Well THBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBT!

Molecule gives passionate lovers just one year

ROME (Reuters) - Your heartbeat accelerates, you have butterflies in the stomach, you feel euphoric and a bit silly. It's all part of falling passionately in love -- and scientists now tell us the feeling won't last more than a year.

The powerful emotions that bowl over new lovers are triggered by a molecule known as nerve growth factor (NGF), according to Pavia University researchers.

The Italian scientists found far higher levels of NGF in the blood of 58 people who had recently fallen madly in love than in that of a group of singles and people in long-term relationships.

But after a year with the same lover, the quantity of the 'love molecule' in their blood had fallen to the same level as that of the other groups.

The Italian researchers, publishing their study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, said it was not clear how falling in love triggers higher levels of NGF, but the molecule clearly has an important role in the "social chemistry" between people at the start of a relationship.

Okay, Gregory Peck's week is worse.

Gregory Peck's Hollywood Star Is Stolen

LOS ANGELES - Gregory Peck's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was stolen by someone who cut it out of the sidewalk where it had honored the actor for more than four decades, officials said Tuesday.

"They just left a big hole out there," said Johnny Grant, 82, who serves as Hollywood's honorary mayor and oversees ceremonies honoring star recipients. "Somebody went out there with a cement saw and carved it out of the black terrazzo."

Peck's star is the fourth star to be stolen since the Walk of Fame was begun in 1960. Some 2,200 stars are now part of the walkway.

Years ago, stars honoring Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas and Gene Autry disappeared after they were removed during construction projects, but the stars for Stewart and Douglas were recovered, Grant said.

Peck, who died in 2003 at age 87, won an Oscar for his portrayal of upstanding Southern lawyer Atticus Finch in 1962's "To Kill a Mockingbird." He also was noted for his roles in "Gentleman's Agreement," which won the Oscar for best picture in 1947, "The Guns of Navarone," "Amazing Grace and Chuck," "Cape Fear" and "Roman Holiday."

Peck's star was part of the original group of some 1,500 set into Hollywood sidewalks before it was officially dedicated in 1960.

It apparently disappeared sometime between Nov. 17 and Nov. 22, Grant said.

The Evening Report

Okay. One of my classes for fall semester is done. Final Project done. Final Presentation done.

One more class to go. One more final.

75 projects to grade.

Guess that tells you what my week is going to be like.

PS Let's not mention my accelerated course in federal grant funds management and budgeting at work this week. Anyone want my life right now?

URGENT: Assvice Needed

I have just received a big piece of frosted chocolate cake in honor of a coworker's birthday. The question is this:

Should I eat it and wait for the fat to hit my thighs, or just slather it on there and skip the eating step?

A family favorite.

gnm
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Cigarette excised from kids’ classic

Goodnight smoke, hello indignation

By JOHN MARK EBERHART
The Kansas City Star

Even when there’s no smoke, there’s fire.

A publisher’s decision to digitally delete a cigarette from a photo of a children’s book illustrator is drawing the ire of some book lovers, who smell censorship.

Pete Cowdin, co-owner of Kansas City’s Reading Reptile bookstore, has launched a Web site, www.goodnightreality.com , “solely for the sake of protesting the recent decision by HarperCollins Publishers to censor Goodnight Moon, one of America’s national literary treasures.”

The publisher defends its position.

For decades, some editions of the book by Margaret Wise Brown have featured a photo of the late illustrator Clement Hurd with a cigarette in his right hand. Recently, though, the publisher reprinted tens of thousands of copies of the book that include the shot but not the butt.

Cowdin noticed the change about six weeks ago as he was selling a copy to a customer and telling her about the photo of the smoking illustrator. The customer glanced at the photo. No ciggy.

“This is one of the best-selling kids’ books of all time,” Cowdin said. “There are certain responsibilities and obligations on the part of the … publisher as a steward — not just a marketer — to what I consider an archival document. To go in and do something like that is the pinnacle of arrogance.”

Thankful

Thankful
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

One of the many things I was thankful for this past weekend.

