State of the Art - Your Photos, Off the Shelf at Last - NYTimes.com

This is as much for my mom as anyone else;

but there is apparently a service that will scan your photos at a nickel apiece, and burn them to a DVD. That's $50 for 1000.

MOM - do this NOW.

You could send them away to a company that does the scanning, but that’s incredibly expensive; most charge 50 cents or even $1 a photo.

You’d be forgiven, then, for raising an eyebrow at the offer made by a California company called ScanMyPhotos.com. It says it will professionally scan 1,000 photos for you, the same day it receives them, and put them on a DVD for $50.

So what’s the catch?

Actually, no catch, but lots of fine print.

FInally those boxes of photos will be in a position to be used, whether on the Facebook, Flickr, or whatevs.

Kilpatrick victorious in tight 13th District race

Can't keep the mother of a brother down...

my favorite part of the article is when she reaffirmed her long-time love of public service:

"I will be your congresswoman ... until I decide to retire," Kilpatrick told supporters just before 1 a.m.

World's oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC | Oddly Enough | Reuters

EverBabe -

I still remember sitting at the table at Tech, thinking back to what WE thought the first joke must have been:

Og: "Look, Brog: Brontosaurus!"
Brog: turns around frantically
Og: HA HA HA HA HA HA

Not as good as the pharaoh/naked girl one, but still - a CLASSIC!

qwantz.com - dinosaur comics - July 24 2008

Above, a link to an AWESOME idea about LifeHacking your memory with various songs!

Misteri Nigger, 1069, Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii, and other names so weird that judges forbade them. - By Eugene Volokh - Slate Magazine#page_start#page_start#page_start

Found this, that made me think of various things.

8. Darren QX [pronounced 'Lloyd'] Bean!. No problem!, holds our friend the California Court of Appeal in 2006. [Darren Lloyd Bean v. Superior Court, 2006 WL [pronounced 'Westlaw'] 3425000 (Cal. App.).] Bean!, who recently sat for the Oregon State Bar, reported that, "Many of his close friends greet him as 'Bean!' When saying his name, friends raise the pitch and the volume of their voices above their usual spoken tone."

The above story, for whatever reason, made me think about the time EverBabe and I were in a used bookstore, and saw the following book:

FROOMB!

To me, it wasn't just that it was a crazy stoopid word - it was that darn exclamation point on the end. (Although this was pre-Google and Woot - so it's not as stupic sounding now as it was.)

Also - Dug used to tell everyone that he spelled his name Qdqoquqg, but the 'q's were silent. Of course.

Celebrating the navel in Japan's belly button | Lifestyle | Living | Reuters

I think my favorite quote is below (maybe an artifact of translation?:)

"The belly button is traditionally believed to be located in the middle of the body and the most important part. Our town, Shibukawa, is also called the belly button of Japan, and that is how this festival began," said festival organizer Kazuo Yamada.

Or, as Seinfeld would say, "HellOOOOOooooooLa La La......"

Tax rebate checks are swallowed by economic malaise - Los Angeles Times

Tax rebate checks are swallowed by economic malaise - Los Angeles Times

That unsettled feeling is just as familiar to Stephanie Veronica, 24, a Chicago cocktail waitress."I don't trust banks," Veronica said, so she cashed her $300 check and promptly stored the money in an old-fashioned steel safe next to her bed.
...... Veronica said. "I went to my bank and kept $500 in there. But the rest, the cash, I keep at home."

i think that this young lady should be thankful for 2 things:

1 - she is a cocktail waitress, not tradtionally known for their money hoarding habits
2 - The article was in the LA Times, not the Chicago Sun Times

That's all that is saving this woman from a rash of home break-in's.

Well and truly wed.

(is what I am.)

There is photographic proof, if you would like it. Click here, then "View Proofs". Etc, Etc, Etc.

Jenna Bush Married | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Jenna Bush Married The Onion - America's Finest News Source

True story - I had one cousin who was at the wedding (his wife is a sorority sister) and one more who finished a bottle of vodka with the twins when they were teenagers.

Continuing my blog-a-week juggarnaut

Memeage from Mark, quoting figgyscott
Everyone's Reading List
These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, and italicize the ones you own but have not read.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey -
Pride and Prejudice - Read the Great Illustrated Classic version
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations -
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Memoirs of a Geisha - Movie only (i think)
Middlesex
Quicksilver (and sequel)
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West -AND the sequel
The Canterbury Tales - several of these, in high school.
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist - Read the Great Illustrated Classic version
Gulliver’s Travels (at least the first two - don't know if i got to the horses and magicians)
Les Misérables (musicals only here)
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir - Nope. (cover picture looks like my brother...)
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Read the Great Illustrated Classic version
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything - read the blog daily..
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values -
The Aeneid - think i had to read portions in Latin?
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield - Read the Great Illustrated Classic version
The Three Musketeers - Read the Great Illustrated Classic version

PS - markie (et al.) this is a living list, continuing to be updated. In other words, when Neil Gaiman was talking about it this morning, he didn't see any of his own works on there. (as opposed to Neverwhere, American Gods, and Anansi Boys on this list, and the current (as of posting) two of Anansi Boys and American Gods , at 108 and 143, respectively.

In honor of my upcoming nuptials:

I will use the heck out of this online wedding planning tool, as well.

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/SeanKilpatrick&EllenCox

More later, (i know, at this stage i don't believe me either.)

In honor of Obama's 'speech on race'

Let America Be America Again

by Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More - Let America Be America Again

(suggestion - try reading it out loud, and see if you don't tear up a little)

Whatever » Why Experience Isn’t Everything

OK - Scalzi has once again won my vote for 'makes you go hmmm?' thought of the day.

http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=478

“Suppose you had to choose between two Presidential candidates, one of whom had spent 20 years in Congress plus had considerable other relevant experience and the other of whom had about half a dozen years in the Illinois state legislature and 2 years in Congress. Which one do you think would make a better President? If you chose #1, congratulations, you picked James Buchanan over Abraham Lincoln.”

– “How Good Are Experienced Presidents?”

I mean - this is VERY true ON TOP OF the fact that if Hillary is running on 'experience', how the hell does she expect to win in November against THIS. (ok - now i am certain i am going to the bad place)

From the "Who did What now?" Dep't

Congratulations to Doug and Lauren Deal, proud parents of an 8-lb something baby boy (as of last Friday, i believe)

No confirmation that the name of the baby is going to be Sean Douglas... but no denial yet, either.

Myspace Friend Requests

So - I am very popular. At least from looking at my unsolicited MySpace fried requests.

