This is what I get when I buy Publix-brand animal crackers, in alphabetical order:

• Alligator
• Dolphin
• Eagle
• Elephant
• Manatee
• Panda
• Panther
• Parrot
• Penguin
• Rhino
• Sea Lion
• Tiger
• Turtle
• Walrus
• Whale
• Zebra

Um.. This must be a local thing… Dolphins, Whales, Manatees and Alligators? Parrots? The Turtle and Rhino are *very* cute, however the Elephant and Penguin art could use some work. On further investigation, it’s a special “endangered / threatened species” shapes… I didn’t know parrots were endangered or threatened… Lots of the green guys live around here in the wild suburban lands.

How many ways can you spell Britney Spears? Google has been keeping count.

Nice piece on America’s hate-affair with documentation, and the rising trend to glossy up the manuals, turning them into three-page glossy gate-fold brochures. (via boingboing)

In the United States, Whirlpool is selling a microwave oven that asks consumers if they are preparing, say, a cooked or uncooked chicken, with or without bones, with or without sauce. The microwave will calculate the cooking time and method; all the user needs to do — after answering all those questions, of course — is push the start button and dish out the finished product.

In the not-too-distant future, many of those questions may prove unnecessary, at least for frozen dinners and such. Some microwaves are being designed to read a bar code that will be printed on the side of the package and cook it automatically. “The consumer won’t even have to read directions on how long he needs to cook the meal; he’ll just have to eat it,” Laermer said.

now, a moment of Zen-

Refreshing, the wind against the waterfall
As the moon hangs, a lantern, on the peak
And the bamboo window glows.
In old age mountains
Are more beautiful than ever.
My resolve:
That these bones be purified by rocks.

– Jakushitsu (14th century)

Taking a shard of time to remember, honor and thank all the good people who came before. I don’t mean honoring war, but those that died in those conflicts. I’m sort of extending the idea to all those that helped make the world a better place, or fought in the war of life, too. I’m very thankful that I’m of a generation that didn’t have to fight a war for freedom, owed largely in part by the generation immediately before.

Regarding a moment of remembrance – http://www.remember.gov/

Along with other Americans, you are asked to spend a Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2002 at 3:00 p.m. local time (duration: one minute). The time 3:00 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when many Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace the traditional Memorial Day observances. It is intended to a be a unifying act of remembrance for Americans of all ages. As you participate in the Moment you are helping reclaim Memorial Day for the noble and sacred reason for which it was intended–to honor those who died in service to our Nation.

How to Participate

Participation is voluntary and informal. You may observe in your own way a Moment of Remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever you are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps.”

You may also organize the observance more formally at such places as your neighborhood, local pool, picnic grounds, etc., for one minute of remembrance. You may ring a bell to signify the beginning and the end of the Moment or tune in to a local radio station that is observing the Moment with the playing of “Taps.” If you are driving a vehicle, you may turn on your headlights.

Why

• To remind all Americans of the importance of remembering those who sacrificed for their freedom and what it means to be an American.
• To provide Americans throughout the world an opportunity to join this expression of gratitude in an act of unity.
• To make Memorial Day relevant, especially to younger Americans.

Background

In May 1996, the idea of the Moment was born when children touring Washington, DC, were asked what Memorial Day meant. They responded, “That’s the day the pools open!”

On December 28, 2000, by P.L. 106-579, the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance was established. The Moment has the personal support of the President of the United States.

One Minute
Memorial Day
Monday, May 27, 2002
3:00 p.m. (local time)

*giggles*

Ok… Monsters, Inc is *ever so* worth having on VCD. Newt has a soft little Sully-belly.

Hitting the sack early tonight…Added bonus is that I can get my sealab 2021 off of kazaa, too.

Nigh nigh, dear journal.

Uh-oh… they might be on to me. I’d better be careful.

I’m glad they’ll take communities out of friendsfriends… paidmembers is a bit much to be reading. 🙂

Random Scotto factoid: until high school, I attended a different school every year.. sometimes two or three. Massachusetts, Virginia, DC, Florida… all up and down the east coast.

Random Scotto memory –

In about the third or fourth grade… I forget when, exactly. I was in VA at the time, and I feel that I was taking a bus in to school, though it may have been a private transport. I hung out with two or three kids that I liked, and my brother was still very little, but was in school, but a different location. Kindergarten, I think.¹ One of the first days into the new school year, we all introduced ourselves to the rest of the class… talked about family, hobbies, favorite toys, and whatever. For some reason, I said that I had a twin brother and that he didn’t go to the school I was at because he needed “special doctors”. I used my younger brother’s name for that of my twin’s, and got some odd looks from the teacher.

Later that day, (week?) some school authority called my parents to confirm the story that night. I was in the room at the time when the phone call came in, and as soon as I heard my dad say “Twin?” I knew that I was caught. I can remember the look I got from him to this day… the trademark “Mr. Spock / Lee Majors single-eyebrow lift” and got a talking to. “Why did you lie to your teachers and classmates, Scott? What was your reasoning?” ² My reply at the time was “I don’t know… I just did.” I was told in no uncertain terms that I’d been raised better than that, and was confined to my room that night. Being sent to my room was no big deal ³, but I was unhappy that I’d disappointed my parents. Before bed, I’d resolved to apologize to the teacher and class the next day.

