Society for Aesthetic Deletions

Beware, the blimp! It comes!

Courtesy of Tim.

''Daredevil'''s Jennifer Garner gets a spin-off

Sorry, Paula. Looks like she'll even be the dark Elektra too.

Legolas' TTT VSD is up!

Bumped into Gandalf who is all sparkly white now. Asked him, "Who do you have to blow to get last bottle of bleach in Middle Earth anyway?" Gandalf said, "The Balrog." So not worth it.

Hee!

1. Are there any television commercials on these days that are among your favorites? What is your favorite television commercial from your childhood?

I like a lot of commercials, but with ReplayTV I now skip them more often than not (save when watching live TV)! That said, having just browsed your post on commercials, I do like the Saturn ad with the cars looking for people. Saw that the other night and while I didn't laugh, I thought it was such a neat idea.

If any come to mind, I'll add them in later.

2. Sometimes we see ourselves as different than we actually are. For example, I like to think I am a pretty outgoing person, but in reality, I would be perfectly happy if I were left alone. How about you? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Would others agree with you?

I used to be an introvert. People who know me know would highly doubt that, but it's true. The early Julia introvert was someone who wouldn't talk to other people, was shy, and hid from the world. Beginning-to-not-be-introvert Julia could be alone and have absolutely no problem with it.

I think two things contributed to this change. Doing drama (and maybe choir) in high school, and going online. I met people in person I had only known online way back when the internet was still considered safe. I drove to New Jersey to meet a bunch of online folks, then did it again the next weekend. Finally, a month or so after that, I had a gathering at my house. We did the "mini-cons" for a number of years after that, until we all just drifted apart and got busy with our lives.

Going off to college in Virginia when I lived in Rhode Island also helped, I think.

I think others would agree that I am an extrovert. Maybe not an in-your-face extrovert, always needing to be the center of attention, but I am more outgoing.

3. What kind of a worker are you? Do you like a job where you have a daily routine that you can count on every day? Or do you prefer to be in an environment where there is constant change and you never know what to expect from one day to the next?

I prefer constant change. If I did the exact same thing every day, I think I'd get terribly bored. That said, I do a lot of similar things each day, but it's never predictable.

4. I've found that when I go out for a business lunch or any type of meeting where you have to speak, a salad makes the best meal choice. It isn't sloppy and makes it easy to pause for conversation. I would think the same would be true for first dates. When you've gone out on first dates, what sort of decisions would go into your choice of dinner? Price? Ease of conversation? The "messiness" factor?

I've never really gone on a lot of first (or any) dates, so I really have no idea how to respond to this.

But I think I would like to eat in a way that would allow me to chat with my companion, but also offer a variety of food. Fire & Ice would be a great place for a first date, I think. Save that it can get really loud in there and make it more difficult to hear the other person.

5. "It's grouper" "Two Dollars!" "By choice, man!" The Donger need food!" are just a few of the movie quotes that I can recite off the top of my head. These (and oh so many others) come up in the most unusual and inappropriate situations. Usually no one but me "gets it." Doesn't matter, I still have a good laugh. What are some of your all-time favorite movie quotes?

Movie only? Well, you have to realize I'm a gamer, and hang with gamers, so...

"Game over man, game over!"

"Zed's dead baby, Zed's dead."

"'I dwell in darkness without you' and it WENT AWAY!?"

"I'm here to chew bubblegum, and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."

"I want my two dollars!"

"Gimme some sugar, baby."

"This is my BOOMSTICK!"

(stopping here, otherwise the rest of the quotes will be all from Army of Darkness)

You know that thing that happens, when you try to remember something that you do all the time, and specifically because you're trying to remember it, you can't remember anything? Yah, that's happening to me now. And it's taking too long to search through the imdb for quotes that I say.

6. What if it happened. All of creation is gone. Wiped out. And then come to find out that that there is no reincarnation, no chance to live life over again, no second chance. Turned out, there really was a God and Heaven and Hell. How would that make you feel? Do you want to go to Heaven?

I'd be surprised, and I'd love to go to Heaven, thank you. One please.

7. Should everyone be allowed into Heaven? Or should there be criteria? If you were making up the guest list for Heaven, how would you choose who gets in?

See, now you're making assumptions based on there being a heaven. I think everyone should have the chance to be allowed into heaven. There should be criteria, but it shouldn't be a sweeping judgement. Everyone gets judged individually, with their whole life taken into consideration. I could say something like, "Anyone who killed another person should be banned from entering heaven," but that would leave out many of the police and soldiers and such.

It's all about the individual.

I've been busy this week because we've been interviewing for a Technology Assistant. Three interviews yesterday, two tomorrow. I think we'll definitely have someone as a good candidate after tomorrow's interviews, as I'm hoping that we won't have to do any next week.

We're lucky, because Brown currently has a hiring freeze. Since a significant portion of our money comes from federal and other grants, we are exempt from the freeze. So hopefully HR can move on their checks and balances more quickly than they might normally (checking references and all, I'd imagine) and we can have someone here by April. That'd be sweet.

