February 01, 2007
Tanuki
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdent/16193250/ (Q6M)
Last night Tanuki passed away. He was away at the special vet for a rhinoscopy to finally get some resolution to or at least some knowledge about his continuous suffering with an always infected, sneezy nose. Sometime overnight, while in recovery after a large unknown foreign body had been removed from his nasal cavities, his brain gave up and he was no longer able to breath on his own. Maybe a stroke, nobody's sure. (Q6N)
Tanuki was always a charmer, from the day we took him home from the shelter surrounded by kittens and cats that were far more cute at a superficial level. I will miss him terribly. (Q6O)
November 10, 2006
November 08, 2006
November 07, 2006
July 02, 2006
Scene Change
It's been a busy month and a bit. (Q49)
Went to Hawaii, which was lovely, only to return home to the landlord requesting are departure on account he wanted to sell up. Meanwhile I had more trips lined up. (Q4B)
So we quickly hunted for a place, quickly got a jones for Alki, and luckily found a place with a nice view before I went off for the Nth annual boat trip where N is something like 6 or 7. There should be some photos here but I left that to an aspiring professional so we'll have to wait on his fiddling. Fiddler? (Q4D)
Back for a week of moving and now off to Palo Alto for a much needed work gathering during which we will conceive, hatch and bring to maturity good stuff. There will also be sushi. (Q4E)
January 02, 2006
Happy 2006
It's a New Year (Happy New Year everyone), so it must be time for some new resolutions. But first a review of the last batch. How did I do: (PW8)
- Back down to 150 T (PW9)
- Not likely to happen. I keep adding muscle because of this climbing class I have. I float between 155 and 165. I'd still like to be lighter but I'd be putting the hurt on myself if I tried. (PWA)
- Back up to 5.12 T (PWB)
- Not quite. Not enough outdoor climbing. (PWC)
- Yell at and/or thank the right people more T (PWD)
- This probably needs more work. The idea was to make sure that I didn't swallow my anger or my gratitude. (PWE)
- Put the beauty back T (PWF)
- Not enough. (PWG)
- Climb a mountain T (PWH)
- Not yet. My relationship to the mountains is such these days that this one can be subsumed into some of the others. If I succeed at those, then I will have climbed a mountain at some point. (PWI)
- Boundaries, Schedules, Routines T (PWJ)
- Ah, hmmm. Not really. Just recently I've started going out for breakfast each morning before work and doing a little catch up, taking advantage of free wireless around the place. This is good. There's a transition in the day which is very helpful. (PWK)
- More: sleep, water, exercise, traction, fruit T (PWL)
- This I probably managed. With the advent of diagnosed hypoglycemia and food allergies plus the climbing class, the amount of attention paid to sleep, water, exercise, and fruit has gone up. Not sure about traction. (PWM)
- Less: work T (PWN)
- Totally tanked on this one. Not only did I work more, but I made intentional decisions to remove some things from my life so I would have more time to focus on work. This was a choice and I don't regret it: the work was worth doing, but in the grand scheme of things it seems likely I'm making a poor trade. So for good measure this stays on the list. (PWO)
The New List (PWP)
- Less: work T (PWQ)
- (PWR)
- Maintain traction (PWS)
- Finish what gets started (PWT)
- When given responsibility, take power (PWU)
- There seem to me so many situations in life where one is given responsibility for some thing, but not at the same time given the tools and power to do the thing. I've always felt this an injustice and have felt bound to point out the injustice and push the problems back in the face of the givers of the responsibility, hoping for some correction. The injustice is perhaps just a reality and the only reaction is to find the power and resources to do the thing, or just don't do it. Which leads to the next thing. (PWV)
- JFDI (PWW)
- Just Fucking Do It. Or at least that's the translation I prefer. Ingy's been on me for some time do this. Less talk, more act. Less decision making, more happening. Etc. (PWX)
- More work on boundaries, schedules and routines (PWY)
- That is what it is. (PWZ)
- Climb outdoors (PX0)
- Doesn't matter where or of what type. Just get out there. (PX1)
- Put the beauty back T (PX2)
- Keep finding it where it is. (PX3)
- Stay in touch (PX4)
- I have fabulous family and friends. I feel like the connections with them are solid, but I don't do my part to keep information flowing on those connections. My life would be better if I did. (PX5)
November 27, 2005
Don't Tread on My Talking Snake
A recent New York Times Magazine has an article on the presence of Christian symbolism and myth in the Narnia books. This week's magazine has a worthy letter in response: (PVY)
