Yes indeed, the young ones, bellies full of candy, are sleeping. Time to go watch scary movies.

Never wander alone through mist shrouded mountains.

Our street has been partially pulverized by people who are pocketing money that could probably have been spent on something more important, but wasn't. I awoke this morning to rumbling and the beeping of trucks backing up. It was still half a block away, but I hurried through my morning routine so I could leave the driveway before being trapped by heavy machinery. I made it, but had to go around the block to escape the advancing workers. The same thing is going to happen again when the sun rises today, but it won't matter as much because I have nowhere pressing to be. I hope they pulverize quietly though.

The Dickens has invented a new dance which, for want of a better name, I'll call the Potato Chip Dance. In order to do this, you have to spot a potato chip on the floor, run over to it, jump up and down on it until it's been pulverized sort of like our street, and then get down on all fours and lick it off of the carpet. Repeat until there are no more potato chips.

We carved some pumpkins today, and we'll proudly display them outside so all of the right wing christian fundamentalist wackos can wring their sweaty hands and bemoan the fact that such a vile, satanic holiday is allowed in this country. These are the same people who refuse to believe that all of the "christian" holidays are actually pagan holidays that have been warped and squished into little christian molds. I always get a good laugh when I run across people who sincerely believe that Halloween is somehow evil. To my mind, this is sort of like believing in the tooth fairy. The only thing I wouldn't argue is that it's yet another consumer feeding frenzy, but then again so is every other damn holiday in this country.

It's still my favorite holiday. I like holidays that upset uptight people. Uptight people need to be shaken up on a constant basis. Maybe it will loosen them up.

cds I listened to while anticipating candy: Retsin "Sweet Luck of Amaryllis", Rasputina "The Lost & Found", Grace Yoon & Roman Bunka (w/Greetje Bijma, Trinovox, and Albert Kuvezin) "Earborn", Mahmoud Ahmed "Ere Mela Mela", V/A "Ethiopian Blues & Ballads", Huun-Huur-Tu "Best Live", and Waterson:Carthy "A Dark Light"

Happy Hallowe'ene'en! I like this time of year because I can draw stuff like this and have an excuse.

The wind made an appearance tonight, gathering up masses of brown leaves and whipping them across parking lots. The temperature has dropped as well. It was cold in the shade this afternoon, as I found out while I was drawing in the garden at the museum. Maybe fall has finally fallen.

I didn't get to spend much time at home today (technically yesterday, but since I'm still awake, it's today) because I had to attend a training meeting at work. None of the activities that we were being trained how to do were new to me. I really do think it's time to change my job description in some way, but am not sure how. I was looking over an application for a job with the water company, and reading the supplemental questionaire attached to it, and realizing that I don't have any of the types of experience they seem to want. It's so hard to move sideways into a different kind of job. Not that I necessarily want a different kind of job. I just want the types of jobs I like doing to pay me well enough to live on. hmmm... what to do, what to do? Of course, my tendency to be very passive about searching for jobs works against me.
I just know that on days like today I don't get to spend enough time with Jen and the kids. It seems like I'm always working, but in reality I only work about 35 hours a week. It's just in 4 hour chunks here and there, so it seems like I'm always going to work.

Yesterday, I saw a guy driving north in the southbound lanes on the expressway. Tonight, a guy in an SUV cut me off, and afterwards I just happened to turn into the same parking lot as he did. I think he thought I was going to beat him up or something, because he was quite contrite when I made eye contact with him.

Driving is just a barrel of laughs.

cds I listened to while laughing: The Bevis Frond "Triptych", Scorched Earth "Fed to Your Head", Vasen "Trio", and Bastards "Monticello"

Another slow day at work, which balances out the constant chaos of home.

The pumpkin patch has a jump house and a bunch of toy vehicles for kids to push each other around in. The Dickens hopped into what appeared to be one of those old electric cars. I flipped the switches to see if it was still electric in any way. It wasn't. I used the emergency power - I pushed it around the pumpkin patch, much to the delight of The Dickens. Jen was pushing the boys around in one of the other non-electric cars. The Dickens tired of this after awhile, and made me get in so she could push me. Imagine a two year old in a bat costume pushing a grown man around in a small plastic car. I'm surprised that she managed to push it at all.
Then she found the jump house and had a gleeful time bouncing around. Nate joined in for awhile. When it was time to go, we had to promise her a ride in one of the patch's rusty red wagons to get her to emerge from the jump house. Everything was going well until she realized that the wagon was being pulled towards the van.

