Now That's Weird Department

I just saw the strangest thing down on the Houston streets. A homeless guy pushing a shopping cart. Now in and of itself that's not really weird...But get this... The guy was wearing a full two piece business suit. Looked pretty natty too! Now that's Weird!

Well Now...This Pisses Me Off!

ent to check the tech and other news at one of my favorite sites (Boing-Boing) this AM (I am at work) as is my wont. And this is what I get instead: The Company Net Police have decided that boingboing.net is offensive. Who the hell is it that makes these decisions? Holy Crap!! Update 8:54PM CST- Guess I'm not the only one. Check this entry at Boing Boing: ISPs in Iran, Tunisia also use SmartFilter (which blocks BoingBoing as "nudity") Guess I shouldn't feel so bad. I'm only one guy at work. They are blocking whole countries!! But I hate smartfilter! This is not the first site they've blocked for ignorant reasons at my job...Companies are so afraid of being sued that they will take political correctness to new highs. Or lows...depending on your point of view. Land of the free...and the home of the brave...Yeah right...But not @ work. And here's another post - BoingBoing banned in UAE, Qatar, elsewhere. Our response to net-censors: Get bent! And here's the one that probably got them "on the list" at my job - Stick Michaelangelo's "David" on your blog to protest censorware. Look at that - it's a picture of someone's privates. Holy Crap! It ain't just over there, folks! It happens right here too! Somebody needs to get bent...Bent Over!!

It was So Obvious...

All this time I thought these were for George W. suppo--Wait a minute...It is the same thing...Stumbled on this fellow, genebob's blog. A new form of Handicapped sticker! GeneBob sez: "Someone finally explained to me what these bumper stickers mean (I've been seeing them on SUVs for the past few years). They identify the driver as mentally handicapped, and others are advised to maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and theirs." Thanx Gene! I couldn't have said it better myself! Surf on over to GeneBob's blog...You'll be glad you did... GeneBob's Blog

Memoirs of a Geisha by Peter Goulden

just spent the last two nights Not sleeping. 'What was I doing?' You might ask. Well, I wasn't sleeping, as I should have been (gotta go to work after all), was I? No. I was reading author Peter Goulden's excellent debut novel, Memoirs of a Geisha. I was riveted from about the first page. The Queen had read it several months ago. I asked if I should read it. It was a best seller after all. "You probably wouldn't like it. It's kind of a girly book," I was told. So I forgot about it for a couple of months, I guess. Haven't seen the film, either. Well Wednesday night, I was having one of those nights we all do when you simply cannot get to sleep. Up later than anyone in the house, I spied it laying on the kitchen table, when I came down to go out back to have a smoke. So I picked it up and set it where I would see it when I headed back up stairs, thinking, 'If I don't like it, maybe it will put me to sleep'. One word... BULLSHIT!!!! As I said, I was riveted from about the first page. This novel tells the story of a woman, sold off by her family to a Geisha House in Kyoto in the mid 1900's and runs through almost the present day, I think. Incredible... I've always been curious about Japanese culture. They seem so different, somehow. It was an incredible read. Far from putting me to sleep (and I really needed the sleep), I think it actually kept me awake(!) I tried to put it down about 1:00 AM Thursday morning, and turned the light off to go to sleep. No go on the sleep thing. All the exotic things Mr. Goulden was painting in my mind were racing around in there, gelling into one incredible Japanese painted scroll. So I picked it up and turned on the light and read for about another hour I think. When the alarm went off, I awoke with a start, still clutching the book. I went to bed Friday night early intent on getting some sleep. As I pulled back the covers to get into bed, the book fell to the floor. Shit! I picked it up, with intentions to read just until my eyes drooped. They didn't. I finished the damn thing at around 2:30 this morning. Now I'm no critic, but it's safe to say I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone. What a piece of Prose! Pick it up, and read a few pages. You'll be hooked. Sucked in to early 20th century Japan, just as I was. Who doesn't like to read about exotic people, doing exotic things, in exotic lands. Maybe if you don't then this book isn't for you, but even then...

Have You Ever Wanted to Eviscerate One of Those Magic 8 Balls?

You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones where you would pose a question to the "Eight" Ball, shake it and turn it upside down and it would supposedly give you the answer to your question. Well these guys did it. Better them than me. Although I gotta admit I always wanted to. The Insrutable 8 Ball Revealed Go ahead...Click the link...You know you want to...Just CLICK it!

Got Time for A Good Joke?

Told from a Woman's point of view, which I am not! One day I met a sweet gentleman and fell in love. When it became apparent that we would marry, I made the supreme sacrifice and gave up beans. Some months later, on my birthday, my car broke down on the way homefrom work. Since I lived in the countryside I called my husband and told him that I would be late because I had to walk home. On my way, I passed by a small diner and the odor of baked beans was more than I could stand. With miles to walk, I figured that I would walk off any ill effects by the time I reached home, so I stopped at the diner and before I knew it, I had consumed three large orders of baked beans. All the way home, I made sure that I released all the gas. Upon my arrival, my husband seemed excited to see me and exclaimed delightedly: "Darling I have a surprise for dinner tonight." He then blindfolded me and led me to my chair at the dinner table. I took a seat and just as he was about to remove my blindfold, the telephone rang. He made me promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned and went to answer the call. The baked beans I had consumed were still affecting me and the pressure was becoming most unbearable, so while my husband was out of the room I seized the opportunity, shifted my weight to one leg and let one go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of a pulpwood mill. I took my napkin from my lap and fanned the air around me vigorously. Then, shifting to the other cheek, I ripped off three more. The stink was worse than cooked cabbage. Keeping my ears carefully tuned to the conversation in the other room, I went on like this for another few minutes. The pleasure was indescribable. When eventually the telephone farewells signaled the end of my freedom, I quickly fanned the air a few more times with my napkin, placed it on my lap and folded my hands back on it feeling very relieved and pleased with myself. My face must have been the picture of innocence when my husband returned, apologizing for taking so long. He asked me if I had peeked through the blindfold, and I assured him I had not. At this point, he removed the blindfold, and twelve dinner guests seated around the table chorused: "Happy Birthday!" I fainted!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanx to my friend Brenda Fredrichsen