Crazy mix

I felt the need for some family time today. I made arrangements to visit one of my family members this afternoon and thus relieved another family member of the obligation.

Two karmic good deeds for the price of one.

It was a nice visit, but the trip in...

I was almost hit by five people who don't appear to understand the concept of stop signs. Two were bicyclists (no great shock there) and three were drivers who took their full dose of dumbf*ck pills for the day.

That wasn't the topper, though.

So I'm trucking along a windy road and following some guy (woman?) in a Honda. The person in front of me is pretty much hugging the speed limit. I'm in no rush, so I'm doing much the same.

There are bicyclists also on this windy road, and it's best to keep the speed reasonable.

So we're approaching one of these bicyclists.

I'm going to call him Dumber-than-Shit.

That name works for me.

So, Dumber-than-Shit has one of those bicyclist shirts with the big pockets in the back for a water bottle, wallet, etc. Neat garment.

Dumber-than-Shit decides, just as the Honda is coming up from behind him, to reach into his shirt with both hands to... I dunno. Adjust something? Scratch his back? Finish his suicide note?

And he swerves sharply to the left... right in front of the Honda.

I swear. I don't know why they didn't collide. The Honda stopped sharply. So, of course, did I.

Dumber-than-Shit kept going into the opposite lane, then regained control, swerved back and indifferently moved to the right of the car lane.

Now, I get that we're supposed to share the road. I do. As a bicyclist myself, I appreciate the need for a little give-and-take.

Dumber-than-Shit could have died.

The Honda driver, clearly rattled, waited 'till Dumber-than-Shit had his shit together, then passed him. I followed suit.

As I passed him, I noticed Dumber-than-Shit lowering his fancy sunglasses and glaring at the Honda, as if he were memorizing the license plate number.

I hope he memorized mine as well. Dumber-than-Shit almost caused an accident that could have gone incredibly badly. I'd love to tell this story to the police.

I really wanted to stop and "have words" with that dumbass as well, but that never accomplishes anything positive.

Boggles the mind sometimes.

Ah well. I'm glad I was able to get my family visit in and finish my errands.

Happy place... must go find it.

Soothing Dayball of Burning Death

It's so nice outside.

Spring-like, but with a slight bite in the air to remind us that the Bay Area is still (technically) in winter.

So hard to work...

Gizmodo Win

Space Coffee Cup

Transformable "Big Wheel" like thing

Today's Win

Commissioned

Questionable Content (I can't un-see this... brain bleach required)

xkcd (of course)

Ready

End of a week.

End of a month (pretty much).

Payday.

This Friday's pretty damn welcome. The cap to a rather-unpleasant week.

Next week is shaping up to be full of "fun" as well.

At least I can sleep in tomorrow.

F***ing hell

This is just not my week.

Had a dentist appointment today. First time ever, I have cavities. And not one cavity, mind you. I've got three. They're small, but damn.

As if that wasn't enough fun news for today, I just got a call. A family friend died last night.

I feel kind of like I've been punched in the gut.

Terrible Envy

My friend Vicky got some Time Squad figures.

Specifically the Dalek and Cyberman.

I... I want. I want badly.

I've also gone way over budget for the month and I still have to pay my auto registration... and I'm still debating the "new TV" plan.

Gah.

Sukebe!

It's wrong of me to laugh at this.

And yet I'm laughing.

No surprise there.

Source is Commissioned

Sweet, sweet Bacon

Oh Bacon! How you taunt and tease me with your bacony-goodness. Your crispy texture. Your fattening nature. Your ability to go with pretty much any other kind of food nearly seamlessly.

The only thing better? Rashers cut bacon.

Bow to the Irish, world. They get breakfast right.

Of course, they invented Guinness, so the world should already be bowing to the Irish, but I digress.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Bacon.

Mmm... bacon...

Goddamn it. Now I want some.

Broken Hourglass

What happened to the time?

I lost hours just on email. That's just weird.

I guess not too weird.

Speaking of not too weird, there's going to be a live-action "Mulan" movie (not a Disney production).

I admit I'm quite fond of Zhao Wei (aka Vicky Zhao) after seeing her in Shaolin Soccer and So Close.

I didn't need to admit that, but I'm all about sharing too much information.

The Nightmare Ends

Longest workshop ever.

Okay, probably not. I know I've attended longer ones.

Still... sweet bejebus this woman loved the sound of her own voice. And nothing pisses me off more than someone who feels the need to squeeze EVERY FRAKKING MINUTE out of a session AND THEN GO OVER!

I do not feel the love.

No, I do not at all.

A phone call has been made. Some sparkly unicorns may be involved.

I hope the asylum lets her talk as long as she wishes.

Urusai

Splat across the screen:

- torture commissions

- golden parachutes and CEO bonuses

- The Watchmen movie

- "sierra_js@eds.com" just offered me: "Rep1icaWatches over 50 brands. LowPrices from $180/unit. BreitlingRolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, Panerai, Cartier, & Many more wbupy x"

Now, the question is: what's "wbupy x"?


Thoughts:

- "Heroes" is still on the air? Why?

- Do you smell what the Rock is cookin'?

- Why drive a Smartie in the fast lane, in the rain, at 5am?


Random Facts:

- sword canes are illegal in California

- "Hawai'i" has an apostrophe in it

- Gummi bear/marshmellow combos taste rather awful

----

The random and the bizarre appear in such an ecclectic assortment that it's almost a requirement to allow it into life.

The big question is: do you share your pizza with the random and the bizarre?

Needs to come with a towel

xkcd

The Real Danger

People have odd fears:

* Zombie apocalypse
* Pirates
* Ninjas
* Robot uprising
* Zombie gerbil hordes
* Dr. Phil (okay, that one isn't odd...)

The real danger lies elsewhere, my friends. I am here to tell you that you have been misdirected. The true threat has been obscured by these and other distractions (although I consider Dr. Phil a real threat).

What do we need to fear?

The sparkly unicorns of Candy-Wonder Land.

Oh yes.

You never considered it, did you? Sparkly unicorns. Who the hell would be afraid of such benign creatures? They're sparkly. They're unicorns. Unicorns are good, right?

Wrong!

