Kicking 2010 out the door

As my New Year's Eve plans implode, I find myself sipping a cool Newcastle Brown Ale in my Stein of Science and look back on the previous year's insanity.

Pros:
* I got a new car.

* I got a new PC.

* I'm still employed.

* I gathered unto me a variety of shiny things (including the aforementioned Stein of Science).

* I saw Prague and much of Bavaria.

Oh, who am I kidding? Listing all the good things in 2010 would take a long time. I did okay overall.

Cons:

* I needed to buy a new car.

* I needed to buy a new PC.

* I find myself plagued with a variety of health issues deriving from overly-bright fluorescent lighting and far too many impacts from my impact sport.

* I didn't get a name or phone phone number of that cute gal on the train tonight. Damnit.

I can't list the crap of 2010 in their entirety in this blog. Most of it is too personal and meaningless to others.


So as the last couple of hours wind away and I drink my irritation down to a dull roar, I guess I should ponder resolutions.

Or I could just resolve to enjoy my beer.

Hey... I think I have a plan!

Happy New Year. May 2011 bring whomever reads this good fortune and happiness as we leave behind the first decade of the 21st century.

Cheers.

Xmas saw a Who

Xmas was pretty awesome. It had a few bumps, but overall it was pretty damn cool. I walked off with much loot.

Thanks to the gracious generosity of a great enabler, I was also able to see the latest "Dr. Who" Christmas Special.

Oh wow, was that awesome.

I actually had to watch it twice to get the full effect (I just finished watching it again). Yeah. It was surreal and really weird, but Moffatt's writing was pretty solid.

I think it was the best of the "Dr. Who" Xmas specials. Good times.

I'm now completely stuffed on Xmas leftovers. Urgh...

Tic-tock

This is pretty much it for time in the office this year.

I'm looking forward to getting caught up on my sleep a bit. Looks like I overdid it for Xmas, so I'll probably be spending a lot of time watching TV instead of doing anything that will require me to spend money.

I suspect I'll spend a bit of money to play with my gift to myself.

Hey now! Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm talking about the Stein of Science I obtained.

My friend Evil Steve loaned me Tucker Max's book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. I'll probably try to finish that.

I've gotten through the first two chapters. Wow. This guy is quite the jackass. At least he's accepted it and I must admit that he's a funny writer.

Daaamn but this is cool

Neat knife idea

The Size and Shape of a Strange World

In the words of Elijah Snow:

"It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way."

Steins! Of Science!

Pardon the disgusting ruin that is a toaster oven in the background.

So this is one of the Steins of Science I acquired this rainy Monday night from the honorable company of Herr Direktor himself.

I'm impressed with it. Keeps my beer cool and it looks awesome. That I acquired it after an hour(ish) of time hearing of the adventures of Herr Direktor's life was just icing on the cake. I know I'd read of some of it on his website, but for some reason the info didn't stick in my head properly. Likely my grey-matter hard drive is maxed out. *sigh*

I obtained a second one for a sibling who must have one. I can only imagine the sibling's reaction.

It's so shiny... and it holds an imperial pint of beer. I feel I must HIGHLY recommend this to EVERYONE I know!

But first, I need to deal with the fact I've had four pints of strong beer on a work night... ye gods...

Brilliant and a little depressing

Weekend Fallout

This was one of those weekends that has keenly reminded me that I am no longer the age that allows me to abuse my internal organs for two days in a row.

Good lord.

I'm not inclined to go into details. Suffice it to say, there was a fair amount of drinking this weekend.

I spent all Sunday resting and I still think I'm fighting a bug.

Bah. 'Tis the season and all that. I regret nothing.

Testimonial

Q: How does one rejuvenate after a hard evening of the organ and neuron abuse that constitutes holiday festivities?

A: Why, Black Blood of the Earth, of course!

It regenerates brain matter and jump-starts possibly-failing organs. It restores youth and vigor.

It may well raise the dead.

(Note: These statements are based on the writer's observations and not independently-verified, though it's a fair bet there's people out there who believe the writer should be comatose right now.)

Brilliant! FANTASTIC!

This really is genius. (seen on Nerd Approved)

Thank You John Conyers

It's about time someone uttered a little sanity.

RUBBERDUCKZILLA!!!

(WTF Japan, Seriously?)

sugary awesome

'Tis that time of year.

Da boss has delivered candies and a little something extra for xmas.

I've already earmarked the something extra for something awesome. So. Very. Awesome.

And the candy calls to me. Damnit.

I've been getting better as the years have gone by with respect to resisting chocolate (my Kryptonite). Milk chocolate holds less-appeal. The exceptions tend to be when it's wrapping some tasty caramel or a cookie. Twix bars are pure, tasty, evil in that respect.

Dark chocolate, however... oh that will haunt me to my dying day, I think.

Thankfully for my caloric intake, the candies are milk chocolate and mostly-resistable. The damn caramel ones, though... they call to me.

Oh, they call to me.

I can hear their siren song. They sing so very sedu-NOM-NOM-NOM!!!!!

This product needs to be real

A good Dalek scene (for a change)

Yeah.

Gulpo

Hee, hee, hee

Operation SuperCaff: update

Yeah...

So, it's my morning habit to have two cups of coffee. One cup with breakfast. One cup mid-morning when my "coffee buddy" arrives in the office.

*ahem*

As previously stated, I had some BBotE as my breakfast coffee this wet Tuesday morning.

It's doing its work nicely.

I did my coffee buddy a favor and retrieved coffee from our local caffeinating station and opted to get a cup for myself.

Whoo-eee... that plan may not have shown prudence and wisdom on my part.

It's not strong coffee, but I've already got 100 ml of BBotE in my blood.

So I have that much more caffeine in my blood.

Mind you, I have a reasonably-high tolerance for caffeine. Usually. I used to be Starbuck's drone and have actually experienced the joy of caffeine poisoning... over fifteen years ago.

Age, it seems, has lessened my tolerance.

So, the life-lesson here is: obey the suggestions of Herr Direktor. Consume no more than 100ml per DAY.

And now I will... SQUIRREL!!!!

Argh. ADD and OCD overdrive...

Yet another moment of WTF-ery

Nothing says fun like having Yahoo tell me they think my email account may have been compromised.

Doesn't look like anything went awry, but that still doesn't leave me feeling warm-and-fuzzy.

There are days when I think I should retreat to a cave... though that whole lack of running water, central heating, Internet, and all that... that sort of puts the kebosh on that plan.

I'm screwed when civilization collapses. Utterly screwed.

