I'm leaving town for a few days. It's too bad, because I have a REALLY funny story to write about. But I don't have time to write it now. Yup, no time at all. Absolutely no time. Can't waste a minute. Every second counts. Well, actually, every third second counts, plus seconds divisible by 15, but that's so complicated that I tell most people every second counts and they get the jist. Is it gist or jist? When a porn company has an unresolvable argument and splits into two, is it a jism or a schism?
Gotta go!
December 30, 2003
December 27, 2003
Back from the Holidays
After visiting my sister Michele in New York, we drove home with my sister Tina and spent the last week with my Mom. A pile of mental notes I made during my stay are now either in the dark corner under my mental desk or mistakenly flushed down the mental toilet after watching an episode of "Rich Girls," a show on MTV that provides the best argument in American history for a progressive tax system. These notes grow grander each day they are lost. I know I had the cure for cancer. It involved peaches, envisioning the cancer cells as those Tribbles from the original Star Trek, and a mass of white T-cells in the shape of James Kirk calmly firing a phaser set to "No More Trouble" at the cuddly masses of evil cancer cells.
I'll be writing more soon. And to all my friends, from fundamentalist Christian to non-practicing Christian, Happy Holidays!
I'll be writing more soon. And to all my friends, from fundamentalist Christian to non-practicing Christian, Happy Holidays!
December 18, 2003
What Embarassing Comment?
Obviously, the Bush administration can't airbush the "Mission Accomplished" sign to read "This Mission Accomplished." But what if government agencies wanted to edit out embarrassing comments in official records, or remove links to scientific studies that don't support their policies?
This isn't an academic question. The Washington Post has a good article where they summarize some of these changes made either under the direction of the White House or due to the agencies' own impetus.
I am sure that every administration tries to revise its words to one degree or another. But although the Internet has been around for over a decade, its reach only became powerful enough to motivate information scrubbing on the web in the past 5 or 6 years. The Bush administration is the first administration to have to deal with this issue fully.
And what pisses me off is that, given a chance to set a standard that will make it harder or easier for future presidents to do the same, they are leaning towards establishing lax standards through a creation of a culture where this type of thing is acceptable. (Isn't this the argument for more testing in schools and against Hollywood sex and violence?)
Sure, many top political appointees are replaced during new administrations, but the people actually removing the information aren't the agency heads. They're the web editors and the staff. The lower level people who tend to stay around from administration to administration and will do what they did before unless told otherwise. If the White House established a policy of "No content changes on the web for political purposes," it would make it more likely for these workers to protest attempts by future presidents, many of whom will give in to the same temptation.
This isn't an academic question. The Washington Post has a good article where they summarize some of these changes made either under the direction of the White House or due to the agencies' own impetus.
I am sure that every administration tries to revise its words to one degree or another. But although the Internet has been around for over a decade, its reach only became powerful enough to motivate information scrubbing on the web in the past 5 or 6 years. The Bush administration is the first administration to have to deal with this issue fully.
And what pisses me off is that, given a chance to set a standard that will make it harder or easier for future presidents to do the same, they are leaning towards establishing lax standards through a creation of a culture where this type of thing is acceptable. (Isn't this the argument for more testing in schools and against Hollywood sex and violence?)
Sure, many top political appointees are replaced during new administrations, but the people actually removing the information aren't the agency heads. They're the web editors and the staff. The lower level people who tend to stay around from administration to administration and will do what they did before unless told otherwise. If the White House established a policy of "No content changes on the web for political purposes," it would make it more likely for these workers to protest attempts by future presidents, many of whom will give in to the same temptation.
Coming to a Porn Store Near You
"Return of the Kink"
Starring:
* Araporn
* Grima Longtongue
* Handsoff
and...?
Starring:
* Araporn
* Grima Longtongue
* Handsoff
and...?
I Saw This on a Bumper Sticker
I think when Jesus said "Love Your Enemies" he probably meant don't kill them.
