Conrad walked into the bathroom the other day while Adrienne was getting ready for the day. Put his finger to his lips to let Adrienne know she needed to be quiet, then slowly, deliberately put a series of letters and symbols on the counter...I...(heart)...U...2

Matthew's birthday party had this really cool inflatable water slide that conrad played on for about 4 hours straight...hehe

When Adrienne and I took the tour of Conrad's new pre-school we were both wigged out by how cute these little "potties" were.

We had this discussion yesterday in our chat room that got me thinking (I've edited liberally and changed some names to protect the innocent) person_x: the big question I've been asking xxx the past few weeks is: person_x: What is a terrorist? person_x: everyone seems willing to use it but no one can tell me what it actually means person_x: especially in the context of current public discourse That initial question quickly devolved into joking of course entropyhed: a terrorist is some one who comes into your house steals the uneaten flan and urinates in your beer person_y: "instigating factor isn't so much a 'behavior' as a spread"... person_x: they can ahve the beer...the flan though is grounds for war ;) evolvedskeptic: I'd say death penalty is too light for E's terrorists entropyhed: draw and quarter? evolvedskeptic: some form of torture mayb person_y: We could flay them slowly.... evolvedskeptic: pour ranch dressing up their noses, shove is some steak fries and leave 'em in a fire ant pit entropyhed: we could remove the top layer of skin from their feet and force them to walk across slat flats : person_x: eep! A check of the OED by our resident expert produced these definitions: evolvedskeptic: volume XVII, page 821 - OED evolvedskeptic: terrorist entropyhed: one who engages in terrorism? entropyhed: hehe person_y: Heheh. evolvedskeptic: 1. As a political term: a. Applied to the Jacobins and their agents and partisans in the French Revolution, esp. to those connected with the Revolutionary tribunals during the 'Reign of Terror' evolvedskeptic: (oh, the irony) entropyhed: at least that isn't obscure person_y: Gotta love the mob....not. evolvedskeptic: b. Any one who attempts to further his views by a system of coercive intimidation. person_y: Oh oh! That sounds like D's "small t terrorism". entropyhed: i haven't seen anything about flan, so I'm obliged to dismiss the OED as a hack job chaos_mine: hmm, so what your trying to say is that someone who terrorizes someone is a terrorist :) chaos_mine: or is it that a terrorist terrorizes evolvedskeptic: I'm still chuckling that an actual, capital 'T' Terrorist is a Frenchman :) chaos_mine: hehe, very appropriate though person_y: Man, that was a brutal time... person_x: those jacobites... person_x: you bring up an interesting point though person_x: if the OED points the finger at the french... person_x: who do the french think fits the definition? entropyhed: americans? evolvedskeptic: 1818 Herve Beauties of Paris II. 296 (Jod.) He assisted La Fayette in endeavouring to defend the king from the Terrorists. person_y: I don't think there are many "Jacobins" left... After the nobility was...shortened... And after they turned in on themselves a bit, I think the blood lust was sated somewhat. evolvedskeptic: 2. Dyslogistically: One who entertains, professes, or tries to awaken or spread a feeling of terror or alarm; an alarmist, a scaremonger. evolvedskeptic: 1805 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XIX. 570 Some book of the religious terroritsts, which intended to infuse the alarm of foul perdition. Later� entropyhed: 101073217709889664 evolvedskeptic: big number entropyhed: :) entropyhed: the first 7 digits speciiy the at&t network evolvedskeptic: or the FBI center? evolvedskeptic: :p entropyhed: is there a difference? evolvedskeptic: not any more entropyhed: oh no! I'M a terrorist! evolvedskeptic: oh, oh! entropyhed: ack! evolvedskeptic: [points finger] evolvedskeptic: oui entropyhed: [runs away] evolvedskeptic: oh! evolvedskeptic: I'm a Terrorist person_x: voila!~ person_x: je suis un petit rasoin evolvedskeptic: plus sa change, plus ce le mem chose person_x: me oui! person_x: ::starts looking confused evolvedskeptic: [tosses some water on her] person_x: J'ai besoin d'une attention m�dicale. person_x: Prenez-vous des beignets ? person_x: Je suis trop fatigu� pour le Fran�ais. person_x: and wih that...exit...stage right And what�s my point in all of this? The question lingered with me a bit and I stumbled across this series of 4 books that I think would go a long ways to explaining the terror, terrorist, terrorism zeitgeist. If I can find room in the budget I think I may pick them up. The Psychology of Terrorism

My Nephew Devin just keeps getting bigger, prolly cause he eats a scary amount of food. :)

On Sunday Kathleen and Jojo had us over for a beautiful and yummy dinner. Thanks again guys

Conrad turns 4 today. This image is from his party last Saturday. I love you son.

Finches at play in the fields of our home

Mr. Evolved Skeptic pointed out this really cool optical illusion

This weekend in my reading I ran across this series of questions in "Fire in the Belly" by Sam Keen: What do I really want? What brings me joy? Who am I when I dream? Why do I feel the way I do? What do I fear? Who has wounded me? Whom have I injured? How do I deal with guilt? Do I need to have enemies? How do I forgive? Whom and what will I love? How will I express my sexuality? Who are my people? My family? Where is my place? What is the source of my power? My self-esteem? What is sacred? Worthy of respect? Inviolable? For what, or whom would I sacrifice my time, my energy, my health, my life? What can I do to lessen the quantity of evil in the world? What are my gifts? What is my vocation? What must I do to die with a sense of completeness? What myth have I been (unconsiously) living? In what measure are my "values" mere prejudices, my duties blind committments to unexamined norms? What have I sacrificed to win the approval of others? To become "successful"? In what ways have I blinded myself, disowned my power, denied my potential? It's an excellent series of questions to start a Monday. It's an excellent series of questions to mark a beginning.

mfarajian: hmm.... you left right after I said: "All Hail Satan And His Many Minions!!!!!" mfarajian: i assumed I offended you evolvedskeptic: I thought it was cuz I farted evolvedskeptic: dammit, you wouldn't have known that, this isn't voice chat evolvedskeptic: nm that last entropyhed: actually, if you can remember right i CAN initiate "voice" chat evolvedskeptic: [sits on his microphone] Ok....GO! entropyhed: but to truely appreciate that particular voice you should be here to witness the results of mediteranean chicken with oodles of garlic butterm hummus and taboulli mfarajian: why would i have expected bickler *woudln't* go there just now evolvedskeptic: I'll give you all a second to plug in yer subwoofers entropyhed: lol bruce_dirksen: But would it be any "nastier"? bruce_dirksen: Ack. I've been drawn in. bruce_dirksen: Oh the shame. bruce_dirksen: Quick -- retreat to lunch. evolvedskeptic: [looks fondly on what he started] evolvedskeptic: a perennial favorite mfarajian: to be sure, this is fart humor... a distinctively different thing than poop humor. evolvedskeptic: ah, a connoisseur

Flea found a couple of handy tools today. The first is a color wheel that translates to web colors. The second and wonderful while being almost completely useless is a tesselating alphabet. (Don't worry I had to look it up too, but if you click the link it's kinda self-explanatory.)

