Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

Not Average

Like that's a surprise.

Americans love mobile phones more than Internet: study

Americans would find it harder to part with their mobile phones than the Internet, television or landline telephones, according to a survey released Wednesday.

Nuh uh! I have no attachment to my cell phone whatsoever and would give it up over the internet or TV any day. I probably use my cell phone once or twice a month, more on vacations. But the internet? [HUGS] Nope, not giving that up!

Now That....

..qualified as "And now for something completely different". I'm watching the Hannity and Colmes and they're doing the Luntz focus group segment post debate, and who's in the room with the group but John Cleese! Very strange. I guess you can chalk it up to 'only in California'.

Please Tell Me This Is A joke

Please?

Why Mommy is a Democrat

There are no words...

Not Suitable For Children

No, not some rated R film, or HBO series. What shouldn't children of today watch? The original Sesame Street! The DVDs even come with a warning.

Sunny days! The earliest episodes of Sesame Street are available on digital video! Break out some Keebler products, fire up the DVD player and prepare for the exquisite pleasure-pain of top-shelf nostalgia.

Just don't bring the children. According to an earnest warning on Volumes 1 and 2, "Sesame Street: Old School" is adults-only: "These early 'Sesame Street' episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."

The article here.

Scotch Tape

I always wondered how it had been invented!

And how it got its name? Hah!

3M tapes got its name when an auto painter, who was given an early 2-inch wide version of Drew's masking tape to perform two-color paint jobs, found that it was coated only a quarter inch wide and snapped at the inventor: "Take this back to your stingy Scotch bosses and tell them to put more adhesive on it."

Never Say Never

Paper: New Line Approaches Jackson

New Line co-chairman Robert Shaye told the Los Angeles Times that he has been quietly trying to mend fences with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, months after telling SCI FI Wire that he'd never work with Jackson again.

When asked if it was true that company insiders had been in talks with Jackson's representatives, Shaye told the newspaper: "Yes, that's a fair statement. Notwithstanding our personal quarrels, I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit."

Jackson withdrew his name from consideration for helming the Rings prequel movie in the wake of Jackson's lawsuit against New Line over Rings profits. That prompted Shaye to tell SCI FI Wire in January, "I do not want to make a movie with somebody who is suing me. It will never happen during my watch."

But Shaye's latest admission suggests that New Line is eager to get The Hobbit going again with Jackson.

Via SciFi Wire

Join Me At the Apocalypse

Here are five fictional characters that I want on my side when the apocalypse comes:

Methos
LaCroix
Samantha Carter
Amanda
Jack Sparrow

How about you?

Cheesy

Man says hold the cheese, claims McDonald's didn't, sues for $10 million

I'm sorry, but if I were deathly allergic to cheese, I would sure as hell check the burger myself before biting into it. Just like I check to make sure there's no mayo on my burger. I do that for just something I don't like the taste of, so if it could kill me? Come on!

Wince

I watching Giada's Weekend Getaways on the Food Network tonight, and she was in London. The show starts out with her in a cab touring the city. she asks the cabbie to take her to the lion statues, which, she says, "Commemorates the battle of Trafalgar Square"!!!

I guess history wasn't her subject in school [sigh] Not to mention all the people who put together her show.

They Needed A Study To Figure This Out?

Study: Women Are in Charge at Home.

Speaking as a woman who works with a half dozen married men... Duh!!

You're Kidding!

Canadian Climatologist Says Sun Causing Global Warming

Well colour me surprised! /sarcasm

Quote!

This was part of a longer piece by Jim Geraghty on McCain's campaign:

Also note that the Brits seem to be arresting one suspect an hour in this car bombing plot, and this cell sounds like the jihadist equivalent of Grey's Anatomy.

What Would Jack Bauer Do?

Canadian jurist prompts international justice panel to debate TV drama 24's use of torture

Justice Antonin Scalia is one of the most powerful judges on the planet.

The job of the veteran U.S. Supreme Court judge is to ensure that the superpower lives up to its Constitution. But in his free time, he is a fan of 24, the popular TV drama where the maverick federal agent Jack Bauer routinely tortures terrorists to save American lives. This much was made clear at a legal conference in Ottawa this week.

Senior judges from North America and Europe were in the midst of a panel discussion about torture and terrorism law, when a Canadian judge's passing remark - "Thankfully, security agencies in all our countries do not subscribe to the mantra 'What would Jack Bauer do?' " - got the legal bulldog in Judge Scalia barking.

Thieves Steal Herman Munster's Identity

Crooks in an underground chat room for selling stolen credit card numbers and personal consumer information offered pilfered data purportedly about Herman Munster, the 1960s Frankenstein-like character from "The Munsters" TV sitcom.

The thieves apparently didn't realize Munster was a fictional TV character and dutifully offered to sell Munster's personal details - accurately listing his home address from the television series as 1313 Mocking Bird Lane - and what appeared to be his MasterCard number. Munster's birth date was listed as Aug. 15, 1964, suspiciously close to the TV series' original air date in September 1964.

Full Article

Forget the G-String

Now you can 'wear' the C-string!

I'm Sure Elisabeth Is Crushed

Rosie O'Donnell said she may never speak to Elisabeth Hasselbeck again following their now-infamous confrontation on "The View" on Wednesday.

Hey, and Rosie is doing it for free! Because goodness knows, it's something you'd be willing to pay for!

