Have some cole slaw, Emo...

A prism of hope

2007-04-14T00:10:45Z

From my office window overlooking an immaculately manicured landscape with koi ponds, gazing pools, and willow trees I find myself lost in the spectacle of an enormous double rainbow framing a field of brilliant lightning bolts in the distance.

In blissful moments like this, I do not think about what I need to be happy. I just am.

:tcejbuS

2007-04-11T07:30:02Z

Haunted by the memories of old, broken dreams,
Bitter like the taste of dandelion greens.
Promises unfulfilled, sacred idols set ablaze,
Shadows flittering through my window pane.

No comfortable absolutes offered this time, my friend. Life is a journey not a sightseeing tour. Expect to pave your own roads and post your own signs.

Contentment for a spell

2007-03-14T10:44:23Z

Lately, I don't know what to say. In a week it will be Spring. The year is already off to a great start, but I don't feel like talking about specifics. I am entering a *quiet period*. It is time to watch the changes of the season unfold, breathe in the delicate fragrance of new blooms, and dangle my feet in the cool rushing river of life.

P.S. The aforementioned mystery packages will be shipped out this week. If this means you, watch your mailbox. ;)

Frownlines, Inc. presents

2007-03-03T01:59:24Z

I'm thinking about developing a TV pilot called The Shitties!

The story chronicles the misadventures of a group of friends in their 30's whose bad attitudes have outlived their purpose. During their youth, they wore punk rock t-shirts to school and fought for independence, truth, and identity. Yet unlike the rest of their peers, they refused to move ahead as time marched on. Now, mired in the past, they erroneously believe themselves to be the same rebellious crusaders they've always been, but to everyone else their bad attitudes serve as little more than an ironic reminder of how they've missed the boat entirely.

Blinded by an overinflated sense of pride, the friends spend their time congratulating one another of their superiority over the rest of humanity via snarky bad puns and innuendo. This pervasive form of malignant narcissism further compels them to stalk and gossip about celebrities, politicians, and their peers in an attempt to shoot down "the competition" and thus, hopefully, make themselves feel better by comparison. Predictably, these attempts bomb monstrously, ending in repeated bouts of misery for the group. Despite this, nothing ever changes.

Until...

magically....

...the friends are teleported into the delusional land of The Shitties! It is a place where they discover (at first to their great delight), that everyone who lives there is exactly the same as they are! Callous! Overconfident! Proud! Pathetic! Happiness quickly turns to chaos as the forces of apathy, scapegoating, sarcasm, and jealousy clash against one another in a whirlwind dance of drama. Sewers back up. Toilets overflow. Neighbors engage in fistfights. And nobody does anything about it except stick out their fat lower lip and bitch. Fan-tastical-fun!

Do the friends burrow more deeply into their own schadenfreude? Or can they change their stubborn ways and escape from Shittyland before Social Security kicks in? Tune in and find out! Watch for The Shitties! to be aired on NBC during the fall 2007 season. Or, on LiveJournal all year long.

Lies of the postmodern age, part 29,456

2007-02-17T07:22:02Z

SOBE Life Water, for a life of diabetes.

Contents: Eight teaspoons of sugar. Mysterious yellow water. Elderberries, the kind your father smells of.

Instructions for use: Open lid, pour contents into porcelain basin, press handle. Thank you.

Happy (almost) Chinese New Year! 2007 is the year of the Fire Pig. Time for a banquet!

2007-02-16T01:08:27Z

Pig : 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971 (that's me), 1983, 1995, 2007

With the 2006 year of preparation behind them, those born in a pig year finally come into the full energy of their own sign. With all of the patient pig's attention to detail and hard work, the table has been set for this banquet year and pigs will enjoy sharing the feast with their family, friends and business associates. This will be a lucky year — with prosperity coming from success in business but also from unexpected money. Good fortune in 2007 is ahead for romantic adventures. A marriage for the pig this year is blessed with good omens. Family, always important to the pig, will be well taken care of and the home ruled by the pig will enjoy harmony and good fortune. Old business will be successful and new ventures will be fortunate.

Tell me what animal you are. Not sure? Look here (scroll to the bottom) and then post a reply. Then I'll post your prediction for 2007.

