surrounded by women

counting down.

2010-12-09T23:45:00.001-05:00

let's see...5 days til I get my car. 8 days til company arrives. 12 days til vacation. AND 16 days til CHRISTMAS!!!

and in the Eleventh Hour....

2010-04-08T00:32:00.003-04:00

...we have a new Doctor. AND, he's brilliant. Everything was brilliant: casting, storyline, plot resolution, and 'hidden' clues to boot.

If you haven't yet watched - GO! NOW! And find it somewhere on the web.

As for reviews of the first episode, I liked the following paragraph in Wikipedia:

Sinclair McKay, for the Mail on Sunday, said: 'The moment the Tardis crash-lands in an English country garden... Smith faces down any doubters with aplomb.' He also added: 'Smith might turn out to be one of the best Time Lords of the lot.' [14] Benji Wilson, for The Telegraph, wrote 'It was ridiculous but it felt right: mad, alien, brand new but very old. A+ to the casting director. A+ to Smith.' [15] Matthew Bell, in the Observer, said: 'From the moment he appeared, dangling from the doorway of his time machine, the new boy demonstrated that he can more than fill the shoes of his predecessor.' 'Matt Smith fights aliens. He wears tweed. He loves custard. He is the Doctor. And he might be more the Doctor than anyone who was the Doctor before.' Roland White for The Times wrote: 'The previous doctor, David Tennant, smouldered his way across the space-time continuum. Smith is more of a geek-chic Time Lord... Smith is a much more quixotic, light-hearted Doctor than Tennant, who seemed to carry the cares of the universe on his shoulders.'[16]

and the Wall came tumbling down.

2009-11-10T00:04:00.004-05:00

No, it didn't quite tumble to bits overnight, but it was the amazing and unbelievable start 20 years ago to the reunification of city and of country.

I remember where I was that night 20 years ago and the OMG feeling of seeing this unfold on the TV.

I doubt I'll ever forget.

go fetch!

2009-09-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

wow

Sen. Boxer-meets-dr-evil"

2009-06-20T20:56:00.002-04:00

The comparison is just overwhelming... hahahah. People's true nature always seems to bleed through to the surface.

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin

2009-02-18T01:03:00.003-05:00

"Avatar: The Last Airbender: Bitter Work (#2.9)" (2006)

Uncle Iroh: [Drawing the Fire Nation symbol in the dirt] Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. [Drawing the Earth Kingdom symbol]
Uncle Iroh: Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. [Drawing the Air Nomad symbol]
Uncle Iroh: Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. [pause]
Uncle Iroh: And they apparently had great senses of humor. [Drawing the Water Tribe symbol]
Uncle Iroh: Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.
Prince Zuko: Why are you teaching me these things?
Uncle Iroh: It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it become rigid and stale. [he draws straight lines separating the four symbols]
Uncle Iroh: Understanding others, the other elements, the other nations, will help you become whole. [he draws a circle around the whole, uniting the four symbols into one]

Prince Zuko: All this four elements talk, is sounding like Avatar stuff.
Uncle Iroh: It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful too.

Prince Zuko: But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!
Uncle Iroh: Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.
Prince Zuko: Well, my life has nothing but humbling lately...

the geek test v.3.1

2008-03-30T17:27:00.003-04:00

One of my wonderful daughters found this really good geek assessment tool.

I is a major geek at 43.78698%.

Go take the quiz!!!

Huckabee wins the Internet

2007-11-18T23:37:00.000-05:00

nuff said.

Showdown at ...

2007-10-25T00:29:00.000-04:00

the LN2 corral.

My most recent interesting find is this clip - which I found on Retrospectacle: A Neuroscience Blog. Who needs DC comics when this Brainiac has the ultimate showdown of Thermite versus Liquid Nitrogen.

As Shelley described on her website: Thermite is a mixture of iron oxide and aluminum. When ignited, the aluminum is oxidized and the iron oxide is reduced. If you put it in a terracotta flower pot with a sheet of metal covering the hole at the bottom, the thin strip will melt just as the reaction has completed and allow a column of molten iron to pour straight downward.

i haz new cats at home.

2007-10-18T23:33:00.000-04:00

Now I can make lots and lots of pictures.

d%^@ yankees....

