Sneakeasy's Joint

Investigating The Lake Thornton Monster 2

The Story so far... The Discovery, and The Investigation Begins.

As of this writing, I have yet to hear back from the contacts of the Neighborhood Ass., the City Councilman, or the Parks and Recreation Dept.

One has to wonder what they must be thinking.

Are they even concerned about what this could be, or if it poses a danger to the park going public?

Upon my 2nd visit to the park there was a family with children, amusing the natives, unaware of what I had discovered.

Maybe the 2 City Officials are checking my story out, and will get back to me Friday, or next week?

It seems more, and more, likely, though, that they think I'm a prankster, and figure that, if they ignore me, I will just go away.;-D

My discovery, and ongoing investigation, looks like it is turning into a story about Government Response to Citizen Concerns.

At least the Fishing Columnist of the OC Register responded.

Why the Nature Columnist has not is a mystery.

Maybe the NC is secretly looking into this with a mind to publishing a scoop in Nature Magazine, thus leaving me out of the loop in regards to fame and glory?

My investigation continues, thanks to a tip I got the other day, and I plan to return to the park over the weekend.

I am seriously considering visiting City Hall, and Parks and Rec, on Tuesday, my next day off.

***UPDATE -- 1PM***

I've just received an e-mail from one of the Neighborhood Ass. Contacts ( The other one is apparently no longer involved ) !!

Kiril,

I too am stumped as to what is out in the water.  I have not noticed anything there, but the picture doesn't lie.  I will take a walk and take a better look.

You might want to talk to the City worker that is there generally in the mornings cleaning around the pond.  She is also a resident within the tract and would know if something "fishy" is going on at the pond.

Please keep me posted as to your findings. 

Good luck,

Lisa Ruvalcava

She also provided me with the contact name for the Parks Naturalist, and I have fired off an e-mail. ;-D

***END UPDATE***

***UPDATE 2 -- 145AM on 9/1***

The Lake Thornton Monster Revealed!

***END UPDATE***

Speculating on the Death of a Living President

A REPORT OF THE Fighting W.A.C.K.I.E. All Over Project ( FWAP!! ):

The Minions of W.A.C.K.I.E. ( World Allied Conspiratorial Kongress of Idiotarians Everywhere ) are at it again, this time in Great Britain ( Aren't you so glad we kicked their arse 223 years ago, and went our seperate ways? )...

This is the dramatic moment when President George Bush is gunned down by a sniper after a public address at a hotel, in a gripping new docudrama soon to be aired on TV.

Set around October 2007, President Bush is assassinated as he leaves the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago.

Death of a President, shot in the style of a retrospective documentary, looks at the effect the assassination of Bush has on America in light of its ‘War on Terror’.

The 90 minutes feature explores who could have planned the murder, with a Syrian-born man wrongly put in the frame.

Peter Dale, head of More4, which is due to air the film on October 9, said the drama was a “thought-provoking critique” of contemporary US society.

He said: “It’s an extraordinarily gripping and powerful piece of work, a drama constructed like a documentary that looks back at the assassination of George Bush as the starting point for a very gripping detective story.

“It’s a pointed political examination of what the War on Terror did to the American body politic.

THIS IS LONDON = President Bush 'assassinated' in new TV docudrama.

What do I think of this shocking idea for a TV program?

I'm glad you asked! ;-D

Duck, Duck, Carnival!

Carnival of the Vanities 206 is up at Lil' Duck, Duck Blog!

The Duck theme is a fun way to present it, and I particularly enjoyed the way an image of the book Duck on a Bike was used in relation to my contribution from my BikeBlog, The Cycling Dude. ;-D

Investigating The Lake Thornton Monster

After the Saturday encounter there was no question that I was going to return for another look.

The natural thing to do was to approach the natives, and ask questions.

As you can see they were less than co-operative.

The whole lot just turned their backs on me, and waddled away, without so much as 1 word.

Luckily I was prepared for this eventuality, and took steps, very early Tuesday morning, to possibly get some answers.

