January first is the beginning new year. It\rquote s also my dad\rquote s birthday. So I thought I would start the New Year with an old memory of my dad.

Jack\rquote s Smoke Shop.

When we were little, my dad used to bring us into Boston to go to Jack\rquote s Joke Shop. Which, as you might imagine, pretty much sold crappy jokes and magic tricks for like 3 bucks a piece. (Remember the garlic flavored gum or the soap that turned your hands black when you washed with it?). Then, after we had our fill, we\rquote d end up at Brigham\rquote s for an ice cream (if it was warm) or a hot cocoa if it was cold. Then, because we were full of sugar and were armed with gags that kids found amusing, he\rquote d bring us home and turn us over to my mom.

There\rquote s a magic shop on 9th ave, near where I live, and every time I pass it, I think of taking a trip to Jack\rquote s with my dad.

Maybe I\rquote ll go buy some garlic gum. Just for the memories.

Well grades are in. I\rquote m a solid \lquote B\rquote \endash which isn\rquote t great, but not bad either. I think I\rquote ll do better next semester, now that I have an idea of what/how to study and what the exams are like.

As expected, I did best in Civ Pro (A-) and worst in Torts (B-).

Well, since I plan on re-taking up my photography (after a forced vacation due to school), I thought I would reveamp my photoblog. Which I did. I also used a MT Plugin called multi-blog, which I found out about via Greg to add the 4 most rceent pictures over there on the right side. ------->

I talked Mike into modeling for me over the break, as I want to work on taking 'human' pictures, as right now my primary subjects are animals (LOTs of squirrels) and Plants.

So, if after the Holidays you see no pictures of Mike, it means I did a poor job and he wouldn't let me post any.

So. There. More information than you care about.

My nephew Cameron (Can we get a shot of him?)

There he is. Anyway, he has email now, and sent me one which read: Hay ,I just whant to say hi and how are ya. As a PS he asked me how Mike (AKA Microphone) was. I replied to his email and asked how he was, about Christmas, school, having his own email. At the end I gave him Mike\rquote s email address.

What did I get in reply?

how is mike?pleasegive us mike's REAL email address.

I didn\rquote t even get a \lquote Hi\rquote .

(Mike, apparently, hadn\rquote t replied to the email he got yet.)

Do you know the babel fish? In the Hitchhikers Guid to the Universe, there is a fish that helps people understand each other, no matter what language they speak. On the web Altavista\rquote s babelfish helps translate between a limited amount of languages. Of course, being done by machine the translations are now quite exact. I took a phrase, translated it into another language, and back to English. The results are\'85funny.

Here is the phrase I used:

My mom, who is old, bought a new truck. It is white, like her. But not old. I have a sister with blonde hair and another with hair that is not blond. They are both my sisters, but they don\rquote t look alike. Mike stepped in dog pooh, so we had to wash his sneakers. I like the word pooh, because it\rquote s easy to say and is a lot like the noise you make when you blow out candles.

German and Back

My Mamma, which is old, bought a new truck. It is, as it knows. But not old. I have a sister with the Blondinehaar and other one with the hair, which is not blond. They are both my sisters, but they look not directly. Mike stepped into dog pfui, thus in us had to wash its turnschuhe. I like the word pfui, because is to be said simple and much is like the noises, which form you, when you burn through from candles.

Japanese and Back

The your old my mother bought the new track/truck. That like her is white. But it is not old. There are another ones of the hair which is not the sisters or the blonde which load the fair-hair onto me. As for them both is my sisters, but you do not see in the same way. Pooh you walked the microphone with the dog, therefore we do not wash that sneaker. Because I to say, easy, when you blow the candle, it is many, like the noise which you make word pooh you like.

Russian and Back

My mom, who is old, purchased new cart. It bel as it. But old-. I have a sister with the hair of blondinky and others with the hair not are blond. They will be both my sisters, but they do not look alike. Microphone took a step in pooh dog; therefore we must wash its sneakers. I love pooh words, because is easy to say much as noise, you is which you make when you you blow from the candles.

Try it yourself, and don't forget to wash your turnschuhe, you Blondinky, you.

OH, let me the first one on Henrylewis.org to congratulate Cheveux Rouges on her new car. :)

Update: We have exclusive pics of the new car from our roving Reporter Kelleigh M.

Update 2: Reliable sources have indicated that the term 'Cheveux Rouges' means 'Red Hair' in French. Our initial belief that it meant 'Chevy Stealer' was incorrect.

So, I\rquote m on the train headed to work. This was a few weeks ago (meant to post it, but been busy). Usually I leave work at 4pm and take the 4:10 or so train. Today, I left at 3 and am taking the 3:10 train.

What a difference an hour makes.

I usually study on the train \endash what else is there to do. There are a bunch of school kids on the train (usually I get frazzled work people, who are quiet if not grumpy). The trouble are these three kids \endash 2 black, one Asian. I mention race, because the Asian kid (14, maybe) uses the \lquote N\rquote word religiously. And has not stopped talking (loudly) since I got on the train. His words are a blur, save for the seemingly random racial epitaphs thrown wildly about. The two black kids, who are obviously with him, don\rquote t say a word. The entire trip. They nod and laugh and generally try to look threatening, but without any real words.

They left before we went underground, for a few moments a blissful silence fell on the train and I turned back to USC 1332 in my book. When, from a little behind me, a deep female gospel voice rang out on the train, \ldblquote Sneaky bear! Where you going to?\rdblquote She then proceeded, in preacher format, to prophesize about the stat of the world. \ldblquote Isreal is in god\rquote s plan, what are you going GW? Watch Israeli, beware. Colen Powell, you sneak bear, why are you in Israel? Israel, don\rquote t sign nuthin!\rdblquote Then, again, in song, \ldblquote Sneaky Bear! Where you gong to?\rdblquote

She covered a whole range of topics before I got off the train at my spot. Kept saying that we would lose in iraq, because it was \lquote prophesized\rquote but said it in a what that sounded like \lquote prohibited\rquote .

Never was I so glad for the New Montgomery Station.

I usually don't do this here, but it's pretty funny.

DUBYA the movie. Starring Don Knotts.