2007-10-07T00:34:00.000-04:00

may be a musical comedy, but this postseason is anything but funny. It smacks of supernatural influence -

Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui, three of the most productive Yankees from April through September, are a combined 0-for-20. Add Derek Jeter in and the quartet is a paltry 1-for-28 (.036). Bobby Abreu is the only Yankee with more than one hit and he has just two. Heck, only seven Yankees have a hit in the series.

A new vocation

2007-09-20T23:01:00.000-04:00

LOL. The Curt Jester has outdone himself this time. The recently created position of Liturgical Referee has been instituted to help to bring uniformity to the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

I can think of one Church in my area where the music selection and 'lead singer' would cause penalty markers to fly.

and... maybe they could have part of the referee's uniform match the liturgical seasons.

i can plz have summer vacation?

2007-08-15T17:12:00.000-04:00

So the first half of summer was REALLY busy and now it it's already half way thru August. Not to say that I didn't enjoy the last 7 or 8 weeks since the kids got out of school, but it hasn't quite been vacation. Work has been particularly rough and even had me wondering about how much longer I could deal with it. But now that is all miles away and I'm posting from road and soaking up the sun.
No need to imagine relaxing or swimming. i iz got some.

Scrabble smackdown

2007-08-03T23:28:00.000-04:00

Good things can come outta Canada. w/hat tip to RJ Anderson who also hails from "Kalanadia".

Correct me if I'm wrong,

2007-04-06T14:13:00.000-04:00

but I found the host on the radio station, NJ 101.5, to be extremely rude to one of his callers today at approximately 1:50 pm (today is 04/06/07). I never listen to that station, but the discussion mentioned school buses & DYFS and caught my attention as I went around the dial.
It seems the host, Dennis, wasn't content to disagree w/ his caller, but also had to insult the man by saying that the caller "had his head so far up his a$$ there was an echo in his kidneys" HELLO? When did that become normal conversation on the radio? Why does society tolorate that on the airwaves? I don't want my kids hearing that on a regular basis.

I have a hard time believing that kind of launguage is considered acceptable on talk radio. I definitely won't bother tuning in to 101.5 again and am not proud that they call themelves NJ's radio station. Personally, I prefer the information and banter on NPR.

Mr. Tiger goes to Washington

2007-04-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

Verdict: Guilty of Negligence

2007-03-14T22:02:00.000-04:00

Sentencing to commence in the following paragraph:

I admit I've been neglecting to post anything recently. For that matter, I haven't spent a lot time surfing either - for a variety of reasons. I think most the month of February was consumed by reading. Yes, reading books, that thing I used to spend hours doing before the internet was created by Al Gore's inconvenient ego.

While on vacation last summer, I read Kommar by Lois McMaster Bujold. That novel is one of the latter stories in the Vorkosigan Saga. Then last month, my wife brought the first book in the series home from the library and I just got sucked into the Vorkosigan universe. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to lose hours of your life just reading and be able to go from one novel on to the next.

Lois McMaster Bujold writes some wonderful dialogue and Miles Vorkosigan's thoughts and exploits are a riot. Within the Vorkosigan Saga, Lois seems to have applied different 'themes' to the stories in the series. So one book may lean toward more of a military campaign, another a mystery, one is introspective, and others follow a love interest/romance. One of her short stories, The Mountains of Mourning can be found at the Baen Free Library.

By the way, the Baen Free Library is just pure gold. Kinda of cross between a smorgasbord and X-mas morning.

I'm a 26 percenter

2007-01-31T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last Friday on The Leonard Lopate Show they were discussing how according to a recent study, 26% percent of Americans consider themselves to be chronic procrastinators. I immediately realized "Hey that's ME!" (And the infrequent posting to this blog is evidence.) I hadn't realized it was such a pervasive problem.

The two guest psychologists answered questions on why we put things off and how it affects our health, wealth, and happiness. There was some stuff I've already read or heard about and, unfortunately, no magic bullets or cures. It was nice to get some recognition though.

Estrogen squared

2007-01-03T00:27:00.000-05:00

More often than not, my waking hours on the weekend are spent surrounded only by the women I love and appreciate. This New Year's Day was no exception with the added bonus of also having my mother, my mother-in-law, and my wife's grandmother around. Late in the day, I was either being playfully pummeled by one of my pint-sized princesses or getting caught in the snark crossfire coming from those over 15.

I believe I just managed to keep myself out of trouble, with God's grace, and survive to see the second day of 2007. Since my Tigress was happy this morning, all's well that ends well.

