Then Dick said:

Dick won hands-down.

I usually get in twice, but while I was lying on my towel looking out to the sea I saw to two fins jumping out of the water and back in. For a moment I wondered whether these would be sharks or dolphins, when someone the next space over said that these were probably barrel sharks. Hmm… no clue. However, those two undefined swimming objects where cruising the water pretty much exactly at the location that I had typically swum out to for the next wave so I figured I’d rather not check this out in person. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me. As a proof that I actually was at the beach, here is a photo of my $6 parking ticket.

These two disturbed fish reminded me of a video I saw a few days ago where it seemed like a shark was chasing one of Boston’s Duck Tours boats. (The video turned out to be an ad for the New England Aquarium though.)

Also, it truly has become summer around here (and I probably got a light sunburn today). For some unknown reason I took this photo in my garden this morning after breakfast. Thought you might like it.

Ah, Northern California. Warm but not humid. I love it.

My reality in the U.S. is rather different. The best in toilet innovation coming from the U.S. that I could find is “Uncle Booger’s” bumper dumper, displayed below:

That’s what you call rural refinement!

Now then, let’s see what the consequential Google search on honor student bumper stickers revealed.

First, I found a true example of a real and serious honor student bumper sticker.

McKinley Elementary of course may be just a placeholder name.

Next, I found another serious example, with a twist. The proud carrying car is certainly in danger of getting scratched these days.

I eventually ventured into the offensive department. The first one was rather unimaginative and probably worse than the original. (What’s worse: pride or arrogance or pretending to be a bully?)

Then there was a whole series of cat and dog vs honor student:

One site claimed it had approached the whole cat and dog vs honor student business scientifically:

We recently tested several honor students against a group of Boston Terriers, a Labrador Retriever and an Australian Shepherd and in four out of five test areas the dogs won paws down! Some of the categories included were scent identification, water retrieval, etc.

It is naturally then to claim:

In general, there are lots of bumper stickers relating animals to honor students, yawn:

However, it is not all about using our trusted voiceless friends as a shield to hide behind. Here is the real deal:

Don’t believe it? According to this article, drivers with honor student bumper stickers are worse drivers than those without bumper stickers.

The author of that article went to the trouble of tracking down more bumper stickers, some of which I reproduce here for your amusement:

“My daughter turned down your honor student.”

“My kid knocked up your honor student.”

“If the kid is an honor student he must not really be yours.”

“My kid sells term papers to your honor student.”

“My honor student can drink yours under the table.”

What gives? All rather aggressive slogans. I doubt I’ll hang any philosophy onto them.

I’ve saved the best for last:

Now that’s something that rings true in my mind. Maybe there is value in putting something on your car, and if only hid the rust spots.

Krista, click on the photo to get a higher-resolution version to browse and zoom.

My car cost more than the education of your honor student.

(In the U.S. cars frequently have stickers on their bumpers saying “my child is an honor student at Podunk elementary school”).

Subject: jackal in uk
From: noreply@antisigma.classics.utoronto.ca
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:07:52 +0200
To: v.wohl@utoronto.ca

bug,
safe and ez trip. ok room. poor sleep. very poor.
i’ll try to find a real terminal soon. this is send-only (museum). hope you and dude abide.
luff,
e

I’m pretty sure that this email could as well have been submitted to some literary review journal for the short short stories section.

Or, maybe, it is part of a combined online/real-world game where folks have to find puzzle pieces in the real world.

Who knows.