Memorial Day Weekend '07

Ah yes...yet another in a long list of interesting things that I've done with Mike.

This weekend was the annual Hedon hash event that was held just outside of Atlanta. It was interesting (to say the least). This year's title was "Hedon XXI: Barely Legal". I can't believe that they've been doing that for so many years. Talk about stamina!

The last hashing entry I made was here.

If you don't know what hashing is, I'm sure you can find some posts that I've done previously that do a pretty good job of explaining it. It's really fun being in a situation where you can simply walk up to anybody and start a conversation with them and they will be happy to have it even if they don't know you.

This event had a lot of the same as the last one...
1. Merriment
2. The "A stranger is simply a friend you haven't met" philosophy
3. The drinking games
4. Some nudity (ALL on the part of others. I'm way too bashful for that kind of thing)
5. Trail
6. Trail injuries
7. Trail stories
8. Costumes
9. People making friends they'll keep in touch with forever
10. People making mistakes they'll regret forever (just ask "....... the wonder boy")
11. People wondering why someone like me would ever attend an event like that

I have the following comments to dispense about certain people.... (and names will be alterred to protect anonymity). ;)

• Thanks to "Rockman" for the invite. A blast was had by all.
• Again, my thanks go out to "Kitty" (hey....I ALTERRED it...don't complain!!). She is the epitomy of someone who knows how to bust out and have a good time while not sacrificing her sensibilities or altering her personality in the process (the latter of which irks me more than most other things on this earth). She's also a really good person. That's not a combination you run into every day. All of that, PLUS the ability to deal with me makes her the VIP of the party as far as I'm concerned.
• To "Dr. Wench"....we may have had a sarcastically rocky start, but you turned out to be alright. Of course, that was mainly due to your ability to stroke my ego whenever I needed it in your attempts to make peace. ;) "Grape Ape" will be a happy guy.
• To Dr. Wench's unbelievably self-focused sister (for whom I could not come up with a clever code name)....I would like to take you out to dinner the next time I see you.
• To "Mamms"...as always, you are a very warm person (in the non-perverse context). You always know how to add the right kind of flavor to a situation. I'm glad I got to see you again. This certainly won't be the last time. :)

I don't know what people had a harder time believing....that I didn't actually drink or that a person's body could be THAT white underneath their shirt. I'm quite proud of my Hank Hill farmer's tan. BWAHAHAH!!!! :)

I learned something new about myself this weekend. I learned that there actually are situations where I will genuinely panic if I can't locate a way out. That kinda sucked, but at least it was short-lived. Muchas gracias to Tracy and Kitty for helping me through that one.

I'm tired and, although have much more to write, choose to stop now. I'm sure that pictures are sure to follow, so stay tuned! :)

Super Spartan Bros.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

I guess you'd have to be a real child of the 80s to really appreciate this.

I've told various people over the last few years about the pictures of the import documentation that I saw for the first Apollo moon rocks. Here is one such picture. It's not as high-res as the ones I saw before, but it's probably good enough.

These documents show how the moon rocks from the first Apollo mission to land on the moon had to go through customs in Hawaii before they were allowed into the United States. Gotta love beurocracy! :)

Picture: If only we could all be so lucky...

You should take a moment to click on the above picture and look. There were many things in the series that struck me as being profound; everything from the two trees to the progression of the day from dawn until dusk. I may be the only person who understands what I mean when I say this, but I think that sometimes, sorrow can be a progressed form of joy.

Then again, I always was weird. ;)

Entry: Pics of the day

Whenever you're getting horrible service at the grocery store, just imagine where the employees are off wasting their time.

This guy turned a stuffed beaver into a PC chassis. How wrong is that??

This one is for the number nerds.

That's awesome.

Now, supposedly, the above pictures will reverse if you take 8 steps back from your screen. I was able to duplicate the effect just by squinting my eyes.

The sad thing is that there probably isn't anybody who reads that sign.

How would you like to be the one to catch THAT fish??

I thought I was the only one who ever laughed at that picture.

Entry: Wisdom in an interesting place

I was reading a text today and had some excerpts that I felt like sharing with you...

"Among us, there are many different practices and many points of view. No single one of us has all the answers to who and what we are. Respect each person's individual choices and beliefs. Learn about them and share what you know. Our diversity is our strength, and we should not allow misunderstanding to weaken our community."

"Give respect to those who have earned it. Anyone can claim a title, but a true leader will prove him or herself through dedication, hard work, and great deeds. Even so, leaders should be guides and not dictators. Look to them as examples, but always decide for yourself what you must do."

