seanmcdevitt.com

This New Site: Swimming in Champaign

2010-01-07T23:15:00.000-06:00

The new site, same as the old site. Well, an old, old site.

Yes, I've completed the move to the new website. Point your browser to http://www.swimminginchampaign.com/ and explore. The first post of the new once a week column will arrive on Sunday, January 10 so make sure to synchronize your watches. Every Sunday for the next year, a new column will magically appear. I'm kind of excited about the whole thing.

I'm really happy with the new site and I hope you like it just as much as I do. I've added a few interesting bells and whistles, left off a few things currently on this site and have moved forward. Please let me know on the new site what you like or don't like. I'm open to suggestions.

Also, I debated about moving the old archived files from this site to the new one and ultimately decided to do so. I think I'm done with Blogger blogs and will delete this whole thing in a few weeks and have the new site be my home for the foreseeable future.

Those of you who have enjoyed my ramblings, I hope you like the new direction and look. Tell a friend or two. Thanks for reading.

Namaste.

Seanmcdevitt.com is dead, long live seanmcdevitt.com

2009-12-20T10:54:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been prohibitively busy for me. I’m trying to do a dozen things really, really well and one of them, further down on the list than I’d like, is writing this blog. So, I’m making a few changes around this here website/blog. Step one starts now.
This website/blog is taking a two week vacation (maybe three). I have successfully migrated to Wordpress and I’m taking the last two weeks of the year to tweak things on the new site and to close things out on this one. I’m pretty excited. Expect an announcement here regarding the new Wordpress site after the first of the year. I would appreciate you updating your bookmarks at that time.

Using Blogger as my main blogging package has been nothing but fantastic. It was simply time to move on to something bigger and better. I had outgrown Blogger and was trying to get a Wordpress type interface on a Blogger system. It was sort of like trying to put a round peg in a square hole. It sort of worked for about a year, but never really to my ultimate satisfaction.

As of the first week in January, I will be at a new place on the interwebz. This site isn’t totally disappearing, but it won’t be updated and actually it might morph into something different after a while. My new home/domain, the name/url of which I’m keeping close to the vest for just a little bit longer, will be the new home for the foreseeable future and I’m pretty proud of it. I hope you like the place.

One of my goals for 2010 is to write a 500 word weekly column for the new site. I’m going to include some favorite quotes from the week, maybe a cool link or three and maybe a relevant video clip if I’m feeling saucy. The column is going to be like one I’d write for an online magazine or newspaper – hard deadlines and everything. I’m still debating on naming it something… we’ll see. I’m also trying to decide when a new column/post will appear – leaning toward Sunday, but maybe Wednesday.

The subject of the column will be whatever I damn well feel like writing about that week. If I want to write about how Joe Lieberman is a small, vindictive little man who should be ran out of town by the people of his state and the next week about my girlfriend’s dog, so be it. Nothing is off the table. I’ll try to be funny, insightful, interesting and relevant.

I’m taking my cue from Roger Ebert’s fantastic blog (not that I fancy myself akin to Roger, just the style). He writes on a consistent basis and he writes longer, more thought out pieces each time. He talks about movies, but he also talks about religion and politics and old movie theaters from his childhood. I wish to do something similar.

Ultimately, I’d like to turn the 52 posts into a book. I’m already working on a collection of essays and short stories that I’m going to self-publish through Lulu and promote wherever I can. Maybe you might buy a copy. That would be peachy-keen. Look for it to be available sometime in 2010.

So, have a good holiday. Be safe. Come on back and see what I’ve got in store.

Photo by fesoj

I am large, I contain multitudes.

2009-12-09T20:10:00.000-06:00

I have been crazy busy. Just like you.

My Google Reader is just overflowing with cool content and I simply can't get to it all. And I want to get to it all.

My blogging has been sporadic at best and it's bothered me. I'm waffling regarding posting something every day (Tony Pierce/Wil Wheaton), work the blog like a weekly column (Roger Ebert) or a combo of both. I'm leaning toward making my blog a weekly column which means I'm going to have to treat my weekly column like a paid gig, hit my deadlines and write something worthwhile.

Can I doodit? We'll see. However, Whitman will be mantra:

The past and present wilt--I have fill'd them, emptied them.

And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.

Listener up there! what have you to confide to me?

Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening,

(Talk honestly, no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.)

Do I contradict myself?

Very well then I contradict myself,

(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

I concentrate toward them that are nigh, I wait on the door-slab.

Who has done his day's work? who will soonest be through with his supper?

Who wishes to walk with me?

Will you speak before I am gone? will you prove already too late?

Quotes of the Week

2009-12-05T07:00:00.004-06:00

“So, a prominent, wealthy professional athlete may have cheated on his wife? WOW. As far as shock value that ranks right up there with discovering the truth about Santa Claus, being told that politicians accept money from political-action committees, discovering that baseball sluggers may have gobbled something more potent than One a Day vitamins and having someone break it to you that aging movie stars have plastic surgery to salvage their looks.” - Bernie Miklasz

“Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.” - Terry Pratchett

“Music should go right through you, leave some of itself inside you, and take some of you with it when it leaves.” - Henry Threadgill

“Remember to always be yourself. Unless you suck.” - Joss Whedon

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” - Aristotle

“It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.” - Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

“When I woke up this morning, I saw your smile, that smile, and I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you” - The Butterfly Effect movie

“What’s the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see ‘em?” - Calvin and Hobbes

“Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.” - Neil Gaiman

“Look what happened. Look what happened with regard to our invasion into Afghanistan. How we apparently intentionally let bin Laden get away. How we intentionally did not follow the Taliban and al Qaeda... the previous administration... knew very well that if they would capture al Qaeda there would be no justification for an invasion in Iraq,” - Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey.

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.” - Bruce Lee

Why I am not a Republican

2009-12-04T07:00:00.004-06:00

I like having political debates. I don't like having these debates with people who are batshit crazy. I have friends and co-workers who would consider themselves Republicans or conservatives, yet I know I can have an honest debate with them about the merits of, say, preemptive military action or the proper size of the government. We might even agree on a few points such as national security and immigration.

The real problem is I can't find these rational, level-headed right-wing individuals outside of a few close friends. They are in hiding. The intellectual Republican... the thinking man's conservative... is no where to be found. The present day GOP is a white southern regional party lead by religious extremists, bigots, conspiracy theorists and other repugnant examples of humanity.

