I badly need some new music. I'm sick of angsty music and want something a bit more upbeat, or at least more energetic. Something with strong, powerful lyrics you can sing along to. Not too poppy. I'm not too fussed as to subject matter, as long as it's catchy. I'm currently pretty into Ludo and Jonathan Coulton, which are dramatically different in enough ways to highlight to core factor of what I want.

Yesterday somebody, probably Mikah, caught a rat and tore it to pieces. Ate some, threw it up on the floor in my study. Left me a kidney, a front foot, a back foot and a tail. I didn't see a single part with fur which makes me worry that there are bits I'm yet to find. Though, with the hot weather, I would have thought I'd have smelt any remains by now.

Funny thing happened on Wednesday at the kiddy minding place. This little two year old boy called this guy 'daddy'. The guy was like *eyes widen, takes a step back*. Then the kid burst out crying.

Also, webcomics. I'm in a webcomic mood. I'm looking for something with a good story and decent art. Plot based. Think White Noise, Zombie Hunters, FreakAngels. Recommendations?

She meows at me when I clear my throat. Sometimes also when I laugh just slightly so it's a huffing sound, and sometimes even at the little noise that's made by routine swallowing. She's been particularly responsive tonight. I wasn't even sure if she was talking to me or talking in her sleep at one point, because she was all sprawled out with her eyes shut, meowing her little meows. But the odd thing is, I think the meows she gives in response to these noises are different from her normal responsive meows. It's hard to tell since each instance is brief, but it sometimes sounds like the same chattering noise cats make when watching birds. I googled the bird noise thing once, and it doesn't look like people really know why cats make that noise at birds. If she is making the same noise at me when I clear my throat, what does that mean?

I just found an awesome music site. Artists submit their music and users vote on what they like. The really interesting part, though, is the RPG like system where you complete quests and gain experience points. I think you even level up. And okay, yes, there's some good music that you probably won't find otherwise, too. http://www.thesixtyone.com/

In Oblivion, an RPG, as far as I can see it seems to be possible to put a 'restore health' spell on a weapon. I'm just curious if this means I could beat health into someone, and if so, whether they would interpret it as an attack? I may have to try this some time.

The dogs were barking before, so I went and investigated. There was a possum under the steps outside. I shut the dogs inside and lured the possum out with some apple, getting a few pictures in the process. Possums are quite bold animals; even before I got the foot out it was giving me a good look over. Anyway, here's a picture of my furry friend: http://potatoe1988.deviantart.com/art/Curious-142248262

Also, a couple of weeks ago I dropped a plate and sliced my foot open. A little but deep cut. I didn't even notice until I happened to look down and see the blood. It didn't hurt more than a scratch. Here's a picture I took just after it happened, for posterity: http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb307/Potatoe1988/ouch.jpg

One of the many fabulous things about the internet is that you can give money to charity without actually losing any yourself. FreeRice is one of these websites, which I believe a lot of people are aware of. If you are not it is a site where, if you select the correct meaning of a word, it will give 10 grains of rice to starving folk. And those grains add up. It is a good site because it helps users expand their vocabularies while also serving its charitable purpose. You can also do ones for math, grammar, etc. on that site, but I think the English language one is the most developed. http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Anyway, what made me think of this is that I just found another similar website, for geography. I actually spent a while playing it before I even realised that they donate drinking water for every correct answer, simply because I suck at geography and figured it would be nice if I sucked less. http://www.freepoverty.com/

Then there's The Hunger Site and such, which are sites where you just click a button once a day to donate food or whatever. While these are good, it's hard to remember to do it every day and you don't get anything out of it personally. http://www.thehungersite.com

Anybody got any others?

Today I started volunteering at this place what has small children. It's a school for people in grades 11 and 12 who have dropped out and are returning to school, and some of them have young children who they leave in the play room while they go to classes. I played with this girl who was about four for most of the time I was there, and then her mum came back and was not nice. Not to me, I mean - to the kid. Both 'shit' and 'fuck' were said within the first minute. I suppose it explains why the little girl and her younger brother were a little boisterous. At least the guy who runs the place is really nice.

Being the only one crossing at the traffic lights on a busy road in the city gives me a great feeling of power.

When the bus stopped at a station a man asked if it was going to the city, to which the driver replied in the affirmative. The guy then asked him if he was sure. Like possibly the bus driver might not know.

I found a neat site where one person writes a short description of a scene, another draws it, another person describes that scene, etc. It is called Broken Picture Telephone, I suppose since it is like that telephone game. We called it Chinese Whispers when I was a kid. I have no idea why. Have link: http://www.brokenpicturetelephone.com/

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago these weird looking plants started growing in one of the plant pots I had planted tomato seeds in. I figured they were probably weeds but, since I sometimes recycle the dirt I grow things in and they looked interesting, I let them grow. They were getting kind of big though, so today I dug them out to plant into their own pots. Weird thing? They're bulbous. I am now seriously curious as to what these are. Bulbs come from other bulbs, don't they? I don't know. But they don't seem like the kind of thing to get carried in by the wind, at very least. Plus there were two in that one pot, but none in any of the other pots surrounding it.

In related news, since I have started putting fruit and vegetable scraps into an empty plant pot outside, the possums have largely left my plants alone. My bean vines have even started sprouting flowers and beginning to grow beans! I don't actually like beans, but there's something rather satisfying about growing your own food.

This video amuses me: http://regretfulmorning.com/2008/10/the-upside-of-genital-herpes/

Guy 1: Well, you guys know how I have genital herpes?
Guy 2: No!
Girl: What!?
Guy 3: (smiles) Yeah.

"Herpex is a once a day pill, specifically created to deal with genital herpes. Also, it gives you the semi-controllable ability to teleport. ... (*May not cure herpes)"

Something reminded me of Lift Off, a truly odd Australian kids show I used to watch when I was a child. I think it was particularly one 'character', EC, who was a living doll, that I so suddenly realised was creepy. There were all manner of other oddities going on in the show, but that doll... If you want the full experience, here's a youtube video of them finding the thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAyH4dMnbvQ
If you can't be bothered with the video, I think this picture will adequately explain my feelings towards EC:


But then I noticed that in the 'related videos' column on youtube, there were links to videos from several of the shows I'd watched as a child and completely forgotten about! And you know who is creepier than EC? Mr Squiggle. I think, even when I was a child, I was aware that Mr Squiggle was not quite right. If you have never seen Mr Squiggle, please see this video of the opening theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IWlOtJ5X_k . The many singing smiley faces just don't help the creep factor any.
Mr Squiggle:


Annnd I just found The Book Place. That worm - Bookworm. CREEPY. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y349kyCYddk&feature=related


What is the name of that show with the guy who lived on a barge?? I can't remember! This is going to drive me crazy, now.

I had a very sci fi dream, which has inspired my mind to edit and expand upon that in story form. Which I will now write. Not for any particular purpose and with no intended direction, I just want to get down some of the ideas I've got in my head, and shall do so in the form of poorly written narrative.

( Cotton wool played a far more important role in the regenerative process in my dream... )

I can't really say why it's awesome without ruining it for you: http://imago.hitherby.com/?p=452