The Esoteric Order of the Old Ones (and Cthulhu Cultists)

(via Ia Ia io9 F'tagn)

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

It's a wet morning. I've been running a bit slow.

So, naturally, I sought to get properly caffeinated on my way out the door this morning. Thus, when preparing breakfast, my gaze turned to the Black Blood of the Earth lingering in my 'fridge...

There's trucks on the freeway when I drive the short trip to work. They're always there, kicking up rocks and pretty much blocking my view.

This fine morning there were several and they were all situated ideally to slow traffic and prevent folks from getting around them.

I was angling my tiny, maneuverable car to attempt the impossible when one of them decided at that moment it was time to change lanes.

Of course, he was coming into my lane. Where else would he go?

Where was I? Oh yes, the BBotE.

So, I'm moderately-convinced I've gained temporary superpowers from that drink. I either had a precognitive flash and knew he was changing lanes or have developed superhuman reflexes.

I avoided being pulped deftly and took an earlier freeway exit to the office.

At first, I thought my increased heart-rate was due purely to adrenaline, but it's been a good thirty minutes or so... I think it's the caffeine.

Sweet, sweet caffeine.

Oh, this is going to be a fun, fun morning. Thank the Loas for spell check. My typing is suffering.

Temptation

Now that I've experienced the quality caffeine product of Funranium Labs known as Black Blood of the Earth, I find my attention drawn to Herr Direktor's other product: Steins of Science.

The problem is, of course, that the Steins of Science ain't cheap. Not that BBotE is inexpensive (it isn't), but the concept of a stein crafted from scientific apparatus and keeps my beer cold for a long period of time... oh that appeals to me.

It could well be worth the money.

Minimum I'm looking at two Franklins and some change, should I take the plunge. That's a hit to the bank account, especially during the holidaze.

The responsible adult in me is counseling me to wait until after Xmas. The responsible adult is saying that I have plenty of vessels to hold my beverages and I don't need this.

It's a shame that the responsible adult in me is kept in a tiny box in the dark recesses of my mind by the irresponsible child that governs most of my affairs.

Oh, the struggle...

Operation SuperCaff: Phase Three

Goal: Compare Sumatra Black Blood of the Earth with Sumatra brewed using the Toddy Coffee method.

Log: Toddy Coffee's method of brewing certainly makes for a smooth cup of coffee. I won't go into the details (the site describes the process better anyway). I found myself wondering if BBotE could possibly be as smooth. I already know Toddy Coffee tends to be less-caffeinated than coffee brewed using other methods.

Conclusion: BBotE is just as smooth as Toddy Coffee and may actually hold more flavor. I could taste a slight berry flavor of the Sumatra in the BBotE. I can't taste the same in my Toddy concentrate.

Unquestionably, BBotE is more caffeinated. A lot more caffeinated.

Overall, I can see myself with a bad BBotE habit in the future.

Operation SuperCaff: Phase Two

Objective: Taste test Black Blood of the Earth and measure reaction to caffeine intake.

Log: Awoke moderately early for a Saturday morning. Prepared breakfast, including one 100 ml shotglass of BBotE. Herr Direktor suggested taste tests should go in the following order:

1) One shot straight and cold (BBotE requires refrigeration).
2) One shot of BBotE to two shots of boiling water.
3) One shot of BBotE to a shot of good-quality vodka.

Prepared step one using an Atwood BigShot. In haste to sample BBotE, did not take note that a BigShot holds roughly 100 ml of liquid.

Tasted BBotE straight. It has a slightly sweet, incredibly-smooth taste. Not like black coffee at all. No bitterness or bite.

Prepared the balance of breakfast. Finished the shotglass halfway through the oatmeal. Considered options and moved ahead to step two. Boiled two shots of filtered water and mixed with one shot of BBotE.

At this juncture, I have ingested 200 ml of BBotE. Halfway through the cup of smooth, tasty caffeinated goodness, I have realized this is more than I'd intended to ingest in one sitting.

Finished the coffee. Starting to feel the effects.

Heart-rate has accelerated a bit. Unspecified muscles between the shoulder blades are tensing. Forehead has a prickly feeling I know from past experience to be an indicator that I am on the high end of my caffeine intake.

Will take note of reactions for the balance of the day.

[UPDATE] Heart-rate remained accelerated for all of the morning and part of the afternoon. Roughly five minutes after the initial post, my eyes felt like they were trying to escape my skull.

In brief, there was plenty of caffeine.

Goal for Phase Three: Compare with Toddy coffee Sumatra concentrate in refrigerator for taste and effect.

Operation SuperCaff: Phase One

Objective: Obtain a sample of Black Blood of the Earth from Herr Direktor, the genius mastermind behind Funranium Labs.

Log: Communication established on 12-9-2010. Due to geographical happenstance, an arrangement was made for a face-to-face hand-off of 750 ml of BBotE (Sumatra).

An initial meeting was scheduled for 16:00 hours. Due to unforeseen circumstances, a second meeting was arranged at a different location. At roughly 18:30 hours, Herr Direktor personally delivered BBotE with thorough instructions as to how best to test (and limit intake) of the onyx-colored liquid life.

Goal for Phase Two: test samples of BBotE.

Shadowy

Ah, Mr. Morden, you ask the tough questions.

Jon Stewart and Julian Assange

You know it was inevitable.

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We're Off... to Outer Space!

I've referenced it once or twice.

Yes, I'm talking about Space Battleship Yamato, the live-action remake of the original anime (aired in the U.S. as "Star Blazers").

Oh the memories.

Just seeing the trailers for the live-action movie make me flash back to my pre-teen years catching the serial religiously after school, while dodging admonishments to get my homework done.

I loved this show with the same sort of crazy fervor that Star Wars and similar genre programs held for me.

It's funny how memory works. In the first preview trailer I reference above, you can hear the original music in the background while the pilot (an updated version of "Star Blazers'" Nova, clearly designed to give her a more active role) prepares to do battle with the hostile aliens.

Faint, ambient music in the background threw open doors in my memory of so very long ago.

It's all I've been able to focus on, really. That music.

I ordered the soundtrack from a vendor in Japan that evening and wait anxiously for it to arrive. I've heard samples online and it hasn't calmed me down at all.

Hell, if I could afford it, I'd book a flight to Japan right now and see the movie in Japanese, without subtitles if I could. That's how jazzed these trailers have made me.

There's no way the movie can live up to that expectation, but I don't care right now.

My inner 8 to 12 year old is too busy imagining wave-motion guns blowing alien spacecraft out of the sky and improbable adventures are racing across a star-strewn sky.

