Frogtails

Take a look at the frogtails homepage and notice how far removed the links to these articles are. Can anyone think of a better place on the page for them?

Well obviously I am outwitted by my older brother again. As if there was a question as to why I moved to Morehead in the first place. I’ve given serious consideration to editing my posts when someone or I find a mistake and tell me about it, but then I realize how could my brother find any fun in that. I spoke to dad earlier and he was just tickled by it. A thousand some miles away and it’s like we’re in the same room.
Has anyone noticed the popular trend in writing. Some authors have horrible awful stories but they can just flat out write (Hemmingway, Fitzgerald; actually I’ve enjoyed “The Great Gatsby” more as time as gone on but I remember when I first read it I thought otherwise. The only Hemmingway I’ve enjoyed is “To Kill A Mocking Bird” and that was only after I watched the movie and thought about it.) Then there are the writers that are in my opinion just horrid writers, but they have an excellent story (Stevenson, Defoe.) Then there are the rare few that can write and have excellent stories (Dickens, Shakespeare, and I’m told Clemens; although I’ve never read “Tom Sawyer” or “Huckleberry Finn"). Of these I have to say Dickens is arguably the best. “Great Expectations", all I can say is wow. I remember reading it when I had a book report in Caldwell’s Sophomore English and I’ve never enjoyed a book more. I recently read it again which is something I never do, and again was just amazed at his ability to write and his amazing story. So my question is would you rather have a good story or be able to write? You get one or the other, an amazing story that will never be forgotten throughout the ages, or an ability to write that you would forever be remembered for. That is a very tough question for me.

Actually it would be “brothers” not “brother’s"…

Curse older brother’s and their attention to detail. Steve is absolutely right. I never noticed that at the end of Futurama before so when I saw it last night I assumed they changed their logo. But Steve is absolutely right it’s just a play on the fact that the show is based in the future. After admittedly cursing under my breath reading the site he sent us to it says towards the bottom exactly what he said. Next time I need to do a little more research before I post something.

As many of us non-college students will note, the 30th Century Fox logo that another writer referred to has always been at the end of that particular show and only that show. Do not lose any sleep over this one my friends; 20th Century Fox did not change names. The 30th Century Fox logo is a play off of the fact that the show, Futurama, is set in the year 3000. If you do not believe me, go here: http://www.searchspaniel.com/index.php/Futurama_(animated_series) This site talks about the logo towards the bottom of the site.

Has anyone noticed a new logo. I almost guarantee many of us have seen it and not even noticed. The change over was quick and will only happen in our lifetime once. It wasn’t in the news which thinking on it, it really isn’t such a big deal but the simple fact that we will never see it another way is kind of a big deal. 20th Century Fox the company we’ve grown to love is now 30th Century Fox. If you’re a late night cartoon watcher like the rest of us college kids, watch Futurama and after the show you will see the new logo. This is the only show I noticed it on but I found it rather interesting.

I just want to add another side note I spoke to my brother Steve this morning and he informed me that he knew people in Antarctica and Australia so within a two count we know people all over the world, this is coming from a 19 year old, that has to carry some weight. Steve also made a good point about knowing more famous people because of his position and background, John Kerry for example and some other movie stars. I also remember a girl from Ohio University that met Adam Sandler so that brings in a younger generation than Craig Nelson.
On another topic I was reading the main site here and I notice the Q and A with Scott which of course I took interest in being neighbors for so many years. I went on to read the information about Lisa and found it quite interesting that bother of their pictures appeared in the side bar along with childhood pictures of my life. I must say you did a very good job with the site this year. The pictures along the side work well.

Dad has always told me about being 6 people away from knowing anyone and it seems like and odd concept to me but I will have to admit it’s not too far off. I remember when I was very little having a pen pal that was from China, the nephew of my Chinese teacher if I remember correctly. I also remember traveling out west and meeting some girls at a pool. I believe it was Montana but no one hold me to that. A girl I used to play with when we were little, that lived down the street from us, went to Central America for a year of study, and my physics teacher from high school is friends with many foreign leaders, one of which being something along the lines of the prince of Saudi Arabia, and another being Craig Nelson. My french teacher in school was the daughter of a U.S. diplomat and can remember many stories of skiing the Alps on the weekends. Currently I have several friends in the Middle East (although I’m quite certain they are not making friends). My next-door neighbor at home lived in Africa for a while and my dad has traveled around Europe and has friends over there. And my best friend’s dad has been to Brazil a few times to teach. So anyone knowing me is a step away from knowing 5 of the 7 continents and I’m positive I’ve overlooked people and places in this brief overview. I’m sure if I thought harder I could probably come up with at least Oceania, with Antarctica being a bit tougher.

Dave sent me a couple emails so I thought I would put forth a little feedback. First, great photos of the flood - WTAP hasn’t done quite as well. I have to agree with a former co-worker with regards to the flood though and wonder why the taxpayers will get hit with a bit of the bill for this devastation. This is especially true when the Mayor of Marietta snubs a floodwall since Marietta is a “River-Town”

I also agree that there are lots of close encounters with Tsunami. I read one today in People magazine (I was in a waiting room and it the mag was handy) about a Scot who tied his children to a tree to save them. I put up the one because, well, I didn’t know anyone closer to the tragedy than that. This also leads to Dave’s email about the classic six degrees of seperation (actually I think its one degree per billion people on the Earth).

This always leads me to wonder how many degrees I am from someone. When I was at the Bureau I figure I was at most 4 degrees away from President Bush. Since I graduated high school with someone who was in SpiderMan I figure I am two degrees from Toby Maguire (for whatever the heck that’s worth). By the six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, I am not far from many people in Hollywood. I wonder, though, how close am I to say Ted Kaczinski or Osama Bin Laden. If one would say that at one point Donald Rumsfeld knew Osama back in the 80s then I am not far from him but the two are hardly close relations now . . .

Russell Weisfield

I just spoke with Patrick Martino’s father who informed me that his daughter had gone to Taiwan to visit Pat before heading off to Shanghai. She then decided to visit Sri Lanka because she “had never been there". She left three days before the Tsunami.

Well so far this winter has been pretty strange, no snow for us yet just a LOT of rain! My boss has been flooded in Logan since Wednesday, she sent me a few pictures of the flood water covering her road and drive way. I have attached them for anyone who is interested.

Nick wanted to make sure that no one lost their writing spirit. As such I thought I would pop off a couple of greetings I heard at the Festival of the Lemmings New Years Party I attended last night (the original Festival of the Lemmings is quite an amusing story and has been carried on thereafter).

“Happy New Year”

“The New Year is well underway - everyone may now stop sucking face”

“May 2005 suck less than 2004″

“From an ancient Russian proverb I predict 2005 will be an average year - worse than 2004 but not as bad as 2006″

“Hey its New Years in New York - who cares its the old year here and has been the New Year in Greenwich for a few hours now”

“Auld Lang Syne - what the hell does that mean?”

“Happy New Year from New Zealand”

“Happy New Year to you in New Zealand - by the way, don’t call us at 6:00 in the morning next year to wish us a happy new year”

“Bon anee”

“Have a sweet and healthy new year”

- Russell