Anomalous Data - Wacky

Libertarian Paradise

Teresa Lhotka — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:46:43 GMT

Pcomeau put this video on my Facebook:

It lead me to This Link.

Sometimes the stupid burns. Sometimes the stupid clings and burns. Like Napalm. Von Mesis Institute: napalm for the brain.

And no, it's not an Onion article. They actually argue that a decentralized society ruled by a patchwork of autocratic theocrats and warlords who commit genital mutilation of little girls, honor killings against women, and allows famine, pandemic, mass killings, gun-point conversions, and a growing pirate trade is preferable to a stable centralized government that brings you fluoridated water, and a public health system.

Conservatives terrified of Ohio flag

Teresa Lhotka — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:33:53 GMT

Talk about unhinged...

American Flag

At an Ohio campaign stop last week Obama gave a speech with a background of American flags which is quite common. However, if you look closely some of the flags are not American flags. The blue field has been changed to show an Obama seal. Yes, there are also stars but have no pattern and they do not add up to 50.

With Obama making his own seal and now this it looks like maybe he is putting some credence to the recent article by Stanley Kurtz in the National Review. Is he planning on creating an African county within the US.

I think the presence of these flags should be viewed with alarm. And I don't want to hear any looney left comments that they are only decoration. They ARE a modification of the American Flag.

Yes...let's not hear any excuses from the "loony left" about how these flags are not a sign that Obama is planning to create an African nation within the US...I guess the "Real Americans" over at Townhall.com have us over a barrel guys. They have exposed the ancient liberal plot that is Ohio...

Jezuz

We can haz votes now?

(Hat Tip: Majikthise, and Erudite Redneck)

Note to Dunkin' Doughnuts:

Teresa Lhotka — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:52:02 GMT

You really DO think we're stupid, don't you?

Or did your high-priced marketing experts miss the fact that if you are selling over-sugared deep-fried confections as an actual meal...and you are featuring your coffee...

...just a thought here...

...maybe focusing an ad around the phrase "helping you clean up after an all-night blow-out" isn't the most savvy marketing decision ever.

Hint: I write good copy and I work cheap. Call me. And yes, my grammar and spelling ARE better when I am getting paid.

And in other news...

Teresa Lhotka — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:47:36 GMT

The Neo-Nazis are still obsessed about my bathroom.

And, apparently, they think I'm dumb.

Mostly because they don't recognize sarcasm when they see it.

Can you believe I'm still getting hits off of them? You'd think they'd have all seen the thread and given their two cents by now.

I love reading the Prussian Blue forums. It's like being back in a rural high-school all over again.

The only thing missing is a game of Chevy-Ford "snaps".

One person seems to wonder how I could have rejected, as a child, all of the Neo-Nazi arguments about how the New World Order is going to make us all gay Jews, abort our children, and tax us to death.

Obviously, this is a person who never made it to rural northern Minnesota in the late-seventies-early eighties, attended a fundamentalist church, and listened to the paranoid rantings of numerous religious fanatics on a school-bus route that lasted an hour + each way.

Trust me, there was plenty of exposure...I suppose it's ebbed a little now...what with the homeschooling craze and everything.

It's almost like they're cursed.

Teresa Lhotka — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:19:40 GMT

From the Southern Poverty Law Center, an article about how Kevin Strom, founder of National Vanguard (a white supremacist organization) has been arrested on charges of child pornography.

One quote I liked from the article goes like this:

"If Kevin's genuinely guilty," one extremist wrote on the racist Stormfront web forum shortly after the arrest, "then the credibility of his work -- indeed the credibility of all intelligent White nationalist work -- will be severely crippled, and we shall be reduced to apologetics for years to come."

I'm amazed that anyone can say something like that with a straight face. Kevin's "work" never had any credibility. There is no such thing as "intelligent White nationalist work". It's always been severely crippled, and I don't think it's RISEN to the level of apologetics yet, and it never will. These people are so demented, they actually think they have credibility to lose.

Also, April Gaede, mother of the twin girls that form the band "Prussian Blue" (I've mentioned them before) gets in on the act with a (surprise, surprise) conspiracy theory. These white supremacists DO like their conspiracy theories.