The braying sound of a unicorn is said to strike fear and despair into the hearts of the bravest of souls.

And they really only hang around virgins.

Why virgins, you ask? Do you really want to know the answer to that nefarious question?

The sparkly unicorns. They come in all colors: blue, pink, lavender, turquoise, and others.

Their horns of sugary-sweet goodness hold diabetic death for all and their chocolate-brown eyes hide an evil wider and deeper than the greatest of oceans.

Their hordes gather. Fluffy tooth fairies. Santa Elves. Easter bunnies. All serve as foot-soldiers in the army of the sparkly unicorn horde.

Soon they will strike.

They're just waiting to figure out how to neutralize the flying monkey air brigade properly.

Then civilization as we know it is doomed.

You have been warned.

Evil Child

Tuesday is pretty much done. Thank god.

One more day of this workshop. Now we appear to be past the dreary lecture phase so I'm hoping tomorrow is more interactive so I can stay awake.

My game-related issues appear to be more-or-less settled. I'm on-target for my March 14 game. I was ready to cancel the whole thing last night. I'm still half-tempted to, just 'cause of some lingering issues, but I should resolve the main ones this weekend.

I got a couple of blunt lessons in making assumptions today. I always forget that time-honored line: Assumption is the mother of all f*ck-ups.

I'm really tired and I'd like to be hitting something right now. I wish my punching bag wasn't behind so much junk in my storage unit.

That Tuesday Flavor

Today just has that feel to it. The feel of a day that holds nothing but annoyances, irritations, and obstacles for me.

Helps that I'm a bit bored by my workshop today. And I have half a day left.

I'm trying to stay detached from everything. Just flow with it. Do that zen thing.

Not really working.

And no "Fringe" tonight. Damn.

Relief for the modern ninja

I mean, c'mon... with a mask like this who is really the target audience?

Mongo Strong

So I probably can move my TV by myself. It probably won't go down in history as a smart move, but I was able to shift it this morning without too much effort.

Good to know.

And another inch towards a new TV. I'm considering a Samsung. It's hard to beat $545 all-inclusive. I could go $749 for 1080p resolution, but I don't think I want to see the pores on people's faces.

Things to consider, I guess.

Now where the hell am I coming up with this money? That's the big question.

Meds for the Pain

Like many people, I have a love-hate relationship with my hobbies. Unlike many people, when I swing to hate, my OCD makes the hate rapidly become an irrational loathing.

There's probably meds for that.

Thankfully, I'm not like that in my interpersonal relationships.

Or that's what the Voices tell me, anyway.

I'm working on a new game and I'm hitting bumps that are starting to give me headaches above and beyond the normal "herding cats" headaches that games give me.

Goes well with the body aches from my more physical hobbies, I expect.

Bleah.

Hee hee

Mythtickle

Arch-Nemesis

Today's department lunch involved my succumbing to sweet, sweet temptation. That's right. Bacon cheeseburger and fries. And a Boddington's.

Sits in my stomach like a stone. Even now after an hour and a half of all kinds of martial arts crazy (which I SUCK at... just so we're clear).

Apparently my head was bleeding. We weren't even done with warm-ups and some gal stopped me and told me I was bleeding.

I still don't know how.

Must have been a tiny cut, but boy... people moved fast to make sure I wasn't dying.

Flattering, I guess.

Quite the introspective day, actually. I think perhaps I have all the emotional maturity of an eggplant in most ways that matter. Kind of amusing and disturbing by turns.

I am my own worst enemy. That's for damn sure.

And on that topic, I'm considering getting a new TV after this weekend's cable debacle. An LCD TV isn't cheap, though. I can afford it, but I'm just really wary of coughing up that much cash.

But the TV. It calls to me...

And then the crashing reality hits me that I can't actually move my current TV without help (and a truck).

Good times.

Dayum

And in today's weather

I just took a walk to the post office box to mail off my taxes.

I love how the air smells after it rains.

Smile! You're on Citation Camera!

Have you encountered those intersections with the cameras?

If you don't know what I mean, I'm talking about those automatic cameras that take pictures of cars in intersections during red lights.

They're a clever idea, but maddening.

There's one such setup at the major intersection near my office. I have a sneaking suspicion that the city configured the lights at that intersection on a deliberately fast cycle so the yellow light is less than a heartbeat then it's red and *snip*, you're on citation camera.

I avoid that intersection, when possible. Normally I come into the office via another route. However, with the welcome-but-heavy rains, my normal route is flooded. So I opted for plan 'B' and came this route.

This early in the morning, everything is on a timer... theoretically. I approached the intersection from about thirty yards away and the light was green. As I was about eight feet from crossing into the intersection, it turned yellow.

I stopped in time. Barely. The road was rather slick, so I made noises that would attract attention if anyone was awake this early.

I swear the f***ing lights are out to get me.

But I avoided a citation. This time.

Snoring Old Men

It's been raining pretty much all day. Makes me happy. It gives me an excuse to hang around indoors without guilt.

I'm managed to get my VCR/DVD-R to play nice with the cable thingie. I can record shows again. I think. It cost me my Friday "Dollhouse"/"BSG" tape, but I was half-watching both shows Friday night as they recorded and I don't think I missed anything by not giving them my full attention.

I tried to help some elderly neighbors change a tire today in our garage. Damn me if we couldn't get the bolts off his wheel. It was crazy. None of the bolts gave at all. I put my full weight into it (and I'm not light). Didn't give at all.

Hopefully AAA had better luck after my neighbor called them.

I did brave the rain to truck in and see the 'rents. They fed me... oh did they feed me. Mmm...

And I have enough leftovers that I won't need to cook for myself for a good week or so.

I've finished my taxes. I'm getting cash back. Yay!

And I can walk on my foot nearly pain-free for the first time in weeks.

Life is good.

Tech-null-ogy

I'm not sure why, but my new DVD-R/VCR is now cooperating with the cable setup. It wasn't for an hour or so, but a batch of chocolate chip cookies, dinner, and a shower later, I returned to the mess and it's working.

The cable company's remote is still being a pain, but it kind of works.

I'm trying a timed recording now, just to see if it works.

And, to add to the weird, I just got phone solicited for a survey from a local news TV show.