Today's Republicans are more than just the party of "No." They are a loud minority vocalizing things only small minded people agree with such as racist agendas, bigotry, homophobia and hatred for all things not white and non-Christian focused. They promote religious fanaticism and are completely anti-science and anti-reality (humans and dinosaurs together... really?).

Republicans support the hate speech of Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. They create anti-government idiocy such as tea parties and the birthers. They are ill-informed of reality... only the spin or the talking points and they can never give details.

Of course, the man in the hopefully figurative cross-hairs of their idiocy is President Obama. They can't talk about policy. They can only attack in thinly disguised racism and hate. They throw bizarre conspiracy theories out into the wild hoping something will stick or resonate, but all they ever seem to do is shine a spotlight on their own craziness.

I will admit there are some left wing crazies as well. I'm not a big fan of Michael Moore and have only seen bits and pieces of his movies. I think he's manipulative and skillful in the editing bay. However, I am a fan of Al Franken who I believe entered politics to make a difference and is quite intelligent. I don't have an opinion of Nancy Pelosi and I think Alan Grayson has a huge career in front of him.

Is there a Republican I can support? Someone who is not beholden to conspiracy theories, is not a racist, anti-science or fanatically religious? Show me. I'll be waiting. Probably for a very long time.

The Two and a Half Hours Away Girl Redux

2009-12-03T07:00:00.028-06:00

I honestly thought she was going to marry that guy. I thought I lost the two and a half hours away girl forever just over a year ago. She was engaged. She was planning a wedding. What a difference a year makes.

2009 started off with unemployment, worry and an uncertain future. By my birthday in June, I was enjoying my brand new position and dating an attractive, older woman. Here on the verge of 2010, I'm planning trips to Chicago, San Diego, Vegas and Orlando for work/play, working toward new personal creative endeavors and spending weekends with the two and a half hours away girl.

Life is strange.

Nothing has changed between us. She's just as crazy and stressed out as ever. I love it. The things which drove others away, I embrace as "it's just you." She's the only woman on the planet I have an infinite amount of patience with. Her quirky ways are the things I love from the way she giggles to the way she kisses me.

Last night we spent three hours on the phone finding new things we didn't know about the other. We've known each other since I was 15 and she was 14 and we still found some new ground we didn't know. This astounds me. Also, for no apparent reason, we started talking in faux 19th century English accents cracking each other up with our vocabulary.

You know, I have no idea where any of this may lead. I'm not moving. She's not moving. It may just remain the way it is for a while. For the time being, that's just fine.

There's a line from New Moon (sue me, I saw it twice. I have a good excuse...) which I thought was amazing. Bella is pleading with the newly buff Jacob and she says, "You can't break up with me, I'm your best friend." It's exactly how I feel about the two and a half hours away girl.

Life is a journey. Never give up hope. Dream big. Sometimes you get second chances.

Hearts, Keys and Puppetry Audio Book

2009-12-02T07:00:00.021-06:00

At last, the Twitter book I contributed a few lines to, Hearts, Keys and Puppetry, is available as a free download at the BBC Audiobooks America blog. My lines are at the 7:40 mark of Chapter 1 and at 8:33 of Chapter 9. I almost got the last line of the entire audio book.

I recommend just downloading the nine chapters from the blog and start listening. Sure, the story is a bit like Alice in Wonderland, Oz and Coraline, but this production takes it much further than I thought possible. Katherine Kellgrin is simply amazing as the narrator.

Regardless, it was a neat little project and I'm quite happy to have taken part even if it was in a small way. Below is the release from BBC Audiobooks America:

Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry
By Neil Gaiman and the Twitterverse
Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

“Sam was brushing her hair when the girl in the mirror put down the hairbrush, smiled, and said, "We don't love you anymore."

So began the Twitter Audio project, with a dazzling first line penned by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. What followed was an epic tale of imaginary lands, magical objects, haunting melodies, plucky sidekicks, menacing villains and much more. From mystical blue roses to enchanted mirrors to pesky puppets, this classic fable was born from the collective creativity of more than one hundred contributors via the social network Twitter.com in a groundbreaking literary experiment. Together, virtual strangers crafted a rollicking story of a young girl’s journey with love, forgiveness, and acceptance.

About the Narrator
Katherine Kellgren is an actress of film, television, and theater. She has appeared onstage in London, New York, and Frankfurt. She is a graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Katherine has narrated numerous audiobooks and won various awards including the AudioFile Earphones Award, the Peabody Award and several Audie^® Awards. AudioFile calls Katherine Kellgren a marvel with accents and a narrator for which to keep an ear out.

Contributors: @45spacer, @aarsic, @adrianika, @ajekofalltrades, @allfades, @almedial, @anabowlova, @anew15, @ange1ina, @angela_hunter, @angerfork, @anglotastic, @auilix, @b3gillin, @bryansarrasin, @cafenirvana, @californiakara, @celebelei, @click2carney, @colinyoung, @dannygunter, @dejrabel, @devikat, @didius111, @dnairnw, @doodlewhale, @dotsforeyes, @dstieglitz313, @e2d2, @erikscottdebie, @fashionzebra, @foggymoontour, @furious_jack, @glenbw, @groovygeekygirl, @gulliverbear, @gwenners, @hazeltwilight, @heraldeditrix, @hirschic, @hopiepokie, @iainabernathy, @jamezrjonez, @jennyworsley, @jinxed_wood, @jkathryne0510, @jlawrencem, @jmag21, @jshadl, @kaiserschwarcz, @karie122, @khohannessian, @laviecestmoi, @ldygray, @l_veg, @lilrebel616, @litomnivore, @lionnesss, @liz_hawk, @lizmcgregor, @lorespinner, @loupok, @lovelythings, @lucia_wilde, @luiswulf, @luvmuch2, @mackenzie_finch, @mahlemedved, @makingmymarc, @meadhbh, @melodyg, @mildmojo, @missdeliana, @mo_ali, @mocando, @moirawrite, @mookychick, @nafda, @nataliefyffe, @neilhimself, @nettsche, @nmfox, @noirmoll, @nokomarie, @nycteris, @paulcrilley, @pockybum22, @queensowntalia, @reddingofish, @reeshageppert, @rominamislang, @rosedefiant, @rukasufox, @sean_mcdevitt, @selorian, @shanella, @simon_staffans, @snarkspork, @soratian, @surfingsue, @taragel, @tattsjane, @taupefox_59, @techtigger, @terencewest, @thessaly_wake, @thessilian, @thesteampowered, @threeville, @thurtinkle, @tombness, @undeadlibrarian, @unrealfred, @upguntha, @vagabond_blue, @valeca, @vivren, @waterfall8484, @wavepl, @wmsnedden, @wotv, @youstruckgold, @zhalfim,

Copyright © 2009 by BBC Audiobooks America.
Copyright (P) 2009 by BBC Audiobooks America. All rights reserved. Copyright exists on all recordings issued by BBC Audiobooks America. Any unauthorized broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of such recordings in any manner whatsoever, will constitute an infringement of such copyright.