It's true, as Charles McGrath? avers, that the Narnia books affirm "old-fashioned, Church of England religion and Tory politics" (Nov. 13). But the books would not have such a hold on generations if there were not a more liberating side. Lewis had two ruling passions. The first was to capture moments of what he called "joy," which he defined as an all-encompassing sensation of desire for something unnameable and, he came to believe, supernatural. The second - bred by a succession of sadistic boarding schools - was to be left alone. The first passion fed an unmatched capacity to make heaven seem viable and dynamic. The second was his hatred of arbitrary and self-serving authority. His child heroes grapple with tyrants who are essentially school bullies writ large; they are rewarded with experiences you have to be dead not to desire. It's a bewitching combination. --Andrew Sprung (PVZ)
This captures very well what I love about the Narnia books and encapsulates some aspect of my ethics or morals: to transcend, unfettered, in the pursuit of ... whatever. It doesn't matter to me if the thing desired or searched for is supernatural, only that it reach beyond and around those things, forces, and people which constrain, impinge and sully. (PW0)
November 19, 2005
Nothing To See Here
As I begin this entry it occurs to me that the more I work on a particular technology (blogs and wikis) the less inclined I am to write in blogs and wikis. But then as I begin this sentence I realize that this blog had its stride when it was the very crucible of my work on blogs and wikis, when PurpleWiki, PurpleNumbers and TransClusion were my daily bread. (PVT)
What does it all mean. Dunno. I'm positively distracted and insufficiently extroverted to keep it up here. (PVU)
In the meantime, if you see nothing happening here, fear not, I'm likely still alive. I was alive before January 9th, 2003. (PVV)
September 11, 2005
One Year
It's been one year since I moved to Seattle from Bloomington. In that time I've started a new job; entered one new home and then another; been to England to visit my son; danced a confusing dance with my health; climbed some, but missed climbing more than I wanted; lost my favorite kitty but gained a new buddy; travelled to Palo Alto, Toronto, Florida, Portland, Vancouver, Victoria, Lake Cumberland, and back to the old haunts in the midwest; taken many pictures of Mt. Rainier and far less of people; eaten a lot of good sushi, and a lot less wheat, dairy and sugar; lost and gained; shrunk and grown. (PUU)
The geography near here suits me better. There are ups and down and horizons. Tall mountains, deep lakes and many pine trees. In some ways these things are obscured by the--to me--bustling metropolis of Seattle, but all that bustling brings its benefits. I have pleasantly adapted to the concept of neighborhood where most of my food, entertainment, parks and comfort are within reach of my feet. The car can take me to mountains and ocean, snow and salt and have me home for dinner. (PUV)
The year has been one of change: some of my assumptions have been destroyed, leaving behind a bit of a void. On a bad day that's a void of doubt and confusion, on a good day an opportunity to be filled. Questions exist but there's been one constant: I came to Seattle for love, and that love remains. (PUW)
July 31, 2005
Some Weeks, Some Pictures
July has been pretty busy. Flickr has been my diary and it is likely to remain so. If you're trying to keep tabs on me maybe you should subscribe to my photostream? (PSS)
Early July I was in Palo Alto for a Socialtext all hands meeting. There was fun, learning, planning and most importantly: adventure. (PSU)
At the end of that I was lucky enough to hook up with Bloomington ex-patriates Scott and Rachel for a dash to Yosemite, which is one of the churches of my religion, also including Mt Rainier. (PSW)
It was much too hot for anything in Yosemite, but we did manage to climb two routes. I don't know their names or what area we were in. One was a terrifying near vertical, runout, bolted slab, somewhere around 10a or b, which I manage to onsight despite the burning in my hands and not knowing where the anchors were. Next was a top rope attempt on a 10c finger crack that Scott led. I eventually had to batman past the crux and into the section with good hands. I sweat away all my water, and soon fell asleep for two hours. (PSX)
I was back from California for a bit more than a day and then left for my sixth annual Lake Cumberland boat trip. Dr. Surly, who rescued me from near death mere inches below the surface has his version of events. The lake was beautiful this year and a very fine time was had, despite the usual technical difficulties. (PSZ)
Finally returned to Seattle, the month is nearly over, and I find parrots have invaded the neighborhood. This is exciting news to SB and me, and a case of "oh yeah, they're here every year" from the neighbors. (PT1)
The coming week I'm away at OSCON in Portland. If you're going to be there, let me know. (PT2)
June 06, 2005
Moved!