One thing that I have noticed, however - there is something in common with most of these names (well, something other than the everpresent "user banned for inappropriate conduct" tag 100% of these 'people' share after 24 hours. )

I'll go ahead and give you a list of the ones I've received in the past 2 months:

Declina, Gwenni, Caroline, Elinor, Cristionna, Gusella, Constantina, Bertina, Jordan, Rivalee, Anette, Arabella, Aridane, Anna-diana, Marianna, Ethel, Georgine, Livvyy, Raquel, Maya, Marjorie, Natalia, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Kippie, Sharyl, Atalanta, Hailey, Cora,
Lynn, Helen, Belinda, Aurora, Cheryl, Sofia, Jenna

Barring the Elizabeths and Mayas, very few of them are actually NAMES - at least as far as I can tell. I am reminded of the Penny Arcade comic, regarding spam email names. Which I can not find. Markie?

Who'd *I* vote for today?

(after all of my jibber-jabber about Ron Paul, etc?)



First time voting FOR someone, rather than AGAINST someone...

(someone, please - lower my expectations quickly!

Baby names in the Georgia

Inappropriate chat log from work:


(anon_friend): Baby names in Georgia
(me): ones that I don't understand
SEAN Boy 3,139
SEANNA Girl 24
SEANA Girl 19
SEAN Girl 12
BLAZER 2 - poor child
...it's a family name CHLORINE 1

(anon_friend): I like chlorine that is nice
but things like this
SALTRESEYIAH
TOTally epidural induced made up name, right?

(me): There are almost half as many RAVEN's as SEAN’s?
RAVEN 1,572

(anon_friend): duh that's so raven is a show

(me): (including 46 boys!)

(anon_friend): whoe

(me): !!

(anon_friend): my dad would like KEITHLYN
he always suggests somethin silly like keitharina for a girls name
18 girls named LABRIA
THAT Is wrong

(me): 2 SANGRIAs
6 MIGNON's
and 1 ICE
(ice, baby)

(anon_friend): CLIFFANY
(2)

(me): MNSA-MERIMT-F-NRA
(only 1, though)

(anon_friend): CLETWAN
MENSAH (2)
SHITERIA

(me): KING MARVELOUS (1)

(anon_friend): SHITIYAU

(me): TITILOPE
TITANYONNA
!!!

(anon_friend): THAT is nutzs

(me): (poor, poor girl

(anon_friend): NUTE
71 rhea

(me): QUEEN'S
(apostrophe)

(anon_friend): 1 girl named MANATEE
may as well name her whale

(me): :(
booo

(anon_friend): FAT KIT
wtf

(me): FARTUN Girl 7
FARTOON Girl 1
FARTREZE D'ANGELIC Boy 1
FARTUNA Girl 1
fartuna
...really?

(anon_friend): THat is hilarious

(me): LEMONTRAVIOUS

(anon_friend): aren't there laws about this stuff
When life gives you lemons
make lemontravious

(me): HAH

(anon_friend): FOURGITA
CUNECHIA

(me): PENISHA Girl 1

(anon_friend): NO

(me): YES

(anon_friend): WAY

(me): WAY
..."mommy...where did i come from"

(anon_friend): That should be illegal

(me): ..."Well, Penisha"
"funny story"

(anon_friend): Penis HA

(me): LNDIA Girl 1
Linda?
you think?>

(anon_friend): (My cousin the teacher) would always tell me about the crazy kids names like the kid whose name was Jihad Jesus or something

(me): 35 boys named JIHAD
and 1 girl JIHADA

(anon_friend): no OBAMA

(me): SQUIRDARIEN

(anon_friend): YODAH

(me): 14 OSAMA’s
1 BARACK
(prob a lot more next year)
and feel sorry for the one boy HILLARY

(anon_friend): oooh yeah

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's naughty text messages to his chief of staff. - By Bonnie Goldstein - Slate Magazine

Oh, my brother -

When having affairs, and FIRING people iilegally because you want to hide them, PLEASE don't use your work provided cell phone to send text messages:

a) to document your affair
b) to document your illegal firing
c) to document OTHER illegal activities
d) all of the above...

I am ashamed to share a last name...

Eternal Question number 65. What does a durian fruit taste like? « Random thoughts consigned to the scrap heap of cyberspace

Not sure WHY I was trying to explain what a Durian was to LN - but I was.

Oh yes -I remember - Costco seems to have pomelos (according to Wikipedia, the ancestor of grapefruit) on sale. They were huge, and weird, and I kept calling them pupalos. Which don't exist, except, apparently, as the name of a 37 year old Brazilian person.

(hopefully that person does get older, however.)

OK - when it rains, music pours

So - this post is inspired by the recent discovery by Scott Adams that song lyrics are, at best, nonsense when taken away from the catchy tune:

Recently I discovered I am a talented lyricist. This came as a big surprise to me.

It all came together when I realized most songs I enjoy are gibberish. I can TOTALLY write gibberish!

For decades I believed my favorite songs revolved around deep thoughts artistically embedded in metaphors and allusions. It turns out they were gibberish.

My first hint came after reading an interview with Paul McCartney. He admitted that most, if not all, Beatles songs were random words and thoughts strung together. I refused to believe it. So I checked online and read some of the Beatles songs. Holy crap! Gibberish!

He then came up with the first two lines of a song, and asked for the continuation, in a game of online storytelling:

“She had runaway eyes and marshmallow kittens.
My heart heard a dream like ten thousand gay mittens.”

My contribution is below - i feel like it scans OK, and meets the gibberish requirement. Tell me what you, the reader (listener?) think?

When first I saw her vast labrynthine beauty -
I could not believe it - she looked like Doug Flutie!

The comments to his posts are always worth it at least 10% of the time, and this was no exception - For i found this song. (FYI - it is really called "Title Of The Song." )

LN won't feel that it's a 'real song', whatever that means. But it matches my love of acapella with my love of funny songs (covers, whatever.) Such as what has to be one of the all time best funny songs, linked here. (link to the original version, but why?)

YouTube - Sugarland- Stay

(Justin reminded me that sometimes, when you leave relationships, the people involved go on to be really, really successful)

99XWatch.org: Cumulus' Letter to Clients

99XWatch.org: Cumulus' Letter to Clients

Sooooo.... 99x (local radio station) is dead? Leslie Fram (someone who I thought was at least a partial OWNER in the station) is FIRED?

And (this is prob the shocking part for Ogre) Q100 is moving over to 99.7, and (this is the awesome part for Loud Bobby) the Regular Guys are moving to 100.5.

(and THIS is the story it took to get me back to blogging?)

Glassbooth - Quiz to help you choose best 2008 presidential candidate

Glassbooth - Quiz to help you choose best 2008 presidential candidate

This was comforting -
a) my closest match ended up being my main guy, and
b) it was only a 74% issue.

See below my main issues, and how whoever it was matched:

Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy
very similar

Civil Liberties and Domestic Security
very similar

Immigration
similar

Iraq and Foreign Policy
similar

Taxes and Budget
similar

Environment and Energy
different

Sean's world is pretty cool

So - about 1/2 a mile from my house (immediately off Holcomb Bridge Road) there is a 3/4 empty strip mall. There was a Brazilian grocery at some point, but although the sign remained, it has been gone since before I moved in. Cornerstone stores include an Abbadabba's(??), as well as a Subway (which is pretty cool, but would be better if it was a store that did the whole $4 footlong after 4 PM thing.) Of course Subway hasn't been as good since *I* was a sandwich artist there, but I digress. A Dunkin Donuts *sign* has been up about 3 months, but no actual store yet. (similar to the frickin' Little Ceaser's down the way- don't get me started.) In fact, the only actual new store I've seen in the past 3 years is the pawnshop that opened last month.

