Not that it ever went away. The catfood commission is the Zombie that has been clawing at the door since Obama was elected:
Senators from both parties on Tuesday put new pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to turn the power to trim entitlement benefits over to an independent commission.
Seven members of the Senate Budget Committee threatened during a Tuesday hearing to withhold their support for critical legislation to raise the debt ceiling if the bill calling for the creation of a bipartisan fiscal reform commission were not attached. Six others had previously made such threats, bringing the total to 13 senators drawing a hard line on the committee legislation.
"You rarely do have the leverage to make a fundamental change," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who said he hasn't ruled out offering the independent commission legislation as an amendment to the healthcare reform bill.
The panel, which has been championed by Conrad and ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H), would be tasked with stemming the unsustainable rise in debt.
Among its chief responsibilities would be closing the gap between tax revenue coming in and the larger cost of paying for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The Government Accountability Office recently reported the gap is on pace to reach an "unsustainable" $63 trillion in 2083.
You'll recall that during the transition period Obama was all for this commission (it was part of the Grand Bargain) and put it off until after health care reform was passed once people raised a fuss shortly after the inauguration:
McConnell said that when Obama and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had previously spoken to Republicans, they struck a tone that indicated a willingness to work on Social Security. "That was the place that I hoped, based on what both he and the chief of staff had said earlier, we'd be able to move on a bipartisan basis. He kind of brushed over that issue" in his speech, said McConnell.
He said he has noticed a change in the administration's rhetoric over the last few weeks. "They seem to be kind of back-pedaling some," he said.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
It's Baaaack: The Catfood Commission
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sooo sleepy
--
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Deficits of Mass Destruction
Nation</i></a> --
<blockquote>
If you've been paying attention this past decade, it won't surprise
you to learn that the country's policy elites are in the midst of a
destructive, well-nigh unhinged discussion about the future of the
nation. But even by the degraded standards of the Washington
establishment, the growing panic over government debt is shocking.
First, the facts. Nearly the entire deficit for this year and those
projected into the near and medium terms are the result of three
things: the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bush tax cuts
and the recession. The solution to our fiscal situation is: end the
wars, allow the tax cuts to expire and restore robust growth. Our
long-term structural deficits will require us to control healthcare
inflation the way countries with single-payer systems do.
But right now we face a joblessness crisis that threatens to pitch us
into a long, ugly period of low growth, the kind of lost decade that
will cause tremendous misery, degrade the nation's human capital,
undermine an entire cohort of young workers for years and blow a hole
in the government's bank sheet. The best chance we have to stave off
this scenario is more government spending to nurse the economy back to
health. The economy may be alive, but that doesn't mean it's healthy.
There's a reason you keep taking antibiotics even after you start to
feel better.
</blockquote>
(<a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/37534/deficits-mass-destruction"><i>More...</i></a>)
‘Doctor Who’ thing of the day: awesome extras on the first Matt Smith DVD set
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Prototype Goggles Make Sure You Never Lose Your Keys Again
Prototype Goggles Make Sure You Never Lose Your Keys Again
from the where-did-I-put-my... dept
We've seen a whole bunch of different technology companies (and government agencies) experimenting with various projects that would allow people to wear a camera that would record everything they see and hear, as a sort of backup memory or backup brain. All of these projects are in the (completely) experimental stage, but some researchers in Japan may have come up with a nice little app to go along with them. It's a prototype system that supposedly can recognize the different objects you see. The current version requires you to go around and train the system (i.e., "this is my iPod... these are my keys... this is my mobile phone") and then it uses some recognition technologies to make a note every time you "see" one of those items. Then, if you happen to have lost something, you can just ask the system "where are my keys?" and it will play back the video of the last time you saw your keys. Depending on how well this works, it sounds quite cool. And, of course, the idea is to go much further, hitting "Terminator"-type levels of information display, including what kinds of flowers are you looking at and who is the person you're talking to. Sounds like a wonderful solution for people who can't remember anyone's name. Of course, like all the other projects of this nature, it doesn't sound likely that this will be hitting the market any time soon.
--
Prototype Goggles Make Sure You Never Lose Your Keys Again
from the where-did-I-put-my... dept
We've seen a whole bunch of different technology companies (and government agencies) experimenting with various projects that would allow people to wear a camera that would record everything they see and hear, as a sort of backup memory or backup brain. All of these projects are in the (completely) experimental stage, but some researchers in Japan may have come up with a nice little app to go along with them. It's a prototype system that supposedly can recognize the different objects you see. The current version requires you to go around and train the system (i.e., "this is my iPod... these are my keys... this is my mobile phone") and then it uses some recognition technologies to make a note every time you "see" one of those items. Then, if you happen to have lost something, you can just ask the system "where are my keys?" and it will play back the video of the last time you saw your keys. Depending on how well this works, it sounds quite cool. And, of course, the idea is to go much further, hitting "Terminator"-type levels of information display, including what kinds of flowers are you looking at and who is the person you're talking to. Sounds like a wonderful solution for people who can't remember anyone's name. Of course, like all the other projects of this nature, it doesn't sound likely that this will be hitting the market any time soon.
"No one likes to be interviewed, and yet no one likes to say no; for interviewers are courteous and gentle-mannered, even when they come to destroy." -- Mark Twain
Thursday, July 08, 2010
So scary!
How to fish for atheists
Category: Kooks • Politics • Religion • Stupidity
It's easy. Bait your hook with stupid.
It's true, we're a sucker for that stuff, although it does have a downside. We'll come up, swallow the bait, follow the line to its source, devour the poor fool holding the pole, and then waddle off, all fat and smug. It's our nature, we can't help it.
So, for instance, an Indiana politician who is considered a potential presidential candidate, Mitch Daniels, talks about atheism.
People who reject the idea of a God — who think that we're just accidental protoplasm — have always been with us. What bothers me is the implications — which not all such folks have thought through — because really, if we are just accidental, if this life is all there is, if there is no eternal standard of right and wrong, then all that matters is power.
And atheism leads to brutality. All the horrific crimes of the last century were committed by atheists — Stalin and Hitler and Mao and so forth — because it flows very naturally from an idea that there is no judgment and there is nothing other than the brief time we spend on this Earth.
( More... )
--
"Listen. You smell something?"
Dr. Raymond Stantz, Ghost Busters
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Obama Making BP Pay Is Good Government
Last week, the nation witnessed an act of good governance when the Obama administration put the full-court press on oil giant BP to set aside $20 billion in assets to compensate the thousands of Americans whose livelihoods -- and in some cases, lives -- are being devastated by the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. It was an example of exactly what government is supposed to do; whatever it can, within the limits of the law, to protect its citizens' interests.
Team Obama was shrewd to get a fund set up now, with the nation's outrage focused on the calamity, rather than allow the company's army of lawyers to drag a settlement through the courts for years. The agreement, entered into voluntarily by BP, ensures that the firm can't escape legal judgments by paying out all of its current profits as shareholder dividends and then claiming insolvency.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
New study documents media's servitude to government
A newly released study from students at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government provides the latest evidence of how thoroughly devoted the American establishment media is to amplifying and serving (rather than checking) government officials. This new study examines how waterboarding has been discussed by America's four largest newspapers over the past 100 years, and finds that the technique, almost invariably, was unequivocally referred to as "torture" -- until the U.S. Government began openly using it and insisting that it was not torture, at which time these newspapers obediently ceased describing it that way:
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Last Airbender
--
"This is so embarrassing. We had never done that before, and now she's in the hospital, and my cat's dead."
