Shortpacked!: Straxus returns, with much fanfare.

So, 30 more days until I go back to the school, and the myriad wonderful things that await me there. So I'm going to give you a post every day so you can keep track of how I'm rolling. I remember my Holidailies posts made things go much faster, and I hope this does the same thing for these next 30 days.

Well, my first post of these 30 days is going to be a weekly music post.

I'll kick off with one of my favorite songs, and definitely my favorite American Analog Set song. In a word, The Wait is perfect. At least, it is to me. The whispery vocals, the great drumwork, the organ drone. Ah, it's just absolutely wonderful. I love The American Analog Set. You should too. I do think Promise of Love is their best album, but The Golden Band is a very close second.

Next up, a pick off of the first My Morning Jacket album The Tennessee Fire. Nashville to Kentucky is a heartbreaking song. I love the vocal harmonies, and the lonely sad guitar. Along with the characteristic oceans of reverb, this is a great MMJ song. I haven't yet been able to get their new one, nor have I been able to listen to much of their work besides The Tennessee Fire. I should probably change that, because I do like that album quite a bit.

Finally, I felt like I had to feature a song from one of my favorite albums ever, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. It's so hard picking a single song off of this album, because it's a just a fantastic, beautiful whole. But I love this album, because everytime I listen to it, I pick up something new and it blows me away. It always blows me away. And it's rare for an album to do that for me. I'm one to play albums to death and never want to listen to them again unless it's years down the road. I've never gotten sick of this album. Anyway, the song I picked for today is When You Sleep, one of the few songs of the album where the lyrics are near-discernible. Fantastic song.

Whew, sleepy. Poor Steve is sick, so he left right after lunch, which was a quick bite over at the sushi place. He got the super-hot spicy roll, hoping to clear out some of the gunk in his head. He's just miserable.

I had weird dreams last night, which included being inside of the game Okami, accompanied by Dasro, who was helping me to win the game. I also moved in the dream, into an old building where some other people I knew live. It was weird. I woke up confused and sort of squishy emotionally.

Accoring to the Wall Street Journal: Bush = Batman.

What conservatives miss about depictions of superheroes is that they are "ideal" vigilantes and their moral ambiguity.

By being an ideal vigilante I mean that they do not make mistakes. The criminals they capture are always guilty. And the innocent are never caught up in their efforts to stop crime. Criminals are turned over to the justice system once captured to be tried according to the rules of the same system as the rest of us. And sometimes, they go free. But you don't see Superman whining about the justice system when Lex Luthor gets out of prison. His only goal is to see that another crime is not committed, and if it is, the perpetrator is brought back into the justice system.

When is Batman or Superman (or take your pick) ever guilty of picking up an innocent man and sending them to jail? They have perfect knowledge, and so a perfect success rate. And show me one thing that Bush or any police department has done with the same level of certainty. When did Bush ever allow his enemy combatants to seek justice through the system? When did Batman ever whine about the rights of the accused as Bush has done?

Superheroes are also usually fighting an evil somehow greater and more intractable than themselves. Bush is the leader of the free world, and he wasted his resources fighting a petty criminal like Osama bin Laden. This would be a bit like Batman throwing away his fortune and his morality to stop a shoplifter. Can anyone say, Les Miserables?

But they are also morally ambiguous, which is why they have a disguise. They know very well they can't do what they do in full view of the authorities because what they are doing is illegal. It's not merely to protect their families, but to protect themselves. They are subject to the same laws as everyone else as Bruce Wayne. And breaking-and-entering, even in the name of stopping a greater evil, is still illegal. They would be arrested if people knew who they were. Not by the corrupt, but by the morally righteous. Because superheroes walk the line between good and bad. They sacrifice their own moral purity to make a difference and improve the world around them so that when they are gone, they will no longer be necessary. There is no personal glory there.

Can Bush say the same? From my perspective, he cannot. He has destroyed and corrupted all the things that we hold dear. Batman works outside the law in order to preserve it. Bush works outside the law because it is an inconvenience. You cannot be the head of the civil authority and also claim the right to ignore the law. The police commissioner in Batman is one of the good guys--and can be trusted by Batman--because he does NOT ignore the law for his own benefit.

