This morning’s music mix has been good.
<groove>
Rush – The Big Money
Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4
Madness – Our House
Duran Duran- A View to a Kill
Goldfrapp – Strict Machine
</groove>
And now, on to the rest of the day…
Monday : 13 March 2006
Work. Blah blah blah.
After work, I went to a sneak preview of V for Vendetta with
What does it take to change a person?
What does it take to change the way a nation thinks and perceives itself?
What does it take to breathe life into an ideal?
Can one man make a difference?
This movie addresses those questions, along with many others. Natalie Portman gave an excellent performance as Evey, a young woman pulled into the chaotic world of the enigmatic figure known only as “V,” played by Hugo Weaving. I was especially intrigued to note that John Hurt played Chancellor Sutler… since he played a diametrically opposed role as Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, adapted from the George Orwell book of the same name. It was interesting to juxtapose V for Vendetta with Orwell’s bleak view of the future. Nox informed me that there were definite differences between the book and the screenplay, but said that the overall feel and flow was good.
The Wachowski Brothers – who brought us The Matrix and its sequels – did the screenplay for V. I am pleased to say that they didn’t attempt to overdo the special effects in lieu of bringing a good story to the scene (which was my main criticism of The Matrix‘ sequels). The effects that they did use, served to enhance the story, rather than supplant it. I give this movie an enthusiastic thumbs-up with an okay.
Stray Toasters
Namaste.
<boogie>
Snoop Dogg (ft. Bootsy Collins) – Undercova Funk (Give Up the Funk)
</boogie>
How does your Monday morning sound?
Sunday : 12 March 2006
Today was a relaxed – and somewhat lazy – day. And I’m good with that. I hung out with
The High-Flying Adventures of Indigo Bolt – 
I ran my costume mission tonight: Defeat 30 Crey. It was suggested that I look for them in Founders’ Falls or Crey’s Folly. I haven’t been to Crey’s Folly before and the last time I ran a mission in Founders’, I was sidekicked to a much higher-level character. Instead, I went to Brickstown. Chock full of Crey. And Freakshow. And The Council. But, I managed to bag 30 Crey… without dying. I headed back to the Icon (tailor shop) in Independence Port and set about getting the new costume. As I wanted this to be a ceremonial (Key to the City / “Thanks for saving our collective asses… again”) costume, I went with relatively simple and understated (1, 2, 3, 4). It took less time to run the mission than it did to settle on the new costume’s look. But, it’s done. (Although, I do reserve the right to change it…)
Stray Toasters
And that’s a wrap.
Namaste.
Saturday : 11 March 2006
After staying up far too late in order to reach Security Level 30, I slept in this morning. 11:00 in. And I would have most likely slept past that had it not been for the phone. I got up, dressed and went to breakfast with
The evening involved a trip to Dr. Volt’s, a stop at Kate and Perry’s and… dinner at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Consider and combine the following:
The place was chock full o’ people. The boys had fun. There was some interesting people-watching. All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad experience.
The evening was capped with a new episode of Justice League Unlimited and back-to-back eps of Whose Line Is It Anyway?. The JLU episode, “Grudge Match,” tied in to second season episode, “The Cat and the Canary.” This one could have easily been called “Girl Fight.” But, it was a fun episode.
Stray Toasters
None tonight.
Namaste.
Guess who hit Level 30 in the wee hours of morning.
Mm-hmm, that’s right.
*hover*
I still have to run my costume mission, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.
You see this Indigo Bolt is a bad mother–
(Shut your mouth)
But I’m talkin’ about ‘Bolt…
(Then we can dig it)
Friday : 10 March 2006
On the whole, it’s been a good day.
Work was good. We had a two-hour meeting this morning. *urk* It was informative… but a little on the “dry” side. I didn’t have my Palm Pilot or my pencil and clipboard, so I didn’t have anything on hand to distract/entertain myself. About an hour-and-a-half into it, I started nodding off. After the meeting broke up, some of my team decided to go out for lunch. For the first time in a few months, I went with them. I figured that I deserved it after sitting through the meeting.
As we pulled into a parking space, a couple of women came around the truck that was parked in the next spot. After making apologetic gestures for almost walking blindly through/into the spot, they started pointing into the car and smiling. They then walked towards The Italian Place, on the other side of the lot. John, who was driving, looked at me and asked if they were friends of mine. I told him no and that I was on the verge of asking him the same question. He said no. We shrugged it off and went into the Yamato.
After lunch, we walked back to the car. There was something in the passenger window of the door where I had been sitting: It was a business card. On the back, it simply said “Your are hot.” (Yes, ‘your,’ not “you.”) *sigh* This got me a bit of ribbing from the guys. The fact that the ladies weren’t… the most aesthetically pleasing… didn’t help any. That kind of offset any ego boost that there might have been.