On the first day of Christmas,

2006-12-26T23:29:00.000-05:00

the Lord granted me a day of rest in which to enjoy the fruits of all my pre Christmas preparations. (and be surrounded by women while doing so!) As many of you know, the last few days before Christmas can turn into a whirlwind of activity, especially with young children in the home. Christmas Day is very enjoyable, but non-stop. Today we got to sleep in, catch our breath, and just exist in the moment.

My mother is visiting with us for 2 and half weeks and I finally got to sit with her and chat over breakfast this morning. Nothing extravagant or philosophical, just chatting about life and other good things with the occasional comment from one of the little tigers.

_________________________________________________

One of my daughters, the self proclaimed 'Empress Tiger' received Clubhouse for Nintendo DS which features all kinds of traditional card and board games as well as bowling, darts, billiards and etc. The most fun for me was making the two Nintendo DSs transfer/download game info thru the built-in wireless connection and be able to compete head to head without having to buy another cartridge.

Mario Bros, LotR, and Pokeman are all fun Nintendo games, but there's also something enjoyable about the Clubhouse version of Battleship and losing to a giggling ten year old.

A physics demonstration is worth a thousand words.

2006-12-12T01:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we went to the Rutgers Faraday Christmas Children's Lecture presented by the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. My wife had read some good reviews, but I was a little apprehensive that it would be mostly lecture with some visuals thrown in. Kinda like blah blah blah blah…[insert technical terms] blah blah…wish we could show you, but safety…etc, etc. Boy, did I underestimate them. (Similar to how everyone underestimated the football team this fall.)

It was a spectacular demonstration that was fun to watch, educating, and kept you wondering what was going to be next. Professor Mark Croft, Dave Maiullo, and those who assisted did an absolutely, excellent job. They exploded a hydrogen balloon, shattered a beaker using vibration, worked with liquid nitrogen, blew smoke rings, and kept us entertained for an hour & a half. My five year old daughter kept turning to my wife after each demonstration and whispering, with wonder in her eyes, “How did he do that?”

Perhaps the best line of the evening was, at the end of the lecture, from my teenage daughter who said “Now I want to go and take a college physics class.” That too was priceless.

No work as unending, like a house forlorn

2006-11-20T01:04:00.000-05:00

aaagh! How many countless hours and weekends do I have to sink into this house in order to enjoy living in it? Make no mistake - I AM very grateful to have a roof (albeit leaking) over my head and an otherwise warm, cozy abode to come home to, but the maintenance is overwhelming.

I figured that the peeling paint outside had something to do with moisture leaking in and that it needed to be addressed. However, I'm no Norm Abrams and I needed to work up the courage to tackle this project. Now, water is getting in and dripping above the side door to the house. Time to face the music.

Too bad I can't just buy the house some flowers and tell it I'm sorry. Now that would be easy.

On this day... October 10

2006-10-10T23:16:00.000-04:00

I like the On this day feature of Wikipedia's main page and today's historical events column caught my eye. Notably, in 732, the Battle of Tours occurred. Charles Martel and his army defeated a large army of Moors and effectively stopped the Muslims from spreading further into Western Europe.

I also noticed that Maximilian Kolbe was canonized on October 10, 1982 by the Catholic Church as Saint Maximilian Kolbe and declared a martyr of charity. Among the many things he did, Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland.

Charles and Maximilian, I raise my glass to you both.

Good night and good luck (to me)

2006-10-01T02:15:00.000-04:00

As if living and working with women wasn't enough exposure to the fairer sex, tonight, my home has been taken over by the sleepover. (Is that a horse whinnying?)

In all honesty, the evening's activities, DDR, and dinner went off without a hitch. My daughter and her friends were all very well behaved and were having a blast, giggling and playing, and being loud. Realllly loud. Best of all, the look and smile on my daughter's face told us this was simply teh wonderful.

Of course when you get five 10 or 11 year olds together, it's not as if they're going to fall asleep any time soon. Yep...they are still w i d e awake at this hour.

hmmm.....

2006-09-28T00:42:00.000-04:00

Blogger seems to have hicupped and the site isn't working!

Update - the technical end of the site is functioning again and I was able to republish the blog. Yeah!! Since it is now after midnight again and most of my brain cells are clamoring for sleep, any new content will have to wait for tomorrow.

Periodic Patter

2006-09-14T23:56:00.000-04:00

Elementary, my dear Sullivan.

