No Picture, a Few Links, and a Rambling Lemming

Due to circumstances beyond the Lemming's control, today's image cannot be displayed.

The Lemming is not making this up, and Blogger's new-found concern over the dangers of .jpg and other image files almost makes sense.

The Lemming apologizes, and hopes that you will be patient while the Lemming, Norbert Nerdly — you may have met him in December 18, 2015's post, and the Apathetic Lemming's staff of experts — all one of them — go not-so-quietly insane trying to figure out how Blogger's new-and-improved policy regarding .jpg and .png images, and other security threats, works.

That is, of course, assuming that the new-and-improved policy actually does work.

Thank you for your patience.

After this is over, the Lemming is seriously considering taking a vacation.

Stuff that doesn't have much to do with today's post:

• In Apathetic Lemming of the North
  • "In Retrospect"
    (pril 22, 2016)
  • "The Artifact"
    (April 15, 2016)
  • "Sunset Halo"
    (March 18, 2016)
  • "Meet Norbert Nerdly"
    (December 18, 2015)
• Somewhere else
  • Norski
    DeviantArt.com
    • Norski's Gallery

Midnight in a Coal Mine

A timeless — or dated — classic from the Lemming: a black cat in a coal mine at midnight.

Unrelated posts:

• "In Retrospect"
  (April 22, 2016)
• "The Artifact"
  (April 15, 2016)
• "Blue River"
  (April 8, 2016)
• "Sunset Halo"
  (March 18, 2016)
• "Training Opportunities"
  (March 11, 2016)

In Retrospect

In the short run, the Lemming is pretty sure that humans will keep acting the way they have for the last few centuries: making mistakes, occasionally learning from their mistakes, and wondering what's over the horizon.

In the longer run, the Lemming is pretty sure that humans will keep acting the way they have for the last few millennia: doing pretty much the same things, for pretty much the same reasons.

In the still-longer run — let's be realistic. This lot is descended from folks who have kept leaving their homeland: crossing most of another continent the first time. Earth has gone around its star some 1,900,000 times since then, give or take.

They've settled everywhere except on the planet's ice caps and in its ocean by now. That's settled. They've checked out just about every spot on the planet, and have more-or-less-permanent bases on its icecaps, ocean, and one in orbit.

The locals still can't seem to sit still for more than a few generations.

The Lemming doesn't think that's going to change. It a way, it's one of humanity's more intriguing qualities.

More of the Lemming, looking back at futures:

• "Training Opportunities"
  (March 11, 2016)
• "As Advertised"
  (February 26, 2016)
• "Double Planets Possible"
  (November 28, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Morning in the City"
  (August 29, 2014)

The Artifact

"Another day, another routine patrol: until 0600."

Once again, the Lemming has been unnecessarily cryptic.

Related (???) posts:

• "Training Opportunities"
  (March 11, 2016)
• "An Island: Somewhere"
  (January 29, 2016)
• "Destination"
  (February 13, 2015)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Mr. Chuckles"
  (November 7, 2014)
• "The Great Moon Hoax, Dihydrogen Monoxide, and a Rambling Lemming"
  (July 18, 2014)

Blue River

Another week, another landscape. This one has water in it, and the Lemming still doesn't have much to say.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Lambent Sky, Brumous Band"
  (April 1, 2016)
• "Sunset Halo"
  (March 18, 2016)
• "An Island: Somewhere"
  (January 29, 2016)
• "The Touch of a Vanished Hand"
  (October 30, 2015)
• "Island Flight"
  (September 11, 2015)

Lambent Sky, Brumous Band

The good news is that Norbert Nerdley — you may remember him from last year (December 18, 2015) — was not pressured into producing content for today's post.

The other news is that the Lemming has taken another unannounced vacation: but thoughtfully left a picture, and arranged for Narcissus-X to provide his uniquely-insightful commentary. What follows is from Narcissus-X, artist extraordinary with a penchant for penguins.

Penguins in the Night: Narcissus-X Cogitates

Silent sinuous stream; evanescent emanation; brumous band, obscure exhalation under lambent sky!

And did five fumaroles fitfully favor flippant finches? Thrush not for whom the gull toils, it toils four three two one: and done is the mare's nest of quixotic quintile querns.

