archive for December of 2005

travel Bathroom view

Posted December 31, 2005 • Comments Off on Bathroom view

When you look out the skylight in Arwen and Peter’s bathroom, the entire view of the sky is blocked by their immense ham radio antenna. It’s really quite hilarious. I’ll post a picture when I get home.

Edited to add photo:
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There’s a thick, very wet snow falling. It turns to rain as soon as it hits a power line or a tree or anything. It was plain old snow this morning, but now it’s airborne slush. Gross and nasty.

I had a hell of a time getting here last night. I’ve become so spoiled by the way streets and houses are labeled in the Washington area–every light has “Next Signal” signs, and every house (it seems) has the number out by, or painted on, the curb. Not so in New Jersey! I had forgotten how the power and phone lines are strung across the streets (not the case in Virginia or in Florida, but the case in my youth), and I had forgotten how all the curbs are made of cobblestones. Back in the day, you used to hear about how the cobblestones were stolen. Like all the New Jersey developers had stolen up to Boston in the dead of night and ripped them out of historic streets. Anyway, they ain’t got no house numbers painted on them. I had a hell of a time finding this place. Plus it was roughly a six-hour drive. Big fun.

I did listen to the first half of Flush by Carl Hiaasen, and I did listen to all my saved-up NPR “Story of the Day” podcasts (nine of them! I love that podcast so dearly), and I listened to some music, and I listened to the entire Dane Cook album for the first time yet. Julie told me the other day that her copy was the best thing she got this Christmas, which was nice of her.

I’m typing on a Thinkpad on Arwen and Peter’s kitchen table. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike the keyboards on Thinkpads? I accidentally just pushed some sort of hotkey placed really, really close to an arrow key, and went to a different webpage. What the hell, I said to myself, I better not have lost that whole entry. It turns out it’s a “forward” or “back” key or something, like the existing keyboard shortcuts for that aren’t good enough, and luckily the entry was still here when I got back. I would’ve been mightily pissed.

media South Park

Posted December 30, 2005 • Comments Off on South Park

BoingBoing has been posting for days about the “Bloody Mary” episode of South Park that was supposed to re-air last night and did not because Catholic lobbying groups complained.

Today they noted that Comedy Central takes viewer comments at this page. So I wrote one.

I recorded several episodes of South Park last night. I was especially looking forward to the one at 12:30 am, which my DirecTV guide said was “Bloody Mary.” When I recorded it, my DVR STILL said it was “Bloody Mary,” but the episode that ran was a completely different one. Today I read on boingboing.net that the episode was pulled off the air because some Catholic lobbying group demanded it be. What a joke! I’m AMAZED that a channel that’s already proven itself time and time again to be a champion of free speech and hilarious satirical commentary would do something like this. Yes, it probably was offensive to Catholics, but unless you at Comedy Central were forcing them to watch it, it WASN’T YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure they didn’t see it. Any person who didn’t want to see that episode of South Park had full control over his or her own remote control. It’s completely astonishing that last night you allowed them to control MY remote control. I commend Comedy Central for its ballsy moves in the past, such as running R-rated movies (like the South Park movie) uncut, and such as giving a big voice to the people behind South Park, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Chappelle’s Show, Reno 911, Insomniac, and so many others. Shame on you for going against your sterling record. I sincerely hope this was an isolated incident and you’ll immediately go back to the way things were, where open-minded people who want to laugh at ourselves can count on Comedy Central to provide smart, unique, new programming that’s unlike anything else on television.

Now, I’m the first to admit that YES, this probably was an extremely offensive episode. HOWEVER, it also sounds like it was funny as all hell, and from the first moment I heard of it I wanted to watch it. Everything I say in the above comment is true. I’m looking at an UltimateTV screen right now that says I recorded “Bloody Mary.” The episode I got is the one with the orca they try to send to the moon, “Free Willzyx.”

