Tag Archives: freeflow

8938 – Sunday

Crashed hard last night once we got back – comfy weekend, sort of like this found shot of Newt from Friday.

newtcamroller

This morning BHK and I lazed in bed for a good chunk, spending a little time reading or fooling on the laptop, before getting up and heading off to points non-bedlike. We played a bit here and there in yucata, superdupergames, tribal wars, and bella sara – I’ve discovered that I do better sitting cross-legged over laying back with the lappie.

Post-laziness, we headed out for a random road trip, and ended up going to Dream Wizards which was exactly like what we were hoping for (but didn’t get) when we hit the Strategist a couple of weekends back. A large gaming area, very well-stocked collection of games of every stripe, and attentive personnel. Of course there was the standard “teen-boy scent” – BHK noticed the was one half of the female population (the male population was maybe 25 or so) – the other a young kid, probably 12-13, playing Pokemon happily amongst the sea of boys. BHK also got to see a low-grade temper tantrum from one of the other players in a tournament… complaining that his purchased booster pack was useless… stomped and slapped the pack down amongst the poor counter-folk. I suspect that he was maybe about a half-hour to an hour to being ejected from the premesis.

I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of Polarity (thanks again for the hint, Keethrax!) and Cosmic Wimpout … a Yahtzee-like dice game I used to enjoy back in high school. I think the last time I played it was about 20 years ago in Mr. Eck’s Marine biology class, fourth period. Not sure of the exact day, but it was near the end of the school year in 1987.

Still no leads on the Pirates “Glittery” boosters, like Amy’s. BHK must have a giant crab covered in glitter to destroy ships with!

After that, we hit the Home goods store, shopped the Halloween goodies and got a few little household treats.. Some green cups, sugar free blueberry syrup, and Halloween sprinkles for cupcakes later in the season.

We consulted our good friend Zagat, and found an entry marked Lighthouse Tofu – a total wildcard as there weren’t enough reviews to give it any scores for service, menu or whatnot. (The link goes to the yelp page, which would’ve been more helpful, had we thought to look it up first). I think we stumbled upon a local Korean fave… The place was packed and we were the only non-asian couple in sight.

We ordered more than we thought, as everything was served home-style – even though we didn’t ask for it, we got an appetiser of Miso soup, followed by a broad assortment of dishes with a little sampling of this and that – Bok Choy in some Oyster sauce that was tasty but quite spicy, some minced garlic in clam sauce, some manner of peppers in a cool/spicy soup, cucumbers (my fave of that lot… sweet and spicy), and some sprouts in sesame oil. – all came before what we had ordered. BHK had the tofu vegetable soup that came to the table still at a rolling boil and served with a raw egg on the side – to be added to the soup manually. I got an assortment of sushi, of which I think the Tofu sushi was the winner. The “prima vera” one of mixed veggies was tasty, but the weakest of the lot – Tofu, tempura lobster, and cucumber all were just amazing.

They serve water with a little green tea added, which is disconcerting at first, because it has an off-yellow/green color that I have seen come out of the pipes in some well water communities – suffice to say that it was clean and delicious. No worries there.

As a palate cleanser, they also serve a little rice cooked in green tea at the end of the meal – I liked it!

Our host was friendly, and I think that he assumed we had never been out to eat at a place like theirs. He was kind enough to move us to another table when we realised our little 2-up location wasn’t going to hold all the food we had coming. – and then explained the difference between light and regular soy sauce.. also warned us against wasabe (he seemed pleased when I was enjoying a healthy dollop dipped from same mixed with the soy on my cucumber roll)

Oddly, he didn’t give any food consumption tips regarding the egg in the soup, which I think was the most culturally mysterious of the lot.

On the way out, he took me aside, and passed me a pair of strange little bottles covered in text that I couldn’t read, and a small oval with larger text inside (picture to follow – maybe I can get talonvaki or pilarcruz to translate it for me)…. said it was dessert, and to enjoy.

It looked like milk, and smelled faintly of vanilla, so I shrugged and took a swig. I was not expecting the lemon flavor at all, but it was pretty dang tasty. I don’t think BHK was as impressed, but she liked it fine.

Also on the way up and back, we got to see the Mormon Temple which is amazing to watch rise up over the horizon as you approach. The place is huge and beautiful – while lovely, the pictures don’t do it justice at all.

We had one last stop before heading home… the in-laws. Chris and Larry did a great job of pickling our cucumbers – about 30 mason jars worth. We won’t be needing any store-bought pickle-type product anytime soon. BHK is planning on using the remaining 3 or 4 jars to do some pickled peppers ala Peter Piper, although we don’t quite have a peck.

I’m just wondering where we’re going to store 30-odd jars of preserved veggie. I guess the garage is a reasonably cool, dry, dark place for ’em. They have to steep in the brine for a brief period before eating. I wonder how long they’ll stay good? If you don’t break the vacuum seal, I imagine we can store them fairly indefinitely – not sure how long they stay good once that seal is broken, though. I imagine that won’t be an issue, as this family loves ’em.


