| KHftCEA 1999-07.1 July |
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KHftCEA 1999-07.1 July
Well, we should know by October 10 if Nostradamus's "Seventh Month of 1999" is going to mean anything. I very much doubt it myself, but hey. 99-7-1 --- So Greg's gonna be having a kid. For some reason it seems odder to me than the fact that Mike is as well, despite Greg being older, married, and generally looking more eager to settle down. Maybe it's because it *is* likely deliberate for Greg, whereas Mike just got his girlfriend knocked up. It's that deliberation that seems strange. 99-7-1 --- We are, as the animal behaviorist John S. Kennedy calls us, "compulsive" anthropomorphizers. [...] Human beings do it so instinctively that they are forever ascribing malignant or benignant motives even to inanimate forces such as the weather, volcanoes, and internal-combustion engines. --Stephen Budiansky, "The Truth About Dogs", The Atlantic July 1999 --- "Nostradamus did for bullshit what Stonehenge did for rocks." --Unca Cecil --- www.tractorfest.com --- "Earth to stupid guy, hello!" --Homer Simpson --- Had an out of the blue visit from Mike Witczak and his friend Skyler yesterday. He called me at 9 to tell me he was on his way (he also e-mailed from a Kinko's) He was travelling to work off some heat towards Chris, who told them to take this job and shove it. It was a nice way to spend the fourth. They got here in the late afternoon, showered, then we went to Cambridge Brewing Company and then to see the fireworks from the Cambridge side. (Lot of walking around.) Then they left this morning. Poor Mike. He's not making nearly enough to support a family like this. But he seems to be taking it in good humor. We did a lot of good reminiscing (sometimes leaving Skyler out of it.) He mentioned that he and I used to annoy Wendy and Lynn by suddenly picking up an hour old conversation, leaving them very confused. He sure loves cars. He's driving a $300 plymouth But it got him here. He's reasonably concerned about Y2K. He's a knowledgable guy, and I respect his smarts about a lot of stuff. Hope this isn't one of them. 99-7-5 --- Big thunderstorm. Loud anyway. No wonder kids get scared, or that primitives believe in gods. 99-7-6 --- The Soviet pre-eminence in chess can be traced to the average Russian's readiness to brood obsessively over anything, even the arrangement of some pieces of wood. Indeed, the Russians' predisposition for quiet reflection followed by sudden preventive action explains why they led the field for many years in both chess and ax murders. It is well known that as early as 1970, the U.S.S.R., aware of what a defeat at Reykjavik would do to national prestige, implemented a vigorous program of preparation and incentive. Every day for an entire year, a team of psychologists, chess analysts and coaches met with the top three Russian grand masters and threatened them with a pointy stick. That these tactics proved fruitless is now a part of chess history and a further testament to the American way, which provides that if you want something badly enough, you can always go to Iceland and get it from the Russians. --Marshall Brickman, Playboy, April, 1973 --- "It should be illegal to yell 'Y2K' in a crowded economy." --Larry Wall --- Statistics are not useful for predicting individual human behavior. --hpstrdufuz@aol.com, alt.fan.cecil-adams --- idea for palm app: move all checked todo items in one category to another. 99-7-8 --- 'Death and Distraction!' said the Pins and Needles. 'Destruction and Debauchery!' --Edward Gorey, The Inanimate Tragedy --- Next day a motorist drove up And told her to expect a cup. The weeks went by; no package came; She did not know the sender's name. 'Life is distracting and uncertain,' She said and went to draw the curtain. --Edward Gorey, The Eleventh Episode --- [An image of Jasper Ankle, with a record of Caviglia's 'Vivi con una mira' as a halo.] --Edward Gorey, The Blue Aspic --- "The Dubious Errand" --frequent Gorey reference --- "I love skissors!" --Woman on Sexbytes 2.5 |