Raed and Nikki, sitting in a tree, blogging there for all to see! Raed and the Irani, my new must-read blog: he's Iraqi, she's Irani, together they're
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Two Minutes of Hate
That's my new nickname for the 7th inning stretch at Yankees games. As far as I know, the Yankees are the only team to shove in fans' faces not only the obligatory war song (aka the National Anthem, even though I hope the Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful might still merit reconsideration as our country's anthem someday) before the game but "God Bless America" during stretch time. That used to be when "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was sung, and I think it still is, everywhere but Yankee Stadium. Anyway, so I usually leave the room during the stretch 'cause, you know, I miss "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and I think blending church and state in a martial ditty and obligating everyone to stand for it (in more ways than one) is a poor substitute. But I'm sorry I didn't watch it yesterday. Seems Dick "Go Fuck Yourself" Cheney was in the stands, and during the 7th inning stretch the right-field videoboard shows camera shots of "famous" people in the crowd - and when Cheney's visage was shown the fans booed the hell out of him! Goodness only knows, if a Yankee crowd (usually a comparatively conservative bunch) doesn't even let a church-and-state martial ditty stop them from booing the current holder of the Vice Presidency, what will happen when the VP's party comes to NYC in a few months...
That's my new nickname for the 7th inning stretch at Yankees games. As far as I know, the Yankees are the only team to shove in fans' faces not only the obligatory war song (aka the National Anthem, even though I hope the Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful might still merit reconsideration as our country's anthem someday) before the game but "God Bless America" during stretch time. That used to be when "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was sung, and I think it still is, everywhere but Yankee Stadium. Anyway, so I usually leave the room during the stretch 'cause, you know, I miss "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and I think blending church and state in a martial ditty and obligating everyone to stand for it (in more ways than one) is a poor substitute. But I'm sorry I didn't watch it yesterday. Seems Dick "Go Fuck Yourself" Cheney was in the stands, and during the 7th inning stretch the right-field videoboard shows camera shots of "famous" people in the crowd - and when Cheney's visage was shown the fans booed the hell out of him! Goodness only knows, if a Yankee crowd (usually a comparatively conservative bunch) doesn't even let a church-and-state martial ditty stop them from booing the current holder of the Vice Presidency, what will happen when the VP's party comes to NYC in a few months...
Social Notes
Looks like I'll be taking the bus into work tomorrow (*sigh*), as it just makes more sense to take Metro North into Manhattan (40 minutes) for an evening event than to drive back home (half an hour) then hop a bus to the subway (an hour at least, all told). Tomorrow night we'll be at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art at MoCCA's benefit for Dave Cockrum, where I'll get to meet Cliff for the first time and see Robin's (and others') art for the Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute book on display. I was also considering schlepping into the city next Tuesday for the NYC Lefty Blogger Invitational but, from what MadKane tells me, Rocky Sullivan's is a fairly tiny bar and I don't do well in cramped quarters...
Looks like I'll be taking the bus into work tomorrow (*sigh*), as it just makes more sense to take Metro North into Manhattan (40 minutes) for an evening event than to drive back home (half an hour) then hop a bus to the subway (an hour at least, all told). Tomorrow night we'll be at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art at MoCCA's benefit for Dave Cockrum, where I'll get to meet Cliff for the first time and see Robin's (and others') art for the Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute book on display. I was also considering schlepping into the city next Tuesday for the NYC Lefty Blogger Invitational but, from what MadKane tells me, Rocky Sullivan's is a fairly tiny bar and I don't do well in cramped quarters...
Silly Site o' the Day
Via Rana at Frogs and Ravens, it's the Japanese Name Generator! According to them, my Japanese name is Hasegawa (long valley river) Rie (village painting), which I think sounds a lot like a baseball player's name. I wish I could post the Japanese characters, but for some reason Blogger won't let me, it keeps turning them into question marks.
Via Rana at Frogs and Ravens, it's the Japanese Name Generator! According to them, my Japanese name is Hasegawa (long valley river) Rie (village painting), which I think sounds a lot like a baseball player's name. I wish I could post the Japanese characters, but for some reason Blogger won't let me, it keeps turning them into question marks.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Comment Trend
Peter David's switched to a registration system for his comments. Billmon has eliminated his comment section altogether, having no interest in policing it. Me, I can't even remember when my comments have been in the double digits, and on the few occasions I've deleted unwanted rude comments I haven't publicly angsted over it (I'm a firm believer that the less attention you give trolls the better, and that there's a difference between free speech - which would be, like, starting your own blog - and crashing a party for the sole purpose of throwing up on the attendees), so I'm afraid I live in a completely different world from these folks.
Peter David's switched to a registration system for his comments. Billmon has eliminated his comment section altogether, having no interest in policing it. Me, I can't even remember when my comments have been in the double digits, and on the few occasions I've deleted unwanted rude comments I haven't publicly angsted over it (I'm a firm believer that the less attention you give trolls the better, and that there's a difference between free speech - which would be, like, starting your own blog - and crashing a party for the sole purpose of throwing up on the attendees), so I'm afraid I live in a completely different world from these folks.
Bugging Me
You know, BugMeNot is a fine idea and all, theoretically it's nice to have a resource which can give you a temporary login and password so that you don't have to give places like the NY Times and LA Times and Chicago Tribune your personal details in order to register to read an article or two on their sites - but only if it works. I went through about 14 duds for the NY Times one before I hit an operational login/password. Either the Times is scouring this site and eliminating those logins or BugMeNot doesn't have enough people clicking on "This Login Didn't Work." Then again, maybe it's me, I could never get the NYT Link Generator to work for me either...
You know, BugMeNot is a fine idea and all, theoretically it's nice to have a resource which can give you a temporary login and password so that you don't have to give places like the NY Times and LA Times and Chicago Tribune your personal details in order to register to read an article or two on their sites - but only if it works. I went through about 14 duds for the NY Times one before I hit an operational login/password. Either the Times is scouring this site and eliminating those logins or BugMeNot doesn't have enough people clicking on "This Login Didn't Work." Then again, maybe it's me, I could never get the NYT Link Generator to work for me either...
Monday, June 28, 2004
Stonewall at 35
Jason Kimble, who's been doing great Pride posts all month, reminds us that today is the 35th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. Here's a reprint of a Daily News article written at the time. Here's a reminiscence from Neil McKenna, and here's one from a policeman on the scene. And here's the website of the Stonewall Veterans' Association. Did you know that a couple nights ago the cops and patrons involved had a reunion dinner?
Jason Kimble, who's been doing great Pride posts all month, reminds us that today is the 35th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. Here's a reprint of a Daily News article written at the time. Here's a reminiscence from Neil McKenna, and here's one from a policeman on the scene. And here's the website of the Stonewall Veterans' Association. Did you know that a couple nights ago the cops and patrons involved had a reunion dinner?
Future Car
Having a ball so far driving to and from work - as I suspected, I don't miss public transit commuting at all! - and I actually timed myself and clocked the mileage today. Half an hour from door to door to go a total of 10.6 miles, in a combination of highways (up to 60mph) and local streets (traffic-dependent but usually no more than maybe 25mph). Augie DeBlieck reports on Hyundai's plans to release its first hybrid next year, so I figure by the time the hybrid version of the Sonata is mass-produced in a large enough quantity to be affordable I'll be ready for a trade-in. :)
Having a ball so far driving to and from work - as I suspected, I don't miss public transit commuting at all! - and I actually timed myself and clocked the mileage today. Half an hour from door to door to go a total of 10.6 miles, in a combination of highways (up to 60mph) and local streets (traffic-dependent but usually no more than maybe 25mph). Augie DeBlieck reports on Hyundai's plans to release its first hybrid next year, so I figure by the time the hybrid version of the Sonata is mass-produced in a large enough quantity to be affordable I'll be ready for a trade-in. :)
Dawgs Playing Poker
The funniest blog entry I've read all day so far is The Poor Man's version of a poker game with Dick Cheney.
The funniest blog entry I've read all day so far is The Poor Man's version of a poker game with Dick Cheney.
Silly Site o' the Day
Via Mustang Bobby, a short and sweet grammar quiz. Most bloggers who've taken it seem to get at least 9 out of 10. Me? What do you think? :)
Via Mustang Bobby, a short and sweet grammar quiz. Most bloggers who've taken it seem to get at least 9 out of 10. Me? What do you think? :)
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
This one's started making the rounds, but I'll credit Barista for it as it's the first place I saw it: Dog toy or marital aid? You decide.
This one's started making the rounds, but I'll credit Barista for it as it's the first place I saw it: Dog toy or marital aid? You decide.