Dos Questionnes

2007-02-15T06:13:33Z

Ladies: Have you ever given a surprise gift of flowers to a boyfriend/husband? Would you? Not for a holiday or anything, but "just because"?

Men: What is the goofiest schmoopy love name you have ever called your sweetie and NOT been punched for it? I've managed to get "my widdle wump woast" through without injury, but it was damn close.

Beware of Captain Beeftooth

2007-02-09T02:53:55Z

If you do not floss your teeth at least once per day, preferably before bed, then you are gross.

Creepy Sea Devil

2007-01-29T09:58:00Z

As a wee 6-year old, I remember getting seriously creeped out by Sea Devil.

The object of this 1972 arcade game was to "shoot the deadly sea devil until time runs out". Inside the machine lurked a scary-looking manta ray that tried to avoid the harpoon bullets. Once hit, the manta squealed horribly and flopped around in pain as blood spurted violently from its body. It was LOUD and graphic. Then a new manta would take its place and the carnage would continue.

Fun, huh? That's the kind of reality-awakening experience that leads to a life of Greenpeace activism.

I found this icky game at an amusement center for very young children. It was Penny Whistle Park of all places! Just imagine it: Mom dropping me off to play with clowns, circus rides, balloons, and SHRIEKING BLOODY DEVIL FISH! No way that would happen at your local Chuck E Cheese. What is the scariest thing in there today? Spongebob?

Sea Devil could only have been a product of the 1970's, a time of weird, wonderful, and frequently unpleasant surprises. Remember when your Saturday morning cartoons would be interrupted by horror movie trailers during the commercial breaks? Remember the tripped-out Krofft Supershows? Remember beauty salons when they were pink and ugly and smelled of harsh chemicals? Ah, those were the glory days of Sea Devil.

It was an inappropriate and gross game, but I remember putting a lot of quarters into it anyway. I guess I liked icky stuff. Didn't you?

Those PC vs. Mac ads

2007-01-20T02:55:49Z

The PC guy is funny. Afraid of spyware. Confused by technology. Overwhelmed by change. Generally paranoid. In other words, a lot like most human beings.

The Apple dude? I'm at a loss. He pretty much just stands there acknowledging how wonderful he is, yet his mind seems to be somewhere else. He must be thinking about his next shopping trip to IKEA. Or his next hair and manicure appointment at Toni and Guy. Not much to say, really.

My results from findyourspot.com, a website for finding your "ideal" place to live.

2007-01-17T11:23:44Z

(per halcyongirl's suggestion)

#1 - Tacoma, Washington
#2 - Norfolk, Virginia
#3 - Hampton, Virginia
#4 - Kent, Washington
#5 - Portland, Oregon
#6 - Eugene, Oregon
#7 - Lynchburg, Virginia
#8 - Olympia, Washington
#9 - Seattle, Washington
#10 - Charleston, West Virginia
#11 - Rocky Mount-Stony Creek, North Carolina
#12 - Corvallis, Oregon
#13 - Asheville, North Carolina
#14 - Provo-Orem, Utah
#15 - Salem, Oregon
#16 - Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#17 - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
#18 - Bellingham, Washington
#19 - Baltimore, Maryland
#20 - Salt Lake City, Utah
#21 - Providence, Rhode Island
#22 - Roanoke, Virginia
#23 - Ogden, Utah
#24 - Durham, North Carolina

Final scores by state:

Washington - 5 votes
Oregon & Virginia - 4 votes each
North Carolina & Utah - 3 votes each
Pennsylvania - 2 votes
Maryland & West Virginia & Rhode Island - 1 vote each

By region:

Pacific Northwest - 9
Mid-Atlantic - 8
South Atlantic - 3
Mountain States - 3
Northeast - 1

Hey... where's San Francisco? I don't see anything in Colorado, California, or New Mexico, either. What's going on here? Must be the housing costs. I set $200K as the median price, so I guess those states are out.

From the offerings presented, the Pacific Northwest would be the first region I would check out. Then Pennsylvania, followed by North Carolina, then... who knows? Since I have not visited any of the states mentioned in the list it would be impossible to choose one without doing some research.

