I found a teeny-weeny shark’s tooth!

Cool Fossil #3.

On the pleasant surprise side of today –

Sappho got me all sorts of cool goodies for my birthday!

In a Dragon Tales Bag, to boot!

• Time Eyewitness: 150 Years of Photojournalism in paperback, The stuff from 1880 to 1920 is especially neat.
• A bunch of gray and green army men.
• A giant size copy of mad magazine.
• A jar of gravel and fossils from the peace river, including a nifty ray’s tooth, and bit of turtle shell. The stuff from the river is so rich with fossils you can just sift through a handful and come back with a tiny shark’s tooth or the like. A very nifty, and thoughtful gift. I’m a big fan of the Peace River.
• A chip the cat beanie baby.. (Newt will adore that!)
• A third-hand Electronic Hand-Held Trivial Pursuit — The Best of Genus Edition… She didn’t want it, and neither did her mom. But when folks think trivia, they think Scotto!
• A pack of Big Red Gum is it my breath?
• Many Packets of Pez Candy.
• Two cool rubber lizards (about 2″ long), that will fight well with the army men, or be treated cruelly by Newt.
• Charles Kuralt’s American Moments – Hardcover. I’ve not dug too deeply into this one yet, but I really liked his spots “On the Road” and on “Sunday Morning”.

Hmm… Charles Kuralt says something strangely appropriate.

Oddly prophetic synchronicity, there. Goodbye, January. Goodbye Year of the Horse… Goodbye, Moon. Goodbye to much of what is behind us now.

Hello to the New!

Last Day of January… Seemed slow at the time, but now I wonder where it went. Tomorrow is the new moon, which means it’s also the Chinese New Year. Water Goat. (Is Goat or Sheep more popular?) Speaking of which – Hee… Just switch to Linux “I’m Steve, and I’m a Supervillian”. Orbiting brain-lasers & Genetically engineered cyber-goats, indeed.

Instant Kama sutra, anyone? (Probably not safe for work) Or just “fun with shadow puppets” Personally, I think it’s more likely to be considered appropriate than a guy dressing up as a girl bunny with a vinyl fetish, but whatever floats your boat.

Literary Joke of the day…

Charles Dickens walks into a bar, orders a martini. Bartender says, “Olive or Twist?”

Got the Jornada to work and do its thing, but I really should get a serial to usb cable for convenience’s sake. Too many plugs in my machine! With usb, I can at least “hub out” to more devices, or plug and unplug in a more civil manner. (Plus, my laptop doesn’t have a small serial port on it.)

Surprising response to the poll. More people answered it than I expected.

CALCUTTA, India (AP) — Police arrested a man carrying 100 human skulls in a bag in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, a newspaper reported Thursday.

“Hey Sangey! Got a job yet?”
“You bet, Bob! I sell ceremonial skulls to monks over in Sikkim!”
“Great! See you at the Pancake Breakfast next Saturday?”
“Dern Tootin’!”

got my jornada tonight…boo booed by setting a password, and it doesn’t seem to want to let me in now. ramma-frazzen. here we go, Hard reset HP Jornada 420, 430, and 430se, Remove the batteries and press RESET for 5+ seconds.

got it.

Aside from that, the day was hectic, but went ok. Island boy is back.

Random Terms I’ve not heard used by other people in a long time. Asterisks mark ones I use on occasion.

• “Creamed his Jeans” (I’m so very glad that it fell out of common usage.)
• “Grease for Peace” (Bowser form Sha-na-na…A bunch of kids I hung out with said it when I was young)
• “Wicked Awesome”
• “Bitchin'”
• “Hoser”*
• “Douchebag”
• “Bad” as meaning good.
• “fag tag”, also “fruit loop” for that little loop on the back of a shirt.
• “Whoa, Momma”
• “Jive Turkey” (This one needs a comeback)*
• Pizza referred to as just “Pie”. *
• “Knowing is half the battle… GO JOE!” (You’ve got to finish with the go joe!)*
• “Smurfy”
• “Phat” – I’m glad that one is gone
• “Barf Me Out”
• “boy toy”
• “peckerwood”

I dreamt about hiking in the mountains with a my sweetie and some dream-folk last night… We had Jetpacks to get past the more difficult areas, and for safety. A pair of the people we were with fell, the packs kicked on, and held them in place, flashing red and blue until a park ranger came by and reset them. The ranger wrote some sort of ticket for reckless behavior, and went on his way. We pitched camp, and I got to watch the sunset holding my sweetheart… a very good feeling. And we had s’mores!

I would like to be able to remember more details, but that’s the lot of ’em.

I’m of a mind to ask…if folks are of a mind to answer.