With the excellent help of Aubrey, Sean and Maria we've moved ourself out of our somewhat stanky previous establishment into a much more pleasant place. A small number of pictures on flickr. (PO4)
Now the hard part: cleaning up the old place. (PO5)
May 24, 2005
hypoallergenic
When last I was at the doctor we decided that having discovered some food allergies it might be wise to investigate allergies of the airborne or environmental type. (PMU)
So today I trotted off to the allergist confident that something would show, at least mold, cats and perhaps a few tree pollens. (PMV)
Nothing. Nada. Zip. I had no reaction to any of the (many) pricks and shots. I barely had a reaction to the positive control. And the machine that goes ping when you blow into it says my lungs are fine. (PMW)
The good news is apparently I don't have airborne allergy problems. The bad news is something unknown is wrong with me. (PMX)
April 23, 2005
Food Trouble
I've recently had some visits to the doctor that are resulting in diet changes. I've got some heavy issues with hypoglycemia and some recently uncovered allergies to dairy, wheat, almonds and eggs. (PI7)
Almonds and eggs were being a staple of my diet. No more. (PI8)
One tool I'm told is helpful when dealing with these sorts of diet changes is a food diary. I've decided to keep one in a Socialtext Eventspace as that seems to have some nice eating my own dog food thematic balance to it. (PI9)
Feel free to follow along over there if you are inclined. I'll also be using this as an opportunity to experiment with the application. (PIA)
Yes, thanks, I already know it's slow. The fix is in the chute. (PIB)
April 08, 2005
Should Regret
When I was younger, my friends, lovers and associates would pride themselves with statements similar to "I have no regrets" or "If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change anything". I was suspicious of that feeling then and know it to be utter bullshit now. I have regrets. I have things I would change. (PHT)
I'm in Bloomington for a couple of weeks and while enjoying a showing of films from the Banff Film Festival I reconnected with a regret, a thing I would change. Two of the films were about sled dogs. (PHU)
Sometime in the mid-nineties I had the pleasure to take a trip to Alaska with my girlfriend at that time, and her family. We travelled around many places. Saw many wonderful things. The night before entering Denali National Park we stayed in a charming and remote bed and breakfast. The owners were also sled dog trainers: on one section of the property were between ten and twenty dogs of various breeds, destined for a sledding life, maybe someday the Iditarod. (PHV)
In the evening I walked out amongst the dogs and enjoyed their presence and they seemed to enjoy mine. The owner noticed and invited me to be that year's intern. The intern winters in the bed breakfast, gets room and board, a minor stipend and is responsible for running the dogs. They warned me it was dark, lonely, cold but rewarding. I was intrigued, fascinated, excited but confused. (PHW)
The value of the offer was immense. Alaska had been calling out to me for many years. When the plane landed in Anchorage I thought, "I made it, I can die now." Adding in the dogs gave some substance to an abstract yearning that had always been around. (PHX)
I had come to Alaska with the woman I loved and though she said perhaps I should take the offer, in the end I chose to return with her to the life we were trying to make back in the real world. (PHY)
That relationship eventually failed. I regret not staying with the dogs. It is not, though, a simple case of "shit, if I knew this was going to go south I could have hung with the dogs". I regret not hanging with the dogs because hanging with the dogs is what I wanted to do and hanging with my girlfriend was what I felt like I should do and needed to do. (PHZ)
I regret the existence of should. (PI0)
March 21, 2005
Why Wiki?
