This Title Intentionally Left Blank

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:13:59 GMT

Test post from ping.fm, another droll webish thing I'll undoubtedly ignore after 72 hours

Transition

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:55:23 GMT

You might have noticed that I've ditched this place. I'll maintain it for my friends list, but people who want to follow what I get up to should take a look at http://www.apotheos.net

Angels in America

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:50:47 GMT

So we saw Angels in America : A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, Part I: Millenium Approaches last night. It was performed by the local University theatre department. Good god, what a fucking mouthful that name is.

It was surprisingly competently acted for University theatre, but the star performer was without a doubt the script which was ascerbic and witty and clever as you would expect a Pulitzer winning script to be. It was a bit anticlimactic as, plot wise, the fucking thing didn't make any sense having stopped half way through the narrative. I'm not sure how the play made the splash it did back in the early eighties as this is how it was originally performed, with a giant obnoxious cliffhanger.

I can accept cliffhangers in episodic television. It sucks so much punch out of a dramatic performance.

What the FUCK?

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 08:01:51 GMT

This must be the sign of the apocalypse we have all been dreading.

Yes. That is actually BNL. Yes. That is the language "Simlish" from The Sims videogames.

Not Dead

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 04:15:25 GMT

Despite conspicuous tequila consumption, I did not die in Mexico. Internet access on the boat was slow and fifty cents a minute so I couldn't communicate freely.

Mardi Gras

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:40:32 GMT

Mardi Gras isn't nearly as seedy as Girls Gone Wild paints it out to be. If I was the City of New Orleans, I'd sue them for slander or something. There is basically one street that has the capacity to degrade into drunken debauchery, but on a night like last night - a Thursday, locals presumably at home - it was pretty tame. Yes, there were some tits, not much. More to be found if you went out looking for it. But 80% of people on Bourbon Street were not the sort to leer at the ladies. The other 20% were, and were kind of disgusting looking, and most of the ladies ignored them completely. The only place I saw beads being thrown from a balcony was at a strip club trying to drive up business. All in all, kind of sad.

However the rest of New Orleans is definitely festive, if not really fucking cold (3 degrees C last night). Parades flow down the city streets and beads fly around everywhere. 99% of beads I've seen have been unconnected with acts of exhibitionism, which gives me some hope for humanity.

Dinner was excellent last night, although finding a place to eat was a bit of a challenge. Ended up at an almost-bar type place that created some very satisfying creole/cajun food that seemed entirely home cooked, although I can't say much about its authenticity although it was yummy. Unfortunately their bar prices are pretty ridiculous and the bill was considerable. ($8 for a single, $10 for a double, but only $3 for a beer. Don't ask me to explain the logic behind this pricing)

Last day in NOLA today, more tours booked and planned. The Gray Line "Ghost Tour" last night was mostly if not entirely retarded, even if we did get to see a haunted house that Nicolas Cage just bought. All that made me do was think about how lame lame lame Ghost Rider is going to be, yet simultaneously how someone I know is going to love it (for reasons unknown).

Holy Shit This City is Broken

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:58:00 GMT

In body, but not in spirit.

We did a Hurricane Katrina tour and while I don't have time to process the images I can share some thoughts.

I was completely taken aback by the level of devastation found over a year later. Neighborhoods that were 70% abandoned and tilting wrecks with a few families eking out a living amidst the rubble. The stain of the water line on the buildings was a constant companion as we toured areas of all income levels. The guide taught us how to interpret the symbol left on the buildings by the rescuers to indicate a structure had been cleared. Very few of these documented civilian casualties, but many indicated dead cats and dogs. Some buildings had painted-on cell phone numbers as a calling card for the residents that had permanently deserted the dwelling.

The tale told of how/why Katrina happened (the Federal Government has always been assholes) and why there is so much damage left unrepaired (the Federal Government is still being assholes) is subject to interpretation of the bias of the presenters. However, the evidence of the situation is undeniable and extremely substantial. Vast areas of the city bore the look of a woman having just been sexually assaulted and then had the police tell her it was her fault for having been/done something. Very tragic.

