Sunday, November 30, 2008

How productive

Three out of god-knows-how-many Xmas gifts done.

On top of that, I've managed to successfully paint and enamel-coat nearly forty miniatures.

Not too shabby.

I'm really not looking forward to this coming week. The looming possibility of jury duty might have something to do with it.

Bleah.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Lessons from day three of a four-day weekend

So day three of my four-day weekend is coming to a close. What I've learned thus far:

* It's good to restrain one's self from eating an extra piece of pumpkin pie, especially on a full stomach.

* Painting miniatures requires a very steady hand. Thus, Turkish coffee? Bad idea when I plan to do painting.

* I can be asked a finite number of "nickle and dime" questions before I lose my temper.

* I can burn through 76 pages of finance-related reading in two 40-minute train rides.

* I can go into an Abercrummy & Grinch store and move quickly enough so I'm only inhaling the noxious fumes they pump into the atmosphere five times before I start to see stars. (Why was I in an Abercrummy & Grinch store? I ask myself the very same question...)

* It doesn't matter where I stand or sit on a BART train. A mentally-disturbed freak will move to be in close proximity to me.

* I can watch "Wall-E" twice and still not be bored with it.

* The burner I thought didn't work on my stove does.

* Related to above: a plate can be exposed to a burner set on "high" for several minutes before showing scorch marks.

* If I'm looking for inexpensive gifts, shopping in SF is not a good idea.

* The Vord are scary. Damn scary.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Cliche post

I'm thankful for my turkey-induced comatose state right now.

I'm thankful for a pretty awesome family.

I'm thankful for the lack of a hangover from last night's three mai tais. I credit, in part, the viewing of "Scanners" afterwards.

I'm thankful for my copy of Wall-E coming in so I could watch it this morning.

I'm thankful that lady pulling away from the curb actually stopped before sideswiping my car this morning.

I'm thankful for the pasta sauce my dad sent home with me. Mmm... homemade pasta sauce...

I'm thankful for the awesome nerdliness of my friends.

It's actually impossible to list all the things I'm thankful for. It's almost impossible for me to quantify them.

And I'm not just thankful for them on this one day. I'm always thankful.

I sure don't mind getting a massive meal out of a holiday recognizing those things I'm thankful for.

Mmm...

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Tic-tic-tic...

It's 12:40.

I've been told I can leave at 1.

I'm so ready to leave now.

Tonight I meet up with Mackie for some Forbidden Island goodness followed by "Scanners".

Tomorrow: Turkey Day.

Good times.

Must use superpowers to make time move faster...

Gimme some sugar, baby

THIS is awesome!

I'm there. I'm so there.

Wow

I saw this on Tokyomango.

Wow.

I immediately found my mind was log-jammed with snarky commentary from this. This quote, in particular, is priceless:

"Nordic-looking blondes can be particularly terrifying to look in the eye. Take a deep breath, then hit Play. If you can get through the first 30 seconds without curling up in the fetal position under your desk, you're home free."

The article gives a choice of staring at this girl or this girl.

Ahem.

In the first young woman's video, I think eye contact would be a bit more difficult. If you don't get why... well I'm not going to explain it.

I'd consider myself reasonably shy, but I would have a difficult time not staring at the woman in the second video, personally. I dunno if I could maintain eye contact, but I'm willing to give it a try should I meet her. [grin]

I just followed some of the related links. WTF?

Too early for YouTube.

Much too early.

Boo-yeah

And package number three arrived late yesterday afternoon. I have my copy of "Scanners" in time for head-exploding goodness tonight.

Mackie and I will settle our bet a few weeks late to drinks at Forbidden Island, then some "Scanners" and maybe "Pyromania" (aka "Cross-Fire") - a Japanese flick about a woman with pyrokinesis.

Good times.

This will, of course, be night number two of Forbidden Island's fluffy-drink-goodness. Last night was the celebration of my friend D's birthday.

I'd be lying if I said I felt 100% this morning, but I rarely feel 100% in the morning anyway. My one-liter Sigg water bottle will be well-used today.

I gotta say, D is a good sport for birthday shenannigans. I wouldn't (and didn't) put up with half the stuff he did. At one point someone tied a balloon to his shirt collar. He wore that for most of our time there.

Wow.

I just wonder if they'll let us go home early today and if I get to go home early (since I work earlier hours than my fellow worker-drones).

'Cause in the end, it's all about me.

Don't judge me.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Aw... HELL yeah!

Butcher's latest, "Princep's Fury", is out in hardback.

And now in my greedy, grubby hands.

It's gonna be VERY DAMN HARD to do ANYTHING other than read for the next few days.

Thank goodness we have time off ahead. Now I know how I'm spending my four day weekend.

GLEE!

Two out of three packages!

Woot!

Minis for gaming! Wall-E! A book!

Woot!

Miserliness of Data

It fascinates me how information is handled in digital format. Information is power, blah, blah, blah... so how information is distributed is kind of important.

What gets me is when information handling is arbitrary.

So, I have (had?) access to a subscription website, including their archives. That website recently shut down. They offered their archives for a limited time (a couple of weeks), then boom. Gone. No more.

My login info still works. Would it really kill them to keep the info up for a few more months? I mean, I've paid them for a subscription that's apparently still-good and that subscription used to have archival access. Now: nope.

It's irritating to know something is, or should be, available on the Internet and have arbitrary roadblocks thrown in the way.

Very, very irritating.

Git'in mah drink on

Today and tomorrow, the two days with rain in the forecast, I'm supposed to go out for drinks.

My timing. It is the best.

Tomorrow's drink outing will likely be the intense one as my friend Mackie and I are settling our election bet. If my movies come in, we'll be wrapping down with some "Scanners" fun.

Good times.

I'm looking forward to Turkey Day and feeling appreciative of the family goodness. One of my friends at work is without any close family in the area. She isn't really sure where she'll be come Turkey Day. I considered asking my mom if we have space for one more, but I know we don't and I don't want to put my mom on the spot.

And asking a friend from work - someone I really don't know terribly well - to hang with my family for a holiday would be whole new levels of awkward and weird.

So now I'm in that weird place where I feel bad for my friends who are far from their family/friends/loved ones while simultaneously feeling incredibly lucky that mine are so close and available in the holidaze season.

Wow. That was sappy.

Meh.

Parcels and Sports

Tracking claims I have packages in the building and another arriving today (please!) or maybe tomorrow.

The packages that should be here are not at my desk.