30 Second Rule

The things they do studies on!

Dropped a tasty sandwich on the kitchen floor? According to new research, you have at least 30 seconds before bacteria from the ground latch onto the bread. That’s longer than the so-called “5-second rule� that grew out of previous experiments in which food was dropped onto tiles contaminated with e-coli. In the new study, two students tested food that had been on the ground at their college’s snack bar and dining hall for five seconds to five minutes. Wet foods, such as apple slices, picked up bacteria in about 30 seconds. Dry foods, such as Skittles candies, could be left for more than one minute. “The five-second rule should probably be renamed,� said Molly Goettsche, a student at Connecticut College. “You actually have a little more time.�

'Pygmies'

Apparently, according to Bob Bechel, that's what those of us who dare disagree with our betters on D.C. on 'Immigration Reform' are. Isn't that nice? Said it right on FNC this morning. What a sweetheart, huh?

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 'pygmy' one of those code words that are supposed to be racial slurs? So one can assume that if the lovely Mr. Bechel weren't a part of the Dem machine, we'd be hearing screams of outrage from the Jesse's and Al's of the world, demanding apologies and firings.

But he is a Dem, so I'm pretty sure we won't be hearing anything from those fine upstanding gentlemen.

Just remember you're a pygmy whenever the Dems start bleating about raising the tone of discourse in politics.

Ewwww! Icky Girl Cooties!

British TV standards are deteriorating because the BBC is "run by women", astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has said.

Because you know us wimmins only want to watch the girly cooking shows.

"I used to watch Doctor Who and Star Trek, but they went PC - making women commanders, that kind of thing. I stopped watching."

Real tragedy, that.

Quote

Boobies are bipartisan!

Makeovers For Dead Authours

Austen 'too ugly' for book cover

Jane Austen's 'makeover' for the new book cover Novelist Jane Austen has been given a makeover for the cover of a book about her life after publishers decided an original image of her was unattractive.

"She was not much of a looker," said Helen Trayler, managing director of publisher Wordsworth Editions.

The Universe Does Have A Sense of Humour!

Seen at the Corner:

MINNEAPOLIS - A North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming was called off after one of the explorers got frostbite.

Eco-Sex

Okay, now I've heard everything.

"Green" sex for Canadians.

(And no, I don't think it has anything to do with Kermit)

Should I Be Worried?

Email users suffered a 10 per cent drop in IQ scores, more than twice the fall recorded by marijuana users.

Nahhh... it's way too late to be worrying about my IQ!

Chocolate, Roses, and a Genetic Test

The perfect Valentine gift.

Genetic Test Could Reveal a Cheating Heart

How romantic!

Seen

Seen on my walk to work this morning: a bumper sticker that said "I'm Already Against the Next War".

[eye roll]

Saying Just the Right Thing

How to come home drunk and still get a hot breakfast:

Jack wakes up with a huge hangover the night after a business function.

He forces himself to open his eyes and the first thing he sees is a
couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And,
next to them, a single red rose!

Jack sits up in bed and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean
and pressed.

Jack looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order,
spotlessly clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins,
cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the
bathroom mirror and notices a note on the table: "Honey, breakfast is
on the stove, I left early to go shopping - Love you!!"

He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast
and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. Jack
asks, "Son...what happened l ast night?"

"Well, you came home after 3 am, drunk and out of your mind. You
broke the coffee table, puked in the hallway and got that black eye
when you ran into the door."

"So, why is everything in such perfect order, so clean, I have a rose
and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?"

His son replies, "Oh, THAT!...Mom dragged you to the bedroom and when
she tried to take your pants off, you screamed, "Leave me alone,
bitch, I'm married!!!".

Broken table - $200
Hot breakfast - $5
Red Rose bud - $3
Two aspirin - $0.25
Saying the right thing, at the right time...
PRICELESS

Rejoice!

Rejoice, voters! Because of you, all good things will come to pass

Hallelujah! Now that Democrats have taken control of Congress, we can expect:

* Gas prices to drop to $1.25, because Republicans will no longer be able to feather the nest of Big Oil with obscene profits.

* Cars to run on hydrogen, corn syrup and refried beans, because Republicans will no longer be able to control the laws of physics.

* The wage gap to become non-existent, because differences in intelligence, drive, determination, personal responsibility and common sense will be outlawed.

* Unemployment to drop to zero when the minimum wage increases to $22.35 per hour, because the demand for labor increases when the cost of labor increases, and not the reverse, as ignorant, mean-spirited Republicans had stupidly claimed.

* Test scores of below-average students to skyrocket to above-average levels, because Democrats will outlaw the Republican-invented Bell curve.

* The Dow to hit 18,000 in 2007, because it's an economic fact that the best way of growing an economy is to penalize risk-takers, innovators and the industrious.

* The price of medicine and health care to plummet, because it's another economic fact that when you give people free stuff, demand goes down.

* Foreign investors to swamp the country in capital, because they really don't care about the return on their investments, as the Republicans had led us to believe.

* Government to control even more of the economy, because government is clearly better at allocating scarce resources, as the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea and France have proven.

* Single-parent households to grow exponentially, because Republicans won't be able to spread the lie that such households are the primary cause of poverty, crime and school dropouts.

* Wal-Mart to go out of business, because Republicans won't be able to perpetuate another myth that people prefer low prices to high prices.

