...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...
You may have read about this. Harriet the turtle, the world's oldest living animal, turned 175 on Tuesday.
What an incredible accomplishment, when you think about it. Harriet must have an amazing perspective on the world and history, because she's seen it all.
Harriet watched the industrial revolution happen, the rise of nationalism and the Revolutions of 1848. She must have followed the American Civil War with interest. Was she worried when she heard about the Russian Revolution? Did she think Hitler might really take over the world? Imagine her relief when Imperial Japan was turned away from Australian shores, or when the Cold War ended.
What would Harriet say about global warming? Were there any el ninos when she was a little girl on Galapagos? What was Charles Darwin like? Was he a talkative man? Did he believe in God? What are her opinions on the art movements she's seen come and go: romanticism, impressionism, expressionism, dadaism, surrealism, cubism, modernism, post-modernism and even post-post-modernism?
Does Harriet have any plans for the next 175 years? i hear she's in good health. Is she optimistic about her future, or ours? Is Steve Irwin a goofball all the time, or is that just an act?
There's so many questions i could ask Harriet, i decided to see if i could track her down via the magic of the internet. What follows is the exclusive annika's journal interview i tried to conduct with Harriet in a Yahoo! chatroom. Unfortunately i wasn't able to keep her online very long, but you know how it is in chatrooms.
You are in "Brisbane Global Chat:8" (G'day to Aussies and their fans. [Notification: We are currently recording IP addresses of all Yahoo! Chat users.])
annikagyrl joined the room
sxyharriet1830 joined the room
annikagyrl: hey
sxyharriet1830 asdfzxcv
annikagyrl: hi harriet. first off let me wish you a happy birthday!
sxyharriet1830: qwwertasdff
annikagyrl: you look great for being 175 years young!
sxyharriet1830: 
annikagyrl: can i ask? what's your secret?
sxyharriet1830: uiopjkl;m
annikagyrl: wha?
sxyharriet1830: nmm,.jkl;
annikagyrl: is that, like, turtle language?
sxyharriet1830: iop[kl;'m,./
annikagyrl: okay. anyways, you've seen so much in your lifetime, there's so much i want to ask you, i don't even know where to begin...
sxyharriet1830: ghjkvbnm,,
annikagyrl: i don't know what you're saying
sxyharriet1830: 7yuiohjk
annikagyrl: um, is there anyone there who can help you type?
hott_for_turtles joined the room
hott_for_turtles: 23 m galapagos w/ hrd shell ne fems interested in chat???
annikagyrl: harriet?
sxyharriet1830: rtyufghcvbn;
hott_for_turtles: pic in profile
hott_for_turtles: ne hottttys out there?
annikagyrl: harriet, u still there?
hott_for_turtles: waddap sxyharriet1830 asl?
sxyharriet1830: asdfgqwert
hott_for_turtles: omg ur old
sxyharriet1830 left the room
annikagyrl: harriet?
hott_for_turtles: yo annika asl?
annikagyrl: 
annikagyrl left the room
X CUZE ME? Harriet, the oldest at 175? Clearly, the media has yet to discover the dinosaur holed-up in the Palisades.
Posted by: Casca on Nov. 18, 2005HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA
Posted by: Sarah on Nov. 19, 2005I got a crawfish named Louis who is 220 years old.
BTW its a crawfish not a crayfish or a crawdad.
I'm gonna eat him when I turn 100.
This post causes me to pine for the days of lore, when less than a million people were online and almost everyone you met was an intelligent soul. I began on Compuserve's "CB Simulator" back in 1984. You captured the essence of the Yahoo! Chatroom perfectly. Is there anyplace where intelligent chat still exists? (e-mail privately if there is such a place.)
I've longed for a "new WWW" called the "QQQ" which requires passing a basic IQ test in order to login.
Posted by: Nixon1971 on Nov. 21, 2005For once, I'm eagerly awaiting your MNF pick.
Posted by: Victor on Nov. 21, 2005