Uncovered

I was listening to Rod Stewart's beautiful cover of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest" the other day, and remembered that I had recently heard part of Sheryl Crow's version of the song -- only part, because I turned it off.

So I thought to myself, "How many more cover songs is Sheryl Crow going to mangle?" She already destroyed Derek & Dominos' "Keep On Growing." About the only thing she's done that I like is "Picture," and that's a duet.

Mood: Disgusted
Music: Great White: "Rock Me"

Fishes

The other day I remarked to Maryanne that not only do the Darwin badges some people put on their cars bother me, but so do the resulting Truth badges that feature a traditional ichthys eating the Darwin parody. While evolution and Creationism may be at odds with each other, evolution and Christianity are not mutually exclusive ideas. I think it's possible for a person to accept scientific ideas and still live a Christian life.

I think this also illustrates the absurdity of fundamental, hard-line Creationism. Maryanne started watching 17 Kids and Counting, a show I find somewhat disturbing not only because of the rigid, inflexible beliefs of the family members, but their belief in Creationism, which took them to a Creationism museum. The museum featured neighboring displays of dinosaurs and Adam and Eve -- not the same display, but they might as well be showing Jesus riding a dinosaur for the scientific inaccuracy of it all.

I also remarked that Creationism is also very self-serving and prejudiced; it presumes to suggest that the Judeo-Christian Creation story is the only one that's truthful, and the creation stories of any other religions (and mythologies) are wrong. I compared this to the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me." It doesn't say there are no other gods; to me it just says God wants to be first and only on your list.

Enter The Greek Myths by Robert Graves. Here Graves not only analyzes the symbolism of the Greek myths, but compares them to the mythology and the cults of the rest of the eastern Mediterranean. The similarities are fascinating, as he draws parallels between ancient Greek myths and the myths of other cultures, including Egypt and Babylon, and even the Norse and the ancient Jews. It's the kind of academic examination of the stories that seems to be lacking from those who take a literal view of scripture.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Led Zeppelin: "Dazed and Confused"

Decorating

I finally got the Christmas tree up yesterday, which turned out to be a bigger project than I expected. It required moving a large number of large items out of the living room, including moving a number of Sarah's toys into her room and moving one of our end tables downstairs temporarily.

The remaining challenge is getting some Christmas shopping done. Between my work schedule, Maryanne's work schedule, and dealing with two young children, I really don't know when, or if, we'll get any of it done.

Mood: Stressed
Music: Autograph: "Turn Up the Radio"

Making Memories

When the Packers thoroughly dismantled the Bears, I thought maybe it was a sign of them getting their season turned around. Of course, that was before seeing them get dismantled in turn by the Saints, and then lack any kind of special teams play against the Panthers. I'm now anticipating them finishing 8-8 on the season. No, I'm not one of those people that's going to blame it on Favre being traded away. The quarterback has nothing to do with inconsistency on defense and special teams.

The Thanksgiving holiday was fun, though, and in retrospect I'll likely remember it more than the Packers' mediocre season. November 22nd saw the arrival of some family for Magan's baptism: my sister and niece flew in from Colorado for the event, and my aunt and uncle flew up from Florida; my mother even came. Then over the course of the next few days everyone drove to Door County to have Thanksgiving at my mother's house. It was good having everyone together, even if it was a saddening reminder of those that are no longer here to share it with the rest of us. I also got to see some good friends. Despite the stresses of traveling with a young infant I think we all enjoyed the trip. Even Sarah enjoyed it, so much so that she didn't want to leave Sunday morning and put up a terrible temper tantrum when we finally left.

December is here, now, and with it the feeling of winter and the holidays. We got quite a bit of snow last night, enough to cause some schools to be delayed this morning. I don't anticipate the snow melting anytime soon. I enjoy having a white Christmas; I think it somehow appropriate, even if it does add another stress to the holiday season. The next several weekends will be busy while Maryanne and I try to ready ourselves.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Scorpions: "Wind of Change"

Observations

Some weekend observations...

During Saturday afternoon's Badger football game, did anyone else find it particularly irksome that the first of the two Badgers to be injured was so injured due to an illegal block in the back?

Also, while watching the same game, I was wondering how many of the people calling for the firing of Brett Bielema are cognizant of the fact that many of the Badgers' woes have to do with poor decisions made by the players, especially the ones resulting in turnovers. It's not only the coach's fault if the quarterback throws an interception or a running back fumbles the ball.

Before the Badgers game I raked some leaves in the front yard. I didn't really get to the back yard, because I was running out of room at the curb to dump the leaves, mostly because the Stoughton street department hadn't picked up the last back of leaves I left there. We had the same problem last fall. Between this, how long it takes them to pick up brush left at the curb, and their mediocre performance at snow removal last winter, I don't have a very high opinion of their work.

Sunday brought what was perhaps the Packers best all around game of the season. The Bears didn't have many explosive plays, and the Packers were able to move the ball well both on the ground and in the air. Throw in a defensive touchdown, and it was the team's best performance so far, and hopefully indicative of getting their season turned around.

I turned on the TV before the game actually started, and caught the tail end of the Fox pregame show which featured Terry Bradshaw's rant about the Packers management and how they never should have let Favre go. Normally I like Bradshaw, and find him at least amusing if not insightful as well. However, the Jets success and the Packers mediocrity thus far are certainly not the sole result of Brett Favre, and I lost some respect for Bradshaw for him suggesting otherwise.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Judas Priest: "Breaking the Law"

Struggling

As they say on Fark, "this."