Revenge of the Cybermen

Anticipation is wonderful sauce for life, but it can sometimes spoil reality something fierce.

Case in point: a week or two ago, I got a copy of the much-awaited Tom Baker Cyberman story, "Revenge of the Cybermen."

It's the conclusion of the "mini-arc" around Nerva station that started with the "Ark in Space", went into "The Sontaran Experiment", and then into "Genesis of the Daleks".

I interrupted my viewings of "Arrested Development", eagerly plopped the new disc into my DVD player and sat down.

And disappointment set in.

Don't get me wrong. I remain a devoted fan of Tom Baker's era as the Doctor. I love the Cybermen as villains and enjoyed the bits with the hokey Cybermats.

I completely forgot how wrong the Cybermen seem in this. They're so... not-robotic. I swear, if the Cyber-leader had a cyber-moustache, he would have been cyber-twirling it as he did his nefarious death traps.

Just seemed silly.

I did enjoy a random bit of observation. The emblems worn by the Voga aliens seemed strangely familiar when I watched the episode. It took me a whole three minutes to realize they're the Seal of Rassilon the BBC recycled later for the Time Lords.

Ah, shoestring budgets. Gotta love 'em.

POVs

Had a couple of interesting conversations re: WikiLeaks with friends. Points raised:

1) Assange deserves the heat 'cause leaking the info was irresponsible and stupid.

I don't entirely agree. Oh, Assange should have known this would have been a problem. I think he expected heat, though not on this level. I don't think it was irresponsible, per se. The statistic that this information was already available to thousands of people, including private contractors, pretty much puts to rest the argument that any of this information was confidential.

The released cables have - according to most credible reports - been redacted for any indentifying specifics that would create targets. That seems to satisfy due-dillgence.

2) WikiLeaks is aiding terrorists by offering them a list of targets.

Seriously? Again, they're not providing specifics. Do you honestly think potential terrorists haven't already considered dams, train stations, and the like as potential targets? Really?

3) The WikiLeaks people talk about democracy but behave like anarchists.

I haven't seen proof of that, personally. That seems more like a subjective claim. In my (albeit limited) experience, most "anarchists" are just left-leaning folks pushing democratic activism. They aren't always showing good judgement, but that label applies to all ends of the political spectrum...

Personally, I think Assange f*cked up. He didn't realize just how big this was going to get. I feel for the guy and I'm personally sympathetic to what WikiLeaks is trying to accomplish, but I think their tactics weren't the best.

That said, I don't think I could come up with a better way to get the attention WikiLeaks was aiming for, so maybe I'm just naive.

Still ranting

I can't leave it alone.

Great write ups from Charles Stross and zunguzungu.

Via Warren Ellis

rant

It's not really my intention with this blog to be excessively political, but it is my intention to use this blog to voice whatever is going through my grey matter (when anything is).

So apologies if you don't agree with my political views or are tired of hearing about the latest thing that offends me.

That said, nobody's putting a gun to your head to read this (and if someone is, it's probably a faster, kinder end to choose the gun), so... yeah.

Moving on.

Some good articles on just how scary the WikiLeaks censorship fallout is:

* An article by Dan Gillmor on Salon.

* A similar article posted on the EFF.

This entire (over)reaction to WikiLeaks is why I will never have faith in "cloud based" computing nor an excessive amount of faith in the Internet as a communication medium.

I find this an especially-damning argument against the excessive privatization that right-wingers espouse. The U.S. government has a legal obligation to uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (such as freedom of speech). Private organizations are not obligated to do the same. Amazon is perfectly within their rights to tell WikiLeaks (or whomever else) to f*ck off.

Of course, Amazon was all in favor of selling a pedophile book until they bowed to pressure. Funny where they're interested in taking a "moral" stand, huh?

I think in its infancy, the Internet had a lot of potential for free distribution of information, but that time is now long-passed. If folks want some medium for free distribution of ideas and information, there's going to have to be another way. A return to radio? Something else?

Cinema Necromancy 1010

Apparently George Lucas is planning a little necromancy.

Now I'm afraid of a zombie John Wayne eating our brains and spouting dialog from the prequel trilogy.

Could anything be more terrifying?

Can I hear another "SQUEE!!!"?

Whoa

Erik sent me this.

Wow.

Everything makes so much sense now.

If anyone needs me, I'm going to be huddled under my desk and snarling at anyone who gets too close.

OH YES!!!

If I lose, I get to be a LEGEND!

THIS! This right here! This is why I consider "The Order of the Stick" to be one of the best-written webcomics out there.

WikiMore

Glenn Greenwald on Salon sums up the WikiLeaks broohaha far better than I could ever manage.

WikiPosturing

Looks like the Administration is considering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act.

I'm confused.

Last I checked online, Assange is an Australian citizen, not U.S. citizen. Under what grounds does the U.S. have juristiction to prosecute Assange?

Oh, I could see arguments of the U.S. going after whatever source leaked the millions of documents to WikiLeaks, but it seems to me that going after WikiLeaks or Assange is indicative of "shoot-the-messenger" thinking.

It's exactly the kind of ass-backwards, reactionary, idiotic posturing that makes for jokes across the world. And what irritates me more than anything is how the media outlets choose to focus on the story at hand.

Broadcast news especially bugs me. Could just be the samplings I've viewed, but instead of covering the content of the leaks (such as Saudi encouragement for the U.S. to hit Iran with nuclear strikes, or alleged plans for North Korea's regime collapse) the media is making more of a big deal out of WikiLeaks getting, and distributing the information.

Oh, that's a story, but is that the right story to focus on? News sources have relied on "leaks" for pretty much as long as there's been news media. Is it just that WikiLeaks is actually doing a good job and releasing information that's probably in the public's interest, as opposed to most mainstream media banal idiocy?

The reactions from the Right bother me, but they don't surprise me. Lately the far-Right's talking heads have sounded more and more Nazi-esque in their dialog. What bothers me is that there's not much in the way of sane counter-points coming from positions of authority.

Really? WikiLeaks reports news from sources available to thousands of people, and Tea-baggers want the WikiLeaks founder assassinated? That's their solution for this stuff? Don't fix the policy problems (and, God forbid, look at internal security leaks) but literally shoot the messenger?

The world gets scarier and scarier every single day. I'm glad I don't have kids. I'd hate to see them grow up in what's looking to be a creepy future.

Three bits of Profane Online Wisdom (Offensive to some)

SMBC

Sinfest

Digital Pimp

Developments

My younger sibling loaned me the entire set of "Arrested Development" for my education and viewing pleasure.