And my phone number is unlisted.

WTF?

Technological Meltdown

I think I'm starting to sympathize with the Amish.

I should explain.

My cable provider advised me that I need a digital transport adapter (their words, not mine) or a box in order to receive the quality programming I'm used to.

It was a "free upgrade", so with little choice, I told 'em to ship it. The equipment arrived yesterday just as I got home from my martial arts class.

First time I've ever connected with UPS like that.

I put the stuff aside, recorded my shows on my antiquated VCR, and went to sleep.

This morning, I got up, watched part of my shows, and thought "hey, I have the time, I should get this crap set up."

I read the directions. Seemed simple. I could route the DTA through my VCR (sounds techie, doesn't it?) program their "universal remote" for some weird reason, and all should be fine.

Ah, silly, naive me of twelve hours ago. You were so innocent and young. It's cute.

Needless to say, it wasn't that simple.

My TV refused to accept the remote. I figured out how to manually program the remote, but they still don't play together well.

I called Comcast. They activated the DTA and I got a signal. I asked the guy how this is supposed to work with my VCR, given that in analog-world, the VCR controlled the channel for when I wanted to have timed recordings...

He couldn't help (not surprising).

So I played with my hookup. The VCR really hates the DTA and vice-versa. I had no picture when the VCR was on, complicating things.

And then the VCR, in a fit of rage, ate my tape of "Dollhouse" and "BSG".

And then it ate another tape.

Yeah. I can see the writing on the wall here.

So I went out, got a new DVD/VCR combo thing with a digital tuner. After first trying to run it through the DTA and getting lovely pictures of static, I am now trying this sans DTA.

Do I really, really need TV?

I don't think I do. Not this badly.

Gettin' mah smog on

My auto registration came the other day. Typical of California registrations, this year is my year to get my car smog checked.

The California DMV is a marvelous testament to bureaucratic inefficiency. They mail out the notices with lots of advance notice, but they don't actually enter your registration information in their computers for another month.

So, it's like they encourage procrastination.

In matters like this, I hate to wait.

So, I went out to a "Test-Only" smog station, coughed up seventy bucks (roughly), and got my car smogged. Passed with flying colors.

Now I have to cough up another $77 to the DMV to actually register my car for the year. And I can't do that 'till... late March, I expect.

Bastards.

But the worst part is over. My car passed smog. Yay!

Cargo Pants

I love cargo pants.

I love garments with pockets in them. Big ol' pockets.

I love carrying lots of things. Little tools. Not-so-little tools. Pocketknife. Flashlight (or two). Notebook. Cell phone. Camera. Watch. Pen(s).

And then there's the essentials: keys, money, ID and various other cards.

When I tally it all up, I carry a lot of junk. When I empty my pockets, I always flash back to that one good scene out of "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" when Max disarms himself for about five minutes.

Okay my stuff really doesn't count as weapons (unless a three-inch pocketknife sounds intimidating and you really believe a pen is mightier than the sword).

Still, it weighs a body down.

Good thing I wear a belt or I'd have that street look of wearing one's pants down by mid-thigh (which would look especially retarded on me).

Slippery Slope

Wikipedia is quite the time vampire.

Case in point, I went to the article for Parkour.

I somehow wound up looking up jujutsu and it was all over.

Next thing I know, I'm hip deep in international martial arts articles:

* baritsu
* dambe
* hapkido (I'm told this style is now properly called "yongmudo")
* krav maga
* kurash (I only barely know where Uzbekistan is...)
* ninjutsu (HAH!)
* okichitaw
* savate
* schwingen
* vovinam

And that's just a smattering.

Good lord.

That's an awful lot of formalized ways of hurting people.

Honoring Tradition

It's Friday, so I must comment on that fact.

A four-day work week is a wonderful thing. I could get used to this. The sunshine for the last couple of days has been nice. Rain is expected this weekend and I welcome it. Beats the 'D' word.

Gives me an excuse to stay in and get stuff done (taxes, game stuff, taxes, taxes...).

I just got my car registration paperwork yesterday. I need to smog my car. Good times.

That may well be tomorrow's adventure, come to think on it.

It's been an interesting week for reasons that I find difficult to put into words. Being a lazy soul, I hate doing difficult things, so I won't try.

I can't believe February is about a week from being over.

A run for the money (or not)

My first exposure to Parkour came from the Warren Ellis comic series "Global Frequency". An entire issue was dedicated to a woman who was a Parkour runner.

I found it fascinating.

Later, while trolling the Internet for a new jacket, I ran across mention of a "Parkour jacket" that had my requirements (black and many pockets). I failed to get the jacket (it was no longer produced by the time I hunted for it), but my investigations exposed me to the concept of Parkour.

I doubt I'll ever really try this. I like jogging, but straight-out running is a bit beyond me these days, thanks to a bit of knee strain from past abuses. I don't know squat about tumbling and rolling, alas (my prior martial arts experience was in an "external" style that didn't cover falling and rolling).

Plus, jumping over fences, cars, and buildings in my neighborhood would probably receive unwelcome police attention and possibly a gunshot from a neighbor.

And that's really what Parkour is all about (okay, not the gunshots, but you get the point).

It's become quite the little subculture and popps up in odd places. One of my friends who is participating in a role-playing game opted to create a Parkour-trained character. While I was trolling Twitch, I saw a trailer for Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum.

That led me to looking at Banlieue 13 and obtaining said film.

It arrived yesterday. I'm about 3/4 through.

Damn.

It's like the older Jackie Chan flicks. Great acrobatics. Crazy stuff.

Love it.

Ah getting Lost

I got caught up on my "Lost" recording from Wednesday night.

It satisfied, but I'm not sure I like the choppy pace. On the one hand, it was nice to see snippets of the other characters' stories through the eyes of the focus character for the episode.

On the other hand, the focus character was Jack (my least-favorite of the series) and it was intentionally repetitive of the pilot.

I have a love-hate relationship with "Lost". I don't care about lots of the main characters. Specifically, I could care less about:

- Jack
- Kate
- Locke

I celebrated when they killed off Charlie, Boone, and Shannon.

