Guess what! Turns out that Caltrain is not cutting weekend service till July, so my friends have decided to take advantage of the delay. May I present to you The Boy Who Cried Wolf Beer Train!!

Details:
Starting point: Ausiello's Tavern, 864 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA
When: Saturday, June 22, 2:00 p.m.

Need more information? Maybe some visual imagery to convince you?
Description #1
Description #2
pics
pics

Let me know if you're interested, and I'll add you to the Evite, if you like.

There's a bee buzzing outside my window. I can't see it, as I have the curtains pulled against the sun and the neighbors alike, but it sounds like summer to me.

I am just returned from El Paso, a hot place stuck in the middle of the desert for no reason I could see. All anyone from California could think while we were there was, "Why would anyone move to El Paso?" I'm sure it has some redeeming features, but they are not readily apparent to the casual traveller. Another time of the year, I would have liked to have stayed, perhaps, and tried to understand why people live in deserts like that. But with only one full day there, and two others mostly taken up with travelling, there wasn't time to acclimate, so we didn't try. Stayed inside most of the time, going outside only long enough to remind ourselves of why we didn't want to go outside.

Scorpions. I've never been anywhere where there were scorpions (or at least I didn't know about it). I was warned about them possibly being in house. I didn't sleep well either night I was there.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who liked to make points, but stated them in such a way that you weren't sure what reaction was expected? What do you do then? They have paused, apparently waiting for you to say something, but you don't care, or you didn't understand, and you have absolutely nothing to say. I just said nothing. I guess they get that a lot, because it didn't stop them from continuing on to make their point about their point.

Oh, and Mexico. I have never been near a border, either on the north or the south of our country. I was unprepared, then, for the disparity I witnessed between one side of highway 10, with UTEP and track housing, and the shanties and unpaved roads on the other side. Separated by a freeway, that two such different worlds could coexist boggles the mind. It's good to remember that most of the world is not as fortunate as we are.

El Paso, here I come!!

Yeehaw!

I don't usually find Triumph the Wonder Dog all that funny, but this piece where he interviews people who have been camping out in line for Star Wars, is frickin' hilarious. [via Jishanu]

Mmmm....Food for the Soul: Macaroni and Cheese [via Rebecca's Pocket]

Surprised? Hardly. The legal movement against foreigners continues. [via theshiva]

This would make a good image for the Captions Blog. As Brad says, "Who cut the cheese?" Unfortunately, the curator of Captions Blog does not take image suggestions. Oh well.

Manual, a collection of how-tos, well worth reading. You can find a linked list of authors here.

Besides other, more obvious differences, the biggest baddest most frustrating difference between Macs and PCs is that the close window button is on the opposite side of the screen.

I finally saw Attack of the Clones last night. I won't go over how I feel about it here, as it's been done over and again elsewhere, and better than I ever could. Instead, I'll point you to the Tomato Nation writeup , one that I heartily agree with. [via Evhead]

Everything may seem ok, but it's not. There are still people dealing with the disaster.

And then one day, there were less of us. We took a hit and speaking for myself, we vowed not to let the enemies of the lives we worked so hard to obtain, win.

We grieved and we went back to work. I worked harder. I wanted to make this life work even better than before because I am not a defeatist.

In some superhuman way, I wanted to set an example of strength for an America that seemed to be reeling harder than those of us at the core of the disaster.

But one day, I woke up scared. I started to look over my shoulder like a crazy person. I started crying in the mornings, just from reading the New York Post....

In all of my efforts to help save the global economy and business, I never once stopped to think about how to save myself.

We here at Startup Central just discovered that Count Dooku is also Saruman the White. That explains Saruman's great power - he's also a Jedi Knight (or, more appropriately, a Sith lord).

Today is not only my Monday, it is also my Friday. Yay me, I get to go to El Paso tomorrow to visit my sister and brother-in-law.

Remember me and my tendency to visit Texas? I'm just thankful that I get to visit Montreal later this summer. Yay for visiting someplace other than Texas once in a while.

Monday morning family value link: Giant nut drawing blushed approval [via Juul]

A month short of my 2-year anniversary on the web, I've finally changed the colors. Whew!

Looking for a cuteness overload? Try Rate my Kitten. [via Pomegranita]

A nice writeup about last night. Especially that bit about Sarah.

Have I mentioned yet? There are pics here.

Ha! JessaJune just sent me a link to this UserFriendly Strip. Read it. It's funny.

psst! It relates to this story.

