This guy was spotted at Woodland Park here in Kalispell. It appears to be a gull type, but has a somewhat straighter, pointed beak and thinner legs with webbed feet. I thought it might be a tern, but I couldn’t find one that looks like this guy. We’ve never seen this bird before, so we have no idea what it is. It also had a high pitched, short call that was nothing like a seagull. Any ideas?

Click the photos to get a larger version.

An alien? Ghost? What about Munch’s screamer? Maybe it’s Jesus. Who do you think revealed himself to me in the mold on my plum?

I didn’t get tagged for this, but I’m doing it anyway; five, non-blog sites I visit daily:

1. At first I didn’t get it, but I’ve become obsessed (or is it possessed?) with LOL Cats. Sure, some of them just aren’t funny, and it’s absolute murder to read the comments, but the funny ones? Ohmigosh are they funny!

see more crazy cat pics

2. Postcrossing helps feed my urge to see the world, without having to go any farther than my mailbox. I’m up 109 110 postcards from around the world. It’s also a relatively cheap hobby.

3. I know, I know, who needs to register for yet another social networking site? But Livemocha is a little different. It’s entirely geared towards language instruction. You can take courses that are similar to Rosetta Stone, and converse with native speakers of the language you’re learning. I’m still hoping that they add Irish language instruction to their list of available languages, though.

4. I like to cook, right? Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I like good food. Sometimes I just throw stuff together, and sometimes I try what others have just thrown together. That’s why I spend way too much time on All Recipes. I also found the BEST Colcannon recipe on All Recipes. Wanna try it?

Colcannon
INGREDIENTS
  * 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
  * 4 slices bacon (I like to add a bit more)
  * 1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
  * 1 large onion, chopped
  * 1/2 cup milk
  * salt and pepper to taste
  * 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
*Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
*Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, sauté the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
*Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

5. Even though I haven’t updated my reading list in a long while, I do still read, and I’m cheap, so I peruse the listed books on Paperback Swap. I really wish I hadn’t wasted a credit on Flowers for Algernon, but hey, I can re-list it, and send it to someone else!

So there it is. Five places where I enjoy wasting time. No, I’m not going to tag anyone, but I’d love to know what five, non-blog sites you visit frequently.

Check out the Playmobil Security Check Point on Amazon.com. I only wish they were available for purchase.

From the Manufacturer
The woman traveler stops by the security checkpoint. After placing her luggage on the screening machine, the airport employee checks her baggage. The traveler hands her spare change and watch to the security guard and proceeds through the metal detector. With no time to spare, she picks up her luggage and hurries to board her flight!

The reviews are what makes this product page entertaining, but the review from loosenut proves to be the best product review, ever.

I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger’s shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger’s scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up. My son said “that’s the worst security ever!”. But it turned out to be okay, because when the passenger got on the Playmobil B757 and tried to hijack it, she was mobbed by a couple of other heroic passengers, who only sustained minor injuries in the scuffle, which were treated at the Playmobil Hospital.
The best thing about this product is that it teaches kids about the realities of living in a high-surveillence society. My son said he wants the Playmobil Neighborhood Surveillence System set for Christmas. I’ve heard that the CC TV cameras on that thing are pretty worthless in terms of quality and motion detection, so I think I’ll get him the Playmobil Abu-Gharib Interogation Set instead (it comes with a cute little memo from George Bush).

