Tag Archives: news

6892 – TV & slavery…

Hmm.. the new semagic client includes photo builder support. not quite out of beta yet.


Random Scotto Factoid – I love old Detective shows, especially The Rockford Files and Columbo. I’m also a fan of the Prisoner TV series.

Patrick McGoohan has been in more than a couple of Columbo episodes. What’s more, he wrote, produced and directed a bunch, too. He was excellent in all of them. He almost always plays the same sort of person he was in the Prisoner / Danger Man series… too clever to a fault, but since he was the villain of every episode, of course, he got what was coming to him. I’m really happy that it’s being released on DVD, and even more delighted that episodes pop up on cable so often that owning the set is not required to watch it once or twice a week regularly.

All of the McGoohan Eps – (Some are TV movies, made after the series proper stopped.)

  • Murder with Too Many Notes (2000)
  • Ashes to Ashes (1998)
  • Agenda for Murder (1990)
  • Last Salute to the Commodore (1976)
  • Identity Crisis (1975)
  • By Dawn’s Early Light (1974)

Funny, I think he’s the most frequent villain actor on the show. I like the fact that Columbo has a basset, too.

Random Peter Falk factoid – His right eye was surgically removed at the age of three, because of cancer. Once when he was playing in a Little League game, the umpire called him out. Falk thought that he was safe. He pulled his glass eye out of its socket and handed it to the umpire, telling him, “Here, I think you might need this.”


New discworld book at the end of this month – Going Postal. I figure it’ll be in paperback inside of six months.


When you talk to a mirror, you’re not always talking to yourself.


Modern-day slavery

Brazil abolished slavery in 1888. Earlier this year, however, the government acknowledged to the United Nations that at least 25,000 Brazilians work under ”conditions analogous to slavery.” The top anti-slavery official in Brasilia, the capital, puts the number of modern slaves at 50,000.

Continue reading 6892 – TV & slavery…

6890 – Avast, me hearties!

The only accessory you need for Talk Like A Pirate Day, September 19. The site’s creator, Grant Henninger, says: “Let me present t’ you t’ iPatch! It really has no purpose, but it was a fun site t’ build. Hope people get a good harty-har-har out o’ it.”


Well, Re: Ghost in the Shell… I liked the Basset. both styles of animation were good, but the CGI and cel-stuff didn’t mesh well.. rather distracting, actually. Sammy really dug it, so I imagine it’s just a question of personal tastes. Site Meter

Danny and I had a nice time at riverwalk, had lunch at einsteins, a beer at the ugly toona saloona, and talked about this that and the other as we walked around… they’re relaying the brickwork on Tavern row. I wonder if doing that on a Saturday is the worst possible time for business?


With all the hurricanes and tropical storms lately, I’m surprised more people aren’t trying to find that dang butterfly.


Camanche road sprouts Ronald McDonald dolls

Continue reading 6890 – Avast, me hearties!

6877 – Monday the Thirteenth!

meme from all over (found lately at calamity‘s):

If you wish, please reply to this post and write something you would like to do with me someday.

Then post this in your journal to find out what people want to do with you.


September is going to bring a lot of things, I think. Bro’s Birthday coming up, as well.

I feel isolated and a little out of whack today. A few possible remedies, though I suspect the most likely one is tincture of time. Autumn is nearly here, and I hope that the recharge it brings will bring more light, less glare. Drugstores are doing the Halloween thing, already. Part of it is probably due to the number of cases last night.. the most recent was at 3:30 am.

I’m mildly peeved that I had much of the weekend off, but still just spent it inside, reading. I probably could’ve done more, but really wasn’t too motivated. Got the basics covered.


Come to think of it… a good case against Voodoo actually working is Papa & Baby Doc’s long-term existence.


I miss arcades… back when there was a big room full of pac man and centipede-type games.


Wal-Mart at Mexico Ruins Sparks Protest

Continue reading 6877 – Monday the Thirteenth!

6848 – Saturday

Just sitting tight with my ol’ book by the phone, doing the ol’ on-call thing this weekend.


A few of the cases so far –

A child was hit by a car, unconscious, and I launched some notifications looking for his guardians in the area. I hope to hear good news on that follow-up.