P.S. No, I'm not thinking about moving anytime soon. ;)

The fabulous selling of the white plastic bucket

2006-12-21T11:22:52Z

Call me a curmudgeon, but I am now officially sick and tired of Apple's midriff-shakin', booty boppin', indie rockin', obsequiously-in-love-with-itself advertising. Look! Party in my pants! Worship my clothes! I am SUCH an individual! I have tons of MySpace friends and we're all emo!

Are we headed towards a future where all of our appliances will be the size of a thimble and painted in Dove Bar white? I think not. Last I checked, everything from bluetooth headsets to flatscreen TV's to diagnostic imaging equipment is getting the makeover treatment and not all of it is in "blandicool". Nor is it fantastically overpriced. Nor is it targeted toward gullible fashionistas with an ego complex.

Apple: Enough already. You aren't cool because you say so. You are cool because I say so. Appeal to my intelligence, please. A little is all I ask.

Monty Python's "How Not To Be Seen"

2006-11-30T05:28:12Z

(in Halo, that is... yuk yuk)

Another broadcast from the mountain top

2006-11-27T09:13:11Z

...*cough* actually, it's more like a barstool than a mountain...

Welllllllp, here we are. It's the end of November and 2007 will soon be upon us. How did your year stack up? Great? As expected? Backwards? FUBAR'ed? Whatever your situation, it's about time to wipe the slate clean and start anew.

No complaints here. 2006 was a motorcycle jump across the Grand Canyon and we landed in one piece. Married. Hawaii'ed. DVD'ed. Daft Punk'ed. It's all good. I've already got the roadmap for 2007 down on paper and after Christmas it will be time to twist the handle again and break another distance record.

Misson objective stated. Now let's get down to the details.

Tonight, I watched Bourne Supremacy with Michelle. Didn't like it. The screenplay was a tepid paint-by-numbers arrangement (i.e. "cashing out") with weak dialogue, intrusive background music, and hyperactive camera work that imparted a nauseating effect. Is it really necessary to make seventeen different rapid-fire cuts of a woman picking up a telephone to get the point across? BAM... hand reaches for phone. BAM... phone on hook. BAM... hand stretches. BAM... phone picked up. BAM... phone raised to head. BAM... yo mama! Geez. Enough already. If I wanted total sensory abuse, I'd ride one of those $7 virtual roller coaster simulators at the state fair.

2 1/2 stars out of 5. Poor cinematography aside, Supremacy was a weak conclusion to a promising debut.

Over the holiday weekend, my brother bought a pickup truck. Yee haw, the first gol-dang pickup truck in the family! Actually, he dun purty good with this'un (stop me anytime, please). It is a black 2002 Toyota Tacoma 4-cylinder w/extended cab. Unlike the barrage of over-horsepowered fuel sucking monster trucks around here, the Tacoma is a civilized low-profile machine that gets great gas mileage and thankfully lacks the 'tude. The only drawback is the number of favors he will doubtless earn as Local Friend With Truck. Beware, they'll come a-knockin', pardner!

Sudden flashback: When Michelle and I were stuck waiting at the Miami airport on standby, I purchased a small stack of magazines to pass the time. One of them was a newcomer to me, The Economist. It blew me away. Great editorials and global event coverage with little of the distracting fluff and advertisements that seem to have overtaken other popular periodicals such as Time. Although expensive at $129/year, the quality of information in The Economist justifies the cost. It's my new favorite weekly reader. Anyone else heard of it? Darn good read.

Tip: For a discount and free gift, pull out the holiday subscription card from the nearest newsstand issue. This way, it is $99/year with additional gift subscriptions at $69 each. You also get a free memory stick, which is cool.

Back to the present. I've been playing a lot of Medieval II: Total War in my spare time. As has been described by the gaming media, M2TW is simply the most engrossing, epic, beautiful, and deep simulation of managing a virtual kingdom that has ever been produced. I can confirm that this is true. Every part of it has been agonized over with loving attention to detail. The number of elements under your control is staggering: Princesses, priests, heretics and witches, merchants, diplomats, Mongol invasions, alliances, relations with The Pope, trade routes, naval combat, gunpowder, crusades, rebellions, inquisitors, assassins, the discovery of the "new world", and hundreds upon hundreds of awesome medieval-era troops from Gothic Knights to cow-launching trebuchets. Damn, it just goes on and on and all of it is great.

