History

Pic-a-nic Basket

I notice that you are carrying a lovely picnic basket there.

I just sat down here for a rest, and I was feeling a bit peckish.

Would you care to join me and share the delights contained within your lovely picnic basket?

Your courtesy would certainly not go unnoticed, and I am sure we would have a most fantastical time.

Mmmm.

I see you are not convinced that I would be the best snack-time companion.

Listen...

I am not messing around here.
Can't you see that I am a frickin' bear?
Hand over the picnic basket, damnit.

Yank Squirrels Invade Limey-Land

It is old news that our Yank gray squirrels have been deployed to England. Who knows, they went over on a boat or something and made themselves at home.

But you know the Brit's. They feel like they are special, with their royalty, big Ferris wheel, high tea and what have you. Oh, and the Beckhams (which they can have back, we'll be fine without 'em).

It seems that our little North American gray squirrels are just having too much fun over in the Queen's countryside. The gray ones are kicking around traditional English red squirrels and causing quite a dust up.


Note, I find some humor in the Brit squirrels having red fur - red coats.


With particular Anglo-flair, the British government has been promoting squirrel hunting - along with the reintroduction of squirrel to the islands dinner table.


I picture lots of tweed and foggy morning jaunts into wood, perhaps with some scampering hunting dogs, for all of this defense of the isle from the surly scourge of those damned Yank squirrels.


Today's NYTimes has a whole article about the squirrel situation in it's food section.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07squirrel.html

It is, of course, disturbing.
Little scampering squirrels.


Excerpt from the article-

“Part of the interest is curiosity and novelty,” said Barry Shaw of Shaw Meats, who sells squirrel meat at the Wirral Farmers Market near Liverpool. “It’s a great conversation starter for dinner parties.”

Yeah, lets start with "I am not eating any squirrel!"

I am a pretty open omnivore, but I am not going rodent.
I've had the bunny and that is close enough, and I am not into it.
Tiny birds, big birds, daffy birds, sure, tastey.
Bring me some of those Thai spiced crickets and I'll try 'em. Why not.
Bivalves, tentacles and urchin, yup, love that stuff too.


No squirrel for me though.
No rats, chipmunks, gophers, ferrets or ground hogs either.
That is not my bag, baby.

There is way more detail than you need in the article, beyond culling details and flavor. Go read it, unless you are about to head off for some food..

A shell

I know...it's still not cool.

I went at the A shell like a Cuisnart, cutting in all directions to make it fit onto the T.
So, we are at this point.

The masking tape stuff will get turned into metal and the cardboard hood will too. There might be some louvers punched in the whole lot.

We're talking blunt instrument here.
Beautiful brutality...

Coors

I have never been a fan of the Coors.
Somehow, it seems a lot nicer sitting on that bike.

Mmm, Blogger

So I did a bunch of work today, sectioning and chopping the A grill for the T...

I would show you, but Blogger is working against me.
The mobile blog thing has change and F'd up the scene.

That on top of a lost post earlier today has me bummed.

I can only provide so much insight into genius on-line everyday.
These problems hamper your travels into my head.

But I am only one man.
And I would rather do things in the real world, rather then fix the interweb world.
So just deal.
And know that I am doing things cooler than anybody you know.

New post, new week, new year...

Hmm. Yes, what to say about that?

Yes it is a new day in a new year.
It may even be a new era, by some accounts.

Big stuff is coming, big stuff is both going and coming down.
Politics, Gaza, the economy...
Shit, the list goes on and on.


This is the time of year that folks send out the story of their year, condensed to a colorful piece of paper, no larger than 8.5x10 inches.
Careful edits allow the tale of a families joys and struggles for the past 12 months to fit in such a format.
There may be mention of death or natural disaster, but those bits are usually compacted into a single sentence.
Greater emphasis tends to fall on triumphs rather than tests.


And this is not one of those missives.

I am only reflecting on the contrast between the current world situations in contrast to the giddy holiday spirit displayed so heartily and with such plastic sheen, over the past few weeks.
I have been away from work for that time.
Equally engaged in social adventure and seclusion.
It leaves one reflective and cautiously eying the future.


New Year's eve celebration is full of optimism and romance.
New Year's day brings the buyers remorse.

We actually own this day...


These giant piles of crap are ours to deal with.

Did you here about the guy in Covina? He dressed up like Santa and went to his ex's family party X-mas eve? He gunned down the nine year old girl who opened the door along with eight others and lit the place up with a flamethrower. He finished the night at his brother's house, with a gun in his mouth and a bomb in the car.
Somebody has to mop up that one...

And that is just a little poo pile.
Should you really want to get into it, ponder on the neck deep muck bogs.

Wars, collapsing economic towers, Guantanamo, global warming, the likely depletion of not just oil but also potable water in this century.

Nearly every industrialized nation has a population that is aging and numerically in retreat. It is great that population growth has perhaps hit some plateau but leaves less folks to care for and support a ballooning health and social system demand.

Our monetary system on a tight-rope. A recession that will by most examinations last deep into 2010, even with a huge pork pie served up in the coming year.

Frozen wages, credit markets and corporate growth plans.

Foreclosures, unemployment, rising rates of homeless families.



Deeply depressing stuff, when you get down to it.



So, yeah, Happy New Year!

Losing my edge

You know, the transition to a new year can leave you feeling as though time is slipping past more quickly than one might realize.

It could leave you wondering if you might be losing your edge, losing relevence in the world around you.

Well, you probably are...

LCD Soundsystem, again.

Fremont Friday

So, I found a bunch of cool pictuers from the Fremont Dragstrip, circa 1971.

We'll have Fremont Fridays for a spell...

A Grill

Yeah, look at that.
I don't know what the hell I am thinking either.
The whole damn car fits inside that commercial A grill shell.

Really, I think it'll all work out.
Just a cut there and there.


Maybe.
I really do think this will be cool.
More so that the previous plan.


The old-timey honky bitches will be on this like ants on honey...

The Future

Alright, it's 2009.
By all accounts, when I was growing up, we should now be in the "future" right?
And still no frickin' flying cars.

Gosh darn it!
I was counting on flying cars.

Or, at least, cars that are as cool as Dean Jefferies MantaRay.