All posts by scottobear

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8403 – EN on call! yay!

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Thanks in no small part to the monkey chow diaries, I think I’ve got a good idea on making an effort to eat better, and to help make the world a better place.

My current solution – I’m going to pay matching funds to a foundation for anytime I eat non-grocery items (and I won’t be spending much more – cutting purchase of said items in half – so I’ll be spending abou tthe same amount). Anything from a vending machine or a restaurant, I’ll be earmarking an equal amount of cash for a charity for feeding (or better, teaching to self-feed) someone else who is hungry.

Here is a list of 263 charities that provide food. Though, I might prefer to support organizations that catalyze sustainable changes, like Engineers Without Borders. (The old feed a man a fish versus teach him to fish thing).

If anyone can recommend a good, reputable charity (where money goes to the cause, not executive payroll) that teaches recovery of land / self-sustainable health to people, please let me know.

I’m going to turn my homepage’s yahoo ads and the paypal charity tip jar to focus on that aspect of helping others, at least until the First of July (I may extend it past that point, too, if I don’t come up with another idea that at least as useful) so, if anyone visiting Newtcam or any other page that has a yahoo ad clicks on it, they can help without spending anything.

Other Projects are Hurricane recovery, Race for Life Cancer Research, and Wigs for Kids – Not to mention the following clickable helpers:

A few sites for positive change – None of them cost a penny but can help to do good works.

The hunger site – free food to the hungry
Breast cancer site – Help to fund free mammograms
Child Health site – Help save young lives for free
Rainforest Site – help to preserve our rainforests
Animal rescue site – Feed an animal in need.

It frequently seems that people want what they cannot have. That’s not a problem, until it turns out that the *only* reason they want it is because they can’t have it. Very silly, especially when they don’t want it anymore once they have it.

Well, Duh, I say to myself. Just be glad that isn’t one of my failings… I’ve got enough on my own.

a bunch o’ quizzies

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8402 – Late Morning Post, due to sleepy-headedness, and my not needing to be on call.

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Last night was one of pleasant conversation. I was hardly on the web at all

Tomi called me from Finland on skype… it works surprisingly well. Sound was really clean, and it was nice catching up with him, though it was weird, given that he was about 8 hours ahead of me.

Topics: Good ol’ Days, Traveling to the Arctic Circle to see buddies, “the ‘Vette”, Kitties, Cigarettes & Cap’n Kangaroo and Kev re:Gitmo

Had another delightful million-year gab with Tina, too. She’s certainly got a gift for gab. I hope that she’s feeling better today… when she first called, she sounded like a 12 year old with vapor lock, but eventually, the bulk of her nasal-yuck cleared out, and the lungs sounded more loose and open.

Topics: Too Numerous to count (I think I may’ve found someone that can topic-jump more rapidly than I can) But included family, social Darwinism / social quirks, critters (cats, dogs and boars), economy, books primarily popcorn books), tasty food including an eggs and cheese ditty, not-so-tasty food, some very refreshing honesty, and an exceptionally foul-mouthed nun.

Speaking of Foul-mouthed: Listened to a Redd Foxx album recently, and man… I don’t mind blue comedians, but he was just awful. A bunch of weak one-liners. No craft to his work at all. At least Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor build a story that has some profanity – not just a quick “zinger” with a rude ending. Probably, I’m just a different audience – I like Bill Cosby’s albums and Steve Martin’s stuff.

Found a link to a gazillion mp3s of Stars on 45. Pop hits medley-ed out on disco hand-claps. Tossed me right back into the middle of 1981, quick like a magic trick.

Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

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WEST MILFORD, N.J. – A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree — twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

“We used to joke, ‘Jack’s on duty,’ never knowing he’d go after a bear,” cat owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday’s newspapers.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack’s accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey home’s back yard on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes peering down at the cat from the tree, the bear descended and tried to run away, only to have Jack chase it up another tree.

At this point Dickey, who feared for her cat, called Jack back home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

“He doesn’t want anybody in his yard,” Dickey said.

Bear sightings are not unusual in West Milford, which experts consider one of the state’s most bear-populated areas.

via missv – David Hasselhoff – Secret Agent Man (youtube video)


David Hasselhoff is licensed to kill. He kills music genre after music genre and the occasional one hit wonder. Surrender or die.

tropical weather outlook

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8400 – Never Fear, Scotto is here!