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Billy Squier: "Everybody Wants You"

Barsoom

I was thinking the other day, as I was reading The Chessmen of Mars, the fifth book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic Mars series, that the books would make spectacular movies.

Well, the staff of the Topless Robot website must agree, because it was included in their list of sci-fi and fantasy books in need of the movie treatment.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Free Bird"

Births

With autumn in the air, it is a time of change.

Tuesday, October 14th, Maryanne gave birth to our second child, Magan Jean. We were better prepared this time than with our first child. So far things have gone about as well as could be expected. Sarah thankfully shows more excitement than jealousy over it.

Yesterday there were snow flurries in the air, a sure sign of the coming winter. Hopefully it isn't as harsh as last winter.

This morning there was yet another change: I learned that the radio station I've been listening to, WHLK, 93.1 FM, "The Lake," is no longer on the air under its previous format. It was previously a classic rock radio station, evolving a bit over the last few years. Since early this morning it's been broadcasting nothing but hip-hop. No thanks.

I wrote a long e-mail to the station. You can view it in the full post.

To whom it may concern:

To say that I'm disappointed by the demise of WHLK "The Lake" would perhaps be a gross understatement.

I don't know if there was any advanced warning of the impending end, but imagine my surprise and consternation this morning when I tried to turn on my favorite radio station and instead found something else.

When The Lake first came on the air I was intrigued by its format: a classic rock radio station that went deeper into the roots of rock and roll than most stations did and playing more obscure songs by sometimes obscure artists.

Over the years the station evolved, and I accepted that evolution, as all things must change to stay relevant and current.

This most recent change, however, seems to be a surrender, as if Mid-West Family Broadcasting is saying it can't compete with other classic rock radio stations in Madison and just gave up to play something else.

The Lake gave me an alternative to the repetition of WIBA, a station owned by Clear Channel and therefore a station I don't wish to listen to; it also gave me an alternative to the more insipid songs played on oldies stations like WOLX. It gave me a morning show I could actually listen to, unlike the irritating morning show on WWHG. In short, I could almost always count on The Lake to play something I liked, and to feature radio personalities that were interesting; it was rare that I went searching the dial for something else.

Now, unless your company owns another classic rock station in the Madison area, I will most certainly need to search the dial for something else.

This was the response I got:

Terry,

Thank you for the email. It is very difficult to make these decisions but with that said we did what our Research has been telling us to do with this signal for 3 years now.

I thank you for your loyalty to The Lake and I am sorry MWFB does not offer an alternative station for you to listen to.

Thank you.

--
Jolene K. Neis
Chief Financial Officer
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
608-441-3601
Jolene.neis@mwfbg.net

Now I have to find a new radio station.

Mood: Pensive
Music: Rush: "Working Man"

Grounded

According to this article in Rolling Stone, Robert Plant denies rumors of of a Led Zeppelin tour.

Mood: Sad
Music: ZZ Top: "Got Me Under Pressure"

Stung

Saturday I was able to mow the lawn for what could be the last time before winter. While doing so I was either bitten or stung by a small hornet, first on the back of my left calf, then on the back of my right ankle when it somehow fell into the back of my hiking boot.

Perhaps it was an omen of things to come, as the Badgers choked away a shutout and ended up losing to Michigan, and the Packers fared little better against the Buccaneers.

I'm sure there will be some Packers fans out there that will use this weekend as an example of how the management should have found a way to keep Brett Favre, what with Aaron Rodgers's performance yesterday compared to Favre's. I think everyone has to remember that Rodgers faced the Buccaneers yesterday, a team that made the playoffs last season, while Favre faced the Cardinals. Favre did no better than Rodgers did when faced by the Patriots, and that was a Patriots team without Tom Brady.

So will the Jets make the playoffs? Maybe, but I don't expect them to go far. Will the Packers make the playoffs? They have a much tougher schedule this season than they did last season. With a quarter of the season over, both teams are 2-2. It's rare that 8-8 teams make the playoffs. The question then is which team can pull things together, get a record that's better than .500, and make the playoffs?

Speaking of playoffs, the Brewers are in the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. That's fairly exciting, and I wish them a deep playoff run.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Eagles: "Hotel California"

Flying

This is pretty awesome news.

Mood: Excited
Music: Led Zeppelin: "Ten Years Gone"

Fiendish

So one of the web 'toons I had discovered years ago, Making Fiends, is going to be appearing on the Nick Toons cable network. I'm excited to see what they do with it. The bumps they've been running to advertise it have been amusing. It kind of strikes me more as the type of thing that should be on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, though.

Mood: Amused
Music: Bad Company: "Bad Company"

Inseam

Yesterday I split my shift, which gave me a chance, among other things, to visit J.C. Penney. I was hoping to find some more pants for work, as I could use some more. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to find flat front trousers in a size 36/31. Now I know it's the inseam that does it. If I was a little taller (or shorter) I wouldn't have nearly as much difficulty with this. Still, it irks me knowing that the size is made by a number of brands, brands carried by J.C. Penney, yet they don't have them in the store. I could order them online, but shipping, tax, etc., are such a hassle. Maybe Amazon will be getting more of my money.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Pink Floyd: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"

Elitist

So Arianna Huffington appeared recently on Larry King Live with Chuck Norris. When the topic turned to Iraq, things got a little heated.

