Math is so naughty!

xkcd.com

I'm sure we can figure it out, right? ;)

Lol News

I haven't browsed Lol News lately...and then I found this. *Blub*


see more Political Pictures

Knitted to Death!

These are ADORABLE and HILARIOUS knitted critters made by Patricia Waller.



Check out the whole gallery. Yes, I could have put up comments on everyone's myspace, but that's just not my style, and it would have taken longer. Just love me for who I am, m'kay?

Caution: Some of them are not exactly safe for certain innocent minds, especially that last one, ehehehehehe!

For Lydia: Crossing Wonderland (Frog Prince) <---Totally safe
For Becky: Crossing Wonderland (Unicorn)
For Amanda: How to Kill Your First Love (Duck)
For Troy: Rabbits [all three of those crack me up!]
For Traci: Domestic Help<--Totally safe

This one's for ME! Aliens (Space Couple)

And, psstt....

( )_( )
(='.'=)
(")_(")
PASS THE BUNNY ON!!!!
Bunnies RULE THE EARTH!!!!

My Townie

wiblick has made a request:

"I'm thinking of buying an electra townie 700C 8 speed and NO ONE can tell me anything about it, especially regarding seat height. I'm 5ft 2 as well and would be really interested in hearing your thoughts.Could you mail me? Let me know what model you bought etc. Can you really sit comfortably and have your feet flat to the ground? Do you have a pannier thingy?

or maybe just do an post to your blog about it?"

I have been ASKED to blog! *overwhelmed*

My Townie is a 7D, but I have no idea about the tires. The D refers to the rear derailleur, meaning it has an extra fancy doohickey instead of regular gears. I'm not sure what the advantages of that are, but the 8 doesn't seem to have it. My seat is adjusted so that I can stand flat on the ground while on the saddle if I'm wearing a slightly chunky heel, but there's plenty of room to adjust down if I wanted to be more comfortable in flats. I've seen people on regular bikes, straining to get their tippy-toes on the ground while sitting, and how awkward that is. Also, I love the wide saddle that comes with my Townie.

May be a concern for you: I don't see a step-through version of the 8 speed on the Electra website. Step-through and flat-foot are what makes it so comfortable IMHO, and I don't see it being as good without both. Then again, I'm clumsy. *shrug*

I had the rear rack installed, but make sure you have them use a longer screw, because one that come with the rack popped loose on my first long ride. It wasn't a safety issue, but you obviously don't want that. My other accessories include front and rear blinkey LEDs and a CatEye mirror. Very important since I drive on roads like a car, and its getting darker in the mornings. I'm currently lusting after some fenders, because I'm tired of ringing out my socks and because Texas lied to me about being a semi-desert.

I have a Basil Blossom pannier, which sadly I cannot recommend. They're deadly cute on my bike, but they aren't easily/reasonably removable or collapsible, and don't keep their form (makes them look frumpy). They connect to the rack with buckles, but the frame weirdly with velcro that always come loose, and they shift back into my spokes on an uphill when loaded. They do, however, hold lots of stuff for the price, so I'm not replacing them anytime soon.

It really is a comfortable ride. The sitting position is great for seeing everything around, and not hunched over the handlebars, no strain on my hands, and comfortable starts and stops. Seven speeds seem like enough for me, so I never have to stand to pedal or get off and push up a hill .The best is coasting downhill, such a pleasant rush!

Parrot Attacks Wordle

CIMG2636
Originally uploaded by TJ Relic

Rigel doesn't really like it when I use the computer. I'm not sure, maybe he LOVES the computer, and is jealous that I'm using it.

No more playing on the computer, little bird!

Oh, and I was at wordle.net when he attacked, so now you know all the words I use too much.

Bird Comics

Bird Therapy

Thanks to kiwilito over at birdboard.com for the laugh.

Requests

Blogger has released something I love love love: Blogger Play which "is a real-time slideshow of photos Blogger users have recently uploaded to their blogs."

My Requests are two:
1) How can I put the stream from Blogger Play into the sidebar of my blog?
That would rock, and it would put the images to an audience outside writers.

2) How do I get Adsense to display something without the word "blog" in it.
Who displays ads for blogging? Dumb. I write about all kinds of things, parrots, Science Fiction, college... In fact, in all posts outside this one, I write the word "glob" or "bl*g" in a futile attempt to make Adsense display something relevant. I am annoyed.
**Update** Apparently posting this did the trick. Go figure.
**Update 2** I have once again removed ads from my page. Why? I clicked through one of them and it was a series of lists of links to lists of links to lists of links enter your email here bullshit. Yea, clicking on your own adspace is against the rules, and I bet that's why. Of course I've never clicked on anyone else's either, so I guess its all about balance.

Another Bad Haircut

I think I'm going to hire Becky to come down here and cut my hair, because really nobody else has a clue.

