This month's National Geographic's cover story is about Neanderthals! Sweet! It was a good article, all about the latest DNA findings and stuff- with a reconstruction of a female Neanderthal done as accurately as currently possible.
The frustration with anything Neanderthal-related is that we'll never know anything for sure. We have best guesses and intriguing hypotheses, a few fossils, and that's about it. Tantalizing, fascinating, but not quite satisfying. I want to know what they looked like, how they lived. I want there to still be Neanderthals!

Gimli?? Is that you?



Since I got the new version of iTunes I made it get album artwork for all my songs. I don't remember ANY of these guys being in The Two Towers, do you? But that is apparently the cover for that particular soundtrack.
Anyways, here are the iTunes I have downloaded so far with my giftcard. Note the absence of Rascall Flatts:

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
Seasons In the Abyss - Slayer
Insane In the Brain - Cypress Hill
Crossing Hearts / Cutting Threads - Wendy McNeill
Winter - Joshua Radin
The Sad Sssad Story of Rosa Rabbit and Sasha Snake - Wendy McNeill
Rhymin' and Stealin' - Beastie Boys
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Con - Tegan and Sara
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Epiphany - Bad Religion
Epiphany - Staind
The Moon - Cat Power
Danger Keep Away (Full Length Version) - Slipknot
It's Good to Be King - Tom Petty
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan and Sara
Living In the Golden Age - Gowan
So Glad We Made It - Sheryl Crow

Fanart Friday: Slipknot

I was kinda tired from work so I was just about to head off to bed- still got one more tomorrow- but I saw this pic in deviantArt's new images feed so here you are (by B04-juice):



The obvious step from here is to show an individual portrait of all 9, and undoubtedly I will, later. For now check out this stunning Chris Fehn, by ilison, more where that came from:

Clown by Alleycatsgarden.

Steve and Megan, my brother- and sister-in-law, sent me an iTunes gift card for my birthday! Yay! And thanks guys. One of the dumb side-effects of losing my wallet and having to change my Visa number is that when I went to use said gift card, and had to register for an iTunes account, my lack of credit card info stymied me. D'oh. Well, I should get my new card when I get home from work next week, so all will be well. That will give me more time to think of songs I should download. Here's a list so far:

Slipknot- Danger Keep Away (Full Length Version)- who knew the final track on The Subliminal Verses was available twice as long?
Slayer- Seasons in the Abyss- As hard as it is for me to admit, I never bought SitA even though it is one of the top five metal albums of all time. Well, I just kept borrowing Rowan's copy.
Cypress Hill- Insane in the Membrane. Because how could you live through the 90s and not love that song?
Sinead O'Connor- Nothing Compares 2U. I also lived through the late 80s/early 90s and though it took a few years to get over the over-play of this song, I think I am ready. Oddly, every YouTube video of this song is muted.
Billy Talent- I remember reading about some bonus rack they made for charity, so I will get that one.
Sheryl Crow- she made a charity track for the American Olympic team. Seemed to work for Michael Phelps!

Now it's your turn- you can suggest me songs to add and I will consider them. Steve's suggestions will get more weight since he is my brother-in-law and he got me the card. Megan's, though she also got me the card and is my sister-in-law, will likely be completely ignored because, well, though we get along in every other way, we just don't see eye to eye musically. She hates Slipknot and I can do without Rascall Flats. The very thought makes me shudder!
Harvey likely has some good suggestions too.
Do you?

Wallet update- good news! My Grandpa found it for me- at the store where I thought I might have left it. I called there and the owner answered and said it wasn't there. Since I could tell he didn't even look and I wasn't even sure he understood me, I went there in person, and the same thing- he didn't even look. Then I had to go to Edmonton so there was nothing I could do. So my Grandpa went there the next day and talked to someone else who knew exactly where it was. Yay for Grandpa!
Here's another anthropomorphic pirate scene of mayhem I found for you to celebrate!
Anyways, did I mention I got a Wii for my birthday? Yay! From Michelle, my sister and her husband. And lots of other people contributed gift cards and such for accessories. So much fun. Got Force Unleashed today, been having fun being all Sithy. You know, Vader's Apprentice. Have you played it?

Alright so I know I promised pirates but instead I have decided to tell you about how my wallet was stolen. The story is, essentially, this: my wallet was stolen. But of course it's more complicated than that, because I don't know for sure that it was stolen. I may have just lost it, and perhaps some kind stranger will mail it to me. Or perhaps whoever found it decided to keep it. I don't know- but I will give it a while before I go through the hassle of getting a new license and all that.
Obviously I already canceled my Visa. I called the Royal Bank to report my lost cards, like you're supposed to. The guy who took my call, who presumably takes such calls for a living, was surprisingly amazed at my predicament.
"Did you lose your bank card or your credit card?"
"Both."
"Both!!?? Did you lose your Social Insurance Number too?"
"No."
"Well, that's good at least." I guess I'm not a total idiot.
Anyways he sorted that all out for me so I guess his condescending manner can be forgiven.
Oddly, I am not even all that mad at the person who stole my wallet- maybe because there is reasonable doubt that anyone actually stole it. If you know me, you know I can misplace things with almost preternatural talent. Though I've never lost my wallet before. But there was no cash in it, and my Visa was not used, so nothing really was lost, other than some photos of Michelle but I have doubles of those anyways.
I guess I could be a little worried about identity theft- they don't have my SIN but my driver's license has all my other pertinent info.
Anyways, for sitting through that little story, here is some pirate art for you to enjoy, by lastscionz.

