Bloody Weirdness, part 2

On the way back from class tonight, I stopped into the tech center and asked the tech on duty about this 6 min 41 second jump into the future my computer makes everyday...it took a while to get it through to him exactly what the problem was...

"ya mean it's stuck at 6:41?"

"no! it resets itself ahead 6 minutes and 41 seconds...and it stays there."

"6 41?"

"Yes. 6 41."

"Everytime you boot up?"

"No...just the first time every day."

"huh. 6 41?"

"Yeah."

"Damn." He then looks up at me. Right in the eye. "I'd play those numbers. Or, have you considered the possibility that aliens are accessing it through a worm hole?"

Still don't know why it does it. Oh, well.

Bloody Weirdness.

Okay...every day, my clock resets itself 6 min 41 seconds ahead. Every. Single. Day.

I'm Big in Japan

Tom Waits' song I'm Big in Japan has been rolling through my head this morning. Not sure why. Don't even mind it.

I've been a Waits fan since I lived in Norway in the early '90's, and am always impressed with the way he puts lyrics and music together. Visual imagry that's deep and rich. Voice that takes some getting use to, but typically easier to understand/handle than is Dylan--and Dylan is one of my favorites as well.

So, today, I'll be Big in Japan, Big in Japan, I'm big in Japan...

And I can handle that well.

Peace.

The start of another week finds our hero grumpy

D. Bjorn Ursus Maritimus Solutum

So, I get to work this morning and find four students standing outside my door. The end of the semester and students are flipping about their grades...so, I have them in for a little discussion, and every single one of them is getting a SOLID FREAKIN' A...

What the hell????

Now, one of them is getting a 95% or so...and she wants to know what she can do to improve her grade. I'm dumbfounded. How do you improve on an "A"? I was always happy with an "A" regardless of where it fell in the spectrum. I told her that a 90% is just as good as 100%...we don't have plus or minus gradings...and she rolled her eyes at me as if I were the one that was a total dunce. I finally told her that the only thing that was endangering her grade was her behavior in my office...

Too bad I can't grade on attitude.

Some days...

Some days...

Things just make you crazy, right?

Today was one of those days.

Winter is coming. I can feel it in my bones. I'm ready for it. I truly am. I have a serious love for winter--which is why I am a polar bear.

Some days...

I wish it'd snow the entire day away.

Today isn't one of those days.

Returnable Beer Bottles

D. Bjorn Ursus Maritmus Solutum

When I was a kid, Dad bought beer by the case. Granted, a case often lasted six months to a year, but he bought it by the case. When the case was empty, he tossed the case into the back of the Chevy pickup and went to town for another case. A deposit was paid on the bottles, and woe be unto us kids if we took one of those bottles (empty of course) for target practice.

I like this idea. I like the idea of paying a small deposit and then recycling the bottles so they can be used again. I'm big on recycling anyway, having grown up in the '70's. Cans, bottles, paper, plastic, you name it, if I can recycle it, then, I do it. After ten years ago, the store where I buy my beer quite handling returnable bottles--and when I asked why, all they could say was "Our distributor doesn't carry them any more."

Not long ago, I was talking with a local distributor and I told him that story. I told him how much I miss having that brown cardboard carton of heavy, corrugated cardboard sitting in the corner of the utility room. I told him how I felt this was very environmentally friendly. Told him I'd love it if bottlers started using them more and they were carried again. And you know what he told me?

"They were never taken out of production."

I was flabbergasted.

Now, lately, I've found that I can get beer in returnable bottles. She brought a half case with her to a party I had a few months back, and since she's leaving the area, she left the remains here. I asked her where she got them, and she told me about a store in Minneapolis. I'm not quite ready to drive 300 miles for beer, though. I'm not sure I'll do that anytime soon, but, at least I know they're out there. I'll be looking for them, hunting for them, searching for them. And once I find a bottle shop that carries them...

They'll have MY business.

Now...in case you're wondering...it's too early to be drinking beer...especially on a Sunday...but, it's something that's been on my thoughts for a while now. Along with returnable pop and milk bottles. There should be more things that are returnable.

Then again...some things shouldn't be, too. But, that's a different post.

Peace.

The Definition of a Name

D. Bjorn Ursus Maritmus Solutum

I've been asked about the name of my blog. Well, D. Bjorn is my nomme de plumme (or is it nomme de guere? I've never been real good with that French stuff--I speak Norwegian and Swedish). The rest--Ursus Maritmus Solutum--well...first, it's supposed to be Ursus Maritimus, which is the biological name of the polar bear. I'm trying to figure out if I can rename the blog to correct that, but, so far it's been to no avail. The Solutum is also Latin, and it means at large, on the loose, unrestrained, and all that. So...I guess this blog is about letting my inner polar bear loose to run rampent with the thoughts and ideas that are so much fun to let...ummmm...loose.

It'll be random stuff, random events, random thoughts, random victories.

Now...let's bring on the day, dammit! I've got things to do!

First...what do I have for breakfast? I think...toast. Yeah. Toast without anchovies or marmalade. Perhaps taoist toast...

Peace for the day.

D. Bjorn Ursus Maritmus Solutum

D. Bjorn Ursus Maritmus Solutum
Yeah, so this is the first post. We'll call it the Canadian Bacon Pizza post because that's what I'm making for supper right now. I should have eaten hours ago, but ya know, things like this happen from time to time.

Besides, what's the good of eating when you're not hungry?

Anyway...this weekend has been pretty damn relaxing. I decided that student papers could wait until next week. Like they ever read the comments I give them anyway. Right? Right. So, I've just been relaxing and doing the things that need to be done around the house...and...got my webpage finally updated to include my trip to Norway two weeks ago. So weird to think that I was just getting on a plane to head back to here one week ago. Oy! How time flies!

Okay...so..the pizza is cooking and almost done, and I'm going to publish this first post and see what happens. Peace to those that are searching for it.