Cat (part 2)

The cat's fine. The cortisone injection they gave it seems to have done some wonders as far as the allergic reaction it had with the flea meds (I suspect my clipping the claws probably helped a little too)

Still has a bald patch where it was shaved for the testing of the lump. The test results came back saying "Yup, it's a lump. A little blood serum, a few red blood cells, some skin cells, nothing malignant."

My hand still has a few fading scars from where it played berzerker last month, but we're coming to a new understanding together.

Not sure what to make of this...

Through a combination of personal choices and being lucky enough not to be accused of a crime, I've not had to think much about such things.

But this article on programs making it easier for fugitives to turn themselves in has me thinking.

Is it a good idea?
Does it suggest something's wrong with our system?
Does it suggest a perception that law enforcement goes above and beyond "to protect and serve" and taint due process (as part of the status quo?)
Is this a puff piece meant to make these "easy surrender" programs more successful by making 'em sound less scary?
Is this sort of thing a correction to a system that's been otherwise broken, thus leading to a feedback cycle that causes the accused to withdraw even more?

I sort of think that most of the citizenship knows if they've broken the law. But my only experience of the persecuted/falsely-accused has been from dramatic cinema.

I really don't know what's what here.

It's hard to forget hearing some numbers that said "Hey, we're 5% of the world's population, but we've got 25% of the world's prisoners"

Making a list.

I've been thinking a bit about people that have had a positive impact on my life in the last year. I'm thinking even more about the people that I've had direct contact with. Something nearly tangible. Something personal.

Maybe I'll name names next week as a tribute to 2008.

But briefly, thank you.

Just watch the whole thing

What a useless site.

Food Porn Daily (found here)

Macro shots of food meant to tantalize. You're probably supposed to get so ravenous as to click on the recipe link or something.

It has problems. I clicked through a lot of pictures trying to discover the allure, but it failed me.

1) Aside from the overuse of macro shots, and the tired "we embed the name in each photo through clever text hacking", there is no redeeming social value here. I guess that's the point as it's supposed to be food porn, and I guess I should be somewhat glad it doesn't involve someone inserting the dish into their genetalia (or vice versa)

2) Watch for adjectives. If they have to be sure to cram "juicy", "moist", etc. into the name of something, well, your mileage may vary.

3) Note how many of the baked goods seem undercooked, or at worst, uncooked.

4) Note how many of the featured items are completely unidentifiable save for the embedded description.

I know, I'm shitting on someone else's parade, and I usually try to avoid that. But this seems like such bullshit sophistry to me that I bet I could use the same tactics to make some horror from the basest depths of my refrigerator look appealing. Maybe that's the answer. Rustle up a few of the terrifying bits of the circus of forgotten leftovers and recreate the aesthetic.

Ongoing Dispute #12

It's been a while, but the hits keep on coming

• A man who appeared confused was walking down a center median. A caller was concerned he'd be hit by a car. 6:30am


• A caller said a woman in a raised dark blue truck was hitting and punching a man who was also in the truck. 10:00am


• A dark blue Ford truck drove onto a sidewalk and destroyed an OCTA bus stop bench. 10:57am (same truck?)


• A gas station clerk said a customer became upset about the price of beer and began threatening to hit him with a beer bottle. The man also told the clerk to "get out of his country." Officers advised the suspect to shop elsewhere. 10:29am


• A resident said a man came to his door and asked for a donation. The resident was suspicious of the solicitor and said he was "so scared he just gave him money so that he would leave." 4:02pm


• A man said someone bit his ear while he was at the beach. 11:38pm


• It appeared a water main broke and water was "gushing up from the street like fountains," causing the water level to rise quickly. One caller said waves of water were coming out of a gutter and another caller said water had covered the hood of his car. 9:24am


• A caller said her 12-year-old son received an "inappropriate picture" message on his cell phone from a classmate and wanted police to speak to the other boy's parents. 1:35pm


• Someone kicked a door down at a warehouse and stole $3,500-$4,000 worth of golf cart parts. A former employee was a possible suspect. 4:33pm


• A 13-year-old boy said another student from middle school followed him, cornered him and took his check card. 5:03pm


• Three males, including one wearing only underwear, were seen running around on the pier. 4:22am


• A man in his 60s walked out of a restroom without pants. 11:47pm


• A resident said a magazine solicitor spit on his car after he refused to make a purchase. 11:57am


• About 30 males were fighting with bats during a softball tournament. 2:21pm


• Someone knocked on a resident's door and left a package marked "fart bomb" outside. 2:59pm


• Someone spray painted "white trash" and "small penis" on a 2008 Chevrolet pickup. 7:58pm


• A man was seen stabbing a tree and being combative with passersby. 8:47pm


• A woman said a 34-year-old "psychotic male," to whom she was "technically" married, was chasing her around with a stick with a nail sticking out of it. Officers responded and found broken windows and blood in the residence. 2:42am


• An employee reported hearing people on the roof and was worried because of recent tagging activity. Officers determined the culprits were seagulls. 8:23am


• A woman said she almost struck 15-month-old child who had run into the street, followed by a 3-year-old girl who chased after the baby. The woman said a man came running after the children, cussing and screaming at them. She said she was concerned. 11:46am


• A father requested police presence while he picked up his child at school because of an earlier argument about reckless driving with another father. The caller said it "almost came to fisticuffs." 1:32pm


• A resident said two males were selling magazines door-to-door and had a "really bad attitude." Police received several other similar calls about illegal solicitors all over the city. 8:12pm


• A disoriented man walked into the caller's house and asked if he could use the shower. The woman walked him out of the house and he went wandering around the neighborhood. 9:37am


• The head of a dead cat was found in the middle of the park. 4:36pm


• Police responded to a business after its alarm was activated. Officers determined the "cat burglar" was a stray feline that had gotten locked in the building. 2:20am


• A caller requested that officers patrol the area because people constantly park in the area, have sex and leave trash. 10:33pm

Apparently in this post-duck, post-coyote world, all we have are our surly magazine solicitors. (source: ocregister)

Oops, hear the police chopper and sirens. Something must be afoot.

From the halls of XKCD

source:xkcd

We might just be this stupid now.

Advent Conspiracy

Regardless of your religious views (or lack thereof), I think there's something to be said for the sentiment of this.



(Thanks to Scott for pointing this out)

The New Phonebook is Here! The New Phonebook is...oh....er...

A friend mailed me a dead phonebook. It's sort of like the telecommunications equivalent of waking up with a horse's head under your pillow.

I suspect it's related to these shenaningans





(thanks for the cookies, boo)