Saturday, June 26, 2004
MoCCA Art Fest Report
I'm getting too old for this. :) We figured we'd only be at the festival for about an hour or two today, and we were right. After taking care of household stuff in the morning, including having our cable feed into the bedroom fixed (the technician, a comics reader who departed happily with a whole mess of Rob's books under his arm, had to replace a cable that had been chewed through by a squirrel), we hopped public transit into Manhattan and arrived at the Puck Building around 3 PM, the festival in full swing. As is usual for me, having been involved in the New York City comics community for a couple decades now, I ran into friends from the moment we arrived until the time we left, which of course was why I come to these things. Saw and chatted with Rich Watson, Allan Rosenberg (talent coordinator for the Big Apple Con, and we're now officially booked to attend the National in November and sit near Adam and Allison!), Heidi MacDonald, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, Sarah Dyer (who had great things to say about the Freelancers Union!) and Evan Dorkin, Alex Simmons, Jackie Estrada and Batton Lash, Abby Denson, Jenny Gonzalez, Mai from Shoujocon, Randi Mason, Joey Cavalieri, Nick Barrucci, Maureen McTigue, Martha Thomases, Dave Roman and John Green, MoCCA head honcho Lawrence Klein and probably others I'm leaving out. Alas, Hilda Terry won't be at the Friends of Lulu table until tomorrow. I also met, for the first time, the very talented cartoonist and fellow blogger Mikhaela Reid, and as increasingly true in the NYC-based comics/culture blogging community we "recognized" each other right away (although I was surprised to find out she was white; for some reason I've always pictured her as black). Great news; Mikhaela's News Blog will soon be available via RSS feed, so I can remember to keep up with it!
My purchase of the day was four illustrated Oz books from Eric Shanower, who smiled at the mention of fellow Ozophile Laura Gjovaag and said that he couldn't tell whether Troy helped or hurt sales of his Age of Bronze series, although it was his impression that if the movie had really tanked it would probably have hurt the comics. Didn't stick around to chat with either Neal Adams (whom we'll see at MoCCA next Thursday) or Neil Gaiman, who would be arriving later to host the $60/person Harvey Awards banquet; we opted for Monster Sushi instead, then a quick shop at Garden of Eden (mmm, physalis!) before heading home for a much-needed kip as we've been running on fumes since Datsa woke us up at about 6 AM. Overall the hall was about as comfortable and air-conditioned as it could be considering the heavy traffic, and I was very pleased to see more women and non-whites than ever behind the tables selling their creative output. Had there been someplace for us to sit (and had we not been thoroughly exhausted) we might have stayed longer and bought more, but who knows, now that we have a car maybe we'll head down to SPX (if my boss isn't back by then) and make some more purchases there...
I'm getting too old for this. :) We figured we'd only be at the festival for about an hour or two today, and we were right. After taking care of household stuff in the morning, including having our cable feed into the bedroom fixed (the technician, a comics reader who departed happily with a whole mess of Rob's books under his arm, had to replace a cable that had been chewed through by a squirrel), we hopped public transit into Manhattan and arrived at the Puck Building around 3 PM, the festival in full swing. As is usual for me, having been involved in the New York City comics community for a couple decades now, I ran into friends from the moment we arrived until the time we left, which of course was why I come to these things. Saw and chatted with Rich Watson, Allan Rosenberg (talent coordinator for the Big Apple Con, and we're now officially booked to attend the National in November and sit near Adam and Allison!), Heidi MacDonald, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, Sarah Dyer (who had great things to say about the Freelancers Union!) and Evan Dorkin, Alex Simmons, Jackie Estrada and Batton Lash, Abby Denson, Jenny Gonzalez, Mai from Shoujocon, Randi Mason, Joey Cavalieri, Nick Barrucci, Maureen McTigue, Martha Thomases, Dave Roman and John Green, MoCCA head honcho Lawrence Klein and probably others I'm leaving out. Alas, Hilda Terry won't be at the Friends of Lulu table until tomorrow. I also met, for the first time, the very talented cartoonist and fellow blogger Mikhaela Reid, and as increasingly true in the NYC-based comics/culture blogging community we "recognized" each other right away (although I was surprised to find out she was white; for some reason I've always pictured her as black). Great news; Mikhaela's News Blog will soon be available via RSS feed, so I can remember to keep up with it!
My purchase of the day was four illustrated Oz books from Eric Shanower, who smiled at the mention of fellow Ozophile Laura Gjovaag and said that he couldn't tell whether Troy helped or hurt sales of his Age of Bronze series, although it was his impression that if the movie had really tanked it would probably have hurt the comics. Didn't stick around to chat with either Neal Adams (whom we'll see at MoCCA next Thursday) or Neil Gaiman, who would be arriving later to host the $60/person Harvey Awards banquet; we opted for Monster Sushi instead, then a quick shop at Garden of Eden (mmm, physalis!) before heading home for a much-needed kip as we've been running on fumes since Datsa woke us up at about 6 AM. Overall the hall was about as comfortable and air-conditioned as it could be considering the heavy traffic, and I was very pleased to see more women and non-whites than ever behind the tables selling their creative output. Had there been someplace for us to sit (and had we not been thoroughly exhausted) we might have stayed longer and bought more, but who knows, now that we have a car maybe we'll head down to SPX (if my boss isn't back by then) and make some more purchases there...
Silly Site o' the Day
Via Laura Gjovaag, it's J.otto Siebold's Alice in Wonderland book ad/interactive animation page. More games and downloads on Siebold's main site.
Via Laura Gjovaag, it's J.otto Siebold's Alice in Wonderland book ad/interactive animation page. More games and downloads on Siebold's main site.
Friday, June 25, 2004
"Lost in the Funhouse"
Via Avedon Carol, here's the transcript of Larry King's interview with former President Bill Clinton. And you can always go here to hear the O'Franken Factor interview with Clinton (and Ron Reagan Jr. and Michael Moore) if you, like I, missed that killer show this afternoon. I'm not actually planning on buying the book, I'm not wonky enough to want to read through 900+ pages of probably-dry policy stuff - heck, am I the only one who remembers his interminable Democratic Convention nominating speech back in '88? - but I do think Clinton is a fascinating interview subject, and it does my heart good to remember what an eloquent and intelligent President reads and sounds like.
Via Avedon Carol, here's the transcript of Larry King's interview with former President Bill Clinton. And you can always go here to hear the O'Franken Factor interview with Clinton (and Ron Reagan Jr. and Michael Moore) if you, like I, missed that killer show this afternoon. I'm not actually planning on buying the book, I'm not wonky enough to want to read through 900+ pages of probably-dry policy stuff - heck, am I the only one who remembers his interminable Democratic Convention nominating speech back in '88? - but I do think Clinton is a fascinating interview subject, and it does my heart good to remember what an eloquent and intelligent President reads and sounds like.
Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)
As things settle down at my office and we both start to recover from recent injuries, we're gradually starting to unpack...
which of course gives the cats new spots where they can playfully get in the way!
As things settle down at my office and we both start to recover from recent injuries, we're gradually starting to unpack...
which of course gives the cats new spots where they can playfully get in the way!
Fear and Loathing in Dallas
Excellent reporting by BJ at StoutDemBlog on the situation with Mothers Opposing Bush and the Dallas Morning News opposing them. It's hard not to get discouraged about the state of this country when hearing stories of such hatred, but then you hear just as many stories of courage and that gives you hope.
Excellent reporting by BJ at StoutDemBlog on the situation with Mothers Opposing Bush and the Dallas Morning News opposing them. It's hard not to get discouraged about the state of this country when hearing stories of such hatred, but then you hear just as many stories of courage and that gives you hope.
Slly Site o' the Day
Bad, bad General JC Christian, drawing our attention to National Heterosexual Moustache Month! Brought to you, of course, by the fine folks at Chickenhead...
Bad, bad General JC Christian, drawing our attention to National Heterosexual Moustache Month! Brought to you, of course, by the fine folks at Chickenhead...
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Social Note
Lazy day this afternoon, with the COO out on an appointment and my boss' wife busy elsewhere, but believe me, I'm not complaining! Particularly considering that tomorrow will probably be hectic. For some reason I haven't felt much like blogging, but I'm almost all caught up on everyone else's blogs. I did, however, want to mention that this weekend Robin and I plan on attending the MoCCA Art Festival, probably sometime on Saturday afternoon. I won't be driving into the city, so it's all dependent on how Robin's back can deal with two buses and a subway (or two subways and a bus), but I'm pretty psyched for it. I finally have most of the pre-ordered comics I've been missing for the past month or so (except for the DC comp box we never got, which missing books are in the process of being filled in), and with the shortened commute and the imminent unpacking of our living room libraries I anticipate having much more leisure time in which to catch up on my reading. But I'm woefully behind in keeping up with what's new in independent comics publishing, so the Art Fest will be a great way of getting back in that swing! Besides which, trailblazer Hilda Terry will be Friends of Lulu's special guest again, which pleases me greatly.