(said a name-withheld New York City man in January, after he and
a neighbor decided to have sex but then accidentally ignited a comforter with a candle, starting a major fire in his apartment)
Friday, July 02, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010.06.27 – 07.03
Sunday I spent the day with Nivagi. She woke me up pleasantly in the morning wearing cute pigtails, and after breakfast we hung out with Ke and took a nice long nap. When we awoke we relaxed and played on our laptops, eventually ordering pizza so we wouldn't have to bother venturing out again. I had a great weekend with Nivagi, and I'm definitely glad we set aside some unscheduled time to just hang out and relax. We both needed it, individually and as a couple.
Monday I didn't have to work since I have a Tuesday through Saturday shift this week, so I spent all day hanging out at Nivagi's while she was at work and Ke was asleep. When Jero got home I went over to her house and we went out for dinner. We decided we're not going to make Mondays default MUX days anymore, but since we were too tired to do anything else we wound up MUXing anyway. I got in a little bit of personal role-playing and set things up for a bigger event Thursday.
Tuesday was a horrible day. Through a misunderstanding I caused Stsm much distress, and in trying to fix it I got Nivagi upset as well. Since I was stuck at work answering calls, I couldn't get anything resolved until after I escaped at 6. Stsm and I had plans with Mika after work, but she'd had an equally bad day and so we decided to reschedule. I called Nivagi to calm her down, and then hung out with Mira until Stsm arrived. Mira headed out, and Stsm and I talked and then went to dinner at Denny's. When we got back we played on our laptops until late, and then watched Family Guy before bed.
Wednesday I was depressed due to lingering stress from the day before. I'd planned to go to derby practice, but I'd forgotten that I'd promised to give my sister a ride to airport, so I did that instead. Afterward I picked up Jero for ice-cream. We sat outside, enjoying the nice weather until I felt better. When I got to Ke and Nivagi's, they jumped into my car and we went to get Chinese food at On Time. Afterward Ke cleaned and then we all snuggled 'til Nivagi and I passed out and Ke got back up for the rest of the night.
Last night when I got off work I went home and hung out with Mira and Mika until they went downstairs to swim. I got onto the MUX and ran a short TP meeting before running a climactic battle between evil Shattered Glass Optimus Prime and heroic Megatron on top of Sherman Dam. Megatron's player is expecting a baby and is therefore seldom on after dark, so I was happy for the opportunity to role-play with him. Nivagi came by after work and I snuggled with her when I finally logged off the MUX.
Tonight after work I'm going to InCon with Mika and Mira. I know we're attending a Subgenius Devival and a midnight showing of Repo! The Genetic Opera. Other than that, I'm not sure what we're doing, but I'm sure it'll be fun. I probably shouldn't stay up for a midnight showing when I have work the next day, but ah, well. It's too bad I have to work today or I'd be tempted to try to put together a Graverobber costume. Maybe I'll do that for the cosplay Halloween party if I don't come up with anything better. Otherwise I might wound up dressed as Abraham Lincoln if Stsm has her way. ;)
Tomorrow I have to work, which is going to suck since there are several events going on downtown that are going to prevent me from getting to my parking garage. Trmo was considering meeting me for lunch, but with everything going on I no longer think that might be a good idea. After work I'm running to the Circle City Socialites bout against Bloomington's Code Blue Assassins – Jero's old team. I'll be late because of my work schedule, but it should still be fun. Sunday I'm driving down to Evansville to hang out with Ursula Sunday night and to see my mom on Monday since I have the day off the for holiday. Monday night I'll drive back.
Have a good Independence Weekend, everyone! (Well, at least, my American friends…)
--
"This is so embarrassing. We had never done that before, and now she's in the hospital, and my cat's dead."
(said a name-withheld New York City man in January, after he and
a neighbor decided to have sex but then accidentally ignited a comforter with a candle, starting a major fire in his apartment)
Cool Wonder Woman Costume Redesigns That You Won't See At DC
You will see a couple jackets, too, such as those that appear on Sonny Strait and Leanne Buckley's submissions.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Why Our Brains Are Fooled by Illusions
The short answer is that our brains are programmed to see the world in three dimensions instead of two. There are more details at Discover magazine, as well as a gallery of colorful optical illusions. For example, these two Rubik's cubes do NOT have the same colors. The "blue" squares in the left picture and the "yellow" squares in the right picture are gray.
--
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
I so needed a laugh today. And then I came across a USA Today article from a couple days back called "Next 'Transformers' is due for a switch," which had me snorting with derision all the way through. You can almost hear writer Anthony Breznican snickering in places. Listen:
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010.05.30 – 06.05
friends and lovers that I'm still buzzing and in a good mood days
later. I';ve been unreasonably depressed and stressed for over a
month, and it had gotten bad enough that I thought about going back to
the doctor about it. However, I'm hoping that I'm finally over my
lingering doldrums, and can go back to the happier guy I've been since
I started derby and started getting regular exercise and adrenalin.
;)
Last Sunday I had a long talk with Ke that cleared up a lot of things
that had been bothering me, and then all of us took advantage of yummy
sammiches at 2 Bear's [sic] Café. We were planning to camp through
Sunday night, but since a torrent of rain was expected on Monday we
decided to pack up and leave early. I drove Jero home and helped her
get settled in before heading home myself. Mira and I decided to
watch Doctor
Who but wound up talking until 3 AM instead.
Last Monday afternoon Ke and Nivagi met up with Mira and me and we all
went out to Le Peep for brunch. After Ke and Nivagi headed home I
hung out with Mira until around 3 PM and then went to Jero's. I got
onto the MUX while Jero grilled steaks and veggies for dinner, and
then paused while we ate. On the MUX I got to run a climactic battle
between Shattered Glass Deathsaurus and Jetfire, and a Memorial Day
scene with the main-universe Witwickys. Geeky fun.
Last Tuesday I had the day off since Monday was a holiday and I had to
work Saturday (boo). I hung out at Jero's during the day and tried to
catch up on the Internets before derby practice. I had fun
scrimmaging at practice even though I fell and hurt my tailbone.
After practice I headed home to Mira. We were supposed to role-play,
but we wound up talking until 1 or 2 in the morning again instead. We
apparently need to reschedule role-play when there's less going on
that we need to discuss!
Last Wednesday I went to the chiropractor and then returned to work
after a week and a half off. I spent the first half of the day just
catching up on emails, training, and work IMs. Once I opened for
calls it got stressful, but at last I escaped and headed north for
derby practice. I had fun but fell on my tailbone again while trying
to walk on my toe-stops. When I got home I showered and Stsm came
over. She showed me the outfit she bought for my birthday (woo!) and
then we had story time, finally finishing Book 1 of Lost
Girls. B)
Thursday was my birthday. After work I skipped derby practice and
went out to dinner with Jero, Ke, Mars, Mira, and Stsm. Mars
originally couldn't make it, so his presence was a nice surprise.
After we ate I went home to meet her at my apartment to meet Nivagi,
who had to work late. We were both sleepy, so she played on her iPod
while I answered a ton of sweet birthday messages. When it was time
for bed I cuddled up with her and had a very pleasant wrap-up for my
birthday. >B)
Friday night I went to Ke's after work and almost got eaten by her
since she was hungry and I
Am Legend was on. Before completely resorting to cannibalism
Ke suggested we go to Euphoria, which wound up being very interesting
and tasty, even if they were out of Ke and Nivagi's first choice for
sandwiches. I had to get up early for work on the morning, so I
couldn't stay up too late. Therefore after getting everything ready
for the next day, Ke and I spent a quiet evening in and went to bed
early.
Saturday after work I got to attend an awesome party. Our friend Tojo
was celebrating his birthday and he kindly let me horn in on his
celebration. I met my girlfriends Jero, Ke, Mira, Nivagi, and Stsm
there, and also got to hang out with co-host Mika while I was there,
which was wonderful. I actually broke out of my shyness long enough
to meet new people, and had such a great time that I'm still in a good
mood. Hope everyone else is having as nice a week as I am!
