Scottobear: I’m a test rabbit for looney labs now. http://tinyurl.com/yruv2v (via Twitter / Scottobear)

Nice restful day out and about. We took a little trip to College Park and actually drove past the heart of Looney Labs, in fact. (Saw the address in the phone book, and did a quick scan while in the area) Had we realised that the place wasn’t just a house, and was actually a office up above a home, I think we might have stuck our noses inside to say hello. They’re not too far off, so maybe another road trip is in the cards?

We went to two comic book stores… the “Collector’s Crypt” and a Liberty Books and Games – “We’re a libertarian bookstore and sell comics from disorganised piles” – The stores were pretty messy… Liberty’s, fortunately had a few games right by the front door, including a trusty, if dusty deck of Chrononauts – just fine, as it’s wrapped in plastic (and was the primary reason we went there in the first place). Funny thing about that store was that all the libertarian stuff was neatly organized… though I suspect that was in part due to a lack of interest by the patrons. The comic books, vintage paperbacks and whatnot else were stacked more than a little haphazardly throughout the place. Standard stereotypical comic shop, not bad, but far from good – Plus was that the proprietor was more than happy to help us locate what we were looking for.

Upon leaving, we chanced upon a local Smoothie King. In comic book guy’s voice – Worst Smoothies Ever. I don’t know what was going on, but bleagh. The iced and blended tush-sweat from a llama… with a hint of blueberry. Something very wrong with those drinks… like picking a scab, I had to keep tasting it to figure out the worst aspect of the drink. Is it the metallic aftertaste? The vaguely compost-like banana? The brownish-color of our sludgy slurry? Oh, for a glass of water or kerosene to wash away the filth! Perhaps I exaggerate… but not by much.

At the Crypt, there was a lot of interesting stuff in a space smaller than my closet at home… however the hat-trick of:

• no air conditioning
• poor lighting / too dark to read covers
• sort of creepy-skeevy proprietor

caused us to toddle out fairly swiftly. All other fears aside, no A/C in a tiny room filled with dusty books is just a recipe for a moldy sneeze fit. Crypt is indeed a good moniker for the place. Though it was disturbing that foodstuff (twist-tied bags of trail mix and malted milk balls) was stored in places that would give him some heath code violations, the proprietor (looking akin to the unshaven Spaulding Clown of House of 1000 corpses fate) was watching “Beyond Westworld” on a bootleg DVD, (it seems that the bulk of his business is out of print or third-generation gray-market copies of Japanese / Mexican Wrestler / TV pilots). BHK picked up some Andy Griffith Show trading cards to calm herself after tasting the horrid smoothies. Additionally, they carried no Treehouse /

We hit the grocer on the way home in the hopes that we can make some decent smoothies sometime tomorrow to finish counterbalancing the effects. Yogurt ahoy!

Well, enough of those parenthetical statements… perhaps I’ll take a page from Ldy’s writing, and incorporate footnotes. Nah.

1 year ago – rip webmonkey, skipping dragon*con, personal growth post recap, newt on porch pic

2 years ago – mp, kev, $, Rs, the love god mp3, update info about me, tag cloud, allergy

3 years ago – construction webbing, fonts, celebs, web cam fights crime

4 years ago – braced, zombie pumpkin fights, insanity script, insurance stupidity

5 years ago – dream about graypumpkin at the paint store, little people, domed 3d displays,great ape project, 28 things quiz, sue the teacher trend, mental comfort

6 years ago – cool mini or not, vatic, cool things about moving, smoothies, misc news, age poll, counter testing, chocolate bees, Victorian Sex Cry Generator, what’s for supper, coloring book concept germ

7 years ago – Newtcam’s own page posted (via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)

It was beautiful, foggy morning on the way to the train station. (not my image, but cool, nonetheless). Lots of mist hanging, especially over the water.

Saw Fantastic Four – Silver Surfer after work with BHK, and it was a fun little bit of entertainment.

