Halloween bout

For our co-ed Halloween bout, the theme is going to be Barbie vs. G.I. Joe.  I told them I'd be on either team, and so since most of the female skaters are reportedly asking to be on the G.I. Joe team, I might wind up on Team Barbie.  So, I've been thinking of possible derby names for that bout.  Any opinions or suggestions?  (My number will remain 2020.)

 

Ideas so far:

 

BOB

Eye-Roll Ken

Mod-Hair Ken

Plastic Boyfriend

Polyvinyl

 

Watcha think?  B)

--

"This is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American. Then sliced by a Guatemalan, and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian."
-- Stephen Colbert

The Walking Dead

This looks so cool... I love the graphic novels, and it looks like the
series will capture what's great about them.

http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/video?bcpid=86227333001&bclid=88963904001&bctid=593569611001
--

"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I
started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the
day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me,
that's on the worst day of my life."
-- Peter Gibbons, Office Space

question of the day: What would a new Bill & Ted movie look like?

Link from MaryAnn @ http://www.flickfilosopher.com --

 

MaryAnn writes:

"Keanu Reeves tells MTV News that he'd love to do another Bill & Ted movie. There's nothing definite happening, just desire on the part of Reeves and -- he says -- Alex Winter. Check out what Reeves has to say about such a project... if for nothing else, you must see his impersonation of Werner Herzog explaining what he'd see in the boys:"

 

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movies/573900/keanu-reeves-down-for-bill-and-ted-reunion-if-story-is-right.jhtml

--

"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."
-- Peter Gibbons, Office Space 

brianj.kelly@gmail.com has shared: Too rich for the Tea Party?

*snerk*
Too rich for the Tea Party? Source: salon.com
brianj.kelly@gmail.com sent this using ShareThis.

Minimolecule may explain how antidepressants work

Neat!  My counselor was just talking about this discovery...

 

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63457/title/Minimolecule_may_explain_how_antidepressants_work

--

"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."
-- Peter Gibbons, Office Space 

MUX Night – 2010.09.09

Last night after work I stopped at Noodles & Co. to pick up food for
Ke and Mira.  When I got to Ke's she was asleep, so I put her food in
the kitchen while Mira and I ate.  Ke was recovering from a medical
procedure earlier in the day, so we let her sleep and I logged onto
the MUX while Mira watched Project Runway.

Several players were on, so I got to run a small scene with Buster,
Daniel, Sparkplug and Spike Witwicky, as well as a battle between
Deathsarus and Mal-Feasance on the Nemesis in the Shattered Glass
universe, during which Jetfire and Trailbreaker managed to escape.
Fun night!

Stsm came over to bring Ke get-well balloons and elephant-ear-flavored
marshmallows (Ke like cinnamon), and Nivagi came home soon after.  We
hung out in Ke's living room and watched bad fashion reality TV until
it was time for Stsm to head home and the rest of us to go to bed
(except Nivagi, who had homework).

I'm not sure how much help I was looking after Ke after her procedure,
but she took care of me after I was fixed, so I wanted to be there for
her in case she needed me.  It was very nice to have a pleasant quiet
evening with my girlfriends and even get some MUXing in.  Tonight I'm
going to see Ke again, and I'm sure it will be another lovely, low-key
affair.  It sounds perfect.

color photos of a black-and-white world, part 1

MaryAnn @ flickfilosopher.com has a series of links to articles about color photos or images of eras usually only seen in black and white.  Neat!

 

Start here:

http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/09/090610color_photos_of_a_black-and-wh.html

--

"One by one, the bedrock conservative convictions of the national Republican Party are giving way... yielding to the demands of a raucous religious right that has become the Republicans' most reliable electoral base." (Trenton Times)

It's Better Over There | The Nation

It's Better Over There | The Nation

the word - control-self-delete

From http://mashable.com/2010/08/25/stephen-colbert-takes-on-google-ceos-change-your-name-comments-video/ -

 

Are you a "young person," fresh outta college and looking for a job? Great! Now all you have to do to score your dream gig is perform a full digital cleanse, and assume a new identity while you're at it. Well, not really, but that's the premise of a recent "The Word" segment on The Colbert Report.

 

Video here:

 

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/351570/august-24-2010/the-word---control-self-delete

--

"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy.  My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing. This couldn't be a more classic case of a state responsibility." 
-- Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays, Republican, during the Schiavo fiasco.  (Source: New York Times)

Voters Can Shed Daylight on Corporate Spending

From The Nation:

 

"This has been a tough year for those who care about protecting our democracy from the influence of corporate money. In January the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United gave companies the power to spend freely from their corporate treasuries in our elections. Last month Senate Republicans halted Congressional efforts to mitigate the negative impact of the decision by blocking passage of the DISCLOSE Act, which would have required corporations to show how they  spend money in elections. With Election Day less than 90 days away, we cannot afford to stand on the sidelines -- we need to fight back and take on corporations directly."