A bad news kid from Apache, this was the last time he can take off… next time he’ll be considered habitual, and alerts won’t go out.

Autistic in Michigan… got to wake up the neighborhood at 2am to go look for him. I’m glad it was a Friday, rather than a work-week night. That’ll keep grumpies to a minimum.


MTV Video Music awards in Miami this weekend… I confess to a little curiosity, and some disappointment that I can’t go on photo safari… the upside is that I don’t have to worry about traffic, or bumping into Paris Hilton or Pauly Shore.


Compare google and yahoo search results side-by-side


Make your own Batphone (indirectly from Batfriend. cool opening.)


Sometimes I feel this way about the blogs that I read.

6827 – I don't smoke cigarettes.

Big Kahuna’s in Alabama all this week, opening the state to local law enforcement.


I may be going out to a late lunch with oneeyed and crew after work.I wonder where a good place to dine might be? Some Options

I woke up *voracious*… I could devour a pile of waffles right now.


Philip K. Dick – How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later


divide by zero’s free fonts – I really dig geodesic, levity and two turtle doves


Last night’s fortune cookie.

“You have unusual equipment for success, use it properly.”
Daily Numbers 5 0 8
Lotto Six #’s 39 45 36 37 18 27

What, no Chinese Lesson? I’ll resist making any rude “in bed” cookie comment suffix this go ’round.


Found another subset of NOAA’s site, this time it’s South Florida Specific.

Recently re-discovered the lightning strike site, too – Strikes within the last 3 seconds will appear as a yellow bolt. Older strikes will appear as mostly red and blue dots. The smaller the dots, the older the strike. Red and blue indicates cloud-to-ground strokes. Lavender and purple indicates cloud-to-cloud strokes. The display typically reflects a total of the last 20 minutes activity for any given period.

FEMA has now declared 25 counties in Florida as disaster areas. That’s good news for those victims further inland. Aid will be more readily available for the rebuilding efforts.

Storms rolled through central Florida this afternoon – 2000+ lightening strikes recorded in an hour with more than 3” of rain in spots. According to local news additional rain will coming in off of the gulf in the Punta Gorda & North Port areas now.

They are expecting to put a figure to the fatalities in Lee County sometime tomorrow. One optimistic thing is that many people in the hardest hit areas had left for the summer, so it is possible the number will be lower than expected.

The Bradenton Herald is a very good source for information.

The Red Cross is still requesting monetary contributions and that information can be found HERE. They are still the quickest way to get water, food, shelter and comfort to the victims.

As a petty / karmic redemption side note, I hope that this disaster milks every penny out of the evil, evil, evil Liberty Mutual company.


Photos of Disney World preparations, and post-storm Hurricane Charley. (I’m surprised they didn’t just cover the park with a big plastic dome topped with mouse ears.) Interesting to see all the hanging signs tethered in place. (The last thing anyone needs is to be impaled by a flying bit of Jungle Cruise sign.) He’s got other nifty shots, too… like the construction of Expedition Everest.

I’d like to have this as a Disclaimer all around my property. (for web-cam usage)


It strikes me as funny that people don’t think of Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt as Oriental. It’s not called the Middle East for nothing, y’know. I wonder if Arabs were *ever* referred to as “Orientals” in the old days, before that term was made politically incorrect? I still Figure myself to be an “Occidental“.. “The Orient” is a much niftier term than “Eastern Lands.”


Interesting portraiture by Mary Ellen Mark. Circus Folk in India, including a Hippo Trainer and little people in monkey suits.


Going over LJ’s stats.

It looks like the male population is dwindling, at less than a third of the total gender specified userbase.

Where I fall out of 4,179,761 accounts

I have –

  • Updated in the last 24 hours (like 268,799 others)
  • Permanent account – something like 0.0003% of the users here (one of 1618)
  • Most popular county – USA (2,035,801)
  • 2nd most popular State – Florida (191,899)
  • Of the very few 35 year olds (7379) (and the numbers dwindle each year!)

6827 – I don’t smoke cigarettes.

Big Kahuna’s in Alabama all this week, opening the state to local law enforcement.


I may be going out to a late lunch with oneeyed and crew after work.I wonder where a good place to dine might be? Some Options

I woke up *voracious*… I could devour a pile of waffles right now.