This product is intended for personal use only. Commercial or non-personal use, editing, alteration, copying or redistribution inconsistent with copyright laws is prohibited, whether by digital, electronic or other means.

BBC Audiobooks America is committed to publishing and distributing audiobooks that reflect many different viewpoints on a variety of topics. The opinions expressed in this and other works published by BBC Audiobooks America are solely those of the authors, and not of the company.

Cover design by Natalie Albright

Music by Will Sibilia

My Vampires Don't Sparkle...

2009-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

I have a 14 year old daughter. She loves Twilight. Guess where I was this past weekend? Her friends were otherwise engaged so she was relegated to seeing New Moon with her old man. All things considered, she’d rather have been with her friends. Except, you know, I bought popcorn.

I sorta get this Twilight phenomenon. Edward’s a sexy, twinkling in sunlight, “vegetarian” vampire with cool mind reading powers. It’s a fantasy on the same level as any Harlequin romance. It’s just written directly for tween girls instead of their mothers. But of course, the mothers get all hot and bothered by it too.

The closest thing for my generation and gender has to be Star Wars and that wasn’t even a book series prior. In fact, with Twilight and Harry Potter before the fact they were successful teen book series first is actually an accomplishment. Yes, I read the Alan Dean Foster… AHEM… George Lucas… penned Star Wars novel back in the day. Although, I really haven’t pulled it off the shelf in decades. I don’t recall how much the screenplay was followed as a template for the novel. My gut says it was more a tie-in than anything original. It’s an interesting scenario. What if Star Wars was a successful original teen book series before it was turned into movies?

By the way, New Moon is bad only in that Bella is the weakest lead character I’ve ever encountered. She is the most appalling example of a “Mary Sue” in popular fiction in recent memory. Thank goodness my daughter has watched all seven seasons of Buffy and knows a powerful, dynamic and independent woman when she sees one.

Also, Ashley Greene is hot.

Big Plans

2009-11-30T18:29:00.001-06:00

So things around ye olde website have been rather quiet.

Lift off on the new and improved site is coming soon. I'll let you know when the countdown begins so you can track the ascent.

Also, the book is going to happen in 2010. I wrote it down, so it must be true.

Big plans all across the board. Wait and see.

(FYI - Turkey is good. My stuffing was EXCELLENT. My brother's high school football team won the State Championship. I feel icky for seeing New Moon twice in the theater. I like pie. That is all.)

Lazy Sunday Links 11/22

2009-11-22T08:27:00.000-06:00

Here's just ten of my favorite links of the week. You can find the whole list at my pix, flix, vox and linx site: Kaleidoscope Sky.

Behold! The Rings of the Earth.
Matt Taibbi deconstructs Sarah Palin
Yeah, that guy back there on the left behind Buddy & Stacey is Jimi Hendrix. It’s the earliest known footage of him performing.
The 75 sexiest Rolling Stone covers of all time.
Arkansas 5th grader refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance until gays and lesbians have equal rights.
7 of the Most Inspiring Videos on the Web
Israeli model Bar Rafaeli is, hands down, the hottest supermodel on the scene.
Scientists modify their own bodies and become the world’s first superheroes. One of them kills President Bush. That’s the beginning of Warren Ellis’ Black Summer, soon to be part of the next wave of superhero cinema. I can’t wait.
30 Iconic Movie Closing Lines
A collection of the best of Hubble’s shots.

Lies

2009-11-21T20:47:00.003-06:00

From Andrew Sullivan's Blog:

The lies of Sarah Palin are different from any other politicians'. They are different because they assert things that are demonstrably, empirically untrue; and they are different because once they have been deonstrated to the entire world that they are untrue, Palin keeps repeating them as if they still were true or refuses to acknowledge that she was wrong.

Ann Althouse has rightly figured out how dumb Palin is; she has not yet figured out how disturbed she is. And once again, for Ann's sake, here are the lies I mean. Go through them. See if you think they are Clintonian type parsings of the truth or artful political hedging or anything like what we find in most pols. They really are not. They are functions of delusion and a worldview that wants things to be a certain way and cannot absorb that they are not. If you find the slightest error or come across a fact that we should add to this list of current lies, please let us know. We want this list to be as accurate as Palin is delusional. We want to create some template of easily-accessible reality as some kind of guard against the fantasies and fabulisms of our post-modern and fundamentalist age.

Palin lied when she said the dismissal of her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, had nothing to do with his refusal to fire state trooper Mike Wooten; in fact, the Branchflower Report concluded that she repeatedly abused her power when dealing with both men.

Palin lied when she repeatedly claimed to have said, "Thanks, but no thanks" to the Bridge to Nowhere; in fact, she openly campaigned for the federal project when running for governor.

Palin lied when she denied that Wasilla's police chief and librarian had been fired; in fact, both were given letters of termination the previous day

Palin lied when she wrote in the NYT that a comprehensive review by Alaska wildlife officials showed that polar bears were not endangered; in fact, email correspondence between those scientists showed the opposite.

Palin lied when she claimed in her convention speech that an oil gas pipeline "began" under her guidance; in fact, the pipeline was years from breaking ground, if at all.

Palin lied when she told Charlie Gibson that she does not pass judgment on gay people; in fact, she opposes all rights between gay spouses and belongs to a church that promotes conversion therapy.

Palin lied when she denied having said that humans do not contribute to climate change; in fact, she had previously proclaimed that human activity was not to blame.

Palin lied when she claimed that Alaska produces 20 percent of the country's domestic energy supply; in fact, the actual figures, based on any interpretation of her words, are much, much lower.

Palin lied when she told voters she improvised her convention speech when her teleprompter stopped working properly; in fact, all reports showed that the machine had functioned perfectly and that her speech had closely followed the script.

Palin lied when she recalled asking her daughters to vote on whether she should accept the VP offer; in fact, her story contradicts details given by her husband, the McCain campaign, and even Palin herself. (She later added another version.)