I would like to see this on a bumper sticker:
(i'm a rebel with a cause, but no one has heard of my cause and i got tired of explaining it so i just call myself) REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
I would like to see this on a bumper sticker:
(i'm a rebel with a cause, but no one has heard of my cause and i got tired of explaining it so i just call myself) REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
December 15, 2003
December 12, 2003
Is This Wrong?
I put up a dry erase board in our kitchen today, and inaugurated it by witting this message. My roommates, one of who moved in a few weeks ago, haven't come home yet.
December 11, 2003
Washington Post Headlines
...
Court's Ruling Maddens Groups on Left and Right
Court's ruling: Groups on left and right suck.
Gephardt Aims for Populist Iowa Win
Gephardt aims for more people to vote for him than Dean? Huh?
Rat-Borne Disease Kills Zoo Monkey
Death seen as retaliation for last week's monkey-borne disease that maimed rat. Nobody screws with the rat.
Va. Plans Felony Spam Indictments
D.A. to send 1,000 indictments to each violator.
France Mulls Ban on Head Scarves
Finally! Another country that hates Muslims as much as we do.
New Antidepressants Warning Issued
Warning: assembling pills in pattern of frowny face mitigates pills' effectiveness.
Beyonce, R. Kelly Win 4 at Billboards
Beyonce thanks family, fans; R. Kelly thanks parole agent.
Flu Vaccines Still Available in District
"Yup," says jittery suburbanites. "They sure are."
Court's Ruling Maddens Groups on Left and Right
Court's ruling: Groups on left and right suck.
Gephardt Aims for Populist Iowa Win
Gephardt aims for more people to vote for him than Dean? Huh?
Rat-Borne Disease Kills Zoo Monkey
Death seen as retaliation for last week's monkey-borne disease that maimed rat. Nobody screws with the rat.
Va. Plans Felony Spam Indictments
D.A. to send 1,000 indictments to each violator.
France Mulls Ban on Head Scarves
Finally! Another country that hates Muslims as much as we do.
New Antidepressants Warning Issued
Warning: assembling pills in pattern of frowny face mitigates pills' effectiveness.
Beyonce, R. Kelly Win 4 at Billboards
Beyonce thanks family, fans; R. Kelly thanks parole agent.
Flu Vaccines Still Available in District
"Yup," says jittery suburbanites. "They sure are."
Hobbit Fan Trailer
Although this fan trailer for The Hobbit is mostly existing LOTR footage edited together, it's worth watching because it's done so well, particularly the first half. Link from Boing Boing.
December 09, 2003
Mercury Free!
"High protein! Low fat!" That's some of the ad copy on my five-lb. bag of Trader Joe's Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts, written so shoppers will choose this five-lb. bag of skinless, boneless chicken breasts as opposed to one of the five-lb. bags of skinless, boneless chicken breasts sitting next to it.
Next to the announcement of these strange properties of chicken is "No hormones!" It made me feel relieved. And that worried me. Because if I saw "No hormones" on a box of Chips Ahoy! cookies, I wouldn't feel relieved. I'd wonder what the hell where hormones are doing in cookies in the first place. But my reaction made me realize that I've been conditioned to accept a level of crap in my food, ingredients and treatments that would shock people from a 100 years ago, and likely people a 100 years from now, in the same way the old practice of using mercury in everything from medicine to lead paint shocks us.
It turns out that "No hormones!" is as silly of a claim for chicken as "Low fat!" The USDA bans hormones from being used in raising hogs or poultry, and requires manufactures that put "No hormones!" on the packaging to also put "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry" [or pigs].
And if you're not yet convinced I need to leave the house more often, after I read this on the USDA's web site, and mused about the interplay of all these messages while eating a Twix bar, I wondered if all of these messages were just a way for a subversive copywriter at Trader Joe's to get people thinking along these very same lines. For if the package only had "No hormones!" on it, and the USDA disclaimer, I wouldn’t have given this a second thought. It was this message next to all these obviously silly messages that got me thinking.
