Can you help me Occupy my brain, oh yeah

1. first thing i did this morning was glance in the lizard tank, as is my custom. Davey was perched on a branch, and appeared to be covered with huge blisters and a fine covering of gray mold. before i could shout "what the hell?" i realized that she was just molting, like she does every couple of weeks. you'd think i'd be used to that by now, but it always freaks me out at first glance.


2. Jen and i started off bread and soup season by having my mentor/pal/part-time-employer Grant over for dinner last night. on walking in the door the first thing Grant sez is "show me the basement of this house!" so we go downstairs, and Grant is looking around and saying "aha! i thought so!" Turns out one of his bandmates used to live in our apartment, and F/i actually practiced and recorded the album "Merge Parlor" in the room that i use as a workroom. strange coincidence, right down to the fact that Grant's 4-track and synth equipment sat right where my synth is now...

3. kudos to the Man Who Could Not Blog for keeping this here blog on topic, i.e. Very Mëtal. On his recommendation I just ordered the new SunnO))) cd, "Black One" which sounds really great. Go to Southern Lord's site and give the track off the new "Earth" album a listen, too. also, check out "Twilight", which reduces mëtal to one of its logical conclusions, a big old buzzing drone. Nutty. i think i need to pick that one up, as well.

Another prophet of disaster who says the ship is lost

Finals are over! some of them actually went ok, for once. I'm at work for a coupla hours, but there's really not much going on...most of the students have already left for Thxgiving break.


if you think that's funny, check this out: Angry Alien...30 second re-enactments of classic films performed by bunnies. I dig the "Pulp Fiction" one, especially.

Kick Ass Tortilla soup.

inspired by the astounding tortilla soup they got over there at the Xel Ha restaurant down the street....

ingredients:
6 TBS vegetable oil
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, coursely chopped
6 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Do this:
1. in large pot heat the oil. add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. saute for 5-6 minutes. you want the tortilla chunks to get a little crispy. otherwise, they'll completely dissolve in the soup and everyone will point and laugh when you say its "tortilla soup". it'll still taste really good, it'll just look a little weird.

2. stir in tomatoes, and bring to a boil. dump in everything else. make it boil again, then cover and let simmer for, i dunno, 30 minutes or so. remember to remove the bay leaves.

hoo boy.

Are you an able-bodied Sasquatch aged 10 to 150 who loves his or her country? If so, The Republic of Cascadia needs YOU to enlist in the Sasquatch Militia and defend our homeland against our many enemies, including such nefarious evildoers as:

* Canadians
* Southern Californians
* Geoduck & Tree Octopus Poachers
* Paraterrestrials
* Americans
* International Organized Crime Syndicates
* Nosey Cryptozoologists

Besides serving your country, you will also be improving yourself. Sasquatch Militia will teach you many valuable skills that today's employers are looking for in Sasquatch. You will gain a sense of determination and confidence that will help you succeed. And you will also experience compatriotship with your fellow Sasquatch as you work together to secure the freedom of the Republic of Cascadia.

The Republic of Cascadia needs you now, more than ever, in these trying times. Do your part for your nation and don't let another Sasquatch take your place in the ranks of the Sasquatch Militia. Enlistment stations can be found throughout Cascadia's forests, just look for the poster of Uncle Sas.

Effectiveness of aluminum hats

I've long been fascinated by the paranoid notion that "they" are attempting to read and/or manipulate our minds by electromagnetic means, and that this can be thwarted by covering our heads with aluminum foil. when i still had a Live Journal acct I once re-published a guide to constructing such a hat.

but now, it seems some MIT folks have actually tested the effectiveness of this psychic defense, and found it wanting:

Abstract:
Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum helmets serve as the protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We investigate the efficacy of three aluminum helmet designs on a sample group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain frequencies are in fact greatly amplified. These amplified frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Statistical evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the government's invasive abilities. We theorize that the government may in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.

read the full article here.

i can't wait to play this.

I got home yesterday to find that my package from Cheapass Games had arrived. I had ordered a copy of the "Give me the brain" cardgame, and the boardgame "Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Adventure".

what a great premise for a boardgame:

in 1898 Captain Park made an historic expedition to the Antarctic. He returned with strange artifacts, tales of high adventure, and memories of heroes lost in the ice.

So he says.

Fact is, the old liar never set foot outside London, and his "artifacts" came from a little antique shop in Stepney which he frequently visited in disguise.

