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Happy Hallowe'en!

We actually had trick-or-treaters this year. They were cute and polite. I had a hard time persuading them to take more than one piece of candy each. They waited in turn when there were lots of them at once. I'm inordinately happy that we actually had people ringing the bell this year, but that might be because I put together a last-minute cat costume this year for the benefit of those who came to the door and actually wanted people to come to the door to see it.

I hope you, Dear Reader, had a wonderful costume-draped, candy-filled Hallowe'en.

Except for ET, who was travelling back from Tempe. For you, I hope your flights were good and that you didn't run out of munchies for the plane. I know you had plenty of books. Welcome back to the mundane world, 'Rabbit.

Hobbitses!

Look! They found hobbits!

Scientists Find Prehistoric Dwarf Skeleton

[...] The finding on a remote Indonesian island has stunned anthropologists like no other in recent memory. It is a fundamentally new creature that bears more of a resemblance to fictional, barefooted hobbits than modern humans.

Yet biologically speaking, it may have been closely related to us and perhaps even shared its caves with our ancestors.

[...]

Millenia ago, Flores was a kind of a looking-glass world, a real-life Middle-earth inhabited by a menagerie of fantastical creatures like giant tortoises, elephants as small as ponies and rats as big as hunting dogs.

It even had a dragon, although they were giant lizards like today's carnivorous Komodo dragons rather than the treasure-hoarding Smaug described by novelist J.R.R. Tolkien in his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Next they'll find the remains of some human-like species that's a little bit taller and more slender. And then they'll find the twisted bones of creatures that weren't quite human, either. And then they'll find the even older fossilized remains of an old swamp filled with the bones of humans and these other two kinds of humanoids and the tiniest fragments of armor and weaponry. And when all that happens, the five-year old me who believed that the grown-ups were wrong, that Tolkien's elves and hobbits and orcs really did exist once, will be vindicated.

Scary-funny

There is no paper trail for the new Diebold voting machines which are being used by some districts next Tuesday.

An international organization is sending an election observation mission to the States, like they go to check on Belarussian, Nicaraguan, Afghani, and Iraqi elections, to make sure there's no unreported election hankypanky.

On the lighter side is this little webvideo: Electronic voting machines in Florida. Have fun! Ha ha ha...um. Ha?

Eeeeevil!

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I present to you the evil clown generator. Go have fun, Sparky.

crap...i wrote...a really bad pun...gak!

Hoo-ray for Mr. Sun!

Regarding the numerous warnings from Mr. Cheney, Mr. Sun! informs us of the most recent...

Ominous warning from Darth Cheney: if John Kerry is elected, gravity will deteriorate and all matter will float into the sweet black death of nothingness. Bonus for K/E if it happens: there are probably beings on distant stars who do not yet know that Mary Cheney is a lesbian. As they drift by, Kerry and Edwards can shout out the news. Vote accordingly.

Dearest Boston

Congratulations to your team. They have a lot of heart and fight. They've earned this Yankees fan's admiration.

However, I would suggest one thing regarding the World Series: if your team wins, do not riot.

Another suggestion: if your team loses, do not riot.

Leave the rioting to the L.A. Lakers fans. It really doesn't suit the East Coast.

If people around you are "celebrating heavily," leave. It's a riot, dear. Go find a quieter space. Do not go into the crowd. If there is a guy in riot gear coming towards your area, get the hell away from the rest of the drunken-ass bahstahds. If you are with the rioting drunken-ass bahstahds, you are complicit in their actions. Not a good idea to hang around with them, no matter how much they declaim the suckage of New York and its teams and/or the wonders of your crimson hosiery. Go to one of Boston's fine eating establishments and get something to eat which isn't a hot dog. Go home and hug your fellow fans/loved ones. Stay away from the "party," as it's no longer considered revelry once they start setting cars on fire and throwing bottles at the police. It's a riot. The men in riot gear will do what it takes to stop the riot. Even things they will regret later, as the Northeast is not a place used to rioting of late and has lost its riot-control edge.

I'm sorry people were hurt and that student died. This was, however, one thing that would never happen in New York. We lose, we win. We do not riot over a game.

Author/artist visit alert!!

Tomorrow, Saturday the 23rd of October

Sorry I didn't post this earlier, but for those who might be interested in such things, BRIAN FROUD is going to be at Books of Wonder tomorrow for a Milk and Cookies Press event. Check out the BoW link for more detail.

A neocon lightbulb joke

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb?

The Answer is TEN:

1. one to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed,

2. one to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed,

3. one to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb

4. one to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing the light bulb or for darkness,

5. one to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new light bulb

6. one to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner "Light Bulb Change Accomplished",

7. one administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark",

8. one to viciously smear #7,

9. one surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along,

10. and finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb? and screwing the country.

Bush Debate Bingo

I wish I'd seen this while the debates were still going on. Look at the fun and useful Bush debate bingo card. There are even these handy-dandy game pieces.

(Reminds me a little of the TCM profanity bingo card ET told me about.)

Plus, there's this great Boondocks strip on Bush's behavior at the debates.