If somebody could find a way to harness the power of her tantrums, the energy crisis would be solved for good.

cds I listened to while pondering renewable energy sources: Six Organs of Admittance "Dark Noontide" and "You Can Always See the Sun", Circle "Raunio", Hazy Loper "Yonder, Go!", Volcano the Bear "Volnono", and Corner Tour "The Come On Over"

Cats should run the world.

Today I journeyed to the hellish wasteland that is the outdoor shopping center to get my new car stereo installed. As I waited, I wandered through the desolation, noting that there were people around, but that the place still gave the impression of being empty of life. Maybe it had something to do with the blandness of the stores, which undoubtedly attract bland customers. Maybe we are indeed surrounded by the living dead.
Another problem I have with these shopping centers is that the architecture is so dull. Are these built by the people who failed architecture school? Maybe they're built by the same people who design our prisons and high schools.
The only real sign of life was a mom with a couple of little girls, one of them pushing a doll stroller. They were running along, following the zig zag brick pattern on the sidewalk. Maybe that's the only way to escape the living dead who stumble all about, laden with shopping bags and the weight of too many fast food lunches.

The same thing happened to Rome. Then it fell.

The first cds I listened to on my new stereo: Daemonia "Live... or Dead", Sainkho Namtchylak "Stepmother City Remixes", The Flash Girls "Play Each Morning Wild Queen", Laibach "Rekapitulacija 1980 - 84", Timesbold "Woe be Gone...", and Mahmoud Ahmed "Live in Paris"

Today was as much of a leisure day as we're likely to get. Jen and I celebrated our anniversary by going out to eat, wandering around in the posh part of town, drinking pearl milk tea, finally finishing watching Satantango, and perusing the extras on Bowling For Columbine. In short, we spent a lazy day, because we're entitled to it. We only took Willow with us because she is too young to ask for juice or scream because we don't buy her stuff in every store we visit.
It's hard to believe that we've been married for a year already, although at the same time it seems like we've always been married. Life before marriage has taken on a tinge of unreality. It's even hard to think back to the time before Willow was born. I can't remember what it was like to not share my life with a beautiful wife and four children, the smallest of whom sticks her tongue out because her teeth are coming in and bothering her. She also has a whole vocabulary of heart melting baby sounds, not to mention copious amounts of drool which makes her mouth and hands slick. She plays with toys now too. Jen said that Willow actually cried the other day because she was angry at The Dickens for swiping one of her toys. Crying can be such a versatile method of communication, and it looks like Willow is starting to diversify.

They're going to be tearing up and repaving our road this week. The notice the paving company sent out actually uses the word "pulverize". That sounds noisy. I hope they do the pulverizing in the afternoon, but I have a feeling they won't.

cds I listened to while feeling good about being married for a year: Tarentel "Fear of Bridges", Kemialliset Ystavat "Varisevien Tanssi/Silmujen Marssi" and "Kellari Juniversumi", Worms "Pelican Songs", Present "High Infidelity", and CMX "Aurinko"

Exactly a year ago, we were on our way to Sanborn Park to get married. Happy anniversary to us!

Beware of shadowy figures lurking near stairwells.

I always arrive at the weekend feeling worn out. Thursday usually seems like the low point. Friday brings a couple of hours at Hidden Villa, which, despite the fact that I have to get up too early to get there, seems to help recharge me. Today I led a group of energetic pre-schoolers around the farm. Actually they were ahead of me most of the time because they all liked running. They came from somewhere up in San Francisco, and got the sliding scale discount, which is nice. I think it's the kids from the poorer neighborhoods who benefit most from places like Hidden Villa. We all need places like this to bolster our spirits; to remind us that the world is a beautiful place.
It's quite warm out today. During the night it feels like autumn, but the days have been more like summer.

