Pop Culture Victim
Thursday, April 29, 2004
I think there's something wrong with me.
I cannot stop listening to How You Remind Me Of Someday. The fact that Someday and How You Remind Me are the same song has planted in my brain and taken root.
I CAN'T STOP LISTENING! THE SAME TRACK, OVER AND OVER!! IT IS TEH EVIL!!!
Help. ¶ 2:38 p.m. 0 comments
I cannot stop listening to How You Remind Me Of Someday. The fact that Someday and How You Remind Me are the same song has planted in my brain and taken root.
I CAN'T STOP LISTENING! THE SAME TRACK, OVER AND OVER!! IT IS TEH EVIL!!!
Help. ¶ 2:38 p.m. 0 comments
It hurtses usssssss...
Beer is a wonderful wonderful invention. I don't know who was the first to let wheat and barley rot in a silo and then say "Hey! I'll drink the sludge at the bottom of this!" but then again, I also don't know who was the first to look at a cow and say "I'm going to drink whatever comes out of these, just like baby cows!"
So yeah. Needless to say, I was at Taekwon-do last night, and then we went to BP's and I managed to consume copious quantities of beer that I have to pay for after the fact, (read, this morning) in installments. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pay quickly enough for Beer's tastes, and he sent his collection agents after me to play the bongo with my skull.
Translation: I dislike hangovers supremely.
Still, it wasn't all bad. Sparring in particular was quite superlative, and I managed to at least fight a decent round against several of my usual adversaries. Even got some pictures of them, which I might post when I get a Round Tuit. (I keep misplacing the one I have...)
For tonight? So far I have no plan. I was going to be going to Calgary, and actually, I just might still, but all this will wait until this evening when I am less sub-human.
Other than all the misery mentioned above, I did a couple of things in the past couple of days that I haven't done in a long, long time. First, my results from gambling on Tuesday were not totally horrible. I managed to gamble for a good length at Palace, and did not actually lose any money (well, I spent money on cheese sticks in the restaurant, but I don't count that). After Palace, the gambling moved to my place and we played Crossfire. Crossfire is an interesting game.
A variant of poker, Crossfire has some interesting betting potential. See, everyone antes, and the cards are dealt (4 to each player, 5 in a 'plus' face-up in the middle, except for the middle one which is face down). From there, you attempt to make a decent 5-card hand, similar to 7-card-stud or something. If you decide to bet in the round, when the time comes, everyone goes to drop a token in the center. Those who do are in, and highest 5 card hand wins. Thing is, though, that if you lose, you then have to add the contents of the pot to the pot for the next round. Thus, the amount of money on the table gets larger and larger, quite quickly. For example, we had about 65 dollars on the table at one point, for one hand. Once only one person decides to go in on a hand, they have to simply beat the house hand (formed by the 5 table cards) and the money is theirs.
Once the cards were dealt and the debts settled, so to speak, I pleasantly discovered that I was up by about 16 dollars. I also discovered that the source of my new-found 16 dollars was the one person of the group that had lost a good chunk of money that night, and that I would probably never see my 16 dollars.
Sigh.
The other thing that I did (and that I had not done for some time, yes, I'm still on that...) was play the piano. For some reason, it was not as difficult as I had supposed. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I understand music better now that I'm older, or just the phase of the moon, but I felt I had a better handle of what the piano could do and how the notes worked together. It was quite odd, if you ask me.
So yeah. For now, I think recovery is my best plan, and that is what I plan on doing. Recovery, that is, as well as contemplating how Nickelback can release the EXACT SAME SONG twice as a Top 40 single and get away with it. (From One Good Thing) ¶ 12:11 p.m. 0 comments
Beer is a wonderful wonderful invention. I don't know who was the first to let wheat and barley rot in a silo and then say "Hey! I'll drink the sludge at the bottom of this!" but then again, I also don't know who was the first to look at a cow and say "I'm going to drink whatever comes out of these, just like baby cows!"
So yeah. Needless to say, I was at Taekwon-do last night, and then we went to BP's and I managed to consume copious quantities of beer that I have to pay for after the fact, (read, this morning) in installments. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pay quickly enough for Beer's tastes, and he sent his collection agents after me to play the bongo with my skull.
Translation: I dislike hangovers supremely.
Still, it wasn't all bad. Sparring in particular was quite superlative, and I managed to at least fight a decent round against several of my usual adversaries. Even got some pictures of them, which I might post when I get a Round Tuit. (I keep misplacing the one I have...)
For tonight? So far I have no plan. I was going to be going to Calgary, and actually, I just might still, but all this will wait until this evening when I am less sub-human.
Other than all the misery mentioned above, I did a couple of things in the past couple of days that I haven't done in a long, long time. First, my results from gambling on Tuesday were not totally horrible. I managed to gamble for a good length at Palace, and did not actually lose any money (well, I spent money on cheese sticks in the restaurant, but I don't count that). After Palace, the gambling moved to my place and we played Crossfire. Crossfire is an interesting game.
A variant of poker, Crossfire has some interesting betting potential. See, everyone antes, and the cards are dealt (4 to each player, 5 in a 'plus' face-up in the middle, except for the middle one which is face down). From there, you attempt to make a decent 5-card hand, similar to 7-card-stud or something. If you decide to bet in the round, when the time comes, everyone goes to drop a token in the center. Those who do are in, and highest 5 card hand wins. Thing is, though, that if you lose, you then have to add the contents of the pot to the pot for the next round. Thus, the amount of money on the table gets larger and larger, quite quickly. For example, we had about 65 dollars on the table at one point, for one hand. Once only one person decides to go in on a hand, they have to simply beat the house hand (formed by the 5 table cards) and the money is theirs.
Once the cards were dealt and the debts settled, so to speak, I pleasantly discovered that I was up by about 16 dollars. I also discovered that the source of my new-found 16 dollars was the one person of the group that had lost a good chunk of money that night, and that I would probably never see my 16 dollars.
Sigh.
The other thing that I did (and that I had not done for some time, yes, I'm still on that...) was play the piano. For some reason, it was not as difficult as I had supposed. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I understand music better now that I'm older, or just the phase of the moon, but I felt I had a better handle of what the piano could do and how the notes worked together. It was quite odd, if you ask me.
So yeah. For now, I think recovery is my best plan, and that is what I plan on doing. Recovery, that is, as well as contemplating how Nickelback can release the EXACT SAME SONG twice as a Top 40 single and get away with it. (From One Good Thing) ¶ 12:11 p.m. 0 comments
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
I was going to go take on the day, but I think it tackled me instead.
Cursed wind and rain and unpleasantness. Not that I had anything really sophisticated planned anyways, but that's hardly the point.
Headed out to Taekwon-do last night to train, and saw a few familiar faces. Also saw a few familiar faces framed with new colours, as well as some new faces altogether. There have been a great many things that have changed in the world of the Taekwon-do politics, and yet at the same time, so very much has stayed exactly the same. The various factions are still bickering, much mayhem was had at tournaments and the dojang is still hotter than blazes, even this early in the year. I'm somewhat glad that I won't be around for the lovely hot August months, but at the same time I will be having to sit through the longer, hotter Ottawan summer. Yeah, that's going to be pleasant.
Otherwise, it's kind of nice to be back home. Spending much quality time in comfy recliners lavishning attention on a cat that seems to have missed me somewhat. Finished up reading Cosmos, and while a bit dry in parts, it is a thoroughly good read, especially if you're into learning about the Universe on a very broad cosmic sense. Kind of like Asimov's The Universe, only a bit more up to date and covering some wider topics (such as some of the history around astronomical discovery). Now, of course, I am reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I figure it'll be a decent transition into Pratchett's world, which I have heard ever so much about recently. And since I know that Gaiman is a superlative writer without peer, I'll assume that any bits that are particularly good in this one are the result of the great collaboration at work. Needless to say, the book is reading something like the Book of Revelations after it has been disassembled into its basic elements and then steeped in a cunning brew combining the sharp dry wit of Douglas Adams and the silliness of Monty Python. So far so good, and will post more when I finish.
One of the other things that's been kind of nice about being home is the Mom cooked meals. As great as I'd like to say my own cooking is, the combination of not having to do the work myself with the familiarity of Mom's cooking just makes meals here sublime. In particular, BARBEQUE!!! I would say that you have no idea what it's like to be Albertan and go without a good steak for four-months, but I'm sure you could think of something comparable. Still, if beef tastes like murder, then murder tastes pretty damn fine.
So now I wait. So far my plan for tonight is either drinking or gambling, or both in either series or parallel. I'm really hoping for the latter followed by the former, since that would probably result in my keeping more of my money, but when I think about it more, it probably doesn't matter. See, I am something unique in the field of luck physics and have been described as a "luck air conditioner" or "luck donor" on multiple occasions. I don't believe I have ever walked away from a blackjack or poker table at the end of the night with more money than I when I entered the casino. However, when I go with others, one of my companions invariably does. Based on this, I have come to take the stance that I do not have luck myself, so much as what I do have I give to others, or I simply boost others luck something like NOS boosts those spiffy cars they show in the racing movies. Still, provided I steel myself to the loss of my wallet contents beforehand, I can still have a remarkably good time at the casino, and usually do. And since I have not had a good night of binge gambling, I feel it is high time. Barring that, just going drinking and carousing, or even playing some Risk would be acceptable. You know... whatever works.
Now, the killing of time commences. Someone fetch me my sawed-off. ¶ 2:54 p.m. 0 comments
Cursed wind and rain and unpleasantness. Not that I had anything really sophisticated planned anyways, but that's hardly the point.
Headed out to Taekwon-do last night to train, and saw a few familiar faces. Also saw a few familiar faces framed with new colours, as well as some new faces altogether. There have been a great many things that have changed in the world of the Taekwon-do politics, and yet at the same time, so very much has stayed exactly the same. The various factions are still bickering, much mayhem was had at tournaments and the dojang is still hotter than blazes, even this early in the year. I'm somewhat glad that I won't be around for the lovely hot August months, but at the same time I will be having to sit through the longer, hotter Ottawan summer. Yeah, that's going to be pleasant.
Otherwise, it's kind of nice to be back home. Spending much quality time in comfy recliners lavishning attention on a cat that seems to have missed me somewhat. Finished up reading Cosmos, and while a bit dry in parts, it is a thoroughly good read, especially if you're into learning about the Universe on a very broad cosmic sense. Kind of like Asimov's The Universe, only a bit more up to date and covering some wider topics (such as some of the history around astronomical discovery). Now, of course, I am reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I figure it'll be a decent transition into Pratchett's world, which I have heard ever so much about recently. And since I know that Gaiman is a superlative writer without peer, I'll assume that any bits that are particularly good in this one are the result of the great collaboration at work. Needless to say, the book is reading something like the Book of Revelations after it has been disassembled into its basic elements and then steeped in a cunning brew combining the sharp dry wit of Douglas Adams and the silliness of Monty Python. So far so good, and will post more when I finish.
One of the other things that's been kind of nice about being home is the Mom cooked meals. As great as I'd like to say my own cooking is, the combination of not having to do the work myself with the familiarity of Mom's cooking just makes meals here sublime. In particular, BARBEQUE!!! I would say that you have no idea what it's like to be Albertan and go without a good steak for four-months, but I'm sure you could think of something comparable. Still, if beef tastes like murder, then murder tastes pretty damn fine.