'Tis the Season

Upside Down Christmas
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Well folks, with the passing of Thanksgiving it appears that it is now time for Christmas. Not only has my favorite country radio station started "Nothing but Christmas until 2006," decorations mysteriously appear around every corner and the shopping season is nigh. (Don't go to the post office for fear of your life!)

This year brings a new trend:

O Tannenbaum, You're Upside-Down

By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer
Sat Nov 26, 6:04 AM ET

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Todd Brabender remembers the December nearly 20 years ago when he and some University of Kansas friends gathered around a Christmas tree hanging upside-down from a water pipe in his apartment. It seemed like such a crazy idea then. But not anymore.

The centerpiece of holiday decorating is more often being inverted — hung from the ceiling or mounted bottom-up on the wall — by those looking to save space, more prominently display pricey ornaments or simply distinguish their Christmas tree from so many millions of others.

Upscale retailer Hammacher Schlemmer sold out of its $599.95 pre-lit inverted tree, a 7-foot evergreen that rises from a weighted base, before the end of October. Online tree seller ChristmasTreeForMe.com has sold out of two of its four upside-down models. Tree importer Roman Inc. sold out, too.

"This has turned into a worldwide deal," said Bill Quinn, owner of Dallas-based ChristmasTreeForMe.

Odd as it may sound, the trend may have originated long ago. Legend has it that a seventh-century English monk went to Germany and used the triangular shape of the fir tree to explain the Christian belief in a Holy Trinity. Converts came to revere the fir and by the 12th century, the story goes, it was being hung from ceilings at Christmas.

"My suspicion is that the vast majority are buying them because they seem to be nontraditional," said Edward O'Donnell, an expert on Christmas traditions and history professor at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. "It's funny and it's off the wall. Or off the ceiling."

PS - Being an expert on Christmas traditions is now considered worthy of Professorship? Hmmm.....

One of Life's Lessons

Intimacy isn't something you give away; this goes for secrets, whispers and the pleasure of your silent company.

Still Alive!

Still recovering from the week of eating and sleeping and eating some more! Thanksgiving was a great day at my parents house. Today we're relaxing around the house and then heading to my parents again to have dinner with my aunt and uncle, and little cousin.

Last night we went to the theatre and saw Measure for Measure by Shakepeare's Globe Theatre company. They were straight out of London and performed the play with an all male cast. Although the play is one of Shakespeare's more interesting works (read: there are some problems with it) the production was outstanding.

However, the real highlight that induced me to post is that I just booked New Year's Eve plans. This year Wes and I will be grooving to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at midnight in the Disney Concert Hall. WOOHOO!

Almost Turkey Day!

Not too much to report for today. Just wrapping up a few loose ends at the office, before I deliver some stuff to the boss's house and then call it a week! Tonight is making Grandma's stuffing with my sister, and seeing the parents' new house all done up. (I had only seen it before they moved in.)

Tomorrow is going and getting Papa and then eating!

Hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving and I'll be back after my turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pumpkin bread and a LONG nap! YUM!

Cluelessness

Cluelessness
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

I have a very short fuse today. The rest speaks for itself.

Can't it be Turkey day yet?

A minor miracle

Co-worker: Girl - you won!
Me: What?
Co-worker: You won!
Me: I won what?
Co-worker: The football pool - you won this week.
Me: You're kidding me.
Co-worker: Nope.
Me: ROFL
Co-Worker: Hey - you're rich - 13 whole dollars.
Me: Now you know what's sad about that...I know NOTHING about football. I picked the teams that were bolded.
Co-Worker: You crack me up!
Co-Worker: All that means is that they are the home team.
Me: I told you I have NO system.

The perfect gift for the lady geek in your life.

HTTP Panties
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

HTTP Panties

If you've ever run across a "403 Forbidden" error on a web site, it means you've either stumbled onto the wrong page, or you've been snooping where you shouldn't be! One nice thing about the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that runs the web (HTTP for short) is that it includes helpful status codes such as "404 Not Found" when a resource can't be found and "403 Forbidden" when the web site you're knocking at does not want you to come in. One rarely seen status code is the elusive "200 OK" which basically means that everything went fine, and you're seeing the page you're supposed to be seeing!