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by
those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln
Monday, June 07, 2010
penguins playing soccer in South Korea
--
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Vulture Exclusive: How Robin Hood Nearly Destroyed the Russell-Ridley Relationship
for the heads-up, <a
href="http://www.flickfilosopher.com/">MaryAnn</a>!
<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/05/robin_hood_script_russell_crow.html">How
Robin Hood Nearly Destroyed the Russell-Ridley Relationship</a>
--
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by
those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Spring Roll 2010
This past Saturday I was in Fort Wayne for the first-ever men's flat-track tournament, part of an all-day contest featuring five women's teams, six men's teams, and two junior teams. Our team, the Race City Rebels, didn’t win (in fact, we came in dead-last), but it was my first public bout (not counting the 15-minute intraleague Rookie Rumble demo) and in spite of my nervousness I had a great time. The event was like a big convention for players and fans, making me really want to go to the actual Roller Con.
Saturday morning Jero and I got up very early in spite of little sleep and skipped our breakfast plans, just grabbing fruit and snacks on the go. Bench coach LMB cautioned me that she was going to put me in a “very light” rotation that day, which was just fine with me. We started with two round-robin games to establish our initial position in the tournament, and in the first game I didn’t skate at all – LMB was going to put me in, but we had a player in the box so I got pulled.
I was fine with not skating in the first bout – I was nervous, and it was cool just to be on the sidelines observing how things worked up close. I’d geared and warmed up with the rest of my team, and even practiced sliding into the penalty box, since I’d never been – something that turned out to be good preparation for later. ;) In the second bout I skated once, and it was over before I knew it, but hey – I skated in public against another team, and didn’t humiliate myself, so yay me.
Unfortunately my team was in the bottom two ranks out of six, and we’d injured or lost a lot of players. We have a short roster anyway, so we feared there would be no way we could skate in an hour-long bout with not even enough players to field two full squads. We asked to play just a 30-minute bout next, and prepared to forfeit if not. None of us wanted to have to just give up due to lack of players, but staring down the barrel of a sudden super-heavy rotation, I was secretly almost relieved at the idea.
I’d considered buying new wheels to replace the crappy ones I’d had with me (I’d left my new ones at home), but I abandoned that idea once it looked like we weren’t going to play again that day. I left the prep area and went with Jero to watch the junior roller derby teams play. I resigned myself to the tiny baby-step I’d taken to becoming a real derby player, and relaxed to watch other teams play for the rest of the day. I sat next to Jero and enjoyed just being a spectator.
Twenty minutes before our team had been scheduled to play, Anya suddenly appeared at my side and said, “Suit up. You’re playing.” The awesome Twin City Terrors, who had come to Spring Roll to skate, dammit, asked what our problem was, and when we told them we didn’t have enough skaters, they generously lent us two of theirs. With no time to stress about it, I quickly got my gear back on and warmed up. We were back in business!
I had a great time playing against the Twin City Terrors. I’m not used to playing with and against players I don’t know from practice, and so it was a great chance to see firsthand other styles of play. The players that joined us were super-nice, and the rest of our opponents were fun to play against – they hit hard, skated well, and were good sports even as they beat us. They all skated better than I, but I didn’t feel completely shut down, so it was still fun to do my best and help where I could.
I got two jammer take-outs – derby glory! One of them was illegal, however, and I got my first trip to the penalty box. Jero got lots of pictures, and my braid got mocked by the announcers on nationally-streamed live boutcast. Not exactly fame from my mad derby skills, but it’s a start. I took one more trip to the box, but otherwise skated quite a bit. I quickly got into scrimmage headspace, and just told LMB to send me in again every chance I got. It was great.
I got positive feedback from Rebels coach Dexter – he said he could see what I was trying to do out there, and that sometimes I was even able to do it. Even though I wasn’t able to execute everything I tried, he said that would come with time as I increased by basic skate speed and skill, and that he anticipated that once I’d gotten more experience on the track, that Bignplenty and I will be amazing together as the two large guys on our team (especially against the teams of giants we’ve been facing).
After the bout I spent the rest of the tournament with Jero and some of my teammates watching other teams play and cheering on Jero’s old league, the Bleeding Heartland Roller Girls. We got snacks and watched the 'Ref Jam' as well as the final championship games for both the men’s and women’s teams. Both bouts were splendid to watch. The men’s tournament was determined by one point in the last jam, and we’re going to play the nominal second-place winner soon which should be interesting.
After the game day was over we joined our league at a massive after-party. Jero and I hung out with her BHRG teammates as long as we could, and then after they left we waded into the main area to watch people jam skate and get crazy in a huge crowd of drunken derby revelers. It was a great mix of male and female skaters as well as our fans, and Jero and I had a splendid time. By the time we went to bed, we only got about three hours of sleep, but exhausted or no, it was worth it. Spring Roll rocked.
We're number 6! (out of 6... d'oh!):
2010 Spring Roll Recap
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Joss Whedon reveals the REAL reason Dollhouse died
Want to know the real reason Dollhouse was canceled? The secret is out, thanks to the only fandom that might possibly be as enthusiastic and dedicated as sci-fi fandom. And that fandom is — crocheting fandom.
Yes. Crocheting fandom.
Back when Wired asked Joss Whedon about how publicity was going for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, he joking replied, "Fact is, there's been some buzz, but it hasn't reached the places it would normally. Where's our write-up in Crocheting Monthly?"
Funny guy, that Whedon. But to the crocheting community, that was no joke. Kim Werker over at the Crochet Me site put out a call to crocheters everywhere to get Whedon's attention — and they did!
( More... )
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010.04.25 – 05.01
Last Sunday Jero and I enjoyed a massive sleep-in day, staying in bed about 12 hours before the need for food finally drove us from the house. After an extremely late breakfast, I went to see Stsm’s new house in Irvington. Her apartment is great and I love her neighborhood. She and I had dinner at Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza, which was insanely good, and I brought some back for Jero since she was intrigued by the idea of pizza with Old Bay (she liked).
Last Monday I had a date night with Ke, so I picked her up after work and we went out to dinner. She had a school project she was working on, so I popped on the MUX “just for a bit” until Ke was done with her presentation. Unfortunately, her assignment took all night, so I got in a lot more MUX time than I’d expected. I enjoyed cool scenes with Chdr, Desm, and Semcca, and got to advance to SG-Joe infiltration of the Pit plotline, as well as set up a future scene for Rodimus. Overall it was a productive night.
Last Tuesday’s practice was fun. I worked a later schedule, so I missed the first half-hour of the practice, but I got to scrimmage at the end, and even got lead jammer in the last jam (it helps when Buzz Lightbeer is on my side helping instead of opposing me!). After practice, however, I accidently locked my keys in my trunk while getting flyers, and had to wait an hour before roadside assistance could free me. I picked up Nivagi from Morgan’s (where she’d gone when I didn’t show up at her work), and by the time I got her back to Ke’s I was exhausted and so the three of us soon just went to bed.
Last Wednesday was the first practice run by Meek, one of our fast skaters. He had good drills for increasing our leg strength to improve our skating, and I was definitely sore the next day. After work I picked up Nivagi and we went to Adshru’s so Nivagi could buy Adshru’s old car. Ke joined us with a cashier’s check, and after they dropped off the car at a mechanic’s to get it checked out, the three of us went to Denny’s for a much delayed dinner. Exhausted, we went back to Ke’s and passed out immediately.
Last Thursday after work I met up with Jero and hung out with her while she had sexy vampire time. I fought distraction to catch up with some of the Internets while she was watching TV. By the time we left her house, it was too late to go to Chili’s, so we hit Stake N’ Shake instead. We went shopping at Meijer for weekend camping, picking up way more than we needed as it turned out. With luck we can use some of the extra camping stuff at future events, and eat the extra food this week. I wanted to do more when we got back to Jero’s, but it was already very late and we were exhausted, so we wound up just going to sleep.