Here’s what I consider the kicker. The episode that ran at midnight last night, before “Bloody Mary,” was the Scientology one. The one that was expected to be so controversial that everyone in the credits is listed as “John Smith” or “Jane Smith.” Did the Scientologists complain and get Comedy Central to yank that one off the air for rebroadcast NO. Never thought I’d see the day when Scientologists were more reasonable than Catholics.

other Washington Post Sunday crossword, December 11 (contains answers)

Posted December 26, 2005 • Comments Off on Washington Post Sunday crossword, December 11 (contains answers)

Cw-051211

Title: A Modern (?) Film Festival
Theme entries: titles of movies made in black and white by choice.

23A, With 25 Across, 1968 George Romero film: NIGHT OF THE
25A, See 23 Across: LIVING DEAD
31A, 1974 Mel Brooks film: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
49A, 1994 Kevin Smith film: CLERKS
50A, 1980 David Lynch film: THE ELEPHANT MAN
65A, Theme of our film festival: BLACK AND WHITE
75A, 1993 Steven Spielberg film: SCHINDLER’S LIST
80A, 1994 Tim Burton film: ED WOOD
99A, 1984 Woody Allen film: BROADWAY DANNY ROSE
106A, 1980 Martin Scorsese film: RAGING BULL
108A, 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film: RUMBLE FISH

Things I learned, with web links so you can learn them too:

56A, Chalons combatant: HUN
64A, Tell’s canton: URI [this is a good read, actually]
84A, Abbey Theatre playwright: O’CASEY
116A, Willard of the ring: JESS
5D, Corcovado mountain site: RIO [oh, that mountain]
8D, Ghanaian region: ASHANTI
9D, Crenshaw, e.g.: MELON
12D, Ouzo flavoring source: ANISEED
17D, A Chaplin: SYD
24D, Yangtze feeder: HAN
33D, ___-lance (pit viper): FER-DE
41D, Kate Nelligan role: ELENI
45D, Do a cakewalk: STRUT
53D, Dovekie, for one: AUK [wow, they’re cute, plus they live on Svalbard]
55D, “Nothing,” in legal phrases: NIHIL
67D, Importune: DUN [I’d never heard this use of either of these words.]
78D, Foe of 56 Across at Chalons: ROMAN
80D, Best of theater: EDNA
87D, 1847 Poe poem: ULALUME
107D, Traveller’s rider: LEE
110D, Composer Delibes: LEO

Overall:
I messed up no squares in this one, which is a nice break from my streak of sucking. It helped that this was a really easy theme with a whopping eleven theme entries. 21 things I had to look up afterwards is obscenely high. It makes the embarrassing 16 of the other week look like I was doing well.

family Argh.

Posted December 26, 2005 • Comments Off on Argh.

Today we drove for an HOUR to get up to north Tampa to go to MOSI and see an IMAX movie and the “Bodies” exhibit, an idea that had its genesis in my desire to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on IMAX and my mistaken belief that the MOSI dome was the only IMAX theater in this area, and an idea that had its exodus (as it were, whatever comes after genesis) in finding that the IMAX movie playing at MOSI was a piece of 3-D Christmas hilarity written and directed by Steve Oedekerk.

When we got to MOSI, there were two thousand people in line. Shoulder to shoulder. We walked in the handicapped entrance and out the main entrance and immediately went back to the car.

On 75, on the way home, I saw a billboard and thusly suggested maybe we could go to Channelside, where the other IMAX theater is, the one that IS showing Harry Potter. I wish I’d known about that one ahead of time. However, Jeff looked up the showtimes and it was only doing evening shows.

So we stopped at Westshore to see The Producers there, but the mall was so packed there was nowhere to park, and we were already pissed because we’d driven for ages the wrong way on Westshore, so we left.

When we got to 60, my dad turned off and saved the day: we went to Bahama Breeze and drank six of those crazy garnished-with-extra-liquor margaritas and had some pepper and onion quesadillas. That was lovely.

Then we came home. What a total disaster of a day—almost. Never go anywhere family- or shopping-oriented on December 26th. Good lord.

family The haul (I’m acquisitive; if it bothers you don’t read it)

Posted December 25, 2005 • Comments Off on The haul (I’m acquisitive; if it bothers you don’t read it)

For some reason, when I ask for certain things, like WildEepz (little plastic thingies to make the lid of my computer close properly) or a Persian rug mousepad or a necklace with a Scrabble tile set in a silver pendant or the Yafa Quadro pen, no one believes me. They always seem to bypass the things on the list that I was really looking forward to and get the filler. That said, it’s a good year. I’m going to have to buy the necklace and mouserug and ‘Eepz and pen myself (somehow), but so be it.