Post-work, I hung out at Borders before Clitorati. I did some drawing. I’m happy with the way a sketch I did turned out, but not quite as pleased with an attempt at a more detailed drawing went. I should go back and work on it again or use it as a reference and try a new, larger version. Tonight’s Clitorati gathering was small, compared to the past few weeks’ gatherings. I read Superman: Birthright, a retelling/revisioning of the years between Clark Kent leaving Smallville and his first weeks/months in Metropolis. Good story.
As mentioned in
Stray Toasters
All Things Considered: HBO’s Big Love: My Three Wives (about the upcoming HBO series about polygamy)
Namaste.
<boogie>
Sting (ft. Cheb Mami) – Desert Rose (Victor Caslerone mix)
Paul Shaffer and Various Artists – When the Radio Is On
DJ Kool – Let Me Clear My Throat
</boogie>
How does your Friday morning sound?
Thursday : 09 March 2006
Another No Bad News Thursday is done.
Aside from the snow storm that moved through the area this morning/afternoon, it’s been a rather calm day. Work was good; there were no fires to put out and the monkeys were calm. The lunchtime workout was good, too; we focused on shoulders. I have a suspicion that I’ll feel the effects of the workout tomorrow.
The evening was rather quiet: CSI and Without a Trace with
Stray Toasters
I’m tapped.
Namaste.
Wednesday : 08 March 06
Three down, two to go. Not a bad Wednesday. Nothing to complain about from the work day or the post-work day. I consider that to be a “good” thing.
The High-Flying Adventures of Indigo Bolt – 
In an effort to get rid of that pesky 37,000 points of experience debt that I had accrued, I went on patrol in Paragon City. I met up with a friend and we beat in the heads of some of Paragon’s less-than-upstanding citizens. After he logged off, I joined another team and fought against the Banished Pantheon. We fought well and took them down without too much ado. When that team broke up, a couple of us decided to take on a few more missions. By the time I left Paragon City, I was down to 1,700 points of experience debt and less than 30,000 points away from my dress uniform… I mean “Security Level 30.”
Stray Toasters
|
You are often exaggerated and over-the-top in your speech and expressions. You are a romantic at heart and a natural leader.  |
Click here to take the “Which Star Trek character are you?” quiz…
(4:27:34 PM) Matt: Is Luthor sewing this stuff himself? He can’t be renting it from somewhere, I suppose. Somewhere in that battle armor is a little sewing kit. One of these days Frank Quitely is going to treat us to the sight of Luthor deftfully stitching his costume together, sitting demurely in a rocking chair, and humming ABBA tunes.
Naturally, that led to other thoughts on the matter…
[13:46]
I was thinking about what you said about Lex sitting around the house, working on his costume and realized that you had the makings for a sitcom: “Life with Luthor” (or “Life with Lex”)
[13:47]Lex: “MEERRRRCYYYYYY! Have you seen the polish for my battle armor!?!?!”
[13:47]Mercy Graves: “Oh, Leeeeeeeex. It’s down in the workshop, on the shelf. Right where you left it.”
[13:47]Lex: What?! *looks* Why… you’re right! Silly me.
[13:47]*laughter*
[13:48]Lex: “What would I do without you?”
[13:48]*fade to black*
…and…
(1:45:57 PM) Matt: Sounds like Superman I. Miss Tessmacher!
(1:46:20 PM): True. But there would be NO Otis.
(1:46:34 PM) Matt: Otis could be the neighbor kid who always comes over uninvited.
(1:46:43 PM): Oooh…. okay. I could go for that.
(1:47:03 PM) Matt: Golly jeepers mither Luthor… that’s a nifty death ray you got there.
(1:47:13 PM): Don’t touch that!
(1:47:17 PM): *ZAP*
(1:47:21 PM): Uh-ohhhhhhhhhh.
(1:47:27 PM) Matt: Lex! My azaleas!
(1:47:35 PM): BWAHAHAHAAH
(1:47:58 PM) Matt: Comedy gold right there. I don’t know why they missed this direction with Smallville.
(1:48:08 PM): Mithter Luthor! Mithter Luthor! Wanna see my bran’ new bike?!
(1:48:14 PM): Why that’s a fine bike, Otis.
(1:48:18 PM): Here, let me see something.
(1:48:24 PM): *tinker tinker tinker*
(1:48:29 PM): Here, try it now.
(1:48:38 PM): *Otis steps on the bike*
(1:48:57 PM): *WHOOOOOSH* (as the bike soars hundreds of feet into the air)
(1:49:04 PM): *SPLAT*
(1:49:10 PM): Pesky neighborhood kids.
(1:49:30 PM): *sigh* MERRRRRRCYYYYYYY! Clean up on Aisle 7. Again.
(1:49:34 PM) Matt: Don’t forget about the episode where that prick Kent and his wife come over for dinner.