Friday I took off work so Jero and I could drive down to Lothlorien early and set up camp. Since Beltane isn’t an official festival at Lothlorien, it was quiet and serene, and after I showed Jero around we got to pick our favorite spot for camping. When the tent was set up I headed back to Indy to go to the symphony with Stsm; the music was enjoyable, made even more so by Stsm’s ecstatic enjoyment of it. After the performance I kissed Stsm goodbye and headed back to the woods to sleep.
It rained overnight, but our tent held and we stayed dry as we enjoyed the thunderstorms. When we got up Saturday we headed into town for Free Comic Book Day and to buy me new skate wheels from Rolling Thunder Fun Factory. After a lovely meal at the Irish Lion, we headed back and spent the evening trying to build a fire with wet wood, eventually succeeding. We heated some food for dinner, and then joined people at the central fire, staying even after hard rain drove most people away.
My week was good, even with the hassle of locking my keys in my car and having to run around every night running errands. Lothlorien was very peaceful – there were so few people there that it didn’t have a festival feel, but a quiet weekend in the woods was just what I needed after a busy week. Chpa and Nivagi were there if we wanted company, or we could just hide in the tent to enjoy the thunderstorms. Even standing in the rain around the dwindling fire was nice. It was a tremendously pleasant end to the week.
Eye-Roll 20s - Race City Rebels
15 Companies That Originally Sold Something Else
Some companies find their niche and stick to it. Others, though, have to adapt to changing markets in order to thrive. Here’s a look at some companies that switched industries at some point in their histories, usually for the better.
( more... )
Spring Roll Derby Expo
Event: Spring Roll Derby Expo
Start Time: Saturday, May 8 at 7:30am
End Time: Saturday, May 8 at 8:00pm
Where: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=106899419353102&mid=24c2cfdG1f7963c2G4a6eb90G7
Monday, April 26, 2010
Derby 2010.04.26
I need to improve my skating ability before I skate again publically. This time I was skating against all new or returning skaters, and I still got completely pwn3d. If I’m going to compete in the Spring Roll against established teams next month (eep!), I need to improve vastly between now and then. I don’t mind losing so much, but it’s very frustrating to be completely ineffectual on the track.
Perhaps if we’d played longer I might eventually have had the chance to knock the opposing jammer out of bounds, or hit someone to help our jammer through. I don’t mind sucking overall if I can occasionally do something useful. However, if I’m going to continue being useless during bouts, I might be better off not going at all if we eventually get enough people where I’m not needed just as a warm body.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I am ze Viper
Crazy cleaning company will send Spider-Man to wash your windows: Looks like Spider-Man has found other employment - http://tinyurl.com/26vayfv
heh. I'd so love to do that to someone... B)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010.04.11 – 04.17
Sunday’s endurance practice was surprisingly a lot of fun. I normally *hate* endurance practices, but since there was a bout last Saturday, very few people showed up for practice one and therefore it was ran at a slower, more personal pace. I actually got to work on technique instead of just racing pell-mell for two hours. It was nice. After practice I picked up Nivagi and we brought Ke dinner before Ke went into work. Nivagi and I snuggled and watched Angel, enjoying a pleasant, low-key night.
Monday I had off work so I enjoyed some quiet time while Ke slept and Jero and Nivagi were at work. When Jero got home I walked over to her house and we went out for a yummy dinner before I got on the MUX. I was able to get on early for a change, so I got to role-play with Cawh, Chdr, Desm, Hemy, Nightfall, Scourge, and Semcca in several different scenes. I didn’t advance the plot as far as I’d hoped to, but I had a lot of fun, which is ultimately more important. Jero and I then looked over Gen Con stuff before bed.
Tuesday night’s derby practice was a lot of fun. Again, my legs were tired in the beginning but fine once we started doing scrimmage-type drills. I got to be knocked around the track by Faye Stunaway, which was rather cool. I felt guilty “hogging” the track (even though I shouldn’t have because it was a men’s practice), but I wanted to block every jam. I still suck, but I’m having fun playing. After practice I tore Stsm away from my other girlfriends at the poly meetup to come hang out with me before bed. We talked and she brought me cool books to read and we had a lovely night.
Wednesday was a shitty day – it started with scheduling stress and went downhill from there. After I escaped work I didn’t want to go to derby practice, but I went anyway, since I usually enjoy it once I get there. Luckily, this was the case again that night – after skating around for two hours and getting pummeled by Uzi Q (who hits like the steel telephone pole), I felt a lot better. I grabbed some food with Jero and then Ke, and after a long shower I felt a lot better. Unfortunately since I’m working an earlier shift I couldn’t stay up too late, but I did get to watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report with her before she put me to bed. B)
Thursday was a better day at work than Wednesday, especially since I got to have lunch with Adshru. After work I went with Jero to practice where I had a great time getting my ass kicked by members of the Circle City Socialites during scrimmage-like drills. After two hours I was sore and incredibly tired, but I had a lot of fun. Jero and I grabbed quick food and then went back to her house so I could do my taxes (yes, at the very last minute, as always). Exhaustion and technology fail made it a much more difficult process than it had to be, but I finally got them filled out and submitted at 12:10 AM Friday morning (doh!).
Friday was busy and tiring, with the phones ringing off the hook all damned day. I did have a pleasant break when Jero visited me for lunch, but then the day dragged for the next 4 hours. I had to deal with a host of Friday-stress problems (every company in the Midwest seems to want to wait ‘til Friday to run everything), and I barely escaped on time at the end of my shift. I ran to Ke’s house to grab Nivagi, and then Nivagi and I went to see Neil Gaiman, who was awesome. After the lecture we went to Some Guys Pizza and ordered a ton of food, some of which we brought back to Ke before she went into work.
Thankfully today has been much quieter at work. We have very few people here, so I’m doing a combination of east and Midwest work, but I don’t mind. Tonight I’m going to go see the Naptown Roller Girls play the Ohio Roller Girls in a double-header at the Pepsi Coliseum. The Naptown Roller Girls got to hang out with Neil Gaiman last night after his lecture, so I’m a little envious. Jero is picking me up, and Stsm should be there as well. Should be fun!
Blast from the Past: Reminder of from where Obama’s “new” deficit originated :
Bush's tax cuts overwhelmingly favored the wealthy. The top 1% will saved more than $30,000 per year while the bottom 31% saved nothing at all.
Source: Citizens for Tax Justice and AFL/CIO
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Friday, April 09, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Derby Progress – 04.10
Wednesday’s practice was good – this time I got to skate in a pack of first two and then four people, and together we tried to stop a jammer from coming through. I got to lay a hard hit on West Side Slam - my first hard hit in roller derby. He gave me positive feedback about it, possibly exaggerating because I’m new, but still very encouraging. He said I hit harder than he’d been hit in a recent bout, although I’m sure now that he’s wary I won’t have the opportunity again for a while.
At Thursday’s derby practice we worked on offensive scrimmage skills, and I cemented my discovery that I actually love playing derby. Until now, I didn’t know – all I’ve been doing is working on basic skills, and I could have hated playing the actual game, especially since I generally despise team sports. However, derby feels more like soccer to me, which I really don’t mind – if I screw up, I have other players right there with me that have my back. It feels more like a group effort than all pressure on me.
Although my legs were burning and wobbly after three days of practice, I was able to keep up the entire scrimmage-like drill. I even jammed once and got through the pack (although I couldn’t catch back up to the pack afterwards). Rockit Ma’am was happy because she got to hit me finally, though apparently she went easy on me because she didn’t want to knock me into a wall my first time out (thanks, honey!). B) Luckily, right now what I lack in skill make up for in mass – I can take a hit pretty well and keep going.