This person is 50% working with me (not for me) on help desk stuff, 25% time for HTML markup (mainly entering entries into our pseudo-CMS system for some of our websites), and 25% of time for Word document formatting, mainly for reporting.

The thing is, I found out that someone else in the office has had their PCD (Position Content Document, basically a job description) revised to include that Word document prep/reporting. They were told not to do that, or rather, the higher-ups were told not to do that. We already had someone in that position, in our job description.

Or rather, we were told that we should have that in our job description, and that no one else would have it in theirs. It would be our baby, our responsibility. And now it's also someone else's. I'm hoping this will be a good thing for my person, that they won't have to do a lot of report organizing (they're not actually going to writing much, just putting together stuff from other folk) and that means more time for tech help. More time for ME!

Current Music: Uninvited from the album "City of Angels - Music From The Motion Picture" by Alanis Morissette

Public prayer fanatics borrow page from enemy's script

Interesting perspective, and not one I'd expect from a movie critic. But that's just me.

1. When someone compliments you, do you usually accept it, or suggest that you don't really deserve it?

I say that I don't really deserve it. I'm not that good with compliments, unless I really *know* that something was good.

2. Would you rather be overdressed for a social occasion (a party, let's say), or underdressed?

Underdressed. I prefer to be relaxed, even if no one else is. And if I'm overdressed, it's more difficult to fit in, I think.

3. A cop pulls you over, and is going to write you a $100 speeding ticket. If he indicated that if you slipped him $50 in cash, he'd give you a pass, would you do so? Would it make any difference whether you'd actually been speeding or not?

Heh...I don't even *HAVE* $50 in cash on me most times. No, I wouldn't. Not even if I was speeding. I'd be afraid he'd write the ticket anyway and then I'd have to pay $150.

Besides, I never speed.

*laughs and laughs and laughs*

Walmart.com - The Hobbit: Or, There and Back Again

(since WalMart found the error and has removed the page, here is a snapshot I took while it was still up.)

From the description:

On the Battersea Reach of the Thames, a mixed bag of eccentrics live in houseboats. Belonging to neither land nor sea, they belong to one another. There is Maurice, a homosexual prostitute; Richard, a buttoned-up ex-navy man; but most of all there's Nenna, the struggling mother of two wild little girls. How each of their lives complicates the others is the stuff of this perfect little novel.

I think someone hit a tab instead of a return. I hope.

News Channel 10 - News - Pileup Shuts Down I-95 In Attleboro

I'm glad I don't go home that way.

*looks out window* I wonder if staying here for a time would be good.

The 2nd interview was cancelled today, because one of the interviewers was out sick. We did the first one, but since I'm recusing myself from the second (I know the person very well), that would have left Kate to do the job. So that's rescheduled for next Thursday.

I wish I could blame it on Bush. That his speechifying was distracting me.

But no, it was just using Dreamweaver after a long time of not-using it.

I spent tonight (as I'd planned even before Jenn asked me to today) putting up the games we have for the The Black Road's event book. I formatted the entries to match the design I've chosen, and then, when done and all was well (it didn't take too long, since we don't have very many games), I uploaded the file.

Or so I thought!

In my regular FTP program, I copy the files from the left to the right, moving from local to remote. But see, I was using Dreamweaver's internal FTP, since the site was designed in it and all.

Yep, you guessed it. The panels are reversed. So I copied the online, old book, over the new one I'd just revised.

All changes are gone. Poof. Just like that.

*sigh*

Bush is rambling on the TV in the background, warmongering. I wish I could say it was all his fault.

But it's really not. Not for this.

1. What was the last song you heard?

Jewel, Cleveland.

2. What were the last two movies you saw?

In the theater: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Shanghai Knights.

3. What were the last three things you purchased?

A bunch of cold medicine things at CVS last night. I have a sore throat and a slight cough, so I bought Theraflu, some cough drops, and some lotion, since I was running out. There were a few more things, and they were all bought at once, so I just picked three.

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?

1) Run my game tonight.
2) Do the bills tomorrow or Sunday morning.
3) Write!
4) Do some laundry.

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?

All at work, since I'm there...

5) Ted
4) Kate
3) Laurie
2) Jennifer
1) Adie

1. What makes you feel happy? Why?

My husband's laughter. When something I've been working hard on finally goes right. My cats snuggling next to me when I'm sick.

Why? Because my husband's laughter means he's happy. Because I know that my hard work has finally paid off and I could actually do it. Because I feel loved.

2. What makes you feel sad? Why?

Sad and angry are confusing themselves in my mind. Hrm...

Okay, the space shuttle exploding made me sad. I'm sure other things do too, but like I said, it's getting messed up in my head as I try to write this. Senseless, needless loss of life. Because it is so senseless, so unnecessary.

3. What makes you feel angry? Why?

Intolerance. I find myself getting angry when people can't accept others differences and either move on, or find a common ground.