One other woman spoke up, too. April Gaede, a long-time National Alliance activist who quit that group to help Strom form National Vanguard, told the VNN web forum that Strom had called her in March 2006, four months before he took his mysterious leave of absence. Strom "told me that [Elisha] had found some porn on his computer and that it was of adult females but that she freaked out and called him a pervert," Gaede wrote. "Then he told me that she had threatened to 'get even' with him and that he was afraid that she would plant something on his computer." (emphasis mine)

Even more priceless, is a heartfelt plea from one of the membership for a nice, normal hate-filled fascist paranoid conspiracy-minded racist leader for their demented little group. Is that too much to ask?

"Why can't we have so much as one single leader who is just simply NORMAL ? Why must there always be these weird little kibbles and bits, these little oddities, these little bits of quirky behavior lurking in the background of everything we do?" the E-mail from "Peter Dromgoole" to Bill White's website asks plaintively. "Why do we even bother? Is this really, truly, THE BEST WE CAN DO?"

Yes, indeed, the silly pedophile "quirk" is such an inexplicable inconvenience.

Gay Math?

Teresa Lhotka — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:09:29 GMT

I was sitting in the hallway outside Grasshopper's orchestra practice. Two teenaged girls were giggling and gossiping, and planning for next weekend, even though it was Monday night.

I wasn't trying to evesdrop. I was trying to push through a particularly dense section of part two of Thomas Paine's Rights of Man (I am trying to get to "The Age of Reason" where I hope to find out if I really am a Deist for really real...but I like to do things in the right order.)

Anyway, their conversation that had been a back-ground cacaphony of white noise suddenly became a chrystal-clear transmission cutting through my concentration:

Girl one: "I don't know what came over him this morning, he was like all over me."

Girl two: "yeah."

Girl one: "Like, 'How are you?' and 'what are you doing later?' and 'I like your shoes.'"

Girl two: "Omigod, so weird."

Girl one: "Yeah. And I'm like, dude, back off, I mean, two gays do NOT make a straight."

I almost ruptured myself trying not to burst out laughing.

Leprechauns! Really?

Teresa Lhotka — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:34:06 GMT

Dr. Meyrs over at Pharyngula has a story about a kid who says he was expelled from the Portland Institute of Art for not believing in Leprechauns. Specifically, he says he was expelled because a student who believes in Leprechauns (they live on another energy level) complained about him arguing with her about her beliefs, and because he is an atheist.

The school says that there have been several other complaints about him engaging in rude and belligerent behavior, and this incident was merely the last straw.

Maybe the kid is right, and they are going after him to persecute him for his atheism. Maybe the school is right, and he was being an egregious twit and this was just the last straw in a pattern of socially inept behavior. Based on the impression that this is a single case with a single kid, and not an institutional pattern, I don't think him being an atheist was the cause of his expulsion.

I think this because bureaucrats tend to be lazy and not like paper work, and REALLY don't like lawsuits. So you usually have to be all sorts of bothersome before they will fire you or kick you out of school for your beliefs. It isn't completely unheard of to find bureaucrats that are industrious ideologues out to make life difficult for innocent students with unpopular opinions…but egregious twits with an ax to grind and poor socialization are a lot more common.

I call them "nametag people".

You now what I mean…

"Hi, I'm Sally and I'm an atheist."

"Hi, I'm Joe, and I'm a Christian."

(or sometimes the very special "Hi, I'm Joe, I'm a Christian, and you're going to hell")

"Hi, I'm Bob, and I picket Planned Parenthood in my spare time."

"I'm Beatrice, and I believe in Leprechauns"

They give their name and whatever cause or ideology they've replaced their personality with, and then wait for you to say something about it.

Sometimes they wait with a smirk, sometimes they wait with a look like a cat that's waiting to pounce the next time the mouse twitches, sometimes with the expression young boys wear after they've thrust a huge stick into a giant ant-hill, anticipating the disruption they've caused; but they wait. Every conversation, every new person they meet, every new situation is an opportunity to do battle for the most important thing in the world: what they think about X, Y, or Z.

You can talk to them for hours and learn nothing new about them.

These are the creationist kids who stall and stymie the biology unit on evolution, arguing every point with whatever lame-ass sophomoric platitude they can come up with and accusing the teacher of "anti-Christian bias" if he dismisses it as not worth taking up class time addressing. They can make it all but impossible to cover the material, and nobody learns anything new, excepting tactics for how to be an egregious twit.

There's the guy who holds everybody up at the grocery store arguing with the check-out clerk about how they shouldn't stock a particularly non-eco-friendly product.

The teetotaler who brings the whole mood of the room down at a party by holding forth on the evils of drink rather than just not having a glass himself.

They think of themselves as crusaders, and if people get bummed out by them and ask them to leave, they feel persecuted, and they feel they are being persecuted for their ideas when it could be more that they are being rejected for their methods of interaction.

