Here's the thing about being in the smarty-pants prediction business. Sometimes you say things that don't come out right. The Betster deeply regrets that offhand "plague of frogs" crack in last week's Best Bets.

First, the Amphibian Anti-Defamation League sent a terse letter saying, "And what's so wrong about that?" Then one of those California animal cruelty groups complained about even thinking of the possibility of dropping frogs from high altitudes.

Some Paul Thomas Anderson fan even whined about how the Betster stole the plague of frogs idea from Anderson's film, "Magnolia." No, no, ptaphan, the Betster only borrows from works long in the public domain you know, the Bible, Shakespeare or Homer (that's the poet, not the town).

And that joke about "be careful what you ask for?" You'd think the Betster would know better by now. Start dreaming up the improbable, and sure enough it will happen. We all kinda knew Redoubt would eventually blow, but on the same morning as a peninsula-wide power outage? Holy Kilowatt!

The Betster won't even go into the poor timing of the Pollyannaish comment about "happy days are here again." For those of you who got wage cuts last week or worse, pink slips that had to hurt. Ouch. Sorry. My bad.

Not that the Betster's general thesis was flawed. We do indeed live in strange times. When it comes to Ma Nature, bet on the mother. Do you think a big huge volcano that's been blowing for millennia gives a hoot about the problems of some pesky little pink bears? As if. "Alaska wins again," a friend of the Betster said the other day while talking about Iditarod mushers stranded in Nome by ash from Redoubt that had shut down air traffic.

Our challenge as human beings is to figure out how to survive despite what nature, complex mechanical systems and a crummy economy throws at us. Fortunately, we humans have gotten pretty good at this survival biz, else we would long ago have expired as a species. We muddle through because of our wit, ingenuity, perseverance and the kindness of friends.

So snug up that dust mask, count your pennies and good times or bad, get out and have fun, maybe with some of these Best Bets:

BEST FAST LANE ON THE INFOBAHN: Hey, just because you're a little gray doesn't mean you can't figure out the amazing World Wide Web. Learn some basic computer skills with Senior Surf Day from 3-5 p.m. today at the Homer Public Library. Cowabunga!

BEST LOST IN THE SPILL BET: After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, some killer whales biologist Craig Matkin had been studying in Prince William Sound just vanished. Learn about the sad fate of several pods and other animals with "Wildlife, Whales and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill" from 6-8 p.m. today at the Pratt Museum.

BEST WET SAWDUST BET: The sawdust on the floor of the Salty Dawg isn't there to sop up spilled beer. More than a few tears have been shed as otherwise tough fishermen mourn absent friends. There might be some tears and maybe some laughter from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday at the Dawg as the Pratt Museum holds "Stories of the Spill," a chance to remember and tell tales about the 1989 spill.

BEST ETAOIN SHRDLU BET: Would the words for the most common letters in the English language count as a Scrabble word? Heck, why not? There's probably some official dictionary you have to use as opposed to the one in the Betster's head. If you want to try out your word skills, enter the Friends of the Homer Public Library's fourth annual Scrabble tournament this weekend. The two-day event is 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday at Land's End Resort.

BEST JESUS WAS A HANDSOME MAN BET: Jesus in surfer jams? Judas in a disco suit? Kids, this isn't your daddy's Passion Play. Well, maybe it is, since "Godspell" dates back to 1971. The musical based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, with a rock 'n' roll score, is performed by the Homer High School Concert Choir and Pier One Theatre. Shows run 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mariner Theatre; admission is $12, with tickets at Etude Studios and the Homer Bookstore.

Homer's Best Bets