The voice acting is terrific and is occasionally laugh out loud hilarious. Some of the taunting is reminiscent of Monty Python and The Holy Grail. For example, as the leader of Spain, I sent some strong units of dismounted feudal knights and pavise crossbowmen into France after they violated my treaty and attacked my Portugese allies. Before the battle, my general stirred up his men with a short speech (complete with perfect Spanish accent): "These Frenchmen you see before you are not to be feared. Some say they make better lovers than they do fighters. This is true! Ask any pig, goat, or sheep..." (followed by rousing laughter and applause)

Enough said. M2TW is a monster of a game that oozes quality from every pixel. It will command all of your spare time, but in return you will finally be able to take the Castle Arrrrrrgh from those naughty Frenchmen if you so desire. "Now go away before I taunt you a second time!"

Lots more to discuss, but I'll save it until after my Wii arrives. I'll be sure to give it an honest appraisal from a battle-hardened, Gen-X, Eldergamer perspective. In the meantime, happy holidays and be sure to get together with friends and family this season. The best thing about Christmas time is the people, and that means you. Cheers!

P.S. Consider yourself warned. Not fair? Au contraire!

Out with a BANG

2006-11-14T20:52:28Z

It rocked.

Michelle and I had a BLAST over the weekend. Two days of wild, sexy, and serendipitious fun. Although a ticketing snafu with American Airlines delayed our return and added much headache, it was worth it. We went to Miami to see Daft Punk at the BANG music festival and we were not disappointed. It was my first trip to Miami, and it won't be the last.

Although the music festival was close to downtown Miami, we chose to soak up some local culture and stay at the Sonesta Suites in nearby Coconut Grove. I booked our reservations through Expedia.com and managed to get a much better price than the $225/night I was quoted by the hotel. It was a nice place: Quality bed and pillows, large oval tub, fridge, and mini-kitchenette with accomodating and friendly people on staff. The photographs above overlooking Biscayne Bay were taken from our balcony. The nicest thing about staying here was the location. Sonesta Suites is located right on the edge of "The Grove", making it unnecessary to drive to local haunts.

We arrived on Thursday night about 11:30pm. After checking in and leaving our car with the valet ($19/day... OOF!), we walked into The Grove seeking some night food. We passed a dance club with lines spilling into the street, a hookah bar, and a Starbucks before stumbling across a NY-style pizza counter (I love it NY-style!). I had a GI-normous slice of mushroom and tomato pizza and Michelle's was a sinful feta-mozzarella-spinach-garlic. Crust was crispy and thin from one end to the other... YUM. Then we retreated back to our hotel room for a peaceful night's rest.

On Friday morning we headed further into The Grove. It is similar to Ybor City in Tampa. Noisy restaurants, movie theaters, and clothing stores vye for your attention while tourists and locals rub elbows on the escalators. Michelle and I struck out with a ho-hum lunch at Cafe Med and so-so dessert at Coco Gelato before spotting a French film festival. We agreed to return later in the evening to watch the world premiere of Le Grande Appartment.

This is about the time I began to notice the T&A factor. Lots of sexy latinas and chicas cubanas were strutting their stuff everywhere I looked, and nearly every clothing store catered to this persuasion. Fine by me. I'm with Sir Mix-A-Lot on this one: She gotta pack much back (which, after all, is part of the reason why I am so happily married). The recent words of Mr. Businessman in seat A4 were now ringing in my ears, "DAMN, I LOVE THIS TOWN!". Aha... now I get it.

*ahem* anyway, we returned to the hotel with a couple of bottles of Beck's and enjoyed the view. Perfect 73 degrees and breezy. Ahhhh.

Later that evening, we struck out again with a mediocre dinner at Coco's (arrgh! tourist trap!), but it was fun watching people on the street. Conspicuous consumption was all around us: Designer clothes, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris... oh my! What a circus. Yet it was more fun than off-putting, because it was all about having a good time and being seen. Everyone seemed to be in on the joke. We were enjoying ourselves too.