At first I just held the line, but eventually I got moved to the middle of the pack and surprisingly was able to hit the jammer out a few times. While they were able to get past me initially, my teammates often set up a wall in the front of the pack and I was able to catch up and push the jammer out, in a maneuver called Set ‘em up/Knock ‘em down. We worked on one-on-one offensive strategies, and I had a lot of fun, grokking the point of everything even if I’m not fast enough to always put the strategies into effect yet.
Based on the fun I was having, I told my mentor Dexter I have a goal to play in upcoming bouts, especially the upcoming Rookie Rumble. Dexter said he might even put me on the roster for this weekend. That seems a little soon to me, but if he thinks I’m ready, I’ll give it a try. As long as I keep practicing, I should be ready to get my ass kicked at the Spring Roll Tournament in Fort Wayne in May. That should be very cool, even if I personally will be hopelessly outclassed by our competition.
Should be fun! I’ll try to remember to post how it goes!
-- Eye-Roll 20s
Eye-Roll 20s – Derby Hoodlum - Race City Rebels
RaceCityRebels.com
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010.03.28 – 04.03
Sunday morning Jero and I got up early have breakfast with Dawi and Deal while Dawi was in town. We had a great time catching up with them (we hadn’t seen either of them in years), and afterward Jero and I went back to my apartment to clean, do laundry, and be productive. We went out to Outback for dinner, but it was very disappointing and we probably won’t go back again soon. After dinner we gathered Jero and I belongings and retired to Jero’s to sleep.
Monday night after work I drove down to Bloomington to have dinner with Caro and her parents. Caro made yummy craisins-and-pistachio pasta, which was delicious. After dinner I chatted with her parents and perused their bookshelf while Caro scanned pages from her grandmother’s memorial book. When Caro was finished we bid her parents goodbye and I drove Caro back to Indy to spend the night. We didn’t have a lot of time together, but it was great to see her while I had the chance.
Tuesday I drove Caro to the airport before heading into work. At practice I got to play something akin to roller derby for the first time. I was completely ineffective but it was still fun. I normally hate doing things I'm not good at, but it was cool skating around in a mini-pack and experiencing first-hand how it might work in an actual bout. It was 3-on-3 instead of a full scrimmage, but it gave me a taste of what the real deal is like. Afterward I had a great night with Ke, marred by technology fail when my laptop and my phone both crashed and I stayed up far too late trying to fix them.
Wednesday’s practice was also good – this time I got to skate in a pack of two, then four people, to try to stop a jammer from coming through. I got to lay a hard hit on West Side Slam, my first in roller derby. Slam gave me good feedback about it, possibly exaggerating because I’m new, but still very encouraging. After practice, I picked up Nivagi from belly dance call and we went to Some Guys Pizza since I was craving their yummy avocado/black olive/sun-dried tomatoes pizza. I then kidnapped Nivagi back to my apartment to snuggle and sleep.
Thursday’s derby practice we worked on offensive scrimmage skills, and I furthered my discovery that I actually love playing derby. Until now, I didn’t know – all I’ve been doing is working on basic skills, and I could have hated playing the actual game, since I generally despise team sports. Derby is different, however, and I’m really starting to grok the basics and have fun even if I suck at it so far. After practice I met Stsm at my apartment, and we snuggled and watched The Princess and the Frog, which I liked. Afterward was Lost Girls story time and then bed.
Friday at work was hectic! It was a ghost town since everyone was off for Good Friday, and there were few people to take all the repair calls. I was the only ISDN guy, so I dealt with a lot of headaches one after another. The highlight of the workday was lunch with Adshru, which was far too short but a very nice break. Friday night I was planning to go see Electric Six, but instead Chpa, Ke and Nivagi and I stayed in and watched Legend, which Ke owned but had never seen. It was fun, but difficult to watch without constantly making Tom Cruise jokes. ;)
Saturday Jero and I drove up to Toledo for a CCS Newbie Bout vs Glass City.
Jero got to play since she was just coming back from a long absence, and the game was very close – one 15-pt jam made the entire difference, and otherwise the teams were almost perfectly matched. I recorded the first period on Wrecker Becker’s video recorder, and most of the rest on my phone. I need to get a copy of WB’s bout files, and upload mine from my phone. It was a great week for derby!
Eye-Roll 20s – Derby Hoodlum - Race City Rebels
RaceCityRebels.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Week in Review – Week of February 7th – 13th
Sunday I got up early since the CCS/RCR had a derby skills camp before our regular practice. It was the first skills camps since the one that hooked me in, and it was fun to meet new skaters and be the one helping out this time. Tesh was there, and while he’s traditionally not my favorite person, he could skate well and could be an asset to our team. Ultimately it was nice to have another familiar face at practice. After practice Stsm and I were going to have a game night, but no one showed so we ordered Chinese food and blogged instead. I finally called and got my furnace motor replaced, so at least it was relaxing and warm, and a nice way to end off the weekend.
Monday, however, was awful, once again fulfilling my maxim of the nicer the weekend, the shittier the Monday. Work was absolutely awful, with an hours-long problem from Friday returning to rear its ugly head, and when I tried to reach out to Ra to see how she’s been doing, I wound up triggering an unintended argument with her, and now she’s not talking to me. When I got to Jero’s she fed me yummy steak and mashed potatoes, which did improve my mood, and I got in some fun role-playing with Chameleon and Scarlett as Airtight and with Spike as Dark Buster before the MUX router died and I just gave up and went to bed.
Work didn’t quite suck as much Tuesday as Monday – there were a lot of messes, but I got them all taken care of. After work I went to Ke and Nivagi’s to hang out with Ke. Ke was unexpectedly still awake (she’s had early days all week), so Nivagi and I got to hang out with her for a while before she went to bed. Nivagi made us all surprisingly yummy microwaved Indian food, and after Ke went to bed Nivagi and I snuggled up in her room and watched Angel on DVD. Nivagi’s cat Nana decided to join us, but luckily my allergies weren’t bothering me too much, so her cute presence wasn’t a problem. When it got late we switched off my laptop, kicked out the cat, and went to sleep.
Wednesday after work I just grabbed a salad from Wendy’s and went home to hide out and MUX (since the MUX router died Monday night without me accomplishing much). Even though it was late, there were a ton of people on, and I wound up in a lot of great scenes. Evil Scarlett came through a rift from Mirror Earth, causing mass confusion. Evil Flagg got to test-fire his massive laser. Starscream apparently beat up the Aerialbots and Broadside. Mel interviewed the Baroness for a story, which I need to get back on the MUX and post this week. I stayed up way too late, but it was a lot of fun. I also got laundry done and time alone, so it was a good night.
Thursday after work I went to Skateland to skate, since my work schedule is going to prevent me from attending any weekday derby practices this month. I felt self0-conscous at first, since I was still the worst skater there (everyone else were cool jam skaters), but after a while I relaxed, and it was nice to just practice on my own and work on my endurance and crossovers. Since it wasn’t an official practice, if it took me 30 laps to master something, there was no one to notice but me, which was nice.
Friday I had a horrible night at work, so I was all too happy to escape at 10:15. Mira came into town, so when I got off work I went to Ke’s to hang out with Mira, Nivagi and her. They’d gotten pizza, so I joined them on the couch and ate after showing them what I’d brought to wear to the party the next day and getting their more fashion-minded approval. Unfortunately, we were all tired, so after some snuggling we went to bed relatively early for a Friday.
Saturday Jero and I drove up to Ft. Wayne to see their SWAT derby team play Indy’s Circle City Socialites. We stayed to watch Ft. Wayne’s other derby team play the Hammer City Rollergirls from Ontario, Canada. After the bout, Jero and I drove back to go to an Anti-Valentine Goth party hosted by Tojo and Mika. We had a great time, and it was magnificent to see Ke, Mira, Nivagi, and Stsm all dressed in hot outfits. We stayed there until the wee hours and then went home to collapse.