1 year ago
– bow beats atlatl, newt trip out, 11:11, California pizza kitchen, interview meme, cpap ick, electroe pic

2 years ago – bro picked up, last Danny day, blue-ringed octopus, konfabulator, tags, high speed cat photos, bus-sleeper, taser vs rennies

3 years ago – malam bails, lyric, BttF / Mr Fusion, busy, dream, neti pot, bro’s court visit, avocado memories

4 years ago – isketch, dan’s last summer day, ebay phishing, earth as art, kitty swf games, vampire game, dirty bathroom poll

5 years ago – pleasant dreams, headache passes, Bailey the puppy, puppet play!

6 years ago – code, up late, F/X porn, coloring book, jack-in-the-box

7 years ago – house to myself, foodies Geotarget

8913 – Thursday

Neighborhood shakeup tonight at about 7pm – A minivan chasing another – apparently the second vehicle had 2-4 people inside with the side doors open and guns showing. The vehicle being chased was honking and swerving all over the place to avoid being shot.

BHK called 911, and the response time was *terrible*, and she was never questioned by the police for a report on the matter. I’ll be investigating that situation more tomorrow after work.

I’m just glad that she’s ok.


Random factoids and semi-specific things about people I know (or knew):

My brother is *really good* at shucking oysters. At least 4-5 times faster than me, or 2-ish times faster than anyone else I’ve ever met in the service industry.

My wife is a superb analyst, and can get to the core of a matter quite swiftly. She’s going to be an awesome lawyer. (and dangerous gamer)

Steve Jacoby has some beautiful children, and has the makings for a pretty cool dad.

Tina keeps a lovely home… everything is crisp and neat, even with a pair of kitties, a bunch of birds, and living the software company lifestyle.

Bruce can make me misty with just a bowl of cheerios .

Ray has a very real skill at blending words and experience into story.

Kathleen has a great memory, to the point of us calling her queen index when we were gaming. If she doesn’t have knowledge, she can find it fast.

Cyn has a fantastic skill at illustration, both on paper and skin.

Doug Wu has a near encyclopedic knowledge of comics from the silver age. Knows more than anyone else I’ve ever met.

Danny is a mill that grinds slowly, but exceedingly fine. He’s a living example of “the devil is in the details.”

Father-in-law is loved by everyone he meets. *Nobody*, and I mean *nobody* has anything sideways to say about him. That’s amazing.. and due to him.

Mother-in-law is a superb cook. Some wicked good queso, for example.

Mother is a master multitasker. I’ve never seen her with too much on her plate.

Wilton is an excellent carpenter – can put all manner of stuff together with quality and speed.


Got a calendar? Circle this date: Sunday, August 12th. Next to the circle write “all night” and “Meteors!” Attach the above to your refrigerator in plain view so you won’t miss the 2007 Perseid meteor shower.


LONDON (Reuters) – Lawyers and judges are to break with centuries-old tradition and cease wearing horse-hair wigs of white fake curls in non-criminal cases, the head of the country’s judiciary announced on Thursday.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said new dress rules would mean the requirement for the wigs, which legal professionals have worn since the 17th century, would not be needed in civil or family court cases.

Wing collars and bands can also be dispensed with in such cases according to the reforms, while judges will need just one gown in future instead of a variety of colourful outfits currently required.
The wigs will still be worn in criminal courts.

“At present High Court judges have no less than five different sets of working dress, depending on the jurisdiction in which they are sitting and the season of the year,” Phillips said in a statement.
“After widespread consultation it has been decided to simplify this.”

A review carried out in 2003 found that more than two thirds of respondents wanted to eliminate the wigs in civil cases, although most said criminal court judges should still wear them.

Opponents of wigs thought they were anachronistic, as well as uncomfortable and expensive.

A shoulder-length ceremonial wig costs more than 1,500 pounds while the shorter ones worn by lawyers cost about 400 pounds each.

However, the idea of abolishing them has been met with disapproval from some lawyers who feel the wigs give them an air of authority as well as anonymity.

“While there will never be unanimity of view about court dress, the desirability of these changes has a broad measure of agreement,” Phillips said.


1 year ago – venture bros good, lj ugly nav bar, bye bye black rhino, angel / shovel / burrito, simulated lost case-630am, Arvis book in comments!

2 years ago – Last Day w/Magda, invisi-bro, chrono-lifting, breakfast foods, zombies invade sca event, crab, autostitch bus, minor drama, commendation

3 years ago – KoL, Bollywood, Patriot Act, Felix the Cat

4 years ago – sleep troubles, Andromeda Strain, 4-legged man , system crash – modem drivers (Service pack 4 for win2k caused Norton trouble) , Stalin vs Hitler comic, newtcam pic, discovered title-tags, strickland a/c die-lemma

5 years ago – more swell chatties, Roanoke (including odd reply from Boughman), Dreams of Lake Conoy with zombie mist, sweet possum sugar, mother goose

6 years ago – Evil news, riposte, dream of the jungle, If I were… meme, time, sleepy, Dumbass Tenochtitlan Saucermen,chat, aura colors, personality disorder test, Louvre

7 years ago – Bad things with April, super power question Geotarget

8840 – friday

Met C, and I’d bet the farm that he gets the gig. He’s familiar with the crew and the equipment. I suspect strongly that’s why I didn’t even get to apply.