And now "The Final Countdown" is running through my head.

I look forward to my next family gathering. I suspect I may channel some Buster when I greet my siblings.

Frozen Turkey

It's one of the coldest Thanksgivings on record, so of course my pilot light refuses to light up.

Good times.

Happy Turkey Day!

Heh

Saw this on a friend's Facebook: What the fuck has Obama done so far? (pardon the language)

It's not what you think.

heh

It's ridiculously-difficult to motivate one's self to exit one's warm bed when rain taps against the window in the darkness outside. Add to that the fact that it's just (relatively) chilly outside the warm cocoon of the bed and waking up gets an extra helping of unappealing.

Earning my paycheck is a bit more appealing, alas.

I'm enjoying all the news over the TSA security protests. While I hope my friends traveling for the holidaze don't get too inconvenienced, I hope there's a general uprising against the TSA's stupid procedures and this institutes some changes.

I mean really: patting down a man with a bladder problem, causing him to be covered in his own urine should be indicative of a need for changes in process.

There's good arguments that a lot of this is just whining, but there's also the fact that the TSA is just handling all this poorly.

I feel bad for the rank-and-file TSA employees in all of this. I know how it feels to be the messenger of a crappy, unpopular message. I have to say, with the exception of one jackass, I've had nothing but positive interactions with the TSA or other countries' equivalents over the last twelve years or so.

Then again, most of the flying I do is international. I've found that international terminals are better-run, less-chaotic, and overall seem to have more competent staffing. Domestic flights tend to be lower-quality, in my experience (and was where I encountered my only brush with a TSA-uniformed jackass).

Röyksopp - Remind me

Only Two Days?

I'm still not used to these "only two days off" things we call "weekends".

I think it's 'cause mine was so packed. In-between the raindrops, I found myself spending an unexpected chunk of the weekend in the hospital, visiting an ailing relative.

I am not a fan of hospitals, but I have to say that I've always found hospital staff to be incredibly pleasant people.

Helps take the edge off.

I took a break from time there to brave a moderately-horrific rainstorm (complete with thunder and lightning) to drive a good hour or so to visit some friends and their toddler.

The child isn't quite a year old and she's already walking and dancing.

Yes, dancing. The kid dances to "Remind Me" by Röyksopp and it's cute beyond words.

So naturally we re-played the song a half-dozen times and it's now lodged in my brain.

Argh.

Jon Stewart uncovers the MASTER PLAN!

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The Grind

Wow. This week feels like it's taken a year to conclude.

It's hard to return to work after a three-week break.

It's hard to adjust to "live as usual" after that period of time.

I love that I'm whining about this.

"Your Highness" Trailer (NSFW)

More Your Highness Videos

This could be really funny or this could be insanely stupid.

I don't see a lot of middle ground here.

I hear a Who

My DVD set for series five of "Dr Who" arrived yesterday.

I'm told by some unreliable sources that my cries of joy could be heard in different time zones.

I'm savoring the irony.

I have to say, it's been a good week. Well, it was a good Tuesday, anyway. Today's off to an iffy start as my face is a bloody mess from cutting myself shaving multiple times, but such is life.

Ahem... *SQUEE!!!!*

Jazzed. I am jazzed.

"It gets worse"

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I love "The Daily Show"

Back to Normal

Yesterday saw the return to my normal schedule as I returned to the office and blearily tried to remember all the things I've managed to purge from my mind over the last three weeks.

Longest. Day. Ever.

It was punctuated nicely by my lingering chest cough (made all the better by the dry, crappy, office air). So I decided to make matters even more complicated by jaunting off to my martial arts class for the first time in three weeks.

Yeah. That was good, clean fun.

There were a few points where folks seemed worried I was about to expire in a fit of coughing, but that's pretty much par for the course with me and that class. If it's not one thing, it's another.

At least I didn't leave bleeding. That's always a plus.

I'm being a bit melodramatic, of course. It was nice to see my friends at work and in class. I issued forth souvenirs to some folks and enjoyed sharing my photos and a few stories.

I suppose I should be more productive today. *sigh*

Munich, Germany

Our final stop on our trip was Munich. From Munich, we would take a couple of day trips to the Andechs and to see "Mad" King Ludwig the Second's castles. We met up with a friend of mine and his husband on our first day and got to see the famous Glockenspiel do its thing (once you've seen it, you're pretty much done and can move on) as well as got to go to the famous Hof Brau Haus (with its liter beers and massive pretzels).

It was in the fabulous Munich central train station that I finally found the famous Bavarian pretzels. These things were huge. I could easily wear one around my neck (and considered it, but I was really hungry). Lived off of the giant pretzels and Dunkel (dark) beer, for the most part.

Munich is, first and foremost, a city. Parts of it are pretty. Parts of it are not. It was a bit underwhelming after all the touristy kitch of Prague and Rothenburg, but it was still a nice enough place. It certainly helped to know people there.

And it was nice that it's a hub for pretty much all of Bavaria.

We spent a day exploring Munich with my friend Alex. We walked to a gorgeous park on a beautiful and clear Autumn day, then drank in a beer garden before parting ways for the evening.

We spent a day on a bus tour to see Ludwig's castles nestled in the mountains.

We spent a day taking a train out to the Andechs, a monastic brewery about an hour or so outside of Munich and along a gorgeous lake.

We saw Nymphenburg Palace (and found a relative's painting on the walls within).

Up to this point, we'd had fabulous luck with weather. It was occasionally gray and overcast, but we never had any real rain, from Prague to Munich.

Our luck ran out the last day when the rains it and it got cold.

Oh did it get cold.

But that didn't matter, as we then flew from Munich to London and then from London home.

It was a delightful trip. I'm glad I waited a couple of days to get a head cold.

Time for drugs...

Rothenburg Ob der Tauber, Germany

From Bamburg, we set out to our next destination: Rothenburg Ob der Tauber.

Rothenburg is a delightful little walled village that still largely resembles an old-style German village. According to a guide we had (the entertaining "Night Watchman"), the village fell on hard-times during the Thirty Years War when it was sacked and left in poverty for the next century or so. In the early 20th Century, it was "rediscovered" and became a tourist spot until World War II when it received its share of shelling that destroyed parts of the outer ends of the town.

Not ones to let their tourist destination mojo go awry, the folks of Rothenburg managed to get donors from all over the world to help pay to rebuild their walls and buildings after the war. The town is now... just cute as hell.