Cool! The DC Train maps are now on google!(via dcist)

We’re not going to Salem this weekend. Instead, I think we’re just going to cool our collective jets, and regroup a bit.

I’ve been watching season 6 of The Shield on my commute to and from work lately… and the writing is still quite good. I think the child molester subplot was a bit transparent, but aside from that, it has been interesting seeing what’s going on with Vic’s crew. It sounds like they’re already wrapping up season seven, now, even though the sixth was supposed to be the final one.

After I whittle that one down my travel show is going to be The Riches, I think. Never did catch up with that on the Tivo upstairs, and BHK seems to have lost interest.

Positive thing about summer. Local corn. The best I’ve ever had, anywhere. Seriously, it’s amazing.

I’m really loving the local corn crop.

By the way, to my anonymous commenter: Not everyone in the world is racist. Not everyone in the world is sexist. “All [insert skin color / gender / geographic point of origin / religious belief / sexual preference / whatever here] stick together” is untrue. Sure, there are a lot of ‘em, but humans lack cooperation on that level. Not to say that *a lot* might. Special interest groups, Armies, and the like. If you could get *any* group of people of that size to really work together, the world would be a different place – and probably a scary one, since I don’t tend to agree with any one group’s agenda.

Atheists can cuss by taking someone else’s lord’s name in vain. It’s not like snarling “Random Chance!” or “Darwin!” is nearly as good as Jesus Christ come to think of it… blurting “Vishnu”, “Zeus” or “Zoroaster” is sort of dorky sounding too. David and Abraham are in too much usage to be any good, either. Solomon?

Maybe I’ll just stick to Comic Book / Cartoon Exclamations… Merciful Rao! Sufferin’ Sappho/Succotash! Leapin’ Lizards! Sweet Christmas! Good Grief! Great Hera! By Crom!

I am guilty of saying “My Stars” – not due to Henry McCoy, but Samantha Stevens.

By the Vishanti is too cumbersome. Imperious Rex is just dopey. Dumber than saying Spoooon! in fact.

I do like to say Zoroaster, though. It’s a fun name. Zoroaster. Say it with me, dear journal. Zoroaster. Zarathustra, in the native.

If we were to ever get a gray kitten, I’d like to name him Zoroaster. (That is not to say that we’re getting a gray kitten any time soon.)

Regarding this article about faith and democratic candidates … I can’t get the phrase “Pillory Hillary” out of my head.

1 year ago

– pirate quiz, pirates w/Dan, 61 questions, walkabout pics, bus stop self portrait, newtcam silly pic

2 years ago – bro visit, good exp games, Karl Rove a rat, mood settings, big ol’ Locust

3 years ago – perspective via work, kitty-bot, rain, diseases

4 years ago – Movies w/ danny, LED-suit, Lupin quiz, dinosaur haiku, new tv, LXG, html tests, ghoulishness

5 years ago – Ian McCracken, zork 404, branleur, got my bike

6 years ago – evil news, longueur, spoliation, space fungus, superstition poll, fri-13 reasoning, I’m Neutral Good

7 years ago – Traditional trolls, Catholics handy in a pinch (via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)

Scottobear: Sufferin’ Succotash… I mean Sappho! (via Twitter / Scottobear)

Neighborhood shakeup tonight at about 7pm – A minivan chasing another – apparently the second vehicle had 2-4 people inside with the side doors open and guns showing. The vehicle being chased was honking and swerving all over the place to avoid being shot.

BHK called 911, and the response time was *terrible*, and she was never questioned by the police for a report on the matter. I’ll be investigating that situation more tomorrow after work.

I’m just glad that she’s ok.

Random factoids and semi-specific things about people I know (or knew):

My brother is *really good* at shucking oysters. At least 4-5 times faster than me, or 2-ish times faster than anyone else I’ve ever met in the service industry.

My wife is a superb analyst, and can get to the core of a matter quite swiftly. She’s going to be an awesome lawyer. (and dangerous gamer)

Steve Jacoby has some beautiful children, and has the makings for a pretty cool dad.