Lazy day this afternoon, with the COO out on an appointment and my boss' wife busy elsewhere, but believe me, I'm not complaining! Particularly considering that tomorrow will probably be hectic. For some reason I haven't felt much like blogging, but I'm almost all caught up on everyone else's blogs. I did, however, want to mention that this weekend Robin and I plan on attending the MoCCA Art Festival, probably sometime on Saturday afternoon. I won't be driving into the city, so it's all dependent on how Robin's back can deal with two buses and a subway (or two subways and a bus), but I'm pretty psyched for it. I finally have most of the pre-ordered comics I've been missing for the past month or so (except for the DC comp box we never got, which missing books are in the process of being filled in), and with the shortened commute and the imminent unpacking of our living room libraries I anticipate having much more leisure time in which to catch up on my reading. But I'm woefully behind in keeping up with what's new in independent comics publishing, so the Art Fest will be a great way of getting back in that swing! Besides which, trailblazer Hilda Terry will be Friends of Lulu's special guest again, which pleases me greatly.
Silly Site o' the Day
Okay, you aspiring color theorists, try your hand at Color Me RGB! Via Hanan Levin. Robin's more a CYMK kinda guy, so he couldn't help me out on this too much...
Okay, you aspiring color theorists, try your hand at Color Me RGB! Via Hanan Levin. Robin's more a CYMK kinda guy, so he couldn't help me out on this too much...
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Home From Work... Already?
Not only that, but I even did a bit of pharmacy shopping. Dang but I love having a car. And I got to listen to about half an hour of Randi Rhodes on Air America, which comes in crystal clear on my car radio; really great stuff.
Not only that, but I even did a bit of pharmacy shopping. Dang but I love having a car. And I got to listen to about half an hour of Randi Rhodes on Air America, which comes in crystal clear on my car radio; really great stuff.
Silly Site o' the Day
Well, having a car still doesn't solve certain immediate problems, like taking care of building matters and my boss' wife keeping me busy up until now with phone calls on her behalf (yes, I'm not just a secretary, I'm also a personal assistant and building manager, at no additional compensation) before she flies off to join him on his vacation. On the other hand, I can see my car (*giggle* my car *contented sigh*) from my office window (my office window *another somewhat contented sigh*) and knowing I can go straight home from here or take care of errands and not have to get on a winding, cramped cross-town bus for an hour and a half not including transferring to the second bus if I even make the transfer and don't have to wait another half hour... well, it makes things a lot more bearable. In any case, I digress. Look what Hanan Levin found - a page full of free online jigsaw puzzles! Yeah, like I even have the time for these; I just about got caught up on my blogroll and now I've fallen two days behind again...
Well, having a car still doesn't solve certain immediate problems, like taking care of building matters and my boss' wife keeping me busy up until now with phone calls on her behalf (yes, I'm not just a secretary, I'm also a personal assistant and building manager, at no additional compensation) before she flies off to join him on his vacation. On the other hand, I can see my car (*giggle* my car *contented sigh*) from my office window (my office window *another somewhat contented sigh*) and knowing I can go straight home from here or take care of errands and not have to get on a winding, cramped cross-town bus for an hour and a half not including transferring to the second bus if I even make the transfer and don't have to wait another half hour... well, it makes things a lot more bearable. In any case, I digress. Look what Hanan Levin found - a page full of free online jigsaw puzzles! Yeah, like I even have the time for these; I just about got caught up on my blogroll and now I've fallen two days behind again...
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Wheels!
Tuesday Car Blogging? Anyway, that's my baby, sitting in the driveway of the house whose upper floor we rent, right between my downstairs neighbors' two cars. First car I've ever owned. Thanks, Mom and Dad! More to come, no doubt, as I get used to the idea of finally owning a car. We've tentatively decided to call it Kingfisher because the color reminds Robin of that bird's back.
Tuesday Car Blogging? Anyway, that's my baby, sitting in the driveway of the house whose upper floor we rent, right between my downstairs neighbors' two cars. First car I've ever owned. Thanks, Mom and Dad! More to come, no doubt, as I get used to the idea of finally owning a car. We've tentatively decided to call it Kingfisher because the color reminds Robin of that bird's back.
Silly Site o' the Day
It probably gets hot in Red Square in the summertime, so Trevor lets us know that even them kooky Commies can quench their thirsts, thanks to Leninade! Apparently it's a real beverage you can actually buy, as are others like Brainwash (no relation, I'm sure), Hemp Power and, for the nostalgia-crazed among you, at least five flavors of Moxie. Check out the entire Soda King website for more fun. The only downside is the possible creeping sexism; even though they say "girls and guys" somehow I doubt they'd accept male "soda babes."
It probably gets hot in Red Square in the summertime, so Trevor lets us know that even them kooky Commies can quench their thirsts, thanks to Leninade! Apparently it's a real beverage you can actually buy, as are others like Brainwash (no relation, I'm sure), Hemp Power and, for the nostalgia-crazed among you, at least five flavors of Moxie. Check out the entire Soda King website for more fun. The only downside is the possible creeping sexism; even though they say "girls and guys" somehow I doubt they'd accept male "soda babes."
Monday, June 21, 2004
Milestone Notes
Happy birthday, Lis!
If all goes well, by tomorrow I should have wheels.
(This is me not quite holding my breath...)
(This is me not quite holding my breath...)
Silly Site o' the Day
Via Scott at The Gamer's Nook, take a crack at the Flea Circus game. I couldn't get past level 3, and Robin's stuck at level 4. The problem is, you can add the building blocks and ramps but you can't undo anything, so you keep having to press "restart."
Via Scott at The Gamer's Nook, take a crack at the Flea Circus game. I couldn't get past level 3, and Robin's stuck at level 4. The problem is, you can add the building blocks and ramps but you can't undo anything, so you keep having to press "restart."
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Aging Hipsters
Aw, c'mon Amanda, I was one o' them long before you whipper-snappers. I stopped listening to popular music around '85 or so. :) Seriously, I'm pathetic. I was never, ever a "cool kid," and I'm sitting here now listening to London Town, my favorite McCartney album. You may now shake your heads.
Aw, c'mon Amanda, I was one o' them long before you whipper-snappers. I stopped listening to popular music around '85 or so. :) Seriously, I'm pathetic. I was never, ever a "cool kid," and I'm sitting here now listening to London Town, my favorite McCartney album. You may now shake your heads.
I'm Sure They Didn't Mean It That Way
Robin's found an example of an unfortunate headline, this one from the BBC regarding the SARS virus. One can't help but muse as to whether the virus will need to go into therapy now.
Robin's found an example of an unfortunate headline, this one from the BBC regarding the SARS virus. One can't help but muse as to whether the virus will need to go into therapy now.
Documenting the Documentaries
David Neiwert has a pretty good overview of some of this season's fine documentary offerings.
David Neiwert has a pretty good overview of some of this season's fine documentary offerings.
CrossGen Files for Chapter 11
According to many sources, Crossgen Comics has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Rumors started circulating on Friday, and today it seems all but official. I pretty much agree with Mark Evanier's assessment of the situation. As I have all along, I continue to doubt Robin will ever see the $1300 they owe him.
Update: Looks like we're waaaaaaay far down on the list of creditors; Newsarama reports that "the estimated number of creditors ranges between 200 and 999 (the category division), with $1 to $10 million estimated as assets, and $10 to $50 million estimated in debts." For our part in this story, see here.
According to many sources, Crossgen Comics has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Rumors started circulating on Friday, and today it seems all but official. I pretty much agree with Mark Evanier's assessment of the situation. As I have all along, I continue to doubt Robin will ever see the $1300 they owe him.
Update: Looks like we're waaaaaaay far down on the list of creditors; Newsarama reports that "the estimated number of creditors ranges between 200 and 999 (the category division), with $1 to $10 million estimated as assets, and $10 to $50 million estimated in debts." For our part in this story, see here.
Erasing the Fine Line
Doctor Science used to say, "There's a fine line between ignorance and arrogance." In an interview with the Asia Times, history professor and must-read blogger Juan Cole talks about how the US has shown plenty of both, in spades, during our adventures in Iraq. Via Steve Gilliard.
Doctor Science used to say, "There's a fine line between ignorance and arrogance." In an interview with the Asia Times, history professor and must-read blogger Juan Cole talks about how the US has shown plenty of both, in spades, during our adventures in Iraq. Via Steve Gilliard.
Solstitial Celebration
Happy Midsummer! Summer officially begins in the Eastern US at 8:57 this evening. Of course, summer unofficially began for most people around here on Memorial Day. When I was a kid, it began on the last day of school, somewhere in mid-June or so. Now it pretty much begins for me the first day I desperately need to turn on the air-conditioning.
Happy Midsummer! Summer officially begins in the Eastern US at 8:57 this evening. Of course, summer unofficially began for most people around here on Memorial Day. When I was a kid, it began on the last day of school, somewhere in mid-June or so. Now it pretty much begins for me the first day I desperately need to turn on the air-conditioning.