4. What feelings do you experience most often? What are the situations that generally prompt these feelings?

I've never really stopped to catalogue my emotions. Frustration is one, but that's because I'm in tech support for a living, and when something doesn't work right, it's very frustrating.

5. What feeling have you never experienced? Why would you want to experience this emotion?

I can't think of one off the top of my head. I'm sure there is one I've not experienced, but I can't say what it would be.

It's a terrible shame when shows like Firefly and Farscape get cancelled, and shows like Are You Hot Or Not? and Scare Tactics get made.

So, until Fox gets off its ass and shows the last three filmed and post-produced episodes of Firefly, you can go here and read the script for Heart of Gold, courtesy of an eBay auction winner.

Courtesy of Doyce.

Firefly Fans have the gag reel! Three mirrors currently up, and probably on Kazaa or Limewire or elsewhere as well.

Quicktime 6 needed to play it.

The following message landed in my email box this morning, courtesy of my friend Grant, aka ShadowSpawn. These are the folks we go visit every Thanksgiving.

I wanted to blog this because of the amazing close escape dear Ruby had, but also because of Bridget's amazingly cool head for a 10-year-old. Once it was made clear what it was she needed to do.

---
Just thought y'all might want to know - our dog, Ruby, got hit by a car this afternoon. I'd gone outside to pump up the tire on Bridget's bike, and Ruby was out "helping". She was not, alas, on her leash (I mean, we were only going to be out for five minutes - what could happen?)

A guy came walking down the other side of the street with his dog. Ruby looked up, saw the dog, and ran towards it - straight into/under an oncoming car. She got hit and dragged about 30 feet down the road, trapped under the front of the vehicle. A neighbor had to bring a jack to lift the front of the car off of her for us to get her out.

Total damage: a patch of skin on her head. Another patch and a big bruise on her side. A pressure-cut on her shoulder, from the air-dam/spoiler under the car. A left canine tooth, broken off just above the gum line. And a gross greasy patch on her fur where she rubbed up against the axle or something and got car-grease all over herself.

That's it, folks. She's sore as hell, and has to think about it for a while before she'll climb up on her couch - but she's generally Just Fine, Thank You.

Bridget freaked completely - until I turned to her and said, "There's no time for that right now, Ruby needs you!" At which, she shut up, took a deep breath, and went and lay down at the side of the car to talk to the dog and soothe her while we worked on getting her free. At this point, the gravest danger the dog faces is being smothered to death in oceans of Bridget-care...

I suspect the worst damage to have come from this whole thing was to the poor guy driving the car. One of the neighboring high-school kids and his date - I suspect we ruined his evening plans. I did make a point of going to both of them and making sure they knew it was -NOT- their fault - but the guy was pretty shook, and his girlfriend was in tears. I failed to get his name, though, so I can't reassure him after our visit to the vet; I'm hoping I "see him around" at some point.

I'm still kinda freaked. I think Bridget summed it up best, on the way to the vet's: "Ruby's guardian angel must be in Angel Hospital right now, getting fixed up for having stepped in front of that car to protect Ruby." I will confess that the idea of an Angel Hospital, with a bunch of bored angels in dirty bandages and braces, reading waaaay out-of-date Angel Magazines in the waiting room while some Angel-nurse called out "Neeeext", caused a certain amount of hilarity in the car.

I'm tired. I need to go to bed now. It's been a hella weekend. (Did I mention I slipped on the stairs on Friday and popped my (*#^$&*%^ shoulder again? No, I didn't think so...) Just thought I should keep y'all up to date on the continuing soap-opera that is The Life of the Gaineys. Maybe we could get a time-slot on Fox; this has -got- to be better fare than some of what they're pushing this season...
---

I must agree with the latter sentiment, Grant. And I'm glad everything is okay in the end.

1. What is your definition of "beauty"? Has this changed over time?

Beauty can be many things.

It can be physical beauty. It's superficial, yes, but it's still beauty. Looking at Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Matt Damon, Elijah Wood. Beauty....mmmmm.

It can be internal beauty. Something that is only noticed when you know the person, hear them speak, get a glimpse into their soul.

And yes, this has changed over time for me. I didn't think my husband was beautiful when I met him. Superficial me. Now, I see that his beauty is internal and external.

2. Who (famous or not famous) do you think is beautiful? Why?

See above. With famous folk, I don't know them well enough to know the internal beauty. But for external... ^__^

3. Is it possible to be both beautiful and ugly? How?

Yes. There are superficially beautiful people who may be ugly internally. And probably the reverse, but the superficial ugliness there is usually washed away by their internal beauty.

4. Why does society place so much emphasis on beauty? Will this ever change? Why or why not?

I don't see this changing in my lifetime, alas. An analogy would be why are diamonds so expensive? Because they look nice. They're sparkly. People value them for how they look.

But they aren't all that and a bag of chips. It's market, commodity. Just think back to the beauty of the 80's, the 70's. Times change what is beautiful, but the emphasis on what you see rather than what you are will never change.