* Muslim extremists to stop killing Americans and enslaving women, because their extremism was caused by Republicans, who never understood the glories of multiculturalism and the fact that all cultures are equally good, except the American culture.

In conclusion, since things are going to be so much better with the Democrats controlling Congress, let's hope that they also gain control of the White House.

Craig Cantoni, Scottsdale
The writer is an author, columnist and small "L" libertarian.

Technicolour Trousers

As most of you know, I'm a big ol' fangirl of Peter Wingfield, who played Methos on Highlander. and I know quite a few of my readers are too, so I'm sharing!

Peter has a new gig on the top rated show in the UK, Holby City. His first ep is in two weeks. Last night, there was a charity telethon on the BBC that's a big deal and is held every year. And every year, the casts of different BBC shows put on little skits for broadcast. This is what the Holby City cast did -- Peter's the one in the silver lame' top and hot pink trousers [snicker] And yes, I've already made an LJ icon from it. [snickers some more]

Very Alton

I know that Alton Brown says you should never buy any kitchen implement that doesn't do more than one thing, but this is crazy!

Old

After our 100 mile blow out the catalytic converter drive yesterday, we had dinner at Black Bear Diner, and were seated next to their banquet room. There was a six year old's birthday party in progress there with about 40 kids, gift bags, balloons, sundae bar, cake, and god knows what else. I had just finished telling Nin that when I was that age, I considered myself lucky to have a birthday cake and was floored at the productions children's parties have become. I have coworkers who rent out entire parks for their two year old's birthday party! Anyway, had just finished telling this to Nin when our waiter comes over and says, "and what was your 6th birthday party like?". We all laughed. Well, none of my birthdays, even as an adult, were ever catered at a restaurant! Seems like parents are competing with other parents to have a better birthday party than Jose's or Susie's. At least that's the vibe when you hear them talking about it. Beats me. I will be forever baffled.

You know you're getting old when when you are even comparing birthday parties to 'in my day' [g]

Oh, and I've decided I want to have a birthday party at Disneyland complete with Princesses, since I was obviously deprived of a proper birthday party as a child. Maybe it will heal the deep seated trauma that was caused by not having a catered party with forty of my closest friends. (though I'd prefer a Princes version! [ahem])

(FYI: still have broken comments, so email me if you so desire)

Cricket

I have a cricket in my office. I can't find it, I think it's behind the computer stand. But boy is it loud!! Well, crickets are good luck.

Who Needs a Travel Agent?

Barbara Boxer seems to be in the travel advisory business these days.

I received the following email...

Senator Boxer on Visiting Yosemite

Dear Friend:

Many people who are planning summer vacations should know that Yosemite
National Park is once again open for business. Recent landslides on
Highway 140 have closed that road, but several other routes are open and
can take you to one of the most beautiful of our National Parks.

The recent landslide impacted a portion of Highway 140, approximately
20 miles east of the town of Mariposa. The road was shut down
indefinitely as a result of the significant landslide, and engineers are working
on short-term and permanent solutions to bring the road back into
service.

Despite the closing of Highway 140, the areas both to the east and to
the west remain among the most beautiful in our nation. Mariposa is a
delightful town and a wonderful example of California’s rich history.
And Yosemite National Park should be on anyone’s list of travel
destinations because of its unmatched natural splendor.

If you are traveling this summer, I encourage you to visit Mariposa on
Highway 140 and to visit Yosemite National Park using one of the
entrances listed below:

- Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Valley can be reached along
Highway 41 North from Fresno.

- Big Oak Flat Entrance to the Park can be reached from Highway 120
East from Modesto and Manteca. The Big Oak Flat Road continues into
Yosemite Valley and to the Tioga Road.

- Tioga Pass Entrance can be accessed along Highway 120 West from Lee
Vining and Highway 395.

Yosemite National Park can also be accessed using a number of
convenient public bus and train connections to reach their destination. The
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, VIA Adventures, and Amtrak
all offer train and bus service to Yosemite Valley. Once you get
there, a shuttle bus service provides convenient access to many of the major
points of interest within the park. You may obtain more information on
these public transportation options by visiting the following web
sites:

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System: www.yarts.com
VIA Adventures: www.via-adventures.com/yosemite.html
Amtrak: www.amtrak.com

Road conditions are subject to change, so I encourage you to visit
www.nps.gov/yose/ or call (209) 372-0200 for the latest in road conditions
before you embark on what I hope will be a memorable and fun-filled
visit to Yosemite National Park and its surrounding communities.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Live Long & Prosper

Jedi Breakfast

Profanity warning!

Study: Canadians Healthier Than Americans

They obviously didn't survey my relatives. [snort]

Article here.

[insert eye roll]

Now he's going to release the original versions of the movies. But he didn't change his mind -- oh no. And notice the $30 per movie price tag. Uh huh. Yep, exactly.

Sharing the Immigrant Experience Over Cocktails

Via Ken at It Comes In Pints? (still one of my all time favourite blog names) comes this very amusing essay about the immigrant experience from a hopeful foreigner.

Fellow immigrants, let's do lunch

.... I came, like so many before me, for opportunity. The opportunity to be represented by either the United Talent Agency or CAA in my quest to negotiate a deal with NBC for a pilot I have written called, tentatively, "My Nana Was a Stripper."

Will I succeed? Who is to say? I know only that I will work hard and live simply, in the Four Seasons on Doheny, for as long as it takes to get a meeting or until I get in at Shutters.

Call it hope. Call it a dream. Call it that feeling we immigrants get as we look down from our business-class seats on American Airlines coming into LAX and see a palm tree for the first time. We do not have these in my country. These to me are a symbol, a kind of great green light at the end of the dock, as your writer F. Scott Fitzgerald said in his book, "The Great Gatsby," which in my country is called "The Great Gatsby."

And we will call this land, "This Land"!

Read it all.

It's Not Even April 1st!

'Star Trek' set for '08 revival. J.J. Abrams to take the helm.

Say what???

Daily Variety said the action would center on the early days of "Star Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer-space mission.

So this is an alternate universe Star Trek? Lordie!

Credit Where Credit's Due

Martin Sheen on running for office:

Mr. Sheen was offered an opportunity to see how his character's appeal would play in a real-life campaign. Not long ago, he said, he was approached by Democratic Party representatives from his native state, Ohio, to see if he would be interested in running for the United States Senate after he left the show. Though he would have had little trouble drafting a campaign platform — he is a fierce opponent of nuclear power and the war in Iraq, and a champion of human rights — he turned them down.

"I'm just not qualified," he said. "You're mistaking celebrity for credibility."

Via The Corner

Where???

Today's horoscope:

You bake cookies when people come over. You cook soup and take it to them when they are sick. You always have extra bandages in your medicine chest. You like to take care of the people you love, and anybody you see who is in pain too. But maybe somebody wants to take care of you for a change. Why don't you let them? It'll be a nice role reversal for both of you.

My question: where are they hiding? Come out, come out wherever you are!! I won't fight you, I swear!

Normally

Normally, I'd leave this post to others who cover the kookiness that is Tom Cruise so much better. But I just had to share this one! I mean, come on!

TOM Cruise’s pregnant fiancée Katie Holmes will be reminded to keep her vow of silence during birth — by signs plastered around their home.

The couple — following the Scientology tradition of a silent birth — had the posters delivered to their Beverly Hills mansion.

The 6ft placards will be placed so Katie can see them in labour.

One reads: “Be silent and make all physical movements slow and understandable.”

Dawson’s Creek actress Katie, 26, must “keep mum” and will not even be allowed painkillers when she has the couple’s first child due any day.

If you want more, here's the rest.

How Nice For Me

I'm the number three search result for "old woman fondled my breasts". Gee!

ROTFL!!

So I'm checking my Methos watchlist on Technorati, and the sponsored advert is:

* Looking for Methos? Low prices, wide selection. Find exactly what you want today. www.ebay.com

Where the hell do I sign up?!?!

For The Strange File

Really weird dream last night -- I was planning my wedding. Since I'm not dating anyone, nor have I for many years, it qualifies as strange, me thinks. I'm assuming it's because of all Mickey's wedding posts on her blog -- must have put it on my mind. But hey, now I know what the music for the first dance at the wedding I'll never have is going to be! Important information, don't you know.

(Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Tchaikovsky, in case you were wondering) (which is actually perfect oddly enough)

Cherub

The Vampire with Bunny Slippers.

'How William Shatner Changed the World'

Yeah, I'm around, though barely.

For your weekend viewing, try: How William Shatner Changed the World on the History Channel.

Yes, it’s really true, Capt. James T. Kirk of the Enterprise is responsible for many of the gadgets and technology we know and love today. How so? Well, this utterly disarming and even hilarious special shows how the “Star Trek” fans of the ’60s and beyond were often inspired by the outer space show to create in real life the gadgets and gizmos they saw on their TV screens.

Wrong Turn

Whoever surfed in here looking for a 'brothel in Minsk' really took a wrong turn!

That's Refreshingly Honest

Keira Knightly on her good looks:

The actress, who shot to fame four years ago in Bend It Like Beckham, has played down her stunning good looks, revealing that her image is regularly improved by airbrushing in movie posters and ad campaigns.

She said recently: "I know that my face has got me jobs and that's just the way it is. But what happens is that you sit for two-and-ahalf hours in front of the mirror covering up your imperfections.

Not So Happy Cows Now!

This is freaking hilarious.

Happy California Cows aren't so happy when they're in the X Files.

(Here in CA, there's a long running series of ads about Happy California Cows put out by the CA cheese board. They're very funny.) (You can see a couple of them here)

Way Off

Via Deb, another goofy test:

You Should Weigh 145

If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight. If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon!

Yes, I have a fast metabolism and weigh quite a bit less than I'm supposed to according to the results.

Who's What?!?

Now I've seen everything: The William Shatner DVD Club.

Is It Odd To Anyone Else?

The same people who riot over cartoons about their prophet use his name in a snackfood? I can't quite imagine buying Pop Tarts of Jesus in Safeway, but that's just me.

And What Would The Day Be...

... without a heartfelt sentiment expressed in a pink and red heart shaped card covered in lace and ribbon?

30 Sec. Movie Review: Mr & Mrs. Smith

Well there's two hours of my life I'm never getting back.

Don't Worry, Be Bloggy!

Unhappy? Then it's time to begin a blog

Revealing your innermost feelings on the internet is good for you, psychologists said today.

A study of the phenomenon of blogs - or online diaries - found people writing them feel happier and more organised.

"Feeling that you have a forum for expressing yourself can make a huge difference to your psychological well-being," said psychologist Honey Langcaster-James, a Big Brother analyst.