Now, since of course you want to go and memorize it yourself, here's the handy mnemonic to add to your repertoire.

Einstein would approve.

Radio killed the telegraph star...

2006-08-11T00:31:00.000-04:00

My Tigress happened across this amusing quote from Albert Einstein. When asked to describe radio, he replied:

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."

2006-08-07T23:55:00.000-04:00

Among the latest headlines from CNN is this gem of a news story. Apparently, Reuters admits that two of the images by photographer Adnan Hajj had been manipulated. As a precautionary measure, Reuters withdrew his photographs from its database.

Of course, this just begs the question of how more alterations and half-truths have been foisted on the world regarding the current set of hostilities in the Middle East. Many people have questioned the manner in which events were being portrayed by the media. Somehow in this conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the 'deck' appears to be stacked against Israel even though Hezbollah is the known terrorist organization.

The folks over at the Coalition of the Swilling have been covering a number of these stories as they pop up. With a healthy spoonful of opinion thrown in, their coverage makes an interesting read.

This was bound to happen.

2006-07-20T00:32:00.000-04:00

Sorry Mr. Watterson, but it is funny.

Tales from the trail.

2006-07-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

The Appalachian trail runs thru the Shanendoah National Park and we got to hike on a small portion of it. The hike we took us up to a rocky area where we had a 360 degree view of the terrain. WOW. A little nerve racking b/c we had to watch the kids like hawks so no one would stray too close to edges, but overall it was just amazing to look out and survey the trees, other mountains, birds, and Shanendoah Valley in the distance. At times, we were higher up then the hawks we were observing. The worst part by far was getting caught in a fast moving thunderstorm while we were on the hike. The best we could do was hunker down under a small rocky overhang and wait out the torrential downpour.

We saw a bear!! A young black bear was on the edge of the campground and my eldest daughter happened to notice it. After many years of camping, my wife and I have finally seen a bear.

blogging from the Blue Ridge Mts.

2006-06-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

That's right! The women and I have packed up and gone to Virginia. We're currently camping off of Skyland Drive up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's about 3800 feet above sea level? It is absolutely beautiful and the views off of Skyland Drive are awesome. You can look down onto the Shannadoah Valley and see for miles. Well, that is if the fog/clouds are not in the way or if it isn't raining.

Thankfully we missed the torrential downpour in Washington DC that managed to flood streets and sweep cars off the road. But we still had to setup our tents in the rain!! There not much worse about camping than starting out w/ your stuff already wet.

Deer!!!! OMG, the deer just stroll past the campsite and are not afraid. We saw lots of deer the first two days, just about 30 to 40 feet away. Couple of the young male deers had their antlers covered with fuzz and we saw a mother deer with two fawns following close behind. The kids just loved seeing the deer up close.

More stories to come.

brilliant!!

2006-06-25T00:26:00.000-04:00

The home team advantage certainly helped earlier as the German fans cheered on die Mannschaft in today's Germany vs Sweden world cup match. We were impressed with the teamwork on the German team. Their control of the game in the opening minutes was nice to watch.

The duo of Miroslav Klose (wearing Swedish jersey after game) and Lukas Podolski combined their talent to give Deutschland the win. Lukas scored both goals

woot!

2006-06-14T00:03:00.000-04:00

I've got two words for you ...woot.com.
(No, the period doesn't count as a word.)

This site just made me go ‘wow’ when my wife show it to me. Especially when reading the WhatIsWoot page. What a perfect way to run a business. I also liked their description of yesterday's product. It just happens to get chuckle out of me.

Straight Line Laser Level 2-Pack

PRODUCT INFO:Alignment: Neutral Good

Why are we still fighting wars and shooting down alien spacecraft with boring old bullets and missiles? Exploding gunpowder is so Industrial Revolution. Check the calendar, Military-Industrial Complex: it's 2006. We coulda sworn we’d be using lasers for that kind of stuff by now, the kind that shoot bright dayglo bolts and make a cool zapping sound even in the airless void of outer space. Or at least using them to fill our enemies’ homes with delicious, suffocating popcorn, a la Real Genius. Instead, you guys keep thinking up new ways to make lasers boring, like curing astigmatics and erasing tattoos and now, wonder of wonders, lining up picture frames.

