Thu-Oct 31 2002
Don't try this at home
Some time ago I had what I think is a neat idea, and since I have
a blog now, I think I'll share it with you. There's a phenomena that
supposedly happens to some people who report that they have witnessed
UFOs-the Men In Black(MIB) come calling: Strange, oddly moving men in
wrinkle-proof black suits driving big black cars who give off a palpable aura of
creepy otherness. Now everyone would
agree it would be a cool thing to capture a UFO-but there are obvious problems.
No one knows when or where the UFO will appear, they seem to be extremely
fast and radar stealthy, and there are reports of time anomalies...the list goes
on and on. So give up on snagging a UFO-but what about capturing a MIB?
You don't have to sit out in the middle of nowhere, MIBs come to you!
MIB hunting in a nutshell:
1: Rent/Buy a house. Seclusion and anonymity would be a plus.
2: Set the stage. Install a couple or family in the house. Once
again paranoia should be the rule-No real names, plausible fake
identities.
3: Set the trap. Your guess is as good as mine-Electromagnetic pulse
weapons, Faraday cages, exotic trank dart guns-you're hunting big game now.
4: Troll the bait. Have your fake family report a UFO sighting. Try to
make as much fuss as you can.
5: Let the games begin!
There are 2 things I love about this idea:
A: It's so neat and elegant and theoretically do-able, provided you're
a crazed multimillionaire-just report a UFO and it's like Bigfoot comes to
you.
B: I've never seen it anywhere else.
Cops cost money
I heard about this on NPR and felt compelled to follow it up with some
web research. One of Washington State's mental hospitals is in
in the Tacoma suburb of Lakewood (the other one is in Eastern
Washington at Medical Lake-I took an Anthropology course field
trip there one time, and got to beat a mental patient at air
hockey. Boy did he get cheesed off-but that's another story).
It seems that the city of Lakewood is running a $2 million
budget shortfall and since the hospital doesn't pay any taxes
the city has decided to cut them off from all police services
except those involving life-threatening emergencies.
The thing that got me is
the number of calls Lakewood sheriffs respond to. I couldn't believe
the number I thought I heard over the car radio. But according to
this article ,for 2002 the city of Lakewood
estimates the hospital will call the police over 2000 times.
That's an average of over 5.47 calls PER DAY, EVERY DAY. That is one hell of a
lot of law enforcement resources. For someplace that crime-intensive, I
can see stationing a couple of state troopers there on a full-time
basis.
Sat-Oct 26 2002
Can't believe everything you hear
I was waiting for a traffic report from KOMO-1000 (delivery drivers
live for traffic info) when I heard a "on this day in history" bit produced
by the History Channel. What made me yell out loud was the statement
that "Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play professional
baseball". Even I, who regards professional sports as a blight on a par
with smallpox and power-ballads, knows full well that there were
African-American professional baseball players well before Robinson joined
the Major Leagues: For example, the
Negro League
Mildly Puzzled
I was unloading the van Thursday, busily digging out a delivery
when I heard this "hello". I backed out of the side door with a box, said
"hello" back and turned to see who I was being greeted by. Turns out this 13-ish
blond girl with a backpack I've never seen before had just greeted me out of
nowhere. She was almost past me by the time I saw her and there was no
eye contact. I have to wonder what the heck all that was about. Maybe she
mistook me for someone else. Or maybe I have a stalker from the 8th grade.
Who woulda thunk it?
Antarctica has some very cool cash,
but a distinct shortage of places to spend it.
Via Craig's Booknotes
Fri-Oct 25 2002
Round, Round, I get Around
If you don't want to register with the New York Times or Washington
Post you can still read the story by going through Google News
like this. Adding more search terms will increase your mileage. I wonder
if telling you this is illegal under the DCMA? shhhhh, it'll be our secret.
Thu-Oct 24 2002
Speaking of David Warner
Jeez, he has been
busy.
And, another postscript:
Jennifer Lien's
character was named "Agent Elle" on "Men In Black".
oooh!
Clancy Brown!, I love Clancy Brown, who was "Rawhide" in
"Buckaroo Banzai..." and who now does the voice for "Mr. Krabs"
on "Spongebob Squarepants". It's a wiggly world.
Wed-Oct 23 2002
I get e-mail, and it is good
Frykitty came across
my site and said hello. It's exciting and just a bit scary to realize
total strangers are starting to wander in. Now if people would stop
giving me a blank look when I tell them I have a blog. I bet most of
them wonder if it's contagious.