So now I wait. So far my plan for tonight is either drinking or gambling, or both in either series or parallel. I'm really hoping for the latter followed by the former, since that would probably result in my keeping more of my money, but when I think about it more, it probably doesn't matter. See, I am something unique in the field of luck physics and have been described as a "luck air conditioner" or "luck donor" on multiple occasions. I don't believe I have ever walked away from a blackjack or poker table at the end of the night with more money than I when I entered the casino. However, when I go with others, one of my companions invariably does. Based on this, I have come to take the stance that I do not have luck myself, so much as what I do have I give to others, or I simply boost others luck something like NOS boosts those spiffy cars they show in the racing movies. Still, provided I steel myself to the loss of my wallet contents beforehand, I can still have a remarkably good time at the casino, and usually do. And since I have not had a good night of binge gambling, I feel it is high time. Barring that, just going drinking and carousing, or even playing some Risk would be acceptable. You know... whatever works.
Now, the killing of time commences. Someone fetch me my sawed-off. ¶ 2:54 p.m. 0 comments
Monday, April 26, 2004
Kitties!!!
As I said before, I'm having fun with my camera. This is my cat! She lives with my parents. Her name is Topaz, but everyone just calls her Kitty.
¶ 10:22 a.m. 0 comments
As I said before, I'm having fun with my camera. This is my cat! She lives with my parents. Her name is Topaz, but everyone just calls her Kitty.
¶ 10:22 a.m. 0 comments
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Home again, home again, jiggity jig.
So I'm back at home again. What's more, I've both finished filing my taxes (and am expecting about 1.3G in returns!) and I got me a digicam! Yay! In fact, I will attempt to get it going and put a couple of shots up, provided of course I can get the camera software going on my parents' computer. This thing is really not the best computer out there at the moment. It was, at one point, but neglect and misuse has driven it far past the point of usability. It is only because I have no other way of accessing the Information Superhighway (Such a great term... wonder why it vanished...) that I use it. But no matter.
Yesterday was supremely uneventful. Mostly I kicked around my apartment doing nothing except for a bit of cleaning and playing of Amplitude. Then I went to the airport and kicked around playing Metroid Zero and reading Cosmos (yes, still...). Then I was on the plane listening to Ayreon. Then I was home. Tediousness is fun, yeah?
I shouldn't say totally unremarkable though, since there was an interesting question posed to me by the airline attendant guy when he compared my Commie Hat to a Nazi Hat. I suppose the argument is valid, since the Soviets were pretty nasty sometimes, but to that I say two things: 1, the Americans also did some pretty nasty things, only we don't hear about them since we "won", and 2, I think everyone should be free to wear whatever they want, be it swastika or whatever. They're not really harming anyone, and as long as it remains self-contained, no problem. Once you start trying to take over the world and murdering entire races... well I think something should be done then. So that's my thoughts on that.
There was also a slight hiccup going through security as I lost my wire trimmers. Don't quite remember how they staying in my bag, other than they were still there from my last school term and have stayed in my bag on the plane to Ottawa. Regardless, they are Air Canada's now, and that is that. On the plane however, the family in front of me was in a jam since their son was not allowed to sit next to the emergency door, their daughter hated the seat and refused to sit there, and I don't even know what was up with their mom. I, along with two others ended up taking their seats, and as such I was charged with being the first to escape the burning plane carcass should we be the first to arrive at the crash site. What that means, basically, is no right arm rest and a poor view of the movie. This sucked since I did want to see Big Fish. Guess I'll have to wait until it hits video on Tuesday.
Today was about as unremarkable as yesterday, but only slightly less so. Like I said, I bought my camera, a Nikon Coolpix 2200 (the link goes to the 2100, but it's basically the same thing). This thing is both cute as well as cool as beans. I also drove around a lot and realized how great it really is. Perhaps I'll do some more later on this week (even on the highway!!! squee!). Finally, I chatted with the Chrises and saw Chaps new apartment (and building) which is a phat palatial Hollywood estate. Seriously, like HOLY CRAP HUGE!
Sigh. No links, since my link-list is back home, and as I don't have much else to say, I will play with my camera some more. ¶ 6:41 p.m. 0 comments
So I'm back at home again. What's more, I've both finished filing my taxes (and am expecting about 1.3G in returns!) and I got me a digicam! Yay! In fact, I will attempt to get it going and put a couple of shots up, provided of course I can get the camera software going on my parents' computer. This thing is really not the best computer out there at the moment. It was, at one point, but neglect and misuse has driven it far past the point of usability. It is only because I have no other way of accessing the Information Superhighway (Such a great term... wonder why it vanished...) that I use it. But no matter.
Yesterday was supremely uneventful. Mostly I kicked around my apartment doing nothing except for a bit of cleaning and playing of Amplitude. Then I went to the airport and kicked around playing Metroid Zero and reading Cosmos (yes, still...). Then I was on the plane listening to Ayreon. Then I was home. Tediousness is fun, yeah?
I shouldn't say totally unremarkable though, since there was an interesting question posed to me by the airline attendant guy when he compared my Commie Hat to a Nazi Hat. I suppose the argument is valid, since the Soviets were pretty nasty sometimes, but to that I say two things: 1, the Americans also did some pretty nasty things, only we don't hear about them since we "won", and 2, I think everyone should be free to wear whatever they want, be it swastika or whatever. They're not really harming anyone, and as long as it remains self-contained, no problem. Once you start trying to take over the world and murdering entire races... well I think something should be done then. So that's my thoughts on that.
There was also a slight hiccup going through security as I lost my wire trimmers. Don't quite remember how they staying in my bag, other than they were still there from my last school term and have stayed in my bag on the plane to Ottawa. Regardless, they are Air Canada's now, and that is that. On the plane however, the family in front of me was in a jam since their son was not allowed to sit next to the emergency door, their daughter hated the seat and refused to sit there, and I don't even know what was up with their mom. I, along with two others ended up taking their seats, and as such I was charged with being the first to escape the burning plane carcass should we be the first to arrive at the crash site. What that means, basically, is no right arm rest and a poor view of the movie. This sucked since I did want to see Big Fish. Guess I'll have to wait until it hits video on Tuesday.
Today was about as unremarkable as yesterday, but only slightly less so. Like I said, I bought my camera, a Nikon Coolpix 2200 (the link goes to the 2100, but it's basically the same thing). This thing is both cute as well as cool as beans. I also drove around a lot and realized how great it really is. Perhaps I'll do some more later on this week (even on the highway!!! squee!). Finally, I chatted with the Chrises and saw Chaps new apartment (and building) which is a phat palatial Hollywood estate. Seriously, like HOLY CRAP HUGE!
Sigh. No links, since my link-list is back home, and as I don't have much else to say, I will play with my camera some more. ¶ 6:41 p.m. 0 comments
Friday, April 23, 2004
GLOMP!
Yeay for posting again! Went fencing again last night and just didn't feel like typing. Did get a few good rounds in though, so that was good. I did manage to solve a mystery though. For the past little bit I've noticed that my right arm is slightly bigger than my left, and couldn't figure out why, and last night I clicked in that it was because my right arm is my sword arm. Duh.
On a less dumb bit, City of Heroes looks like sweet, sweet massive gold. I've been looking to try out MMO gaming for a while, but short of a brief stint with Anarchy Online, I haven't taken the plunge yet. However, until now, there hasn't been a superhero online game. And since superheros kick righteous heiny, I am very much contemplating dropping my hard-earned moneybucks for the chance to make up a spandex-clad do-gooder and start whipping some thug ass. I've been looking at the screenshots Kaigen (of Force Monkeys fame) has been posting in the forums and they are quite delicious. Something about an alien invasion, and a gravity-manipulating magic user named Tumultuous One. Does it get any better?
My only misgiving to this so far is that I will try the game, play it only slightly and then discard it like so much rubbish. This has been the result of almost every game I have been playing for the last while, and it displeases me. I might even have to resort to skullduggerous icon-placement trickery to fake my subconscious into playing the game. Anyways, it is unleashed onto the public hordes on Wednesday, so I might just go buy it when I go back home, which brings me to my next bit:
I'm going home. At least for a week. This pleases me to no end, as I will be able to go back and invent fanciful stories about Ontario to entertain the yokels. While I'm sure my absence here will be missed, I'll be back on the 2nd of May, fresh and ready for my RIM job. Among the things I plan to do during my return to Winter include:
-attempt to do some Taekwon-do.
-drink and party to no end.
-buy a digital camera.
-drink and party past the point of no end.
And so on. I think that the digicam point is probably the (arguably) most important one, since I really would like to start taking pictures. And, lazy cur that I am, I think that having a small, easy to use, instant photographical device that could be on hand at all times would make this possible. I mean, one of the big downsides to having a wetcam is the whole getting film developed and then you have all these pictures sitting around and stuff. Both those problems are moot with a digicam. Plus, it's a toy I can play with.
Oh, and the drinking is key too.
(from Scott McCloud) Taekwon-do is also key, since I would like to see how my patterns have fared after 4 solid months of disuse. If they suck too badly, I think I will learn Rum-fu in addition to swordplay. I mean, Rum-fu must be a powerful fighting style, since look where Don is today!
(from Kevin) I thought about getting a guitar for a while. I decided against it in favor of the camera, but it's nice to know one does not actually need an instrument to be a guitarist. Lame to the untrained eye, I know, but perhaps still deserving of some sort of merit.
(from BoingBoing) Oh god no. This article poses an interesting question, but I can already tell you no. No no no. I suppose you can just keep inserting negatives here for a while. You get my opinion, I'm sure. Internet = Freedom. Or at least it should be.
So yeah. I might post tomorrow, but I might also not. I might also post while I'm at home. Or I might not. Needless to say, regular updates probably won't resume until about the 3rd. Now go have fun outside or something. ¶ 5:46 p.m. 0 comments
Yeay for posting again! Went fencing again last night and just didn't feel like typing. Did get a few good rounds in though, so that was good. I did manage to solve a mystery though. For the past little bit I've noticed that my right arm is slightly bigger than my left, and couldn't figure out why, and last night I clicked in that it was because my right arm is my sword arm. Duh.
On a less dumb bit, City of Heroes looks like sweet, sweet massive gold. I've been looking to try out MMO gaming for a while, but short of a brief stint with Anarchy Online, I haven't taken the plunge yet. However, until now, there hasn't been a superhero online game. And since superheros kick righteous heiny, I am very much contemplating dropping my hard-earned moneybucks for the chance to make up a spandex-clad do-gooder and start whipping some thug ass. I've been looking at the screenshots Kaigen (of Force Monkeys fame) has been posting in the forums and they are quite delicious. Something about an alien invasion, and a gravity-manipulating magic user named Tumultuous One. Does it get any better?
My only misgiving to this so far is that I will try the game, play it only slightly and then discard it like so much rubbish. This has been the result of almost every game I have been playing for the last while, and it displeases me. I might even have to resort to skullduggerous icon-placement trickery to fake my subconscious into playing the game. Anyways, it is unleashed onto the public hordes on Wednesday, so I might just go buy it when I go back home, which brings me to my next bit:
I'm going home. At least for a week. This pleases me to no end, as I will be able to go back and invent fanciful stories about Ontario to entertain the yokels. While I'm sure my absence here will be missed, I'll be back on the 2nd of May, fresh and ready for my RIM job. Among the things I plan to do during my return to Winter include:
-attempt to do some Taekwon-do.
-drink and party to no end.
-buy a digital camera.
-drink and party past the point of no end.
And so on. I think that the digicam point is probably the (arguably) most important one, since I really would like to start taking pictures. And, lazy cur that I am, I think that having a small, easy to use, instant photographical device that could be on hand at all times would make this possible. I mean, one of the big downsides to having a wetcam is the whole getting film developed and then you have all these pictures sitting around and stuff. Both those problems are moot with a digicam. Plus, it's a toy I can play with.
Oh, and the drinking is key too.
(from Scott McCloud) Taekwon-do is also key, since I would like to see how my patterns have fared after 4 solid months of disuse. If they suck too badly, I think I will learn Rum-fu in addition to swordplay. I mean, Rum-fu must be a powerful fighting style, since look where Don is today!