A regular unanswered question (for myself and others) of "what do you do?", some conversations with Lee LeFever about social design and community, and recent updates at work have given me a chance to think a bit about the question and stir some ideas. (PG6)
At work I'm primarily a developer, but I tend to think of my vocation as a builder of augmenting, computer-based tools for personal and collaborative work. I go to the trouble of making that mouthful of a statement to distinguish between types of activities that computers do and types of activities that people do. (PG7)
Computers have two types of applications, those that automate and those that augment (21Q, 22J). An augmenting application assists a person in performing some activity which cannot or is not automated. Only activities which can be formally described in theory can be automated. As such there are many tasks, especially those related to human discourse, which cannot be automated; they can, however, be augmented. (PG8)
At a fundamental level computers are tools for creating representations (22L). An augmenting application supporting discourse is engaged in representing and transmitting information. The application is used as tool to evaluate, craft and remodel information (22K). (PG9)
Most of my development effort in the last few years has been with wikis (first PurpleWiki, and now Kwiki and Socialtext) and purple numbers. Purple numbers may eventually change the universe of information handling, but that's a discussion for another day. (PGB)
Wikis are a type of augmenting discourse tool optimized for a particular set of behaviors. Under ideal(tm) conditions they provide an easy path to participation in evolving communication. They do this by being straightforward to learn, quick to respond, and accessible in a distributed fashion. They support changing content and provide an easy way to create and explore connections between things. How something fits in to the larger picture is a large part of how we infer meaning. (PGC)
I think there are three primary audiences for wikis: the individual who hopes to use the wiki as an outboard brain or memory; the nascent group that hopes to discover and solidify the community that lies as potential in their loose connections; and the existing community that hopes to support a shared goal or perform some action. (PGD)
Those three categories could be used to describe any set of people, but a wiki is not the perfect tool for every task. There are multiple types of discourse and multiple tools to support them. Some are better at certain aspects than others, none are really good enough (we have a long long way to go, but each day and in every way we are becoming better and better). (PGE)
Blogs have become a central tool in the distribution of narrative discourse. With a blog there is usually a single author or small group expressing outwardly in a gesture that leads, over time, to the distribution of language and understanding outside the immediate clan. Very often the initial discourse is not fully refined but is rather some author's speculation: a seed that may lead to more knowledge later, as a separate piece of content. As has been said many times, the connections in the network of blogs is often loose and distributed. (PGF)
Email continues to be a primary tool for discussion within a clan. The members of an email group have already discovered some bit of shared language or understanding that has brought them together. Email discussion can reinforce and solidify language, providing stability from which action can be performed. (PGG)
With both blogs and email, content tends to be relatively static. Typos may be corrected in a blog entry and email threads may carry on forever but there is little in the way of refinement of the content. This is where wikis step in: they are good tools for summarizing, annotating and connecting information. These are the actions of a knowledge enhancement system. (PGH)
Wikis do not match all the requirements for a knowledge enhancement system, but experience has demonstrated that this is good. Wikis are here now, today, helping people to do good work generating and supporting communities, developing and creating shared language, and refining information into new knowledge. Their simplicity makes them available. (PGI)
When I chose to join up with Socialtext back in September, it was an attractive choice because the people there believe in two things: people matter more than tools; and tools should help people do what they want to do, not get in the way. (PGK)
Socialtext, in its various incarnations, is based on wiki but integrates concepts from email and blogs to allow the action and narration those systems support. The latest release is a fine improvement: it enhances email integration, adds support for backlinks (placing information in context, leading to deeper understanding) and for PC Forum 2005 we've created a special prototype of Eventspace, running under mod perl for improved response time. (PGL)
Architecting these sorts of tools may not solve poverty and hunger, or alleviate suffering in the aftermath of a ? disaster, but the tools can augment people actively doing that work. I happen to be good at making the tools go, so that's where I look to fit myself into the puzzle. (PGM)
Related writings: (PGN)
March 16, 2005
samsara
Today, while the neighborhood of North Beacon Hill mobilized itself in a game of hide and seek with the suspected thief of laptops belonging to myself and others, a gentleman enjoying some wine (maybe a little too much) in the (highly recommended) Java Love Cafe suggested a plan of action: (PG0)