5. How does beauty vary from culture to culture? Is there a particular culture's definition of beauty that you admire? Why?

I don't know a lot about other cultures standards of beauty, so I'm really not qualified to comment here.

For those who read this blog who might be interested in such, I give you: The Game Report

From their site:

A quarterly print magazine dedicated to board, party, dice, card, family, and strategy games from around the world.

And also:

Gameblog, Recording the gory details of the gaming life of Mikko Saari.

At least until SOME PEOPLE start their own blogs for their interest in board games and other stuff.

1. What is the most boring project you have ever had to do?

I worked as a temp on a job where we were taking hospital records off of cards and entering them into a computer database. It wasn't really records, more like doctor's and patient's names, I think.

That was really boring. I liked it at the time, though. It allowed my mind to wander and be free, yet I stayed on task.

2. If you could be anyone or anything you wish, who or what would you want to be? Why?

I'd want to be me, but I want to have enough money to do what I want without working. So I want to be rich. Why? You have to ask?

3. What is one thing you refuse to ever put in your mouth?

Coffee. Yuck, ick, ptooey!

4.If you could film a documentary about yourself and have yourself followed for 1 day, what would that day look like? And why?

Boring, boring, boring. Get up, go to work, sit at desk all day, with occasional wanderings about to fix various things. Home, probably a gaming session, TV watching, or bed.

5. What is the longest distance you have ever traveled to meet someone for the first time (blind date, blogger meet-up, etc). Was it worth the trip?

Oh geez...that would be Miami, for MiamiCon. Early in the days of the Gamers Forum (or late in the days, before it split into multiple forums), they had yearly conventions. I went to MiamiCon to meet up with people. Met a boyfriend there as well. He's getting married this weekend, and Lou and I are heading to the wedding.

Was it worth it? Yes, it was.

6. What do people usually assume about you that isn't true?

I have no idea. I don't know what people assume about me.

Umm...that I'm nice? I'm really rather bitchy, actually. I put on a good front most of the time. Poor Lou's the only one to see the nasty me, most of the time.

7. What are you craving for lunch today?

White Cheddar Popcorn!!!

I will be moving sfad to a new webhost next week. I'd be doing it this weekend, but Lou and I are heading out to a wedding, and I won't be around to see everything go smoothly.

The webhost I've chosen is an adult webhost. I'm not planning on putting up any pr0n, but I may post snippets of erotica/romance novels in progress on my Whitespace blog, and I don't want to have to deal with potential issues with my posting what could be perceived as pr0n or "adult materials."

So that means that some of you, if you have filters/blocks for adult sites/adult webhosts from work, may no longer be able to read sfad. At least while you're behind those filters. My apologies for that, but I got a great deal and think this is the best move for me.

Lou and I are away this weekend, off to Alex & Emily's Wedding. We'll be back late Sunday, so don't expect any posts until Monday at the earliest.

Have fun and stay safe!

I'm back!

The wedding went very well. The trip down was mostly uneventful, and filled with tunes from my iPod and borrowed cassette adapter. It lasted all the way down, and was about out of battery as we hit Charlottesville.

The weather on Saturday and Sunday was absolutely gorgeous (my heart goes out to those in Denver, who had a foot of snow or more today), and everything went just perfectly.

As the first reading of the wedding ceremony was starting, fire engine sirens began in the distance and grew closer, which almost made the bridal party (and some of the attendees) burst out in laughter, but it faded before too long and everything kept on trucking.

We were beat from all of that, so didn't stay too long at the reception. The food was fabulous, and the band appeared to be hopping. Alex and Emily danced quite a bit, showing off for all the rest of us. Lou wasn't interested in the dancing (it was all fast and upbeat, the best I can do is get him on the dance floor for slow songs), and Lucinda and Grant wanted to go fetch the children. So back to the hotel and we crashed.

An early morning breakfast with the Gainey crew saw us on the road by 9:15 a.m., and we started roleplaying a new game (Lou as GM, me as player), and then listened to some more iTunes.

Monday saw us with a day of recovery, which involved going to Ri-Ra for lunch (on St. Patrick's Day, no less) and then off to see Bringing Down the House. I took a half-hour nap before the game. Which was not the best idea at the time, but little did I know that.

After the game, I wasn't tired. So I stayed up. Until about 3:00 a.m. Totally unable to sleep, even after I went to bed, I probably fell asleep around 4:00 a.m. And the alarm went off at 6:30. Lou also had difficulty sleeping (one of the things we did at 3:00 was change the flannel sheets off the bed), so we both decided to call in sick. I slept after calling in for another couple of hours, but was awake and still tired for the rest of today. Did NOT take a nap, and am feeling tired enough to get to bed at a decent hour tonight.

And lastly, from Salon.com, I bring you, An open letter to Ralph Nader voters. Considering I know more than a few people who voted for Nader, I thought it appropriate. And that's about all the politics I'll get into in this blog. Probably.

I bring you The VSD of George W. Bush and The VSD of Hans Blix.

Not by Cassie, but a fan/friend of hers.