Until Friday! Driving home, I saw the sign - BOOKS. (quick, and to the point)

Once & Again Used bookstore, and I was there on day 2. (i decided to hurry home to LN the first day - hope I didn't miss anything cool.

It's brightly lit, and I imagine (from the walk-in traffic I saw on Saturday) will be in fine shape for business. So - a place to get trade-in credit for my used books, and they have some new and nearly new books as well! I will be able to put off getting a library card for at least another six months!

Amusing corporate story.

Background -

My company is nationwide, corporate headquarters in California, and my offices are in Atlanta. It is also the week after the change to (from? I can never remember) Daylight Savings Time.

So, one of our accounting staff, having been with the company about 5 years or so, was about to leave for the day (at 1 PM, but that's another story,) and asked "Sean - Denver is 2 hours different from us, right?" I responded, "Correct." She continued, "... therefore Corporate is *3* hours ahead."

"Right again," I replied. "But behind."

She: "What?"

Me: "Behind. Corporate is 3 hours behind us."

She: "Ahead?"

Me: "No - behind."

She: "Really?"

Other random coworker: "Behind."

She: "Ooooohh. That explains why they are always at work."

I can understand (almost) people passing through this world for 30 years, and not necessarily being completely comfortable with time zones. (Indiana, for one) The strange thing for me is that she has to deal with our Corporate accounting office (in Denver) *daily*. Why does she not realize that there is a perfectly good reason they are CONSISTENTLY not at work before, say, 10 AM?

Jet returns to Midway after luggage falls out -- chicagotribune.com

Not our flight

but people on our flight were refugees. Photos from wedding uploaded soon.

mightybear: Azoni's

This story was funny because it was true.

Azoni's is a little family run all-you-can-eat pizza and southern food place just down the street. Its closeness and cheapness and family-friendliness bring us there time and time again. Knowing Sean and his love of the AYCE places, we often go there when he comes to visit. Because Mark works late a lot, sometimes it's just me and the kids with Sean.

Because it's family run, we've gotten to know the staff there. Really nice people! However, it's evident how strange we must seem. Me and Mark and the kids, Me and Sean and the kids. . . .as Mark said one day as we were walking in "Which husband is she going to bring today?"

Best part for me - I have a bunch of co-workers who live near there, and I have tried to get them to buy into the whole 'pizza/country cookin' concept, and they just haven't. But it is still really good!

Thanks, Slate!

So, random male coworker just dropped by, stuck his head in the door, and said: "So, what do you think? Asadasd or Asd?"

Me: {uncomprehending blank stare}

Him: "Floyd or De la Hoya?"

Me: {comprehending stare, catching my breath} "Well, from what I've seen, it really looks like De La Hoya is going to get BEAT."

Him: {Random boxing talk}

Me: {holding my own}

I would have just continued the stare uncomfortably long, having no clue what he was talking about, then looking like much less of a straight guy if I hadn't read THIS article at Slate.com yesterday.

Thanks for being my beard, Slate!

Two from Rome at RagnarTornquist.com

Above see link to random Rome post/photos. Everbabe - I could be wrong, but I think that is what you like about Rome, as well- the mixture of the modern and the really, really old.

That and the veal. Yum! When should we head that way? (SuperMark and LN can come too, I guess.) ((maybe even SeanJr and SeanJrJr....))

Diet 7UP Taste Test

Thought you might be interested. I mean hey, it's free!

Amazon - and New Cusak/Gerrold

So, I recieved an email from Amazon.

Greetings from Amazon.com.
Because we reduced the price of your pre-release title between shipment (when we charged you) and the release date, you automatically received a refund.
$0.17 is your additional savings under Pre-Order Price Guarantee.
-----------------------------------------------
"Guitar Hero 2
Bundle" Video Games
Original Price: $89.99
Price you were charged:
$89.99
Lowest price before release date: $89.82
Quantity: 1
Additional
savings: $0.17
Tax refunded: $0.00
We have initiated a refund of $0.17.
You will receive an additional email when this refund is processed.

As an Amazon stockholder, i really really hope that they don't mail me a check. Please.

Secondly:

LN has stolen this book from me, (first book of mine I could get her to read (apparently no time until the school year is over.) So they are making a movie. YAY!

Awesome YouTube videos of bad engineering/construction

This one is thru work - probably water hammer from heavy rains.

And I like watching the athletes do their best to not get HIT in the FACE with GIANT BOARDS.

This one is more just reasonably cool - Plane crashes onto baseball field

NYC Condom Animation

Cute advertisments for the risque NYC branded condom. Sponsered by the... New York City government??

YouTube - Hallelujah Nuns

From my Momma. But you can watch it anyway.

PS LN - I am talking to YOU

Seannibal's Flickr Dump

Just wanted to give all of you my flickr.com site. It will hopefully tell you a story, like, for instance, what I have been doing with my time that was not blogging.

Ask questions, and you will be answered. Perhaps in picture format, but answered nonetheless.



Assassin's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seannibal/sets/72157600003690223/



Kathryn & Geoff's wedding
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seannibal/sets/72157594537898586/




Sean's special lady friend
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seannibal/sets/72157600062585731/

Male birth control pill soon a reality - Men's Sexual Health Guide - MSNBC.com

OK, OK - it's an old article

but nonetheless there are two interesting parts to it:

"Brown believes many men will see “their pill” as a good idea and will want to use it.“It is time for men to have some control. I think it would empower men and deter some women out there from their nefarious plans,” says Brown. “Some women are out there to use men to get pregnant. This could deter women from doing this. An athlete or a singer is someone who could be a target and they could put a stop to that.”

Hey - can't the athlete be responsible enough to not go crazy with the ladies? He also wants it for his 17 year old kid.
Secondly:

“An injectible or an implant (similar to Norplant for women) will be the first to be approved. The big studies are now under way,” says Dr. Christina Wang, who is heading up the clinical trials of MHCs at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

You're kidding me. The name of one of the male birth control doctors is Dr. Wang.

splatgirl creates: A Bacon Moment

OMIGAWD KayRayGee thank you so much

SWEET MEET HEAVENLY MANA

Websnark: We are not just flesh and blood. We are... *stardust.*

Websnark: We are not just flesh and blood. We are... *stardust.*

With the embedded unicorn vs. narwhal

Couple of silly YouTube videos

So - I waited until after the run of the play (AWESOME, by the by) to get sick. I hope that I am on the 'makes you stronger' side of my traditional 'what doesn't kill you' equation. Yesterday, was trying to figure out my temp (i felt a little warm, so thought "hey, i have a digital thermometer... let's test it out. Sorta like EverBabe and her blood sugar monitor.) But then ran into a bunch of problems, from the simple (can't find it) to the frustrating (REALLY can't find the %^$^ thing) to the impossible (HOW THE F DID I TURN IT OVER TO CELSIUS CRAP WAIT WHAT'S 37 TIMES 9 DIVIDED BY 5 63 THAT ISN'T VERY HIGH AM I DEAD OH YEAH ADD 32) to determine that my temperature was 98.6. Wow, I must be dying. {grin} (no that's like a fever for ME, as i'm normally in the low But did feel vindicated today, now that it has ended up at 100.0 (F) (37.8, for those of you on the far side of the pond.) (simes - pretty much it's you there.)

