We needed to re-combobulate ourselves. So last night, E and I decided to see The Bourne Supremacy (we watched The Bourne Identity before we left) and instead were pleasantly surprised to find Hero playing! I've written before on how bad I wanted to see this movie. When E was in China, she was asked daily by different students, "Have you seen Hero yet?"
F**k the comparisons to Crouching Tiger....
Monday, August 30, 2004
More pieces from my childhood gone. From the NY Times:Laura Branigan, 47, Pop Singer, Is Dead
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 30, 2004
Laura Branigan, a singer whose high-volume vocals in the disco song "Gloria" propelled her into pop stardom, died in her sleep on Thursday night at her home in East Quogue, N.Y. She was ...
Not really. But, we're back. E and I arrived in A-Town 2 am Monday morning. Actually, it was more like 1:45 am, but neither of us had a key. Don't ask. Suffice it to say the return trip was an object lesson on exactly why I hate long road trips. From now on, anything in excess of 6 hours means we're flying!
The following backdated posts will describe the torture our eventful trip which really...
POST ONE
After my blog entry for that day, we decided to have a quick game of Scrabble with MOMMA_E. It's been two years in a row now (so I guess it's tradition) that a visit to MOMMA_E's means Scrabble and Yahtzee! This year, I was the Yahtzee champ, winning every game we played. E won a Scrabble game, and I won the next one. Which was surprising because I seem to remember last year that MOMMA_E...
POST TWO
We knew before we left that the car needed an alignment. What we didn't realize was how badly the remaining tire, that we didn't replace over the course of last year, was worn out. Over the last month or so, there was a slight vibration while driving that would come and go. Also, the car would cut to right. These problems got slightly worse on the trip to NY and got noticeably worse...
POST THREE
Maybe I shouldn't have made that joke, because it was three and a half hours later before we hit the road again. At this point, I should mention that because I put in for my vacation time somewhat suddenly, I wasn't due to receive my vacation pay until this week. Normally, I would've received it last week which was when I actually did receive it. Lucky for us, because without it, we...
POST FOUR
(If E reads this: E - this is NOT criticism or frustration or poking fun at your expense. It's just me relating the story. Please, don't hurt me! Pleeeeeeeeze...?)
So we hit the road. E finds a short cut, which by all logic should have been a short cut -- from Cleveland to Athens via Marietta rather than Columbus. The problem was not E's map reading skills. It wasn't even her unclear...
POST FIVE
(The same rules as Post Four apply -- please don't hurt me, E!)
We get home around 1:45 am to find that neither of us had keys. E had loaned hers out to a neighbor who agreed to look in on our fish during the times I was away at work. This neighbor went on vacation a few days before E returned. She lost my phone number and thus left me a note, sans key, the day before she left. When...
Saturday, August 28, 2004
That's what it's going to be very shortly as E and I are close to leaving for A-Town. This time, we're going to take the normal route instead of the scenic one.
I got most of the pictures I wanted yesterday. E talked me out of posing with my foot on Mark Twain's headstone and dancing on the grave for fear of being haunted. Me, I figured what cooler person to be haunted by than Mark Twain? What's...
Friday, August 27, 2004
Tonight, after a nice dinner out with E and her mother (gourmet pizza, wings and Lambrusco), I got to see a bunch of old pictures. Some were from as far back as the early '60s. I slipped in a few joking comments. Two relatives in matching suits, glasses and buzz cuts seemed to me to be "the only two white members of the Nation of Islam." Two more relatives, husband and wife, in white Salvation...
Thursday, August 26, 2004
As I said, we spent some time in Ithaca today. I shelled out a few bucks for a disposeable camera and took a few shots of the area known as The Commons. The Commons are everything uptown Athens wishes it could be. Why do E and I like The Commons? As the upcoming pictures will show, three of the coolest places we encountered - a Korean restaurant, a real honest-to-goodness barber shop that E said...
I can't believe I failed to mention the fact that yesterday, in the span of about 45 minutes, give or take a few, E and her mother picked out and purchased a wedding dress!
She wanted to show me the dress along with some pearls that she bought on her trip to China. I refused to see either until the wedding day (which should be about this time next year if we have our way). Hey, I'm a stickler for...
E and I are in the public library in Ithaca scouting the place out for living and job possibilities. Our professional and educational plans might need a little tweaking, but we're both in agreement -- this is where we want to live. Once I take the pictures I want to take, get them developed and post them, you'll see why.
Other pictures I want to take...
More pics of some of the more interesting...
Hey, sometimes the arcane science of psychological testing is really more of an art.
You're Leggy Bettie...you may be tall or short buteither way you seem to make the guys swoon andthe girls jealous and girls think of you as a"slut" or "bitch". Again,you're beautiful, they're not...right?
Which Bettie Page...
I didn't get a chance on the last post to mention that it, like this, posted at Elmira, NY on MOMMA_E's computer. Ah, the joys of dial-up.
