A humorous list of dating terminology from StrangeCosmos I ran across on the DZSokal blog…

Easy: A term used to describe a woman who has the morals of a man.

Eye Contact: A method utilized by a single woman to communicate to a man that she is interested in him. Despite being advised to do so, many women have difficulty looking a man directly in the eyes, not necessarily due to shyness, but usually due to the fact that a woman’s eyes are not located in her chest.

Friend: A member of the opposite sex in your acquaintance who has some flaw which makes sleeping with him/her totally unappealing.

Indifference: A woman’s feeling towards a man, which is interpreted by the man as “playing hard to get.”

Irritating Habit: What the endearing little qualities that initially attract two people to each other turn into after a few months together.

Nymphomaniac: A man’s term for a woman who wants to do it more often than he does.

Sober: A condition in which it is almost impossible to fall in love.

Attraction: The act of associating horniness with a particular person.

Love at First Sight: What occurs when two extremely horny but not entirely choosey people meet.

Law of Relativity: How attractive a given person appears to be is directly proportionate to how unattractive your date is.

Capitol Park, a 40 acre oasis surrounding the State Capitol in downtown Sacramento, provides a respite from the daily hustle and bustle of government and private business in the state’s capitol. Dawn and I occasionally stroll along the many paths leading through the beautifully landscaped grounds and marvel at the variety and abundance of trees and shrubs that thrive within the park. A multitude of bird species and squirrels call the park home and provide endless entertainment to park visitors both young and old.

Beautification of the park began in 1870, four years before the Capitol’s completion in 1874. The land was graded and augmented with river silt and soil, then planted with 800 trees, shrubs, and flowers. The landscaping included more than 200 varieties of rare plant life from nearly every continent and climate around the world, from sub-tropic to sub-arctic. Many of the non-native tree and shrub species planted over a century ago continue to thrive. In fact, due to Sacramento’s temperate climate and steady water supply, several of the park’s tree species are said to grow larger and better here than in their native habitats.

Over the years, both acreage and plantings have been added to the park which now spans 12 city blocks. Its landscaping includes hundreds of species of trees, shrubs and flowers from sequoias, redwoods, and magnolias to roses, camellias, and cacti. An average of 20,000 new plants and flowering bulbs are planted annually. Countless birds and squirrels occupy the trees, walkways and even benches. And more than a million people come to the park each year to visit its memorials and monuments, sit or stroll among the greenery and participate in a variety of activities.

On a recent visit to the park, we enjoyed watching the resident squirrels who have, after years of indulgence by park visitors, become somewhat insistent about receiving payment, in the form of peanuts, in exchange for posing for photographs. It’s like dealing with a union shop; there’s little room for negotiation. And so on this outing, Dawn and I came prepared.

They approach without fear, stand on their hind legs and say, “Okay, buddy, I see the camera; whatcha got for me?” And right on cue, we paid up. After all, we wanted a few photos once they’d devoured or hidden the peanuts. And like clockwork, the little guys kept their part of the bargain, posing atop fences, park benches and low hanging branches. It was quid pro quo; peanuts for pictures. They’re so cute, we sometimes forget they’re rodents!

After leaving the squirrels a generous tip, we strolled the park and took in the Viet Nam and War Memorials, numerous statues and the abundant flora, marveling at the beauty of it all. Then we returned to our regular routines, refreshed and rejuvenated, eagerly looking forward to our next park visit. We’ll bring peanuts.

Another’toon from Randall Munroe…

Hey, I think I know this guy!

My second son… cute, precocious, big hearted even as a little guy… hard to believe he turns 42 today. And he’s grown into a fine man… kind, generous, a wonderful sense of humor… I’m very proud of him.

1. Inability to put forth the effort required to complete any task.

H.T. to Mike M.!

All right already! So many of you sent this that I decided (reluctantly) to post it.

There will only be 49 contestants in the Miss Black America Contest this year, because no one wants to wear the banner that says “IDAHO”.

Sincerely,

Don Imus

By the way, I’m glad to see Imus sueing over the $16 million remaining on his contract. I mean, right’s right, right?

Michael sent a link to this site featuring 79-year-old Ray Bethell, eight-time Multiple Kite World Champion and World Record holder, performing a beautiful sky ballet with three kites…

Bethell can fly 39 kites, 3 stacks each, at the same time. Truly amazing!

Article removed by editor.

Signs of Spring are everywhere… Even in your own backyard.

We’re well into spring, but it’s been an unusual transition. We enjoyed a mild winter with below normal rainfall, few extremely cold days and very little fog. Early March brought warm, sunny, spring-like days. Evenings were still chilly, but flowers were blooming and birds were chirping. Spring, my favorite season, had arrived early bringing light breezes and delightful daytime temperatures in the 70s! Some have called this an El Niño year. In any event, it certainly wasn’t a “normal” winter.

By mid-March, I’d put away my umbrella and broken out the shorts and Hawaiian shirts. So I was completely unprepared for the sudden shift back to chilly, grey, rainy weather in late April. The string of cold, rainy days seemed out of place this far into spring. Last week was cold - in the 50s - and this past weekend in the 80s. Yesterday hit 95 and the forecast for today is more of the same!

I suppose Mother Nature is just evening the score so I’m not putting away my rain gear just yet. And while most folks are delighting in the summer temps, I’m longing for the the return of the “real” spring.

Thanks Ron!

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union New York Air Show returns to Jones Beach May 26-27 and this year features the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. If you’re in the area, it’s a show to see.

Meanwhile, here are 12 great images taken by Victoria Arocho during last year’s Memorial Day weekend show.

Looking for a reason to celebrate? Break out a bottle of tequila, or at least a bag of tortilla chips — it’s time for Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May). Although it is often referred to as Mexico’s Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo actually marks the 1862 battle in Puebla when a small, outnumbered Mexican army defeated the French, a turning point in Mexico’s struggle for independence.

Just another gringo holiday…

Not to put a damper on the festivities, but Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that is in fact more beloved by Americans than Mexicans. “I couldn’t get over how it was a big holiday on one side of the border, the American side,” commented a mystified Mexican student studying in El Paso.

One American traveler, after spending a lackluster Cinco de Mayo in central Mexico, learned from a shopkeeper that it was just  “a gringo holiday made to sell Mexican beer to Americans.”

And we thought we were so cosmopolitan…

Why is the holiday a subdued event in its country of origin, while Americans are donning sombreros? One theory is that Cinco de Mayo, first brought to the U.S. by Mexican immigrants during the 1920s, grew in importance when the 1960s Chicano movement adopted the holiday as an avenue for generating ethnic pride. Its political purpose gradually diminished, thereby opening the holiday up to a wider Mexican-American population, and finally to mainstream America via advertising. … Link

Michael sent this via Wired.

“There’s nothing quite as tedious and wholly unnecessary as the long running Mac vs PC debate, but when you add South Park to the mix, it gets a little more entertaining.

The video is a fan project from a multimedia production class at California State University Northridge, who seem to have recognized the fundamental truth of the debate — all OSes suck.”