Baa!

Not even a place that we consider to be sophisticated and literate, like England, is safe from the menace of political correctness.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Cars: "Good Times Roll"

No Fun

Apparently the whack-jobs at PETA don't want black bears to have any fun.

Mood: Irritated
Music: Genesis: "Misunderstanding"

Chick Fight

Here you'll find a truly fantastic op/ed piece about some local shenanigans being pulled by the whack-jobs at PETA.

Mood: Amused
Music: Deep Purple: "Hush"

Canterbury Tale

The Archbishop of Canterbury has chimed in on the debate over teaching creationism in schools. His opinion may surprise you.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: BBM: "High Cost of Loving"

Built Like a Tank

Do you have a rough morning commute? Maybe you need one of these.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Cherry Poppin' Daddies: "Swingin' With Tiger Woods (The Big Swing)"

Spring

Today is the first day of spring. I'm quite excited about it. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather and the other fine things that spring has to offer.

Maryanne took this picture recently. The tree is in our back yard, and can be seen by looking through the window in our dining room. I think the robins came back a bit early.

I'm still waiting for a confirmable sighting of a red-winged blackbird. I thought I saw one the other day, but I'm not sure.

Mood: Hopeful
Music: Kansas: "Carry On Wayward Son"

Image Maintenance

Here's a followup on the issue of Isaac Hayes quitting South Park. It seems Hayes himself has nothing to do with the story, and is in fact probably at home convalescing following a stroke. That raises the question of who made the announcement that he was quitting? Could someone at the church of Scientology be behind all this? We'll have to see how it plays out.

In the meantime, the controversial episode is supposedly airing this Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST (9 p.m. CST). I encourage everyone to watch.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Bo Diddley: "Dearest Darling"

Goosed

I got the following message in my work e-mail today. Some of the information has been changed or removed for protection.

To all employees:

The warm weather means more employees will be using the walking paths and enjoying the beautiful grounds. It also means Canada geese are looking for a place to nest. Like municipalities and other landowners in the Madison-area, [the company] has hired a company that will use Border Collies to deter geese from nesting on the property.

Not only are nesting geese are [sic] known to be aggressive, but large flocks can transmit disease and damage habitat. For the safety and health of our employees and preservation of the [company] habitat, [the company] has chosen this non-lethal method to deter the geese. Because geese do not like the dogs they will choose to relocate and nest elsewhere in the area. The dogs do not touch or harm the geese. The use of dogs for this purpose is approved by US Fish and Wildlife. The Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) endorse this technique of deterring Canada geese.

The company, Geese Police Inc., will be [here] with a Collie at different times of day for few weeks, beginning March 20.

I appreciate the effort to control the geese; they really seem to be getting out of hand around the whole state. I appreciate the approval of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife, and even that of the Human Society. But I really couldn't care less what PETA thinks about the methods being used.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Chicago: "I'm a Man"

Ridiculous

I think Barry Manilow secretly wants to be Rod Stewart. Have you seen these commercials recently on TV for his new CD? Manilow's doing the same thing Rod Stewart has done with his Great American Songbook series. Even the hair style is similar. I don't think Manilow has the kind of stage presence that Rod Stewart has, though, so the effort looks pretty ridiculous.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Beatles: "Something"

Stupid

Recently there have been advertisements on TV for a new movie called Stay Alive. The premise is based on a video game that the characters play. As the plot unfolds, the characters learn that if they die in the game, they die in real life, too.

One would think that once a smart person learned this, they'd just stop playing the game. You can't die if you don't play, right?

Of course, this is Hollywood we're talking about.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Moody Blues: "Tuesday Afternoon"

Final Exam

Would you have been able to graduate from the 8th Grade in Kansas back in 1895? Find out here.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Dave Edmunds: "I Hear You Knockin'"

The White Stuff

The snow is really coming down outside, but my drive in to work was fairly uneventful, excepting the dumbass driving from Stoughton to Cottage Grove that I got stuck behind. Luckily I was able to ditch him when I turned onto the Interstate.