Beachcombing

aren't we cute

Sandy Feet

more sand

C and sand

Ran acros this article in the Sunday Los Angeles Times Opinion section and I loved it. He says what I've been thinking better than I could say it: Holy Terror Religion isn't the solution -- it's the problem By Sam Harris Sam Harris is the author of "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason," published this month. He can be reached at www.samharris.org August 15, 2004 President Bush and the Republicans in the Senate have failed � for the moment � to bring the Constitution into conformity with Judeo-Christian teachings. But even if they had passed a bill calling for a constitutional ban on gay marriage, that would have been only a beginning. Leviticus 20:13 and the New Testament book of Romans reveal that the God of the Bible doesn't merely disapprove of homosexuality; he specifically says homosexuals should be killed: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death." God also instructs us to murder people who work on the Sabbath, along with adulterers and children who curse their parents. While they're at it, members of Congress might want to reconsider the 13th Amendment, because it turns out that God approves of slavery � unless a master beats his slave so severely that he loses an eye or teeth, in which case Exodus 21 tells us he must be freed. What should we conclude from all this? That whatever their import to people of faith, ancient religious texts shouldn't form the basis of social policy in the 21st century. The Bible was written at a time when people thought the Earth was flat, when the wheelbarrow was high tech. Are its teachings applicable to the challenges we now face as a global civilization? Consider the subject of stem-cell research. Many religious people, drawing from what they've heard from the pulpit, believe that 3-day-old embryos � which are microscopic collections of 150 cells the size of a pinhead � are fully endowed with human souls and, therefore, must be protected as people. But if we know anything at all about the neurology of sensory perception, we know that there is no reason to believe that embryos at this stage of development have the capacity to sense pain, to suffer or to experience death in any way at all. (There are, for comparison's sake, 100,000 cells in the brain of a fly.) These facts notwithstanding, our president and our leaders in Congress, many of them citing religious teachings, have decided to put the rights of undifferentiated cells before those of men and women suffering from spinal cord injuries, full-body burns, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Of course, the Bible is not the only ancient text that casts a shadow over the present. A social policy based on the Koran poses even greater dangers. Koran 9:123 tells us it is the duty of every Muslim man to "make war on the infidels who dwell around you." Osama bin Laden may be despicable, but it is hard to argue that he isn't acting in accord with at least some of the teachings of the Koran. It is true that most Muslims seem inclined to ignore the Koran's solicitations to martyrdom and jihad, but we cannot overlook the fact that some are not so inclined and that some of them murder innocent people for religious reasons. The phrase "the war on terrorism" is a dangerous euphemism that obscures the true cause of our troubles, because we are currently at war with precisely a vision of life presented to Muslims in the Koran. Anyone who reads this text will find non-Muslims vilified on nearly every page. How can we possibly expect devout Muslims to happily share power with "the friends of Satan"? Why did 19 well-educated, middle-class men trade their lives for the privilege of killing thousands of our neighbors? Because they believed, on the authority of the Koran, that they would go straight to paradise for doing so. It is rare to find the behavior of human beings so easily explained. And yet, many of us are reluctant to accept this explanation. Religious faith is always, and everywhere, exonerated. It is now taboo in every corner of our culture to criticize a person's religious beliefs. Consequently, we are unable to even name, much less oppose, one of the most pervasive causes of human conflict. And the fact that there are very real and consequential differences between the major religious traditions is simply never discussed. Anyone who thinks that terrestrial concerns are the principal source of Muslim violence must explain why there are no Palestinian Christian suicide bombers. They too suffer the daily indignity of the Israeli occupation. Where, for that matter, are the Tibetan Buddhist suicide bombers? The Tibetans have suffered an occupation far more brutal. Where are the throngs of Tibetans ready to perpetrate suicidal atrocities against the Chinese? They do not exist. What is the difference that makes the difference? The difference lies in the specific tenets of Islam versus those of Buddhism and Christianity. There are now more people in our country who believe that the universe was created in six solar days than there were in Europe in the 14th century. In the eyes of most of the civilized world, the United States is now a rogue power � imperialist, inarticulate and retrograde in its religiosity. Our erstwhile allies are right not to trust our judgment. We elect leaders who squander time and money on issues like gay marriage, Janet Jackson's anatomy, Howard Stern's obscenities, marijuana use and a dozen other trifles lying at the heart of the Christian social agenda, while potentially catastrophic problems like nuclear proliferation and climate change go unresolved. We elected a president who believes the jury is still out on evolution and who rejects sound, scientific judgments on the environment, on medical research, on family planning and on HIV/AIDS prevention in the developing world. The consequence, as we saw in recent elections in Spain, is that people who feel misled and entrapped by our dogmatic and peremptory approach to foreign policy will be unable to recognize a common enemy, even when that enemy massacres hundreds of people in their nation's capital. It is time we recognize that religious beliefs have consequences. As a man believes, so he will act. Believe that you are a member of a chosen people, awash in the salacious exports of an evil culture that is turning your children away from God, believe that you will be rewarded with an eternity of unimaginable delights by dealing death to these infidels � and flying a plane into a building is only a matter of being asked to do it. Believe that "life starts at the moment of conception" and you will happily stand in the way of medical research that could alleviate the suffering of millions of your fellow human beings. Believe that there is a God who sees and knows all things, and yet remains so provincial a creature as to be scandalized by certain sexual acts between consenting adults, and you will think it ethical to punish people for engaging in private behavior that harms no one. Now that our elected leaders have grown entranced by pseudo-problems like gay marriage, even while the genuine enemies of civilization hurl themselves at our gates, perhaps it is time we subjected our religious beliefs to the same standards of evidence we require in every other sphere of our lives. Perhaps it is time for us to realize, at the dawn of this perilous century, that we are paying too high a price to maintain the iconography of our ignorance.

Hole digging on the beach last weekend. (I'm still sore)

Adrienne was trying to get an overtired Conrad to go to sleep last night, when the "dad" went into action. Grabbing this blue vase-like item I proceeding to place said vase and my head. Then while spinning furiously like a crazed dervish and flapping my hands around in a poor imitation of avian mating dances entertained Conrad till the successful termination of teeth cleansing. Parenting 101.

I am deeply flawed

Finally got my webcam working the way I like enough to include a link.

bruce_dirksen: "lesbian bitch cow diva" --> now THAT is an image. feliciaelena: moo feliciaelena: more chocolate...less crankiness bruce_dirksen: Here here. entropyhed: <-eating a frozen ding dong ;) entropyhed: gad damm that's good bruce_dirksen: Huh. entropyhed: haven't had a ding dong in probably 10 years entropyhed: then adrienne mentioned off hand she used to put them in the freezer as a kid and eat them that way entropyhed: as fate would have it...ding dongs (for the first time mind you) appeared in the vending machine on friday (they are now gone again) entropyhed: so I purchased one and put it in the freezer here over the weekend entropyhed: i must say...it was worth the wait entropyhed: *this interlude bought to you by another under utilized lump of gray matter* bruce_dirksen: I repeat.... "Huh" :) feliciaelena: ding dongs... feliciaelena: feliciaelena: bruce_dirksen: <--- does not drool over Ding Dongs as a matter of principle. feliciaelena: principle schmiciple...gimme! bruce_dirksen: <--- Saving himself for good treats....like cookies! feliciaelena: bah! cream filling! feliciaelena: and waxy xhoxolate feliciaelena: oy entropyhed: it was really damn good feliciaelena: I applaud your desire to expand your baked treat horizons E entropyhed: (and my waistline) feliciaelena: not THAT's a baked GOOD feliciaelena: man cannot live by vegetables alone feliciaelena: actually he can...but he gets really skinny and pastey looking feliciaelena: and their hair gets awfully dull...

