...gridcosm?level=898 sez:

"Kiss me, I'm a Darwin Award Winner! I did a bad thing, George."

That ain't no biker wearing the eyepatch in 898-c1. That's the leader of the Taliban. His eyepatch inspired me to hoist the Jolly Roger pirate flag alongside him.

'Kiss me' = I wish he'd wear a button on his lapel proclaiming 'Kiss me, I'm Afganistani.'

'I'm a Darwin Award Winner' = Kamikaze the Pentagon. Good thinking. NOT. Official Darwin Awards <www.darwinawards.com>

'I did a bad thing, George' = Quote from the novel and film _Of Mice and Men_. Of Mice and Men (1939) <us.imdb.com>

The number 22 on his beard refers to the novel and film _Catch 22_. Catch-22 (1970) <us.imdb.com> The insignia of W's Skull & Bones fraternity at Yale is faintly visible in 898-b1. The number 322 has mystical significance to W's fraternity.

In 898-a1, 'bye' = I'm taking a 100 level vacation from Gridcosm. While I'm away, I'll learn how to use GIMP. And I'll probably post some large images to Panic. 150 x 150 is starting to make me feel a bit claustrophobic.

Why the link to suv.org in 898's poem? Because suv.org says this:

"Finally, it is important to note that SUVs are contributing to our dependence on imported oil. The more gasoline we use, the more oil we have to import from other countries. Currently, more than half of the oil we use is imported. This level of dependence on imports is the highest in our history, and will only increase unless we do a better job with conservation and alternative fuels. If current rates of consumption were to continue, the world's remaining resources of conventional oil would be used up in 40 years. The United States uses more than 3 billion barrels of oil per year just on passenger cars and light trucks. Clearly, there are significant problems with SUVs that need to be remedied. The good news is that SUVs can be improved without much effort."