I am mildly distraught. Thank goodness I'm not a melodramatic, whiny... oh wait.. I am that.

Shit.

---

Ah, sports. Not my thing. My earliest memories of playing dodge ball (or baseball or softball or football or soccer... oh god... soccer) are all tainted by horrific experiences of humiliation due to a pronounced lack of coordination on my part.

And the mockery that followed really didn't help much.

So the other day I'm returning from a... well, I can't call it a "run" because that would be inaccurate. A "jog"? Is "jog" subjective? An outing that consisted of moving from point A to point B and back at a speed that was faster than walking but slower than an aged person in a walker racing a snail.

I digress.

After a couple of miles of this exercise thing, I'm staggering/crawling home and wheezing like Darth Vader's asthmatic brother when I encountered my neighbor and her son playing badminton across the street.

They paused the game to say "hi" (and presumably verify that I wasn't about to die on the sidewalk) and asked if I played badminton.

Cue the flashback to high school and sports. Ever had a scenario in a school gym where you slide along the polished floor and your skin along your knees and elbows get burned away by that surface?

That's the memory that cued up in my mind. I'm mildly-surprised the skin grew back, actually.

My neighbor explained that badminton is very popular among Chinese communities. I dunno if it really has a broad appeal among the various parts of Chinese communities, but I know many of my co-workers and friends who are ethnically Chinese enjoy it (as do many who are not, so I dunno that being Chinese means anything in this context but I wasn't the one who brought it up).

I felt a little bad about begging off the oblique offer to join them in vollying in badminton. Still, I had barely enough energy to get into the building and climb the hated, hated stairs. Actually attempting anything that involved motion and a racquet was just asking for me to faceplant into the concrete of the sidewalk.

What's my point? I dunno. I enjoy chatting with my various neighbors. They're all really nice. I regret not pausing a little longer to talk. The timing is rarely good, alas.

And I hate to think I'm volunteering for future sporting events. I like to keep my skin intact.

See above re: melodramatic and whiny.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Tick tick tick...

According to tracking from USPS.com, I should have two packages arriving today:

* My new assortment of miniatures

* A couple of DVDs

And another box from Amazon is supposed to come tomorrow or Wednesday.

I am tapping my feet with impatience against the sluggish powers of the US Postal Service. Me want!

stumper

One of my neighbors dropped a minor bombshell on me over the weekend. Her brother is apparently suffering from some kind of severe heart trauma.

He's going to die.

Short of an actual heart transplant, there's apparently nothing anyone can do. I'm not clear on why he's not already in a list for trying to get a transplant. I tried not to ask too many questions.

Didn't seem to be my place.

How do people handle disasterous news like that? How do you cope when you wake up one morning with the news that you've got a specific, finite amount of time left? I mean, we all know our time is finite, but to have a specific time limit spelled out to you... that's just beyond words.

I didn't know what to say to my neighbor, in all honesty. I made the appropriate noises of genuine and heartfelt sympathy, but I don't think words work in situations like that.

Honestly, I don't know what would help in a situation like that, short of a miracle.

Blue screen of f*** me!

I got hit with the Blue Screen of Death last night.

One moment I'm surfing the 'net. The next: boom.

I think it was a hijack attempt 'cause my DSL modem went nuts. One of the sites I regularly hit got hacked and subverted, I believe.

So, after my computer returned from blue-screen land, I scanned it (nada... it's clean, apparently). I started backing up some of the stuff I was working on (stories, game stuff, etc.) to a flash drive and got a warning that there was some kind of error.

The ominous error said it was serious and I should consider a system restore.

Well that's not cool.

So, for the first time ever, I did a system restore last night. I guess I'll find out today if there's still a problem.

Could be I'm due to just reinstall the OS and move on with my life.

Or it could be that it's time for a new PC. Though Windows Vista does not enthuse me.

cleaning off the grey matter lump

I know I've complained about it before (lord knows, I've complained about everything before at some point...), but I still find myself surprised (and aghast) at how I can often smell a Berkeley denizen before I actually see him or her (usually "him").

Seriously. Is it some kind of Berkeley rite or requirement that soap is forbidden to people who live in the city limits?

Is it an allergy thing? Do these people think body odor is a good thing?

What the hell?

It troubles me sufficiently that I'm still thinking about this on Monday morning. Gah.

---

I was able to use a gift card to purchase a compliation volume of James D. Hudnall's "ESPers" comic series on Sunday.

Why doesn't anyone make good comics like this anymore? *sigh*

---

I've spent the last few evenings watching my season four DVD set of the revived "Dr. Who" series.

I'm now on the last few eps of season four. Even though - objectively - I have to say the final two episodes are written like a 13-year-old fanboy's wet dream, I can't help but enjoy it.

It's so... over the top. It's an uber-dorkfest of "Dr. Who" geekiness and I'm still loving it on repeat viewings.

And these were written by Russell T. Davies himself. I appreciate Davies' work in reviving the series, but I've been decidedly underwhelmed at a lot of his past work in favor of other "Who" writers, such as Steven Moffat.

I have to admit, Davies got his sh*t together for the finale. Bless his heart.

---

Odd. I thought I'd be sleepier than I am this morning.

How strange.

Bit of a bite in the air

Brrr. A wee bit chilly this fine morning.

Did I say "fine" morning? It's f***ing Monday. Nothing "fine" about it.

At least rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week. That ought to be nice.

And: short work week! Woo-hoo!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

on Target

I've got to say, Target does not suck.

Sure, a lot of their stuff is cheap - dare I say it - junk, but damn if I can't praise the fact that:

a) they had much of the stuff I was looking for today

b) their customer service reps are on their game (at least today)

On top of it, I ran into a friend in line and confirmed drinks for a friend of mine's birthday. The celebration is set for Tuesday, no less.

Wednesday is going to be a rough morning. Good thing it's a day before a long weekend.

It's been a very nice "weekend to myself". Good times.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Mall

Like OMIGAWD! The Mall!

Yes. I went to a mall today. Westerfield Mall, as a matter of fact (did I get the name right? I can't exactly recall its proper name) in the search for several Xmas gift items.

Didn't find a single one. Finding the right kind of plush slipper for a family member is surprisingly difficult. I priced out a couple of ideas for a gift or two for some overseas friends, but decided to continue shopping before deciding on what to send.

And there's no kid's stores there worth a crap. Not that I'm sure what to find for the kids I'm shopping for. I have vague ideas, but I'm waiting on info before I purchase anything.

So why did I go shopping at the Hel... um... mall? Part of it was to get an idea of what's out there. I haven't wandered an actual mall in ages.

