HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

'Master' and 'slave' computer labels unacceptable, officials say: "Los Angeles officials have asked that manufacturers, suppliers and contractors stop using the terms 'master' and 'slave' on computer equipment, saying such terms are unacceptable and offensive. "

Absurd. Just plain absurd.

"It wants to be found."

I have a silver ring that I wear on my left ring finger. It's nothing special, has no real sentimental value - I just like it. It's one of those rings that look like the handle of a spoon that's been bent.

Anyway, I went shopping on Friday night for birthday presents for my niece and my father. I tried on black leather gloves (for myself, of course), found a pair I liked, threw them in the carriage and went on with my shopping. I went to 2 more stores after that, and then home.

When I took off my jewelry before getting into bed I realized that the ring was gone. My precious was lost. Oh well, I thought, it must be in the ring finger of one of those gloves I tried on.

So, last night I was dusting the baker's rack in the kitchen. I stopped to shake out the dust rag when I heard a distinctive clink as something fell from the rag onto the floor. My ring! We founds it!

And no, I have no idea how it got there; I have no memory of putting it on the baker's rack and the dust towel I used was taken from the back of one of the kitchen drawers that we never go into.

I'm just happy to have it back on my finger, so pretty, so perfect, so preciooouusssss.

Gig cancelled after bassist saws himself out of tree: "The accident occurred when, in Harold Lloyd style, the bass man sawed through the branch he was hanging onto. The fall resulted in a badly-sprained wrist, which made playing impossible."

I bet he feels stupid. If he doesn't, he should!

CNN.com - Participant at KKK initiation wounded after shots fired into sky - Nov. 25, 2003: "About 10 people, including two children, had gathered for the ceremony. The man who was being initiated was blindfolded, tied with a noose to a tree and shot with paintball guns as Freeman fired a pistol in the air to provide the sound of real gunfire, Sheriff Fred Phillips said. "

This really does go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. What a bunch of morons. Maybe they'll do the world a favor and get rid of themselves.

Women plagued by 200 orgasms a day: "Office manager Jean said: 'I looked at him in the face and said: 'How would you like to walk around on the verge of an orgasm every second?' "

I just want to say, if I hear another word about JFK or Michael Jackson, somebody's gonna get hurt.

Aragorn Leads the Dead.

This is an incredibly spoilery photo, but it's awesome, and since it's going to be on the cover of Newsweek, you'll probably end up seeing it whether you want to or not. You can read the Newsweek article here. It's not too spoilery (if you've read the book - if not, you might want to stay away), and raves about ROTK.

Male enlargement ads prompt spam rage: "Booher threatened to send a 'package full of Anthrax spores' to the company, to 'disable' an employee with a bullet and torture him with a power drill and ice pick; and to hunt down and castrate the employees unless they removed him from their e-mail list, prosecutors said."

I can't say I blame the guy. And today I've been getting some particularly sickening porn spam. I didn't open any of the messages, the subject lines were gross enough. Sorry, no examples - I don't need any weirdos googling their way here.

$6 million hidden with dinner rolls: "Authorities found boxes filled with millions of dollars when they searched an 18-wheeler because its paperwork “didn’t add up” during a routine inspection."

That alone is strange, but the cryptic statement at the end that "he or his relatives could be in danger" sort ups the offbeat quotient.

Michael Jackson mugshot: "On Thursday, November 20, 2003, Michael Jackson arrived by private jet at Santa Barbara Airport around noon. He was taken into custody by Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department personnel by prearrangement at the airport and transported to the Main Jail to be booked on the arrest warrant. "

Five foot eleven and 120 pounds? It's all just so sad and scary. This is going to be such a circus.

It's Official.

From TPTB at savefarscape.com

Savefarscape.com is now free to confirm that the rumors swirling have their basis in fact. Farscape, cancelled last year by the SCI FI Channel, will return as a 4 hour mini-series. While we can't currently name the source of this information, please know that we wouldn't post this news without a trustworthy and solid source. Also, please note that the Jim Henson Company has made no official announcement as of yet.
Filming will begin in December and the mini-series is expected to air next year. There is no current word on distribution. Ben Browder and Claudia Black will reprise their roles as Commander John Crichton and Officer Aeryn Sun.