(from Kevin) I thought about getting a guitar for a while. I decided against it in favor of the camera, but it's nice to know one does not actually need an instrument to be a guitarist. Lame to the untrained eye, I know, but perhaps still deserving of some sort of merit.
(from BoingBoing) Oh god no. This article poses an interesting question, but I can already tell you no. No no no. I suppose you can just keep inserting negatives here for a while. You get my opinion, I'm sure. Internet = Freedom. Or at least it should be.
So yeah. I might post tomorrow, but I might also not. I might also post while I'm at home. Or I might not. Needless to say, regular updates probably won't resume until about the 3rd. Now go have fun outside or something. ¶ 5:46 p.m. 0 comments
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
I should be running on empty.
I mean, I think I only got about 2-3 hours of sleep last night. Why am I still awake and not tired in the slightest? I think it's very very strange, but doesn't stop me from spouting forth the following thoughts and non-sequiturs.
So the Sens lost last night. This really sucks, since now I have to pick a new team to cheer for. Edmonton didn't make the playoffs, hence my being a surrogate Sens fan, so I'm stuck between choosing either Calgary or Montreal, since I don't really feel like cheering for an American team, and the Leafs leave (heh. pun.) a sour taste in my mouth from beating Ottawa. By "don't really feel like", I really mean, "wouldn't be caught dead." So now there is a conflict in me: do I support the Alberta team because I'm from Alberta, or do I not support the Calgary team because I'm from Edmonton? Or, as a third alternative, do I just not cheer for anyone and just follow along, me being the somewhat apathetic soul I am? This will require some thought, but damn is that last one getting appealing.
Why do the police always make a big point about what the street value of the drugs they bust is? It's not like they can sell it or anything. I mean, we're talking about controlled, illegal substances that should be of no value to anyone because of the inherent evil and sin they contain. (Not my real opinion...) Are the cops simply lacking in ego such that they need to pump up their accomplishments, similar to the fishermen who boast about the one that got away? Or like the people who brag about getting within one number of the winning lottery ticket? Now that I think, those probably aren't the best metaphors, but I'm stuck for anything more appropriate, so that's what you get.
(From reading the paper today. I forget which one.) Donald Rumsfeld is a poet. He came up with this little nugget of auric wordplay:
Groovy, no?
"Actually" is a totally useless word. I mean, really. Take any sentence with the word actually in it, and then remove the word actually. There's no difference! Look:
So since actually never really adds anything to the English language, why do we still have it? Only thing I can come up with is that people say it when they're correcting someone and want to sound pompous and important since they know the real truth and you don't, so why don't they enlighten you with their higher knowledge? (Or more concisely, just when they're offering correction in general.) So please, people, let us never use the word actually ever again. If I do, you can hit me.
I took a morality test the other day. Here's what I got:
I'm not sure if this means I'm going to hell or not. I think I'm basically just off the middle in terms of condemning things as morally wrong and in judging moral wrongdoing in universal terms, but I think that moral wrongdoing is not the legitimate target of societal interference. Uh... yeah.
(Dave Barry's blog) So, the council is putting it to a vote: all those in favor of making the tits on the statue outside bigger, say aye. Score one for the advancement of the times?
So yeah. I haven't been playing nearly enough PS2 lately, so I think I might do that tonight. After all, the soul still burns. ¶ 4:15 p.m. 0 comments
I mean, I think I only got about 2-3 hours of sleep last night. Why am I still awake and not tired in the slightest? I think it's very very strange, but doesn't stop me from spouting forth the following thoughts and non-sequiturs.
So the Sens lost last night. This really sucks, since now I have to pick a new team to cheer for. Edmonton didn't make the playoffs, hence my being a surrogate Sens fan, so I'm stuck between choosing either Calgary or Montreal, since I don't really feel like cheering for an American team, and the Leafs leave (heh. pun.) a sour taste in my mouth from beating Ottawa. By "don't really feel like", I really mean, "wouldn't be caught dead." So now there is a conflict in me: do I support the Alberta team because I'm from Alberta, or do I not support the Calgary team because I'm from Edmonton? Or, as a third alternative, do I just not cheer for anyone and just follow along, me being the somewhat apathetic soul I am? This will require some thought, but damn is that last one getting appealing.
Why do the police always make a big point about what the street value of the drugs they bust is? It's not like they can sell it or anything. I mean, we're talking about controlled, illegal substances that should be of no value to anyone because of the inherent evil and sin they contain. (Not my real opinion...) Are the cops simply lacking in ego such that they need to pump up their accomplishments, similar to the fishermen who boast about the one that got away? Or like the people who brag about getting within one number of the winning lottery ticket? Now that I think, those probably aren't the best metaphors, but I'm stuck for anything more appropriate, so that's what you get.
(From reading the paper today. I forget which one.) Donald Rumsfeld is a poet. He came up with this little nugget of auric wordplay:
"As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are unknown unknowns
The ones we don't know we know."
Groovy, no?
"Actually" is a totally useless word. I mean, really. Take any sentence with the word actually in it, and then remove the word actually. There's no difference! Look:
"No one actually saw the shark." becomes "No one saw the shark."
"Large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt." becomes "Large meteorites come from the asteroid belt."
"My lunch was actually a sandwich." becomes "My lunch was a sandwich."
So since actually never really adds anything to the English language, why do we still have it? Only thing I can come up with is that people say it when they're correcting someone and want to sound pompous and important since they know the real truth and you don't, so why don't they enlighten you with their higher knowledge? (Or more concisely, just when they're offering correction in general.) So please, people, let us never use the word actually ever again. If I do, you can hit me.
I took a morality test the other day. Here's what I got:
Results
Your Moralising Quotient is: 0.40.
Your Interference Factor is: 0.00.
Your Universalising Factor is: 0.40.
What do these results mean?
Are you thinking straight about morality?
There was no inconsistency in the way that you responded to the questions in this activity. You did not evaluate the actions depicted in these scenarios to be across the board wrong. And anyway you indicated that an action can be wrong even if it is entirely private and no one, not even the person doing the act, is harmed by it. So, in fact, had you thought that the acts described here were entirely wrong there would still be no inconsistency in your moral outlook.
I'm not sure if this means I'm going to hell or not. I think I'm basically just off the middle in terms of condemning things as morally wrong and in judging moral wrongdoing in universal terms, but I think that moral wrongdoing is not the legitimate target of societal interference. Uh... yeah.
(Dave Barry's blog) So, the council is putting it to a vote: all those in favor of making the tits on the statue outside bigger, say aye. Score one for the advancement of the times?
So yeah. I haven't been playing nearly enough PS2 lately, so I think I might do that tonight. After all, the soul still burns. ¶ 4:15 p.m. 0 comments
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
I shall try to be brief.
Currently I feel odd. Squidgely, even. I am not sure why, but I have chalked it up to a number of possibilities. I could be simply anxious and worrysome about a great many things, most of which I probably have nothing to fear from. Alternatively, I could be going completely tin-foil-hat crazy. Finally, I might just be hungry. In an effort to dispel one of these, I am going to eat a salad.... now.
Munch munch munch.
Ok, after eating a salad, I do feel somewhat more normal, but I have also come up with something else. I think the fact that I'm in my last days of work may have something to do with this as well. Essentially, this whole week is feeling like a prolonged Friday afternoon. Interminally filled with not too much. I came up with the following haiku about it:
3 days of work left.
Time is moving slower now.
Can't wait for Friday.
That last line could also be "Have I gone wiggy?" but it doesn't have the same poetic-ness to it. Anyways, enough about that, and more about how my apartment was broken into today.
Well, not quite broken into per se, since I think my landlady let the ne'er-do-wells in to do work on my balcony, but I still came home to see my TV rolled about a foot and a half to the right, and some concrete crumbs on the floor and rug. Fiddlesticks, eh? So I swept up the crumblies and set things right again.
Speaking of order in the Universe, we might be able to write up a victory for the powers of Cosmos soon. Gravity Probe B was launched today, and if you don't care, I think you should. See, buncha years ago an egghead by the name of Einstein came up with a theory that explained some rather major things about the way things work, and so far it has yet to be proven wrong. I'm looking forward to see what GPB will tell us.
Changing topics like a bad driver changes lanes, I saw this a little while ago on the Dork Tower LiveJournal about the new I, Robot flick coming out.
Bleah is freaking right. I'm sure that this movie will at least be entertaining, but I think it will also go down as one of the worst book adaptations ever made. Yeah, that includes Starship Troopers.
(From Neil Gaiman's blog) Remember that dragon-in-a-jar that I posted a long while back? It's not real, but it's still famous. Maybe I should make something cool, pickle it and then use it to pimp off my stuff. How about a chimera? That'd be neat, no?
(From Dave Barry's blog) Take the Simon game. Remove the colours and replace it with mouth sound effects. The result is a very odd game. Zefrank indeed. I can usually get up to about 12 or 13 before losing interest.
So yeah. That's that for my early edition post. Right now, I'm going to go find out if you really can explode water with a microwave like you can eggs and potatoes, and if possible, go do it. ¶ 2:05 p.m. 0 comments
Currently I feel odd. Squidgely, even. I am not sure why, but I have chalked it up to a number of possibilities. I could be simply anxious and worrysome about a great many things, most of which I probably have nothing to fear from. Alternatively, I could be going completely tin-foil-hat crazy. Finally, I might just be hungry. In an effort to dispel one of these, I am going to eat a salad.... now.
Munch munch munch.
Ok, after eating a salad, I do feel somewhat more normal, but I have also come up with something else. I think the fact that I'm in my last days of work may have something to do with this as well. Essentially, this whole week is feeling like a prolonged Friday afternoon. Interminally filled with not too much. I came up with the following haiku about it:
3 days of work left.
Time is moving slower now.
Can't wait for Friday.
That last line could also be "Have I gone wiggy?" but it doesn't have the same poetic-ness to it. Anyways, enough about that, and more about how my apartment was broken into today.
Well, not quite broken into per se, since I think my landlady let the ne'er-do-wells in to do work on my balcony, but I still came home to see my TV rolled about a foot and a half to the right, and some concrete crumbs on the floor and rug. Fiddlesticks, eh? So I swept up the crumblies and set things right again.
Speaking of order in the Universe, we might be able to write up a victory for the powers of Cosmos soon. Gravity Probe B was launched today, and if you don't care, I think you should. See, buncha years ago an egghead by the name of Einstein came up with a theory that explained some rather major things about the way things work, and so far it has yet to be proven wrong. I'm looking forward to see what GPB will tell us.
Changing topics like a bad driver changes lanes, I saw this a little while ago on the Dork Tower LiveJournal about the new I, Robot flick coming out.
Posted by pyat:
Let's see...
The book I, Robot features...
1. Pipe-smoking scientists.
2. Engineers talking about variable feedback loops.
3. Dr. Susan Calvin - an ugly, socially awkward woman with a life-long interest in robot psychology.
4. Long debates on effect of the Three Laws on robot behaviour.
5. An extensive future history of robot development and space colonization.
The movie I, Robot features....
Let's see...
1. A zany cop who plays by his own rules, and gets results, even if those pencil pushers don't like it.
2. A sassy old lady.
3. Car chases and shootouts
4. Dr. Susan Calvin - a super-hot, twenty-something vixen.
5. A murder mystery.
6. Crazy robots running over obstacles on all fours like evil bugs, ala Aliens.
Robots are clearly shown beating the hell out of people, which really makes it clear to prospective viewers that robots CAN violate the three laws of robotics.
Bleah.
Bleah is freaking right. I'm sure that this movie will at least be entertaining, but I think it will also go down as one of the worst book adaptations ever made. Yeah, that includes Starship Troopers.