"Gilligan's Island" star Bob Denver has died at the age of 70. The White House is declaring a national day of mourning to remember the man who created the TV character President Bush has strived to emulate in every aspect of his public and private life. -- Jake Novak
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Week in Review – 2010 January 31st to February 6th
Last Sunday afternoon Jero made omelets for breakfast and then she and I had a very good derby practice. It was an endurance practice, so we were worked to death but felt excellent the next day with positively achy muscles. Unfortunately after Sunday practice I wasn’t feeling well, so we didn’t get much more done besides a late dinner and skate maintenance before I left to go spend the night with Ke and Nivagi. Ke was tired, so the three of us didn’t stay up very late, and mostly just snuggled talking until bed.
This month I’m the go-to guy for ISDN problems at work, which kept me busy most of the day. Last Monday Jero made us dinner and then we got on the MUX. The Old One opened a portal between Wheeljack's lab and the Shattered Glass universe, and on the other side General Flint sent Snake-Eyes to investigate, which was wacky fun. Goldbug revealed himself in the SG-Pit and shot his way out while Ebony was powerless to stop him (which she took out on the Witwicky brothers). Geeky good times. B)
Last Tuesday after work I went over to Ke’s to have dinner with Nivagi and her. We went to Ruby Tuesday and when we got back to Ke’s, Nivagi went to her boyfriend’s while Ke and I settled in on the couch. Ke watched American Idol and Kitchen Nightmares while I MUXed. I got to RP with Spike and get a few other things done, although I idled on Kadjem, which I’ll have to make up next time. When it got late Ke turned off the TV and lured me to bed, where we snuggled under the blankets to get warm.
Last Wednesday night when I got off work I went back over to Ke and Nivagi’s to hang out with them again. Ke was HUNGRY and ready to eat, but Nivagi was asleep. We finally roused Nivagi enough for her to decide on food, and then we let her nap while Ke and I went to pick it up. Nivagi and I’d planned to watch Angel (to Ke’s chagrin), but I’d left the disc at home, so we watched Chuck and The Colbert Report instead. Ke helped Nivagi file her taxes, and then we all snuggled up to sleep, roasting and squishing Ke in the middle.
Last Thursday’s derby practice was awesome in that the Bleeding Heartland Roller Girls came up to help out, and bad for me because all practice I was just suck on wheels. Bunnie showed me just how low I’m supposed to be in proper skater stance, and in retrospect my thighs should have been screaming since the appropriately-named Thigh Scream Social. After practice I got back on the MUX, but it was quiet, so I got mostly admin stuff done, although I did get to role-play with Turborat and Stormwind.
Friday night Stsm and I had plans with her friend Jest. We met up at my apartment and then ventured out into the Snowpocalypse for dinner. We went to Some Guys Pizza, and I was surprised to discover they have *insanely yummy* vegetarian pizzas. I definitely need to go back with Ke and Nivagi. After eating we picked up a bottle of wine for Jest and Stsm, and then hung out at my apartment until Jest had to get home because it was late and snowy. Stsm was sleepy but I wasn’t, so I watched some Mad Men while Stsm napped until I was ready to join her in slumber-land.
Saturday night I had dinner with Jero and Stsm and then the three of us headed to the Pepsi Coliseum for the Naptown Roller Girls bout. After the game I went to the Beer Seller with Stsm and her friends for an after-bout birthday celebration for Stsm. When we returned late to my apartment my heat still wasn’t working, so we cuddled up under the covers and watched YouTube videos until my space-heater warmed up my room. I gave Stsm her birthday spankings and read her a story before we cuddled up to sleep. It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend.
"It's devastating. It's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." -- All President Bush could muster about the Katrina damage, according to his press secretary. His first view of the floods came, pitifully, theatrically, from the window of a low-flying Air Force One
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Week in Review – Week of 2010 January 10th – 16th
Sunday Jero and I slept in late after getting in at 3 AM from a derby party in Bloomington. We’d planned to go to derby practice, but we didn’t get up and out of bed in time. Instead we tried out a new Chinese food place near her called On Time. The food was very good, especially the egg soup with tomato. After we ate I went home to get onto the MUX for an event Dean was running. Ke joined me when she got off work, and brought food. After the MUX event Ke and I snuggled up and slept.
Monday Ke and I went shopping and then met Nivagi for lunch. When we got back we went through my mail and then I went over to Jero’s to follow up on Sunday’s MUX event. Jero and I had dinner first and then got online. We played through the aftermath of Sunday’s raid, and furthered events on the human side of the Shattered Glass TinyPlot. I had great fun role-playing with Dean, Jero, and Spike, and it felt good to get things accomplished on the MUX since I’ve lost a lot of RP time lately to derby.
Tuesday was another WFTDA testing day. Again, I did a lot better than I expected, and if I work hard over the next month I might be able to pass everything when we test again. I did blow the written test since I didn’t study for it, so after practice Jero and I went to Denny’s and she went over what I missed with me and made sure I grokked everything I’d missed. When I got back to Jero’s I showered and called Ra. I haven’t spoken with her in a while, so it was good to catch up.
Wednesday after work Mars and I went to Brbe and E-’s for a game night to celebrate the fact that B! was in town for a few days. Mars couldn’t stay out too late, but the rest of us played a really fun game that was a cross between Pictionary and the telephone game -- there were lulz all ‘round. When we got hungry we ventured out to Steak n’ Shake and hung out there ‘til we all needed to go home and sleep. I went to Nivagi’s to snuggle with her until I had to leave for work in the morning.
Thursday work was tense, and Mars’s attempts to alleviate that tension got him in trouble with our manager and his boss, although it seemed to work out in the end. After work Stsm came over, and while she wasn’t hungry for food, she did want ice-cream, so we ventured out to McDonald’s to get her an Oreo McFlurry. Ice-cream in hand, we snuggled up and watched Mad Men far too late into the night. After a bad day at work it was very nice to see Stsm, who always improves my mood.
Friday I took the day off since it was Nivagi’s birthday. Nivagi wasn’t feeling that great, so we spent all day in bed, napping, snuggling and watching Heroes and Angel. When Ke got off work, Nivagi and I got up and dressed. Ke planned to take Nivagi out to the Melting Pot for her birthday, and I went with to help celebrate. After very yummy fondue we stopped at Wal-Mart so Nivagi could pick up supplies to upgrade her Mac OS, and we spent the rest of the evening on our computers. Happy birthday, Nivagi! ;)
Today I’m at work, which is pretty standard for a Saturday. Nivagi is spending the evening with Chpa, so I’m probably going to see the Naptown Roller Girls bout with Jero. Work is quiet today so far, which is pleasant and I hope lasts. Tomorrow Ke and I are spending the evening with Nivagi to continue her birthday weekend snugstravaganza. I’m not sure what we’ll be up to, but knowing us it will be a low-key and pleasant way to wrap up the weekend.
“Anywhere in the galaxy this is a nightmare.”
– Doc, Forbidden Planet
http://derbygirls.wordpress.com/
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Roller derby is for blokes too
by Felicity Caldwell | 1st January 2010
NO LONGER a sport purely for women, roller derby is welcoming men with open arms.
The fast-paced sport has exploded in popularity in recent months and Ipswich’s local league – the Brisbane City Rollers – is expecting a packed rink at its next open day for new skaters.
Known as “fresh meat”, converts spend six weeks learning the basics, including skating techniques, how to fall properly and the rules of the game.
Eastern Heights nurse and recent fresh meat graduate Brigitte Gamble, 21, said the Rollers made learning the skills a dream.
“You’re really sore at first but when you come everyone’s really welcoming and no one makes you feel stupid,” Miss Gamble said.
Ipswich receptionist Erin McIntosh also recently graduated from fresh meat training to level two and has caught the roller derby bug.
