What I did on my Summer Vacation

Simple list format today folks:

• Flew in two (2) different planes for a single non-stop flight
• Walked the earth
• Slept in
• Saw Bigfoot
• Got a picture with George Bush Sr.
• Caught a football with my hooves
• Left luggage unattended
  
• Carried at least three (3) universes (universi?) up a flight of stairs
• Smuggled pirated goods across the border
• Slept out
• Spent a Saturday nearly 100% Shanty Style
• Escaped unscathed from the radio black hole that is central America
• Read a book, read a book, read a... hmmm... nevermind.
• Found the true meaning of Christmas
• Witnessed BC's swan's song for the ages
• Stared at snow
• Kissed a rainbow
• Missed work
• Hunted Moon Rocks
• Ran with scissors
  
• Scared off some neighborhood dogs
• Laundry
• Created RoboTim (Patent Pending)
• 9 naps in 7 days

Tim "out of office autoreply" James

Doin' the Bug-Dance

Ever wanna catch yourself some lightning bugs? Or just wanna mess with the minds of a few cool little insects? Well now you can. Read on to find out more:
You can 'call' in male fireflies by pretending you are a female firefly and blinking a small bright light (like a little LED or a pen-light... not the big honkin' flashlight shown above) to attract the males.

The key is in the timing. After you see a firefly flash, wait two seconds and then flash your light, kinda close to the ground. This will make the firefly come towards your light. When it flashes again, count one-one-thousand two-one-thousand and 'blink' him again. The poor guy won't know what hit him when he finally comes to land on your bulb.

I know it's a little late in the season now, but just keep this in mind for the next time you are out with the fireflies. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Tim "science: the right stuff" James

Oh Captain, My Captain

Well, some things changed today: They killed off Captain America.


1941-2007. Not a bad run for a scrawny Steve Rogers who, after being injected with the 'Super-Soldier Serum' suddenly became the pinnacle of human potential. His first comic showed him decking Hitler on the cover (see left).

He was by far my favorite superhero with wings on his head. Well, actually he was one of my favorite superheros of any of them. Even though he didn't 'technically' have any super powers, I think living for 66 years at the peak of physical condition, getting trapped and frozen in the ocean after WWII, surviving in suspended animation until being revived decades later still feeling great what with his sweet-A shield and kung-fu grip constitutes something 'super' going on.

I never owned any of the Cap's comics, but I remember the show on TV. He had one heckuva cool motorcycle, and I've already mentioned the wings. Dunno why I liked him so much, to be honest, but I did.

This whole killing of the Captain thing reminds me of a Vonnegut quote:

This was the reason Americans shot each other so often: It was a convenient literary device for ending short stories and books.

I might add that it's also a convenient literary device for drumming up sales of a lagging product. Of course, in comics, you can never be sure anybody will stay dead (what major character has?), so I'm not sure how long it will take to bring him back (wanna start a pool?), but I guess their marketing ploy worked because this is now front page news and I'm paying more attention to Cap than I have in years.

Read more here. or here. or here.

Next thing you know Spider-Man will reveal to the world that he's really Peter Parker...

Tim "still in denial" James

The Indestructible Man

I Just heard today about Rulon Gardner surviving another accident.

Who-lon?? Gard-what?? You may be saying.

You know, Rulon Gardner... your friendly neighborhood heavyweight champion of the world.

The one who impaled himself on an arrow in grade school.

The one who beat the Legendary Alexander Karelin in Sydney 2000.

The one who lost a toe due to frostbite after crashing his snowmobile in 2002.

The one who pretty much walked away from a motorcycle crash in 2004.

The one who gets a trophy:



I had the chance to meet this guy back in my days at Nebraska and I can honestly say he's a class act. I'm glad he's okay after all his mishaps, but I can hear Mark and Tolly razzing him but good for this latest in the string of improbable, larger-than-life experiences by the man, the myth, the legend: The Rulon.

Tim "amazed" James

MBTA + ATHF = LOL

Checking the current Department of Homeland Security threat level reveals that we are (still) under significant risk of terrorist attacks, translating to an 'Elevated' or 'Yellow' threat level.

Checking This Site reveals that Aqua Teen Hunger Force somehow got the green light for a movie to be released later this year.

Checking eBay for listings of 'Mooninites' reveals a strange connection between the Mooninites, Boston, and January 31, 2007.