Adjustments
I got my new glasses yesterday, and while I love the Transitions feature I'm not quite used to the progressive lenses aspect yet. While my distance vision is fine, I can't quite focus yet on the TV or computer or book-reading. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time, but for now (combined with the fact that I still don't have a car so my daily commute remains an exhausting 1½+ hours each way), I think it may limit the amount of time I spend blogging. As ever, thanks for your patience.
I got my new glasses yesterday, and while I love the Transitions feature I'm not quite used to the progressive lenses aspect yet. While my distance vision is fine, I can't quite focus yet on the TV or computer or book-reading. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time, but for now (combined with the fact that I still don't have a car so my daily commute remains an exhausting 1½+ hours each way), I think it may limit the amount of time I spend blogging. As ever, thanks for your patience.
Silly Site o' the Day
If you haven't had your fill of Gipperporn (™ Wonkette) yet, or even if you have, I'd like to recommend this catchy little number e-mailed to me by Firesign chat regular Ken DeBusk.
If you haven't had your fill of Gipperporn (™ Wonkette) yet, or even if you have, I'd like to recommend this catchy little number e-mailed to me by Firesign chat regular Ken DeBusk.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Happy Juneteenth
Aaron Hawkins has a nice Juneteenth post. I agree with him about the lack of a Google graphic, but I can't imagine how they'd do one up...
Aaron Hawkins has a nice Juneteenth post. I agree with him about the lack of a Google graphic, but I can't imagine how they'd do one up...
Friday, June 18, 2004
Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)
Kitty in the box! Datsa says "Take your time unpacking, I don't mind."
Kitty in the box! Datsa says "Take your time unpacking, I don't mind."
The "S" Word
Mark Morford "In Defense of Sluts." Personally, I don't agree with his theory that a double standard of judging sexual activity exists "Because women are more powerful. Because women control and contain and embody the most potent of energies this world has to offer: its sex, its reproduction, its libido...women do indeed have a higher degree of responsibility with their sex because it is their most potent and divine strength." News to me that we control the terms of sex. Tell that to rapists, most of whom are men. Tell that to sex traffickers, most of whom I presume are male as well. We "control" relatively bupkiss in most societies, Morford. Even Lysistrata was written by a guy. Women have sex, men want sex and are willing to use their societal power to do all sorts of things to women (psychologically and physically), therefore women have power? Um, no. I'm sorry, this kind of (male) thinking really bothers me, it absolutely keeps perpetuating the very double standard it claims to eschew. It's like the myth of the superwoman, celebrating the ultra-competent gal who works herself to exhaustion both on the job and at home rather than asking why the man of the house isn't doing the same double-duty. The key, folks, is sharing. Sex, housework, power, all of it should be a partnership. And as long as double standards exist, most of which work in favor of men (as a group) and against women (as a group), it's just willful blindness to insist that women "are more powerful" in just about any area.
Mark Morford "In Defense of Sluts." Personally, I don't agree with his theory that a double standard of judging sexual activity exists "Because women are more powerful. Because women control and contain and embody the most potent of energies this world has to offer: its sex, its reproduction, its libido...women do indeed have a higher degree of responsibility with their sex because it is their most potent and divine strength." News to me that we control the terms of sex. Tell that to rapists, most of whom are men. Tell that to sex traffickers, most of whom I presume are male as well. We "control" relatively bupkiss in most societies, Morford. Even Lysistrata was written by a guy. Women have sex, men want sex and are willing to use their societal power to do all sorts of things to women (psychologically and physically), therefore women have power? Um, no. I'm sorry, this kind of (male) thinking really bothers me, it absolutely keeps perpetuating the very double standard it claims to eschew. It's like the myth of the superwoman, celebrating the ultra-competent gal who works herself to exhaustion both on the job and at home rather than asking why the man of the house isn't doing the same double-duty. The key, folks, is sharing. Sex, housework, power, all of it should be a partnership. And as long as double standards exist, most of which work in favor of men (as a group) and against women (as a group), it's just willful blindness to insist that women "are more powerful" in just about any area.
Milestone Notes
A very happy belated 54th birthday to Pop Culture Gadabout Bill Sherman! And, as Johnny Bacardi notes, today is the 62nd birthday ofMacca Sir Paul. Presumably you can leave birthday messages here. Lastly, very happy birthdays to two dear friends, Alan Davis (and happy anniversary to Alan and Heather!) and Pat Prentice!!
A very happy belated 54th birthday to Pop Culture Gadabout Bill Sherman! And, as Johnny Bacardi notes, today is the 62nd birthday of
Silly Site o' the Day
I should really save these for my "White Rabbits!" first-of-the-month greetings, but I'd only forget. Via Laura Gjovaag, it's the Titanic re-enacted in 30 seconds - by bunnies! And don't forget to check out Angry Alien's other half-minute-long bunny re-enactments (The Shining and The Exorcist so far)!
I should really save these for my "White Rabbits!" first-of-the-month greetings, but I'd only forget. Via Laura Gjovaag, it's the Titanic re-enacted in 30 seconds - by bunnies! And don't forget to check out Angry Alien's other half-minute-long bunny re-enactments (The Shining and The Exorcist so far)!
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Sweet Sounds
When we moved from south Riverdale, I was afraid I wouldn't hear the Metro-North train whistle any more. And I loved the way the thunder rumbled around hilly Ewen Park across from us. Well, now I can hear the train whistle both at home and at work (without a car I can't be sure, but I think we live probably about four blocks away from the Hudson River now, pretty much right between the Riverdale and Ludlow stations) and at work (right across from the New Rochelle station on the New Haven line). I've always loved that sound, it conjures up images of interesting travelers relaxing and taking in great vistas and... MURDER! No, just kidding. I generally love train travel (unless it's of the mandatory-commuting variety) and for me the whistle hearkens back to a time of simplicity and wonder. Watching the rain from my tall office windows is also pretty cool and soothing, and we had a doozy of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Far less soothing were the tenants complaining about leaks from the roof...
When we moved from south Riverdale, I was afraid I wouldn't hear the Metro-North train whistle any more. And I loved the way the thunder rumbled around hilly Ewen Park across from us. Well, now I can hear the train whistle both at home and at work (without a car I can't be sure, but I think we live probably about four blocks away from the Hudson River now, pretty much right between the Riverdale and Ludlow stations) and at work (right across from the New Rochelle station on the New Haven line). I've always loved that sound, it conjures up images of interesting travelers relaxing and taking in great vistas and... MURDER! No, just kidding. I generally love train travel (unless it's of the mandatory-commuting variety) and for me the whistle hearkens back to a time of simplicity and wonder. Watching the rain from my tall office windows is also pretty cool and soothing, and we had a doozy of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Far less soothing were the tenants complaining about leaks from the roof...
Business Lesson of the Day
I cannot believe there are still slimy cold-caller out there who use the opening line "Hi, I'm _________ and I'm calling about your photocopier" and expect the person on the other line not to respond "______, what company are you calling from?" I just got one of those calls today and it was almost a nostalgic rush, it nearly took me back to my last job in the '80s! If you ever get one of these calls, all you have to do is ask the above question and they immediately hang up. These ripoff artists (whose job it is to trick you into thinking you ordered supplies which they will then ship to you at exhorbitant prices) are never from the company which services your photocopier, as those people always identify themselves with their company name and usually know your copier's serial number as well.
I cannot believe there are still slimy cold-caller out there who use the opening line "Hi, I'm _________ and I'm calling about your photocopier" and expect the person on the other line not to respond "______, what company are you calling from?" I just got one of those calls today and it was almost a nostalgic rush, it nearly took me back to my last job in the '80s! If you ever get one of these calls, all you have to do is ask the above question and they immediately hang up. These ripoff artists (whose job it is to trick you into thinking you ordered supplies which they will then ship to you at exhorbitant prices) are never from the company which services your photocopier, as those people always identify themselves with their company name and usually know your copier's serial number as well.
Silly Site o' the Day
Kittie-pults (as I call 'em)! Terri at the frogblog informs us that you can purchase a Chicken Chucker or a Pig Catapult from the sick and wonderful folks at Archie McPhee, whose catalogs I used to keep for years on end. Of course, if you really want to be mean to cute purring animated kitties....
Kittie-pults (as I call 'em)! Terri at the frogblog informs us that you can purchase a Chicken Chucker or a Pig Catapult from the sick and wonderful folks at Archie McPhee, whose catalogs I used to keep for years on end. Of course, if you really want to be mean to cute purring animated kitties....