Palin lied when she claimed to have taken a voluntary pay cut as mayor; in fact, as councilmember she had voted against a raise for the mayor, but subsequent raises had taken effect by the time she was mayor.

Palin lied when she insisted that Wooten's divorce proceedings had caused his confidential records to become public; in fact, court officials confirmed they released no such records.

Palin lied when she suggested to Katie Couric that she was involved in trade missions with Russia; in fact, she has never even met with Russian officials.

Palin lied when she told Shimon Peres that the only flag in her office was the Israeli flag; in fact, she has several flags.

Palin lied when she claimed to have tried to divest government funds from Sudan; in fact, her administration openly opposed a bill that would have done just that.

Palin lied when she repeatedly claimed that troop levels in Iraq were back to pre-surge levels; in fact, even she acknowledged her "misstatements," though she refused to retract or apologize.

Palin lied when she insisted that the Branchflower Report "showed there was no unlawful or unethical activity on my part"; in fact, that report prominently stated, "Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act."

Palin lied when she claimed to have voiced concerns over Wooten fearing he would harm her family; in fact, she actually decreased her security detail during that period.

Palin lied when asked about the $150,000 worth of clothes provided by the RNC; in fact, solid reporting contradicted several parts of her statement.

Palin lied when she suggested that she had offered the media proof of her pregnancy with Trig to "correct the record"; in fact, no reports of her medical records were ever published; and the letter from her doctor testifying to her good health only emerged hours before polling ended on election day, even though there was nothing in it that couldn't have been released two months earlier.

Palin lied when she said that "reported" allegations of her banning Harry Potter as mayor was easily refutable because it had not even been written yet; in fact, the first book in that series was published in 1998 - two years into her first term - and such rumors were never reported by the media, only circulated as emails.

Palin lied when she denied having participated in a clothes audit with campaign laywers; in fact, the Washington Times later confirmed those details.

Palin lied when asked about Couric's question regarding her reading habits; in fact, Couric's words were not, "What do you read up there in Alaska?" or anything close to condescension.

Palin lied when she mischaracterized the "$1200 check" given to Alaskans as the permanent fund dividend check; in fact, that fund had yielded $2,069 per person, and she claimed otherwise to obscure the fact that Alaskans also received a $1200 rebate check from a windfall profits tax on oil companies - a tax widely criticized by Republicans.

Palin lied when she claimed to be unaware of a turkey being slaughtered behind her during a filmed interview; in fact, the cameraman said she had picked the spot herself, while the slaughter was underway.

Palin lied when she denied having rejected federal stimulus money; in fact, she continued to accept and reject the funds several times.

Palin lied when she claimed that legislative leaders had canceled a meeting with her to hold their own press conference; in fact, they only canceled it after being told she would not participate, and the purpose of the press conference was very different from the meeting's

Palin lied when she announced on the news that she never holds closed-door meetings; in fact, she had just attended a closed-door meeting with the legislature earlier that day.

Palin lied when she said that former aide John Bitney's "amicable" departure was for "personal" reasons; in fact, Bitney said he was fired because of his relationship with the wife of Palin's friend, plus a Palin spokesperson later claimed "poor job performance" for his firing - without elaborating.

Palin lied when she said she kept her running injury a secret on the campaign trail; in fact, her bandaged hand was clearly visible in photographs and the story was widely talked about.

Palin lied when she claimed that Alaska has spent "millions of dollars" on litigation related to her ethics complaints; in fact, that figure is much, much lower, and she had initiated the most expensive inquiry.

Palin lied when she denied that the Alaska Independence Party supports secession and denied that her husband had been a member; in fact, even the McCain campaign noted that the party's very existence is based on secession and that Todd was a member for seven years.

Palin lied when she told Oprah that she desperately wanted to go on Saturday Night Live because it would be "fun" and could push back on the Tina Fey impression Palin says she hated but never actually listened to. Contemporaneous emails show that Palin resisted going on SNL and was therefore lying to Oprah.

Palin lied when she told Oprah Winfrey that she gaffed on the campaign trail in saying that the McCain campaign shouldn't quit Michigan. She said she had been unaware at the time that the decision to withdraw had already been taken. Contemporaneous emails show she was lying, and had already been told.

Palin lied in "Going Rogue: in accusing two journalists she recognized from a press conference as ambushing her daughter Piper on the street. One of those journalists had never attended the press conference cited by Palin, but Palin has never withdrawn the charge.

Short Bursts

2009-11-21T07:23:00.006-06:00

Burned by Blackberry Department
I recently updated to the new Blackberry firmware and downloaded the Storm Slider application because I wanted to be cool like my iPhone friends. This, as it turns out, has been a big, fat mistake. It never worked correctly. It was supposed to be a seamless way to lock my phone without using the built-in lock. Guess what, it worked like shit. It had to think constantly to go from built-in lock to Storm Slider lock and then I had to swipe at least two or three times before it would work. It became more annoying than cool. So, I turned it off and I'm likely never to turn it back on again. Waste of $2.

Many apps do work well with my Storm like UberTwitter, BerryWeather and Unread, but I want quality applications. Looks like the only place I'm going to get that is with an iPhone and maybe an Android phone. Unfortunately, I'm not eligible for an upgrade until third quarter 2010. Not soon enough.

QAPLA' Department
How does this shit happen?

In the "social experiment" to end all "social experiments", a Minnesota father claims he put his computational linguistics Ph.D. to good use by speaking Klingon--and only Klingon--to his baby. Yes, for the first three years of its life, this kid was subjected to in-real-life parental trolling. The story doesn't explain why the experiment was stopped, but apparently it ended too soon to produce any lasting effects. The child, now a teenager, does not speak a word of Klingon.

I can't even begin to talk about how utterly fucking ridiculous this is.

Sounds A Little Fishy Department
Recently, scientists believe there might be a vast ocean of fish-like creatures under the ice-encrusted exterior of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Basically, they believe there's sufficient evidence for the physical conditions to support life.

I seriously can't wait until a lander breaks through the ice and sends back pictures of extraterrestrial life.

Talking snakes and virgin births are okay? Department
Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, of the Pontifical Council of Culture said:

"Men and women are transformed with horrible masks and it is once again that age-old trick or ideal formula of using extremes to make an impact at the box office. This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and as such should be of concern."