Philip K. Dick – How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later


divide by zero’s free fonts – I really dig geodesic, levity and two turtle doves


Last night’s fortune cookie.

“You have unusual equipment for success, use it properly.”
Daily Numbers 5 0 8
Lotto Six #’s 39 45 36 37 18 27

What, no Chinese Lesson? I’ll resist making any rude “in bed” cookie comment suffix this go ’round.


Found another subset of NOAA’s site, this time it’s South Florida Specific.

Recently re-discovered the lightning strike site, too – Strikes within the last 3 seconds will appear as a yellow bolt. Older strikes will appear as mostly red and blue dots. The smaller the dots, the older the strike. Red and blue indicates cloud-to-ground strokes. Lavender and purple indicates cloud-to-cloud strokes. The display typically reflects a total of the last 20 minutes activity for any given period.

FEMA has now declared 25 counties in Florida as disaster areas. That’s good news for those victims further inland. Aid will be more readily available for the rebuilding efforts.

Storms rolled through central Florida this afternoon – 2000+ lightening strikes recorded in an hour with more than 3” of rain in spots. According to local news additional rain will coming in off of the gulf in the Punta Gorda & North Port areas now.

They are expecting to put a figure to the fatalities in Lee County sometime tomorrow. One optimistic thing is that many people in the hardest hit areas had left for the summer, so it is possible the number will be lower than expected.

The Bradenton Herald is a very good source for information.

The Red Cross is still requesting monetary contributions and that information can be found HERE. They are still the quickest way to get water, food, shelter and comfort to the victims.

As a petty / karmic redemption side note, I hope that this disaster milks every penny out of the evil, evil, evil Liberty Mutual company.


Photos of Disney World preparations, and post-storm Hurricane Charley. (I’m surprised they didn’t just cover the park with a big plastic dome topped with mouse ears.) Interesting to see all the hanging signs tethered in place. (The last thing anyone needs is to be impaled by a flying bit of Jungle Cruise sign.) He’s got other nifty shots, too… like the construction of Expedition Everest.

I’d like to have this as a Disclaimer all around my property. (for web-cam usage)


It strikes me as funny that people don’t think of Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt as Oriental. It’s not called the Middle East for nothing, y’know. I wonder if Arabs were *ever* referred to as “Orientals” in the old days, before that term was made politically incorrect? I still Figure myself to be an “Occidental“.. “The Orient” is a much niftier term than “Eastern Lands.”


Interesting portraiture by Mary Ellen Mark. Circus Folk in India, including a Hippo Trainer and little people in monkey suits.


Going over LJ’s stats.

It looks like the male population is dwindling, at less than a third of the total gender specified userbase.

Where I fall out of 4,179,761 accounts

I have –

  • Updated in the last 24 hours (like 268,799 others)
  • Permanent account – something like 0.0003% of the users here (one of 1618)
  • Most popular county – USA (2,035,801)
  • 2nd most popular State – Florida (191,899)
  • Of the very few 35 year olds (7379) (and the numbers dwindle each year!)

6826 – yikes – punta gorda details

I’m amazed at the level of damage in Punta Gorda… very reminiscent of the hurricane Andrew situation before. The thing that gets me is that very few people really took it seriously until it was too late… I think that’s thanks in now small part to TV news blowing *every* weather event totally out of proportion.

A million people without power, and two million people were asked to evacuate. I wonder how much damage will be caused by looting, and how many people are going to get gunshot wounds as a result of walking around in the wrong part of town, now that the weather has passed by.

For future ref-

6818 – Bro update, and etcetera

Bro’s scheduled for 1:30 on Thursday. I imagine that unless something comes up that he’ll get two years probation. if he stays out of trouble, I imagine that would even be cut down a bit. The last few times I’ve spoken with him, he seemed to be fairly clear of mind and in good spirits.


Pierced new guy seems to be ok… has a quirky sense of humor, and seems to get it when I crack a joke about the Knights Templar. Unpunctured one seems less likely to make it as a tech. He reminds me a lot of bad-luck Schleprock.