A Jim Henson Company production, Farscape was aired for four seasons on the SCI FI Channel before being cancelled in September 2002. The fourth season finale and last new episode aired at the end of March 2003.

The fans reacted immediately to news of the cancellation and began one of the most impressive fan campaigns in television history. Through a strength of spirit and ideals of community and family, the fans of Farscape have created something fabulous and achieved something that should have been impossible.

Take a bow Scapers, you did it. You saved Farscape and don't let anybody tell you differently. This is all yours. You kept the hope alive, you kept Farscape alive, until the people behind Farscape could get back to work on telling us the rest of the tale again.

Breaking News from CNN:

"Authorities issue arrest warrant for Michael Jackson, source close to investigation says. Details soon."

Oo.

NPR : Remembering Jonestown: "The Jonestown massacre began later that day. NPR's Melissa Block talks with survivor Laura Johnston Kohl, who was in the Guyanese capital, Georgetown, the day of the mass suicide. In her interview with Block, Kohl looks back on what went wrong, and the pain and regret she lives with. "

I listened to this interview on the way home last night, and I recommend it to you. It's incredible how near to the surface this woman's pain, regret and sorrow remain, even after 25 years.

The Frellin' Suspense is Killing Me.

Could it be true? Oh please, can it please be true? According to tvguide.com:

SO NEAR, SO FARSCAPE: Frellin' awesome!! As reported in next week's TV Guide magazine, the Jim Henson Company is producing a four-hour Farscape miniseries that will tie up the loose ends left dangling when the cult hit was prematurely axed last year by Sci Fi Channel. "It's an epic conclusion to the series," confides a source. The project — which will reunite leads Ben Browder and Claudia Black — will start shooting in December in Australia. Since the telefilm is unlikely to air on Sci Fi, word is it may be sold into syndication. So there!

However, there has been no official announcement from
The Jim Henson Company, and this is what the folks at savefarscape.com have to say, for now:

Savefarscape.com can't confirm this or any other rumor at this time, as there has not yet been any sort of official announcement from The Jim Henson Company. I ask, once again, for your patience and I thank you for your continued support of our site and of Farscape.

I'll honestly and truly believe it when I hear it from them. In the meantime, appendages will be crossed.

Released today!

I learned something new today. I already knew that the Los Angeles Dodgers used to be the Brooklyn Dodgers, as most people do. What I learned this morning was that the Brooklyn Dodgers were orginally called the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, because of the abundance of trolleys on the streets of Brooklyn at the time (late 1880s).

I did a little research when I got to work and found that before Trolly Dodgers, they were called Bridegrooms, because so many had gotten married that year. Trolley Dodgers was a better choice, I think.

Uh, okay.

I went out to walk Petie at 8:30 last night. It was chilly, and fully dark. As I walked to the field beyond our backyard, my peripheral vision caught something off to the right. The kid from next door, about 14 or 15 years old, was lying sprawled on his back in his backyard. I stopped, ready to go over to check on him, when he moved his arm, lifted his head (to look at me, I think), and put his head back down. "He's alive, go about your business," I thought.

Another 5 minutes went by and he was still lying there, in the exact same position, when I got back inside. I decided I needed to go check on him - what if the kid was diabetic or something? I went back out, worked my way across the yard, and when I got to the point where our yards met I asked, "Are you alright?" He sat straight up and said, "Yeah, I'm resting, thanks. Sorry." He then got up off the ground and went inside his house.

Just resting. Sprawled like a chalk outline on the cold ground, in the dark. O-K.

Spy vs. spy: "'Alias' never pretends to reality as it joyously celebrates the genre that brought us James Bond, Honey West, and, yes, Austin Powers. It's a comic-book explosion of global fashion, cloned villains, kickboxing babes, and fierce emotionality."

I think he's a little harsh on "24", but I am in complete agreement with his assessment of "Alias". Watch out for spoilers for season 3 (which I have yet to see) - they're scattered throughout the article like little mines.

Overheard on the radio yesterday afternoon:

"It's extremely windy out there today. So windy that a woman gave birth to the same baby twice."

