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)

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)

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)

Christmas at the Lemming's

The Lemming is back, just in time to enjoy a quiet Christmas with a few friends: watching holiday classics like "Wayne and Wanda's Eggnog Nightmare."

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Meet Norbert Nerdly"
  (December 18, 2015)
• "Holiday Viewing Marathon"
  (December 11, 2015)
• "Waiting for Christmas"
  (December 4, 2015)
• "The Uncle Crunchy Ploy"
  (November 26, 2015)
• "Christmas with the Lemming"
  (December 24, 2014)

Meet Norbert Nerdly

It's been one of those weeks. With nothing but a message reading "taking a vacation, told Norbert to get something ready," the Lemming disappeared. Norbert Nerdly, the inside — person — at A Small World of Websites, dutifully produced content for today's post. But he's no Lemming.

Thank you, Norbert. We all appreciate the effort, and hope the Lemming will at least send a postcard before next Friday.

More of life with the Lemming:

• "Another Holiday for the Lemming"
  (August 7, 2015)
• "With the Lemming at Aunt Ida's"
  (January 23, 2015)
• "Chicken Soup and the Lemming"
  (January 16, 2015)
• "This Year We Gotta Get Organized"
  (January 2, 2015)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Holiday Travel Plans"
  (December 19, 2014)

The Uncle Crunchy Ploy

"Over the River and Through the Wood" recalls pleasant memories of Thanksgiving, snow, pumpkin pie, and pudding. Maybe it's Jowler the dog that bothers the other turkey.

The feathered duo is apparently promoting "Uncle Crunchy's Thanksgiving Treat: Tofu Turkey!" again. They tried that back in 2011.

The Lemming may or may not be back tomorrow morning, with a "Friday morning" post. That depends in part on how heartily the Lemming indulges in holiday festivities, the nature of reality, and the Lemming's notoriously scatty imagination.

Remembrance of Thanksgivings past:

• "Two Turkeys: the Gift Store Gambit"
  (November 27, 2014)
• "Channel Surfing With the Lemming"
  (December 24, 2013)
• "Thanksgiving 2013: No Hiding Place?"
  (November 28, 2013)
• "Thanksgiving Day, 2012: Desperate Times..."
  (November 22, 2012)
• "Lemming Tracks: Thanksgiving, Cartoons, and a Look at the Lemming"
  (November 23, 2011)

Remembering

One week ago today, an evening in Paris did not end well. More than a hundred people were killed, most of them at a rock concert.

After that, the Lemming thought posting another 'Galaxy Cadet' image might seem a bit insensitive. Besides, the Lemming wasn't feeling particularly upbeat. Not to worry, though: the Lemming should have something ungloomy ready for next Friday.

This week, however, the Lemming will be less apathetic than usual. About the 'remembering' picture: the Lemming intention was to express sympathy for folks affected by last Friday's attacks in Paris — and everyone else whose life has been disrupted by similar events.

Other not-particularly-cheerful posts, not necessarily in this blog:

• "Paris, Evil, and Love"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (November 15, 2015)
  Particularly
  • Death and Assumptions
  • Love
• "Lemming Tracks: Boston Marathon, Bombs, Death"
  (April 17, 2013)
• "Christmas Eve With the Lemming"
  (December 24, 2012)

Galaxy Cadet: What's Different?

(Galaxy Cadet, 2015)


(Galaxy Cadet, 2009)

From the archives of Baum Media Productions, the Lemming presents something that's apparently not from any of the Galaxy Cadet movies.

The top picture is pretty much the same as the bottom one, but the perceptive reader will notice several obvious differences — and, if the perceptive reader has nothing better to do than keep looking, a few not-so-obvious differences.

There is no prize, no contest, winners will not be announced at the annual Baum Media company picnic; and it is the Lemming's opinion that perceptive readers have better things to do with their time.

But, although there is positively no 'spot the differences' contest — maybe perceptive readers will actually think looking for differences is worth their time. Lemming has been wrong before. Fairly often.

Take "Gormful," for example: who would have guessed that dictionary compilers don't think it's a word? "Gormless," yes; "gloomful," "roomful," and "doomful," Yes. "Gormful," no.

Posts that might be related, and some that aren't:

• "Trial by Error Poster"
  (November 6, 2015)
• "Escape From Klagfinster Poster"
  (September 25, 2015)
• "Double Planets Possible"
  (November 28, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Mr. Chuckles"
  (November 7, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)

Trial by Error Poster

More Galaxy Cadet collectibles — stuff you didn't know you need; and probably don't.

This time it's more genuine replica imitation theater artwork from Baum Media Productions: "Trial by Error" posters.

This poster, and other stuff you won't find at Hallmark, is for sale online Brian H. Gill's Shop (norski.deviantart.com/prints).

And remember: "When You See the Bee, You Know It's a Baum!"

Posts you might like, or maybe not:

• "Escape From Klagfinster Poster"
  (September 25, 2015)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight"
  (September 26, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Morning in the City"
  (August 29, 2014)
• "Tryouts at the Consulate: Hamlet"
  (June 27, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: A Far Horizon"
  (May 16, 2014)

The Touch of a Vanished Hand

"...And the stately ships go on
To their haven under the hill;
But O for the touch of a vanished hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!..."
(From "Break, Break, Break," Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

Similarly-cheerful posts:

• "New Owners, Old Tenant"
  (October 23, 2015)
• "Insomnia at the Wizard's Tower"
  (August 21, 2015)
• "Remember the Paths"
  (July 24, 2015)
• "Smile, Wave, and Hope They Understand"
  (July 10, 2015)
• " 'We Saved You a Piece' "
  (January 30, 2015)