john b

So hoist up the john b sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, yeah yeah

Well I feel so broke up
I wanna go home

Let me go home
Why dont they let me go home
This is the worst trip Ive ever been on

(Via Crooks and Liars)

[Update and video rescue - March 11.

Almost three.

]

Bubo virginianus

The Great Horned Owl

For a couple of years I've shared my neighborhod with one of these. I lie abed at night and listen to his distinctive call. Sometimes it's as if he's just outside the window, other times his calls blend into the distant train whistles.

The stuttered one-two-three, one-two is as distinctive as Poe's Raven calling "nevermore."


I know he's out there (the biologists tell me it's a he, by his call), But outside, in the dark, I never see. And he hears me, and waits quietly.

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more.

-Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

New evidence out of China indicate that birds are the direct living descendants of dinosaurs. I wonder what they sounded like. Did they call out into the night? And who heard them?

I awake to that sound, and feel a peace that soon brings sleep.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me.
...
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

-T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Editorial

(Photo credit long, long lost)

As you can see in the sidebar, I decided that is was time to give this anonymous kid a break. Not only did he have to wear a homemade costume with a plastic owl serving as a pirate parrot, but I'd stolen his image as an avatar for Dirty John Bonny.

It started as an email siggy - a private thing - but now that this is public I feel the need to be more resposible.

So bye, and thanks, pirate boy.



Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.

[Update]
I have no idea where this shadow-like artifact on the right is coming from. I only see it in Explorer.

I can't, so far, tell if it's coming from the style sheet or one of the posts. I'm leaving it for now. You use IE, you can't complain.

For my friend Steve

Found while I was looking for something else.

Here he comes
Here comes Speed Racer
He's a demon on wheels
He's a demon and he's gonna be chasin' after someone.

Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer, Go!

(About one minute)

One Nation, Under Dog

(Credit: About.com)

I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

-President George H.W. Bush

When criminals in this world appear
and break the laws that they should fear
and frighten all who see or hear
the cry goes up both far and near
for Under dog!
Under dog, Under dog! Under dog!

Speed of lightning, roar of thunder,
Fighting all who rob or plunder
Under dog, Under dog! Under dog!

(Wav audio, about thirty seconds)

Picture

A Web feed test.

See?

Happy Banned Books Week

The American Library Association
September 23-30, 2006

An actual Harry Potter book burning.

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
No it isn't! Nya, nya, I can't hear you.
Don't tell kids about sex and they'll never develop an interest in it themselves.

Forever by Judy Blume
Don't tell teenagers about teenagers having sex, it isn't as if they or their friends are doing it.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Don't let teens see angst so they'll be spared from ever feeling anger or using bad words themselves.

Cripes! This book is older than I am (published in July 1951). Get over it.

When I was fourteen it was something of a badge of honor to be seen carrying this book around.

I have a friend who named his son Holden in honor, and bought him a first edition for his first birthday.


The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Don't tell kids that high school can be a place of peer control, bigotry and bullying. Moral ambiguity causes stress (in parents or assorted busybodies).

Link

Looking at the logs

I see you. Trying to make sense out of what I see is another matter. To whit, some recent searches that lead to Dirty John Bonny:

shabbat shalom
This was the title of a post that was only up for a few minutes before I decided that I wasn't happy with it and deleted it. Nonetheless it made into more than one search index.

The post, as near as I can recall, had something to do with kissing mezzuzahs, or something. It had a cute illustration, but for the life of me I can't recall what the hell it was about.

I gave myself a headache trying to figure out how, given over a million hits for that phrase, someone came here.

teen intromission
Huh? I'm afraid to comment ...

pictures of boys that look like huck finn
That ranked a first page on Google. I'm sure they were disappointed.

Candy is Dandy, and various other Ogden Nash-related searches
Led here. I'm rather fond of that post, and happy to share.

bunny robot
I always get a giggle when I see "bunny robot" and "pirate bunny" crop up. Take a look at the search that brought someone from Algeria here via Arabic Google.

Another hit for Zep.

video kitty & rooster cute and weird friendship
More than one person was looking for this.

kitty litter cake
I'd completely forgotten about that one.

roy orbison and k d lang
k d lang
Here and here. Apparently there's not enough of kd out there, since people keep coming here looking.

dirt made my lunch
I'm happy to share this cute song.

twas brillig and the slithy toes
slithy toes
A couple people found out that they're "toves."

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

technical virgin
Lots of people are still trying to find the Melanie Mertinez videos.

mentos coke ballet
Overall, the soda bombs are the most popular. Someone else first used the word "ballet" to describe this video, but now that keyword directs people here.

Meanwhile, over at theboywizard.com, most of the traffic still comes to the Gay Penguins page. The referrer references indicate that the link is being passed around by emails.


All and all, I don't know what to think of the public side of all this. The web sites are intended to be between me and thee (you know who you are). But it is fun to think that maybe someone else will get a smile out of it as well. I sure hope they do.

Related

Picture

Boys kissing

(Photo credit long lost)

I would warn ... that a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It'll bring about terrorist bombs; it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes, and possibly a meteor.

Picture

(Credit long lost)

Time for some bunnies.
Here in honor of Willie Nelson.

Picture

Boys kissing

(Credit)

God will not be mocked ... I really believe that the ... gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America...I point the thing in their face and say you helped this happen.

Related

[Update: Link changed after Blogger lost the original post.}

Picture

Enjoy.


It Sucks To Be Me
(The overture, I think.)


If You Were Gay
... I'd shout "hurray!"
(amateur music video with characters from the manga Gravitation.)



The Internet Is For Porn
(I'm guessing this would be funnier to those familiar with the Apple commercial.)

It's a miracle!

The greatest pareidolia ever!

Angus MacDougall is a three-year-old terrier mix that has recently been blessed with the revered and holy image of Jesus Christ on his hindquarters.

See Him (slow load time, patience will be rewarded).



Related. And one more, for my friend Steve.

It's alive!

One again, the pirate doctor has resurrected another dead computer. Over a few days my main PC gradually went totally tits-up. All better now, mkay?

For the eleventeenth time, I rued the lack of a solid back up. I didn't lose anyhting, but the whole job took longer since I had to be careful not to stomp on anything.

I've taken care of that in the form of a mirrored disk, so that next time I can just boot to the good copy. Provided, of course, that I keep the mirror up to date enough to be useful.

Boys, bunnies and blasphemy will resume soon.