RD will probably slide into the other help desk position, and then once SC gets back from disability, my temp life here will be over. I’ve got to hustle and get a fresh gig before the coin from this one dries up.

BHK picked me up some chips after seeing me ogle them about a week ago. Fiery Habanera is a dance of pleasure and fire in the mouth. I didn’t think that an American product for general consumption would have that much heat.. I suspect they put must’ve put more pyro-dust than usual in the bag.

Jeez. 130 calories an ounce? Just as well, I suppose… if you ate more (at least from our bag), you’d just immolate.

Best cure for spicy food? Ice cream sammich, baby. Or an ice cream cone. Or both.

Diet Cream soda will not fight the fire.

Time dilation issues today. I can’t believe that 1907 was a hundred years ago. It seems too recent, even if I was born pretty much two or three generations later. Heck, I it was 1907 that Einstein first thought about time dilation in areas of different elevations – since there’s more or less gravity in lower / higher regions (albeit very minute ones), that means that time passes at a different rate at the top of Mount Everest than at sea level. It seems impossible to me that WWI and automobiles are reaching a centennial soon.

Since I’m about a foot give or take taller than the average joe, does time pass just a smidgen more swiftly for me, rather than a dwarf? Do I think faster? Does the dwarf age more slowly? will sleeping on the floor help keep me picoseconds younger?

Doodled while waiting for bhk to come pick me up from work…

0511071128b

1 year ago – 8m of water flood sim, 12 hours at air and sea, bunny-newt, brush fire sunset, dolphins use names,

2 years ago – bro on my list, sickies, quiz, why’s it called a fly?, summer holidays

3 years ago – Bear Armor on ebay, smile, Man Fatally Bitten by Sexually Aroused Horse, random lj poems

4 years ago – first incident of Frankie the mooch, I win my 4th There-buggy, Newt Brings me a Lizard for Mom’s Day, Condompillars, I join friendster (and never really do anything with it.)

5 years ago – saw Robb online, Saw Spidey with Jenjen, playing a lot of computer games, a tattoo that is lost, and I don’t remember.

6 years ago – evil world news, nice evening at homeGeotargetVisitor Map

8810 – RANDOM ACCESS

Work is interviewing for the network position today. I wonder when or if they’ll be asking me to sit with them today? I’m curious about the number of applicants.


When playing punch buggy my eyes tend to detect color first, then shape. I’m much less likely to see a white, black, gray/silver or navy blue bug than standouts like yellow, red or the brighter variants of blue and green. However, The “toaster” look of the Honda element is a good standout for me over colors. I can lock onto one of those much more easily than the bug. The dual-color ones seem to be easier for me to spot than the one-tones.


I have to dig up my birth certificate in order to get my driver’s license. It seems that my Florida state id isn’t enough. Bah.


Didn’t mow the lawn, and didn’t roto-till the garden, as it was too wet from the lovely rainy weekend. That’ll probably happen next Saturday.


Tomorrow, I’ll have been working for the county a month. That seems odd to me, somehow. I guess Friday will be a true work-month due to days off, etc.


Tina’s back from points elsewhere today, so we’ll probably have her over for an early dinner of falafel tonight. After that, I’m going to have to get one the stick, regarding the quest for more continuous employment.


Limited News source says that there are 21 dead at Virginia tech [edit- 32 dead, 28 wounded] – I don’t get how this happens. How broken in the head does a person have to be to run around a campus and start killing people with twin 9mm pistols? Sadly, my first mental image was that of the Shadow, with twin .45s barking out hot metal justice, but he’s a pulp fiction vigilante, not an actual insane non-fictional type being.


Found out that bro is breaking his probation already – Mom and WV went down to where they’d set his apartment up, and discovered that the place was empty. His probation officer called her looking for him, so it’s only a matter of time before he’s back in the clink. Turns out neither his rent, cell phone bill, nor his car insurance have been paid, so he’ll be driving with a suspended license in an uninsured vehicle. I’ll be checking the net periodically to let me know if he’s back in the pokey. [edit – he was evicted on 4/11]


I think I like stones and jewelry made from organic substances more than inorganic.

Pearls, amber, mastodon ivory, bone in general all had some sort of life-aspect about them before they were put into settings or whatnot.

Could the ghost of an oyster / tree haunt pearls / amber?


JD offered me some deer meat that he got while hunting. He bagged 13 last season, gave 10 to the hungry, and kept 3 in his freezer. The county electrician is apparently a great butcher.


1 year ago – easter peeps, Franciscans, freeware, bald headed cocktail sauce, lj top40, easter lunch, bugs bunny toon, newtcam action pics, SL easter pics,

2 years ago – oona tested, remembering D, walker tx ranger, CD biz, Bulk License-Plate Scanning by Helicopter, Amityville Horror

3 years ago – Cheeburger Cheeburger w/Dan, Ella Enchanted, got dreamt about, LH started / CS trimmed down, Coh Reset, weird email correspondence with a person that thought I was some sort of pantheist.

