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Sunday, January 29, 2006 Jesus Blocks  Okay. So Kanye apparently is Jesus. What really irks me about this cover is it draws attention away from this headline:Battlestar Galactica: The Toughest, Smartest Show on Television.‘Nuff said. ------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 26, 2006 Groundhog Day...With Terrorists  I love 24. With more turns than Lombard Street, it always promises a thrill ride. And the opening of this season definitely lived up to its hype.However, with the last three hours, I feel this show might become victim of its own internal predictability. Without fail, the show has already provided the exact same plot points that have been in every season:
You’d at least think that by now they’d get wise to the fact that something bad always happens in the Server Socket room, and taken steps to install some durn windows into the room. Just saying. ------------------------------------------------
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Can they still use cell phones in this highly classified area as in every other season...I forgot to keep an eye out to see if that was also true! By , at 7:11 PM Wednesday, January 25, 2006 Best. Political. Ad . Ever. I'm Not Making This Up. By now the Canadian elections are over, but this is a gem that can't be passed up, and deserves a place of honor in the Negative Ad Hall of (S)Hame. Conservative candidate Stephen Harper stated that he wanted to post at least 100 soldiers and 400 reservists in Canada's major cities so that they would be there to deal with natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The Liberal Party soon responded with this simple ad, consisting of a stern female voice-over and martial drums: Stephen Harper actually announced that he wants to increase military presence in our cities. Canadian cities. Soldiers with guns. In our cities. In Canada. We did not make this up.The staccato delivery of these lines does little to drive the point home, but rather makes the whole thing seem even more ridiculous. In fact, it has led to a snowstorm of parody and satires. That's about the most blatant scare tactic I've ever seen. And so inaccurate. The only Canadians interested in building a military dictatorship were Generals Clair and Jenny, and even their bid for world domination exists solely as pale, mirrored shadow mirror of their original, brilliant site, whose glory can now only glimpsed through the Internet Archives.  ------------------------------------------------
Why the Hell Not?  That’s his campaign slogan. Kinky Friedman, Jewish cowboy, recording artist, friend of Dylan and Nelson, detective author, and perennial cigar smoker. And possible future Texas Governor.And, after some thought, I have to echo the sentiment. Why the hell not? He’s certainly a colorful, outspoken individual who is always ready with a pithy and often witty one-liner. He has clearly defined what he stands for and what he doesn’t, what he likes and dislikes, and what he considers to be the problems in the current political system. He’s personable and people gravitate towards him – he’s even raised more money for his campaigning than his democratic opponent. Does he have any experience? No. And why that very likely might make him an unmitigated disaster as the governor of Texas, his election would prove that a three, four, or five party system in the United States is plausible and inevitable. And I think it might take a total political outsider to drive home the point. And he’d certainly make listening to political discourse a lot more fun. Let’s look at some of his potent quotables: May the God of your choice bless you.I hope these are represented on the Kinkster talking doll. ------------------------------------------------
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and not to mention his most famous song lyrics," I'm pround to be an Ass Hole from El Paso". I've been a Kinky fan for a long time. By , at 5:33 PM Monday, January 23, 2006 Little Poison  60 Minutes ran a story last night detailing the growth of video game competitions as a big-money, spectator sport, where the biggest names can get millions in endorsements and make hundreds of thousands in tournaments. One up-and-comer in the industry is Little Poison, a master at Halo who already has two marketing assistant and agents who handle his career and if one of the most renowned professional gamers in the world.Did I mention he's seven? All thoughts of child exploitation aside, why in the world is anyone letting this kid play Halo? Even the software designer specifies the game is for ages 17 and up (that's rated M for mature)! It's a first-person shooter, and hardly the type of game that should be in any seven-year old hands. At that age, a child's vocabulary of video games should still end at Mario. Professional Gaming apparently takes a blind eye to age appropriateness. On his official trading card at Major League Gaming, Little Poison is described thusly: Displays an unbelievable level of gaming maturity and intelligence for his young ageChildhood only lasts for so long, Lil Poison. I'm sorry you'll miss most of it. Childhood only lasts for so long, gamers. I'm sorry most of you have forgotten it. ------------------------------------------------