Flea came back from Washington DC, where she failed miserably in her mission to dethrone philosopher king Bush, with a funky new writing implement. My initial comment was along the lines of engineers with too much time on their hands, but it's growing on me. What do you think?

This weekend I picked up a car stereo and installed it in my poor old Nissan Sentra. It's been 6 or 7 years since I had a functioning car stereo in there. I made the mistake of listening to Bruce Springsteen this morning on the way to work. This song in particular blew me away for the 100th time... Blood Brothers Lyrics Artist: Bruce Springsteen Album: Greatest Hits We played king of the mountain out on the end The world come chargin' up the hill, and we were women and men Now there's so much that time, time and memory fade away We got our own roads to ride and chances we gotta take We stood side by side each one fightin' for the other We said until we died we'd always be blood brothers Now the hardness of this world slowly grinds your dreams away Makin' a fool's joke out of the promises we make And what once seemed black and white turns to so many shades of gray We lose ourselves in work to do and bills to pay And it's a ride, ride, ride, and there ain't much cover With no one runnin' by your side my blood brother On through the houses of the dead past those fallen in their tracks Always movin' ahead and never lookin' back Now I don't know how I feel, I don't know how I feel tonight If I've fallen 'neath the wheel, if I've lost or I've gained sight I don't even know why, I don't why I made this call Or if any of this matters anymore after all But the stars are burnin' bright like some mystery uncovered I'll keep movin' through the dark with you in my heart My blood brother

Dirk, Sheila, the twins, Jeremy and I met up last night at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney. We had a great time and as usual it was just smashing to get face to face time in. I must say it was a pleasure to meet Jeremy and his family.

The Con-man battles my sister's new puppy for control of the world in the classic struggle of good vs. evil.

Freeway Musings It's been a while since I posted anything here. I know. I know. The urge to share with the greater world comes and goes. [shrug] Conrad woke up at 5:30 this morning and despite Adrienne's best efforts would not go back to sleep. So I was treated to a morning with my family and breakfast. I shuttled Adrienne off to do some yoga and got Con-man ready for the day. Shorts and a hawaiian shirt and his tennis shoes, "I want to wear my running shoes daddy". "Absolutely, and why would you want to wear anything else?" So I got him dressed and I got to play Darth Vader a little and teach the young Ben Kanobi a thing or two about the power of the dark side before heading out into the morning and work. Leaving for work is a different thing on the days when C is up and about. It breaks my heart into little pieces. "I have to go to work now kiddo". He looks up at me still holding his light saber. "Not yet". "I have to go honey or I'm going to be late". All of which means nothing to him of course. So I watch the brief second of shock settle into perfect face. His brow crumples, his eyes redden and he lowers his head into the sofa pillow and begins to sob. I suppose it's good that he misses me when I'm not there. But I don't feel that way then. I can feel the guilt, shame and urge to run coming at me like another personality. So I lean over and give him a kiss on his perfect head and pet his hair. " I love you honey, I know you don't understand. I'll be home in a few hours to play", and I walk out the door and hold my hand up in the air signing I love you. It's a strange trick of modern society that pulls a parent from their kids in order to provide. Robert Bly insist in Iron John that part of my job as a father is to show Conrad how to be fierce. Not savage like Bush and his brethren, knelt so dutifully in prayer to the prince of peace while they send the American military on a modern day crusade, but fierce. I'm not real sure what the difference is, but I know I don't feel fierce as I drive away with a catch in my throat. I'll never be a good enough father to him. Never. Not from lack of trying, I'm just trying to find a place where I can be ok with that. As I pull up to a stop light, I remind myself to practice meditating at the red lights...

Evolved Skeptic is a poopoo head. I have proof.

Playing around with my web cam again. You can find it here.

The "Simp" discovered this little gem this morning.

AH....Catalina. Had a great weekend over in Catalina. Damn close to perfect. I only took a few pictures, but they are worth checking out.

A couple of weeks ago we took the C-man to the beach. It was a really nice day (a little cold). Conrad LOVES the water.

I can speak at least partially for A when I say that we have felt very marginalized and, well, punished for some of the decisins we have made on how we raise Conrad. I ran across this article today in the LA Times that at least gives me some hope that the choices we are making are mirrored in other places and we are not totally alone. Moms and Babes (requires resgistration at LATimes.com)

I've been spending some time of late setting up a new server to host the site. Please be patient with me.

What an incredible weekend! Family reunions, sleepy egg hunting, family breakfasts, easter dresses, bike rides, water balloon fights. Check out the highlights.

Diminimus is a blogless wanker. /rude

Bubble wrap You know who you are.

What would Bush look like as a girl?

Looks like this might be a pretty decent year for wildflower blooms in Death Valley. I'm thinking April 3-4 might be a good time to head out and check them out. Let me know what you think. Death Valley Wildflower Report

This weekend we celebrated Berlynn's Birthday! I have higher resolution copies of these pictures. Send me an e-mail if you want a copy.

Steve e-mailed me this pic of the Conman yesterday. I like it.

Lars sent me this excellent picture of Rainbow Basin from a good altitude. The road is Fort Irwin Road. Rainbow basin

Um...ok

Home .Born of us ........your father and I .we know that ......it is time ......you are finally ..................home . .You are home .........earth, clay .home ......in wood, milled and shaped ..................for you . ......lengthened and measured . crafted and born ......we are ..................finally ........bringing you home

We've got lions and tigers...only in Kenyaaaaaa

Conrad and I had the good fortune to spend the afternoon wishing Kaili a happy birthday! ...and many more kiddo... (my sincerest apologies for initially spelling young Kaili's name incorrectly. I am sadly human...)

I got a good chuckle out of this cartoon as I pounded away on my keyboard today.Denial of Service (DoS) Attack Resource Page

A few of us have started up a writing circle. You can find the forum here. Some of these people are very good writers and in all honesty, much better than myself. I'll take solace in being the person running the board.

