The Chopping Block…one-panel cartoons. Dark and scribbly, with a hint of irony and a whimsical bouquet. Vaguely reminiscient of Edward Gorey, but it’s no Gashleycrumb Tinies.

I’ve been told that I sound like a little boy on the phone by two lj-ers now… I suppose I overcompensate for my gorilloid appearance. Also, they’re nice folks, so I put on my “sweetie-voice”.

I’m thinking good thoughts for , and hope her baby comes today with a minimum of stress and delay. She’s got contractions 4 min apart, and back labor as we speak… out li’l bebe! out to see the world! Epidural is started.

Newt’s stalking something by the doorjamb…I can’t see it, but he’s staring intently at the crease there. I suspect he’s just being a looney.

Neurologist appointment 5/2, first thing in the morning… a battery of tests to focus on preventing my back hurting like it did a while back again. That just was the worst, and if I never feel that pain again, it’ll be too soon.

They killed the lone gunmen? would some x-phile tell me for why? figures… I sort of feel that they were some of the best element of the show.

Got to talk briefly with my sweetie before tucking her in… I love her so much! Just a brush of her near is enough to give me a tickle of joy. I’m going to follow beddy-wise shortly. Brain-fried from code and cleaning up a lot of the remote office messes… had tasty mexican for lunch, though. cheese enchiladas, refried beans and rice. fat-fat food, but I was a-cravin’ it something fierce.

Chupa is picking on Tia, lately, and is looking for a rolled up newspaper on the nose. Chupa told an outright lie about Tia, and got caught… if ol’ Goat-sucker isn’t careful, she’s going to get the big five stomping on her head. No more goats!

Ordered my 120 gig hd today, and a nice new video card…. I dig the multi-monitor support on one card… I look forward to more integrated multimonitor stuff, now. I really like having a screen with chat/mail info on one screen while playing a game on the other. or doing multiscreen programming… the extra real estate is sweet.

Catnip is just peeking out, and you can see the difference between unconsumed catgrass and Newtie-nibbled. I’m hoping the grass-nubs regrow quickly, as Newt-boy was very fond of the stuff.

more pictures and such

Strange dreams of being a jeweller, putting diamonds, rubies and sapphires into settings last night. I used pearls to destroy a poison in a friend’s bottle of beer. It dissolved like an alka-seltzer, and turned the drink blue, but he drank it down and thanked me, anyhow. The pretzel bowls at the bar had salted fortune cookies, and the fortunes they gave were in mandarin, so you had to ask the bartender to translate.. we didn’t trust him, because he gave us poisoned beer, so we went looking for an all-night chinese food place to get the straight dope on what was inside. I also dreamed that my beloved dyed her hair to a wacky anime-color… a red / pink not found in nature. sort of a crimson with cotton-candy tips. In the dream-world I thought it looked good, but I’m not so sure upon walking in wakesville. I think strawberry to regular red suits her just fine. Her fortune was “gather knowledge like roadside flowers”, and mine was “Focus inner strength on outer puzzles”. neither were really fortunes, more like advice. I don’t recall what Mark’s was.

Wacky search connect to my site of the day –

make out places in fort lauderdale – 14 down

man… if you can’t find a place in fort lauderdale to make out, without using the internet….you haven’t been there.

got to get moving… lots of errands to run this morn, before work. until tonight, dear journal.

Whoops! forgot to hit send! I’m out of the shower, waiting for my ride, now.

note to self, tomorrow, cash your check, pick up about 4 bars of ivory soap to practice carving on, and pick up your prescription, make appt with neurologist.

also, find a local source for a whetstone to sharpen my jackknife, and maybe a small block or two of cherry wood, and a few testers of balsa.

Things I want to carve: (if I get the knack going again)

• An Elephant for my beloved. (to start… maybe a few things, if I get the knack, this is the source of my urge to carve… Turtle, Black Cat and Bear too?)
• A wooden spoon for me, just to have a tool I made myself…
• A Yeti (basswood? pine?)
• A Bear (Baswood?)
• A Newt-kitty (pine?)
• A Self-Portrait ( pine?)
• Toys? It’d be wonderful to give hand-made stuff next Christmas.

An Elephant is a good one to start with, because it’s a boxy shape, and a good test with the ears and trunk. (no tusks).

Excellent Interjections.

“MOTHER GOOSE!”
“ZOINKS!”
“JUDAS PRIEST!”

I would like a root beer float right now.

note to self… swing by computer renaissance next week. seek out wireless ‘net schtuff.

New and improved crack! Now with better hypnotics! Bad enough I have it on my palmtop.

Check out how popular your name’s been over the least 100 years.

Random Scotto factoid – I can’t remember the last time I was bored, or had nothing to do. That’s a blessing if there ever was one.

Random Scotto memory / ramble. Remembering from about 4 years ago.

