Aaaaaaiiiiieeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!

Who is this guy and why is he saying these things?

EDIT: I actually DO know who he is, or at least who he was before the pod person took over and started speaking for the Dems.

[Scream audio] from Political Humor

Dali would have been 98 today.

I have seen this painting. It resides in this museum that is devoted to Dali. He has always been one of my favorite artists, probably my top favorite, and quite a fascinating character too. Here are a few quotes from him:

Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.

Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.

Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.

At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.

I don't take drugs: I am drugs.

...and the one that has driven me all these years, providing guilt motivation worthy of a mother...

No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist.

Not that I am an artist... Many years ago, I was. I have long since sold out to the devil that tells you to be a responsible person, pay the rent, stay out of jail, remain on the path, and keep your madness in check. But I still admire Dali.

Cockroach civilization

Nope. The picture is not upside-down. The guy is walking on the ceiling. HOW DO THEY DO THAT??? Wonders of nature. What can you say? This is a big guy, at least 2 inches long (not counting antenae and outstretched legs). He's walking on the ceiling right above the ceiling fan, which is running, and if he were to let go he would probably be propelled into your drink. Actually, he (or she) is winged so there would be a flight, but anyway, it's just the thought of it that is creepy.

We've been hit with another invasion of "the big guys". These seem to come (to the indoor area) after there is relief from drought, multiple rainy days. Haven't been supplied with the science behind that one yet, but that is what happens here.

We have been seeing a lot of these for a few weeks, at least one or two a day. This morning there was one upside down in my newly-washed ceramic teapot. It had a little water in the bottom that was air-drying, but enough to drown a guy this size. They swim as well as I do, looks like. Looking for water, but not quite that much. Poor guy.

This is a good opportunity to post this link: Cockroaches have a democracy, make group decisions.
Pretty fascinating stuff.

Never underestimate an insect. Especially a living thing that has been around this long and survived more than Keith Richards in his wildest dreams.

- cockroach - insect -

Save Surface

I know, there's a lot of crap on TV, but I actually really enjoyed the first season of Surface. Noooooo. It doesn't have great acting, and it's not as though you will mistake it for some Spielberg project as the marketing suggests, but it's got a great plot with good scientists vs. evil scientists vs. good scientists who got sucked into the evil scientists plot and have no way out short of death. It's also got bad science gone haywire causing the imminent destruction of all life on earth, it's got the hot-looking young scientist, the savvy kid whose parents don't understand, and not-so-smart hick with good sense and a heart of gold. Above all it has the cutest critter ever, the little sea monster named "Nim" (short for "Nimrod") who is the little dragon everybody always wanted for a pet. Like a Siamese cat, he really only loves his master (young Miles) and those proven worthy, so you don't want to mess with him. Honest.

Anyway, the future of the show is up for grabs, and even though we're not talking "Firefly" quality here, I am going to miss seeing how little Nim turns out if it's cancelled. Sign the petition at the links (picture, title or sidebar)

- Surface - NBC -

You woke me up for... what???

Today is National Nightshift Workers Day as well as National Third Shift Workers Day. Isn't is ironic that most of them will sleep through it? At least I hope they get some sleep.

It's also Root Canal Appreciation Day.

One word of advice

Don't.

OK, that's a contraction. But the point is, if you are drunk in a bar and try hitting on a woman who gives you this look, you'd be better off trying your luck elsewhere.
[video] - 24 -

The rest of the weekend

Saturday was movie day. Started out with Mi:3 at the Alamo. It's really a pretty good action movie, and recommended for great stunts, car chases and stuff blowing up good. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a good bad guy, and Ving Rhames - I love his voice. I really think that Tom Cruise's celebrity persona has finally overtaken anything he could do onscreen. I didn't think this when we saw War of the Worlds. It was probably magnified this time by the Cruise clips that the Alamo was spinning (and they will always do this) - jumping on Oprah's couch, the Scientology South Park episode, and the SNL Ben Stiller spoofs (that include TC). Also, a note to the Alamo staff: when someone orders the veggie patty option on a burger, it's extremely likely that they will not want the BACON that normally comes with the sandwich. Thank you for taking it off the bill though. Yuck.

In the evening we rented Pride and Prejudice with the lovely and wonderful Keira Knightley. I am not well-read, and apparently my husband isn't either, neither of had read the book. Also had not seen any previous movie versions so they were able to surprise us with the ending. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, huh?