(From Neil Gaiman's blog) Remember that dragon-in-a-jar that I posted a long while back? It's not real, but it's still famous. Maybe I should make something cool, pickle it and then use it to pimp off my stuff. How about a chimera? That'd be neat, no?
(From Dave Barry's blog) Take the Simon game. Remove the colours and replace it with mouth sound effects. The result is a very odd game. Zefrank indeed. I can usually get up to about 12 or 13 before losing interest.
So yeah. That's that for my early edition post. Right now, I'm going to go find out if you really can explode water with a microwave like you can eggs and potatoes, and if possible, go do it. ¶ 2:05 p.m. 0 comments
Monday, April 19, 2004
I fergot again.
My notes sheet again. Phoo. So now what do I say? I suppose I could always start taking my notes down in an email and have them sent to me for when I get home, in the future!. That could work pretty well.
Or perhaps I could talk some about open-source software and anarchism, like this guy does in his article. Then again, to do that successfully, I think I'd need to know more. I've decided that I believe in the ideals of pure anarchism, (the optimistic kind, not the chaos-burning-mobrule kind) but like Communism straight up, getting there would be impossible. Perhaps for a small group, like a commune or something, but for a nation? Ain't gonna happen. If we could just snap our fingers and bam! Instant politico-economic revolution, maybe. But last time I checked, that doesn't happen too often. In addition, I'm not that vehement about my political and economic leanings. My politi-compass score is Economic Left/Right: -3.38 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.69, which puts me in roughly similar leanings as Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama but less extreme (closer to the middle), according to the site. Go figure. Still far lefter/libertarianer than Bush or Martin.
Or or or.... I could point your attention towards this American Idol type. From the accent, I'd say more like Scandinavian Idol, but one never can tell. Personally, I like the webcam antics of Dela and Ort (be sure to watch Chop Suey and Happy Hardcore) for webcam entertainment, but I suppose if you like Aicha, who am I to argue?
Or finally, I could become a political sellout and start promoting this guy continually. I'd vote for him and so should you. 'Course, if I wanted to get all political and stuff, then I'd rather you watch these. See, Jon Stewart is already a very comical guy in my opinion, and his take on the 911 hearings is just plain golden gravy. My favorite bit is where Richard Clarke says "It is not a matter of morals, it is a matter of politics." (Or something like that.)
So yeah. There's plenty to talk about, but I just can't decide. This could be chalked up to the fact that I only have four more days of work left! And I get to go home on Saturday! Trust me, the glee will be building and building until I need to let it all out Friday night or something, lest I explode. Then again, I hear exploding is pretty down with all the kids these days, so we'll see. ¶ 6:37 p.m. 0 comments
My notes sheet again. Phoo. So now what do I say? I suppose I could always start taking my notes down in an email and have them sent to me for when I get home, in the future!. That could work pretty well.
Or perhaps I could talk some about open-source software and anarchism, like this guy does in his article. Then again, to do that successfully, I think I'd need to know more. I've decided that I believe in the ideals of pure anarchism, (the optimistic kind, not the chaos-burning-mobrule kind) but like Communism straight up, getting there would be impossible. Perhaps for a small group, like a commune or something, but for a nation? Ain't gonna happen. If we could just snap our fingers and bam! Instant politico-economic revolution, maybe. But last time I checked, that doesn't happen too often. In addition, I'm not that vehement about my political and economic leanings. My politi-compass score is Economic Left/Right: -3.38 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.69, which puts me in roughly similar leanings as Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama but less extreme (closer to the middle), according to the site. Go figure. Still far lefter/libertarianer than Bush or Martin.
Or or or.... I could point your attention towards this American Idol type. From the accent, I'd say more like Scandinavian Idol, but one never can tell. Personally, I like the webcam antics of Dela and Ort (be sure to watch Chop Suey and Happy Hardcore) for webcam entertainment, but I suppose if you like Aicha, who am I to argue?
Or finally, I could become a political sellout and start promoting this guy continually. I'd vote for him and so should you. 'Course, if I wanted to get all political and stuff, then I'd rather you watch these. See, Jon Stewart is already a very comical guy in my opinion, and his take on the 911 hearings is just plain golden gravy. My favorite bit is where Richard Clarke says "It is not a matter of morals, it is a matter of politics." (Or something like that.)
So yeah. There's plenty to talk about, but I just can't decide. This could be chalked up to the fact that I only have four more days of work left! And I get to go home on Saturday! Trust me, the glee will be building and building until I need to let it all out Friday night or something, lest I explode. Then again, I hear exploding is pretty down with all the kids these days, so we'll see. ¶ 6:37 p.m. 0 comments
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Zzzzzzz....
Wow am I ever tired. Like to the point of deadness tired. I woke up a little walking back from the diner, but I suspect my lethargy will return. Not getting much sleep will do that to ya.
So I saw Kill Bill vol. 2 yesterday, and man, oh man does that movie kick ass. Each part as a whole was entertaining, but together they are just sublime. No 25 word review, but I will point out that you must go see it for the following:
-Tarantino dialogue.
-Best. Catfight. Ever.
-Disco-fu.
-5-point Exploding Heart Palm Technique
The soundtrack is also really good and worth checking out as well.
Also, went and saw Nero last night, and they do indeed kick snack ass. I was also pleasantly surprised by the warm-up band Grand Theft Bus.
Anyways, I'm going to post some links and then go do something that does not require awakeness.
(from Penny Arcade) For you linguists.
(from Mimi Smartypants) For those that like strange research studies.
(from BoingBoing) For those that think living in space would be pretty cool. ¶ 3:01 p.m. 0 comments
Wow am I ever tired. Like to the point of deadness tired. I woke up a little walking back from the diner, but I suspect my lethargy will return. Not getting much sleep will do that to ya.
So I saw Kill Bill vol. 2 yesterday, and man, oh man does that movie kick ass. Each part as a whole was entertaining, but together they are just sublime. No 25 word review, but I will point out that you must go see it for the following:
-Tarantino dialogue.
-Best. Catfight. Ever.
-Disco-fu.
-5-point Exploding Heart Palm Technique
The soundtrack is also really good and worth checking out as well.
Also, went and saw Nero last night, and they do indeed kick snack ass. I was also pleasantly surprised by the warm-up band Grand Theft Bus.
Anyways, I'm going to post some links and then go do something that does not require awakeness.
(from Penny Arcade) For you linguists.
(from Mimi Smartypants) For those that like strange research studies.
(from BoingBoing) For those that think living in space would be pretty cool. ¶ 3:01 p.m. 0 comments
Friday, April 16, 2004
Mmm. Beer. *drool*
I have decided the Nero kick uncompromised ass. They didn't when I first started listening, but now that I'm well past two hours into the concert, I'm much more in groove with them. Jam music rules. Unlike Jimmy Swift however, Nero is much more instrumental. And by much more, I mean completely. This doesn't interfere with their jammingness though, and in fact, somewhat improves it. I think that over the 2+ hours I've been listening, they stopped playing twice. Well, probably more than that, but that's only the pronounced ones that I noticed. I think going to see them tomorrow at Babylon's will be in my best interests. Besides, I have to ween myself back into "bender mode" for when I go back home.
Anyways, I remembered my jot-sheet for today, so there are two days worth of accumulated thoughts to dump. Ready? Good.
As I said before, Mark (person in my office) doesn't like the computers and printers and, well, most technology further up the evolutionary tree than TV + satellite + home theater. They don't like him either. I find it amusing to hear him curse and swear at all manner of things, and then just get more aggravated when they spurn him in response.
25 word review of School of Rock: If you're a Tenacious D fan, or even if you appreciate good rocking, you'll like this flick. The kids really rock, and Black's great too.
There is a movie playing in Edmonton called Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse In Love. By virtue of the title alone you should be putting your shoes on now to go see it. Now, I say! NOW!
There is a new facelift technique out there called a feather lift. It involves the implantation of micro-sized hooks into your face, and micro-wires tied to the hooks create tension in your face to make it "pretty". When it starts to sag, you go to the doctor and he/she tightens the wires to improve your face again. This sounds so much like Brazil it's not funny. Frightening, even.
Tenacious D has some kicking merchandise. This makes sense, since they are the greatest band in the world, but still worthy of mentioning. I especially like the Backstage Betty outfit, and I think the D definitely has... well, something for marketing their DVD with a cumrag.
Stage 13 has possibly their oddest lineup yet this year. I mean, Evanescence and ZZ Top headlining? WTF? Amy's gang I can sort of understand since their new and hip with all the cool kids, but the ZZ? Don't get me wrong - they rock hardcore, but they're not exactly the first band I'd think of for a rock festival. Perhaps the Bear is trying to mirror the more diverse lineups of Euro rock fests, or maybe just reinforce more of the "classics" angle they have. I don't get to go, but I think I can live without the living like a homeless person for a weekend.
SplitReason, the folks that I got my hat from, has a kicking new shirt. I want one, if only because it's Tux with a sword.
Apparantly in front of Kill Bill vol. 2 or The Punisher, there is a trailer for the new Batman flick. Nothing on Apple.com yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of sitting and hitting refresh.
(In4mador!) A dictionary for Cockney slang. If you don't understand what I say when I get back, this is why.
(Neil Gaiman's blog) RUN! There's a dihydrogen monoxide leak! It's already been (almost) banned in California! Flee!!!
(cheapassgamers.com) The open-source Playstation. Awwww, yeah.... Well, sort of. I suppose this would be fun to play with for a while, but given that I think you need to reformat your PS2 hard-drive for it, and I'm not too sure on getting it back to normal, I'll save it for being a toy that someone else has and you simply get to play with occasionally.
Whew. Done. ¶ 7:20 p.m. 0 comments
I have decided the Nero kick uncompromised ass. They didn't when I first started listening, but now that I'm well past two hours into the concert, I'm much more in groove with them. Jam music rules. Unlike Jimmy Swift however, Nero is much more instrumental. And by much more, I mean completely. This doesn't interfere with their jammingness though, and in fact, somewhat improves it. I think that over the 2+ hours I've been listening, they stopped playing twice. Well, probably more than that, but that's only the pronounced ones that I noticed. I think going to see them tomorrow at Babylon's will be in my best interests. Besides, I have to ween myself back into "bender mode" for when I go back home.
Anyways, I remembered my jot-sheet for today, so there are two days worth of accumulated thoughts to dump. Ready? Good.
As I said before, Mark (person in my office) doesn't like the computers and printers and, well, most technology further up the evolutionary tree than TV + satellite + home theater. They don't like him either. I find it amusing to hear him curse and swear at all manner of things, and then just get more aggravated when they spurn him in response.
25 word review of School of Rock: If you're a Tenacious D fan, or even if you appreciate good rocking, you'll like this flick. The kids really rock, and Black's great too.
There is a movie playing in Edmonton called Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse In Love. By virtue of the title alone you should be putting your shoes on now to go see it. Now, I say! NOW!
There is a new facelift technique out there called a feather lift. It involves the implantation of micro-sized hooks into your face, and micro-wires tied to the hooks create tension in your face to make it "pretty". When it starts to sag, you go to the doctor and he/she tightens the wires to improve your face again. This sounds so much like Brazil it's not funny. Frightening, even.
Tenacious D has some kicking merchandise. This makes sense, since they are the greatest band in the world, but still worthy of mentioning. I especially like the Backstage Betty outfit, and I think the D definitely has... well, something for marketing their DVD with a cumrag.
Stage 13 has possibly their oddest lineup yet this year. I mean, Evanescence and ZZ Top headlining? WTF? Amy's gang I can sort of understand since their new and hip with all the cool kids, but the ZZ? Don't get me wrong - they rock hardcore, but they're not exactly the first band I'd think of for a rock festival. Perhaps the Bear is trying to mirror the more diverse lineups of Euro rock fests, or maybe just reinforce more of the "classics" angle they have. I don't get to go, but I think I can live without the living like a homeless person for a weekend.