I have no idea how much snow we're supposed to get, not having really watched the news or anything. I guess WKOW is calling for four to seven inches.

Mood: Pensive
Music: The Traveling Wilburys: "End of the Line"

Distinctive

Looking for an interesting vacation spot in the U.S.? You might want to try one of the places on this list. Ironically it's from a British publication.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Toto: "Hold the Line"

For the Birds

When I left the house this morning I was greeted by sunshine and the sound of singing birds. I wasn't able to identify any of the songs, or any of the birds I was able to see, but the day didn't start off too badly for the middle of March. We're expecting snow tonight, though. Better now than April.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Golden Earring: "Quiet Eyes"

Wakey Wakey!

Are you looking for a more interesting way to wake up in the morning? Check these out.

Mood: Fascinated
Music: Rainbow: "Starstruck"

Bigotry

I'll miss hearing him as Chef on South Park but based on this article I'm going to have to call shenanigans on Isaac Hayes. Considering South Park's long history of skewering everybody equally, I side with the show's creators when they find it hypocritical for Isaac Hayes to speak up about this topic only after his own religion was lampooned.

So who's the real bigot here?

Mood: Disgusted
Music: The Lovin' Spoonful: "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?"

Signs

Some of the signs of spring are beginning to appear, though part of me thinks they are too early. We had some beautiful weather over the weekend. Saturday was gorgeous, though Sunday was cooler. Yesterday was fairly nice, if windy. Today will be about the same. We'll be getting some snow later in the week though. Considering the first day of spring isn't until March 20th, then that's fine by me.

This morning, though, I got quite a surprise. I looked out the front window and saw a robin across the street. There were four more of them in the back yard. I suspect the goofy weather has them out of sorts, and they may be back earlier than normal. The real sign of spring's arrival will be the redwing blackbirds. That and when the bulbs I planted last fall start poking up.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Zombies: "Time of the Season"

"So many fantastic colors"

Take the Glidden Color Test.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Hootie & The Blowfish: "Dream Baby"

d20

I've seen things like this before, but this one actually puts some thought into generating its results.

Mood: Amused
Music: Led Zeppelin: "When the Levee Breaks"

Titillating

Salma Hayek dancing in From Dusk til Dawn.

Aw yeah.

Mood: Pleased
Music: John Mellencamp: "I Need a Lover"

M.O.

There's a guy I work with whose desk is located near mine that annoys me. It seems like almost daily he's placing a personal call on company time to complain about something he's bought. Currently it's a problem with the carpet he had installed. Another time it was some Bose speakers he wanted to return after having used them. Another time it was some eye surgery he had done.

This makes me think... can't he do this on his day off? I don't see him here every day, so I know he has days off.

It also makes me think, "You get what you pay for." In the case of the laser eye surgery, it is rumored that instead of investigating various surgeons for things like experience and reputation, he literally shopped around for the lowest price. I suspect something similar happened with the carpet, or at least the installation.

When I told Maryanne about this guy's modus operandi, she simply said, "Dumbass."

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Gypsy Eyes"

Testy

Even if it was over ten years ago, this makes me glad I took the ACT and not the SAT.

Mood: Disgusted
Music: Muddy Waters: "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man"

Tune In

Gone are the days of the innocent purple nurple.

What have we come to?

Mood: Irritated
Music: Bad Company: "Rock and Roll Fantasy"

Nag a Ram

Here are some interesting anagrams of famous people's names.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Fabulous Thunderbirds: "Tuff Enuff"

Comic Relief

At least Jews can have a sense of humor about themselves.

Mood: Amused
Music: Head East: "Never Been Any Reason"

Closeted

Could Fred Phelps secretly be gay?

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Sweet: "Love Is Like Oxygen"

Human Shields

It's a shame that a group of motorcyclists has to do something like this to begin with, but I'm glad they do.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: REO Speedwagon: "Golden Country"

Eminent Something

Here's more on the eminent domain issue, this time in the form of a bank standing up for what it believes in.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Kentucky Headhunters: "Dumas Walker"

"If you build it..."