The four seasons prints from Deviantart
An LED flashlight
A down throw
A Bluetooth headset
A Wonder Vase
A Rabbit-type corkscrew
The retractable USB sync/charge cable for my phone
Steel mixing bowls
The Get Fuzzy page-a-day calendar
A TSA-okayed luggage lock (though I needed two)

And this bag, yes in red, which wowsosoft.

Image Products Briefcases Bags Al6030E 1105

Plus the doorstop and the down comforter they sent to me at home. Plus the Buffy CD and a Cornelia Funke book from Wayne. Plus a couple of DVDs and the Lumos Lightwedge booklight (yes, I bought it, and in the Harry Potter edition, no less) with the Borders gift card my client gave me. Plus an upcoming stocking from Lin. Plus whatever brilliance Lisa came up with.

If it weren’t for the fact that pretty much absolutely everything else in my life sucks, I’d be happy today. I have another week off, I’ll see good old friends for New Year’s, and we just ate a hell of a good dinner. I knocked one out of the park with this year’s mashed potatoes (read: I put in WAY too much sour cream and they came out awesome). Money’s set for another month, thanks to my parents, and maybe, just maybe, it’ll work out okay.

A boat just went by outside, way too fast for not being in the channel (my parents’ backyard isn’t a no-wake zone but should be). I wonder if the Coast Guard is working today.

general Gidgets and Wibbets

Posted December 22, 2005 • Comments Off on Gidgets and Wibbets

For a while now I’ve been toying with the idea of making lists of things around my house that fit into one of two categories that until now have existed only in my imagination: Gidgets and Wibbets. “Gidget” is the pronunciation of the acronym GIGIGT, which stands for God, I’m Glad I Got That. “Wibbet” is for the acronym WIEBT, which stands for Why’d I Ever Buy That?

When I’m walking around, going about my daily business, I often remark to myself on noticing these things. Anything in either category is instantly recognizable (to me) as a Gidget or a Wibbet, and I think about it all the time.

Example Gidgets include obvious ones like the PowerBook, the Treo 650, the iPod, and the UltimateTV. Even though those last two were gifts, they qualify; it’s glad I got that, not glad I bought that. Less obvious examples are the wooden basket that holds certain pantry-type foods on my kitchen counter, the tension rod in my laundry closet, the pre-lit Christmas tree, the statue of Death, and the legs that make my bed taller.

Being glad I own something, or using it all the time, does not make it a Gidget. My CD clock radio, for instance, and my Vornado space heater are very nice, but they aren’t Gidgets. My Treo is one, but previous cell phones really were not. Previous PDAs most certainly were. An item can graduate from non-Gidget status to Gidget status, and vice versa. Replacing an item with a newer or better version often makes the original drop out of the running. That’s just how life is.

As you can see, a Gidget is not necessarily a gadget. It’s like an SAT problem: “No Gidgets are Wibbets, some gadgets are Wibbets, and some Gidgets are gadgets. Which of the following is true,” and so on.

I shan’t be listing example Wibbets at this time, as many of them are very, very embarrassing. And for someone who walks around her house—alone—pointing at things and giving them—out loud—nonsense names, that’s saying something.

family merrymerrymerrymerrymerry

Posted December 21, 2005 • Comments Off on merrymerrymerrymerrymerry
Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it’s all about sharing times with family.
Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.
What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

general Retroactive problem-solving

Posted December 21, 2005 • Comments Off on Retroactive problem-solving

You know those straps they sell for transporting desktop PCs? Like this. Well, I was thinking someone should make a similar product for laptops. No case, no padding, just adjustable, tight straps that go around the computer and are joined with a small handle. This way you could take your computer out of its case at the airport, as the government unreasonably requires, and still have a good solid hold on it when you put it into the xray machine.