"I tell you what you should do", he told me, "You should get a gun and find the guy. When you find him stick the gun in his mouth, like this." (PG1)
I lean away while the man leans in towards me and my mouth, brandishing his cocked finger. (PG2)
"Tell him, take me to the guy you sold this stuff to. When you get to that guy, stick the gun in his mouth and tell him to take you to the guy he sold the stuff to and keep on going." (PG3)
From somewhere, I dredge up: "The problem with that is that if you do that you'll eventually be sticking the gun in your own mouth." (PG4)
The perp was not apprehended, but the cops "know who he is and have been watching him". (PG5)
February 16, 2005
At Least Two Pieces of Good News about Views: Mountains and Purple
Two nice things have happened today: (PEG)
On the walk back from the grocery I found a good place from which to get my eyes on Mt. Rainier. This has been a long running problem for me. First the weather is usually cloudy, so none of the mountains (Cascades or Olympics) are in view. Second, in the neighborhood, views to the east are fairly plentiful, but narrow. Rainier is to the Southeast, usually outside the angle of view while tromping around the streets. (PEH)
Today things are different. Very clear day. And I found a good spot for a view. Somewhere I walk past often, but usually with my back facing the view. At the northwest corner of a nearby playfield if I site across the center line of the soccer field and look a bit right there's the mountain. And when I say there, I mean THERE. On a day like today it is stunningly huge. Nails me to the spot in some kind of religious ecstasy. (PEI)
Meanwhile, back inside, where my view is the brick wall of next door, I've finally cut a usable version of Kwiki::Purple with support for good linking and internal to the wiki TransClusion. See it: http://www.burningchrome.com/pwiki/ (PEJ)
This is the culmination of a huge amount of work and experimentation, and I'm sure there will be much more to come. Thanks again to Brian Ingerson, Matthew O'Connor and Eugene Eric Kim. (PEK)
I hope to get it to CPAN asap. (PEL)
January 26, 2005
New Couch Poetry
Upon the Arrival of One New Couch and the Delivery of Crushing News through Instant Messenger &c (PE4)
certain animals the furry kind are leaving little footprints the dirty kind on our pristine couch (PE5)
January 18, 2005
New Year's Rez
Before this moment of remembering that I made them has passed (I find them in my palm pilot), here are some new year's resolutions I made, for later re-interpretation: (PDO)
December 16, 2004
brave old new world
I am eight again. Awake, late at night, in bed, face bathed by a dim light. Then I just read but now I also write. The same vague sense of doing something naughty. (OVE)
I bought a wi-fi card for my palm pilot. (OVF)
October 04, 2004
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
This weekend was the last weekend of sun I will see. Seattle is preparing to descend into several months of cool foetid dampness. In keeping with tradition, Sabrina and I made way to a wilderness destination. We went to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, the estuary at the mouth of the Nisqually River as it enters the Puget Sound, bird central, home of somewhere between a few hundred and 97 million billion cedar waxwings (a suave character to be sure) and many other birds. (OJX)
The Nisqually River starts way up on Mount Rainier in the Nisqually Glacier and flows 78 miles to the sound. From the wildlife refuge, one can see the mountain watching over things: mindful, present, and completely untouchable. It's an awe inspiring sight. (OJZ)
Sabrina and I visited Rainier last year. This, if I recall correctly, is the Nisqually Glacier: (OK1)
Its melt flows down the mountain (OK3)
to the estuary (OK5)
and out into the sound. (OK7)
The experience of seeing the mountain from a distance is not that much different from looking at it while upon it. Its upper reaches tower above everything around it. It is always there, always watching you. The only way to get away is to go to the top. I may need to do that. (OK9)
There's a lovely trail that walks a large loop through the refuge. More pictures at NisquallyWildlifeRefugeThumb: more of the mountain, some of me and Sabrina being confused by the camera, a nice little froggie, and a seal pulling a fish from a net in the river. (OKB)
September 27, 2004
Three Reasons For Sore Feet
As I can't seem to find the discipline to entertain myself and others with regular and creative updates, here's an irregular and boring update: (O7B)
new shoes (O7C)
I'm wearing (to see if they fit, or rather, don't fit in the correct way) my new pair of climbing shoes. With use they stretch and get soft, so for proper fit it is often necessary to size them down a bit and just go with the initial pain. It's been a while since I appreciated this, as the pair being replaced are so far gone as to have holes in the big toes and rips at the heels which relieve much of the pressure. No pressure is being relieved right now. It's sublime. (O7D)
consumption (O7E)
Wait, some pressure is being relieved. The oh so special pain of a brand new pair of climbing shoes brings a distance and clarity that relieves the clench of my jaw, still present from several hours in the confines of Ikea. Why does anyone yearn for an Ikea to come to their town? Oh yeah, there was lots to choose from, and sure some of it seems pretty cheap for what you get. But really, my time is worth way more than that and I'm fairly certain I'm not a sheep. And I'm not done yet: the big stuff doesn't arrive until Tuesday and who knows how long it will take to assemble. (O7F)