I was unimpressed, by the way. No wonder our economy is in the shitter. Nothing but crap stores.

Another reason was people watching. San Francisco never fails to entertain. And it did.

Much to my chagrin, I did buy something, but it wound up being a personal purchase. Music from Virgin. I do love that store.

In penance for my self-indulgence, I got off BART two exits early and walked home. Okay, it wasn't that big of a penance. It was a gorgeous day and I really just wanted to combine exercise with getting outdoors. It was totally worth it.

That said, that was a goddamn long walk. My legs hurt.

Friday, November 21, 2008

So... hmm....

I actually have an entire weekend to myself!

This is impossibly rare.

So what do I do with said weekend? That is the question. Some limited Xmas shopping is likely. There may be alcohol, but that's not a given.

So many options.

Sleep will play a big part.

Mmm... sleep...

EDC

Stands for "every day carry".

It's a concept I've been at war with since I was a child. I like to carry stuff. Small tools. A knife. A pen. The list goes on and on.

Oh, does the list go on.

My keychain is a nightmare. The amount of junk in my pockets is a good source of humor for those who know me.

No worries. I will have my vengeance. But I digress...

The problem quickly becomes carrying capacity. Cargo pants are all fine and well, but after a while, rattling keys get sort of... um... distracting. Nevermind trying to run with all that crap in cargo pants pockets.

In cooler weather it's easier. Jackets add to the carrying capacity. I've recently discovered clothing from Scottevest.

Unfortunately, that stuff just encourages me to carry more junk.

Sure, it's nice to be able to bust out a paperback book on the train from a jacket pocket, but when I don't know which pocket on which garment has my cell phone or car keys, I've crossed the line.

See that in the distance? That way out there? That's the line.

You can't see it?

I have some binoculars in my pocket. Somewhere...

Wow

Vicky sent me a link to a blog with a compass camera.

I'm pretty sure all the tools attached in the lowermost pic are 'shopped. Still, it's awfully purdy.

Me want.

Yeah!

Round-and-round again

And we're full-circle to yet another Friday, complete with the joy that accompanies it.

Yay!

To celebrate, I'm going to Korean for lunch with a few friends. Should be a hoot.

Mmm... tofu soup... or bi bim bap.

Been an interesting week. Weird in parts. Productive, for the most part. Next week is Turkey Day week. Short schedule and lots o' grub. Good times.

I think I'll spend most of this weekend on preliminary Xmas shopping and enjoying the sunshine. Next week has rain predicted, so I may as well photosynthesize while possible.

Though I am not a huge fan of facetime with the dayball.

In my few spare moments of free time during this past week, I've been working on a game-related project. I originally considered focusing on it more this weekend, but this whole project is giving me a headache and I'm considering just dumping it. I need time away from it to evaluate if it's worthwhile to put more time and energy into.

I got the boxed set of "Dr. Who" Season Four on Tuesday. This fills me with great joy.

My movie library is expanding. I have "Wall-E" coming in the mail followed by "Scanners" and a cheapass knock-off of "Scanners" (yes, there are movies of cheaper quality than "Scanners"... ye gods).

Just in time for the rainy season.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Mixing those feelings

I'm leaving early today.

Normally, that's good.

Today, I'm leaving early to pay a few hundred dollars to my mechanic for an auto service.

On the one hand, it's a good investment to have a working car. On the other hand, it's a few hundred before the holidaze.

*sigh*

I have a package coming to the office today. Odds of it getting to me in the next thirty minutes? Pretty crappy.

No, I don't have the virtue of patience.

What. The. Hell.

So two of my male neighbors insist that:

* Twilight looks like it will be a good movie.

* That, after hearing the plot of the story, it's not "chicky" at all.

One of them is reading the book. He insists it's in no way chicky.

I believe the target audience of millions of adolescent girls would disagree.

I'd tell them, but I can't stop laughing at them.

And then I shared these two comics.

Hell on Earth

Everyone has their idea of what "Hell" is. Some people think of lakes of fire. Others think of icy expanses of frozen lawyers. Others think of C-SPAN. Yet others think of "Dr. Phil".

To each his or her own.

To me, it's Xmas music. After years and years of being barraged with Xmas music in retail, I've developed an aversion that has not lessened with age. In truth, Xmas music - more than crowds - is what often drives me from stores when attempting to do holiday shopping.

I hate it. I especially hate it when they try to get "cute" with the Xmas music (like having a whiny kid singing "I'm getting nuthin' for Xmas" or having dogs bark "Jingle Bells"). Stuff like that makes me understand the people who snap and run amok in the news.

Yesterday, after dropping off my car with my mechanic, I ran a family-related errand. It involved time with a family member. And suddenly, I was trapped. Trapped in a room with people who were singing Xmas songs. And they were all off-key.

Every.

Last.

One.

It was all I could do to stay as long as I did. When I left said obligation to catch the train home, it was all I could do not to run across town. If they piped Xmas music on to the train, there might have been some blood.

Maybe.

It's not even THANKSGIVING yet!

I swear, if it weren't for the Internet, I'm not sure I could do Xmas shopping this year.

Huh... that reminds me

I need to clean my refridgerator.

Thank you "Commissioned" for that little nudge. I wonder where I put that flamethrower?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

and another thing

Anyone who thinks these games are "Satanic" needs a good kick in the cranium.

"Cthulhic"? "Nyarlathotepic"? Totally different story.

'splain this to me

I've had friends ask me what the hell my gaming buddies and I do at our monthly(ish) RPG sessions.

I even had one ask me if it was something "Satanic" like "D&D".

I'm not sure if she was joking or not. I have some friends who cling to sanity by very thin threads. I digress.

Explaining the lure of a role-playing game is a bit of a challenge. The explanation I've found has the most resonance is that it's kind of like being in a novel (or a tv show or a movie, depending on your preferred media venue).

The setting of the game is the story. People gathered to be in this "story" are broken into groups: players and the "game master" (or "GM").

The players take the roles of characters in the story while the GM is the narrator, the arbiter, the creator, "God", and the voice of the background characters.

For example: if you got a bunch of people to play a "Harry Potter" game, you could say that Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasley would be players (or, more accurately, "player characters" aka PCs). The rest of the characters in the story, including what's going on around, would be the purvue of the GM.

So what's the attraction of being a character in a story?

Well, RPGs are interactive. You don't have to have your characters do the dumb things that you see protagonists do in a story. In a horror movie, the cliche is that a group splits up and someone always goes alone into the basement.