1. Give me liberty, or give me death! Sentimental twaddle, or bold philosophical stand?

Both. I think it's a very bold stand, if you really mean it. But how many of us really do?

2. Marry in haste, repent at leisure, or He who hesitates is lost?

He who hesitates is lost. Most definitely.

3. What's more important to you in a potential romantic partner -- what religion they profess, what political party they belong to, or what operating system they use?

Heh. Operating system. It's my religion of choice!

1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?

Not really, anymore. When I was younger I did it a lot. I had huge phone bills to Guatemala for a certain boyfriend who lived there, and we liked to chat. I also talked a lot with Lou on the phone before we were involved.

Now, I'd prefer to IM with people. It's more convenient.

2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?

Umm...the wrong number that called earlier tonight. Before that, it'd have to be Jim Johnson, Lou's friend who got married last November (and we went down for his wedding). Lou wanted to stop by and say hi on the way back from this wedding, and since we were driving practically right by his house, he picked up his cell phone to call him. But as he was driving and I was not and he didn't have his headset, I took the phone and made the call. Got answering machines/voice mail at first, but then Jim called us back.

3. About how many telephones do you have at home?

Functional? Three. We also have at least one more, that being the one Lou takes on his week-long conferences in the summer.

4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?

Not that I recall. I'm sure I did, but as I don't like to talk on the phone, I couldn't say.

5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?

Email. It's quicker and easier for me. Or IMing, which is fastest. If they're online, of course.

1. What do you like best about Spring? What do you like least?

The flowers. Most definitely all the flowers and trees in bloom.

I don't like that the snow goes away. But I know it's necessary. I wouldn't want snow 24/7, but I do love it.

2. What is your favorite Spring activity? Why?

Walking. When it's nice enough out to walk with a light jacket, or maybe not even that. Possibly a bike ride. It's just so nice to not have to worry about being too hot or too cold while doing light exercise.

3. What do you do to celebrate the end of winter? Why?

Nothing. Never really occurred to me to do anything.

1. Do you have any plans for "Spring Break" this year?

Nope. Haven't done that since I worked directly in a school and was forced to take a week off during the break. Or at least, given good cause to do so.

2. Did you ever have any wild Spring Break experiences? C'mon, tell me the stories!

Nope. The closest thing I could say was that I was in Spain for one Spring Break, while working at St. Andrew's School. Big school trip. Stayed an extra week with four seniors and the Spanish teacher. We had fun. But nothing really wild. The disco with the swimming pool in it in Torremolinos was cool, even if I didn't go swimming.

3. What is your most memorable vacation of your youth?

Probably all the car trips we took. I know that's not one, but it all blurs together in my mind. We drove from Rhode Island to St. Louis to visit relatives. It was fun, actually.

4. What was the best vacation you've ever had as an adult?

Best? Argh. Umm...probably the trip I made just before I left St. Andrew's - we did England, Ireland, and Wales, with an extension in Wales (was supposed to be Scotland, and the trip changed but the name of the trip stayed the same. Alas.). We had about 10 or so 16 year olds and the other two groups that were bunched with us left, so on the extension to Connemara and Galway we had the bus to ourselves. Tons of fun. Lou threw out his back trying to kiss the Blarney Stone, so I'm not sure that he'd pick this one. And this was before we were involved, too.

5. Now, what is that "Dream Vacation" that you have always wanted to take if you had the time & money?

I'd love to take an Alaskan Cruise. But higher on the list than that are visits to: Greece, Egypt, and Australia/New Zealand. I'd also love to see Scotland, since we missed that on the above trip. If I had the money, I'd just tour the world for a year.

6. Have you ever take, or had the urge to take, a "blog vacation?" That is, just taking some time off from blogging?

I do, when I go on trips. I'm playing catch-up now with the memes and such, but I don't post while I'm gone. But I haven't stayed at home and consciously not posted.

7. You know how you get that creepy "danger" vibe you sometimes get from people you don't know? Has that ever turned out to be right? Or have you ever had a bad feeling about someone or a situation and not listened to that "little voice?"

Hmm...probably. But nothing is coming to mind right now.

Weight Watchers recipe cards, circa 1974

The comments on each card make the site. And don't forget to read the FAQ!

[Edited to say, May not be Work Safe. Your friends may come by and wonder at what you are sniggering. Be Warned.

Trackback turned on as well.]

Firefly screen caps

They're just byootiful, too. Jaynestown! Objects in Space!

Am nowt downloading program to pull things off my ReplayTV, for caps and encoding of my own. I would need a faster connection, tho, this wireless is just so slooooow. If I was doing that. Which I'm not.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - American Cover

And just for completeness, the Brit Cover.

I must admit, I think I prefer the Brit covers to the US ones.

Farscape fans, have you seen this morning's UserFriendly?

I am planning on having a "last episode" fest this weekend. Just so you know. I have everything since "A Constellation of Doubt" saved to the ReplayTV. Have to get ACoD to tape, and then the rest to another tape.

