I just learned that skim milk actually makes better foam than whole because of a higher sugar content. Go figure. 37 and still learning. I also just accidentally jailbroke my iphone (no, seriously). Though I doubt it would hold up in the court of the ‘Genius Bar’ it is indeed what happened. Actually, I was trying to jailbreak my old iphone (now in my eldest son’s possession – at his request) and got them mixed up. Doh! Ah well, we’ll see how that turns out.

What else is new…

Found This cool article on 6 Insane Coincidences You won’t Believe . Actually, only the first 2 are that insane to me but they are really insane. I love this kind of stuff. Fort wrote about them extensively and a few of them are mentioned in the intro to Magnolia. These stories make me wonder about the nature of time, imagination & cause/effect. The first two are about authors whose books foretold future events. Were their sensitive imaginations picking up on ripples from future events? Is it possible their books actually somehow influenced events? Which is harder to swallow? Either way, it makes writing seem like a delicate operation. Be careful what you throw out there, right?

Over the years I have experienced a multitude of these synchronicities. So much so that I’ve stopped paying attention and merely accept them as a normal state of affairs (although perhaps secretly I take some satisfaction in them being a sort of reassurance of my life being ‘in sync’).

As for this blog, we shall see what happens. I’m going to try to keep some regular updates happening (for my won sanity, if nothing else) but it all really depends on how I decide to use my precious time. So many other ways to waste it… I am starting a new gig in march so hopefully I’ll be in a better state of mind about sharing what is happening. Stay tuned!

Anyway, this recording is very different form the rest. As has often been the case in recent years I didn’t remember my annual recording until the last minute. So late last Saturday night I grabbed my little MicroTrack 24/96 and walked down the street (current domestic activities keep me from straying far from home). There were only a few fireworks going off in our quiet little neighborhood. In the distance could be heard the big display(s) from closer into town. The keynote sound though, quite surprising in a desert, were these unbelievably loud frogs. We are in the monsoon season and had indeed received some heavy rains recently. I hadn’t noticed but the rains had collected in a small drainage area at the end of the block. As I got closer and closer to the small pond (pool really) the sounds of the frogs grew deafening. Every once in a while some firecrackers could be heard or else a larger mortar would explode and illuminate the sky above me. The frogs seemed hardly bothered, although they’re syncopation did alter a bit after each one. As I stood there listening I noticed how much louder and more relevent the frogs sounds were compared to all the incendiary hoopla of the fourth of july celebrations.

The most curious thing though is that these frogs exist at all. I’m told they can live underground for long periods of time (as long as 7 months). before coming up when they sense a rain storm. Amazing. This also reminded me of another fortean phenomena related to frogs that I had read about in an old issue of Fortean Times Magazine. I’m referring to quarymen who had found live frogs inside of rocks they had just broken open. Frogs falling from the skies and now coming up from the earth. What next?

Recording of July 4th, 2009 in Santa Fe, NM

The common explanation is water spouts sucking up the poor creations and delivering them wherever the wind sets them down. It seems to me probable that this is sometimes the case. Still, Fort was inspired to write books that flaunted damned data in the face of the scientific establishment. It is easy and comforting to accept the most obvious solution. But (if you read the articles) it appears even the scientific authorities in the area are unwilling to accept the water spout explanation. Well then, what other explanations are there? A bunch of birds dropped them? Should we accept Fort’s theory of a super-sea hovering in the sky above our terrestrial waters? What about teleportation? Fort did coin the word in an attempt to theorize how these strange rains could be a form of migration! But even he himself did not believe such silliness. Still, what the hell is going on here?

If you need further proof(?) that there is more to the story than unseen water spouts & vomiting birds then check out this story about a place in Honduras that has been having rains of fish annually for over 100 years. As the story of the Father Subirana miracle goes, while visiting Honduras the Spanish Catholic missionary prayed for a miracle to feed all the poor people he had experienced there. The Rain of Fish (or Lluvia de Peces) has occurred ever since. Now, I’d be interested to hear anyone’s explanation for that! Sounds like an excuse for a trip to Honduras to me. If you want to dig a little deeper into the Honduran mystery check out this article. It’s auto-translated using babelfish so you may have to read between the lines to catch the meaning.

For a list of other oddities not normally associated with ‘things falling from the sky’ check out this link.

Apparently, someone has finally (after hundreds or thousands of years of mysterious rains..come on!!!) named these freak showers, “fafrotskies.” Figure that out yourself.