I can certainly understand her concern for the American troops serving in Iraq. However, the bulk of her argument, or at least the beginning of it, seemed to be based on how much money it's costing. When Chuck tried to argue that the U.S. is spending a lot of money in a lot of places, her response seemed to be "what's that got to do with anything" and she kept interrupting him. When he tried to finish what he was saying, indeed raising his voice to try to be heard, she just kept on interrupting him.

Leave it to the hippies and elitist libs that visit her website to only see her side of the issue, resorting primarily to ad hominem attacks.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Iron Butterfly: "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

Rabbits

I recently finished reading Watership Down, having borrowed it from Caly. It was a good read, perhaps surprisingly so. For a book that's a rather even mix of exposition and dialog it's a fast read, probably because the storytelling is fairly compelling. There are moments it gets a bit bogged down, but those are few and far between. For a book that's based on uniting stories the author once told his children (like another more recent English author, J.K. Rowling), it's rich and cohesive with its own mythos and language. I don't think anyone seriously willing to give the book a try will be disappointed, and I think that one day I will buy a copy so my own children can read it.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Queen: "Son and Daughter"

Bicycle

Recently I got into a debate online regarding bicyclists. (I know what's been said: Arguing on the Internet is like being in the Special Olympics -- even if you win, you're still retarded.) It was prompted by some vitriolic and overweening video about bicyclists some how standing up to ignorance and prejudice and this that and the other. I responded to the person that shared it that if more bicyclists followed the rules of the road and were more courteous then drivers would in turn be more courteous as well. Her response was to first ask if I wanted a medal for knowing the law, and then something to the effect that it's only commuters, recreational riders, and errand people that are to blame, and that true cyclists follow the rules of the road. My rebuttal was that I'd seen what I thought were true cyclists ignoring traffic signs, failing to use hand signals, and other wise being discourteous. She then chose to ignore me.

So I was reminded of this discussion, if you will, this past weekend. Friday evening while driving home Maryanne and I saw a bicyclist fail to stop at a stop sign posted on the bike bath she was using where it crosses a county highway, passing right in front of us where we had merely slowed for our yield sign.

We had also gone to Door County for part of the weekend, and while out driving Sunday we saw large number of what I would call cyclists participating in some large event. I can't answer to their actions around traffic signs and intersections, but I did see that as a whole they failed to ride single file near the shoulder of the road, thus making themselves a nuisance to motorized traffic.

So if the argument is that true cyclists obey the rules of the road and practice courteous riding, there must not be too many "true cyclists" out there, because I haven't seen very many of them.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Traveling Wilburys: "Last Night"

X Factor

Last night I watched X-Men III on FX, or most of it, anyway. I was... disappointed. While it was certainly compelling enough to keep watching it, and used some interesting characters, it was not canonical by any means, nor did it much resemble anything from the comics beyond the characters themselves. It seemed to be more of a means to conclude a trilogy of movies.

Mood: Disappointed
Music: ZZ Top: "Waitin' for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago"

White

The other day Maryanne and I watched the finale of "The Singing Office" on TLC -- the show hosted by Joey Fatone and eye candy Mel B.

This video made me think of awkward white people, probably because it features them dancing awkwardly. (I know, I know... I would too.)

Anyhow, in the finale of "The Singing Office" one of the office staffs (staves?) was singing some R&B tune (I forget which one) and the audience was clapping along to the beat.

But, like the bunch of white people they were, they were all clapping on the downbeats instead of the off-beats.

Now I wish I could remember what song it was.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Van Halen: "Best of Both Worlds"

Photograph

Here's an interesting collection of pictures you may not believe aren't Photoshopped.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Fire"

Moving

Maryanne, Sarah, and I went up north this past weekend. The original motive was that an old friend of Caly's, Marcel, found us and wanted to see us and the family in Door County. Caly flew out just for the occasion, since she hadn't seen him in over a decade. He was amazed at the changes in the people and places he'd last seen almost 15 years ago, but glad to get away from the city and enjoy some quiet time in Door County. He was warmly welcomed, of course, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one glad to see that he remained the intelligent, sensible person we first met, even if a little older and a little wiser.

It turned out to be a worthwhile trip not only for that, but also because Adam is moving out of the state. He finally had enough at Cherry Hills, and decided a move was in order. He's going to go work for his cousin at a restaurant in Helena, Montana.

It was an enjoyable weekend. The weather was beautiful, Sarah was good, and it was nice to see Marcel again. It was a tad bittersweet, though, since Adam's moving and it will likely be a long time before we see him again.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: REO Speedwagon: "Roll with the Changes"

Oil

Got your hippy clothes in a bundle over the prospect off offshore drilling? Read this first.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Rush: "Working Man"

Blues

I don't know of may 8-year-old kids that have a legitimate reason to play the blues, but this kid might.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Cream: "Crossroads"

Resolution

The Brett Favre saga is over. The Brett Favre era in Green Bay is over (again).

I'm glad that the situation finally reached some form of resolution. I'm disappointed, though, that Favre couldn't be mature and put his hurt feelings aside and stay with Green Bay. I'll be disappointed if it turns out to be true that the Packers management forced him out.