Dennis Leary, in one of the most romantic songs. Ever. Not really. Some strong language, in his standard style. Don't watch it, if you can't handle strong language.

And LN's favorite commercial. "Maybe I *do* want to be a french fry." Don't know what that tells you about her, that she would enjoy it, or me, that I would tell you that she enjoys it. But there is much I don't know right now - 100 degree fever, remember? Also - I could be wrong - it could just be her favorite right NOW. Right?

PS - crap my temp fell to 97 during the writing of this post. stupid chilled drinks.
PPS - why is that bad? lower = better, right? must be a martyr.

From backstage at Assassin's

So: it's taken me this long to get me chatting here, from a place full of computers, and a long time backstage to come up with interesting things to say. I'm not sure why I waited for the second-to-last performance, but I did. Which is good - gives me a chance to talk about some of the great stories that have happened onstage (and off:)

Of course, I've been a big ole' lech with all of the nubile young women. Well... not exactly. I mean, I am thrown by the fact that most weren't yet born when I started high school (it's seriously Star Wars girl all over again, but this time 10 years worse.)

Al "Guiteau" - He's got some of the most googly eyes I have ever seen (at least, since I last looked in the mirror.) ((or at a picture of Brian.)) (((SNAP!))) As a point of pride, he won't close his eyes during the scene in which he is praying (makes him look crazier... which he loves. But last Saturday, during the Friends of DramaTech full house, (with many alums who had been in the show previously attending,) his contacts popped right out. Pop. And Mom, KayRayGee, and Ellen all noticed (with others in the house.) Mom's comment - "i didn't remember him CRYING last night."

Theron D. at that same show - /slowly backing away 'I didn't realize you had so much anger pent up. '

Jimmy Rose - When did he get twin boys who are taller than I am? How? ???

David Cater - You did a great job!
Me - Where's my glass head???
David - {looking abashed} Oh my god, is that YOURS??
Me - it was just a LOAN. (sure, 10 years ago, but nonetheless....)
(he's supposebly gonna go look for it... i will believe it when I see it.)

Same show - as we were supposed to be pushing Oswald into shooting his president, we reached the peak of the music, the part usually followed by the biggest BANG of the show. This night -
"..change the world!"
{click}
{pause}
{click}
{pause}
{clickclickclick}
{clickclickclickclickclickBOOOOOOOM}
What you are not seeing is the sound of the sweat going down my forehead as it may not happen... and poor Oswald.... having to hold that in.

Followup to last week's post -

Tonight, DAD and LIBBY will be on my home computer and going through my pr0n for 4 hours while I am at the show. Hooray. {grin}

I must be the luckiest guy in the world - 34, and my parents are still finding my dirty magazines. {psigh} Oh well - at least they can't do anything with my allowance.

...i *hope*

Sean & Ellen

sean_n_ellen_southcity
Originally uploaded by seannibal.

(sitting in a tree)

One more Mom story, for BDayTwin

So: Mom is at my house, as I am away at work. Here is a chat transcript that will show you why I love EverBabe so much:

So she (your mom) tried to log onto your computer, but it is password protected. She asked me if I knew the password. I said I did not. Then she asked me why anyone would password protect a computer at their own home. I said probably to keep their mom off of it.

OK, I'm weird.

(but you, faithful reader, knew that.)

I was trying to explain to my mother about why people have time to generate used-created content for things like YouTube. (I think the fact that I had to explain what a cover song was should have given me the hint that at least one of us was tired.

We started at Coverville, and then went to Matt Weddel's Hey Ya cover. But, as it turned out, I had to explain who Outkast was, including the original video. THEN back to the acoustic version. Then I looked for Lazy Sunday, but I think it's fallen off the Innertubes. So (and here is where it gets a little weird) I showed her the JT breakout hit Dick in a Box. Followed by My Box in a Box. I then wrapped it up with Jonathon Coulton's Flickr, almost KayRay & Geoff's song at their wedding.

Mom liked them all, but she's always been cooler than you were... Nothing personal.

The model town of Seaside, 25 years later.

Every year, Dad's side of the family heads down to PCB for white, snady beaches and relaxation. And every year, we pile into the car and head west about 30-45 minutes to visit the quaint little town of Seaside. (hey, it's 'tradition,' right, T-Man?) The above link is to a slide show showing the positive and negative architectural aspects of the town.

Oh no you di'int!

Oh no you di'int!
Originally uploaded by seannibal.

I like my googley eyes in this one... also note Ellen's stellar 'jump-back.'

NPR : Creating Our Own Happiness

A phenomenal essay with a couple of unexpected turns. Click on the link at the top to hear him read it.

I believe we have the power to create our own happiness. I believe the real magic in the world is done by humans. I believe normal life is extraordinary.

....Now, maybe that's easy for me to say. I feel lucky to have fans around the world, a house with a roof and a wife who puts up with me. But I felt this way even when I was working at Long John Silver's. I worked there for 11 years as a fry cook. When you work at a place that long, you see teenagers coming in on their first dates; then they're married; then they're bringing in their kids. You witness whole sections of people's lives.

In the beginning, it seemed like a dead end job. But at least I had a job. And frankly, it was easy. After two weeks, I knew all I needed to know, and it freed my mind. The job allowed me to dream about what my life could become.

EverBabe - made me think of you (at the Hut) and me (at the Papa.)

Shamelessly lifted via Wil Wheaton

I mean, KayRay will read this one webcomic occasionally, but I had missed the specific one re: Brittany. So:

Random story

So...

I've been getting up pretty early recently, what with the play and all, as well as a small tendency to work out in the AM. That's been nice, but means that occasionally I take a shower in the gym at work. So allow me to set up the situation.

I come into the locker room (tight quarters, and all.) And there is one of my indirect supervisors, mostly disrobed.

Man 1 - "...Hello"

Man 2 - "....good morning."







Man 1 - "So...."

Man 2 -

Man 1 - "Yup."

And it went downhill from there.

I'm not sure why that was more weird than seeing random gym people a'dangling in the breeze. But it was. I mean, sure it was traumatic in high school; but we survived it. Perhaps it is a function of him having given me some of my first work assignments.

Awesome Ass-kicking Grandpa

P-Dogg - I know this story will touch you in your non-Papa, anti-crime heart.