Great Power. No Responsibility.  Everyone should check out PVP creator Scott Kurtz's new Image comic book, Truth, Justin and the American Way. It's a terrific homage to the early 80's fantasy television shows. Justin J. Cannell, a typical teenager, is given a fantastic super suit by aliens (sound familiar?), but really doesn't live up to the potential it provides. Looks like it will be a real fun read, and will really capture the feel of that era in television to the letter.------------------------------------------------
Saturday, January 21, 2006 If You Build It, they Will Buy  Lego has introduced an awesome new application on their site. It's a 3-d modeling program that allows you to design your own Lego creation, save it, and send it back to Lego.com. Lego, in turn, will build a set based on your specifications, create a building guide, and send it to you. Your own custom made Lego set - how awesome is that?The program is a little awkward to use, and sadly, at this point, you are only allowed to build from a couple of preset packages of blocks. But if the program turns out to be successful (and I think it is, as Parker got a set that I believe is based on one of these designs for Christmas), the next generation of the program could very well allow for true custom builds from the company. Imagine if all of the brick-building clubs across the world could submit their original creations as sets available for purchase. Imagine if Lego created an incentive program that shared some of the profits with these creators. I think we'd all have to surrender in the face of wave after wave of entrepreneurial Zacks. They are Lego Maniacs, after all. ------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 19, 2006 More Rich Chocolatey Ovaltine, Please  Ray Nagin took a side trip down surreal street this week when he responded to questions about his "chocolate city" comments with this explanation:How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk and it becomes a delicious drink. This offbeat comment has made Nagin the internet Pariah of the Week, spawning "Willy Wonka-esque t-shirts, and fake news stories about Hershey's being hired to rebuild the city. I can see what Nagin was trying to say in his first speech, but just wished he had articulated his points better instead of trying to be clever with a sound bite. ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 Google Takes One For the Team  For the want of a nail, a shoe was lost.The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned a law attempting to block online child pornography due to a technicality. They told the Justice Department they would revisit the case if they could show the law did work to deter the use of child pornography on the internet. In turn, the Justice Department decided the best way to provide such evidence was to show how accessible the material is online, and the best way to do show would be to present the court with a list of every search engine query in a given weekly period. And so the Justice Department subpoenaed every search engine to get said list, and every search engine complied. Save one. Google might be big enough now that its looked on with the suspicion usually reserved for national governments, but it put its money where its mouth is, literally. It refused to divulge the information, and now the government is taking them to court to get the information. The court battle has already cost the Search Engine 8% of its stock value. Let's hope that even with this added financial pressure they stick to their guns. This time, the requested list is narrow, and does not contains actual IP addresses of the incoming queries. But it sets a dangerous precedent, and it wouldn't take much more pressure to require companies to divulge that information. And once you get to that point, the idea of the internet that is free exchange of ideas loses its solid foundation, and you're one step away from a Chinese-like control of what is said and not said online - an effort that already has the backing of the same search engines. For the want of a nail, a war was lost. ------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 NOLA - Lest we forget... Just because the news cycle has moved on, doesn't mean we should. Everyone should remember that New Orleans is still quite a mess. Here's recent message from my friend Maddy, who lives just across the lake in Slidell and who commutes to the Big Easy everyday:
