I was actually going to post this Friday, but a computer crash took these away. I have rebuilt as much as possible.

X-Factor
X-Rays of bizarre things inserted into the human body, mostly the head,
where the patient survived. Not for the squeemish.

Fish Cheese
It’s cheese! And it’s fish!!!!

Sales of champagne decline along with the economy
So now is the time to buy champagne.

Name a new species of bat after whatever you want
A very neat fundraising idea.

World History Maps
A one man amature project to capture in map form various historical
periods. The Roman ones are particularly good.

Australian fencing instructor teaches priests to foil old age
Old people, with walkers are taught how to fence. Think about the
implications.

Mobile Stripper Pole
Because I have often thought what the world needs is undulating women on
mobile platforms in the bar areas of major cities.

Finally

Fallen Canadian Soldiers Honoured in Calendar
This calendar honours Canadian soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan. It has been completely bankrolled by an uncle of a fallen soldier, who, once he pays off the expences, will use the proceeds to pay for services for military families. I am planning on ordering one, and would encourage all of you to do the same.

[  Mood: Amused ]
[ Currently: Listening to Canada Eh! ]
The third installment of author Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap saga finds Septimus finds himself thrust back in time and apprenticed to an Alchemist. Meanwhile, the ghost of Jenna’s great (several times over) grandmother is trying to kill her and resume the throne. The same fate of the late queen’s own daughters.

Definately not as good as the first two, as it lacks Some of the freshness and wonder. Still, it has the same tone and Sage keeps the the plot moving, so it is not dull. The ending sets the reader up for the no doubt forthcoming forth installment.

[  Mood: Silly ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
At this time of year CBC Radio starts playing a lot of repeats and "special programming". The special programming is produced by the junior producers who are really auditioning for bigger and better things. They have to pitch these ideas to CBC management (or have them pitched to them by CBC management).

Unfortunately, these shows tend to be inane. I call them the "Musical Tours of the Outhouses of Eastern Ontario" and I do my best to avoid them. Part of these efforts includes borrowing books-on-cd to listen to instead of the radio.

To that end, I just finished Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not. This is the brilliant, sarcastic and very funny story of Wigfield, a town that is threatened by destruction when the governement destroys the local dam. Read by the authors Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, this book on CD is laugh a minute funny. Worth getting on CD just to hear the delivery.

And I have hours more of other books to listen to.

[  Mood: Confused ]
So Husband Unit and I took Geeklet to Taffy Lane tonight. Taffy Lane is small street in Ottawa that seems to get into the Christmas spirit in a big way. Every year they have a huge display where every house on the street is lit up with Christmas lights. It looks like something out of a movie.

Not this year. We went around 5:30/6:00 pm a Sunday night. One third of the houses were not lit up. What gives, Grinches? I know the economy is on the way down, but it can’t be that bad.

Hopefully next year is better.

[  Mood: Amused ]
So I have one question about the Iraqi reporter who threw a shoe at Bush.

How did he get the second shoe thrown?

Isn’t that why the Americans pay the Secret Service? To ensure that the second shoe, bullet, spear or other projectile is not lobbed at the President?

I mean, I can see how the first one went flying through the air, because, really, who throws a shoe? Outside of an Austin Powers’ movie. That can slip by anyone. But after the first piece of footware was pitched, the men who talk into their wrists should have been taking the wing-tip-tosser down. Or at least moving to do so.

As you can clearly see in the video, it is not until after the second shoe is discharged that the Secret Service starts moving. It is, in fact, some of the other Iraqi reporters who try after the first shoe to stop the guy.

The US is lucky this guy was only flinging footwear. Cause if he had been packing heat, it would have been much worse.

I suspect this will now be part of Secret Service training.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
Another in my installment of fun links.

700 Hobos Project
This is based on John Hodgman’s book was The Areas of My Expertise, where he lists the 700 types of hobos. And if you think you have seen John before, you have. He’s been on the Daily Show, but more famously, is the PC from the I’m a Mac, I’m a PC commercials.