Have I screwed up my daughters forever? - By Michael Lewis - Slate Magazine

This story is awesome. And the pictures of the resentful daughters?

Priceless.

Assassin's poster

Poster for the show. Thanks, Toneman, for the jpg.

Sean's Play Schedule

Due to constant demand, I wanted to go ahead and post the link to reservations for the show.

LINK TO RESERVATIONS TO THE SHOW

WARNING = (and this is a little serious.) There is a fair amount of strong language in this show- it is called Assassins, after all. We also fire some guns; while not directly at the audience (of course,) it is still startling. Take my word for it. (or my boxer shorts')

And when I say "strong language," I mean it. There was at least one girl who ended up crying at the audition. But she may have just been sad. Who knows - she was a girl.

(THAT WAS SEAN PRETENDING TO BE SEXIST FOR COMEDIC EFFECT. IT WASN'T REAL. DON'T FEEL BAD FOR THE GIRL. SHE PROBABLY IS ALLEGORICAL, ANYWAY, AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE YOUR SYMPATHY)

Anyway - with that being said, there is a lot of dark humor, and the play really can make you think. So:

Starting next Friday, and running through the next three weekends, I'm playing Sam Byck in Assassins at DramaTech (through Georgia Tech.) Come on down = would love to see you.

Catch-up post from Jan 29 -

ORIGINALLY HAND-WRITTEN JAN 29 --
Sorry for the absence - did you find that your heart grew fonder? If not - I understand why. You might feel as though I abandoned you for another. No fear, precious one... I merely was creating room for *me*. So. I'm back from my inward journey of self-discovery, and if I have learned anything, its that I really need to do laundry. Spiritually speaking, of course. Let me do my best to catch you up with my life.
I'd decided to try to get back on stage, not as part of a chorus, but instead as part of a *musical.* (yay, drama!) I find it hard to believe that it has been almost 10 years since I've been up there, (from Joseph & his Cool Jacket in 1995 to Godspell in 1997 (or was it 1998?)) Even The Miser, as part of a Baroque quartet, roved to be an enjoyable time. I wanted to return for a couple of reasons: 1) hey man, I already done tole you I enjoyed it. 2) Lay-deez. Not really - but sort of. (I had so many pleasant experiences all of those years ago, and maybe, to a certain degree, I was trying to re-create that feeling.)
Back in December, Greg Abbott, long-time director of DT, passed away unexpectedly. Besides being just a real bummer, (he had been a calming and driving force for this student-run theatre for almost two decades,) it severely impacted the schedule of the theatre. For example, usually the winter show is cast at the end of November, etc. Toneman (who had done such a great job as Zangara in Assassins in 1993) stepped up and volunteered to direct, and held auditions at the beginning of January. I found out about it, auditioned, was cast, and then had an extremely busy two weeks:

Sun - Audition - DT
Mon - Rehearsal - CGA
Tues - Trivia - Ale House
Wed - Read-Thru - DT
Thur - Sing-Thru - DT
Fri - Salsa/Tapas -
Sat - King-Sized Elvis's B-Day show-
Sun - Fly to Vegas
Mon - Vegas, Baby
Tues - Fly from Vegas - RedEye
Wed - Rehearsal - DT

And SHAZAM - I got busy. Well... not exactly. That's a little gross {grin} My dance card got full. Now, five-six days a week, in the evenings, I have *something* to do. Which is fun.
What's in my upcoming schedule? That's a great question. KayRay's wedding in N'Awlins. Play the last weekend in Feb, as well as the first two in March. (10 performances, total!!) CGA performance March 3. (Yay, Requia!) And just staying honest. Anything I'm forgetting?
Hmm... Dug has a lady (!!!!) - and maybe a job here in town. Good luck there! T-Man called the other day - it was as awkward a call as you would expect from a teenager, but was still a very good conversation. And, when I told him about my play, Dad and I had a very unusual conversation, where he went on and on about when *he* was in plays back in grad school. (honestly - almost didn't recognize him. It was cute.)
Look for upcoming dispatches from my New Orleans trip in the near future! Maybe with pictures!

Groundhog's Day???

Really? Really??

So there I was, in the airport:

...on the way to aforesaid wedding, (which I hadn't *100%* lined up with my boss {grin}) but spotted something odd about the stand-by list.Can you spot what it is? I'll give you 2 hints:

1) Passenger 17
2) Right Said Fred

(and no, I wasn't a stand-by passenger. But thanks for the compliment.)

Supa (WHA??) Superbowl of Narnia

Just a quick, wedding-weekend update.

Listening to Billy Joel sing the national anthem right now, and am reminded of Dad's question to me earlier: "Well, son, what's your pick for the game today?" I fondly remembered all the times growing up where he and I would watch the big game together,(hint - NONE) and honestly felt like a bit of an imposter when I made up an answer (probably the AFC team, although I'm not even sure those are the right initials.)

In other local news: someone just brought 10 pizzas into the Drury Inn lobby, so there will probably be SOMEONE watching the game here. I may go head over to watch the game near the newlyweds, at least before I soak my aching bones in the hot tub.

Will fill in more information as to my great trip in a couple of minutes.

New Orleans - Day One

So - I wrote this big long post the other day during an intermibly long web-conference, but (and you are wise to ask for details) it hasn't been posted yet. Perhaps because I actually *wrote* it. :) you know, like with a pen and paper? I know, I know... dark ages here. {grin} but we will be able to overcome, I am sure. I promise it won't end up in the dustbin of the ages, like my DragonCon posts or Thomas's graduation.
So why am I in the Crescent City? KayRay's wedding, of course. This time. As I rode the shuttle into the Quarter< I was reminded of the last (and first) time I was down here, almost exactly five years ago. It was fun, although getting the car stolen was really the high point. But it really does bring to mind exactly what is different. Then I was with my (soon-to-be) fiance', a plethora of Jean's and Jeanie's (they're sisters, it's a Korean thing, don't ask), as well as their respective long-term boyfriends, and a prototype Yao Ming (well, he is a 6'8" ethnic Chinese, so it's almost the same thing.) Now - no fiance', the boyfriends are now husbands, and everything is different. Well, not EVERYthing... Jaime's probably still tall. {grin}
I'm staying at the Drury Inn, which is nice for a couple of reasons. Number 1 - there seems to be a wedding party getting all ready to go out, which (for some masochistic reason) seems to make me happy. Ah, yes - I figured it out. It's all of the pretty girls in their cocktail dresses. {grin} Secondly: They have a manager's reception at 5:30 PM, with three free cocktails. (you have to drink them in 90 minutes, but sacrifices must be made, right? {pause} Right??)
I'll update you with more information later tonight, or maybe tomorrow. Either way - hope I don't get murdered.
-sean

ps - if i do get murdered, there was nothing you could do. You did everything you could.

-pps - i really dope I don't get murdered. :)

You know that you have wondered the same thing.

How do you clean soap?