I tried to get a new cd player installed in my car today, but since it would have entailed leaving the car there well into the evening, I opted for monday. That's always the hard part - the time involved. The physical process of a credit card transaction is easy. I almost wish it wasn't. The disconnect involved is like a cushion between myself and reality. The labor involved in earning money seems so far removed from the whole credit card thing. The interest I'm being charged is just a number on a statement. Maybe I live too much in the "here and now", and should be looking down the road more often. Maybe I should sit down and figure out just how many hours of working for somebody else it takes me to buy things like cd players. Of course, it's the cd player that makes delivering papers fun.

Speaking of spending money, I got the new DVD player in the mail. It does indeed play non-American formats and regions. It seems to play just about everything. I think that's money well spent. Of course, buying things online involves even more cushioning against reality. I need to work on my willpower.

Tonight I bring snakes and bugs to Lexy's school for their Halloween party. It should be fun.

cds I listened to while feeding batteries to my discman: Blyth Power "Gladly Give to Ceaser", "The Bricklayer's Arms", and "On the Viking Station", Kroko "Furia", and Circle/Marble Sheep "Surface/Marble Zone 2 - live"

Yep, my car stereo is toast. I'll get a new one on friday, using money I don't really have.

I've been enjoying the cloud cover at night, and the leaves scudding across the asphalt. The night air has more of a bite to it now. The days continue to be depressingly warm. Have you ever noticed that weather forecasters are biased? Warm/sunny = good. Cold/cloudy/rainy = bad. ... and don't get me started on other mainstream culture/media biases. I wonder how many people would believe that up was down if they heard it from an announcer on TV? Probably more than one might think.

hmmm. I notice that the blogger page isn't displaying fully. I think I'll see if this will actually publish.

cds I listened to on my discman (what, you didn't think I'd have a backup plan?): Anja Garbarek "Smiling and Waving" (this really benefits from being heard with headphones), Ramona the Pest "Contrary Sanctuary", Plasmatics "Coup D Grace", Tanakh "Villa Claustrophobia", Ulan Bator "Vegetale", Tindersticks "Sometimes it Hurts", and Chumbawamba "Readymades"

Here's a couple of small drawings, done in the garden at work, inspired by Bela Tarr's Satantango.

It's those moments when we step away from our routines that we feel most alive.

It may have finally happened. After playing all of my cds, the cd player in my car seems to have died on me. When I was minutes from home tonight, it spit out my cd and couldn't be convinced to play any more. I'll let it rest over night and see if it feels like playing in the morning. I guess I could go get a new one, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for this one because Jen got it as a gift for me a couple of years ago. Shortly afterwards, somebody tried to steal it and failed. They managed to rip the face plate off, but must have been interrupted or just too plain stupid to figure out what to do next. I held the face plate on with tape until M. rigged up a little latch for it. Ever since that day, somewhere in the mechanism there is a loose connection that causes it to squeal intermittently. I discovered that in order to stop the squealing, I have to push on a certain spot underneath. This usually works anyway. Sometimes it turns itself off. The little readout says "goodbye". If I push on the spot underneath, it says, "hello", and turns back on.
We'll see if it works in the morning.

Oh, and I found the key to that damn apartment complex. It was behind my seat.

cds I listened to on a mortally wounded cd player: Cheer-Accident "Salad Days!!", Thymme Jones "Career Move", Noe Venable "The World is Bound by Secret Knots", COH "Love Uncut", The Potomac Accord "Silver Line on a Black Sea", and Damon & Naomi w/ Kurihara "Song to the Siren"

Sometimes gated communities don't get their newspapers. Tonight was such a night for one such community. I managed to lose the little, electronic key that opens the gate. I was overjoyed! I got done with the route fifteen minutes earlier. I did look for the key, of course. I found 35 cents, fingernail clippers, a guitar pick, and an old, non-functioning electronic key under my seat, not to mention the countless rubberbands that litter my car. Maybe it fell out on the ground somewhere. That would be nice.

cds I listened to while not trying too hard to find the key: CMX "Discopolis", Ain Soph "Oktober", Nagisa Ni Te "On the Love Beach" and "Feel", and Backworld "Seeds of Love"

Another weekend full of stuff.