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Obligatory Canadian Comics Content
Cliff Meth wanted me to pass along the news that he and Neal Adams "will be co-hosting The Dave Cockrum Benefit Art Exhibition to benefit Dave and Paty Cockrum on Thursday evening, July 1 at the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art. Visitors will see all of the original artwork from Aardwolf Publishing's forthcoming Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute. All of the artwork will then be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions at WizardWorld in Chicago... The event will take place on Thursday, July 1, from 7-9 p.m. There will be a nominal charge of $3 at the door, which will benefit the Cockrums and MOCCA." Presumably by then Robin's back will be cured and I'll be driving and can arrive home by 6 so we can hop public transit into Manhattan (no way I'm taking a car there!)... Update: Also mentioned on Neil Gaiman's blog (you're welcome, Neil!).
Cliff Meth wanted me to pass along the news that he and Neal Adams "will be co-hosting The Dave Cockrum Benefit Art Exhibition to benefit Dave and Paty Cockrum on Thursday evening, July 1 at the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art. Visitors will see all of the original artwork from Aardwolf Publishing's forthcoming Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute. All of the artwork will then be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions at WizardWorld in Chicago... The event will take place on Thursday, July 1, from 7-9 p.m. There will be a nominal charge of $3 at the door, which will benefit the Cockrums and MOCCA." Presumably by then Robin's back will be cured and I'll be driving and can arrive home by 6 so we can hop public transit into Manhattan (no way I'm taking a car there!)... Update: Also mentioned on Neil Gaiman's blog (you're welcome, Neil!).
Generation Double-X'ers
Check out the new blog XX - always great to see more kick-ass group blogs by women! Gals, don't forget to cross-post your existence to Blogsisters and let Ms. Musings know!
And speaking of Ms. Musings, via Christine I note that Y: The Last Man (art by Pia Guerra, writing by Brian Vaughan) is getting lots of mainstream publicity of late. If you're a member of Friends of Lulu, you should know that Pia is nominated for a Kim Yale Award for Best New Female Talent; don't forget to vote!
Check out the new blog XX - always great to see more kick-ass group blogs by women! Gals, don't forget to cross-post your existence to Blogsisters and let Ms. Musings know!
And speaking of Ms. Musings, via Christine I note that Y: The Last Man (art by Pia Guerra, writing by Brian Vaughan) is getting lots of mainstream publicity of late. If you're a member of Friends of Lulu, you should know that Pia is nominated for a Kim Yale Award for Best New Female Talent; don't forget to vote!
Blooming Marvelous
Google remembered the Bloomsday centenary as well; click on the graphic below for their links.
Addendum: Does anybody know whether the character of Leo Bloom in The Producers was named for the James Joyce character in Ulysses?
Google remembered the Bloomsday centenary as well; click on the graphic below for their links.
Addendum: Does anybody know whether the character of Leo Bloom in The Producers was named for the James Joyce character in Ulysses?
Silly Site o' the Day
Not really smiling that much, though. Processed about $90,000 worth of checks this morning for deposit, and took care of as much property-management stuff as I could in my boss' absence, but the continued lack of a car had me exhausted from the bus commute before I ever hit the office, and now I can't go to lunch or even the bathroom because the other person who answers switchboard went shopping at Costco with another coworker (who has a car) and I've been asked to wait until they return. Just now getting to the blogroll, but theoretically there's still an endpoint to this exhaustion, just as there's no doubt an endpoint to Robin's excruciating back spasms (which may involve finding a new primary care physician within *sigh* driving distance of our current residence so he can get some proper medicine; my current PCP is in the West Village where neither of us is likely to venture again any time soon). Anyway, here's a stump-the-computer bit via Trish Wilson - think up either a sitcom character or a dictator and see how long the program takes to guess whom you chose.
Not really smiling that much, though. Processed about $90,000 worth of checks this morning for deposit, and took care of as much property-management stuff as I could in my boss' absence, but the continued lack of a car had me exhausted from the bus commute before I ever hit the office, and now I can't go to lunch or even the bathroom because the other person who answers switchboard went shopping at Costco with another coworker (who has a car) and I've been asked to wait until they return. Just now getting to the blogroll, but theoretically there's still an endpoint to this exhaustion, just as there's no doubt an endpoint to Robin's excruciating back spasms (which may involve finding a new primary care physician within *sigh* driving distance of our current residence so he can get some proper medicine; my current PCP is in the West Village where neither of us is likely to venture again any time soon). Anyway, here's a stump-the-computer bit via Trish Wilson - think up either a sitcom character or a dictator and see how long the program takes to guess whom you chose.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
La Donna Immobile
Immobile in more ways than one. Mom and Dad drove up to go car-shopping with me today, and Robin threw out his back doing some last-minute housecleaning, so my mother the RN took care of him whilst Dad and I checked out some local Hyundai dealers. Long story short, he wasn't happy with the deals, so I don't yet have a car; I'll need to schlep into south Jersey for that, and we're working on various permutations which, if all goes well, should have me driving within the next week or two. Oh well, at least I got to test-drive a Sonata, and find out how to get to a major highway from my office at the same time! And it's always a treat seeing my mommy and daddy, especially when Mom decides she's going to cook and bring dinner for us all (and nobody makes a better eggplant salad than my Dad!), and I got to know the area by car a little better just riding around with Dad, so it was hardly a wasted trip. But it's a bit disheartening knowing that the almost-two-hour bus commute will continue for the next few days at least (and in a heat wave no less)...
Immobile in more ways than one. Mom and Dad drove up to go car-shopping with me today, and Robin threw out his back doing some last-minute housecleaning, so my mother the RN took care of him whilst Dad and I checked out some local Hyundai dealers. Long story short, he wasn't happy with the deals, so I don't yet have a car; I'll need to schlep into south Jersey for that, and we're working on various permutations which, if all goes well, should have me driving within the next week or two. Oh well, at least I got to test-drive a Sonata, and find out how to get to a major highway from my office at the same time! And it's always a treat seeing my mommy and daddy, especially when Mom decides she's going to cook and bring dinner for us all (and nobody makes a better eggplant salad than my Dad!), and I got to know the area by car a little better just riding around with Dad, so it was hardly a wasted trip. But it's a bit disheartening knowing that the almost-two-hour bus commute will continue for the next few days at least (and in a heat wave no less)...
Gallery Wars
I can't decide which one I like more, this piece by Sari Kadison-Shapiro
which made the rounds sometime back, or this one that Glenn Hauman just posted on Peter David's blog:
Of course, Bush as a Joker is nothing new, but kudos to the unknown artist who did this one.
I can't decide which one I like more, this piece by Sari Kadison-Shapiro
which made the rounds sometime back, or this one that Glenn Hauman just posted on Peter David's blog:
Of course, Bush as a Joker is nothing new, but kudos to the unknown artist who did this one.
Silly Site o' the Day
Religion in the news! Rivka looks into what constitutes a cult, and there's a great examination by Josh Marshall on Bush's plea to the Vatican Secretary of State that "Not all the American bishops are with me" regarding his fundie-fanatic beliefs and the Vatican should thereby feel free to "nudge the American bishops toward greater 'activism'" (read "right-wing fundie-fanatic politics" rather than, you know, religious beliefs). Jesse Taylor at Pandagon found two articles of interest: one about Cardinal Avery Dulles, who actually believes that "zero tolerance" towards sex abuse by priests is too "extreme" a response; and more fundie-fanatics whining (this time the SBC) because they feel the Baptist World Alliance is "too theologically liberal, and that it has taken on an anti-American tone." I really despise the way these fanatics always seem to equate "liberal" with "anti-American" - seems to me civilized religions are better off without these creeps anyway. On the other hand, via Glenn Hauman, perhaps some priests are just in the wrong line of work. I think this guy is what the folks on Yes, Minister would call a "modernist." So it seems only appropriate that today's Silly Site link y'all to the faboo Landover Baptist Church and affiliated ministries.
Religion in the news! Rivka looks into what constitutes a cult, and there's a great examination by Josh Marshall on Bush's plea to the Vatican Secretary of State that "Not all the American bishops are with me" regarding his fundie-fanatic beliefs and the Vatican should thereby feel free to "nudge the American bishops toward greater 'activism'" (read "right-wing fundie-fanatic politics" rather than, you know, religious beliefs). Jesse Taylor at Pandagon found two articles of interest: one about Cardinal Avery Dulles, who actually believes that "zero tolerance" towards sex abuse by priests is too "extreme" a response; and more fundie-fanatics whining (this time the SBC) because they feel the Baptist World Alliance is "too theologically liberal, and that it has taken on an anti-American tone." I really despise the way these fanatics always seem to equate "liberal" with "anti-American" - seems to me civilized religions are better off without these creeps anyway. On the other hand, via Glenn Hauman, perhaps some priests are just in the wrong line of work. I think this guy is what the folks on Yes, Minister would call a "modernist." So it seems only appropriate that today's Silly Site link y'all to the faboo Landover Baptist Church and affiliated ministries.
Monday, June 14, 2004
"And Forever in Peace May You Wave"
Well, so much for that idea. In honor of Flag Day, here's a nice gallery of American flags throughout history. And if you'd like to compare the US flag with other world flags, the CIA can help.