The Onion | Mom Finds Out About Blog: "'I know enough not to tell Mom that I'm seeing a girl until it's serious,' Widmar said. 'Now, she's going to know exactly who I hang out with, where I go, and what I spend my time doing on a daily basis. I am so in hell right now.'"

What should you do if your mother discovers your blog? Blogger Support has the answer.

Fla. Woman Crashes Into DMV Building: "A 69-year-old woman crashed her car into the Department of Motor Vehicles building where she intended to renew her driver's license. "

I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often down there.

Dice Clay Craps Out in Blowup at CNNfn: "While being interviewed on CNNfn, Clay went into a rage, cursed out the anchorman and stormed off the set. He went into his tirade when anchor Allan Chernoff asked him about his experience working in a gym while he was out of the comic circuit. "

Am I the only one who wonders what the hell he was doing on CNNfn??

Chic, Power Station drummer dead at 48. John and Andy had better watch their backs.

Remember the "Bambi" Bembenek murder case? She was a former police officer/Playboy model who was accused of killing her ex-husband's wife, and during her imprisonment she escaped and ran away to Canada? There was a TV movie, I remember, and the story's been covered over and over on shows like American Justice and Investigative Reports. Well, she's back in the news - she's suing the Dr. Phil Show, claiming they are responsible for the amputation of her leg.

You can't make up stuff like this.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lands in New York. And it's from my state.

From the back of my bite-size Snickers wrapper:

Silly Science Fact:

The only mammal with four knees is also the only mammal that cannot jump...the elephant.

Awful Plastic Surgery: Jocelyn Wildenstein. I know she did that to herself, but my God, the poor woman. She looks like The Beast!

This is a fun site - take the time to check out all of your favorite modified celebritites - Melanie Griffith, Bruce Jenner, Mary Tyler Moore, among others - and decide for yourself whether they went under the knife or not. Personally, I don't think Sarah Jessica Parker had anything done. And I'm surprised I didn't seen anything about Sting - he looks completely different!

Man Crashes Big Rig While Changing Clothes: "A witness told investigators she found Gilmore naked when she went to check on him right after the accident. "

Hello, ball!

Goodbye, Art.

CNN.com's front page had this blurb for tonight's Anderson Cooper 360°:

Sleepless in America: We look at a new technique that could possibly keep soldiers up for days at a time.

Sound familiar, guys?

N.Y. millionaire Durst not guilty of murder: "A jury found eccentric New York millionaire Robert Durst innocent Tuesday of murdering an elderly neighbor, whose dismembered body was thrown into Galveston Bay. "

Wow. I can't believe it. I don't think, in all the annals of crime, there has ever been anyone who acted as suspiciously as this guy. And the fact that he is under suspicion for the murders of his wife in 1982 and of a woman who was a witness against him in that case? I wonder if prosecutors were allowed to present that information during the trial, or if it would have been considered prejudicial? How many people have to die at his hands before he actually gets punished?

South Africa socialite killed on way to murder trial: "Hazel Crane, who regularly appeared in South African society pages and was known as a close friend of Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was clearly targeted for assassination, police spokesman Chris Wilken said. "

Madikizela-Mandela is a bit of a shady character herself, and I find it interesting that she just happened to not be there that day.

How about a caption for this one?

Caption this photo.

Two 'Partridge' Series Hatched for VH1: "An updated version of the 1970s sitcom favorite 'The Partridge Family' is being hatched at VH1."

Leave my childhood shows alone and think up something for yourself, you lazy gits!

Jury set to deliberate child decapitation case.

Just when I think I've heard everything.

'I killed so many women'

The Green River Killer confessed today.

What the bloody hell happened on MI-5 last night?? I can't believe Tom shot Harry!. And I can't believe how easily Danny and eventually Zoe, turned on Tom. I'm still hoping that Christine is behind this frameup of Tom - I've never liked her. Although we last saw Tom floating in the sea, it's just not possible that he actually killed himself - he's the star of the show, and still has to prove that he was framed. Which is how I suppose they will spend the next few episodes, with Tom on the run, out to prove his innocence. Even thought it'll break his heart, I hope Christine is implicated; if not then maybe she'll die saving him. Yeah, that'll do.

