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.

YouTube - Snakes on a Plane: How Hollywood Really Works

Keeping with my new "All Snakes, All The Time" programming format...

Harry Potter Quiz

Thanks to EverBabe for the link below.

I don't know if I agree - but man, at least I'm not the big V.


Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

Testriffic | IQ Test Results

Go ahead and participate in this internet meme... (if you want to)

almostnormal33: Pirates.... arrr...

Minor "Pirates" spoiler... but the imagery is enjoyable.

Note to self:

Above link NOT to be used as inspiration for eHarmony...

The Middle East Buddy List. By Christopher Beam and Noam Rudnick

It's a pretty cool interactive chart if, like me, you got a little confused which one Hezbollah was a couple of weeks ago.

MapMyRun.com -- Mapping your running routes has never been easier!

This is a pretty cool site that hooks into Google Maps and allows you to trace your walking/running route along either the streets or the

Dug... or Ogre... or MNO... or Brian - heck, almost any of my friends and family should find this useful, or at least neat. Well, any of my friends except EverBabe or SuperMark.

Why did *I* hook it up? Well, I went to eat toda (Indian lunch buffet yesterday, Chinese today) and got a fortune cookie: "Tomorrow is a good day to try something new." The combination of my realization that (a) it's always tomorrow somewhere and (b) Everbabe was proud of me when I started my 12 hour diet led me to think that the only way for me to get going is to Simply. Get. Going.

Anyhoo. Home Depot is about a 1.5 round trip walk for me. Good to know.

Thanks to Red (via KayRay) for this site.

It's the one on the bottom right that is the most urgent.

(This is from EverBabe's 30 pic's link)

Ogre & EverBabe would disagree with this pic a little, though - $500 isn't nearly enough...

how to enjoy sushi - Google Video

Thanks to Ragnar Tornquist for this link. As he said:

I’m sure a lot of you have seen this video before - it’s been linked to by numerous blogs since the dawn of time (well, at least since earlier this year) - but I revisited it today, it made me giggle, and I loves to shares the giggles. So, dammit, here it is:

Konichiwa!

"Special Offers," Indeed

While looking to get termite protection, I stumbled across the above link.

You tell me exactly what you think the above lady is offering, especially.

(lemme know if the link is faulty.)

Chinese Buffet for dinner

Went to City Lite buffet for dinner tonight, and got a fortune cookie that said: "Success will be yours at home and in business in the next month."

Cha-CHING! Perhaps my wacky inventions are finally going to pay off!

How To Swing - The United States Patent Office explains it all?for you. By Timothy Noah

And the above link is the OTHER reason I love Slate. A complete listing of the patent issued a few years ago for swinging. On a swing. In the playground.

I need to talk to my niece, make sure she knows about this.

SOAP - Music video update

Someone tell Sam Jackson he's my bro

Strangely related - some mildly humorous bits

See This Shirt...it's made of snakes?

Wealthy and Wise - Warren Buffett's lesson to the rich. By Jacob Weisberg

I guess the fact that there is good news every once in a while means that the MSM doesn't necessarily *always* have to say bad things about Bush.

One line in particular I liked was the following:

There's a human and personal dimension to this as well: Buffett didn't want to cripple his own children by raising them to expect a free ride. As he pointed out in response to a question Monday, people at his country club who complain about the debilitating effects of welfare should recognize that they're creating a cycle of dependency by giving their own kids "a lifetime supply and beyond of food stamps."

Amen, Brother Buffett.

Photo from the past - "And a cookie!"

New Orleans - before Katrina.

The Dilbert Blog: 13-inch Tail

I think it was Scott's "Rule 472" that made me laugh the hardest.

The Knowledge For Thirst ? Freez Lemon

You've trusted me in the past, and not been let down, right?

