As the dental hygienist made conversation she made a passing mention at the volume of business the dentist oversees near Christmas. She could not understand why so many people scheduled dental appointments around the holidays. I politely explained that dentists were in a service industry, yet they work the same hours as their clients. Hence, the clients must use their time off to schedule service. I compared it to banks, who have recently begun to change their schedules. Although my point was valid I probably should have held my tongue until she was finished wielding those sharp instruments in my mouth. Mental note: dental hygienists are very protective of their office hours.

The game board is a large island made of different hex shaped tiles. Each type of tile is associated with geography and that geography’s natural resource. Forests produce wood. Mountains produce ore. Dice rolls determine which tiles produce resources and players with towns next to those tiles collect the corresponding resource. This means that at the opening of each player’s turn, any player is likely to get new resources. Players return their resources in order to build more towns which must be connected by roads. Everyone is encouraged to trade in order to get the combination of resources they need. No one plays a mere spectator between turns. There is always something to keep players attention.

The game punishes people that hoard cards, further motivating players to trade in order to gain what they need. When any player rolls a 7, anyone hoarding more than 7 resource cards must discard half their hand. That player must also move the “robber”. The robber is a figure on the board. The hex tile he resides on is incapable of producing resources even if the number of the tile is rolled. The tile can produce resources only after the robber is moved again. Players can move the robber by playing “army” cards they draw from a deck of utility cards that can be purchased with their resources. This is one of the few means players can attempt to block another player’s path to victory.

No one enjoys playing a game when failure is certain and slow. Settlers of Catan avoids that problem in three ways. First, there are many different ways to win the game. The goal is to earn 10 victory points. Victory points are earned in many different ways. Points are awarded for towns. Certain utility cards the players can purchase award victory points. Two points are awarded for maintaining the longest road or the largest army. Largest army refers to the player who has played the most army cards during the game. The variety of means helps to avoid situations where players have no means to win. Chances are likely there is some way a player can word towards victory points.

Second, the social aspect of the game levels the playing field. Players are unwilling to trade with players on the cusp of winning. They are much more willing to trade with people they don’t see as threatening. Hence, those far behind progress quickly and others stall just before victory.

Just as a slow demise is frustrating, large swings in the score make for an exciting game. Yet too many swings can make the game seem too random. As you may recall, players can invoke a 4 point swing by building the largest road or army, both of which are fairly cheap. A 4 point swing can reduce a hefty lead like 8 – 4 to a mere tie.

Have I earned your interest? If so, go buy a copy and share it with your friends. Folks with an Xbox can play a version in the on-line arcade. Give me a call when you find time. I’m always up for a game.

The washer I bought right out of college had been suffering from senile dementia. She was the first washer I owned. I bought her right out of college. Freed from the fetters of the laundry mat, I could leave my laundry unattended. It served as a perfect excuse for friends to waste a few hours at my place. Eight years later she began eating holes in our towels and leaving spots of bleach on our colors. Elise asked me to put her down. I reluctantly agreed.

It wasn’t long ago I agreed to invest in a larger fridge. You may recall not long before that our microwave and dishwasher were sabotaged. Our oven isn’t the one that came with the house. Frustrated with flimsy appliances, I calculated that the cost per week of my washer and dryer (disregarding utility costs) was about $2.00. Two dollars!? The laundry mat only charged $0.75 to wash a load, and the price included power and water! I concluded the in-home washer is just a dream perpetuated by the Whirlpool and Maytag to boost their bottom lines. They don’t save money! I contemplated forming a lobby to have the government subsidize the laundry appliance industry.

Elise did lots of research and we took home a new lower end, front loading Frigidaire dryer and a matching refurbished washer. The cost was on par with my original washer, but the appliances had come a long way since then. Both are so quiet we plan to replace the linen closet doors with a curtain. They weighs each load to compensate for different sizes. Each shows the estimate time remaining until the load will be complete. They also feature more features for delicate lady clothes, even though we took the model with the fewest bells and whistles. Both use less water and power, and are gentler on our clothes. The proof is in our incredibly clean less trap.

Our only complaint: both appliances have electronic inputs. Buttons break. Dials don’t. As our ill-fated luck with appliances would have it, our washer’s circuit board shorted before we could start our first load. We’ve been two weeks now without a washer.