Isn’t that a great idea? I’m astounded it doesn’t exist.

travel What happened at airport security

Posted December 20, 2005 • Comments Off on What happened at airport security

I pride myself on knowing how to do things like Go Through Security™ properly. I have my driver’s license and my boarding pass (which I printed at home last night) in my back pocket. My coat has been inside my checked bag since I arrived at the airport. I wear slip-on shoes, and I keep the Velcro strap over the padded computer compartment inside my carryon open so I can slide the computer out.

I put my shoes in a box.

I slide the computer out of the padding.

I hold it in the crook of my arm.

I step out of my shoes.

I bend over to pick them up.

The carryon starts to slip off my shoulder.

I forget I’m wearing a new fleece top made of frictionless acrylic, and that my hands are very, very dry.

And, as if in slow motion, right in front of me, and completely outside of my control, my computer tumbles out of my arms, tumbles to the hard, hard airport floor. It bounces on one corner, and it comes to rest flat, upside down. I, and the nice older couple behind me, and the guy in front of me, make a soft oohhh noise.

The older man looks at me reassuringly. “They’re tough,” he says. I look at the computer. It’s just lying there. I half expect it to cry or blink its lights at me or something.

I pick it up. I pick my shoes up. I pick my bag up. I put everything on the pre-belt table. I look at the computer. You know what? It looks fine. FINE. I open it, and the screen lights up, and it’s FINE. I say something idiotic to the nice couple, like “Christmas almost just got a lot more expensive.”

Half an hour later I notice the left back corner is puckered in, concave where once it was convex. I cringe, remembering the immense size of the repair estimate—and the warranty-related luck and not-afraid-to-fudge-the-date Genius Bar guy—involved in getting the bottom half of the case replaced after my mishap LAST Christmas.

I look closer. The aluminum around the pucker is displaced very slightly. But the plastic edge is undisturbed, and the plastic ring around the power input (for that is what’s in that corner) is undisturbed. I could not, had I dropped it with aim and purpose and planning, chosen a better place for it to dent.

It’s dented. It’s not perfect anymore. But it’s okay.

other Washington Post Sunday crossword, June 12 (contains answers)

Posted December 18, 2005 • Comments Off on Washington Post Sunday crossword, June 12 (contains answers)

Cw-050612

I found an undone June 12 crossword lying around, so I did it. Also, the scans for November 13 and November 20 are in, and November 28 is coming soon. If anyone cares.

Title: Fowl Play
Theme entries: common phrases with one word replaced with a similar-sounding bird

25A, Avian threat of revenge?: TOUCAN play that game (toucan. I win.)
107A, Be an avian rat?: TERN state’s evidence
20D, Avian’s routine procedure?: MYNA operation
30D, Avian nut job?: RAVEN lunatic
38D, Avian commander?: RHEA admiral
41D, Pulling an avian heist?: ROBIN the bank
47D, Avian clearance sale slogan?: ROC bottom price

Things I learned, with web links (coming soon, I’m tired) so you can learn them too:

21A, Triple ___ of 1907: ENTENTE
39A, Obote’s deposer: AMIN
49A, Alabama-born singer: ODETTA
60A, Rx compound: SAL [HELP! I have no idea what this is!]
61A, Gossip columnist Joyce: HABER
62A, French clerics: ABBES
86A, Adriatic resort: LIDO
92A, 1813 battle site: ERIE
94A, Soprano Gluck: ALMA
7D, Connective tissue: FASCIA
11D, Roberts of “That ’70s Show”: TANYA [Seriously, I watch this and had no idea. It’s Donna’s mother, but she’s, like, never on.]
17D, Rag pair: ITEM [HELP! So baffling that I actually wrote a question mark. How can one item be a pair? What kills me is that if you Google <“rag pair” item> THIS BLOG ENTRY is the first hit.]
18D, “___ Dinah” (Avalon hit): DEDE
28D, Lace loops: PICOTS
61D, Big name in Dixieland: HIRT
84D, 1942 Gorcey film: MR. WISE GUY
87D, Reverend Paisley: IAN [I don’t know why I can never remember him]
112D, Pam Tillis’s “Mi ___ Loca”: VIDA
118D, Former Burmese leader: UNU [this is the only reference I can find?]

Overall:
I messed up 3 squares in this one. Only seven theme entries, but a whopping nineteen things I had to look up.

far >