But there's a nice new ceiling lamp in the bedroom, and I'll replace my card table desk with a nice pine thingie that actually has some drawers when I can store stuff that somebody somewhere thinks I need to have but I'll never look at again. My clothes and books will have somewhere to go. New curtains will make it easier to walk around the house naked. (O7G)
recreation (O7H)
Two weekends in a row now: another trip to the mountains. This time to see Twin Falls. Another few weekends this will be a ritual, and thus sacrosanct and protected from unimportant things like cleaning and going to Ikea. (O7I)
Twin Falls are a series of waterfalls (two bigger, plus a few separating the upper and lower) on the south fork of the Snoqualmie River on state park land. A lovely trail takes you along the river to this, (O7J)
the lower falls. Continuing up the trail takes you to the upper falls. Beyond that the trail heads for the Iron Horse Trail (which goes across the Cascades to at least the Columbia River) where we saw a new bird: The Varied Thrush. (O7L)
Other pictures from the walk at TwinFallsTrailThumb. (O7M)
August 24, 2004
More Bats
This time in the bedroom while I was asleep. Two rounds of one each: (NJU)
chris: zzzz (NJV)
[noises] (NJW)
chris: shut up kitty (NJX)
[flapping] (NJY)
chris: mmmrph? (NJZ)
[lights on to reveal a strangely slow moving bat and an excited kitty] (NK0)
I trundle off down the hall to fetch that which the garage provides, swoop it up in one attempt, and deliver it outside. (NK1)
chris: zzzz (NK2)
[noises, noises that might be coming from the wall air conditioner] (NK3)
chris: thoughts of ignoring it followed by resignation (NK4)
I trundle off down the hall to fetch that which the garage provides, swoop it up in one attempt, and deliver it outside. (NK5)
[spotlight on air conditioner as it receives an inconclusive inspection] (NK6)
August 17, 2004
Going To Seattle
Just to make it official, as apparently I've not made an official announcement: I'm moving to Seattle. On or about labor day my lovely participant and I will hop in the car with Thomasina the cat and head into the sunset on a grand adventure. (NGQ)
I have a small car. I'm not taking much with, so I'm attempting to unload just about everything I own. If you're in the vicinity of Bloomington, my loss can be your gain. See StuffForSaleOrFree for all sorts of stuff from around the house that is going cheap or free. Some of it is an absolute steal. If you know folk that need stuff, feel free to point them to that wiki page. (NGR)
I've been told a party of some sort is in order. Okay, let's have a party where you have to take something I'm trying to get rid of with you when you go home. When's good? (NGS)
August 11, 2004
The Garage Provides
I've just had the pleasure of a visit from not one, nor two, but three bats. Nor were these like the cute dude who spent some time with me a while back. That bat was little, and very tired, and happy to be caught in a cup. (ABO)
Catching these bats required the assistance of an implement of science from the garage. Perhaps a butterfly net? Or miscellaneous bug net. Or even a bat net. I fetched it. The garage provides. (ABP)
I took my stance in the corner the room. Swing! One bat snagged and delivered to the outdoors. (ABQ)
I made ready for bat number two, but this one was wise to my ways. At the last minute it did what bats do and took a wild curve. The rim of my net encountered bat. Bat encountered bookshelf and lay, stunned. (ABR)
I was crippled by guilt. But the bat stirred and wiggled, and I scooped it into the net. Once outside, the bat flew away. (ABS)
Relief. (ABT)
Back inside the remaining bat was tired and large. I swung. I missed. I swung again. Missed again. Again I swung and the bat was retired, noisily, to the out of doors. (ABU)
Where did the bats come from? I don't know. (ABV)
But the garage provides. (ABW)
July 31, 2004
The Paradox of Choice
An interesting read about how the modern superabundance of choice makes at least some unhappy rather than the happy rational economics says they should be. (A9B)
Points to a recent book of the same name by Dr. Barry Schwartz. (A9D)
It's fairly clear to me that this is a big player in my life and one of the motivating factors in getting rid of stuff (where stuff is the gamut including things, ideas, foods, people, places, passions, participations, etc.). (A9E)
July 15, 2004
From Today's Comics
I was pleased today to wake up to two comics that resonated nicely. I'm going to quote the scripts as the images are incidental. (A2U)
First one from Get Fuzzy. Rob has sponsored a howling monkey for Satchel's birthday (or something). (A2V)
Bucky: I assume you gave Satchel some breath mints for his monkey. (A2W)
Rob: What's that supposed to mean. (A2X)
Bucky: Oh come on. It is a known fact that monkeys have the worst breath in the world. Haven't you ever heard of Scope's Monkey Trial? (A2Y)
Rob: It....What? (A2Z)
Bucky: Yeah. That's right. Trial. Some chimp's breath was so bad that a mouthwash company sued him. (A30)
Rob: Where do you learn your history, dude? (A31)
Bucky: You can't trust the liberal media, Rob. You have to figure stuff out for yourself. (A32)
This reminded me of what's wrong with Bush and the ignorant Americans that support him. I was trying hard to come up with some way to say that other than that, something less aggressive, but there's really no reason not to. So though I laughed and appreciated the few days of setup that went into this comic, I went a bit moody. (A33)
But then I read some Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin's getting ready for a bath, stripping down, covered in filth. (A34)
