frantically phoned the emergency line one evening earlier this month, saying she hadn't seen her daughter in an hour and was worried she'd been kidnapped, police say.
As police sent a squad car to investigate, Gillum called 911 three more times to ask for help finding the girl. Within an hour, over a dozen officers, a helicopter and police dogs were searching for the girl, said Kissimmee police investigator James Napier.
They did a door-to-door search of the building and checked with the girl's regular baby sitter, but had no luck.
"In our minds it started to look pretty bleak," Napier said.
A couple hours after the search started, however, Gillum suggested police check with another baby sitter, Napier said.
"We go over there, and the child was there," he said. "The kid said mom took her over there around 6:30 [in the evening]."
Napier said Gillum had appeared intoxicated when officers had arrived and admitted drinking nine beers in three hours before she phoned police. Gillum said she couldn't remember dropping her daughter off at the baby sitter.
She faces 3rd degree child neglect charges and police are seeking to make her pay $2,000 for the cost of the search. [abcnews]
[can I just say that I had to smile while reading this - my mother has called the police when she couldn't contact us, and she wasn't wasted. I remember one time my sisters and I, all teenagers at the time, were home while she was at work. She tried to call and, for a reason I can't recall, she couldn't get through on the phone. Next thing we knew there was a gigantic policeman knocking on the front door, asking us if everything was alright. Sure, everything's fine, officer, except now I'm completely mortified! Well, at least she didn't call out the helicopters and dogs ;)]
K I S S I M M E E, Fla. Next time Donna Gillum isn't sure where her daughter is, she might want to call the baby sitter instead of 911.
Gillum frantically phoned the emergency line one evening earlier this month, saying she hadn't seen her daughter in an hour and was worried she'd been kidnapped, police say.
As police sent a squad car to investigate, Gillum called 911 three more times to ask for help finding the girl. Within an hour, over a dozen officers, a helicopter and police dogs were searching for the girl, said Kissimmee police investigator James Napier.
They did a door-to-door search of the building and checked with the girl's regular baby sitter, but had no luck.
"In our minds it started to look pretty bleak," Napier said.
A couple hours after the search started, however, Gillum suggested police check with another baby sitter, Napier said.
"We go over there, and the child was there," he said. "The kid said mom took her over there around 6:30 [in the evening]."
Napier said Gillum had appeared intoxicated when officers had arrived and admitted drinking nine beers in three hours before she phoned police. Gillum said she couldn't remember dropping her daughter off at the baby sitter.
She faces 3rd degree child neglect charges and police are seeking to make her pay $2,000 for the cost of the search. [abcnews]
Invisibles!
This week's Invisibles quiz, Prison Blues is waiting for you. Guess what my score was - you got it, 5 out of 8 again. You can find the answers and top scores for last week's quiz here. Good luck!
This week's Invisibles quiz, Prison Blues is waiting for you. Guess what my score was - you got it, 5 out of 8 again. You can find the answers and top scores for last week's quiz here. Good luck!
Well, Whadya Know
Why do we say that something important is not to be sneezed at?
Sneezing was once thought to clear the mind. That was one reason why wealthy people used snuff, inducing a sneeze by sniffing the stuff. It got to the point where the idle rich in their idle conversations would frequently force a sneeze to show they were bored. By reverse logic, something important, of substance, became something that was not to be sneezed at.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Why do they turn off the cabin lights on planes before takeoff?
All the better for you to see the sights outside, folks. There's nothing technical about it, and it's that simple. At night, especially, the lights are quite pretty, particularly once you're airborne and you can see them sparkle all over the city. So why don't they do blackouts for landings? Because people then are more concerned with getting their stuff together for departure.
[source: What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway? By David Feldman]
Why do we say that people who get hung up on minor arguments are "quibbling?"
You'll never guess what profession is the source of this word. Yes, it's our friends the lawyers. So, how do we get from them to the word "quibble?" It's from the Latin, "quibis," a form of the word "qui," or "who." Quibis is the equivalent of "party of the first part." So to quibble, in other words, is to talk like, and therefore to act like he or she whom you should usually try to avoid at all costs.
[source: A Browser's Dictionary by John Ciardi]
Why do we say that something important is not to be sneezed at?
Sneezing was once thought to clear the mind. That was one reason why wealthy people used snuff, inducing a sneeze by sniffing the stuff. It got to the point where the idle rich in their idle conversations would frequently force a sneeze to show they were bored. By reverse logic, something important, of substance, became something that was not to be sneezed at.
