Looks like Mel’s got strep or a really bad sinus infection. She’s going to the doc this morning to look into it. I don’t have any symptoms yet, though some of the women at work have also been pretty sick lately… RI, ADP, and LD in particular.

I don’t think Sammy did it, but he’s been sickly, too.

PURPLE HEALING VIBES FOR EVERYONE!

You know what, dear journal? I hereby claim February as “NO NEW DRAMA MONTH”. I don’t want anyone I care about to get sick, get into a serious argument, go to jail, have a natural disaster occur to them, have money problems, launch or receive any sort of ballistic, emotional, spiritual or hand to hand damage. Let’s see if we can get through 28 days without a lot of hubbub.

Also, if it’s not too much trouble… try to resolve some existing drama. Forgive someone, share some good love, spread cheer. Do something to make someone smile.

My Birthday is in less than 2 weeks. Want to do something nice to celebrate?

Click to make a donation to help tsunami victims.

It will be divided across Asha for Education, an extremely efficient spending org (98% to programs); usually focuses on education and long-term socioeconomic change, but responding to the disaster and AmeriCares, another efficient (99% to programs) nonprofit specialized in international disasters.

If you prefer to go right to the source, check out a number of excellent Relief Organizations here.

If you donate indirectly, let me know about it! (I’ll be keeping the links on the top on my bio page too)

---

On an up note, the weather has been gorgeous lately. Morning at 50, midday at 65, clear skies.

---

Later this year, the Korean government will put wireless broadband robots into 200 post offices around the country. Instead giving the robots on-board cognitive capabilities, the researchers are outsourcing the sensing and processing work to central computers via a wireless link. They’ll come in “male” and “female” models: the male will serve as a guard and will be armed with a projectile net that it can deploy to immobilize troublemakers, and the female will help customers and display entertaining video clips to people waiting in line. The project, which is part of a larger “Ubiquitous Robot Companion” initiative, is being spearheaded by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which also plans to put 100 domestic robots into houses in the next couple of years. (Link)

---

During colonial times, Massachusetts servants went of strike insisting that they not be forced to eat lobster more than 3 times a week.

---

More on the Monkey King

With pretty pictures

---

Regarding yesterday’s poll (that I took from silentyrs) Take it now, before looking at the answers :

First things first – The Fibs

edbook got ’em all right, and juliabee came mighty close, too.

3. Newton was named for the way he is constantly in motion or at rest (3 Laws of Motion)

Newton was named for all sorts of reasons, but really, it was a box of fig newtons that Pixie saw that reminded me that he should be named for a scientist. Newton is named for Isaac, (and partially Fig) not his laws.

9. I can point out at least 30 of 88 constellations in the night sky.

I can point out the major ones, but I don’t think that I could do thirty. Maybe 15, tops. I can find the dippers and the cooler ones.

11. I’ve sniffed an Egyptian mummy, and had dust go up my nose. I was delighted that there might be ancient corpse pieces going home with me that day.

Nope, no Mummy-dust in my nose. I’ve seen mummies, but they’ve all been sealed up in temperature and humidity controlled boxes.

14. I want to try a bit of placenta if my mate has a baby

No thanks… but I wouldn’t mind using the placenta to fertilize a tree or bush to commemorate a child’s birth.

15. I think that I’d look good in a bowler hat and a red turtleneck cable knit sweater.

No, I think I’d look like Spike, the cartoon bulldog if I dressed like that. All I’d need is a toothpick and to yell “ahhh, shaddap” and slap some smarmy toady named Chester around. “He’s my hero ’cause he’s so strong!” I’m a Hawaiian shirts and khakis sort of guy.

The Truths –

1. There is a jar of river-bottom fossils on my window sill.

Nobody got this one wrong. A glass container of the bottom of the Peace River. All sorts of stuff in there.. turtle shell, shark’s teeth, alligator scutes. I’m long overdue for another trip out there.

2. I have a lot of emotional investment in Librans.

Newt, my Brother, my last and current girlfriend. All born in the same 4 week late Sept/early Oct time slot.

4. I’m missing a tooth on the lower right side, and Mel’s missing one on her upper left.

Too true. I lost mine in the mid-90s, and she lost hers about 2 years ago. Mine was cracked from an impact, hers was clenched until it broke.

5. My favorite workout sport is a tie between “war walking” and “photo safari”

I love walkies. If I can get pictures and detect wifi signals while doing so, all the better.

6. The majority of my careers have been in environments with a female workers outnumbering males by at least 4:1

Very True… the only other one nobody got wrong. Bookstore, Library, Current gig… all well-populated with the fairer sex.

7. I’ve eaten doughnuts more than a few times with one of the greatest boxers of the 70s and 80s

Marvin Hagler. When I was a wee lad, my father and Hagler would hang out at Mister Donut, and I’d get a chocolate honey-dipped. In all honesty, I don’t remember much of it, because I was a pipsqueak at the time.

8. When I was little, I wanted to be a Knight Templar. Now, I’d rather not.

Well, if you call 10-15 years of age “little”. I do. I was much smaller then. What I knew of ’em at the time was that they took a vow of poverty, and were “real knights” that had all sorts of hidden power and knowledge.. and used it for good. As I read more about them, I realized that they were kind of creepy, and not a real role model.

10. I think that “orb photography” is not ghost related

Sorry, paranormal-folk… I’ve seen too many reasonable explanations to fall back on “round phantoms!” a flash on a spot of dust seems a lot more likely.

12. Lately, my favorite sammich is a vegan “egg salad” on croissant with black pepper, lettuce and onion.

East port Deli makes a wicked sammich, and the above is especially good if you’ve got a smoothie and a side of pasta salad. I don’t know what it is, but I really like tearing into it. Yum.

13. I’m glad that I’m a lazy, nice guy, because if I acted on elements of my evil imagination, I’d have been jailed (or worse) long ago.

First evil thought to come to mind – Putting razor blades in hula hoops at the toy store. who checks the insides carefully? You could be cut to ribbons before anyone noticed.

---

Mostly sunny becoming partly sunny by afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Wind chill readings 40 to 45 in the morning.

Temperature 48 °F / 9 °C

Humidity 66%
Dew Point 37 °F / 3 °C
Wind NW at 6 mph / 9 km/h
Conditions Clear

Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous, 80% of moon illuminated

Length of Day: 10h 46m, tomorrow will be 0m 59s longer

---

1 year ago – crapulent, British WWII photo archive, Chick Tract, homeowners groups lacking

2 years ago – bawled out my bro, bashed up my hands.

3 years ago – walkies, coloring book fairy, waterlog ear, some dead links and some live ones, full moon birth, good dreams.

4 years ago – Iron Man, brain eating, thinking about my dad, smitten, First experience with a good LJ client, Fred the enema cat.