Today, I met E's spunky 82-year-old, very Italian aunt. "How Italian is she?" you ask. Well, among the various jokes and stories she told between mouthfuls of Italian sausage and peppers, salad and wine, I heard the following names multiple times in every...
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Not quite as long as say, Moses in the desert, but almost. We're due to leave the FIVE-Os' house shortly. No entries for at least 8 hours.
So I leave you with a story of the FIVE-Oes' kids, K-1 (boy, 4) and K-2 (girl, 2). E, I and Mrs. FIVE-O went to play at the fountains at the Columbus mall infamous for being little more than the local rich man's playground. Little kids love playing in that...
Monday, August 23, 2004
Aug. 22, 2004, 12:56AM
Valiant Ali goes down fighting
Despite crowd in his corner, Iraqi eliminated
Associated Press
ATHENS, GREECE - Najah Ali lost his light flyweight bout to Armenia's Aleksan Nalbandyan on Saturday night, ending the improbable run of Iraq's only Olympic boxer after just one victory.
Ali was outpointed 24-11 in the second-round match, but he still provided a dramatic conclusion...
...but interesting nonetheless.Scream stolen from Norway museum
Armed robbers have stolen the iconic Edvard Munch painting, The Scream, from the Munch Museum in Norway.
Two masked thieves pulled the work and another painting, Madonna, off the wall as stunned visitors watched on Sunday.In broad daylight, t...
Sunday, August 22, 2004
E and I are leaving tomorrow, making a quick stop in Columbus to hang with The FIVE-Os for a night before heading up to NY state to see E's momma. I expect blogging to be scarce after Tuesday, but it's not like there will be an utter lack of net.access in NY.
My one blogging goal for this NY trip -- to upload a picture of Mark Twain's grave. He happens to be buried in Elmira, NY as that's where...
E (still sort of tired -- she's sleeping as of this minute) and I had our first official date since she came back. We watched M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. Yes, I figured out the twist relatively early, but I don't credit my incredible powers of deduction. As DATU_B says, M. Night's a one-trick-pony and after three films, people are starting to learn what to look for. Oh, M. Night tried a...
Saturday, August 21, 2004
This happened in a suburb of Cleveland...Police: 6 People Beat Up Alleged Peeping Tom
Tue Aug 17, 7:34 PM ET
An alleged peeping Tom is in the intensive care unit after reportedly being assaulted with a tree branch, NewsChannel5 reported.
Officials said Mario Russo, 44, was attacked after he was spotted outside a bedroom window wearing his pants around his ankles and watching a 5-year-old girl...
I picked her up at the airport, having arrived 5 minutes before her plane arrived, on schedule, no less. There were hugs and pictures, a quick breakfast at Bob Evan's and then she was passed out on the drive home. We arrive home whereupon she slept for another 12 or so hours -- poor kid. I expected it, though.
She brought back lots of pictures and lots of gifts. I got this cool reversible Chinese...
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Possibly. But I guess N. Korea's boxers can't be all that great, either.Iraqi Boxer Najah Ali Wins His First Bout at Athens Olympics
Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Iraqi boxer Najah Ali won his opening bout at the Athens Olympics yesterday, beating North Korea's Hyok Ju Kwak to justify his American coach's decision to bring him from wartorn Baghdad to Athe...
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
(BMW = bi+ch, moan and whine)
Well, I just had a quick respite before going off to the Diamond Mines. It's not that I mind the work or the amount of hours. It's just that the hours are at inconvenient times this week when I've got stuff to do. I wish I had these hours last week.
"Eye on the prize," that's what I gotta remember. E comes back and I got 9 days off coming, and paid for that week,...
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Today was just very draining for some reason. And, not just for me, either, but for more than a few of my fellow workers at the diamond mines as well. The hour always seemed later than it actually was.
I know myself that I've got a lot to do to prepare not only for E's return, but for the upcoming vacation...
Now, I stopped myself just then because I was going to make a few disparaging comments...
E will be back from the PRC in a mere 4 days! I wish I had more time to be excited, but they've got me at the diamond mines full time this week. The upside is that I've got Friday and Saturday off and I managed to swindle put in for my vacation time (on short notice) for next week. So, we will get to NY to visit MOMMA_E after all.
The time apart has definitely been a learning experience for the...
Monday, August 16, 2004
Saturday, August 14, 2004
I told you people these things come in bunches.Memories of Julia Child
from Weekend Edition - Saturday, Saturday , August 14, 2004
Noting the passing of Julia Child, NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the impact of a remarkable personality on American culinary tastes.I was listening to it this morning. It's really ni...
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Since I'm pretty much in favor of George Carlin's theory on passive eugenics (i.e. too much "safety" stuff for kids like bike helmets and mulch padding underneath plastic playground equipment, is stopping nature from weeding out the unfit), stuff like this always catches my eye...Evolution, Mutation May Occur Faster than Thought
All Things Considered audio
Aug. 4, 2004
Cancer and evolution both...