I hope to get some images up, perhaps I'll just do a dump, so you can see what I saw. But I'm a shitty photographer so don't hold your breath waiting for it. Certainly there must be better evidence of the situation out there already online.

Personal Note: I was born in the same city as the founder of New Orleans.

N'awlins!

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:27:53 GMT

So hot on the heels of my Vancouver adventure (fully funded by work) we are on a family vacation to The Big Easy. Not just my wife, but most of my inlaws and some of their family as well. We departed yesterday and as you can see we don't pack lightly.

Note the princess decor of my 11 year old daughter. She lives with her mom, so her room doubles as a luggage staging area.

We flew through Houston, Texas, so now I can say I've officially been to Texas, the place where dildos are illegal. Awesome. No photos of that though, its just another god damned airport.

So we are here now, and waiting for the inlaws to arrive. Here is what it looks like from the 24th floor of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

That there is the Mississippi, the river with the oddest name that everyone everywhere can spell perfectly every time. I don't know why the public school systems are so fond of the alliterative capacities of its name, but at least I didn't need to Wikipedia it to get it right. Bonus.

Nothing much to report yet despite it being the middle of Mardi Gras. We got in at 11 and promptly had no end of trouble finding a place to eat. The all-day dining restaurant in the hotel was closed, which makes one question their definition of all-day. It was the remains of Valentines Day when we got back from the casino where we "enjoyed" thoroughly average sandwiches that cost too much so we proceeded to enjoy the merits of a king sized bed. I'm not going to blog about that.

But I did ask Jen to show me some Mardi Gras spirit this morning.

She doesn't know I'm posting that. Don't tell her. (pro tip: I'm kidding. She knows)

We've got 2 days of tours lined up. First is a tour of Hurricane Katrina damage. Yes, pretentious tourists busing through the Ninth Ward. I wonder if I should get some singles to throw out the window to ease my guilt. I hope the tour company gives the locals a cut of the proceeds but I bet they don't.

Vancouver!

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:59:02 GMT

So welcome to Vancouver. We're here for Web Directions North and its 2 in the morning local time (3 my time) and I can't fucking sleep. I can't remember the last time I was this far away from my wife. I wish she was here.

The city was foggy when we arrived and has been foggy since. I wish I'd taken more photos, but this will have to do. Its the view from the arrivals bus stop.

(right click -> view image for larger)

My room is pretty much the most mediocre room I've stayed in in ages. Check out its mediocrity.

Indeed, it features an obnoxious grate in the ceiling that rattles when the cooling is on. I found with a little pressure on the grate from below it would shut the hell up. It was time to brainstorm up a more permanent solution so I could get some sleep.

I really can't wait to go home. Thats a pretty lame way to start such a trip, huh?

Lets be Honest for a Moment

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 07:39:24 GMT

The only reason I keep this livejournal is to keep tabs on Akolade and Phenyx in one convenient location. I have nothing interesting to write here. I have lots interesting to write, but I fear rejection if I reveal my inner thoughts. So I will die having them unspoken and unread.

In unrelated news, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a while:

For Paul

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 22:56:17 GMT

Password Management for OS X

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 21:17:15 GMT

Looking for a Mac OS X password manager? Check out 1passwd.

Looking for a kick as way to kill some time and get some free Mac apps? Check out Macheist. Email me if you need an invite.

Hey!You Say You're Getting Tired Of Lettuce&Tomato Hamburgers In This Town That Don't Quite Make It?

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:32:30 GMT

Children And Addictive Things

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 01:42:19 GMT

World of Warcraft

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 19:36:41 GMT

Conversation at our house:

Me: "Do you think Paul hates me?"
Wife: "No, I think he hates me."

...on the occasion of the delivery of a 10 day guest pass to World of Warcraft.

My Dream App = Crap

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:49:27 GMT

So, don't know if you follow My Dream App (http://www.mydreamapp.com), so the summary is that it pitted conceptual ideas against each other with the winner to have their product actually developed.

The winner is a fucking desktop widget for weather. YAY WEATHER. I look out the fucking window for that.

Indeed, the top 3 were all shit.