Perhaps it was the copywriter pressuring management to put "No MSG!" and "Minimally processed!" on the package, each exclamation point a gentle nudge to consider why the lack of perversion of our food should make us excited. Perhaps this was his or her way to inflame the hearts of the buccaneers that patronize Trader Joe's, to light the trick birthday candle in all our hearts, the candle that lights again ever after it's blown out, unless you douse it in water, the water that melts from the frozen chicken after you put it in the refrigerator to defrost.
For the record, I was outside for 15 minutes today.
Next to the announcement of these strange properties of chicken is "No hormones!" It made me feel relieved. And that worried me. Because if I saw "No hormones" on a box of Chips Ahoy! cookies, I wouldn't feel relieved. I'd wonder what the hell where hormones are doing in cookies in the first place. But my reaction made me realize that I've been conditioned to accept a level of crap in my food, ingredients and treatments that would shock people from a 100 years ago, and likely people a 100 years from now, in the same way the old practice of using mercury in everything from medicine to lead paint shocks us.
It turns out that "No hormones!" is as silly of a claim for chicken as "Low fat!" The USDA bans hormones from being used in raising hogs or poultry, and requires manufactures that put "No hormones!" on the packaging to also put "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry" [or pigs].
And if you're not yet convinced I need to leave the house more often, after I read this on the USDA's web site, and mused about the interplay of all these messages while eating a Twix bar, I wondered if all of these messages were just a way for a subversive copywriter at Trader Joe's to get people thinking along these very same lines. For if the package only had "No hormones!" on it, and the USDA disclaimer, I wouldn’t have given this a second thought. It was this message next to all these obviously silly messages that got me thinking.
Perhaps it was the copywriter pressuring management to put "No MSG!" and "Minimally processed!" on the package, each exclamation point a gentle nudge to consider why the lack of perversion of our food should make us excited. Perhaps this was his or her way to inflame the hearts of the buccaneers that patronize Trader Joe's, to light the trick birthday candle in all our hearts, the candle that lights again ever after it's blown out, unless you douse it in water, the water that melts from the frozen chicken after you put it in the refrigerator to defrost.
For the record, I was outside for 15 minutes today.
My First Earthquake!
I felt an earthquake today! I am really excited. I always wanted to feel one. Several months ago, when I was in California, I jumped up and down for an hour but nothing happened.
Here's my earthquake story. It was around 4:00 today. I was writing on the computer. My room shook a bit. I thought it was the trucks outside. Then I took a nap.
You can read more Earthquake 2003 stories in this article from The Washington Post, which is how I found out I was in an earthquake.
Update: The Washington Post put up a forum for people to post their earthquake stories. What struck me is that several people wrote something along the lines of "I was glad it was only an earthquake." There's still a lot of fear out there.
Here's my earthquake story. It was around 4:00 today. I was writing on the computer. My room shook a bit. I thought it was the trucks outside. Then I took a nap.
You can read more Earthquake 2003 stories in this article from The Washington Post, which is how I found out I was in an earthquake.
Update: The Washington Post put up a forum for people to post their earthquake stories. What struck me is that several people wrote something along the lines of "I was glad it was only an earthquake." There's still a lot of fear out there.
Remember When You Were a Kid And You Were Lost in a Store?
This is the first article I've read about false memories. I thought I read other articles on the subject, but after reading this one, I remembered the truth.
Wait a minute...
I hope the dependence on witness testimony in court cases is an artifact of the movies and not a practice in real-life. Sure, I'm aware that memory can be manipulated and fallible, but I don't live my life constantly questioning their accuracy or wondering if the few memories I have from childhood are true. I doubt anyone does. Life has enough doubt as it is. But (read this guardedly) most of us can remember a time when we or a friend of ours was positive this happened that way, or we definitely parked here, but it actually happened the other way, or we parked over there.
But occasionally I'll hear of a person wrongly imprisoned, usually based on the testimony of one or two people whose certainty in their false memories swayed a jury, and I wonder how often it happens. Is eyewitness testimony sufficiently doubted in today's judicial system? Should it be trusted at all?
There's no way I'm ending on such a pretentious note. This is one of the quotes from the article:
"In one study published last year, 50% of volunteers were persuaded they had taken a ride in a hot-air balloon when they had not. But when Kathy Pezdek of the Claremont Graduate University, California, tried to make people believe they had received a rectal enema, she met with almost universal resistance."