Anybody who knows me well knows that I'm a bit of a LEGO enthusiast, but anything I've ever created pales in comparison to this and this.

Mood: Awed
Music: The Black Crowes: "Lickin'"

Jenni, Jenny

To elaborate on a previous post, it seems that (Madison) Jenni is not the only one concerned about my lack of posts about my daughter Sarah. (Minnesota) Jenny has also shown some concern about this. This raises two issues:

1) I'm glad to hear people are actually reading my blog.

2) If people are so concerned about the content of my blog, why aren't they leaving comments on it or using the mail link (that mailbox icon at the top of the page) asking me directly?

It makes me think of junior high. "Can you tell so-and-so about this...?" Nobody could talk directly to any one else. There always had to be some kind of go between.

Seems kind of... juvenile...

Mood: Bemused
Music: Bad Company: "Ready for Love"

Tagged

As a solution to repeat DUI offenders, a number of states have looked into somehow marking the vehicles owned by these people.

There is some resistance, of course: "I think the answer is certainly more treatment and rehabilitation..."

That's obviously why 45% of Maryland's traffic fatalities are related to alcohol.

Mood: Irritated
Music: Cheap Trick: "Dream Police"

Real?

After reading this article, and the names of the people involved, I was indecisive for a moment as to whether it was a legitimate story.

It turns out it is. My guess is the unusual names are a good indicator of how screwed up things really are.

Mood: Perplexed
Music: The Beatles: "Oh Darling!"

Accuracy

Who in their right mind would ever consider an animated Disney movie to be historically accurate?

Mood: Irritated
Music: Collective Soul: "Listen"

"It ain't fair"

That an op/ed piece like this gets written at all is just another sign of the problem of political correctness and lack of common sense that is plaguing our society.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Commitments: "Try a Little Tenderness"

Land of Idiots

Here's documented evidence that Illinois is full of idiots.

Not only is the governor an idiot, but only idiots could have elected him to begin with.

Mood: Amused
Music: Eric Clapton: "It Hurts Me Too"

Backfire

This reminds me of a story I heard about the Catholic Church during the time of the Inquisition.

Apparently they had a book they used to track what books they didn't want people reading and had therefore banned.

That book itself had to be listed in its own pages because people were using it as a guide to "stimulating reading."

Apparently the Catholic Church hasn't learned very much in the last several hundred years.

Mood: Amused
Music: Emerson, Lake & Palmer: "From the Beginning"

Sleepy Time

Because God forbid somebody take some personal responsibility and go to bed earlier.

Mood: Irritated
Music: Elf: "Hoochie Coochie Lady"

Indecent

You say decency, I say censorship.

What's really indecent here... the contents of a magazine, or trying to force your opinion on others?

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Eagles: "Already Gone"

Curiously Strong

The top ten strangest MP3 players. Many of them are mods, but they're all pretty strange.

Mood: Amused
Music: Whitesnake "Slow an' Easy"

Spring Flowers

My employer has had some spring flowers on display for quite some time. Various entry ways in the building have potted tulips and daffodils bringing a splash of color to the otherwise drab landscape. However, I'm not sure I like the timing. They've been up for at least a week already, and already show signs of fading. They'll be long dead by the time real spring flowers are blooming outside.

I could handle it better if it was March and they were early-blooming flowers like daffodils and crocuses.

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

Game Time

This could literally be a case of too much time on somebody's hands.

Mood: Amused
Music: Todd Rundgren: "I Saw the Light"

Ethics?

This article was linked on Fark with the headline "Execution of man in California delayed after two anesthesiologists back out. Heaven forbit this guy should suffer any pain like the 17-year-old girl he raped and murdered."

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Howlin' Wolf: "Killing Floor"

Obligatory

Apparently there has been some concern as to why I have not posted on the topic of my daughter Sarah.

Honestly, I don't know. Looking at Maryanne's blog, though, there seems to be sufficient information there.

So here is an obligatory post about Sarah.