We thought it sure would be handy if life came with status codes, but since it doesn't, we did the next best thing and printed them on stuff you wear. But not just any old stuff - we had to try something different, and print them on undies. So we bring you HTTPanties for the discriminating woman who would prefer a web-savvy and somewhat-direct approach in the romance department.

Feeling frisky? Well then don the black "200 OK" panties and see where they take you. Alternatively, the white "403 Forbidden" style sends a very different and hopefully clear message. New for 2005 we bring you two more styles: 411 Length Required and 413 Requested Entity Too Large.

"Deferred Success" is new term for failure?

Failure
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

By Arthur Spiegelman
Fri Nov 18,10:26 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In 2005, some people wanted the word "brainstorming" replaced by "thought shower" so as not to offend people with brain disorders, and they also wanted "deferred success" to replace "failure" so as not to embarrass those who don't succeed.

Both phrases appear on a tongue-in-cheek list released on Thursday of the year's most politically correct words and phrases issued by Global Language Monitor, a nonprofit group that monitors language use.

The phrase that topped this year's list was "misguided criminals," one of several terms the British Broadcasting Corporation used so as not to use the word "terrorist" in describing those who carried out train and bus bombings in London that killed 52 people in July, according to Paul JJ Payack, the head of Global Language Monitor.

Weekend Update

Nothing spectactular to report. It was a fairly good weekend - a little work, a little R&R and some shopping! I spent most of Saturday on campus, assisting in Statistics help sessions and wandering around campus which was abuzz with the SC/Fresno State game (WE WON!). Afterwards I ran a few errands and found some great deals at Express - my new favorite clothing store.

Sunday was the declared Pajama Day. I spent the first half sleeping in and writing my final paper for one of my classes. Then I cleaned the apartment and the little sis joined me for an evening of good food and movies. On the watched list:

* Daniel Deronda - A BBC, Masterpiece Theatre production. Perfect for an evening indoors for a few British novel fans. This George Eliot piece was most likely very controversial in its time, but was a great watch!

* Grey's Anatomy - The Thanksgiving that was. I LOVE this show. :)

Now I'm just psyched because we have 2.5 work days this week and Thanksgiving yummies. Top that with a visit from a boy and I'm ready to begin!

Take that Blake!

Robert Blake's Reversal of Fortune

by Joal Ryan
Nov 18, 2005, 3:05 PM PT

Don't do the crime, if you can't pay the $30 million.

Robert Blake likely is in no mood to sing that or any tune after a civil jury in Burbank, California, ruled Friday that he intentionally caused the death of wife Bonny Lee Bakley, and that he should pay a whopping $30 million in damages to the slain woman's children.

The 72-year-old Blake now finds himself in O.J. Simpson straits--a man acquitted of murder charges in criminal court, but all but branded a killer in civil court and theoretically wiped out by an eight-figure damages bill. (In 1997, Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the families of waiter Ron Goldman and ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.)

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

I started this little gem this morning while waiting at the DMV. (Don't ask!) I have to say: Finally a book for those of us who enjoy the English language and don't enjoy seeing it butchered. Since I started it this morning I have become hyperaware of my punctuation and word usage.

Punctuation/Bad Grammar seen today:

* Irregardless
* Grammer (and I'm not talking about Kelsey!)
* It's v. Its

And the day is young yet!

Damn.

BYLINE: I GUESS ANYTHING IS LEGAL IN NEVADA

Hollywood Madam to open Nevada 'stud farm'

By Steve Gorman
Fri Nov 18,10:25 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss, whose previous career running a call-girl ring landed her in prison, is returning to the world's oldest profession -- to open a Nevada brothel catering to women.

Wisdom from Lake Woebegone

"Rhubarb is a vegetable, no matter what the government says: a member of the buckwheat family of herbaceous plants including buckwheat, dock, and smartweed, which are characterized by having swollen joints, simple leaves, small petalless flowers, and small, dry, indehiscent fruit. Indehiscent means 'not dehiscent', not opening at maturity to release the seed. So 'indehiscent' means 'hard, dry, holding onto the seed', which actually describes Norwegians quite well. Most Norwegians consider dehiscence to be indecent. They hold the seed in. But rhubarb pie comes along in the spring, when we're half crazed from five months of winter -- it's the first fresh vegetable we get, and it makes us dehisce."