First off, Twilight is an allegory for abstinence and possibly Mormonism. Second, its a fucking movie and if you think a movie is deviant, don't watch it. I think the Saw movies are 90 minutes of torture porn and I don't care to watch any of them. However, I don't call the movies or those who enjoy that type of entertainment deviant.

Hey, doesn't your religion talk about eating flesh and drinking blood? Doesn't your religion have a zombie in it? Doesn't your religion have a great deal of torture, pain and suffering in it?

You are just worried your tired myth is being overrun by Hollywood. I hope so, you child molesting assholes. At least I can tell fiction from reality.

Why does anyone even pay attention to anything the Vatican proclaims?

I Got You Tip Right Here Department
College students Leslie Pope and John Wagner and four of their friends went to the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The bill came to $73, which Pope and Wagner paid, but they refused to pay the mandatory $16.35 tip, because they said the service was lousy. So they were arrested.

The pub, which was very busy that night, took the $73, but then called the cops, who treated the matter as a theft.

The menu clearly states, “18 percent gratuity added to check of parties of 6 of more,” and a similar message is printed on receipts, a pub employee said this morning.

The students are going to win. The Lehigh Pub will get the worst kind of publicity for this and I bet they will be out of business in six months.

Google Reader versus Twitter versus Facebook

2009-11-19T15:55:00.001-06:00

Social networking has fast become the norm for millions of people. If you are reading this, chances are you are on Twitter or Facebook updating the interwebz with your current status and what you are doing.

With Facebook, I’ve reconnected with dozens of friends from high school and college. Of course, when I say I’ve reconnected it pretty much means I’ve added them to my Friend list.

With Twitter, I’ve had the pleasure of arguing with real honest to goodness comic book creators like Rob Liefeld on the merits of Marvel versus DC Comics movies. I’ve also met a bunch of new friends and acquaintances via Tweetups.

However, I spend most of my online life with Google Reader.

I rarely go to actual websites anymore. I just use RSS feeds to push content to my Google Reader page/folders. I don’t always read every post from every feed. When you follow over 100 sites/blogs it’s impossible. However, I can easily scan, delete and move on with Reader. I also save many posts to read later.

With Facebook, I only follow people who I actually know/knew with only a few exceptions. On Twitter, I follow lots of people, but only people who I care about. I don’t auto followback. My conversations though are almost totally with people I know. Although I have had a few conversations with people on Twitter who I don’t know and that’s sometimes lots of fun.

I subscribe and unsubscribe from Google Reader feeds all the time. Same goes with Twitter. If you bore me, freak me out or weird me out - you’re gone. I’ve already separated people on my Facebook account into categories and I’ve organized everything into folders for Google Reader. Eventually, I will start using lists with Twitter.

Google Reader is about INFORMATION. Twitter is about PEOPLE. Facebook is about FRIENDS. There’s certainly overlap, but for the most part that’s how I do social media.

How ‘bout you?

The Numbers Game

2009-11-17T15:47:00.001-06:00

I've been on this planet for slightly over 41 years.

I've slept in the same bed, at least one night a year, for at least 30 of those 41 years.

I've been fall-down, out-of-my-mind drunk 3 times in my life. Once in college when I mixed beer with hard liquor, once right after grad school when I knocked on my ex-girlfriend’s apartment door and once with my friends when I drank about 15 Rum and Cokes.

I’ve thrown up because of alcohol consumption 1 time in my life. The mix night.

I've traveled to 1 country outside the United States. Oh, Canada.

I've been in 26 states. Adding Nevada in 2010.

I've luckily been in only 2 vehicle accidents in my life. The first, my then girlfriend was driving and I hit the windshield with my forhead. We weren’t going very fast, but I didn’t have my seatbelt on either. The second was in grad school when I rear-ended a car which had slammed on its brakes and I didn’t slow down quick enough. The later one ended up going to court. Pain in the ass.

I’ve owned exactly 5 vehicles. A Dodge, Honda, two Saturns and a Toyota.

I’ve owned exactly 4 computers. One crappy Gateway, two iMacs and a MacBook.

I’ve owned exactly 0 pets. None. Zip. Zilch. My brother has a dog.

I ran cross country for 8 years. 4 years in high school and 4 years in college. I was Most improved my sophomore year in high school, MVP my sophomore year in college and team captain my senior year in college. I was also the first four year letterwinner in cross country at Illinois College.

I’ve lived at the same address for almost 10 years.

I’ve slept with approximately 20,000 women… Whoops, how did this Wilt Chamberlain quote get in here!

I have 1 sibling, 2 parents, 3 televisions, 4 pairs of shoes and 5 windows in my apartment.

I own 12 long boxes of bagged and boarded comics., plus a few half boxes. My father bought Flash #123 and Adventure #247 at cover price.

This is post 618. Of course, I've deleted older, crappy posts so my real number is all wrong.

Inspired by MCF.

Lazy Sunday Links 11/15

2009-11-15T18:12:00.070-06:00

Here's just ten of my favorite links of the week. You can find the whole list at my pix, flix, vox and linx site: Kaleidoscope Sky.

The LRO snapped a new picture of Apollo 11 landing site from its orbital perch 50km above the surface.
Summarize your sex life with a Star Wars quote. Redditors take the bait with hilarious results.
The Decade in Seven Minutes. Did all this stuff really happen since 2000?
The most elaborate marriage proposal I’ve ever seen took nine months and lots of money to pull off. Was it worth it? I think so.
Scenes from two alternate universes involving The Beatles: the band accepts Lorne Michaels' offer to play SNL in 1976, and an accident leads to the discovery of their album Everyday Chemistry.
Everyday, people all over the world encounter hundreds of things that they could easily masturbate to, and sometimes it’s difficult to determine if you should or shouldn’t jerk off to something.
Fonts Used In Popular Band Logos, or rather, logos that were later turned into fonts by fans.
The product designers over at MintPass have created these concept designs for real life calculators that look just like the calculators that pop up on a Windows or Mac OS screen. WANT!
Amazing Matt Meola video. The boy can surf.
Teaser trailer for Kick-Ass.

It's A Hard Tech Life For Me

2009-11-14T16:00:00.001-06:00

I always find it interesting to see what writers use to do their work. Stephen King writes on some antiquated Apple laptop. Warren Ellis writes on some funky contraption in a pub after consuming roughly 372 cans of Red Bull. I do most of my best work in bed (cue the snare/cymbal) on my laptop.

So, I thought it would be interesting to list out what I use for writing and other tech related stuff.