[source: Why You Say It by Webb Garrison]
Why do they turn off the cabin lights on planes before takeoff?
All the better for you to see the sights outside, folks. There's nothing technical about it, and it's that simple. At night, especially, the lights are quite pretty, particularly once you're airborne and you can see them sparkle all over the city. So why don't they do blackouts for landings? Because people then are more concerned with getting their stuff together for departure.
[source: What Are Hyenas Laughing At, Anyway? By David Feldman]
Why do we say that people who get hung up on minor arguments are "quibbling?"
You'll never guess what profession is the source of this word. Yes, it's our friends the lawyers. So, how do we get from them to the word "quibble?" It's from the Latin, "quibis," a form of the word "qui," or "who." Quibis is the equivalent of "party of the first part." So to quibble, in other words, is to talk like, and therefore to act like he or she whom you should usually try to avoid at all costs.
[source: A Browser's Dictionary by John Ciardi]
Has it really been 5 days? My most humble apologies. Real life sort of reared its ugly head this past weekend and I gave my social life some much needed attention. Then the "cold" I was trying to shake for a week morphed into an upper respiratory infection and I've been out of commission for a couple of days, nursing my poor sick self. That's what I get for trying to have a social life!
Okay, enough of that - I'm back!
Okay, enough of that - I'm back!
6.08.2001
Can I Go Home Yet? It's only 10:30 in the morning and all I want to do is crawl back into bed. This lingering sinus thing has now morphed into a lovely hacking cough that kept me awake for most of the night. Poor me.
Site News For those of you who want to refer to something I've posted here at beansie but want an easier way to do it than re-creating the post in an e-mail, you can now link to a post using the new permalink that I have added. Just click on link at the end of an entry - the URL on the new page is the permanent link to that post. Spread the word!
Site News For those of you who want to refer to something I've posted here at beansie but want an easier way to do it than re-creating the post in an e-mail, you can now link to a post using the new permalink that I have added. Just click on link at the end of an entry - the URL on the new page is the permanent link to that post. Spread the word!
6.07.2001
Did you know that people who play Disney characters at the theme parks have to wear special underwear? I did not know that. And apparently they weren't allowed to claim the underwear as their own, turning them in at night to be laundered and then getting new ones the next day, the previous wearers unknown.
Well, not anymore.
Well, not anymore.
In many ways, the success of the site is not surprising, given the fractured nature of the Catholic Church in America. Dissent over doctrinal issues concerning things like celibacy and the role of women has driven men from the priesthood and alienated segments of the country's 60 million Catholics.
By the time the Catholic Church catches on, there won't be anyone left to preach to.
By the time the Catholic Church catches on, there won't be anyone left to preach to.
6.06.2001
This was a busy week, historically speaking:
Hitler's Sea Wall Is Breached, Invaders Fighting Way Inland; New Allied Landings Are Made
Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, Wednesday, June 7 --Allied forces continued landings on the northern French coast throughout yesterday and "satisfactory progress was made," headquarters announced today.
Hitler's Sea Wall Is Breached, Invaders Fighting Way Inland; New Allied Landings Are Made
Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, Wednesday, June 7 --Allied forces continued landings on the northern French coast throughout yesterday and "satisfactory progress was made," headquarters announced today.
Oh, Man
M I L T O N, N.Y. Parolee Christopher Ciotoli is apparently a little too friendly for his own good.
Last Wednesday, Ciotoli recognized sheriff's deputy Matt Bomysoad from his time in the Broome County Jail last year and decided to give him a friendly wave hello.
The only problem was that Ciotoli was riding in a stolen vehicle at the time, police say.
The former inmate had told the driver, Scott Van Bergen, to slow down so he could say hi, allowing the deputy to run the car's license plates. The officer found the gray 1998 Mercury Sable had been reported stolen in May.
Van Bergen was charged with criminal possession. Ciotoli was charged with violating his conditional discharge. [abcnews.com]
M I L T O N, N.Y. Parolee Christopher Ciotoli is apparently a little too friendly for his own good.
Last Wednesday, Ciotoli recognized sheriff's deputy Matt Bomysoad from his time in the Broome County Jail last year and decided to give him a friendly wave hello.
The only problem was that Ciotoli was riding in a stolen vehicle at the time, police say.
The former inmate had told the driver, Scott Van Bergen, to slow down so he could say hi, allowing the deputy to run the car's license plates. The officer found the gray 1998 Mercury Sable had been reported stolen in May.
Van Bergen was charged with criminal possession. Ciotoli was charged with violating his conditional discharge. [abcnews.com]
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