Now, if you want to proselytize atheism, by all means, do it. If there is a classroom discussion, by all means, participate. Or do like PZ Meyrs does, and start a blog where people interested in what you think can come and find out. Hey, in your own space, where people have a choice, you can be as smug and condescending and dismissive of their thoughts as you want to be. They can stop reading, or they can choose to think about what you have to say. In that situation, it's your space, and it's their choice.

But in the elevator, in classroom discussions, in the coffee shop, in your best friend's house…for Pete's sake, act like a human being. You may think you are acting like a human being, but repeated reports of harassing behavior and complaints about your approach might indicate to you that there is a problem, and you should look into figuring out what it is and fixing it. It doesn't mean you have to change your beliefs, it doesn't mean you have to change your personality or your approach to life. But you might have to change the manner in which you express those things. It's called being human and getting along with other humans. Don't worry, it's perfectly normal, and it isn't "selling out". It's gaining success for yourself and your ideas.

Join conversations and state your beliefs, but use your social skills and remember that if you hold an unpopular opinion, you are an ambassador for that opinion. This doesn't mean hiding your light under a bushel, but it DOES mean being civil, and knowing when to back off and let people think about what you said rather than just continuing to hammer away at them and drive them deeper into a defensive posture to feel attacked and disrespected.

Then again, the girl probably needs to grow a thicker skin as well. If you are going to make public declairations about believeing in leprechauns, you should expect people to be a little incredulous. Lots of people believe a lot of unbelieveable things, but that's pretty rare and odd, and people are just resistant to rare and odd ideas To be offended and make official complaints about a human constant like that is unproductive and unhealthy.

Attn: all sports racers

Teresa Lhotka — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:25:02 GMT

zeFrank makes my brain hurt.

Go.

Watch, laugh, learn.

Embrace the pain.

I started with the first episode about two weeks ago, and I'm almost caught up.

The space between my eyeballs just went numb.

Anti-SPAM spam?!?

Teresa Lhotka — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:44:04 GMT

I just got a SPAM e-mail demanding that I stop sending SPAM.

This is going to cause me fatal brain recursions, I think. :-)

My only guess is that it is a ploy to get me to respond.

So I didn't.

How freaking Odd.

Humerous linkage II

Teresa Lhotka — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:35:05 GMT

I got this via Pharyngula. It is not for work, or in the presence of children.

OK, you might be OK if you have head-phones, but then people will wonder what all of the evil, subversive giggling is all about and you'll either have to say "Oh, nohing", which many people find unsettling in a subversively giggling co-worker, or you'll have to share, and that would probably not be good either.

Just save it for home alone time.

http://falafelsex.blogspot.com/2006/09/reasons-abby-is-going-to-hell-number.html

Clearly, the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Teresa Lhotka — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 12:33:26 GMT

Hey you guys! It's an honest to FSM miracle! The image His Sublime Noodeliness has appeared in the sky! It is clearly a sign of his blessings on our country! Or his judgement! or maybe he just showed up to watch Fight Science on the National Geographic channel (which was freaking entertaining, so who can blame him? I WANT a crash-test dummy. Rocky, buy me a crash test dummy, PLEASE?!?) ...whatever. It's a miracle!

Go see it for yourself!

http://3dpancakes.typepad.com/ernie/2006/08/who_is_that.html#comments

I'm considering a pilgrimage.

On a lighter note...

Teresa Lhotka — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 04:11:49 GMT

What is wrong with you people? I’m talking to YOU, you people who got to my blog through the following searches:

“sims 2 how to make whoopee?”

And

“Alcoholic chaos confusion”

Also: the two of you people who came to my blog searching for “Wilfred Brimley”? You frighten me.

Almost as much as the people who get here via the search term “wookie scrota”

Really...who goes to log on to the internet, and goes to the trouble to bring up Google, and types in "Wilfred Brimley"?

What, in the name of all that it holy or even just plain innocent, is wrong with you people? (I ask again, because it bears repeating).

I’d like to fickin’ know.

BTW…the copious quantities of Margaritas previously mentioned?

Underestimated.

That is all. Goodnight.

Self-hating Christian gays can attend Gay school, court says.

Teresa Lhotka — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 06:04:45 GMT

Christians win the right to attend a school for homosexual students.

In a revolutionary new ruling, courts have found that the cultural standard of support and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle has been defeated!