It's unfortunate that someone's reputation and legacy will be tarnished by this. Favre's is most certainly tarnished by the immature and disrespectful way he's treated the Packers organization in his push to get what he wanted. Ted Thompson's reputation will be tarnished if it comes out that he's responsible, somehow, for Favre's departure.

The proof will be in the season, though. With Favre in a Jets uniform and competing against the Patriots, he'll be in the shadow of Tom Brady. In Green Bay, Thompson and Aaron Rodgers will be under the microscope. Only a winning season in Green Bay and a lackluster season from Favre will quiet some of the dissent among the Packers faithful. Anything else and Thompson will be forever questioned over his actions. Should the opposite actually happen, Thompson's career may be over.

I feel sympathetic toward Mike McCarthy. He's been caught in the middle, to some extent, trying to move the team forward with the players he has on the roster, while trying to figure out what to do with Favre, a legendary quarterback who can't make up his mind, can't commit, and apparently can't be mature and put past events behind him. I have a great deal of respect for McCarthy, especially now, after deciding that Favre's current state isn't good for the team, and since Favre won't change, move on without him.

Perhaps Favre's tenure in New York will be brief, a last hurrah to get professional football out of his system and show him that retirement is the best thing for him. I don't wish him any ill will, really, despite my disappointment in the way he's acted, though part of me selfishly hopes that something shows him it's time to call it quits and hang up the cleats. Hopefully he'll come to realize that it's time to put the bad feelings behind him and return to Green Bay for the honors that are sure to be heaped upon him.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Styx: "The Grand Illusion

Dreams

I had a dream the other night (maybe a nightmare?) that Brett Favre had been traded to another team, and became their starting quarterback. The Packers ended up playing that team, so it was Rodgers vs. Favre. The Packers won.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Rolling Stones: "Paint It Black"

Awkward

Last night while channel surfing I found the ESPY awards on ESPN, and caught just the tail end of Brett Favre's acceptance speech for whatever award it was he had received. It seemed nice enough, but at the end he made some kind of remark about waiting and seeing what happens.

As the show was about to go to commercial break, the cameras cut to the audience while Brett exited the stage, and who should appear on camera in the audience? None other than Aaron Rodgers himself.

Awkward!

I feel sorry for Rodgers being caught in the middle of it. Even though he understands the situation, having seen what happened when Joe Montana was replaced by Steve Young in San Francisco, it can't make it any easier for him.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Aerosmith: "Back in the Saddle"

Continuing saga...

The Brett Favre saga continues.

It's getting to the point now that no matter how fervently I hope for things to work out well, I'm afraid to read or hear any news about it in case it's something I won't like.

So far not much has changed, so that's a bit of relief, at least for the next few minutes.

Brett wants to play. It sounds like he'd even prefer to play in Green Bay, but if that's not an option, he'd be willing to play somewhere else.

The Packers want to protect Brett's legacy, i.e., they don't want to see him on another team. Many fans don't want to see him play anywhere else, either. Hell, if he's going to play somewhere I want it to be for the Packers, too.

So other than either 1) Aaron Rodgers or 2) the principle of the thing, why aren't the Packers saying they'll welcome Favre back as the starter? Then this whole thing goes away, Brett's happy, the fans are happy, the team (except maybe Rodgers) is happy.

Nothing is that simple, of course. The situation is probably far more complicated than anybody realizes, even Brett and the Packers management. Both sides right now, though, aren't making the situation any easier on themselves.

If either side is looking for a way to save face, why not have the Packers say "We'll welcome Brett to training camp and the quarterback who gives us the greatest chance to win will be our starter," and then Brett can show up for training camp? Both quarterbacks practice, even if it's just as a formality, split time evenly in the preseason games, and then Brett's the starter for the regular season.

I suppose it will simply be more wishful thinking.

Mood: Wishful
Music: Golden Earring: "She Flies on Strange Wings"

Drama

So first I read this.

And then I read this.

I guess my hope for Favre to stay retired was unfulfilled.

That said, I don't think it would be wise for the Packers to simply release him, and judging by their statement, that doesn't appear to be their intent. If Favre decides to "unretire" and seeks reinstatement, it appears the Packers will put him back on the roster.

What does this mean for Brett or for Aaron Rodgers? The team seems committed to Rodgers at this point, so my guess is Brett would either be the veteran backup the team was seeking for Rodgers, or be traded.

My hopes for this to end well might be dashed. I'll be watching to see how this all turns out.

Mood: Worried
Music: The Beatles: "Nowhere Man"

Shadows

There's been a lot of rumors recently about Brett Favre having second thoughts about his retirement and wanting to play again. It's all over the media, producting all kinds of speculation and commentary from dozens of people inside and outside of the media. In what is perhaps a gross understatement, it's been suggested it could make the situation for the Packers "complicated."

I can understand Brett's desire to play; he's known little else most of his life, and the success of last season is now clearly outweighing the drudge of responsibility and even the sting of defeat. As he stated in his press conference though, he didn't feel he could apply himself 100% to the preparation aspect of the game. As great of a quarterback as he was, I'm not sure that bringing back a quarterback that's not 100% committed is a good idea.

