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Showing posts from May, 2005

The "Three Things" Thingie

Passed from Alice — Three things you are wearing right now: my fuzzy brown "Mister Rogers" sweater headphones white ankle socks Three favorite bands / musical artists: Sting Bobby McFerrin The Beatles Three favorite songs: "Blackbird," The Beatles "Freedom Is a Voice," Bobby McFerrin "Joy," George Winston Three things you want in a relationship: love love love Three physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to you: good hugs and cuddles a shoulder to lean on a good smell (and NOT cologne!) Three of your favorite hobbies/interests: playing with Web sites, both my own and others' reading good books poking at ideas and seeing what emerges Three things that scare you: dumb people (especially those who don't know they're dumb) drowning in deep water machinery with evil-looking blades Three of your everyday essentials: Diet Coke popco

Stories about ordinary people are boring

At least, that's my take. I want to read stories about extraordinary people, or stories about animals or aliens or things I didn't know existed. Even the things you might think are about everyday people really aren't. Does any television show resemble real life in any way? Hardly. "Reality TV" isn't. To say someone's life is like a soap opera (or a telenovela) is to say he has way too much drama, or misfortune, or something going on in his life -- far beyond average.

Just finished Cryptonomicon

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whew! A great read, and at 1130 pages it kept me occupied for a lot longer than your average paperback. My husband wondered if I was OK; I usually finish books sooner. I had to explain it was -- well -- oversized. Full of interesting characters, machinations, and historical factoids. I still like Snow Crash better; it's just so over-the-top and extreme, like the whole book is overcaffeinated. But every story is its own.

Yard maintenance can be fun and stress-relieving

For the person in your life who needs a little therapeutic destruction time -- yes, it's the Weed Whackin' Burninator. Guaranteed to terminate any weed with extreme prejudice and 500,000 BTUs. Read the review of the Red Dragon Torch Kit at Cool Tools.

A hawk arrives at the office

We're in the midst of a system conversion at work, so I've been too busy to take care of the more important things in life -- like blogging, which is a measure of my calm and sanity. Heh heh. There's been a juvenile red-shouldered hawk hanging around our office since last Friday, crying out and pecking at the windows. A woman from the Audubon Birds of Prey center came out a few times to try to capture it for rehab, but it's well enough to dodge humans with speed. So we watch it through our windows and listen to it cry. One of my friends bought some chicken and left it for the hawk, thinking it might eat it. A nice idea, but he didn't go for it.