Primary Computer: 13" MacBook I do not play video games on my computer or at least the ones that are all the rage if you have a nice PC system with a giant monitor to play them. I play games on my daughter's Wii, if I play video games at all. I am, however, on the internet seemingly 24 hours a day. I never worry about nasty computer viruses when I visit places I might not ought to visit.

Operating System: Leopard 10.5.8. There is nothing finer than the Macintosh Operating System. Tech geeks will say Unix. The sheep will say Windows 7. The ones that just want the fucking computer to work... we use Mac.

Browser: Firefox 3.5.5. Safari is super fast, but I like my Add Ons. Chrome might be a viable alternative, but I'm so comfortable with Firefox I can't imagine ever switching. I fucking hate IE. Fucking. Hate. It.

Mail: GMail. Just recently I moved over to the wonderful world of Google. For years, I had a paid Yahoo account. However, more and more I started using Google products and just took the plunge and jumped in feet first. Never going back. Although, I need to start playing more with Google Wave...

Word Processing: Pages/Word. I had a wild hair and decided to see if could actually write in Pages and not use Word. For the most part, I can pretty easily. However, I do like Word's thesaurus and dictionary better than Pages. I have Google Docs, but have never seriously done anything with them. I've got OpenOffice as well, but never really messed with it. One of my projects is turning my four issues of Slip Kid comic book script into a single pilot movie/television script and I'm going to use Scrivener.

Blogging Software: WordPress. I started out with Blogger, which I still like, but wanted a bit more on my website than what could get out of Blogger. So, I migrated to a paid server and found a WP template and probably will never look back. It's almost done. You are likely reading this on the new site.

RSS Feeds: Google Reader. Over time I figured out that visiting the various websites I like was a pain in the ass. So, I started using My Yahoo! then migrated to Netvibes then finally Google Reader. It's the best. It does make me want to go see what's actually on my old My Yahoo! and Netvibes pages. There are a bunch of other alternatives, but I can't see using anything besides GReader.

Photo Management: Flickr. I've had a free Flickr account forever and a day. I think at the beginning of the year, I'm going to buy a Pro account ($25 a year is pretty inexpensive). It will also force me to start archiving lots of photos. Right now I use iPhoto, but I'm thinking it might be fun to off site host all my pictures. I'll probably also move my Facebook pictures over to Flickr with the Pro account.

Twitter Client: Tweetie/Seesmic. On my Macbook I use Tweetie, which I've been advocating Apple just buy and use as the default Twitter application on all new computers. I like the ease of managing multiple accounts with Tweetie. At work, I use Seesmic. I like it better than Tweetdeck. I'm not dissing Tweetdeck, but it just never felt right for me.

Personal Music/Video Player: iPod Touch 3.1.2.Currently, I have 1,888 songs, 33 videos, 110 photos and 35 applications. It's the best audio/video/game system combo on the market. The only thing that would make it cooler was if it was also my phone.

Cell Phone: BlackBerry Storm: Do I like my BlackBerry Storm? I like it well enough. I like Verizon more and for far too long they had nothing but crap phones. So, I broke down a year ago and got a BlackBerry Storm. Now that Verizon has phones running Google's Android OS, I will likely move to one of those phones as soon as I can. It is my hope Verizon has the iPhone on their network by the time I'm able to upgrade.

Short Bursts

2009-11-13T13:40:00.000-06:00

Friday the 13th Department
I've never been superstitious. I don't care about broken mirrors, black cats, stepping on cracks or any of that. For me, it's just another Friday I get to sit at my local Borders and chance a few sideways glances at the cute blonde a couple of tables over. She has a nice MacBook Air... among other things.

Sasha Grey's Dead Eyes Still Follow Me Department
I can't decide if I like The Girlfriend Experience. I mean, I love Sasha Grey's work in the movie. Her blank, expressionless face actually works well for a character who has to be detached in her work. It makes the one quick smile she lets out and the breakdown she has later all the more powerful.

It's very much an indie film and that isn't a bad thing. It's shot beautifully with the camera stationed in interesting angles and spots. Obviously, the camera loves Sasha Grey and she benefits from having Soderberg direct her. He also plays to her best strength - her face.

Still, the underlining meaning of the movie escapes me. Is it about becoming so detached you can't let anyone in or is it about what happens when you do let someone in and they don't love you back. You decide.

Riding the Storm Out Department
I've now upgraded to the latest firmware for my Blackberry Storm. It took me this long because I had to do it at work on my PeeCee. Blackberry has never really been very Apple friendly, which is a mistake. I love my Apple MacBook and tolerate using a Windoze operating system. So, after taking nearly 30 minutes to download, upload and update what did I get?

Not much.

None of my downloaded and paid for Themes work correctly in landscape mode. The threaded text messaging is welcome. I'll get used to the new features when typing. I gladly downloaded the paid StormSlider app because the free version didn't work with the lock button anymore and I like the custom "screensaver" picture option.

All in all, hopefully it makes things zippier on the Storm. I'm not in love with the phone and I will jump ship to something like the new Google Android phones (iPhone on Verizon... pleasepleaseplease) sometime in the summer. Probably not soon enough.

Is Joss Whedon Really My Master Now? Department
In a move surprising to no one, Fox cancelled Dollhouse. A show, I will freely admit, I have not really got into yet. I started watching then decided it was a hassle. I'm guessing my experience is much like the rest of the potential viewers. Don't worry, I'll get around to it.

Of course, I could always DVR it or watch it online at various places. I'm sure many will simply wait for the DVD release and be happy with that. Which brings me to my biggest pet peeve: Nielson ratings. They are antiquated and have outlived their usefullness. I don't know the numbers, but I'm sure we will see them soon enough and they will be shitty. My point is DVR, Hulu, iTunes, etc. won't be factored in keeping or not keeping a show on the air. In fact, the different ways one can watch television besides sitting down in front of a TV hurts Nielson ratings. Of course, there is this tiny voice saying NO ONE WATCHES TV ON FRIDAY NIGHT ASSHOLES! THEY USE DVR/TAPE/HULU/iTUNES.

Oh well, chalk up another TV series with missed potential for Whedon. Bet he jumps right into that Dr. Horrible sequel ASAP.

Draw More Flies with Honey Department
I just had to kill a fly in my bedroom. It was buzzing around my bedlamp. I killed a spider the other day. There are beetles everywhere that need destroyed.

The calendar says I'm a few weeks into November. I really don't want to have to think about killing insects until, say, April okay?