I'm more interested in the stories that revolve around:

- Sayid
- Sawyer
- Jin
- Sun (and I have a mad crush on Yunjin Kim, but that's not news)
- Desmond and Penny
- Ben

I'm getting to like the newer characters they introduced:

- Lapidus
- Faraday
- Miles

I never warmed to Charlotte. Moot point now. I go back-and-forth on Hurley and Juliette.

...
...
...

Oh my god. I'm addicted to a soap.

[gunshot]

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD

I hate Superman.

I think I always have.

I never got the appeal. He's super fast/strong/blah-blah-blah and he can't be hurt by anything except Kryptonite and magic stuff.

Kind of made all his heroics a bit hollow, especially since he seems like a bit of a grandstanding dick, depending on who writes his adventures.

And apparently, I'm not the only person who feels this way.

I was always a bigger fan of Batman, who was just a guy who trained to become a superhero or (my personal favorite) Green Lantern who required imagination and will to make things happen. In truth, I always favored the Marvel superheroes 'cause they seemed more human and flawed (until I grew disenchanted with Marvel's offerings of utter crap).

That said, I shouldn't be so harsh on Supes. One of my best friends in the world is a fan, but he pretty much knows my take on Kal-El and we're still friends.

And from Superman came one of my favorite quotes (see the post title)

Um

I got nuthin'

You're Undead to Me

I learned some ground-work techniques last night in class. I haven't done wrestling since I was in high school (which was a looooooooooooong time ago...). It was a hoot.

It's a definite advantage being a bit bigger than average. It's not so much of that advantage when you're paired up with even bigger partners. There were a couple of points in last night's class when I was fairly sure an arm or two was going to be popped loose of a shoulder socket.

I'm still not certain everything is where it's supposed to be.

---

I feel a bit crazed with all the prep work juggling I'm doing for my new campaign. It's kind of like juggling flaming chainsaws while deranged two-year-olds gnaw on your knees.

Only fun.

I think perhaps this is all some form of therapy. I'm not sure what it's treating.

I'm not sure I want to know.

---

I just looked at my list of... oh I don't want to call them "New Year's Resolutions"... Hm. Let's call them "life plans that happen to coincide with..."

Oh hell with it. They're New Year's Resolutions.

I've actually accomplished most of the list. Got one outstanding thing left. I want to re-up my long-expired First Aid/CPR certification with Red Cross.

Seventy bucks. Going to set me back 7 hours. I could do it on a weekend, I think. That or I take a day off from work.

I could get certified through work, but I'm not really keen on getting added responsibilities.

---

After chatting with one of my friends and receiving a sort of "audit", I've found out I'm woefully unprepared for a zombie apocalypse.

Oh, I have machete-like things for close zombie troubles, but as my friend points out: you don't want them close to you. That's a last resort. You tire, but zombies don't.

He recommended I take a gun safety course, then look into large-caliber firearms (his emphasis was shotguns).

I'm not a big fan of firearms. They make me nervous. One mishap with a firearm is going to result in large holes in things.

I'm okay for food stores, at least for a short time. But food scavenging (hitting local grocery stores for canned goods after civilization collapses) will require more firepower to ensure safety. Can't stay locked up forever.

Still, I think I'll take my chances that the powers-that-be will find a resolution to the zombie apocalypse before I run out of food.

My friend's reply when I said that:

"You're undead to me."

I'm totally eating his brain when the time comes.

Equality of the what?

Huh. I wouldn't have guessed.

Go figure.

And a Trailer!!

Useful Job Skills

What's the most useful skill I got in high school?

I learned how to deliver back and shoulder rubs in marching band.

No joke.

That skill has served me well in life.

AAAAHH!!! MUST SEE!!!!

When a movie bills itself as "Dr. Who meets Shaun of the Dead", I have to see it.

io9 gave this trailer

An excellent point

I have ranted about this movie for ages and I'm ashamed to say I never thought about this.

I still hate Ewoks.

Source is Rob and Eilliot

Psychic Pancakes

Getting started on any kind of writing assignment is the hardest part of writing, in my opinion. Be it writing for my job, writing a story, or writing for my hobby.

I'm at a peculiar crossroads this week in that I'm hitting that bump both on my job and in my hobby.

Job takes priority, obviously. It's sad that I find it easier to get started on the hobby.

I do love my job but there are days where I'd love to have that "Cone of Silence" from that old TV show "Get Smart" and completely isolate myself from many of the folks I work with. I think today might be one of those days. I'm perusing my (work) email and I'm already irritated.

It's quite the morning. I woke up to a revelation that's made me re-think a couple of my personal relationships. I nearly got run off the road. Again. I've got a long day, which may-or-may not mean I miss class this afternoon. "Fringe" wasn't on last night (whiiiiinnnneeee). And my work email is making me wonder why I got up.

I guess we're all entitled to days like that. At least it's a short work week.

Weird

I can't see my posts. Wonder what's up?

[Edit] And now I can. Huh. [/Edit]

A quiz

I hate quizes.

A friend mailed me this, and exerted peer pressure. So here:

1. Do you have a tattoo?

No

2. How old are you?

Older than the dirt beneath your feet.

3. Are you single or taken?

Hungry

4. Do you drive a stick or an automatic?

Cap'n! The dilithium crystals! They canna take much more!

5. Can you remember your dreams?

Every night it's the same dream and I have no idea why the squirrels invade. I really don't.

6. Do you believe in life after death?

I have prime real estate reserved in Hell, thank you very much.

7. Are you religious?

Are you kidding? I'm the head of my religion. Converts are welcome. Cash only, please.

8. Do you own a gun?

Nerf Maverick. It malfunctions a lot.

9. Blonde, brunette, or redhead?

Me or a preference?

10. Would you ever betray a friend for the right price?

Nobody has offered me the right price yet.

11. Would you commit a crime for a friend?

I plead the Fifth.

12. Would you help a friend conceal a crime?

What is this? Entrapment?

----

aaand the rest of the quiz got stupider. I ran out of patience and interest.

Hrg.

Can't make that prior post space out correctly Whatever.

No surprise

Your results:You are Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)

Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		65%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		55%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		55%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		55%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		50%
River (Stowaway)		45%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		40%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		40%
Inara Serra (Companion)		40%
Alliance		40%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		35%

Although you can be a good fighter and good at protecting others you are not very bright sometimes.


Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

SCUBA training required

I am sans a coffee partner this fine, wet morning so I went off to get my second cup of life about fifteen minutes ago.

One of our neighboring parking lots is under water. About six inches of water, actually.

Good time to own a boat.

It's nice and slippery on the ground as well. I'm limping still, thanks to my sore foot, and I managed to slip on a tree root while hobbling back with my coffee. The cup spewed hot life-water all over the left side of my face.

Yeah. It's going to be one of those mornings.

A bit of the ultra-violence

I saw this on Warren Ellis' blog.

I had the opportunity to purchase this DVD over the weekend. I wasn't super-thrilled about coughing up thirty bucks for a movie at the time.

I'm rethinking that view right now.

Me want.

Soothing

I can hear the rain pouring against the roof and the side of the building.

Makes me want to curl up and go to sleep.

That would be a bit awkward, given that I'm at the office and I didn't bring a bed.

Drivin' in the rain

I always find myself marveling at how different people handle the rain and driving.

It's not really that hard.

When the rain is falling out of the sky, but the road isn't holding it, you really don't have to do too much that's different (although slowing down is probably wise).

When the road is soaked, there's standing water all over the place, and rain is pouring down from the sky, it's seriously time to slow the hell down.

This goes double for large trucks.

Context for this rant: I'm driving into work this morning in the wee hours. It's raining fairly hard. There's standing water on the freeway. I got on to the freeway and hugged the right lane in my tiny car.

Behind me there's a massive big-rig truck flying along the road and he's opted to tailgate me.

I'm barely doing 55 and the f***er is tailgaiting me! In the right lane!

He changes lanes to tailgate some poor schmuck to my immediate left after about a hundred yards of this. I accelerated to get away from a bad scene (someone ahead of me moved off giving me pretty much my own lane). I looked back and there wasn't a foot between that truck and the poor guy ahead of him.

Normally I'm not much for lolligaggers (sp?) on the freeway. If you're on the road, you should be moving at a good clip... though I really only care if I'm towards the left lanes. If you're hugging the right lane, go whatever speed you want. The other lanes exist for passing. That said, there's a point where being in a rush leads to being a complete idiot.

If I'd had to brake suddenly for any reason, I couldn't have. The road was way too slick.

It would be worse if that poor schmuck had to brake. The truck could never stop in time.

And the truck wasn't the worst. I saw at least four cars and one pickup truck blaze past in the left lanes, swerving between lanes like they were playing tag. I'd guess they were doing 90.

If the conditions were dry, I wouldn't care. In this weather? Idiotic.

Where's the CHP when you need them?

Prez-iding

Yesterday was a delightful Prez Day. Beyond the fashioning of practice weapons for a martial arts class I'll probably miss, I did a dinner with family in SF. I had some out-of-town relatives in the area, so we met up, had Italian, and stayed out of the rain.

And for some reason, the restaurant gave me a free beer.

Good times.

Mmmm

I love waking up to the rain, especially on days when I really don't have to get out of bed.

And this morning had its fair share of rain.

My shoulder is giving me less trouble than expected, so that's an added bonus. It's still a bit tender, but I have full mobility, so all is well.

Wish I could say the same about my foot. I managed to hurt that nicely and can barely walk on it. Good times.

My class intends to teach basic stick fighting in a few weeks, so I went out to a hardware store, got a dowel, a hacksaw, and sandpaper to make myself some appropriate equipment.

I'm wondering how long it will be before one of these things flies from my hand as I mess around, thus shattering something breakable like a TV or a window.

Not that I haven't done that before with other toys... oh no. Never.

[whistling]

Pain

I took advantage of an unexpectedly-free Sunday afternoon to attend martial arts.

Two hours of martial arts fun.

It's a shame I managed to injure myself. I successfully did this in the warm-up, no less.

Yep. I landed on my shoulder wrong. After an icepack, aspirin, and a hot shower it feels better but I can already tell it's going to hurt tomorrow.

I don't think I tore or broke anything. I think it's a pulled muscle. And I think I'm gonna be slamming a fair amount of painkillers in the next few days.

It was totally worth it to go to the class. I learned some cool stuff that I was able to do even with an injured shoulder. That said, it's hell of embarrassing.

And, of course, it hurts.

Oh well. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

Nummy

I really love Subway's sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwiches. Dunno why.

I love 'em enough to brave the cold and the rain to walk a mile and get one.

I regret nothing.

So I'm adding this to my blog in the event I get pneumonia.

Just in case I regret later.

Kin of Munching

"Munchkin"
- characters in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- Munchkin (cat), a breed of cat characterised by unusually short legs
- Munchkin (role-playing games), a player who plays a non-competitive game in a competitive manner
- Munchkin (card game), a card game by Steve Jackson Games

Wikipedia says it best: "In gaming, a Munchkin is a player who plays what is intended to be a non-competitive game (usually a role-playing game) in an aggressively competitive manner. A munchkin seeks within the context of the game to amass the greatest power, score the most "kills," and grab the most loot, no matter how deleterious their actions are to role-playing, the storyline, fairness, logic, or the other players' fun. The term is used almost exclusively as a pejorative and frequently is used in reference to powergamers and to immature players in general."

I find it funny that a term for the little people of Oz became a term for power gamers.

Well... more weird than funny.

For all that, it can be awfully fun to be a munchkin. Ah, memories.

owie

My foot hurts.

I'd like to blame my martial arts class, but to be fair it has nothing to do with them. The problem started some months ago.

I thought I could tough it out, but finally I did a little research and figured out what the hell was bothering me after some days of running.

So I got some medicine and have been dealing with my foot troubles.

And it's getting worse. It's expected to for a time, but that doesn't make life any easier, especially when I add a martial arts class into my lifestyle which requires use of said foot in new and really interesting ways.

It's making me rather testy.

Well, it was until I started jumping up-and-down after watching BSG.

Now it's just making me wince.

Hm. Time for bed, I think.

Wow

I saw "Dollhouse". Not bad. Interesting premise. I have faith in the Whedon that it will get better.

And then BSG.

Oh wow.

Answers at long last.

Gah!

