Bring it

Every week, Bon and Mal at Of Mice and Puzzles produce one of these fiendish Soduko things: Sunday Puzzle. Every week I promise myself I'm going to learn how to do these, and every week I don't actually get around to it.

Well, this time I'm ready for 'em, because I found Soduko Shack. It has instructions simple enough even for me, tips, and even a cheat thing that provides solutions. Highly recommended.


Updated Nov. 28:
OK, so I've officially embarrassed myself. I didn't see the solution coming, I swear. LOL
Thanks, Bon and Mal, for the props and for being such great friends! You da best. :-)

Warning: Shameless plug ahead

A good friend of mine, Groovy Noodles over at Husbands and Children and Pets, Oh My! has found herself a brand new way to make money from home. She's started her very own business called Momma Duck Designs, and you should definitely check it out. You are not going to believe what that lady can do with duct tape. Buy something for that special person on your Christmas list, OK?

Oh -- and be sure to check out the blog. It's a hoot.
;)

Anyone for a mystery?

Mystery readers with some time on their hands will want to check out this new interactive game from the BBC: Death in Sakkara, an Egyptian Adventure.

I say readers, because it's played from the text; there are graphics, but they're strictly illustration. It ain't Myst, and it ain't Doom, but it is Murder on the Orient Express. Good for a quiet evening in winter. Enjoy.

Mixed blessings

Turns out, the in-laws are not coming for Thanksgiving after all. They're ill, which I do regret, and I hope they're feeling better soon. I was looking forward to having a full house for the holiday. It'll seem kind of sad, with extra space at the table. Plus, there's a rather large turkey thawing in the fridge, and nobody to eat the dark meat.

On the other hand, I can scale the preparations back now, from Frantic to just Busy. I finished cleaning the boys' bathroom because ... well, you know. But the rest of the place will remain its usual, dusty self. Now I can actually sit down here for a breather. With the new job and classes, I just don't have the time or energy this year for the Full Monty, solo-performance version of Thanksgiving.

I'm secretly relieved. Is that wrong?

Maraca by moonlight

There's a Zen saying: Barn's burned. Now I can see the moon.

Welcome to Maraca, the Sequel. It's a continuation of Maraca on AOL which, thanks to system changes there, is now glitchy and commercial, and altogether not so much fun as it once was.

So. This is me starting over. And it feels good already.

Come back and see me sometime.

The Trouble With Zucchini

In response to the previous post, Gdireneoe asks, "BTW ... What's wrong with zucchini?"

There's nothing wrong with zucchini, per se. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Things get ugly when people try raising them in captivity.

Zucchini is the kudzu of the veggie patch, the fruitcake gift of summer. Pop a few innocent-looking seeds in the ground, and the next thing you know you're up to your wazoo in squash. You can't even foist them off on the neighbors unless you sweeten the deal with some decent corn, or maybe a watermellon.

In fact, August 8 is Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbors Porch Day. If you've been spared so far, count yourself lucky.


(From Maraca at AOL)

What Am I Bid?

I ran into this little doodad today at both TUTT'A POSTO and Journally Yours: 

Business Opportunities Weblog | How Much Is My Blog Worth

So I typed in my URL, expecting to discover I'm worth about 59 cents and a bag of zucchini. Imagine my surprise:

My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?

$1693.62?? Get outta town.

OK, it's pathetic by J-Land standards, but I'll take it. It beats zucchini.

(From Maraca at AOL)

Weekend Assignment #84

Author Scalzi Googles Himself One Time Too Many

Noted science fiction author and America Online blogfather John Scalzi made history Monday, October 31 when he accidentally created an entirely new life form he is calling "an e-male."

In the week prior to the event, Scalzi recruited thousands of fans and friends to enter his name into a Google search at the stroke of midnight on Halloween, "just for the pure hell of it, to see what would happen." The stunning and entirely unexpected result was the spontaneous generation of a being named "Scoogle," who appears to be a badly distorted version of Scalzi himself.

Scientists are at a loss to explain the effect, but physicist Janus Looming of Los Alamos Labs says, "It may be akin to the apparition that occurs when teenagers chant 'Bloody Mary' into mirrors. Only bigger. Much bigger."

Centers for Disease Control spokesperson Gloria Shrub cautions that uncontrolled generation of e-males may threaten the public well-being, and says the CDC is pushing for a moratorium on their creation until sufficient controls can be put in place.

The Scalzi family will retain custody of Scoogle until the legal ramifications can be sorted out. "He's not evil," says Scalzi, "but feeding him is costing me a fortune. The only thing he'll eat is Spam."

This entry has 7 comments: (Add your own)
#7 Comment from monponsett 11/6/05 9:53 PM
Can I have her Spam? I love it.


#6 Comment from vortexgirl
11/6/05 2:25 PM
Completely awesome. Your version seems to be the most plausible as well.
Dianne


#5 Comment from pixiedustnme
11/5/05 4:22 PM
e-male - good one! I swear I need to stop reading these before I pee my pants! This is one of the best so far! http://journals.aol.com/pixiedustnme/Inmyopinion/entries/1313


#4 Comment from libragem007
11/5/05 1:50 PM
oh wow..this is good! lol
No..it's great entry! wow!
Thanks for visiting mine.
Gem :-)
http://journals.aol.com/libragem007/JournallyYours

#3 Comment from plittle
11/5/05 1:26 AM
Ha! The best one I've read so far. Well done!
-Paul
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/


#2 Comment from coelha
11/4/05 7:10 PM
He only eats SPAM! HA HA...very cute... Spoogle scares me!!!

Julie :)#1 Comment from b4i8clover
11/4/05 6:03 PM
Great entry. And we're willing to bet, from his reaction, that he didn't receive an alert beforehand either.
Bon & Mal