I mean, these guys didn't let you down, right? So I followed a random link to this site and had a ball. Read on, and see if you agree:

The Lebanese beverage industry is not a sector of the global economy you hear an awful lot about these days. Is it even legal for me to be drinking something imported from Beirut, is basically my main question. If not then I guess consider this my protest against the current administration and their war on freedom, or whatever it is they currently don’t want everyone to have.
....
It actually hit me halfway through that this tastes very much like Smirnoff Triple Black Ice, and I had a mild freak-out. Holy moly please let me not be drinking an alcoholic beverage at 9 am, at work. The ingredients seem to check out, but who knows. I am not a man of science.

Funny funny.
Chinese fortune from lunch:
"You will prosper with your wacky inventions."
(I must say - that was completely unexpected.)

Post 350! And a car.

One advantage to being in the same office park as the North American headquarters of Porshe is the unexpected perks, such as major movie stars hanging around.

For example, the Porsche from movie "Cars" is outside in our traffic circle.



(note the handsome fella with Sally (the car's name.)



shame about his arms, though...

YouTube - Hope Is Emo: Chapter One "The Words Are Dying"

SuperMark - you asked me a while ago exactly what emo was. Well, this video by the guys at "Ask a Ninja" have the answer.

Hope is Emo.

Hear the loud, annoying, sound! Or not...

It's up to you if you would like to try to hear the noise. So far, about 50% of the folx here at work have heard it, including, most definitely, our high school intern.

And EverBabe, but not Ogre. Interesting... I guess 34 is the cut off point.

Sean's tired update

Just a brief update. No interesting dreams recently, but did go out for chinese last night with some friends in from out of town. (Fortune Cookie, if you must know... and it was DELICIOUS. Not my traditional standard of low price/high quantity. Also, EverBabe's absolute favorite Chinese place in the world.)

My fortune, however, read as follows: "Your luck will soon be at a high point." Say. No. More. (and wish me well, as I really hope that my luck is REALLY good soon, cause I am scared of the thought of a high point of luck that isn't that great. Unless it's just a local maximum.)

PS - I love that in one of the reviews above the reviewer used the word "envioronmence" and expected anyone to know what it meant.

Sean's Kah-RAAAAZY Dreams, Episode 1

The thing that is most crazy about my dreams is that I really don't remember them most of the time. (in this case, most is approximately 95% or more of the time.) So now, for the past 2 nights, I have remembered them, at least long enough to tell myself about them, and then maybe tell you guys. (EverBabe is my bestest dream teller-to, but she's been potentially asleep when I've awoken, and I didn't want to wake her. So: On with the dreams!

Dream 1 of night before last - I think it was vaguely "Omen" inspired. My family was trying to either kill or make sure that my brother and I died. (Family = I know it was a dream, and I know you weren't really trying to kill me. On the other hand, don't send me any apples via an old crone - they probably won't be accepted.) I had to convince him to pretend to be dead when they came upstairs to check on us. (I like to think of this as the "Romantic Comedy" of dreams... so yeah, like "The Omen")

Dream 2 of night before last - I was in Australia, or some other continent that was a big old sand dune. I parked somewhere in the southeast at the base of a big sand mountain. (no real roads here - drive where-ever you want.) They were doing a bunch of sand skiing (like snow skiing, but, you know - on sand?) I did that a lot, but then, at the end of the day, realized I didn't know where I was. More importantly, I couldn't find my car, cause - no roads = no cross-streets = no Goofy lot. So that sucked. (In keeping with the movie theme of the evening's dreams, this was a "Dude - Where's My Ishtar?" )