Yet softly steals the errant mist, and weaves a circle round rippling dreams of penguins in the night.

More, but not less:

• Not entirely without merit; from the Lemming, selected by Narcissus-X
  • "Sunset Halo"
    (March 18, 2016)
  • "An Island: Somewhere"
    (January 29, 2016)
  • "The Touch of a Vanished Hand"
    (October 30, 2015)
  • "Island Flight"
    (September 11, 2015)
  • "Narcissus-X Proffers Plenteous Provisos"
    (August 14, 2015)
• Profundity and penguins, from Narcissus-X
  • "Narcissus-X: Beware the Droste!"
    (January 21, 2016)
  • "Narcissus-X and the Gloomy Dane"
    (August 12, 2015)
  • "Penguin, Penguin, Burning Bright: Narcissus-X Ponders"
    (September 5, 2014)
  • "Narcissus-X: Baleful Bandicoots; Chimeric Penguins"
    (June 16, 2014)
  • "Plutonic Plasticity, Pattering Pizza, Penguin Peccadilloes"
    (June 7, 2014)

Easter Egg

Happy Easter, a few days early. That's all the Lemming had to say.

Posts, related and otherwise:

• "An Island: Somewhere"
  (January 29, 2016)
• "Meet Norbert Nerdly"
  (December 18, 2015)
• "Holiday Viewing Marathon"
  (December 11, 2015)
• "Easter Egg Delivery Run"
  (April 5, 2015)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Just Outside Hobbiton (maybe)"
  (April 18, 2014)

Sunset Halo

Another week, another postcard from the Lemming. No note, no explanation, just a postcard.

Almost-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "An Island: Somewhere"
  (January 29, 2016)
• "The Touch of a Vanished Hand"
  (October 30, 2015)
• "Island Flight"
  (September 11, 2015)
• "Journeys, Destinations, a Dragon, and a Lemming"
  (July 31, 2015)
• "What a Beautiful Day for a Dragon Ride"
  (May 8, 2015)

Training Opportunities

- - - top training programs and hands-on job experience. Your valuable new skills can lead to exciting careers in civilian life: or a lifelong career with the Patrol - - -

More, or less, of the same:

• "Checking the Data Queue"
  (March 3, 2016)
• "As Advertised"
  (February 26, 2016)
• "Inventory"
  (February 19, 2016)
• "Night Shift"
  (February 5, 2016)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)

Checking the Data Queue

- - - years later, during a routine catalog transfer, an upgraded system changed record number eight million, nine hundred twenty eight thousand, three hundred fifty four's status to "that's odd:" and sent it to the anomalous data queue.

More from the Lemming:

• "As Advertised"
  (February 26, 2016)
• "Inventory"
  (February 19, 2016)
• "Night Shift"
  (February 5, 2016)
• "We do All the Work - - -"
  (January 8, 2016)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)

As Advertised

Exactly as advertised: affordable, furnished, minutes to major transportation hubs, natural light, view of Aaraam Towers.

More of the same, or less:

• "Inventory"
  (February 19, 2016)
• "Night Shift"
  (February 5, 2016)
• "We do All the Work - - -"
  (January 8, 2016)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Morning in the City"
  (August 29, 2014)

Inventory

Join the Patrol, see the universe: and do inventory.

Not-utterly-unrelated posts:

• "Night Shift"
  (February 5, 2016)
• "We do All the Work - - -"
  (January 8, 2016)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Morning in the City"
  (August 29, 2014)
• "Robots With Attitude: Maybe, Eventually"
  (August 15, 2014)

Valentine's Day

"Forgetting Valentine's Day, is he?"

More, or less:

• "The Touch of a Vanished Hand"
  (October 30, 2015)
• "Narcissus-X Proffers Plenteous Provisos"
  (August 14, 2015)
• "Another Holiday for the Lemming"
  (August 7, 2015)
• "Gone for the Weekend"
  (July 4, 2014)
• "Of Ravens and Rhymes: But Not Writing-Desks"
  (February 14, 2014)

Night Shift

It's late, everyone else has gone home, and one of the monitor stations lights up for no apparent reason...