SplitReason, the folks that I got my hat from, has a kicking new shirt. I want one, if only because it's Tux with a sword.
Apparantly in front of Kill Bill vol. 2 or The Punisher, there is a trailer for the new Batman flick. Nothing on Apple.com yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of sitting and hitting refresh.
(In4mador!) A dictionary for Cockney slang. If you don't understand what I say when I get back, this is why.
(Neil Gaiman's blog) RUN! There's a dihydrogen monoxide leak! It's already been (almost) banned in California! Flee!!!
(cheapassgamers.com) The open-source Playstation. Awwww, yeah.... Well, sort of. I suppose this would be fun to play with for a while, but given that I think you need to reformat your PS2 hard-drive for it, and I'm not too sure on getting it back to normal, I'll save it for being a toy that someone else has and you simply get to play with occasionally.
Whew. Done. ¶ 7:20 p.m. 0 comments
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Somethin's goin' down at the ol' McGillicutty Place...
Well, perhaps not the McGillicutty place, but something similar. As I walked home from work today, I saw two cop cars parked on the street parallel to mine and one over. They were facing each other, and on the same side of the street. Something was going down. Not a block away, at the cul-de-sac (that seems like such a dirty word to me...) was a third cop car. Something was definitely going on. When I headed out to fencing I saw some cops talking to people in front of a house. Maybe it'll be in the news tomorrow. Yessir... nothing like getting famous by living a block away from where some serious criminal activity is going down...
NON-SEQUITUR!!
I feel woefully inadequate the more I read Alton Brown's Gear book. My kitchen is lacking in so many ways... I mean, I only have 2 pans, and they're both non-stick skillets. No saute pan, no Dutch Oven, no cast-iron anything! Any my casserole... it's actually a souffle. Don't even get me started on the knives. Since I'm moving in 4 months (seems so close now!) I have no intention of filling up my kitchen with stuff, but I fully intend to go shopping just to scout. That and because I really want to go to a restaurant supply store and marvel at all the stuff I could buy. It's like looking at big screen TVs, but less couchening.
DIS-NON-SEQUITUR!!
...is a doozy. Ba-dum-ksssh! Well, not really. In fact, my going shopping was going to be a segue, since I'm devising a list of things to blow my cash on. No real reason for this, other than I feel like it. The list so far:
1. Jesus Christ: Vampire Slayer DVD (it was filmed in Ottawa! SQUEE!!)
2. a guitar
3. things for my kitchen I can't resist buying
4. surgical tubing (because I'm addicted to heroin now. well, actually it's for working out in my apartment since I can't afford weights and I'm too lazy to go to a gym.)
5. there is no 5th item.
6. a hollow rod and a shelf (to accompany the tubing. don't even ask - i have a plan.)
Well, there was going to be more stuff, but I forgot my daily jot-sheet at work, so I'm fresh out of ideas. I had some stuff to talk about too, like how my co-worker Mark is hated by all the technology in the office.
NON-SEQUITUR!!
The Killers kick ass. They're like the Strokes, but done Electric 6 style, with the dance beats and such. Wicked awesome stuff, and I found out about them all thanks to Cliff from Dr. Devious!
That's it for links today since my clipboard is broken again. Now I go listen to some Tenacious D I downloaded. Archive.org KICKS ASS!! ¶ 9:27 p.m. 0 comments
Well, perhaps not the McGillicutty place, but something similar. As I walked home from work today, I saw two cop cars parked on the street parallel to mine and one over. They were facing each other, and on the same side of the street. Something was going down. Not a block away, at the cul-de-sac (that seems like such a dirty word to me...) was a third cop car. Something was definitely going on. When I headed out to fencing I saw some cops talking to people in front of a house. Maybe it'll be in the news tomorrow. Yessir... nothing like getting famous by living a block away from where some serious criminal activity is going down...
NON-SEQUITUR!!
I feel woefully inadequate the more I read Alton Brown's Gear book. My kitchen is lacking in so many ways... I mean, I only have 2 pans, and they're both non-stick skillets. No saute pan, no Dutch Oven, no cast-iron anything! Any my casserole... it's actually a souffle. Don't even get me started on the knives. Since I'm moving in 4 months (seems so close now!) I have no intention of filling up my kitchen with stuff, but I fully intend to go shopping just to scout. That and because I really want to go to a restaurant supply store and marvel at all the stuff I could buy. It's like looking at big screen TVs, but less couchening.
DIS-NON-SEQUITUR!!
...is a doozy. Ba-dum-ksssh! Well, not really. In fact, my going shopping was going to be a segue, since I'm devising a list of things to blow my cash on. No real reason for this, other than I feel like it. The list so far:
1. Jesus Christ: Vampire Slayer DVD (it was filmed in Ottawa! SQUEE!!)
2. a guitar
3. things for my kitchen I can't resist buying
4. surgical tubing (because I'm addicted to heroin now. well, actually it's for working out in my apartment since I can't afford weights and I'm too lazy to go to a gym.)
5. there is no 5th item.
6. a hollow rod and a shelf (to accompany the tubing. don't even ask - i have a plan.)
Well, there was going to be more stuff, but I forgot my daily jot-sheet at work, so I'm fresh out of ideas. I had some stuff to talk about too, like how my co-worker Mark is hated by all the technology in the office.
NON-SEQUITUR!!
The Killers kick ass. They're like the Strokes, but done Electric 6 style, with the dance beats and such. Wicked awesome stuff, and I found out about them all thanks to Cliff from Dr. Devious!
That's it for links today since my clipboard is broken again. Now I go listen to some Tenacious D I downloaded. Archive.org KICKS ASS!! ¶ 9:27 p.m. 0 comments
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
K. Because I haven't written a subject that started with it yet.
Really. I haven't. Just go and check. While you're doing that though, do ponder the following Interesting Blog Quote, from robin_d_laws:
No real reason behind my furthering this nugget of wisdom, other than I find the concept of Bush fending off a Question Period totally hilarious. It would be like a cat trying to hunt down 2 laser-pointer-dots simultaneously: every time the cat tries to concentrate on the more prominent Evil Dot, the other comes and attacks it from behind, and eventually the cat just gives up and sits dejectedly. And the concept of the mighty POTUS sitting in the House of Commons weeping is just too funny. Or at least, it is in my mind's eye, which is really the only one I know, so it's all rather moot anyways.
And speaking of MooT, I was looking for the etymology of the word, (as in, the point is moot; those who say the point is moo are retarded) and I ran across this game. Now, knowing about it, I really want to play. See, I really like trivia games, mainly because I happen to be very good at remembering things. The rather lousy side of this is that nobody ever wants to play trivia. I propose two reasons: 1, that everyone I know sucks and is just doing this to spite me, or 2, that everyone I know just isn't very good at that sort of game and refuses to play regardless to spite me. Is it a problem when most of the explanations I can come with for all manner of things reduce down to spiting me? Because... I really didn't think I had deep-rooted psychological problems, but these things can be tricky, now can't they?
At this point in the program, I drop the ball on the segue deal and just jump topic like diCaprio jumps from the Big T. I recently procured a copy of the Kill Bill Vol. 2 soundtrack, and holy CRAP this movie is going to kick ass. All you need to do is listen to the snippet of dialogue between Bill and the Bride to know that this weekend is going to be filled with entertainment. Well, that and remember that in addition to the KB2 bomb dropping, the Punisher is comin' to town. While I'm not the hugest fan of Mr. Castle, I must admit that the cinematic aggregation of: one pissed off man + John Travolta basically reprising his Swordfish character + big scary Russian dude + the use of a HUNTING BOW (as in archery) in a movie = great potential for good movieness. And really, it can't be any worse than Spider-man or the Hulk. See, I really liked the Hulk, although on subsequent viewings it would probably lose luster just like Spidey did. I liked that one the first time I saw it too, but upon later consideration decided that there were better comic book adaptations out there, namely Superman, Mystery Men, Men in Black, The Crow, Ghost World... well, you get the idea. Spider-man 2 does look hopeful, except that they basically outline the whole freaking plot in the trailer. That, and I already feel dirty from all the digital stuntwork. You could almost see the Photoshop lines from where they cut-and-pasted the digi-actors into the frame! Still, one can still hope for post-production miracles, and as I said somewhere else, I'll try and reserve judgement on all of the above until I see the movies. Which for some of them, could be very soon.
I just looked out the window now, and it's still light out! Am I weird for thinking this is unnatural? Maybe I'll suddenly wake up and go "It's spring now!" like I did with the "I wake up in the morning!" bit a while ago.
(from Tagline) So Star Wars on DVD, eh? Going to be the Special Edition, huh? Well does it look good at least? Excellent...
(from evil_nikki, a FM poster)
Yeah, those zombie pygmies from Diablo 2 are real. Repent.
(from BoingBoing) I WANT THESE SO BADLY I COULD EXPLODE!!! Is there anything cooler to play with at one's desk? I didn't think so. (Feel free to give me stuff that is and I don't know about yet though...)
What else, what else...? I always dislike this grasping-for-a-topic that hits at the end of a post. My fingers are all like KEEP TYPING, but my brain says no. Then I pull something odd like Nero out of my ass and keep going. Seems that Nero is an Ottawa Jamband, and they're coming to town this Saturday to Babylon. I would really like to go, but I'm waiting until I hear what they're like first. They have some performances up on Archive.org (a site that is rapidly becoming one of my favorite sources for free music) so I'm downloading one as I type. Also, they have the D on the site, so I'm rather enthused about that too.
Ok, I'm done now. Gonna go back to counting the days until I get to go home, I guess. ¶ 5:13 p.m. 0 comments
Really. I haven't. Just go and check. While you're doing that though, do ponder the following Interesting Blog Quote, from robin_d_laws:
Bush supplied the standard terrible performance he gives in any situation requiring quick thinking and verbal deftness. The dude sure wouldn’t last long in a parliamentary system that subjects its top dog to a daily question period.
No real reason behind my furthering this nugget of wisdom, other than I find the concept of Bush fending off a Question Period totally hilarious. It would be like a cat trying to hunt down 2 laser-pointer-dots simultaneously: every time the cat tries to concentrate on the more prominent Evil Dot, the other comes and attacks it from behind, and eventually the cat just gives up and sits dejectedly. And the concept of the mighty POTUS sitting in the House of Commons weeping is just too funny. Or at least, it is in my mind's eye, which is really the only one I know, so it's all rather moot anyways.
And speaking of MooT, I was looking for the etymology of the word, (as in, the point is moot; those who say the point is moo are retarded) and I ran across this game. Now, knowing about it, I really want to play. See, I really like trivia games, mainly because I happen to be very good at remembering things. The rather lousy side of this is that nobody ever wants to play trivia. I propose two reasons: 1, that everyone I know sucks and is just doing this to spite me, or 2, that everyone I know just isn't very good at that sort of game and refuses to play regardless to spite me. Is it a problem when most of the explanations I can come with for all manner of things reduce down to spiting me? Because... I really didn't think I had deep-rooted psychological problems, but these things can be tricky, now can't they?