WSJ's bias is showing, too. Self-sacrifice and fighting for what is right are not conservative values. Liberals value these ideals as well. The fact that we don't go about them by means of bullying others to comply doesn't mean what they seem to think it means. It just means that we value other ideals more than we value strick compliance with authority. We all have these urges to run off and make things right. Liberals just understand that this makes a great movie, but never works so well in real life. And if anything, Bush's presidency is the proof of that: life does not immitate art.

From the imdb ticker:

Lucas To Turn Star Wars Films Into 3-D Features

Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is a major advocate of theatrical 3-D films, has disclosed that George Lucas is investing in a technology that could turn all of his Star Wars movies into 3-D features that could be given new releases. Katzenberg told the website ComingSoon.net that he now has the technical resources to begin the conversion process. Previous attempts to turn 2-D movies into 3-D have produced mixed results and reactions -- mostly negative -- but Katzenberg remarked in the interview that Lucas "isn't going to put a product out, I think, that isn't anything other than first rate."

First rate. Just like that scene in Episode IV of Han Solo stepping on Jabba The Hutt's tail, because everything else that audiences ever saw of Jabba would convince us that he'd allow someone who owes him a lot of money to do such a thing.

Good Ol' Revisionist George Lucas. After these 3-D versions get released, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes sure that they become the only versions available.

Russia > USA

http://www2.kerrang.com/2008/07/emo_and_goth_to_be_made_illega.html

Teaser in url.

Oh

My

Gawd.

That was so...

I need to see that again.

Long day, but I was amused that two co workers gave very effusive compliments to my car. "Sweet ride!" one exclaimed.

People are so funny about cars, man. :) Me, I am just glad that I won't have to worry about the tight parking behind my apartment as much, since I won't be shimmying to keep my (usually) all-black clothes from brushing against my dirty, dirty car. I was able to get the window the rest of the way up, too, since I was able to press the switch and hear a little bit of whirring from the motor. That's usually a good sign that I can manually push it the rest of the way without much resistance.

And now I am at home, willing myself to get sleepy, but also working now at getting all of the pins in TWEWY. I also managed to buy enough stuff at the department store that they treat me with a little freaking respect there now. Finally. Yeesh. Nice wristwatch, though. Too bad I like the red handbag much, much more ...

Speaking of TWEWY pins: Pikalek, I am sorry I never called you back - I wasn't trying to ignore your voicemail, but things continue to be hectic around here, and I am forgetful. Looks like Ranger D got some decent pins from the person selling them at Cafe Press - however, I wonder if the image file I got from tclap might be even more high res. It looks like the Wikia site that I've been using hardcore has gotten some nice hi-res versions of the pin images, and Ranger D suspects that's where the Cafe Press pin-maker got 'em from. But if that's true, then what I've got is probably at least a little bit better. Eh, we'll see! I just need time to breathe, is all.

No time to breathe, but maybe I can level up a few more pins ...

Shortpacked!: What a tool!

First it was North Carolina, with their WTF plates.

Now it's Arkansas, with their NGR plates.

For fun, I typed "offensive license plate" into Google. The first hit was The Smoking Gun's list of plates rejected by the state of New York. It's 9 pages long and contains such head-scratchers as BRITE9, COMP113, DA35, and SADDLE.

Yet another shining example of our government resources put to good use. Neither WTF nor NGR are on the New York verboten list. Time for a revision.








saddle!

Well, duh!!!

They say it like it's a surprise.

I'm running on fumes sleepwise.

I made my famous orange zucchini cake today, a little differently than usual because I killed my mixer and never replaced it.

The pink gladiola I cut the other day is fully open now. Tomorrow, I think I'm going to add a red one to the vase.

I still have two or three things I need to do tonight.

This is what springs to mind while I'm doing laundry...

I am the very model of a Doctor Who companion,
Although I've seen Five's other work, like Hitchhiker's and Campion.
And I would never claim to be some kind of geeky champion.
But I am the very model of a Doctor Who companion.

I'd hear the technobabble and nod because I'd understand,
About psychic vibrations transmitted on a Ku band.
I'll never ask for his name or if he has a girlfriend and
I'll be polite, not talk about that tank in which he kept his hand.
(Although, dude, that WAS pretty creepy...)