--Garrison Keilor

Ahhh.... so true, so true

Try this one ladies. Thanks E!

Daily Horoscope: Nov. 17, 2005

A long-distance I Love You won't just come as a shock to you -- it will utterly knock your socks off. No one says you'll be upset about it. In fact, you may find yourself grinning.

A paradox, A paradox, A Most Ingenious Paradox

Shower
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Hmm.... let's hope no one's showering drunk. Or philisophical for that matter. Photo courtesy of ThisisBroken.com.

Heat...and cold...and heat.

High: 78°

Low: 54°

Those are the temperatures for today in Los Angeles.

My office is FREEZING.

But I have a happy heater at my feet so I guess I'm warm enough.

Beep. It's from Hamlet. 2B? NT2B?=???

Wed Nov 16, 9:49 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Woe un2mnkind! The text message is trying to summarise the great poet John Milton and a respected academic thinks this may be a smart new way to teach literature.

A company offering mobile phones to students has hired Professor John Sutherland, professor emeritus of English Literature at University College London, to offer subscribers text message summaries and quotes from literary classics.

The hope is that messages in the truncated shorthand of mobile phones will help make great literature more accessible.

"We are confident that our version of 'text' books will genuinely help thousands of students remember key plots and quotes, and raise up educational standards rather than decrease levels of literacy," the company, Dot Mobile, said in a press release.

Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy is rendered: "2B? NT2B?=???". At the end of Romeo and Juliet, "bothLuvrs kill Emselves," while Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice concludes when "Evry1GtsMaryd."

The movie reviews...

Well it appears I've been remiss again in my duties to bring you the finest of today's (and yesterday's) cinema. I think I spend most of my waking hours watching SOMETHING that I have either DVR'd, Netflixed or borrowed. So here's what I watched this weekend:

* Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - A decent flick, not nearly as good as the first, but still has YUMMY Colin Firth in it. Nothing spectacular, but not a bad couple of hours.

* Head in the Clouds - This film stars Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz and Stuart Townsend. It was ok, but I didn't really connect with it. The general public gave it 4 stars, I gave it 3.

* Sex, Lies and Videotape - This oldie but goodie was nestled in the free movie section of my OnDemand with Comcast. A little risque, but a very good movie. Who knew James Spader ever looked so young?

* Heavenly Creatures - This little gem is a Peter Jackson film, and one that introduced Kate Winslet to the world. It's odd, quirky, a little disturbing and highly enjoyable. I would recommend it - totally different from LOTR.

* Grey's Anatomy: Season 1 - No folks this one isn't out on DVD yet, but I had a wonderful colleague hand it to me a few weeks ago on the off chance that I might like it. I have LOVED what I have seen in Season 2, so of course I was dying to catch up on the first season. LOVE IT! Can't get enough. My new favorite show!

There ya have it folks! More reviews as I watch 'em.

Shitty Shitty Bang Bang

Bad to worse.

Working Wednesday night until 10.

Skipping class and working Thursday night until 10.

Working most of the day Saturday.

Where did my life go?

Going to hell in a handbasket.

This week.

RAPIDLY.

*Gulp* Help me.

QOTD (Quote of the Day)

In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.

-Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator and author (1902-2001)

Fortune

You are strong and brave.

Women are the MASTER MULTITASKERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A young woman robbed four banks in Washington's suburbs without ever interrupting conversations her cell phone, a sheriff's spokesman said on Friday.

In the most recent heist, the woman, with sunglasses casually pushed up on her dark hair and a mobile phone at her ear, walked up to a bank teller in Ashburn, Virginia, on November 4 and opened her purse to show a handgun and a note demanding cash, said Loudoun County sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell.

"During the entire sequence, she was on her cell phone," Troxell said by telephone. "When we compared it with other robberies that have occurred in the area, we determined she was involved in three other robberies. ... In those cases, she was also on the cell phone."

Told ya so.

FIGHT ON!

USC
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Leinart's performance keeps Heisman buzz going

By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY

BERKELEY, Calif. — As the Heisman Trophy buzz for Texas quarterback Vince Young and Southern California tailback Reggie Bush has grown in recent weeks, all last year's winner has done is outdone himself.