Dream 3 - last night. I really have the feeling that this was a continuation of an earlier dream. So let's call this dream 02.2 (02 for the second night, and 2 for the second dream of the night) In the first, barely remembered dream, I was more or less myself, and hanging out with a buncha hoodlum ne'er-do-wells. I think they were more slackers than actual 'biker punks', but either way, "COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OF MY CURRENT FRIENDS WHO ARE READING THIS." (Did they buy it? Good... back to the story.) In that one (02.1), I remember making the choice to grow up, and stop hanging out with those guys. I may have had help from someone else at that point, or we made the decision together - whatever. Either way, using dream logic, I escaped from that unproductive dream trap. Which leads to dream 02.2. I now switched perspective to one of the other slackers in the dream. It's interesting, but it seems that I was a Logan Echolls/Ryan Phillippe's character from "Cruel Intentions" kind of guy in this one: jaded, world-weary, and above all else - very 'me' centered. I ended up having a very strange night in which I decided to follow the path that the dream 02.1 'me' had left - it probably would have made a great 80's movie. Or originally was *in* a great 80's movie that I sublimated... whatever. Anyhoo. Started off in the college library where I was working on a project with some friends. In prime jerk mode, I wasn't being very helpful. (PG-13 allusion coming up soon, skip to next paragraph if you are uncomfortable with that from me:) Through the vagaries of dream logic, I then ended up with a Mrs Robinson type character, who, yes, was trying to seduce me. In my tux. (why did I have a tux? DREAM LOGIC.)
I then was walking home along the highway. Apparently this was after prom, because I ran into a nice couple of high-school seniors going home after not having fun at their prom. They were even better charicactures of 80's movie misfits than I. I was apparently close enough in age to them that they mistook me for one of their own. Now, in the dream world, graduation was happening the morning after prom, and they had decided to skip it. I, going through my magic transformation from Amoral Logan to Good Logan, was able to convince them that they would regret not going, and, as long as we were walking down the highway right in front of their school, why not run on in and grab their diploma? Which they did.
The graduation ceremony was very strange, however, as they were apparently breaking down the stage (and indeed the entire outdoor amphitheatre structure) as the ceremony was coming to an end. (Dream detail - there were tulip poplars there.) The girl was able to get her diploma, though - which was very neat to DreamMe. I decided to head outside (well, more outside) and leave, as I felt my work was finished. I had a notebook with me, and wrote down the events of my evening (looking, I imagine, much like this) and then, in my spare time, wrote up a brief article for submission to a magazine. I think the magazine article represented my maturing and excape from the group of ne'er-do-wells, cause I then teleported(!) back to where they were, slacking back at our house. I dropped a witty bon-mot along the lines of 'It is finished,' which they had completely ignored when I was other me in dream 02.1. Now they understood it to mean that I was out of the gang, as it were. They were bummed, but didn't really do anything about it, cause, you know... slackers? Yay! Personal growth!
I must have scored a cap and gown at the graduation, cause I had it on now. I decided to change out of my tux, and then *poof* teleported back to the graduation. With not much to wear. I decided it was OK, because these kids needed a story to tell, like 'hey - remember that guy who didn't have any clothes on under his robes?' {REAL LIFE ALERT - This would normally freak me out. Just wanted you to know.} I began to leave the scene (on foot, as my teleportation apparently only works when I didn't really want it to.)

So - those are my crazy dreams. J - still have that dream interpretation book?

YouTube - Ask A Ninja: Question 21 "Revolution Cubed"

Thanks to Ogre for this... *interesting* look into this strange mix of Will Ferrell, Ann Landers, and DEATH BY POISON NEEDLE!

Windows Live Local

Mr Softy's answer to Google Maps - Best improvement is the Bird's Eye view, which is a pretty neat tool to look at aerial photos and see the side of your house.

Thanks to KayRay for the link!

YouTube - Darth Vader: The Musical

I know that new viewers may be seeing this blog for the first time, and I really should be editing it better.

But darned if I don't have a love affair with both early Lucas and Lloyd Webber.

YouTube - Phone With Crime Deterrent

Thanks to MNO for the idea to this link.

cool new fatboy slim video - now with more juggling!

I don't think you have to be a member of myspace to see this SPECTACULAR example of either juggling-on-demand, video postprocessing, and/or ILM graphics wizardry.

