Hippo, birdie, two ewes...

... to chatworthy!! Have a good one!

Happy Babbage's Birthday!

Born this day in 1791, Charles Babbage is best known for inventing the stored-program digital computer. He failed in his efforts to actually construct what he called the Analytical Engine not (as popular belief has it) because the technology of the time was inadequate, but because he had trouble raising the necessary funds, and kept changing the specs.

I should also note that today is St. Stephen's Day, also known as the Feast of Stephen, an event to which I have a nominal connection.

In 1985 I wrote the song Uncle Ernie's (Used Computer Babbage's Birthday Bargain Bash) [ogg], mostly inspired by a surplus joint called Quinn's. Some years later we discovered that Babbage's Birthday is a miserable day on which to hold a garage sale.

Babbage's Birthday so far

Wrote some checks, went to the Post Office, took my walk -- acutally got in a whole hour in spite of the distinct possibility of rain -- and went to the bank. Then attempted to find a parking space for the Container Store. No luck. Sorry, the parking force is very weak with this one.

I will spend most of the afternoon atoning for a year's worth of procrastination by sorting through the charity solicitation letters. The last few years I've ended up making most of my donations in the last few days -- sometimes the last few hours -- of the year. Since the First is a Monday this year I could presumably cheat and backdate a few checks if I had to.

I'll probably alternate between sorting and working on fun stuff like putting away the dishes.

Religious charities take note

I am not a particularly religious person. Given a choice between a charity associated with a church with which I have no association whatever, and a non-secular one performing the same function, I'll take the non-secular one every time.

Enclosing a necklace with a crucifix attached is not going to improve your chances. Quite the contrary -- it makes me wonder what else you might be planning to waste my money on.

Bush and the USA

THIS VIDEO IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK. It is, however, funny as hell, highly political, and dead-on accurate. (From filkertom.) Offensive to Republicans, prudes, and the humor-impaired.

OK, I'll bite.

I've seen this all over, and the last time I tried it I got nothing interesting, but this one was pretty good.

( movie quote meme )

From lysana.)

Guide to verse forms

From patoadam, we get a link to this Guide to Verse Forms by Bob Newman. It's remarkable both in its completeness and the fact that Bob wrote all the examples himself to avoid copyright problems.

The Begging Box

Well, it took all afternoon, but I finally made it through the pile of charity begging letters, which filled a printer-paper box plus a paper grocery bag when I started. The final stack is thirty-five envelopes, plus a currently-unknown number that got tossed in with the pending bills (because I knew I was going to pay them) and haven't been merged yet. There were also five calendars that I kept, several batches of address labels, a package of wrapping paper, and some cards -- I don't keep goodies from the ones I don't send money to, both because it seems unfair and because at this point I really don't need them.

Final triage was done in consultation with the flower_cat, who's a bit less of a soft touch than I am and has a better memory for who we haven't given to in the past, and why not

No progress on anything else, of course.