I'm gonna have trouble sleeping tonight.

So... wrong.

Another sent by a friend of mine. Ye gods...

A little ride

Damn this is funny.

Mother F***ing Time Vampire

Ah beauty. The Onion wins again.

WARNING: Lots of (justified) profanity

A Plethora of Cacophony

Apparently my prior post hit 600.

I have a lot of nonsense to spew, apparently.

Clearly I need more diverting hobbies.

I started watching Kung Fu Panda last night after trying to watch two horrible filler episodes of Bleach (yes, I watch too much TV).

I was told Kung Fu Panda is quite good. I only saw a little bit and it seems entertaining. I'll probably give it a full view over the rainy weekend. Supposed to storm like all hell tomorrow, so it will be good to sit indoors and let my brains soften in front of the TV (or computer).

Alec Baldwin has to eat, after all.

Pure Win

As the kids say, anyway.

Source is Commissioned

Abrams Awesomeness

Last night I finished watching my Tuesday night recording of "Fringe" finally.

They just went in a direction that's pretty much blown my mind. So the over-arc of the show has something called "The Pattern", which is really just a series of weird sci-fi travesties that happen to innocent people (people melting, turning into monsters, etc.).

In the latest episode (the last new one for a while), the story implied that all of this is the result of a fight between "our" world and an alternate reality that's more advanced than ours.

That concept is SO GODDAMN COOL that I'm still geeking out over it.

I followed it with my recording of last night's "Lost". It essentially covered backstory for Jin, one of my favorite characters, since the events at the end of season four. And it addressed Locke's leaving the island. There was a fair amount of cool in it and some frustrating crap mixed in.

It was an Abrams-themed evening of geeky goodness.

EEE! EEE! EEE!

Do you know how hard it is to simulate the "Friday the 13th" music in text? Pretty hard.

I never get the "it's Friday the 13th so it's bad luck" meme. I might get it if it were, say, Monday the 13th or Tuesday the 13th. I don't know if 13 is really an unlucky number or not, but those two days tend to suck.

Fridays are almost always awesome.

This one is pure gold for me. It's a payday, it's a Friday (always welcome), and it's raining nicely.

Oh, and I have a three-day weekend thanks to Prez Day.

Any bad luck will hit me regardless of the day and date, unless it's in the form of a hockey mask-wearing psycho.

And let's face it, if anyone meets one of those, your personal luck is pretty bad.

Arrgggh!

One of my more sadistic friends sent me this.



I am still considering appropriate vengeance.

[Edit] Why? Watch it. Giant lobster? Huh? My brain hurts. [/Edit]

I'm quite sober

It... I... aaaahhh!!!!

How do people come UP with stuff like this????

The Internet "Rules"

I was able to find that song I wanted through the wonders of the Internet.

So now I have the full MP3.

I'll still buy the album when it comes out on the 25th. I like to give business to musicians I enjoy.

Until then, I can enjoy this.

Yes, my musical tastes are strange for an American. What's your point?

Yay!

Exciting!

It happens

Some mornings demand Linkin Park and Evanescence (just to mix things up).

Some days demand an extra shot of espresso in the black depths of pure coffee.

Some days demand a boot to the head and a kick in the ass.

Some days require a lot of wasabi.

I'm not entirely sure what else today may require. It's barely past 6am.

Ah... "Battle without Honor or Mercy" from Kill Bill Vol. 1. That's what today demands.

Is it really Thursday? Doesn't quite feel like it.

Dumbex

Ah Fedex... y'all ain't all that bright, are ya?

So yesterday I had a package delivered to my apartment. Due to many crazy circumstances, I wasn't able to get back to my apartment until close to 7pm.

Fedex came and went.

Normally in a case of a secured apartment building, couriers like UPS, DHL, etc. will call using the intercom to say "delivery" or "you have a package". They'll get my answering machine, then leave a tag with a tracking number, and go about their delivery business. This leaves it to me to coordinate some way to claim my package.

The Fedex delivery person decided instead to leave my package on the intercom... right there in front of the building... on a well-traveled street.

Yeah. Thanks guys.

I'm mildly surprised the package was still there.

Bastards.

At least I got it.

I... it... aaaahhh!!!

My eyes. They burn.

Words fail me

Pure awesome

To clear things up

This is how it is. Lifted from RPG.net



Another reason why ninjas are the best. Same source.



Though it can go wrong. Source is the UNSPEAKABLE VAULT OF DOOM

Sensitivity

So my office just had "Harassment and Diversity Awareness Training".

It was a pretty good little session, actually. Made the point in under 20 minutes.

Oddly enough, when looking at the list provided by our HR department, I realize I've been on the receiving end of a lot of harassment in my time here.

Kind of weird.

Woh-pah

I WILL see this.

I think I'm in love.

Given the age difference, that's more than a lot of creepy.

Musings

Sometimes I wonder when the apes will rise and overcome their stinking human masters.

Then I wonder if humanity could survive an ape-Skynet alliance.

Dr. Zaius' would totally go for it.

"Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty Termi-ape!"
---

I never got Mothra. Godzilla just needed to burn something and Mothra would fly right into the fire. Poof. No more problems.

Then what's left? A couple of tiny fairy girls? C'mon... we look like Godzilla to them. Godzilla would be just ridiculously big.
---

I love when people ask me "what superpower would you want?"

Bending reality to my will would do nicely. That's pretty much all the superpowers right there.

Why go halfway?
---

What is it about clowns and mimes that make them so goddamn creepy?

I guess a better question is: what isn't creepy about them?
---

I wonder if Tolkien's Dwarf-women really did have beards?
---

So, what would happen if Superman and Wonder Woman got a hotel room in, oh let's say San Jose?

I'm thinking bad earthquakes. Might just be me.

The Art of Herding Cats

I'm trying to get friends lined up and ready for another game. Specifically I'm trying a new campaign setting and adding some new vic...um... players.

In the grand tradition of pretty much everything I ever do, there's complications. Specifically the two new guys have hellish schedules and are hard to pin down.

Ah, challenges.

At least it's just a game and nothing earth-shattering.