You are tempted to expose the old liar, but you'd rather have a few expeditions of your own. You'll spend a few months keeping your head low, and return with tales of high adventure.

If your friends don't do it first...

I got something to say.

taking a few minutes between finishing my Engineering Econ HW and putting the final polish on a paper for the same class, due at 7pm...

Davey and Plinko Cam I have an extra beater pc at home that isn't doing anything, and we do have some extra bandwidth to play with...i've been having fun watching the South Pole webcam, and i'm thinking of setting up a Lizard cam, so I (and anyone else) can relax by watching them run around their tank, since i'm not home that often. or at least, occasional snapshots of them running around their tank. This will also allow me to monitor the temperature and humidity of the tank while sitting here at work (tho, not like i'd be able to do anything about it). Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Surrealism So, the Reader of Adsurdist Books made a recommendation of reading "Motorman" by David Ohle. I bought a copy off Amazon last week, and Monday night instead of doing homework, I read the whole thing in one sitting. I'm still reeling from the implications of the story, and have encouraged Jen to read it so i can talk to someone about it. As I understand it, the protagonist, Moldenke, is on the run from a man named Bunce who knows everything about him, and claims to have tapes of his conversations and thoughts. Moldenke is running to a vague location south of the City thru the swamps to meet friends who can shield him from Bunce. The story contains elements which could be described as science fiction if the narrator had felt the need to explain them. But, as TRoAB points out, the narrator tells the story completely from within the context of Moldenke's world, so its taken for granted that Moldenke has 4 sheep's hearts inside his chest, that the moon and sun have been replaced by government simulations, and that a large percentage of the population are artificial people called "jellyheads"...great stuff, i sense a family resemblance to PKD or JG Ballard here. years ago i read some *ok* surreal sci-fi by Michael Moorcock, and it seems like "Motorman" was the sort of thing he was trying to pull off and not quite succeediing. i dunno. i don't read so good.

Surrealism, part 2 TRoAB tells me that David Ohle wrote a sequel to "Motorman". I am very keen on getting my hands on a copy of that.

Rock and Roll Lifestyle. ESVC's show went really well on Saturday. we played first, because i knew that some of the other bands would have some of the same elements (synths, samples, film) and i wanted us to do it all first. Good times, some people said nice things afterwards. We were one of 6 bands that played that night, and as it turned out, they were ALL pretty damn good. I had that same feeling that i was part of a "scene" that was about to "do something", much as i felt back in the classic old days of thenurses, AKE, Quisling, and Katzenmallets.

Sesame Street -> Klingon -> English

i sort of wish I'd have come up with this, but i stole it from here. that's the kind of guy i am.

===================================
Sunny day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way
to where the air is sweet.
Can you tell me how to get,
how to get to Sesame Street?

pem Hov jaj.
Haw'choHnIS 'eng 'ej Haj.
ghoch vIghaj;
'ej pa' muDmo' jIbel.
chay' Sesame He vIghoS?
SIbI' jIHvaD 'e' yIDel.

A day of the daytime star.
The clouds are compelled to commence fleeing, and are filled with dread.
I have a destination;
and there, because of the atmosphere, I am pleased.
Describe to me immediately
how to go to Sesame Street.

===================================

Come and play!
Everythings A-O-kay.
Friendly neigh-
bors there, that's were we meet.
Can you tell me how to get,
how to get to Sesame Street?

Quj yIlaj!
HochvaD majatlhnIS: "maj!"
jupHey Da j-
Ilpu', 'ej pa' ma'el.
chay' Sesame He vIghoS?
SIbI' jIHvaD 'e' yIDel.

Accept the game!
To all things we are compelled to say "Well done!"
The neighbours seem to behave in a friendly fashion,
and there is where we enter!
Describe to me immediately
how to go to Sesame Street.


===================================

It's a magic carpet ride,
ev'ry door will open wide
to happy people like you.
Happy people like,
what a beautiful
Sunny day...

wIch toQDujmeyDaq boghoS.
'ej Supawpu'DI', tugh poS,
'ej Qap lojmItmey SuQuchmo'.
Qapchu' Quchlu'mo'.
DaHjaj 'IHqu'bej
pem Hov jaj...

You go there in legendary Birds of Prey.
And when you have arrived, the doors are soon
open and functional, because you are happy.
Fully functional, because of there being happiness about.
Today it is a truly beautiful
day of the daytime star...


===================================

...and on a personal note, i must admit i don't recognize that last verse. that must be a fairly recent addition.