I’m the next in line for a Birthday…. (Then comes shoo on Feb. 05) want to see when folks on your list have a b’day? check it out.

The Official list, via mine.

Tom out front Gave my Bro a palm VII, and me an office jet 6110, since he got a new printer and palm. The guy must be loaded. My main concern is making sure that the bro doesn’t use any of the online stuff with the palm until we’ve gone through the manual and keep everything on the freebie level. (I don’t want Tom or the bro to get billed for our experiments.) All the manuals and boxes and software, too. Good deal!

Not bad, considering my only complaint is “Where do I put this thing?” Newt loves the new box in the house.

Bro also gave me my birthday present early… I wasn’t expecting one at all. It was a wooden box with a quilted star design on top. Like this, only with dark wood around the edges., and dark joints. It’s the one in the center.

My Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea paper journal arrived today. It’s very keen…better than I’d hoped. So nice, in fact, I think I’ll give it to Kev as a present. I know that he’ll appreciate it more than I will, with the goofy end-papers inside. Ex Libris Anonymous has a few really cool ones there… I’ll probably get another for myself and maybe for my sweetie, too.

Island Boy was out of work again today, but bearing his load wasn’t so rough. Sappho did the video files, which is what I really dislike, though for no real reason, since I repaired the “fix by hand” aspect programatically.

Accessories made from Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) skins. It seems that Queensland is up to the tush in Cane Toads since they are a non-native species with no natural local predators. Furthermore, they are poisonous. Anyhow, the Australian government spends a lot of money killing them and there are a lot of dead Cane Toads around to inspire entrepreneurs. Just the thing for the stylin’ Tsathoggua cultist.

Weirdness spiders are back and running! Urban legends and skeptics returned a lot this morning.
The “hot sheets” – Always to be viewed with a healthy dose of logical thought. Not that there are no links to the “Weekly World News” Or “National Enquirer”

Rejected coins of lower denomination pile up
“Rumours of demonetization of coins of lower denomination has led to people in Tamil Nadu’s southern districts refusing to accept five paise, 10 paise and 20 paise coins which were being disposed off as scrap by some traders.”

Famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware defaced at the Met; no permanent damage
“The famous oil painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River was vandalized at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, allegedly by a former museum employee who glued on a computer image depicting a fake view of the World Trade Center attack.”

Dutchman Sold Pieces of the Moon
“For years, Rene Veenema says he made a small fortune selling real estate plots on the moon. Now he’s in jail, on Earth.”

Killings by Malawi Lions Fuel Witchcraft Rumors
“A rampaging pride of escaped lions killed four Malawians and then disappeared without trace, game officials said on Friday, raising fears among villagers that witchcraft may be to blame for the deaths.”

The Skeptical Environmentalist: A Case Study in the Manufacture of News
“By now, most are familiar with the controversy surrounding Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg and the claims made in his book The Skeptical Environmentalist. The latest development took place in early January 2002 when the Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty issued a decision that declared Lomborg’s research “to fall within the concept of scientific dishonesty,” and to be “clearly contrary to the standards of good scientific practice.” The committee, however, did not find grounds that Lomborg “misled his readers deliberately or with gross negligence.” Instead, the decision recommends that the book should be properly understood and interpreted as a “a provocative debate-generating paper.””

Magic wands make cash disappear
“Joann Zansky believed it when the psychic told her the magic wands were blessed by nine priests and were supposed to remove negative thoughts.”

Arson man had voodoo fears
“A bridegroom set fire to his house following a row with his wife because he though it was under a voodoo curse, a court has heard.”

Scientists show how to make a UFO
“The astronomers in charge of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory issued an unusual response Friday to widely reported claims that pictures from the sun-observing satellite contained evidence of alien spacecraft: In addition to scoffing at the claims, they showed how to turn SOHO imagery into UFO snapshots.”

Drawing from spirits
“Rita Berkowitz began to draw the image of a young woman on paper as she spoke with Robin Piccini and her daughter Lillianna at a spirit reading a little over a year ago at Angel’s Loft, a New Age shop in East Bridgewater. As soon as she outlined the shape of the head and begin to fill in the details, Piccini instantly recognized the face from an old photograph.”

UFO groups keep wary eye on Raelians
“When the Raelian cloning story broke last month, Joe Jordan felt obliged to check the latest updates on the group’s Web Site. As state section director for the Mutual UFO Network’s Brevard chapter, the Port St. John resident was already familiar with much of the sect’s dogma.”

‘Crazy talk’: Chinese scholars wary of theory that China beat Columbus to America
“Forgive Gavin Menzies for feeling a little defensive.”