EntropyHed:: <---green with envy Astenar:: offers him an olive branch EntropyHed:: coos like a dove at the sweet offering Astenar:: eh? (can't see the forest for the trees) EntropyHed:: nope hills are to greece-y Astenar:: hehe...I'm doing colors, you're doing geography. Pun madness EntropyHed:: wish i could have posted that part-anon Astenar:: you could publish a column EntropyHed:: nah i want to urn it Urda:: Don't be a doric EntropyHed:: lol Urda:: EntropyHed:: bust-ed!!! Urda:: I've lost my marble EntropyHed:: so if i was a flower removed from a vase in athens, could you say i was "ode to a grecian urn"? Urda:: oy...my aching temple Astenar:: gads...the humor in here is pretty spartan Urda:: it's practically ionic EntropyHed:: *watches flea grab her persius and leave, disgusted* Astenar:: and what of Dirk? Though puns have always been his Achilles heal Urda:: he's hunting his golden fleece Astenar:: off on some odyssey? EntropyHed:: hey dirk! what's up homer! Urda:: Hey E...did you ever clear up that electra-cal issue? Urda:: I understand it was a clash of the titans EntropyHed:: yeah it was the car-man (obscure off topic pun) Urda:: you better get a kraken EntropyHed:: oooooo Urda:: (studied ancient greek mythos in college.../snicker) Astenar:: wow, you sure are roman all over the spectrum of puns Urda:: it's all greek to me Astenar:: chews on a mars bar Urda:: Troy that one on for size Astenar:: moves on to a caesar salad Urda:: et tu steve? Astenar:: tries to make a Plato scultpture, but ends up eating all the blue Urda:: Astenar:: rolls down a trojan Urda:: :P Urda:: take it to the arena EntropyHed:: about those lions, I'm pretty gladiator, she was not useful anyway Astenar:: they should send those damn lions back to their respective zeus Urda:: I hear they have a rare species of aquaduck there Astenar:: Hera-sy! Urda:: punning is often hit or myth

hey. yeah you. come here. underneath my clothes... i'm completely NEKKID!!. think about it.

there now stands a youthful citadel in my backyard, and there was much rejoicing. today as i sit here thinking back over the weekend it strikes me as a qualified statement of hope. (for those of you i didn't recruit to help build it, a little background may be useful. conrad received one of the wooden playsets that have become fairly common. it has 3 swings monkey bars, a climbing wall, and a bumpy slide, not to mention the wooden roof, a hundred thousand lag bolts and millions of wood screws. and now it stands shading the setting sun. ) hope. hope for the future is a complicated emotion for me now after losing connor. for 5 years now, the future is something that i have avoided, well, almost pathologically. why? when i imagine the future with my family it's always tagged by the words "if they don't die". those of you that haven't walked down this particular path may find that an odd feeling to have resonating like a tone in the background of your life. but it will sound familiar to some of you. like i said, it's sort of complicated. now, i have this structure in the back half of my yard. wooden, tall, splintery, still unsanded and un-waterproofed, brand new. with no real memories, but future ones. friday play days with his play group, bare feet and summer heat, perhaps broken arms, or legs, the inevitable structural modification, dirt clod and orange wars - a future filled with the stuff of life. hopefully. bleh. complicated. and here i am, standing in my head looking at it and thinking it's not built with wood and metal, but emotions. and not just this plaything but everything. all things colored through "me-colored glasses". painted with hope, love...and fear. painted by my past. is there another way to see it? not that I've found. inside the house there is another wooden thing that i built with my hands. smooth and cool, painted from a palette of rage, confusion, sadness and love. but i'm not ready to talk about that one yet. maybe tomorrow. maybe never. e.

Many, many thanks to everyone who came over last weekend to help build Conrad's playset. He absolutely loves it and I couldn't have done it without y'all. I've posted some pics. If anyone else has any they'd like to see, e-mail me and I'll link 'em. Love you guys. *sniff* Playset creation

These guys have some great t-shirts. I think the best one is the infant t-shirt that says " My IQ is higher than the presidents". Make sure you check out the wrapping paper too! T-Shirt Hell: Funny t-shirts, Funny shirts, cool t-shirts, Cool shirts

See now I find this stuff cool. I was wondering about the rain fall levels in Death Valley and how the flowers where going to be this Spring and I stumbled upon this series of pages that walks you through the geologic history of the Death Valley. Next time I go there I'll be looking at a very living desert breathing through time. Death Valley's geologic history: Middle Precambrian

Their is some hope that the bush mysticism is finally starting to organize the secularists into some form of political action and force. Although the article is a little dated, it is new to me. I found it here.

Conrad poses with his cousin Berlynn for one of the many papparazzi. Conrad stands amid a sea of presents. Poor kid. How will he survive. Many of you know I'm working with a local craftsman (Perry Karlsson) to make a wooden box to hold many of Connor's things. These are the first two pictures that show off the hand chiseled dove tailing. Another view of the whole box. Conrad enjoys his brief moments of weightlessness.

Here it is another new years day. These kind of days put me into a form of internal conflict. I mean, why should January 1st be treated any differently that August 14th? The human animal, other than being violent, self-delusional, heroic, and beautiful is an odd animal with a genetic pre-disposition toward generalizing. We impose order on things, lay a pattern on chaos in an attempt to bring a sense of security to our worlds and dimly lit caves. Today, I'm not going to fight millions of years of genetic programming and make some new years resolutions. I'll be brief: 1. Love more. That's it. Seems simple doesn't it. Now to bring it down to real world application excuse me if I over simplify, I am a homo spapien sapien, it's what we do. 1. Love more ....A. Self ........1) Exercise ............a. Daily ................1. 7:30 - Pushups ................2. 10:00 - Arms (Biceps, Triceps) ................3. 12:00 - Shoulders ................4. 2:00 - Sit-ups, back ............b. Weekly ................1. Cardio - 3 times (Bike, Jog, Jog) ........2) Financial ............a. Establish a budget and stick to it ................1. Love my future by not selling it, and take it back from the banks. ............b. Give more to Conrad's college fund ........3) Diet ............a. Lose weight ................1. 155 pound target weight, + additional muscle weight. ............b. Eat as well as I can while still enjoying life. Forgive myself for indulgences. ........4) Misc ............a. Take an emotional inventory everyday ................1. Be an active participant in my life. ............b. Be calm ................1. 7:30 - 5 minutes of mediation ................2. 10:00 - 5 minutes of meditation ................3. 2:00 - 5 minutes of meditation ....B. Wife ........1) Listen ........2) Listen ........3) Do something nice for her every day ....C. Conrad ........1) Listen (I've found a theme) ........2) Spend 10 minutes everyday, being completely goofy with him. ........3) This stolen from Adrienne's list: Protect his memories of childhood as precious. ....D. Friends and Family ........1) Get together at least once a month as a group and do something, anything. ............a. Build the community our modern lives have torn from us. ............b. Do something nice and completely silly for a friend or family member at least once a month, anonomously if possible. I of course reserve the right to deviate from this list at any given time for any given reason and retain all applicable rights to forgive myself f I do. Happy new year everyone. Hope it is full of memories. e.