We'd travel in the TARDIS to destinations unique-ie-est,
We'd deal with monsters, robots and aliens obsequious.
We'd save the world, the universe, or anyone who's in distress
And in the states they'll show us on Sci Fi instead of PBS.

Though I would never claim to be some kind of geeky champion,
I am the very model of a Doctor Who companion.

I had a little birthday money left over, and after 13 years of use my VCR remote was dying in slow agony. I might have toughed it out a bit longer but for two things; one, the multipurpose remote that came with my TV is also threatening to pack it in, and two, Future Shop had a sale on home theatre remotes. So I endulged.

Sure, it's $100 for a remote... but now it's one button to turn on the TV, VCR or DVD, tuner, and set all the aspect ratio controls and volumes as appropriate. Automagically. I can even use it to control my Xbox when watching movies on it, either on DVD or over Live.

It's very comfortable to use, can control up to 16 devices simultaneously including (for the hoity-toity set, I guess) theatre lighting and curtains and such, has nice backlighting, and looks kinda pretty. It's a bit on the bulky side when storing it in the ol' remote caddy, and it looks to be a bit of a battery hog though I plan on using rechargeables instead of alkalines once I've killed off the included ones.

Programming is done through your computer, through Logitech's custom interface software and a direct web connection to their servers. You simply look up the device (by manufacturer and model number) on their server and it queues up the right instruction set. I didn't have any trouble finding my devices, even that elderly VCR of mine is fully supported. Setting up the basic functions is very basic; setting up preprogrammed options for it to perform on powerup is a bit trickier but so long as you know how the menu options work on the devices in question still fairly straightforward. Once all those are set up, you plug the remote in by USB and the system updates the remote's flash memory.

I've only had it for a couple of hours, so this is more of a first impression than a review, but so far I'm not disappointed.

-- Steve thinks he'll have fun with this gadget... and will break it in with a couple of new movies tonight.

The exam is done. I am a bit worried about the professional responsibilities exam as being harder than I expected.

I have 1 hour until the lounge in my hotel opens up for happy hour. I'm watching the clock. Intently.

I've spent most of my day finishing the gardening book I purchased. I'm all filled with ideas and lamenting the tininess of my parents' gardening area. Of course, right now I think I could fill up a few acres and feel the same. I've started making a spreadsheet to plan the planning and implementation. It'll take at least 3-5 years to get the garden the way I want it.  Instead of gushing about all the reasons, click here for the author's website.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of wildlife we end up with in a very citified area that also happens to be one block from the Kinnickinnic River (more of a stream near me than a river).  I'll be thoroughly documenting the process with my digital camera because who doesn't love before and after photos?

Okay, so after learning the basic stitches my brain would not leave me alone about trying to actually design something.

So this is the second of two different designs which are very simple but would not leave my head until I started them.

I'm very pleased with the way they're both turning out but I feel particularly clever with this one.

I should have probably made the "windows" two rows taller to square them off a little better. Apparently, 10 stitches wide by 10 rows tall does not a square make. (And that's actually 10 stitches wide by 12 rows tall there in that picture.)

New review up at The Charlotte Spoon of Addie's Jamaican Cuisine -- have you ever been? What did you think? Read about my experience and share yours on The Spoon!

Through the magic of Wikipedia, I came across this bizarre strategy board game.

The premise is apparently one of alien races trying to colonize other worlds, and contesting with one another through trickery, diplomacy, and war. It sounds like a lot of fun - each alien race gets their own special ability.

Original boards seem to go for quite a bit of cash, but I hear it's supposed to be getting rereleased. I wonder if I could find a copy relatively cheap? And uh, people to play it with.

Went and got the oil changed on my car, since I actually had nothing urgent at the office going on, and I've needed to get the car detailed and washed and stuff since I got it shipped here. There's just been no time.

Of course, the dude slightly rolled down the driver's side window, even though I warned the first guy. So when I leave work tonight, I will be attempting to pull and shove that window back into its closed position. Again. Stupid motor. Stupid old car.

But now it smells of "Spice" (look, they had a list of fragrances, and I decided against Baby Powder and Bubble Gum, OK?), and the guys at the place are friendly and are ready to do a coolant flush for the poor gunked-up works, next time I get a chance.