The next morning, the teacher whose face I can’t remember asked me about my “twin brother,” in front of the whole class. A little annoyed that I couldn’t introduce the topic and apologize properly, I replied pretty nonchalantly ⁴ for a little kid with “Oh, I made that up…my brother’s too little for this school, that’s why he doesn’t go here… I thought it’d be a neater story if I’d said he was weird like that. I’m sorry for telling a lie… My brother is nice.” ⁵ The apology was accepted, and the fib was pretty much glossed over from there on.

I wonder if that teacher remembers me, and those events at all? It had to have been about 25 years ago. I know that I made an impression on my high school teachers…I’d get feedback from my brother later on from teachers that’d had me, and then him, a few years later.

quick question:

I forgot to mention that the bro gave me his little gargoyle statue… Newt likes to pimp-slap it around as best he can with little bippity-bips from between the monitors. He can just get enough reach to tap the face.

Just deleted a totally off-topic post in the . I hope that the person who wrote it doesn’t become a problem.

I’m a compulsive downloader… woke up this morning, and discovered Dude that’s my car, scorpion king, and donnie darko.

Why did I download “dude?”… I don’t know, but I’m watching it now in the background. It’s acturally, pretty stupid-funny. (six minutes into it.) I’m sure stoners would delight in the ensuing shenanigans.

I don’t know if I should burn it to a cd after viewing, or delete it. It’s mystery is only surpassed by its power.

Alice in wonderland pic

Back from laundry… folding now.

the place was *empty*.. I guess everyone else had things to do. I want ot order takeout, but have too much food in the house to allow myself to do so. So, it’s going to be tasty stir-fry again. I’ll dig it, once the food is cooked, and in my belly.

ok… enough slacking around the house… time to gather these clothes together, and do a wash… sat nite… I look forward to seeing how busy or not the ‘mat is.

Happy birthday, Apollo, god of music, healing, protection, scrying, men’s mysteries, victory, poetry, and fun.

On his birth at Delos, Apollo was acclaimed by all the gods and the island was covered with golden flowers and encircled with swans. As soon as he tasted the ambrosia of his nurse Themis, he suddenly grew to full youth and demanded a lyre and a bow. He announced that his fathers will would be presented to the world through his oracular lyric poetry. Apollo then began to play and to “step high and featly” as became his style of dance. Apollo’s temple was at Crisa below Mount Parnassus in Phocis.

When a man was suffering from a disease, blackthorn and laurel branches were hung on the door of this house because they took away the wicked spirits, made Apollo propitious and were also a sign in order to invite passers by not to clamor and not to disturb the sick people’s sleep.

back… we had juice and a little gab, but he had to take off to do laundry,a nd head back to his place. I should do mine, too.. but it’s a long weekend, and I desire lounge time. I’ll save it for Monday morning.

Woke up a little bit ago… brother called me up…we’re going to meet for breakfast at the grove in about a half hour. I should be back at the HQ by 12 or 12:30ish

and now, some scottobear lj poetry

Back from brother’s… had a nice long talk with him… aspirations and ideas. He thinks we should be actors or at least extras in the “Hollywood of the South”, down in Miami where they make all sorts of movies. I think being an extra could be fun… and being a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild might be entertaining in it’s own right. I wouldn’t mind seeing my brother as the guy with a pool cue in a beer commercial, or myself as “evil crony #4”, the first henchman to be blown away in the latest cheese-ball action flick. I’m confident in my brother’s ability to take whatever challenges are in store for him, and to face ’em head on…. and to emerge victorious. He comes from good stock, y’know. We went as far as hopping online and getting the number for a few local agencies that had high reviews… He’ll be giving them a ring tomorrow to find out more about how do do such things…good vibes for that. He deals well with rejection and foolish egos, so acting just might be a real thing for him.

We also played a few PS2 samplers, (so many neat games out there) and watched the extras CD for fight club. We talked a little bit about computer animation, country joe and the fish, cracked wise and miscellaneous stuff… watched the tail end of a Clint Eastwood movie over pizza and cookies. (Pizza was Homemade by Mike, Bro’s roommate… whom he calls Chupacabra as a term of friendship, unlike my more demonized Chupa at work.)

Walking around the front of his apartment, we saw what was first thought to be a cat, until it climbed a tree, and we got a better look at its profile and head. A little raccoon lives nearby! Ever vigilant with my digital camera, I grabbed 2 shots… one zoomed, one not so much so, but you can see the eye flash in both.

Tucking in to bed, now, to join my beloved in dreamland… her hopefully pleasant sleeps already in progress.
Near and far pics of the raccoon we saw

This type of stuff just rocks.

Wayyy back in the 80’s I used to play laser tag, and tabletop RPGS… now they are using combinations of digital compasses, inclinometers, GPS (satellite) tracking and pattern recognition technologies just to work out exactly where they are in the real world, then tell quake about it…. and computer monitored firepower, body armor, player tracking, and monsters to scale.

Too nifty, indeed.

Newt’s talking out the window at someone who has parked a boat-trailer in the yard.

And now, I head off to work, and then the bro’s… see you much later, dear journal.

obligatory newt pix