Noah was here

Thanks to the lovely eleri, I was made aware of this entry from theferrett. As a geek, mammophile, and occasional convention attendee, I find the concept fascinating.

As an aside, the comments on the entry vary widely across the pro and con spectrum.

Current Mood: pensive

Prank calls from a 33-year-old Colorado Springs woman may be linked to the raid at a West Texas polygamist compound, Colorado Springs police say.

Rozita Swinton was arrested at her home Wednesday evening on charges of false reporting in a local case, but Texas Rangers were present for the arrest, Colorado Springs police said Thursday night.

ABC News reported on its website Thursday that former Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints member Flora Jessop, who operates a rescue mission for teenage girls trying to escape the sect, told Texas authorities she had gotten calls from a girl claiming to be an abused member named Sarah.

A girl with that same name made the original calls for help to a San Angelo, Texas, hotline, sparking the raid in which 416 children were taken into protective custody.

Jessop told ABC News that the Texas Rangers directed her to record the calls and the Texas Rangers traced those calls to Colorado Springs.

Though announcing the Rangers' involvement, Colorado Springs police declined to elaborate on the Texas link, and records in Swinton's Colorado Springs case have been sealed by a judge. Colorado Springs police said Swinton's Wednesday arrest was on local charges involving calls in which she claimed to be an abused child being held in a basement.

Current Mood: unsurprised

Today, the National Football League's New York Giants (who play their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey) and the New England Patriots (who play their home games in Foxboro, Massachusetts) will meet in Glendale, Arizona (home of the Arizona Cardinals) to play for the NFL Championship. The game begins shortly before 6:18PM, EST, and I'll be watching.

I'm an optimist, and I'm hoping the Giants will win. However, if (as is widely expected) the Patriots win, I'll focus on the fact that their perfect season will be a slap in the big mouths of the 1972 Miami Dolphins. So for me, it's win-win!

And now, it's time to take it to the streets. I'm going to shake the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and see the world! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, campers.

Current Mood: relaxed

This one comes from my friend redneckgaijin, a Libertarian Party member who is politically active in his home state of Texas. I'm a very radical libertarian (too radical for the party), but he was interested in seeing this propagated, and I found it interesting (his answers and mine) enough to make a rare entry of this type.

( And when I say I'm a radical, I mean it! )

Current Mood: pensive

If you've noticed any strange entries on your LJ, then those folks are joining me in wishing the late Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson a very happy 175th birthday!

Current Mood: amused

Hi, campers. Would those of you familiar with DVD recorders (standalone decks, or with VCRs) please offer some suggestions?

We have one now, from Go Video (VCR/DVD recorder combo), but my beauteous and oft-praised jungle_goddess has had trouble playing the DVDs in some of our players. I wondered which ones those of you who had investigated this thought had the best overall compatibility across players. My Google-Fu on this has been relatively weak, I'm afraid.

Thanks in advance for the info, and also for your part in helping us add to seasonal consumer spending. :-)

Current Mood: curious

No, I didn't. And no, I won't.

Current Mood: thoughtful

Enron founder Ken Lay is dead.

Current Mood: sympathetic

For those who know him and haven't heard yet, I just received a text message from my friend Charles (spo00on) in Alabama. He said no damage, but no power. It's hot and humid there (d'uh!), but he's well, and that's good news.

Current Mood: relieved

[cross-posted to nsingman and quartercon]

My beauteous and oft-praised jungle_goddess and I are sitting in one of Continental's President's Clubs at Newark-Liberty International Airport as I type this. We're on our way to St. John's, Newfoundland, for RATMM on the Rock 6!

However, I didn't sign on just to make you all jealous. No, there is one additional bit of business to which I must attend, and it's about a gathering in New Orleans three months from Saturday.

( QuarterCon brunch menu )

Current Mood: cheerful

Are you tired of those dinky little health food breakfasts? That cup of yogurt, that meal bar, some fresh fruit, an egg white omelet, whole wheat toast? Tired of a little egg sandwich on a bagel or croissant? Sick of 3 ounces of cottage cheese, or 4 ounces of tofu yuckiness? Of course you are!

Burger King feels your pain, and has decided to do something about it. Hardee's took care of the dinky little lunch problem with their Monster Burger a few months ago. Now Burger King gives us a big breakfast!

Current Mood: hungry

In the United States, if you're under 18, you may now kill as many people as you please without worrying about that pesky death penalty. The Supreme Court, by a 5-4 decision, has so ruled.

I wonder if this will become a new rite of passage. :-)

Current Mood: busy

Are you tired of your dinky little $1 million home? Embarrassed that so many others have homes that are more expensive? Apparently, you're in good company. CNN/Money reports on a boom in 8-figure home sales. :-)

Current Mood: amused

On this day in 1791, the United States of America adopted The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the recently ratified United States Constitution.

Current Mood: pensive

We got home from quartercon at around 5:30 this afternoon. From Thursday afternoon through Monday morning, it was just top-to-bottom wonderful. I'll try to do some sort of update later, but for now, many thanks to my friends who traveled to New Orleans, and my friends who live there. It was slow going with dial-up, but with broadband at home, I've managed to catch up on over 500 entries (with lots of skimming).

For those who couldn't join us, you were missed. I'm already looking forward to QuarterCon 3, November 17-21, 2005, in New Orleans. Join us! :-)

Current Mood: tired

Just one of many great lines from The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. As we speak, my beauteous and oft-praised jungle_goddess and I are watching this fine cinematic epic.

Words escape me. :-)

Current Mood: amused

A few minutes ago, the Boston Red Sox beat the evil, detested (by me) New York Yankees by a score of 3 to 2!! The loser was overrated whiner Mariano Rivera.

EDIT: In other baseball news, under the headline "Better Living Through Chemistry," former great (and current disgrace) Barry "Steroids" Bonds hit his 700th home run against San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy.

Not that I'm opinionated, or anything. :-)

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Mary J. Blige - No More Drama

Santa Claus not welcome in Salt Lake?

Current Mood: amused

Just before heading to bed, I wanted to thank everyone for their concerns and good wishes. You'll be happy to know that my mutant healing factor has kicked in nicely, and my ankle feels much better this evening than it did yesterday, or even this morning.

Current Mood: tired

I've learned my lesson. I won't walk the treadmill barefoot any more. My ankle started hurting yesterday morning (after walking), enough that I asked my beauteous and oft-praised jungle_goddess to take me to our local Care Station (a local ambulatory, no appointment needed, medical facility). The X-rays looked clean, thank goodness, but I'm going to have to take it easy with exercise for a few days. Add this to the list of mistakes I wouldn't have made if I'd listened to Connie. As Crow T. Robot would say, "Why don't they look?"

Current Mood: lazy