SO glad I was not born with a "Y" chromosome...

...Because when someone bets me 10 bucks to eat a combination of mayonaise, applesauce, ketchup, and chocolate milk, I don't feel the need to accept the bet.

And then I don't spend the afternoon throwing up so that my mom has to pick me up from school.

Unlike my son.

Sigh.

And to finalize the punishment that Mother Nature began, I told him, "Hey. 10 bucks will just about cover the gas money to get to school, and having to pay a second time to park (the joys of working downtown). I think that's mine now!"

I also suggested that when he's feeling better, he might want to look up the word emetic... :)

Tricksy hobbitses...

A new species of human was discovered a couple years ago, and the title link shows some new details about the discovery. What I find interesting was that this was a three-foot tool-using hominid that apparently existed alongside Homo Sapiens, not so very long ago in cosmic terms. Sure, this has just been discovered in Indonesia right now... but could this species have existed elsewhere? Like, perhaps, the British Isles? And if so, could this be where the legends of elves came from? Just a thought...

Ancient Geekery

Well, in thinking about the First Smiley, and thinking back to my BBS-ing days [insert quavery voice here: "You young whippersnappers are spoiled by all these graphics! In my day we had amber screens and 300 baud modems and were HAPPY about them, I tell you!"]... I found this site:

http://www.textfiles.com/

What's scary is how much of this stuff I -remember-.

no, NOT the cracker/phreak stuff. Surprisingly, I did not have any friends who were into that at the time. I suspect I saw most of the files from the 'occult' section in close-to-original postings, though...

Happy birthday to :-)

So if the first emoticon was created 25 years ago, what system would that have been on? The article just says an "electronic bulletin board system." CompuServe, do you suppose? Or something like FIDONet? Was FIDONet around 25 years ago? Now I'll have to look that up...

(of course, the fact that I remember ANY of this identifies me as (a) too much of a geek, and (b) Way Too Old. :-) )

Okay, someone 'splain this to me...

A town in Germany is trying to reduce accidents by removing all traffic signals, lights, etc: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSGOR14512420070911
Say what?

How does this reduce accidents?

I'm not saying I know anything at all about this... just, it defies common sense.

(not that I have so much of that, now that I think about it...) :)

edited to add the Wikipedia link that explains the theory - not that it helps me understand it much... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space

Woad Warriors?

I work in downtown Indy, and for a moment, I got all excited while walking in to work...

...But then I realized the blue paint on the guys' faces was NOT woad, and the guys were Colts fans, NOT Celts preparing for battle. :)

It's NFL kick-off time, and in typical Indianapolis style, we're making a big fat hairy deal of getting to be the season opener. "Oh my gosh, Indianapolis is going to be on national television! We'd better try to make it look good!" So there's a free concert on the Circle starring Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, and Hinder, and home-grown John Mellencamp is performing in the Dome (I still call it the Hoosier Dome; I don't care how much RCA spent to get their name on there...) before the game.

And, I work one building south of the Circle, on Meridian Street. So there is security everywhere, and all the local news channels have been broadcasting from in front of my building. It's been an insane-a-thon all week.

But hey, I got to hear Faith Hill yesterday, right next to me. Well, she SOUNDED like she was right next to me. She was rehearsing at about 4PM. Because they have set up gi-normous speakers for the concert, I can sit here in my office and hear perfectly, as if I were right on the stage next to 'em. Fortunately, our office is closing before the actual concert today, or we'd never get out of our building.

That, and every time someone plays a strong bass note, it VIBRATES THE WHOLE BUILDING. Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if we have broken windows before the night is over. Just hope not the one right next to MY computer! :)

Ok, someone explain how this can be true...

From the National Weather Service website:

A total lunar eclipse will occur during the early morning hours on Tuesday. The eclipse will begin at 4:51 am EDT, with the total eclipse beginning at 5:52 am EDT. The end of the entire eclipse will occur at 8:22 am EDT but will not be visible in Indiana, as the moon will set at 7:14 am EDT. Interestingly, sunrise will occur at 7:09 am EDT, so both the moon in eclipse and the sun will be in the sky at the same time. (Note: Times referenced here are for Indianapolis. The time may vary slightly for other Indiana locations).

I like to think that I'm somewhat scientifically astute. But how can totality not end until 7:22 am (per the graphic on the link above)... AFTER sunrise? Wouldn't that mean that the sun and moon are not in a straight line from our perspective, if they're both in the sky? And if so, how can the eclipse still be total?

I CONFUZZLED. :)

Now here's a useful service...

The last time I used "411" on my cell phone, it cost me over $2. Google is doing a beta version of a FREE phone information service.

From their website at http://labs.google.com/goog411/#utm_source=en-us-gmwc=et=gmwc:

Dial from any phone 1-800-GOOG-411(1-800-466-4411)

Using this service, you can:

• search for a local business by name or category. You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza".
• get connected to the business, free of charge.
• get the details by SMS if you’re using a mobile phone.Just say "text message".

And it's free. Google doesn’t charge you a thing for the call or for connecting you to the business. Regular phone charges may apply, based on your telephone service provider.
Note: Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. We’re fine-tuning the service to get better at recognizing your requests. It’s currently only available in English, in the US, for US business listings.

I'm the mother of a queen!

Well, of a girl who's playing a Queen... my daughter got the role of Queen Aggravain in her school musical, "Once Upon A Mattress." They're doing a junior version of the show, which means Lady Larken isn't pregnant, and the "Man-To-Man-Talk" is completely cut out of it. But I guess that's better than having a couple parents horrified that anything remotely referring to sex is happening on stage.