Well, so much for that idea. In honor of Flag Day, here's a nice gallery of American flags throughout history. And if you'd like to compare the US flag with other world flags, the CIA can help.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Gah, running low again! Must catch up on blog reading! Not speak in fragments! Here's one from an old post by Jeff at the Gamer's Nook - I think I like these counting sheep even better than Aardman's! Speaking of which, have you seen Aardman's online animations site? Way cool.
Gah, running low again! Must catch up on blog reading! Not speak in fragments! Here's one from an old post by Jeff at the Gamer's Nook - I think I like these counting sheep even better than Aardman's! Speaking of which, have you seen Aardman's online animations site? Way cool.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Here's to the Ex
Thinking of Steve today, as we married on the 12th of June back in '86. Very cool to know that, as we were friends before the marriage, so we remain friends afterwards. Hope you and Donna have resettled okay back in Brooklyn, Steve! Update: A very happy anniversary to Lis and Ian!
Thinking of Steve today, as we married on the 12th of June back in '86. Very cool to know that, as we were friends before the marriage, so we remain friends afterwards. Hope you and Donna have resettled okay back in Brooklyn, Steve! Update: A very happy anniversary to Lis and Ian!
Aye for an Eye
It's been a fairly lazy day so far. We unpacked a couple more boxes and I did some straightening up, but we're a bit too weary to look through and put away the nine or so that still need storage up in the loft. We did, however, get our eye exams, and it was pretty much good news for me. My near-sightedness hasn't gotten worse (600 in the left, 650 in the right) so I can retain my current glasses for emergency wear (and won't have any trouble with distance vision when I drive and before the new glasses are ready). The ghost vessels in my cornea seem to be receding a bit, so I might actually think about disposable contacts again someday (the contact lens-induced vascularization was a couple decades back). Alas, as I knew I would, I do indeed need, as they euphemistically put it, "reading glasses." I'm opting for gold frames that are actually in style (i.e., not owlish like my current ones) with progressive lenses, which are like bifocals or omnifocals or whatever only without the line, and they'll also be high-index (i.e., lighter and thinner) and transitional (i.e., shift to sunglasses if it's bright outside) and anti-reflective and have a scratch-resistant coating. Together with the exam, thanks to my health plan which finally covers vision, it'll all cost about as much as I've paid for my orthotics, another thing I can't do without that I wear every day. And Robin's covered too, so he got an exam and put in an order for new glasses as well (his Rx climbed slightly in one eye since his last checkup 6 years ago, which isn't too bad either). It'll be nice to finally read normally again, see my food as I eat it, etc.
It's been a fairly lazy day so far. We unpacked a couple more boxes and I did some straightening up, but we're a bit too weary to look through and put away the nine or so that still need storage up in the loft. We did, however, get our eye exams, and it was pretty much good news for me. My near-sightedness hasn't gotten worse (600 in the left, 650 in the right) so I can retain my current glasses for emergency wear (and won't have any trouble with distance vision when I drive and before the new glasses are ready). The ghost vessels in my cornea seem to be receding a bit, so I might actually think about disposable contacts again someday (the contact lens-induced vascularization was a couple decades back). Alas, as I knew I would, I do indeed need, as they euphemistically put it, "reading glasses." I'm opting for gold frames that are actually in style (i.e., not owlish like my current ones) with progressive lenses, which are like bifocals or omnifocals or whatever only without the line, and they'll also be high-index (i.e., lighter and thinner) and transitional (i.e., shift to sunglasses if it's bright outside) and anti-reflective and have a scratch-resistant coating. Together with the exam, thanks to my health plan which finally covers vision, it'll all cost about as much as I've paid for my orthotics, another thing I can't do without that I wear every day. And Robin's covered too, so he got an exam and put in an order for new glasses as well (his Rx climbed slightly in one eye since his last checkup 6 years ago, which isn't too bad either). It'll be nice to finally read normally again, see my food as I eat it, etc.
Silly Site o' the Day
Once again from Shari, who's definitely on a roll! "I don't know if you've run into Juanita yet. Juanita just about cracks me up each time I visit her. Don't miss the letters below the lightbulb jokes." I agree, Susan DuQuesnay's alter-ego's salon is well worth checking out. But can I get a tint job and a pedicure while I'm there?
Once again from Shari, who's definitely on a roll! "I don't know if you've run into Juanita yet. Juanita just about cracks me up each time I visit her. Don't miss the letters below the lightbulb jokes." I agree, Susan DuQuesnay's alter-ego's salon is well worth checking out. But can I get a tint job and a pedicure while I'm there?
Friday, June 11, 2004
Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)
No Amy, I'm afraid no place is safe from my peeping camera, even under the living room table.
No Amy, I'm afraid no place is safe from my peeping camera, even under the living room table.
Gipperporn
Kudos to Wonkette for (near as I can tell) coining that expression to describe the media's ghoulish obsession with the life, half-life and death of Ronald Reagan. Is it also a form of obsession, I wonder, to actively seek to avoid this drooling at every possible opportunity? I think not. But then, I thought this idea was beyond the bounds of taste until someone else did it...
Kudos to Wonkette for (near as I can tell) coining that expression to describe the media's ghoulish obsession with the life, half-life and death of Ronald Reagan. Is it also a form of obsession, I wonder, to actively seek to avoid this drooling at every possible opportunity? I think not. But then, I thought this idea was beyond the bounds of taste until someone else did it...
Weirdness in the Air
Got a kick out of Morford's latest column on conspiracy theories. Far-fetched, or plausible extensions of what's already going on? I'm afraid I'm not that much of a macro-oriented person, I can usually only judge by what's going on in my immediate surroundings, but I have to say yesterday and today have just felt... weird to me. It's like one second I have energy and the next it's suddenly drained out of me. And we're awakwaned at 5:30 this morning by a neighbor shouting near his window for what seems like hours (he was still at it when I left the house at 7), and then on the bus I spot a mild 2-car fender-bender surrounded by at least a half dozen emergency vehicles; overkill much? And of course today they bury "Saint Ronnie" only they don't really because after the funeral the body will be flown back to CA and I don't remember there ever being a federal holiday before when a president dies, there certainly wasn't one for Tricky Dick. And now I find out my boss isn't sailing until Tuesday, the day I get my car.
But as weird as things feel, I think they're still looking up, at least (once again) in my immediate vicinity. The apartment has gotten better and better as Robin has found storage space in the loft area above us and we're gradually moving out of boxes; all the urgent stuff is unpacked, and only the various libraries remain (books, magazines, records, videos, CDs, DVDs and of course the tens of thousands of comics and graphic novels), mostly in just two rooms. My small kitchen is set up to be extremely workable once I regain the energy to cook, and I only have to take the bus for two more days.
But even the bus travel has been a learning experience. Physically it's hella uncomfortable, I go from a regular-sized one that smells like bug spray (and no wonder, once I saw someone get on who actually had a roach crawling on him and he didn't even notice) to an accordion one with pretty bad shock absorbers towards the back, and the seats are not terribly cushiony nor are they very wide - in other words, it's not a commuter coach, it's a local bus that winds around at least four towns before it gets me where I need to go. But it's $2 a ride (or $35 for a 22-book coupon plus the 25¢ for transfers) and it's the most efficient and cheapest way to get to and from work of the various public transit options I've investigated.
And it's led me to re-examine my internalized racism, as I'm usually one of the only white people on the bus. And I noticed I was very panicky the first couple days, which I don't know whether I should attribute to unfamiliarity with the routes (I actually got on the wrong bus the second day) or my fear that I stick out like a sore thumb. And while the bus travels through some run-down areas it also traverses some gorgeous tree-lined streets with expensive-looking houses and lovely lawns and lots of room, and I've mostly seen non-white folks around those houses. So I had to take a hard look at why I was surprised that non-white people would have enough money to afford these beautiful mansions. Or is the situation subtler than I've been able to view from the bus windows? Maybe the section of Pelham I've seen is mixed or even mostly white and all the rich white people only travel in cars, hermetically sealed from the actual streets (as I will be in a few days) while the non-white folks with generally lower income need to take the bus or walk so they're the ones I see? It's a long journey - the cross county accordion bus takes from an hour to an hour-and-fifteen - and it's generally too bumpy to doze on or do much reading on without getting bus-sick, so I have a lot of time for rumination. Are the group of Latinas who board at the terminus like I do always so loud, like the ladies in River City, Iowa who "pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, pick pick pick, talk a lot talk a little more..." or am I just falling into another stereotype trap because I like my surroundings unusually quiet? And why doesn't anyone ask me where all the chrome diners have gone, 'cause now I know they're all in lower Westchester County?!