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Sunday, January 15, 2006 It's the Chronic! What? Les of Narnia! This is probably the funniest SNL material I have seen in a long, long time. And I'm not the only one to take note. "Lazy Sunday" has been reported by the NYT Times, Slate, and Newsweek, and has become the most downloaded video clip online in just over a few weeks. It's goofy, zany fun, and also as brilliant an homage to old school rap as the Darkness's "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" was to Big Hair Rock. And the lyrics are fantastically clever, from "And then I'n Ghost like Swayze" to "They can call us Aaron Burr the way we're dropping Hamiltons". And it taught me a whole new kind of math:  ------------------------------------------------
Damned if You Do... The situation with Iran and its nuclear program are nearing a flashpoint, and yet it really has not sunk it with most people in America. I don't know if it is because of burnout after years of war in Iraq, but so far it remains a secondary side story for most. Author Victor Davis Hanson concisely explains the current situation and the pros and cons of any response, diplomatically or militarily. The sad part is seeing how much change is occuring in Iraq. The youth of Iraq have more freedom now than they have had in decades, and listening to them on radio, television, and on the web, will be a true force for political and social change in Iran in the next few decades. The eventual decline of the theocracy and rise of a democracy will most likely be destroyed if this crisis leads to a war. ------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 12, 2006 Pandora's Box contains Hope...and Kicking Tunes  Pandora is an awesome flash application that grew out of the Music Genome Project, which looked to categorize music by characteristics they share. You type in an artist, and Pandora builds a playlist of artists whose songs share characteristics with the artist or song in question. While listening to the list, you can refine your station by rating tracks, save them to a favorites list, and purchase either the album from Amazon or individual track from iTunes. What makes Pandora so incredible is that it actively, rather than passively, takes the listener to similar music in a way that is miles above any other online music service. It truly expands musical horizons for its users. Recently, Music Psychologist (thatÂ?s a profession?) Adrian North said that "The accessibility of music has meant that it is taken for granted and does not require a deep emotional commitment once associated with music appreciation". I tend to disagree. While North might be right that music has become a commodity, music even on a passive level speaks to people. If a listener canÂ?t become emotionally invested in a song, itÂ?s because that music they are currently listening to has no depth to it. It's superficial from the outset. And when a piece that does have that depth comes to the forefront, it becomes ever more apparent for its ability to break out of the mediocrity. ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 Hello Cthulu  Did you know that if it walks like a baby, or talks like a baby, or acts like a baby, humans will normally always consider it “cute” and want to cuddle it? I think evil-doers should take note. Sharp teeth and scary claws are out: Pinks bows and fuzzy paws are in. Cthulu has taken the lesson to heart, appealing to little tykes everywhere by getting an anime-makeover thanks to Jane Dominguez, and by going plush, as seen here, here, and here.------------------------------------------------
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I can't take full credit for it, as much as I'd like to. I drew the desktop wallpaper image based on a small anigif Allan sent me. The source anigif versus my desktop. There's also a Hello Cthulu Comic out there. Heck, people have even cross-stiched the little bugger! By , at 11:09 AM Monday, January 09, 2006 Insensitive Names Near Carabelle, Florida, there is an impenetrable morass of murky swamp and briars called Tate's Hell. Local legend has it that the swamp is named for Cebe Tate, a farmer that lived next to the swamp and went into it looking to track and kill a panther that had been preying on his cattle. Cebe disappeared for nearly a week until finally he walked out of the swamp, bruised, battered, and near death. He lived long enough to utter to his discoverers, "My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell!". It's legends like this that add color and life to history. No matter how accurate they may be, oral history like this creates a connectivity to the past that makes it more alive for people than the dry resuscitation of facts and dates. Nevertheless, that has not stopped the Florida Legislature, in conjunction with the Division of