If other artists drew the Mona Lisa
Cool. I particularly like the Jackson Pollack one.

The 11 Coolest Mugs for a Hot Cup o’ Joe
hot-cool-coffee-tea-mugs-cups/
I like the one that let’s you know how much milk you like in your tea or coffee.

I Made Cakewrecks!
I submitted the all white yule log in this blog entry.

If I Die A Bacon-Related Death, I’d Like It To Be Because Of This
Oh. My. Goodness.

In honor of the holidays, restaurant is now serving reindeer hot dogs
This is what happens when Santa’s reindeer get too old.

The Five Most Terrifying Local TV Christmas Commercials
Insane.

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[ Currently: Breastfeeding My Son ]
I love mysteries, so I tend to read a lot of them. I stumbled across the title at Stop, You’re Killing Me!

Ruby, a rabbi’s widow, is still burdened by the expectations of her community, most notibly temple busy body and social queen, Essie Sue. When Essie Sue’s sister drops dead in the local bagel shop, Ruby launches into investigating what has happened.

This is not a great book. The storytelling, a little clumsy to start off with, is not improved by the insertion of long, rambling emails between Ruby and her best friend Nan. I gave up on this because I didn’t really care who did it and why.

[  Mood: Hypnotized ]
[ Currently: Breastfeeding My Son ]
So Christmas is coming, and you are probably thinking "What should I get Ubalstecha?"

Never fear, I have a suggestion. This:

Yes, Black Canary Barbie.

For a mere $40, you can bring a smile to the face of me, Ubalstecha. Think of the warmth you will feel knowing that I am opening up the gift and playing with it Christmas morning. Think of how much happier you would feel if you gave me two. One to play with and one to leave in its original packaging.

And Mattel, think of how wonderful you will feel if you make Green Arrow Ken.

[  Mood: Amused ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
For many, many years I have been sending out a weekly list of wierd and wonderful links to friends and family. So when I saw Matthew Bey’s latest blog entry, I was inspired to share them here. I will in no way be as witty as him, but never the less, here I go.

Who Owns What – This is a dizzying diagram of media ownership in the US.

Dog Can’t Get Out – Ahhhhhhh – there’s a forcefield!

Dog Risks Life to Save That of a Friend – Touching.

Apple’s Apples… Talk About Geek Fruit – Way, way too much time on their hands

Atlas of True Names – Just very cool.

Holland Puts a New Spin on Old Technology to Combat Climate Change – This was a plot on Coronation Street like three years ago. No, reallly!

Shave the Date – There are no words. Slightly NSFW.

Wild African Cream – On my Christmas list. Guess why? No, not the booze.

Scientists extract images directly from brain – Soon you will not be able to lie to your partner about what you are really thinking about. You have been warned.

The Great Chess Doping Scandal – Yes, you just read that.

Boy, 3, with cerebral palsy can keep his pony – Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I get a lot of my links from the board and other blogs here. I will try and remember to delete them from this post.

[  Mood: Cool ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]

Aya is a fifteen year-old girl who is desperate to be famous. It is several years after the mind-rain, when Tally Youngblood freed the world from "Prettytime". Each city appears to have gone on its own way. Aya’s city (most likely Tokyo) has switched to a merit based economy. Most people do good works to get credits. So you do your homework, you earn five credits. But you can also earn credits based on your face-rank, in other words how famous you are. The more famous your are, thebigger your house, the more gadgets you can own, you get the idea. Think of it as our reality TV world gone amuck.

The city is made up of cliques. Our heroine Aya wants to be a famous kicker, like her brother. Kickers are reporters, so she must break a big story. What Aya doesn’t realize that in doing so, she will betray friends, meet the most famous person in the world and uncover something far bigger than she could ever imagine.

While not as good as the first three books of the Uglies series, Extras is still a masterpiece of world building. Author Scott Westerfield has taken our fame obssesed society and taken it to the nth degree. And that makes it engaging. This is a good read for adults and teens and will be appearing in an upcoming After Harry.