In a horror game that only happens when a player is coerced or feeling suicidal with his or her character.

Essentially, an RPG is a way to play out a story the way you think one of the characters should have acted.

Character actions are governed by a series of numeric values assigned to simulate characteristics (physical strength, speed and dexterity, relative intelligence, skill at a particular task, etc.). Dice are introduced as randomizers then rolled against the numeric scores that govern the various traits. Much like real life, one isn't always successful at what one does. The dice rolls against these scores are an attempt to simulate that life uncertainty.

So, for example, you have a character trying to pry a stone off of a fallen companion. That character would roll dice in comparison with a number that simulates a characteristic for physical strength. Depending on the overall rules, you'd want to roll high or low to succeed. You'd do the same to have your character shoot a blaster, swing a sword, sing a song to impress a queen, etc.

In "original" settings (most settings are inspired, if not actively lifted from, stories in books, tv, or movies), there's less in the way of preconceptions and an expectation of more creative freedom with characters so you can make that character who is Han Solo the Jedi Knight or whatever your fantasy is.

Still sounds lame? Really?

Personally, I find the entire thing a neat storytelling exercise. I lack anything resembling self-discipline, so all my attempts at writing stories have stopped cold and dead in the water. I know myself well enough to know it's highly unlikely I'll overcome that. I'm too self-conscious of my story ideas being derivative crap (and they usually are) to try to get them printed.

In a game, the audience is limited and really doesn't give a damn if it's deriviative crap. They just want to see how they'd do with characters in the derivation.

I guess that's why I love to GM. It's a way to get the writing bug of mine out of my system without looking straight into the eyes of my neuroses.

Okay, maybe I'm just looking at different neuroses. Whatever. They're my neuroses. Some are prettier than others.

Don't look at me like that.

Me want.

Yes, it's the Nerf Nstrike Vulcan. I wants one.

I wants it!!!!

Hump Day

Heh heh...

---

In recent weeks, I've found that my windshield is nigh-impossible to see through at points in the day. It really needs to be cleaned on the inside. I've wiped it off with a cloth, but that just doesn't cut it. I needed proper cleaning solution.

I do try to avoid marketing hype when buying stuff. That said, I have to admit that Windex is pretty spot-on with their adverts. I've tried other window cleaners and they always leave a weird streak and that becomes problematic when the sun is at that special angle in the sky.

So I got some Windex yesterday. This morning, it was as though I didn't have a windshield at all. It was so clear!

I could do commercials! [GLEAM!]

---

I have a minor car service this week. There's a few hundred dollars I'd rather put towards something else. *sigh*

Still, I'd rather have my car working.

Meh.

---

Erik told me that "meh" is now officially a "word". I don't think I asked him to clarify who the authority was at the time.

Who the hell does decide what is or isn't an official English word? Merriam-Webster? My high school English teachers?

Seems kind of a pompous endeavour to me. Still, I suppose someone has to do it.

---

And the holidaze appear to be coming in full-force this year. I think that any extra holiday shopping I do I'll have to take care of this weekend. Gah.

I hate the shopping. No, that's not true. I don't mind shopping. I hate crowds.

Thank goodness for the Internet.

---

I anticipated that various obligations would interfere with my monthly gaming fun. Still, it's a bummer to go a month without busting out the dice, nerding with the guys, and eating crap I shouldn't be eating.

When I write it all out, it sounds so... silly. And yet, I don't care. Table top RPGs are really no different than "poker night" or whatever "normal" folks do. There's still beer there. There's the bonding. There's the b.s.

Sometimes there's also pizza.

Mmm... pizza...

How did this happen? HOW?

In the space of two days, my December weekends got nuked.

How did this happen? It's like I blinked and suddenly, my calendar was full.

It's weird. Almost unreal!

If I didn't know better, I'd swear it's like I have a social life.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Ah, that's funny. Stand-up comedy, here I come!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

HAPPY!



Ah Steve Jackson Games, you make me so happy.

Today is like Xmas.

Expressing more of my annoyance

Dear Hollywood,

I just watched the trailer for "Race to Witch Mountain" on io9.com.

In case you require a reminder, this is a remake of "Escape to Witch Mountain". You may not know it, but "Escape to Witch Mountain" is a fond childhood memory of mine.

Thank you so much for despoiling more of my childhood memories.

That said, I would like to make something perfectly clear: I will not be spending my hard-earned money on any remakes spat up by the festering cesspool of inane vomit you appear to offer for the forseeable future.

As you're aware, the economy is not looking so rosy right now. Times are tight. Folks are looking to save. Odds are, someone like me is your best bet for making any money at all. I don't have kids. I don't have to worry about covering anyone else's expenses save my own.

In short, I'm probably an ideal target audience.

And you ain't getting a penny from me until you STOP WITH THE CRAPPY REMAKES!!!

C'mon, guys. A remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with KEANU REEVES? Who thought that was a good idea? Really? Seriously?

In a world where we've got stuff like "Dr. Horrible" being done on a shoestring budget on the Internet, why are you sinking so much money into crap?

Why?

Oh, screw you guys. You get nothing from me until you clean up your act.

Sincerely,

Me

Ambient Creepiness

My friend Mackie is a twisted and evil genius.

It's probably one of the major reasons I'm proud to call him a friend.

We share a fondness for table-top role-playing games (if you follow the last three hundred or so posts, I'm fairly sure you've guessed I enjoy those). Mackie is the one who introduced me to horror gaming.

For the uninitiated, there's various "flavors" of role-playing games. You have your generic fantasy genre (aka "Dungeons and Dragons") with the dragons, the elves, the magic swords, etc. You have your science fiction settings (ranging from hard science to "space fantasy" like "Star Wars"). You have your superhero settings.

And you have your horror, like Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu" and so on.

I'm not a huge fan of superhero gaming (more recently I've come to loathe it, actually). I generally like the sword-and-sorcery stuff of fantasy ('cause at heart I'm still 13) as well as space-opera-ish sci-fi (though I rarely get the opportunity to play that).

Sometimes, though, horror really fits the bill.

In most genres, you're progressing a character through a series of challenges to get stronger and better. You're trying to get the gold, rescue the whomever, and beat the bad guy (or good guy, depending on your preferences).

It's great, but that kind of gaming sometimes devolves into number crunching and what gamers call being a "munchkin". Kind of off-putting.

In horror settings, you're not really progressing. You're surviving.