Friday, M. and I went to the quiet burg of Scotts Valley to witness some Swedes, collectively called Vasen, play their instruments. They played in a community center that used to be a Lutheran church. They played viola, nyckelharpa, and guitar. The audience, most of whom seemed to be there not because they were familiar with Vasen, but because they were Swedish and were hungering for a bit of culture from the homeland. We were there because we liked the band, which placed us in the minority. Of course, by the end of the evening everybody liked the band. They were quite likeable, and even told bad jokes between songs in a deadpan Swedish sort of way. Another great thing is that, according to the little program we were handed, it's a Scandinavian tradition to give away free coffee wherever people congregate. This is good, and yet one more reason to consider moving to Scandinavia.
I overheard a guy behind me say that if Vasen weren't musicians, they'd probably be math professors because it takes some "serious brainpower" to play music like they do. The viola player seems to have a good head for obscure historical information relating to the songs (some composed centuries ago) they were playing.
Also, due to the deficiencies of my American keyboard, I have done them the insult of calling them "vase". Their name actually means something like, "essence", or "spirit", but without the proper punctuation (a little dot) over the "a", the meaning changes. Also, due to the deficiencies of my American education, I don't even know what that little dot over the "a" is called.
Another guy, who looked to be somewhere in his eighth or ninth decade, stood up after the concert and pointed out that it was the 14th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. I still remember that little event like it was yesterday. Apparently a lot of other people do too.

Oh, in case you don't know what a nyckelharpa is, here's a picture:



Sunday, Lexy had his party at the ice skating rink in Cupertino. The last time I ice skated was at that rink, when I was not much older than Lexy. I actually managed to make my way around the rink with a bit of speed (if very little grace), although I did fall on my butt a couple of times. About half of the kids attending the party also seemed to know the rudiments of ice skating. The other half clutched the walls or parent's hands. Nate, who has never before been on the ice, actually managed to do a little bit of unassisted skating. He also did plenty of assisted skating (my arms are still sore from holding him up, as I'm sure Uncle Jay's and Stacy's are as well) Willow, bundled up against the cold, watched from the sidelines. The Dickens stayed home with Granny. Two year olds and ice skating rinks don't make a good combination.

Later on, back at home, The Dickens made up a new game that involved making frog noises and peeking up over the side of the bed at Willow. This made Willow laugh so hard that she got hiccups. Ribbit! Ribbit! hahahaha*hic* Ribbit! Ribbit! hahahaha*hic* over and over and over again.

And, as if that weren't enough, one of our pets had babies! We're willing to adopt them out to good homes, so if you're reading this and you would like your very own Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, let me know. At the moment they're quite small. Indeed, I spent a lot of time locating them all and removing them from the cage they were born in - a cage that they could easily escape from, since they're about the size of small sowbugs at the moment. As adults, they will be around two inches long, and have the ability to hiss quite loudly when irritated. It'll be fun to watch the babies grow. Nate looked in at them and said, "they're cuter than Willow!" I disagreed with him, and then discovered that his criteria for cuteness is based on size. The smaller something is, the cuter it is.

cds I listened to while having no idea I'd ramble on this long: Daniel Littleton & Tara Jane O'neil "Music for a Meteor Shower", Circle "Sunrise", Fred Frith "Rivers and Tides { working with time" (soundtrack for the Andy Goldsworthy documentary of the same name - see it if you can), J.M.K.E "Gringode Kultuur", CMX "Musiikin Ystavalliset Kasvot + 5", and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum "Live"

I'm having another one of those moments where I can't think of anything to write about, but here I sit anyway. I've always been a creature of habit, at least with the little things - my keys always go into the right front pocket of my jeans, my shoes are always by the closet door when they're not on my feet, I blog when I get home from work... This veneer of order amongst the daily chaos frees up my mind to dwell on more important things, such as why opossums never look both ways before crossing the street. I still haven't come up with an answer for that one.