The French Film festival was a nice departure. I adore French culture, and it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many native speakers of the language. We enjoyed the pleasant little film Le Grande Appartment and returned to our hotel for the night, excited by the imminent arrival of the BANG music festival the next day.

On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at an exceptional French cafe called Le Bouchon du Grove. It was so utterly charming in every way that for a moment I actually forgot I was in Florida. The food and service were stellar and the prices were very reasonable considering the location. I had a plate of eggs benedict with fresh baguette slices and jam, all of it delicious. The colorful owner was on-site, affectionately whistling and clapping his hands at his staff while shouting "allo's" to passing bicyclists. We knew we'd be coming back to this place tomorrow.

(the following day I had a salmon omelette (also magnifique), and Michelle had French toast)

I wanted to see if South Beach lived up to the hype before going to the music festival. Michelle warned me that it wasn't worth it, but I had to see for myself. We crossed the MacArthur Causeway and worked our way from the south end of the Art Deco historic district all the way up to the 195 bridge. My impression? Crowded. Seedy. Tired. Michelle was right. A club-hopper in their 20's might get something out of South Beach, but otherwise I say forget it.

Time for the festival. We park at the Bayside Mall nearby and dare to venture through its bustling halls of unnerving chaos to find a meal. We settle upon a spartan-looking Latin American cafe and enjoy a couple of mojitos. I also ordered something called a plato tipico cubano, or "typical cuban plate". In minutes, a huge platter is set before me. Upon it are boiled potatoes covered in pickled onions, a black bean and rice cassava pilaf w/fried plantains, and a bowl of "fried pork chunks" covered in onions. Chunks? For a moment, I felt like Anthony Bourdain must have felt before he tried the snake juice. Actually, that isn't a fair comparison because the meal wasn't intimidating at all and had loads of flavor. The onions were brushed with seasoned salt and had a zesty vinegar finish... mmmmmm. It whetted my appetite for some "serious" Cuban cuisine.

Finally.... the Bang Festival. So many good bands in one place! The schedule was arranged in a way that made it easy for us to make our selections because very few of the artists we wanted to see overlapped one another. We saw Los Amigos Invisibles, Daft Punk, DJ Tiesto, Thievery Corporation, and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley.

First up: Los Amigos Invisibles (stage 2). Going in, all I knew about this band was that they were associated with David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, and that they wrote that silly, funky, finger-snapping song called "Cuchi Cuchi" that is impossible to get out of your mind after hearing it. The Amigos performed tracks from their most recent release, The Venezuelan Zinga Son. The entire set was in Spanish. It occasionally got fun and funky, but overall their too-mellow interpretation of the latin beat didn't quite grab me by the waistline. Rating: B-

Next: Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the big stage (stage 1). This guy covered a lot of Bob Marley's material and was quite good at it. His backup band had the same house sound as the original Marley recordings. Also onstage was a Jamaican energetically waving a huge flag (his arms never got tired), and a pair of spirited backup singers with explosive, tight movements. Soul sisters can shake it, jah! The crowd was really into this band and so were we. After all, we've long since memorized the lyrics. Rating: A

And then: DJ Tiesto (trance stage). This guy is good. Real good. He seemed to know that Daft Punk was next and was doing everything he could to outdo them. I can understand why he earned the "Best DJ in the world" award three years running. Fresh beats, killer tension, crowd totally engaged. I would have liked to see Tiesto all the way through, but Thievery Corporation was starting 30 minutes into the set. Rating (for the segment I saw): A+

After that: Thievery Corporation (back to stage 2). Michelle and I have wildly divergent opinions of this band. She liked them a lot, and I thought they blew chunks (yes, this even coming from a Musical Starstreams fan, go figure). They pick good genres of music to borrow from, but the execution strikes me as something a freshman junior college class might come up with for a group art project. My criticism is partly due to the impossibly pretentious attitude of the vocalists, who seemed to believe that their middling performance was nothing short of Godlike Perfection. Please. This was the whitest Starbucks background music I've heard in a month. I might have been conned into believing the hype if they hadn't screamed "Thievery Corporation! Thievery Corporation! Give it up for Thievery Corporation!" throughout the set. I wasn't buying the sales pitch. The entire performance was almost as uncool as watching G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band do a remix tour of mainstream 80's hits such as "Caribbean Queen". Ugh.

