ahhhh

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Turning on the TV to watch last night's "Countdown" on tape invariably results in my exposure to some ongoing news program or other on MSNBC. So I saw the boy who was abducted earlier this year and got out of the duct tape he was in by using a safety pin. They've arrested the suspect.

I imagine a scene earlier this year, at the sleazy waterfront dive where the criminals hang out.

A Criminal: What were you thinking, stupid? You can tear that stuff easy!
The Suspect: Hell, I thought duct tape was what you use for abduction.

Another one done in by logic
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review

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Someone posted a link to a somewhat aimless animation over at rec.arts.animation. I post the link here just so nobody will tell me I forgot it. There's no real need to go see it.

After the first bemused reviews came in, I went to look at it myself. Even given that the actors are jointed wooden mannequins without faces, it was astonishingly wooden and unexpressive. They stand around and bob their heads. Then a womannequin with oversized chest bumps walks by, and it's over.

No acting. No story. No expression. No timing. I gave it "two shoulders up."
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hey, rivka!

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Remember when Alex burned her finger, and didn't want to run cold water on it, and grandma put ice in a bowl of water and Alex played with it? I sent that to Parent Hacks, and they ran it last month.

A reader sent this comment:

If I had not read this hack last week, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea how to care for my son. He touched a portable heater yesterday and hurt his poor tiny fingers.

So thank you thank you thank you for posting this. I can't thank you enough.

Now.. if only there was a quick and easy remedy for mommy-guilt.

You (and Grandma) helped a stranger. Thought you ought to know!
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boids

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I was going to pick up Sarah today. I turned onto East Mountain Road, as I generally do, and looked to see if Flocky was there. No luck. But a bit further down the road I looked over and saw a different flock -- wild turkeys!

The last time I saw a wild turkey in the wild was about five years ago in Virginia, by I-64 (and then I wasn't entirely sure). Before that, it was about 30 years ago at Grand-dad's ranch in Texas. I turned back and pulled over and got my camera out. As I stepped out of the car, the outlying turkey nearest to me headed back to the group. Great, I thought, alpha turkey is warning the flock. I don't know if that's what happened or not -- it seemed to be chasing one other turkey around instead. I put the camera on maximum zoom and snapped away. Then I hurried back to the car (which had, as always, locked itself on the hope I wasn't clutching my keys) and went to get Sarah, grabbing a couple more shots out the window. On the way back, they had already departed.

( turkey lurkey behind cut so as not to break anybody's page )