"It can really help people organise their thoughts by talking about their day and give them a place to let off steam."

The study found that 85 per cent of people writing a blog did it to express their inner thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental environment.

Via The Corner

Muppets Do Serenity

Right here.

Via CB

'They're sending us free lumber!'

Those Diabolical Straussians

Via the Corner, this article on the cabal intent on taking over Canada.

We Don't Have The Market Cornered On Kooky

This didn't happen in California, people. No, this would be Minnesota with the vampire candidate!

Self-described vampire and Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Jonathan "The Impaler" Sharkey has been arrested on Indiana charges of stalking and escape.

Sharkey gained the limelight earlier this month with his Friday the 13th announcement of his candidacy for Minnesota governor under the Vampires, Witches and Pagans Party banner.

Among his proposals was one that would use impalement to execute murderers, rapists and terrorists.

"As governor," Sharkey said, "terrorists and criminals will live in fear of me, while the people of this state will be able to live fear free."

When Posts Collide

You may remember the posts about the worst chocolates in the world and the office mouse. Well, they've collided. As predicted, there were a few of the fluorescent lemon yellow filled chocolates left, and finally, one of the guys decided to finish them off. He opened the box, which hadn't been entirely closed, and discovered that the office mouse had beat him to it. Now, what was funny was that the mouse had very delicately removed the top layer of chocolate, leaving the unnatural lemon filling totally alone. Even the mouse wouldn't eat it! Now that's some bad candy!

Weird

Followed a referral from sitemeter to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Turns out it's in relationship to the RWN 2008 poll. What's weird? The authour of the post -- a reporter from what I can gather -- seems to think we're all connected to Anne Coulter somehow. AFAIK, this is the first time I've even typed in Anne Coulter on a blog post. Dems are just plain odd. Well, we knew that! But still, it's weird.

Crazy Like A Fox?

So I see this headline: Canada’s new leader takes on U.S. over Arctic. I'm not entirely sure that soon to be PM Harper isn't being sneaky. How better to do some military buildup in a country that's not been keen on the whole concept of having a strong military for a while now, than by using what they dislike even more -- us -- as an excuse to do so? Maybe it's one big fakeout.

Only time will tell....

Save the Fairies!

Fairies stop developers' bulldozers in their tracks

VILLAGERS who protested that a new housing estate would “harm the fairies” living in their midst have forced a property company to scrap its building plans and start again.

Marcus Salter, head of Genesis Properties, estimates that the small colony of fairies believed to live beneath a rock in St Fillans, Perthshire, has cost him £15,000. His first notice of the residential sensibilities of the netherworld came as his diggers moved on to a site on the outskirts of the village, which crowns the easterly shore of Loch Earn.

He said: “A neighbour came over shouting, ‘Don’t move that rock. You’ll kill the fairies’.” The rock protruded from the centre of a gently shelving field, edged by the steep slopes of Dundurn mountain, where in the sixth century the Celtic missionary St Fillan set up camp and attempted to convert the Picts from the pagan darkness of superstition.

“Then we got a series of phone calls, saying we were disturbing the fairies. I thought they were joking. It didn’t go down very well,” Mr Salter said.

In fact, even as his firm attempted to work around the rock, they received complaints that the fairies would be “upset”. Mr Salter still believed he was dealing with a vocal minority, but the gears of Perthshire’s planning process were about to be clogged by something that looked suspiciously like fairy dust.

“I went to a meeting of the community council and the concerns cropped up there,” he said. The council was considering lodging a complaint with the planning authority, likely to be the kiss of death for a housing development in a national park. Jeannie Fox, council chairman, said: “I do believe in fairies but I can’t be sure that they live under that rock. I had been told that the rock had historic importance, that kings were crowned upon it.” Her main objection to moving the rock was based on the fact that it had stood on the hillside for so long: a sort of MacFeng Shui that many in the village subscribe to.

“There are a lot of superstitions going about up here and people do believe that things like standing stones and large rocks should never be moved,” she said.

More at the link.

An amusing sidenote, when I emailed the article Eudora gave it a three chili pepper warning (extremely offensive) for the use of fairie. What's with that? Goodness knows what would have happened if it had been kelpie or brownie! /sarcasm

How Narrow Minded Of Them

UF requirement for partner benefits: You must have sex

Not to mention quite discriminatory. Who are they to say that a committed, long term relationship requires sex to be 'real' to qualify for benefits. Talk about invasion of privacy! Hasn't been established that what happens in the bedroom is no ones business?

(the above is only very slightly tongue in cheek)

How Do They Know?

I followed a referral link to the Google Directory for Blogs, and find this blog listed, along with a description: A California native who loves travel and science fiction writes about her life. Okay, that's fine. But does someone from Google read the blogs the list and come up with some sort of description? Or is it some sort of computer generated thing? Just struck me as odd.

Musical Cars

I was supposed to walk to work this morning since Nin was off, but it was raining and I had a heavy sack to carry on top of it. So, I called "V" and he said he'd come pick me up (he was already at work). I was standing on the edge of the sidewalk looking down the street watching for him, when someone pulls up behind me. It's my boss, who asks if I'm waiting for him. I said no, I was waiting for "V". So he called "V" on his cell and said he had me. We passed "V" about halfway down the street.

