Leviticus Fans Look Here!

Fans of Leviticus 15:16-18 may want to read my thesis.

What Chuck is Up to

Why did Chuckbert strap a Guinness can to his weather machine's tripod

So he could listen to canned radio!

i Learn iMovie

Last Friday America's most offensive church came to Harvard and had a little demonstration near the law school. I decided to take this opportunity to learn iMovie.

My First HDR Photo

Yes, this is my Photographic interpretation of JC's work area.

Friday the 13th Squared

Today is the 2nd Friday the 13th of 2009. What does that mean? Are we in for a double whammy of bad luck? That could be, however, once we get to the bottom of the Wheel of Fortune, things can only get better. I think Lady Luck will be delivering some goodies soon.

The Invaders (in Color), cont.

OK, last night I watched the episode "Summit Meeting" in which a couple of the aliens had tiny flashing walkie-talkie-like devices. So they weren't entirely dependent on Bell.

At Last I'm on WorldCat!

I know it isn't very sharp. Here's the HOLLIS record. You can read my thesis on my wiki, if you've a taste for Leviticus and Jungian psychology.

Revisitng a Classic

Do you remember The Invaders (in color) from 1967-8? Architect David Vincent witnesses a flying saucer landing and, learning that its occupants plan to rule the world, spends 2 seasons trying to convince other Earthlings that the invasion has begun. I have been watching episodes from the 2nd season, wherein a few people have been convinced, but there is still so much more to be done.

It's great to watch shows you haven't seen for 40 years and realize how many inconsistencies you missed the first time. For instance, how does architect David Vincent support himself while he drives around the country checking out flying saucer reports? He always has nice suits and new cars. Does he do quickie designs between his investigations? Perhaps this is why the narrator always say "Architect David Vincent"; to imply that he does something else between episodes.

The aliens's talents and powers are strangely limited. They travel between galaxies, they can take human form (for 3 days, after which they need regeneration, they have little palm-held devices that kill humans by cerebral hemorrhage, but when they need to get in touch with one another, they have to use the telephone. One poor alien is overheard calling for help from his (its?) superiors on a pay phone.

They also make bad choices: they aim to make the Earth their own, but they can't breath oxygen. What to do? They'll try to alter their own chemistry, and if that doesn't work, they'll suck all the oxygen out of the atmosphere. Wouldn't it be easier to find a planet with a suitable atmosphere? I mean, these people hop from galaxy to galaxy. You can't tell me that there aren't planets better suited. They remind me of some human organizations that insist on doing things in the most wasteful way possible.

By Julie's Command

I would like to post a prom picture, but I didn't go to prom. This is a picture from my freshman year in college at a Mardi Gras party. I am dressed as a pregnant bride. I got the dress at a used clothing store.

Welcome to Blogland (the Blogosphere, the Blogscape)

My friends Julie and Dave, whom you probably know from previous posts, have started their own blog. Julie is a crack cataloguer, cook, and kayaker. I look forward to seeing some of her recipes. Dave is also a kayaker, as well as an engineer and robotophile.

Butterfly Photos are Not Free, Nor are They Easy to Take

The little suckers keep moving around! From The Butterfly Garden at the Museum of Science, Boston. See more photos in my Picasa Web Album.

Get Rich Buying Foreclosed Property

I'll be there when they auction off this beauty!

Five a Day, Guys

Chuck and Jerry have been eating very rich food. They need to add more fruit and vegetables to their meals.

My Fifteen Minutes are Over..

...so let me deal with a few questions that came up Friday night. I said I remembered hearing that Bob Dylan had become a lay monk, but I must have been thinking of some other pop singer. He did become a born-again Christian, then later he went back to Judaism ( see him above at the Wailing Wall).

On to Enya. Julie said she was a reclusive living in a castle, which she does. Julie also ventured the opinion that Scott Simon, who interviewed Enya, obviously wanted to "jump on her bones." Could be. Apparently the abundance of Enya-stalkers has forced her to ramp up her home security.

Key Dates

Key dates in life of Tylenol poisonings suspect

BYLINE: By The Associated Press

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 421 words

Some key dates in the life of James W. Lewis, suspected in the 1982 Tylenol cyanide deaths in the Chicago area:

Mid-1940s Born Theodore Elmer Wilson in Missouri; adopted at age 3.

1973, 1974 Arrested after physical confrontations with his stepfather.

1974 Daughter Toni, who had a congenital heart defect, dies at age 5.

1978 Accused in the dismemberment slaying of a 72-year-old former accounting client in Kansas City, Mo. The case was dismissed after a judge ruled that seizure of property from his apartment was illegal.

December 1981 Moves with his wife, Leann, to Chicago from Kansas City. They assume aliases and Lewis gets a job as a tax preparer. He is fired after what his employer called a violent outburst.

Sept. 6, 1982 Couple moves to New York.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1982 Seven people in Chicago and suburbs die after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol.

Oct. 6, 1982 Authorities say Lewis writes extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson, parent of Tylenol manufacturer McNeil Consumer Products Co., demanding $1 million "to stop the killing." The next week, the FBI identifies Lewis as the writer and obtains a warrant for his arrest.

Dec. 12, 1982 Arrested at a New York City library after a nationwide manhunt.

May 26, 1983 Convicted of six counts of mail fraud after a four-day trial in a 1981 credit card scheme in Kansas City. Lewis was accused of using the name and background of a former tax client to obtain 13 credit cards.

July 12, 1983 Sentenced to 10 years in prison for mail fraud. Police described Lewis as a "chameleon" who lived in several states, used at least 20 aliases and held many jobs, including computer specialist, tax accountant, importer of Indian tapestries and salesman of jewelry, pharmaceutical machinery and real estate.

Oct. 28, 1983 Federal jury convicts Lewis of extortion in the Tylenol case.

June 14, 1984 Sentenced to 10 years for extortion. He also serves more than two years of a 10-year sentence for an unrelated tax-fraud charge. Lewis represents himself at sentencing hearing.

June 20, 1986 U.S. Court of Appeals upholds extortion conviction, dismissing his claim he didn't receive a fair trial.

Oct. 13, 1995 Released from the federal prison in El Reno, Okla. Arrives at Boston's Logan International Airport with his wife; they settle in Cambridge, Mass.

2004 Accused of rape in Cambridge; spends three years in jail awaiting trial before the charge is dropped when the victim refuses to testify.

Feb. 4, 2009 FBI agents from Chicago and Boston raid his Cambridge condo and take boxes and a computer.

Another Video

Some Links to News & Information

The Chicago Tribune

The Boston Globe

The Boston Herald

The Cambridge Chronicle

A Biography of Mr. Lewis

His Robotphobia

Alas! I Cannot Help Them.

The trucks were still out there today

A couple of Associated Press people left messages on my home phone, asking for me to tell them something about Mr. Lewis. (Apparently I'm the only neighbor dumb enough to talk to reporters.) But I only met him once, many years ago, when he and his wife were going door to door talking about some condo issue. Everything I know about him comes from the web. I would gladly invent some stuff if I could be sure nobody would get sore about it not being true.
Speaking of which, this morning I saw the clip of me on Fox News, and they identified me as Jo Almeda!

A View of the Pavilion Roof (I Live in the other building)

AP Photos

The Associated Press (Josh Reynolds) photos of the Chicago FBI guy visiting our lovely condo building.