Wednesday
Rebuild Day 2 of God-only-knows-how-many…

Do you remember the Death Star in Return of the Jedi? It looked half-built, but was actually fully functional? That’s what DS9 (my Windows PC) is like now; it works and just about everything is ready for reinstallation. Except, I’m still having an issue with the drivers for my video card. Specifically, the card is about two years old (give or take), I have two ATI CDs here and either could be the one that I need and the ATI site isn’t being forthcoming about which package to get for my card. Whoop-de-fuck. I’ll get it figured out, but it’s a bit irritating. At least the rest of the system seems to be functioning properly.

To unwind somewhat – and to keep me from punting computer parts all over the HCC – I took some time to watch a little Wednesday night television and some things that I had taped over the past couple of weeks. That kept my head from going all splodey. And that’s a good thing. Included in this were the season premiere of Smallville, the last episodes of Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: Clone Wars and three of the four previously unreleased episodes of Samurai Jack. A few things I noted:

  • This season of Smallville should prove interesting. As Warner Bros. and DC have decided to tie the series into the Superman mythology, I’m curious to see how they retcon things to make them fit.
  • “Episode L” of Samurai Jack was film noir-inspired. I like that.
  • “Episode LI” reminded me of Disney’s The Lion King, in many ways.
  • “Episode LII” had a “Lone Wolf and Cub” feel to it.
  • I forget which episode it was, but one of the Clone Wars shorts reminds us just how bad a man Jedi Master Mace Windu is. One man alone against a droid army? No problem. Against a devastating warship? He’s got that covered, too. And, he even had time to share a smile with a young boy who saw the battle from a distant hilltop.

NPR and Other News
Morning Edition: Don Flavin’s Fantastic Lights
Day to Day: Two Hip-Hop Documentaries from Russell Simmons

Stray Toasters

  • I called Dad for his birthday. All’s well there. He, my stepmother, Rana and John went out for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Downtown. At Harborplace. In the Pratt Street Pavilion. *sigh* Just a few, short steps from Philip’s, in the Light Street Pavilion.
  • Dennis Farina is on Law & Order now, having replaced Jerry Orbach. I like him; he’s been a favorite actor of mine since I became aware of him on NBC’s Crime Story in the early 80s.
  • Static Shock is getting new life on Cartoon Network. That’s pretty cool.
  • For a reason I have yet to determine (casting a sidelong glance at ), for the past few days, I have had Smashmouth’s Padrino running through my head when I wake up. It’s even more peculiar since I haven’t heard that song in a couple of years.
  • “You’re like some kind of giant black hole that only sucks out joy…”

  • Counterweights.
  • I had a “Star Wars meets Pink Floyd” moment while watching the Clone Wars episode in which the young boy watches Mace Windu fight the Imperial droids. He hears a rumbling in the distance before running off to see what it is. For some reason, “A Delicate Sound of Thunder” came to mind. My next thought was “The sound of war is as the distant sound of thunder over the hills.”
  • I don’t see what all the kvetching about the new web interface for entries is all about. It’s not that bad. Hell, I don’t think it’s bad at all. Granted, I usually post using a client, but this isn’t unreasonable.
  • It seems as though there will be a few changes to the Legion lineup when “The Legion of Super-Heroes” reboots – this will be the 6th such reboot for this series; it’s had more reinventions than Madonna’s image. One of the changes: Thom Kallor (Star Boy) will be African-American. I’m not sure if this is being done to add a little more diversity to the mix, as was the case with adding John Stewart to Justice League Unlimited, but I look forward to seeing how he’s handled.
  • Gummy worms!
  • : I believe you mentioned that you have Battlefield 1942, don’t you? Check these out when you get a chance:
    http://www.galactic-conquest.net
    http://www.bfpirates.com (Yes, a pirate mod.)
    http://www.bf1982.com
    http://www.wl2042.com (That’s an “L”… and this is a “Mad Max” mod.)

  • Gizmo has gone to the most vile and wretched time period in all the history of time.”

Quote of the Day
Jess got a subscription to Entertainment Weekly. I was thumbing through the October 8th issue and came across the follow:

Obviously, it’s not nice to shoot people.”
Former Long Island Lolita, Amy Fisher, discussing her crime on The Oprah Winfrey Show

I… really don’t have anything else to add to that. Well, maybe “No shit.” *shrug* Maybe was onto something when she said that we should stop mollycoddling the stupid and the weak and let a little social Darwinism come into play.

And with that… good night.

Namaste.