How clean is bar soap in a public bathroom? Is it "self-cleaning," since it's soap? It seems like a health hazard to me.

It's dirty, but that doesn't make it a health hazard. Soap can indeed become contaminated with microorganisms, whether it's in liquid or bar form. According to a series of tests conducted in the early 1980s, bars of soap are often covered with bacteria and carry a higher load than you'd find inside a liquid dispenser. But no one knows for sure whether this dirty soap will actually transfer its germs to your hands during a wash.

Makes sense, right? I mean, sure, it's magic. But *good* magic. However, this next part freaked me out a little.

Even under the best conditions, washing your hands can actually increase the number of microorganisms present on your hands, thanks to contaminated surfaces near the sink, splashes of contaminated water, or improperly dried hands. (In general, it's safer to leave your hands unwashed than to leave them wet.)

I would sometimes rather go out with wet hands than touch the other, nasty-ass towels. I might have to do some research on this, get back with you.

PS - Happy New Year!

Jacob Paoletta, 1989-2006

Mark wrote an excellent eulogy of Jacob, a local teen who Mark and Jody did wonders for. If you have the time, you might want to hop over and read it.

J&M did everything they could for Jacob, but the main thing they were able to provide was stability, and the knowledge that someone out there besides his dad cared about him. And that is (*has* to be) enough.

You caption the picture! (ash's b-day edition)

And anything is fair game....

Lemony Snickett - the Musical! (not really) (but sorta)

ToneMan - you might already be aware of this, but the Lemony Snickett guy has released an album of songs to go with his delightfully depressing books. (PS- Very Tom Lerher, EverBabe and SuperMark)

Author Daniel Handler (better known as Lemony Snicket) plays accordion in A Tragic Treasury. The album features such dirges as "Scream and Run Away," "This Abyss" and "Smile, No One Cares How You Feel."

There's a link to the NPR show at the top, highly recommended. Best quote? "Run...run run run run run run. Or die. Die die die die die die."Thanks to Neil Gaiman for the heads up.

Hey - a non-meme post!

You can follow the above link (for now) to see one of my recent brushes with local celebrities. My company won the McDonald's breakfast break a couple of weeks ago, which means that a local radio host done brung us breakfast. Yay!

(and in case it gets updated with other, less interesting winners, I'll go ahead and post the pic of me & he (... and they?))


Represent....

Which FOX show am *I*? I'm glad you asked.

This is funny for a couple of reasons - but mainly cause i loved Firefly...

Half a Season
( 53 Costs, 40 Reception, and 66 Cult Appeal )
You were a show with a vision. You wanted to be something magical on the television landscape. You wanted to make art, and you weren't willing to spare the expense to make your vision come alive. And it was beautiful. You found people who loved your dreams and came along for the ride. But by and large, the rest of the audience just didn't click with you. Despite the efforts of your loyal fans, FOX couldn't justify the ratings and pulled the plug after just half a season. But even if your time was brief, you know that in the hearts of your followers, you will never be forgotten.

Link: The When Will FOX Cancel You? Test written by hashtable on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

EDITED TO REMOVE RETARDED HTML

ANOTHER MEME

i mean, seriously... wtf?

LJ Tarot Meme (apologies if you done seen this)

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

WWdN: In Exile: possible huge leonid storm this weekend

According to Wil Wheaton according to Space.com....

A rather narrow but dense ribbon of dust was shed by comet Temple-Tuttle when it
passed the Sun in 1932. When the Earth interacted with that dusty trail
back in 1969, it produced a brief bevy of some 200 to 300 meteors in less than
hour. In 2006, Earth will be nearly twice as far away from the comet as opposed
to 1969, but expectations are that as many as 100 to 150 Leonids may streak
across the sky in only an hour’s time as we interact with that decades-old
ribbon of debris again.The expected time of peak activity is 11:45 p.m. EST on
the night of Nov. 18.

So let's go outside about midnight, folx...

WWdN: In Exile: possible huge leonid storm this weekend

According to Wil Wheaton according to Space.com....

A rather narrow but dense ribbon of dust was shed by comet Temple-Tuttle when it
passed the Sun in 1932. When the Earth interacted with that dusty trail
back in 1969, it produced a brief bevy of some 200 to 300 meteors in less than
hour. In 2006, Earth will be nearly twice as far away from the comet as opposed
to 1969, but expectations are that as many as 100 to 150 Leonids may streak
across the sky in only an hour’s time as we interact with that decades-old
ribbon of debris again.The expected time of peak activity is 11:45 p.m. EST on
the night of Nov. 18.

So let's go outside about midnight, folx...

Quick YouTube for the road -

Office Space - Freddie vs Jason vs ....Milton?

South Carolina governor's goof delays his vote - CNN.com

The nice thing about this is that he could have been (not) voting the same time and place as my Mom. (Who has acted as a poll watcher now and then.) So it could have been her. (But it wasn't. She would have given him even more grief...)

The dawning realization that he was not going to be able to vote (along with the 'helpful' reminder from his wife) was precious, though.

As an aside - Ogre and I went to elementary school there, waaaaay back in history. Thanks to EverBabe for the link, with video.

UPDATE - Mom says that she WAS there, and made it a national story. Truth? I dunno. But be that as it may - she said it! So it MUST be true.

Happy Halloween!

Me, Red, and KayRay from work Halloween a few years back. Those were the days, my friend...



































Enjoy this Bollywood Thriller

Also:

Amusing comic

This completely happened to me the other day. I've had better dates, all things considered...

These next two photos were taken here in the office, and BirthdayTwin, Red, and KayRay will enjoy them the most. Photo 1 shows exactly how teeny this new 'ergonomic' keyboard is.


I mean - you can see that she has hands giant enough to completely crush it, worse than a 8 oz Coke can.









And below is a package she received, pre-wedding. A *big* package, if you know what I mean...(and you know that you do. )


I enjoy the thought of the smiles on the FedEx guy....

Trader Joe's - In Da House!

FYI - These are dangerous.


Not dangerous in that "hey, i'm gonna break into your car and steal all your best 80's music CD's" kind of way - no, more in a "Omigod these chips are so good I ate the whole bag in a day! And I wasn't even really trying!" kind of way.

Which means that they just opened a Trader Joe's around the corner, and Everbabe and I headed that way Sunday. And I didn't open the chips til yesterday AM, and *POOF* they are gone.

EB - here is a Trader Joe's FAQ, or someone's amusing reviews of a bunch of TJ material.

Oh yeah. THAT'S why I stopped listening to Boortz...

Two bits from his Nealz Nuze this week:

Tuesday:

Murtha also complained about people calling the Democratic Party the "cut and run" party. For years now...going back to the 2004 presidential election, Democrat after Democrat has proposed cutting and running. Well ... they
don't exactly call it cutting and running, they've come up with a fancy word
that covers the true meaning. The Defeatocrats call it "redeployment."

Wednesday:

First .. Iraq is a mess. No doubt about it. ... Just a question here .. nothing more ... but could it possibly be time to put more effort into protecting our culture and our country from the Islamic fascists, and less effort into trying to democratize Iraq?