I wrote e-mails to the contacts for the Thornton Park Neighborhood Ass., a Nancy Brown, and a Lisa Ruvalcava.

I wrote an e-mail to Councilmember Mike Garcia.

I wrote e-mails to Dave Strege, the Fishing Columnist for the OC Register, and  his colleague Pat Brennan, the Nature Columnist.

The purpose was to advise them of my discovery in the hopes that they might be able to shed some light on the mystery.

I also hoped the Councilman might tell me the name, and e-mail, of the person, in Parks and Recreation, that I should contact, since that info was not on the city website. ( UPDATE- 11am -- I Called P and R, got the info, and dashed off an e-mail, so stay tuned! )

As of 1am this morning I have received 1 reply to my e-mails... From Dave Strege, the Fishing Columnist:

Kiril, Interesting. Was it moving? I guess my initial thought of it is that maybe it's one of those big catfish rolling on top of the water... That's my best guest. 

Thanks for the email...

Dave

I did learn 2 things for certain on my return visit yesterday morning:

While it did not move, when I was there, it definitely IS NOT a catfish.

This being a small park lake, and there being no fishermen in sight, I have to assume it's not meant to be a "Fishing Hole".

The 2nd thing I learned is that the natives were definitely keeping their distance...

As you can tell from the distance between them, and "whatever it is" ( Focus on the trees by the lake, and look down into the water, and you can see it hanging out where it was on Sunday. ).

The natives were staying on the south side of the lake, and didn't venture further while I was there.

***UPDATE -- 1230PM on 8/31***

Investigating The Lake Thornton Monster 2.

***END UPDATE***

Nessie Cousin Spotted in Santa Ana Lake?

I was only intending to shoot photos of squirrels when I went to Carl Thornton Park, on Segerstrom, west of Bristol, here in town on Saturday afternoon.

I never expected to discover The Lake Thornton Monster!

A group of hispanics, on the grass, within sight of the lake, seemed unconcerned when I told them what I saw.

Over on the Official website of the Loch Ness Monster I found THIS PHOTO.

You be the judge. ;-D

***UPDATE - 2am on 8/30***

On Tuesday morning I bravely returned to the lake to further investigate, and share 2 new pictures in my next report:

Investigating the Lake Thornton Monster.

***END UPDATE***

Meowsings of a Right Paw Puttie Tat 6

Hello, Nikita here, and I want to show off my refinement, and culture.

As Daddy announced earlier the new Carnival of the Cats is up, and so I went prowling around for a look see.

Elisson has channeled his inner Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and his effort made me purr with pleasure. ;-D

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations,
That is known as the Kitties’ Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of fuzzy feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And meowing soft and sweet.

Isn't that suspenseful?

Now go read the rest! ;-D

Carnival Time: Cats 127 and Ark 101

This week’s Carnival of the Cats is brought to you by Aloysius Pangur Ban, M.F.A. (Master of Feline Arts) at Catymology.

There are more than 60 entries this week!

On a related note check out the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

2 Guys Explore Santiago Creek in 2003

There is a Biking/Walking Trail alongside Santiago Creek as it makes its way thru Santiago Park, in Santa Ana, and Hart Park in Orange that I have done a little walking, riding along in the past year..

I stumbled upon an hilarious, picture filled, Message Board Post on the ARStechnica Open Form that tells of the adventure of 2 area guys along the creek in Aug. 2003 ( The link below leads to a page of the writers website where the article was also posted. ):

We start our journey in the parking lot-slash-riverbed of Santiago Park, located at 2535 North Main Street, five minutes from the massive Main Place Mall.  During the dry season, this riverbed can hold about thirty cars until the pavement stops and the rockbed begins.  To the left you can see part of of it, along with a cute and cuddly little squirrel, which was probably plotting my demise and consequent hoarding in its nut stores until the winter.

Pure evil, those rodents are.

