Saturday May 31, 2003
Movie Review: Widows
Interesting "heist" action film; kept me guessing
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Violence: Especially at the beginning, mostly implied Rating: PG-13 (I'm not sure how it missed R, though) |
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Thursday May 29, 2003
Movie review: Who is Cletis Tout?
Gently bent....
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Violence: Mostly to those who deserve it Humor: subtle Rated R |
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Wednesday May 28, 2003
Local cat saves family from fire
Two people in Burlingame, CA, (two towns south of oours) left a candle burning when they went to bed; the woman put the candle into the sink, but it fell in the drain, burned through the plastic drain, and ignited the chemicals under the sink.The cat woke them up howling at 2:30 am and everyone got out of the house safely.
Read the newspaper article: page 1, page 2.
Monday May 26, 2003
Miracle safe bee spray
It's bee season; we had three yellow jackets today trying to get into the screen porch - somehow they find their way in between the screen and the glass. Then, if they can figure out how, they're only one step away from being inside the screen porch. Ayiee!
So it's time once again for me to share the recipe for the Miracle Bee spray - harmless to humans and pets, lethal to bees, cleans your windows while you're at it.
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Movie Review: Ballistic
Lights! Camera! Action!
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Violence: Only to those who really deserve it Rated R |
If you like action movies and have not seen Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever - do so.
It's quite good.
Lots of car chases (but no upset vegetable carts). Set in Vancouver.
Lucy Liu is lots of fun to watch.
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Sunday May 25, 2003
Today in my backyard
Bebop and I went for walkies in the garden this afternoon.I found (and turned over) a water-collector (it's the base of a picnic table umbrella; the umbrella has been taken down and the picnic table moved but the base was collecting rainwater) - it's almost mosquito season.
Anyway, under the thing was a worm or two ...and then I realized that one (two?) of the worms didn't seem to be worms...not slimy enough. They had... heads? eyes? Tiny brown snakes??
So I very gently nudged one with a long grass stem and it turns out they were a pair of very small, skinny, brownish red salamanders. They had very small legs. I could have run in for the camera but wasn't sure if I could get close enough for a shot. Oh well, I missed it; let them go find a new damp place to live.
I just looked on the web and I'm pretty sure these were California Slender Salamanders; this is what they looked like.
Inflatable Church
The world's first inflatable church went on display to the public for the first time on Tuesday, May 13, at the National Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park Exhibition Centre in Esher, Surrey, England.
The blow-up church, which is 47 feet (14.3 metres) high from ground to steeple, 47 feet long and 25 feet (7.6 metres) wide, includes a blow-up organ, altar, pulpit, pews, candles and "stained glass" windows.Hmmm... how about inflatable cabins for camping?The church, produced by Michael Gill of InnovationsUK.com Ltd in Sarisbury Green, near Southampton, was on display at the National Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park Exhibition Centre in Esher, Surrey. ...
The inflatable church, which holds 60 people standing, was to be dedicated by Michael Elfred, a Church of England minister from Tadworth. ...
Mr Gill, who now has plans to create an inflatable pub, has already had inquiries for purchase and hire of the church from more than 20 different countries.
It is envisaged that the church will be used for novelty weddings and other functions.
c.f. BBC News article
Thursday May 22, 2003
Meow TV
"Meow TV" (sponsored by the Meow Mix cat food company) will premiere May 30 on the Oxygen cable channel and will run several more times throughout June. Broadcasting from their fictional living room, hosts Annabelle Gurwitch and her cat, Stinky, will narrate segments like "Squirrel Alert," (where squirrels run up and down trees to fast-paced music), readings of cat haiku, "Cat Critics" (critique of a film about lions and cheetahs) and footage from viewers.
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c.f. CNN article)
Viewers in 10 US cities will have the chance to participate in a "talent show". Top acts will be videotaped and posted on the MeowTV website where fans will be able to voite for their fevorite performance. The winning act will appear on an episode of Meow TV.
Drat. They're not coming to San Francisco.
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Wednesday May 21, 2003
Shortening URLs
Which URL is easier to remember, send via email without breaking, etc?http://quizilla.com/users/laur/quizzes/Which%20famous%20feline%20are%20you%3F/or
http://xrl.us/catquizIf you didn't have much difficulty deciding the second was "better", you'll want to know about the Metamark Shorten™ Service at http://metamark.net/.
Some related tools are also available, including a pair of "bookmarklets" (one in a popup window, the other not), and a Services menu item for Mac OS X.
Sunday May 18, 2003
Living on the Edge of Civilization
Our development backs into a large Open Space area: watershed, animal/bird refuge, national recreation area. We hear coyotes on the ridge some nights; occasionally deer come down into the development. Mostly we get skunks, raccoons, wood rats, and an occasional possum. ...Continue reading "Living on the Edge of Civilization"
Tuesday May 13, 2003
Wikki Wakki Air Ballet
As we were coming home this morning (after being out for some errands) I saw a flock of seagulls in the air above the park across the street. They were flying mostly in formation, enjoying the air currents. Lots of slow swooping, back and forth, up and done, all well-coordinated. A lovely 5 minute air show, without the engine noises. We stood and watched after getting out of the car, until they disappeared over the trees.It reminded me of Esther Williams and the water ballet stuff from old movies, except these were birds and it was in the air, not water. They weren't "going" someplace, they were just having a good time.
