February 2, 2008 archive

Nasa will broadcast the song, Across the Universe, through the transmitters of its deep space communications network on Monday – the 40th anniversary of its recording at London's Abbey Road studios. The music will be converted into digital data and sent on a 431 light year-journey towards Polaris, the North Star, in a stunt that also commemorates the space agency's 50th anniversary. February 4 has also been declared Across the Universe Day by Beatles fans across the world, who are urged to play their own recording of the song at the same time as Nasa begins its own broadcast, 7pm in the US, midnight in the UK and 1am Tuesday in Spain. "I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe," said Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, who has given her backing to the project. story Here is the original version, with space imagery, one of several Beatles versions. Fiona Apple's version is nice, and Rufus Wainwright has a beautiful version but he has disabled embedding. Then there is the movie version which I wrote about after seeing it in the theater and liked enough to recommend renting. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, fuck, I guess he got bored dancing exclusively on the graves of New Yorkers.  Time to deface New Orleans once more before he goes!

          –Yours truly, reacting to Bush’s SOTU announcement to hold this year’s North American Summit in New Orleans

Normally, I’m not the kind to start a diary of any sort out this way, especially with an lead quote from myself.  But when Meteor Blades tells you to start a diary with it you don’t ask questions.  You just do it.  So I did.

This State of the Union is perhaps the most valuable of Bush’s reign.  Why?  Well, they’ve all been so entirely worthless, that the fact that this one has had a single lone happy side effect makes it by default the best.

It got people talking about what I thought they’d forgotten: the crime against humanity committed in New Orleans in the last days of August and first days of September 2005.

I’m not claiming any moral superiority.  I had moved on in my own thoughts as well.  Sure, when it would come up, I would feel disgust and outrage.  But between the business of living and the neverending tidal wave of horrors that have come since, it hasn’t been in the forefront of my thoughts.

I was, perhaps, just ahead of the curve.  I had what happened to New Orleans brought home to me not long ago.  And I wanted to share the experience with all of you.

‘Round here the locals are known as “woodchucks” by some downstate.  It is an apt description as the majority of us are scruffy and prefer the woods to town.  So I thought it would be appropriate to share some life lessons I’ve learned by attending various woodchuck parties with you all in case you ever have the opportunity to go to one.

1. “We have a stage and everything” – this means someone laid down a piece of plywood on some tires.

2. “Weekend Festival” – usually means swatting flies in the hot sun or trying to stay dry under a tarp for several hours at a clip.

3. Showing up early means being recruited into the beer runs and setting up the “stage”.

4. Showing up late means having to park at the bottom of the hill and hiking up the treacherous 4WD road.

5. Bringing a propane stove and setting up coffee in the morning will make you everyone’s best friend for the day.

(10 more below the fold..can ya stand it?!)

 Does anybody NOT like penguins? Come on I dare ya. These ones are South Africa and the keep mentioned that the weather yesterday ( high 30’s to 40 ) was about the lower limit of what they tolerate.

They have a little “keeper chat” everyday at 15:00 and the penguins know they will also get fed. A Cormorant also from South America and South Africa hangs out in their pool. I wouldn’t say he hung out with them but he did get fed.

This gentleman used to be a normal sized catfish but he took steroids hoping to get a bigger contract…

Pretty fish….

A skink….

It was a slightly chilly day for the Zoo, and the warm weather animals were inside playing poker and drinking coffee. But nobody was there except a few older people walking for fresh air so it felt a little bit like my zoo. I have a membership and while the Memphis Zoo isn’t likely to be featured on Animal Planet for brilliance and innovation any time soon, it is one of my hideaways.