Unnerved, my brother and I pressed on, wary of any little woodland creatures that might try do us any bodily harm or lead us to our doom.  The most we came across was another squirrel along the opposite side of the river, doing whatever it is squirrels do, and a couple crows, which alighted on a tree branch and bid us well on our journey.  That, and one of them took a potshot at my brother.

Read, and enjoy, the adventure of Matt Perry, and his brother.  ( All Hail the Grackle!! Hee, hee!! ) ;-D

While you are at it check out the rest of Matt's website called The Chicken Coop of Doom. ;-D

Finally, Spam makes itself useful

Robert Daeley, of the Blog Celsius 1414, has found an amusing, and creative, way for the spam in his e-mail to make themselves useful. ;-D

Poem constructed from the subject lines of spam email currently in my Junkmail folder.

Who woulda thunk it? ;-D

A Spoem! Spoetry!

Now I am wondering what I can get out of MY spam. ;-D

Exposing a Problem at OC Superior Court

Today I served my 1 day of Jury Duty at the Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.

It was an interesting experience, and went smoothly.

I was never called to a court room, and so sat in the Jury Assembly Room with a room full of my fellow citizens, of different ethnic, and economic, backrounds, young, and old, from La Habra to San Clemente.

I read a book and, as the day progressed, made an important discovery that led me to ask a Clerk a question, and to write a note on the questionaire at the end of the day.

Original Tommy's is Chili Burger Heaven

Here, if you live in SoCal, ya have a number of places to discover Paradise, and get Religion, including the Original Cathedral in LA....

If not.... then God help you because I've done MY part. ;-D

Carnival of the Cats 126 is Purrfectly delightful!

This week’s Carnival of the Cats is brought to you by Red Peonies.

There are more than 50 entries this week!

On a related note: Friday Ark celebrated its 100th edition!!

Books banned from Airplanes?

Well, ok, so War and Peace, Harry Potter, American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia , and The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln ( All MASSIVE Hardcover tomes. ), if used as NOT intended would cause a nasty lump on the noggin, but as a terrorist weapon they don't exactly cut it ( Unless you consider being forced to read one of them to be an act of terror, of course. ).

But there IS a variety of book that could be used to transport weapons of terror if not detected by the observant.

How can you blow up a plane with a book?

J. Godsey at Bibliophilebullpen provides the answer, Secret Storage Books.

A Tip of the Hat to the Blog Fine Books and Collections, with London Calling.

Carnival of the Cats 125 is now up!

This week’s Carnival of the Cats is brought to you by Hakuna and Matata, the Resident Kitties at Blog d'Elisson.

There are more than 40 entries this week!

Meowsings of a Right Paw Puttie Tat 5

Hello, Nikita here, and I want to show off my new hairdo, in 4 new photos!

Does the shading make me look mysterious, or what?

There we go!

A good look at The Bouncer of Sneakeasy's Joint at his ( Well, Daddy's ) desk.

I See, and Hear.... People 10: Pestering Pasta Purveyors

I went out to dinner Sunday night at The Old Spaghetti Factory, in Fullerton. ;-D

When I went to the front desk to get on the wait list ( 20 min. ) I asked the gal how old the spaghetti was.

She gave me a funny look, and I said that considering the name of the place I thought I'd ask.

I said, "What? You ain't never been asked that question before?"

Apparently not. ;-D

When my Waitress came to take my order I squinted at the menu, looked quizically at her, and asked her which spaghetti was the oldest. ;-D

She looked at me real funny, and I told her that considering the name of the place I wanted to know the ages of the various Pasta so I could order the oldest one. ;-D

I said, "What? You ain't never been asked that question before?"

Apparently not. ;-D

They took my humor good naturedly..

Nothing unusual turned up in the order ( Spaghetti with Rich Meat Sauce AND Ministrone Soup, Fresh Baked Bread, and Spunoni Ice Cream, included. ). ;-D

Carnival of the Vanities 204 is up

The 204th Carnival of the Vanities is up at Spooky Action, and it is the last edition before new guidelines apply.