Anyway, given the often ½-hour-plus wait if I miss my connection on the way home (about half the time, depending on how crowded and slow the cross-county accordion is) and the physical pain and exhaustion my commute has produced these past few weeks, I shan't miss regular bus travel, but I'm glad I've had the experience. And our copiers are both finally working, and the office is settling in nicely and I think I might actually get the hang of this property management stuff, and did I mention I'm finally going to own a car for the first time in my life and my commute will be a scant 20 minutes and I can sleep later and get home earlier and actually go places and see family and friends and I have parking spots both at the apartment and at the office? But this is the weirdness period before that calm descends upon me, so caution is still the watchword for the next few days. And I'm prepped to believe all sorts of conspiracy theories as the cause...
Got a kick out of Morford's latest column on conspiracy theories. Far-fetched, or plausible extensions of what's already going on? I'm afraid I'm not that much of a macro-oriented person, I can usually only judge by what's going on in my immediate surroundings, but I have to say yesterday and today have just felt... weird to me. It's like one second I have energy and the next it's suddenly drained out of me. And we're awakwaned at 5:30 this morning by a neighbor shouting near his window for what seems like hours (he was still at it when I left the house at 7), and then on the bus I spot a mild 2-car fender-bender surrounded by at least a half dozen emergency vehicles; overkill much? And of course today they bury "Saint Ronnie" only they don't really because after the funeral the body will be flown back to CA and I don't remember there ever being a federal holiday before when a president dies, there certainly wasn't one for Tricky Dick. And now I find out my boss isn't sailing until Tuesday, the day I get my car.
But as weird as things feel, I think they're still looking up, at least (once again) in my immediate vicinity. The apartment has gotten better and better as Robin has found storage space in the loft area above us and we're gradually moving out of boxes; all the urgent stuff is unpacked, and only the various libraries remain (books, magazines, records, videos, CDs, DVDs and of course the tens of thousands of comics and graphic novels), mostly in just two rooms. My small kitchen is set up to be extremely workable once I regain the energy to cook, and I only have to take the bus for two more days.
But even the bus travel has been a learning experience. Physically it's hella uncomfortable, I go from a regular-sized one that smells like bug spray (and no wonder, once I saw someone get on who actually had a roach crawling on him and he didn't even notice) to an accordion one with pretty bad shock absorbers towards the back, and the seats are not terribly cushiony nor are they very wide - in other words, it's not a commuter coach, it's a local bus that winds around at least four towns before it gets me where I need to go. But it's $2 a ride (or $35 for a 22-book coupon plus the 25¢ for transfers) and it's the most efficient and cheapest way to get to and from work of the various public transit options I've investigated.
And it's led me to re-examine my internalized racism, as I'm usually one of the only white people on the bus. And I noticed I was very panicky the first couple days, which I don't know whether I should attribute to unfamiliarity with the routes (I actually got on the wrong bus the second day) or my fear that I stick out like a sore thumb. And while the bus travels through some run-down areas it also traverses some gorgeous tree-lined streets with expensive-looking houses and lovely lawns and lots of room, and I've mostly seen non-white folks around those houses. So I had to take a hard look at why I was surprised that non-white people would have enough money to afford these beautiful mansions. Or is the situation subtler than I've been able to view from the bus windows? Maybe the section of Pelham I've seen is mixed or even mostly white and all the rich white people only travel in cars, hermetically sealed from the actual streets (as I will be in a few days) while the non-white folks with generally lower income need to take the bus or walk so they're the ones I see? It's a long journey - the cross county accordion bus takes from an hour to an hour-and-fifteen - and it's generally too bumpy to doze on or do much reading on without getting bus-sick, so I have a lot of time for rumination. Are the group of Latinas who board at the terminus like I do always so loud, like the ladies in River City, Iowa who "pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, pick pick pick, talk a lot talk a little more..." or am I just falling into another stereotype trap because I like my surroundings unusually quiet? And why doesn't anyone ask me where all the chrome diners have gone, 'cause now I know they're all in lower Westchester County?!
Anyway, given the often ½-hour-plus wait if I miss my connection on the way home (about half the time, depending on how crowded and slow the cross-county accordion is) and the physical pain and exhaustion my commute has produced these past few weeks, I shan't miss regular bus travel, but I'm glad I've had the experience. And our copiers are both finally working, and the office is settling in nicely and I think I might actually get the hang of this property management stuff, and did I mention I'm finally going to own a car for the first time in my life and my commute will be a scant 20 minutes and I can sleep later and get home earlier and actually go places and see family and friends and I have parking spots both at the apartment and at the office? But this is the weirdness period before that calm descends upon me, so caution is still the watchword for the next few days. And I'm prepped to believe all sorts of conspiracy theories as the cause...
Silly Site o' the Day
It's cicada season! Hope they don't come anywhere near my brother's house in New Jersey, that's slated to be my first driven-to family gathering after we get the car. Eva Whitley has been wasting away in Cicadaville. Yum, tasty cicadas!
It's cicada season! Hope they don't come anywhere near my brother's house in New Jersey, that's slated to be my first driven-to family gathering after we get the car. Eva Whitley has been wasting away in Cicadaville. Yum, tasty cicadas!
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Getting there, getting there. Maybe enough free blogging and blog-reading time by month's end, even sooner. Meanwhile, today's silly site was brought to me by Shari, and it claims to be a new approach to rodent performance evaluation! From what I can figure out, no squirrels were harmed in the making of this experiment. Unlike, I would assume, things like this, about which, frankly, the less I think the better I'll feel...
Getting there, getting there. Maybe enough free blogging and blog-reading time by month's end, even sooner. Meanwhile, today's silly site was brought to me by Shari, and it claims to be a new approach to rodent performance evaluation! From what I can figure out, no squirrels were harmed in the making of this experiment. Unlike, I would assume, things like this, about which, frankly, the less I think the better I'll feel...
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Business Lesson of the Day
If you cold-call a company to try to sell them computer products, and give the person answering the phone a contact name that they've never heard of even though they've worked for that company for seven years and have seen four IT people come and go during that time, and they tell you "I've never heard of that person, I'm not familiar with your company, please take us off your call list, thank you goodbye" and hang up, then kindly have enough cluefulness not to call them back and inform them - okay, me - in a huff that even though my company shows as an active account we will no longer be allowed to do business with you because I had the temerity to hang up on you before you could give me a sales pitch in which I displayed absolutely no interest. I shall be losing approximately zero minutes of sleep wondering how my company's computer needs can be met now, considering we probably never even used you in the first place. Schmuck.
If you cold-call a company to try to sell them computer products, and give the person answering the phone a contact name that they've never heard of even though they've worked for that company for seven years and have seen four IT people come and go during that time, and they tell you "I've never heard of that person, I'm not familiar with your company, please take us off your call list, thank you goodbye" and hang up, then kindly have enough cluefulness not to call them back and inform them - okay, me - in a huff that even though my company shows as an active account we will no longer be allowed to do business with you because I had the temerity to hang up on you before you could give me a sales pitch in which I displayed absolutely no interest. I shall be losing approximately zero minutes of sleep wondering how my company's computer needs can be met now, considering we probably never even used you in the first place. Schmuck.
Silly Site o' the Day
I seem to be running low on silly sites again, probably because I haven't had the time or energy for blog-reading so I've missed out on some. So please feel free to e-mail some my way! Today's comes courtesy of Tristero, it's a kind of short-and-nasty, down-and-dirty quiz.
I seem to be running low on silly sites again, probably because I haven't had the time or energy for blog-reading so I've missed out on some. So please feel free to e-mail some my way! Today's comes courtesy of Tristero, it's a kind of short-and-nasty, down-and-dirty quiz.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Still very busy at work, catching up on all the things I can't do when my boss is in. Unfortunately, it looks like that won't include blog-reading or blog-posting for at least another week, the workload is just too heavy. Thanks, as ever, for bearing with me. Via Scott at the Gamer's Nook, why don't you create your own religion and pray to the deity of your choice that my workload lightens up soon? I know I would.
Still very busy at work, catching up on all the things I can't do when my boss is in. Unfortunately, it looks like that won't include blog-reading or blog-posting for at least another week, the workload is just too heavy. Thanks, as ever, for bearing with me. Via Scott at the Gamer's Nook, why don't you create your own religion and pray to the deity of your choice that my workload lightens up soon? I know I would.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Real quickly, before my boss comes back from the bathroom and my heavy workload starts - Via Len Cleavelin, it's the miraculous winking Jesus!
Real quickly, before my boss comes back from the bathroom and my heavy workload starts - Via Len Cleavelin, it's the miraculous winking Jesus!
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Fair Trade
Via Trevor Blake, who's actually scanned, edited and annotated his entire run of his zine OVO (highly doubtful I'd ever have the energy to even do one year of INSIDE JOKE!), comes the news that Blogshares is back! Although from looking at Pen-Elayne's stock, apparently some people have known about it for some time... And on a much more serious note, Trevor relates the shocking story of Specialist Sean Baker.