 

More: http://www.thenation.com/article/154069/voters-can-shed-daylight-corporate-spending

--

"Blind optimism and impulsivity often cause me to ignore logic and instead make decisions based on a hopeful projection of what's going to happen next."
- Hyperbole and a Half

A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope

It makes so much sense now!

 

A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope
Reconsidering Star Wars IV in the light of I-III

 

http://www.morningstar.nildram.co.uk/A_New_Sith.html

--

"Love doesn't subtract. It multiplies." - R.A. Heinlein

Challenge Target and Best Buy Antidemocratic Donations

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/07/challenge-target-and-best-buy.html

--

"Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!"

-- Louis Tully, Ghost Busters

It's Baaaack: The Catfood Commission

From OurFuture.org --

 

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.

 

( More... )

Sooo sleepy

Today is definitely going to have to be a high caffeine day.  zzz....

--

"Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head. Remember that?"

-- Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghost Busters

Deficits of Mass Destruction

From <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/37534/deficits-mass-destruction"><i>The
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

Oooh!  B)

 

According to an article quoted on FlickFilosopher.com, the first Matt Smith Doctor Who DVD set will have little "Meanwhile, on the TARDIS" bonus bridging mini-episodes.  Neat!

 

 

( More... )

--

"Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head. Remember that?"

-- Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghost Busters

Gay Marriage Chart-of-the-Day

Gay Marriage Chart-of-the-Day

Prototype Goggles Make Sure You Never Lose Your Keys Again

I so need a set of these!

 

From  techdirt.com --

 

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

So scary!

From PZ Myers --

 

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

Obama Making BP Pay Is Good Government

From AlterNet --

 

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. 

( More... )

--
"Listen. You smell something?"
Dr. Raymond Stantz, Ghost Busters

New study documents media's servitude to government

From Salon.com -

 

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:

 

( More... )
--
"Listen. You smell something?"
Dr. Raymond Stantz, Ghost Busters

Last Airbender

From http://abagond.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/airbender.jpg?w=370&h=400 -

 

--
"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)

Week in Review – Week of 2010.06.27 – 07.03

This week started off great, got insanely stressful in the middle, and is now getting better as the weekend approaches. I have to work Saturday, so I won't get a three-day weekend like most people, but I'm happy to get Sunday/Monday off at least, which I'm using to go down to Evansville. I'm going to finally go to InCon this year (for one night, anyway), which people have been trying to lure me to for ages, so with luck that'll be fun.

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

From http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/01/cool-wonder-woman-costume-redesigns/ -

 

DC Comics may have finally given J. Michael Straczynski and Don Kramer the go-ahead to change Wonder Woman's costume and give her a jacket, but way back in simpler times during 2007, another group of creators came together to retool the Amazonian heroine's sense of fashion. Joe Quinones, Daniel Krall, Jemma Salume and a posse of other progressively minded illustrators presented their own visions of attire for DC's leading lady, and the top of the heap looked pretty darn good.

The contest, hosted by Project: Rooftop and sponsored by Zeus Comics in Dallas, TX, attracted some fine submissions, ranging in inspiration from sci-fi to ancient Greece. My hat's off to the to the judging, too, because Quinones really nailed his winning entry. It bears a slight resemblance to Karl Kerschl's look for Wonder Girl in "Teen Titan: Year One," only with a slightly more grown-up sophistication.

You will see a couple jackets, too, such as those that appear on Sonny Strait and Leanne Buckley's submissions.

 

( More... )

Why Our Brains Are Fooled by Illusions

From http://www.neatorama.com -

 

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.

More here: http://discovermagazine.com/photos/09-wrong-by-design-why-our-brain-are-fooled-by-illusions/

--
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln

From http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/ -

 

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:

 

More: http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/06/061510omg_michael_bays_next_movie_is.html 

 

--

"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle."

— Abraham Lincoln

 

Week in Review – Week of 2010.05.30 – 06.05

Last week was my birthday, and I had such a magnificent time with my
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

penguins playing soccer in South Korea

For J R, from http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/ -

 

http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/06/watch_it_penguins_playing_socc.html

--
"Good things come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle."
— Abraham Lincoln

Walking Dead on AMC!

"We hope to do for zombies what Mad Men did for advertizing."

 

http://io9.com/5553571/first-look-at-amcs-walking-dead

Vulture Exclusive: How Robin Hood Nearly Destroyed the Russell-Ridley Relationship

I'm way more interested in the movie as it could have been.  Thanks
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

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

Joss Whedon reveals the REAL reason Dollhouse died

From SCI FI Wire

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... )

Week in Review – Week of 2010.04.25 – 05.01

Last week was productive, with a lot of running around and then finally a tranquil weekend camping. We got Nivagi a new car, which will make like easier for her, and I got in some fun derby practice and MUXing. I thought I’d have more time to myself, but locking my keys in my car ruined my timetable Tuesday night, and the rest of the week was just too busy. Still, it seems like a relaxing paradise compared to the over-scheduling I have to contend with this week…

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

From Mental Floss -

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

Where I'll be this weekend:

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

Derby 2010.04.26

Saturday I had my first public scrimmage at the Rookie Rumble at Southland Skate Center. We were supposed to play a demonstration game for half an hour, but there were so few of us we cut it down to 15 minutes since we were all exhausted. While I usually enjoy scrimmaging, I didn’t skate well in the demonstration – I was completely shut down by another skater, who eventually even apologized to me.