“It gives you more confidence in derby and in your everyday life,” Ms McIntosh said.
“It’s lots of fun, you get fit, it builds muscles and you get to meet new people.”
Roller derby was big in the 1960s and 70s but has experienced a recent revival across Australia and internationally.
Played on quad skates, the sport involves two teams with four defensive players (blockers) and one points scorer (jammer) on each team.
A jammer scores points for his/her team when he/she passes blockers from the opposing team while skating around an oval circuit.
(More...)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Derby Practice Sunday
I do need to look into getting one of those tailbone protectors, however, if I'm going to keep falling on my ass. B)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Week in Review – Week of 2009 December 20th – 26th
Most of derby practice sucked Sunday. Between my sprained ankle and my late work shift, I haven't been able to make it to more than one practice a week, and that's not enough to keep up. I tried to sprint out of a pack skate when it was my turn, and after getting whipped to the front I promptly fell on my ass, which didn't hurt then but hurt for days after. I think I might take Dexter's advice and start going to Skateland on Thursday nights, at least on the weeks I work late and can't go to Monday practice.
After practice I went to Ke’s to shower and spend the night. We went to the Laundromat so she could wash and dry blankets and sleeping bags, and we grabbed Chinese food from next door while we were there. When we got back we watched a cute Star Trek parody episode of CSI while Ke worked on computer repair projects. When Nivagi got home, she hung out with us for a while before going to bed. When Ke got hungry again, I went out and got us Fazoli’s before bed. We stayed up way too late, but it was fine since I didn’t have to work Monday.
Monday afternoon Ke and I got up and went to Le Peep for a late breakfast. I hung out at Ke’s before going to Jero’s to snuggle and get dinner. After dinner Jero and I went to derby practice – me to skate, Jero to observe and provide advice and moral support (she’s on a self-imposed off-season until January). Practice followed the same pattern as Sunday – the first half sucked, but it got better as I got warmed up. After practice I gave Jero solstice presents and then we cuddled and watched Dexter.
Work was hectic Tuesday, but I got to leave a little early so I went home and enjoyed some time alone before my friend Jeki arrived. She’s in area (sort of) for the holidays, so she made time to stop by like she did last year. We thought she was going to have to leave early to drive back to her parents’, but she got someone to watch her kids so she could spend the night. We both had a lovely time cuddling and catching up with everything that’s been going on in the last year.
Wednesday work sucked, so I escaped as early as possible and went home to unwind before bringing Ke dinner. Ke and I snuggled up and watched NCIS before I tore myself away and headed to Bloomington to pick up Chhu to bring her to Evansville. Chhu and I headed to Evansville, where I dropped Chhu off at our mom’s. I went to Mira’s apartment, where we said hello to her roommates and then sequestered ourselves in her bedroom to snuggle and watch “Epitath One.”
Thursday morning Mira and I went to her brother’s house for Christmas Eve celebrations. Mira’s family is very nice, and they (as well as Mira) got me presents. When we left I went to my mom’s house for dinner. She made super-yummy lasagna, and after we ate we hung out and listened to fun Christmas music like Straight No Chaser and Hebe’s Cthulhu carols. When Mom went to bed I got on the MUX for a while and then Chhu and I played Guitar Hero.
Around 2 AM Friday morning I went to Mira’s to sleep. Hours later Mira woke me up very nicely with kisses and breakfast. When she headed out for her Christmas plans, I headed back to my mom’s apartment. She’s making a ham for the holidays, and after we eat I’m bringing Chhu back to Bloomington and then meeting up with Caro while she’s in the state. Caro’s Thanksgiving visit was far too short, so tonight I get to kidnap her for the entire night.
Tomorrow morning I have to work, so unfortunately Caro will have to head back early. After work I get to have dinner with Jero and her parents. With luck maybe we’ll all get to play SingStar again and Jero’s brother and I can show off our mad Madonna-singing skillz. I like Jero’s family, so I’m happy I’ll get to see them while they’re in town for the holidays. Overall, it’s been a very nice holiday week with friends, lovers, and family.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Ben Franklin
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Week in Review – Week of December 6th – 12th
Last Sunday morning Ke and Mira slept over. I was planning to go to practice, but by the time we were all awake and ready to go there wasn’t time for me to eat, hydrate and digest before practice, so I used that as an excuse to skip it and give my ankle another day to heal. Sunday night Mars and Nivagi came over and I ran a session of my old World of Darkness campaign, which was a load of fun. After everyone else went home Mira and I stayed up for extended RP and a geek talk session.
Derby practice Monday was fun. It was the first time I was back on skates since I sprained my ankle over Thanksgiving, and on my doctor’s advice I wore the brace Jero lent me. Monday’s practice was WFTDA testing, which was a strange time to jump back in (since I’m not ready to pass most of the requirements), but did give me a chance to assess what I could do and set benchmarks for improvement. Monday’s practice was also cool because it was the first time Jero has joined me since I started.
Jero hasn’t been on skates since the end of her BHRG season, so she took it easy as well, trying out her new skates and then offering advice to me and another new skater. Jero watched and encouraged me as I tried everything I dared on my healing ankle, which wound up being just about everything. I’ve fallen behind on some skills (crossovers, knee falls), but other things (one-foot glides, swizzle skating) I can still do, which is nice.
Last Tuesday I had a quiet night with Nivagi. She came over to my apartment and the two of us went to Broadripple for Thai food. After we ate we went to my place to cuddle up in bed. Nivagi had brought over Dexter to watch, but she was feeling too mopey for Dexter and too blah to make a character for World of Darkness. I lent her the Vampire the Masquerade book to read later, and instead we watched The Big Bang Theory, which did seem to help her mood.
Last Wednesday it was freezing, so I picked up Ke from work and we got dinner at Qdoba’s. We went back to my apartment, and since her laptop is dead I let her use mine to catch up on email while I read Nights of Prophesy. When Ke had read all of the Internets we snuggled up and watched House on huhu. We were going to watch Bones as well, but the episode started with extended product placement for Avatar, so we turned it off in disgust and watched The Colbert Report instead.
Thursday night I stayed home to schedule another MUX night, since the MUX was down Monday. Unfortunately, by Thursday we still hadn’t gotten out DB back from aerosar.net, so we MUX exiles met up at temporary refuges until we realized our MUX was still set up at its old location at spodzone.com. Its DB was out of date and missing anything we’ve added in the last six months, but it had the basic grid and characters so we were happy. Dean logged on and we all welcomed him back to the MUX and the country.
Hemy and I rebuild a tiny mirror universe so we could continue the Shattered Glass TP while we waited to get our new DB back. I got to play a stirring scene of Father Cobra welcoming Bludd to Cobra officially, as well as an amusing scene between Evil Growler and Dark Typhoon. For not having our real MUX, I wound up having a very pleasant evening of MUXing after all.
Another nice aspect of Thursday night is that Stsm called to tell me she’d resolved a long-running tension with her best friend, who happens to be the younger sister of an ex-girlfriend of mine. Since Stsm started dating me, she’s wanted to share her joy with her best friend. Unfortunately, that friend hasn’t wanted to hear it since she’d afraid that Stsm will get hurt in a similar fashion to my breakup with my ex. However, apparently Stsm talked it out and reassured her friend for now, and so is free to share her happiness with her BFF again. Good news, indeed.
Friday I was lucky enough to get off work early, so I met up with Jero and we went out for dinner and shopping. She was looking for new shelves for her house, but ultimately we were unsuccessful in our quest, although we did find a new holiday ornament, which we get together every year. When we got back to Jero’s house I played Zelda music for her and MUXed a bit more before the two of us powered down our laptops and went to bed. We stayed up late watching House before finally going to sleep.