4 years ago – JKG Job desc, Honda cog movie, walkabout palm art – thin lines

5 years ago – cube test, Dangerous labs, threebrain, work stuff (network names)

6 years ago – pulchritude, leitmotif, objectives. (sakes, is lappie 6 years old!?! at least it’s got windows 2000 rather than Me(h) on it now)GeotargetVisitor Map

8790

Nice crew here at the County – working in the courthouse annex for the last week or so has been nothing but pleasant. Broad variety of issues and concerns, from migrating systems from 2000 to XP to major server concerns. Calvert is blessed to have so many skilled employees in the tech department. There are some politics, but those follow in any place with more than 5 workers. The department as a whole seems quite cohesive, and able to run as a pack. Additionally, it’s a pleasant surprise to see it pretty balanced gender-wise. Most of the tech-rooms I’ve been in have been either heavily male-centric locker rooms, or a mostly female-type library environment. The more balanced, the better it seems to me.

Since I’m temping, I don’t have a lot of security access or the like – my primary duties are getting the phone and setting up service tickets, since I’m still not totally in the loop regarding policy and can’t change many things from my end. I have, however managed to be useful, in addition to doing the standard help desk stuff like talking people through navigation on the file server, power user stuff like outlook or excel questions, and imaging drives for new machines. I would really like to see this gig change to a more permanent position, but that may or may not be happening, depending on what the county wants or needs.

One of the people over in GIS made a comment about snatching me up, too, so there is a possibility of a paradigm shift, I suppose. Mapping software is something I have a knack at, so I figure I could be of utility there.

This gig came at a good time… my savings were getting close to the depletion point, and it’s nice to have the ability to pay the basics off every month, and even maybe recover some a bit.

I have Good Friday off, and maybe that weekend will be a good time to go with BHK to Washington , DC for the cherry blossom festival. (http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org ) I’m way overdue to donate blood, too. Maybe a trip to the Red Cross can happen then, as well. I’d prefer to give platelets, but if I can only do whole blood, that’s fine. I missed the blood drive last weekend due to my cough and my back, and it’d been nagging at me for a while.


St Marys College Campus, originally uploaded by garyfgarcia.

Spring has really Sprung here… I’m used to evergreen Florida , but the shock of things coming back to life really drives the contrast here after a season of winter. There are all sorts of things flowering already – white popcorn-type trees, pink and yellows dotting here and there amongst the yellow-green of fresh shoots and leaves beginning to show. There are still a ton of bare branches out and about, but the blooms are just making things look so awake and alive.

BHK has gotten a real fascination with reality TV in recent months – America ’s top model, American idol, my sweet 16 and that pussycat club thing (I enjoy watching American idol with a group, primarily due to the social factor – I’m not as concerned about the outcome as I am the comparisons and discussion about it). My preferences are more in line with House and The Riches, though the 2nd episode wasn’t as good as the first. Dresden Files is surprisingly entertaining to me too, so far. I’m looking forward to new episodes of Venture Brothers and Hyperdrive – I’m hoping the next season of Dr. Who is better than the last. Heroes, I’m waiting to watch a season at a time, and I tried 24 again, but it wasn’t my thing. Polished off Police Squad on my PSP at lunchtime at work, so my next series in hand will be Red Dwarf and Invader Zim. (I still have the Incredibles on the memory card to fill the little Zefrank synch void left behind. I’m getting better at PSP’s Grand Theft Auto – Liberty City Stories, too.

My time on the Emergency preparedness committee hasn’t been as fruitful as I’d hoped. I fear that for it to be effective, I may have to take charge of it. I really just wanted to be on a team, but if I have to take the bull by the horns, I will. I’d like to plan out an evacuation strategy for North Beach, including how to contact as many people as possible – I’m going to try to push CodeRED notifications through for that, in addition to emails. It’ll cost the city about $5000 a year, but it’d be well worth it. I wonder how much it costs the city to put up a Stop sign, for usefulness comparison.

Newton and Pye are getting along pretty darn good these days… my only complaint is that Pye picks on Newt while he’s trying to eat or use the little box… both of which should be safe zones. Newt is still a bit hissy with Pye, too… it can be hard to tell when he’s playing and when he’s really POed.

Adam’s now on the Tennis team. From what I’ve seen, he’s a great athlete, but really needs to practice in the Tennis Department. Jimmy’s playing too, but I missed seeing his stuff. On the romance front, it seems that Adam and Kendall are going to prom together as ‘more than just friends’.

In-laws are going to Salem next week to work on the house… I wonder if BHK is going to want to visit them there at all for Easter? Tina is planning an Easter dinner with BHK and me, but that’s all I know so far on that front. I’d like to check out the dawn services just to see what North Beach ’s congregation looks like compared to Fort Lauderdale … plus, I do enjoy seeing the sun come up over the bay.


