Ephemera

Hack. Cough. Wheeze. Snore.

That's been most of my week so far. I've got “The Crud”. My own term for generalized cold/flu symptoms. This time it's mostly been scratchy throat, sinus and minor chest congestion, pain and weakness in my arms and legs, and for a little while a slight fever. It's kept me pretty inactive for several days. So even if I did feel like writing anything insightful or pithy, I haven't done anything to write about.

Instead, I've been transferring old journal entries to this blog. It's kind of interesting to read what I wrote so many years ago. I've skipped a few entries because even I can't figure out what they were supposed to mean. Others because I remember all too clearly what they mean and am sorry I reminded myself.

But for the most part I just copy the entries over to this format. Except, this uses titles. I didn’t used to title my entries, so I get stumped at times figuring out what to call an old entry. In that case, I just throw out something trite or cryptic. (Or both.)

It’s not like anyone but the spam-bots will ever read them.

Posted by Hitch at 06:44 PM | Permalink

The Betties are back, if you know how to find them. (Of course, you may have already seen that.)

Posted by Hitch at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

New year, new site. It's live now. I've tried to superficially hide all the old stuff. This is what it is now.

What do you think?

Posted by Hitch at 06:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As you can see there are quite a few entries here already. I imported all of the Greymatter entries into this. Some of you may recall that there were two incarnations of my journal before Greymatter. I can also re-enter those, but not as easilly as the one's from Greymatter. So, as time passes there will be more and more old entries filling the gap between May 1998 and October 2003.

Not that I really belive anyone but I cares -- I just wanted to offer a word of explanation if anyone noticed very old date appearing in the archives.

Posted by Hitch at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

You won't see this for a couple days, but when you do you'll know I was working on this way back now.

I want to address and encourage commenting. All fields and links in the commenting section other than "name" and "comments" are (currently) optional. This is supposed to have a degree of spam protection as it is, but I may need to implement more security later if I have problems.

I may require a valid email address later, but will avoid publishing it or otherwise exposing it to spammers if I do.

Currently all comments are accepted and published automatically and I'll clean out undesirable ones as I see them. Later, I may implement moderation that will prevent comments for being published until I screen them.

At the present time there is no requirement for you to authenticate with TypeKey to post comments. That's another option I can (but hope not to) implement.

Meanwhile, enjoy the freedom and tell me what you think.

Posted by Hitch at 01:47 PM | Permalink

Yes, the amount of advertising has increased slightly around here. If you look in the left hand column of my pages you should see "Ads by Goooooogle." They're there for two reasons. One is they are supposed to be "context sensitive, " so it's sometimes amusing what Google seems to think a page is about and what ads fit on it. The other is they have the potential to make me a bit of money and offset the cost of this site. If I were popular enough, I'd probably make money off just "impressions." That is, the ads just showing up when the pages load thousands and thousands of times. As it is, it helps a lot if people actually click on the links. Now I'm not going to ask you to click links just to help me, but if you ever do notice an ad that looks like it might be interesting to you, don't hesitate to click on it. You can always come back here when you get done... and it's for a good cause.

Posted by Hitch at 07:10 PM | Permalink

If I were actually posting today, it would be because I'm so happy that I got the fnords working in Firefox. But since there's no such thing and you couldn't see them even if there was, there would be no point in my saying that. So, obviously, I didn't. Now go away. There's nothing to see and I didn't say anything. And besides, you're not cleared for that. fnord

Posted by Hitch at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wow. I make a minor change to this thing and it has to go through and rebuild all the files related to My Journal. It's completely automated so all I have to do is click a button and wait, but it's getting to be quite a wait. I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually used this much.

Posted by Hitch at 04:15 PM | Permalink

Something I disabled when I put this up was the standard mood and music indicator.

Whenever I post something in here, it's because I'm in the mood to post something. If I'm not in the mood to post something, I don't. Mystery solved. Beyond that, if my tone doesn't tell you whether I'm feeling pissy or joking around, then F you! (Just kidding.)