*whimper*

...can be found here.

I really should do things in more than one category. I just wish I could do it from bookmarklets or Kung-Log. *sighs*

National guardman changed his name to a toy

At least he didn't watch Beast Wars. Think of the razzing he'd get for being called Optimus Primal.

1. If you had the chance to meet someone you've never met, from the past or present, who would it be?

I'd love to meet my dad's dad. My mother never even met him, he was dead before they met.

2. If you had to live in a different century, past or future, which would it be?

Future. As much as I love reading historicals and stuff about the past, I love my modern comforts.

Unless the world reverts in the future. Then I'd go back, because I would be rich with all the neat things I'd invent or know to invest in.

3. If you had to move anywhere else on Earth, where would it be?

Had to move? But I don't want to move!

Okay, fine. I think, even though I've never been there, I'd want to move to New Zealand.

4. If you had to be a fictional character, who would it be?

Someone animated, in like a Disney or Warner Brothers animation. They never stay hurt, even when decapitated and all. They're fine in the next screen!

Other than that, I'd be Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan. She rocks.

5. If you had to live with having someone else's face as your own for the rest of your life, whose would it be?

Eeeeee...flashbacks to Face/Off! If it was just a face, I'd pick someone ordinary-looking. Not a movie star or someone famous. I don't think I could take it.

SONICblue to File for Voluntary Reorganization Under Chapter 11; Proposes to Sell ReplayTV and Rio Business Units to D&M Holdings; Signs Definitive Agreement With Opta Systems to Sell GoVideo Assets

As long as D&M lets me get my guide still, I'll be happy.

I've started the move to the new host. SFAD will be down for a while.

Realized as we sat down to watch the last few eps of Farscape Saturday night, or at least start to, that we had seen the first episode of the We're So Screwed trilogy. So we watched the last two Saturday and the final episode, Bad Timing, last night after our game.

And I must start out with this: *blink* *blink*

The Very Secret Diary of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (and yes, that is his full name)

I was a bit behind on this because of the move. Cygnus is working on at least three more.

1. Do you like going to the zoo? Why or why not?

I do. I don't do it often, though. I think I haven't been in four years.

2. How many zoos have you visited? Where?

I've been once to the Roger Williams Park Zoo, once to the Franklin Park Zoo, I'm sure at least twice to the National Zoo, and probably once to the St. Louis Zoo. Oh, and if Mystic Aquarium counts, I went there last year. And probably, at some point in time, I think I visited New England Aquarium.

3. What's your favorite animal to see at the zoo? Why?

Depends on the zoo. I love the polar bears at RWPZ. The others were visited so long ago that I don't recall what was the neatest to see. But whatever is the zoo's main attraction is high on my favorites list.

Osama's turn

Fandom things abound near the end, though. Tres amusing, if you get the jokes.

This is so me.

From the rss feed of Calvin&Hobbes.

1. Since we've covered the standard "where do you go when you die" question, let's get a little deeper. When you do die, would you like to be able to watch your funeral?

Yes, but only if the family/friends do it the way I want them to, which is a big party. I'd love to watch them from on-high (or from down-below) and see them sharing memories of me.

2. Catholics must have the longest funeral services ever. I think there is a lot to be said for the traditions that they keep, but it was just so depressing. I'd like my funeral to be much more upbeat, like those I've seen in New Orleans. What type of funeral would you plan for yourself?

Well, first off, all my organs are to be donated, those that can be used. So after all that, I'd like to be cremated. Then have the ashes put into the ground where a birch tree is planted.

Now, the party can take place at any time. I don't want a ceremony, where everyone comes and gathers solemnly as my ashes are put into the ground. So have it outside, maybe even well after I've passed, near the tree where I've been planted. Everyone bring a dish or beverage, and music and talking and people laughing and crying.

That sounds good to me.

3. As a child, when I was angry sometimes I would wish that a parent or teacher would die. Thank goodness wishes like those are never granted. I think it probably takes the loss of someone important before you learn the value of life. When did you first realize that life was so fragile?

Well, I lost grandparents early on, but probably the loss of my father in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school drove it home for me.

4. When we said our final respects to Grandma H. today, I though about her impact on the world. No, she didn't cure cancer or make sweeping changes to society. But she did leave a legacy of four sons and a daughter, who in turn have children and grandchildren. And maybe that was her purpose, to launch future generations that will accomplish great things. Some of us are here to make a huge splash in the pond of life, others are here to direct the ripples in the water. Of the people you've known personally who have passed away, what sort of legacy, impact, mark or achievement did they leave behind?

My father had 7 children. I have 9 nieces and nephews. That's a pretty big legacy.

My father also worked on the Apollo missions for IBM, subcontracted through NASA.

I couldn't really speak of others' achievements.

5. One thing that struck me at the funeral, was that there were so many men were dressed in casual clothes. I was brought up to believe that men should always wear a suit to a funeral, as a show of respect. Maybe these men were never taught that. Maybe they just don't own suits. Maybe that I am just old fashioned and not hip to the times. Do you think there is an "appropriate" way to dress for attending a funeral? Or is it even important?

