A Stranger Pranked

I've taken a few pics with my phone lately. I'd meant to post them but just never got around to it. Let's see if I can catch up this weekend.

Here's the first one. We spotted this car at the mall Saturday, but I didn't think to take a picture until we left. It's hard, if not impossible, to see in this pic, but written on the window is "This is our last prank." Also, there are mylar "good luck" baloons attached to the wheels and antenna. I'm guessing the victim works in the mall somewhere, but that was their last day on the job. Or maybe there's another explanation. Anyway, the cups and bowl weren't on the roof earlier in the day.

More pics later over the weekend, maybe one or two tonight. I could do more now, but I'd have to post them via the phone and I'd rather transfer them direct from its card to my home PC and save my messaging allowance. I'll likely put some of these in my Flickr photosteam, maybe with additional angles.

Another Weird Dream

Last night I dreamed I was at a chalk board writing a short poem for a contest sponsored by Scientific American magazine. It was supposed to be about toilets. I was writing one about flushing. I don't remember the whole verse - I believe I was reworking it when I was interrupted somehow - but I seem to recall some of the rhymes being "yellow and brown," "flush it down," and "swirling around." I also recall thinking the editors at Scientific American who would be judging the contest would no doubt be impressed with my work.

What's Your Shopping Cart Footprint?

What is your shopping cart footprint? Shopping Cart Apathy While you aren't doing as much damage as you could, you aren't really making a difference either. Meh. Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Celebrating The Smile Emoticon's 25th Anniversary

I created this Original Smile Emoticon Anniversary Edition T-shirt to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic computer text Smile emoticon, created on September 19, 1982 by Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman. Thank you Professor Fahlman!

It's available in several long and short-sleeve styles for men and women, and in kids sizes as well. Plain Smile edition t-shirts also available.

Playing With Yourself

(My wife just sent this to me.)

This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't.

It's preprogrammed In your brain!

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you're GOOFY......) and while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise Circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right Hand. Your foot will change direction.

A Strange And Disturbing Dream

I had a weird one last night. I dreamed I was peeing but even though I had a normal aimable stream going I also had a spray that was getting on the rim of the bowl and a little bit on me. I investigated and discovered my penis was springing leaks along the bottom, as if a seam was coming open. Then I started to get blood coming out. It scared the hell out of me. It wasn't the sort of scare that has you waking up screaming - I've had those - but it was more of an extreme concern and worry about my health. I think I recall looking up and telling someone I thought I needed to see a doctor, but I really don't remember anything beyond that.

Oh! Forgot To Post My Dad's Home Now.

He finally got sent home this past weekend after some insurance issues were cleared up. Seems he has to have morning and evening IV antibiotic drips and if his insurance wouldn't pay it would have cost a few hundred a day. A home healthcare worker came by and showed them how to do it, and how my mother is giving them to him. He has a PIC line so she doesn't have to stick him with needles or anything. They have to do this for something like a month.

Take care of your heart, folks, or this will happen to you!

Deer In The Headlights & Cable Outage

As we approached our neighborhood, we had to stop for this deer and two fawns in the road. We rolled forward a little more and they ran off. When we got home the cable modem wouldn't connect, an entirely unrelated matter, I'm sure.

Martina Navratilova Dressed In Our Hotel Room

I work up in our hotel room to the sound of voices. Several young women were there, putting on jewelry and doing their hair for a party. I turned to look around and saw one was wearing a very low-cut open back dress. She bent over to reach for something in a dresser drawer and her dress, which I guess wasn't fully situated, drooped in the back and I believe I caught a glimpse of her anus. I quickly looked away and said "Hey, watch that!" Everyone giggled about it, including my wife. When I looked away, though, I saw a program or guest list or something on the night stand, and seeing her name on it I realized the woman in the more-revealing-than-intended dress was Martina Navratilova. I looked back to confirm that. She was looking over her shoulder at me, smiling, and dropped her dress again even more than before. I groaned and dropped my head back to the pillow and covered it with the blanket while everyone laughed.

After they were all gone, and my wife with them, I grabbed my phone to post a quick blog entry about it, figuring you all would be interested. I had managed to key in "I think I just saw Martina Navratilova's butthol" when some guy walked right into the room, looking confrontational. I quickly, but a bit fumblingly, cleared the message and closed my phone so he wouldn't see what I was doing. He got up into my face and warned me about the possibility of crazy people getting into my room. Well, no shit!