"Know that there are repercussions to every action, and that you alone are responsible for your decisions. Educate yourself about risky behaviors, then always act with wisdom and common sense. Do not allow others to abuse you, but also, do not selfishly abuse."

"Reach out to others in your community. Exchange ideas, information, and support. Be hospitable to others, and appreciate hospitality when it is extended to you. Do not engage in illegal activity,"

Would you care to take a guess what the source is for those passages? Was it the Koran (sp?) ? Nope. Was it the Torah? Uh uh. The book of 'Common Sense' (by Thomas Payne)? Try again. The bible? Heavens no . (pun intended)

The excerpts came from 'The Black Veil'. For those who don't know, that is a publication maintained by Michelle Belanger for the purpose of defining rules of conduct for modern day Vampires. Bwahahah!! It is a ruleset that is used widely around the world today.

( DISCLAIMER: I am not a "vampire" nor have I ever claimed to be one. I do not follow their practices nor their lifestyles. A man can appreciate the mountain without actually being a mountain himself. )

But seriously...why is it so hard to find texts that lecture common sense? You know...the kind of resource that talks about the responsibilities of each person in maintaining his/her life in this massive world with 6 billion other people with whom they have to share and whom they should respect. It's interesting that one has to go to a text like this to find it. I think it's rather amusing that I would probably tell my nephews to seek wisdom from the vampires before the the Christians, Muslims, Jews, or any other organized religion.

( The one obvious exception to that last statement would be the Tao of Programming ) :-p

Entry: A letter to a patriot

Dear esteemed patriot,

We live in odd times.

Our armed forces are deployed oversees to battle a continuing insurgency that we have yet been able to quell. It is a brutal engagement which we often seem ill-equipped to fight regardless of what the media reports. Our enemies have been using tactics that are abhorrent (to say the least) and that fly in the face of decency. The enemy has shown a complete abandon of their ability to wage battles in today's civilized warfare. Our generals say that we can handle the insurgency but they have yet to be able to deliver on their promises. They simply were not prepared to enter into a dispute with a people on their own soil who possess such a terrible resolve. Granted...there are those in their midst who side with us and remain loyal to our cause, but they are often silenced by those who do not share their convictions.

What is also disturbing is that we are now uncovering evidence that certain other nations (with whom we are not on the best terms) are covertly providing aid to our enemy. This is an added dimension to this conflict which is hardly welcomed. I never thought that this fight would ever cause us to become estranged from other nations.

I honestly don't understand what the enemy thinks that they are going to lose by fighting this war against us. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. All we want is to ensure that the land is instilled with the same quality and "evolved" society that we have long enjoyed here in our own country. Unfortunately, they really don't understand what we are trying to do and what we are trying to give them. They see it as mere interference in territories which we supposedly have no right to govern.

The enemy is wrong and we will make them understand. We can ill afford to allow these vagabond militias to dictate the future of that territory in defiance of our will. It threatens to shatter our credibility and our authority in the world today. We will overcome. Make no mistake...our resolve is strong and will endure.

Until we talk again....

Cordially yours,

King George III

The year of our Lord, Seventeen-Hundred and Seventy-Nine

Article: US Constitution FAQ

This is really interesting. Someone took the time to compile a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the US constitutions. Everything from what to do if asked to identify yourself by police to 'Are Police Allowed to Lie'. That last one seems like a no-brainer to me, but the answer turned out to take a spin that I really hadn't considered.

Article: Colossal squid netted

Is that not cool?? Some fisherman were fortunate enough to net a Colossal Squid whilst fishing for toothfish. This post may bore 95% of people out there, but it's things like this that fascinate the heck out of me. I should have been a marine biologist.

Article: Cute animal posts

Ok....so maybe these animals aren't so cute afterall. But they're all worth mentioning.

This is a link to some video shots of a dog that was born with no fore legs. It walks upright like a person and is considered to be the only bipedal canine in the world. You really should check this one out. This dog is hela-cool!

In that same link is a video of a viscious attack bunny chasing a snake up a tree. I have never seen such a thing. It rather reminds me of that killer rabbit in Monty Python's 'Holy Grail' movie (picture can be seen above).

Here is a link to a picture of a test that was returned to a student with some rather interesting notes appended to it by the professor. If only all professors were this cool! :)

And, last but not least, here are some detailed instructions on how to take a nice fluffy stuffed cat and turn it into a hideous terminator-cyborg looking turn signal indicator for your car. Pictures included.

Article: The psycho Valentines fling

Have you ever hooked up with a woman and have her tie you to the bed only to have her take out a knife, put a few slashes on your body, and start drinking your blood? Not just that, but don't you also hate it when you manage to free yourself from the bed only to be chased with a pickax?