Wait a minute...
I hope the dependence on witness testimony in court cases is an artifact of the movies and not a practice in real-life. Sure, I'm aware that memory can be manipulated and fallible, but I don't live my life constantly questioning their accuracy or wondering if the few memories I have from childhood are true. I doubt anyone does. Life has enough doubt as it is. But (read this guardedly) most of us can remember a time when we or a friend of ours was positive this happened that way, or we definitely parked here, but it actually happened the other way, or we parked over there.
But occasionally I'll hear of a person wrongly imprisoned, usually based on the testimony of one or two people whose certainty in their false memories swayed a jury, and I wonder how often it happens. Is eyewitness testimony sufficiently doubted in today's judicial system? Should it be trusted at all?
There's no way I'm ending on such a pretentious note. This is one of the quotes from the article:
"In one study published last year, 50% of volunteers were persuaded they had taken a ride in a hot-air balloon when they had not. But when Kathy Pezdek of the Claremont Graduate University, California, tried to make people believe they had received a rectal enema, she met with almost universal resistance."
December 08, 2003
How To Tell If You Are a Loser
Important:
If the link above is flashing, you have been selected as a Winner! Click here for your prize!!!
Gore to Endorse Dean?
The AP says Gore will endorse Dean tomorrow. If it's true, it is amazing that Gore would back a candidate weeks before the first primary, particularly because of the concerns of Dean's electability. What did Dean promise him, to create a Department of 'Bush Sucks' if Dean's elected?
You know, there are four or five candidates running for the Democratic nomination that would make a good president. It's too bad they can't join forces and assemble into a giant Voltron-like robot. At the debates, it would be 6-foot President Bush vs. 20-foot Demtron.
PRESIDENT BUSH: "I support our troops and what we did in Iraq."
DEMTRON RIGHT-ARM (Kerry): "Don't equate supporting the troops with getting us into an unnecessary war. I spilled my blood in Vietnam, jackass. "
DEMTRON WAVY HAIR (Sharpton): "While you flew the coop, he was one of the troops."
PRESIDENT BUSH: "How dare you call me a jackass?"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "That was a little uncivil."
DEMTRON LEFT ARM (Dean) "You want to see uncivil?" [makes middle finger]
DEMTRON RIGHT-ARM (Kerry) [high-fives Dean] "Mission accomplished!"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "Now, boys…"
PRESIDENT BUSH: "You either apologize or I'll end this debate right now."
DEMTRON LEFT ARM (Dean): "Sounds good. Clark, would you like to do the honors?"
DEMTRON RIGHT LEG (Clark): "Mr. President, if you could pull down your pants and bend over?"
PRESIDENT BUSH: "What the?"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "Wesley!"
DEMTRON RIGHT LEG (Clark): "Say hello to Froggy for me." [kicks Bush in butt. Bush sails across room and into the arms of a horrified Dick Cheney.]
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): [sighs]: "Sometimes I wish I were just a head in a jar."
You know, there are four or five candidates running for the Democratic nomination that would make a good president. It's too bad they can't join forces and assemble into a giant Voltron-like robot. At the debates, it would be 6-foot President Bush vs. 20-foot Demtron.
PRESIDENT BUSH: "I support our troops and what we did in Iraq."
DEMTRON RIGHT-ARM (Kerry): "Don't equate supporting the troops with getting us into an unnecessary war. I spilled my blood in Vietnam, jackass. "
DEMTRON WAVY HAIR (Sharpton): "While you flew the coop, he was one of the troops."
PRESIDENT BUSH: "How dare you call me a jackass?"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "That was a little uncivil."
DEMTRON LEFT ARM (Dean) "You want to see uncivil?" [makes middle finger]
DEMTRON RIGHT-ARM (Kerry) [high-fives Dean] "Mission accomplished!"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "Now, boys…"
PRESIDENT BUSH: "You either apologize or I'll end this debate right now."