God, he's such a cutter and runner. I mean, it's pretty clear that if you aren't for us 100 percent, you're against us. And only a Defeatocrat would want to redeploy. (But seriously - the next DAY he begins to question this?)

-Edited for purely cosmetic reasons.

One more thing: I really liked the Bill of Rights, when it was still there.

With the signing of the Military Commissions Act yesterday, the ability of the President to imprison anybody he or she wants to, for any length of time, and treat them basically any way they want. With no oversight or checks.

As Keith so eloquently says:

we now face what our ancestors faced, at other times of exaggerated crisis and melodramatic fear-mongering:
A government more dangerous to our liberty, than is the enemy it claims to protect us from.

For more of this admittedly one sided view, watch this 8-minute item.
Or read Wil Wheaton's view from a few weeks ago. As he said:

As I write this, the United States Senate is engaged in a bit of political theater, while they pretend to debate whether or not they will make torture an American value. They are pretending to debate whether or not to give one person -- in this case the president -- the ability remove rights that we've all taken for granted under our Constitution for over two centuries from anyone he (or she, someday) identifies, without any accountability or oversight. They are pretending to debate whether our Democracy even matters, any more.

I know that some of my readers lean a little further right than I do, but I would be interested to hear your take on this. I mean, I can understand (if disagree with) the idea of a stronger Executive branch, but you guys know that a Democrat has to win that office sometime. Do you want HILLARY to have that kind of power?

I admittedly haven't been listening to Neil Boortz lately, although he used to be my biggest source for personal liberties. In my opinion, he's really gotten short sighted in the last few years, focusing on the threat from Islamic Fascism above all others. But where IS he on this? Anyone know?

Just a couple of quick YouTube posts for EverBabe

First is the first daily 'face project' I saw - time lapse movie of this guy, Noah, who took his picture every day. For five and a half years.

!

Anyway - it's pretty cool, watching him get older. (ps - You've probably seen it, but she hasn't, so heres the link) Also - he has really cool hair.

Second one (then it's time for bed:) This one reminds me of me in Organic Chemistry.



Especially at the end.

In case you were wondering...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 16 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

(PS - Thanks to EverBabe for this. Also - looked up my brother, and found he has 58. Be that as it may - at least 3 of those have actually come to our Christmas par-tays.)

castaboras: This is quite geek centric, but a fantas

Should the sign of end times be so funny? eh - if you don't laugh, you'll cry.

The Sandbox

This is really touching - a blog with many contributors from people who are currently stationed in Iraq and Afganistan. Or, as it says in the description:

The Sandbox, our command-wide milblog, featuring comments, anecdotes, and
observations from service members currently deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan.

I've found it a good reminder of exactly what our guys are going through out there. It's non-political, and a great read.

tonyvila: Meme-age

As I responded to his, I figured I'd jump in on this version of the chain letter.

The first five people to respond to this post will get an MP3 Mix from me. I will make a good-faith effort to customize the mix for you. I will also make a good-faith effort to get them mailed in a timely way. I will promise they'll be out the door by the end of this month.The more guidance you choose to give me in your reply, the more likely that I will be able to surprise you, make you laugh or otherwise send something perfect.

The only catch: as with most memes, if you sign up, you have to put this in your own journal as well. Feel free to customize the offer. Give to receive and all that.

So: Respond away, and then you'll get the MP3 mix of a lifetime! From me! (please specify your preferred percentage of showtunes...) ;-)

PS - Thanks to Penny Arcade for links to Q-Unit. Seriously. This shiznit is awesome. Don't believe me? Download the first MP3, naysayer, and then let's hear you say nay.

5:08PM - Edited to removed crappy spacing, and call for repricocity. He took it out, so I will too. Even though I likes me the chain letter aspect of it all.

New Friend Anecdote & interesting 125-year-old picture

Going thru old Blogger drafts; found this interesting one. The picture is a representation of Europe war all P-Dogg - I think it is probably mostly for the geo-geek in you.

And if you have time, catch up with George Lucas's version of Lord of the Rings
(if you were paying attention, you see that there were two additional LOTR videos hiding in the title - good for you!)

OK - I live in Atlanta, and I am used to various wackiness from our local paper. But two different editions of this past Friday's paper showed two completely different takes on the game. By the same columnists. Only difference I could tell is that one edition was from nearer Buckhead, and the other from out in the 'burbs (Cobb County.) Maybe the lower one was later, after the two had time to reconsider their harsh words.





















Words like: "
And here is the version still on the web.




















Note the headline came from the more positive version, but the story is almost word for word at the top one.

What gives, AJC? (especially now that Tech is doing better than UGA this year...)

PS - sorry for the delay in posting here. Have been having interesting times, which I will fill you in on later.

OSHA Recordable - Daily O-My-GOD-that-hurts

Thanks to Ogre for the pictoral reminder of exactly why we wear steel-toed boots at all times.

Even to sporting events. Yahoo! News Photo

Sean's buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-Birf-day

So how did I spend my pre-birthday weekend? Well, Saturday night I had one lady friend over for DDR & a movie, and then headed out for a drink with ANOTHER new lady friend. Sure sure, they both have boyfriends... but what are you going to do? And then cleaned, and did other homeowner type chores. Yay! Now I don't have to do them again for a whole year!

Did drive behind a Testarossa this morning - not sure what good a 150 K sportscar will do you on Ga 400 at rush hour, but, you know... whatever.

(thanks to Slate for the following link, which points out the consequences of changing music in seminal movie scenes. Similar to the behind-the-scenes of Say Anything, where Lloyd Dobler's boombox was not playing In Your Eyes, but, instead, was turned to the mariachi station. So, without further ado: YouTube - Garden State Tip Drill ) (PS it's funny)

DailyTech - MSI Warns of Stolen 7900GS Video Cards

No, w00t... say it isn't so!

Micro-Star International, better known as MSI, has recently posted an alert on its website calling attention to a truckload of stolen NVIDIA 7900GS cards. ...
In a rather bold accusation, MSI is specifically mentioning the hot-deals website Woot.com, known for its one-day-only web deals.

Makes me soooo sad - can nothing be trusted anymore? Especially after I just bought two other items, from their fell-off-the-back-of-the-truck inventory.

On the other hand, from today's woot:

InFocus 76-inch 16:9 Projector Screen
$29.99 + $5 shipping
condition:
Refurbished, possibly pilfered

-Heh.

Happy Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day!

Arr! Go to the wiki entry!

Avast! Go to the official page, and translate all of your comments!

Ahoy! Finally, see the pirate's arrrghonomic keyboard.

DragonCon Update: Take 1

OK – I’ve been busy since I got back, but I promised myself I would tell the story of DragonCon 2006. However, I’m out of time right now, so, instead, I will tell SuperMark’s story of DragonCon 2006. In Pictures!