USC quarterback Matt Leinart is having a better year than he did last season when he took home the stiff-armed trophy. In No. 1 USC's 35-10 win against California Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Leinart completed 20 of his 32 passes for 246 yards with one interception and perhaps increased his chances of becoming just the second player ever to win a pair of Heismans along with Ohio State's Archie Griffin.

Leinart's completions, passing yardage, completion percentage and passing efficiency rating are better than his numbers through 10 games last season. He has thrown 23 touchdown passes (the same number he did through 10 games in 2004) and against Cal he ran for two scores giving him five rushing TDs this year (he had three in 2004 in 10 games).

With a 35-1 record as a USC starter, Leinart has the second-best winning percentage in NCAA history behind the 35-0 mark of Toledo's Chuck Ealy in 1969-71. On Saturday Leinart returned to the scene of that one blemish.

In 2003, Leinart, a sophomore starting for the fourth time, threw three interceptions as the Trojans lost to Cal in triple overtime, 34-31. "I don't think we really thought about that game," Leinart said. "They're a good football team. They deserve respect and have had a lot of chances (to beat USC) the last two years."

Since the 2003 game, USC has won 32 consecutive games and two national titles with a shot at an unprecedented third straight championship. All that stands in the way of the Trojans' trip to the Rose Bowl are two remaining home games against No. 20 Fresno State next weekend and No. 14 UCLA on Dec. 3.

Eric Bluecheese

Eric Bluecheese
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

For those of you whom I have been regaling with stories of my plotted birthday revenge on a co-worker, you can now see what I have gone and done.

And it has caused quite a stir here at the office! Definitely a good Friday.

Lazy Slug

Slug
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Yes folks, it's Friday and I'm a lazy slug. I got into work a little late and both bosses are out, so I'm in colorful sweats, tying up some loose ends and getting a head start on homework for next week. Planning a Target mission for the lunch hour (need a shower curtain rod so that I can gift my coworker with a Hello Kitty Shower Curtain in his doorway) and hoping the rest of the day goes quickly!

Happy weekend!

The only thing more annoying...

than having a song stuck in your head is having a Dutch song stuck in your head when you don't speak Dutch and you only know how to pronounce 3 words in the song.

Somehow I don't think babelfish is going to help me here.

Sometimes technology is just weird.

Microwave your bra to stay warm this winter

Wed Nov 9,10:18 AM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - For the woman who wants to stay both warm and environmentally conscious this winter -- and isn't bothered by extra bulk under her shirt -- a lingerie maker unveiled a thick bra that can be heated in a microwave.

Triumph International modeled the bra in Japan which has launched a "Warm Biz" campaign urging people to bundle up to save on heating.

The bra pads are filled with an eco-friendly, reusable gel that can be heated up in a microwave or with hot water. For good measure, a pendant of a hot pepper dangles from the front.

But the bra isn't for those favoring understated attire. A long strap flows down from the back, which is meant to be wrapped around like a boa to keep one's neck warm.

"We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office," Triumph's Japan branch said in a statement.

Chicken Little... IN 3-D BABY!

Chicken Little
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

That's where I was last night. I have to say, it was awfully cute. I especially liked Kirby! I'll take a little orange 3-eyed ball of fluffy any day!

Holy Ostrich Batman!

Ostrich on loose tramples car in bid for freedom

Wed Nov 9, 2:40 PM ET

NICOSIA (Reuters) - A runaway ostrich that eluded police caused severe damage when it attacked a Mercedes car during a three-hour rampage.

"Somehow it got out of its pen. We sent two patrols after it, but in the meantime it caused some damage to the bonnet and bumper of a Mercedes before we caught it," a police official in Cyprus said.

The ostrich caused considerable damage when it pounced on the car, the daily Phileleftheros reported.

The ostrich is the largest of birds and can weigh at least 400 pounds. It is also the fastest creature on two legs and can run up to 43 miles per hour;

"It took us more than three hours to catch it," the police official said.

Neato frito! Technology to the Rescue!

Mini windmills power wireless networks
Power can be scavenged from a gentle breeze.

Mark Peplow

Pocket-sized blades make wind power a breeze.