Of course it was Mastercuts again. My hair had grown out quite a bit and it just doesn't behave in mid-lengths. I wanted it at mid-cheek in front, and higher in the back (to avoid the flare-out tail I get). Instead, I now look exactly like I did right after I got to Okinawa, which means it looks like I had a boy-cut that grew out for 4 months. Great. Anyway, with a comb-headband-thingey it doesn't look entirely bad. I guess I have a reason to wear those now.

Here's a brief review of past bad haircuts. Its now just a little shorter, especially in the back, than this first shot:



No, I can't wear that top, or the shorts I was in that day, anymore. I can't believe I ever could!

Laugh Until You Cry

Given all the colorful, jingly, fun looking, payed-for toys, he loves the ball of newspaper the best. The newspaper I picked up from the Free Classifieds stand at the grocery store. Go figure.


[More videos from tjnjones]

Would anyone care to guess the point where he realized he was being watched? Laughing --> Tears


[More videos from tjnjones]

I found the perfect bath vessel yesterday too. Very shallow plate with angular rim. He loved it, and I now understand the description "enthusiastic bather."

Enthralled

Birthday Bath!

Rigel is 3 months old today, and to commemorate I took some pictures and video after his bath. Click for a larger view.

He went nuts splashing water from the cup, I assisted getting some water on his back and tailfeathers.

Soaked.

Still drying from his bath.
The shirt, I must chew the shirt! Gnawgnawgnaw...


You can see his wings were completely clipped when I got him. Once they grow out and need clipped again, I'm leaving the outer 2 flight feathers intact. They're such a pretty blue.

I love this pose, but it was blurry, so I went nuts with the "cartoonize" setting.
Some video of him calmly playing with a home made toy:

Actual Pictures of Rigel

So I finally found my camera cable, and you can finally enjoy some pictures of my little friend. Here he is in his cage, showing off his colors, but being very wary of his new home.

He eventually took the leap, and even let me hold him in my hand. I do this all the time now, and he loves it when i pet him. He only poops on me every 10 minutes.


Of course his favorite spot to perch is on my shoulders, or the back of my neck. I won't let him do that now, but I didn't know better at first. You should never let a nipper have access to you in a place you can't see him. Plus it tickles when he plays with my hair.

Meet the Joneses

Our Simpsons Movie Avatars. Okay, so I'm not that skinny, and he's not that muscled, but those were the best of 4 options, so there. It was fun.
Feet got cut off...wtf? I'm not fixing it.

SG-1 Series Finale

Is anyone else just a bit disappointed in the finale? No end to the Ori threat, though I can believe Atlantis might deal with this in the future. The movie certainly won't. I just watched the interview on stargatesg1.com and they're saying Stargate: Continuum is an alternate-timeline story. Why? They have plenty of material for a movie without doing that, and enough continuity problems for fans of the original Stargate movie who haven't watched much SG-1. I would really love to see the Stargate Program made public, The show has only addressed that in, you guessed it, alternate-timeline episodes. What is the deal with that?

That is what bothers me most, nothing "real" happened in the Series Frickin' Finale, except the death of the Asgard, which was a bit glossed over. Instead, we get a mean-spirited tirade from Daniel Jackson, which was completely out of character. Then an immediate emotional switch and that whole scene just pissed me off. Not that they got together, but that it just went all weird. It just lacked the depth that character normally displays. In fact, the whole episode lacked real depth. Why make the alternate timeline last so damn long, instead of maybe a year or two and have them remember everything? I'm mad.
Enjoy an old image of SG1 (it'll make you feel better):


On an up note, it looks like Sam Carter will be the new civilian commander of Atlantis for next season. Though she looks goofy in the preview I saw, I think that mostly stems from the odd outfit she's in. It seems like an odd holdover from Dr. Weir, who was seriously injured in tonight's episode and talked about leaving command anyway. I didn't like her at first, but I got used to her personality. Whatever, not a big loss. Sam, on the other hand, will be great to see in charge. She always ended up second despite her qualifications. I also really hated how often her strong character was made to look like an awkward teen with a crush, where she could have been a little more mature. Eh, we all have flaws, and hopefully her switch to civilian life will ease certain romantic tensions. That would be fun. Yeah.

Miles Away

Miles Away
I want you and you are not here. I pause
in this garden, breathing the colour thought is
before language into still air. Even your name
is a pale ghost and, though I exhale it again
and again, it will not stay with me. Tonight
I make you up, imagine you, your movements clearer
than the words I have you say you said before.

Wherever you are now, inside my head you fix me
with a look, standing here whilst cool late light
dissolves into the earth. I have got your mouth wrong,
but still it smiles. I hold you closer, miles away,
inventing love, until the calls of nightjars
interrupt and turn what was to come, was certain,
into memory. The stars are filming us for no one.

--Carol Ann Duffy


The pics above are from a show I was watching today on Nature called Land of the Falling Lakes. I don't think I have seen anything as beautiful, stunning, and peaceful as that place in my entire life. It's like an enchanted forest. I want to go there and hide.

Currently watching : Nature: Land Of the Falling Lakes Release date: By 29 June, 2004