Above, you see Justin, SuperMark and Nicole (PSEUDONYM!!!!) sitting at a table Saturday night. You can see the spot where I would be sitting were I not taking the picture. You can also see that I would be sitting on the table. Yeah, that's how I roll.

Mark and Shazam. Nah, just kidding, Markie. That's really Captain Marvel. If you want more info about the difference, or origin of the phrase, or even the ANTITHESIS of the phrase, please ask him. Just not when I am around. {grin}

Why, I can't believe it: It's the Greatest American Hero! (and if you don't have "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air" stuck in your head now, then the terrorists have won.)

Penny Arcade's Cardboard Tube Samurai is clearly kicking some butt here - sadly, it is the butt of a break-dancin' Markie. And now... the piece de resistance:

Dr Strange, times two! How geekily happy he looks here. As he should. The fan-boy-ness-itude was *dripping* off of him. I'm glad I was able to document it, however.

Dragon Con 2006 = Favorite costume(?)

OK - This one is definitely in the running. The Buddy Christ (originally from Kevin Smith's Dogma) was pretty cool, and pretty happy wandering around, spreading his message of "It's Alright." What really endeared me to him, though, happened last night, during a 4 hour card playing marathon in the lower level Marriott lobby. And that was the sight of Buddy Christ, crammed into one of the glass elevators facing the lobby, just riding up, and down, and up, and down, for about an hour. It was awesome.
Here's a couple of shots of him, in full regailia.(the one on the left is from last year's Con.)

Badpopcorn ? Firefly and Serenity Documentary

Above is the link to a site containing the torrent for a legal download of Done The Impossible. (That's that whole Firefly-got-canceled-but-they-made-a-movie-and-how documentary. Might be interesting to any geek readers out there.

So what has Seanner been up to?

Glad you asked!

Went to a party that LoudBobby was co-hosting, and saw some of his friends from his run club. One was a ringer for Molly Ringwald, and I remembered having met her the previous year. We chatted a while, until she had to return to her husband. There was also a lady lawyer there with a striking resemblence to Maggie Gyllenhaal, although with sparklier eyes, as well as another fetching lady lawyer who might even want to hire our company as expert witnesses. Add in the dozen or so Kiwi rugby players in town for a bachelor party to the normal crazy folks of the 'run club', and it was a memorable night. At least for me - not sure if all the others will remember it as clearly, however: too many libations .

Today, I went to a Southern cooking buffet for lunch near the house. (pretty good - I'll recommend it!) There was a 8-year-old scrawny boy getting his plate - reminded me of me at that age. EXCEPT> On his plate were about 10 brussel sprouts and 2 pieces of watermelon. Brussel Sprouts?? At his age?? Without Mom shoving them down his throat as he was having a temper tantrum?? No telling what the world is coming to.

Conan's a sell-out!

Reading Ragnar's blog, I discovered that they are selling Conan's throne on *eBay*, of all places. I suppose that I can't blame them, as it was really cool, and all. OK, OK - I may put in a bid. (I think I have room in the basement for it, and, although it would likely be uncomfortable to watch TV in, I think the laydeez would like it.

In prep for DragonCon next weekend, I thought I would post a photo of me sitting in said chair at LAST year's Con. So here it is.


PS - the 'laydeez' are from last year's Con photos, too. I'll try to upload more fun pics before next weekend.

Bershon - it's not just for breakfast anymore!

Although I had never heard the term "bershon" before today, i completely recognize the description, and will have to search my own photo archives for the same expression.

Mooommm.... take the PICTure.

Edit to add: Thanks to KayRay for both rocking and the link.

I've hit a new category in EHarmony!

So, I've been doing this eHarmony thing for about 4 months now, and it's interesting. I started in April, and I was 33. Now, however, I am 33 - completely different. No wait - that's the same age.

Something must have changed, though. Whereas as recently as 2 weeks ago, the Harm-stor Thinking Machine suggested that I look at people in the age rankings of 24-36, I must have passed over the invisible hump (which isn't as much fun as it sounds.) I am apparently now age appropriate for lay-deez between 30 & 42.

!

What happened? Did I miss the memo, where I got really mature all of a sudden? I still think that poots are funny, so that can't be it...

{grin}

I'm letting it lapse for a bit, more out of lack of energy than anything else. It does take a fair amount of time, even if I've met some great people thru it.

In other news - my trivia team came in first at the Ale House! (See, Hui - we didn't need you after all. We did have some new faces, though, and hope to see them back next week.

A meme, and a webcomic

Meme first:


Hooray! The only person I recognize on there is black, and hasn't made a good movie since "The Golden Child." But if I were a lady, I'd apparently be HAWT!

And now for the Gayest T-Shirt Ever

Reasons not to clean house

Did you ever pick something up for later? And then forget exactly what it was that you had picked up? And then, in a massive cleaning up (or at least straightening up,) start to go through all of your papers, and feel something with an unusual shape inside of another piece of paper? And, as you are only really straightening while watching TV (ah, my best friend, beautiful multi-tasking! What possible down-side could you have?), you lean in close to see exactly what you have stored away in a piece of paper? And then, not recognizing exactly what you have, you lean in closer, only to quickly remember exactly what it is, and that, after all, you really never did want it sitting right next to your face, for who exactly, after all, does want a dessicated and flattened turtle sitting right next to one's face? And then did you shriek like your imaginings of a tween girl who has experienced her first unexpected encounter with David Cassidy, or Prince Harry, or Michael Jackson, depending on what decade it was when she tweened? And then did you throw the hapless reptilian Frisbee(TM) into the air, only to have your friend (helping with the TV watching, not the straightening out, sadly) look quizzically at you? And then did you calmly pass it over to him, only to watch the exact same process repeat itself, with you as author/narrator, as opposed to unintentional victim?

What's that you say? No? Really? Oh. I thought that would be one of those universal experiences, like first love and hating algebra. My bad.

Hmm? Why, you ask, would one even consider picking up said 2-D terrapin? That is, I fear, a topic for another day. (perhaps at that time I'll upload a picture for you to see as well, gentle readers. )

One Trilogy to Rule Them All

Tres amusing. I promise.

Funny questions from company-wide work test survey

I'm pretty sure at least some of these are at least mildly not appropriate for work, however timely they may be:

1) Has the heat wave hit your city?
2) Should steroids be banned from all sports?
3) Do you take work/laptop with you on vacation?
4) Will you see Mel Gibson's next movie?

And the final question:
If you could have lunch/dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

What's *your* answer to this last one?

(I went with my old standard: Mel Gibson & Jesus. You know… for laughs. )

WLJPOTD - August 2

Just a quick couple of strange links from the photo site, with my thoughts:

I just don't see this tattoo looking good in 30 years.

Is it a car, or a screaming face? *YOU* be the judge!

Chubbiest cheeks I think I have ever seen...

WLJPOD

or: Weird LiveJournal Photo of the Day. (to be updated frequently, I suppose)

For whatever reason, I think that Mel Gibson would blame this photo for his DUI.