As far as music goes, if anything, it's whatever is on the radio. I like music. I used to pay a lot more attention to it. But lately, it's just background noise. Pretty much anything to drown out the silence will do. More often than not, if I notice it, it's to think, "What is this crap?"

So, I don't label these entries with mood and/or music. It's not worth my time.

Posted by Hitch at 11:41 PM | Permalink

I'm still alive, although the last couple days have been kind of touch and go. I'm not going to bother you with the details of my stomach virus. I've inflicted those on enough people already.

I know I'm bad about updating this journal, but at least I rarely impose any of this type stuff on you: The Seven Sins of Blogging.

I do, however, post stuff like this, just to see if I can continue to trick you into clicking on my links.

Posted by khitch at 09:15 PM | Permalink

• Oh, the Irony. It burns!:   Li'l G n'R
• Will it never stop?:   Pingu OwNZ
• I guess not:   Hit the Pinguin 2
• It'd be cool, if it weren't so geeky:   YAMAHA MOTOR - PAPER CRAFT
• The Fanimutation Epic: Colin Mochrie vs Jesus H. Christ
  1. French Erotic Film
  2. Plan 9 from Underpants
  3. Conquest of Animutopia

Posted by khitch at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still around. Just been doing stuff either more personal that I choose to write about here, or too boring to write about, which don't include browsing the web for entertainingly random websites. So, there just hasn't been that much to post. Trust me, if you've been missing my updates, it bothers me just as much, if not more. Or else I wouldn't waste time on posting anything this lame.

Posted by khitch at 11:11 PM | Permalink

I've been a bit slack lately about posting here... just not a lot going on. I'll write when I have something to write about.

The crazy lights house looked like it had a rather subdued display this Christmas. But I have seen some other rather impressively tacky houses in the last couple weeks. I need to get out and get some pictures. Keep checking back. I'll try to get some up soon.

Unless this is your first stop on my site, you've probably seen the decorations I put up. I'd like a few more good Christmas pin-ups in the rotation on the front page. If you have any, or know where I could find them, drop me a line.

Posted by khitch at 11:09 PM | Permalink

These search terms have been highlighted: women shopping habits take long time indecisive

I came across this in my webstats. I didn't think it sounded like me, but I had to check it out. Somebody's putting words in my mouth. (or, at least on my fingertips.) :P

Posted by khitch at 01:08 PM | Permalink

• More Random than Cruel:   The Unh! Project

I came across Warren Ellis speaking clever about this site the other day and thought it would make a good Random Site. I'd seen it before more than a year ago -- before I started cataloging the randomness of the Worldwide Web. Despite the fact that it was rather dated, I felt that if the inestimable Mr. Ellis though it worthy of a link perhaps it would be of interest to enough of my readers to include it. Then, today, I see it featured as the Cruel Site of the Day. Highly disillusioning. I expect more from CSOTD. But, then again, I have scooped Mr. Cadenhead on a number of occasions in the last few months. So I present it without apologies. (But perhaps a hint of rancor.)

Posted by khitch at 02:41 PM | Permalink

I've been getting quite a few visitors lately drawn by the Non-Original Items, Cement Teddy Bears and Faceless Birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese. I had no idea where they were from when I first posted them years ago. Lately I've found the source. The Cacophony Society staged the events and provided the write-ups. You should check their site out if you enjoyed those.

Posted by khitch at 11:23 PM | Permalink

Okay, I'm still not very good about keeping this thing up to date. I just can't think of anything to write while I'm sitting at my computer. Occasionally, I'll get a great idea while I'm doing 70 MPH on the Interstate but generally don't try to take notes then. By the time I get back home, they're gone. :-\

Meanwhile, here's what passes for progress on my Lava Lamp situation:

Note: the fact that this is a still image doesn't mean your missing anything. any changes to this lamp take place about as fast as the movement of the hour hand on a clock.

Posted by Hitch at 04:04 PM | Permalink

First off, let me publicly apologize for neglecting this journal. I've had a lot going on. I've started my new job. It seems very interesting and challenging. Right now I'm in temporary quarters until I get settled. I'm not sure yet exactly how long that will take, but in the meanwhile expect things to be a little sporadic around here. I'll do my best to keep this thing as up to date as possible.

