Thanks to Ann for making some beautiful pillows for me. I picked out the fabric myself (it’s actually more gray than beige in natural light), and they seem to compliment the couch quite well.

Just heard quoted on NPR:

“We’re voting for her mainly because she’s a woman.  Her positions are unclear, but we think she’ll do the right thing”.

This is the most messed up reasoning I’ve ever heard, but this is not about Sarah Palin, or even Hilary; it’s regarding Tzipi Livni, who’s running for the Kadima leadership in Israel.

This article asks some interesting questions.

In the weeks after 9/11, a lot of mail was sent with anthrax in them.  It resulted in the deaths of some people, and a nation wide fear that cemented the us-vs-them war on terror.

It was also a large part of the motivation for the war on Iraq (with ABC news first drawing the connection, then the State of the Union address, then Colin Powell in front of the UN).

Now they’re saying that the anthrax possibly came from a right wing, religious army scientist working at a military base?  Sketch.

Seen today:

Magazine insert advertising for Golf Digest. The magazine publishes 12 issues a year. The regular newsstand price is ~$48, the subscription price is ~$28.

The problem? The caption says, in big bold letters: “It’s like getting 4 issues free”.

Actually, it’s like getting 5 issues free.

People who are in advertisement or marketing really need to get a 5th grader to double-check their math.

Here’s an even more interesting tidbit - if you go online (to golfdigest.com), you can get a one year subscription for only $15.

I never knew this was so popular, but apparently there’s multiple rickshaw races in India per year, including:

• The Indian Autorickshaw Challenge
• The Rickshaw Run

I want to do at least one by next year.

I happened by a rubber ducky regatta going down at the fountains in Cal Anderson park yesterday, and snapped some shots.  The sun was at a great angle, and the ducks provide a great contrast against the relatively cold concrete.

More pics here.

Saturday was the Solstice Parade in Fremont.  Coincidentally, it was also my birthday.  A parade, just for my birthday, to bring in the summer (although it still doesn’t feel like it).

Pictures here.

Recent letter from my lender regarding automatic payments setup:

…

Complete the information on the second page and return it along with a voided check from your bank in the enclosed postage paid envelope…

…

Only problem is, there’s no postage paid envelope enclosed (or any envelope at all).  And this is not the first time that this has happened with this particular account.  Are things really that rough at the banks these days that they can’t even send an envelope (postage paid or not) with their letters?

As with many guys, I have a strange fascination with all things bacon.  Well, now someone has stepped it up another notch, with yes, canned bacon.

I finally found some chairs that I liked at a vintage store in Ballard called Space Oddities. I got four chairs total in two different colours - orange-red and navy blue. They’re also stackable to save space.

I also made a $25 DIY lighting project, as seen below. Parts are adaptors from Ace Hardware (bought online), and some 25W light bulbs from Home Depot. I actually got the inspiration for this because the previous owners had something like this, and it’s very easy to do.