Fox cancels 'Skin' after three airings: "Fox has canceled prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer's new series 'Skin' after three low-rated airings. "

Wow, I really thought this show was going to be a hit, a la "Nip/Tuck" and "The O.C.", but I don't watch either of those shows so what do I know? Personally, I don't think networks should be allowed to cancel a show so early - give it at least 13 episodes to find an audience for crying out loud. Imagine if we had never had "Cheers", "Seinfeld" or "The X-Files" - these shows were all very low-rated but were given an entire season to prove themselves. Sometimes more. If we used today's criteria back then, they wouldn't have lasted the 3 airings that "Skin" was given.

It sounds like it's a nut house over there at FOX, doesn't it? Good luck finding a FOX show you like this month. Like a little greased pig, right when you think you've got a hold of one, it'll slip right through your fingers.

U.N. workers say thousands raped in Congo: "'These are women and girls from 5 to 80 years old who have been systematically raped a number of times, tortured and shot.'"

Not many news items bring me to tears, but this short article did. We stick our noses into so many places in the world, whether we are welcome or not, in order to protect our own interests. We claim that when we insinuate ourselves into the affairs of another nation, we are protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and freedom. Well, if that was really the case, we would have intervened, without or without the UN, in the Congo a long time ago. Instead, these people have suffered unimaginable atrocities and we hear very little about it. I wonder if that would be the case if the area in question was rich in some sort of natural resource? Or, dare I say, if its inhabitants were a little less dark-skinned? I am not naive, and I know that the world of foreign policy is delicate and complex one, but I would love for someone to explain to me the moral justification for not helping those who have suffered so greatly.

Oops.

I was mistaken in an ealier post when I stated that "24" was not going to be shown in November. It was the 8:00 slot that FOX was needing to fill, not 9:00. So, the season premiere of "24" will be repeated at 8:00 tonight, followed immediately by episode 2 (brand new).

Now's your chance!

Attack of the Killer Guinea Pigs

On Saturday morning, I dreamt I was driving down the road, chased by a black and white guinea pig.

Rambling

So, I finally went to the doctor today. I was feeling pretty crappy on Friday afternoon, but spent much of Saturday either sleeping in my bed or reclined on the couch (when I wasn't chasing a wild goose, but more on that later), and thus felt much better yesterday. No coughing, a relatively clear head - I finally beat this thing. Or so I thought, until I woke up this morning and was back to crappy. I don't think the P.A. I saw really knew for sure whether this is viral or bacterial, but he put me on a Z-Pack, just in case. Hopefully, I'll be done with this soon.

The party on Friday night was fun. This was Mike and Dana's 15th annual costume party. The crowd was pretty small this year, though, I think because they've moved to a town that's fairly far from most of their friends in the big city. Sheila and I were a big hit (photos forthcoming), especially our big blue hair. Liza and David Gest were there, but David didn't have bruises about the head, as I thought he should. Dana was Anna Nicole Smith and Mike was Roy, complete with gaping wound on the neck and a tiger beanie baby clipped to his collar; ironically, Sigfreid couldn't make it to the party because he cut off a portion of his finger the day before, while chopping carrots.

Saturday was a comedy of errors. When I got home early Saturday morning from the party (2:00), I realized I had left my purse at M&D's. I called them at 12:00 and said I would come and get it; Dana said she could drop it off for me, since she was going to be in our general area later in the day. First, though, she said they were going to a tag sale. I told her she didn't have to do that, she said she would call me when they got back from the tag sale, but also that if I decided to come and get it in the meantime, her doors were unlocked. I decided to go and get it in the meantime.

I called their house at about 3:00 and there was no answer. I left a message on their answering machine, telling them I was coming, and headed out. They live about a half hour away. I got there and still no one was home, so I found my way in and, much to my disappointment, my pocketbook was not there. Back home. A little while later, Dana calls to say she is 15 minutes away and will be dropping off my bag. Cool, since I needed my wallet and debit card to do a little shopping. Finally, I get my bag and head back out. My first stop: the video store. I pick out "Hollywood Homicide", "Hulk" and "28 Days Later". At the register, I realize that my debit card is not in my wallet, never had been, as a matter of fact; all along it had been in the pocket of the pants I wore the day before, which of course were in the dirty clothes in my room. Back home again.

I was ultimately able to get all that I needed, but oy! What a day.