Sunday we went to the party that Van Wilks has for his guitar students. Look at these cuties. They called themselves "The Crabs from Outer Space" or something like that, from their song of the same name. Good age to start. Some of the older kids (in the 15 yr. range) were pretty impressive. It was our wedding anniversary so we didn't stay long, went out for Indian food. I am several pounds heavier this morning. Too much fun of the food and drink variety lately.

Cuatro de Mayo y Cinco de Mayo

Sorry! My Spanish is like Peggy Hill's. This week was First Thursday, and we went down to South Congress for that. Spent most of it in my favorite place on First Thursday - at Jo's Coffee watching Gary Primich with Mike Keller on guitar. Great stuff!! Friday we both had the afternoon off, so we went to the IMAX theatre to see Deep Sea 3D. WOW!! We highly recommend this, it was very well-done. Probably the best 3D project we've seen (out of 3 so it's not a long list), partly because of the movie itself. Polar Express was well-done too, but that is the ONLY way I want to watch Polar Express. See them in 3D if you can, even if you have to travel. I was reaching out to touch the jellyfish like a crazy person in their first 3D movie. It was Cinco de Mayo so all the Mexican places were packed to the hilt. We went to Matt's El Rancho for the KGSR party, and I won 2 tickets to see Raul Malo! One of my favorite singers. I never win anything. Maybe my luck is changing. Matt's was too crowded to deal with, as was Guero's, and we wanted to be outside in the nice weather so Home Slice Pizza was out, Shady Grove had lost power (!!) and we ended up at that converted gas station on South Congress. Not recommended for vegetarians but the microbrew was good. We saw Dale Watson walk by, hollered out "Dale" and he waved. I knew it would be hard for him to stay away from Austin! Picture is us negotiating some of the weird "sidewalk" on South Congress.

Blogiversary

Sorry about that horrible title on this post! Couldn't resist though. I can't believe it, but on May 6th I will have been at this for a whole year! I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be a blogger. I'm very shy, pretty geeky, generally very private, and couldn't understand what made people want to pour out their hearts in such a public forum.

It has turned out to be very addictive, and very therapeutic as well. I think it's because this is my spot and I can do whatever I like with it. It's not like someone else's forum where I feel like I should behave and go by their rules. It's like my house vs. your house. I will be well-behaved in your house, but in mine I can rave and rant and do it naked if I want as long as the owner doesn't mind... [looking in mirror] sometimes I am even well-behaved.

Thanks for reading and commenting, everybody.

(my first post)

What would Captain Jack Sparrow do?

A keg that includes a dead man's chest. Actually I think that Jack Sparrow would barely even wince.

Friday Cat - Henry, the ultimate power in the hemisphere

Henry takes advantage of a prime half-circle-shaped sun spot.

- Friday Ark - Carnival of the Cats - This week's carnival is at Pages Turned on Sunday - Cats - Catblogging -

Tailies catching hell

A lament for lost Lost characters Ana Lucia and Libby. Ana Lucia has had her story told, but I can't believe we're done with Libby. Maybe it's just a flesh wound. I don't think we're finished with her. This ain't right. Above are their mug shots for when they were arrested for drunk driving (Thank you Smoking Gun) Here they are looking a bit better:


- Lost -

Happy Bird Day to you!

Ukranian folk art by Zoya PASICHNA, Sign of Morning Dawn

According to The Library of Congress archives website, today is Bird Day! Has been ever since the first Bird Day in 1894!

Not coincidentally, I'm sure, it is also Respect for Chickens Day.

United Poultry Concerns (UPC) announces its second annual International Respect for Chickens Day May 4. The purpose of Respect for Chickens Day is to celebrate the dignity, beauty and life of chickens and to protest against the bleakness of their lives in farming operations.

Oddly, I first heard of this on John Aielli's Eklektikos show on KUT today, and the odd part is not Aielli doing a themed show, that happens pretty much every day, but most of the chicken songs were about disrespecting chickens in the worst way. Birds are wonderful creatures, beautiful, and fascinating. I'm really glad I don't eat them anymore. The thought of red-blooded living things being farmed for harvest is pretty barbaric. And it looks like no amount of paranoia over things like bird flu or mad cow is going to halt the practice anytime soon.


- vegetarian - birds - chickens -