OOPArts

today was a day for a journey into the wikipedia. i would like it if the xkcd dude would make a map of just the wikipedia like the online communities one ("here be anthropomorphic dragons" kills me every time) or the internet one (or at least start making funny comics again, like at least once a week). i don't know how big of a chunk i would have covered today, obviously it couldn't be that big; i did it all today. but it is certainly a prime chunk of territory of wikipedia land. this is because it could fit into the syntax of [somewhat pejorative prefix] + [academic discipline]. i learned from my cryptozoology shenanigans last semester that the wikipedia is prime for these sorts of things.
the order of the day could be described as pseudoarchaeology. specifically, out-of-place artifacts, or OOPArts, as those in the know apparently call them. this was actually inspired by today's dinosaur comics edition, which mentioned the coso artifact. it was all downhill from there. i am now up to speed on all what was fit to wiki. the strange thing it that the ones that seem like the most bullshit have the most information. odd. but i have several friends that are all about these sorts of things. i don't really care how silly they are or aren't, i am mostly just glad that such tings exist. i do believe that every side has some sort of vested interest going, but it is pretty tricky to try and come to an independent somewhat objective opinion. clearly, most people these days try and follow contemporary scientific standards, and there is some merit in that. but on the other hand, think about how those people were probably written off as loonies at one time. pendulums always swing, and not necessarily in predictable ways. if the early going science types could be super right about some things, i don't see why contemporary mystics can't be super right about others. tomorrow: ancient astronaut theories.
if i were a musician, i would have a gold mine for names of everything via these inquiries. out of place artifact and ancient astronaut theory and pseudoarchaeology are just the beginning. saqqara bird and kingoodie hammer are sure hits. have you heard the antikythera mechanism e.p.? it is almost as good as the old stuff on baghdad battery.
actually, the antikythera mechanism is where it all came together in one of those sort of predictable but sort of bizarre internet synchronicities earlier. as you may have surmised, this was kind of an internet-heavy day. at any rate, i was keeping an eye on my feeds including the pre-loaded bbc news one. halfway down the list was something about a 2100 year old computer and the olympics. sure enough, that ancienct computer was none other than the antikythera mechanism, and it turns out some of its gears helped to keep tracks of the olympic games. go figure.
but back to music for a moment. i was compelled to put on sgt. pepper's earlier with a keen desire to hear the tale of lovely rita, meter maid. good news, folks: it remains as fine a tune as ever. i did notice some things however. i find it very odd that the album flip comes between for the benefit of mr. kite and within you without you. these are both super awkward side endings and beginnings. however, they do fit squarely into the middle of the record. i don't know what to do. send me your amended track listings, and i will call paul and we will talk. maybe we can work this out or something. also, someone asked me about beatles' little help from my friends vs. joe cocker's. for most things, joe cocker can kind of kiss my ass. he is the qdoba of soulful music: promising more than he delivers, workin' off other people's shit. but he does do a damn fine version of that cut. however, i think paul's bass actually comes through for the win on that one. it is remarkable and plays a rather forward role here. very emotive. so it turns out joe cocker can pretty much stick it.
i am now listening to steely dan. i only mention that to annoy dekkinga. also, steely dan is excellent.
this is why i can't post so much these days: no law school to complain about and very little else going on to mention. i haven't even made it to atlantic city yet. other updates include that i burned my stomach the other night trying to fry bacon at a point where it was not advisable to do so. the burn is parallel to the scar i have from the time i more or less impaled myself on that post on the dune. at least this is an injury with a definite and plausible explanation, for what it's worth.
a couple weeks ago i received a letter from my landlord. he informed me that he was going to raise the rent. i was not surprised, as my downstairs neighbor had told me that this happens like every year. i was also not bothered, as i planned on moving anyway. but it is the time of the month for paying rent, and so i dropped it off with a note stating that i intended to move out. the landlord called back in a couple of hours. i have trouble understanding him, especially on the phone, so it was a little odd, but communication more or less occurred. first, he wanted to make sure i was serious. i was. then he asked me about the price increase, which was only ten dollars a month. i told him i understood why he would have to, but he sort of wanted to negotiate. i informed him that it wasn't really a big deal, but i was going to go and he could probably find someone else. he then offered to not raise the rent at all if i would stay. this wasn't really going to sway me, but it was kind of a strange offer. it is nice to be wanted. i feel like a good tenant. mostly, i think he would just like to hold onto tenants who don't really ask him for much and he doesn't really have to concern himself with, just keep cashing the checks. oh well.
that is all folks. well, pretty much. maybe a little altered steely dan lyrics? no? oh yeah, anyone who thinks that shit is funny has heard it already. well then...