A lesson we can all learn from one man's mistake: Don't look at porn while you're supervising an exam and your computer is still hooked up to the monitor. [via Dan]

JessaJune and Jish and I are going to see the Vagina Monologues in August. I know this is far in advance, but tix go fast and it's best to get them while you can. Tickets start at $20 and go as high as $60. We're heading for the cheap seats.

Would anyone like to join us?

Details:
8:30 p.m., Saturday, August 10, 2002
Geary Theater
415 Geary St., SF

PS - this is Eve Ensler's (the founder) final perfomance.

Box office phone: 415 339 9500
Tickets.com Call Center: 415 782 2277
Online tickets

The idea is that we will meet for dinner before or go out after (decision to be made later), and anyone interested in joining us is more than welcome to do so.

For the first time ever, I got through to the KFOG morning show, to relate the story behind my middle name. And then they didn't even play my bit on the radio. *sniffle* Well, at least I got through.

Y'all missed a good time!

Never one to use a test directory, preferring instead to make all changes on the live server, things will look weird around here till I manage to iron out the changes I'm attempting. This will be soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Speaking of Ender's Game, Army Turns to Computer Games to Woo Recruits. This also sounds a lot like that Robin Williams movie, Toys. [via Spike]

Hard on the heels of cd security debacle, Sony decides to lobby for ban on markers. [via JessaJune] Meanwhile, they're also paying someone else to provide even more security. Seems like any profits they're hoping to secure through anti-piracy strategies are all being spent on those very same strategies.

My man and I took a walk yesterday out at Shoreline Park. And I took some pictures.

Yay! They're finally making a movie out of one of my favorite books, Ender's Game. Like all adaptations, I hope they stay true to the story. If they could do it with LotR, I'm sure they can do it with this one. [via 3Bruces]

PS - the short story that he based the books on is great, and is contained in the collection of his short fiction, Maps in a Mirror.

Just what every woman is looking for: The perfect Bra [via 3Bruces]

Unbelievable. Couple arrested after toddler left home alone ... so that they could go see the midnight showing of Star Wars. [via SnarkyBitch]

This guy is the later form of this guy.

Cookie Monster and Big Bird to marry [via saltyt]

"Somewhere, Miss Piggy must be swooning."

Dinah wants to have a truffle party. Who else is interested?

An 80's moment ...

So a delivery truck just pulled up in the parking lot outside our open back door, and the brings-back-so-many-memories sound of Kenny Loggins assails our ears, and the deliveryman jumps out of the truck, singing "I'm all right" at the top of his lungs.

Via Dinah, this song is also known as the theme from Caddyshack.

Now I'm being serenaded by the Eagles "Life in the fastlane," a great tune.

A duet ... I wonder if Eve Ensley could whip up something comparable and create a dialogue instead of her usual fare. [via Jishanoo]

ps, here is the pic I left out of my Bay to Breakers gallery.

pss, the Vagina Monologues will be here in July and August. Anyone want to go with me?

We have a situation. I bought a friend of mine a voodoo doll recently, and now we find that all the pins are bent and crooked.

Does anyone know where we can get more of these? Note: they must have black ends, as really, what else are you going to use a voodoo doll for?

I'm not a big fan of cocktails, not liking alcohol much (although I was introduced to the Cape Cod [vodka and cranberry juice] at sxsw and got more than a bit tipsy from it), I very much enjoyed reading Maggie's latest piece over at the Morning News: The Case for Cocktails.

Thank (pick a deity) that I actually like Black and Tans, or I'd have some serious trouble keeping up with the Drunken Jones's.

I was afraid for a while there that I'd have nothing to say today. Much to my delight, I found something (ahem) worthy of being blogged in this here space: Hot Flash Mamma. Thanks, Gail.

Finally.

Doctors warn men that bras can damage their health

Let the jokes begin. [via Davezilla]

Some random shots of the weather yesterday:

There was a better rainbow that I missed by 2 minutes later on in the day, but this was an unexpected gift


And just to prove that there is a silver lining after all ...


These pictures were taken within 5 minutes of each other.

Great. Just what we need to hear in this age of overpopulation and rampant STDs: Unprotected sex is an anti-depressant, claim doctors. Well, at least it's good for something. [via JillMatrix]

Google Doodles. Go check out today's.

Childhood flashback, kinda: Virtual Lite-Brite. Way cool. [via TwistyPants]

Winning the award for Fastest Posted Pictures, I have managed to get my Bay to Breakers, 2002 pics up within 48 hours of the event.