At this point in the program, I drop the ball on the segue deal and just jump topic like diCaprio jumps from the Big T. I recently procured a copy of the Kill Bill Vol. 2 soundtrack, and holy CRAP this movie is going to kick ass. All you need to do is listen to the snippet of dialogue between Bill and the Bride to know that this weekend is going to be filled with entertainment. Well, that and remember that in addition to the KB2 bomb dropping, the Punisher is comin' to town. While I'm not the hugest fan of Mr. Castle, I must admit that the cinematic aggregation of: one pissed off man + John Travolta basically reprising his Swordfish character + big scary Russian dude + the use of a HUNTING BOW (as in archery) in a movie = great potential for good movieness. And really, it can't be any worse than Spider-man or the Hulk. See, I really liked the Hulk, although on subsequent viewings it would probably lose luster just like Spidey did. I liked that one the first time I saw it too, but upon later consideration decided that there were better comic book adaptations out there, namely Superman, Mystery Men, Men in Black, The Crow, Ghost World... well, you get the idea. Spider-man 2 does look hopeful, except that they basically outline the whole freaking plot in the trailer. That, and I already feel dirty from all the digital stuntwork. You could almost see the Photoshop lines from where they cut-and-pasted the digi-actors into the frame! Still, one can still hope for post-production miracles, and as I said somewhere else, I'll try and reserve judgement on all of the above until I see the movies. Which for some of them, could be very soon.
I just looked out the window now, and it's still light out! Am I weird for thinking this is unnatural? Maybe I'll suddenly wake up and go "It's spring now!" like I did with the "I wake up in the morning!" bit a while ago.
(from Tagline) So Star Wars on DVD, eh? Going to be the Special Edition, huh? Well does it look good at least? Excellent...
(from evil_nikki, a FM poster)
Yeah, those zombie pygmies from Diablo 2 are real. Repent.
(from BoingBoing) I WANT THESE SO BADLY I COULD EXPLODE!!! Is there anything cooler to play with at one's desk? I didn't think so. (Feel free to give me stuff that is and I don't know about yet though...)
What else, what else...? I always dislike this grasping-for-a-topic that hits at the end of a post. My fingers are all like KEEP TYPING, but my brain says no. Then I pull something odd like Nero out of my ass and keep going. Seems that Nero is an Ottawa Jamband, and they're coming to town this Saturday to Babylon. I would really like to go, but I'm waiting until I hear what they're like first. They have some performances up on Archive.org (a site that is rapidly becoming one of my favorite sources for free music) so I'm downloading one as I type. Also, they have the D on the site, so I'm rather enthused about that too.
Ok, I'm done now. Gonna go back to counting the days until I get to go home, I guess. ¶ 5:13 p.m. 0 comments
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Pork pork pork.
Excerpts from a letter home:
The names have been changed to protect the innocent, and in some cases, the guilty as well. Anyways, pretty much sums up my weekend rightly. On to more... er, other news!
(Toldja I was getting rid of the block thingies. Next, I'll work on my segues.)
I received another lesson in "believing scientific studies" today from reading the Citizen. Seems that a rather prominent study released last year about ecstasy that said that a single dose could cause severe brain damage and possibly death was rather severely in error. The baboons in the study that died from "ecstasy" were in fact shot up with overdosages of methamphetamines. Oh, how some scientists are chortling at their error, much like a mix up of buying soy milk when one actually wanted cow milk. Ha ha! Silly scientists, giving E a bad name, when they should really be punishing those silly speed ODers. Well, except for the fact that they're probably dead. The article went on to talk about how you'll never find a study talking about virtues of controlled substances. Well, never in the States at any rate. See, turns out that not many folks want to fund studies into possible boons of illicit substances, so researchers are left somewhat high and dry, until they turn to NIDA. The National Institute of Drug Abuse will gladly fund your study into the effects of illegal drugs, provided you further the cause of the drug war, which is to say that all drugs that are not from a doctor are BAD BAD BAD. One of the points that was also mentioned was the lack of a use/abuse line for those BAD BAD BAD chemicals that brighten folks' days. Booze? Sure, you can have a drink every now and again, but when you start needing a shot of rye to get up in the morning, you crossed the line somewhere. Pot? No line. All use = abuse. No such thing as moderation here! No sir! Hooray for double standards! Also, it seems that anything that says otherwise just isn't too happy and is worthy of suppression! Yay censorship! See, there was a WHO study done that said that in moderate use, cocaine just might not be all that bad. Not good, certainly, but not worthy of detonating your head instantly. Funny, seems this would be rather big news, and certainly in the drug community. Don't recall reading about it though, do you?
Er, I seem to have strayed with no way to get back to my original point, if there ever was one, and if you can suck emotion from my words, you might have been picking excessive anger vibes by the end. I seem to do this a bit, don't I? Well, the article was indeed really good, and I guess the moral of the story is, before you spout off the latest scientific research as gospel, try and find out who funded the study. I remember being told this once before, but this latest bit managed to jolt me into remembering again. And speaking of remembering... well, I forget the segue I had planned. Guess I'll do without.
(from BoingBoing)Coolest. Saw. Evar. If only for the party tricks one could do.
(again, BoingBoing)Who wants to wear their food!? ME ME ME!!! Well, no not really. But if you did, know that it's possible.
(once more, into the BoingBoing)BRAIIIINSSSSS!!!! God bless copyright expiry. Now you too can own a copy of Night of the Living Dead for free! Legally! Hooray! ¶ 7:36 p.m. 0 comments
Excerpts from a letter home:
Had a great weekend! Didn't get to see Kevin (he was in Edmonton this weekend, ironically), but saw everyone else. Ride down with [my aunt] was pretty good, and the weather was really nice (all until this morning going to work...). Got to [my uncle's] on Friday night and spent most of the rest of the weekend there. He and I went downtown on Saturday and did a bit of shopping. I wanted to pop in to a comic store, and it happens to be kiddie corner to Honest Ed's, so we stopped in there as well since I've never been. Ed's is... an experience. I would never have thought that one store could amass such a massive collection of merchandise in addition to tacky ornamentation (like giant stone heads and 12-foot tall cuckoo clocks). More extended family showed up, so it was a rather full house. [My 5-year old cousin] is infatuated with Grease, John Travolta and Elvis. She had a ball on Sunday morning searching for eggs both indoors and out (couple of casualties, as we had to pull one egg from a gopher hole and another was ransacked by racoons) and we also rented School of Rock, which everyone liked. ([Said cousin] didn't quite get the whole rock star mythos the film is grounded in, but she got a big kick out of Jack Black acting like a spaz and the kids playing rock and roll.) [My uncle] had a meeting with a friend of a friend of his from Isreal on Monday, so I hung out at Yorkdale mall for a bit on the way to Grandma's. Managed to score a copy of Gear For Your Kitchen (book by Alton Brown that I can't justify paying 50 bucks for) that was mistakenly labelled with a 30% off sticker, so I got it for what the price of the paperback edition would have been. Ended up with a textbookish copy of Joy of Cooking that I guess Grandma had a second copy of. So now I'm swimming in books (plus lugging around a couple of hardcovers was fun). Finally, I caught the 6:55 bus back home, which was an express and actually arrived earlier than the milk run that left at 5:40 (and it wasn't a 6-hour bus ride!).
The names have been changed to protect the innocent, and in some cases, the guilty as well. Anyways, pretty much sums up my weekend rightly. On to more... er, other news!
(Toldja I was getting rid of the block thingies. Next, I'll work on my segues.)
I received another lesson in "believing scientific studies" today from reading the Citizen. Seems that a rather prominent study released last year about ecstasy that said that a single dose could cause severe brain damage and possibly death was rather severely in error. The baboons in the study that died from "ecstasy" were in fact shot up with overdosages of methamphetamines. Oh, how some scientists are chortling at their error, much like a mix up of buying soy milk when one actually wanted cow milk. Ha ha! Silly scientists, giving E a bad name, when they should really be punishing those silly speed ODers. Well, except for the fact that they're probably dead. The article went on to talk about how you'll never find a study talking about virtues of controlled substances. Well, never in the States at any rate. See, turns out that not many folks want to fund studies into possible boons of illicit substances, so researchers are left somewhat high and dry, until they turn to NIDA. The National Institute of Drug Abuse will gladly fund your study into the effects of illegal drugs, provided you further the cause of the drug war, which is to say that all drugs that are not from a doctor are BAD BAD BAD. One of the points that was also mentioned was the lack of a use/abuse line for those BAD BAD BAD chemicals that brighten folks' days. Booze? Sure, you can have a drink every now and again, but when you start needing a shot of rye to get up in the morning, you crossed the line somewhere. Pot? No line. All use = abuse. No such thing as moderation here! No sir! Hooray for double standards! Also, it seems that anything that says otherwise just isn't too happy and is worthy of suppression! Yay censorship! See, there was a WHO study done that said that in moderate use, cocaine just might not be all that bad. Not good, certainly, but not worthy of detonating your head instantly. Funny, seems this would be rather big news, and certainly in the drug community. Don't recall reading about it though, do you?
Er, I seem to have strayed with no way to get back to my original point, if there ever was one, and if you can suck emotion from my words, you might have been picking excessive anger vibes by the end. I seem to do this a bit, don't I? Well, the article was indeed really good, and I guess the moral of the story is, before you spout off the latest scientific research as gospel, try and find out who funded the study. I remember being told this once before, but this latest bit managed to jolt me into remembering again. And speaking of remembering... well, I forget the segue I had planned. Guess I'll do without.
(from BoingBoing)Coolest. Saw. Evar. If only for the party tricks one could do.
(again, BoingBoing)Who wants to wear their food!? ME ME ME!!! Well, no not really. But if you did, know that it's possible.
(once more, into the BoingBoing)BRAIIIINSSSSS!!!! God bless copyright expiry. Now you too can own a copy of Night of the Living Dead for free! Legally! Hooray! ¶ 7:36 p.m. 0 comments
Friday, April 09, 2004
We must go BACK! To TORONTO!!!
Yeah. Going back to the big city this weekend, this time just for visiting. I'll probably check my email once or twice if I can, so anyone who feels like getting together, just gimme a buzz.
Also, Senators won tonight. My surrogate "home team" is doing well. Or at least better than the real home team.
Also also, a bruin is a bear.
Please stand by. ¶ 7:08 a.m. 0 comments
Yeah. Going back to the big city this weekend, this time just for visiting. I'll probably check my email once or twice if I can, so anyone who feels like getting together, just gimme a buzz.
Also, Senators won tonight. My surrogate "home team" is doing well. Or at least better than the real home team.
Also also, a bruin is a bear.
Please stand by. ¶ 7:08 a.m. 0 comments
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Is it porn dog or corn dog? (Or maybe horn dog?)
That Black Mage, will he ever learn?
Anyways, I was thinking about how it's playoff season now. See, merchandise is big, right, so why don't we make new stuff for people to buy? With that in mind, I propose TEAM HELMETS!!! Oh yeah... forget third jerseys. The custom helmets are here to stay! One for each NHL team, but of course, some wouldn't get them for reasons of them looking retarded, but the ones that did would be drop dead stylin'. My takes:
THE EASILY-HELMETED:
Ottawa - Roman helmet, complete with the sideburn-guards and broom-thing. (I don't know what they're really called.)
Edmonton - Grimy hardhat outfitted with LED miner-light. Perfect for blinding the opposition!
Detroit - Valkyrie-style helmet, with wings at least a foot long!
New Jersey - Devilish helmets, replete with crazy-huge Hellboy horns. (Bonus points if they're sharpened!)
Tampa Bay - Like Detroit, only lightning bolts. (Bonus points if you get the plasma-ball effect!)
Buffalo - Giant buffalo head, making them minotauran avengers of doom!
Florida - Like Buffalo, only a sabretooth tiger, complete with the giant fangs! (Bonus for sharpening still in effect!)
Calgary - Stylized fireball. (Bonus points if you get a real flaming helmet!)
Washington - Like a WW1 German army helmet, only the top of the Capital building!
San Jose - See Buffalo or Florida, but y'know... a shark.
Anaheim - A duck. (It would so work. The team can't possibly get more ridiculous.)
Phoenix - Again with the animals.
Philadelphia - Just like Detroit, wings and all, only lamer-looking.
St. Louis - Just like Philly or Detroit, but blue and with music note earmuffs.
Nashville - Just like Florida, only a slightly different, more silver cat.