I am still looking for a good mechanic, though. Or, to become independently wealthy so that I may purchase a Prius outright and not have to worry about the Grand Prix overheating on the 101.

I have a remarkable phobia for revealing to other people what my remarkable phobia is.

That's not a joke.

I really am afraid to tell people what I'm most afraid of. I don't even like the idea of admitting this.

Dear Lazyweb,

Guitar Hero III is on sale at Circuit City.

Wii or Xbox 360?

Why?

Thanks,
Lazy Caspian

ETA: It seems both are wireless, while Xbox 360 allows for downloadable tracks. Anything spectacular about the Wii version that would offset the downloadable content feature?

So when Ben Stein talks about Obama's convention speech and says "Seventy-five-thousand people at an outdoor sports palace, well, that's something the Fuehrer would have done," you have some context.

You can read that quote four times here. It's followed up by this doozy from Glenn Beck: "Well, yeah, you know what? I've been -- I've been saying that we're headed towards a Mussolini-style presidency forever."

People had been comparing Obama to Kennedy. Now he's being compared to Hitler and Mussolini. My only hope is that he's never compared to Uwe Boll. That would be unconscionable.

Unlikely, but possible. Paragraph that ends with killer WTF quote:

True to his cause, Simmons seemed most interested in possible health-related jobs in a new administration. "(The new president) is going to have to look at the statistics of what's happening to our kids," Simmons told CNN Radio, "And then he's going to say who can we turn to? And it certainly isn't the Ghostbusters."

Possible Campaign Slogans:

"Richard Simmons: You Could Do A Lot Worse"
"Richard Simmons: He's FABULOUS!"
"Richard Simmons: At Least He's Kinda Funny Sometimes"

People from Mochica Culture used their war prisoners as human sacrifices for their gods. They were naked and had a cord tied around their necks.

(10:08:53 AM) Pat: I do roll my eyes at the people who freak out when it rains, though
(10:08:55 AM) Pat: I mean, seriously
(10:08:57 AM) Pat: It's rain
(10:09:00 AM) Pat: It's happened for years
(10:09:08 AM) Me: they keep forgetting
(10:09:15 AM) Me: they're like goldfish
(10:09:22 AM) Me: "Oh hey look! A castle!"
(10:09:29 AM) Me: "Oh hey look! A castle!"
(10:09:32 AM) Me: ...
(10:09:40 AM) Me: "Oh hey look! A castle!"
(10:10:52 AM) Pat: LOL
(10:10:54 AM) Pat: Exactly
(10:11:06 AM) Pat: Especially the people who go through the low-lying flood areas
(10:11:10 AM) Pat: "Hey, this place floods!"
(10:11:14 AM) Pat: "Hey, this place floods!"

What?? Recent oil price hikes have been shown to be the result of speculator-driven market manipulation????

You're KIDDING me. I *so* did not see THAT coming! Why, all this time I thought that oil prices were as high as they were because I run my air-conditioning too much on hot days! Well, I am SHOCKED, I say. Shocked and dismayed.

Ow. I think one of my eyeballs just fell out of its socket, due to my rolling it so hard.

------------------------------

EDITED TO ADD: Here's some equal time for the opposing point of view.

Allegedly there's free Internet upstairs, but my laptop ain't pickin' it up.

So, woo, did pretty well during Preview Night, so I'm hoping that trends forward. It was great to see many of you already! And, dude, somebody asked for a sketch of PROFESSOR SNAKO in their Shortpacked! book. BEST. REQUEST. EVER.

But, man, I gotta tell ya, I am not going to be able to get any of these Comic-Con exclusives. It was nearly impossible last year, and I managed then mostly through the help of my pal Steve. And Steve's not here! I can't wait 3 hours in line. I have to meet fans and sell things! Oh well.

I guess there's eBay.

Update
Whine and you shall receive, apparently. Moonracer of the Allspark came by and got me a Hasbro Toy Shop ticket, good from noon till 2. I gave her a hug.

Shortpacked!: Checking in on the kids.

I'm beat! Have some contextless photos.

So I took the LSAT last month and got a 161 (especially with no preparation). I've been told that's decent enough, so the next stop is law school.

Wish me luck.