---
Last night my class had evasion exercises. Essentially you stand in the middle of a group and your teammates "attack" you (grab your sleeve, slow-punch at you, grapple from behind, whatever) and you're supposed to respond with what you know.

And I really don't know much. Oh, I can fall back on the stuff I do know, but most of that isn't really suited for being grappled and is hard to do without actually striking someone.

I noticed some of my classmates had the same problem, 'cause one guy kicked me pretty hard in the leg. Would have been a problem had he not pulled the hit.

The curse of a contact sport.
---

What would one add to dehydrated water?

Chomp

Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew.

That's usually because I'm hungry.

Oh hell, it's always because I'm hungry.

I really should slow down and take smaller bites.

A sudden loss of warmth

I've somehow adapted to the unseasonably warm weather of last week. Today it's actually closer to a winter normal and I'm actually cold.

So obviously I feel the need to whine. What better venue than this? Everyone in earshot of me is starting to threaten to throw me outside, so I type my tears on an electronic canvas.

That actually would sound poetic if that statement wasn't utter crap.

My Viking and Visigoth ancestors are mocking me from Valhalla. That's right, I have real Goth blood. When I see stories on Rome, I get an urge to pillage and burn.

Thank goodness I get the order correct.

I require sleepies

Rain pitter-pattered on my window in the wee-hours of this morning as the cranky sounds of my alarm clock woke me out of a wonderful dream.

F***ing Monday morning. Ugh.

Winter has finally returned with a chill in the air and actual, much-needed, rain. I welcome it with open arms (or I will after I wake up). It's about goddamn time.

I think this will be my only "full" work week this month. Next week has President's Day to give a much-welcome long weekend. The week after I have a conference I get to attend for a couple of days mid-week. Should be a hoot.

And then it will be March.

Jeez...

Arrooooo!!!!

Full moon peeking through the clouds this morning.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

tick-tick-tick

And another weekend draws to a close.

At least this was a nice, long one.

I hosted a game yesterday. I think I overdid it on my poor players. I broke a couple of them.

Another issue of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (the comic) came out today. I am beside myself with Buffy glee.

Okay, maybe not that excited, but it's a nice little bit of fun.

It's gonna be a bugger of a week. Bleah.

TV goodness

I finished watching my recording of "Burn Notice" last night. I'm unimpressed with this half of the season, but it's slowly (very slowly) improving.

"Battlestar Galactica" was f***ing awesome. Betrayal. Counter-betrayal. Murder. Mayhem. Crazed laywers proving the pen is mightier than the... um... guy with the gun.

The end of some characters that needed an ending.

Ah... it pleased me.

Shove

I've had more time to think on Push.

I'm linking it more and more as I think on it. Oh, there's squirrly plot issues and some pretty uneven acting, but there were elements of the overall story that I really like.

And lots of mind-games. Kind of fun mind-games.

I'll almost-certainly pick this up when it comes out on DVD.

Pushing around

I just got back from watching Push.

It was an enjoyable matinee.

I've seen better, I've seen worse. In this particular genre, I've seen much, much worse, so I'm inclined to give this film a '7' and move on.

The film is essentially about a bunch of people with superpowers. There are two primary protagonists and they're facing off against more than one shadowy group of bad guys.

It starts out moderately clear and straightforward, but the story gets garbled under the weight of its backstory and there are plot holes that you could drive a bus through. Oh, and the ending all but shouts "please make a sequel of me" or a TV series.

I'm not sure it needs either, but I'd probably watch a sequel or TV series if either were made.

It's still more coherent than all of "Heroes" has been on TV, but that's not saying much.

It's a fun action flick. Don't go with expectations and you might enjoy it.

Pure Awesome

Last night I went to see Sword of the Stranger with a friend and his tolerant girlfriend.

The movie was a non-stop feast of swordplay and bloody carnage.

Needless to say, I loved it.

I usually hate dubbed movies, but this wasn't too bad at all.

I'm taking today off from work... mostly 'cause I can and I have time-off to burn. Felt good to sleep in. I trotted off to get a nice, fattening breakfast at a local and watched the rain come down in buckets.

Now I'm enjoying the music of "Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns". Not a bad album.

And I'm still feeling geeky joy over Sword of the Stranger.

Chick Flick Done Right

Best remixed movie trailer ever. WARNING: Profanity. Lots of it. NSFW and not for delicate ears.

Amusing

As a rule, I don't like sitcoms. They tend to be mind-numbingly stupid.

This, however, looks really funny.

My "Friday"

As I've previously noted, I'm taking time off tomorrow to sleep in (hopefully to the rain) and do errands.

I'm looking forward to it.

I'm hoping Push is one of my errands, but that really depends on how other things go.

Mmm... sleep.

Bale Bashing

I feel bad for ripping on Christian Bale's angry moment.

We all have our moments and we all have people who push our buttons.

And I have to admire his application of profanity. It wasn't super-creative, but he emoted nicely.

Maybe I'm just jealous that he's cooler than me.

After all, he's the goddamn Batman.

(I hate that meme, but I can't stop spreading it.)

Most Awesome Umbrella Ever

Ah... ThinkGeek, I love ye...

Another goddamn remake

So they (and by "they", I mean ABC) is doing a remake of NBC's V tv series.

Why is ABC remaking an NBC show?

To make it more warm and fuzzy?

To give it that special Disney spin?

To spread evil?

All of the above?

Nipple commentary

Got your attention, didn't it?

I am, of course, talking about the conversation that took place in last night's episode of "Fringe".

It's that level of weirdness that keeps this show awesome.

Oh, and weird nano-viruses that turn people into monster-men that wreak havoc.

That's awesome too.

Perfect thing to relax to after a rather painful martial arts class (focus on kicking... my legs are almost numb in pain).

Thanks to a work situation, I had to drive to class, which resulted in me parking in a parking garage staffed by... well, let's generously say the fellow was "challenged" and leave it at that.

Where the hell did I put that Advil?

Oh Boo Hoo!

From Salon:

WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Wednesday announced a salary cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive large amounts of bailout money, calling the step an expression not only of fairness but of "basic common sense."

A response in the New York Times:

"That is pretty draconian -- $500,000 is not a lot of money, particularly if there is no bonus," said James F. Reda, founder and managing director of James F. Reda & Associates, a compensation consulting firm. "And you know these companies that are in trouble are not going to pay much of an annual dividend."

