Random anecdote from last July: ______________________________________ Laszlo, the other day, listening to Kallisti and I plotting last minute Bastille Day preparations asked us exactly what Bastille Day was about.  "It's the equivalent of their Independence Day," we said.  "From whom?"  "From themselves. They basically massacred themselves."  To which he replied, "It's illegal to kill frogs with a gun in California, you know."  Whether THAT was a non-sequitur or an oblique attempt at a pun, I'll leave up to debate. But we laughed.. He said he had the statutes handy. We said, "email us them." So, he did.  We laughed uneasily at some of these, wondering what frog-horrors once happened to cause lawmakers to make some of the more specific points in legislating these particular human-frog interactions.  Anyway, for perverse, quite perverse, amusement, the frog codes of California: ............................................................................................................................. There are other laws that mention frogs, but these are the biggies - Laszlo ............................................................................................................................. Notice Section 6854 "FISH AND GAME CODE" 6850. As used in this article, "frog" means all species of frog. 6851. Except as otherwise provided in this code or in regulations adopted by the commission, it is unlawful to take or possess any frog for commercial purposes. This article does not apply to frogs grown pursuant to Division 12 (commencing with Section 15000). 6852. Any person who conducts a place of business where frogs are sold to the public for food, or who takes or possesses frogs for sale to, or for use by, educational or scientific institutions for scientific purposes, may possess only at the place of business any number of frogs which have been legally obtained pursuant to this code or regulations adopted by the commission. 6854. It is unlawful to take frogs by the use of firearms of any caliber or type. [Bat note: We are currently debating here where this law might have originated. While at first glance, it seems to reasonably say "don't shoot frogs, you moron," a more thorough perusal of the sentence notes how ambiguously the sentence is constructed, and we now wonder if there was at one time a rash of frogs being taken by gunpoint, and this is really an Anti Frog-Hijacking Law.] 6855. The department may issue a permit to take and dispose of frogs under such limitations as the commission may prescribe, when, in the judgment of the department, such frogs are polluting the water supply in any area, or otherwise constitute a nuisance. 6880. As used in this article, "frog-jumping contest" means a contest generally and popularly known as a frog-jumping contest which is open to the public and is advertised or announced in a newspaper. 6881. Frogs to be used in frog-jumping contests shall be governed by this article only. Frogs to be so used may be taken at any time and without a license or permit. 6882. If the means used for taking such frogs can, as normally used, seriously injure the frog, it shall be conclusively presumed the taking is not for the purposes of a frog-jumping contest. 6883. Any person may possess any number of live frogs to use in frog-jumping contests, but if such a frog dies or is killed, it must be destroyed as soon as possible, and may not be eaten or otherwise used for any purpose. 6884. A frog which is not kept in a manner which is reasonable to preserve its life is not within the coverage of this article. 6885. The commission has no power to modify the provisions of this article by any order, rule, or regulation.

Uploaded basic page changes today. The "insane" Disjecta Membra main page isn't as insane anymore. I chucked the complicated thing I was up to and did something much more simple. I'll probably keep working on the complicated page -- just because I'm stubborn -- but I thought I should at least get the dang main page up in some functional form. So, now I'm just ironing out the kinks on the newer pages. ___ Okay, I promise eventually I'll say something in this thingie that isn't about the web redesign .... but my head is in code and graphics still. It's a wonderful way to not think .... designing. Heh.

happy winter solstice If you're reading this already, you're awfully clever (or just landed in the middle of my new redo of sections of my site). I thought I better put something quick in here so it doesn't seem so bloody pathetic. I've been busy redoing a new set of pages and stuff the last couple of weeks, so I haven't even had the presence of mind to try to form coherent sentences. Started uploading some of the new pages tonight. But the redo of the main Disjecta Membra page needs much more finessing (it's insane what I decided to do to it .... you'll eventually see .... unless it becomes wholly impossible). But it's 1:30 am and I'm fading. So ... Won't finish fixing that and getting it posted for a few days, as I don't think I'll have time to work on the pages for the next few days .... Nor to be witty blog-style. Heh. So. Just a note. For those thorough readers who manage to find their way deep into this cave .... Merry Solstice. May the light of Mithras .... blah ... blah ....blah....

In the artist of all kinds I think one can detect an inherent dilemma, which belongs to the co-existence of two trends, the urgent need to communicate, and the still more urgent need not to be found.--D.W. Winnicott

In between naps, I might decide to rant a little. I might even tell you about the orangutangs.