I think the best thing for everyone is for Brett to decide he's retired and stay retired. That is my fervent hope. The rest of the team and the organization would then not have to deal with a public relations nightmare, fans wouldn't have to see Brett in any jersey besides the green and gold, and Aaron Rodgers would only have to deal with being the starting quarterback of a young but experienced team. Packers fans could then rest knowing that the man who was arguably the best quarterback to ever play the game retired from the most storied team in the NFL, to surely be inducted into the Hall of Fame five years from now as a member of the Green and Gold.

Mood: Hopeful
Music: The Beatles: "Getting Better"

Memories

Every LEGO fan's wet dream: the LEGO vault.

Mood: Envious
Music: The Steve Miller Band: "Jungle Love"

"It's a trap!"

Do you think there's enough, or even too much, licensed Star Wars merchandise? Well, there could have been more.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Call Me the Breeze"

Eruption

So, apparently lightning can form in the smoke that billows out of erupting volcanoes, and if photographed, might look like this.

Mood: Amazed
Music: Nazareth: "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman"

Bo

Bo Diddley, famous for working his own name into his own songs as well as what became known as the "Bo Diddley beat" died on Monday. His influence as a founding father of rock and roll cannot be denied.

Mood: Sad
Music: Bo Diddley: "Bo Diddley"

Multitool

Disease actually kills more soldiers than combat. One answer: the Battlespork.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Jethro Tull: "Aqualung"

Mai

Maryanne, Sarah, and I went up north for most of Memorial Day weekend, arriving there early Friday afternoon and departing Sunday afternoon. The weather was pleasant, if cool, and the only disappointment was that the orchards weren't in bloom yet. I suspect they'll be in bloom for Sevastopol's graduation, like they were for my own graduation.

We managed to make it to Jacksonport for the Maifest parade. Maryanne was able to enjoy a funnel cake which she shared with Sarah, and I was able to get a bratwurst fix. Sarah seemed to enjoy the parade. Sevastopol was the only school there this year, and I was pleasantly surprised to see them wearing the same uniforms I wore. They sounded good for as small as they were.

According to the ladies at the Jacksonport Historical Society tent, volume seven of the Jacksonport Through the Generations series should include the Anschutz family. I'm looking forward to it. I managed to snag some of the material from my great uncle Clayton Cardy, but as he confessed himself, there was still more material from the presentation held in August of 2005, material that he could not get copies of.

As early as the holiday weekend fell this year, it's still strange to think the May is almost over already. With June just around the corner I'm hoping to get more accomplished in the yard this year than I did last year, so long as the weather is cooperative.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Who: "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Pants!

So for whatever reason, over the past few days I got on the scale at home again. Not once did my weight register more than 200 pounds.

Considering first that the last time I had weighed myself I was around 212 pounds, and that the scale is in Sarah's room and I therefore thought the batteries were low or it could be malfunctioning, I didn't think much of it, even after three separate weighs averaging about 197 pounds.

So at the gym today I decided to get on the beam scale wearing nothing but my towel. Sure enough -- 197 pounds.

That explains why I need new pants.

Mood: Pleased
Music: The Eagles: "Take It Easy"

Brick by Brick

Think LEGO bricks are nothing more than colored plastic building blocks? Look at this and think again.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Foxey Lady"

Dammit!

It's April 28. It's almost May.

And it's snowing.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Dammit!

Mood: Pissed
Music: Van Halen: "Man on a Mission"

Nuked

This weekend brought with it an unexpected expense, as our microwave died. I was trying to use it to prepare supper on Saturday, and it just stopped suddenly while I was pressing buttons. It's served us well, though. It belonged to Maryanne's parents before they gave it to her, and it was probably close to 20 years old.

Sunday, then, we all took a trip to find a new one. We had a coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond, but it turns out we didn't like the one they had. We went to Brothers Main instead, as we'd had a good experience there previously when we bought our freezer. They only carry Amana microwaves in the store, but we found one we were happy with.

It's a bit noisier than the previous one, though a large part of that is the outside casing vibrating while the device is running. Since it's brand new and under warranty I think I'll contact the manufacturer to see if anything can be done about it.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Pink Floyd: "Hey You"

Busy

The past weekend was rather busy. Maryanne was gone all of Saturday morning, but thankfully I was able to get some household chores done while she was gone. Saturday night we went out for a birthday celebration to Erin's Snug Irish Pub; it was a less pleasant experience than I had hoped for, though probably what I expected considering what I had heard from other people.

Saturday afternoon some friends helped us move some furniture, including moving our sofa sleeper to our basement family room, and picking up some used furniture we had bought at quite a bargain.

After such a busy weekend I expected to sleep better, but I was still awoken by last night's thunder, and didn't sleep well after that.

Mood: Tired
Music: The Doors: "Riders on the Storm"

"Good news, everyone...."

Given enough time and enough LEGO bricks, some amazing and amusing things can be built, including this.

Mood: Amused
Music: ZZ Top: "Tush"

Tribute

In the aftermath of Brett Favre's retirement there are all kinds of things paying tribute to him and his career. Even on the Internet, adoring fans are taking the time to create things such as this.

Mood: Pensive
Music: Three Dog Night: "One"

Changes

They say in the Midwest, if you don't like the weather, just wait, because it will change.

So today, the first full day of spring, we're getting socked with a winter snow storm.