Historical Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, from enacting a law to change the name as it is 'potentially insensitive'. Other state landmarks deemed insensitive and deserving of renaming include Slave Canal in Jefferson County (dug by slaves to carry cotton), Bloody Bluff (named apparently for the number of duels fought there), Indian Swamp and Deadman's Slough in Gulf County, and Whiskey George Creek (named during Prohibition for its use by rumrunners). While perhaps one could make a claim about slave canal, I sincerely doubt there are any rumrunners, Tates, or dead men out there who will be offended by their geographical namesakes. Even Slave Canal is iffy, as in and of itself, the word 'slave' is not insensitive, and the name actually acknowledges those who built it in a way that the proposed "Cotton Run Canal" does not (Cotton Run Canal sounds like a subdivision name). Can you think of any other pre-Civil War public works project or building in the South that identifies who was responsible for the labor? Letting these name changes stand sets a terrible precedent for the future. Think how many national parks and geographic features across America use the word Devil. Devil's Racetrack. Devil's Gulch. Devil's Gate. Devil's Garden. Devil's Elbow.Devil's Hole.Devil's Fork.Devil's Icebox.Devil's Tower.Devil's Millhopper.Devil's Den.Devil's Hopyard.Devil's Lake. And, I'm sure, hundreds of others scattered far and wide. How hard is it to imagine a religious conservative in the future protesting these names because no 'God-fearing nation should honor the works of the Beast or his minions'? And how hard is it to imagine legislation banning these names passing, either because of a passive legislature that decides the political battle to fight it isn't worth the cost, or because the law was buried as an addendum to some gargantuan spending bill? J guess I'll just have to get used to the idea that the Devil's Millhopper will soon become Big Possum Hole. Cul-de-sacs not included. ------------------------------------------------
Saturday, January 07, 2006 Physician, Heal Thyself  Avoid MedStar II. The characters have potential, but feel wasted in this novel, which takes along time to go nowhere fast. Plot lines are concluded with very little finality or satisfaction, overall the story does not feel engaging enough to capture your interest. Furthermore, the authors have an annoying tendency to want to use human events and colloquialisms, and stretch to find a way to use them in the Star Wars universe. Particularly egregious is the legend of the Kahylt that laid the rubat crystals, and the Clone Wars equivalent of the USO tour (does anyone truly think that based on how clones are generally regarding in other sources that anyone would even deign to set up a USO tour for them?). There was a elements of a good story in here, but trying to find them is like looking for a mynock in an asteroid.------------------------------------------------
Friday, January 06, 2006 Creepy Typecasting?  Cameron Bright sure is building a unique character role for himself. In Birth, he played an apparently possessed ten-year old boy that is attracted to Nicole Kidman in a very adult (and slightly creepy) fashion. On Stargate SG-1, he plays an alien possessed twelve-year old boy that is unnaturally attracted to Amanda Tapping in a very adult (and slightly creepy) fashion. One can’t help but wonder what will happen to his acting career when he reaches legal age?------------------------------------------------
Sunday, January 01, 2006 Neither Rain nor Sleet... It was long drive back to Gainesville. Several times we had to drop off the interstate and go to back roads to avoid gigantic traffic snafus. Heavy thunderstorms dogged our trail. Despite leaving at a reasonable time, we still got home after dark, in the middle of a fantastic lightning storm. We might of missed the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but Mother Nature provided us one heck of a show tonight. ------------------------------------------------
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Saturday, January 28, 2006 Indian Spiced Rice We made this tonight, and it was incredibly good! It didn't take that long either -- as long as it takes rice to cook, essentially. Indian Spiced Rice "This rice dish takes very little time to prepare and most of the ingredients are found in the common kitchen." Original recipe yield: 4 servings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/4 cups dry jasmine rice 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup dry lentils 3 cups water 1 potato, peeled and diced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup green peas 3 tablespoons raisins 1 tablespoon butter (optional) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIRECTIONS: In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently until they have