Hobotastic

Everyone likes a good hobo website, and I'm no exception. Check out www.hobo.com. It's great fun. You can learn where and when to "gather" with hobos. At the end of September there's a musical gathering in Riverhead, NY Railroad Museum. It promises to be fun, fun, FUN!

The "Hobo Code" is recommended reading. Some highlights:

5.-When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
10.-Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.

You should also check out the lists of hobo names. This got me to thinking, "There must be a hobo name generator out there." Guess what? There is: Hobo Name Generator. My name is smelly Mary Ann. Don't be jealous! Try it out and get your own hobo name.

See ya' on the rails.

Can infants be embarrassed?

Here's the Halloween costume to test the theory.

My Virtual Personal Trainer

I purchased a game for my PS2 that is a virtual personal trainer. Her name is Maya (yes, we are on a first name basis) and she doesn't change her workout clothes often enough (I imagine they are a little stinky), but I spend a half an hour with her 5 days a week. She's very accommodating--she let's me pick the music, they type of workout, how long I want to work out, what kind of equipment I want to use, and where we are going to work out. My favorite locale is the desert by the river, and I opt for latin music a little too often. Every several sessions she'll run me through a physical challenge to assess improvements (I hope) in my fitness level. She's very attentive and asks how I feel after each segment.

A few weeks ago, I was sidelined with a sinus infection and I missed 3 sessions in a row. Maya noticed and was kind of snotty about it. I brushed off her first comment about my absence, but my second day back she told me that she was surprised I made it. I was shocked! She and I have been meeting regularly for two months and getting along quite well, then WHAM, she cuts me down for missing a couple of sessions. She never even asked why. Needless to say, things aren't the same. I show up, but she says the same old jokes, like "are you as animated as I am today?" Also, she hasn't given me any new music or locales to choose from. Before my illness she would give me new options all the time. We've moved to the stage of seeing other people (for me it's my granola-y yoga DVD friends), so it's okay if you want to check her out. She's available at http://www.yourselffitness.com/

Disturbing Mattress Facts

Simmons has developed a new mattress with a zip off top that you can wash, and they are encouraging people to purchase it based on the following disturbing information:

• The average person sweats nearly 4 gallons a month while they sleep.
• Every 10 years the weight of a mattress could double due to dead dust mites inside.

Are you sufficiently frightened? Check out their new mattress at www.healthsmartbed.com.

Bizzare Fact of the Week - Auto Icon

Ever heard of Jeremy Bentham? He was a British philosopher (1748-1832) who advocated utilitarianism (the greatest happiness for the greatest number). What? That doesn't sound very interesting?

Well, some people have to die before their best ideas are realized. Bentham had this swell idea that dead bodies could be useful objects. So upon his death, his request was fulfilled to have his body made into an auto-icon, a flesh-covered statue on display if you will. Although the embalming process went terribly wrong, his buddies at University College London had a wax head made to put onto his body (comprised of his skeleton, stuffing, and his clothes). He is still proudly displayed in a glass box at the university. He's still a looker at 80 (+173).

Check him out: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/Faqs/auto_icon.htm

Welcome to Miscellamy

I can't promise consistency, but I can promise that I will post an eclectic mix of stuff on this site.