I recently posted that I had read a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. Unfortunately, I finished it mere days before he died. It also turns out he should be called Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

Speaking of things dying... my MP3 player, and old Rio Forge, is now inoperable. It boots, but it can't read any of the music loaded on it, and it fails to reformat. Barring any miracles I will be in search for a new one. I currently have my eye on the Creative Zen, and the Sandisk Sansa Fuze, e280, and Clip. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd be willing to read them, with the caveat that I will not buy an iPod.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Rolling Stones: "Start Me Up"

Sprung

I think we can safely say spring has sprung. Not only is today the first day of spring, but yesterday I saw both a robin and a red wing blackbird, both sure signs of spring.

Mood: Pleased
Music: The Who: "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Gygax

Normally I would hyperlink this, because it's so long, but since it's hosted by the New York Times, and registration is required, I'm not going to put anyone through that. Quoted below is the text of an op/ed piece written by Adam Rogers, a senior editor at Wired, in regards to the death of Gary Gygax.

Gary Gygax died last week and the universe did not collapse. This surprises me a little bit, because he built it.

I’m not talking about the cosmological, Big Bang part. Everyone who reads blogs knows that a flying spaghetti monster made all that. But Mr. Gygax co-created the game Dungeons & Dragons, and on that foundation of role-playing and polyhedral dice he constructed the social and intellectual structure of our world.

Dungeons & Dragons was a brilliant pastiche, mashing together tabletop war games, the Conan-the-Barbarian tales of Robert E. Howard and a magic trick from the fantasy writer Jack Vance with a dash of Bulfinch’s mythology, a bit of the Bible and a heaping helping of J. R. R. Tolkien.

Mr. Gygax’s genius was to give players a way to inhabit the characters inside their games, rather than to merely command faceless hordes, as you did in, say, the board game Risk. Roll the dice and you generated a character who was quantified by personal attributes like strength or intelligence.

You also got to pick your moral alignment, like whether you were “lawful good” or “chaotic evil.” And you could buy swords and fight dragons. It was cool.

Yes, I played a little. In junior high and even later. Lawful good paladin. Had a flaming sword. It did not make me popular with the ladies, or indeed with anyone. Neither did my affinity for geometry, nor my ability to recite all of “Star Wars” from memory.

Yet on the strength of those skills and others like them, I now find myself on top of the world. Not wealthy or in charge or even particularly popular, but in instead of out. The stuff I know, the geeky stuff, is the stuff you and everyone else has to know now, too.

We live in Gary Gygax’s world. The most popular books on earth are fantasy novels about wizards and magic swords. The most popular movies are about characters from superhero comic books. The most popular TV shows look like elaborate role-playing games: intricate, hidden-clue-laden science fiction stories connected to impossibly mathematical games that live both online and in the real world. And you, the viewer, can play only if you’ve sufficiently mastered your home-entertainment command center so that it can download a snippet of audio to your iPhone, process it backward with beluga whale harmonic sequences and then podcast the results to the members of your Yahoo group.

Even in the heyday of Dungeons & Dragons, when his company was selling millions of copies and parents feared that the game was somehow related to Satan worship, Mr. Gygax’s creation seemed like a niche product. Kids played it in basements instead of socializing. (To be fair, you needed at least three people to play — two adventurers and one Dungeon Master to guide the game — so Dungeons & Dragons was social. Demented and sad, but social.) Nevertheless, the game taught the right lessons to the right people.

Geeks like algorithms. We like sets of rules that guide future behavior. But people, normal people, consistently act outside rule sets. People are messy and unpredictable, until you have something like the Dungeons & Dragons character sheet. Once you’ve broken down the elements of an invented personality into numbers generated from dice, paper and pencil, you can do the same for your real self.

For us, the character sheet and the rules for adventuring in an imaginary world became a manual for how people are put together. Life could be lived as a kind of vast, always-on role-playing campaign.

Don’t give me that look. I know I’m not a paladin, and I know I don’t live in the Matrix. But the realization that everyone else was engaged in role-playing all the time gave my universe rules and order.

We geeks might not be able to intuit the subtext of a facial expression or a casual phrase, but give us a behavioral algorithm and human interactions become a data stream. We can process what’s going on in the heads of the people around us. Through careful observation of body language and awkward silences, we can even learn to detect when we are bringing the party down with our analysis of how loop quantum gravity helps explain the time travel in that new “Terminator” TV show. I mean, so I hear.

Mr. Gygax’s game allowed geeks to venture out of our dungeons, blinking against the light, just in time to create the present age of electronic miracles.

Dungeons & Dragons begat one of the first computer games, a swords-and-sorcery dungeon crawl called Adventure. In the late 1970s, the two games provided the narrative framework for the first fantasy-based computer worlds played by multiple, remotely connected users. They were called multi-user dungeons back then, and they were mostly the province of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But they required the same careful construction of virtual identities that Mr. Gygax had introduced to gaming.

Today millions of people are slaves to Gary Gygax. They play EverQuest and World of Warcraft, and someone must still be hanging out in Second Life. (That “massively multiplayer” computer traffic, by the way, also helped drive the development of the sort of huge server clouds that power Google.)

But that’s just gaming culture, more pervasive than it was in 1974 when Dungeons & Dragons was created and certainly more profitable — today it’s estimated to be a $40 billion-a-year business — but still a little bit nerdy. Delete the dragon-slaying, though, and you’re left with something much more mainstream: Facebook, a vast, interconnected universe populated by avatars.