softened. Sprinkle in the ginger, garlic, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, and cumin. Cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Pour the rice into the saucepan and saute the rice with the spices for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the lentils and salt into the saucepan. Pour 3 cups of water into the pan, stir. Place the potatoes into the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Place the bell pepper, peas, and raisins into the saucepan. Stir well, then cover the pan again. Cook 10 minutes more, or until the rice, potatoes, and lentils are tender. Stir in the butter, if you like. Serve and enjoy. Nutrition Info Servings Per Recipe: 4 Amount Per Serving Calories: 459 Total Fat: 7g ** Cholesterol: 8mg Sodium: 481mg Total Carbs: 85.9g Dietary Fiber: 12.7g Protein: 13.7g ------------------------------------------------
Monday, January 23, 2006 4-year-old Parenting Sucks. I am just BONE-TIRED of asking Parker to stop knocking Kira down when they are "playing". She's just learned to walk, and is still not 100% steady (not that anyone would stay standing if they were pushed!), and he keeps knocking her over, which causes her to fuss (the frustrated cry) and him to dart furtive looks my way. I have done time out, I've explained to him logically how that isn't a nice way to play, etc., etc., etc. Today, I spanked him. It was stupid, unfruitful, and entirely out of frustration on my part. I do NOT want to be like this! I don't know what to do. Should I just ignore it? It isn't acceptable to be knocking her over though! I have tried keeping them apart, but honestly, this is too time-consuming, and entirely unfair to Kira as much as it is to Parker -- she adores playing with him! But, I have done it as a consequence (the whole -- if you won't play nicely, you need to go play alone in your room), with no change from him. Playing alone to him isn't that much of a punishment, you know? We've done the time out in the corner for 4 minutes, and poor Kira keeps going over wanting him to play with her. I try to keep her entertained, but it honestly feels more like a punishment to her than to him -- I HATE that she gets so frustrated that he's not playing with her, and yet, I make him stay there -- he doesn't seem to mind 4 minutes!! We've also taken away toys -- his builder set LEGOs are currently away (as are his Star Wars sets) and he can't have them until tomorrow. He gets upset at first, but is over it and back to his bad behavior shortly. And I just don't want to resort to any kind of physical punishment. That might be limiting me, but it makes me feel like crap, and if I allow myself to do it at all, it would soon be a slippery slope for me -- violence is in my nature, and I have been working EXTREMELY hard to keep it in check, which is why spanking him this morning about it was so disturbing to me. I need something that works, and that I can live with. I hate that everything we've tried doesn't seem to get through to him. 4-year-old parenting sucks. ------------------------------------------------
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I am a mother of a 4 year old boy and only 21 so I know I also have anger issues. I know at this age they KNOW what they are doing. I have found from my sister and her experiance that siblings will be siblings and as long as there is not any pain on either party then it should be fine. "Knocking over" a toddler is not a difficult task and could be entertaining to both of them, depending on the childs personality. I have a 2 year old step daughter and I find them playing together without adult "interferrence" gives them a little bit more joy. :) By , at 5:46 PM Wednesday, January 18, 2006 Hopeful Sign of Things To Come! Last night, Kira went to sleep at around 8:30 to 9 pm and didn't wake up until 1 am!! Oh, heaven! Of course, I didn't lay down for bed until 12:30 am, but that is an entirely different matter. Jeff even went in at about 11:30 to make sure she was okay -- that is how atypical it is! I'm really not sure how she slept after that, as I brought her into bed with me, and don't remember much until the morning (I remember switching sides with her once, but that's it), as I was too tired to mover her back into her crib. Let's hope that tonight has similar miracles in store! ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 See .. I TOLD you she needed a nap!!! She DID nap. Finally. It took some rocking, nursing, screaming, patting, rubbing, but she went to sleep and slept 100 GLORIOUS (work-filled) minutes!!! She's much happier now, too. ------------------------------------------------