Mood: Snarky
Music: Billy Squier: "In the Dark"

Men Are From...

This is pretty interesting.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The MC5: "I Can Only Give You Everything"

Dreams

I had a rather strange dream last night.

I dreamt I was back at Carroll, playing with the Wind Symphony. What was most unusual about it, though, aside from the fact that for some reason we weren't on stage, was that the musicians consisted not only of students, but of non students as well. There were classmates from highschool that didn't even go to Carroll, and there were adults, as well. We were playing some piece that was supposed to sound Oriental, but it just wasn't working, and I remember thinking to myself, "The brass is too loud." All I had to do was strike a gong at the right time. Luckily for me we kept playing the same passage over and over again, and I kept getting to strike the gong.

As rehearsal wound down all I thought about was, "I wish this was over so I could play with some LEGOs." As rehearsal wrapped up some people gathered outside the auditorium, opening the doors and listening to us. When everything was done and I sat down to play with those LEGOs, right there in the auditorium, some of the people came in. Shortly after I started building something with the LEGOs, someone sat down next to me and started talking to me. It turned out to be Marie, and she started talking to me the way she did when we spent a lot of time together. After one good look at her face I tried not to look at it again, instead concentrating on the LEGOs. Every so often, though, I tried to look at her hands to see if she was wearing a wedding ring.

Like I said, it was very odd.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Extreme: "He Man Woman Hater"

Lawful

It seems the money-grubbing bastards at the RIAA change their minds as often as is convenient for them with no regard for the consumer.

I wonder if they ever stopped to think that the real reason people aren't buying CDs any more is because a) the music sucks and b) no one wants to support a bunch of cry babies anyway.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Beatles: "When I'm Sixty-Four"

Baa

Damn hippies.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Queen: "Dead On Time"

Heart of the Matter

I can't say I'm over surprised by this. After all, really nice ones are indeed shaped like hearts.

Mood: Amused
Music: Blackfoot: "I Got a Line on You"

Curious

Why is it that a bunch of liberals with an agenda of political correctness can ruin just about anything including Curious George?

God damn liberals!

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Aerosmith: "The Other Side"

Irony, Part Deux

Irony at its finest.

Mood: Irritated
Music: Montrose: "Spaceage Sacrifice"

Ironic

Here's an excellent commentary on the fracas regarding the Danish politcal cartoons that the Muslim world took such offense to.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Quicksilver Messenger Service: "Dino's Song"

I'll Drink to That

Yet another example of what happens when a case modder has too much time on their hands.

Mood: Amused
Music: Led Zeppelin: "Travelling Riverside Blues"

In Summary

"We are an Islamic nation that cannot tolerate..."

And that about sums it up.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Cherry Poppin' Daddies: "Uncle Ray"

Cheap Tricks

More shenanigans from the whack-jobs at PETA.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Journey: "Feelin' That Way/Anytime"

Macabre

I can't decide if this is only amusing, or downright morbid. In either case, considering it's not random, it's a clear case of someone with too much time on their hands.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Don't Ask Me No Questions"

Still Losing

Here's more on the state of eminent domain in this country.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Mason Proffit: "Two Hangmen"

Unfair

This is an excellent example of what's wrong with eminent domain laws.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: Blue Öyster Cult: "Godzilla"

Apostrophe

Who'd think to find an op/ed piece on one of the most abused and misused punctuation marks?

Mood: Amused
Music: Toto: "Hold the Line"

Disturbing

This is disturbing.

Though it may not be as disturbing as the thought that someone conceived this idea and had the time to put it together.

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

Followup

Here's a followup in the form of a fantastic op/ed piece from The Boston Globe.

Mood: Irritated
Music: The Allman Brothers Band: "Midnight Rider"

Double Standard

A lot of people who know me also know about my, shall we say, distaste for double standards. It's ironic, then, that the American media would have such a double standard, showing respect for a religion practiced very widely in other countries, but showing no respect for the religion most practiced here in the U.S.