Now if I can just get those pictures from the Beer Train (March) and the wedding I was in (April), I'll feel like I've accomplished something.

Stephen Jay Gould, Biologist and Theorist on Evolution, Dies at 60

He'll be missed.

Who said that?!?

The Hivelogic Visitor Screenshot Gallery is pretty neat. See, you load one of his wallpaper designs as your own, and then send him a pic of your desktop. Ernie's is the best. The Best.

The Loose-Leaf Bible

I have yet to read this, but the excerpt from Leuschke.org tells me that it will be worth the effort of reading from a screen.

There is a group of people - mostly bloggers, but hopefully few who are not - getting together this week for drinks and conversation. Please feel free to join us! Please, please, please!

The Plan:
7 p.m., Thursday, May 23rd
Savoy Tivoli
1434 Grant Ave.
http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/nb.shtml
http://www.sftravel.com/food/savoy.html

It's big, it has lots of tables ... and if you get there early enough, there's a good chance you can sit down, as it gets *really* crowded later on. I would suggest taking public transit if at all possible, as this is in the heart of North Beach, an area not known to be kind to people trying to park. If you are put off by the concept of spending money, well, I'm just going to get a coke and enjoy myself.

Next month: South Bay!

BlogCon2002 sounds like fun. Kinda like SXSW, but no conference and no guilt about admitting that the real reason you're there is to meet and party with other bloggers.

I love the editing feature of IM. There are so many things I have typed with the intention of communicating them in this medium, only to realize once I had seen it in black and white that either it would be taken the wrong way, it was way too much information, or was simply in bad taste. And so I hit the delete key (sometimes I even have to use ctrl-A, backspace to get it all taken care of), and compose something better/nicer/clearer, and all is well with the world.

Just as long as I don't accidentally hit that damn Enter key when I'm going for the apostrophe, I'm all right.

Footsore and soaked to the bone, but the Bay to Breakers footrace was a blast! Pictures will follow soon.

Heh. Want to go somewhere exotic for the vacation this year? There's now a Lonely Planet guide to Antarctica. [found in Jay's comments]

Wow. Like the investigator says, "What happened here was simply unimaginable." [via Caterina]

Tech Support With Ozzy [via Davezilla]

Let me give you a taste of how overbooked I am this weekend:

Tonight: San Francisco Symphony
Tomorrow: Giants game, followed by a graduation party
Sunday: Bay to Breakers, followed by Dave Matthews playing at Shoreline Amphitheater.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

I swear, I need a remedial eating class - the section on not dripping food on your white shirt.

Does anyone know how to get strawberry juice out of a white t-shirt?

Baby's Got Kitty ... Again. Too frickin' funny. You have to click on the image to see the close-up to really appreciate the artistry here. [via 3Bruces]

The First Annual Kiss-Off

Please go participate. He says if more than 20 people join in, then prizes will be awarded, and I want to see what he comes up with.

Wow. It's been a whole month. Feels like it's been more like, oh I don't know, a year and a half, or something like that.

Happy Monthiversary, honey.

The rise of the creative class [via Leila]

A desktop idea for you: It's all sunshine, fluffy clouds, flowers, and evil kitties for you, Princess.

Jackelope Pictures [via Davezilla, who once dated one]

Ah, those crazy Santa Cruzians. Sexy tree too much for some Westside neighbors. I love the bit that says:

All trees can be seen as "phallic," but some would argue this eugenia is especially so. Viewed from the front, the hedge looks to have testicles, or perhaps bosoms....

The owner of the tree, Gillian Greensite, said she found it peculiar the plant has been there at least 15 years and suddenly someone is mad about it. She said no one has complained to her about the plant.

Well, which one is it? Testicles or bosoms? And no one complains for 15 years, and when they do so, they don't even approach the owner? People are weird. [via Blahblahblog]

Hey, it's Gail's birthday! Why don't you send her a note or something?

Random reference IM moment:

[talking about the renovation of an apartment we shared back in the "good ol' days"]
JessaJune: if it's hardwood, then they probably replaced the flooring. It was nasty, probably from the wet.
JessaJune: gave me that icky feeling of knowing I'd been sitting on it all that time.
Booboolina: Probably. And that was indoor/outdoor carpet anyway. Who knows what the former tenants did to it?
JessaJune: [giggle] I'm having a sudden flashback to the exploding pumpkin incident

Yes, there was a pumpkin. It exploded. It was gross.