Last weekend I had to lug our laundry to the local laundry mat. For all my trouble I will grant it was an educational experience. First, even the blue collar joint I visited featured all energy-star front loading machines. I’m certain the owner did his research and was interested in value, not style. Second, it turns out the prices have inflated a bit since my trips to the laundry mat back in Mobile. It cost me $9.00 just to wash (not dry) a week’s worth of laundry for my family. I suppose these appliances aren’t such a bad investment after all.

First a few definitions: Shame comes from feeling unworthy, embarrassed, disgraced or responsible for an offense. Repentance means to be motivated by shame to change one’s mind. It implies an effort to avoid or counter the shameful act in the future. To clarify, repentance does not imply success. It merely implies effort.

Be definition shame must precede repentance, if only momentarily. Yet the two are meant to be mutually exclusive. A repentant soul shouldn’t be ashamed. In fact, any shame that remains in a repentant heart is the unhealthy sort meant to destroy us from the inside out. There is no truth or value to those internal accusations.

Shame can blind people to their own worth and obfuscate the most obvious solutions. It is our job to help guide ashamed people so they find quick and free release through repentance. We are also obliged to help people let go of residual shame once they have repented. People that deny or disbelieve heartfelt apologies seal shame and repentance in the same heart and are responsible for the damage done within.

It is silly to expect repentance from someone who feels justified or proud of their actions. I propose it is better to convince them of their shame first. If a child lies without remorse, shouldn’t we tell them they are a liar and treat them as untrustworthy. The goal isn’t to destroy their ego. Repentance is quick and free, even if it isn’t always easy. Sometimes I get the impression society expects us to preserve our children’s egos at the expense of their souls. If shame doesn’t come naturally and we can’t push them towards it then how will they ever learn and grow?

You are selfishly consuming two parking spaces. Learn to park or let someone else drive. I sentence you to an underwater vacuum sealed mortuary with the ghosts of a thousand filthy hippies.

and

You are selfishly consuming two parking spaces. Learn to park or let someone else drive. May your breath continuously reek of the meat of the Mujahmjah bean.

…and there’s more where that came from!

The drug deals weren’t the first sign of trouble around our home. Check out this lovely piece of guerrilla art someone left just 25 feet from my home–on the same corner as our pushers run their black market pharmacy no less!

Our first instinct was to move north to a more sterile suburb. Urban planners call this “white flight”. The idea frustrated me. By no means do I live in “the hood” but I like the social, cultural and economic diversity of our neighborhood. Lord love soccer moms, but I’d like my kids to be exposed to something more. I’ve since learned that reasonably priced homes and less diverse neighborhoods suffer from the same crimes.

That is when it occurring to me that a neighborhood watch works best as a preventive measure. We had best start our own while the problem is small. This week we are canvasing the neighborhood to rally the troops. So far the idea has been well received, which is a relief because we need 124 of the 165 houses to participate if we are to secure premium services from the police. It will take a few months before our posse ramps up to it’s full momentum, so until then we are encouraging people to:

• walk, jog or bike through the streets
• foster community privately: get to know your neighbors
• foster community publically: support neighborhood events like holiday parties, chili cook offs
• arrange your home so you’ll spend time around windows that face the street

I’m not immune to the air of hostility that is so prevalent on our roads. In fact, just yesterday I was pondering the tools I’d need to better express myself to those I share the road with. First I need to replace my car’s horn with a megaphone so I can better communicate with my fellow drivers. Second, I need a mechanical spit-wad cannon mounted to the hood of my car. Some guy would be all like, “ha! ha! I just cut you off …without using my blinker!” His erratic driving would catch me off guard, but I’d quickly regain my composure, lock onto him with my targeting computer and unleash a wad of toilet paper saturated in justice! His car would swerve and I’d watch it explode in my rear view mirror.

I’ve yet to find a hood mounted mechanical spit-wad cannon, so I suppose I’ll just have to live with this.

• They take time to warm up to their full potential.
• Even at the full potential, they don’t light a room well.
• They cost 750% more than a traditional bulb.
• They aren’t more durable. They still blow in less than a year.
• I begrudge the people who tell me I’ll “save” money if I install them in my home.
• They are ugly.

I’m all about saving the earth but we need a better lighting alternative.

Today I found an article about a bulb that still works after 107 years! I don’t know which is more amazing, the life span of the ancient bulb or the fact it has its own web page! Okay, the site is pretty drab, but the fact it could register its own domain quite a feat.