What Can You Do in Nine Months? Department
How do I feel about President Obama after nine months in office? I like him just fine, thank you. He's done some things I like. He's done some things I don't like and he hasn't moved fast enough on some things I wish he'd move faster on. I do realize there's a lot on his plate, so I'm cutting him some slack on most everything.

What I love most about President Obama are two things: He is deliberate and he's a bit of a geek. He isn't a reactive sort of person. He's calm, cool and thinks things through. He listens. He deliberates. This, of course, makes his enemies go into outrageous fits. They lose their shit. He stands above it.

Regarding his geek cred, the President brandished a toy lightsaber on the White House lawn. He knows Spock is from Vulcan. He knows what Dilithium Crystals are used for. That is full of win for me.

So The Cylon Plan Wasn't Really a Plan? Department
I see boobs on the new Battlestar Galactica: The Plan. The rest is kind of a beautiful mess. Here's a quick rundown. The Cylons had a plan and they didn't follow through on that plan because the "skinjobs" started to actually like humanity. Every plan of attack was screwed up because the damn skinjobs couldn't actually follow through on the one simple idea of killing everyone who wasn't a Cylon.

It was kinda nice to see various plot points from the series from the perspective of the Cylons, but it didn't really tell me anything new nor did it reveal anything earth-shattering about the Cylon plan. Does it succeed in being an entertaining bit of fluff? Sure, but not by much.

What Can You Do in Nine Months? Part Deux Department
My friend has been trying to have a baby for several years now. She had some disappointments in her past regarding pregnancy and I know they went through a lot regarding becoming potential parents.

Now all that's gone away as they welcomes a beautiful and healthy baby girl to the world. I am so happy for them it hurts.

I Got Rock and Roll Pneumonia

2009-11-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've seen KISS eight times. Twice on the Asylum Tour, Alive/Worldwide (Reunion) Tour, Psycho Circus Tour, Farewell Tour, World Domination, Rock the Nation Tour and now the Alive/35 Tour. I'm a big fan. I've got a couple of real vintage posters (one framed) and several books/DVDs/bootlegs. Although to be fair, I'm not even close to being a megafan. I met two such individuals on this last trip to see the hottest band in the world.

Mike has a one-of-a-kind light up KISS logo in his basement. Jeff has a fully restored KISS pinball machine. I coveted both like nobody's business. They had other stuff too. Pictures, dolls, magazines, posters and other cool collectible items. There's just so much stuff out there. I've never ever entertained the idea of going to a KISS Expo, although I bet I could find the KISS baseball jersey I'm looking for at the one in Indy.

Aside from the KISS basements, the band put on a fantastic show. It was great fun seeing the band with two people who had never seen them live before. It really is an experience. A KISS show ain't four guys in ripped up jeans singing songs. It's a full production with smoke, fire, explosions, flying, lights, video, confetti and so much more. Not to mention the good time rock and roll that isn't meant to change the world.

Sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered. The doctor of love, of course.

Meme, Myself and I

2009-11-11T06:56:00.000-06:00

I've been working on the new site among many things and have not posted much. Bear with me. In the meantime, enjoy this old meme about me. Bold is true... maybe.

Appearance:
I am 5’4 or shorter.
I have many scars.
I tan easily.
I wish my hair was a different colour.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
I have a tattoo.
I am self-conscious about my appearance.
I have/I’ve had braces.
I wear glasses.
I’d get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.
I’ve been told I’m attractive by a complete stranger.
I have more than 2 piercings.
I have piercings in places besides my ears.
I have freckles.

Family/Home Life:
I’ve sworn at my parents.
I’ve been kicked out of the house.
I have a sibling less than one year old.
I want to have kids someday.
I have children.
I’ve lost a child.

Embarrassment:
I’ve slipped out a “lol” in a spoken conversation.
Disney movies still make me cry.
I’ve snorted while laughing.
I’ve laughed so hard I’ve cried.
I’ve glued my hand to something.
I’ve laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
I’ve had my pants rip in public.

Health:
I was born with a disease/impairment.
I’ve had stitches.
I’ve broken a bone.
I’ve had my tonsils removed.
I’ve sat in a doctor’s office with a friend.
I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed.
I’ve had surgery.
I’ve had chicken pox.

Traveling:
I’ve driven over 200 miles in one day.
I’ve been to Canada.
I’ve been to Niagara Falls.
I’ve been to Japan.
I’ve Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
I’ve been to Spain.
I’ve been to Africa.
I’ve been to France.

Experiences:
I’ve been lost in my city.
I’ve seen a shooting star.
I’ve wished on a shooting star.
I’ve seen a meteor shower.
I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas.
I’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
I’ve been to a casino.
I’ve been skydiving.
I’ve gone skinny dipping.
I’ve played spin the bottle.
I’ve crashed a car.
I’ve been skiing.
I’ve been in a play.
I’ve met someone in person from the internet.
I’ve caught a snowflake on my tongue.
I’ve seen the Northern Lights.
I’ve sat on a roof top at night.
I’ve played chicken.
I’ve played a prank on someone.
I’ve ridden in a taxi.
I’ve seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I’ve eaten Sushi.
I’ve been snowboarding.

Relationships:
I’m single.
I’m in a relationship.
I’m available.
I’m engaged.
I’m married.
I’ve gone on a blind date.
I’ve been the dumpee more than the dumper.
I miss someone right now.
I have a fear of abandonment.
I’ve been divorced.
I’ve had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back.
I’ve told someone I loved them when I didn’t.
I’ve told someone I didn’t love them when I did.
I’ve kept something from a past relationship.
I've had a crush on a celebrity.

Sexuality:
I’ve had a crush on someone of the same gender.
I’ve kissed a member of the same gender.
I’ve had sex with more than one person at the same time.
I am a cuddler.
I’ve been kissed in the rain.
I’ve had sex outdoors.
I’ve hugged a stranger.
I have kissed a stranger.
I have had sex with a stranger.

Honesty/Crime:
I’ve done something I promised someone else I wouldn’t.
I’ve done something I promised myself I wouldn’t.
I have lied to my parents about where I am.
I am keeping a secret from the world.
I’ve cheated while playing a game.
I’ve cheated on a test.
I’ve run a red light.
I’ve been suspended from school.
I’ve witnessed a crime.
I’ve been in a fist fight.
I’ve been arrested.
I’ve shoplifted.

