SkeptiLog, son of

* And now for some Beautiful Gifts For The Stupid - are you now or have you ever been so deserving? Really?
* Some contend that eVEN iDIOTS nEED hOMES - are there any in yours? But it's such a sadly modest effort.
* Behold: Vomitus Wants You - could you at least reciprocate?
* SheerIdiocacy points to a search-engine search engine. But I really wanted a search-engine search-engine search engine. Darn.
* And dont' miss the Resources In The History Of Idiocy - your day wouldn't be complete without it, and neither would you.

FedEx just brought my minidisc recorder back home to me. I've missed it so much. Now I can start recording stuff. This oughta keep me off the streets for awhile...

OK, so the current songwriting binge isn't Mose-ish, just the same old me. Guess I can't help it... I need a new theme, I do OK with themes. Celtic, Tarot, Saints, Vampires, no problem. Ah well, maybe after a few more bulletins...

Ok, I may do a bulletin before I go, but I'll be gone until Tuesday, so don't wait up. Meanwhile, here's everything you ever wanted to know about Zombie Powder but were afraid to ask. Yow. And if you hear a blowgun behind you, duck. Fast.

[later... 09:12 am] OK, so I did manage to get a couple bulletins out, but those are the last for a few days, really. Meanwhile:

Has anyone got any idea how old/rare/valuable these prints might be?
More than you ever wanted to know about Synthetic Telepathy

FISH ROCK: Researchers in England say that our love of loud music may be due to a "pleasure-inducing hearing mechanism" passed down through millions of years of evolution from fish. And another report.

* Is the Piobaireachd Society musical enough?
* Is there any folk instrument in the world that Lark In The Morning doesn't have/sell? If so, what is it? Why?
* Do you prefer hymns or hers?
* Have you tried antique synthesizers?

Not so musical:
* Is Codex Seraphinianus strange?
* Do better online libraries than this exist? Where?
* Does this Gal-A-Rama belong here in the log more than it does in the bulletin? Why?

Your answers are eagerly awaited.

Just got a MOSE ALLISON anthology album, and I'm knocked out by all that jazz/blues & great lyrics. I think my next songwriting binge will be a Mose thang. Have mercy...

From Bifurcated Rivets: "Do you need a forensic musicologist? If you are in any doubt, he also plays the Crwth! You can also find here a mention of 'a melodic morphological norm and the tonal constraints of the anhemitonic gamut' - I am ashamed to admit that I have no idea at all what this means." Well hell, I know what he means. I think. At least I know the rest of it.

Worst films, actors nominated for 1900's. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kevin Costner and Sylvester Stallone are slugging it out with the thespian formerly known as Prince for the dubious distinction of "Worst Actor of the Century" as the latest "Razzies" nominations list for cinema's worst was released.

"Happy Fun Ball may stick to certain types of skin."
via MemePool

This is one of those drive-out-of-the-redwoods-into-San-Francisco-thru-the-pouring-rain sorts of days. Gotta go to South SF to take care of business, so don't depend on regular SkeptiNews bulletins to keep you updated. Instead, poke around at the CIA for the latest. Hey, you might even apply for an exciting job there, eh?

St. Valentine. At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February.

Getting Divorced? New Software Hopes to Help. NEWTON, Mass. (Reuters) Just in time for Valentine's Day, two Massachusetts entrepreneurs have launched Split-Up.com, a package of advice and software products intended to help smooth the breakup for couples whose marriage is on the skids.

Oldest Valentine Unearthed. LONDON (Reuters) The world's oldest-known Valentine's Day message, written in 1477, was unveiled Monday at the British Library and proves that when it comes to love, some things never change.

200 Couples to Exchange Vows at Niagara Falls. TORONTO (Reuters) Two hundred couples will exchange wedding vows on Monday on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine's Day, using the Canadian section of Niagara Falls as a backdrop.

via obscurestore: Is Michael Webb the world's most romantic man?

Octogenarian newlyweds love gabbing about granite. Ashton Ricker, 86, and Barbara Howell Erkkila, 81, met after Barbara needed to talk to somebody about a saw that cuts granite. A friend pointed her to Ashton. "All we did was talk granite for an hour," she says. "But I did notice how nice he looked." That was the start of a really good thing.

Philly cops seek weirdo fast-food flasher. The man shows his "Big Mac" to fast-food female employees -- some working the drive-thru window, say cops. In four cases, he's thrown bodily fluids at his victims while exposing himself.

I never cared much for PEANUTS. I was always more of a ZAP comix, Mr. Natural, Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Insect Fear Comix kind of guy. But I live in Sonoma County, and Charlie Schultz did a lot of good here -- rehab, arts and athletics, various. So today I picked a new camellia blossom from the front yard and drove to the Snoopy gallery and tossed the flower onto the pile. Aw, Peanuts degenerated after 1970. [Via RobotWisdom]

Meanwhile it's raining, the Russian River is nearing flood stage, this hill will be an island in a few hours -- good thing the canoe is intact, eh?

Initializing on 12 Feb Y2K, Lincoln's Birthday [except that isn't celebrated anymore]. Still working out just what this place is going to be. Today's weather: rainy. Thought for the day: The family that slays together, stays together... somewhere. Dysfunctional site of the day: trailertrash.com Intentions of the day: redesign this page; put all the SkeptiNews bulletins into HTML and post'em online; do an anti-rain dance and dry out a bit. That's all.