boing boing has a cool link to a site that gives events in alternate history. Here’s a bit from today’s history:

in the Dreaming, Wandjina came to the people of Pindanjaru with much wisdom. He spoke of caring for the land, of building a bridge to the stars, and of the coming of the pale men. He promised to return on that day to defend the Dreaming against their invasion.

in 1149 B.C., Trojan forces landed on the shores of Greece, and began a 10-year siege of the peninsula.

in the 3rd year of Usermaatreakhenamun’s Reign, a vision of Egypt destroyed came to him in a dream. The young pharaoh had been sickly, but this dream filled him with strength. He began to eat only fresh vegetables and meats, and soon his strength grew. By the end of his 53-year reign, Usermaatreakhenamun had conquered half of the known world, and Egypt would never be in danger of destruction again.

in Kaliyuga 597, Gauthama Siddhartha, a prince of India, sat beneath a tree and meditated. The riches of his people were before him, privilege and honor enough for 10 nobles. But he knew nothing of poverty. After much meditation, he decided he preferred it that way. He became a hideous tyrant, conquering the lands to the north as well as other Hindi.

in 1304, so-called “Protestants” founded the city of Jesu, in France. Worshipping in secret, the Protestants grew in number in the region until they felt strong enough to attempt secession from the Holy British Empire.

in 1789, Mrs. Alexander Hamilton served a dessert treat for General George Washington, a dish called ice cream. It was not received well, and has never been a popular sweet since.

in 4561, in a desparate attempt to gain access to food from farmlands around the city, troops in Hanoi burst through the Chinese siege forces in a bloody battle lasting half the day.

in 1892, Sir Basil Rathbone, famed director of the British cinema, was born. Early in his career he had tried his hand at acting, but was such a miserable failure that after only one or two films spent the rest of his career behind the camera. [Today in Alternate History]

And even better, there’s a news feed.

Having an affair? Don’t forget to use a “shag phone“. [via boing boing]

Ambrose Bierce: “There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.” [Quotes of the Day]

Cnn.com is reporting that Ray Charles has died. I think we should have a week of mourning, at least.

Sir Julian Huxley: “Operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” [Quotes of the Day]

Mom recently asked me if I had anything else like Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz, which she really likes. Hmm, what to recommend to her…

Today was my mom’s birthday, so we brought her out to eat at a little place in Glastonbury, CT called Min Ghung. I’d glanced over a review of it a few weeks ago and thought it sounded interesting. The food ended up being amazing. I had some sushi for an appetizer and then their Salmon Teriyaki, which was very tasty. It was two large hunks of salmon. Mom got a Salmon Tartare to start and then had Shrimp Yakisoba that looked really good. She said it was great. And my dad had the Manila Pancake. Everything I tasted was really good. I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t want to try again.

Now, the other great thing about the restaurant is their sake selection. They have 52 different types of cold sake. We had two. One called Rihaku (Wandering poet), which was really flavorful and had a nice aroma of chocolate. The other was the one I really liked, called Kaguyahime (Bamboo Princess). The waiter had the hostess come and tell us the story of the Bamboo Princess, which I immediately recognized from one or two anime shows I’d seen.

So, I highly recommend this place if you ever find yourself in the Hartford, CT area. I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back there soon.

14 Questions Stolen from Lyn. Posted to my blog just to see what kind of response I get.

1. Who are you?
2. Are you trying to kill me? Why? What the hell did I ever do to you?
3. If you’re not trying to kill me, can you lend me $500?
4. What planet are you from, anyway?
5. How much do you weigh on that planet?
6. Describe me in one word. Preferably a smell.
7. Do you want to lick my toes?
8. If I gave you a dollar, would you clean my house?
9. What would you wear while cleaning my house, you naughty girl/boy?
10. What have you done to deserve a spanking?
11. How long have you been reading my LJ?
12. If you’ve never commented in my LJ, why not?
13. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn’t because you could be arrested?
14. Are you going to put this on your LiveJournal/Blog and see what I say about you?

Mark Twain: “Familiarity breeds contempt – and children.” [Quotes of the Day]

Neil Gaiman had The Conversation with his daughter recently. If I’m ever a dad I want to be have a conversation like that with my kids.