I have no idea what people on the street think, since very often when I'm walking to work a variety of vehicles driven by different men will stop and pick me up. (The street is one many of my coworkers take to get to work.) I find it amusing :)

Topical

We watched last week's E Ring last night, and boy was it topical! They were tracking cell phone transmissions between terrorists in this country to ones in other countries, to try and stop the release of Plague. I said to Nin, "Don't they know that's EVIL! How dare they trample the rights of those poor terrorists? A little Plague is a small price to pay for the privacy rights of terrorists!"

A Christmas Tradition

Every year, we get a box of Maxifield's Chocolates here at work. They are truly the most disgustng chocolates you could ever hope to eat -- but we eat them anyway. We think it's some sort of curse since the guy who used to always give them to us stopped when he retired, but guess what? Somone else started giving us a box! So it's like a tradtion for us now to gather round the four pound box and choose the ones that are the least icky. By the middle of January, all that will be left is the 'lemon' cream -- the colour of a yellow highliter inside -- and some of the really nasty butter rum ones. Finally, the day will come when someone really wants some sugar, and will eat even those.

It's very sad.

I guess it's too much to expect one paltry box of See's one day.

A Little Xmas Humour

Making the rounds in email:

PSYCHIATRISTS' CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR EVERY DIAGNOSIS

Schizophrenia ~~ Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder ~~ We Three Queens Disoriented Are

Dementia ~~ I Think I'll Be Home For Christmas

Narcissistic ~~ Hark The Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic ~~ Deck The Hall and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and.....

Paranoid ~~ Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder ~~ Thoughts Of Roasting On An Open Fire

Personality Disorder ~~ You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ~~ Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

ADHD ~~ Hark the herald angels sing ba-rum-pa-pum-pum in the little town of Bethlehem up on the housetop in a winter wonderland one foggy Christmas Eve hey how bout them Bears no I don't want to switch to Sprint but thank you for shopping at K-Mart.

Narnia Last Night

All the gory details here.

Reach Out And Touch Someone

Almost the only reason Tam ever calls me is because something is wrong. For example, she called me in agony from the hospital as she was about to be rushed into emergencey surgery. So she just called me at work, and the first words out of my mouth are, "what's wrong?!!?!". Turns out she will call me for something other than disaster, and that's to say, "Narnia was great!". My reaction? "That's nice." So she decided to hang up and call someone who would react with the required joy. Kidding!! No, we actually had a nice chat -- just not about Narnia. [hugs TamTam]

Sing It!

Hermione Got Run Over By A Death Eater

Via Nin.

This Wins

as the oddest product I've seen lately.

and it's a best seller for Christmas, believe it or not!

Playtime

I asked my boss if we could send the guys outside to play. I swear, it's like being trapped inside on a rainy day with a bunch of very big and loud twelve year old boys. (meant cheerfully, not in a I HATE MEN sorta way) (just in case my mirth isn't coming through the void)

Isn't That Something?

Melvin and Howard: A true story after all?

It's Melvin Dummar's story, and he's glued to it.

The former Willard gas station operator - who forever will be tied to Howard Hughes through the so-called Mormon Will - still insists he picked up the billionaire recluse along a lonely Nevada road and saved his life on a frigid December night in 1967.

Now, nearly four decades later, new evidence suggests Dummar was telling the truth.

Glad It Isn't Just Me

This an article about déjà vu, but the bit below is so me.

....The discovery of what's called inattentional blindness lends support to this idea. People fail to see things in their field of vision all the time. But even though you are oblivious to, say, the storefront next to your destination, it still registers in memory. In lab tests, when a word flashes too quickly for someone to consciously perceive it, and then flashes long enough to be read, people say they saw it on a previous list, not realizing they saw it a second ago.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Former Canadian Minister Of Defence Asks Canadian Parliament Asked To Hold Hearings On Relations With Alien "Et" Civilizations

A former Canadian Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister under Pierre Trudeau has joined forces with three Non-governmental organizations to ask the Parliament of Canada to hold public hearings on Exopolitics -- relations with “ETs.”

By “ETs,” Mr. Hellyer and these organizations mean ethical, advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that may now be visiting Earth.

On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."

Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."

There's much more at the link.

Freakish Weather

It's bleeding 73 degrees! It rarely gets that warm here in the summer, in the middle of the day. Never mind November at 10:30 in the morning! There are mutterings of earthquake weather.

It's actually warmer outside than inside since the cinderblock walls are cold from the night.

Just Because It Tickled My Funny Bone

Read down a few lines:

Vatican City, Nov 11 - The legacy of Pope John Pail II "includes, among various examples, a shining attitude towards prayer. We now pick up his spiritual heritage under the guidance of his heavenly intercession," said today Pope Benedict XVI during a sermon to celebrate late cardinals and bishops. "Over the last 12 months," said the current Pope, "we have had five revered cardinals who kicked the bucket: Juan Carlos Aramburu, Jan Pieter Schotte, Corrado Bafile, Jaime Sin and, less than a month ago, Giuseppe Caprio. We entrust their souls and those of the Archbishops and Bishops who passed away recently to God."

Link via The Corner

Poor Babies

Just goes to show they can dish it out, but they sure can't take it.

Hurt pride shows as France sees world report riots

A barrage of critical world media reporting on the violence in its rundown suburbs is rubbing nerves raw in France, which is more used to hearing praise for its food, its countryside and its opposition to the Iraq war.