1 year ago – code template, interest cloud, pda cam dies, p&B in german, song tapper, bus on fire doodle

2 years ago – easter manatee, complimented, server/servant, spliced people, germs

3 years ago – Lj then and now (I spend less time now), bro, ice cream cake, Smokey & the Bandit

4 years ago – bro got me some Godzilla movies at the gift store up the road.

5 years ago – minority report poll, breakfast with Danny, grabber rabbit meme spreads, Words describing animal traits, Ketchup packet bear, Klaatu’s speech, scary dream, link-to poll

6 years ago – babelizer, mushy-feelings, book-burningGeotargetVisitor Map

8470 –

Lets see how today goes. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. I imagine it’ll fall somewhere in between.


Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. – Mark Twain, Following the Equator, Pudd’nhead Wilson’s New Calendar


If Vox is good for nothing else, it’s a decent resource for hosting pictures that everyone can see (Flickr and Saudi don’t seem to mix)

Also hosted here at flickr

From Left to Right – Original Newt pic, Black and white makes him look like a kitten, and two “Bleached” Newts, by playing with filter settings.
newtmacronewtbleach3-kittennewtbleach2newtbleach

More Newt lounging in the water closet… plus his vandalistic shenanigans against the end of the TP roll.
newtsinknewtsink2theendoftherolltheendoftheroll2


Went on a surprise trip to outback with GG. It was nice to vent, and just commiserate for a bit.. and better, to talk about other stuff entirely over tasty pasta w/ cheese.


Some think toes are ugly
Some think toes are sweet
I think toes
Are little rows
Of fingers for your feet.


1 year ago – RIP Scotty, bleeder likes my eyes, thumbdrive apps, paper rocket, logo toy, taters, london transport

2 years ago – politics, monster poll, last time meme, job market

3 years ago – mahjong, zombie movies

4 years ago – Visiting Danny, played Pokemon, orcs n the hood, reign of fire with Dave, beef recall

5 years ago – eremite, watched the sun come up, poll creation, why I trim, cooking poll

6 years ago – got the first LJ client, movie ponderingGeotarget

8099 – Walkabout thoughts.

GeotargetI sometimes look at roads, and wonder where they came from. Before they were paved… were they cobblestone? Before that, a dirt road? Before that, a Indian path in the woods? Before that, some animal tracks?

Is the patch of Federal Highway that I ride down, curving a little inland and a little closer to the coast now and then every day the result of some deer running through high grasses to avoid a panther?

bigfootsmall


Gamera’s Travel Journal – (Knowing Japanese will help here) Aww… I want a plush Gamera!


Of course! Why didn’t I think to get my grappling hook on Amazon? Good thinking, oneeyedcat!


The Mighty Boosh, Series 1, Episode 7 – Electro – via google video

Not my fave episode, but the spirit of jazz makes me happy.

8049 – written on the bus

GeotargetDeerfield is a sort of buffer zone between Boca Raton (home of the golden girls and polo grounds) and Fort Lauderdale (Wealthy tourists slumming away from South Beach and 20-30something party central for those not up to the gyrations of Miami.)

Boca was my stomping grounds while at FAU and the library… my first solo apartment was a a dinky studio behind Mizner park. It was a pretty laid-back lifestyle, all told. Work at the BBCL, hang out / game with JTD (later, game with graypumpkin and the two squads; Wu’s on one day, Pam on the other.) Crushing/hanging out with Sheleah (Sheila) at Liberties, watching quantum leap at the house. Hermit crabs as pets. So broke that I couldn’t afford a telephone, let alone the internet. Gaming, school, and reading were my primary hobbies, but I dug playing a wide assortment of pirated Atari ST games when I could wrangle them from Brett. I learned Unix and a lot of CAD at that time, too. (free software and free time begot an education… who knew?)

I didn’t much mind being lower class in Boca. I knew a lot of nice people, was safe, and in relatively good health, save for when my back went out. GP & Katt helped me a great deal during that time, which is something that I really appreciate to this day. Also helpful were the Wu’s, during my homeless phase, not to mention Danny and his wife pulling my fat out of the fire, too… I get along poorly with friend’s wives, save for Katt, but she wasn’t a wife of a friend, she actually fell into he friend slot on her own… just happened to be married to another friend (I could hang out with either/or, or both at the same time, it was all good). I miss gabbing with her now and then. Though we cleared the air a few years back, conversation didn’t really resume like it did with her hubby.

A lot of things have happened in my life since then. Pompano was quite a paradigm shift. I was pretty depressed from about 6 months before GP & Katt moved west through about ’95-96. I met and hung out with the hippies, self-medicated with kind bud, drum circles and actually dancing a bit. They welcomed me and gave me a chance to reboot my brain with mushroom tea, lots of affection and camp outs. That gave me much opportunity to soften my armor and relax a bit.

The thing about Deerfield is that it’s to Boca as Pompano is to Fort Lauderdale. or, Delray’s equal to the South. I don’t know for sure yet, but I think that I might just prefer smaller towns, as long as the cool stuff is still reasonably nearby. Museums, theaters, books are all right around the bend, without as much hubbub.