Now, the oppressed minority of law-abiding, drug-abstaining, patriotic, Christian, I-would-join-the-millitary-and-fight-in-Iraq-if-it-weren’t-my-patriotic-duty-to-stay-home-and-drive-a-Hummer-with-a-“support-the-troops”-bumper-sticker-on-it” crowd has finally won an important victory.

They can attend a school that says they can’t be harassed for being gay AND WILL INSURE THAT THEY ARE NOT HARRASSED FOR HATING THEMSELVES!!

Yep, the children of fundamentalists have won the right to attend a gay school.

Bully for them. I mean, it’s not easy to be just a normal, healthy, well-adjusted gay school child in this day and age and culture…but can you imagine the hell that this world presents for the self-loathing gay fundamentalist Christian child?

This ruling assures that self-loathing, gay fundamentalist children have a right to attend this gay school, irregardless of their sick, demented, self-hating, sex-denial kink.

The law now assures them that they can attend a school filled with self-assured, confident, fulfilled, and optimistic gay student body, without discrimination.

In other words, they can attend this gay public school, no matter how vociferously they deny being gay,no matter how much they hate other gay people, and no matter how much they hate themselves for being gay, and no matter how uncomfortable it makes them to be around healthy gay people.

In fact, I bet this liberal, activist court would even go so far as to say that it is the duty and obligation of the healthy gay people to make the self-hating gays comfortable, and accommodate their “identity challenge”. Further, I bet the court will even exempt the self-hating gay people from acting in a civilized or even rational way in relation to the open gayness of others...due to their cultural disability.

Thank God for Activist Gay Liberal, Intellectual Elite Courts that demand such tolerance and forbearance on the part of the Ruling Gay Intellectual Elite.

March Madness.

Teresa Lhotka — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:52:14 GMT

This has been my week for talking to crazy people. Just got off the phone with a casual acquaintance who started talking to me about his dog’s health. Well, first he wanted to know if I knew where he could get an industrial sewing machine.

Then he was talking about how his dog was a “negative discipline dog”. See, some dogs are “positive discipline dogs” and some are “negative discipline dogs”. Once you know how to discipline them, you can teach them anything.

Next thing I know, he’s telling me how he is training his dog to talk. That probably explains why his dog is neurotic as hell.

Next thing after that, he’s talking about how he saw the “higher level”, and if I ever need to know what to do, look for the “straight gait and the steep path and go forward fast and don’t stop, because they’ll pull you back. Unless you’re not ready to die yet.”

Um. What do you say to that?

I said “Fred*, it’s nine-thirty in the morning, and I’m sober. I’m not prepared to have this conversation.”

Fred: “Oh, OK, but I just want you to know, it’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Golden Spires upon golden spires. That’s why they can’t paint it.”

Me: “OK, good to know.”

Fred: “Well, I gotta let you go here. Goodby and God bless.”

Fred’s wife tells me he smokes a lot of pot. I do believe that’s true…but he’s also insane. But he seems to be mostly harmless as his delusions are of a light and fluffy nature, unless you’re a dog that can’t talk. Otherwise, the most dangerous thing about him is he’s a Republican and he votes.

Sunday night I came out of a public building after an activity to find another casual acquaintance standing there waiting to talk to a mutual friend.

This guy acted like he was on speed. He was very talkative, (for him…which means he wasn’t babbling as much as you would expect someone on speed to be talking…but there you are) He was nervous and fidgety, shifting his weight, turning to walk away, and then walking back, hands in the pockets, hands out of the pockets, hands back in the pockets again. Occasionally, he would turn and dash away, and then come back and talk some more. He couldn’t follow the normal flow of conversation.

He was doing everything but sweating profusely, but I suspect that had more to do with the fact that he was wearing a sweatshirt (no coat) outside after dark in Minnesota in March.

Talked to the mutual friend later. No doubt about it. This guy’s in a bad spot. Hopefully, he will find his way out of it. I wish him well. I can’t think of any appropriate way to help him.

What’s with all the crazy people lately? End of February, beginning of March was the Time of Sickness and Dying…looks like end of March, beginning of April is the Time of the Crazy People. Maybe April-May will issue in the Time of Happy Puppies and Huge Lottery Winnings?

A girl can hope.

*Fred is not his real name.

Guest Blogger III: Run Sim Boy Run!!!

Teresa Lhotka — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 04:15:51 GMT

For those of you who aren't aware, I sometimes post missives from Sue on my blog. This is one such item. I thought you would enjoy it - Trees

So without further ado...here's Sue.