Depends on what the person who died wanted. NOT on what the family left behind wants, and I SO can't express that enough. I think it's appropriate to dress respectfully, though.

Casual for me, please, for those who attend.

6. Grandma H. was far enough along in life to have been able to plan ahead for her funeral, even down to the tiny details such as song selections. It was nice to finally attend a funeral where they didn't play "Amazing Grace!" My choices would be "Ode to Joy" and "I'll Fly Away." What are some of the more memorable songs you've heard played at funerals?

I haven't been to many where songs were played, or at least not that I recall.

7. I've been craving some home-made pickles for years now. Not just any, but the kind my dear Great Grandmother made. It's been over 20 years since she died, but I can still remember just how her dill pickles taste. No one in the family has even attempted to make them since. Today at the funeral I overheard someone wishing that they had asked Grandma H. for her home-made noodle recipe but now it was too late. Do you have any favorite foods that only one relative made, and the recipe died with them?

No, thankfully. Though I understand there will be lots of screaming if the recipe for the coffee-toffee bars gets lost.

Birdcam 2003 is up and running.

Kaver's even sitting on the front image as I post this.

Jack, this is for you.

*snicker*snort*

Derivative Man: Evil function, your end has come! I will calculate the slope of a tangent line drawn anywhere on your entire evil body!

Function Man: Ha ha ha! Not a chance, Derivative Boy! What you don't know is that I am a function of many variables!!

Derivative Man: No!

Function Man: Yes!

Derivative Man: This is a job for ... Partial Derivative Man!!

Which 80s High School Movie Are You? ...aka the Molly Ringwald appreciation quiz...
brought to you by Quizilla

Courtesy of Anne.

I think I'd like to live at ResidenSea, at least for a little while.

Okay, maybe a vacation. $500/night? Come one, some one can spare that!

*plans to buy some PowerBall tickets tonight*

Academy Award(R) Winning Animated Feature 'Spirited Away' Set to Open in Theaters Across the Country This Friday

And that should really be REopen. It was already released, just very, very limited. 151 screens, I think.

Courtesy of Slashdot.

Operation Thrusting Sunset is my top favorite so far.

Courtesy of Tim.

1. You've been given $1 million to give anonymously to either charity or to a stranger. What would you do?

I'd choose the charity. If I don't know anything about the stranger, I'd go with the sure bet.

2. If the owner of a local gas station were caught dumping fifty gallons of used motor oil into the local storm sewer, what do you think the penalty should be? What if it were your neighbor dumping a single gallon?

The penalty'd need to be the cost of the cleanup for the dumped motor oil, or a fine equivalent. Maybe with a bit more on top, just to keep them frmo doing it again.

In both cases.

3. Over the course of your life, what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?

Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Yeah Brain, but where are we going to find rubber pants in our size?

Probably my characters in role-playing games. Not any one in particular, but overall. Or RPGs in general.

1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?

The insanity that went on in the LJ fandom community I follow, after a troll or who-knows-what decided that a bunch of fandom names needed to be saved by her God. Still not sure if she was a hoax or real, but she's gone now, and the only record we have are saved browser caches.

2. What one person touched your life this week?

A co-worker, whom I just found out has a brain tumor. He's sure everything's going to be fine, and so am I, now that I've spoken to him.

3. How have you helped someone this week?

I help people every day. It's part of my job. I fix their computer issues.

4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?

Getting the new computers out on desks so I can work on getting the Xserve in place!

5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?

Umm...go see a play on Saturday night. It'll make Teddy's day, to know that his friends have come and seen him. And knowing that I was there supporting him will make his world, and thereby mine, a better place.

1. What simple things scare you? Why?

Not a lot scares me, not the simple things, at least. Surprises - someone sneaking up behind me, jumpy spiders, that sort of thing.

2. Do you have any phobias? If so, what?

Not really. Though I am afraid that if I ever visit the west coast, I'll like it more than the east coast.

3. What is your earliest memory of being afraid? How are the same things scare you?

Couldn't tell you. Probably when my sister broke her arm falling off the pool table. We were walking around the edge, which we were not supposed to be doing, and she fell off and broke her arm. That scared me. Not only that we were going to get in trouble, but that she had broken her arm.

4. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Why? Is it still scary to you now? Why or why not?

Oh, probably something like The Birds, but I don't get really frightened at movies, either. I thought about seeing The Ring, but never did. Blair Witch didn't do anything for me, so I didn't see it in the theater. I did watch the end on cable and was confused as to what was going on, of course.

Movies like The Sixth Sense are not really scary, but suspenseful. I like those.

Oh, and The Birds would probably be a little bit scary to me now, if I watched it.

5. What is the scariest nightmare you've ever had? What happened? Is it still scary to you? Why or why not?

Don't recall. I haven't had a nightmare in decades.

Can you tell fear's not a big issue in my life?