Check it out, and check out the new Home of the Granpappy of all Carnivals, and its archives!

I'll be writing more about the new developements soon.

Meowsings of a Right Paw Puttie Tat 4

Hello, Nikita here, and I've got Holidays on the brain.

National Tap Dance Day

National Boss Day

Groundhog Day

Pet Week

Hug a Rottweiller Day

April Fool's Day

What's wrong with this picture?

A whole damn week as a catch-all, for all Companion Animals, no doubt covering everything from Ants to Zebras?

How so PC!

Fortunately there is someone working hard to rectify an indefensible oversight of the Holiday Naming Committee....

Tiger Hample, author of HAPPY CAT DAY....

Here We Go Again! London Terror Plot

I 1st heard of this in the last hour by seeing an article posted by USA Today, but after an hour of watching the brilliant Sky News, and FOX coverage, was not impressed in the slightest.

The following little Blurb on Pajamas Media is more accurate a summary of what is known at this time:

BULLETIN: SKY NEWS REPORTING TERROR PLOT “BIGGER THAN 9-11” FOILED IN THE UK. COULD HAVE BEEN LIQUID EXPLOSIVES SMUGGLED ON BOARD PLANES BOUND FOR THE US WITH HAND LUGGAGE. AS MANY AS TWENTY PLANES INVOLVED. UK BANS HAND LUGGAGE. INDIVIDUALS APPREHENDED BRITAINS OF PAKISTANI BACKGROUND 21:03 PDT

Do yourself a favor and check in with Pajamas Media as the story unfolds.

While it may yet be shown that these chaps were not affiliated with Osama's bunch I hope the stark reality of what could have happened will focus peoples minds on the fact that WE ARE AT WAR with forces in the world who despise America, Democracy, and Western Civilization, and have been for at least 30 years.

Our enemies wake up in the morning, stretch their arms to the sky, and no doubt say, "I love the smell of appeasement in the morning!"

Then they get on with the job of causing more mischief.

You think I'm overreacting?

There is a thought provoking article, in the New York Sun, that remembers events centering around WW 2, and draws startling, and disturbing, parallels to the events of today.

You owe it to yourself to read it, and consider yourself duly allerted to what our future possibly holds.

124th Carnival of the Cats is up

The 124th edition of the purrrfectly delightful Carnival of the Cats is ready for you to enjoy at your leisure.

Its creator, Laurence Simon, of This Blog is Full of Crap, hosts it this week:

The Carnival of the Cats is a weekly roundup of cat-related posts on weblogs. Its purpose is to provide a non-political respite from the vehement echo chamber that the Blogopshere spins itself into during the week, demonstrating that even the mightiest and meekest of pundits have a love of cats in common.

Carnival #124 has over 60 entries.

Sneakeasy's last participated when Nikita contributed a piece in #121, and there have been 2 editions before this new one:

#122 was hosted by Creatures of the Earth, and has over 40 entries.

#123 was hosted by The Scratching Post, and has over 50 entries.

***UPDATE - 8/7***

Animal Blogging ain't just for Cats!

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

Thanks to the Modulator the 97th installment of the Friday Ark is up!

***END UPDATE***

100 Words

Here are 100 words, no less, no more:

Laurence Simon is a blogger of many interests.

As a creative writer, myself, I’ve added one of his sections to my writing links, and may find myself doing an occasional exercise.

He likes to write 100 word stories, and read them, on Podcasts, for all to enjoy.

He also has a weekly challenge to readers to join in.

As he says:

I'll offer up a topic or theme which you will use as the inspiration to write and record your own 100 word story.

Enjoy his archives, and indulge your writing talent.

I See, and Hear.... People 9: Trick Questions

I swear, people, the questions I get asked you would not believe!

Or maybe you would because you are one of those who ask them! ;-D

To the man whose call I took at work yesterday:

I am a Directory Assistance Operator NOT some sort of census taker!