Checking this Wikipedia Entry reveals an ever-changing landscape of majority-rules input/opinions/links/background/etc. into what in the Sam Hill I'm getting at here.

Checking this Press Conference Video reveals that hairstyles of the '70s are important for some, while not so much so to others.

Checking the Cartoon Network Adult Swim website reveals lawyers are getting very excited about the goings-on.

What could be better than a nice little marketing scheme gone horribly awry? Perhaps a marketing scheme going so well that it exceeds everyone's dreams of what was possible. We'll soon find out if it really is easier to get forgiveness than permisson. Well, okay, "soon" maybe isn't the most appropriate word.

Tim "the moon rules" James

Take On the World!!

Well, they've done it. Garmin is doing a Super Bowl commercial this year.

Starring Maposaurus (right) and Garmin Man, this is a sure-fire winner, folks, let me tell you what.

Godzilla versus Power Rangers accompanied by Heavy Metal. What could be better?

I'm reserving my harshest judgement for this thing till after it airs on the 4th, but I must admit to taking some pretty high readings on my lame-o-meter after first watching.

But the dang song is somewhat stuck in my head (along with the 'Funk Soul Brother' that is Fatboy Slim's latest hit... most lyrically complex song ever. That's true poetry, no?) so perhaps there is something to this approach that I just can't appreciate due to being too close to the action. (Not to mention overly judgemental).

So let me know what you think... is this a success or not? Make your predictions now, and we'll find out halfway through the second quarter of the Bears/Colts game.

Tim "new highway" James

Safe at Any Speed

So I'm now on one week with a new roommate. It's going quite well, and it's kinda nice to have somebody besides my microwave to chat to of an evening. (As the canopener won't return my calls) . But the poor guy moved in during a freezing-rain storm. Not the best of weather conditions for that kinda thing. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, all over the map.

So rather than help the guy dig his car out of the ice-block that it turned into, I loaned him my ice-scraper. Later that night I asked him what he did with the thing once he was finished. "It's on the top of your car"

"Cool, thanks."

Next day, leaving from work for lunch I suddenly remember... Dang it!!! Now I've gotta go and find myself a new scraper, but before getting too choked up over my loss I decide to look on top of the car 'just in case'. Well, what do you know, there it was. Perched somewhat precariously, but looking no worse for the wear, right on top of the car.

I must be the world's lamest driver. Ever.

This week is also of note in that it marks The Scott Phillips foray into the blogosphere. Yay for new additions!! Looking good, Scott-Tissue. Yes, have some! Something to do with... Are you ready for some... Whatever, man, just don't call me about your stinkin' Six Sigma Database, got it!! But please don't stop leaving comments here once you become all famous and everything with what you're gonna do there. You know, remember us little people.

All for now,
Tim "peppercorn ranch" James

Hot Dang!

Just read this little bit of news from our friends across the pond. Now that's something I can wrap my teeth around! Even if they don't know how to spell (see 'tumour' or 'chillies') I can overlook such things in order to hear that eating spicy food could potentially kill cancer. I was skeptical at first, but if Oprah's site even says it, it's gotta be true, no?

What I wonder is if this isn't just the 'normal' action of capsaicin... isn't the death of cells what one feels after ingesting a nice, plump, spicy as all-get-out habanero pepper? Is it any surprise that cancer has difficulty standing up to such an onslaught? I also wonder about their 'no side effects' take on enjoying the spice... but I won't go into that.

Now I'm even more thankful for all those dares I took, all those bottles of hot sauce I've drank, all those peppers I've eaten, all those lasagnas I've made, and all those spices I've imbibed over the years. Well, perhaps 'thankful' isn't the right word. Perhaps I'm thinking more along the lines of "Ha! See! I wasn't stupid after all!"

Tim "Jamacia Me Crazy" James

We All Fall Down

I just gotta wonder what went down last Thursday at Kennesaw State University (Check out the video if you've got the time).

I don't know if I buy that official story about 'adhesive failure' or 'water damage', but whatever happened, there was a sudden disturbance in the irony-sphere to be sure. (The poor University doesn't even have a good picture of the completed statue to show for it.)

I'll have to brush-up on my gremlin-speak, head myself out to Georgia, quiz the locals, and get back to y'all with the news.

Tim "fed after midnight" James