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The clouds are wispy and fast-moving today.

I cut the dickens out of the sole of my foot yesterday, and got to take a little trip to the urgent care center near my house. Nothing too dramatic… keeping the foot and all toes. No stitches needed, but a bandage will protect a bit. I’m walking on it, so no big whoop. More blood than anything else – I cut it on the drain. That’s been repaired, so I don’t get a repeat.

Danny mentioned Las Vegas for a mini-vacation in July. I’m not a gambler, but there are cool things to do there. Not sure if I want to spend a coupld of hundred bucks on the cheese factor or not, but it could be a lot of fun.

Random Scotto statement – I can’t watch a hospital death scene without thinking of my father’s passing, and that pisses me off. I don’t like my gut punched by trite tv or movie theatrics. He died over sixteen years ago, and I’m still saddened that I won’t get another conversation with him.

I have a lot of memories of him in my life.

I’ve heard it said that the lessons we learn from pain are always the strongest. I don’t mind pain, if I can get it to stop, and it’s there for a reason that I can suss out.

Moment of lyric – (mp3 {and a lot of great stuff from Rubber Soul} found here)

There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

Prairie Home Companion movie is rated PG-13? That’s sort of curious.

the pain
Still only Friday? Oh, the pain… the pain…
Well, the weekend will be here soon.

quizzles

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8398 – Why don’t they?

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It’s funny, the things see when they read my lj (or anyone’s, really). How we come across in writing isn’t always how we come cross in “real life”. My journal makes me out to be a pretty intelligent, loving goofball… I think. That’s really only part of what I’m all about. I’m not all rainbows, fluffy bunnies, complaints about my brother and goofy random links about monkeys, robots and bears.

I have my judgmental side, and my angry side, and my lonely side, and my frisky-horndog side… but few, if anyone wants to see that, so many posts of those natures are private or filtered… However, sometimes these do bleed into the public arena one way or another.

I sometimes wonder how people who have known me for years view this lj… do they wonder why I leave some things that are way too much TMI, while other fairly innocuous items get filtered or Scotto’s eyes only?

Went to Maya (was Ole’ Ole’) and the food was lacking quite a bit. They forgot vital aspects of the meal, listed on the menu, and the overall quality was about a 4/10. Fortunately the dinner conversation was more than pleasant, and made up for the mediocrity of the cheese enchiladas. Note to self, take the 10 bus home, as the 11 was just a smidgen late for maximum comfort. Took a nice long roam around riverwalk and talked about whatever comes to mind. It was quite a nice diversion and was once again, a pleasant time-sink. There’s something to be said for being able to discuss a wide variety of topics effortlessly.

Moment of Lyric – mp3

…

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8396 – Wehd-nehz-day.

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I stayed home from work yesterday… but Dan came by to visit after 5pm – we checked out Lord of the Rings Online.. signed up for the Beta. Helped Danny figure out what sort of machine he’d need to play it, graphics-wise and such. No movie or Japanese foodies.

After sniffing out gaming tech online, we played pirates (see icon) – each of us won a game, and both were very close. I had superior firepower, he had speed on his side. Ramming and boarding were actually to my benefit for the first time ever playing the game.

I gave him a Rubyred Labs T-shirt as a victory gift from my valleyschwag pack. (I kept the stickers and perplexCity cards) Newt got along with Danny quite well, save for when Dan drew first blood in the pirates game… he exclaimed “BLAM!” quite loudly, and Newt leapt up on the table and yelled at him, and took a swabby-paw swat at his face. I swear, Newt’s more of a watchdog than a scaredy-cat.

After playing, we decided to stretch our legs, and yawns came in a rapid collection of waves… hard to guess what caused it. I think I yawned about 25 times in rapid succession… to the point where I got a little light-headed. Danny followed suit shortly afterward, though he only yawned about four or five times.


We went upstairs to the snack bar, but Target had no coffee, so we hit *$ on the way back. He bought me a pirate booster, so now I have a corsair and an American Ship… plus a Corsair guy that can create temporary fog banks with smoke bombs– not a bad addition to my current fleet of British, Spanish and pirate folks.