Astenar:: whoosh! EntropyHed:: that was fowl Astenar:: gives him the bird EntropyHed:: *hawks a loogie at him* Astenar:: call him a chicken EntropyHed:: I'm surprised you had the gull to go there Astenar:: wouldn't sparrow you any detail EntropyHed:: *hums ave maria* Astenar:: I can't do all the puns, you might consider pigeon in EntropyHed:: ah...a flaming oh... Astenar:: hands him a Dove bar to wash his mouth out with EntropyHed:: owl! that one hurt Astenar:: slaps chains on him, fin-eagle your way out of that! EntropyHed:: I'll just wing it, you'll see Astenar:: just beak-ause you're losing.... EntropyHed:: let me mull-et for a bit Astenar:: now you're really egging me on EntropyHed:: *pulls back on the yolk and settles down* EntropyHed:: that fries me Astenar:: at least you'r coming out of your shell EntropyHed:: this won't be over easy Astenar:: scrambles to think of another pun EntropyHed:: damn, you poached that one EntropyHed:: ok...which came first? Astenar:: claws his brain for more EntropyHed:: I'm gonna tal-on you Urda joined EntropyHed:: whew... Astenar:: you're stark raven mad EntropyHed:: hi urda EntropyHed:: lol Astenar:: I'll have you eating crow yet EntropyHed:: (damn, you type too fast) Astenar:: you turkey EntropyHed:: ok, that takes the gravy, I'll beat the stuffing outta ya Astenar:: been blowing your horn a plenty lately EntropyHed:: lack of sax Oren Grudgebearer joined Oren Grudgebearer:: hello Astenar:: we drifted off topic. Truce. EntropyHed:: *shakes hands*

Adrienne and I had this wine last night with our dinner. Toasted Head Wines. We gulped it down with Adrienne's homemade chili and corn bread in our secret garden. (Don't ask because I'm not going to tell you) Any way, it was a decent wine with a cool name ;)

As many of you know, this time of year is difficult for Adrienne and I, Connor would have been five on Wednesday. I've been trying to think of what to put up here and just can't think of anything that doesn't sound trite. Things should have been different. I'll let the words of other people do the talking. Thanks Kell, Carl and kids the flowers are beautiful. Adrienne received this poem from her cousin Colleen in an e-mail: Ode to Connor A wonder to behold, a story not full told A blissful babe to share, a golden face and warm brown hair A giant in disguise with soft and tender eyes He gave us moments to know that for all the world aglow Our turn on earth is blessed by all of those who now rest Whose lives have touched our own, then wait for somewhere unknown His beauty is forever etched in soul, let the universe fill that vacant hole With love, and song and laughter and moments still to capture His memory gives us notice that our time here is so swift He came and then left us knowing that each life is a precious gift. PCP'03

I found this page while looking for modeling foam for our future winter solstice displays. I thought this was a pretty neat idea to create the molds using the green florist stuff. CultTVman: Bill Early's Spindrift

When asked by santa what he wanted for xmas a very serious Conrad responded "a candy cane and world peace". I love being a father to such a cool kid, there are so many little gems.

Flea sent me a link to this entry in another journal. This person took the song "I like big butts" and translated it into latin and back in to proper English. The results are hilarious. quislibet: a musical interlude

1(a le af fa ll s) one l iness e.e cummings

Adrienne showed me this cartoon last night that had me in stitches. I noticed very faint on the bottom an url so I went poking around and found a website by an asian artist named Kudeki, at least I am making the assumption s/he is Asian, that I really enjoyed. I love this image Anyway, it's definately worth spending some time figuring out the navigation and looking at the artwork.

Don't forget, when you are putting together your shopping list for that big Thanksgiving holiday feast to include some tasty beverages.

Have you heard of Moophius? Did you take the red pill? Check it.

A was reading an online article about the king of pop today when C walked in, pointed at the picture, and said, "Scary Man!" And then some...

Sound Bites: Dirk and Sheila - It's official! Sheila is brewing up twins inside! Congratulations, it's been a long tough road. Flea - Flea has seen her way to looping around the sun yet again and has emerged...wiser? Who knows what lurks in our sephoric latina goddess... We have the majority of winter solstice shopping complete thanks to the genius of A and the internet. Just a couple more to buy. While I'm on that subject, does anyone know of a really outstanding place to buy LED lighting? Both solstice lights and replacement bulbs.

Added comments to the posts. Hopefully this will allow me to see if anyone is actually reading this stuff. 8^)

This from The Daily Zen: The pine tree's voice is always whispering, Yet how many pause to listen? For when the churning mind is still, The Diamond Heart within Reflects even the falling dusk that Shrouds every eye and branch, And hears, but listens not. Walking, then, with Courage and Kindness, Never ceasing to walk in Wonder, We follow our ancient path. For the Way of the sword is folded two; Like the rose we have thorns, And like the rose, we unfold. - Ji Aoi Isshi

There are many beautiful women in this world. I'm married to one for instance. There are even a few who are not from this world. (Click on the pictures for more)

More on Halloween later, but for now a pic:

Yesterday we carved pumpkins with Conrad on our living room floor. Scattering pumpkin seeds and gore across the pages of yesterdays news, while Conrad poked the pumpkins with various pumpkin carving tools and Adrienne (the goddess) brought forth the faces of fear in pumpkin flesh. 8^) I started playing around with a little gift this Bright got last year at the winter solstice celebrations. It's an inexpensive digital pen cam from Aiptek. I took this pic this morning of the clouds from my driveway looking toward the rising sun And this of the medicine isle in Pavilions where I picked up some expectorant for a sickened Adrienne (get well my love).

I'm really pissed I'm not going to live forever. hehe. This article is another teaser in my list of things that will eventually happen but I probably won't be able to see. Wired 11.11: Regrow Your Own

Yesterday was my anniversary. Eight years married to the most incredible woman I've ever met. I find it humbling and amazing that loves me and strive daily to be worthy. I met Adrienne at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and we walked through downtown to Cafe Mundial. Travis greeted us at the door in his usual style (we went to high school together and I was his boss at his first job) and Ben (Adrienne's cousin) showed us to our seats. Adrienne had stopped by The Wine Cellar earlier in the day and after quite some deliberation picked up a bottle of Southing from Sea Smoke wineries. What a wonderful wine! Our appetizer was seared ahi on a bed of pasta and thinly sliced cucumbers and lighty covered with a cucumber wasabi sauce. Adrienne got the creamy asparagus soup and I got the ceasar salad. For our main courses I had a Chilean sea bass that was covered in an orange tomato sauce. This was excellent. I've never had a bad cut of fish here. Adrienne got the baked sand dabs that were also very good. (not as good as mine however). Then for desert we had a very hot VERY rich chocolate souffle. A leisurely stroll home and another memory stored to think about as we sit on our rockers in old age and hold hands.

And here I thought I was fairly hip to the 80's culture. Ack!

So I stopped at the local shell station to gas up my car. i was helped by a gentlemen in his late 40's early 50's who looked eastern european (slavic). While he is helping me he speaking to another much older gentlemen in a back room. I didn't recognize the language so I asked him what language he is speaking. "Farsi" he replies. "Huh, cool. I wish I was bilingual", I say shaking my head. "Actually, I'm fluent in 6 languages". I think I stood there for at least 5 seconds with my mouth hanging open.