Allegedly-related posts:

• "We do All the Work - - -"
  (January 8, 2016)
• "Galaxy Cadet: What's Different?"
  (November 13, 2015)
• "Trial by Error Poster"
  (November 6, 2015)
• "Escape From Klagfinster Poster"
  (September 25, 2015)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)

An Island: Somewhere

Looking on the bright side, at least this week the Lemming left a picture we could post. Next week there may be more: then again, maybe not. Norbert Nerdly has cleared his schedule, just in case. (December 18, 2015)

Posts, related and otherwise:

• "Beware the Droste?!"
  (January 22, 2016)
• "Meet Norbert Nerdly"
  (December 18, 2015)
• "Island Flight"
  (September 11, 2015)
• "Journeys, Destinations, a Dragon, and a Lemming"
  (July 31, 2015)
• " 'We Saved You a Piece' "
  (January 30, 2015)

Beware the Droste?!

You may recall that Narcissus-X filled in for the Lemming last August: with characteristically turgid turbidity, but surprisingly few penguin references.

That was then, this is now, and the Lemming is wondering what to make of the latest Narcissus-X post: which included this — odd — image.

Posts, related and otherwise:

• "Narcissus-X: Beware the Droste!"
  Narcissus-X (January 21, 2016)
• "Narcissus-X Proffers Plenteous Provisos"
  (August 14, 2015)
• "Island Flight"
  (September 11, 2015)
• "With the Lemming at Aunt Ida's"
  (January 23, 2015)
• "Angst and the Artist: Interview With Narcissus-X"
  (May 30, 2014)

Elton Baum's Golf Cart

From the Loonfoot Falls Chronicle-Gazette, 2008:

When gas went over three dollars a gallon in late 2006, Elton Baum decided to do something about it.

"I couldn't keep the price down," he said with a grin, "but I could do something about how much I used. Now, I don't go into town with the truck, unless it's for something really big."

Even a small car uses some gasoline, so Mr. Baum looked around for an alternative.

"About a year ago, I found a golf cart. Trouble was, I couldn't drive it on the roads except in daylight, and in good weather. Makes sense, but I wanted something where I wouldn't be stuck in town, or out here, if it started raining."

Elton Baum's golf cart looks about the same as it did when he got it, except for an extra bar across the back and license plates.

It's what you don't see that makes it special.

Under the seats, ten golf cart batteries take five or six hours to recharge. "Four, if I'm lucky," Elton said. He doesn't use a pedal generator to recharge his cart. "I thought about it," he said, "but … life is too short to spend that much time cycling."

A beefed-up suspension and high-performance motors boosted the golf cart's top speed to about 40 miles an hour, so Elton doesn't need a slow-moving vehicle sign. He does, though, generally wear a motorcycle helmet when he drives. It's safer, but that's not the main reason.

"It gets breezy, driving with no windshield."

Posts that probably aren't entirely unrelated to this one:

• "Fusion Power, Mirrors, and a Rambling Lemming"
  (October 17, 2014)
• "Chicago, City of Lights: Maybe"
  (January 24, 2014)
• "Apathy is Rampant, But Who Cares? - The Sequel"
  (February 7, 2011)
• "Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide Now! Or, Not"
  (January 3, 2011)
• "Elton Baum and His 'Green' Golf Cart"
  Loonfoot Falls Chronicle-Gazette (June 21, 2008)

We do All the Work - - -

"We do all the work, they get all the credit...."

"...How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!..." Go Albany! Go Neril! Go, team, go!

The Lemming just got back, and already feels like taking another vacation.

Posts not even the Lemming thinks are related to this. Then again, maybe they are:

• "Holiday Viewing Marathon"
  (December 11, 2015)
• "Galaxy Cadet: What's Different?"
  (November 13, 2015)
• "Easter Egg Delivery Run"
  (April 5, 2015)
• "Robots With Attitude: Maybe, Eventually"
  (August 15, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Amateur Night"
  (September 20, 2013)

Happy New Year, 2016!

The Lemming is pleased to announce that Earth has gone around Sol again. Happy New Year, 2016!

More posts, related and otherwise:

• "Island Flight"
  (September 11, 2015)
• "Meet Norbert Nerdly"
  (December 18, 2015)
• "Escape From Klagfinster Poster"
  (September 25, 2015)
• "This Year We Gotta Get Organized"
  (January 2, 2015)
• "Happy New Year, 2014"
  (December 31, 2013)