Xenobia dot net

Is it bad that I’m trying to teach Busey to whistle the theme from Sanford & Son?

“One of the things I’ve used on The Google is to pull up… uh maps.  And it’s very interesting to see.”
George W. Bush

Hmmmm.
Internets?

The animals are rising up to overthrow their opressors!

Florida man undergoes surgery after stringray flops into boat and stings him in the chest  

LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. (AP) — An 81-year-old boater was in critical condition Thursday after a stingray flopped onto his boat and stung him, leaving a foot-long barb in his chest, authorities said.

“It was a freak accident,” said Lighthouse Point acting fire Chief David Donzella. “It’s very odd that the thing jumped out of the water and stung him. We still can’t believe it.”

Fatal stingray attacks like the one that killed “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin last month are rare, marine experts say. Rays reflexively deploy a sharp spine in their tails when frightened, but the venom coating the barb usually causes just a painful sting for humans.

James Bertakis of Lighthouse Point was on the water with his granddaughter and a friend Wednesday when the stingray flopped onto the boat and stung Bertakis. The women steered the boat to shore and called 911.

Surgeons were able to remove some of the barb, and Bertakis, who also suffered a collapsed lung, underwent surgery late Wednesday and early Thursday, the Miami Herald reported on its web site.

Ellen Pikitch, a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami, who has been studying stingrays for decades, said they are generally docile.

“Something like this is really, really extraordinarily rare,” she said. “Even when they are under duress, they don’t usually attack.”

“Freak accident”?
“Really, really extraordinarily rare”?
As far as I can tell this is TWO of these OMG SOOO RARE incidents in less than three months.

The stingrays are gearing up to take over.

Heroes was great last night, btw.
“My name is Hiro Nakamura and I am from the future.”

Anyway.

When I was a kid we used to get real bagels.

There was this little bakery that we used to stop at and pick up a dozen warm bagels. Real bagels. With just a touch of salt scattered on top. Bagels that you didn’t have to put anything on.  You could just bite right into their crunchy shell and enjoy.

You might be saying to yourself, “crunchy shell, wtf?” if you’ve never had a real bagel and have had to just eat that bread with holes they sell at most store.

Yes, a bagel has a crunchy shell.  And a very soft inside.
Sometimes the crunchy shell would actually kinda hurt your gums when you bit down, but then the soft soft inside would bring warm relief.

It is possibly the yummiest bread ever.  Well, maybe except for pepperoni bread.

And the secret is:
A bagel is boiled bread.

No, really, it’s not a bagel if it isn’t boiled.

So… I’m on a quest to make perfect bagels.
I guess the ones at Scolari’s are pretty good.  And there’s a bagel shop down the street that has some nice ones.  But they’re not my childhood bagels.
I want to recreate those.

Maybe this weekend.

I’ve found several online recipes.  Of course, as usual, I’ll probably just read all the recipes I can find and then synthesize my own from what I’ve read.

Here are some of the bagel recipes I’ve found:
Real Honest Jewish Purist’s Bagels
Holy, Wholly Bagel
Who Wants Seconds? Bagels

If, by chance, any Jewish grandmas happen to be reading this and would care to share their recipes…

So yeah, gonna make bagels.  Will post how that all works out.

Heroes.

Watch it.

Download the ones you haven’t seen yet.

As good as Lost.
Especially Hiro.

I think I’ve succeeded in teaching Busey the “hailing whistle” from Star Trek TOS.

You know – the woooooEEEEEEEoooo one?

He’s almost got it down.

Today was one of those great days that rolls around every once in awhile.

My hair’s getting really long and annoying and it actually obeyed me and looked pretty good today.
Work was nice and relaxed.

I came back from lunch to find a 12 pack of my favorite beer sitting on my desk.
Seems the owner of the company thinks my department is doing a kick ass job and he decided to give us all a little present.  A 12 pack of our favorite beer!  Unf.

Then I had my review.  Heh.  I evidently rock.
That was nice, but the hefty raise was even nicer!

As I go back to my desk the owner’s waiting there with another beer.  This one’s ice cold and he pops the cap for me.  I proceed to relax at my desk at work with a nice refreshing beer.

I leave a little early.

It rains!

When I get home, I notice that I’ve sold a gazillion illustrations today.  Okay, so only like 15, but still nice.

Then my wonderful man takes me out for sushi.  It was very very good sushi with a clever funny sushi chef making it.

We stop for espresso drinks on the way home.

I relax with a beer and work on some illustrations.
Now I think I shall hit the hay.

Yep.  Damn fine day.

Did I mention the beer?

$68,000 and some change!
I believe this means that the great man will actually be able to die at home and be able to afford final expenses and such.

Dear Friends, my God, what can I say. I am dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and totally stunned by the charity and compassion that has poured in here the last three days.

To steal from Jack Benny, “I do not deserve this, but I also have severe leg problems and I don’t deserve them either.”

Because he was a kind man as well as a funny one, Benny was beloved. I find it hard to believe that I am equally beloved and especially that I deserve such love.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that my love is with you.

You have all reminded me that despite George W. Bush and all his cohorts, there is still a lot of beautiful kindness in the world.

Blessings.

Robert Anton Wilson

There’s more and a letter from RAW’s daughter on boing boing.
You can still send him money, though.

RAW is dying. I suppose everyone has to sometime, but this is particularly sad to me as his writings have been a major influence on my life and worldview. He seemed to have the uncanny ability to sum up the concepts and ideas that were roiling around in my head and make them a coherent whole, re-presented to me with footnotes, even.

Dennis Berry says:

Sadly, we have to report that wizard-author-intelligence increase agent is in trouble with his life, home and his finances. Robert is dying at his home from post polio syndrome. He has enough money for next months rent and after that, will be unable to pay. He cannot walk, has a hard time talking and swallowing, is extremely frail and needs full time care that is being provided by several friends-fans-volunteers and family. We appeal to you to help financially for the next few months to let him die at his home in peace.

Robert’s writing has enlightened-educated many and if you can please commit to help pay a portion of his expenses until his passing which sadly won’t be that long. Monthly contributions of $50.00 or more will be greatly appreciated.

Any donations can be made to Bob directly to the Paypal account olgaceline@gmail.com.
You can also send a check payable to Robert Anton Wilson to
Dennis Berry c/o Futique Trust
P.O. Box 3561
Santa Cruz, CA 95063.