Dave and Cathi used to hang out with this guy named Roy… an ok guy, as long as you don’t have to do any busines with him. (another story, for another time) He was big into the whole Native American scene, and kept a sweat lodge behind his house. I was introduced to him, I shook hands and we gabbed for a bit…and slowly, something crept into my mind about him was wrong. It wasn’t his weird leather hat or the fact that he had a very weatherbeaten look about him… I couldn’t put my finger on it, until he made a gesture with his right hand, and I noticed he only had three fingers there…a thumb, ring and pinkie. It shocked me because my mom had a friend when I was very young that had *no* fingers, save for a thumb. Well, the long and the short of it is that I should be warned before being in a situation where I might shake hands with a guy that only has three fingers, is all.

I’ve known a number of amputees of varying degrees over the years. English Teacher and Rik, too. I wonder how uncommon it is to have known that many.

I highly reccomend doing a lodge or sauna if available, though. very useful.

on another note… I really would like to see Mr. Rogers pop back on pbs when I can see it.

It’s Such a Good Feeling

1970, Fred Rogers Click to listen to the song.

It’s such a good feeling to know you’re alive.
It’s such a happy feeling: You’re growing inside.
And when you wake up ready to say,
“I think I’ll make a snappy new day.”
It’s such a good feeling, a very good feeling,
The feeling you know that we’re friends.

ok… invader zim is on friday nights at 9:30, and sundays at 1pm. good to know.

Bea Arthur wrestling velocoraptors,Mr. T in Elysium, and Abe Lincoln kickin’ butt, all from this guy. groovy… refreshing skill and humor.

The “close door” button on the elevator does little more than give you something to do while waiting for the elevator door to close on its own. The button does work occasionally, but only when the elevator’s not communicating with other elevators in a system to handle traffic, or when the landlord has special-ordered a button that works.

The rest of the time (that’s most of the time in elevators you’re likely to ride) the button is just a piece of plastic that happens to indent. “The computer system doesn’t even recognise it,” says Leonard G. LaVee, Jr., executive director of the National Association of Vertical Transportation Professionals(go ahead… click it… I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was making this up.) Saying “Come on, come on, baby” like a big doofus reportedly doesn’t help either. Test for yourself, if you dare!

modified the design of my blog….still pondering putting a comments area there. upside of blog, I can incorp java, perl, whatever I like. downside, the friend’s list interactivity isn’t there.

1 Google hanging decapitation girl pics #5 on the google
1 Google dave and busters pop tac toe #1!
1 Yahoo menses pics 19 down
1 Yahoo alligator scarification 4 down
1 Google pictures of chimpanzees 9 down
1 Google slacker test livejournal 8 down

Having fun at the Legion of Super-Heroes HQ.

found it looking for Cholrophyll kid… That’s the sort of super hero I feel like today.

the herb garden is growing swimmingly!

It’s the Wesley Willis song generator (bottom of page)!

example

ok… we got tenchi, cowboy bebop, and all of sat night’s adult swim set to record. (I also programmed myself justice league and sealab 2021.)

cats and dogs is on hbo… oh my…. I never did get to see it before. it’s cute!

The Phantom Patriot-
Wearing a skeleton mask, body armor and a costume emblazoned with the words “Phantom Patriot,” a man infiltrated the 2,700-acre Bohemian Grove, site of a secretive annual retreat featuring some of the most powerful men in the United States. He was arrested after a brief stand-off with police, and later told investigators he was prompted to act after hearing a Texas-based radio talk-show host discuss possible child sacrifice at the site.

Toilet paper capital of world’ prepares for exhibition– Write your own punchline.

remember little red monkee? they’ve been busy. Check out monkee tv!

aye, ’twas a Courage-a-thon. sweetie is out of anime luck… time to dig a bit for her other faves.

had a nice afternoon with the bro, he got a work windfall, so he paid me $200 back, and picked himself up a ps2, and a boxing 2002 game. (I got him grand theft auto 3, because he deserves a good car /shooter game.) we met at the bookstore, where I burned up my birthday gift card on a great book of free verse. (a book of free verse costs $19 american… so much for free)

bro was hungry to play his games so we cut it short, and I went to einsteins’ bagels for lunch. tasty goodness.

got together with bro briefly today… he gave me $200 of the money that I loaned him, and some vids from an age ago. he also picked up a playstation and a 2002 boxing game. i got him grand theft auto 3 (no system is complete without a crazy car game… especially one where you can also shoot or run over drug dealers and cops.)

he headed home to play with his new toy… I’m now at einstein’s bagels, enjoying a nice hippy-food bagel. again, no good movies playinq… spidey next weekend, though. I think I’ll check and see if I know anyone at the theatre anyway.

until later!

I love her so much! just the sound of her voice sends me into a combination tizzy of laughter, warmth, and happiness. The vcr timer is set to record DBZ for my beloved tomorrow at 1pm. (vcr is set, but it says there’s a courage marathon on. I’ll record just in case.) I hope she has a good time tomorrow, out and about.