Too bad I did not have the Internet readily at hand because my sense of humor would have had the exact answer to your very precise question, as opposed to the one my database required me to give......

YOU: "Can you tell me the number of hooters in Sacramento?"

ME: "Why, yes, as a matter of fact I can! As of the 2004 census there were exactly 240,496 pairs of hooters ( Biological Designation: Femaleous Boobicanus, AKA Womanus Breasticanus. ), of various ages, shapes, sizes, and colors, in the city of Sacramento."

Have a nice day! ;-D

***UPDATE- 8/4***

A great piece about Cell Phones, and Cell Phone users, in Market Watch. ;-D

The most annoying thing about cell phones is that people without one are stuck in various public places listening to all the public, sometimes most intimate, conversations in other peoples lives, and if we try to, even humorously, make our displeasure, and annoyance,  known to the person next to us the reaction is one of a "Mind your own business, I can do this if I want" attitude, and can get down right hateful if you say something to the wrong person.

Yes, people have a right to use them in most public places, but there is a reason that various public venues ban them.

***END UPDATE***

Sneaks Wide World 53: Bullseye Edition

Welcome to this edition of Sneaks Wide World of Blogging.

This series is dedicated to the proposition that Blogging is a prime example of the saying "Variety is the Spice of Life".

Let's get to the good stuff! ;-D

This edition is dedicated to that Shopping Experience you know you love, openly, or secretly.... Walmart TARGET!!

As regular readers know I worked as a Cashier at 3 Targets from 2002 to 2004, and mostly enjoyed the experience.

A "BEST OF" of my Target related posts, in Chronological order: Let this serve as an insider introduction before I introduce you to a couple of wonderful Blogs I just discovered, and added to the sidebar.

1. NEW JOB: DAY 1. ( Eagle Rock )

2. A Hi Ho the Derrie-O, a Training I Will Go!

3. It Was an Interesting Week at Work.

4.  Today is the RUNNING OF THE GUESTS AT TARGET, otherwise known as our GRAND OPENING. :-)

While there are no BULLS, lots of crap will be strewn about the ground by closing time, you can count on it. ;-D

I have this vision of our morning cashiers, faced with this mad mob of humanity bursting thru the doors at 8 am, running, screaming for the Employee Exit, only to find it locked and blocked by Security. ;-D

A TARGET GRAND OPENING: I Survived a Target Grand Opening and all I got was a coke, a bag of chips, and a twinkie!!!

5. Retail Learning Experience.

A Work hours increase, a favorable evaluation, an eventual raise, and a transfer to Chino, follow....

6. To the well intentioned lady who wanted to pay me for her purchases at work the other day.....I'm sorry ma'am, but we don't accept foreign currency here at Target. ( Full Story. )

7. To the 3 year old boy in the shopping cart in my line at work who was bawling and squaling and generally having a hissy fit .....

8.  BLACK FRIDAY:

The happiest day of the year for Retailers.:-)

It's 6:58 am at a certain Target in Southern California...

The mob is primed to move, yet hushed in anticipation, as the clerk opens the door and stands in their path.....

He speaks the magic words.....

Ladies AND Gentlemen!

Start your Credit Cards!!!!

And the annual Running of the Shoppers begins......

Hi Diddley De, It's a Shoppers' Life For Me! -- HIIIII HOOOOO, HI HO, HI HO, IT'S OFF TO SHOP WE GO!

A transfer to Costa Mesa follows a few months later....

9.  A WRITING EXERCISE: You spend the majority of your waking time doing it, so why not? Write about your job: What is it like? Are you doing what you want to do?

10. To the young man in my line, at work, who asked me to "remove a shirt":

What do you think this place is?

A Strip Joint? :-D

11. Saying good-bye to working for Target: Including a poem. ;-D

Okay, so it has now been 2 years since I became, once again, just a satisfied, loyal, customer, of Target, and in that time 2 websites have sprung up of interest to shoppers, and even employees of, the store with the big red, and white, Bullseye.

Let's meet those 2 wonderful Blogs!