Experienced first ever computer-induced trauma yesterday evening:

One of my Christmas gifts was the Sim Family computer game w/ every expansion pack you can get included. I should have known it would be too advanced...

Within less than 30 minutes, my first family became so unhappy with their living conditions, that their house was visited by a clown who would NOT leave. If you know me at all- you can guess I find the following to be nightmarish: Precious Moments figurines, anything people refer to as "precious" or "tender", crowds of slow-moving people who reek of fried food (hello- State Fair) and clowns. Clearly I could NOT let events continue. I exited the game without saving it, effectively ending their lives. Trust me, it was the humane thing to do.

Next family. Life was good. Nice farmhouse, good jobs, fun couple with one young boy. All was well until I had the man cook dinner. Minutes later the stove was on fire. The woman ran into the room screaming in a panic. I tried to have her put the fire out with the extinguisher, but she kept flipping out and then wouldn't fork over the entinguisher to the man. Tragically she went up in flames. The man refused to exit the house and soon was engulfed too. It was horrible. I got the boy to run out of the house, but then he kept running back in. I started freaking out too. Yelling "Oh, shit. Fire! Get out, you stupid people! Oh. No! Shit! Why won't you leave?! Get Out!!!" Panda Girl ran to my room- poised to dial 911 wondering if I had somehow set my computer on fire on something. I couldn't figure out how to stop the game. Got more & more upset thinking I was going to have to watch the little kid go up in flames. Panda Girl had to jump in and help me end the game.

Clearly I am not cut out for this Life Creation stuff. Too much pressure. Maybe I should stick to Tetris?

"Mafia? Lawyers? Salesmen? Doctors?"

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 20:12:02 GMT

Nothing political today, or poignant either…just the observation of someone who’s brain obviously spends WAY too much time in “sort” mode.

Today I went Christmas shopping, and bought loads and loads of chocolate for a gift basket for my MIL. Enough to make her very, very happy, and seriously endanger her life and health.

Then I decided to go to my favorite Chinese restaurant and have some yummy food for lunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my backpack with me…so I didn’t have my book, or my journal or my MP3 player…so I had to…you know…notice that there were other people around…

And some of the people I noticed were three men, somewhat younger than me…although not significantly so…early 30s I’d say…

They were there at different tables, and didn’t arrive or leave together…but they all had the same “look”…

Hair grown out way too long for the style of cut they had, and greasy looking…like way too much gel, or just unwashed or something. They had nice suits on…Cannali, Armani…you know…nice…thread count only dogs can hear…briefcases of buttery-looking leather, shiny watches, manicured nails (one guy was in the buffet line near me)…shoes that looked as though God designed feet to wear them as part of man’s highest good…

…but they all looked like they had rolled out of bed after sleeping off a 3-day speed binge and put on these fine trappings. One guy, otherwise good-looking, had a horrible case of red blotchiness.

Every last one of them were there with people who seemed perfectly normal. Work-a-day office clothes, moderately nice professional clothes, unremarkable suits…

…it just seemed, you know…weird.

I mean, if you can get your nails manacured, you would think you could...you know...shower, get a hair cut...splash some cold water on your face...get to the doctor for some Metrocreme for the rosacia...something.

"Them beavers nearly got greased..."

Tue, 16 Nov 2004 04:07:31 GMT

So, if you are auditioning for a play called The Vagina Monologues, and two beavers lumber across the six-lane freeway in front of you, nearly causing a couple of different accidents...is that a good omen or a bad one?

I swear to you, I saw two beavers gallumphing quickly across 394 on my way home from the audition tonight. They had flat tails and everything. It was surreal...

...and very Anomalous.

So far, no call-backs, so I'm guessing it's an ill omen.

"Women! This is an important warning about your pelvis!"

Teresa Lhotka — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 22:07:10 GMT

I found the following Anomalous Datum tacked to a neighborhood message board outside my local drugstore, printed on eyeball-searing pink business cards:

_____________________________________________________________________

Does your OB/GYN have a hidden Agenda?

If your OB/GYN is a teaching doctor and you have gynecological surgery, your pelvis may be used as their classroom exhibit! Teams of medical students line-up to practice pelvic exams on anesthetized gynecological surgery patients just prior to their surgeries. Depending on the procedure, a medical student or resident may actually perform your surgery as well, under the watchful guise of your doctor.