DEMTRON LEFT ARM (Dean): "Sounds good. Clark, would you like to do the honors?"
DEMTRON RIGHT LEG (Clark): "Mr. President, if you could pull down your pants and bend over?"
PRESIDENT BUSH: "What the?"
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): "Wesley!"
DEMTRON RIGHT LEG (Clark): "Say hello to Froggy for me." [kicks Bush in butt. Bush sails across room and into the arms of a horrified Dick Cheney.]
DEMTRON HEAD (Lieberman): [sighs]: "Sometimes I wish I were just a head in a jar."
Mission Still Accomplished
From CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer:
BLITZER: Was it a mistake when the president appeared on the USS Abraham Lincoln May 1st, declared major combat operations over, and there was a huge banner, as you remember, saying "Mission Accomplished"? Looking back on the White House role, you're the chief of the staff for the White House, was it a mistake for the White House to be involved in putting that banner up on the Abraham Lincoln?
ANDREW CARD [White House Chief of Staff]: Well, it was a spectacular visit by the president to the troops on that ship that had accomplished an important mission for their country. And the president was there to celebrate the successes of those particular sailors and Marines and the great work that they did. They were on an unusually long deployment.
And they were the ones who requested that slogan; their mission had been accomplished. And yes, the White House did produce the banner, but it was produced at the recommendation of the request of the sailors and the Marines that were on the ship.
SAILORS: "President Bush, can we have a 'Mission Accomplished' banner behind you on the ship?"
BUSH: "No, it wouldn't be right. The military action was the easy part. We still have a long way to go."
SAILORS: "Come on, Mr. Bush. Please?"
BUSH: "I'm sorry, but it would be premature at this point."
SAILORS: "Weeee-neeeer….weeee-neeeer."
BUSH: "My draft board called me worse."
HARVARD MAN: "That's right, guys. Don't try to convince him. He's a Yalie. The spirit of those foppers are as weak as their crew team."
BUSH: "You crimson bastard! How dare you sully my alma matter? [slaps Harvard Man with fencing glove] Put it up! Put the banner up!"
SAILORS: "YEAH! Bulldog! Bulldog! Bow, wow, wow! Our team can never fail!"
BLITZER: Was it a mistake when the president appeared on the USS Abraham Lincoln May 1st, declared major combat operations over, and there was a huge banner, as you remember, saying "Mission Accomplished"? Looking back on the White House role, you're the chief of the staff for the White House, was it a mistake for the White House to be involved in putting that banner up on the Abraham Lincoln?
ANDREW CARD [White House Chief of Staff]: Well, it was a spectacular visit by the president to the troops on that ship that had accomplished an important mission for their country. And the president was there to celebrate the successes of those particular sailors and Marines and the great work that they did. They were on an unusually long deployment.
And they were the ones who requested that slogan; their mission had been accomplished. And yes, the White House did produce the banner, but it was produced at the recommendation of the request of the sailors and the Marines that were on the ship.
SAILORS: "President Bush, can we have a 'Mission Accomplished' banner behind you on the ship?"
BUSH: "No, it wouldn't be right. The military action was the easy part. We still have a long way to go."
SAILORS: "Come on, Mr. Bush. Please?"
BUSH: "I'm sorry, but it would be premature at this point."
SAILORS: "Weeee-neeeer….weeee-neeeer."
BUSH: "My draft board called me worse."
HARVARD MAN: "That's right, guys. Don't try to convince him. He's a Yalie. The spirit of those foppers are as weak as their crew team."
BUSH: "You crimson bastard! How dare you sully my alma matter? [slaps Harvard Man with fencing glove] Put it up! Put the banner up!"
SAILORS: "YEAH! Bulldog! Bulldog! Bow, wow, wow! Our team can never fail!"
The second paragraph in this article, "Torture Rife in Uzbek 'Health Farm' Jail" could have come straight from The Onion.
JASLIK, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Muzafar Avazov's teeth were smashed and his fingernails ripped out by the time he died, but the head of the Uzbek jail where he was killed says the prison is like a health farm.