Yes, today’s lucky purchasers will receive two of these Laser Straight levels, but don’t plan any light-saber battles or raygun shootouts. The most they’ll do is project a perfectly straight 50-foot line, rendering that bulky old metal level of yours obsolete except perhaps as a crude weapon of last resort. Whether you’re hanging shelves, posters, curtain rods, or towel bars, the Laser Straight level will impose a level of order and unity that will satisfy even your most obsessive compulsions. No, you may not be able to bring your enemies to their knees with an awesome display of lethal laser power, but you can awe them with your flawlessly aligned towel bars.

Warranty: 1 year

I'm not dead yet (thank God)

2006-04-27T00:14:00.000-04:00

Time has indeed flown by in recent weeks. The demands of work, a mini vacation, Easter, and the Herculean task of cleaning my yard amid other mundane events have kept me from posting here. Of course living with five women in the house is also time consuming. Everybody has something to say to me ....which of course is a good thing.

Blogging simply doesn't rate when my four year old daughter wants her Daddy.

Quizes: the new cheap form of therapy.

2006-03-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

You hate smug people!

Smugness is your biggest pet peeve. What with all their thinking they’re so good. They are so self-absorbed, they won’t acknowledge anyone but themselves. Arg.
Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

In closing.....

2006-03-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Jon Doe and I'm an Olympic Games junkie.

So, after 5 days, a decent meal, and an extra couple hours of sleep, I have pulled myself out the Olympic fog I was in. Not that I mind the self-induced stupor brought on by watching 2 weeks of Olympic competitions. I've always loved watching the games. The winter games especially. Maybe it’s the combination of ability with simple machines on a smooth surface at high speeds.

Whatever the allure is, the torch has already been snuffed and I've yet to lodge my complaint.

Certain reporters seem to emphasize that first place is the only result acceptable for American athletes, unless of course, we’ve never medalled in that particular event before. Why does it always sound like it’s 'all or nothing' for the USA. Why do reporters express such dissatisfaction if our athletes are not in first place at the Olympics. Do our athletes have to be perfect? Why do some reporters have the self-appointed task of expressing our country’s collective disappointment in being second or third? Hello? Last I checked, the Olympic committee handed out real medals with glory and honor for second and third place. IMHO some reporters just don't comprehend the Olympic spirit.

Now Turino wasn't the first time I encountered this attitude problem in the media, but Steve Politi of The Star Ledger certainly put a name and face to this problem. Maybe Steve was having a bad day, but his sports column on 2/18/06, A Little Flash, Then Crash, really annoyed me.

"Lindsey Jacobellis had gold in her reach. Then she reached for her snowboard instead. She had a chance to step on top of the medal stand, wrap herself in an American flag and hear The Star-Spangled Banner. Then she went for one last roar from the crowd, trying a flashy trick when all she needed to do was slide down the hill. Jacobellis went for style. She ended up with silver. The real sad part? She doesn't get it. Even hours after her race, as she faced an uncomfortable grilling on a teleconference about her ill-timed showboating, she didn't see a problem with what she had done."

He goes on to write,

"This is what happened: Jacobellis embarrassed herself on the biggest stage in sports. . .But this new breed of athletes has to understand there is a time and a place for showing off. What might be good for most snowboarding events is not good when wearing a Team USA uniform, with a gold medal at stake and a life-changing moment at the bottom of a hill."

I'd guess that Lindsey Jacobellis knew exactly what was at stake. And as a snowboarder, she probably felt that style and how she would try to win the event were as important as winning. Her execution of a backside grab during competition is part of who she is as a snowboarder. Some people don't understand that.

For the most part, the athletes demonstrate dedication to their chosen sport and a competitiveness that compels them to put it all on the line for chance at a few moments of joy. Those moments of joy are not necessarily when they’re holding a medal and their country’s flag is hoisted. Rather it is the joy of crossing the finish line and seeing their speed time and rank flash on the board or knowing it was their slapshot that put the puck over the crease. They strive for that indelible moment.

Mr. Politi also wrote a piece for last Monday's sports section (2/27/06) where he compared and highlighted the 'good' and the 'bad' of these games. Under the heading of bad, Steve again complained about Lindsey’s snowboarding accident, the women's hockey team having to settle for bronze, and that Sasha Cohen was lucky to even get a medal. . .but that shouldn't have come as such a surprise.

Hmmm. Maybe he should've called his article "The good, the bad, and the ugly opinion."

BROOK NO BURKAS!