I have to admit I found Rothenburg to be the most attractive destination we visited, and that includes our visit to Schloss Neuschwanstein. It's got cobblestones pretty much everywhere (which loses its charm when you're lugging bags from the train station, but I digress again). It's got tourist shops, restaurants, and little pubs galore. One end of the village has a fair-sized park set up against a cliff. As we were there in autumn, the park was covered in leaves of red-and-gold, giving it the appearance of something out of a C.S. Lewis novel.

It was a town that prided itself on pastries. We saw pastries of all sorts all over the place, including pretzels (though not the super-sized pretzels I'd heard Germany was famous for... we found those later in Munich).

And these folks love their Xmas stuff. There's a few shops dedicated purely to Xmas decorations. My traveling companions lost themselves in those shops for hours while I set off to explore the other touristy-stuff the town had to offer (Xmas decorations give me seizures).

In all honesty, I can't describe Rothenburg accurately. It's just too neat. No words I have can do it justice. We lucked out in that we had clear (albeit cold) weather. It's a fun place and I'd cheerfully return if the chance manifests in the future.

Bamburg, Germany

From Prague we took a bus to Nuremberg, Germany. Honestly, I think it was the most comfortable bus ride I've ever taken in my life. From Nuremberg, we caught a train to our destination: Bamburg.

Bamburg is a delightful and picturesque town that's famous for its smoked beer. This was my first exposure to Germany and I must say it set the tone for the rest of my stay in that country.

Bamburg is first and foremost a very cute and safe little town. It's a tourist destination, so its clean and has tons of places to eat as well as shop and all that. We had the added treat of getting to see a medieval feast go on in the restaurant adjoining our hotel as we tasted our first beer, so that was a hoot.

Yes, it was the smoked beer. My father had told me a great deal of his experiences of the Bamburg beer from his visit to this town, so I felt obligated to give it a try. Everyone and their cousins seemed to cautiously warn us that the smoked beer was pretty much an acquired (meaning largely local) taste.

We had it anyway.

I dunno how other people feel about it, but I thought the smoked beer was one of the best beers I've ever had. I consistently drank solely that when possible. It was delightful.

The people were nice, of course. While still a bit reserved (from an American standpoint), they were pleasant and polite. I found them a bit less... intense... than the Czechs, but that may have been a big-city vs. small-town thing.

We learned one important thing while staying in Bamburg: everything in Germany closes on Sundays except museums and restaurants. Need a drug store on Sunday? You're out of luck. Want to buy non-edible souvenirs on a Sunday? Too bad.

From an American standpoint, it was a trifle annoying, but that was the only thing "wrong".

Oh, that and the lack of pretzels. More on that later.

The Czech Republic

Prague was a gorgeous city. Gorgeous and very tourist-friendly. The Czechs clearly have gone out of their way to make it a tourist destination and we had added luck with our choice of residences.

We stayed at Arcadia Residence on the edge of downtown Prague near the river tram that ran downtown. It was about four or five stops from the Charles Bridge in Prague (one of the main tourist destinations). The manager, a man named Max, was easily the best person one could know in Prague.

Max set us up with maps, lists of things to see, and offered various train tickets to purchase from within the comfortable confines of the Arcadia Residence itself. The Residence also offered comforts such as a huge breakfast delivered to the door and delightful rooms. Max also recommended various wonderful restaurants and charted out which train lines to take to get to our specific sightseeing goals.

Truthfully, Max had such a strong positive impact that I can't imagine returning to Prague without booking a place at the Arcadia Residence. He was that good.

That reminds me... I should send a thank you card. But I digress.

Prague was gorgeous, clean, affordable, safe, and cold. The city has a reputation for pickpockets, but they're apparently more active in the summer months and not so much in the cold autumn months. We had no problems with crime of any sort. Most people seemed multi-lingual (including English, thank goodness) so we were able to negotiate meals and souvenirs without any trouble.

We saw fantastic clock towers, the Jewish quarter that gave rise to the Golem legend, the castle, the cathedral, and various other sights.

The food was pretty meat-and-potatoes, for the most part. Hearty and pretty good.

For The most part, the Czechs pride themselves on their beer. Urquell Pilsner is the big beer that gets pushed on folks everywhere we went. As pilsners go, it's not bad. It's certainly miles better than the Bud or Miller "beers" sold in the U.S., but pilsner isn't really my favorite.

To pay proper homage to the Czech beer, we did a day trip to the city of Pilsn (where pilsner gets its name) and toured the brewery there. And that's where we found the good stuff. As part of the tour, we were led deep into the catacombs of the brewery where they opened oak barrels and poured us unfiltered, unpasteurized, pilsner.

And that, my friends, was good stuff.

The Pilsn tour beer set the standard for beer on our tour until we hit Bamburg later, but I'm jumping ahead a bit.

The Czechs were fairly polite and nice enough, if a bit reserved from the standpoint of an American. The one thing that got to me was the heat. Every room was set to 80+ (Fahrenheit) inside and if you had outdoor seating, you were under a heat lamp that put you in danger of having your clothes lit on fire. It was kind of crazy.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't particularly warm outside, but it wasn't that cold. Honestly, I felt colder in Germany a few days later and the Germans didn't go crazy with heat lamps set to "bbq", so I found the Czechs a bit odd in that respect.

All said, the Czech Republic was a lovely country and quite nice I'd go back again in a heartbeat.

Especially now that I know Max can direct me to bars that sell the unfiltered pilsner on-tap...

Travels

Now that I've had a couple of days to digest being home (and contract a lovely head cold) I thought I'd share a bit more details on my recent travels to the Czech Republic and Germany.

I departed from San Francisco International Airport via British Airways. Much to my surprise, I wasn't asked to step through the "naked scanner" in SFO, nor did I see anyone asked to do such.

I'm not sure if I'm relieved or not. I was all set to ask for dinner first. Ah well.

British Airways was a bit of a concern. They have a reputation for losing luggage and we had a bit of a layover in Heathrow before headed on to Prague. My worries proved unfounded as my checked luggage did indeed make it to my destination with me.

I do like one thing about BA. They don't do that stupid nickle-and-dime b.s. that American air carriers do with weighing carry-ons. They pretty much say you can take on a carry-on that one must be able to lift into the overhead compartment and can carry an extra briefcase or laptop bag that can fit under the seat in front of you.

Simple enough. It helped me prep by packing some of my garments in my carry-on for the off-chance that BA might misplace my checked luggage.

My one snag I hit was in Heathrow's security. The TSA in the States is apparently a bit more liberal about liquids than the Brits. They made me toss my TSA-approved container of contact lens cleaning solution.

Good times.