Tina keeps a lovely home… everything is crisp and neat, even with a pair of kitties, a bunch of birds, and living the software company lifestyle.

Bruce can make me misty with just a bowl of cheerios .

Ray has a very real skill at blending words and experience into story.

Kathleen has a great memory, to the point of us calling her queen index when we were gaming. If she doesn’t have knowledge, she can find it fast.

Cyn has a fantastic skill at illustration, both on paper and skin.

Doug Wu has a near encyclopedic knowledge of comics from the silver age. Knows more than anyone else I’ve ever met.

Danny is a mill that grinds slowly, but exceedingly fine. He’s a living example of “the devil is in the details.”

Father-in-law is loved by everyone he meets. *Nobody*, and I mean *nobody* has anything sideways to say about him. That’s amazing.. and due to him.

Mother-in-law is a superb cook. Some wicked good queso, for example.

Mother is a master multitasker. I’ve never seen her with too much on her plate.

Wilton is an excellent carpenter – can put all manner of stuff together with quality and speed.

Got a calendar? Circle this date: Sunday, August 12th. Next to the circle write “all night” and “Meteors!” Attach the above to your refrigerator in plain view so you won’t miss the 2007 Perseid meteor shower.

LONDON (Reuters) – Lawyers and judges are to break with centuries-old tradition and cease wearing horse-hair wigs of white fake curls in non-criminal cases, the head of the country’s judiciary announced on Thursday.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said new dress rules would mean the requirement for the wigs, which legal professionals have worn since the 17th century, would not be needed in civil or family court cases.
Wing collars and bands can also be dispensed with in such cases according to the reforms, while judges will need just one gown in future instead of a variety of colourful outfits currently required.
The wigs will still be worn in criminal courts.

“At present High Court judges have no less than five different sets of working dress, depending on the jurisdiction in which they are sitting and the season of the year,” Phillips said in a statement.
“After widespread consultation it has been decided to simplify this.”

A review carried out in 2003 found that more than two thirds of respondents wanted to eliminate the wigs in civil cases, although most said criminal court judges should still wear them.

Opponents of wigs thought they were anachronistic, as well as uncomfortable and expensive.

A shoulder-length ceremonial wig costs more than 1,500 pounds while the shorter ones worn by lawyers cost about 400 pounds each.

However, the idea of abolishing them has been met with disapproval from some lawyers who feel the wigs give them an air of authority as well as anonymity.
“While there will never be unanimity of view about court dress, the desirability of these changes has a broad measure of agreement,” Phillips said.

1 year ago – venture bros good, lj ugly nav bar, bye bye black rhino, angel / shovel / burrito, simulated lost case-630am, Arvis book in comments!

2 years ago – Last Day w/Magda, invisi-bro, chrono-lifting, breakfast foods, zombies invade sca event, crab, autostitch bus, minor drama, commendation

3 years ago – KoL, Bollywood, Patriot Act, Felix the Cat

4 years ago – sleep troubles, Andromeda Strain, 4-legged man , system crash – modem drivers (Service pack 4 for win2k caused Norton trouble) , Stalin vs Hitler comic, newtcam pic, discovered title-tags, strickland a/c die-lemma

5 years ago – more swell chatties, Roanoke (including odd reply from Boughman), Dreams of Lake Conoy with zombie mist, sweet possum sugar, mother goose

6 years ago – Evil news, riposte, dream of the jungle, If I were… meme, time, sleepy, Dumbass Tenochtitlan Saucermen,chat, aura colors, personality disorder test, Louvre

7 years ago – Bad things with April, super power question (via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)

Scottobear: @apelad buzz cola tastes like not as good RC (via Twitter / Scottobear)

Current hot brain temp – 107.17 “on fire” stats out of 0-120

logic – 120
math – 120
memory – 91.49
language – 120
concentration – 84.39

Concentration and Memory. A pair of enemies I’ve had to combat more than a few times in my life.