OK, sarcasm aside, Thievery Corporation delivered little more than repackaged and re-funkified smooth jazz for the iPod generation. I think they should rename themselves to "Snooze Bar" and write it in fancy arabic lettering so that nobody knows what it really means. Rating: (a rather generous) C+.

Finally: Daft Punk (house stage). At last... a live multimedia performance by the world's most popular electronica dance group at the peak of their creative powers. We left Thievery Corporation early in order to secure a good spot directly in front of the mixing console. We were 30 minutes early and the place was already getting full. As the minutes ticked by, the crowds spilled toward us from the other venues until the place was packed. I practically had to keep my hands pinned to my sides, but I didn't care. The Time Had Arrived.

A robotic voice blasted out from the pyramid, and everyone went crazy.

AT THIS POINT, I SHOULD MENTION OUR ETYMOTIC ER20 EAR PLUGS. HAD WE NOT WORN THEM, WE WOULD BE GETTING OUR EARS CHECKED AT A HEARING SPECIALIST TODAY. THIS WAS THE LOUDEST CONCERT I HAVE EVER ATTENDED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. POWERFUL SOUND WAVES BLASTED THROUGH THE AUDIENCE LIKE INVISIBLE TSUNAMIS, NEARLY RIPPING OUT OUR BODY HAIR, CLOTHING, AND INTERNAL ORGANS. I COULD ACTUALLY *SEE* HOW LOUD IT WAS, BECAUSE MY EYEBALLS WERE VIBRATING WITHIN MY SKULL. SCARY LOUD, NO JOKE. WE WERE SPARED, JUST BARELY, BY OUR EAR PLUGS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING A PAIR, BECAUSE UNLIKE THE FOAMY EARPLUGS AT THE DRUGSTORE, THESE PRESERVE THE SOUND QUALITY. BUY THEM HERE.

I didn't take my camera into the festival, but the video above should give you a fair idea of the over-the-top intensity of the show. F'ing amazing, man!! SO worth the trip. Don't worry if you didn't get to see it yourself, because rumor has it that a DVD will be issued of the live show. I wonder if we will be on it? Could be!

We left the festival immediately afterward because nothing was going to top what we had just seen. I bet Duran Duran was pissed that Daft ran 30 minutes over schedule and stole a good chunk of their crowd.

Returning home was a real pain. The American Airlines scheduling computer did not recognize our arrival until it was too late to check in. We waited on standby (at MIA, appropriately) for an incredible 32 hours before finally getting home. Ridiculous. Still, the discomfort was offset by the pleasure of simply being together, reading books, and thinking about our next major outing. Love conquers all. :)

That does it for 2006. Only the holidays remain, then onward to 2007 with gusto. Hasta luego, amigos... and thanks for reading as always.

Poll time!

2006-11-08T02:07:31Z

View Poll: #862743

Or submit your own reason via a reply (will be screened).

Instant heart attack

2006-11-03T11:55:27Z

I know Halloween is officially over, but these terrifying pieces of furniture made by the Scarefactory are simply too damn cool not to post about.

Doing my part to pitch in and help

2006-11-02T08:29:53Z

As Jeff "Syntax of Things" has mentioned, "Remember, it takes a village of many to slay a dragon this size."

slow down

2006-11-01T07:22:30Z

"Only that day dawns to which we are awake." ~Henry David Thoreau

Ohhhhhhhh my head..... what a night!

2006-10-30T07:53:39Z

Our Halloween party was a rip-roaring success! SO much fun. Michelle and I spent a month planning it. She created a huge spread of sinfully indulgent treats (pictured above), whereas my job was to transform the house into a spooky discotheque. We were very pleased with the results.

The coolest thing on the table was the brain spread. It looked so real, some of our guests were afraid to eat it!

This was our first "bring the house down" type of party. Lots of fancy drinks, loud music, and rump-shakin' going on all night. I'm amazed the neighbors didn't call the police because we had the subwoofer up LOUD until well after midnight.