Oh, and I completed my nearly 22 month task of listening to all of my cds, although this doesn't count the few that people have borrowed and not returned, and that one damn cd in "special packaging" that won't open. People should know that rock salt and metal don't work well together. Have you ever seen a car owned by somebody who lives near the ocean? Usually pretty rusty. The same thing happens to metal cd packaging if you put rock salt inside. The only difference is that it rusts shut. I guess I could listen to it if I used a can opener.

cds I listened to with a sense of accomplishment: The McCarthy Sisters at Cold Cuts, Berkeley, 7/26/03, V/A "Progfest '94", Venom "The Second Coming", V/A "The Tyranny of the Beat", and V/A "SFEMF 2003 - East Meets Left"

No, I don't know where this sudden obsession with floating hats came from. The small picture is small because it just wouldn't scan properly.

I should slap myself on the hand and then bury my credit cards in the backyard for the squirrels to find. I just ordered a DVD player, even though we currently have two in the house. Why do we need a third? Neither of the ones currently in residence play foreign DVDs. The whole region code thing has been a frustration (and probably a boon to my wallet) for years now. If a movie gets released overseas, it is usually not playable in most american DVD players. It's all so companies can make more money, of course... Exclusive distribution rights, etc. An american company wouldn't be able to make any money from a DVD if everybody had already bought/rented the european version that came out six months ago. The problem is, not everything that hits the shelves in europe gets an american release. I just solved that problem. Thanks to M., who had also been struggling with these same frustrations and who also ordered a region free DVD player, for supplying the link to the site. Now we can happily watch whatever our little hearts desire. That is, if the kids are sleeping.

Happy birthday to my dad, who turned 68 yesterday.

cds I listened to while being thankful that they don't have region codes: all various artists - "MFTEQ Ghafran" (Music From the Empty Quarter magazine compilation), "Volume 4" (Peaceville compilation), "Cool Beans #13 - eviction compilation", "Awakening", and "The Wire Tapper 6" (The Wire magazine compilation)

Using the equation, W1000 = P, Here's 3000 words.

My job(s) keep me removed from what is commonly known as the "rat race", and I am thankful for this. I did, however, see two rats today, one at each of my jobs. The first rat was running up and down the stairs by the river while our BioSITE groups were nearby writing in their journals. It proved to be very distracting. I guess it couldn't have been a true rat race though, because you need at least two rats for it to qualify as a race. I also caught a crayfish while all of this was happening, and it indicated its displeasure by clamping down on my thumb with both of its pinchers. It actually broke the skin in a couple of places. Strong crayfish.
I saw the second rat while delivering papers at a trailer park. With his tail held high, he ran towards a car port.
Oh, I guess I actually saw three rats. The third one is thawing on top of the python cage. None of the reptiles will eat them frozen.

cds I listened to while not racing: V/A "Pixies Fuckin' Die! (Pixies tribute), V/A "Vile Vibes", Faun Fables at the Starry Plough, 5/8/03, and V/A "Doomsday News III"

The empty ice cream container is in the middle of the floor. Nearby is a spoon. There are splashes and smears of red everywhere. Did somebody get murdered over that last spoonful of ice cream? Did somebody eat so much ice cream that they exploded?

No. Nothing like that. This is what happens when The Dickens finds the ice cream and the ketchup. It looked like she was trying to fill the ice cream container with the contents of the ketchup bottle. That's a favorite game of hers - transferring things from one container to another.

I have to get up in few hours and fight the morning traffic so that I can arrive in time for BioSITE to commence, so I'll end here. Goodnight.

cds I listened to while wondering what ice cream would taste like with ketchup on it: The Angels of Light live in San Francisco, 4/11/03, V/A "Sound From Hands", and V/A "Taste This 5"

There are piglets at Hidden Villa again, but they're big piglets. Little piglets are more fun because they run around in circles. Big piglets are kind of lazy. Just before seeing the piglets, I was attacked by a rooster who was determined to keep me from stealing any of his harem. I borrowed a chicken anyway, despite his valiant efforts to peck a hole in my knee.
Later, Heather the cow gave me a back massage with her head. This was actually mutually beneficial, because she managed to scratch an itch at the same time. After this, I got the first graders I was leading around the farm to stick a cow pie full of bits of straw so it looked like a sloppy porcupine. It didn't take any persuasion at all. All I had to do was push one little piece of straw into a pie myself, and they were all gathered around with their own bits of straw. One of the chaperone moms hypothesized that this was because they didn't often get the opportunity to be around such an interesting array of droppings.

