Unfavorable Topography

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Christopher P. Miller is a great man. His poetic style of writing can be attributed to his assumed love of poetry. Actual, I do not know this man at all. I remember a faint specter living across the hall in the house I lived in my senior year of college. Outside the room this specter inhabited was a shrine to everything and anything the roommates deemed worthy, along with a collage piece consisting of several clear glass square plates with "woodcuts" of the commander in chief's facial expressions strung together in an asymmetrical way. The specter explained it to me once, as well as, a collaboration with the previous inhabitants resulting in a walk to the Syracuse quad in the dead of winter only to find a toilet in the middle of the several inches of snow displayed in such a Duchampian manner that the words marked on the toilet were only fitting of one Christopher P. Miller. I do not recall what they said. This occurred the year previous to my living across from the specter. But it helped shape the my admiration towards "it". The year I lived with the specter was quite wonderful and peaceful. We have corresponded briefly, but I have been lost in the smog of adult life and, unfortunately, have not been able to hold my end of the correspondence. But I am pleased to announce that Christopher P. Miller has sprung up on the Internet and although he writes about technology, his poetic voice stays with him and helps to confuse me as well. But it is a grand confusion, the kind that makes me smile and rejoice that knowledge is filling my brain because I am working for that knowledge. Much like a weightlifter "feeling the burn" causing his muscle tissue to grow, Christopher P. Miller's writing causes my brain to wander about in a lovely astronomical plane.

The First

The Second


The Third

The Fourth

The Fifth

Monday, July 31, 2006

Monday, July 24, 2006

In hopes of bringing the sea back to life:

Helicocranchia

The large funnel is present in the paralarva and makes generic identification of paralarvae easy. There is a near absence of an optic stalk making the eyes nearly sessile. With increased age and depth of occurrance, some species, at least, become bright red in color.


And my favorite photograph (in red):

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Mjolnir, enchanted uru warhammer of Thor, Norse God of Thunder
Reply to: sale-171585305@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-06-14, 2:02PM PDT


I have Mjolnir, pronounced MOL-NEAR. Will trade for Odin's spear Gungnir or possibly the Odinsword or other unique weapons of near limitless power. Do not mispronounce the name such as "MIJ-OLNUR" or "EMJOLNER" in the hammer's presence as doing so will result in a small bolt of mystical lightning raining down on you. Please note I am unable to photograph it as the hammer will not allow itself to be photographed - this is another of the numerous enchantments placed upon it.

Hammer is made of enchanted uru metal, possibly from an ancient meteorite that landed somewhere near Asgard, the city of the Norse Gods. It is completely and utterly unbreakable/indestructible. There are multiple conflicting origins of the hammer, most likely forged in the bowels of Asgard by dwarves using a star and enchanted forge to craft it, under the comission of Thor's father Odin, or possibly by the fire demon Surtur originally for Loki. Its length is approximately 22.7" and has a working face of approximately 13" x 6.5".

Has beautiful leather wrapped staff with wrist strap. Also has runes on one side of the head of the hammer, which magically transform into English (or whatever language is the main language of the observer) and states "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of...Thor".

The hammer is located in my backyard, in Mount Washington, at the bottom of my pool in 9 feet of water. It fell from the sky there a couple of days ago. I have tried to move it but I am unworthy of its power. Note you will have to be worthy of its power in order to lift it, along with swimming to the bottom of my pool to try and get it.

But you will have to place in my hands a weapon worthy of it in trade before you try. Not responsible for any injury, drowning, or death that occurs in the act of attempting to retrieve Mjolnir. Note I am not interested in random pieces of adamantium, various man made weapons either modern or futuristic, or second class mystical or deity worthy items. I would however consider a working (I require an actual demonstration) time machine or viable mass mind control device (meaning not a television set) in trade.

* this is in or around trade for Odin's spear Gungnir
* no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

This here's a run-out-the-clock situation.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Nostalgic thoughts (made by a 1983 child) after looking at a 1948 map of New Castle County:

  • Dialing '1191' & hanging up would make your phone ring
  • 'Hardy Boys' books
  • The 'ammonia odor' from Diamond Ice & Coal Ice Plant on 11th Street & Bancroft Parkway (heavens!)
  • Playing baseball without adult supervision
  • 'Ring worm' epidemic
  • Air-raid drills
  • 25 cent allowances
  • The 'tanning odor' from Amalgamated Leather Co., Front Street & Maryland Avenue
  • Slingshots