Monday May 12, 2003
Mama? There's a CAT in my house!
Well, today was THE DAY. Raven no longer has to live in the garage "apartment". However, we did bring his bed, litterbox, and toys up to the guest room so he can have a quiet place that's all his for timeouts for a few days.First we went to the vet for the next step in the hookworm meds; got the tartar off the last tooth (and a hole in my finger). Got him microchipped (all our cats are chipped; they all have collars too with colored hearts; Raven's is yellow to match his eyes).
Then we came home and had a BATH. This wasn't as bad as it might have been. It helped that I wore old jeans and a long-sleeved denim shirt in the tub with the kitty! It's difficult to get much of a toehold in denim. (The other three had baths last night; Bebop was the most difficult as he has the most muscle.)
Then into the bedroom for a dry-off and wander around while the other cats were in the other part of the house. We brought the three big kids in one at a time.
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Sunday May 11, 2003
Mothers Day
Mothers Day has its roots in several places, including an ancient Greek celebration of Rhea, mother of the gods. In England, in the 1600s, servants were given a day off on "Mothering Sunday" and encouraged to visit their mothers for the day.
A day to honor mothers was first suggested in the US in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (writer, reformer, and author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic). However, the founder of Mothers Day in the US is Anna Jarvis, who began an intense campaign to honor mothers after her own mother's death in May, 1905.
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Saturday May 10, 2003
Cell Phone Donation
Do you have an old Cell Phone gathering dust in some corner of the garage because you didn't want to throw it away after you upgraded but never could figure out what to do with it? Consider donating it to The Wireless Foundation's "Donate a Phone" programs:DONATE A PHONE program recycles used wireless phones to help the environment and raise funds for a variety of charities. Most phones are resold as economical alternatives to new phones. The rest are safely recycled in accordance with all applicable U.S. environmental regulations.My credit union is currently accepting phones for "Call to Protect: Wireless Phones for Domestic Safety" (no this isn't the Homeland Security thing, it's to help counter domestic violence). Check with nearby credit unions (they're in the same club) or check out The Wireless Foundation's website. Donations are tax deductible.
Thursday May 8, 2003
Bowl of Fruit
We have a favorite restaurant we go to most often; it's a diner-style place with really good food. The vegetables are fresh (not frozen); the steaks are as tender as in a "steak restaurant". The service is fun. And they do a terrific bowl of fruit. In fact, many times the question isn't "what do I want to eat?" but "What shall I have along with my bowl of fruit?". We always have a bowl of fruit, at least a small one (in place of potatoes).
This isn't a typical restaurant bowl of fruit. For one thing, the fruit is fresh, unsugared, and hasn't been soaking in syrup or juice for hours getting soggy. A typical bowl of fruit includes bananas,strawberries, orange sections, apples, and cantaloupe. Often, there is grapefruit, honeydew, and/or pear. Sometimes grapes, pineapple, peaches, or plums make an appearance. Whatever's there, it's usually in season, most often perfectly ripe. Very tasty.
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A pottle of milk
One of the great unknown words in English (one of our favorites, at least) is pottle. A pottle is a liquid measure equal to 2.0 quarts - that is, half a gallon. So when you buy a half-gallon of milk, you've actually bought a pottle of milk. I like the sound of that.Time to go to the store; we need a pottle of 1% milk.
Tuesday May 6, 2003
The Sixth of May
I wrote this in 9th grade. It won honorable mention in a local poetry contest.The Sixth of May
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On a beautiful morning, the sixth of May With the sunshine glowing, a wonderful day, With a breeze through the trees, And a wind in the bog, Over the hill, with a kite, Came a frog And his son.
The wind was just right on this beautiful day, In the sun. |
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Sunday May 4, 2003
Chickadees
We have an adorable little flock of chickadees that come to the sunflower seed feeder on the back porch. They are so cute and tiny; they make the finches look big! They also take baths in the bird bath, sitting right in the water and ducking under and splashing and generally having a merry time.I went out today to fill the feeder; they zipped off but not very far and they kept zipping back and forth as I was pouring in the seed. (Chickadees zip; it's the only way to describe it). As I was putting the lid back on the feeder, two of them zipped back and landed on the feeder while I was there and started pecking at seed. I stood very still, ever so slowly knotting the rope that holds the lid on (if we don't knot the rope, the raccoons lift the lid (and the sides) and spill all the seed into the yard...
Just as I had the knot almost tied, a third Chickadee came and landed on my finger and stood there for a few seconds. Ooh. Utterly fearless.
Saturday May 3, 2003
Hug Your Cat Day
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EFURRY Day should be
If you don't have a cat, hug a friend's cat! Or, hug a friend who has a cat... |
Thursday May 1, 2003
This Raven has fur
We are pleased to introduce Ravenclaw (aka Raven), the newest member of our furry tribe. Raven was a rescue kitty; now he has a home. He's our token moggie :-)
Raven is settling in as best he can, given that our vet has nevertheless requested/required that he stay in quarantine for 2 weeks, to be absolutely sure he hasn't picked up anything that he could pass on to the other furkids. This is standard procedure for new cats for our vet. It's probably more difficult for the emotionally challenged hoomans in our household than for the pussycat. Squirrel is none too happy, however, when Vickimom disappears into the garage for half an hour at a time!
We built Raven a nice snug little
apartment in the garage.
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