(1:49:44 PM) Matt: Plenty of awkward silences.
(1:49:50 PM) Matt: The audiences love that kind of thing.
(1:50:03 PM): So, Clark… what have you been up to since we left Smallville?
(1:50:09 PM): Well, Lex…. I travel.
(1:50:10 PM): A lot.
(1:50:15 PM): Lois: A whole lot.
(1:50:19 PM) Matt: Please, have some kryptonite Jell-O.
(1:50:28 PM) Matt: I see you’ve brought a pie.
(1:50:51 PM): Sure did! It’s Ma’s Rhubarb pie recipe! Have some.
(1:50:57 PM): I. Hate. Rhubarb.
(1:51:01 PM): Oh.
(1:51:07 PM): *uncomfortable silence*
(1:51:11 PM): Um.
(1:51:16 PM): Well…. heh heh….
(1:51:24 PM): How about the Metropolis Stars!?
(1:51:32 PM): How about them? I’m thinking of selling them.
(1:51:53 PM): They’re a bunch of overpaid, underproducing, whiny gits.
(1:52:08 PM): Clark and Lois: Um…. heh heh. Right.
(1:52:24 PM): Clark: My! Look at the time. We’d love to stay but we…. um….
(1:52:33 PM): Lois: Oh! Right! I’d almost forgotten about that!
(1:52:37 PM) Matt: I wonder which network should pick this up.
(1:53:34 PM) Matt: With the demise of WB, where did Smallville land?
(1:53:49 PM): The CW
(1:53:57 PM): The new WB-UPN hybrid.
(1:54:00 PM) Matt: Riiiiight.
(1:54:02 PM) Matt: *shudders*
(1:54:17 PM) Matt: Direct-to-video, then. Best thing for everyone.
(1:54:38 PM): Or HBO.
(1:54:45 PM): They’re a Time-Warner company.
(1:55:03 PM): Like almost everything else that isn’t Disney-owned.
(1:55:19 PM) Matt: I thought Disney was a Coca-Cola company.
(1:55:26 PM): Newp.
(1:55:26 PM) Matt: Or was that Westinghouse?
(1:55:31 PM): Westinghouse, I think.
(1:56:18 PM): Disney owns: ABC, ESPN, Tristar (I think), Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, ABC Family….
(1:56:37 PM) Matt: And Tunisia.
(1:56:42 PM) Matt: They got Tunisia recently.
(1:56:57 PM): And the Empire grows…
(1:57:12 PM) Matt: Well then, a perfect match for Lex.
…and…
(10:09:21 AM)
: Lex!? Did you take the garbage out?
(10:09:52 AM): No! I’m working on my latest evil scheme! I don’t have time to take out the trash! Get that neighbor kid, Otis, to do it!
(10:10:14 AM): Now, Lex… you know that you hamstrung him last week. He can’t do it.
(10:10:40 AM): Oh. Right. Hm. *mutter mutter* Fine. I’ll take it out. (12:12:27 PM)
: I was thinking about this concept and realized that there are some villains with whom a sitcom format wouldn’t work.
(12:12:32 PM): The Joker, for example.
(12:12:43 PM) Matt: How could a sitcom not work with the Joker!
(12:12:55 PM): Think about it.
(12:13:01 PM) Matt: Joker’s In Charge!
(12:13:08 PM) Matt: Leave It to Joker!
(12:13:15 PM): It could too easily turn into a slap-happy slapstick gagfest.
(12:13:28 PM): I think that it would be better handled as a melodrama.
(12:13:37 PM) Matt: Well, you might have to sedate the Joker a little to get him down to sitcom level.
(12:13:39 PM): Oh. I got it….. SOAP Opera.
(12:13:45 PM): As the Joker Kills
(12:13:57 PM): Hope for the Joker
(12:14:00 PM): All My Jokers
(12:14:11 PM): Days of our Joker
(12:14:34 PM): Make him into a Pagliacci-like, maudlin figure
(12:14:34 PM) Matt: Next week… is Harley seeing someone else?
(12:14:57 PM) Matt: Hmmm…
(12:15:13 PM) Matt: I think the Joker is more suited to host a game show.
(12:15:19 PM): …
(12:15:21 PM): Don’t go there.
(12:15:24 PM): Wait.
(12:15:30 PM): Maybe it could work…
(12:15:35 PM) Matt: As long as the premise is to kill the audience every time…
(12:15:37 PM): Wheel…. of….. JOKERRRRRRRRR!
(12:15:53 PM): Even better: Kill a random member of the audience.
(12:16:02 PM): Everyone has to sign a waiver on the way in.
(12:16:04 PM) Matt: Maybe one of those “Running Man”-style post-apocalyptic game shows where it’s okay to kill the contestants.
(12:16:18 PM) Matt: Something that wouldn’t be out of place in Max Headroom’s universe.