Everyone liked the club lighting FX. I used a disco ball w/2 pinspots, fog machine, and an American DJ Mini-Aggressor II. The only drawback was that the ambient light level was a bit too bright. I plan to remedy this next year by replacing the disco ball and Mini-Aggressor II with a more advanced laser/gobo/strobe system. This will give the room that true "dark club" look. Should be FUN!

Michelle has an amazing ability to get people energized. I think she left a few zombie bite marks on our guests and subsequently earned herself a lap dance. Ha! Michelle really knows how to have fun. She can whip any room into action.

Benjamin was dressed as Master Chief from the Halo series. His cardboard box interpretation contained a speaker system w/wrist-mounted MP3 player. He totally had the low budget Robot Rock thing down. Ned is on the left in his grumpy old man outfit. GOTTA LOVE those black kneehigh socks, ya geezer. We saw lots of great costumes that night!

"Gus" is the mischevious disembodied head that haunted the bathroom. I sneakily hung him in the corner of the shower stall for maximum effect. Guests entering the bathroom had no idea he was there until it was too late. He scared a few people real good.

We've named our undead greeter, "Chauncey". He's a fearsome-looking fellow who is actually quite nice once you get to know him. He is the butler who used to serve the previous tenants of the house. Instead of passing on, he has chosen to stay and continue with his duties. Poor Chauncey never gets anything productive done because he always frightens everyone away. In the photo above, he is bringing me a chain to fix the broken gate. Appearances can be deceiving. Ah, but try explaining that to a horde of fleeing children... they won't listen.

Michelle's Livejournal has more photos and a video of the dancefloor... so hop on over and check it out!

Ranking Sir Kubrick

2006-10-27T10:13:03Z

Worship them:

#1 Barry Lyndon
#2 2001: A Space Odyssey

Love them:

#3 A Clockwork Orange
#4 Dr. Strangelove

Really like them:

#5 Full Metal Jacket
#6 The Shining

Has many fine moments, but doesn't work for me overall:

#7 Eyes Wide Shut

I have not watched the rest:

Lolita
Spartacus
Paths of Glory
The Killing
Killer's Kiss
The Seafarers
Fear and Desire
Day of the Fight
Flying Padre

Because the time is right

2006-10-27T05:58:20Z

Your friendly neighborhood Halloween search engine. Go ahead, click for spooky things in tha 'hood.

nickdangerous @ 2006-10-24T03:12:00

2006-10-24T08:12:51Z

After watching a recent political ad featuring Michael J. Fox, I feel like I've been punched in the gut. It is difficult for me to see Mr. Fox suffering with Parkinson's like this, because his role in Back To The Future was such an ideal manifestation of the flashy optimism of the 1980's.

I'm not bringing this up to debate the merits of embryonic stem cell research, nor discuss the political motivations behind it. My heart goes out to Michael. That is all.

Daft Punk in Miami, November 11

2006-10-06T06:09:35Z

Rarely does lightning strike twice, but in my case it may happen. I'm *this close* to buying two tickets to Miami.

Daft Punk's final appearance will be at the Miami BANG Music Festival, November 11th.

How important is this concert? Words fail me. It is the pinnacle of electronic-themed audiovisual performance art. Concerts like this do not come around very often, perhaps once in a decade at best. The elements have to be just right: Technology, creativity, and visceral experience all fused into one singular vision. Daft Punk has that vision and their timing couldn't be better. They are riding the wave of one of the best selling electronica dance albums of all time and have put together a live show that lives up to the hype. Miami's Bang Festival may very well be the last opportunity to witness such a high level of artistry in this medium. It's a very big deal that everyone, and I mean everyone, has fervently raved about "around the world".

I'd have to pull a favor or two at work to make the trip happen, but if any event is worth stretching for, this would be it.

Florida peeps, I urge you to attend. This is the mother of all electronica concerts, and it is the final showing before the curtain closes for good. Beg, borrow, or steal... just be there.

Just be there.

Stoking the blast furnace

2006-10-05T10:57:32Z

Yours truly is beginning another phase of personal change. I'm not exactly sure how it will play out, but the general theme is always the same: I need to tweak the daily routine to get more out of life.

This seems to happen about every three years. It is usually preceded by a period of raging silence followed by explosive creativity. I feel edgy. Unsettled. Dangerous. Time to crank up The Posies and get down to business.