When I ride the bus from Deerfield, through Pompano to Lauderdale, I feel emotional warm and cold spots. Specific regions make me happier or sadder… and one block sort of makes me feel very, very tired. I’m not sure what sets it off… time of day doesn’t seem to enter into the picture. Maybe some kind of subconscious reaction to a building or landscape? Who can say? Maybe certain feelings pool in different areas until other people pick them up or cancel them out? I’m prone to suspect that it’s more a weird Scotto thing than an “external emotion projector bombarding me” thing.

sent via palmtop

8032 – Cool Yule Day of Winter2!

GeotargetNewt is a master of stealth. I’ll call him a fuzzy little shadow-slicer.


Kev’s coming by after work today to see the place, kick Newtie-bear around, exchange prezzies, and hang about.


Blackbird’s head on a raven’s torso. It’s subtle.


Newton’s got eyes like two slitted, amber fists when focused on stalking the crinkly stuffed flea of doom.

He sings…

I’m bad ju-ju,
I use voodoo if I choose to,
I’ll harness the powers of evil to abuse you!

which reminds me… The mighty Boosh strikes again!

The Tundra rap:

Whiteness,
Nothingness,
Endlessness
Death

The whiteness of the whale
Pales in comparison
Oh my god!
Who the hell are you?

I’m little Johnny Frostbite moving around
Freezin’ you up freezing you down
Like an icicle
Comin’ in your tent like a cold night scissor bite
Arctic death
Infinite night

They call me tundra boy because
I move like an arctic lizard
When the Blizzard strikes
I disappear like a pipe dream
All that’s left is the gleam
On the tent peg

Boosh, Boosh, Stronger than a moose
Don’t lock your doors or we’ll come through your roof top
Stop look around take your mind off the floor
Because The Boosh is loose and we’re a little bit RAW!

Ice, floe, nowhere to go
Ice floe, nowhere to go
Lost in the blinding whiteness of the tundraaaaaaa!

1 year ago – Mel’s prezzies, Jill good / ADP sucks (both are long gone), tell me meme, No Godzilla, Bush / Scalia / Thomas

2 years ago – RotK w/Dan, 51 successes, gabbed with sedef, Atom feeds

3 years ago – cravings, adoration, sinanju

4 years ago – stray fugitive lotr thoughts, my fondness for orange/yellow foods, rejection letter, where there’s a whip, there’s a way

5 years ago – cards, filters added

7950 –

GeotargetMy new street number is 777, and as a result, the Pixie’s “this monkey’s gone to heaven” is echoing a bit inside my brain. Also, that was the year that Charlemagne beat the Saxons and Widukind fled to Denmark.

Speaking of Monkeys… Kong – King of Atlantis Wha?

Kong’s demise was legend, his rebirth a well guarded secret. Using DNA from the original, a new Kong was born–gigantic and primal with increased strength and ability. The new Kong is no ordinary ape–through an amazing cyber-link, Kong and his human “brother” Jason can merge into one. When an ancient prophecy starts to come true, the sunken city of Atlantis begins to rise. The evil Queen Reptilla plans to take this opportunity to trick Kong into becoming her King, using him as her slave to unite the warring clans of Atlantis for her own evil gains. In a race against time, Jason must convince Kong that Queen Reptilla is evil, in the hope that together they can save the island and its inhabitants. Join Kong as he struggles between a sense of duty to his home and friends and the allure of an amazing world, where extraordinary beasts and beings wait to honor and serve him as King of Atlantis!

Ah, that explains it.


Probably my favorite Christmas Song: (From the Christmas special 1977.. I was 8) – little drummer boy : david bowie & bing crosby. mp3 format, full version

lyrics

7897 –

John Lithgow’s new Campbell’s Soups commercials are sort of sad.


Apartment got pretty heated again last night… nearly impossible to get any rest… Newt’s in great shape, but I was sweating far too much. Not enough voltage to run a tiny box fan.I’m really happy that this didn’t happen in July, or it would be a health hazard. Cool Showers work wonders.


Random Memory… whenever a propeller plane would fly overhead, my buddy Jason and I would yell “STUKA!!” and run for cover, as if it might go after us on a strafing run. I was 7 years old, and I think it was a side effect of my pop’s fondness for WWII documentaries that inspired the game. It seems sort of weird, looking at it under current context…. 40 years from now, will I see kids play-acting at the trade-center bombing, or other major world event, or will most of my life history fade into a blur? I’m not sure what defines my generation… Movies? Star wars and Star Trek got milked to the point of making them weak jokes. Harry Potter, maybe? Somehow, I suspect those books won’t be so much in vogue down the line… but the old standards of playing war have a strong vibe. I doubt kids’ll play “Iraq war” any more than I played “Vietnam” or “Korea”. WWII and to a lesser degree, WWI both have something very powerful going for them that isn’t easy to replicate. Other history-genres that seem timeless are Dinosaurs, Pirates, Knights and the Wild West… Cyberpunk and even pulp seem to be little subsets that’ll probably never get rolling again.


31% lonely

7350 – Monday, yet again. Misc thoughts.