Apparently it's talk like a pirate day, and I never knew. Perfect segue for Fanart Friday but I have to go to work in mere minutes, so maybe I will be a day late and do it tomorrow. Arrr, 'tis a good idea.

A few weeks ago I was listening to the title track of Slipknot's new album. Michelle came into the room and asked me what I was listening to. "Slipknot- All Hope Is Gone. It kicks ass."
"It does kick ass," Michelle agreed.
Seriously, it kicks ass. There wasn't really any doubt about that. The surprise is that, despite the title, it actually is the cheery album I jokingly called it last month before it came out. Well, maybe not cheery. But hopeful. Maybe at the tail end of eight years of Bush and war and recession, the only way to be truly metal is to offer hope.
Like this recurring theme in "Wherein Lies Continue":

I only wanna believe in fucking anything
but now my conscience is contradicting everything . . .
We only wanna believe in fucking everything
But we're alive and not accepting anything . . .
I guess I'll never believe in fucking anything
But my solace is I can handle everything . . .
We have to save ourselves

That's the hope Slipknot offers- not in belief, not in god, not in government, but in yourself. Ourselves. The Nine of them, united "Till We Die" and the rest of us maggots.
"We'll find a way when all hope is gone"

Dear Facebook:
Everyone knows your new version sucks so I don't even need to go into that. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually, like I got used to all the other less-better versions of things that were just fine how they were (remember several versions of Blogger ago?). One small request though- I would appreciate it if the buttons actually worked when you clicked them. Buttons like Post! and Confirm (as Friend).
Anyone can make a button that doesn't do anything- look:



Yours truly,
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=626851200

And completely unrelated, exact opposite in fact since this doesn't suck at all, check out Jane Austen's Batman. Brilliant.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Yay! To celebrate, I go and work for 12 hours. But on the plus side, I get to go home tomorrow night- should roll into town around 11PM. Where my pregnant wife who teaches full time and also coaches volleyball will undoubtedly be sleeping away. And on the even more plus side, after tomorrow, four days off.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but when I am away in Hinton for work I stay with my grandparents, who take pretty amazing care of me. They provide me with a comfy bed and hot meals and all they really ask in return is some conversation. Which is why I suck.
There isn't a whole lot we have in common- though I remember fondly the time Grandpa intoned the classic opening lines to the old radio show The Shadow. But he isn't too aware of Slipknot or The Dark Knight. And I try to keep all of Grandma's Red Hat Ladies straight but don't always succeed.
I try really hard, and often succeed, but working 12 hour shifts with two hours of travel time above that, I am often tired, even grumpy when I get home. On nightshifts I am somewhat dazed getting up at 3:30PM, so either way I am not always the best company, as much as I try to be. Now, I am never ever rude to them, not ever. But sometimes I can be pretty distant. Not always, but still too often.
Tonight was good though- tonight we talked about polio. I realized, from watching an episode of House that I really don't know anything about polio. But guess who does? Grandparents.
I already have a topic for tomorrow night- Roger Bannister's Miracle Mile. I read that he ran that in Vancouver at the PNE of all places- I bet they'll know all about that.
If you have other suggestions in a similar vein please please leave them in the Droppings below.

Fanart Friday: 70s/80s Marvel


The other day I found a great picture of Rom, Space Knight by Chad Fuller. I loved that old robot! Actually I think he was a guy trapped in a robot body. Whatever happened to him anyways? Probably still out hunting Dire Wraiths in the cold depths of space. So I decided to do a feature on the old comics from my youth that are mostly forgotten today. Like the world's best non-team, the Defenders! Or what about Man-Thing? Don't forget Iron Fist.

(art by Jay Anacleto/tmd2008; Saltares; Lord Mesa)

I think She Hulk has always been around but here's a picture of her anyways, by Zanker. Then there's Spider-Woman (seen here rendered by Jerry Carr), I think she's been revived lately. Longshot hasn't been, but BDPatton tried with this cover he submitted to Marvel. Looks like he married Dazzler and they had a baby.

Some little children tried to beat me up yesterday. I was walking to my bus stop for work when a 4-year old walked up to me and proclaimed "You suck!"
Without even really thinking, I replied, "No, you suck!"
"No you suck!"
"No you do!"
So it went for a while but I had a bus to catch so I kept walking, and then the little guy smacked me as hard as he could on my back. He even took a running start. Then his little buddy came and said, "Let's run him over!" They were on bikes and scooters.
I said, "That's really not a good idea."
But if I think about it, it really wasn't a good idea for me to engage in a debate with a four year old.
Another interesting thing about last night- I accidentally called 911 when I was trying to call my wife. We have to dial 9 to get out and then 1 to reach Edmonton, so it's an easy error to make. But try explaining that to the cops. He took my name and home address and all sorts of stuff. He was getting downright personal. Don't you have any 4-year olds to catch?