I called Verizon to learn of any service that might let me review her text messages on-line or possibly have them forwarded to my phone. I’d expect something like this given Verizon charges $655.36 for 1 MB of text messages. The representative informed me that Verizon did not provide these kinds of services because each would be an invasion of privacy. Excuse me? I explained that I was her legal guardian and paid for the account. He explained that I would need a warrant in order to see the messages since I am not the owner of the phone. I thought I might register her phone in my name. I asked if Verizon could disclose to me my own text messages since there would be no privacy issue. He answered that the only way to view the message was on the phone or with a warrant. I find it hard to believe Verizon does not keep a record of these tiny messages. Google grants me 7 gigabytes of space for free. Verizon charges us a 7314% markup on data costs to send these God forsaken tendy messages. (Not that I’m bitter.)

American concept of “right to privacy” is a load of crap. You get back here young lady! Don’t think I won’t pursue that warrant!

I love a good apocalyptic film, especially those steeped in social commentary. 28 Days later delivers this through the ol’ zombie virus. Classic. –and especially appropriate since my wife had given me the plague. Most of this film is suspenseful and quiet, giving the audience time to ponder the severity of the catastrophe and magnifying the danger of any encounter with the infected. The film takes a drastic turn towards drastic, heroic action towards the end. It reminded me of a line from the brilliant film Adaptation. It doesn’t matter how bad a film is so long as it delivers in the last 30 minutes. Anyone turned off by the pace and mood of the first of the film will be happy with everything after the climax. Most people compare 28 Days to I am Legend, but since I’ve yet to see that film I was reminded of Children of Men. I’d recommend either. Children of Men is more polished, and the social commentary seems aimed more at a post 9-11 world. I’d recommend both films, but Children of Men won’t pander to people looking for an easy or shallow story.

I caught Chocolat on TV …twice. The film is just that good. The theme is the same as Footloose, but Chocolat is a higher caliber film. It is set in a morally oppressive, legalistic French village in the 1950s. The simple pleasures of life are represented by chocolate rather than dance. Chocolat has class, and perfect dialog with actors carry their roles with subtle expressions. This makes a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

Now pardon me, I have a Scrubs marathon to catch *cough* *cough*

Folks draw a connection between this film and Blaire Witch, but Cloverfield reminded me more of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and Night of the Living Dead. All 3 films take a simple premise and follows through as realistically as they can. They sacrifice an entertaining story, memorable speeches and a clear explanation of events in exchange for such a realistic point of view. For my money, War of the Worlds has the perfect mix of polish and “realism”. Cloverfield has better action and “jump” moments, the audience earns each scene by enduring long stretches of crappy camera work. Alien is the first film I can recall where the direction intentionally hid the threat from the audience. The idea was that their imaginations would scare them more than anything they could put on the screen. That is particularly true for me so I was happy with how well Mr. Abrams handled his monster shots. Again, I liked the personal story but polished feel of War of Worlds, so naturally I thought the camera work was the weakest link in this film. Half the time I felt it unlikely someone would leave the camera running during the more dangerous scenes. The other half I didn’t care about the camera man’s safety so long as he secured a clear shot of the action.

Here is the latest commercial from Dove’s campaign. I wish them the best. The video itself struck a chord in me, which was amplified by this link that found it’s way on my desktop the next day.

When we learn to laugh at ourselves, we are free to be human. The proud are easily mocked and scorned. When we embrace our foolishness, it is more difficult to shame us with it. I pity these shallow people for they have forged their own chains. Everyone is keen to the threat posed by others with vices similar to their own. Let me clarify with some examples. I was a nosy child, so I carried a deep-seated fear people would go through my stuff. I know liars that have issues trusting others. Likewise, shallow people assume everyone is as critical and unforgiving as they are. They are never free to be human and embrace real life. I imagine this fuels their bitter downward spiral.

The schools I attended did not emphasize building student’s character. Most of the rules I remember being enforced were designed to control and protect students and faculty or facilitate learning. The psychological tactics plastic people use often fall between the rules that are enforced. Even the most damaging offenses sound petty when brought before an authority. When I was young I was discouraged by what I perceived as their prosperity. I was so mislead I even adopted some of their values. Now I see the real fruits of that lifestyle. They never learn to love. Rather they endure relationships with people as selfish and loathsome as they are. They never serve a cause greater than themselves. They grow neurotic from trying to maintain a facade of perfection: never misstep; never exhale; never relax.