Facebook and other social networks ask people to create a character — one based on the user, sure, but still a distinct entity. Your character then builds relationships by connecting to other characters. Like Dungeons & Dragons, this is not a competitive game. There’s no way to win. You just play.

This diverse evolution from Mr. Gygax’s 1970s dungeon goes much further. Every Gmail login, every instant-messaging screen name, every public photo collection on Flickr, every blog-commenting alias is a newly manifested identity, a character playing the real world.

We don’t have to say goodbye to Gary Gygax, the architect of the now. Every time I make a tactical move (like when I suggest to my wife this summer that we should see “Iron Man” instead of “The Dark Knight”), I’m counting my experience points, hoping I have enough dexterity and rolling the dice. And every time, Mr. Gygax is there — quasi-mystical, glowing in blue and bearing a simple game that was an elegant weapon from a more civilized age.

That was a reference to “Star Wars.” Cool, right?

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Journey: "Wheel in the Sky"

Supreme Decision

I found an interesting op/ed feature regarding today's Supreme Court case of District of Columbia v. Heller. The case itself could very well become one of the most important decisions the Court has ever made.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Beatles: "Long Tall Sally"

Switch

Here's a list of reasons to switch from the Mac to PC computing platform.

While we're on the topic: is anyone else really sick of those Mac commercials with the "stuffy" guy portraying a PC and the "cool" indie guy portraying a Mac? Those, along with all the iPod hype, are making me not want to buy anything made by Apple.

Mood: Cranky
Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Crosstown Traffic"

Reading Material

I've been reading a bit more science fiction recently, partially in an effort to learn more about the genre while I rework a couple of my short stories into a longer work of science fiction. More on that later.

I started with Caviar by Theodore Sturgeon. Believe it or not, it took me a while to get the pun in the title. I was somewhat familiar with Sturgeon's work, having read his short story Killdozer! as well as seeing the episode of Star Trek he wrote. Good stuff there.

I then read Soldier, Ask Not by Gordon R. Dickson, not knowing at the time it's technically book two in the Dorsai cycle. I'm familiar with Dickson's Dragon series (e.g., The Dragon and the George), but found his science fiction quite a bit different, but interesting nonetheless.

Next was another anthology, Pendulum by A. E. Van Vogt. I didn't realize it was an anthology until several pages into the second short story. I was new to his writing; the first couple of stories were not very impressive, but then things picked up.

I'm currently working on Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke. It's very good so far. Now some might wonder why I'm reading this and not 2001. One reason is because it was in a tub of sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks I borrowed from my mother; I want to work my way through that before I turn to any of the books I've bought recently. I'm hoping by doing that I can stave off the desire to buy any more books soon, because I managed to fill up our bookshelves again.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Emerson, Lake & Palmer: "Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2"

Martial

This is utterly fascinating.

I wonder if the Wisconsin school is close to Madison....

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Rare Earth: "I'm Losing You"

A Wish

I find myself wishing again that the NFC Championship game earlier this year had ended differently.

I'm sure we can all wish that the Packers had won and advanced to the Super Bowl, eventually beating the Patriots, so that if Favre still had decided to retire, he could really go out on top, with another Super Bowl ring, to so cap a stellar career.

Even if that weren't possible, or even anything remotely resembling it, I wish for Favre and for the fans that his final play in the NFL hadn't been an interception. If the Packers had to lose that game, I would have preferred that it been by the Giants' own offensive merit, and not the result of such a glaring mistake.

In the end Favre has nothing to be ashamed of, and he shouldn't have any regrets. As he said himself, you can't be perfect all the time; you don't appreciate the wins and the good times without the losses and the bad.

The sting of the defeat in the NFC Champship and the loss of Favre to retirement will eventually fade, and then we will speak of some of the blunders Favre made over the year, only to be reminded of the many more spectacular plays he made over a truly illustrious career. Then we will come to speak of how Favre helped rebuild the most storied franchise in the NFL. Then we will come to speak of Brett Favre in the same breath as the likes of Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, and Vince Lombardi.

What better honor, though, if Favre could have ended such a brilliant career with one of those spectacular plays.

Mood: Pensive
Music: The Beatles: "Magical Mystery Tour"

I am...

A new trailer for the forthcoming Iron Man movie has been posted to YouTube.

Sweet.

Mood: Excited
Music: Black Sabbath: "Iron Man"

Historic

Yesterday was a momentous day.

The biggest news, of course, was that Brett Favre stated he will be retiring.

The lesser news, that I discovered today, is that Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died.

Mood: Sad
Music: The Beatles: "In My Life"

Quote

In (belated) honor of President's Day, here is an interesting list of presidential quotations.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Joe Cocker: "With a Little Help from My Friends"

Goats

Sunday afternoon Maryanne and I watched The 40-Year-Old Virgin. For a movie with advertisements that gave it that "raunchy comedy" impression it turned out to have some surprising depth. Both Maryanne and I found it very funny, sometimes bizarre, and quite entertaining.

Mood: Amused
Music: Aerosmith: "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"

Jargon

In response to similar vocabulary lists from other sources, TechRepublic enters the fray with their own list of words every sci-fi fan should know.