I can't say much about the flight from SFO to Heathrow. I was asleep for most of it thanks to the joys of Nyquil. The flight from Heathrow to Prague seemed eternal despite being only two hours. The last hour had my various decongestant drugs wear off, so the descent to Prague was rather painful for me as the pressure change threatened to crush my brain via my sinuses.

That was a hoot.

And then we were in Prague.

"Mad" King Ludwig II's Fairy-tale Castle

This might be one of my favorite shots I've taken.

A few images of Prague

Not bad for a point-and-click camera.

EuroBeer 2010

That's what I've been calling it.

I should back up.

On October 26, I boarded a plane with two traveling companions to the Czech Republic. I spent time in Prague for the most part with a day trip to Pilsn before hopping a bus to Bamberg, Germany shortly before Halloween.

After Bamberg, we went to Rothenburg Ob der Tauber, a lovely town that may well be the cutest place I've ever seen.

We left Rothenburg and headed to the hub of Bavaria: Munich, where we rendezvoused with a friend of mine and his husband.

Throughout this trek, I sampled much of the native beers and ate stuff that's probably got me on a fast-track to a stroke or heart attack.

I climbed towers and castle walls. I saw fantastic clockwork contraptions. I visited old-style breweries. I listened to a night watchman tell his tale. I saw autumn colors one does not see in my part of the world.

I loved every moment.

I'm pretty much exhausted and wiped out now. Loooooong flight.

Shiny Key Stuff

Keyport

Just take a gander for a moment. It's okay. I'll wait.

Okay?

So yeah. I got one yesterday and I wanted to share some thoughts.

First of all, I should note that I've been something of a nightmare customer. I changed my order, spammed a bit with follow-up emails, and had minor issues.

These guys are champs when it comes to customer service. They're responsive, polite, and easy to work with. For that alone, I would recommend them.

So a Keyport is a fob about three inches long (small enough to fit in my closed fist) that can hold up to three keys blades. When you order a Keyport, you pick a color for the actual fob, then you print up one of their order forms. You can opt for two packages:

* The regular package (for normal keys)
* The automobile package (for auto keys with chips in 'em)

The order form has six slots on it. You put your six chosen keys on it, put a smidge of tape over the teeth of the keys (for security purposes), take snapshots of both sides of the key, then scribble down any number-and-letter codes on your keys (there's a surprising amount of these on each key).

Email the two photos of the form to them. In a couple of days, they email you back with the list of keys and some arcane codes associated with the indicated keys. If you've got a chipped auto key in the mix, you should be prepared to send a chipped copy off to them for conversion.

So what happens is that when the order is ready, Keyport mails you a package containing:

* The fob (and some nifty little color button/slide thingies)
* Up to six key blades

The key "blades" are blanks that match your keys from the form you submitted. They're essentially just the important part of the keys without the wide parts on the end. They've instead got little plastic caps.

You then take the blades to a locksmith and have them ground down. Test them on the appropriate locks. If they work, you put the little button/slide thingies on the key blades and put them into the fob. Then you're good to go.

The entire process is remarkably easy and the fob is really neat. I'd be using mine right now, but it turns out that one of my more important keys was misidentified somewhere along the way (I probably missed a code or something). The fine folks at Keyport, being rock stars, are mailing me a replacement while I return the "bad" key blade.

Once I have the replacement, I'll just get it ground, put it in the fob, and I'm good to go.

It's a hardy-looking little thing. The packaging is very shiny and cool. The instructions are remarkably clear.

All said, I have to say I'm impressed with this. I'd recommend it to anyone.

A bit of a caveat: if you're thinking of getting an auto key included, check with your auto manufacturer and price getting a duplicate, chipped key. Those puppies are expensive. I considered getting one of mine in the Keyport, but the process of getting the duplicate was nearly twice the cost of the Keyport.

Not really money I need to spend.

So, in summary: Keyport shiny and very, very cool.

Yeah, I probably need this

Returning home from an outing last night, I had a close call on the freeway. Uncomfortably close.

If it had turned into a collision, it would have undoubtably been my fault.

Thankfully, my luck held.

Scared the crap out of me and will hopefully keep me calm on the roads for the forseeable future.

So I've decided I really needs this.

Stages of Gadget Acquisition

Stage One - Observation: OOOH!!!! Shiny!

Stage Two - Acquisition: C'mon credit card! Do your stuff!

Stage Three - Transportation: Jeez! When is it going to get here? I waaaaaaants it!!!!

Stage Four - Arrival: SHINY!

Stage Five - Testing: What the F***!!! This isn't right!

Stage Six - Negotiation: Dear [seller]. Here's my problem. Can you fix it?

Stage Seven - More Transportation: WHEN IS IT GOING TO GET HERE??? I WAAAAAANTS IT!!!!!

Stage Eight - More Testing: W00T!

Stage Nine - Bliss: SHINY! GLEE! SHINY!

Stage Ten - Distraction: Huh. Wonder what's on this page? (go to Stage One)

Doctorin'

In the upcoming season of "The Sarah Jane Adventures", the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) is due to meet Sarah Jane and Jo Grant.

I must say I'm intrigued.

Jo Grant was hardly a companion who is going to be remembered too fondly as history marches on. The character was very much a product of the '70's. She was a ditzy screamer and damsel-in-distress who every once in a while got to be plucky and almost competent.

A far cry from Zoe Herriot, Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, etc.

It's the 21st century now, so I have to say I'm curious if they'll revisit Jo in a positive light to make her less of a ditz and more capable and intelligent, like Sarah Jane or Amy Pond.

Makes me wonder if they're considering bringing back other past companions.

I pray they keep Melanie Bush gone for all eternity. I hope Adric stays dead-dead-dead. I won't weep if Peri Brown and Tegan Jovanka are never seen again.

I wouldn't mind seeing a return of Ace, or Sergeant Benton, or Mike Yates, or (bonus) Romana.

Mmm... Romana.

Where was I?

Musing

There are times when I find it hysterical that I work in a position that essentially relies on my ability to communicate with others.

I mainly find that funny due to the number of times I find miscommunications taking place.

I honestly can't tell if it's me or the folks I try to communicate with. Could well be both, all things considered.

In other news, I weep over a lack of "Fringe" tonight.

Sigh.

Hump Day

Halfway to the weekend. Good lord but this week is taking its sweet time finishing up.

I'm spending an extraordinary amount of time playing detective (both as part of my job and on the side). I'm finding I quite enjoy it... in doses.

As part of my job it feels more like I'm an archaeologist unearthing ancient and arcane secrets that have not seen the light of day in a decade. I have a leather jacket and an appropriate satchel. I think I have a hat that would suit an Indiana Jones-like look. Wonder what I did with that whip?

---
With the best of intentions, I meant to go on the wagon in the month of October and avoid imbibing alcoholic beverages, mainly as a weight/diet thing.

Boy did that plan go south quickly.

Last night I met up with my friend the Veeb and not only enjoyed a few pints of mostly-delicious brews but a burger that was to die for.

Maybe literally, as there was both butter and bacon on said burger of deliciousness.

If I wasn't operating on pure necromantic energies, my heart would probably explode in my chest from the caloric delight of the burger.

Mmm... tasty, tasty burger.
---

Ah, election time. 'Tis the season for robot calls to advise me on the latest political bullshit.

My answering machine has a very simple and direct approach. I advise callers that if they are calling with:

* a survey
* to ask for money
* any political message

to hang up and take me off their call list. Otherwise, leave a message.

It's gotten some amused reactions from my dentist, my parents, and assorted friends. I have no idea if it's worked on actual annoying callers. I know that the Do Not Call list doesn't work for political wonks or survey folks and it doesn't affect certain money-wheedlers.

Can't hurt, I suppose.

I think I'll just turn the ringer off until November.

Cracking up - Biblically

I'd normally post this to Facebook, but I have too many religious friends who might think I'm slamming their faith.

Cracked's take on five things you won't believe are not in the Bible

Snap Crackle Pop

That's the sound my brain is making. Or maybe it's the soft-tissue in my joints.

Either way...

Much scrambling this week to get various things done. Some are social obligations. Some just personal matters that have to be addressed before the weekend.

Slightly-maddening.

Got the lion's share done as of a half-hour ago. That's something, at least.

Meanwhile, the gods of perversity are f*cking with me. Bastards.

Meh. Could be worse, I guess.

No "Fringe" until Nov. 4. I am sad.

Kid's Programming

There's a segment of my mind that refuses to grow up. It's stuck somewhere between the ages of 8 and 13 and just won't budge beyond that point.

It has its advantages and its disadvantages in life.

That's probably why I enjoy some of the more random programs I enjoy (like the animated version of "Avatar: the Last Airbender").

I spent this weekend about as animated as a houseplant. I was tired and staying in felt like a great idea. I alternated between entertainments. I had the myriad (and often sordid) distractions of the Internet as well as my insane collection of DVDs to distract me.

It was almost by accident that I found myself channel surfing and hit Cartoon Network. I was trying to catch "Sym-Bionic Titan" (Tartakovsky is a god of homage to shows I enjoyed as a kid). By accident, I caught the promo for a new show called Tower Prep.

Imagine if you will a teen melodrama set in a private school in some unspecified location. Add in elements of "The Prisoner" for shits and giggles. Mix in some X-Men. Just a dash. A smidge to make the protagonists seem interesting.

Then get weird. Rasping, barely-seen, robotic killer ninjas in a forest. Sinister academic schemes. Mysterious notes. Superpowers. Fight scenes. Good fight scenes (for a kid's show).

Pure win.

I'm not normally a fan of Cartoon Network's deviation away from animated offerings. I figure if you have a network name like "Cartoon Network", you should pretty much focus on cartoons and leave non-animated offerings to the six billion other networks out there.

It's a niche market for a reason, after all.

I absolutely loathe the life-action offerings in Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" segment. They're lazy-written, poorly-done, trash attempts at comedy as written by stoned college student wannabes, in my opinion.

The young adult/kid's life-action stuff on Cartoon Network has surprised me by being quite the opposite.

"Tower Prep" was quiet entertaining. It's on a par with "Unnatural History", a mix of high school melodrama, Indiana Jones, Scooby Doo, and MacGyver.

I suspect as long as I enjoy stuff like this, I'll never really "grow up". I don't consider that a bad thing at all.

Unsolicited Commentary

I forgot to say I've finally finished "The Windup Girl". Genius. Brilliant book. Depressing as all hell, but a great read.

I got my hands on a DVD of How to Train Your Dragon. I'm ridiculously-happy to watch this movie.

Keepin' it classy

A thought re: the full body scanners.

If the TSA staff are getting a free peepshow, they may as well go all the way with this thing.

I'm thinking the scanner should incorporate a pole and the airlines should toss a bunch of singles at folks as they do the security scan.

I can't be the first person to have this idea.

Pervert Positions

Is it just me, or does work as a TSA screener sound like the perfect job for perverts?

Bear with me.

So current security measures in airports are leaning towards these full body scanners. These things essentially are working x-ray goggles that let the screeners see a person pretty much naked.

And the devices save the images.

Since there's been some noted abuses of this technology, folks going through security can opt not to go through the naked-o-tron.

Of course, if you do that, you get a little tender loving attention by TSA folks who have to pat you down.

Apparently they'll be doing more "intensive" pat-downs in the near future.

So, essentially, a TSA screener is the perfect job for a voyeur or a groper.

Nice.

Oddly enough, I don't feel any safer now.

splat

Support for my worldview in which perversity and irony are the foundations of the (MY) universe:

* It's the days when I really want to sleep in that events conspire to prevent me from sleeping in.

* It's when I'm on the wagon and trying to avoid drinking alcohol when a series of irresistible alcohol-related events crop up.

* It's precisely on the days when I'm feeling my most social when I really shouldn't be interacting with other people.

Other things:

* Clicking refresh on a tracking page does not make the package arrive any faster. Doesn't especially make me feel better, either.

* I can't really figure out why I'm still watching the remake of "Hawaii Five-0".

* I'm enjoying crappy, Jon Pertwee-era "Doctor Who" episodes far more than I ought to.

* Excitement! How to Train your Dragon comes out on DVD tomorrow! Oh happy day!

Maid in Japan

Courtesy of the Veeb.

This. Right here.

This is why I love "Fringe".

fun

Monday's off to a great start.

* I forgot my iTouch. No music today.

* It's supposed to be hot today (and hotter tomorrow).

* Edits. Lots of red ink. Yuck.

* I looked at my bank account balance. [shudder]

* I forgot to bring a book today.

* Fluorescent light headaches already.

* Problem with mobility in my left arm.

Whee!

Oh Friday!

Oh Friday, I welcome you with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

In a mere nine hours, you will deliver me from the work of the fluorescent gnome brain-drilling squads and their laser skull-cutters.

In a mere none hours and thirty minutes, you will guide me to beer. Yes, beer. The salvation of human souls awaits me.

You please me, Friday.

Carry on.

Healing Factor

They all said I'd have a scar. My classmates with EMT training. The nurses. The doctor.

IN YOUR FACE, DOUBTERS! MY SUPERPOWERS REIGN SUPREME!

Yeah, that's right. Stitches are gone. No scar.

I gloat only 'cause I got hit with bad news the same day I got my stitches out. I can't wear contact lenses for a few weeks which means:

* No peripheral vision
* Greater likelihood of damage to face/glasses in class
* Inability to wear proper eye protection to stave off fluorescent light-induced headaches.

That last point is the biggie to me. As I type this, it feels like gnomes are drilling through my eye sockets to root out the last of my grey matter.

Little bastards.

Winding Up

io9's book recommendations have rarely called to me. While I adore the site, any group that thinks "Sandman Slim" is worth the time it took to put it on ink and paper is not a group I care to hear the opinion of.

At least I don't care to hear their literary preferences.

So when they recommended "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi, I was dubious.

Boredom and a desperate craving for some kind of new reading material that didn't suck made me pick up a copy. I thumbed through it. It seemed interesting.

I picked up a copy.

I've read a lot of comparisons between Bacigalupi and China Miéville. Frankly, I don't see it. I find Miéville to be an extremely-overrated author with a severe problem writing relatable fiction. Bacigalupi doesn't apppear to have that problem. He's created a terrifying not-too-distant future that's all too believable.

I'm not done with the book yet, so my opinion may well change, but so far this book's got me hooked and hooked bad. It's not a happy book by any stretch of imagination. It's pretty hard-core.

Makes it all the more satisfying.

Mon-all-too-soon season

Always happens. My calendar gets too full and something crops up that threatens to destabilize my delicate schedule.

In all fairness, I have no one to blame but myself. Strangely enough, that doesn't make me feel any better.

Argh.

I'm debating whether or not I want to see The Social Network.

No idea where I'd find the time, so I guess that's a moot point.

Brilliant Air Safety Demo

Wow. Simply... wow.

From io9

TROLL!!!!

I want to see this movie RIGHT NOW!

Irony, Perversity, and Karma

I'm not a particularly-religious individual, despite having a Roman Catholic background.  I'm ambivalent to the question of God.  Does (s)he exist?  Are we made in God's image?  How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

All of that's pretty meaningless to me for reasons I'm not going to get into.  I do believe that the universe has certain constants:  irony, perversity, and karma. 

Could simply be my particular worldview, though.

Why bring it up?  This week:

* After avoiding someone moderately-established in my life for about thirteen years, circumstances have forced me to look up said meatbag.  Said individual is not picking up for calls.  Payback?  Maybe.  Do I care?  I won't lose sleep over this...

* Having scoffed at the alleged pain of Wednesday's tetanus shot, I find myself experiencing the promised pain this fine Friday morning.  So the delay was not quite two full days.  Nice. 

* In looking for an excuse to bow out of my classes for a while, I took the previously-noted shot to the face that resulted in stitches.  Now I can't attend class until the stitches are removed for fear of complications. 

Whee.

And now October has arrived.  Huh.  This ought to be interesting.

Leaving me in stitches

I got to go to the emergency room yesterday evening.  It was terribly exciting.

I should back up a bit.

So, I had a little accident in martial arts class.  I'd like to glamorize it and say it was some funky martial arts move, but it wasn't that.  I had a collision with another student as part of a warm-up exercise.  The end result was a deep, nasty, bloody gash in me.

After the blood was more-or-less staunched (head wound, good times), I trekked home, changed into less-sweaty and bloody attire, hopped in my trusty Preciousssssss, and headed off to seek medical attention.  It was determined early on by the kind ladies who were bandaging me up at class that I'd likely need stitches and should probably have a medical professional confirm that.

Good times.

So I found myself in emergency.  Last time I went into an emergency room, a family member was having a very extreme bit of medical care.  Not a happy memory. And the nurse took note that I was shaking.  Heh.

The wait was pretty short.  I was called in for the stitches in a few minutes.  What surprised me was the airport-level of security.

Yes.  Metal detectors.

And I often carry more than one little tool or knife.  I felt like I was in that "Beyond Thunderdome" scene as I handed off my Skeletool and pocket knife (and a very tiny screwdriver) to the security guy for safekeeping.  I was terribly embarrassed too.

About a half hour later of friendly, courteous, and reasonably-painless medical service, I trekked out to reclaim my items with some stitches, a big bandage over said stitches, all sorts of instructions, and a throbbing arm from a tetanus shot (has it really been so long?).

I reclaimed my items and apologized to the security folks for stupidly bringing these things into an emergency room.

The security woman laughed and said: "Honey, this ain't nuthin'.  We seen folks come in here with butcher's knives and even a steak prong."

She produced said meat prong to support her claim.

"Hell, we were admiring the fine quality of things you have here."

(She was talking about the knife and tools, you filthy-minded reader, you)

Amused and relieved to be all patched up, I returned home exhausted.  The adrenaline had long-since drained away and I was feeling really tired and shaky.

All said, I'm surprised how well everything went. 

Oooooh... yessssssssssssss

A stain of brain matter

September ticks down to its final days.  Sweet mother of mercy this year is blazing by quickly.  Can't say I'm sorry.  2010 has not been the best of all years.

That said, it hasn't completely sucked.  I'm just not going to be sorry to see it go.

I've watched the premiere of season three of "Fringe".  I'm on the fence on it.  I love the show and I'm happy to see its return.  Going right into the alternate universe for an episode is pretty damn awesome. 

That said, I can't say I found an entire episode centered around Olivia to be terribly great viewing.  And the plot development with her seemed... unimpressive.  Maybe I'm just expecting too much.  The development in the "main" reality was even less-impressive.  I'm hoping for more interesting twists in the not-too-distant future.

The second episode of "Hawaii Five-0" was pretty bad.  'Nuff said.  The show is brain candy at best.  Trash at worst.

I caught a little of the new Cartoon Network show: "Sym-Bionic Titan".  I love Genndy Tartakovsky's work.  This is such an awesome homage to the mecha anime of the 70's and 80's.  Need more.

On that topic, I now have all of "Samurai Jack".  I've only skimmed a bit of what I've got.  I'm saving it for a down time in viewing material.  Love that show.

And finally... "Sherlock".

So, Steven Moffat, of season five "Dr. Who" fame, helped create a modern-day "reboot" of Sherlock Holmes.

A friend gave me the first three episodes. I've watched the first one and gotten through most of the second one. 

It's freakin' brilliant.  The second ep is a bit less-impressive, but the first one was utter genius.  Loved all of it. 

More, please.