Minnesota - Yeah. Another animal/cat/thing.
Colorado - Stylized plume of snow.
Columbus - Yet another animal helmet, only this one would look cool because it has mandibles!
Chicago - Indian headdress. 'Natch.
Los Angeles - Big. Freakin. Crown. (Bonus points if it levitates above your head and is on fire!)
Pittsburg - Penguin head! They could double as Linux mascots!
THE NOT:
Carolina - a stylized hurricane?
Vancouver - a big block of tofu? Maybe some bean-sprouts?
Dallas - big foam star?
Toronto - either a giant leaf, or an army hat camoflaged up with maple leafs, or even a beanie!
Atlanta - Space Moose (done by Adam Thrasher)?
Montreal - a giant C?
Boston - what's a bruin?
New York Islanders - a helmet with a replica of Manhattan on top?
New York Rangers - Army helmets?
So yeah. Lack of originality in my making nifty helmets, or lack of originality in naming teams? You decide.
I'm really going to stop with these bold lines.
(BoingBoing) Best. Headline. Ever. Those pesky zombies... out to ruin everyone!
(Wired) An interesting experiment into economics. I hope the the conclusion of this guy's story is a headline, since I'm interested to know how he fares.
(Alas!) Sesame St. has a dark side... A very. Dark. Side. Who knew Bird would snap like that? ¶ 4:04 p.m. 0 comments
Now you're being silly. I know the difference between right and wrong. I just don't care.
--Black Mage, from 8-Bit Theater
That Black Mage, will he ever learn?
Anyways, I was thinking about how it's playoff season now. See, merchandise is big, right, so why don't we make new stuff for people to buy? With that in mind, I propose TEAM HELMETS!!! Oh yeah... forget third jerseys. The custom helmets are here to stay! One for each NHL team, but of course, some wouldn't get them for reasons of them looking retarded, but the ones that did would be drop dead stylin'. My takes:
THE EASILY-HELMETED:
Ottawa - Roman helmet, complete with the sideburn-guards and broom-thing. (I don't know what they're really called.)
Edmonton - Grimy hardhat outfitted with LED miner-light. Perfect for blinding the opposition!
Detroit - Valkyrie-style helmet, with wings at least a foot long!
New Jersey - Devilish helmets, replete with crazy-huge Hellboy horns. (Bonus points if they're sharpened!)
Tampa Bay - Like Detroit, only lightning bolts. (Bonus points if you get the plasma-ball effect!)
Buffalo - Giant buffalo head, making them minotauran avengers of doom!
Florida - Like Buffalo, only a sabretooth tiger, complete with the giant fangs! (Bonus for sharpening still in effect!)
Calgary - Stylized fireball. (Bonus points if you get a real flaming helmet!)
Washington - Like a WW1 German army helmet, only the top of the Capital building!
San Jose - See Buffalo or Florida, but y'know... a shark.
Anaheim - A duck. (It would so work. The team can't possibly get more ridiculous.)
Phoenix - Again with the animals.
Philadelphia - Just like Detroit, wings and all, only lamer-looking.
St. Louis - Just like Philly or Detroit, but blue and with music note earmuffs.
Nashville - Just like Florida, only a slightly different, more silver cat.
Minnesota - Yeah. Another animal/cat/thing.
Colorado - Stylized plume of snow.
Columbus - Yet another animal helmet, only this one would look cool because it has mandibles!
Chicago - Indian headdress. 'Natch.
Los Angeles - Big. Freakin. Crown. (Bonus points if it levitates above your head and is on fire!)
Pittsburg - Penguin head! They could double as Linux mascots!
THE NOT:
Carolina - a stylized hurricane?
Vancouver - a big block of tofu? Maybe some bean-sprouts?
Dallas - big foam star?
Toronto - either a giant leaf, or an army hat camoflaged up with maple leafs, or even a beanie!
Atlanta - Space Moose (done by Adam Thrasher)?
Montreal - a giant C?
Boston - what's a bruin?
New York Islanders - a helmet with a replica of Manhattan on top?
New York Rangers - Army helmets?
So yeah. Lack of originality in my making nifty helmets, or lack of originality in naming teams? You decide.
I'm really going to stop with these bold lines.
(BoingBoing) Best. Headline. Ever. Those pesky zombies... out to ruin everyone!
(Wired) An interesting experiment into economics. I hope the the conclusion of this guy's story is a headline, since I'm interested to know how he fares.
(Alas!) Sesame St. has a dark side... A very. Dark. Side. Who knew Bird would snap like that? ¶ 4:04 p.m. 0 comments
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Glorp. Gah.
So I'm back. Looooong two days for Monday and Tuesday. Headed down to T.O. via Greyhound express (they aren't bad if you don't have luggage) taking the 9:30 bus. Read Starship Troopers most of the way (more on that at the end) and got in at about 2:20ish. Got to my Grandma's place, changed and then headed off to the funeral home for visitation. Most of the trip, in fact, consisted of going from Grandma's to the funeral home. Actually, about all of it did.
Funeral for Grandpa took place on Tuesday, the service being blessedly short. My uncle and my dad went up and spoke their words, both doing a wonderful job. I ended up learning a whole bunch of stuff about Grandpa that I didn't know before, such as how he ran an open grill fish-and-chips store in Edmonton for a while before living in Scarborough and working for Dominion-which-became-ADT. (Rather, I knew about the store, but not that it was in Edmonton or open grill (which was new in the West at the time and landed him on TV)) Eventually, we all said our goodbyes and headed home from the cemetary. I did alright both days, keeping everything together. The only thing that made me almost lose it was when my Grandpa's lifelong friends patted the casket and said "Goodbye, old buddy." That was really wrenching.
Still, time marches on, and I caught the (not so express) bus back to Ottawa that took 6 hours. Finished Starship Troopers and attempted (rather in vain) to finish Mario Superstars. Egad, that game has a hard end boss. I know exactly how to beat her, but my fingers inevitably end up fumbling something and it results in death. In case I finished though (which I didn't), I bought Metroid Zero. Still haven't opened it, but I'm sure that will come this weekend. Yes, I'm going back to Toronto. Due to the unfortunately brevity of my last visit, I'm doing more visiting, particularly with my other grandparents on Good Friday, and then probably staying with my uncle and visiting Grandma some more. So that's my weekend, how's yours?
Heinlein rules
So my review of Starship Troopers is:
The original space-marines-fighting-aliens story, not only entertaining, but a rather insightful criticism of society and human nature. Forget the movie - read this instead.
I must say, I'm a rather fan of the 25-word review, inspired by ( or rather, liberally borrowed from) Tagline. Go movie blog!
Ahem.
What else was I going to talk about? Oh yeah! When I was leaving on Monday, I bought some phone time at Mac's, and when paying for it with my Mastercard, the guy all but accused me of being a thief! Not only did he ask me my name to check against the card, he pointedly remarked that the signatures were slightly different (ie. the card vs. the receipt) to which I said that they were both my signatures and my credit card. I ended up having to give him ID to get my bloody phone card! Last time I go there when he's working. Wanker.
Things of lesser import
Kill Bill Vol. 1 was wicked-awesome. Vol. 2 will be moreso. Oh yes. Can't wait.
If there were anyone I would trust with my weight problems, well, if I had weight problems, Dr. Phil would be at the bottom of the list. Seriously, this guy needs a kick in the balls to keep his ego in check. Just because he's on Oprah and people listen to him doesn't make him the penultimate authority on everything.
Jesus is a ripoff! I mean, if I were Osiris, or Buddha, I would so have my god-lawyers on Christ's case for stealing my ideas. If there's anything we can learn from American culture, it's that lawsuits result in happiness, and since religion is also a source of happiness for people, it would make me the happiest person on the planet! Well, if I were Osiris or Buddha, that is.
I can't tell if this movie is supposed to be making fun of religion or not. Regardless, I would still like to see it. I mean, yes, it is Macaulay Culkin, but maybe he's not so bad now, and I think Jena Malone is rather cute. Also, she's in far more movies that I would have thought.
In closing, the city of Toronto sucks. That is all. ¶ 7:47 p.m. 0 comments
So I'm back. Looooong two days for Monday and Tuesday. Headed down to T.O. via Greyhound express (they aren't bad if you don't have luggage) taking the 9:30 bus. Read Starship Troopers most of the way (more on that at the end) and got in at about 2:20ish. Got to my Grandma's place, changed and then headed off to the funeral home for visitation. Most of the trip, in fact, consisted of going from Grandma's to the funeral home. Actually, about all of it did.
Funeral for Grandpa took place on Tuesday, the service being blessedly short. My uncle and my dad went up and spoke their words, both doing a wonderful job. I ended up learning a whole bunch of stuff about Grandpa that I didn't know before, such as how he ran an open grill fish-and-chips store in Edmonton for a while before living in Scarborough and working for Dominion-which-became-ADT. (Rather, I knew about the store, but not that it was in Edmonton or open grill (which was new in the West at the time and landed him on TV)) Eventually, we all said our goodbyes and headed home from the cemetary. I did alright both days, keeping everything together. The only thing that made me almost lose it was when my Grandpa's lifelong friends patted the casket and said "Goodbye, old buddy." That was really wrenching.
Still, time marches on, and I caught the (not so express) bus back to Ottawa that took 6 hours. Finished Starship Troopers and attempted (rather in vain) to finish Mario Superstars. Egad, that game has a hard end boss. I know exactly how to beat her, but my fingers inevitably end up fumbling something and it results in death. In case I finished though (which I didn't), I bought Metroid Zero. Still haven't opened it, but I'm sure that will come this weekend. Yes, I'm going back to Toronto. Due to the unfortunately brevity of my last visit, I'm doing more visiting, particularly with my other grandparents on Good Friday, and then probably staying with my uncle and visiting Grandma some more. So that's my weekend, how's yours?
Heinlein rules
So my review of Starship Troopers is:
The original space-marines-fighting-aliens story, not only entertaining, but a rather insightful criticism of society and human nature. Forget the movie - read this instead.
I must say, I'm a rather fan of the 25-word review, inspired by ( or rather, liberally borrowed from) Tagline. Go movie blog!
Ahem.
What else was I going to talk about? Oh yeah! When I was leaving on Monday, I bought some phone time at Mac's, and when paying for it with my Mastercard, the guy all but accused me of being a thief! Not only did he ask me my name to check against the card, he pointedly remarked that the signatures were slightly different (ie. the card vs. the receipt) to which I said that they were both my signatures and my credit card. I ended up having to give him ID to get my bloody phone card! Last time I go there when he's working. Wanker.
Things of lesser import
Kill Bill Vol. 1 was wicked-awesome. Vol. 2 will be moreso. Oh yes. Can't wait.
If there were anyone I would trust with my weight problems, well, if I had weight problems, Dr. Phil would be at the bottom of the list. Seriously, this guy needs a kick in the balls to keep his ego in check. Just because he's on Oprah and people listen to him doesn't make him the penultimate authority on everything.
Jesus is a ripoff! I mean, if I were Osiris, or Buddha, I would so have my god-lawyers on Christ's case for stealing my ideas. If there's anything we can learn from American culture, it's that lawsuits result in happiness, and since religion is also a source of happiness for people, it would make me the happiest person on the planet! Well, if I were Osiris or Buddha, that is.
I can't tell if this movie is supposed to be making fun of religion or not. Regardless, I would still like to see it. I mean, yes, it is Macaulay Culkin, but maybe he's not so bad now, and I think Jena Malone is rather cute. Also, she's in far more movies that I would have thought.
In closing, the city of Toronto sucks. That is all. ¶ 7:47 p.m. 0 comments
Monday, April 05, 2004
Going to Toronto.