Day 1 at the network upfronts. By Troy?Patterson

I have always been a fan of network TV, with all that that entails. This is a link to a Slate article that describes NBC's hard sell of next year's shows. Supermark would especially like this show, I think: Day 1 at the network upfronts. By Troy?Patterson: "Heroes, with its moody assemblage of Benetton models discovering their new superpowers, was unquestionably born as a handy high-concept formula, X-Men meets Lost. On the one hand, its young cast was not at all convincing in describing its charms. On the other, one of its central themes is blowing up New York, which is timeless, the action equivalent of a simple strand of pearls."

The Dilbert Blog: Predicting the Next President

Scott Adams has his prediction of who our likely next president is. I liked this quote, though:

Usually it’s obvious who is going to be the next president of the United States. First, the media decides for us who will be the nominees for each party. Then the voters elect the one who makes the most outrageous promises. That’s called leadership, and we like it.

The BBC's latest star - a baffled cabbie | the Mail on Sunday

A computer expert has described his astonishment at seeing the BBC's 24-hour news channel interview a taxi driver - in the mistaken belief it was him.

Thanks to Ogre for the link of this poor guy doing a yeoman's effort at answering some detailed computer and law questions.

YouTube - Evolution of Dance

Ariel hooked me up with this... awesome look at a guy with too much dancing in him to be entirely straight.

(Ariel - you are also known as TwoPairs to my family)

(edited to actually make the first sentence a sentence.)

Sean's brush with celebrities at lunch, part 2

Since my last brush was with Weezie, you might be forgiven for forgetting about part 1. (that one was a lot less exciting than this one, as it merely involved sitting near her at Houlihan's during a large group lunch.) However, this one was VERY exciting to me, as it is my best example of local girl makes big (at least related to me.)

I've talked before about Jennifer Nettles, her two local bands (Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band,) and my brush with destiny. She's been more successful recently, even making a video with Jon Bon Jovi and being a leadsinger for Sugarland.

SO: while at lunch with EverBabe and SeanJrJr, I saw her. What did I do? Why, I acted perfectly cool and collected, of course, and treated her like someone who I went to high school with:

Me: "Jennifer?" (my standard trick for confirming I know someone's name)
She: {understandably confused} "...yes?"
Me: "Just wanted to say that I've known you since Soul Miner's Daughter days, and am very excited that things are going well for you."
She: "...Thank you?" (gesturing at the sleeping infant) "Is this your baby?"
Me: "No, just borrowing him for a bit."
She: {flee}

Dur dur durrrr.

In order to not appear like a COMPLETE idiot and stalker, I then spent the rest of the meal pointedly not looking at her. (yes, i recognize i still *am* a complete idiot - just didn't want to look like one.) Which brings us to another thing EB and I were talking about at lunch (pre-idiot, thank you.) Back to the Scott Adams blog:

A large part of being a big-time cartoonist involves live interviews on camera,
and giving speeches to large crowds. Those activities terrify people that have a
normal fear of embarrassment. Not me. If I’m going to embarrass myself, I want
witnesses, and lots of them. The entertainment value seems wasted if only one
person notices.

I couldn't agree more. Hence this post. (PS - this is what she looked like at lunch. )

Random photo dump - so you can play along at home!

Thought I would share my eHarmony photos with you guys, so you could:
A) Laugh, and shake your head in pity
B) Laugh, and shake your head in anger
C) Say - Hey, *that's* not what you look like
D) Say - Hey, *I* want to go out with you.
E) All of the above.

As blogger is treating me badly right now, I'll leave you with this one image. More to come soon.



"Me and Mom in Central Park, Thanksgiving 2001. (up there for the parade after 9/11)"

'Not Quite Perfect' McDonald's Opens In Illinois Outlet Mall | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

you know that i would be there, if they opened one in the ATL.

PRODUCT: Control Issues T-Shirt

Thanks to EverBabe for the gift of this lovely T-Shirt.

