Wednesday Wow!

Time to lighten the mood! This edition of Wednesday Wow features a Japanese island that looks like the perfect setting for retirement or for the secret base of a James Bond villain! It also features a nifty way to grow food and art at the same time.

After we visit Japan, we’ll zip out to Saturn for one of my very favorite space photos. It’s one of my more frequent desktop wallpapers. Then, back on Earth, we’ll zoom in close for a microscopic look at a couple of common items and finally end on the real star of today’s Wowishnessosity: a piece of video that’s a ton of fun.

Ready? Let’s go!

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I, Monster

This is a post I have mixed feelings about writing. One purpose this blog serves is to document my life and me. It’s a way of leaving something behind, of scrawling, “Kilroy was here,” on the walls of the interweb. There are no children to carry on a legacy, so this is what I have.

If I am to do that honestly, it means writing about the dark, hard stuff as well as the fun, light stuff. I’ve thought about writing this post for a while, but was looking for the right time (which, of course, is just a delaying tactic). Yesterday I mentioned yet another moment of life synchronicity. To the extent I believe the universe “tells” me anything, it’s not hard to imagine it’s suggesting that I post this now.

I’ve been wanting to get back to the drier, more technical stuff, but I’m finding it a challenge to write. There’s research required for one thing, double-checking facts, and sometimes diagrams to find or create. Writing technical material in a way that’s interesting and accessible is tough! The personal stuff flows much more readily. (And doesn’t require the fact-checking!)

So this post is about my alter-ego: Quasimodo.

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BB #13: Monday Miscellany

Feeling kind of down today. Last day of a five-day vacation; the new position swings into full gear tomorrow. Could put a real dent in the fun I’ve been having here in the blogsphere.

Plus, after weeks of sunny weather, it’s totally cloudy and partly rainy. If it’s going to be that way, I want thunder and lightning! “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!”

Adding injury to insult, it seems I’ve once again proved my unfitness to be among the human race; once again intended to help, but caused hurt feelings instead. And per the weird synchronicity that inhabits my life, on the same day, a post on Talk To Diana speaks to that very issue!

I am the poster child for Foot-in-Mouth disease! Quasimodo thinking he can ever find a place among the townspeople.

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Blog Post

Bloggin’ Bog…
Bloggin’ Blah?
Bloggin’ Bah!
Goin’ Fishin’…
Havin’ Fun?
Likin’ This!
Comin’ Home…
Feelin’ Good?
Nice’n Calm!
Writt’n Down…
Click’n Post,
Now’m Done!


(Not feelin’ like writt’n today. Logos con carne will return anon.)


Funniest Movies Ever

Earlier this week I read an NBC News blog post that cited a Telegraph (UK) post concerning the funniest movies ever. The British article involved a study by a movie subscription service. The study attempted to rank the funniest films ever based on laughs per minute. The NBC article added their own informal staff picks to the mix.

What tickled me is that the Brits named Airplane! as the funniest movie ever. I’m not sure I have a definite all-time #1 pick, but Airplane! is unquestionably in the top three. A while back, I wrote about my funniest films, and Airplane! was my first pick (of four — third place had a tie).

So the Brits and I share a funniest movie pick, but we diverge from there.

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BB #12: Bring the Bubbly

It’s party time! Friday night, and everything’s right.

For your consideration, there’s celebration in the air (that’s no exaggeration). We’re talking ’bout elation; lookin’ for participation. Ya gotta feel the situation. Join with the recreation; enjoy the circulation (and the conversation).

Listen to that good vibration, trackin’ jubilation destination. Forget your reputation; forget your moderation; ain’t no humiliation (that’s a stipulation). There’s no registration, no identification authentication.

I’m sure it’s no revelation; fermentation fascination will bring inebriation (and hallucination). Hesitation just won’t do; you have an invitation! There is no limitation at this here presentation.

That was my narration; how ’bout a small ovation?

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Fifty-Seven

“Pick a number from 1 to 100.”

Today I’m thinking about the number: 57.

What can be said about the number fifty-seven?

It almost looks like it might be a prime number (due, I expect, to the five and the seven, both of which are prime). But it’s not prime (or in its prime). It’s divisible by 3, and that’s easy to see, because:

5 + 7 = 12; 1 + 2 = 3

That trick works for any number divisible by three. Just keep reducing the digits by adding them until you get a single digit. If that digit is divisible by 3 (3, 6 or 9), then the number can be divided by three. We could even have stopped at the 12, since that is also divisible by 3.

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What’s the Word?

What’s the word for when you receive new information that alters your way of thinking? In particular, for when you thought things were one way, expected them to be that way, but the new information surprises you.

I used to think it was the word frisson, but that word (from the French, “to be cold”) refers to the pleasant thrill shiver you experience at the awards ceremony just before they open the envelope that might contain your name. Or when you watch a horror movie (assuming you like watching horror movies).

That’s not quite what I mean. There is — at least for me — some thrill shiver associated with learning a new and surprising thing, but I need a word that focuses more on the sense of realignment that occurs to your worldview.

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Wednesday Wow!

Welcome to Wednesday Wow, an irregular series appearing from time to time when I want to write about something that made me say, “Wow!” Or which made me say, “Weird!” Or, “Wonderful!” Or possibly even, “Wild!!”

There may also be posts about Widgets, Whirligigs, Wiccans, Waffles, Wallpaper, Whimsy, Wisdom, Wit, Weather, Wind, Winter, Wushu, Wackos, Whatnots, Wherefores or Whatever.

But not about Women, Wenches or Wahines; they’re too special to be limited to a day, even though they often make me say, “Wow! Wonderful!”

Nor will it be about Work, War or Woodlands. Also, no Whining, Whipping, Whispers, Whistling, Windows, Wine or Whiskey. And I’ll try to not be Wanton, Wonky, Whistful or Worrisome. I can’t guarantee I won’t wander into being a Wry Wiseass. And I hope my Words won’t be Wrong, Wasted or a Wreck.

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Final Thoughts

Two long posts to represent the fallen Towers, WTC1 & WTC2. One shorter post to represent WTC7. Many of the surrounding buildings were damaged by the collapse of the Two Towers. The 22-story WTC3, which was adjacent to both was destroyed. Three nearby nine-story buildings, WTC4, WTC5 and WTC6 were all badly damaged.

Some find it odd that WTC7, which was the furthest, was seemingly not seriously damaged, but then fell on its own nearly seven hours later. As I wrote in the first post today, many of the conspiracy crazies focus on WTC7 as the actual primary target.

As if that made any sense at all. Destroying 316 stories worth of buildings (not to mention nearly 3000 Americans) to take out one office containing supposedly damaging documents? Seems like merely starting a weekend fire in an office a floor or two below would do the trick, if you wanted to not draw attention to the real target. It’s hard to imagine anyone coming up with such a plan. The phrase “utterly idiotic” comes to mind.

In this last post, I want to touch on some details.

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