Posted by Hitch at 03:33 PM | Permalink

Eating lunch at a fast food place today, I noticed the drink cup advertizing them as "cool," and the fry box calling them "hot." These terms are used so much any more that I wonder if consumers aren't a little jaded by now. I think people would rather have something presented as relaxed, comfortable, and familiar. Toward that end, I don't want this site listed on anyone's Hot Links or Cool Site of the X. I just want people to think of this a your basic lukewarm website. ;-)

Posted by khitch at 10:10 AM | Permalink

I've noticed something interesting. I type these entries using a word processor so I can spell check them before I copy the text into an HTML editor. Most of the time when I type (i.e. in chat) I have piles of typos. I cringe every time I hit send because I then spot all the mistakes I make. But when I check these things, there's almost never any errors. Just the fact that it's going to be checked before anybody sees it seems to improve my typing immensely.

Posted by khitch at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Just a couple random thoughts from the notebook:

Is it just a southern thing? Or am I the weird one? I -- too often -- stop at a fast food place for a heinously unhealthy breakfast on my way to work. Every time I order a sausage and egg biscuit they ask me if I want jelly to go on that. Who puts jelly on sausage and eggs?

I'm still chuckling to myself about the imaginary Puff Daddy remix I thought of the other day. Re-doing the old Falco song as "Rock Me, Amistad!" hehehehehehe...

Okay, I'll go get help now.

Posted by khitch at 10:10 AM | Permalink

When I started keeping a journal here I bought a small spiral notebook to carry around with me. I realized thoughts would occur to me throughout the day and I wouldn't have access to the computer to record them. So the idea was that I would jot them down in the notebook to remind me later when I sat down at the computer to write this. Except all too often, I would forget to write them down even though I had the notebook handy. It's so easy to think, "I'll remember to make note of that later." Then when "later" gets here all I can remember is that I was supposed to make note of something, but I no longer have any idea what. :-/

I still carry the notebook, and I'm getting better at making notes in it. -- Someday I might even tell you about the notes I've jotted down for use in this journal. ;-)

Posted by khitch at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Some people have noticed that my journal entries are a little sporadic lately. That's because I have a lot going on. But it's personal stuff that I don't feel like sharing with everybody. As much as I would like this to be an honest chronicle of my life, I'm not prepared to be 100% forthcoming here. I have no desire to make a play for anyone's sympathy. Just understand that sometimes I have things I have to deal with on a personal level, and that can get in the way of writing this journal.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking. I'll let you know if I need anything."

Posted by khitch at 10:10 AM | Permalink

I've come to realize that I don't get very personal in these entries. I still not that comfortable with sharing my private life in such a public forum. But I would like to take a moment to thank a couple very special people for being friends and being there when I've needed them lately. I think they know who they are. Thank you both, you're the greatest.

Now back to my regularly scheduled pithy comments:

I wish the news media would stop trying to scare people. Case in point: The $175 million Powerball jackpot. The media keeps saying that your chances of winning are about as likely as the Earth being struck by a large meteor. Given the fact that it's very likely that somebody will win tonight, and the general public's understanding of probability. People are likely to panic thinking this is a sure sign of impending doom.

Posted by Hitch at 10:03 AM | Permalink

One thing you won't see much of here is reports on my productivity. Basically my days are not very productive. I work long hours at a job that doesn't actually accomplish anything. On my best days I fight a semi-successful holding action against stupidity. For the most part though, I just put in the hours until I can leave. The job is draining and leaves me with little motivation to do much in my spare time. Thinking about writing this has caused me to re-assess some things. I need to make some serious changes in my life.

Meanwhile, I noticed something in the parking lot today. We've all seen a car cruising down the highway with it's turn signal going for mile after mile. Many of us have been guilty of this ourselves. You courteously signal a lane change, but don't turn the wheel enough to cancel the signal and don't notice that it's still on for too long. Today I saw a car parked in a parking space with one turn signal going. How unobservant do you have to be to do that?

Posted by Hitch at 03:41 PM | Permalink