Alabama: Hell, yes, we have electricity!
Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos can’t be wrong!
Arizona: It’s a dry heat.
Arkansas: Literacy ain’t everything.
California: Our women have more plastic than your Honda.
Colorado: Don’t ski? Don’t bother.
Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, only smaller.
Delaware: We like the chemicals in our water.
Florida: Ask us about our grand kids.
Georgia: We put the fun in Fundamentalist Extremism.
Hawaii: Welcome mainland scum, leave your money and go.
Idaho: More than just potatoes. Well, okay, we’re not, but the potatoes sure are good.
Illinois: Please, don’t pronounce the ‘S’.
Indiana: 2 Billion years and tidal wave free.
Iowa: We do amazing things with corn.
Kansas: First of the rectangle states.
Kentucky: Five million people; fifteen last names.
Louisiana: We’re not ALL drunk Cajun wackos.
Maine: We’re really cold, but we have cheap lobster.
Maryland: If you can dream it, we can tax it!
Massachusetts: Our taxes are lower than Sweden’s.
Michigan: First line of defense from the Canadians.
Minnesota: 10,000 lakes and 10 zillion mosquitoes.
Mississippi: Come visit and feel better about your state.
Missouri: Your federal flood relief tax dollars at work.
Montana: Land of the big sky, the Unabomber, Right-wing crazies and honest elections.
Nebraska: Ask about our state motto contest.
Nevada: Hookers and poker!
New Hampshire: Go away and leave us alone.
New Jersey: I got yer #@$&!% motto right here!
New Mexico: Lizards make excellent pets.
New York: You have the right to remain silent, but no right to self defense!
North Carolina: Tobacco is a vegetable.
North Dakota: We really are one of the 50 states.
Ohio: At least we’re not Michigan.
Oklahoma: Like the play, but no singing.
Oregon: Spotted owl… It’s what’s for dinner.
Pennsylvania: Cook with coal.
Rhode Island: We’re not REALLY an island.
South Carolina: Remember the Civil War? Well, we didn’t actually surrender.
South Dakota: Closer than North Dakota.
Tennessee: Home of the Al Gore invention museum.
Texas: Se Hable Ingles.
Utah: Our Jesus is better than your Jesus.
Vermont: Too liberal for the Kennedys.
Virginia: Where government stiffs and slack jaw yokels mix.
Washington: Our governor can out-fraud your governor.
West Virginia: One big happy family. Really!
Wisconsin: Come cut the cheese!
Wyoming: Where men are men and sheep are scared.

Just messin’ around… I don’t think this is great, by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s something about it that I like.

I’ve got killer heart burn again.

I picked up one of the most horrid, trashy books at the recommendation of a bookstore clerk: Bedlam, Bath and Beyond. I can’t put it down.

Every time I get angry at Lost and vow to never watch it again, they drag me back in.

I hope to never give Hewlett Packard another dime again.

I’m sooo ready for spring!

Remember how I said that my new USB drink chiller/warmer is the suck? The cooling part doesn’t work very well, but the warmer warms, and it means it.

When it comes to the presidential election, my only wish is that Huckabee goes down in flames.

And that’s all I got…

Have a great weekend!!!

An update about the drink chiller/warmer I mentioned in this post:  It’s a piece of junk.  Don’t buy one.  I would do better to set my soda in the window sill to keep it chilled.

It’s James Cagney month on Turner Classic Movies. I am in hog heaven — I even chose not to sleep in lieu of the James Cagney Movie Marathon! I had to share my excitement.

I stole this, without guilt, from Sometimes Saintly Nick because I’m sick and have no interest in a real post right now.

Your Personality Is

Rational (NT)You are both logical and creative. You are full of ideas. You are so rational that you analyze everything. This drives people a little crazy! Intelligence is important to you. You always like to be around smart people. In fact, you’re often a little short with people who don’t impress you mentally. You seem distant to some - but it’s usually because you’re deep in thought. Those who understand you best are fellow Rationals. In love, you tend to approach things with logic. You seek a compatible mate - who is also very intelligent. At work, you tend to gravitate toward idea building careers - like programming, medicine, or academia. With others, you are very honest and direct. People often can’t take your criticism well. As far as your looks go, you’re coasting on what you were born with. You think fashion is silly. On weekends, you spend most of your time thinking, experimenting with new ideas, or learning new things.

The Three Question Personality Test

After much complaining by my plus-one, Dan, that I waste too much soda and tea because it either gets too warm or too cold, I’ve ordered a USB drink chiller/warmer from Think Geek. We’d been thinking about ordering a USB drink chiller for a while. That will help keep my soda cold, but I also wanted a USB drink warmer for my hot tea. Dan finally said, “Enough, order a USB drink chiller.” The first place I looked was Think Geek. I searched their site and found this one that serves both functions.  How happy am I?

It’s perfect and it’s simple - a hotplate powered by USB keeps your coffee warm. But if Alton Brown has taught us anything is that we hate a single-use tool. That, and, sometimes we like our caffeine served cold. No problem, ’cause we’ve got you covered!

Just flip a switch, and the hot-plate turns into a peltier device, quickly cooling to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). Sweet! By maintaining optimum temperatures for your caffeine delivery system, you can enjoy increased work productivity and nice twitchy gaming reflexes.

Features Include:

* Connection via USB
* Cold-plate chills to 45˚F
* Hotplate warms to 120˚F
* Helps keeps your beverage at optimum temperature
* USB cable length: 2 feet
* Power consumption: 5.75W
* Dimensions: 5.25″ x 3.25″ x 1.4″