There are medical students on OB/GYN rotations in almost every hospital in the Mpls/St.Paul area! To find out if you have been victimized, look in your medical file at the INTEROPERATIVE REPORT. The team may or may not be listed, but the student or resident who may have performed your procedure will be listed as assistants. To prevent these assistants from helping themselves, INSIST that an advocate of your choice be present prior and during your procedure. Remember, you are the consumer!

________________________________________________________________________

So…WTF is up with this?

What possible purpose could this sort of bizarre…uh…allegation…have? I mean, someone suggested that maybe it was trial lawyers trying to drum up business…but they use T.V. and newspaper ads...and they usually don't sound like complete dumb-asses. I would hope that any trial lawyer worth his salt would know the correct usage of the word “guise”…plus you would think that there would be SOME contact information on the card.

Lesseee...there was some other reason why it couldn't be trial lawyers....oh yeah...even the most gifted of trial lawyers can't win with a case that's completely made up.

First off, hot button topic, addressing women regarding their pink parts, and the vulnerability that they already feel when “on the table”…almost guaranteed to turn off the brain.

A resident (in other words, a doctor) might actually perform the procedure instead of your doctor…if your doctor is a teaching doctor…well…duh. While your doctor watches…well, I would certainly hope so. Would they rather he not watch? At least, I think that’s what the intended to convey with the misused word, “guise”. Which actually means “the appearance of”…so they either meant to say something like “guidance”, or they meant that the resident is wearing a mask and costume to appear as your doctor, although why he would bother if you are drugged senseless is beyond me.

There are medical students on OB/GYN rotations in almost every hospital in the Mpls/St. Paul area…also…duh.

It’s got the brain ferrets going. Who are these people? What is their goal? Why did they choose to print this message and stick it up on some dinky little message board in a suburban mini mall? What is it supposed to make us do/think/feel? Do they realize how thoroughly they have misused both language and reason? Is it some sort of weird sociology experiment? Do they really expect us to believe this shit? Do they believe it? What do they hope to get out of it?

I don’t effing get it. This took time. This took money. This took effort both in conception and execution…it proposes something totally ridiculous, offers no proof, no contact information, no place to go for more information, and while they took the time to think all this up…they didn’t bother to make it coherent or believeable…

…and it serves no discernable purpose other than to make…me…crazy…

Seriously, even considering the duckbilled platypus…human beings are the most bizarre creatures on the planet. For instance, they invented Ooahhl Maart, which is evil, yet affordable.

So, I hope you have enjoyed this little detour through the land of anomalous data points with me. Until next time, live, laugh, enjoy life…and keep a close eye on your pelvis. J

"Is that a weird as it looks...or is it weirder?"

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 20:27:22 GMT

OK, I took a couple of days off to go camping with the family.

We went up to Banning State Park , near Sandstone, and spent a couple of days hiking and climbing around on rocks. Very fun.

On the way home today, there was a “huh?” moment…

A number of them, actually, strung together in a series that culminated in a huge “ah-hah!” moment…only to be followed by a WTF? moment. Let me explain.

We were driving back into the Twin Cities in 35W south. Up ahead of us was what looked like a pick-up with a wooden topper, and some sort of machinery or something on top of it.

Rocky and I were staring at it, each in our own independent head-space trying to interpret the image that our eyes were bringing us.

“What the heck is on that truck?” Rocky finally asked.

“I don’t know. It looks like some sort of machinery, but the color and texture look too…organic to be metal…”

“Are those bear?”

“No”, I began to say derisively, when all of the sudden, everything sort of blinked into focus, and my brain jumped in with a whole new interpretation of the data.

“Yes!” I yelled, “And that big thing sticking up behind them is a moose head! (viewed from beneath…) and the smaller thing sticking up in front is a deer or elk head!”

As we gained on the vehicle a little, we were able to see what can only be described as a bear rampant, It’s head and extended paw jutting out from the passenger window.

The vagaries of Twin Cities traffic conspired to prevent us from seeing much more than that.

A moose head (nose in the air, antlers obviously laying flush with the top of the truck), two bear on either side of it, (laying on their backs, noses and front paws sticking up), and a deer or elk head (also nose up) behind them, and a bear hanging out the passenger window.

WTF? I mean…there are several rational explanations…a big game hunter who is moving…and has to transport his trophies SOMEHOW…

A taxidermist who is on his way to a trade show and has to bring some examples of his work along…

A collector of big game trophies who is just coming back from an auction…

Still…I’ve never seen anything like that.

It doesn’t defy explanation or description…but I think it counts as Anomalous Data, and I thought that it might amuse you as much as it amused me.