This weekend we did a bunch of home improvement stuff. On Saturday Adrienne, who has grown increasingly bored and frustrated with the bland shade of whites and offwhites our house was entombed in, painted our kitchen a shade of cobalt blue. On Sunday I rented a floor sander from Home Despot and proceed to sand the hardwood floors in the front bedroom. Someone in the past decided that they should carpet these 70 year old oak hardwood floors, but before that they would paint the room in a shade of the despised white and said to themselves, "Bah! Why should I cover the floors with tarps since I'm going to be carpeting anyway". The result was paint all over the floor. Well this sander just mowed through all that and I happy to report the floors are close to being returned to their prior glory. We need to touch up around the areas that I couldn't reach with the uber-sander and rub some linseed oil in. Then it's a seal. Lovely. While I had the sander Adrienne had the brilliant idea to do the dining room table with the sander. =) So I took the top off of the table and laid it out in the front bedroom so I could free it from the shackles of a very dark stain and years of abuse. Some background on the table may be in order: 80 yrs ago my great grandfather built this table. He then handed it down to my grandfather, where it sat and selflessly served meals to my 6 aunts and uncles. It served up horizontal goodness for homework, cards and all the stuff that brings a family together and sometimes tears them apart. It sat in mute witness to my mother's and father's first date. My grandfather saw fit to refinish this guy twice. Then with the family sent into adulthood (unprepared of course, like all of us) the table moved to my parents house where it witnessed yet another first date on Christmas Eve 1985. One nervous Eric and one enthralled (so I've been told) Adrienne. Now with my grandparents, their standing waves having smoothed back into the background noise of this universe, and my parents, the proud owners of my mothers "first" new dining set, moving on, the table has moved into my home, where it sat and bemoaned the years inevitable decay. Now with it's shiny and "raw wood" new attitude it reflects the light on my family's face and once again serves proudly, providing much needed horizontal space for eating, scribbling, doing bills, drinking tea, holding bowls of fruit, catching mid morning sun... Perhaps someday, my son will grab a block and some sandpaper and refinish it again.

I got a kick out of this article. I can remember playing most of these games. Especially the hand held football one. I still remember the moves you need to put the defense on one side and scream up the side line preparing your wrists for the coming carpal tunnel.

I recently wrote to our senators explaing my opposition to the school voucher program in Washington D.C. and I got this response today: ***Warning this is a loooong post*** October 16, 2003 Dear Mr. Milliken: I am writing in response to your letter regarding the District of Columbia's school voucher pilot program. I recognize that this is a controversial issue, so I would like to try to respond as fully as possible. Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has proposed a 5 year pilot program in the District of Columbia to provide scholarships of up to $7,500 to allow parents to pay for tuition, fees, and transportation to any private school in the District. While I have not supported school vouchers in my thirty years of public service, I respect and support Mayor Williams' efforts to improve educational opportunities for his city. Because of the nature of the relationship between the Federal government and D.C., the issue before us is a package of financial educational new dollars for the District. While I will continue to support our public education system in every way I can, I believe we need to rethink what works for children. If we look at what works for students, we would probably agree that different models are helpful, because what works for one child may not necessarily work for another. Clearly, the public schools in the District need improvement. District schools currently spend $10,852 per student - the third highest per student spending in the country - yet student achievement remains very low. On September 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2004 District of Columbia Appropriations bill, which provided $40 million in new money to D.C. schools, including $13 million to D.C. public schools, $13 million to D.C. charter schools, and $13 million to implement Mayor Williams' voucher proposal. I would not have supported this "pilot" if it took funds from D.C.'s public education system. But it does not; rather it adds net new dollars. Before I decided to support the program and vote in the Appropriations Committee in favor of the proposal to fund the school choice program, I made sure that the bill addressed a number of key issues. Specifically, the proposal contains the following components: Creates a pilot program, not a precedent. The bill sunsets the voucher program after 5 years, at which time the Mayor, the Secretary of Education, and Congress will evaluate the success of the program and determine the extent of improvement in student achievement. Requires student testing to measure academic achievement. Voucher students will receive comparable assessments to their peers in D.C. public schools to determine after 5 years if the voucher program improved academic excellence. I am working to change the word "comparable" to "same," so that we can accurately assess the performance of students in the voucher program. Provides $7,500 vouchers. The bill gives at least 2,000 low-income parents, by lottery, the option of sending their children to private and religious schools in the District. The voucher funds can be used for tuition, fees, and transportation. Priority is given to the neediest parents living at 185 percent of the poverty level ($34,000 for a family of four) whose children attend failing schools. Sets the maximum voucher amount at a fair level. The median price of private schools in the District is $8,000; the bill provides for a $7,500 voucher, making it feasible for some parents to make up the difference between the amount of the scholarship and the cost of some private school tuition. Many schools have tuition well within the $7,500 limit. Ensures that vouchers go to students of failing schools. The bill states that "In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from eligible entities who will most effectively (1) give priority to eligible students who, in the school year preceding the school year for which the eligible student is seeking a scholarship, attended an elementary school or secondary school identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring; and (2) target resources to students and families who lack the financial resources to take advantage of available educational options." An eligible student is defined as a student who is a District resident who "comes from a household whose income does not exceed 185 percent of the poverty line." Increases Mayoral accountability. The Mayor will have input in all aspects of the voucher program and can be held accountable for student results. The bill requires Mayor Williams and the Secretary of Education to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to design and implement the program, including the creation or selection of an appropriate entity to run the program. The Memorandum will address the following needs: the provision of strong accountability measures and program performance evaluations, the specifics of a lottery system which will provide fair and unbiased acceptance of students into the voucher program, oversight by the D.C. Mayor of the program's operation, the criteria for the selection of participating schools, the evaluation and methodology for the selection of participating schools and for the certification of licensure, and other necessary requirements such as health and safety codes, and the development of appropriate oversight and accountability measures. I firmly support the role of parents in the education of their children, and I believe that every parent should be able to make decisions that will be in the best interest of his or her child. Public schools in Washington, D.C. are in dire straights and needy District parents should be given the chance to provide their children with better academic opportunities. Affluent families have that opportunity now, poor families do not. Why not try this? After 5 years, we can then evaluate the program and learn from it. I am willing to allow the Mayor to try this "pilot." It is not a precedent for vouchers in any other community. Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I hope that you will continue to share your opinions with me in the future. If I can be of any assistance to you, or if you would like to express additional comments, please feel free to call my office in Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3841. Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein United States Senator http://feinstein.senate.gov Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov . You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/issue.html .

A couple of interesting sites I was directed to this morning when I got my first e-newsletter from the Brights. The first is a website for the American Chapter of the Brights movement sponsored by the American Humanist Association. If you support this kind of thinking do what you can to spread the message. Let's move from superstition and mythology and...well...evolve.

My little sister is a mommy! The official scoop: Name: Devin Edward Avedissian Birthdate: 9:45pm September 29th, 2003 Weight: 5 pounds, 7 ounces Length: 18 inches (what size kilt is that? anyone?) A nervous throng of friends and family celebrated the arrival with cheers and hugs, waking the rest of the maternity ward. Cheers young Devin. Pictures as they come available.