I guess I don't really care which they do, so long as it's the same standard.

Mood: Irritated
Music: Deep Purple: "And the Address"

Loyalty

I found this interesting op/ed piece today. They're not just the words of an emotional fan: they're the words of a coherent, analytical fan as well. A loyal fan. A dedicated fan.

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

Choices

Last night I had to stop at Target and pick up some baby formula. After finally finding what I was looking for, in a much larger can than I had hoped for, I turned to leave. Directly behind where I had been standing was where Target had displayed their condoms and so forth.

So in other words, face one direction, and you see baby formula. Turn around 180 degrees, and you see condoms.

Coincidence?

It makes one wonder about Target's store planners.

Mood: Contemplative
Music: Collective Soul: "Listen"

Blasphemy?

Not that I really needed one, but here's yet another reason to avoid AOL.

Deliberate or not, it's about as bright as the people who registered the domain for Pen Island.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys: "Blue Moon of Kentucky"

Cool

Here's a story about the most durable slang term of all.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Alice in Chains: "Heaven Beside You"

Musical Nerds

Take this test and find out if you're a music nerd. I was much nerdier than I thought.

Mood: Amused
Music: Rainbow: "Long Live Rock and Roll"

Halo Kong?

Halo guys invade Donkey Kong in this example of what happens when people who love video games have too much time on their hands.

Mood: Amused
Music: Marvin Gaye: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

Silenced Guns

Some sad news from the firearms world.

Mood: Sad
Music: Andrew Gold: "Lonely Boy"

The Walking Dead

I thought things had been going fairly well, or as well as could be expected, with a new baby in the house. Maryanne and I balance chores and child care between us while I work, and I get my sleep at night while Maryanne pretty much sleeps whenever she can.

Today, though, I think it caught up with me a bit. Last night not only did I forget to pack my lunch for today, but I forgot a new battery for my MP3 player, which means it's going to go dead any minute now. In addition, I forgot to turn on my alarm last night, and I overslept this morning. I didn't have time to shave, and breakfast was a green banana as I drove to work.

Thank God I have a day off tomorrow.

Mood: Tired
Music: The Cars: "Moving in Stereo"

One for the Gipper

Here's an interesting op-ed retrospective on that much-debated economic policy known as Reaganomics.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Commitments: "Try a Little Tenderness"

The Dance

So Super Bowl XL (40, for the Roman numeral-challenged) will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks.

I've got kind of mixed feelings about the game.

I'd like to see Mike Holmgren win another superbowl, and for Matt Hasselbeck to win one.

On the other hand, I like the Steelers, and I like Bill Cowher, and I'd really like Jerome Bettis to win a Super Bowl before he retires. Bettis has such a wonderful work ethic. Sure, he's got talent, but the man also works his ass off every game.

I'm sure it will be an exciting game, though. Much better than the blow-outs that were each of the championship games yesterday.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: David Ball: "Look What Followed Me Home"

Mini

Is it just me, or does this thing look like a mini on steroids?

Maybe it's just the paint job.

Mood: Confused
Music: Little Richard: "Good Golly, Miss Molly"

White Meat

It's been far too long since we've heard of any shenanigans courtesy of the whack-jobs from PETA.

Mood: Amused
Music: Jethro Tull: "Aqualung"

Drool Machine

And I thought the new Dodge Charger was exciting. Just get a load of this thing.

The very first model kit I ever build was a 1970 Dodge Callenger R/T.

Kudos to Dodge for resurrecting two of the greatest muscle cars ever.

Mood: Excited
Music: Rush: "Working Man"

Jump the Shark

A few seasons ago, there was an episode of "That '70s Show" wherein they discussed the episode of "Happy Days" in which Fonzie literally jumps a shark.

This episode of "Happy Days" was the birth of the term "jump the shark," or the time at which a shows turns from good to utter crap.

How ironic, then, that this has happened with "That '70s Show."

Luckily Fox has decided to kill it, cancelling it with some other shows. Unfortunately, we'll be subjected to "American Idol" in its place.