Horror games make you really role play. You're usually playing some average schmuck. Sometimes you're playing a badass, but it never matters. Whatever you're facing is beyond you.

Always.

That's what horror is about. You're facing something completely outside of your ability and experience and you're just trying to get out alive.

The most satisfying role-playing sessions I've ever been in were horror games. Some were play by email (PBEM). Some were in-person. Mackie's latest Halloween offering was an in-person game that still gives me the shivers.

And Mackie is a GENIUS at running horror.

It's the little things: candles, lighting, live games in his terrifying cellar, and music that help.

Which brings me in an incredibly roundabout way to my point of this post.

Mackie collects ambient horror music to play in the background. His favorite is the score to the original "Silent Hill" game. Not the subsequent sequels, mind you. I'm talking about the original game.

And he has it on a cassette.

Finding the actual CD is a minor challenge.

The other day, I found it online. I just got it in yesterday.

And now Mackie will have the entire beast on CD (with the ability to put it on an MP3 player) for future offerings of horror.

This pleases me.

Freakin' congestion

I avoided the wine last night 'cause there are things in wine that make me awfully congested and give me terrible hangovers (the two are often related).

Plus wine and beer is a great combination for technicolor yawns.

I suspect the German beers I had last night contain elements that I react to similarly to wine, 'cause I'm hell of congested this morning.

The hint of a hangover I had is now gone, though. Aaaah, sweet, sweet water. And my tummy is settled down to something aproximating calm.

You know you care.

Why else would you read this?

Okay, masochism is an acceptable answer.

Ancestors spin in their graves

Last night I went to SF to help surprise a friend for her birthday (which, as it turns out, is today). We met at Suppenkuche, a charming German restaurant, for beer and whatnot.

I think it's the whatnot that's getting me.

German beers are delightful and they had a Paulaner Marzen that was delicious. I should know. I had at least three. Maybe more.

On top of that, I had "Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein mit Bratkartoffeln und grünem Salat"

Essentially, breaded pork loin and potatoes with a side of salad.

I have, for the most part, weeded fried foods from my diet. As a result, I'm not really used to that kind of food. Add to that the potentcy of German beer and I find this morning to be decidedly... unpleasant.

The mild hangover isn't really a problem. The upset stomach from the fried food? That's a problem.

Bleah.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Not as mighty as a pen



One might say this is indicative of a problem. The problem, of course, is that I clearly need to have more swords.

I actually think I forgot to include a couple in this picture. Heh.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

musings on a Sunday night

Well, this is the warmest November I can recall. Makes sense, since we apparently broke records over the weekend for high temps. The wind on Saturday was pretty unbelievable.

Kind of creepy, all said.

At least it's cooling off a bit.

---

I anticipate a busy week ahead. I have to get my car in for service, try to drag an unwilling friend out for drinks, and... um... actually drinks are a major part of the week's evening plans. At least three nights are earmarked for alcoholic consumption.

Going to make things... interesting.

---

In addition, I'm certainly doing my part to get my nerd on. I'm doing long-range prep work for a table-top RPG with some friends and encountering a lot of familiar issues. Most are good questions about setup. One guy in particular is exercising his instinctive need to push the boundaries.

I wonder if I should've majored in psychology and written papers on role-players? I can only imagine what a psychologist would make of my stuff. Ye gods.

In the meantime, I'm prepping stuff for yet another RPG campaign I'm working on by getting miniatures. I hit Black Diamond Games today to buy a few miniatures. I was surprised at how surly the cashier was. Usually their people are a bit less-abrupt. Doesn't really matter given how infrequently I go out there. Besides, I got what I wanted.

If you're not familiar with miniatures (old-timers call 'em "lead figures"), they represent the more visually-artistic part of a table top RPG. The miniatures are usually of some figure that gets painted to represent either some specific character or a group of generic ones.

I am not especially good at the painting. Requires a steady hand and artistic aesthetic that I freely admit are both lacking in me. Erik is far better at it than I. Doesn't matter, my miniatures are good enough for my needs.

---

Can't say I'm looking forward to work tomorrow. Still, it's the last full-week before Turkey Day hits us. Then December is upon us and it's all downhill from there. I meant to get some of my Xmas shopping done yesterday, but I was too lazy. Gotta get on it next weekend so I can get stuff in the mail for overseas folks.

Gotta get my Humbug on.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

That was FUN

So last night, Erik, Jen, Steve and I [INFORMATION CLASSFIED].

Was great fun. Unbelievable fun.

My friends rock.

Friday, November 14, 2008

So much pondering

I have to make dessert for a family thing this weekend.

I'm undecided what to make. Must be chocolate.

Brownies?

Cookies?

Cake?

Do I even have a cake pan?

---

I'm hungry. Got lunch plans with a buddy of mine but he's in a meeting right now. And I'm hungry now!

I'm crashing from the caffeine earlier as well.

Hyper-chipper

The combination of extra caffeine (I've had three cups of coffee thus far) with Friday and Payday has me in a strangely good (if hyperactive) mood.

I'm like a bouncy chipmunk right now.

Ponder that image.

Once you've wiped the vomit from your chin know that bleach will never stain that image etched into your forebrain.

You're welcome.

I've been in a bit of a funk this week. It got broken up nicely by sushi on Wednesday, but it's been a gloomy cloud that's been hard to shake. I'm hoping today will be the crack in the ice. Money in the bank plus caffeine in the blood should get me to the end of the day. Then dinner and drinks with friends tonight along with other fun stuff.

Heh.

Plus I can sleep in tomorrow and Sunday. Yay!

Musings during a waning moon

What is it about Fridays that are so awesome?

Oh yeah. Saturday is tomorrow. That's what.

Though it helps that today is PAYDAY!!!

---

Had one of "those" conversations with a friend of mine the other day about the nature of reality. ("Those" conversations are the kind that should have alcohol or something mind-altering to help speed it along, but didn't because of where we had the conversation, but again, I digress...).

It's interesting how enamoured people get with illusion. I'm no different. I love my illusions. Love 'em dearly. I think that's why I enjoy table-top RPGs so much. I can create entire worlds of pure illusion and make them do whatever I want. My DVD collection and insane number of comics as well as my insane list of webcomics I review is likely another reflection.

It begs the question: how much illusion is "too much"? At what point do we cross the line between what's real and what's illusion to drive into that fun realm called insanity?

There's the simple examples: the crazy stalkers, the people who would rather pay for video games or comic books than food or rent, the people who perform horrible actions in the name of their god, etc.

All cynicism aside, those situations aren't all that common. Okay, the latter one is pretty common.

