The Center of the Anomaly

I watched a show on the History Channel this morning about Doomsday prophesies of the year 2012.  According to the Mayan calendar the End of Times is December 12th 2012.  There were others too that point to this same time period where there will be great geological and / or political upheaval.  Among those noted:  the I Ching, Hopi Indian prophecy, web-bots, Merlin, and of course, The Book of Revelation. Although I thought they kinda shoe-horned that one in since it’s rather vague about a specific date when it hits the fan.  Conspicuously absent was Nostradamus in the lineup.  I was surprised.  Perhaps he had a different date that would mess up their 2012 theme. 

That kinda sucks that they predict World’s End during the Christmas holiday week.  I’m always on vacation that week.  Anyway, we all have only 1,642.97 days to get our shit in order.  I’m marking my calendar.  How about you?

Here he is, in all his glory purpleosity.  Clicky for full size.

I still have no idea for a title for this piece.  I am glad it’s finally done. 

I had some big problems with this guy and I’m glad that he came out as well as he did.  He was supposed to be lighter than this, and the washes I used in the test phases were.  But, I didn’t use the same type of paper for the tests as the painting, so they came out quite different.  Also, I now know not to leave the paint resist on the paper very long.  This gave me the same problem I had with an earlier tree painting with the fibers fuzzing up on me.  This led to the paint not blending the way I wanted too. Oh well.  With the new techniques I’m learning, I won’t be using the resist very much anyway.

***Update***

Oh, yeah.  WAY too purple too.  He was supposed to be red-brownish with purple and gold/orangey tinges.   Oh well.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

You would think that they would send him an e-mail or something warning about this.

I found this interesting article about the problems with web standards and related whatnot:  Martian Headsets over at Twenty-Sided a few days ago.  It’s kinda long but worth reading the whole thing to get an idea why computer stuff never seems to work quite as well as you would expect them to by now. 

John Derbyshire at the Corner found this:  Miracle Obama Toast.  Be sure to scroll down and read the description - it’s hilarious.

I got a strange call tonight.  It was from a guy with a thick Indian accent (dot, not feather) saying he was with Sprint telephone and he wanted to give me a free, promotional cell-phone with no strings attached, he just needed some information to “complete my application” and to send it to me.  I have caller id, and the number was a local one - but the name was blocked though.  I could tell by the background noise that he was in a busy call-center.  My bullshit meter went to one-quarter, but I went along.  He said the phone would be delivered via UPS and that they would call to schedule person to person delivery. 

Hmm.  UPS doesn’t normally do that. 

He went on to say that I’d need a picture id for UPS guy to confirm I’m really the person it’s supposed to be delivered to.  Really?  My BS meter was into 3/4 range now, but he already knew my name and address and other information.  Sprint used to be the local carrier here until another company bought them out and the stuff he knew seemed to be consistent with what would be in a typical customer database.  I let the call continue.  He asked what id I’d be using and whatnot, then he then asked if I had any outstanding debts with Sprint. I don’t and said so.  “Great!” he said.  “Would you please confirm your Social Security number with me so I can make sure that you have no outstanding debt with Sprint?” 

WTF?  BS meter pegs into the red-zone and breaks the needle off. 

I tell him I’m not giving my SS number over the phone.  He starts in with the “Oh, no no no! Your information is totally protected by blah, blah, blah, and encrypted in the system yada, yada, yada.”  I repeat that I’m not giving my SS number to him, and that I’m not interested in his cell phone anymore. “Oh, nononono!” 

Thnx, but noe thnx, k bai - click. 

Not even 30 seconds go by and I get another call.  Another local number, id blocked.  It’s the call center supervisor - also another Indian.  I don’t let him get past telling me this before I tell him I’m not interested in his phone anymore and hang up again.  He calls back almost immediately.  I don’t even let him speak before I tell him not to call anymore and hang up yet again.  They don’t call back.

I reviewed my caller id log and there are two numbers there.  Reverse phone lookup reports for these numbers are available online, but they want $15 for them.  One site shows a map of a location in downtown Las Vegas for one of the numbers.  No address though.

This is a nigh 100% certain personal ID theft ring going on, but I’m not sure where I go from here.  Police?  Sprint?  Call these numbers back and screw with them?

PSRoC = People’s Socialist Republic of California

Parents in the PSRoC must have teaching “credential” to be able to home school their kids now.  It’s going to be appealed of course, but until then that’s the law.  Unfuckingbelievable.

Found over at  SondraK’s.

***Update***  Eh, Malor’s all over it at Ace’s and puts the kibbosh on the OMFG WTF DOOD!!1111!! reactions.  L.A. Times got it wrong so it snot my fault.

Stoaty Weasel has unearthed the perfect candidate for ‘08.  Hop on over and pledge your support!

This pretty much sums up the state of conservative side of things these days:

 Troubling times ahead for sure.

It looks very likely considering his not so great results in South Carolina & elsewhere, and the fact that he’s pretty much out of money.  Sad, but not really unexpected at this point.  I had really high hopes for him last summer when rumors he was considering a run were flying around.  I really think he was the best guy for the job considering the rest of the field in the GOP - hell, I even sent him $100.  Now, of course Ace is airing the rumors are that he’s eyeballing a VP spot.  If it is true, at this point I’m hoping he throws his support behind Romney and that Mitt, in turn gives Fred! a real consideration for his running mate.  I sorta expect that Fred? will actually toss in with McCain though.  That would be unfortunate as I don’t think I can support McCain.  I get waves of Han Solo levels of A Bad Feeling About This every time I see the guy.  I don’t like the Arkansas shuckster Huckabee at all.  The man is dangerously incompetent.  I don’t think I would mind Rudy, but his candidacy is tanking right along with Fred’s so he’s not really even in the picture at this point.  Go Romney/Thompson in ‘08! 

I guess.  I dunno.  Sometimes I wonder if maybe we deserve another disasterous Carter-like dimocrap presidency that the Shrillery or Obamination would certainly give us.  It would suck major ass for a lot of people to be sure, but maybe it might be better for the country as a whole in the long term?  Or not.  I can foresee a myriad of extremly bad things stemming out of just such a thing too.  We can only do what we can do though and make the best out of what we’re given.