My bro called me up to tell me that he’s going to give me some bigtime dinero back that I lent him…all right! (I loan him $ without though of when or if it’ll come back.. so when it does, it’s like found money.) looks like he’s going to get a haircut for it…. that’ll be odd… weird seeing him with a trim. I bet he’ll look good. we’re going to hang out tomorrow, go shopping at the bookstore and maybe swing by target… I’m totally enthused about seeing him…he sounds healthy and solid. He’s also going to buy himself a sony playstation… which he’ll appreciate more in a year, when I buy a dvd burner. (Can playstation play vcds? I can burn those, now) if you’d like to join us, I’ll be here at about noonish-twoish. If you can’t make it, I’m sure that photos will be taken.

Supper tonight is curried rice and veggies with a couple of bottles of Killian’s. a fine, fine supper for a friday night. spicy, smooth, and fragrant. Newt is very curious about it… but none for the boy. I should put curry in the herb garden…. it’s a gift from nature that I’m delighted to have found. I wonder how hard it is to grow? I’m already planning on adding lavender and patchouli to my window box.

To kill a vampire it is first necessary to determine its ethnic origin. I regret that I cannot offer much useful information on how this might be accomplished, but I’m sure you’ll think of something.

Next, locate the vampire’s daytime whereabouts, i.e., its grave. My vampire manual recommends placing “a young lad who is innocent of girls,” such as Richard Simmons, atop a black virgin stallion, and leading the two through a likely graveyard. If the horse refuses to pass a certain grave, you’ve hit paydirt, so to speak. The telltale signs of a vampirous corpse are fluidity of the blood, lack of putrefaction, and flexibility of the limbs (we’re talking about corpses now, mind you).

Finally, administer treatment as prescribed below:

SPECIES – COUNTRY – APPROVED METHOD OF DISPOSAL
Sampiro – Albania – Stake through heart
Nachtzehrer – Bavaria – Place coin in mouth, decapitate with ax
Ogoljen – Bohemia – Bury at crossroads
Krvoijac – Bulgaria – Chain to grave with wild roses
Kathakano – Crete – Boil head in vinegar
Brukalaco – Greece – Cut off and burn head
Vampir – Hungary – Stake through heart, nail through temples
Dearg-dul – Ireland – Pile stones on grave
Vryolakas – Macedonia – Pour boiling oil on, drive nail through navel
Upier – Poland – Bury face downwards
Gierach – Prussia – Put poppy seeds in grave
Strigoiul – Rumania – Remove heart, cut in two; garlic in mouth, nail in head
Vlkoslak – Serbia – Cut off toes, drive nail through neck
Neuntoter – Saxony – Lemon in mouth
Vampiro – Spain – No known remedy

I realize the above will not be much use in the case of a Third World vampire, but you can’t have everything.

the more I play the freedom force demo, the more impressed I am with the range of powers and stats available. This is a *complete* replication of Champions, without all the rules-lawyering, and cool 3d effects. I would really like to see this exact same engine charge up more games in the future, and the fan skins are a hoot.

the only thing they seem to need to implement is more objects, and a way to grab and throw enemies. (or use them like a weapon… I miss the old days of champions, using a guy in power-armor as a club against some big burly fella in a rhino suit.) and maybe a better environment design kit.

My beloved is taking Saturday off to chill and relax after her hectic week…I’m contemplating going on walkabout while she rightfully lounges the day away.

What I’d really like to do is to go with Dan up to Grad night (tomorrow at Disney world, from 9pm to 4:30 am)… If I could get a ride up, I’d be surrounded by a bunch of graduating seniors at the haunted mansion. hmm… could be keen. I won’t be going, though.

Now I want to play my old duke nukem at disney mod… I wonder if it’s still at doombuggies? why, yes!…hee. speaking of which…check out all the rides that are becoming movies, now. Hmm… sort of the SNL school of movie making.. take a 2 minute ride or sketch, and stretch it out to two hours or so…bah. I will still check out the country bear flick.

A priceless slug-eating plant has been stolen from a nursery in Austria.

It’s hoped the flesh-eater has been taken by pranksters rather than rival botanical geneticists.

Slugs and other pests cost agriculture billions of pounds each year so a copy could be worth a fortune. A predator plant could also make many poisons redundant.

Useful energy from random vibrations

A question for the physicists… Just how much energy could you theoretically get from these things? There’s plenty of sources for the motive force – just put banks of them under freeway overpasses and between train tracks. But could they be made cheaply enough and placed densely enough to make them really useful?

For instance, could you fit enough of them inside a jet airliner wing to power the plane’s electrical systems from the engine vibrations and turbulence? Could you use them near the tires of electric cars to supplement the battery power?

Or provide power to a city by the screams of those who encounter the zombies in the tunnels below?