However, I do *not* think that I have control issues. As long as I have complete control, everything goes very well. Perfectly, some say.

"..And Stephen Colbert was never heard from again."

Don't know if you have been paying attention to this stuff recently, but as political satire while actually standing in the lion's mouth goes, this is top grade stuff.

Thanks to Slate for the video link, and thanks to Troy for lines like the following:

"In the immediate wake of Colbert's most brutal line ("I stand by this man. I
stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands
on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city
squares."), the president of the United States wore, on his peeved lips, an
expression that you usually see only in the instant before a bar fight. "

You'll see what he means in the video. One caveat - It is long, but could just be listened to. It slows down at about the 15 minute mark, too, but the bit with Helen Thomas was more amusing than the press corps would have you believe.

Chinese Fortune Cookie - Dinner with Mom

"You have an iron will, which helps you succeed in everything."

thanks for dinner, Mom.

Donuts and sewers - Thanks, Slate!

Two quick little stories, one for my life as an engineer, and the other for my life as a commercial watcher.

A visit to the sewers of London - (please dispose of your oil in the trash, not down the drain!)

Everbabe - TMBG do the mu-sak for the commercial. Read the review here.

EDIT - apparently blogger double posted... sorry.)

YouTube - Titanic: The Sequel

It's a couple of minutes, but done very well. Very, VERY well.

You'll thank me?

Mom & Emmadelle at MNO's for Easter.

EHarmony - Trick Question?

So: doing EHarmony - here's a sample question.

When you think about what you want in a relationship, how important are the following items? Please use the scale of 1 = strongly agree, 7 = strongly disagree, to select your answers:

Question: Knowing that my spouse is usually to blame when things go wrong.

(I wonder what I am supposed to write here....)

Sean's CRAAAAAAA-ZY neighbors

Dear Diary -

I'm sorry that I've been away so long. It's not you, it's me. Or rather, it's a combination of waaaay too much work and ummm... other things?

Anyhoo - things going well for me, for the most part. Wanted to give you a seasonal update of my life. You may remember me moving last spring? Well - it was Easter two weeks or so after I moved in, and my family came to visit. Imagine my Mom's reaction when she saw the dinosaur down the street.

"What dinosaur," you rightfully ask. "This one," I respond.


"Oooooooh... and all dolled up for Easter, too!" (for whatever reason his ears are on crooked. But I do love the basket. Last year it was filled with eggs.) I have wanted to stop by and tell them that I love their chutzpah - but haven't done it yet. maybe next year? Closer look below.

Kids say the darnedest things - part deux

Please allow me to point you at an article written by SuperMark - (apparently SeanJr needs glasses...)

2-Ton Cannon Is Fodder for Ongoing Rivalry Between Caltech and MIT - Los Angeles Times

Talk to their lawyers, Dewie, Cheatem, and Howe … The LAT notices that some fine students at MIT visited rival Caltech and quietly pilfered Caltech's famed 130-year-old Fleming Cannon, fired annually during commencement day and now sitting peacefully in Cambridge. The MIT students simply presented Caltech guards with work orders from their new business: "Howe & Ser Moving Company."

Thanks to Slate for the above link.

Alternate Lost Credits

Over a year ago, when Lost first came on the scene, Everbabe said: "Sean, you *have* to see this show. It is really cool, and has the weirdest credits that I think I have ever seen." Well, I went over, plopped down in front of Tivo, and, rubbing my hands together in anticipation, started to watch.

And sat back, bemused. As the only credits I saw was the word "Lost" in white zooming in from a black background.

Apparently, EverBabe isn't a watcher of credits, or she has a *really* low bar. {grin}

Anyhoo - The link above is, I think, what she was talking about. (Salon might make you watch an ad, but it's worth it.)

The Order of the Stick - by Rich Burlew

A sad, but touching, reminder of the mortality of all of us.