Sat-Oct 19 2002
Starting to bug me
What is with all the green-tinted movies, commercials, and television
shows? Who decided this looked cool? Now everything that's supposed to
be scary or moody gets green, or sometimes brown. It just ain't right,
and it's way overused. I like my color full spectrum.
I couldn't find any information on this via Google, but I was surprised
at the
top return for the terms "green" and "tint".
Wed-Oct 16 2002
Musings Regarding Buffy & Angel
1: Where the heck is Clem? They didn't even have
the good grace to kill him off. BRING BACK CLEM!
2: Since electricity acts on vampires like it does
on humans (remember the Initiative using Tasers) why
doesn't Miss Red-Catsuit's shocks effect Angel?
Vaguely unnerving
I never thought I'd hear David Warner doing voices on
"Courage The Cowardly Dog" on Nickleodeon. He's really
good at it though, and it is nice to know he's getting
paid.
Though now that I think about it, he was the polymorphous
villain on the "Men in Black" Saturday morning cartoon-along
with Jennifer Lien as a sultry Ms. MIB. Cartoon lust, can't
beat it with a stick.
Ever Notice?
The next time you're watching TV, try to notice how many
times someone throws something off-screen and you hear
the annoyed cat sound-effect. Cartoons and commercials
are good hunting grounds.
Sun-Oct 13 2002
35 Questions On Iraq From A GOP Congressman
"28. Why is it that those who never wore a uniform and are
confident that they won't have to personally fight this war
are more anxious for
this war than our generals?
29. What is the moral argument for attacking
a nation that has not initiated aggression against us,
and could not if it wanted?
30. Where does the Constitution grant us permission to wage
war for any reason other than self-defense?"
Link
Via Looka!
Fri-Oct 11 2002
It was the damndest thing
I was stopped at a light the other day. There was this flashy SUV stopped
on the cross street, and it's wheels were turning. Not the tires, just
the chrome. It freaked me out, because I automatically associate spinning
wheels with cars moving. I think I was seeing these
, unless some mad genius has invented powered spinning wheels. Now that I know
what the hell I was looking at I feel sorry for the kind of guy who has such
small genitals he needs to spend upwards of $4000 on shiny things to go between
his car and his tires.
Mystery Substance Explained
I'm sure I'm not alone in asking myself, just what in the
hell is Nougat anyway?
Thu-Oct 10 2002
Un-American Arrests
"The D.C. and National Park Service police had used the same technique in
each instance:
Surround the crowd. Tell its members to disperse or face arrest. And then,
as people try to disperse, block their escape with rows of officers in riot
gear and arrest them."
"The practice of preventing withdrawal seems calculated to maximize arrests
in order to remove large numbers of people from the streets. This view is
reinforced by the fact that hundreds of people were held until Saturday
evening, then released in a perfunctory manner. While they could have been
released within hours of their arrest, their continued detainment achieved
the purpose of disrupting the protests."
Link
Via Red Rock
Eater
Wed-Oct 09 2002
Sun-Oct 06 2002
Babs and I, we've been had
Down below, for the "84 Reasons Bush Must Go" post I used
what I thought was a quote from Julius Caesar. It wasn't.
But at least I'm not alone. Barbra Streisand believed it
came from Shakespeare and used it in concert. I agree with
her-it's still a neat bit of prose.
Link
Via Metafilter
Two Words: Cosmic Slop
I've got a number of weaknesses: women with husky voices, tequila
and coffee w/sugar, babies, dogs, and the list goes on and on. And
right up there is the recently received bin at a good used CD store.
So what caught my eye tonight?
The Skatalites-Foundation Ska
The Ornette Coleman Quartet-This Is Our Music
Funkadelic-Hardcore Jollies
They call me Mister Eclectic.
I had been wondering about this
Comparing UN Security Council resolutions concerning Iraq and Israel.
Link
Via Red Rock
Eater
Now wait just a minute
The NYC police has applied for the ability to investigate and
surveil legal political activities. Does anyone else think
any terrorists are going to be found attending marches,
meetings, or protests?
Link
Via Red Rock
Eater
Trent Lott, the Senator from Lockheed:
"For him to be in Baghdad, the center of one of the most
dangerous dictators in the world, with all kinds of weapons
of mass destruction, to be questioning the veracity of our
own American president, is the height of irresponsible,"
said Lott, R-Mississippi. "He needs to come home and keep his mouth shut."
Via CNN
God forbid that our elected officials not support Empereror Shrub
or his rush to war.
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