I'm not sure I know what I'm rhetorically asking. It's too early to have a beer, so I guess I'll have to ponder this later.

Ponder. Ponder. Ponder.

---

Did I mention today is my payday? Have I said how happy that makes me? I did? Oh good.

---

Unusually warm this morning. Creeps me out.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Schrodinger's Post

Three different people I know are all flying off to Vietnam in the next few days for extended (counted in weeks or longer) stays.

Huh. That's an interesting coincidence.

Okay, it's interesting to me. If you're bored, well nobody's making you read this.

Unless my minions have acquired the equipment and training they said they were getting. If that's the case, you have bigger worries then being interested in my blog. I hear the implants only hurt for a short time.

No worries.

Alas, I digress. I find late-autumn heat waves to be disconcerting. Mainly 'cause it's a pain in the arse to figure out how to dress. The jacket that was comfy in the wee-hours of the morning is rather not comfy now.

This displeases me.

I won a prize in yesterday's office health faire. Specifically, I won one of those fancy notebook/organizer things. It's awfully purdy. It has zippers. My neighbors are starting to get annoyed with me.

Sucks to be them.

Why isn't it Friday yet? Why don't I have supreme powers over time-and-space so I can just make it Saturday?

Okay, if I had supreme powers over time-and-space, I'd probably do a bit more than that. Good thing the powers-that-be haven't opted to give me such abilities. I don't think the universe would fare well under my none-to-tender mercies.

Heh. Mercy. Heh.

Oh, if you're irritated with Prop 8, there's a website to go to:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealProp8


I dunno how much good this will do but it can't hurt. I find myself very interested in the legal challenges and the backlash against the assho... um... people... who put Prop 8 on the ballot.

Loaded Question

A friend asked me a question related to the upcoming Joss Whedon show "Dollhouse". Before I get to the question, some context: "Dollhouse" is about an organization that has a bunch of amnesiac people who can be programmed with whatever memories and personalities they want to program them with.

Anything.

The show will have Eliza Dushku in the lead role.

So, my friend's question: "What personality would you program Eliza Dushku with?"

I could only stare back at him before replying: "There is no way in Hell I'm answering that question at work."

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not a complete idiot.

Early morning mistake

When I got up, I mistakenly grabbed Occam's Razor and shaved with it.

Now I feel more simple-minded than ever.

Go on. Laugh. You know you want to.

Don't look at me like that. It is funny!

Oh fine. You try to do better.

In unrelated news, I went to Coach Sushi in Oakland last night. Very tasty dinner. There was a never-empty cup of sake in one of those pine-cedar boxes in place of a round cup. The proprietor, Coach, was quite attentive in keeping said sake ever-flowing.

Thankfully, I only sipped. The curse of driving.

In more unrelated news, I saw a pic of the re-imagined Enterprise for the J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" movie.

Initially, I was quite uninterested in more tepid and unispired "Trek" offerings. Abrams is a master of marketing. The bastard could sell me virtually anything. Gah.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Midway Miscellanea

I got Great Big Sea's "Fortune's Favour" (don't forget the obligatory Canadian 'u' in "favour") last week. I can't stop listening to it.

Most of the vocal music I favor could be termed "odd", at best and is often quite maudlin. There are some bands I like that are more upbeat, but they're uncommon. GBS is currently topping the list of more upbeat bands right now.

Favorite tracks from that album: "Here and Now", "Walk on the Moon", and "Love Me Tonight". They've made the transition to the insanity that is my MP3 player.

Perfectly timed music, in truth.

---

Stupid network won't let me log in to the parts I need at work. So what the hell am I supposed to do?

Irritating.

---

An observation while riding my bike in this morning: warming weather must be very nice for streetwalkers.

I crossed into Oakland and passed a woman who clearly was dressed for a specific profession. A week ago, I'd think she'd be worried about hypothermia. This morning, I expect she was just a bit chilly.

It's kind of a game to count the prostitutes on the way in these days. Most I've counted: six in five blocks.

Who the hell turns tricks at 5am? I expect I don't want to know the answer to that.

---

I'm ready for this week to be over and it's only Wednesday. Doesn't bode well for the rest of today, much less the next two days.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Willpower

I managed to get rid of the TJ's Belgian Dark Chocolate Mini Grahams from my desk yesterday. During my after-work grocery run, I resisted restocking. Of late, my eating habits have not been the best.

I always wind up getting the munchies when the weather cools. Must be a hibernation thing. It's made worse 'cause I'm naturally inclined towards gluttony.

So I'm cutting those snacks out for a while. The weather is supposed to warm considerably over the next few days, so I think I'll take advantage and bike in. It will help take the edge off of my dining-out tomorrow and Friday.

Now I need to focus on the impulse-spending habit. With xmas coming, it's going to be hard to deal with gifts and buy every little thing that catches my easily-distracted ey... ooh! Bright shiny thi... no no no... focus...

I can do this. Really.

If I keep telling myself this, maybe I'll believe it.

Entrophically Gifted

Sweet Nyrlathotep my apartment is a mess. How did it get that way?

Oh yeah. I'm a slob.

Okay, then. There we go. Makes perfect sense.

So did I actually clean up yesterday? Don't be silly. No, no. I watched a DVD, websurfed, and listened to music.

Doing constructive things would just be too reasonable.

Though I did balance my checkbook. To the penny. Yay OCD!!!

Alas, there really isn't that money in the account for this to be a victory. Ah well.

Monday, November 10, 2008

I got words

"Firefly" quotes that just popped into my head:

"The wheel never stops turning, Badger."

"That only matters to the folks on the rim."

Ah, Joss. Your words are gold.

And life is weird. No, I'm not going to elaborate. I shouldn't have to.

Monday Musings

Funny how I can feel perfectly healthy and then after about an hour in the office I'm coughing like a ten-pack-a-day smoker.

Not funny "ha-ha".

---

My self-control around sweets is backsliding. Used to be I had a terrible addiction to chocolates and sweets in general. In recent years, I've found I can resist milk chocolate fairly easily.

And yet, I'm sitting at a game at Erik's on Saturday and next thing I know, I'm devouring caramels, prezels, and sour-candies like they're... um... candy.

Damnit.

---

Was all set to ride the bike this morning (despite the fact it's pretty cold). Watched the weather and saw the small chance of rain. It's pretty slight, but I know if I rode my bike, I'd jack the odds (I have super-powers that way).

Okay, it was an excuse for laziness. I folded like a cheap suit. I can admit that.