Saturday I had to work, so when I escaped I headed to Ke and Nivagi’s immediately so we could go to Tojo and Mika’s Poly Meetup holiday party. However, when I got to Ke’s, she and Nivagi were each asleep in their individual beds. Even after waking, Ke didn’t seem up to a large social gathering. The three of us had a quiet dinner instead, and then I went to Jero’s to sleep so Ke and Nivagi could have a night alone. The weekend was quieter than expected, but still very nice.
“'Yes... this is a fertile land, and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it... this land.' 'I think we should call it your grave.' 'Ah. Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal.' 'Hahaha. Mine is an evil laugh.'”
- Wash, playing with dinosaur toys, Firefly
Sit on Santa's Lap
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Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 11, 2009
MUX Thursday
Dean logged on and we all welcomed him back to the MUX (and the country!) and then Bludd and I rebuild a tiny mirror universe so we could continue the Shattered Glass TP while we waited to get our new DB back. I got to play a stirring scene of Father Cobra welcoming Bludd to Cobra officially, as well as an amusing scene between Evil Growler and Dark Typhoon. For not having our real MUX, I wound up having a very pleasant evening of MUXing after all.
Another nice aspect of last night is that Stsm called to tell me she’d resolved a long-running tension with her best friend, who happens to be the younger sister of an ex-girlfriend of mine. Since Stsm started dating me, she’d been wanting to share her joy with her best friend, but that friend hasn’t wanted to hear it since she’d afraid that Stsm will get hurt in a similar breakup to what I had with my ex. Apparently Stsm got things resolved now and is free to share her happiness with her BFF again.
A great night all ‘round!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
How the US Funds the Taliban
On October 29, 2001, while the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan was under assault, the regime's ambassador in Islamabad gave a chaotic press conference in front of several dozen reporters sitting on the grass. On the Taliban diplomat's right sat his interpreter, Ahmad Rateb Popal, a man with an imposing presence. Like the ambassador, Popal wore a black turban, and he had a huge bushy beard. He had a black patch over his right eye socket, a prosthetic left arm and a deformed right hand, the result of injuries from an explosives mishap during an old operation against the Soviets in Kabul.
But Popal was more than just a former mujahedeen. In 1988, a year before the Soviets fled Afghanistan, Popal had been charged in the United States with conspiring to import more than a kilo of heroin. Court records show he was released from prison in 1997.
Flash forward to 2009, and Afghanistan is ruled by Popal's cousin President Hamid Karzai. Popal has cut his huge beard down to a neatly trimmed one and has become an immensely wealthy businessman, along with his brother Rashid Popal, who in a separate case pleaded guilty to a heroin charge in 1996 in Brooklyn. The Popal brothers control the huge Watan Group in Afghanistan, a consortium engaged in telecommunications, logistics and, most important, security. Watan Risk Management, the Popals' private military arm, is one of the few dozen private security companies in Afghanistan. One of Watan's enterprises, key to the war effort, is protecting convoys of Afghan trucks heading from Kabul to Kandahar, carrying American supplies.
( More... )
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Weekend Update 2009.11.24
Sunday morning I slept late at Jero’s. I got up only when it was time for me to go to derby practice. Sunday’s practice was the hardest so far, and I was reminded I need to work on my lung capacity if I’m going to be doing athletic activities. After practice we had a meeting for the men’s league and discussed the first season of the Race City Rebels. It looks like if I get my skills up to par I’ll be skating with them after all. After the meeting I stopped by Nivagi’s for dinner, and then went to spend the night at Jero’s.
Monday I had off work since I’m on a Tuesday through Saturday shift, so I hung out at Jero’s house and journalled while she went into the office. When she got off work we went out to dinner and then I got onto the MUX. I had an interesting time playing both Good and Bad Buster at the same time in different windows with Good and Bad Spike. I also got in some other fun RP with Carly, Deadline and Temera, and look forward to getting back on the MUX tonight.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Religious Right, Catholic Bishops Seek To Impose Religion On All Americans Through Law, Americans United Charges
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today expressed grave concern about a renewed push by a coalition of conservative church groups to impose religious teachings on all Americans through government action.
At a press conference today, Religious Right leaders and Roman Catholic bishops unveiled a joint statement criticizing laws that allow reproductive choice and same-sex marriage. The “Manhattan Declaration” indicates that participating religious leaders will defy such laws if they conflict with church doctrines.
Americans United charges that the real agenda is not protecting the religious freedom of churches, but rather attempting to impose those doctrines on all Americans by government decree.
Said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, “This declaration is certain to be deeply divisive. These religious leaders want to see their doctrines imposed by force of law, and that goes against everything America stands for.
“The United States is an incredibly diverse nation,” he continued, “and it would be a disaster if government started favoring one religious perspective over others.”
(More...)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Stsm
Stsm looked cute in her new PJs, but they weren't quite what she wanted, so she decided that the Great PJ Hunt of 2009 was still on. I put on PJs of my own, and we cuddled and kissed for a while before putting on Mad Men. Stsm fell asleep during the first episode, but since she'd seen them before I just let her sleep and watched two before turning off the TV and snuggling up with her to nap as well.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week in Review – Week of November 8th – 14th
Sunday after Jero’s bout she and I slept in as late as we could, and then got up so I could have breakfast before the first day of the Circle City Socialites and Race City Rebels’ Thigh Scream Social. Jero watched as the CCS and RCRs warmed us up and taught us day one of our basic derby skills. I was very shaky and wobbly at first, but our coaches were incredibly friendly and supportive, and so I got through the first day just fine. When we got back Jero helped me clean my apartment.
Monday Jero took off work and we slept in after staying up super-late cleaning out three boxes of crap from my apartment. In the morning we showered and brought an entire cartload of recycling out before heading up to Journey for a yummy meal (even if we wound up eating way too much). At Jero’s we got onto the MUX. I got to role-play with Deadline as General Flint, Lt. Bludd as Father Cobra, Optimus Prime as Blaster, and Snoop as Alpha Trion. Fun!
Tuesday I started off in a good mood, but that RAPIDLY deteriorated once I got to work.
That evening was Day 2 of the Thigh Scream Social, where we learned and practiced more skills that I was surprised I could do. After practice Jero dropped me off at Ke’s, and Ke and Nivagi made nachos for dinner. I’d missed V, but we watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report before Nivagi went to bed, citing work in the morning. Eventually Ke and I went to bed as well, since I had to get up early also.
Wednesday was the last night of the Thigh Scream Social. We practiced falling and whips*, and learned dominance and hitting. I was expecting to be knocked on my ass, but the experienced derby skaters were primarily there to take hits and give feedback. At the end of the last practice we played a few rounds of
Thursday night Ke wanted some time to study alone before I came over, so I went to Jero’s to give her some snuggles until Ke was ready for dinner. When I did go over to Ke’s Nivagi wasn’t home yet so Ke and I enjoyed beef stroganoff. (mmm… meat!) When Nivagi came home we watched The Mentalist and ate blueberries in yogurt for dessert. Nivagi went to bed early since she had to work early, and since Ke had a test in the morning she and I went to bed soon after.
Friday work was busy and annoying, but I got to leave a little early, which made me happy. I went to Nivagi’s and played on my laptop while she cleaned her house. When Mira arrives we plan to go out to dinner with Ke and her. Then Nivagi and I will either head back to my apartment, or sequester ourselves in Nivagi’s room so Ke and Mira can have the night alone. It’s only fair, since I’m kidnapping Mira the rest of the weekend.
This weekend Mira and I plan to role-play Saturday when I get off work, and then Sunday the two of us are going up to Chicago. We’re going to spend the night Sunday, and with luck we’ll get to see Keje and his main squeeze while we’re up there, as well as hitting random museums and sex shops. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Mira this weekend, and excited that she’ll be here soon!
Have a good weekend, all!
*“You know, the whip is the fastest way to gain speed on the track!”
-- 'Hot Tub' Johnny Rocket, Whip It