At home, Willow is a bit under the weather. She has a fever, but is getting better. Last night she was up a lot, crying. I hate that. Today she was back to her old, smiley self, but we took it easy anyway, lounging around the house most of the day.

Saturday, we went to the Tech museum to see the Grossology exhibit. The Dickens especially enjoyed the digestive tract slide/tunnel. The slide part represents the esophagus, which dumps little sliders out into the stomach. From there, the slider has the option of crawling through an intestinal tunnel, at the exit of which is a brown, unevenly shaped cushion which is apparently supposed to be shit. The rest of the exhibit was also a lot of fun, and more than lived up to its name. Jen and I agreed that we should go back without the kids at some time so we can spend more than two seconds in any given place. Most of our visit involved running after The Dickens, or trying to locate the boys.

The squirrels in our yard have been quite screechy for the last couple of days. Tonight at work there was a sick squirrel near the bathrooms. Why are all of the squirrels suddenly unhappy or ill? What does it mean? Maybe it's because they didn't get to vote.

cds I listened to while wondering who the squirrels would have voted for (once again, all various artists): "Magnetic Submission", "UHF/VHF", "Bored, Lonely, and a Little Pissed Off" (a KALX radio compilation of live studio performances), and "Music for the Proletariat" (Allied Recordings compilation)

I just came home, and surprised a pair of raccoons in the yard. One of them walked along the fence a ways and balanced there, staring at me, as if deciding whether or not to jump down. I could hear the other one breathing in the tree near the fence, and see its tail hanging down. After a moment or two, they both scrambled down into the neighbors' yard. I heard them again as I started typing this. They're pretty noisy.
It's nice to see wildlife, even though we city folks are usually limited to raccoons, opossums, skunks, rats, squirrels, and pigeons - maybe a few more if you take a closer look.

Speaking of wildlife, I have to get up early to lead a tour at Hidden Villa, so I'll end here.

cds I listened to while surprising the wildlife (all various artists): "This Note's For You Too!" (disc 2), "Mesomorph Enduros", "Noise and Junk Omnibus" (RRR compilation, with an apt title), and "The Holy Bible vol. 2-3" (The sequels, where Jesus becomes a ninja and fights the mafia and... okay, actually a Holy Records compilation, with nothing even remotely holy contained within)

I lost the jawbone somewhere, as well as one of my yellow pencils, but nevertheless...

The Dickens painted a lovely picture on the wall in the hall, using a double handful of diaper potatoes. She then, still holding on to her "paint" walked up to me and said, "eeeeww". I agreed with her.

Somewhere in that little anecdote there's a metaphor for what's happening to the state of California. I have this vision of a line of sheep waiting their turn to go up the ramp into the slaughterhouse, where an Austrian strongman is waiting with a bolt gun. They go willingly to their doom. The only problem is that they're taking the rest of the farmyard with them. The bolt gun wants the cows, chickens, goats, and even the farm cats, all because the sheep consented to allow the strongman to take over.

Why is it that our social structure mirrors that of herd animals? We're supposed to be a democracy, which means that it is necessary for us to think. Why do so many people just follow that one sheep or cow who bolts at the first sign of danger? Do people confuse fantasy with reality? Why else would anybody vote for an actor to be governor? Do they think he'll "terminate" the budget crisis? Will he wield a broadsword against domestic terrorists?

I'm just groping for answers.

cds I listened to while wondering what state to move to: V/A "Release Your Mind - vol.2" (Relapse compilation), V/A "Virus 100" (Dead Kennedys tribute), Faun Fables at Cafe Du Nord, 11/1/02, and V/A "This Note's For You" (Neil Young tribute) disc one

Here there be dragons.

Today I met the BioSITE kids who will be in my group for the rest of the school year. They were all frighteningly well behaved. Almost like they had been replaced by aliens or something. All of the other facilitators had similar stories to tell about their groups.
I'm sure that once these kids get used to the program, some of their rough edges will become apparent. For now though, I'll enjoy the fact that they're excited to be involved, and that they listen and make observations quite well.