I'll run this afternoon to make up for it.

Really.

I swear.

---

Panhandlers are getting pretty aggressive these days. Yesterday, on my way in to see "Repo", I stopped at REI. I got hit up by at least three guys in the same lot for money and cursed out for not giving them any.

Usually my response to that would be something along the lines of: "Go fuck yourself. I don't owe you anything."

However, these guys all clearly knew one another. Seemed unwise to get too belligerent.

Nevermind that I didn't have any cash on hand to share, even if I were so-inclined. I only had a twenty and that was for the movie. I wasn't going to drop a twenty on these guys. They were clearly hustling as they gave me the same "can you spare a little change for gas - my family is in the car around the corner, blah blah bla" story that I've heard a hundred times.

I dunno why, but the canned stories just piss me off.

A sign of the times, I suppose.

---

I got a good look at myself wearing my cap this morning (needed something to keep my head warm).

I look like a friggin' criminal.

Heh.

Repo Review

I've had a chance to sleep on it.

I'm going with Vicky's summary of "Repo: The Genetic Opera": Goths will love it.

It's like they tried to mix "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with "Blade Runner". It's a pretty movie and the singing is top-notch. Anthony Head rocks, as always. I didn't realize which character was Paris Hilton until the movie was nearly over.

That said, the songwriting was weak at best. The plot felt a little plodding and didn't flow very well.

I can't say I know anyone firsthand whom I'd recommend this to.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Repo: The Genetic Opera

I had no idea this was a motion picture. I thought it was just a stage play.

It's apparently coming out today. Vicky told me about it and in investigating, I listened to some of the music.

I'm totally seeing this.

Sunday, as a matter of fact.

Woo-hoo!

Why? WHY????????????

According to Dark Horizons, Spielberg and Will Smith want to remake Oldboy.

WHY???

The original is fine (if deeply disturbing), thank you very much.

STOP WITH THE REMAKES ALREADY!!!!!

How annoying.

Sinfest says it best



From Sinfest.

Brilliant.

Yunjin Kim

So according to IMDB, today is Yunjin Kim's birthday.

I'm a fan of Lost. They lost me for a little bit, but the last season was pure gold (thank you, writer's strike!).

Like most fans, I have my favorites on the show. For characters, my favorites are Desmond, Hurley, Sayid, Jin, and Sun (in no particular order). Of course, they're all the "second tier" characters. I detest the primary characters of Jack, Kate, Locke, and (usually) Sawyer.

And I'm sporting a mad crush on the actress Yunjin Kim. Most people have Evangeline Lilly on their primary list, and I agree that she's also beautiful, but Ms. Kim is my primary crush on that show.

What? TMI? Oh, c'mon, you're reading a blog. What are you expecting? Answers to life, the universe, and everything? A cure for cancer?

Sheesh.

Oh, and Ms. Kim? In the unbelievably improbable chance that you're actually reading this blog, happy birthday!

Ah Friday, welcome back

As always, dear Friday, you were missed.

Been a hell of a week, eh? Let's indulge in cliche and recognize that this week was "historical". Go Obama!

Of course, now the poor guy has to try to deliver on promises while everything is falling apart. Plus, BushCo will just do as much damage as possible before they're kicked out the door.

But that's a worry for the future. So, Friday!

Do you know what I love best about you Friday? When I wake early in the morning, I realize that tomorrow, I can wake up when I damn well feel like it instead of waking in accordance to a schedule.

That pleases me.

Ah Friday, bringer of hope.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Trader Joe's - pushers of awesome

Two things on my desk right now that call to me:

- Trader Joe's Pretzel Slims (which make me crave beer)

- Trader Joe's Belgian Dark Chocolate Mini Grahams (which I've raved about earlier)

Combining the two is not a taste combination that appeals to me. The mini grahams go best with coffee, which I patiently await...

Hmmm.

Oh wow. And I still have tins of The Chocolate Traveler Bittersweet Chocolate Wedges. Two and a half tins in my desk!

W00T!!!!

Elected Super Hero



This was too funny not to share.

Ow

I meant to get back to riding my bike this week. I really did. I may ride my bike into work tomorrow.

Truth is, it's been cold in the morning and I've been feeling quite wimpy. I justify it by having just recently gotten over some kind of horrific virus, but I have to be honest with myself and admit that I've been lazy and enjoying the prospect of listening to music on my way into work.

Sure, I could play my MP3 player while I ride my bike, but in the wee-hours of the morning before the sun peeks over the horizon, it's not good to deprive one's self of one of the major sensory organs and operate a bicycle.

So, to compensate, I've been jogging the last few days.

And my legs... they hurt. Oh do they hurt.

I stretch every morning. Still, the legs. They hurt.

What's my point? Oh, no point. I'm just whining. What's the point of a blog if not to whine in a semi-public place?

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Country steps forward, California stumbles back

The ACLU and other interested parties are taking Prop 8 to the State Supreme Court. I expect this will inevitably wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court. I don't see how it can't.

It boggles the mind that my home state essentially said "fuck you" to a minority group in such an overt way in my lifetime. Okay, this isn't like World War II when California shipped Japanese-Americans off into internment camps, but the rationale is awfully similar: "They're different so they don't get the same rights as us."

What completely and utterly blows my mind is that a lot of the surveyed voters who supported Prop 8 were also minorities. Specifically the polling indicated the voters identified themselves as African-American or Latino/Hispanic.

Um... so... it's okay for groups that have suffered discrimination and oppression historically to go ahead and take rights away from another group? Really? Seriously? Is that how it works now?

I know lots of people who want to lay the blame at the churches involved, especially the Mormon Church (I think something like 40% of the funding for "Yes on 8" came from Utah). Sure, these assholes are culpable, but nobody really expected these hypocritical backbirths to behave any other way than the inbred 19th century mentality they've always had.

These institutions don't constitute 52% of the voting population of California. If they did, the state would never have gone for Obama.

So the rest should have known better. They really should have.

It will be interesting to see how things develop on this front.

A little wager

So I bet on the presidential election with one of my friends. We didn't bet on the overall election. I knew Obama would take it (yay!). We bet on five states:

Arizona
Florida
Ohio
Nevada
West Virginia

For every state that went Obama, I won a drink. For every state that won McCain, my friend won a drink.

Don't get me wrong, we were/are both pro-Obama. He was thinking as I did in 2000 and 2004, that fraud would kick in and the Repugnicans would pull something off as they did in Florida in the past. He just wanted booze to dull the pain of disappointment.