State Wants to Fix Its ‘Highway to Hell’
“Hey Satan, the governor of New Mexico has a message for you: Get off the road. ”

Enemies in the mind’s eye
“His name would eventually be revealed as Joseph McMoneagle, but for the purposes of the Army’s psychic intelligence unit, he was simply Remote Viewer No. 1. One fall day in 1979 he reclined in an easy chair in an office at Fort Meade, Md. The lights were dim. Sitting nearby was an interviewer, who gave him a series of geographical coordinates that were supposed to be his mind’s destination. After about 20 minutes, McMoneagle brought himself out of a deep meditation and, as he describes it, “opened my mind.” Gradually images began to appear: a low, windowless building; a smokestack. He smelled “a strange stink,” a mixture of sulfur and natural gas. There was also a “smelting or melting activity.” After an image came to mind, he drew it roughly on a piece of paper. Another viewer, No. 29, could “see” heavy metal equipment, including tubes conducting a “heat exchange.” For him, the site emanated a “sense of power.””

Guests, ghosts give hotel ‘Shining’ review
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Bhoot ka mela: A ghostly, ghastly (af)fair
“A fast, a dip in icy waters, a long walk. And when all this fails a severe beating with brooms and slippers — all in the name of expelling “evil spirits”.”

FBI may decide whether neighbors’ dispute is witchcraft – or racism
“Green Acres is a graceful, hilly and wooded subdivision in north St. Louis County, with mostly brick homes and ready access to St. Louis to the south and Interstate 270 to the north. It’s in Bellefontaine Neighbors – the kind of place where you might expect neighbors to get along with each other.”

Nuwaubian leader pleads guilty on child charges
“Nuwaubian leader Dwight York pleaded guilty Friday at the Putnam County Courthouse to 74 counts of child molestation, one day after he had pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of transporting children across state lines for purposes of illegal sex.”

Tracking Bigfoot
“When Washington State University professor Vaughn Bryant Jr. was offered the chance to head a new department of anthropology at Texas A&M in 1971, he had several obvious reasons to make the move.”

Explaining ghosts of Texas past … sort of
“Furniture rearranges itself. Images of people long dead appear in windows. Artifacts in a museum go missing, then mysteriously appear on the lawn. A strange perfume hangs in the hallway of a historic house. A 3-year-old girl reports seeing in a mirror the image of a woman who isn’t in the room.”

UFO-spotters make beeline for Loch Ness
““VISITORS” from another world are creating an out-of-season tourist invasion at Loch Ness. After the Inverness Courier revealed unexplained lights had been seen — and filmed — on successive nights in the sky over Drumnadrochit, UFO research groups and individual enthusiasts from around Scotland announced plans to head to the area to carry out their own investigations.”

Many in state support teaching creationism
“Half of Wisconsin’s residents favor requiring that public schools teach the biblical theory of creation along with evolution, according to a poll conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center.”

Nice evening tonight. Brother came by at about 9:30, and we talked and hung out for about three hours. We talked about a lot of things, including our cousin Russell getting married. He’s so young! We both remember being on “change his diapers” duty. He’s 21 now… unreal. I think he should complete his university time before hitching up, but I imagine he’ll be a happy husband. He’s been seeing the girl next door to him for an age now… classic romance. It was nice talking in depth. I’ve convinced him to read Red Dragon.

Drowsy now… and I never did get to supper… just a skip now, I guess. Make up for it with a healthy breakfast tomorrow.

Night night, dear journal.

Hint to the guy at the bus station this morning… if you have a can in a paper bag, everyone is going to assume it’s a beer.

If it wasn’t so wasteful I’d drink non-alcoholic beverages in a cans wrapped in paper bags… break the stereotype!

Lots of hubbub to do at work today… poor Island Boy had to go home…I wouldn’t wish his migraines on anyone, so I got to do Certs, as well as deal with three new client projects… looks like I’m going to be pretty busy again now. The Slow period had it’s perqs, but I look forward to digging in and working with fresh stuff.

Some more images from today

Today, barring accidents, I’m going to take a picture of someone smiling again and post it to my journal tonight. Anyone who wishes to join me is encouraged to do so, and to please tell me where I can see it. (Or post it directly in comments.) I think a Meme of Smiles would be a nice one.

Jell-O Death Mask kit. I like this.

Tests of other layouts –

Printable Journal Format

RSS Format

XML Format

A year ago – Took a day off With Danny (some non-gothic graveyard pictures), Patton Bomb Talk, Giant photo of Newt in Evil Overlord Mode, bad spoonerism humor.

Two Years ago – Virus hoaxes, Rooting for the Ravens. Little dancing man