"Prisoners live in comfort, eat scrumptious food and play soccer. All is great," said Col. Alikhaidar Kolumbetov, sitting in a throne-like black and gold armchair.
JASLIK, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Muzafar Avazov's teeth were smashed and his fingernails ripped out by the time he died, but the head of the Uzbek jail where he was killed says the prison is like a health farm.
"Prisoners live in comfort, eat scrumptious food and play soccer. All is great," said Col. Alikhaidar Kolumbetov, sitting in a throne-like black and gold armchair.
...
Laura Bush Asked to Help Chinese Dissidents
George W. Bush: No.
Cheney: No.
State Department: No.
U.S. Ambassador: No.
Obi Wan Kenobi: No.
Outkast: Alright alright alright alirght alright alright no.
Xing Xing: No No.
George W. Bush: No.
Cheney: No.
State Department: No.
U.S. Ambassador: No.
Obi Wan Kenobi: No.
Outkast: Alright alright alright alirght alright alright no.
Xing Xing: No No.
December 05, 2003
December 04, 2003
Book Review: The Da Vinci Code
What makes "The Da Vinci Code," a thriller that has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for months now, worth reading is the many fascinating facts about art history, word origins, pagan symbols and Christianity that author Dan Brown weaves into the story.
These bits of trivia may be obvious to art students and etymology buffs, but for me, moments like finding out how the Egyptian god and goddess for fertility, Amon and Isis (whose ancient pictogram was once called L'ISA) inspired the name for one of Da Vinci's most famous paintings is enough to make the book worth reading. (Brown gives several examples of Da Vinci inserting symbols of paganism and subtle digs at Christianity in his works. News to me.)
The "Da Vinci Code" reminds me of old science fiction that survived on the strength of its ideas rather than the quality of its writing. The writing in this book is terrible. Brown uses adjectives and adverbs in his sentences the way McDoanld's uses salt on its fries. And his descriptions of places and people ring hollow. When the main character has a flashback to a symbolism class at Harvard he taught, I thought:
1) Dan Brown has never taught a class at Harvard, or any college.
2) "Saved By The Bell" is going to sue his ass.
While the plot isn't particularly inventive, it kept me turning the pages. It is kind of like watching a soap opera that makes you roll your eyes with the cheesy music and lingering close-ups, but keeps you watching when the heiress' husband, supposedly dead, shows up drenching wet at her door before the commercial break.
In short, this is a book of very interesting ideas about symbols and history with a decent plot that makes up for the poor writing. I won't go into the central and most interesting argument in the book, but it involves the Holy Grail not being a grail, and Brown provides enough evidence to at least make one wonder if it could be true.
My rating:
Rich people: Buy it.
Middle class people: Worth $12-$15.
Poor people: Borrow it from the library.
These bits of trivia may be obvious to art students and etymology buffs, but for me, moments like finding out how the Egyptian god and goddess for fertility, Amon and Isis (whose ancient pictogram was once called L'ISA) inspired the name for one of Da Vinci's most famous paintings is enough to make the book worth reading. (Brown gives several examples of Da Vinci inserting symbols of paganism and subtle digs at Christianity in his works. News to me.)
The "Da Vinci Code" reminds me of old science fiction that survived on the strength of its ideas rather than the quality of its writing. The writing in this book is terrible. Brown uses adjectives and adverbs in his sentences the way McDoanld's uses salt on its fries. And his descriptions of places and people ring hollow. When the main character has a flashback to a symbolism class at Harvard he taught, I thought:
1) Dan Brown has never taught a class at Harvard, or any college.
2) "Saved By The Bell" is going to sue his ass.
While the plot isn't particularly inventive, it kept me turning the pages. It is kind of like watching a soap opera that makes you roll your eyes with the cheesy music and lingering close-ups, but keeps you watching when the heiress' husband, supposedly dead, shows up drenching wet at her door before the commercial break.
In short, this is a book of very interesting ideas about symbols and history with a decent plot that makes up for the poor writing. I won't go into the central and most interesting argument in the book, but it involves the Holy Grail not being a grail, and Brown provides enough evidence to at least make one wonder if it could be true.
