Scotto's Wall Scrawls

Dang... big ol' rainstorm last night! Looks like it's going to be big and wet the rest of the week.

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Lots of piccies this entry. Took a few with my palm, hated them, and went back with my regular one to compare contrast.

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I think it's adorable that ducklings will orbit mama duck... venture foo to explore, but as soon as anything unusual happens, they run like a unit back to mama.

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Also a link to mobile-newtcam feed #2 - "Looka the ducks!" (that's me at the end saying "Duck-duck-duckies!" in falsetto, and then "Waugh-waugh-waugh" ( I sound more like Burgess Meredith's Penguin, than a duck, I fear.)

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Higher def videos - Quicktime format, about 15 seconds each (no audio, my digicam is all video)

• Mama Duck having a bath



• Running for the sprinklers



• Mama supervising babies



• Running in circles

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In tribute to his passing, I submit a linkie to aprilwinchell.com's multimedia section: Felix & Oscar sing "You're So Vain." Truly, truly horrid.

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Micah Joel is running an open WiFi network in order to give himself plausible deniability for bad acts that can be traced to his IP address:

I've already composed my reply in case I receive one of these letters someday. "Dear Comcast, I am so sorry. I had no idea that copyrighted works were being downloaded via my IP address; I have a wireless router at home and it's possible that someone may have been using my connection at the time. I will do my best to secure this notoriously vulnerable technology, but I can make no guarantee that hackers will not exploit my network in the future."

If it ever comes down to a lawsuit, who can be certain that I was the offender? And can the victim of hacking be held responsible for the hacker's crimes? If that were the case, we'd all be liable for the Blaster worm's denial of service attacks against Microsoft last year.

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Happy 4-year anniversary, Dear Journal! (The first actual entry wasn't until 5/22)

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The color of scottobear's username.

[font color="yourusername"][b]The color of your user name.[/b][/font]
Obviously you have to change [ for <. (via calamity)

Born of a noble family at Baltonsborough, near Glastonbury, England, Dunstan was educated there by Irish monks and while still a youth, was sent to the court of King Athelstan. He became a Benedictine monk about 934 and was ordained by his uncle, St. Alphege, Bishop of Winchester, about 939. After a time as a hermit at Glastonbury, Dunstan was recalled to the royal court by King Edmund, who appointed him abbot of Glastonbury Abbey in 943. He developed the Abbey into a great center of learning while revitalizing other monasteries in the area. He became advisor to King Edred on his accession to the throne when Edmund was murdered, and began a far-reaching reform of all the monasteries in Edred's realm.

Dunstan also became deeply involved in secular politics and incurred the enmity of the West Saxon nobles for denouncing their immorality and for urging peace with the Danes. When Edwy succeeded his uncle Edred as king in 955, he became Dunstan's bitter enemy for the Abbot's strong censure of his scandalous lifestyle. Edwy confiscated his property and banished him from his kingdom.

Dunstan went to Ghent in Flanders but soon returned when a rebellion replaced Edwy with his brother Edgar, who appointed Dunstan Bishop of Worcester and London in 957. When Edwy died in 959, the civil strife ended and the country was reunited under Edgar, who appointed Dunstan Archbishop of Canterbury. The king and archbishop then planned a thorough reform of Church and state. Dunstan was appointed legate by Pope John XII, and with St. Ethelwold and St. Oswald, restored ecclesiastical discipline, rebuilt many of the monasteries destroyed by the Danish invaders, replaced inept secular priests with monks, and enforced the widespread reforms they put into effect. Dunstan served as Edgar's chief advisor for sixteen years and did not hesitate to reprimand him when he thought it deserved.

When Edgar died, Dunstan helped elect Edward the martyr king and then his half brother Ethelred, when Edward died soon after his election. Under Ethelred, Dunstan's influence began to wane and he retired from politics to Canterbury to teach at the Cathedral school and died there.

Dunstan has been called the reviver of monasticism in England. He was a noted musician, played the harp, composed several hymns, notably Kyrie Rex splendens, was a skilled metal worker, and illuminated manuscripts. He is the patron of armorers, goldsmiths, locksmiths, and jewelers.

see also http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05199a.htm

The black bear may be Florida's most misunderstood mammal. Feared by many as a man-eating predator and adored by others as a cuddly teddy bear, the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between. Although we will never know everything about bears, a quarter century of research and management by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has revealed much about the habits, needs and behavior of Florida's largest native land animal. ( Collapse )