Tapping the power of the wind doesn't have to mean peppering the skyline with vast turbines. The inventor of a pocket-sized windmill says his tiny device could power wireless networks of sensors in remote locations.

Wireless networks have freed us from miles of cumbersome wiring needed to carry information, but the electronic 'nodes' of such networks still need power. If geologists want to place hundreds of sensors on a mountain to monitor seismic activity, for example, they either have to supply electricity using cables or hike out to each sensor every six months or so to replace batteries.

"The problem is keeping the nodes powered all the time," says Shashank Priya, an electrical engineer from the University of Texas, Arlington, adding that wind power could be the answer.

His windmill is about 10 centimetres across, and is attached to a rotating cam that flexes a series of piezoelectric crystals as it rotates. Piezoelectric materials generate a current when they are squeezed or stretched, and are commonly used to make a spark in gas lighters.

Weakest Link

weakest_link
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

What happens when security goes awry.

For more great stories of things that are broken, visit ThisisBroken.com.

Thanks to Frogpod for the laugh.

This is not me.

http://laurawolf.com/

Regressed, repressed.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we have just regressed back in time.

Kansas State Board Votes to Teach Intelligent Design in Schools

Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The Kansas State Board of Education approved a proposal to teach intelligent design along with evolution as a scientific explanation of how life began.

The board voted 6 to 4 in favor of the guidelines, which say schools should teach that doubt exists about the validity of evolution, a theory that originated with British biologist Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century.

The debate about teaching intelligent design, which says life is too complex to have happened through evolution, has led to a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania and the introduction of legislation in Michigan. President George W. Bush told a group of reporters visiting the White House on Aug. 1 that the theory should be taught alongside evolution, according to Knight Ridder.

Board Chairman Steve Abrams and members John Bacon, Kenneth Willard, Kathy Martin, Connie Morris and Iris Van Meter voted in favor of the guidelines, said Nicole Corcoran, a spokeswoman for Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The issue was raised by these members amid an effort to overhaul the Kansas school system that began in February 2001.

Janet Waugh, Sue Gamble, Bill Wagnon and Carol Rupe opposed it. The board members didn't immediately return e-mail requests seeking comment.

The move drew immediate criticism from Sebelius, a Democrat.

``This is just the latest in a series of troubling decisions by the Board of Education,'' Sebelius said in a statement e-mailed to reporters. ``If we're going to continue to bring high-tech jobs to Kansas and move our state forward, we need to strengthen science standards, not weaken them.''

Opponents

Opponents of intelligent design, including the National Academy of Sciences and the National Association of Biology Teachers, say the theory is an offshoot of the Biblical story of creation in which God made the world in six days.

The National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Teachers Association said in a joint declaration on Oct. 27 that the Kansas board has specifically targeted evolution.

``The use of the word controversial to suggest there are flaws in evolution is confusing to students and the public and is entirely misleading,'' they said in a statement. ``While there may be disagreements among scientists about the exact processes, the theory of evolution has withstood the test of time and new evidence from many scientific disciplines only further support this robust scientific theory.''

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' office had no comment on the issue, said spokeswoman Susan Aspey. She said the board's decision was a local affair and the federal education department wouldn't get involved.

Wayne Carley, executive director of the 7,500-teacher National Association of Biology Teachers in Reston, Virginia, rejects the Kansas measure.

``They are undermining the education of their students,'' Carley said in a telephone interview. ``Intelligent design is a version of creationism and is clearly a religious doctrine and not a scientific principle, theory or even a hypothesis.''

The fight to inject intelligent design into science curriculum isn't going to stop in Kansas, said Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education at a press conference today in Topeka. The conference was sponsored by the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, which describes itself as a group with 25,000 members that wants to combat the religious right, spokeswoman Jessica Smith said.

``This action is likely the playbook of creationism for the next several years,'' Scott said. ``We predict this fight taking place not only on the state level but on the local level as well.''

Over-educated

My boss just made me make him a cup of coffee. I officially feel over-educated for my position. Today just blows.

Closed Today: Broken (Beyond Repair?)