Mood: Relieved
Music: Traffic: "Rock 'n' Roll Stew"

Finis

This could have some far-reaching effects.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Coverdale/Page: "Over Now"

Offseason Moves

So the Packers have hired a new head coach, one Mike McCarthy, passing over Jim Bates. Bates thus decided it was best for everyone that he leave the team, which means that the defense will have to learn yet another new scheme. McCarthy has a new offensive coordinator hired in the form of Jeff Jagodzinski.

This is not at all what I imagined happening.

I imagined Bates being promoted to head coach, perhaps promoting one of his assistants to defensive coordinator, and finding an offensive coordinator that can run the West Coast offense in case Favre decides to come back for another season.

Packers GM Ted Thompson hired McCarthy because he can run the West Coast offense, in the hopes of luring Favre back for another season.

I'm not sure it's going to help if they can't get the offensive line to perform better. In addition, Bates had finally turned the defense around, to the point where they were the most consistent part of the team.

Part of me still dwells on the fact that the Packers had a shot at Andy Reid around 1999.

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

Video Game Culture

It's things like this and this that show how things influence our pop culture.

Mood: Amused
Music: Little River Band: "Lady"

Priorities

The weather continues to be unseasonably warm and mostly dry. What little precipitation we have received has been mostly in the form of rain. What little snow has fallen has melted. Looking outside it looks more like March than January. Maryanne is quite happy about it. I think it's just plain wrong.

The arrival of our daughter is making us both wish we had invested in a cheap laptop so we could keep up with our e-mail and other routine computing tasks. It's hard to find the time to get down to the computer and get through any substantial amount of work. Sometimes the sheer necessity of getting bills paid gets me in front of the keyboard. Most of the time there have been other, more important things to do, though.

Mood: Disappointed
Music: The Osborne Brothers: "Rocky Top"

Censorship

Call it what you will, but I call this an infringement on the First Amendment.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Silhouettes: "Get a Job"

Changes

Maryanne and I continue to go through an adjustment period with our new daughter. Little Sarah's clock is backwards, and she doesn't sleep as well at night as we'd like. We're making some changes in our routine so that Sarah can adapt to it better.

It's a little strange having been home for so long to help Maryanne with the baby. There will be another period of adjustment next week when I return to work and Maryanne remains home. It will definitely be a change from our old routines.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Donovan: "Sunshine Superman"

Picture Perfect

Here you'll find a picture of our daughter Sarah. Comments indicate most people think she looks like me. She certainly has my ears, and probably my nose. She has Maryanne's hair, though. Once she stops looking like a newborn we'll be able to tell better.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Chicago: "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"

Addition

I haven't been able to blog in a while due to an addition to our family. Maryanne was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital on Tuesday, January 3, and gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday, January 5. We decided to name her Sarah Elisabeth. There will be more details forthcoming as I find the time to post.

Mood: Tired
Music: Vanilla Fudge: "All in Your Mind"

The End?

The Packers won their final game of the 2005 season yesterday. Some people would see this as a bad thing, effectively putting them out of "the Reggie Bush lottery." I'd rather see them end on a high note. After all, even if they draft a playmaker like Bush, it's not going to help that much until their offensive line can improve.

There's a lot of speculation that it was also Favre's final game, and that he'll decide to retire. Time will tell, and we won't know for certain until we hear it from Favre himself. Until then, any word one way or the other will be pure speculation.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Cherry Poppin' Daddies: "No Mercy for Swine"

Happy New Year

Last night Maryanne and I went to Star Cinema out in Fitchburg and saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on the IMAX screen. It was a packed house, but the crowd was good. There weren't any screaming children like there had been for King Kong.

Good flick, too. Maryanne had seen it before, but I had not. There were a number of things from the book that were left out, but even at that running time was about two and a half hours. The special effects were good.

Afterwards Maryanne and I went to La Hacienda for a late supper. I was able to get my pozole fix, and Maryanne got her tamale fix.

After that we went home and Maryanne pretty much crashed. I guess we're turning into old fuddy-duddies.