2006-02-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Go and read the call to arms at the Dissident Frogman

holy flying furball, Batman!

2006-01-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

You just HAFTA go see this short video called The Flying Cat. I promise you it's not rude or disgusting.....just kinda amazing.

Just a reminder, folks: this is an actual, professional feline. Please don't feel compelled to try this at home...unless you're the actual cat.

it's all Bush's fault.......NOT!

2006-01-20T13:31:00.000-05:00

OK, see it's his fault I've neglected my blog and not posted yet this year. Never mind that the first 19 days of this year have been really hectic and packed with all kinds of projects. Never mind that I have absolutely no evidence AT all. I could try to be like those idiots at the ACLU who have sued the NSA for invasion of privacy or some something else along that vein. I could get rich from the lawsuit and never have to work again and be able to blog all day long and THWACK!!

Chesterton roasting on an open fire....

2005-12-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

Among the fine gifts I received this Christmas was a book from my wife by G. K. Chesterton. My impression after starting my third book by Chesterton is that his writing is intellectually rewarding, but slow-going.

In general, some forms of reading material, like a comic book or Xanth novel, are "mind candy". Other books, such as a Sherlock Holmes novel, are a gourmet meal. So far, my impression of Chesterton's writing is that it is like attempting to ingest a thick filet mignon sans utensils. I imagine that without the benefit of a fork and knife, you'd have to just chew off a piece of steak. No matter how hungry you are, or how appetizing and well prepared the steak is, it's going to take a while.

So excuse me, I've got a book to chew for the rest of the evening.

Wishing you a

2005-12-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas.

May the joy and peace brought by the knowledge of and faith in Jesus be yours this season.

Christmas came early....well sort of.

2005-12-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

I wound up buying a small table saw in order to finally be able to complete a couple of projects that have been lurking around the house and in my conscience. ( You know the feeling - I shoulda been working on that project instead surfing. )
Anyway, it's fair to say I feel like a kid at Xmas figuring out what else I can possibly fix now.
Not that I'm actually fixing everything, I'm just having fun postulating...

______________________________________________________

In other news - I had to snicker when I read the headline Fish with chips. Why of course! They just go together.

When Worlds Collide

2005-12-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

Do not meddle in the affairs of science-fiction actors, for they sing badly and are quick to sign a contract. (And you thought William Shatner was the only one!)

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. Apparently when Bilbo went looking for the elves he found a different pointy-eared race first.

With thanks to synaesthete7 at Parabolic Extensions for the link.

How to earn an easy $1200.00

2005-11-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

CNN reported a "Sparrow shot for downing domino record bid" over in the Netherlands. You can read the full story here. What caught my eye was this announcement:

A Dutch website called Geenstijl offered a $1,200 reward for anybody who knocks over the dominoes ahead of time to avenge the bird.
Even given the cost of airfare, overnite stay, food, etc., this bit of knavery might allow the adventurous to see part of Europe on the cheep.

Post early and often

2005-11-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

I certainly intended to follow that advice when I set up this blog, but those pesky distractions kept getting in the way. Plus, since the school year started, I now to have to wait in line to go online - in my own house no less!

In terms of vote early and often, I'm rather apathetic about today's governor race in good ole NJ. Neither candidate from the two main parties comes close to representing my interests and hoping for coverage of the third parties candidates in the general media is futile.
I actually got my hopes up when I read the headline in the Perspective section in Sunday's Star Ledger The candidates you haven't seen.

As you might have guessed, there was no mention of third party candidates.

All Souls' Day

2005-11-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

Since I think that the feast of All Souls (November 2) is generally overshadowed by All Saints' Day (November 1) and, of course, by Halloween, a link to a letter Pope John Paul II wrote in 1998 regarding All Souls' Day might be appropriate.
All to often our daily activities get in the way of the bigger picture. If you haven't already, remember those who have died and pray that they may know God's love and mercy and share in eternal life with Him.

Speaking in general terms.

2005-10-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

It seems the inner voice that I've been listening to when I play military strategy games has overtones of.....

Julius Caesar
You scored 59 Wisdom, 81 Tactics, 52 Guts, and 46 Ruthlessness!

Roman military and political leader. He was instrumental in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

Perhaps not as flashy as Mel Gibson's Braveheart or Branagh's Henry V, but I'll just have to be satisfied with changing the world one territory at a time. Et tu, Brute.
Find out who you are at: The Which Historic General Are You Test