(12:16:27 PM): *nod* Exactly.
(12:16:36 PM) Matt: This is the Joker from the comic, though, right? Not Jack Nicholson.
(12:16:42 PM) Matt: This is the *tall* Joker.
(12:16:44 PM): Get Max Headroom as the wacky assistant/sideman
(12:16:46 PM): Yes.
(12:16:49 PM): The classic joker.
(12:17:01 PM) Matt: I’d pay a dollar to see that.
(12:17:10 PM) Matt: But not in person.
(12:17:15 PM): Of course.
(12:17:40 PM): Although, there is the question of: Should the contestant/victim have a chance of getting out alive?
(12:17:49 PM): If so, it shouldn’t be easy
(12:17:53 PM): But possible.
(12:17:58 PM) Matt: Only if Two-Face is producer.
(12:18:06 PM): Nice touch.
(12:18:15 PM): No…
(12:18:18 PM): Won’t work.
(12:18:20 PM) Matt: The Joker might *forget* to kill the contestants now and then. Just because he’s crazy.
(12:18:24 PM): Two-face should have his own show.
(12:18:35 PM): Kind of like the old Incredible Hulk show.
(12:18:42 PM): He wanders from town to town.
(12:18:53 PM): You never know if he’s coming to help… or to kill.
(12:19:02 PM) Matt: I’m still thinking of the game show concept.
(12:19:08 PM) Matt: Welcome back to the second half of the show, everyone.
(12:19:21 PM) Matt: The half where the contestants lose all the money they won in the first half.
(12:19:40 PM) Matt: Wishing you’d saved that 50/50 lifeline now, eh?
(12:19:44 PM): HAH
(2:25:53 PM): Lex: Mercy…!?! Have you seen my gauntlet!?
(2:26:00 PM): Mercy Graves: Did you look behind the curio cabinet?
(2:26:08 PM): Lex: WHY would it be THERE?!?
(2:26:26 PM): Mercy: Because that’s where you threw it after you used it to blast a hole in the television!
Quote of the Day
(2:08:55 PM)
: Power cords/
(2:08:59 PM): Need.
(2:09:02 PM): Power.
(2:09:11 PM): Corrrrrrrrrrrrddddddsssssssssssssss.
(2:09:13 PM): *ahem*
(2:09:13 PM): 🙂
(2:09:44 PM): i’m so taking away your caffeine.
(2:16:04 PM): NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
(2:24:12 PM): Corrrrrrrrrrrrddddddsssssssssssssss.
(2:24:31 PM): POWWWWWEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR Corrrrrrrrrrrrddddddsssssssssssssss.
(2:24:52 PM): (not to be confused with “power chords” or “power corduroy”)
(3:42:38 PM): power corn.
(3:42:47 PM): Hm
(3:42:54 PM): Interesting concept.
(3:45:38 PM): expendable power source. the byproduct is popcorn.
(3:45:49 PM): Genius.
(3:45:51 PM): Pure.
(3:45:55 PM): Unadulterated.
(3:45:57 PM): Genius.
(3:45:59 PM): … and cyanide.
(3:46:04 PM): Even better.
(3:46:30 PM): and butter. mmm. buttery cyanide kettle corn goodness.
Namaste.
I consider it a good omen when:
Rush, Jimmy Buffett and The Time. That’s a good way to start the day.
How is your Wednesday morning music sounding?
Tuesday : 07 March 2006
It was a fairly productive day at work. That’s a good thing. It was also a painful day. That’s not such a good thing. I went for a morning walk – in a pair of new shoes – and came back with painful soon-to-be blisters on the backs of my heels. It wasn’t fun. I’d worn the same pair of shoes a couple of days ago without any problem. So, it didn’t make sense for them to hurt as much as they did. Fortunately, today was also a gym day, so I had a pair of tennis shoes to change into. That helped quite a bit.
Tonight was Shadowrun night. I’m switching to the fourth edition rules, so
I’m tapped, so I’m calling it a night here.
Namaste.
Monday : 06 March 2006
Today was pretty good, even for a Monday. I tackled a couple of problems at work that had been hanging around. That felt good. I also got a favorable response/green light to a project that I want to try. That felt pretty good, too.
Tonight, was D&D night at
Stray Toasters
“All grown-ups were once children. (But few of them remember it).”
–Antoine de Saint-Exupery
– This I Believe: The People Who Love You When No One Else Will
Namaste.
I just rebooted my work computer. I usually start my Eudora and open an instance of Firefox when I restart my system(s), both at home and at work. In that order. Almost every time (99.98% of the time). Even if I’m not actively using them, they are the first two programs opened… unless I’m playing one of the City games, then Eudora and Firefox (and pretty much any/everything else) can go to Hell. From there, I usually open anything else as I need it.
<groove>
Will Smith – I Wish I Made That / Swagga
</groove>
What’s on your player?