Jon Stewart moichidoonegaishimasu

I thought I'd put in this link to a well-written NYT article on Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, and Stewart's appearance on CNN's Crossfire. I'm thinking of copy-pasting, but I'm scared of pissing off NYT. Here's just a little bit:

What distinguishes Mr. Stewart from Jay Leno and David Letterman is that the Comedy Central star mocks the entire political process, boring in tightly on the lockstep thinking and complacency of the parties and the media as well as the candidates. More than other television analysts and commentators, he and his writers put a spotlight on the inanities and bland hypocrisies that go mostly unnoticed in the average news cycle.

Mr. Stewart is very funny, but it is the vein of "a plague on both your houses" indignation that has made his show a cult favorite: many younger voters are turning to the "The Daily Show" for their news analysis, and are better served there than on much of what purports to be real news on cable.

Lord of the Sith

I really wish I could post pictures on here so that everyone could always see this Boondocks comic. It cracked me the hell up. Go see the funny.

Yatta!

Ha! Found it! Now you don't have to deal with frickin' frackin' BitTorrent, but, instead, use the link here at CNN. There is an article (eh) and a link to the RealVideo file of the classic visit/ass kicking.

God bless Jon Stewart.

"Holy shit" is right

This is from an e-mail from my brother's friend, which he then forwarded:

You need to read the transcript of [CNN's] Crossfire where Tucker Carlson interviews Jon Stewart. Holy shit.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html

I did not think I could love Jon Stewart more than I already do. But I really now do.

On a completely different front, I just watched the last eight DVDs of Cardcaptor Sakura and my head's in a completely weird space. However, my Japanese has improved mightily.

...

I'm kinda crushing on Jon Stewart.

For Maggie

Yes, there is really a dirt road named "Maggie's Run" in Vermont. Five pictures of proof can be found at the (mis)adventures of little trooper sugar kat: photo evidence.

See? I told you ET'd do it better

Death of Superman

Superman is dead

ET can't post this post, so I'm doing it for her, though not as well.

"Superman" Christopher Reeve Dies at 52.

He was the face of Superman for a generation. He'll always be the face and voice of Superman to me, at least, no matter how cheesy the movies were.

He was maligned by some for not becoming an advocate for those who'd suffered from spinal cord injuries and diseases until he had had his accident. Still, he's brought national attention to stem cell research, which is the hope for those like him, as well as those who suffer from Alzheimer's, like my grandmother, from Parkinson's, like Mohammed Ali and Michael J. Fox, and many other horribly debilitating and deadly diseases. This research is now part of the national debate.

He performed what doctors thought were miracles, but the people who have loved those with nervous system and brain injuries can tell you is entirely possible when the right treatment and right therapists/nurses/doctors are involved. My uncle would have made a much greater recovery if the doctors and nurses had just had patience and believed in him. Now, maybe, doctors and other health professionals won't write off people who've been severely injured, like they did my uncle, but will understand how much people are capable of doing.

But, mostly, I have to admit, and he'd probably be pissed if he knew this, I think Clark Kent has died. Somehow I doubt that whoever they cast in the next, ever-delayed Superman movie will fill the big red boots or the dorky glasses as well as he did.

the continuing misadventures of little trooper shopper kat

Dammit, woman, you know I'm weak. Why the hell did you tell me about that Closeouts place? Arg!

I'm disturbed by their lack of Crowley, Moran, and Powers. Must continue my search.

I really can blame no one but myself for the fiscal fiasco at Anime Castle. (But...! Japanese OSTs for $9.99! I could not resist! Gah!)

What kind of ninja are you?

Good Ninja - Bad Ninja Test

Thanks for taking the test. After very careful study of the answers you have us, you seem to be a good ninja. It is important to follow the high roads on your journeys, and you seem to be getting pretty high. Good job.

If you feel that this test is not entirely accurate, and that you have some evil that is not coming through, please feel free to try the test again.

Do you still want more ninja fun? Why not test your sixth sense with our Ninja Psychic Test.

Toooooooootemo kawaiiiiiiiiiiii

Must! Get! InuYasha Gashapon Set of 7 Pcs Figure! Gah!

Yay books!

I was hoping the box sitting in the passenger seat when Mom picked me up contained my new Japanese textbook and workbook. I need the workbook desperately, as we're covering the kanji in there now. It was not my Japanese stuff. It was the order I made of super-on-sale books. I got Shopgirl (hardcover, less than $6) and The Pleasure of My Company (paperback, $6) by Steve Martin and the latest in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Grim Grotto ($6). I was happy to have something to distract me from the ennui of midterms which wasn't too long (none of them will be more than a couple of hours' reading a most). I was even happier to see "First Edition" on the copyright page of Shopgirl and The Grim Grotto and "First Paperback Edition" on the copyright page of The Pleasure of My Company. I have a weakness for first editions. I'm especially happy that Shopgirl is a first edition, as I've read that the first edition can go for as much as $38. (Again, I got it for less than $6.) I showed it to Mom and thought of how much it'd be worth if only I could get Mr. Martin to sign it for me. Mmmm. Warm fuzzies. Booooks!