As for the election... I have a slogan for the next recall. It's quite succinct. One word, actually: ArNOld.

cds I listened to while shaking my head in disgust at the decision making skills of my fellow Californians: V/A "The Absolute Supper", V/A "X" (Peaceville compilation), Faun Fables live at Tuva, Berkeley, 2/1/02, V/A "NWOBHM Metal Rarities, Vol. 1", and V/A "Beauty In Darkness"

I saw a different toad tonight, a couple of blocks away from where I keep seeing the other one. This toad was also in the road. I leaned out my window and said, "get out of the road, toad." As I drove away, I could see him hopping towards the curb.

I've also been seeing those obnoxious Arnold Schwarzengroper (oops, I mean Schwarzenegger) for governor signs hanging from freeway overpasses. These where well balanced out by a small sign, hanging from a pedestrian walkway, that claimed, "Arnold loves Hitler". I'm not sure if he loves Hitler or not, but it doesn't matter. There are enough other reasons not to vote for him.

I'm with the woman I saw standing by herself on a streetcorner, holding a "vote no on the recall" sign. What a farce. What a waste of money. It's bad enough that the republicans steal elections (hello little George) without them trying to rip the carpet out from under people in mid-term.

cds I listened to while wondering why there are so many assholes in high places (the better to shit on us, I guess...): Giorgio Gaslini "Le Cinque Giornate/La Porta Sul Buio" soundtrack, V/A "The Lamp of the Invisible Light", V/A "Im Blutfeuer", and V/A "Succour - the Terrascope Benefit Album"

I have a new Sun Spider (or Wind Scorpion, as they're sometimes called). Right now, it's running around in its cage, trying to figure out how to escape. I noticed earlier today that it is missing the tip of one of its mandibles, although this shouldn't slow it down too much, since Sun Spiders have two sets of mandibles, which function sort of like machinery in a wood processing plant, sawing things into little bits.
The only problem with these arachnids is that they don't live very long as adults. I bought it anyway, of course, because they're just so odd. I used it at the spider workshop today, and the attendees were duly impressed. Nobody got to touch it though.

On Saturday, as we drove to the museum, Nate saw a guy walking down the street sporting a long, matted beard and a head full of unkempt, tangled hair. "He looks like your brother," Nate observed as we drove past.
When we got to the museum, I discovered that the workshop that I'd thought was on Saturday was actually on Sunday, so I played with Jen and the kids instead. I especially had fun watching Willow sit in the little pre-toddler area inside the early childhood center. She just sat there and contentedly pawed the brightly colored vinyl blocks. She is really starting to explore the world around her now. I could watch her do this all day.

Last night, in what must be the most delayed case of karma ever, Lexy stumbled, half-asleep, into our room and peed in the wastebasket. I mention that karma is involved because I did the same thing to my parents' wastebasket when I was about the same age as Lexy is now. Neither of us remembered our nocturnal waste watering expeditions in the morning. At least he peed in the wastebasket. I can think of a whole bunch of places where I would like to find pee even less.

cds I listened to while hoping that nobody pees on the spot where the wastebasket used to be before I can clean it and put it back: All various artists - "On the Brink of Infinity", "Heilige Tod" (Death In June tribute), "Mykistavia Valikohtauksia - Dumbstriking Incidents" (like it says on the front, "a compilation of some of the weirder bands on the Bad Vugum label"), "A Sides" (that's circle A, as in anarchy), and "Tea At the Palaz of Hoon" (beautifully packaged double cd)

Willow had her first taste of something other than breast milk today. Jen mushed up a pear, and I fed it to Willow with a little spoon. She seemed more interested in getting her hands into the bowl than she did in actually eating. I managed to coat the lower half of her face with pear, which she seemed to find amusing, judging from the happy baby dance she performed (lurching back and forth in her exersaucer with a big grin on her face).