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.

I am ze Viper

From scifiwire --

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)

Week in Review – Week of 2010.04.11 – 04.17

This week has been stressful in terms of work, but fun in terms of derby. I’m still excited to be playing in scrimmage-like drills, as anyone around me can easily tell since I won’t shut up about it. I’m taking full advantage of my early work schedule to go to as many practices as possible. There are other things I’d like to be doing with this time as well, but right now I’m making derby a priority because I want to get my skills up to speed, and hope to be able to skate in the upcoming Rookie Rumble. Wish me luck!

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

Amanda Palmer plays the ukulele for Neil Gaiman

For Heather the ukulele player.

Molten metal batteries to be clean energy reservoirs - tech - 09 April 2010 - New Scientist

Molten metal batteries to be clean energy reservoirs - tech - 09 April 2010 - New Scientist

Derby Progress – 04.10

This past week has been very cool in terms of my derby education. Tuesday at practice I got to play something akin to roller derby for the first time. I was completely ineffective, but it was still a lot of 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.

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

Week in Review – Week of 2010.03.28 – 04.03

This week was a lot of fun, especially in the arena of derby. I’m finally getting to actually play the game and it turns out I love it, which frankly was a big surprise to me since I hate team sports. Roller derby is different, however, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it even though I suck. I put in a request to officially scrimmage, and with luck if I keep improving I’ll get to play in the next Rookie Rumble. I’ve never been actually anxious to play a physical game before, so this is all new territory for un-athletic me.

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

Local News | Census will count gay couples who check "husband or wife" | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Census will count gay couples who check "husband or wife" | Seattle Times Newspaper

Week in Review – Week of February 7th – 13th

Last week work sucked, and my personal life was down and up. I had an unexpected fight with Ra, and now am giving her space before talking to her again. I did enjoy hiding out on the MUX and pretending to be someone else, which helped me get through the week. Mira came into town for the weekend, and it was great to hang out with her and all my girlfriends this past weekend. We’re all getting together again maybe Thursday to skate and definitely Saturday for Howl at the Moon. B)

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

CBC News - Technology & Science - Tut was a 'frail king' with broken leg

CBC News - Technology & Science - Tut was a 'frail king' with broken leg

Week in Review – 2010 January 31st to February 6th

Last week I had an early work schedule, and so even though work itself was sucky, the rest of my week was great. I got to spend time with my girlfriends while they were actually awake, and was able to get onto the MUX while people were still logged on. One of the weekday derby practices was cancelled, but the other one was very cool, even if I personally sucked. I got to spend an entire weekend with Stsm for the first time, which was a birthday celebration for her and a great time for me.

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

Week in Review – Week of 2010 January 10th – 16th

This was a good week. I’m feeling a little stressed lately since derby practice is pwn!ing all of my free time, but otherwise things are going well. The MUX has been crazy busy, with fun RP every time I log on, and my derby skills continue to improve – I hope to be WFTDA-ready by this time next month. Between B! visiting Indy and Nivagi’s birthday I had great times with my friends and lovers this week, and tonight I get to go see a derby bout! Good times. B)

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/

Shauna Cross, A.K.A. Maggie Mayhem of the LA Derby Dolls Talks About Falling In Love With Derby and How That Love Lead Her To Writing “ Whip It” @ http://derbygirls.wordpress.com/

Roller derby is for blokes too

From The Ipswich Queensland Times --

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...)

Derby Practice Sunday

I took another hard backwards fall during Sunday’s derby practice. It seems to be a pattern with pack skating – it takes everything I have to just keep up with the pack, so when I try to do something else (sprint ahead, zigzag laterally), I fall. Dexter and Bunnie were very supportive and encouraging, but I really need to work on my basic skills so I’m not so far behind everyone else. I especially need to work on skating in proper derby stance, so I don’t fall backwards if I get off balance. At least my tailbone doesn't hurt as much this week as it did last week -- I took it easy last night, and feel mostly better by today.

I do need to look into getting one of those tailbone protectors, however, if I'm going to keep falling on my ass. B)

Week in Review – Week of 2009 December 20th – 26th

This has been a very nice holiday week. I only had to work three days this week, and while it sucks that one of those days is Saturday, it could be a lot worse. I’m in Evansville right now, hanging out with my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. My mom is doing well, and we benefit by enjoying her wonderful cooking. I got her a carved wooden “happiness” statuette to celebrate the fact that her depression is lifted and she’s finally feeling herself again.


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