In tones ranging from outrage to rueful agreement, French media are now reporting daily on the harsh terms that foreign television stations and newspapers choose to describe the unrest among France's angry youths of Arab and African origin.

[....]

The Foreign Ministry has criticised some foreign reports as excessive and at least one cabinet member, Labour Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, has hinted the critical reporting was meant to hit back at France for opposing the U.S.-led Iraq war.

French media have run hard-hitting reports on the riots, just as they have been very critical of social or racial problems abroad. But seeing equally tough reporting about their own country seems to have caught the French off guard.

Eric Raoult, mayor of the eastern Paris suburb of Raincy, did not like being at the receiving end of outside attention.

"Last night, Japanese television and Turkish television were in my city hall telling me what should be done. That hurts me," he said.

[....]

The conservative Le Figaro was indignant about the way U.S. media reported from riot-hit areas such as Seine Saint Denis, the rundown area between the capital and its Charles de Gaulle airport to the north.

"American newspapers don't hesitate to compare Paris to Baghdad or Seine Saint Denis to the Gaza Strip and to call the crisis a 'Katrina of social disasters'," an editorial fumed in a reference to the recent hurricane.

Sugar & Testosterone

With a healthy dollop of caffeine.

That's today's recipe here at work.

It's what happens when you mix a group of bored guys, everyone's left over Halloween candy, and lots of coffee. Tomorrow, even more guys with even less to occupy them.

It's getting quiet out there... I think they're beginning to crash.

My Holiday Question

Nin blogged it here.

(whilst watching the overwrought and terribly silly, "Most Haunted")

Wag That Finger!

Dem spokespeople keep coming out and saying things along the lines of this: The Republicans say it isn't important that someone lied if they weren't under oath. But it is wrong, they should apologize to the American people!

So when Clinton wagged his finger at me and said he didn't have sex with that woman, these same Dems were really upset he lied, even though he wasn't under oath, right? Funny, I don't recall ever getting an apology for that....

I must say, this sudden attachment to the truth, love, hugs, unicorns, and fluffy clouds from the left is really precious.

This Will Probably Increase Sales of Wise Men Costumes

Through a study of various passages in the Bible, a timeline can be calculated, which begins with the date of priestly service of Zacharias during the Jewish two-week "course of Abia." The timeline continues through the conception of Zacharias' son, John the Baptist, on July 31st, and on to the birth of Jesus Christ, indicating October 31st as the birthday of Christ.

Story here, via The Corner

Under Averaged

According to this, I'm not at all average. I got 7 out of 15.

American Snapshot

According to the book, a majority of Americans:

• Eats peanut butter at least once a week
• Prefers smooth peanut butter over chunky
• Can name all Three Stooges
• Lives within a 20-minute drive of a Wal-Mart
• Eats at McDonald's at least once a year
• Takes a shower for approximately 10.4 minutes a day
• Never sings in the shower
• Lives in a house, not an apartment or condominium
• Has a home valued between $100,000 and $300,000
• Has fired a gun
• Is between 5 feet and 6 feet tall
• Weighs 135 to 205 pounds
• Is between the ages of 18 and 53
• Believes gambling is an acceptable entertainment option
• Grew up within 50 miles of current home

Via the ever lovely Rae.

The next day: I crossed out the ones that don't apply.

A Pharoe After My Own Heart

King Tut Drank Red Wine, Researcher Says

Dancin’ by the Nile, (Disco Tut, Tut) The ladies love his style, (boss Tut, Tut) Rockin’ for a mile (rockin’ Tut, Tut) He ate a crocodile.

Uh, Yeah, Like This Was A Surprise

Not.

George Takei Discloses His Homosexuality

I figured it out in, heck, 1988?

Leaks About Leaks

Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that we're hearing all these leaks from anonymous sources from the Plame grand jury, when the whole brouhaha started over anonymous leaks in the first place? What else proves more than anything that no matter what the issue, DC is a sieve and no one, on any issue, seems to be able to keep their lips stapled? Will there be a Grand Jury to investigate the leaks from the Grand Jury?

(And on the fictional side, West Wing revealing that Toby was the leaker. "When you walk out of here, there will be people thinking you're a hero. I'm not one of them." (or something similar) )

Freedom!!!!!!!

William Wallace You scored 83 Wisdom, 73 Tactics, 63 Guts, and 55 Ruthlessness!

Like William Wallace, chances are you have no problem charging a larger, better trained, better equipped, better armed and armored English army with a band of naked drunken Scotsmen. I'm not contesting that you have balls. It's your brain function I'm worried about. Scottish soldier and national hero. The first historical record of Wallace's activities concerns the burning of Lanark by Wallace and 30 men in May, 1297, and the slaying of the English sheriff, one of those whom Edward I of England had installed in his attempt to make good his claim to overlordship of Scotland. After the burning of Lanark many joined Wallace's forces, and under his leadership a disciplined army was evolved. Wallace marched on Scone and met an English force of more than 50,000 before Stirling Castle in Sept., 1297. The English, trying to cross a narrow bridge over the Forth River, were killed as they crossed, and their army was routed. Wallace crossed the border and laid waste several counties in the North of England. In December he returned to Scotland and for a short time acted as guardian of the realm for the imprisoned king, John de Baliol . In July, 1298, Edward defeated Wallace and his army at Falkirk, and forced him to retreat northward. His prestige lost, Wallace went to France in 1299 to seek the aid of King Philip IV, and he possibly went on to Rome. He is heard of again fighting in Scotland in 1304, but there was a price on his head, and in 1305 he was captured by Sir John de Menteith. He was taken to London in Aug., 1305, declared guilty of treason, and executed. The best-known source for the life of Wallace is a long romantic poem attributed to Blind Harry, written in the 15th century.