Just to keep it fresh in my memory. This is my coat of arms:

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. I checked out this article in Wired, and I must say I like the idea of a loose knit organization of people who dismiss the ideas of mysticism especially in the political context, I don't know that these people are well suited to "grouping". And the name, oy. I signed up anyway, to see and support 'cause I think the idea is a good one. The Brights

Ipaulo dug up this nugget. It's a horoscope for tech workers.

Sheila had this up this morning so being fond of playing with gender roles I was curious to see this:
You're an anime corset. Colorful.

What corset are you?
brought to you by Quizilla I suppose it fits.

I love this. Caught it on CNN this morning. Can anyone read French well enough to help me order one? The Bush Regime Card Deck [R�seau Voltaire]

the goddess responds to the post below: EMilliken: ?? GoddessAEM: Post this to our site verbatim EMilliken: ok GoddessAEM: "after reading Eric's conversation per Mr. Tree Rat, I realize he got some things wrong... One: I sat for awhile holding said box with bacon and we asked the mouse/rat he said he hated peanut butter. Then Eric said he would do it, and I reluctantly agreed. I said, "Do NOT let this little fucker into my house, or I will kill you." GoddessAEM: Two: I was relaxing in the TUB not the shower readin a sci fi book and drinking tea, when I heard Eric SQUEAL like a little girl. I fought the overwhelming urge to get out, and stayed in tub listening to three adults chase a rat around the house for twenty minutes. EMilliken: hehe GoddessAEM: Three: It was so funny I had to stay in bathroom to fight another HUGE urge to say "I told you so!" GoddessAEM: POST THAT!