When he left I locked both the hall door and the door to the adjoining room (where the women had come from) and called the front desk. They sent a guy up, along with the maid. I complained to them about the poor service and slid out a drawer to reveal that it was actually a cooktop, which had several Popeye's style fries strewn about on it. Several were stuck together, though, so I suspect they were from a frozen bag of them and never cooked. I complained about the maids not doing a thorough job of cleaning up after the previous guests. The man apologized.

At that point I realized it was all a dream and woke up. I felt very disappointed that my celebrity encounter hadn't been real, and that all I'd be able to post here for your reading enjoyment was a recount of a dream. Oh well.

Our Tuesday Morning Greeter

When we arrived at Secret Headquarters Tuesday morning, this bird was sitting on the gate. I assume it is a hawk. If you know what kind, please post a comment. Thanks!

About The Kyle XY Season 2 Finale (HERE BE SPOILERS)

To put it simply, the climax this season, much like the first season, was a bit anticlimactic. I can totally understand why, though. In an episodic sci-fi that's as high-concept as Kyle it's hard to write scripts that both propel the mysterious storyline and endear the audience to the characters. You haven't watched it? Why did this make the season ender anticlimactic? I'll tell you.

The big climax came at the end after the female clone (yeah, Kyle's a clone) betrays Kyle against her own will due to the instructions downloaded into her head. The betrayal consisted of reading some piece or collection of information from Kyle's mind, which Kyle had apparently downloaded from the zzyzzx(sp?) computer system while he was still living in a tank of fluid. She's all upset about it and runs off. After a brief struggle showing off their enhanced physical abilities and Kyle's head start on training, she jumps off a cliff, killing herself.

I think at this point we are meant to be shocked at her suicide, feeling bad for the poor clone who never had the benefit of the sort of loving family that has taken in Kyle. But in a sci-fi there are just too many whiz-bang neato plot developments and emerging details of the whole mystery of Kyle's developing abilities and family relationships and what that evil corporation wants to get out of his head. The audience just can't get emotionally invested in a character that quickly, particularly one who was just introduced this season and who started out as such a dangerous and menacing individual. Sure, she grew into herself as the season progressed, but it still takes a while. When Spock was killed in that Star Trek movie everyone was shocked and dismayed. If he'd been killed off at the end of the first season of the show nobody would have batted an eye. (They might have raised an eyebrow, but not nearly as many people would recognize the gesture.)

I think Lost provides a counterexample. When Walt was taken by the Others it was a much bigger deal. First off, it was a cliffhanger instead of a cliff jump. But even if they had killed Walt, it would have been even bigger if anything. I think the difference is in the character development. In Kyle it's all about Kyle and his origins and destiny and the obstacles and villains in his way. Kyle was in a tank for most of his life, so if he's a bit stiff it's understandable and an interesting part of his character. But everyone has been a bit stiff. That's not unusual for a plot-driven mystery sci-fi show, though. I think Lost succeeds at better character development in large part because of the nature of the situation and the way it's presented: everyone is searching for answers, not just one or two characters, and their past is revealed in flashbacks which add depth to the characters. We understand them better.

Kyle XY did try to add some depth to the supporting characters. But they attempted it mainly through having the bad guys try to induce some conflict in the family to destabilize Kyle's support base. (I don't think they ever actually said it, but I think that was to get him to let his guard down around the female clone so she could get into his head.) The only one with any backstory was the dad, and that was only to serve as a plot device to introduce Kyle's mind-reading ability.

All in all, though, I do like the show and will continue to watch it for its strengths, while overlooking its forgivable weaknesses. Hopefully, though, there will be a bit more character development next season, along with all the inevitable plot twists.

Extreme Cobweb

I just read a story about a state park in Texas that has a 200-yard section of trail surrounded by cobwebs. Here's the story. Be sure to click on the blow up photo link to get a full appreciation of the thing.

My Latest Design - Senator Craig - Gone Pecan

Down in New Orleans, and likely the region surrounding it, we had an expression: gone pecan. It means someone or something is doomed, on the way out, destined for failure.

Senator Larry Craig is being forced to resign today by his fellow GOP homophobes. For his hypocrisy in opposing gay rights, Larry Craig deserves to be a Gone Pecan. If you share that view, have a look at my latest design on Cafepress: Larry Craig - Gone Pecan.