I woke up this morning to snow outside my window. After a weekend of rain, the temps dropped enough to where we had about an inch of snow on our cars and certain surfaces. The place where we park was not coated, but the walkway to get from the apartment to the "driveway" was covered in snow.

It's still snowing now, but it's not going to accumulate much more. We're also supposed to get light snow tonight.

Lou is displeased by the snow, but I still love it. The trees looked all frosted on the way in this morning, and it made us notice that the grass, underneath the snow "frosting," had turned green somewhere along the way.

Had a lovely weekend. I ran my game Friday night, and tortured the players with a very trapped house. Pits, fire wards, teleport traps. Heh. Am evil.

Saturday morning, Lou and I headed up to NH with Jack (he took the bus down on Friday night instead of driving, since he knew we'd be heading back up the next morning), and tested out his new wireless network, watched the Justice League fights WWII animated movie/episodes, and then I headed down to St. Anselm's in Manchester to watch an online friend perform in "Guys and Dolls." I met Teddy and his parents, then had dinner with them and some family friends. We had a lot of fun, and Teddy gave me a tour of the St. Anselm's campus, even though it decided it wanted to rain on us while we walked about.

The show was excellent, and Teddy as Benny Southstreet was spot-on. It made me want to do plays and sing again, though I never did the two of them together, I was in drama and chorus in high school, and I did drama in college, too.

It was back to Concord for the last few minutes of Saturday night, where Lou and Jack had retired after an early dinner at a family-style seafood place called Newick's (the main reason I was able to get Lou to go on this trip was a promised trip to Newick's while I went to see the play). They'd also watched Army of Darkness with the alternate ending whilst I was gone.

We did breakfast out at a new place. There's not a lot of breakfast options in Concord, alas. But the new place had a buffet which was adequate. And the tea was good, except the waitress gave me a decaf tea bag for my second mug, which I didn't realize until too late.

I've also joined another local RPG. Pat's Silver Age Sentinels game ended, but he's starting up a DC Heroes game. I like that system, so I just can't pass up the chance to play. But that means I now have weekly games on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, and every other week games on Tuesdays and Fridays (the latter being the one I run), and a once-a-month game on Saturdays. Every single one, save the new Thursday game, is a flavor of d20. However, I don't know how much longer the Wheel of Time game will last (we're 11th level already, and at a certain point, we'll be too powerful for a the rest of the world to handle), and Pat's going to run Star Wars after it, which I will pass on, freeing up another day.

And I wonder why I don't have time to write.

The VSD of Chirac is now up and available for your perusal.

1. How old will you be on your next birthday?

36.

2. One of the presents I was given for my birthday was a "George Foreman Grill." I've always joked about them, so it was kind of a joke gift. But it turns out, it is a really neat little grill. Then it hit me, this is a gadget, except it is for the kitchen. Then I thought about it and realized that "gadgets" aren't just techno-toys, gadgets are everywhere. What is your favorite gadget?

My iPod, followed closely by my Swiss Army Knife and my Palm IIIc.

3. Tell me about someone that you lost touch with several years ago. Would you like to get back in touch with them again? What caused the separation? Has enough time passed? Would you still get along?

I'd like to get back in touch with some online friends I've lost touch with. We just stopped moving in the same circles, and got busy. I don't think we'd not get along, but we might have to have a time of adjustment, to see if we got along again.

4. I've not met many online friends in real-life (I.R.L.), but I've always assumed we'd get along great if we met. But then again, if we would since my online personality (brash, outgoing) seems so different from how I see my RL offline version (introverted). Is there a difference between your online personality and your real-life version? Or are you pretty much the same person either way?

I'm pretty much the same in person as I am online. I've been online for so long, and have met folks that I'd only known online, that there really is no difference for me.

5. Being the quiet type, I have often felt like the online world has given me a greater chance to meet people I'd never meet IRL. In fact, I would bet that I would have never met any of you IRL if we had been in the same bookstore or coffee shop. So in that sense, I think the Internet has helped inter-personal communication for many people. Can you think of any ways that the Internet hinders person-to-person communication? What could we do to change things?

Nuances can be left out of internet communication. Smileys only go so far.

There's not a lot we can do, except ask for clarification first before going off on a rant or a flame.

6. Last night, about 1AM I was overcome with this amazing sense of inner peace. I hadn't prayed, or done anything spiritual, yet, I felt like life was truly good and things could only get better. It seemed like I was given a mental "nudge" as if to say, "You're doing great kid, stay with it and everything will keep getting better." When was the last time you felt truly happy, or had that sense of perfect inner-peace? What does it take to get that feeling back when you need it?

I don't know...maybe driving at the Cape last month, when Lou and I were doing our usual trip out to Provincetown.

I don't tend to "bliss out" often.

7. There are times when I just want to tell someone off. I don't usually, since I have to work with them. Sometimes it is a family member and that would be even worse on down the road if I cut loose. If you could just verbally let loose on someone and be able to say anything you want, without repercussions, who would you say it to and what would you say?

Sorry, not going there.