Between Random Planets

Endangered Silverware

Proudly displayed at Anthony's, our favorite New York-style pizza establishment.  It's so New York that you don't order a pizza, you order a pie.  But it's so Denver that you really should be environmentally conscious while consuming it.

Sensibility Young Entirely The Schedule Yesterday

This post makes absolutely no sense.  But then again....email spam doesn't really make sense.  It's spam.

I'm grateful for yahoo's "spam filter"....I just received an email with the heading "sensibility young entirely the schedule yesterday".  Although this doesn't fall into the BRP category of cultural oddities, it would make a good Japanese t-shirt.

All of a Sudden, I Have All Day

Busy times -- a beloved family member passed away this weekend, family travel plans are being made and re-made, and we're anxiously awaiting the safe arrival of our nephew Jason and our dear gal pal Courtney from their long military sojourn into the Iraqi desert.  It's busy, but I've got all day.

"When someone is impatient and says, 'I haven't got all day,' I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day? "
~George Carlin

Drive-By Licking

Between Random Planets has always been about the weird and wacky synapses between the different cultures that we've spent time in.

America is as downright wacky as any other place we've lived in (Japan was our most recent excursion, the folks there set higher standards for goofy fun every season).   Here's our new favorite way to meet the ladies -- Girl Licking.  It's also set to one of our favorite classic a capella girl group songs Lollipop.

Every Now and Zen

This is why I read the comics first on days when I bite off more than I can chew.  Good for your daily giggle....

Link through to Non Sequitur for more goofy fun....

Randomly Multiplicative

Bizarro.com

Air Lines

Air.  It's everywhere.  So why would we even bother to belly up to an Oxygen Bar last week at the San Diego Fair to pay for a little whiff of what's already under our noses?

Because it's the Fair -- and going to any Fair always makes people act like wackadoos. How many  of you have dropped 50 bucks on a rigged game just to win a stuffed toy worth about thirty cents?  Thought so. Also, I had tried an Oxygen Bar awhile back in Vancouver (with great euphoric success) and depended upon the adventurous spirit of my spouse to convince the family to give it a whiff.  Oxygen Bars are actually a whole lot of fun if you can get your hands on a line of pure oxygen with no time limit.

Rich, my Mom-in-law Barb and our nieces Hannah and Emily all sat patiently through the not-very-technical nasal cannula briefing which helped us situate those tube things crawling up our noses to deliver the scented oxygen on a fast-track to the brain...and the hoses aren't reused just in case you were wondering.  Carnivals are funky places, but few folks in San Diego's posh Del Mar are ever willing to get that funky.

The oxygen is piped through your choice of scented bottles with adorably romantic names like "Synergy" (wintergreen, spearmint and peppermint) and "Sublime" (an aptly named lime concoction) although you can mix and match a few -- or just crank all of them up to "10" like I did for a really fun rush.  Most folks spend about ten minutes on their personal mild Rocky Mountain High, but through the good graces of our hostess we hung out for over a half hour feeling very pleasant and making a whole lot of new friends. Next time we're taking commissions.  When we arrived there were no other patrons....after 30 minutes a long line of people appeared to see what we were goofy about (either that or they just wanted their very own nasal cannula).

In a world full of rules, regulations and signs telling you exactly what you shouldn't be doing, it was refreshing to see a sign that actually gives you permission to have fun....

All The World is a Post

The Bizarro world of Dan Piraro....

Not Sure I Need My Marbles Anymore, Either

Older Opus -- but still so cute....

If Godzilla Majored in Botany...

....he would have genetically engineered the hydrangea.

Summer on the Kanto Plain can often be a sticky, humid, irritating communal steam room -- but our compensation for all that sweat comes in the gorgeous, gargantuan form of the hydrangea.

Many thanks to our dear friend Toshiko-san, who sent me these beautiful photos of our local color and allowed me to share them with you.

In the not-too-distant past of Between Random Planets, I noted the similar Godzilla-like quality of the fall Chrysanthemums at Sankeien Gardens. 

I now remain firmly convinced that every item falling under the categories of "botanical" or "bug-like" is just outright huge here.  Don't even get me started on the summertime Negishi spiders -- but judging by the colorful welts on my legs they've already started on me.  Beauty has it's price.  I suppose the spiders like the hydrangea, too.

Toshiko-san, I promise that when you come out to San Diego to visit I'll show you the beautiful botanical sights minus the spiders whenever possible.