DATU_B left these comments on my last post. I felt they were worthy of reply.Sorry about this. I thought that this was silly, not anything to get upset about, but my other friends thought this was in poor taste of me to send it along.I had already heard about this sad situation, so the shock had already passed. But, I understand the feelings of "poor taste," shock, and revulsion to having this story...
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
My uncle once told me a story about one of the many flights he took back to the Philippines. He recalled one flight in which a fellow Filipino took a boxed rice cooker, wrapped and secured with twine (a la a balikbayan box) and tried unsuccessfully to stuff it in the overhead compartment.
My uncle turned to my cousin and said, "It's people like that who make us look bad."
No, Unc... it's people...
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
A couple of things for my personal reference. Feel free to ignore. Or, do yourself a favor and have a listen to potentially the next CDs I'll buy...
Ingrid Jensen
Jazz Jensen-Style
Female Horn Player Thrives Among Mostly Male Peers
(from Weekend Edition Sunday)
Ingrid Jensen's website
Her group Project O
Nicholas Payton
Nicholas Payton, 'Sonic Trance'
Grammy-Nominated Jazz Trumpeter Embraces...
It's funny how these things always seem to come in bunches:Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there
In silver underwear
Claude Rains was The Invisible Man
Then something went wrong
For Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace
It Came From Outer Space
And this is how the message ran...
Science...
Monday, August 09, 2004
ONE
Oh, no they didn't...Ike Turner's Guide to Restoring America's Honor
by Ken McIntyreTWO
Here's a Morning Edition segment I was listening to today.Misunderstanding the First Amendment
from Morning Edition, Monday , August 09, 2004
Commentator Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down, says celebrities have a hard time understanding the real meaning behind the First Amendment's Freedom of Speech.I'm...
Sunday, August 08, 2004
I'm back. Woohoo.
Well, it's not that bad, really. The fish needed feeding (though they were cared for over the weekend), and besides, it will be nice to enjoy the quiet. I love the FIVE-Os' kids, but at 4 and 2 -- let's just leave it at being nice to enjoy the quiet. The bad part is, though, that missing good friends only compounds missing E. But, even then it's not that bad because she's back...
Yesterday, the whole lot of us went to the State Fair. Two of our friends are in the process of moving to Arizona, that is they just stopped here on the way. And, they had never been. Ah, fairs -- greasy food, scary people and animals! Loved every second of it. The FIVE-Os' kids liked it too.
We went in two carloads. Needless to say the parking on the first weekend sucked. We saw spaces in...
Saturday, August 07, 2004
Relaxation is when you can sleep for 6 hours and feel refreshed because you were doing fun stuff the night before. Well, it was generally fun except for reading about Rick James. I'm still at MR. & MRS. FIVE-O's mooching off the net.access as the people who wander in here often do. I wasn't their only guest this weekend -- again, not unusual. Anyway, I might head back to A-Town today... maybe...
Thursday, August 05, 2004
I personally think this is hilarious, especially given the level of Prof. James -- but is this really any better than Mikey the Ninja?
From a message on the Defend.net forums.Professor David James of Vee Arnis with a drawn blade to a skilled grappler at a summit.....
"Grapple me damnit! Grapple me! Where is Your grappling?!!!"Hey, he was probably trying to make a serious poi...
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Sure, it looks sort of the same, but this page is now totally table-free and trimmed down to as few CSS elements as I could get away with. The tag-board is gone, as well as the sidebar links -- they're all in self-restraint now. The blog looks a bit more like it, too, doesn't it?
I'm outta here.
PS Would you believe that this is the 601st po...
textfiles.comRemember all those text files that you used to access by dialing up to your BBS? Or the ones that you'd get rooting around peoples' FTP directories, usually the /pub/ directory?
I actually found files that I recognized from back on the day. I might even still have some of these files. Here's one on lockpicking, complete with ASCII diagrams! They've also got four versions of Purity...
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Well, I finally updated the self-restraint pages. They look almost the same format-wise. In fact, they look a little closer to the blog here. It was an excuse for me to play around some more with CSS -- the site has its own style sheet now, rather than just style elements on every page. It really cleaned up the messy code and made the files a bit smaller, too.
Now, to clean up the code on the...
Monday, August 02, 2004
Undead -- definitely the right way to describe the state of my computer.
The fact that you're seeing those pictures means that my laptop hasn't completely died. It takes quite a bit of resuscitation, but it worked long enough today for me to edit the 2MB pictures and post them here and on E's China blog. Now, all that's left is to move some important data files to where they'll be safe, and the...
Sunday, August 01, 2004
My Laptop, 1998-2004, R.I.P. - Well, it's not quite dead, but I haven't worked very hard to try resuscitate it for the past couple of days. I'm pretty much finally ready to write it off. Names, addresses, financial information, old zipped files of journals and pictures -- I can live with those losses. The biggest pain now is not having that easy Irfanview graphics editor I got for free off the...
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