This sounds ominous

Came home today to a notice that ownership of my mortgage has been transferred to Fannie Mae. What does this mean?


Today's earrings: lobsters, anchors

Bedtime reading: Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome

Train Wreck

Well, just a small one. We were riding the steam train in Tilden and saw that these guys were out riding around on their own tiny trains, so we went to watch. Tiger was utterly fascinated, and I was pretty interested myself. The best one was a long combined passenger/freight with this one flatcar in the middle carrying John Deere tractors. Most cool.

There's a junction just to the left of the spectator area, and the drivers were stopping and switching it, taking one track or the other, all working smoothly. Then one guy driving an engine with one passenger car rode through and derailed. It made an awful noise, but no one was hurt or even very shaken up. We moved down the rail to better spectate. A host of train-hobbyist dudes gathered to help. ("Look what good helpers they are, Tiger!") The train-hobbyist dudes tried to muscle the engine back on the track. As it weighed about 600 pounds, that didn't work very well. Then a senior train-hobbyist dude appeared with a block of wood and a crowbar. He levered the engine back into place pretty much single-handed while the other guys steadied it on to the rails. Problem solved! We applauded. The driver started up his engine again and drove on. We applauded some more, and he wished us a happy new year.


Today's earrings: lobsters, leaves

Bedtime reading: Good Omens, Pratchett & Gaiman

Bechdel Test

Ive been thinking about the Bechdel Test this week. What passes, what doesn't, why I keep watching the stuff that doesn't pass, all that. Tonight channel 54 had on a couple British mysteries, followed by a last season episode of Dr Who, all of which passed the Test. And I wondered, is it that British television just produces more stuff that passes, or is it that only stuff that will tend to pass gets picked up by PBS? Does it matter?


Today's earrings: lobsters, rocks

Bedtime reading: The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

cover songs

"Wuthering Heights," by the Puppini Sisters
"Smells Like Teen Spirit," by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
"Black Hole Sun," by Steve & Eydie

I looked for covers of "Rock Lobster," but people kept ruining it by trying to do Kate & Cindy's vocal parts and failing miserably. Maybe the Puppini Sisters could do it justice...


Today's earrings: lobsters, rocks

Bedtime reading: The Appleby File, Michael Innes

Once upon a time

there was a website devoted to the "good parts" of songs. Like the drum break in "In the Air Tonight," or the "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" from "Suffragette City."

I went looking for it tonight. I can't find it. It was just a shiny bit of flotsam wooshing through the intertubes, and I guess it's washed away. Oh, ephemera.


Today's earrings: lobsters, shells

Bedtime reading: Space Chantey, R.A. Lafferty

Dunno why, but this has been in my head lately, along with "Moses Supposes"

Security Officer: I'm sorry, but you're not on the guest list.
David Addison: That's because we're not guests. We're looking for a man with a mole on his nose.
Security Officer: A mole on his nose?
Maddie Hayes: A mole on his nose.
Security Officer: [to Maddie] What kind of clothes?
Maddie Hayes: [to David] What kind of clothes?
David Addison: What kind of clothes do you suppose?
Security Officer: What kind of clothes do I suppose would be worn by a man with a mole on his nose? Who knows?
David Addison: Did I happen to mention, did I bother to disclose, that this man that we're seeking with the mole on his nose? I'm not sure of his clothes or anything else, except he's Chinese, a big clue by itself.
Maddie Hayes: How do you do that?
David Addison: Gotta read a lot of Dr. Seuss.
Security Officer: I'm sorry to say, I'm sad to report, I haven't seen anyone at all of that sort. Not a man who's Chinese with a mole on his nose with some kind of clothes that you can't suppose. So get away from this door and get out of this place, or I'll have to hurt you - put my foot in your face.

- - Moonlighting, via IMDB


Today's earrings: lobsters, suns

Bedtime reading: Thud!, Terry Pratchett

Wacky fog effects this morning

I couldn't see two blocks down the street, but look straight up and there was clear blue sky. Very odd.


Today's earrings: lobsters, rocks

Bedtime reading: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll