A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

- Proverbs 15:1

"God will not suffer man to have the knowledge of things to come; for if he had prescience of his prosperity he would be careless; and understanding of his adversity he would be senseless."

You are Augustine! You love to study tough issues and don't mind it if you lose sleep over them. Everyone loves you and wants to talk to you and hear your views, you even get things like "nice debating with you." Yep, you are super smart, even if you are still trying to figure it all out. You're also very honest, something people admire, even when you do stupid things.

What theologian are you?

A creation of Henderson

Augustine is one of the biggies... a master of rhetoric, and a brilliant author. I read a lot of his stuff when I went through my "apocryphal philosophy" phase a few years back. I'm not in great agreement with much of what he's written, but he's a fantastic thinker and analyst. I'd like to see who the other answers returned..

Aliens was on AMC last night... It features an orange cat named Jones, a little girl named Newt, and probably the first reasonable use of human form mechs as forklifts...Not to mention it being a sequel that was totally different from the movie that spawned it, but was still good. (from lurking horror to action/terror) The first two movies are the only ones that exist to my mind... the others are just crapola.

Hmm... 20 minutes of previews before the movie? That doesn't bother me, as long as they keep the lights at dim, rather than dark. I'd prefer to be able to navigate into my seat later.

Keith Parkinson Online a capable fantasy artist... he’s' done good work on Book covers, Everquest, TSR stuff and Magic the gathering cards. He started out looking like Larry Elmore (who I'm not fond of) but developed a style that's well suited for the genre, now.

Lots of wonderful rain and cool wind this weekend. A delight... makes it all the more worthwhile to stay in, read and rest, though my sleep schedule is a little out of whack now. I'm only stepping out long enough to pick up my scrip. today.

NASA scientists have just released new predictions for the 2002 Leonid meteor storm. The 2002 Leonid meteor shower peaks at 0400 UT and 1030 UT on Nov. 19th... Looks like 4am my local time is the best for me to view.

current mood: a bouquet of water lilies and toast
current music: Everybody to the Limit - Strong Bad

The pill they gave me for right before the epi was 1mg alprazolam (xanax). one hour before the procedure. I'd never heard of it used for nervous tension before. No wonder he told me to hold off on the other meds for a day before taking it.

it went well.. strangely enough, the present to myself from the toy store next door had a spine sucker in it. there's a fun little bit of coincidence.

Newt's fawning all over me, so I think it's treats for him, and then a icepack in bed for me.

Thanks for the good vibes, dear journal!

Awww. Do I have to be a freemason to get the fun costumes?

I always wondered how much they spent on Fezzes... Though, I've not really noticed the shoes until now.

Fun slogans returned -

"Newton Really Satisfies." a reload also gave - "Think Newton” and then "I Liked The Newton So Much, I Bought The Company!"

"I'm Not Gonna Pay A Lot For This Scotto" and "I Feel Like Scotto Tonight." and you know what? I do feel like Scotto tonight!

Ok. Back to the icepack.

Morning light flows in
rose glow changes to orange
time to start again

Robert Culp is a great actor... highly underrated. I've been watching old "Outer Limits" episodes on the Sci-Fi channel, and he seems to act in about every third or fourth episode... and he does a great job in them all. I'd like to see nickelodeon or TV Land bring back I Spy... I used to *really* dig that show. Probably one of Bill Cosby's better roles (clever, but not a goofball comic), too. I don't think that the Eddy Murphy / Owen Wilson Movie could possibly hold a candle to the old show.

The evil mind controlling rocks episode this morning is great, even though what I just wrote makes it sound goofy as all get out. The title is Corpus Earthling. (#9 on the list) Really... it's a great episode, I swear.

My back feels great.... comfortable bending, and such. (I'm taking it gently, but it looks pretty darn good so far.)

Sabrina Lloyd gets a job on Ed. I'm glad to see that all of the old Sports Night folks are getting gigs -- Jeremy's been on West Wing, Casey is obviously on Six Feet Under. I think Felicity Huffman had a baby recently, so she hasn't been working as much (although she also guest starred on West Wing a while back). I don't know what Josh Charles is up to though.

Dark shadows just started… my cue to change Newt's litter, hop in the shower, and afterwards shave off my week's worth of facial scrub grown since a week ago Monday.

Until later, Dear Journal.

Pretty solid day of just chewing on catch-up work... I have a new project on my plate, now, too... always good to see. I get to generate a program that can create assorted sample/ test data on the fly, within an assortment of parameters. The hitch? The requesting folk don't know for sure what the parameters will be... so I get to leave the architecture very open, for hanging other aspect on as I go. It should be pretty simple...though I know enough about the way things work to expect a few curveballs before the job is over with.

It seems that while I was away, Pam decided to put in her 2 weeks... it looks like she's headed back to Ohio... in *December*... Brr… quite the way to jump in with both feet. I imagine that Sappho and Riker will miss her the most... They're the last three Tampa-imports left, I think. Accounting will be much more dull, that's for sure. Santie has some help selling now, too. A few departments have assistants now... Mail shop, sales, and Chupa. Perhaps (wishful thinking on my part) this means raises might come along sometime soon. Unlikely, but anything's possible in this wacky world of ours.

Kev's sis won free tickets to the new 007 flick... so he took the opportunity to blow out of there at a reasonable hour today. Good for him! I hope it's a halfway decent movie.

PSA-feel free to pass it along.

It's that time of year. Go get shot. The Flu shot, that is.

Two reasons: First, of course, you don't want to get sick. Especially, you don't want to get miserably, incoherently, Stephen-King-The-Stand-everybody-dies sick.

Second and less obvious: If you don't get sick, you can't pass the bug to someone else. And even if you are strong and healthy, and shake it off in a week, the person YOU give it to, or the person THEY give it to, may be more vulnerable. The flu kills kids, and old people, and invalids. You don't want to be part of that chain.

So get vaccinated... and if you get the bug anyway, stay home. Don't share. With enough immune people, and with enough common sense among those who do catch it, flu season won't turn into an epidemic, and people will live who otherwise would have died.

It's my duty to please that booty!

Wishing I could wave a magic wand and cure all the blues I see. (And some of the ones I can't.)

If not cure them all, at least brighten their day a bit. I like to think that I do a little, already. I take pleasure in that they know they're loved, and can come to me any time if they want advice, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to bend. I can beam love, regardless, and keep thinking positive.

Gardening for bats. awww....I wouldn't mind a bat roost nearby.

I'd really like to wear something like this to work. But with the pointy shoes.

ACCexpo this weekend. I forgot that the fossil/rocks and minerals show was last weekend...whoops. Having second thoughts about the tourney... I may just take photos of the cosplayers and hit the dealer room instead. We'll see how it goes.

A white guy tried to use a bathhouse in Japan but was turned away. The bathhouse had a sign that read "Japanese only." The guy became a Japanese citizen a year later and tried again, but was turned away again. He sued the bathhouse and won about $25,000.

Wow, that seems a little extreme to me. Must be one heck of a bathhouse.

Which eye is the evil eye? The one where I can do the Mr. Spock / Lee Majors arch, or the more muted, subtle other eye?

Figuring out what's the deal for thanksgiving this year. I want my bro to go with, if he's into it. Hippies? Pasta at home? Mom's place? Chinese? Heck, I dunno. I just don't want to do dishes.

Beautiful moon out last night. Just the right temperature at 73F...I stayed up late and just sort of moon-basked.

Val Kilmer's "Simply cool" ad for Nikon… looks kind of creepy. He must’ve dropped his lucky “I’m a hunk” good luck charm or something. Or Perhaps it’s the freaky haircut.

They're trotting out Christmas Specials earlier every year... here's my take on it. You don't need any specials other than a very few.

Animated ones: Charlie Brown Christmas &The Grinch. Everything else cartoon-wise is fluff... Though stop motion Rudolph / Santa ones are groovy nostalgia.

Live Action - A Christmas Story. (It's a Wonderful Life is cool, but somehow, it's aired 23,423,234 times between November and December..and I always catch the *same* 10 minute range of film.] National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Miracle on 34th street?... It falls into the "Wonderful Life" Dilemma. I'd love 'em more if I could land on them at the beginning and ride them to the end.)

I don't think I'm forgetting any. Earnest Saves Christmas? Santa Clause, or Santa Claus, The Movie? I don't think those have as much universal Holiday appeal. Plus, I don't like folks offing Santa, and swapping him out. Scrooged? Eh.

Oh! I forgot Muppety-things! A Muppet Christmas Carol, the John Denver Holiday Special, and Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. Those are good.

Best Holiday spirit? Charlie Brown. The Monolog Linus makes is about as good as it gets.


IN THE AUDITORIUM, CHARLIE BROWN AND LINUS ARE STAGE RIGHT, AND THE REST OF THE PEANUTS GANG ARE STAGE LEFT
CHARLIE BROWN: I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about.
SHOUTS
Isn't there anybody who knows what Christmas is all about?
LINUS: Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.
WALKS TO CENTER STAGE
Lights please.
LIGHTS GO DOWN, SPOTLIGHT ON LINUS AS HE RECITES LUKE 2:8-14
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
LIGHTS COME BACK UP AS LINUS WALKS BACK
That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

I don't need the He-Man Christmas, or Rugrats, or the like. Who knows... maybe there'll be a good Spongebob or something, but it'll be hard to approach Ol' Chuck.

Well, I'm off to work again in a moment. Until later, dear journal.

Two cute kittens at work today. Gossamer and Gollum. One black with brown highlights, and one a tuxedo with little white feet. Both wholly adorable. So adorable, in fact, that Kev's keeping them for himself, rather than letting anyone else adopt them.







It's just as well that Kev took 'em in.. I was getting won over by them, and would've adopted them myself if I could. Newt seems so gigantic now that I'm home! He's a total sweetie-boy tonight to. I bet that he smells the babies on me.

I need to go shopping soon, and pick up a birthday present for Mayah. She's going to be one on Saturday!! I wonder what she might like. She's got some cool toys already, but I don't know about clothes.

I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray...

yum... I took a side route home today, and came across an empanada stand.

Any Guesses as to what I'm having for supper? Zucchini, portabella mushrooms, onions, green olives and spinach in a pastry shell, with spicy olive oil and who-knows what dip. numma-num

man, it's good. I'm certainly going to return there. I also grabbed a beer, which was also a spur of the moment decision.

Dexter and Bailey were by today, but I'm too lazy right now to transfer and resize piccies. Maybe tomorrow night.

The Hut is at 809 members. Vagpagina has a 1117, and they ask for monetary support via paypal, cafe press-based clothing, postcards and such. I wonder how much money they make? I think it's sort of shabby asking for money, unless they donate it to a valid charity of some sort... there's really *no* effort needed at all to maintain the hut's community at all. Maybe I'm spoiled by just having had very few problems with folks? Vagpag Started 9/19/2001. The Hut was created 2/23/2001, and I remember thinking that they were a copycat community at the time, but I know now that they have a much stronger feminist bent, rather than the hut's biological and general support feel.

If I walked a mile in most folks' shoes, I'd be hurting.. I wear size 15 American. I do need to pick up a new pair of shoes... maybe two. Perhaps I'll swing by the birk store when I get Mayah's birthday prezzie.

I abstained from the office's secret Santa again this year.

I've learned a lot about GIMP art program (Linux) and GIMP for Windows the last few days... I'm amazed at how powerful an image editor it is, and I'm finally getting the knack of layer-based image fiddling.

PSA, and then on to my entry - Microsoft announced a really nasty bug in their Data Access Components (MDAC) yesterday. Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-065 has the details Go get the patch here, if you've not updated your system recently.

Ok, now on to regular Scotto...

Friday-Friday!

Sappho and Riker are making a pilgrimage to FAO Schwarz this weekend.... I've got an urge to go there, too. Maybe I'll add it to the hubbub over thanksgiving weekend sometime. Anyone want to get me a personal hovercraft for Christmas? I think i might actually get the Lego Hagrid's hut, if I can find it at ebay for under $20.

Cool as all get out classic children's audio books. Gerald Mcboing Boing and Little Black Sambo.

I can hear the Goodyear blimp overhead... it really pleases me that it travels this far south.

History Wired - sort of a random wandering through the Smithsonian National Museum of American history. (Strange to me is that they have a display about Life in ancient Greece Reflected in the Coinage of Corinth "American history"? Not that I mind.. it's a neat)

Hit the Fan! The object is to propel a mound of fecal matter with your ping-pong paddle so that it connects with the rotary air circulation device. Once you get some practice, try springing one off the stapler or landing it in the coffee cup. Even better yet, go for a "Mac attack" and ricochet one off the iMac screen into the blades. They did a fairly good job of creating a sound effect for the moment when the caca hits the old ventilator too - so how can you lose?

Back from Mayah's b'day party... lots of babies and little children (ages 10 mos to about 11 years) there, all of them angels. Many hippies, grandparents and friendlies there.

I got tons and tons of affection from the kids there... they know instinctively that I'm no danger, and a pushover to boot. I got all sorts of warm fuzzies and playtime in. Mayah liked the little purple outfits a lot.





Traveling mostly backwards in time... tunnel en route to party, mage knight after Acc expo, and so on.

The Haunted Tunnel! (Vantage point, Dan's car)




Dan and I played Mage knight in the park...The little pavilion worked out pretty nicely.


The only picture from the expo that came out ok... the lighting was poor, and minimal flash was used.


This morning before heading out for breakfast and the Expo




Not From today... Dexter Thursday!



I got a nifty bit of terrain at Eckerd’s (picture in the cut) before breakfast (I swung into Eckerd’s to look for some supposed Captain Nemo bestseller Dan was talking about.. no dice...I think someone moved a Nemo book to the bestseller shelf or something. A winter Pavilion; just perfect for mage knight. I'm going to have to see how my customs look inside it in a little bit. After, we got hummus bagels and OJ... my bagels were salt, his poppy seed. I also got a cup of coffee to go with.

The Expo was interesting.. Mart Nodell (Creator of the golden age Green Lantern, and The Pillsbury Dough boy) is a nifty guy, and very talkative I've met him a few times now (he lives in west palm beach) and he seems to have a lot more on the ball lately. Last time, he was getting pretty old and confused. Sara Douglas (Ursa form Superman II) still looks dang good, far younger than I'd thought. Richard Hatch (Apollo from Battlestar Galactica) on the other hand... well.. he needs to wear a shirt with sleeves is all I'm sayin'.

Cosplayers... there were quite a few excellent costumes, and a couple of "That character and you haven't got remotely the same body shape". I'm rather disappointed that the gross (in more than one sense of the word) majority of the snaps didn't come out.

I don't know why I didn't take celeb piccies.

The selection of stuff was very diverse... I'm still thinking about picking up a Kimono for myself tomorrow. Lots of nifty vintage comic/ movie stuff, and unusual crafts like custom glassblowing.

The gaming area was a travesty. Populated by the most off-putting parodies of unwashed and socially retarded gamer-types, Dan and I decided instead to adjourn to the park next door, play outside in fresh air, sunshine, and some peace and quiet. After playing a match, we took off for Toys R Us, and picked up Mayah's birthday outfits. I couldn't settle on a good educational, fun toy... so clothes did the trick.

The Video area was quite nice... Anime was showing Escaflowne on a big screen in a little theatre area.

No go for Dave tomorrow, so I can get my chores done first thing, and out of the way by noonish, I think.

A great adventure is waiting for you ahead.
Hurry onward, Lemmiwinks, or you will soon be dead.
The journey before you may be long and filled with woe
But you must escape the gay man's ass so your tale can be told.
Lemmiwinks. Lehehemiwinks Lemmiwinks Lemmiwinks-

Lemmiwinks' journey, a distance far and fast.
To find his way out of a gay man's ass.
The road ahead is filled with danger and fright
But push onward, Lemmiwinks, with all of your might.

The Sparrow Prince lies somewhere way up ahead.
Don't look back, Lemmiwinks, or you'll soon be dead.
Lemmiwinks, Lemmiwinks, the time is growing late
Slow down now and seal your fate.

Take the magic helmet torch to help you light the way.
There's still a lot of ground to cross inside the man so gay.
Ahead you lies adventure, and your strength still lies within.
Freedom from the Ass of Doom is the treasure you will win.

Lemmiwinks has made it out and his tale is nearly through

Now that you're the Gerbil King there's more ventures to go on
Fly away to faraway lands and to the setting sun
There's still so many enemies and battles yet to fight
For Lemmiwinks the Gerbil King we told a thousand nights

Lemmi- Lemmi- Lemmiwinks, etc.