So many changes on the company website… it boggles the mind how big it has grown. Hundreds and hundreds of pages… something for all 50 states, news reports, bios, etc. A real learning curve, but it’s definitely worth it. I wish that I could devote more time to the site, but so many other elements sneak up on me…. maybe when more new folks are trained, and I get the telephony server happy.


Why didn’t Daredevil ever have a seeing-eye dog super-sidekick?


Koko the Gorilla uses sign language to request dental work Continue reading 6818 – Bro update, and etcetera

6816 Morning, already?

Dang… Where do these Mondays keep coming from?Site Meter

I foresee more of the same sort of Monday shenanigans. Terribly long morning meeting, and then spend the rest of the day playing catch-up.

The opening crew is headed to Alabama for training next week, so it’ll be much lighter in that respect, next go-round.

Newt’s been in gabby-chatter mode quite a lot lately.I’m happy to give him all the attention he might like and probably more, though he like to be doted on for the most part.


It feels like my emotional gravity is out of whack. Parts of me are light, others dense, and drawn to the center of my being. Some sort of personal vibe version of solar flares.


Wikipedia article on War Elephants


30th anniversary of Nixon Resigning. I can think of a few presidents, both republican and democrat that probably should’ve stepped down in like fashion, since. People guilty of known criminal activity both prior and during office… and probably since then.


World Audit: ranks countries. Shows the U.S. as 9th in freedom, 12th in democracy. Interesting how Finland, the most democratic and thirdmost free on the page is also considered the most corrupt. How it’s measured.


Quick reference – Why do Muslim women cover their heads?

For Future Reference, Male Hijab info, too. Interesting that bit about yellow / orange clothing. No red, unless it’s combined with another color.


According to Newsday, live video from the Olympics will be viewable online. However, ‘the footage will be highly restricted to protect lucrative broadcast contracts, which are sold by territory – $793 million paid by NBC alone. Web sites must employ technology to block viewers from outside their home countries, so U.S. Web surfers won’t benefit from the BBC’s live coverage. They’ll have to settle for highlights posted after NBC broadcasts, which are already largely tape-delayed.’

via

See instead – Pirating the Olympics via Time to warm up my Torrentstorm software… if only to check out Archery and Judo.


S.F. Man Says Beheading Video Is a Hoax Continue reading 6816 Morning, already?

6812- Here on Fibber Island, No one sings alone.

Just close your eyes, start living in your mind, and see what you can find.

I sometimes wonder if pod is shorthand for piece of dirt. Usually, like today, I don’t think so.


Sugar Water Cibo Matto Video. Pretty Sharp synced movements. Split screen, the story is told forward and backwards simultaneously.


I’ve never been crazy about going into space. I like my oxygen where it’s plentiful, and I don’t have to rely on someone else to get the mix right. Space is beautiful, but it’s also cold, and empty… with the very occasional ice, rock and burning star. I think that I’m happier earthbound and surrounded by all the stuff here.


Anyone who makes a Dave Chapelle joke about Rick James kicking the bucket had better be pretty creative, or they get three “you’re lame” points in my great big book of everything. You can make all the “super freaky” cracks you want though. Heh, I said crack, and he had a cocaine problem. Unintentional.


Random TMI Factoid – Newton *hates* when I burp at him after eating animal crackers. He gave me a bob, weave and head shake to recover.


I’ve never met my family in any of my travels through time, but I’ve narrowly avoided myself a few times.


Rev. Moon’s submarines sold to Kim Jong-Il empower a nuke threat to the West Coast

Not a joke, though I wish it were.


To Lighten the mood… Magical Trevor.


I don’t even really drink, but I really dig these cocktail demons. I wonder if they make monkeys?


Keen Charts!

current music: Fibber Island

6801 – Rock over New York, rock on Chicago.

Interesting quote that applies to many blogs out here…

“You will just have to accept being addressed by a disembodied voice just as I accept the compulsion to speak out even though I am painfully aware that I am talking to an invisible, perhaps nonexistent audience.”
–Robert Shea, The Eye in the Pyramid


I wonder how much my intelligence and personality has been altered as a result of playing with mercury when I was in high school?Site Meter

How many IQ points were lost? Any added paranoia? Dementia? What aspects were opened and closed?

I won’t even venture into other chemical changes.


JLA membership