Via Trevor Blake, who's actually scanned, edited and annotated his entire run of his zine OVO (highly doubtful I'd ever have the energy to even do one year of INSIDE JOKE!), comes the news that Blogshares is back! Although from looking at Pen-Elayne's stock, apparently some people have known about it for some time... And on a much more serious note, Trevor relates the shocking story of Specialist Sean Baker.
Silly Site o' the Day
I assume people who watch Law & Order will appreciate the L&O Plot Generator more than me... Via August Pollak, who may someday have a proper RSS feed so I can remember to read him regularly again.
I assume people who watch Law & Order will appreciate the L&O Plot Generator more than me... Via August Pollak, who may someday have a proper RSS feed so I can remember to read him regularly again.
"Let Me See Some Tenderness Connected with a Death"
I shall not mourn someone who I will always believe should never have gone into politics; someone whose election to the Presidency amid questionable practices signalled, for me (as for others), one of the two major markers (along with this one) of the downfall of this country from the late '70s promise of what might have been to the reality of the rich getting richer and the rest of us getting poorer and the whole thing headed for hell in a handbasket; and especially, someone whose family has finally been released from their suffering through his final Alzheimer's stages.
But on this day I do extend my sympathies to people grieving their personal losses, such as Kath David who tenderly remembers an old mentor on the anniversary of his passing, and to those who lost (not "gave") their lives upholding values they believed in, values in which many of us still believe despite attempts to pervert them and assign them meanings they never had in the first place. And I'm grateful for a medium that not only allows us to grieve collectively in a way we never could before, but has the potential to set the historical record straight for anyone who cares to learn it from the comfort of their own home - despite continued attempts to distort it and misremember it from the people idolizing the man who presided over the Beginning of the End.
I shall not mourn someone who I will always believe should never have gone into politics; someone whose election to the Presidency amid questionable practices signalled, for me (as for others), one of the two major markers (along with this one) of the downfall of this country from the late '70s promise of what might have been to the reality of the rich getting richer and the rest of us getting poorer and the whole thing headed for hell in a handbasket; and especially, someone whose family has finally been released from their suffering through his final Alzheimer's stages.
But on this day I do extend my sympathies to people grieving their personal losses, such as Kath David who tenderly remembers an old mentor on the anniversary of his passing, and to those who lost (not "gave") their lives upholding values they believed in, values in which many of us still believe despite attempts to pervert them and assign them meanings they never had in the first place. And I'm grateful for a medium that not only allows us to grieve collectively in a way we never could before, but has the potential to set the historical record straight for anyone who cares to learn it from the comfort of their own home - despite continued attempts to distort it and misremember it from the people idolizing the man who presided over the Beginning of the End.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Obligatory Canadian Comics Content
Congrats to Bryan Hitch on his new assignment as concept artist for the new Dr. Who series! Any cast-off TARDIS sketches you want to throw out, Bryan, just send 'em to me and I'll dispose of 'em for ya...
Congrats to Bryan Hitch on his new assignment as concept artist for the new Dr. Who series! Any cast-off TARDIS sketches you want to throw out, Bryan, just send 'em to me and I'll dispose of 'em for ya...
Popping a Cap
So my Mom and I are IM'ing the other day - an MSN account came free with our re-installation of DSL when we moved, so I figured I'd check it out since that's what Mom and Dad have - and she said, "Have you tried MSN's games yet? There's one I think you'd really like, it's called BeSpelled." So I opened it, and it was... exactly... like... Bookworm. I played it awhile (okay, I got to level 24 or something, which is higher than I've ever gotten in the online version of Bookworm, so maybe it was a little easier?) and the only difference seemed to be that the character in the lower right hand box is some kind of little wizard with a spell book instead of a worm with huge glasses. So I downloaded the full trial version to see if any other differences existed, and no, it's pretty much the same right on down the line (even to the characters shown at the end of the levels, which of course make perfect sense in the context of a library theme but none at all in the context of a wizard theme). MSN has definitely licensed this from PopCap, and I wish I'd kept my initial registration information because you only get two trials and then you have to register, and I wanted to see if I could use the same reg for BeSpelled that I used for Bookworm, as the latter was only $20 and the former is like $25 more for essentially the same game. Ah well, maybe I'll order Scrabble Blast instead, it's kinda the same thing as well...
So my Mom and I are IM'ing the other day - an MSN account came free with our re-installation of DSL when we moved, so I figured I'd check it out since that's what Mom and Dad have - and she said, "Have you tried MSN's games yet? There's one I think you'd really like, it's called BeSpelled." So I opened it, and it was... exactly... like... Bookworm. I played it awhile (okay, I got to level 24 or something, which is higher than I've ever gotten in the online version of Bookworm, so maybe it was a little easier?) and the only difference seemed to be that the character in the lower right hand box is some kind of little wizard with a spell book instead of a worm with huge glasses. So I downloaded the full trial version to see if any other differences existed, and no, it's pretty much the same right on down the line (even to the characters shown at the end of the levels, which of course make perfect sense in the context of a library theme but none at all in the context of a wizard theme). MSN has definitely licensed this from PopCap, and I wish I'd kept my initial registration information because you only get two trials and then you have to register, and I wanted to see if I could use the same reg for BeSpelled that I used for Bookworm, as the latter was only $20 and the former is like $25 more for essentially the same game. Ah well, maybe I'll order Scrabble Blast instead, it's kinda the same thing as well...
Friday, June 04, 2004
Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)
Datsa looks on with envy that, unlike Amy, he can't reach the high places to get at the dry food he's not allowed to eat.
Datsa looks on with envy that, unlike Amy, he can't reach the high places to get at the dry food he's not allowed to eat.
Silly Site o' the Day
Despite some annoying body aches, this is the first time I've come into the new office feeling like I might actually get some normal secretarial-type work done, on which I've been working all morning. (It also helped that I finally found a deli that doesn't charge over two bucks for a small tea and bagel, and my coworkers just recommended another one.) Of course, I probably won't catch up on blog reading soon, or have enough free time to post a lot until my boss sails and I get a car, but at least I don't feel like I'm drowning any more. And I think, yes, I'm actually smelling some roses at last! Which reminds me, Laura Gjovaag found another 404 Error spoof which actually reflects the kind of mood I'm in today...
Despite some annoying body aches, this is the first time I've come into the new office feeling like I might actually get some normal secretarial-type work done, on which I've been working all morning. (It also helped that I finally found a deli that doesn't charge over two bucks for a small tea and bagel, and my coworkers just recommended another one.) Of course, I probably won't catch up on blog reading soon, or have enough free time to post a lot until my boss sails and I get a car, but at least I don't feel like I'm drowning any more. And I think, yes, I'm actually smelling some roses at last! Which reminds me, Laura Gjovaag found another 404 Error spoof which actually reflects the kind of mood I'm in today...
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Every time I think work can't get more exhausting and time-consuming it does. And now I'm being scolded because I've been given so many things to juggle that, duh, I'm starting to drop a few. Oh well, a little over a week and he sails (and I can take a day off to buy a car), so I'm just trying to get through 6 more workdays after this... Today's silly site is via Laura Gjovaag, who brings us "File Not Found" messages in different tongues.
Every time I think work can't get more exhausting and time-consuming it does. And now I'm being scolded because I've been given so many things to juggle that, duh, I'm starting to drop a few. Oh well, a little over a week and he sails (and I can take a day off to buy a car), so I'm just trying to get through 6 more workdays after this... Today's silly site is via Laura Gjovaag, who brings us "File Not Found" messages in different tongues.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
Nothing silly about my workload, unfortunately (and on my half-birthday, too! does anyone but me even take note of half-birthdays when they get to be 46½?). This situation (exhausting 9-5:30 workload, long commute, no bloggy time) is likely to continue for most of the next two weeks until my boss sails and I get a car. But the Silly Sites must go on, and so I give you, via Andrew at The Poor Man, the apparently necessary Crouching Bunny, Hidden Rabbit. Had I seen this before I did my "White Rabbits" greeting yesterday, obviously I would have used it then. This is what my timing's been like lately...
Nothing silly about my workload, unfortunately (and on my half-birthday, too! does anyone but me even take note of half-birthdays when they get to be 46½?). This situation (exhausting 9-5:30 workload, long commute, no bloggy time) is likely to continue for most of the next two weeks until my boss sails and I get a car. But the Silly Sites must go on, and so I give you, via Andrew at The Poor Man, the apparently necessary Crouching Bunny, Hidden Rabbit. Had I seen this before I did my "White Rabbits" greeting yesterday, obviously I would have used it then. This is what my timing's been like lately...
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Silly Site o' the Day
White Rabbits! Via Johnny Bacardi, have a try at the Magical Name Acronym Generator!
White Rabbits! Via Johnny Bacardi, have a try at the Magical Name Acronym Generator!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