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0NAAAAMsSHOf*v!jvqCe9kdC6Fbaw44d!C9isVd*o9cUJXpxvJ6rSGZLZPDeeagEhyKHBlbY*UbTJOsqzX08hMA/pir8.gif

Avast! It be Talk like a pirate day! Well, shave me belly with a rusty razor! I tell ya true!

Ye scurvy swabs! Batten down your poop-decks!


Happy 77th B-day, Adam West!


My first direct impact with gas prices. I took a taxi just up the street to do laundry (my load being too large to frog-march), and to prices have gone up considerably since my last use… before, the haul was $2.50 for the entire trip, but with the new pricing, it cost $3.70. The new cost is $2.50 just to get into the vehicle, and the first 1/6 mile. $.40 each additional 1/6 mile after that.

Time for me to price out a new wheel-cart. Heaven help anyone that actually has to go a considerable distance, like the airport or the like.

I was reflecting on times that were less prosperous for me. When at my worst, I had no place to live, and couldn’t afford to eat my fill, even at taco bell. If it wasn’t for food stamps for that month, I probably would’ve had to steal to survive.

That brought to mind all of these false charities, designed to take money meant to feed children and line the pockets of someone taking advantage of the disaster and the kinder natures of the human heart.

If I ever meet someone driving a Cadillac fueled by children he killed, I will use my imagination to its fullest extent to make that person suffer like no other. I have a very good imagination. Those thoughts fanned my more angry side for a bit, making me brew methods of pain on all levels against another person, in all four rooms of his house ( A physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual.) That upset me a bit, because I like to consider myself a kind and merciful person.

I have no kind or merciful thoughts for someone who hurts children for personal gain. I don’t feel forgiveness in my heart for them… I just want to hurt them in every way possible, and to make an example for anyone else who might think to do such stuff.

Not a terribly Christian attitude, and that saddens me on another level. My anger outweighs my sadness, however.

My teeth feel sharp against my tongue. The funny thing is that I feel pretty good in most other respects. more friendly-folk recently, a bit of an ease in workplace issues (just a bit).


Just found some folks speaking about me in a kind way during a random google update… how nice!


had a good time at qdot’s with uber and the gang, but I logged out a bit early, to prep for mondays’ hubbub.. prep the office for possible storm issues.


“Fiat Lux” is a 3-D movie by Paul Debevec, who pioneered HDRI and image-based lighting and rendering for realistic and stunning 3-D imagery.


ritastrike091805
Hurricane Rita. Here we go again!

Tropical storm watch

7712 – Stream of thought.

Rewinding a bit. randomness. may mean nothing, first off the skull this morning before fully waking.

I remember a time before fanny packs existed. And then became trendy…and now, are rightfully back in the land of oblivion, for the most part.

I remember a time before home video games, pre atari 2600, even pre-pong. I remember when arcades were a big deal, even though they were mostly pinball machines, pool tables and maybe a space invaders or deathrace game.

My favorite games were Battlezone, Joust and Berserk. Bro was fond of Centipede, Crazy Climber and Donkey Kong. We did a good job playing cooperative Gauntlet, too.

I remember a time before I had Newt, and that I’ve become a better person as a result of adopting him… which was in no small part due to D’Art-kitty.

The was a time that I thought I was superior to most other people, because I thought myself bigger, stronger, more intelligent, and more emotionally together. I know better now, on all of those points.

There’s *always* someone more knowledgeable, more physical, more cunning or even more wealthy. That doesn’t mean they’re better or worse than anyone else, it just means they have more opportunity to make things good for everyone. If they don’t, they’re wasting resources.

I’ve learned more tolerance of people without those resources, because they have other elements that make them just as valuable. Even if that element is as basic as “they’re loved by somebody, so they must have some worth”

I’ve learned that oftentimes people put other people down just to build themselves up… and that makes the insulter look a little pathetic. I’ve also learned that humor isn’t always cruel.

I’ve learned that honesty is the best policy, having been on both sides of too many situations to count that proved the rule, time and again. That was a long time coming. Mind you, diplomacy still has it’s place.

I’ve learned that there are people in this world that are evil, predators… but they’re in the gross minority.

I’ve learned that most people are obedient, generally following all sorts of rules, because it makes the whole mechanism of society flow pretty easily. I’m still amazed that traffic signals actually work. Proof that we can coordinate on a basic level.

I remember when Calvin and Hobbes has a new cartoon every day. And the Far Side. And Bloom county. I remember when Doonsbury was both relevant *and* funny. I remember when Garfield was fresh, and when Bill the Cat was introduced to mock him. I remember when Outland turned into Bloom County II, and just sort of sucked.

I remember when Danny Elfman wasn’t a hack… and when a new Tim Burton movie looked fun, and fresh.

I remember a time when there was only one Star Wars movie, and it was cool.

I remember really digging after school TV. 4-in a row – My Favorite Martian or Lost In Space, (it alternated), Batman, The Monkees and Classic Star Trek.

I never really liked the Transformers.

Robotech was on in the morning, but I only ever got to see half an episode, because I had to leave for school.

I’ve learned not to compartmentalize my friends so much these days. Overlap is a generally a good thing.