I am grateful that my children are humble and free. They know plastic people and have experienced their venom. Although I know the natural consequences of a shallow life, I still find it hard to forgive them and wish them well in my prayers. When my children turn to me for advice I don’t have easy responses. The godly response I must recommend isn’t one I understand. At that point it’s clear I’m asking them to be better people than I am.

In the past, “Total Access” customers could return any rental to a brick-and-mortar store for a free in-store rental. These were great for passing the time while the next movie in queue came in. As of yesterday, new members will be limited to up to 5 trades a month, depending on the price plan. Fortunate for me, Blockbuster is allowing previous members to retain unlimited in-store trades …for the time being. I only hope there is a Netflix to return to once Blockbuster revises our business arrangement.

I count the company among the top software developers in the world (gaming or otherwise). Let me quickly review why I feel so strongly about the company. They are committed to releasing and supporting stable code. A small patch for the original Starcraft was released the same week the sequel was announced–10 years after the original release. The patches mostly offer very minor balancing issues, new hardware and some small new features. That is to say, the code is better than 99% of the market, yet Bilizzard doesn’t rest. Contrast this with Ubisoft’s Pools of Radiance which would delete system files when uninstalled without a patch or Bioware’s Neverwinter Nights which included a small portion of the DM features they boasted during production. All through development the developers were trying to pull the DM features into the limelight to avoid comparisons to Baldur’s Gate and Dungeon siege, both of which supported better stories, gameplay and graphics. And yes, I hear all citizens of Azeroth bemoaning the missing hero classes that were “promised” (rather “mentioned”) early in development during World of Warcraft. Clearly these players never had to wade through the unbroken promises of Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and Black & White.

Will Wright and Mr. Miyamoto are out to be innovative. Blizzard is just out to be the coolest kid on the block. They have never created a new genre. They simply perfect an existing one: Diablo, Warcraft, and World of Warcraft are prime examples. They emphasize balance more than any other developer I know. They understand graphics are important, but not more important than running smoothly on a normal machine. They do this despite the fact they are often critisized for graphics that don’t squeeze a few extra polygons from the priciest gaming rigs. Best of all, they don’t release crappy games. They pulled the plug on titles like Starcraft: Ghost and Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. Although I’d like to see what Blizzard would do to the stealth and adventure genres the trust their brand name carries is important. I’d recommend anything they release.

Most shows expose enough of their story to set some expectations in the audience. I expect a super-natural explanation in films like What Lies Beneath and The Sixth Sense, but not in a James Bond film. Robots are sure to move the plot forward in Terminator or Battlestar Galactica, but not Grey’s Anatomy. The Lost writers work to avoid all expectations. Ghosts, robots, clones, psychics, magic, big brother consipracies, nano-technology, new-age mother-earth hoo-doo — I wouldn’t be shocked to find any combination in the storyline, yet I am compelled to follow along to see which are included.

Most stories reveal the main conflict and the scope of the story early on. Early on it is evident the War of the Ring would effect all the inhabitants of Middle Earth. I wouldn’t expect the plot from Back to the Future to explode to that same scale. Lost reveals the scale of the plot slowly.

In both these ways the show reminds me of the best adventure games: Zork, Myst, and Maniac Mansion. The show also has a deeper personal appeal that grabs me. Lost starts as a masochistic survival tale like Lord of the Flies, the original Planet of the Apes and to a lesser extent Survivor. It then adds a general big brother conspiracy feel similar to X-files, 1984 or the original Matrix film. To contrast, I can’t get excited about NBC’s Heroes. The X-men / Wild Cards theme isn’t nearly as exciting.

If you’ve never seen Lost from the start, I recommend watching the first 2 discs of season 1. If the mysteries frustrate you, you’d best find another show. If not, rejoice! ABC has agreed to continue the show until 2010. That means the writers have 6 seasons to tell a proper story, no abrupt cancellations or over extended story lines. If you are concerned about being tied to your TV for the next 3 years, ABC features the 3 most recent episodes on their website, in case you miss a few.

….yes, wikipedia is my one-stop link shop. There may be more in-depth resources but there is no better place to start reading about any topic you have a passing interest in.

Peter’s praises are spot on. Rome is the finest HBO drama I have seen.