Dan’s shirt had a mermaid on it, but is no relation to the Feegee Mermaid. Yucka! – His shirt was more of one of these.(far more cute than feegee)

Going to grab a bite and visit with Tina today after work… should be a jim-dandy time. Perhaps we’ll swing by Dicey Rileys, too. I suspect Eddie Izzard is out, but I’m sure we can keep a steady stream of enjoyable banter going. I’m not used to having things happening outside of the HQ on “school nights”. It’s a refreshing change of venue.

Moment of Lyric – mp3

When your world is full of strange arrangements
And gravity won’t pull you through
You know you’re missing out on something
Well that something depends on you

All I’m saying, it takes a lot to love you
All I’m doing, you know its true
All I mean now, theres one thing
Yes one thing that turns this gray sky to blue

Thats the look, thats the look
The look of love

When your girl has left you out on the pavement (goodbye)
Then your dreams fall apart at the seams
Your reason for livings your reason for leaving
Don’t ask me what it means

Who’s got the look? I don’t know the answer to that question
Where’s the look? if I knew I would tell you
What’s the look? look for your information
Yes there’s one thing, the one thing that still holds true

(whats that? )

Thats the look, thats the look
The look of love

If you judge a book by the cover,
Then you’d judge the look by the lover
I hope you’ll soon recover,
Me I go from one extreme to another

And though my friends just might ask me
They say Martin maybe one day you’ll find true love
I say maybe, there must be a solution
To the one thing, the one thing, we can’t find

Thats the look, thats the look
Sisters and brothers
Should help each other
Oh, oh, oh

Heavens above
Thats the look, thats the look, hip hip hooray, ay
Thats the look, thats the look, yippee ai yippee aiay
Thats the look, thats the look
Be lucky in love
Look of love

The Monkey Chow diaries

Imagine going to the grocery store only once every 6 months. Imagine paying less than a dollar per meal. Imagine never washing dishes,chopping vegetables or setting the table ever again. It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

But can a human subsist on a constant diet of pelletized, nutritionally complete food like puppies and monkeys do? For the good of human kind,I’m about to find out. On June 3, 2006, I began my week of eating nothing but monkey chow: “a complete and balanced diet for the nutrition of primates, including the great apes.”

Hmm.. note the chow info page mentions *NON HUMAN PRIMATES*

Ingredients
Ground corn, Soybean meal, Cracked wheat, Sucrose,Wheat germ meal, Animal fat (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Dried whole egg, Dicalcium phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Iodized salt,Vegetable oil, Choline chloride, Stabilized ascorbic acid (source of Vitamin C), Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Ferrous sulfate, Zinc oxide, Copper chloride, Manganous oxide, Cobalt carbonate, Calcium iodate, Sodium selenite,Vitamin A supplement,Vitamin D3 supplement,Vitamin E supplement, Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic acid, Biotin,Vitamin B12 supplement.

1 lb of chow per 35 lbs of monkey? Man… that’s a lot of food!

skyray 060606_228x253

Elite special forces troops being dropped behind enemy lines on covert missions are to ditch their traditional parachutes in favor of strap-on stealth wings.

Continue reading 8396 – Wehd-nehz-day. →

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8395 – Klonhertz – Three Girl Rhumba (Promo Video)

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This is Klonhertz rendition of the classic Wire jam “Three Girl Rhumba” with a paper bag cut-out band.

Hooray for Paper dolls!Geotarget

Think of a number,
divide it by two,
something is nothing,
nothing is nothing.
Open a box,
tear off the lid,
then think of a number,
don’t think of an answer.
Open your eyes,
think of a number,
don’t get swept under,
a number’s a number
A chance encounter you want to avoid,
the inevitable, so you do, oh yes you do the impossible
Now you ain’t got a number,
you just want to rhumba,
and there ain’t no way you’re gonna go under
Go under

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8394 – Too-oo-uh-oo’s Day. (In the style of Buddy Holly, for no good reason)

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Danny visit today. I estimate Japanese food and the Poseidon movie will happen.

Mental Moments of Poetry –

Tit for Tat

I often pass a gracious tree
Whose name I can’t identify,
But still I bow, in courtesy
It waves a bough, in kind reply.