So, this is my Mom karma. Because my mom spent my entire youth listening to me quote lines and hauling me to and from rehearsals... so now I get to do this with my daughter. :)

Actually, I'm looking forward to it. And very proud, as the standard wisdom around school was "sixth graders are never cast for big parts" (it's a 6-7-8 middle school).

So maybe I should listen to people and take her to Hollywood someday after all? :)

I knew this would happen someday...

Back in my MUSHing days, I said, someday computers would be fast enough that there would be a graphic version of a MUSH, and would suck braincells out of lots of people. I haven't explored Second Life, but... it's he-eere!

Be careful with your kids around my blog...

At least, according to this, my blog is rated "PG":

Mingle² - San Diego Singles

I am in love with whitewater rafting now.

One trip, and I am hooked.

Went to southern Kentucky and took a raft trip on the Cumberland River this weekend.

It POURED down rain on Friday, and a decent amount of Saturday. Which at the time I was upset about, because it made driving down a PITA, and limited hiking on Saturday, and made the moonbow at Cumberland Falls almost invisible Saturday night. (I -think- I saw it. I wouldn't swear to it. The full moon was out, but slightly cloud-shrouded, and it really takes a fully clear night to see it. I have seen it once before, but the friend I was with had not, and I would have loved to have seen it again. Ah well, another trip.).

But I should know that what happens is always for the best. Because the lovely 'beginner' level class 3 rapids... were now up to class 4's. And one of them was a 5! (Unfortunately, they didn't let us go through that one, much to the chagrin of our very-experienced guide who wanted to take us. I was ready to go!)

I fell out of the boat once involuntarily, when an eddy tilted the side and surprised me. Not a big deal... they had us in seriously strong PFDs (personal floatation devices) and helmets. You go in, you bob up, you swim to the boat, they pull you in. (I'm still getting used to this concept that I am a strong swimmer. I've been swimming a lot this summer and something has just 'clicked,' and now people comment on how good my form looks. Completely unimaginable to me.) (And I clarify 'involuntarily' because I went in a few times just to swim, when they said it was ok.)

GREAT fun. Why do I live in Indiana where there is little water, few natural recreational opportunities, and no mountains? I'm starting to wonder about this...

Someday, I will post something that's not a comment on a news article...

...But for now:

Judge OKs clergy abuse payout

As usual, it's a line within the article that is blowing my mind:

"The deal settles all 508 cases that remained against the archdiocese, which also paid $60 million in December to settle 45 cases that weren't covered by sexual abuse insurance." [italics mine]

There is such a thing as sexual abuse insurance now???

Is that, like, something you can take out on your kids if you're a Catholic parishioner? Or if you live too close to Michael Jackson?

Well, -this- is getting people stirred up...

"New law eases up on teen sex" - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070709/LOCAL/707090408

I'm reading the Star forums about this article, and am amazed at the number of people who think this 'sanctions' teen sex. Do people really so blindly follow their government that they believe that a law 'sanctions' activities? Maybe -that's- what's wrong with our country in general.

Personally, I'm glad of this. The issue is not whether teens should have consentual sex. The issue is that, if they do, it shouldn't make one of them registered as a sex offender for the rest of his/her life.

To me, complaining about this law is, once again, wanting the government to make up for lack of parenting. Frankly, I don't trust the government to guide a snail, much less my kids!!!

Ok, which is more bizarre about this story...

Just read this news story: "11-Year-Old Girl Charged With DUI After 8-Mile Police Chase". Note the last line in the story.

Which is more mind-boggling, that an 11-year-old girl got DUI? Or that there is a legal limit for minors? Does that mean it's not actually illegal to drink if you're 11, as long as your BAC isn't over 0.2???

Make love, not war!

Apparently, someone in the Air Force tried to take that catchphrase a little TOO literally: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,281217,00.html

Wait... what???

From Fox News: California Woman Fakes Abduction to Get Out of Date

As if it isn't mind-boggling enough that she dragged 60 police officers away from real work to hunt her not-really-abducted butt DOWN... the last line of the article is what got me:

White, who spent two nights in jail after her arrest Monday night, said she feels bad about lying to the police. Her engagement is still on, and she plans to get married in April.

Um. Married to the guy who she met in the chat room, who she got 'abducted' to avoid? Or married to someone else? In which case, via national news, he now knows she was a) going to go out on him, and b) thought that lying like a psychotic madwoman was the appropriate way to deal with this. And yet he's still marrying this chick?????

How very appropriate...

...Except I am NOT a gossip, thanks.

No, really.

Which Muse Are You?

You scored as Thalia, You are Thalia, the muse of comedy. You are constantly finding the humor in every situation. However, you are a gossip, and you love to revel in other people's torrid affairs. Thalia 81% Euterpe 75% Terpischore 63% Clio 56% Calliope 44% Melpomene 38% Erato 38% Urania 19% Polyhymnia 19% Which of the Greek Muses are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Blimey, Mate, that's one bonzer rabbit!

Okay. I would never have imagined that you can have a PET KANGAROO in Indiana without a permit. But apparently you can.

I'm sorry it died. But the part of this article that is making me ROTFLMAO is this line, about the escaped kangaroo:

Neighbor Jim Greider saw the kangaroo hopping toward his son's graduation party Friday night and thought it was a huge rabbit.

I, of course, find myself speculating that the neighbor might have had a few "Fosters: Australian for beer" before that incident!!!

Today, the Claddagh was slooooowwww at lunch...

…And its staff cannot count, as they originally tried to put 19 people at a table set for 14 (that could actually hold MAYBE 12, if they were very well acquainted)

It’s also far less fun when you can’t have Guinness. Or Irish Coffee.

But hey, when I get to have lunch paid for by work, to celebrate a co-worker leaving, whom I only worked with for two or three days... I guess I shouldn't complain.