I'm not sure what I've been doing in the past few weeks or how something that feels so right at one minute can feel so wrong at the next. I thought, and still do think, that breaking up was what I wanted. I didn't imagine that I'd be confused and feel so lost, not knowing what was the best thing to do. Do we wait for a time when we can be together, do we stay friends, do we cut each other out of our lives entirely? And the new man. I thought he was what I wanted, and I was what he wanted. But it appears that my perception there too was off a bit.

So the real question is, where's the hole I can crawl into for a little while, where time passes slowly and peacefully and I can gather my thoughts again and feel sure about something again. Anything.

Word of the Day

This week's theme: French terms for food.

amuse-bouche
noun

Similar to but not to be confused with hors d'oeuvre. This is a tidbit, often tiny, served as a free extra to keep you happy while you are waiting for your first course to come. It gives you an idea of the chef's approach to cooking and the restaurant's attention to your appetite.

Philisophical Quote for the Day

Words are like money; there is nothing so useless, unless when in actual use.

-Samuel Butler, writer (1835-1902)

Julian Beever

Seal
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Despite the slightly pornographic sounding name, this guy is an amazing artist who specializes in chalk drawings that look three dimensional from certain angles. This is just one of his amazing drawings.

Crazy search terms.

Ever since I've implemented the Sitemeter I've been able to gain some insight into from where my traffic is coming. I've also gotten a bit of info on how these people find me. So in a nod to Mr. Rude Cactus himself, I now give you the best search terms with which to find Little Devil Works.

* RAV 4 piece of shit - Well I don't know whose panties are in a bunch, but I love my RAV 4. I like to call him Zippy!

* Mail Sex Firmness - Hmmm.. I didn't know mail either had sex or was firm. Gives a whole new meaning to going postal doesn't it?

* Biker Mama AND Stories - Where's my leather crop?

* Old Folks Sex - This is ripe for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I'm glad that old people have sex, but I don't wanna think about it.

* Wheezy - Is this what happens when old folks have sex?

* Do Bumper Stickers Need Trademark - Cave man need fire. Me need sleep. Bumper stickers need trademark. Get a lawyer.

* Chocolate Devil Creative Strategy - All these words are things I like, and do, and eat, and enjoy. Whoever grouped them together must know me.

* Darwin to Einstein Management - Hey, they're the greats. I don't know how they led to me though. :)

This is wrong.

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Real Life Pirates???

Pirate Attack Repelled by Cruise Ship Crew

By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press Writer Sat Nov 5, 4:08 PM ET

MIAMI - Pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine guns Saturday in an attack on a luxury cruise liner off the east African coast, the vessel's owners said.

Two armed boats approached the Seabourn Spirit about 100 miles off the coast of Somalia and fired as the boats' occupants attempted to get onboard, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corp.

The ship outran them and changed its course.

"Our suspicion at this time is that the motive was theft," Good said, adding that the crew had been trained for "various scenarios, including people trying to get on the ship that you don't want on the ship."

The attackers never got close enough to board the Spirit, but one member of the 161-person crew was injured by shrapnel, said Debrah Natansohn, president of the cruise line.

Press Association, the British news agency, said passengers awoke to the sound of gunfire as two 25-foot inflatable boats approached the liner.

Edith Laird of Seattle, who was traveling on the ship with her daughter and a friend, told British Broadcasting Corp. TV in an e-mail that her daughter saw the pirates out of their window.

"There were at least three rocket-propelled grenades that hit the ship, one in a state room," Laird wrote. "We had no idea that this ship could move as fast as it did and (the captain) did his best to run down the pirates."

The vessel's 151 passengers, mostly Americans with some Australians and Europeans, were gathered in a lounge for their safety, Good said. None were injured.

The Spirit had been bound for Mombasa, Kenya, at the end of a 16-day voyage from Alexandria, Egypt. It was expected to reach the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on Monday, and then continue on its previous schedule to Singapore, company officials said.

The 10,000-ton cruise ship, registered in the Bahamas, sustained minor damage, Good said. "They took some fire, but it's safe to sail," he said.

Piracy along the Somalia coast is common — several ships a month are attacked or hijacked, with valuables stolen and crews held for ransom.

The movie reviews...