Via Julias Caesar, errr... Jay!

"Squawking 'bout a Revolution"

Whadda we want? A radical parrot! When do we want it?

An excerpt:

SWEARING in front of the church minister is normally the worst you would expect to hear from a pet parrot.

But, with shrill cries of "what solution, revolution", the talkative birds are set to become the voice of political dissent in a bizarre take on the G8 protests in Edinburgh.

Artist Ruth Ewan is trying to recruit parrot owners in the Capital to teach their pets protest chants parodying those heard at this summer's protests.

Her exhibition in Edinburgh - partly inspired by Monty Python's famous dead parrot sketch - aims to lampoon many of the most vocal protesters.

The former Edinburgh College of Art student said she believed many of those chanting about "revolution" and "trade justice" did not understand the political ideas behind the slogans.

She said she wanted to expose what she saw as the pointlessness of much of the protesting.

Really?

So I was digging around in the domain stats -- which I don't do all that often -- and come to discover that that, after the USA, the country that the domain gets the most traffic from is Saudi Arabia! Go figure. Followed by Japan and Australia. I dunno, it just seems odd :)

I Don't Get It

I just read this article, about the 'death' of the PC. I'm afraid I don't get it. If I don't have a computer, on what shall I write, email, create graphics, blog, surf the web, play games? And what about work? Kinda dependant on having a computer, unless this guy thinks I can use my cell phone or something. Maybe it's the end of the day, and I'm tired, but the whole thing makes no sense to me.

What Sort of Beverages?

I was pointed to this defense of Harriet Miers over at The Corner. But this isn't going to be a post about whether or not she's qualified to be a Supreme. No indeed! This is about coffee, tea, or milk.

According to a source in her Dallas church quoted by Marvin Olasky, Harriet Miers is someone who taught children in Sunday School, made coffee, brought donuts: 'Nothing she's asked to do in church is beneath her.'

As the court’s new junior member, the 60 year old lady Harriet Miers will finally give a break to Stephen Breyer, who has been relegated to closing and opening the door of the conference room, and fetching beverages for his more senior Justices. Her ability to do this type of work with no resentment, no discomfort, and no regrets will at the least endear her to the others. It will also confirm her as the person who cheerfully keeps the group on an even keel, more comfortable than otherwise might be the case with a level of emotional solidarity.

This gave me a fit of giggles. Does the low guy on the totem pole really fetch coffee and open and close doors?!

"Would you like that latte decaffe half fat?"

"How many sugars?"

"Would you like a refill?"

[snorfle] [snicker] ahhhh, the mental images!

We deal with the truly serious questions here at A&C!

Not Your Father's Contacts

I had no idea there were this many 'unique' contact lens out there.

Expectation

So, according to this article, a crowd of 2000 showed. And they got a nice big report out of it. Now, I've been to sciene fiction conventions with a bigger crowd than that, so can I expect that next time, ABC will give us a couple pages on filking in the ballroom and demands for a manned mission to Mars? Nah, I didn't think so.

(apparently more showed up later, so they got another article!) (I've always wondered, how do these people afford to travel to all these protests? Do they not have jobs and responsibilites?) (just wondering)

Maybe the Calamari Listened

An excerpt from The Corner this morning:

September 21, 2005 -- SEN. John Kerry doesn't need to listen to President Bush to criticize him. Kerry sat down to dinner at Café Milano in Georgetown last Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with three other men, and never glanced at the TV set at the bar during Bush's address from New Orleans. "Mr. Bush's speech ended at approximately 9:25 p.m. local time," Washington Times columnist John McCaslin noted. "Lo and behold, when he was still seated at the table wiping squid from his chin, Mr. Kerry responded to the president's address with a statement of his own, issued at exactly 9:54 p.m." Buried in Kerry's statement was this nugget: "Americans want an end to politics as usual." Pass the calamari.

Dang!

That was fast: Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney Split. And I gave it two years.

You know what they say: Marry in haste, repent in leisure

(It's kinda sad though. I admit, I'm a closet romantic)

It's A Test

This today in Best of the Web:

Here's an unwittingly amusing "newsview" piece from Ron Fournier of the Associated Press:

It's August in Crawford, Texas, and President Bush is on vacation. His poll ratings are slumping. He hears warnings of a looming crisis that will soon change the course of his presidency.

Is this August 2001? Or August 2005?

The answer is both. Historians will ultimately judge Bush's presidency based on his leadership through two tragedies--the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, plus a conflict of his own design: The war in Iraq.

Historians will judge Bush by his response to the hurricane? Hmm, OK, let's try a little test. Who was president during each of these events:

* The Galveston hurricane, which killed some 8,000
* The Great Okeechobee Hurricane, which killed more than 2,500
* The Johnstown, Pa., flood, which killed at least 2,200
* The San Francisco earthquake, which killed 700

You have no idea, do you? We had to look it up, and we're almost an expert on American presidents. The answers are William McKinley, Calvin Coolidge, Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. Do you remember ever hearing or reading a single word about how the president responded to any of these events?