I do not know your name, O tree
(Are you a hemlock or a pine?)
But why should that embarrass me?
Quite probably you don’t know mine.

— Christopher Morley

The Purple Cow

The Purple Cow’s Projected Feast:
Reflections on a Mythic Beast,
Who’s Quite Remarkable, at Least.

I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I’d rather see than be one.

— Gelett Burgess

Gabbed with Tina for about a zillion years on the phone – topics ranged from Shakespeare, Baroque Music, pet stories, furniture, veggie meatballs, lj, stain removal, life at a not-for-profit & work ability, pomade on bedclothes, the terms ballcap and walkies, patient doughnuts, library fines, but NOT Huey Lewis and the News. Some sort of record for random tangents….time compressed to the vanishing point, and it was a lot of fun, making with the jibba-jabba.

Project at the gig is lining up folks to learn about CSI – $100 for four 1-hour sessions with professionals to go to the org’s coffers. Not a bad idea… law enforcement instructors are a easily obtained resource.. I’ll probably sit in on them, if I can go as a rep. I may actually wear my company shirt to a company function… how weird is that?

I have to start thinking about web and local areas to get folks interested. I’m not too crazy about the Broward and Dade LJer communities, due to the large number of twinks… I’ll have to evaluate ’em again.

Recieved some great tunes yesterday…The Thorns and Josh Rouse. Nice Mellow sound. Thanks, Super Kayaker!

Moment of Lyric – mp3

Under the cold blue stars you would just stroll around the yard
that’s what happens to dreams when the life strains and the child lays in you

When you got old you played guitar in a little town, your favorite bar
just blowing steam now the lights fade and everyone’s paid to see you

So did the farm steal your soul when the cornfields won’t grow
its time to leave, now the heart bleeds and the family leans on you

You were under the cold blue stars in another town your favorite bar
that’s what happens to dreams when the life strains and the child lays in you

1 year ago – Org of American States, South America, Local Journals, burlesque, rain to sun, icons, journey to the center of the earth, I don’t much like Cap’n Jack, PO CHU-I, florida slave labor, rose garden, the Way-Outs, Spanish mixup at work.

2 years ago – D-Day / Normandy, Cold Reading, plague cookies, shockwave, meme, chill out, first appearance of eryx_uk in my comments.

3 years ago – Hobbit Pub w/danny pics, DARPA

4 years ago – Troublesome evacuation issues for fumigation

5 years ago – evil news, laconic, hobbit names, aimbot, hungry, lj DDos, glow text abuse, misc wacky html, Scotto quirk, COPS, long chat with CEJ, Rudy-fibber, poo-health chart.

6 years ago – no-thangGeotarget

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8393 – Cue the organ music, another week has begun.

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Mon-*DUN DUN DUNNNNN*-day. Another morning meeting o’doom, and then I contend with Semi-annual and quarterly statistics for funding. Tedious, but the bean counters will leave me alone while I assemble the stats.

Random word generator – plus

Moment of Lyric – (link to copy, right?’s page hosting it)

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She’s coming in 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say, “Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for you”

…

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8391 – Getting ready to switch over to being on-call.

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I don’t only use the word “fantastic”, I’m not always using it in a positive light *or* being snarky. If someone tells me of an idea that is totally out of left field, I’ll refer to it as fantastic, meaning it was borne of fantasy. Something can be fantastic, and terrible.

Likewise, when I hear the term “horsefeathers” my mind immediately thinks of a pegasus.

Walk around the Great Pyramid in Giza


Hoppy Bunny of adorableness!

Thank you, Cute Overload and Theremina!

These little finger-people are cute, too.

