It was on this date in 1913 that the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, establishing a federal income tax. Somehow at that time a majority of the representatives of the people and their states actually wanted to be taxed on what they earned. There must have been something in the water.
Fortunately, they haven't figured out a way to tax seagulls yet. Give them time...
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The best laid plans of mice and men (and seagulls) can always go awry (attributed to Robert Burns). Or, as codified in Murphy's Law: if anything can go wrong, it will. So it was with my attempt to launch the Geo Cam yesterday—an abject failure. I don't know how it looked on your device, but on my smart phone the video was so pixelated, I thought I was viewing a cubist oil painting. My sources suggest the Russians are responsible. But I'm not about to give up so easily on my great idea. So it's back to the old drawing board, as they used to say. Or, what is it now—back to the new smart board that nobody can figure out how to use? In my case, I'll just stick to making sketches in the sand. Before I move on from airing my grievances, please know that I am aware that the mobile version of my blog sometimes looks like a random pile of beached driftwood—things are jumbled and in disarray. My Web editor is still working on solving that issue. However, when you view this blog on a desktop, laptop, or tablet, it generally looks the way it should. Since it's Friday, how about we play our little weekly audience participation exercise called Fun Facts Friday. A reader named PW from Coquille is playing along at home, and he asks if I can share some facts about my family lineage. I can. I can't afford a DNA test, but as best I can determine, I come from a long line of gulls in the genus Larus. After scrutinizing the images and descriptions provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Steve Hampton's Gull Identification Website, I've looked at my reflection in a neighborhood tide pool, and my good looks alone lead me to believe I'm a Western Gull, or Larus occidentalis. Mrs. Seagull disagrees. She insists I'm a Larus dorkus. In case you're curious for more family facts, my mother's name was Gæa (pronounced JEE-uh)—named after the ancient Greeks' earth mother. And my Dad's name was Kia—named after a Korean car manufacturer. If you've been a faithful reader, you've previously met my brother Notaleo and my half-brother Hafaleo. If not, just follow the links to my past posts on those two. And now...the weekend is almost here! Of course, any day of the week, whatever time of year, it's a perfect time to come visit me at the beach in Bandon, Oregon. I'm a lucky bird. I get to hang out here. (And where the heck is "Brandon" anyway?) P.S. Yesterday's hyperlink listening experience transported us back to 1962 for Sammy Davis Jr.'s classic recording of "What Kind of Fool Am I?" (from the musical Stop the World I Want to Get Off) P.S.S.S.S.T. It was foggy this morning, so I didn't see my shadow . What does that mean?
I just had a brainstorm. It almost made my head explode. The windmills of my mind were turning at hyper-speed. Although such a level of mental energy wasn't sustainable, I was able to capture enough of it to convert it into a full-fledged thought. And here's my great idea: Building on the success of my balancing act blog, I'm going to go viral with another World Wide Web exclusive--The Geo Cam, starring yours truly in a reality show that will take YouTube by storm! Did I mention that today is February Fool's Day? ![]()
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Meet the AuthorHi. I'm Geo the Seagull.
I'm the distinguished Park Host on South Jetty Beach at Bandon, Oregon, USA. I'm a firm believer in First Principles: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Your Lunch. Archives
August 2018
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