Mood: Relaxed
Music: Aerosmith: "Drop Dead Gorgeous"

Cthulhu Carols

I don't think we'll be singing any of these in church any time soon.

Mood: Amused
Music: Aerosmith: "Sweet Emotion"

Advisory

This would be real truth in advertising.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Jefferson Starship: "Jane"

Puzzling

This article shows why history and archeology are considered social sciences.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Bill Haley and the Comets: "Rock Around the Clock"

Mod Squad

Here's yet another example of what happens when computer geeks have too much time on their hands.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "All Along the Watchtower"

Bittersweet

It's been a bittersweet holiday season so far. Maryanne and I have been looking forward to the birth of our first child, a daughter, which should be arriving in the middle of January. The entire family is very excited, as are many of our friends. While I was apprehensive at first, the reality has settled in, and I'm finding myself feeling excited at times, as well.

However, on Friday, December 23, we found out that my paternal grandmother had passed away. The timing was very unfortunate. Not only did it put a blemish on the holiday season, but Maryanne will be unable to attend the funeral services. She's too close to her due date to travel that far. She feels very sad that she won't be able to attend.

Mood: Melancholy
Music: Blind Faith: "Can't Find My Way Home"

On Tap

While I'm not sure how much I agree with it, this article certainly puts a twist in all the recent hoopla about wire tapping.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Red Peters: "Holy Shit, It's Christmas"

Grimm

Today I finally finished Roughing It by Mark Twain. It was a fun read, though not in the same way a purely fictional work is a fun read, but entertaining nonetheless. The author was, by all accounts, a truly American writer.

Next on the list is Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales as published by Barnes & Noble. It contains 211 of their tales, though I believe there are at least 215 of them in total. This edition looks nice enough, but may eventually returned; there are pages missing. Not that there are entire sheets missing, but there is no printing on some pages where there should be. It may be simply exchanged for another copy of the same edition, as good and complete editions of the work are hard to find.

Mood: Disappointed
Music: none

"Satura was here"

More proof that the more things change, the more things stay the same.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Who: "Love Ain't for Keeping"

Starmen

This is freakin' awesome.

Mood: Amused
Music: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: "Born in Chicago"

Don't Look at Porn

Where was this advice when I was in college?

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Steppenwolf: "Born to Be Wild"

Whacked

Here's a headline you don't see everyday: "Police whack giant snow penis."

Mood: Amused
Music: Van Halen: "Atomic Punk"

A Witch's Tit

The temperature when I left for work this morning was -4° F. A slight breeze put the windchill at -9° F. Even I'll admit that's cold. Bitterly cold.

Mood: Chilled
Music: Led Zeppelin: "Dancing Days"

In the ass

"You mean rectum?"

Mood: Amused
Music: The Yardbirds: "Over Under Sideways Down"

Great

Maryanne and I saw King Kong today.

A lot of people are beginning to say that Peter Jackson is one of the great film makers of our time.

I'd like to say he's fucking brilliant.

This movie was fantastic on so many levels. Great script, great cast, great score, great special effects, and great direction. It was a fantastic story that went not only beyond the action, but beyond the basic plot as well. The story has a lot of depth and complexity to it. Critics left and right are singing its praises as well. I highly recommend you go out and see it.

However, it is not a film for young children! Indeed, our enjoyment of the film was slightly dampered by some of the young children in the audience.

Mood: Pleased
Music: Cat Stevens: "Another Saturday Night"

Emergency?

Between yesterday and Wednesday we've gotten quite a bit of snow. As I posted yesterday, I was able to keep up with it yesterday thanks to my day off.

However, apparently this constituted a snow emergency, so I found a parking ticket on my truck this morning since it had been parked on the street last night. I didn't see any evidence of a plow going through, though. Sounds like more of a fundraiser, to me.

The morning commute took much longer than I would have liked; I was about five minutes late, and saw four accidents on my way in to work.

Mood: Annoyed
Music: The Beatles: "Lovely Rita"