Oh gosh. However can people live on a mere half a million dollars?

Oh, the humanity!

I'd like to get half a million dollars and see how that works out for me.

I'd use some of it to buy a clue bat and take a trip to Wall Street, I think...

A tiny kernel of wisdom

99.9% of the world's population already gets this.

Some news reports claim that the average American has the IQ of a 5th grader and they get this.

I'm apparently a slow learner, so I'm sharing my experience for the benefit of the 0.1% of the population that might not know this.

There's a concept out there known as "over-doing it."

Spellings vary.

Case in point: if your legs are sore... sore to the point that walking up stairs is quite painful... you should probably re-think the idea of running a few miles.

That probably won't loosen you up and work the kinks out of your aging body.

It will instead probably cause more pain.

Especially the next morning.

Just sayin'

Oh, and Advil is your friend.

NEERRRDDDSSSS!!!!!!

It had to happen. Someone worked out how much a Death Star would cost to build in U.S. dollars.

Yeah.

If you were curious, it's about $156 septillion.

I'm not so much curious about how someone did the math. I'm curious if he got out of his parents' basement to give out the math or if he just randomly emailed people until someone read his numbers.
---
Awesome spy pen.

Why do I see these gadgets when I'm low on cash?
----

Aaron sent me this site. Neat stuff. Most of it is common sense, but there's some nuggets of traveling wisdom here that I might find useful if I can afford to travel again.

Ever.
---
For old school, I have to say that this looks cool.

This Lee Valley/Veritas site has some neat stuff.

Are you f***ing kidding me?

I'm so glad my tax money went to bail out the f***ing banks.

I'd have been heartbroken if Wells Fargo couldn't have their Vegas parties.

Seriously. What the hell kind of bullshit is this? The economy is in the crapper and my tax dollars are paying for some assholes to party it up?

Really?

It's unbelievable.

No wonder our country spirals so fast into the toilet. With this kind of irresponsible crap going on, I'm surprised we're not all eating catfood.

Or bank execs... they seem... well-fed...

Heh

Someone put Bale's hissy fit to music.

Warning: lots of profanity.

Funny, though.

and for our moment of crazy

Oh my god... this is over-the-top.

Funny and disturbing.

Okay, it's more disturbing than funny.

Nice example of professional behavior, I guess.

---

I suspect this martial arts class might well kill me.

Not due to any of my classmates, mind you. They're all incredibly nice.

No... I think the exercises will break me like a brittle twig.

Owie.

Time for some Advil.

On the plus side, if I do survive this class, I'll be better prepared for an attack by rival ninjas or what-not.

It's important to anticipate these things, you know.

Don't judge me.

Wowsers

There's a bite in the air this morning. One might think it's winter.

Maybe.

This has been one of the freakier winters I can recall. There's been entirely too much spring-like weather.

Oh yeah. Boo-hoo. It's been warm. Other parts of the country (and the world) are freezing their asses off, but the whiny Californian is crying over pleasant weather.

Yes. Yes I am. It's unseasonable and it's going to hit California with consequences come this summer. I remember the last few droughts all-too-clearly, thank you. Water rationing isn't fun. If the temperatures are warm in January/February, how hot will they be in July and August? Sure, I love being able to get outdoors and do whatever... now... but I'd kind of like to not-melt this summer.

Or have water company hit squads going around.

Or deal with the increased price in produce and so on.

...

Yeah. So... in other news, I finally finished season one of "Reaper" last night.

That show just gets better and better.

Can't wait for season two to start (apparently in March).

Lunching

I am full of Askew Grill goodness, courtesy of the ad hoc birthday lunch I helped organize today.

I shouldn't have gone across the street and gotten that cookie. It tipped me over the edge of too-full.

When I got out of the bakery with my cookie-goodness, everyone had vanished into various stores nearby. The ladies booked over to the nearest clothing store. The guys for the electronics store.

Some cliches hold true.

The curse of being a dork

I completely forgot yesterday was the superbowl.

I think I realized it towards the end of the game when I heard my neighbors yelling. I turned down my music and realized they were cheering something. As I finished what I was doing, I realized that the superbowl was on.

I didn't even know who was playing until about ten minutes ago.

And I have to be honest. I still don't care.

The only bummer is that I can't do the small talk with people today 'cause they're all talking about the super bowl and I have no idea what they're talking about.

Now I know how other people feel when I'm ranting about [insert geeky topic here].

Heh.

Flies like a bird

I just realized it's February.

Wow. It's like I blinked and January just vanished.

I blame the unseasonably-warm weather California is having. It's like spring. It's just weird.

Beats horrible ice storms, I guess.

My apartment smells keenly of the pasta sauce I made yesterday. Mmm... tomatoes, garlic, and onions.

The birthday lunch outing I'd planned today for a friend just went south. The lunch destination isn't open on Mondays.

Yeah... I suppose I should have paid more attention to the website when organizing this.

Meh. Maybe we can reschedule.

In other news, I have come to the realization that I am not, in fact, the goddamn Batman.

All things considered, that's not a bad thing.

It's da plan, man

It's not even 7am and my schemes for the week are taking form.

I'm hoping to see Sword of the Stranger at a special showing Thursday night.

The night we're actually supposed to get hit with a rainstorm.

Good times.

Since it ends well past my bedtime, and since I have time-off to spare, I'm hoping to take Friday off. That will give me a much-needed opportunity to clean my apartment, do laundry, and such before I host a game on Saturday for much nerd-abuse.

If I'm really lucky, I hope to squeeze in a showing of Push around my martial arts class on Friday.

Taken also intrigues me, mainly 'cause Liam Neeson kicking nine-hundred different kinds of ass is pretty cool as a story concept.

I require the sleepies

Monday mornings are always the hardest.

Forgot my MP3 player again. I could've sworn it was in my bag, but all my swearing does not make it appear.

I'm supposed to spearhead a birthday lunch today. It was just put in danger by an unexpected meeting. Figures.

Monday, why do you mock me with your Mondayness? What have I ever done to you to earn this abuse?

Don't answer that.

Hey! I said don't answer that!