My rating:
Rich people: Buy it.
Middle class people: Worth $12-$15.
Poor people: Borrow it from the library.
December 02, 2003
56A: Panana Canal engineer (?)
I need an erudite crossword puzzle partner. Today's puzzle in the Washington Post is a typical example of how I do:
15A: Norwegian saint (4): Um...
16A: Model Macpherson: Elle!
31A: Leb. neighbor (3): Um...
32A: Popeye's nemesis: Bruno!
It's not the case that some of the answers are "on the tip of the tongue" or ready to surface in a blaze of neurological activity once I find out the first letter starts with "T". I just don't know who engineered the Panama Canal. I never knew it. And even if I check the answer key tomorrow, I will only know it for the few seconds before the Bo and Luke Duke brain cells drive up in the General Lee brain cell and fire arrows into its chassy.
That's why I need someone familiar with geography and foreign cultures but not the name of the actor who plays Legolas. A tenacious tag-team that tears through 22 Across (mayor of Tijuana) and the five-letter name for the turtle in Super Mario Bros. A team that can burst through the "where shy flowers stand by at dances (4)" that stops your average fan of crossword puzzles.
Or maybe I should just bug my friends. Anyone know a five-letter word for "Arboreal mammal?"
(Word quiz: What's another name or object longer than "Panama Canal" that alternates between consonants and vowels?)
15A: Norwegian saint (4): Um...
16A: Model Macpherson: Elle!
31A: Leb. neighbor (3): Um...
32A: Popeye's nemesis: Bruno!
It's not the case that some of the answers are "on the tip of the tongue" or ready to surface in a blaze of neurological activity once I find out the first letter starts with "T". I just don't know who engineered the Panama Canal. I never knew it. And even if I check the answer key tomorrow, I will only know it for the few seconds before the Bo and Luke Duke brain cells drive up in the General Lee brain cell and fire arrows into its chassy.
That's why I need someone familiar with geography and foreign cultures but not the name of the actor who plays Legolas. A tenacious tag-team that tears through 22 Across (mayor of Tijuana) and the five-letter name for the turtle in Super Mario Bros. A team that can burst through the "where shy flowers stand by at dances (4)" that stops your average fan of crossword puzzles.
Or maybe I should just bug my friends. Anyone know a five-letter word for "Arboreal mammal?"
(Word quiz: What's another name or object longer than "Panama Canal" that alternates between consonants and vowels?)
So That's Where the Insurgents are Getting the Potato Guns From
Why is one of Saddam's top aides, and the man most wanted in Iraq besides Hussein, Irish?
December 01, 2003
Hodgepodge
"But the marketing wizards apparently saw him as a man willing to sell his soul. They asked him to incorporate a character of theirs called Robotman. Robotman's licensing was already under way, they told him, and if there was a place for their character in Watterson's strip, then there was a place for Watterson at United Features."
From an article on Bill Watterson, the reclusive creator of "Calvin and Hobbes."
In the "Two Towers Special Edition DVD," one of the new scenes occurs right before Gandalf frees Theoden from Saruman's spell. The wizard points his staff at Theodoen and says, "Time for an extreme makeover, bitch."
My birthday was yesterday. The actual day was a dud, but the days leading up to it were great. A few friends took me to a Russian restaurant and I had a great time with my family, despite their continued attempts to quash my budding career in photography. Michele's description on what people think of the photos on the web site: "He tricks them into coming with the comedy and then springs the photos on them."
From an article on Bill Watterson, the reclusive creator of "Calvin and Hobbes."
In the "Two Towers Special Edition DVD," one of the new scenes occurs right before Gandalf frees Theoden from Saruman's spell. The wizard points his staff at Theodoen and says, "Time for an extreme makeover, bitch."
My birthday was yesterday. The actual day was a dud, but the days leading up to it were great. A few friends took me to a Russian restaurant and I had a great time with my family, despite their continued attempts to quash my budding career in photography. Michele's description on what people think of the photos on the web site: "He tricks them into coming with the comedy and then springs the photos on them."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)