I've been fairly busy of late, so I seem to have fallen down on my watching and reviewing duties. Here's the smackdown for the last couple of weeks:

* All Creatures Great and Small - Just finished the season 1 discs. Herriot is happily married and still sticking his arm in cows. Tristan and Sigfried are zany as ever, and the practice is humming along. Ready for season 2!

* Elektra - This was not worth the value of the plastic dvd it was burned on. Rarely do I think movies are such utter crap as this. Jennifer Garner is gorgeous and Goran Visnjic is hot and the movie sucked. Please save yourself the time and don't rent it. And if you do, don't say I didn't warn you.

* The Legend of Zorro - Not the best movie I've ever seen, but good solid entertainment. Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones make a pretty decent sequel and light up the screen with Latin romance, old-fashioned bravery and of course, humor. I'd recommend it for an evening of fun.

That's the beat. Back to the USC-Stanford Game. Halftime score is 44-7!

(And UCLA had a bad day.. undefeated until now, they lost 14-52 to Arizona. OUCH!)

Finally Friday...

Friday fun!
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

Quotable. Caption this:

* Puppy Love
* Wild times!
* WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!

Quote of the Day

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.

-J.M. Barrie, novelist and playwright, (1860-1937)

A simple gardening story.

Last spring Martha Stewart's aunt wanted to dig up her potato garden but it was very difficult work for the old woman as the ground was very hard. Her favorite niece Martha, who used to help her with the gardening, was in prison for Insider Trading and Stock Fraud. So, the old woman wrote a letter to her niece and described her predicament:

"Dear Martha,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you are here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love, Auntie"

A few days later the old woman received a letter from
Martha:

"Dear Auntie,
For heaven's sakes, don't dig up that garden, that's where I buried the money & stocks.
Love, Martha"

At 4 am the next morning, a team of FBI agents and local police arrived at the old aunt's house and dug up the entire garden area without finding any money or stocks. They apologized to the old woman and left.

That same day the aunt received another letter from her
niece:

"Dear Auntie,
Go ahead and plant the potatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love, Martha"

Fond Wartime Memories

Wartime "sluts" caused diplomatic waves

By Gideon Long
Tue Nov 1,11:44 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - London's "young sluts" wreaked such havoc among U.S. troops during World War Two that the British government feared Anglo-American relations would suffer, files released Tuesday showed.

Thousands of prostitutes and "good-time girls" were drawn to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square in search of young American men in uniform.

They took advantage of blackouts, which plunged London into darkness during Nazi night air attacks, to evade the police.

The government was so concerned by the problem that it asked the Metropolitan Police to write a report on it in 1942.

The report described how prostitutes working in upmarket Mayfair tended to be French and caused few problems while those around Piccadilly Circus were "a lower type of prostitute, quite indiscriminate in their choice of client."

By early 1943, with thousands of U.S. soldiers pouring in to Britain ahead of the allied invasion of Europe, the Foreign Office was growing increasingly worried.

"Our attention has been drawn to the scale on which the American troops are subjected to accosting by prostitutes and we are beginning to be apprehensive about the long-term effect it may have on Anglo-American relations," Junior Foreign Office Minister Richard Law wrote in a letter to the police.

"If American soldiers contract venereal disease while in this country, they and their relatives in the United States will not think kindly of us after the war."

Halloween 2005: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

pumpkins
Originally uploaded by littledevilworks.

The Good:

LOTS of leftover candy and sweet treats. Not that I need them, but my sweet tooth loves them.

The Bad:

Yesterday felt like Friday. We dressed up, celebrated, had a potluck for lunch. Today is Tuesday. That doesn't seem right.

The Ugly:

We have to wait 364 more days to dress up and have fun again. Boo!

Without a Trace - Lost and Found

Originally aired: Thursday October 27, 2005 on CBS

Wendy Kim goes missing during her shift at the family deli, and the team gets involved to find out what happened to the young Korean woman. It isn't long before they learn that Wendy had recently broken off an engagement to a young Korean man her parents were very supportive of, and that she had recently been doing a lot of on-line dating and had gotten herself involved with the wrong kind of men, including one who wouldn't take no for an answer.

Guest Stars: ...Kelvin Yu (Jin Kim)...