Children are dirty. Their noses ooze. Their hands are sticky. Schools are part-time quarantines. It’s like the Wall Street of the microscopic world. Parents toss their kids into a colony of contagions to see what new disease the child can bring home. Being a teacher is like being an activities coordinator at a leper colony, only lepers are usually considerate enough to ring a bell when they are near. Children swarm in for group hugs. Is it any wonder teachers have taken upon themselves to develop solutions to the air-born illnesses? I would like to contribute to my own idea: school uniforms. Every warm body must jump in a hazmat suite (decorated in school colors) before boarding the school bus. In the mean time, MIT has created some phenomenal paint for public facilities.

This year has been particularly harsh. Elise and the kids are passing the most recent funk among each other. Don’t let anyone tell you the Barnette’s don’t have culture. They keep plenty of culture in their throat, lungs and sinuses. How have I avoided this calamity? I owe my good health to a trick we employed back in Delta 4. At the first sign of any non-alcohol related illness, we’d all pop zinc lozenges and vitamin C until things looked clear. …not that my perfect health meant perfect attendance. *cough, cough*

Parents: I know you mean well when you push your child towards that perfect attendance certificate. Consider the health and education of your child’s classmates and the well being of their families when you risk sending your child to school with a fever.

Co-workers: I swear this place won’t fall apart with you missing for a day. If you aren’t too sick to read and type, work from home. In the meantime, please get away from my desk.

First and foremost, a leader moves his people towards the group’s goals. The goal might be a military objective, winning the big game or hosting a fun day at the zoo. In his analogy, the ships destination is the fleets ultimate goal.

The leader ensures each member is best equipped to work towards that goal. Part of this means “coaching” members so they are personally able to attend the tasks needed. This is the hardest for American’s to grasp because it often impedes on “personal rights”. A coach urges his team not to stay up late before the big game. A church works to ensure each member does not go astray. Lewis used the ships to represent individuals. He compared this “coaching” to maintaining each ship so it is sea worthy.

Another part of ensuring each member is “best equipped to work towards the goal” is preventing members from disrupting each other’s efforts. Without government a group will dissolve. Personalities will conflict. Perspectives will not agree. People will fear being “short changed” by others. All this and more are used to justify actions that hurt other team members. Often these are decisions members feel are a “better means” to the ultimate goal. Even when that may be true, the “better means” are much less effective without support of the others. Lewis compared this aspect of leadership to keeping the ships in proper formation so they would not collide.

First, notice how all the concerns listed are related to the goal. The goal shapes the boundaries of a team’s influence and a leader’s authority. Broad goals such as those of the church and family imbue a broad scope of power. Second, notice how none of the leadership concerns edify the leader himself, outside what is required to achieve the group’s goal. Simply put: leadership is a position of service. A quick example: a small country may see fit to dress a diplomat in regal attire in order to negotiate with other diplomats who judge by appearances, even if the money could be used to feed its starving citizens. That is different than a leader taxing his group to fund an opulent lifestyle that does not serve the group. This is also different from a team that has agreed to compensate the leader. Most churches pay their elders and pastors and have Biblical grounds to do so.

Leaders are meant to serve the team, yet the reverse is so common many people don’t understand why it is wrong. A poorly communicated or poorly defined goal will free a leader to indulge his selfish requests. It is possible the leader himself has lost sight of the goals so that his abuses are unintentional. Some examples of this kind of abuse: A church begins to lift culture and traditions to the authority of scripture. Parents work to mold a child’s personality in addition to the child’s character.

Groups are often required to tend to many menial tasks that indirectly bring the group closer to the goal. The number of tasks and the distance from the original goal contribute to these “forgotten goals”. Often those menial tasks can become the goal. Think of a stubborn department in a business that refuses to sacrifice in order to accommodate another department. Think of a church that becomes so lost in theology and worship they forsake charity. My old professor (Dr. Doran) would take considerable class time to remind us that the grade was not the goal. He’d remind us Computer Scientists are more than code monkeys. We are problem solvers and tool makers.

Let me review real what I’ve said before I close: A leader serves the team. He moves them towards the goal and ensures each member is effective. Leaders are human. They are prone to abuse the authority they require to direct the team and use that authority to serve his desires that are unrelated to the team’s goals. This problem is so common, many people can only identify grossest abusers. The less clear a team’s goal are, the easier it is for a leader to abuse his power.

Until recently issues like birth, death, welfare and marriage were all within the church’s domain. Within the past century or so authority of these issues has passed to the state. The church was reluctant to issue divorces. The state took a similar stance, denying divorces unless one spouse had significantly violated the marriage agreement. Couples determined to separate would do so by any means nessesary, which often meant perjury …or worse!