Taking the bus down this morning. I may update between now and Wednesday, but I wouldn't hold your breath. ¶ 6:05 a.m. 0 comments
Taking the bus down this morning. I may update between now and Wednesday, but I wouldn't hold your breath. ¶ 6:05 a.m. 0 comments
Saturday, April 03, 2004
I completely have to rework my Best Comic Book Movie list.
Just got back from seeing Hellboy, and holy crap does that movie rule. In 25 words...
Simple story, simple characters, but some of the best special FX, brawls, squid demons, costumes, makeup and one-liners evar. 3 words: Clockwork ninja Nazi.
Yeah, just read those last three words again so that it sinks in. This guy is THAT cool. Also, I now trust Guillermo del Toro with comic-book movies the same way I trust Peter Jackson with, well, any movie.
Not Hellboy stuff
Saw this quote as the sig of a poster on the FM Forums:
Thought it was rather true.
Saw this article through HowStuffWorks. So far, very cool stuff. I can't wait to get one!
This is just a page of some funny shiznit. Reason I link it is the Trunk Monkey one right at the bottom. The rest are also quite good and I recommend watching all the ones you haven't already seen.
Case modders rule. Who wouldn't want a computer that was once a typewriter? Or a teddy bear? Or a freaking spider!? My personal fave though, is the media Linux box made from an SNES. (BoingBoing)
Oog. Sleep now. ¶ 11:03 p.m. 0 comments
Just got back from seeing Hellboy, and holy crap does that movie rule. In 25 words...
Simple story, simple characters, but some of the best special FX, brawls, squid demons, costumes, makeup and one-liners evar. 3 words: Clockwork ninja Nazi.
Yeah, just read those last three words again so that it sinks in. This guy is THAT cool. Also, I now trust Guillermo del Toro with comic-book movies the same way I trust Peter Jackson with, well, any movie.
Not Hellboy stuff
Saw this quote as the sig of a poster on the FM Forums:
The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.
Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - )
Thought it was rather true.
Saw this article through HowStuffWorks. So far, very cool stuff. I can't wait to get one!
This is just a page of some funny shiznit. Reason I link it is the Trunk Monkey one right at the bottom. The rest are also quite good and I recommend watching all the ones you haven't already seen.
Case modders rule. Who wouldn't want a computer that was once a typewriter? Or a teddy bear? Or a freaking spider!? My personal fave though, is the media Linux box made from an SNES. (BoingBoing)
Oog. Sleep now. ¶ 11:03 p.m. 0 comments
Sigh.
Well I feel a little better now. I'm expecting a call from my dad later on today and I'll find out more details, but right now I'll probably be heading into Toronto in the middle of the week, and then again on Friday (for a different reason though). Like I said, my Grandpa's passing wasn't entirely unexpected (he's hasn't been in the best of shape for about a week now), and he was in pain, so I'd like to say it's for the best. Still, one can't ever be entirely prepared for this sort of thing. Like padding up to go play hockey since you know you're going to be hit, but then a meteor the size of New Hampshire lands on your head.
I kind of feel bad for my sister though. She was coming back from a trip to New York last night, and she has an audition for college today. It'll be rough to say the least.
I think what hurts the most is that he was kind of my favorite of my grandparents. I don't want to rank them or anything, but he was the one I wanted to be around most, and he turned out to be the first one gone. And what bothers me most is that I'm going to have to go through this again.
Sigh. ¶ 10:25 a.m. 0 comments
Well I feel a little better now. I'm expecting a call from my dad later on today and I'll find out more details, but right now I'll probably be heading into Toronto in the middle of the week, and then again on Friday (for a different reason though). Like I said, my Grandpa's passing wasn't entirely unexpected (he's hasn't been in the best of shape for about a week now), and he was in pain, so I'd like to say it's for the best. Still, one can't ever be entirely prepared for this sort of thing. Like padding up to go play hockey since you know you're going to be hit, but then a meteor the size of New Hampshire lands on your head.
I kind of feel bad for my sister though. She was coming back from a trip to New York last night, and she has an audition for college today. It'll be rough to say the least.
I think what hurts the most is that he was kind of my favorite of my grandparents. I don't want to rank them or anything, but he was the one I wanted to be around most, and he turned out to be the first one gone. And what bothers me most is that I'm going to have to go through this again.
Sigh. ¶ 10:25 a.m. 0 comments
Friday, April 02, 2004
Fuck.
My Grandpa died earlier tonight. Just found out a few minutes ago from my uncle. From the sounds of it, it was as well as could be expected - peaceful, he was talking until the end, said all his goodbyes... Doesn't make it any easier though. My dad was there at the time, and I guess he's taking it alright. Hope to hear from him later on.
Yeah, no more talk now. ¶ 7:42 p.m. 0 comments
My Grandpa died earlier tonight. Just found out a few minutes ago from my uncle. From the sounds of it, it was as well as could be expected - peaceful, he was talking until the end, said all his goodbyes... Doesn't make it any easier though. My dad was there at the time, and I guess he's taking it alright. Hope to hear from him later on.
Yeah, no more talk now. ¶ 7:42 p.m. 0 comments
Hellboy!Hellboy!Hellboy!
More scatteredness incoming, but I will attempt to explain after it passes.
-HELLBOY!!! Holy crap do I ever want to see this movie now. I was flipping through Wired (the last one I bought, and I might have changed my stance on whether or not I will buy again) and they had a spot on (duh) Hellboy. Seems Guillermo del Toro had put together a 12-page memo about how this movie will be. Things like color palate, blood, how the fights will be... and all it has done is make me more pumped. And it's out today! Must see ASAP!
-I have been distressingly awake at work lately. It's like my circadian clock decided to suddenly remember that, "Oh yeah! I wake up at 6:30 now!" About bloody time, only we get to lose an hour on Saturday so everything will be scuzzed up again. Boo.
-I still have yet to watch Deadwood. I have the first two episodes on my computer, and I'm quite keen on it, since I've read that it's pretty good, but just haven't gotten around to it.
-The Sun papers might not be all bad. I've always been a fan of the Journal-Citizen-Star papers, since they actually give you news, but the Sun's letters are FAR more intelligent and strong-minded, and I agree with the writers more. None of these people taking offense to tiny details and complaining. Too bad the rest of the paper is inferior (Except for the quiz. The Super Quiz kicks ass!).
So... hm.
Where am I going? With the blog, that is. I've been kind of stuck for the past few days on what to write about, and it's either scattered little thoughts, or not much of anything at all. I don't think that I should have to manufacture inspirado for these postings, and yet I still want to write. So while I ponder, I'll still write what comes to mind, but until I decide what it is that I want to spent my creativity points on (yeah, like in a game) I will be somewhat hit-and-miss when it comes to content. The links will be constant though, and without further ado...
I want to do this so very badly... If the rush while ice climbing is anything like the rush of slab climbing, I am SO there. Who's with me?
Free time + lots of pencils + frantic-crazy fine motor skills. Invokes a simultaneous Wow/WTF? response.
If they build it, I will go. Just for curiosity, of course.
Anyways, like I said, that's about that. I still a little sore from working out Wednesday, which was made only slightly worse from fencing yesterday, but doing some more exercising tonight made me feel better. I hope I can still feel my legs tomorrow morning. ¶ 5:52 p.m. 0 comments
More scatteredness incoming, but I will attempt to explain after it passes.
-HELLBOY!!! Holy crap do I ever want to see this movie now. I was flipping through Wired (the last one I bought, and I might have changed my stance on whether or not I will buy again) and they had a spot on (duh) Hellboy. Seems Guillermo del Toro had put together a 12-page memo about how this movie will be. Things like color palate, blood, how the fights will be... and all it has done is make me more pumped. And it's out today! Must see ASAP!
-I have been distressingly awake at work lately. It's like my circadian clock decided to suddenly remember that, "Oh yeah! I wake up at 6:30 now!" About bloody time, only we get to lose an hour on Saturday so everything will be scuzzed up again. Boo.
-I still have yet to watch Deadwood. I have the first two episodes on my computer, and I'm quite keen on it, since I've read that it's pretty good, but just haven't gotten around to it.
-The Sun papers might not be all bad. I've always been a fan of the Journal-Citizen-Star papers, since they actually give you news, but the Sun's letters are FAR more intelligent and strong-minded, and I agree with the writers more. None of these people taking offense to tiny details and complaining. Too bad the rest of the paper is inferior (Except for the quiz. The Super Quiz kicks ass!).
So... hm.
Where am I going? With the blog, that is. I've been kind of stuck for the past few days on what to write about, and it's either scattered little thoughts, or not much of anything at all. I don't think that I should have to manufacture inspirado for these postings, and yet I still want to write. So while I ponder, I'll still write what comes to mind, but until I decide what it is that I want to spent my creativity points on (yeah, like in a game) I will be somewhat hit-and-miss when it comes to content. The links will be constant though, and without further ado...
I want to do this so very badly... If the rush while ice climbing is anything like the rush of slab climbing, I am SO there. Who's with me?
Free time + lots of pencils + frantic-crazy fine motor skills. Invokes a simultaneous Wow/WTF? response.
If they build it, I will go. Just for curiosity, of course.
Anyways, like I said, that's about that. I still a little sore from working out Wednesday, which was made only slightly worse from fencing yesterday, but doing some more exercising tonight made me feel better. I hope I can still feel my legs tomorrow morning. ¶ 5:52 p.m. 0 comments
Thursday, April 01, 2004
I love April 1st.
I was going to try and do something silly here, like claim I got married, or quit my job, or another equally false claim, because if there is anything the Internet stands for, it's being silly on the Poisson d'Avril. But my prank is to do the unexpected and not do anything silly, so as like a double-double-cross. Tricksy, no?
Yeah, thought not. Still, I'm tired, sore and ready for bed, but posting anyways. Yes, I'm a real trooper, and I'm sure you all care sooooo much! (It's ok if you don't. Really.) Anyways, do go take a look around the net and see some of the funny stuff that's been going on. ThinkGeek in particular has some interesting items up for sale.
Short like... er... short... uh, person.
Who makes movies? I mean the really bad ones... who makes them? This guy. As a huge fan of Rick Mercer, I thought this was just sarcasterrifically great. Biting, to the point and oh so true. It's RealPlayer/RealOne/StupidProduct though, so unless you have fancy codecs or something you might not be able to see it.
I love it when politicians get caught at their own game. "Show me proof!" "..... ok." The fact that it's Rummy makes it only sweeter.
Robots + Olympics = Something far better than Battlebots. Unfortunately, the pics don't really do it for me, so I'll have to plan a trip to the next one!
Oog. Sleep now. *thump* ¶ 8:57 p.m. 0 comments
I was going to try and do something silly here, like claim I got married, or quit my job, or another equally false claim, because if there is anything the Internet stands for, it's being silly on the Poisson d'Avril. But my prank is to do the unexpected and not do anything silly, so as like a double-double-cross. Tricksy, no?
Yeah, thought not. Still, I'm tired, sore and ready for bed, but posting anyways. Yes, I'm a real trooper, and I'm sure you all care sooooo much! (It's ok if you don't. Really.) Anyways, do go take a look around the net and see some of the funny stuff that's been going on. ThinkGeek in particular has some interesting items up for sale.
Short like... er... short... uh, person.
Who makes movies? I mean the really bad ones... who makes them? This guy. As a huge fan of Rick Mercer, I thought this was just sarcasterrifically great. Biting, to the point and oh so true. It's RealPlayer/RealOne/StupidProduct though, so unless you have fancy codecs or something you might not be able to see it.
I love it when politicians get caught at their own game. "Show me proof!" "..... ok." The fact that it's Rummy makes it only sweeter.
Robots + Olympics = Something far better than Battlebots. Unfortunately, the pics don't really do it for me, so I'll have to plan a trip to the next one!
Oog. Sleep now. *thump* ¶ 8:57 p.m. 0 comments