What a disgraceful waste of time.

And Knowing Is Half The Battle

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 20:43:24 GMT

(Yes I Know Its Old)

Vulgar Expression of Understatement

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 01:41:01 GMT

While out for dinner with my wife and her best friend...

Me: Said or did something silly, as per ususal.
Best Friend: "You know, I'm starting to get the idea how wierd it must be to live with you."
Me: "Sweetheart, thats like finding a dead Jew in a closet and thinking you understand the holocaust"
Women: ...

*peals of laughter ensue*

Flashback on Youtube

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 00:18:09 GMT

Still awesome 30 years later.

On Novels That Are Graphic

Sat, 07 Oct 2006 23:26:46 GMT

Chapters was having a sale on Marvel graphic novels. While I've gotten into the Sandman and Alan Moore "serious business" novels I've really avoided the realms of mainstream comicdom as I find them convoluted and a bit silly.

But following a name I know I did snatch up the paperback of this since it seemed like a safe diversionary sidestory authored by Gaiman:

Marvel 1602

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_1602

I was also interested in the Whedon-authored X-Men books, but only volume 2 was on sale. Way to go, stupid Chapters.

Do I Make You Horny? A little? Cool.

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:22:33 GMT

http://www.invisibleengine.com/shorts/foley.html

c:\pq1vga\pq.bat

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 16:49:19 GMT

So, what did I do this weekend?

Thats right bitches. I kicked it old school.

Yo Dawg!

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 17:36:05 GMT

Suicide Girls Are Fucking Hot

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:29:26 GMT

So, we made the trek up to Calgary for the Suicide Girls Burlesque Road Show, or whatever the fuck its called. It was a 2 hour drive, followed by a few hours of shopping, an excellent Greek dinner, and then 4 hours of standing. This was of course followed by an hour of getting out of town (disregarding traffic signals due to booze and bloodflow being redirected from brain) and 2 hours to drive home. Home at 3, and sleep sometime around 4:15. You can fill in the blanks with the rest, you naughty people.

So, how about that show? Doors opened at 8 but it was nearly 9 before the line sorted itself out. We were on Will Call, but that still took for bloody ever. Thankfully nobody seemed interested in forming a floor crowd until well after we got there, so we were well positioned. Around 9:45 the opening band that was totally forgettable (if only due to utterly incomprhensible lyrics from the cute as hell lead singer) and we had to wait until just after 10:30 for the girls to hit the stage. I really feel bad for the poor people in the back because while we got quite an eyefull even in the third row of the floor it was a bit hard to see.

Anyway, the opening bits of it were a bit boring. The ensemble first act set the stage, but the first few acts after it were - oh, thats nice. Things did get a lot more erotic from then on in, aided by the woman behind me who seemed to have no issues with personal space. Was she intentionally bumping me? Hell if I know. I just enjoyed the fuck out of it. The later routines - a glowing hoola-hoop act, a "lets dump beer over everyone in the front 5 rows and then all over my extremely lovely titties" act, the renowed Reservoir Dog act - man, extremely hot. Wife thought they were hot to, but she had her limit of standing come 20 minutes before the end. Also, it was too crowded to smoke so that was a bit of a pain.

So, all in all, a lot of fun, but I'm feeling a bit too old for it. I need a nap.

Oh, and I saw a girl I knew fairly well in high school. She seemed to either not recognize me or avoided me, but I heard via the grape vine that since she came out as a lesbian she doesn't talk much with people from back in the closet days. It was a bit of a shame as I always rather liked her.

Holy Shit What The Fuck Is Wrong With Gwen Stefani

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:33:59 GMT

My music collection consists of primarily CDs I own, however along the way some arbitrary collections of MP3s from the work network share have been added. Over time its primarily been culled because the people I work with have terrible taste in music. But most of the time I'm just too fucking lazy to swap over to iTunes and cull the bad bad songs when they slip into the party shuffle.

But it happened today, and I note it because it was quite violent. I had to purge all traces of No Doubt from my library because sweet fucking christ that is terrible terrible music. I can't believe people voluntarily listen to that.