THIS guy does. :)

Yeah. I really hate those days.

Article: Top Web Tools for College Students

Here is a list of some nifty website resources that college students would probably find most useful. I particularly liked the Ottobib site. Where were these things when *I* was in college???

Picture: Sheesh!!

What in the world happened here???

Article: Priest sells own church

This is hilarious. A priest up and sold his church one day wihtout anyone else's knowledge. Why did he do this? Well, apparently, it was so that he could afford the new laptop and BMW. :)

I'd also be interested to know HOW he did it given that he doesn't personally own the church (unless this is a circumstance that I'm not familiar with.

The truly BEST part of the story is that the priest probably isn't going to serve a sentence more than the time served so far because he has agreed (via a deal with the authorities) to testify AGAINST former confessors who just happen to be in the same jail with him.

I wonder which level of hell Dante would put THIS guy at. :)

Articles: Cool 'History of War' websites

I recently ran across a couple of pages at the 'Maps of War' website. I thought that they were pretty neat animations.

One of them shows the various empires which ruled the European and Middle Eastern areas over the centuries.

Another is an animation of the various military conflicts that the US has been a part of over the course of American history.

Article: Awesome Homeland Security signs

Someone (with too much spare time and a great sense of humor) decided one day that many of the signs put out by the Dept. of Homeland Security are somewhat ambiguous in nature. They took it upon themselves to suggest some possible meanings for some of these illustrations. For instance, the picture here could mean "If you have set yourself on fire, do not run."

Article: How to survive a horror movie

I think the title says it all. Check out these rules for surviving a horror movie. These are among my favorites....

• Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.
• If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not speak, or if they speak to you using a voice which is not their own, shoot them immediately. It will save you the grief in the long run. *NOTE* It will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared.
• As a general rule, don’t solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.
• If you are searching for something which caused a loud noise and you find out it’s just the cat, leave the room immediatey if you value your life.
• If you find a town which looks deserted, it’s probably for a good reason. Take the hint and stay away.
• Don’t fool around with recombinant DNA technology unless you’re sure you know what you are doing.
• Never listen to music that contains staccato shrieking violins.
• If you are a woman, never strip and take a shower in slow motion.
• If you sense something is behind you, don’t bother turning around to check. Just run.
• If someone tells you to do or not to something (example: DON’T fall asleep, DON’T go out there, DON’T go look for the homicidal-chainsaw-wielding psychopath by yourself) by all means, LISTEN TO THEM!!
• A small town’s little summer celebration might sound like fun. But if you hear the locals say things like, “Why you’re the guest of honor! We couldn’t even have the barbecue with out you!”, run like hell.
• Always be nice to the shy, quiet, unpopular girl in school.
• Never buy your kid a toy that talks back.
• Never watch a horror movie while you’re in a horror movie.
• Never wait until you NEED the gun to check and see if it’s loaded.

Article: Tips for tech jobs

Here is an interesting set of tips for the geek who's out there interviewing for his next opportunity. Apparently, someone came up with the notion that geeks are somewhat taken advantage of in today's day and age. I believe it (although I consider myself to be very fortunate with my circumstances). The only rule that I follow when negotiating with a company is to never be strictly on the defensive. Put up just as much of an offense as they do and make remember that if you're responding to negotiating points with a simple 'yes' or 'no', then chances are that you're not taking advantage of possible opportunities.

Article: Sequel to 'The Dark Crystal'

Yep...it's official...they're making a sequel to some people's favorite 80's fantasy flick. Honestly, I think that the film industry's ability to create decent fantasy movies died in the early 90s. That was around the time when imagination was conquered by computer imagery. Bah I say! I almost wish that they wouldn't even bother with this sequel. Some movies like 'The Dark Crystal', 'Labyrinth', 'Legend', 'Neverending Story', etc, should just be left as glorious memories. We don't need another repeat of 'Terminator 3'. Sheesh...now THAT was a great way to murder a good story.

Article: Good grief

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the kind of person who would ever rejoice over someone's death, but, as I've posted before, things such as the passing of Anna Nicole Smith really shed an erie (sp?) light on the state of the threshold of American entertainment. War could have broken out with Iran and N. Korea today (coupled with a cure for AIDS) and noone would know about it because Anna Nicole died! I was fortunate enough to run across this site that makes my point superbly. It doesn't really matter how many Soldiers and Marines died today...how many helicopters crashed in Iraq...how many innocents slaughtered in Africa...the skyrocketting national debt...all because everyone wants to know how this one woman died. As a country, I honestly sometimes think that we need to re-think our priorities.