Drugs/Alcohol:
I’ve consumed alcohol.
I’ve smoked a cigarette.
I smoke pot.
I regularly drink.
I’ve taken painkillers when I didn’t need them.
I’ve done hard drugs.
I’ve been addicted to an illegal drug

Lazy Sunday Links 11/8/09

2009-11-08T07:01:00.002-06:00

Here's just ten of my favorite links of the week. You can find the whole list at my pix, flix, vox and linx site: Kaleidoscope Sky.

What's courage? When the Fort Hood gunman turned and shot at her, she ran toward him. She ran toward the bullets, firing. NYT profiles firearms expert Kimberly Munley.
The real reason Republicans oppose health care reform.
The Big Picture is featuring beautiful photos of Martian Landscapes shot from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
xkcd takes an unusual approach to explaining epic movies: diagraming the interactions between the characters. He charts out Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, and the original Star Wars trilogy, and takes an amusing crack at Primer.
The blog You Aught To Remember is counting down all the of the memorable people, ideas, and trends of the 2000s.
This is how an American soldier is made. A fascinating photo essay that details 27 months in the life of new US Army recruit Ian Fisher. It chronicles his recruitment, induction, training, deployment and finally, his return from combat.
The 1981 R-rated animated feature Heavy Metal is now online to watch for free at Crackle.
Common Methodologies of Monster Vanquishing
Interesting and sobering space images that compares Earth’s size to the other planets as well as other stars in our solar system and far beyond.
Jon Bon Jovi appearing on the season premier of Inside the Actor's Studio. Seriously?

Fall TV 2009 Impressions

2009-11-03T20:54:00.001-06:00

Watching TV this season, I'm really not crazy about any particular show. At the start of the season, I have no "must see" show and if there is a show that I really, really need to watch I have a plethora of options. The silly idea of appointment television is on its last legs. Do you plan your life around your television viewing habits? Well, you certainly don't have to.

I thought Monday was going to be hell with many shows I've watched in the past (Heroes, House, One Tree Hill and How I Met Your Mother) all on at the same time. However, I found it actually pretty painless. First, I stopped watching Heroes and have not missed it at all. I might catch up online, but, you know, probably not. I Tivo One Tree Hill, which is the only teen angsty drama I watch - No Gossip Girl or 90210 for me. If I feel like it, I can catch House on Hulu. I like House a lot, but I'm not tied to the show like I once was. Although Olivia Wild is still worth a look. Regarding HIMYM, I was with this show from day one and still find it funny. I'm especially interested in the episodes this season featuring Rachel Bilson, whom I will go on the record saying is very likely the mother in the title. Watching a half hour sitcom without commercials is a joy and I've moved to that particular format for HIMYM instead of watching it live like I had been doing.

I have nothing for Tuesday since I've avoided the 90210/Melrose Place schlock fest. I guess I'll try the reimagined of V, but I'm not holding out hope for it lasting long. The four week trial and then splitting it up until March 2010 seems odd, but I've lived with that crap with Battlestar Galactica, The Shield and others before. This is the day I usually watch House on Hulu or my Tivo'd OTH.

On Wednesday's I'm pretty much counting the days until Lost comes back which is the only show I'm truly excited about this season. Of course, there's Nip/Tuck, but this show jumped the shark a long, long time ago (The Carver anyone?). Still, I hold out hope for some inspired bit of writing to tie up all the loose strings at McNamara/Troy. The mid-season replacement show The Human Target looks amusing enough that I might take a shot, but I'm leaning toward no.

FlashForward received all the positive accolades early in the season. It was supposed to be the successor to Lost for ABC and while it certainly did its level best to steal as much as possible from that show (including Charlie!) it kind of falls flat. It's like a bad mash-up of Lost and every police procedural show. I admit I'm a little behind on my viewings, but it still seems like a logical mess with writing not quite up to par. Here's hoping some of the Lost staff head over there next season. My other Thursday show is Fringe - a show I essentially gave up on after a few viewings last season. Big mistake on my part. I'm a huge sucker for parallel worlds and I'm digging what the writers have been doing. I'm playing catch-up, but its fun and mysterious and that hasn't happened in a long time.

Everyone pretty much needs to come to the realization that Dollhouse was unbelievably lucky to get a second season and that's gonna be the run. I've got the eps on my Tivo, but I'm undecided if I'm going to keep them and just watch the show online. It never really grew on me and I think the creepy premise turned too many people off.

As for the weekend, I usually watch cartoons. I know what you're thinking, "Isn't that quaint. A middle-age man who watches cartoons. I bet you never get laid." I'm a big Star Wars fan, especially when someone else is writing the universe that Uncle George dreamed up and the Clone Wars cartoon has moved into its sophomore season darker and less kid-oriented which is a good thing. Batman Brave and the Bold is a nice kitschy take on the Adam West Batman. I love the "I live in the shadows" Batman as much as the next comic book nerd, but there's something to the way Dietrich Balder delivers lines like "Justice never sleeps" that sound fantastic. I also like the Spider-Man the Animated Series, but I'm not sure of the status of that show or when it's on. Of course, Family Guy still makes me laugh. It used to be never miss programming, but I've realized I've gone two or three weeks without watching it and finally noticing it on my Tivo.

The bottom line is as much as I love the medium of television, there just isn't anything compelling on right now. That will change with Lost and if FlashForward pushes it's premise or Fringe gets even freakier. There's so much amazing television I haven't watched or watched in small doses - The Wire, Mad Men, The Mentalist to name just a few that I feel I will always have something new and exciting to watch.

And I get laid all the time.

Lazy Sunday Links 11/1/09

2009-11-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

Here's just ten of my favorite links of the week. You can find the whole list at my pix, flix, vox and linx site: Kaleidoscope Sky.

Napalm Dragon posted a gorgeous super slow motion video of fire breathing.
Dudeism.com - The Church of the Latter-Day Dude
Hey Jude, flowcharted.
Could be worse. You could be a newspaper.
Sexy nerdy girls with glasses
The Hierarchy of Monsters.
The Science of a Butterface Why men will hit it and quit it with just about anybody.
The second the iPhone is available on Verizon, I'm ditching AT&T.
Ryan Sager looks at the new study of George W. Bush's brain
The best way to cook a steak. That is all.

Anything Can Happen on Halloween

2009-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the Demon

2009-10-30T14:50:00.001-05:00

It's all about the gauntlets and the boots. Baby.

Tonight, I will watch The Crow and then KISS: Attack of the Phantom.

U2 Live from the Rose Bowl

2009-10-29T22:24:00.000-05:00