I guess I've got some reading to do.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Jefferson Airplane: "White Rabbit"

May

Have I mentioned before that May is my favorite month?

Not only do we get Iron Man in time for my birthday, but later that same month we get this.

Damn!

Mood: Excited
Music: The Guess Who: "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature"

Fury

Maryanne and I recently watched Man on Fire, renting the DVD through Netflix. We both enjoyed the movie. It's a memorable revenge tale, and it builds tension quite well throughout the first and second acts, if you will. From then on it gets muddled down a bit, bogged down by perhaps too much action, but it's hard to completely fault the movie when it features such a superb cast, including Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, and Dakota Fanning. It's long, perhaps too long, and some of John Creasy's (Denzel Washington) righteous fury gets lost in the length.

The film paints a grim picture of Mexico City: a beautiful and historic city steeped in rich culture but marred by organized crime, kidnapping, and corruption. Quite a stark contrast to Maryanne's experiences there with her mother's family. It left me with a lot of mixed emotions. Any city the size of Mexico City is going to have its share of crime, but the corruption in law enforcement and the prevalance of organized crime, especially kidnapping and extortion, is so stressed that there are moments that one can't help but feel the bleakness and hopelessness of it.

Critics were harsher on the film than the average movie goer, but most respectable critics, like Roger Ebert, were able to find some redeeming qualities in the film. Still, if you subscribe to the idea that "revenge is a dish best served cold," then this is a movie for you.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Who: "Who Are You"

Canon

Anyone familiar with Pachelbel's Canon in D will likely find this amusing.

Mood: Amused
Music: ZZ Top: "Sharp Dressed Man"

Influence

I found this list of the ten most influential and important rock bands of all time.

Let the arguments begin.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Eagles: "One of These Nights"

Heartbreaking

I haven't been able to bring myself to think about the Packers heartbreaking playoff loss this past Sunday, at least for any great length of time.

There were a lot of people that thought the only way for the Packers to win the NFC Championship was if the Giants beat the Cowboys, allowing the Packers to host the championship game.

With the way the Cowboys faded at the end of the season, eventually losing to the Giants in the playoffs, with the way the Giants played so well on the road, and with the way the Packers performed in the cold against the Bears, maybe the Packers would have been better off traveling to Dallas to face the Cowboys instead.

As dominant as the Packers had been against the Seahawks, they seemed a bit flat against the Giants. Despite their protestations to the contrary, I really think Green Bay was affected by the cold. The Giants controlled that game, and gave the Packers all they could handle. In retrospect, it almost seemed like the Packers were trying not to lose rather than trying to win.

I commented to Maryanne that it's harder to watch a football game when you're so emotionally invested in one of the teams. Watching any other game doesn't matter too much, regardless of the outcome, when you don't care that much about who wins. But in a close game, especially a close loss like the NFC Championship, it can end up being very stressful.

When the game went in to overtime, and the Packers won the coin toss, I commented that I hoped they didn't try to go for the whole thing at once. There was plenty of time on the clock, and I was hoping they might try to get the running game going again, since the long ball wasn't there in the passing game. Instead, Favre threw up a pick, and the Giants finally got the field goal they needed to come out on top.

I'm hoping that despite the heartbreaking loss that the season as a whole was encouraging enough that Favre comes back for another season.

I'm also hoping that the Giants' surge at the end of the season, and into the playoffs, means that they have what it takes to give the Patriots all they can handle, as well.

Mood: Sad
Music: The Doors: "Light My Fire"

Talent

Thanks to the power of Fark, I recently discovered a young musician by the name of Sarah Zimmerman. Here's hoping to her success.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Sarah Zimmerman: "Traveling Riverside Blues"

Jamming

Jamming cell phones has been a highly contentious topic. On one hand we have those who appreciate an end to the interruptions, dangers, and general lack of courtesy that people talking on cell phones sometimes display. On the other hand we have those who feel there are better ways of handling the situation, if it should be handled at all.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Muddy Waters: "Long Distance Call"

Experience

Now this is a list I can really agree with: Five dangerous things you should let your kids do.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Rolling Stones: "Monkey Man"

Episode III

Not only do the people behind this have too many Star Wars toys, but too much time on their hands.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Steve Miller Band: "The Joker"

Click

Among the skills needed by professional photographers, timing is perhaps one of the most important after composition, especially in the high-speed world of sports photography. Here's a gallery of 30 of the most brilliant (and often hilarious) photos, many of which are worthy of Photoshop.

Mood: Amused
Music: .38 Special: "Fantasy Girl"

Fight!

It's advice and instruction that parents (mostly fathers) hope their children (usually sons) will never have to use, but know they need anyway: how to fist fight. This article addresses the topic in the same way I would: a common sense, practical, no nonsense approach that faces the reality that you can't always walk away from or talk your way out of a fight.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant: "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)"

Frabjous!

The new issue of Cheshire Crossing is up.

If you haven't been reading Cheshire Crossing, shame on you. I think it's a brilliantly creative work, borrowing heavily and accurately from classic children's literature while creating wondefully original storylines.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Eagles: "Life in the Fast Lane"

Climate

Whatever your feelings about global warming and climate change, it's hard to argue that it's never happened, especially when looking at a chart like this. However, even after viewing the chart, a person could wonder just how much of an impact humans have in the grand scheme of climate changes.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Aerosmith: "Dream On"