Can't say I disagree with that strategy, but I was feeling strongly optimistic.

As of this morning's tally, I believe I get three drinks to his two. Florida, Nevada, and Ohio all went blue (YAY!) while Arizona and West Virginia remained unsurprisingly red (booo!!!!).

It's all good.

Well, that was a hell of a night

I promised myself I wouldn't watch the returns.

And, unsurprisingly, I lied to myself. When I turned everything off last night, Obama was the projected winner and that remained true this morning.

I am very, very happy with that. Eight years of Republican mismanagement is eight years too many, thank you very much. I would've thought people would figure that out back in 2004, but I digress.

I'm surprised, and a bit dismayed, that 52% of voting Californians are bigots and approved Prop 8 (forbidding same-sex marriage). I don't get that. Why would anyone care if a couple of guys or a couple of women decide to tie the knot? What impact does that have on people who aren't the ones getting married?

I'm not gay nor personally inclined towards same-sex pairings, so this doesn't affect me directly, but none the less I find myself offended that so many people feel the need to tromp on the basic right of "pursuit of happiness" for such a large group of people.

Seriously, what the hell?

While that result disappoints me, it's mostly overshadowed by the joy I feel that the Dems took the White House and got greater majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

I know some people are unhappy with one party controlling the Executive and Legislative branches. The Rebubs did a lot of damage while they were in control, after all.

I'm not too concerned. The Dems have proven pretty spineless in keeping Bush in check when they took control of Congress in the last batch of elections. I do hope they're sufficiently galvanized (and, for a change, united) in enacting real reforms in government. In the end, they're all politicians. It's silly to expect too much.

Still, I love being able to say: "President Barak Obama". Who would've thought that day would come? It's pretty cool.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

A little warning next time?



Genius, courtesy of yesterday's xkcd.

From zero to crazy

I just looked at my little planner book thing I carry around to try to figure out what the heck I have lined up in the next week or so.

Sweet Flying Spaghetti Monster do I have a lot of things going on through Xmas.

How the hell did that happen?

Ah well. It's not bad to be busy.

Utter horseshit

Lifted from a county website:

---
Why am I always being summoned and others are not?
The selection and management of jurors is governed by the Code of Civil Procedure. By law, potential jurors are selected RANDOMLY from the Registration list and the Department of Motor Vehicles' drivers and identification card holders. If the information you provide to these two sources is not identical you may receive two summonses or you may be summoned more often than others.
---

Two words in reply to this: bull shit.

Just sayin'.

Yes, I'm still angry.

Addendum to Anxiety

Why am I anxious? THIS is why I'm anxious.

How could that not make any sane person anxious?

Also, I'd like California to step up and vote down the bigoted bullshit that is Prop 8, thank you very much. I recently attended a friend's same-sex marriage and I've got several other friends who have followed that route. I really don't want to see their happiness get disrupted and California become a poster-child for the cause of homophobic hate-mongerers.

Besides, all moral issues aside, California's budget issues can only benefit from the added income in the form of marriage licenses.

How did everything get so crazy here?

Election Day Anxiety

It always happens: I get super-anxious on Election Day.

This one is no different. Oh, I already voted. I'm a fan of the absentee ballot. Since then I've been sitting back and watching the news with growing worry.

Presidential politics aside, there's a lot of propositions that interest me as well as other political races. I'm going to try to isolate myself until tomorrow so I can actually sleep tonight without worrying about who is taking over the White House in January.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Are you f***ing kidding me?

No joke. I was just talking withe one of my friends about how I'm due to be summoned for jury duty. Every year, like clockwork, the goddamn fucking county summons me.

EVERY.

FUCKING.

YEAR.

Seriously... what the GODDAMN FUCKING HELL IS UP WITH THIS???

How can this be random? It clearly isn't, of course. So who do I need to bribe or sleep with to get off this goddamn list?

I guess I could move out of the county, but that option doesn't appeal. Oh well, at least I can BART to this courthouse.

Un-fucking-believable.

Unsolicited Review #4





Three pics! So these two tools are from Leatherman. The bigger one is a Leatherman Skeletool. Very handy tool with pliars, screwdriver (with two reversable bits containing flat head and philips), knife (duh), and a lanyard/bottle-opener. The bottle opener is actually useful, too!

Oddly enough, I find myself using the pliars the most with this tool. The grip is good and the weight is really nice.

The smaller tool is a Leatherman Squirt and that one resides on my over-burdened keychain for the most part. It also has functional pliars as well as a small knife, screwdrivers, nail file, and leather punch. I find it useful for smaller tasks.

In both cases, the knives are quite sharp. The Skeletool's knife locks open, which is handy for keeping fingers attached to the hand and blood on the inside of the body.

The screwdrivers are all pretty standard. The Squirt's screwdrivers are the right size for adjusting glasses, which I tend to find most useful.

Yes, it's more than a little dysfunctional to carry both tools, but I'm used to carting them around, so there you go.

Honestly, I think the Skeletool is a more useful thing to have in the pocket than my Tool Logic SL Pro knife. The only reason I carry both is due to clear neurosis.

And, as usual, I regret nothing.

What is this "sleep" thing you speak of?

So it's finally Standard Time. I get my extra hour of sleep.

Theoretically.

Of course, there's still fallout from Halloween. Bored teens with nothing better to do than to opted last night (this morning?) to hit our complex and make noise. Mainly they were going through the trash, or so it appeared when I actually did a survey of the building this morning.

Little bastards woke me out of a sound sleep, too.

With Standard Time shrunk by two weeks, I begrudge my sleep all the more (and still wish for something HORRIBLE to happen to the assholes who legislated the change). Thus, I am unhappy.

I now dwell upon revenge fantasies. Mmm... revenge fantasies...

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Well... damn

I finished "The Hero of Ages" this morning.

God DAMN that was a good book! It dragged in a few points, but the ending was worth it. All said, Sanderson left only two unanswered questions (the bastard). Does this mean he'll write more in the setting? Hard to tell.

And now I feel that deflated feeling I get after reading something that really strikes a chord with me. Other books just don't draw me. *sigh*

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Rain! Whee!!!

Yay! Rain!

I like when it rains. It's an excuse to sit at home and watch movies or play on the computer or read.

Of course, as luck would have it, I have a party to go to tonight. And, of course, it's a party in a location that's nowhere near convenient public transportation.

I love the rain, but I really hate driving in the rain. This ought to be worth it, though. Why? Costume party!!!

Woo-hoo!