I’ve sometimes wondered if DMAE would help with those weaker areas of my brain… but I don’t think I want the trade off. I do feel that both memory and concentration can be worked and built up over time… part of the reason I’m enjoying hot brain is some possible side effect of improved function in that area.

I played with mercury when I was in high school, and sometimes wonder if it cost me some IQ points. What about drinking? That kills brain cells. A few fights where I had a little jarring head trauma. What if instead of just being pretty dang smart, that I were brilliant?

I’d probably be less sympathetic, more evil, and give in to temptation to herd pathetic sheeple, bend them to my will and then just laugh, laugh, laugh would be too great.

Um, did I just write that?

Oops.

Part of the reason I’m better at playing it by ear, I guess.. .a reflex of having to dance around memory?

Cyn pointed me in the direction of Yelp! – I’ve already added two reviews.. one for someplace I love to eat… the other place, not so much.

Doodle of the moment – Sailboat blur

Recent Newt Pic. Slacking while I’m at work, I see.


A moment before the radiation got us all.


Slurpee Day 2007

– Just a reminder to all: July 11th is once again Slurpee day – a wonderful day to celebrate the creation of the Slurpee. This year, as in the years before, 7-Eleven stores will be handing out free 7.11oz Slurpees from 7am until 11pm (or until supplies last). Or are they free Squishies, with the Simpsons Promotion?

Sicko actually has the undivided attention of Blue Cross, Blue Shield. Cool. It also offended Hillary. She would have made more points staying put and facing the music. My big problem with Sicko was that I thought it was more “preaching to the choir”. If someone’s actually paying attention, so much the better. Additionally, Bush says the sorry state of health care is all the American people’s fault.

Still unsure if I’m going to Salem with BHK for the weekend. I’ll be mostly useless there for whatever projects they have in mind, but I can bring the laptop and work on whatever else in the meantime, if I can get online. Maybe take in a little walk or two when the sun goes down and the lightning bugs are will-o-wisps.

Reading old travel books or novels set in faraway places, spinning globes, unfolding maps, playing world music, eating in ethnic restaurants, meeting friends in cafes whose walls hold the soul-talk of decades- all these things are part of never-ending travel practice, not unlike doing scales on a piano, shooting free throws, or meditating. They are exercises that help lure the longing out of the soul and honor the brooding-over of unhatched ideas for journeys.

But the oldest practice is still the best. Take your soul for a stroll. Long walks, short walks, morning walks, evening walks- whatever form or length it takes. Walking is the best way to get out of your head. Recall the invocation of the philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who said, “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts.” As if in his footsteps, Friedrich Nietzsche also remarked, “Never trust a thought that didn’t come by walking.”

The Art Of Pilgrimage by Phil Cosineau. ISBN 1-56731-351-5 Published in 1998 by MJF Books. The quote comes from page 25.

My Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom is:
Hermione goes on a hot date with Draco Malfoy in the dining room, with the candlestick
Get your Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom

Hm. That sounds rather naughty.

My Fortune Cookie told me:
You will pay for your sins. If you have already paid, please disregard this message.
Get a cookie from Miss Fortune
1 year ago

– he’s a whore, key west stuff, travel photos (mostly graffiti), barrel of monkeys,

2 years ago – Magda time, ff flick reviews in, supernatural crime, free Slurpee, angels with attitude *shudder*, Wilde on the red rose, insanity, bottles on string, math symbol uses, had to htaccess, pagenation, Melissa Gilbert, 911 google, Florida mafia

3 years ago – Newt says Mao, travel pondering, manatee, Dan alters color scheme, good eats

4 years ago – Zwan, I snuff griefer #5, movies, Elvis tooth, bad baby names, net radio, flipped off by the universe

5 years ago – reflecting on old work, log issues, Newt attack, recalling palm animations

6 years ago – fetial, solecism, pockets poll, purse poll, evil news, pie poll, tuck-ins

7 years ago – words, bro moving to town

(via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)

(via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)