Hot Squirrel, originally uploaded by headexplodie.

I couldn't locate on WFAA the photo they showed of a hot, lethargic squirrel lounging on a feeder, but this one gives the "feel" of it.

When the squirrels are too hot to move.....it's HOT.

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Turns out the Dallas police department has a website with YouTube videos made from security camera videos of criminal activity, and by golly, they actually caught someone.  Two someones, as a matter of fact:

ISTM this would certainly make their defense attorney's job easy-peasy, as obviously they haven't a leg to stand on. 

Received this afternoon:

I have get a Tax Refund coming, the Amount of which is $620.50?  And all I need do is complete the Formular?  Oh boy! 

Dan was pleased to report this morning that out of ten people watching a video on fork-lifts then taking a written test he was the only one to score 100%.  Way to go, Dan-O!  He's apparently going to have his schedule changed so he'll be working Sunday-Thursday, with Friday and Saturday off.

Dmitry's off to celebrate his friend, Ravinn's, 16th birthday today.  Carolyn, Shelby and Ravinn came by to collect him so they could return to Ravinn's for lunch and cake and ice cream, then off to play video games at Putt-Putt, then back to Ravinn's for supper and watching movies. 

The above photo was Ravinn trying to grab the card Dmitry has for her; in the video below she gets a little help from Shelby:

Not sure how this is going to work out, but I have a hard time not trying things, for some reason.  Which is really pretty silly, as there's not a gosh darn thing wrong with just posting to Xanga the usual way.

Still, if they're going to go to the trouble of setting Xanga up so I can do this, figure I may as well give it a whirl.

Have y'all read the news story that hit the wires today about a judge having declared a nine year old girl in New Zealand to be a ward of the court for the purpose of changing her name?

The name:  Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.    The child was so humiliated by her name she refused to tell friends what it was, instead insisting upon being simply referred to as "K".

Presumably the parents were divorcing and their daughter's peculiar, irrational name came up during the custody battle.  The judge declared her (temporarily) a ward of the court so he could accede to her reasonable desire to ditch her embarrassing name. 

I'm sure she wasn't happy about her parents splitting up, but getting "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii" scrapped and replaced was doubtless a decent consolation prize.  (The custody fight's been resolved, BTW, though the reports give no hint as to how, and the girl's new name has not been revealed so as to protect her privacy.)

How on earth did that idiotic moniker get put on the little girl's birth certificate in the first place?  I can't figure out how the decision's made as to which names are permitted and which are rejected.  Some of the names found on birth certificates are Violence; Number 16 Bus Shelter; Midnight Chardonnay; Benson and Hedges (twins), while some of those that were refused were Yeah Detroit; Stallion; Twisty Poi; Keenan Got Lucy; Sex Fruit; Fat Boy; Cinderella Beauty Blossom; Fish and Chips (twins).

How the deuce does "Number 16 Bus Shelter" get onto a birth certificate, but not "Cinderella Beauty Blossom"? 

ISTM simply displaying a desire to burden their babies with such cruel, stupid names amply demonstrates the parents aren't fit to be trusted, as they clearly don't really consider their child to be a true person.  "Twisty Poi" is fine for hyperactive poodles, but not people. 

'Cause I found this highly amusing, wicked person that I am:

The story may be found here.  

You know what's cool?  Now one can send email to campers, complete with photos, if one wishes.  Okay, yes, there's a fee, but it's still pretty neat (especially for those of us who have a hard time actually getting a letter written and in the mail in time to arrive before the kid leaves).

So funny how the girls all want the top bunks!  Brianna was agitating about that quite a bit, but being the second in her room to show up, she had no trouble snagging one.  The other girl who'd already gotten there is also named Brianna, and she had chosen a top bunk, and the next girl to come also wanted one.  The counselor agreed it was amusing how children get such a kick out of being on the top bunk, while the rest of us far prefer the bottom.

Here's hoping Brianna gets as big a charge out of Camp Carter as did her Uncle Charles.