I remember being kissed on the Haunted Mansion Ride, and not following through with it, because I thought I’d be going out with someone else that week. I was wrong, and I missed a great opportunity for a relationship and a long-term friendship as a result.

Dancing with a deaf girl is nice, because you can lead, and the music won’t screw you up if you can’t follow the beat. You can continue to slow dance even after the music has stopped.

I’ve found that most people aren’t on the same frequency as I am, but they’re usually willing to talk until all of what they have to say needs to get said. My communication skills vary greatly depending on who I’m talking to. I’ve found that I communicate best with children, animals, and people with a light history of marijuana use.

I have the most difficulty communicating with people trapped “inside the box”. They think that just because I talk kindly to them, that I share their beliefs… no, I’m tolerant, is all. I do get a little frustrated with people who don’t dialogue, but instead spend the time when I’m speaking thinking up a reply to what I’m saying, rather than *listening* to what I have to say.

I’ve learned to actually listen to what people are saying to me. Most of the time. If my brain’s filter doesn’t turn it into the cawing of crows due to something said that was colossally stupid. That can get me into trouble if I’m not careful.

I would really like to have a diet cream soda slurpee. I wonder if they’ve ever tried that flavor?


exit stage right
Exit, Stage Right.

Torrenting the first three episodes of HBO’s Rome – GP seems to dig it, and I trust his judgment.


Got an invite to a Hero Group, meeting every other weekend:

Just pinging some people from RPGRegistry.com because a few friends and I are interested in getting a Hero game together to play every other weekend (probably Friday nights, but this is mutable). Anyway, just seeing what kind of response we get. There are three of us. We’re probably looking for two more, maybe three. We’d love to find a Hero GM if possible (but if necessary, I’ll run, but I’m just learning the system), so if you or someone you know would be interested, drop me a line. We’re all late 20s to later 30s, experienced gamers, and looking for a the same.

We’re currently most interested in playing Fantasy Hero, but Space Hero holds some interest as well. I’m located in Boca, another player is in Hollywood, and the other is way west on Miramar Pkwy.

I replied that I wouldn’t mind meeting folks and seeing what’s what. Friday’s aren’t the best for me, but maybe it’ll work out. It’ll be interesting to test the waters and meet new folks. That reminds me, I should write back to J & B sometime soon, too. Hopefully, the bulk of extendo-weekeneds is over for the time being.


Nifty Video of a woman fending off an elevator purse-snatcher.


Moment of Lyric: ‘mp3 – Thanks again, Firpo!)

Sheep, Sheep, Don’t you know the road?
Yes, my Lord I know the road.
Sheep, Sheep, Don’t you know the road?
Yeah, Lord I know the road.

Don’t you know the road by the playin’ of the song?
Yes, my Lord I know the road.
Don’t you know the road by the playin’ of the song?
Yeah, Lord I know the road.

It’s funny, but it’s true that once I became an agnostic, I started finding spirituals more lovely than when I was steeped in religion. I was reminded of that when F pointed out that was the situation for her, as well.


1 year ago – hurricane home movie, happy to be home, pentagon crash snopes

2 years ago – annoying LL, death, IRC pix, gender genie, toys, sunset, rainy day

3 years ago – Crash Bonsai, sticky song poll

4 years ago – Hammer-Wheel, Beijing, Stephen Foster, Mystery men Hiring, soap hair

5 years ago – Suzy goes to the Clink

Phone Post: 7618 – Walkabout though the valley of the homeless

PhonePost
371K 2:03
(Help)

“On this morning’s walk, I was hit up no less than 6 times by vagrants for change or anything I could give them. I don’t know what’s happening with this population down here, they’re not going back up north for the summer, or if they are, the population that’s remaining is very high. I think that if the population triples again come September/early October that the situation here will become intolerable. I can’t see walking, y’know, 4 miles and having a bunch of hands stuck out, reaching at me… y’know, this isn’t Calcutta. I… I don’t need, don’t want, um, people in varying levels of um, mental health and physical health and cleanliness just sticking their hands out, just begging for money… can’t tell who really needs it, who wants a fix, who wants beer, uh, and who really needs help. All I can do is tell people where St. Vincent’s is, tell people where the homeless shelters are, and take it from there. I absolutely cannot give money to anyone anymore. It’s a dice roll I’m not going to make.

Well, that’s, um, officially random, I guess. Right now I’m at the Coral Square Mall, hanging out in the mostly-dead food court, there’s still a Chinese food place, a uh… random grill and a pizza joint, but all the good stuff’s gone. There used to be a French bread place… that’s gone, uh, a couple other little snacky-places that are just no longer here. And uh, I think I’ll just walk around here for a little bit then go to the club in a bit, come noon or one o’clock, and then report back home while uh my tech has to go to the gym. I’ll take call. Then my night’s free. I’ll have Saturday night and all day Sunday to do walkabout and hang out and have fun. Don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but I’ll take things as they come.

I hope your day is good, I’ll talk to you later, dear journal. You have a great one. Bye.”

Transcribed by: [info]scottobear