At the museum, the long-promised water exhibit finally opened. It looks pretty cool, although I only got to see it for a couple of minutes before the museum closed for the day. We're thinking about taking the kids there on saturday, since I have to go anyway in order to teach the spider workshop. I wonder if the person who left a hypodermic needle in the garden will come see the water exhibit too. Maybe he could leave a crack pipe near the waterwheel. Maybe he could gently place a bong inside the rain shed.
Oh well, at least we haven't found any more knives in the garden lately. We were wondering today if we might someday find a body out there. Perhaps in the compost pile. Would that improve the compost? Would anybody eat anything out of the garden afterwards? I think that, in order to prevent this sort of thing from happening, we'll have to erect a sign that states, "no drug use or dying allowed". People need signs for everything these days.

cds I listened to while hoping the garden remains unspoiled: Tank "Still at War", V/A "On - the World and Everything In It", V/A "The Pact - Flying in the Face...", V/A "The Pact ...of the Gods", and Joe R. Lansdale (hisownself) reads "By Bizarre Hands" & "Steppin' Out, Summer 1968"

More visuals...

We passed by the Reptile Ranch on the way to the grocery store today, and saw that the "re-opening soon" sign was gone. Then we noticed that it was indeed open again. I'll have to drop in there later. The Reptile Ranch caught on fire some time back, with tragic results for most of the animals inside. This was actually the second time it had caught fire, but the first time wasn't as bad.
I bought my Emperor scorpions there a few days before the most recent fire, probably saving their lives in the process. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the owners and employees to try and nurse the injured animals back to health. Many of them didn't make it.

Of course, there are those who say that reptiles and other exotic animals shouldn't be kept as pets. I can see their point, but at the same time I think that people need to spend time around animals of this type. Many of these animals come from areas that are fast succumbing to the constant expansion of the human race. These animals are representatives from the wild (even though most are captive bred). They cannot speak our language, but if we get to know them on some level, we can speak for them. We can spread awareness about them and their disappearing homes. We can lay the myths to rest.

It pains me to think that some day soon, when their habitats are condos and parking lots, many of these animals will only be found in pet stores, zoos, or other institutions.

cds I listened to while wondering what used to live where the road is now: V/A "...E Tu Vivrai nel Terrore", and V/A "Terra Serpentes"

Why are they always green and yellow? I have no idea.

In the book I'm reading, I'm in the middle of a chapter dealing with the consequences of introducing (either on purpose or by accident) "non-native" species into a habitat. Nasty things can happen. Native species can be driven to extinction. People can die. Death Cap mushrooms anyone? Yep. They're not native. Then there's the Cane Toad. Check out the documentary, now on DVD (creatively entitled "Cane Toads"), for the whole story. The list goes on. Wherever you are, there's bound to be something there with you that came from somewhere else. Of course, you came from somewhere else too. I came from somewhere else. If we we are to be consistent about trying to put everything back where it came from, we have to take a long, hard look at ourselves too. And how long does a species have to be in residence before it can be considered native? 100 years? 1000 years? An epoch? An age?

This was on my mind as our group of BioSITE facilitators wandered down to the Guadalupe River today. Of course, going back to bed was also on my mind, but I digress... Imagine my surprise to see a small turtle floating in the river. I pointed it out to the others, and snuck up on it. The fact that I could sneak up on it should have tipped me off. Every other turtle I've ever tried to sneak up on has seen me from a mile away and vanished into the water. This one bumbled along in the current, and was easy to pick up. You can probably see where this is leading... I grabbed the turtle and discovered that it was a (gasp) "non-native" turtle! Just like the Bullfrogs that also call this river home. Just like the Pigeons nearby. We decided to make the turtle, a Red-eared Slider, our BioSITE mascot, and it is currently sleeping in a tank at the foot of my bed. I had to buy various turtle supplies today, and still need to get a couple of additional things, but soon everything will be as it should be. The turtle is now back where it came from, more or less, because I'm reasonably certain that it was a pet before it was thoughtlessly tossed into the Guadalupe.

Tonight I wore a jacket for the first time this season. Welcome autumn.

cds I listened to while realizing that I belong to an introduced species: Once again, all various artists: Heavenly Voices III", "Onore Alle Arti", "NWOBHM Vol.3", "Hate People Like Us" (People Like Us remix/tribute cd), and "Mitten Ins Ohr" (Krautrock!)