Time-Lapse Photo Animations of the Cosmos

Moment of Lyric – (mp3 via fallentoad)

we have sinned so many times before
we see no need to turn back now

we’re the world, the wicked world
marching to hell
we know what we’re doing
we’re marching to hell

come and join us have some fun
dance in joy beneath the neon light

we’re the world the wicked world
we do whatever we please
forget your cares sow your wild oats
sin is a wonderful disease

lie and steal, it’s all right
we have no worry for tomorrow

we’re the world, the wicked world
we don’t believe in God
we don’t believe in anything
we find that idea to be rather odd

we pain ourselves as our bodies start to decay
we’re getting closer every day
we have sinned so many times before
we see no need to turn back now

we know what we’re doing, we’re marching to hell

1 year ago – full vs goatee, bro & PO, vs & rr try to hook me up

2 years ago – Local con, ADP fix it, free wifi, bro issues, Crew north, Cartoon stuff, rain, bad case

3 years ago – bro goes to ER, Tony & Caroline bad news, pt issues, brothel free to troops, pirate doodle, kraft offer, FIA hoverboats

4 years ago – fumigation drama, pelican preference, cricket magazine, Google labs

5 years ago – life roles, evil news, Paranormal investigation teams that I’d join, Allen Walton, hobo names, $10 webcam, classic Scotto lunch, nice dreams, mammoth riding.

6 years ago – figured out how to hack the info kiosk as the mall of the dead.

Geotarget

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8390 – Porch entry

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Warm, still air on the balcony this morning. Newt’s lazing on the edge of the table, and we’re both enjoying sounds of the outdoors. The fountain in center of the lake, a light variety of birdsong, and Blackie having an argument with Faraday while I type on lappie’s mushy keyboard.

Slacking by spending far too long on lj, catching up with my reading and commenting hither and yon, where applicable. Graypumpkin had a moment of synchronization with one of the artists for Teen Titans (and The Coming Legion of Super Heroes cartoon) over a third-rate Marvel villain by the name of Gamecock.

Well, looks like money talks… X-men 4 was greenlit.

Reined into the condo all day tomorrow – on call. Won’t have to do it next week, as EN should have all items needed in place by thenGeotarget

podcasts.yahoo.com has a dandy search engine…I’m glad it works with all browsers, now.

I could sure go for a sugary snack right about now.. a fruit pie (cherry or apple) would be tops. Hulk? Spidey? You know that sharing is important… help me out, would ya?

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8389 – Saturday. similar feeling as last weekend this time.

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Watched Iron Giant last night, for the first time in a few years. Still as excellent as I recalled. While it played on the TV, I unpacked a few of the boxes stowed by the bookcases that needed weeding out. Found a bunch of old Legion Comics which distracted me for a bit while I put ’em in order and put them at the bottom of the linen closet, for the lack of a better temperature-controlled location. Followed up with The Swarm. (An Irwin Allen Sci-fi stinko classic featuring Michael Caine shooting bees from his eyes.)

Cleaning Lady comes by today… after she’s done, I’ll probably go walkabout for a bit, if the weather’s right. I think a walk along the beach might be in order.

Cinnamon toast for breakfast! First time I’ve made it in years… it always reminds me of being a little kid.

Best Message board icon of the moment – 2 cats playing ping pong.

Some pics from yesterday –

sticker graffiti- cookie monster
Cookie Monster Sticker Graffiti – Just kidding? On the rear exit of the Route 10.

sunrise pano 060206
Bus stop – sunrise was like a fire boiling away clouds.. rain was happening a bit to the right.

Found a number of OTR podcasts… about 8-10 hours of classic stuff every week. Songbird is pretty handy there. Sort of disappointed in Penn Gilette’s show, so I’m almost all NPR, OTR, and Prairie Home Companion… oh, Stomp Tokyo and Marc Maron’s show. Sometimes I listen to them on the ride into/from work, while reading, and I sometimes blank out what I’m listening to.

Moment of mp3 – Cake – The Distance – It reminds me of the 90s.

1 year ago – Celine Dion as MJ, Tragic Darth, Boynton Tasering, great sunset, Firpo, MSK in NM w/UTI, look-around camera, sex-pred lj, chat w/sammy, tyrant in the house?, human trafficking, 20 questions meme

2 years ago – Dan visit and a caveman waitress, speaker scam, call me Q.

3 years ago – isketch, skeletor & gang, Scott-heroes, Wold Newton, I LIKE stuff, ugly Oz from MacFarlane toys

4 years ago – virus spam, moment of zen, gute fahrt, pet psychic, Crossing over guy,newtcam banner (Never did see it in rotation.), homepage design ideas

5 years ago – |337 translation guide, parse, fun turtle fact, ultrasonic cheesecharacteristics, Hello Kitty Douche, lj portal, long distance distress

6 years ago – nothin’Geotarget