It was perjury that prompted governments to provide a straight-forward means to end a marriage without all the deceit, petty charges and arsenic. In 1970 the “no-fault divorce” law was passed. The gist of a “no-fault” divorce is that either spouse can terminate the marriage at anytime. No one needs to violate the marriage agreement and protests from the other party will not stop the proceedings.

The terms for a “no-fault” divorce differ from state-to-state. Surprisingly, New York is among the strictest states, requiring both spouses to sign a separation agreement and remain separated for a year before the proceedings can start. Could this be the reason New York has one of the lowest divorce rates in the country, significantly lower than every state in the Bible Belt? A small group began to lobby for a legal alternative that would allow couples to choose to deny themselves no-fault divorces. This new kind of marriage agreement is called a covenant marriage. The idea being that marriage would once again be a significant agreement by which a significant violation is required in order to terminate it. The most common violations are abuse, felony, adultery, abandonment, and long periods of separation. (As for the difference between abandonment and long-term separation, it is lost on me.)

• Wikipedia: no-fault divorce, covenant marriage

Joke: So this sandwich walks into a bar and asks for a beer. The bartender replies, “I’m sorry, we don’t serve food here.” &gtdrumRoll /&lt

Interesting Fact: I do not wear shoes while I am in the office.

When I was younger I wondered how much money I would have to bribe the staff of Six Flags so they would allow me to skip all the long lines that plague the theme park. I figured it would take several hundred. Turns out it is only about $40 more than the average ticket. $40 gets you a special device called a Golden Q-bot that allows you to move to the front of the 13 most popular rides in the Park.

For half that price people can purchase a regular Q-bot (and more info here). This spunky little device “virtually” stands in line for its owners whilst they prance and gallivant around the park. The group may choose to pass the time riding a different ride, taking in a show, shopping or mocking the suckers waiting in line. When Q-bot beeps wiggles and shakes, the group follows a fast line where a ride attendant seats them whilst the crowds hiss and jeer. The ego boost is similar to that of first-class air travel, but much better.

A few quick Q-bot tips:

There are a limited number of Q-bots available. Since most people aren’t aware of them there is only a slim chance they will all vanish. Woe be to ye who choose a crowded day and are unable to arm thyself with a Q-bot! Condemned! Condemned to spend the day standing with the commoners. Have fun in line, suckas!

Have one person purchase your Q-bot at the booths outside whilst someone else purchases your tickets. Once you’ve purchased the Q-bot, don’t stand in line with the loosers who have yet to purchase theirs. Head into the counter in the Stroller Rentals and pick up your little gizmo. Oh, and look just outside the Q-bot rentals are places to register for Thunder River, Superman and Batman. No need to run around the park twice. By the time you find the rides it will be your turn. Just keep this in mind: Q-bot forces schedules rides in the order you queue them. Hence, register for Thunder River with 1 hour wait before Superman with a 15 minute wait and you’ll waste 45 minutes of ride time. Q-bot beeps about 10 minutes before the “ride expires”. You are allowed to enter no more than 5 minutes before your time expired. After that, you gotta register to ride all over again.

Speaking of which, the thrill of simulated flight offered by the new Superman coaster rivals the leg dangling rush of the Batman coaster. People seem to be split 50/50 on the coaster they prefer. Ooh, and another amazing fact: the Mind Bender (which still holds its own when compared to the latest & greatest coasters) is over 25 years old! Egad!

It is also interesting to note that Disney World includes a Q-bot with the purchase of a ticket. I want to go to Disney World.

The router problems were fixed, thanks to the boys that work tech support at my ISP, Speed Factory. Quick plug: One quick call and Speed Factory can change you from Bell South to their Internet Service Provider (much like long distance carriers do). I have been extremely impressed with the response time and the personal attention they give me.

Ah, but I’ve seen the times and they are a changin’. Just like the time when men decided they liked ghetto booty..er..I mean curvy women, now women seem to have taken to big brows. So here I lie in bed with my forehead smothered in Rogaine (not the sort that breed zombie zygotes; that’s Rograin).

Also, I took note that no one took a minute to let Amazon know how helpful my review of the ARM reference manual is. (Two puns…) All you gotta do is scroll down and press a button! Philistines!

I’ve put the I-Opener up for auction.

Cwap, I need something else on this site. It is barren and blue.

If only I could share my netflix rental queue with the general public.