Oh my FREAKING goodness!! I swear I'm going to implode. For the ONE THOUSANDTH time, Kira, you CANNOT get between the computer, the chair, and the wall. NO. You know, she chose today to start tantrumming. The day after I said, "Yes," to a priority rush client. I know it isn't coincidence. I also know that I am not handling it well. On top of that, this is my third day with a sore throat. I have believed, since I have no other symptoms, that I have "canker sores" at the back of my mouth from stress -- which feel like a sore throat. All I know is that they HURT. When should I go in and have it looked at? What does strep feel like? Doesn't that include flu-like symptoms? I also considered that it is polyps, but I figured that would make it hard to actually speak. The only time it hurts is when I actually swallow. Kira is in her crib right now, screaming. I needed a break. Parker is THANK THE UNIVERSE in his room playing alone. Kira has stopped napping, practically. Yesterday she slept from 6 pm to 6:30 in the car. After getting up at 7:30 am. Monday, she didn't nap until 4 pm after getting up at 7 am. Today, it is 1 pm, she got up at 7:30 am, and she STILL hasn't napped. She's still screaming in her crib. How's that for "stream of consciousness"? ------------------------------------------------
Full-On Toddler Kira chose today to exhibit the full range of toddlerhood -- TANTRUMS! Oh my. And, of course, they were over the most inane things: getting behind the computer chair, getting to the tub in the bathroom, and then naptime. The computer chair one is something we've never allowed. We have a computer that I work on during the day in the living room, where I can keep an eye on the kids, and quickly switch from work mode to play mode at the drop of a hat. It is in the corner next to a window. The chair, therefore sits next to the wall. Kira likes to squeeze, while screaming from frustration and/or pain, between the chair and wall, towards the computer tower, which she has been known to turn off in the middle of a project (thus, constant saving). I always immediately pick her up and move her, and get her engaged in something else, or take it as my cue to have a break from the computer. Well, she will NOT be discouraged for ANYthing if I'm sitting here. But, if I move away to play with her, she isn't interested. So, I go back to the computer. Repeat ad nauseum. Now the tub one was just -- infuriating. When I'm here with the kids, I normally run to the bathroom, do my business, and come back out, without worrying about closing the door all the way (it is quick, it allows me to keep an ear out, and Kira can come find me if need be -- I'm done by the time she gets to me). Probably TMI, but there it is. Well, today, in her super-fast toddler-mode, she got to the bathroom, and proceeded to the tub. I removed her from trying to flip into it, and she LOST it. I mean LOST it. Oh, it was horrible. Midnight, our cat, even came over to make sure that she was okay. I mean, went over to her face and sniffed (and then ran back to a safe distance when she still screamed, right in her face). She finally calmed down when we left the bathroom and I nursed her. And it was one of those shuddering nursings -- where you can tell that they feel the world has wronged them and they just can't calm down. She finally fell asleep, and when I got up to take her to her crib, she woke up screaming yet again. I just put her in her crib, closed the door and finally got myself some breakfast. I ate it, with no great speed, and she went from being somewhat entertained in her crib to screaming in the span of a few minutes. "Kira's awake, Mama," Parker said, somewhat concerned. I acknowledged the information and told him that she's okay and I'll get her in a minute. I knew that I still needed to calm down a little more. So, I went and got her, much to her relief, and sat her down in the living room, at which time she started patting her knees and saying, "Pah-Pah" for "pat-pat". I knew what I needed to do. Get Little Einsteins and put it on the TV. And I did. And she's watching it with Parker now. And they both just did the "pat-pat-pat-pat" to get Rocket to go faster for Blast Off. It was cute. I'm calm. Please let the tantrums for the day be over. For all of us. ------------------------------------------------
Sunday, January 08, 2006 Walking non-stop Kira is less than one-month a toddler, and that is all that she wants to do. It is really cute, and yet a little sad too. I realized today that my babies have never stayed "baby-like" for long. They get their teeth at 4 or 5 months, they are sitting up shortly there-after, and move on to crawling, pulling up, and finally walking. 10 months was the time for both Parker and Kira to be walking, though Parker was a little earlier in the month than Kira was. And Kira is already starting to talk. She says a number of words, and uses similar sounds in appropriate places. She is trying to talk, that's for sure. I'm sure it won't be too long. ------------------------------------------------
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