6934 -

H-Bot (the "automated historical fact finder") answers your questions, like "When was Einstein born?", and it works very well.

Nitrogen was discovered in 1772.

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( Beachwalk pictures - Rainy day on Las Olas )

The beach looks so strange with tire-tracks on it.

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Girls Eating sandwiches. - Some sort of fetish? Nothing officially naughty.

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Dan and I had a talk about how our minds work. He compared the mockery center of my brain to starship troopers... waiting to deploy at a moment's notice, at the first sign of a a green light to launch.

Well, that's semi-true... I do like to poke fun at those things that strike me pokeable... and very little is sacred.

He's also talking about getting a dog... since his Mrs works from home, I think that they'd have a good relationship with a critter that's as socially demanding as a poochie.

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The Onion's 2004 election guide

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Jacket Grows From Living Tissue ... designer clothes with the look and feel of living jerky.

There's a trend I can see catching on.

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Freedom Force 2 looks pretty keen.

6935 - bro update

Via Mom-

Just had a call from Ms Swartz [bro's landlord] regarding Derek. She said he had not paid his rent and was served yesterday with a 3 day notice to vacate. She said she told him if he came up with his rent he could stay until the end of the month, but he had to leave by then. She said that she had numerous complaints from the other tenants of noise late at night, low life people and even a woman screaming. The tenants called the police, she has tried to get the police reports to get to the bottom of what was happening. She also said she went by the place and a very sad looking girl was with him...she said because she has met me, she feels badly for the family, but he has to go. This makes me sick and reminds me of his fathers last year..I'm at a loss.Mom

It's worse than I thought... and I thought it was bad. I don't think she needed to stick me with the dig about Dad at the end. I'll forgive her slight, as these are trying times for her. She seems to forget her involvement in that whole prior disaster.

I wonder if this entry will be public, this time next year.

I wonder if my brother will be alive, this time next year.

I hope he doesn't hurt anyone else on his way down. I've known for a long time that he's a no-hope situation.

6937 - make me laugh!

Eau de Humanity

6939 - Templars!

Today being the October 13th, one could note the passing of the Templars:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#Ruin

"On October 13, 1307, what may have been all the Knights Templar in France were simultaneously arrested by agents of Philip the Fair (Philippe le Bel), to be later tortured into admitting heresy in the Order. (Some believe this act to be the origin of superstition regarding Friday the 13th.) "

The more conspiracy minded might also note that a modern incarnation of the Templars:

http://www.osmth.org/

Has a "Special Consultative Status" with the United Nations:

http://www.osmth.org/images/ngo.gif

And that the American Priory has been active in the Balkans:

http://www.smotj.org/charities/index.html

In the related area of helping Christians at risk, the Priory of St. Norbert of Chicago has been active in a very-much "hands-on" endeavor in Kosovo. The Priory of St. Norbert is in the process of collecting medical supplies for shipment to clinics in Kosovo. One of their Knights is serving in Kosovo on active duty with NATO forces."

And I note that the point of contact email address for the NATO Priory is from the US Selective Service Administration ( for those outside the US, these are the guys who administer the Draft )

http://www.sss.gov/mission.htm

Hell of a cover for the Order of St. Jerome.