This from a chat: EntropyHed:: oh i have a mildly amusing story... Oren Grudgebearer:: I liked Bonanza ipaulo:: me too. nothing wrong with Bonanza EntropyHed:: adrienne and I were sitting in the kitchen friday night after spending a couple hours starting to get ready for my sisters baby shower we were hosting EntropyHed:: we both noticed that our cats were staring ears forward at the cabinet beneath our kitchen sink EntropyHed:: so... ipaulo:: uh oh EntropyHed:: (a little lighter and bold will help) EntropyHed:: i crouch down and listen and...nothing...at first EntropyHed:: then i here that tell tale crunching sound EntropyHed:: i grab a flashlight and slowly open the cupboard EntropyHed:: adrienne is peering over my shoulder and i notice a hole in the back left on a board that seperates the sink from the dishwasher Urda:: haus maus EntropyHed:: about that time a grey tree rat pokes his head out of the hole EntropyHed:: notices he has a crowd and disappears back inside ipaulo:: KILL IT. ipaulo:: darn. got away EntropyHed:: (he was really cute BTW) ipaulo:: they spread disease. and little tiny poops too. Urda:: i have chewed too far today EntropyHed:: so i take off the bottom of the dishwasher and notice just in time his feet disappear EntropyHed:: so.... EntropyHed:: this is 12:00 at night now EntropyHed:: i disconnect the dishwasher and slowly pull it out, tense...waiting Urda:: turtle! kermie! earn your keep! EntropyHed:: ...nothing...but lots of...um...rat scat Urda:: nice EntropyHed:: when i finally get it most of the way out i notice another hole...this one disappearing into the wall EntropyHed:: again...a little peek by our rat and a disappearing act EntropyHed:: so... EntropyHed:: i look at adrienne...she looks at me Urda:: and you name it fred EntropyHed:: "i can't kill it" ( i release spiders to the wild for crissakes) EntropyHed:: "me either" Oren Grudgebearer:: what was that movie that came out awhile ago? Mouse Hunt? Where they destroyed the house trying to get the mouse EntropyHed:: "well we can't just let is wander around" EntropyHed:: so using cardboard aluminum coookie sheet we cover up the holes EntropyHed:: there are 3 total EntropyHed:: and resolve to deal with it in the morning EntropyHed:: we turn out the lights to the sounds of little feet and teeth on aluminum EntropyHed:: next morning EntropyHed:: we are trying to figure out what to do... EntropyHed:: first we go through a massive cleanup EntropyHed:: we write off the dishwasher (even though it works fine) EntropyHed:: it's outside as we speak Oren Grudgebearer:: lol EntropyHed:: i can't hear anything so start to remove the temporary anti rat measures Oren Grudgebearer:: he got into the dishwasher? EntropyHed:: not inside the cleaning part...but up all around the electrical and motor Oren Grudgebearer:: ahh, don't want to take the chance of an electrical fire EntropyHed:: i remove the last "patch" and... EntropyHed:: [nope] EntropyHed:: ...peek.. EntropyHed:: find out later...he's in a dead end ipaulo:: they have traps that are nonlethal Oren Grudgebearer:: yeah, my parents had one EntropyHed:: we walled it in last night like some old wine cellar story ipaulo:: you can take him on a hike in the little trap and drop off near a snake hole. Oren Grudgebearer:: has a spring door type of thing that flips the mouse into a holding box EntropyHed:: i slam the cooke sheet back in place and we brainstoem for bit Oren Grudgebearer:: fire always works /wink EntropyHed:: adrienne get a smallish cardboard box and cuts a cartoon-like mouse hole in one side ipaulo:: this is going to get ugly i fear ipaulo:: EntropyHed:: we put some bacon in it and I hold it against the hole Oren Grudgebearer:: bacon, you need to use peanut butter EntropyHed:: adrienne has an appointment and goes to take a shower... Oren Grudgebearer:: hehe EntropyHed:: so I'm waiting now by myself holding a cardboard box against the wall...frozen...waiting waiting wating... EntropyHed:: and i wait some more ipaulo:: RUN AWAY! EntropyHed:: my muscles are cramping now EntropyHed:: and i hear some noises EntropyHed:: and some scratching in the box ipaulo:: watch out! It's a Witch-Mouse EntropyHed:: then EntropyHed:: i feel the whole weight og the mouse EntropyHed:: quickly i try to move the box so it can't get out EntropyHed:: but it's too smart EntropyHed:: i trap it halfway in the box and the wall Oren Grudgebearer:: ewww EntropyHed:: my resolve weakens as i hear it struggle and i pull the box away EntropyHed:: so it runs back in the hole EntropyHed:: *sigh* EntropyHed:: i refresh the bait and do it again... EntropyHed:: s l o w l y EntropyHed:: i hear scratching again EntropyHed:: then in the box EntropyHed:: i move it quickly ipaulo:: really stupid mouse EntropyHed:: ...nothing... ipaulo:: but fast.. EntropyHed:: i shake the box EntropyHed:: ...nothing... ipaulo:: and fed.. EntropyHed:: i pull it away from the wall and look inside Oren Grudgebearer:: you put your eye to the hole ? EntropyHed:: like some posessed jack in the box this rat springs from the box Oren Grudgebearer:: Lol ipaulo:: it likes bacon. You thy enemy and the battle is almost yours. ipaulo:: it had huge fangs! ipaulo:: get the holy handgrenade Urda:: the holy handgrenade of antioch! Oren Grudgebearer joined EntropyHed:: I'm sitting crosslegged by the cupboard and it has no where to go since in my panic i dropped the box and it falls in front of it's exit ipaulo:: Good thing adrienne is in the shower Urda:: well e...it is a tree rat Oren Grudgebearer:: doh, I was disconnected... what I miss EntropyHed:: after noticing this...it doubles back... EntropyHed:: runs along the top of my left leg (I'm wearing shorts) Urda:: bah...just grab the tail and fling it out the window EntropyHed:: [it's FAST] Dyrk:: Ahhhh! Urda:: hehe EntropyHed:: banks across my midsection and down my other leg EntropyHed:: then... EntropyHed:: I'm squeaking like a girl Dyrk:: Lol! EntropyHed:: it realizes it's still trapped and heads back at me EntropyHed:: runs up my chest and over my left shoulder into the greater house Dyrk:: Run away!!! Urda:: Dyrk:: And the cats at this point? Urda:: EntropyHed:: [the cats are locked up] ipaulo:: WOAH! It ran up your body?! KILL IT!!! ipaulo:: release the cats! Urda:: rat cooties! Dyrk:: Unleash the hounds! Err. Cats! ipaulo:: right away! My god! EntropyHed:: it's now under our sofa looking terrified and turbo charged Urda:: turtle! kermie! earn your keep! EntropyHed:: so i open the front door hoping it will run out on it's own Oren Grudgebearer:: thats why you have cats EntropyHed:: nothing Dyrk:: To crawl back under the house then gnaw through your wall again... Oren Grudgebearer:: let the cats chase it out... ewww, it touched you..... Urda:: eric has rat cooties EntropyHed:: so i take my son's toy fishing pole and laying down prod it ipaulo:: have you burned your clothes at this point yet to get rid of the aforementioned rat cooties? EntropyHed:: nothing EntropyHed:: tap it again and it runs toward the door ipaulo:: more bacon must be the answer at this point Dyrk:: Gloves are good. EntropyHed:: SALVATION! EntropyHed:: ...nope... EntropyHed:: runs right by the door under the kitchen table ipaulo:: bacon ON the fishing pole? EntropyHed:: grrrr Urda:: ROFL Dyrk:: Stupid rodent. Urda:: bacon on the cat on the fishing pole Oren Grudgebearer:: ok, I am still laughing out loud... Dyrk:: (Rat fishing?) ipaulo:: ROFL EntropyHed:: i end up chasing it back under the sofa EntropyHed:: [by the door again] Urda:: Dyrk:: (But you shouldda seen the one that got away!) EntropyHed:: more prodding this time goes and runs under the entertainment center Dyrk:: Oy. Urda:: ick! ipaulo:: NOT THE TV! EntropyHed:: i call in the troops Urda:: that's a beyotch EntropyHed:: mom! dad! Dyrk:: Hahaha. EntropyHed:: i need your help Urda:: rat! out! now! EntropyHed:: so they come over ipaulo:: Can I have your TV? Rat poop and all. (like your dishwasher) ipaulo:: electrical fires and all. Dyrk:: Need to be safe, after all. EntropyHed:: i give my mom two long peices of plywood and my dad lays down chairs Urda:: mom! got bacon? EntropyHed:: we now have a narrow raceway leading outside Urda:: no bacon? EntropyHed:: so i start prodding the thing again and it runs... Dyrk:: Where he will go under the house and gnaw his way through the wall to look for more bacon... :) ) EntropyHed:: up into the entertainment center Oren Grudgebearer:: speaking of TV's... ours stopped working today... looks like Daddy is going to get a big screen Dyrk:: Woo hoo! Urda:: because that's where the bacon is EntropyHed:: it's hiding under the tv Dyrk:: I holding out for plasma... Dyrk:: The 5 -year plan has been reset... ipaulo:: stay on target@! Urda:: so you put bacon in the tv EntropyHed:: so i stick it somemore witht he fishing pole starting to think i need some #10 hooks Dyrk:: Heheh. Dyrk:: Ewww. ipaulo:: is adrienne at the store now getting bacon? Urda:: oh god Urda:: my sides EntropyHed:: when it runs out of the entertainment center and does this half kangaroo hopping thing out the front door... Oren Grudgebearer:: treble hooks EntropyHed:: *whew* Urda:: and then runs back in for more bacon ipaulo:: but wait... ipaulo:: ipaulo:: there must be more!? ipaulo:: invent something. Urda:: bacon maus EntropyHed:: "I" run to hope depot pick up a huge box of rat poison a sheet of half inch plywood and drywall screws ipaulo:: and more bacon. Urda:: rofl Oren Grudgebearer:: with #10 hooks Urda:: i'm crying i'm laughing so hard Dyrk:: The rat-trap of eternal perrrril. ipaulo:: lol EntropyHed:: proceed to cram the poison into every orifice EntropyHed:: and screw the plywood over the holes Oren Grudgebearer:: you could bathe instead Urda:: mmmm cooties EntropyHed:: then...I take a shower Oren Grudgebearer:: burn the clothes EntropyHed:: that's my story ipaulo:: yuck. you didn't shower and change before going out for more bacon? That's gross! Oren Grudgebearer:: must say, that was entertaining ipaulo:: and unproductive! EntropyHed:: i had a pretty good laugh too...afterwards ipaulo:: i like that you called your parents. ipaulo:: that's sweet EntropyHed:: they live next door ipaulo:: oh. Oren Grudgebearer:: classic ipaulo:: Oren Grudgebearer:: Paul, you must brighten your text... i'm getting eye strain EntropyHed:: the funniest part Oren Grudgebearer:: EntropyHed:: is adrienne is in the shower and she can hear the whole thing EntropyHed:: did she come out? nope EntropyHed:: her parting words to me before going into the shower were "Don't let get into the house" ipaulo:: how's this O? EntropyHed:: go bold ipaulo:: better? EntropyHed:: there ya go Oren Grudgebearer:: ahh, mucho mejor ipaulo:: boy, after that, I want to go home and play SWG. Not sure why. Oren Grudgebearer:: /grin ipaulo:: and check the apartment for bacon. ipaulo:: er... rats Oren Grudgebearer:: still think peanut butter works better ipaulo:: THAT'S IT E! If you'd just used peanut butter ipaulo:: then, when it was in the box, it would have been too busy doing that roof-of-mouth licking thing dogs do when they eat pb. it couldn't have run away EntropyHed:: lol EntropyHed:: yeah you're probably right ipaulo:: next time. EntropyHed:: no next time EntropyHed:: i put a lifetimes supply of rat poison under, above, in the house walls EntropyHed:: my house will have the toxic halflife of a nevada desert Urda:: ah yes...the foothil tree rat

Flea turned me on to this site yesterday and it had me laughing out loud. Demotivators, Increasing success by lowering expectations at Despair, Inc. :-(

...as the drive winds past eve and adam...a discussion ensues amidst the howls of a sleepy wolf, and the low growls of a reinvigorated cherokee. Lasers. What is the significance of so odd a word?

COG!

How much would you pay for a pair of shoes covered with this tape?

I ran across this today. Some scientists are testing the aphrodisiac properties of honey mead. Apparently Dirk and Sheila were on to something.

Wow. It's been over a month.