Thought Vomit

2005 Roundup Part 1: Personal

2005-12-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

So the year is coming to an end and I'd thought I'd reflect on the past year, since I'm not really feeling all that original. Lots of big things happened this year for me, and here they are in no particular order: Tokyo! We went to Tokyo this year and I cherish the memories from it. We saw Memoirs of a Geisha earlier this week, and there is scene where Chiyo is running through the orange gates at

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year VII

2005-12-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

I know it's been quite a quite since I last posted, and I promise to write up a few thoughts about things that have happened in the past few months and the year in general, but this was too good to pass up. If this isn't this visage of pure evil, I don't know what is. So, in the words of the Pope, I want to wish all my friends and family a "MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS, YA HEATHEN BASTARDS!!!!"

Buy This!

2005-10-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

So, if you'll recall way back in May I finished the art for my first comic. Well, this past weekend at Onna!, the convention that I was helping to run, (I might post about that later.) it finally saw the light of day. So, after 5 months of not looking at the art or the story, all I really see now are all the mistakes, compromises and shortcuts I had to make, because I didn't manage my time well,

I'm Not Wild About Harriet

2005-10-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

Clearly, the nomination of Harriet Miers is a turning point downward for this Presidency. The President insists she the best person qualified for the job, when given the list of sitting Federal judges he passed on, clearly she is not. I'd really like to know what world the President is living in, that he thinks a lawyer with no practical or theoretical experience with constitutional law is

For Great Justice!!!!!

2005-09-28T23:26:00.000-04:00

Does it make me a bad man to say that when the Washington Post email alert I got this afternoon stating the House Majority Leader was indicted on conspiracy charges that I let out a hearty "WOOHOO!!!"? If you've been reading Andrew Sullivan regularly, like me, you know the Republican revolution engineered by Gingrich back in '94 has been dead for quite a while. The GOP is as rife with corruption

The Age of Ignorance

2005-09-28T19:20:00.000-04:00

You know I thought this was all settled way back in 1925. No, first Kansas and now Pennsylvania have become new battlegrounds for a battle that was supposed to have been over 80 years ago. (Did somebody forgot to tell the Creationists they lost?)You would think in this brand new Internet Age with more information that we could possibly need at our fingertips, people (especially journalists) would

Katrina

2005-09-07T13:35:00.000-04:00

So, I've been trying to gather up enough steam to write something about this whole Katrina mess. But, all I really have is just my rambling incoherent voice to add to the chorus of those who are pissed off and angry about the failure of our government, at all levels, to provide for one of its most basic services: providing for the common defense. I'd go through the list but, it's easier just to

Mix Bag

2005-09-04T23:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since I last posted so here are some thoughts on things that have happened in the recent past. More recent stuff to follow. London Bombing: Feel free to disagree, but anyone who still thinks that Islamism is not a threat to our way of life is, at best, naive. Diplomacy and negotiations only work when the other side desires peace. Islamists don't desire peace, they desire

About Fucking Time

2005-07-13T23:36:00.000-04:00

Nobody but us diehard hockey fans care, but this is long, overdue news. And this analysis is right on the money. This was a textbook example of a Pyrrhic victory, and it will be years, if ever, before hockey regains the prominence it once held as one of the top four sports. It's like 7th now, behind NASCAR, College Football and College Hockey, if it's that high. Thanks a lot guys.

Heh. ;)

2005-07-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

I found this to be really funny.

We're gonna party like it's 1005

2005-07-13T23:11:00.000-04:00

It's safe to say that Pope Benedict the 16th is a fundamentalist. It's clear from his writing and his comments about a great number of things, that he's clearly thinking its some other time than 2005. I mean, if he thinks Harry Potter poses a threat to your immortal soul, then clearly he's living and thinking it's a different time. Now I'm not a theologian, (but I play one on TV), but it seems

Why I really like Tony Blair

2005-07-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

Clearly, the recent rejection by the French people of the EU constitution wasn't sufficient to humble the insufferable Jacques Chirac. So, he goes as normal and says something stupid: The French president declared that the only thing the British have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease, the French daily Libération reported. And this is why I like Tony Blair: But Mr Blair

One More Thing

2005-06-28T22:26:00.000-04:00

I finished the comic around the 22nd of May, and it's now in the pre-press process, and hopefully will be published in early August, in time for Otakon, the largest anime convention on the east coast. I know it's hard to imagine, but I'm excited. This comic, warts and all, means quite a deal to me, so I'll be doing what I can to make sure it succeeds as soon as I'm able. Unfortunately, I can't

Best. Wedding. Ever!

2005-06-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

So, its been well over a month since my last post and a lot has happened since then. Most of it was gearing up for our wedding which happened on the 18th. Yes, after 9+ years of co-habitation, or if you prefer "living in sin", Donna and I finally made it official. And I have to say, it wouldn't have been nearly as fun or successful if it weren't for the fabulous and wonderful group of people I

End in Sight

2005-05-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

So, a lot of things have been going on and I haven't been sleeping a lot lately, but I do have something to show for it: here.(Warning: pages 11-13 are probably not worksafe.) All in all, it's turning out well. I've still got a long way to go, to get the look I want. And I need to be more consistent with my faces and figures, but that'll work itself out eventually, with more work. I'm looking

H3 IS T3H SUXX0R

2005-04-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here's a little something to make you feel smug and confident in your l33tness.

The Cons Of Infatuation

2005-04-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

Among the many things that enthralled and enchanted us in Tokyo was the clean and effiencient and punctual transit system. So, it was a bit of a shock to hear of the accident a few days after we returned home near Osaka. And as this NYT article explains (Registration required), the very facets we loved about the transit system were underlying causes of this accident. I probably have said this so

The Return Home

2005-04-21T21:03:00.000-04:00

We woke up Wednesday morning with a heavy heart. It had been only 10 days, but as I keep saying it was like we had just arrived. And neither of us really wanted to go back, there was still so much to see, so much to do. Hell, we've only really seen just half of Ikebukuro, let alone the rest of the city. Breakfast one last time at Pronto, then back to the room for final packing. One last luxury,

4/19/2005 : Final Day in Tokyo

2005-04-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

Final day. Have I mentioned that I can't believe this trip is almost over. We wake up early again today to do the breakfast send off for Patty, Erica and Kelli. Again, we go the Cafe Pronto and have our usual breakfast of asagopan and breakfast hot dogs. Again, we're the loudest people in the place, but it's OK. It's our last day in Japan together, so we eat and talk and reminisce. Erica

4/18/2005 : Return to Shinjuku

2005-04-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

We got up late and rushed to get ready to meet Pattie, Erica, Kelli, Janice, Gideon and Lorelei for breakfast. Janice, Gideon and Lorelei were leaving today, and we decided to hang out for breakfast one last time. Pattie, Erica and Kelli leave tomorrow morning, and we leave Wednesday. Bruce had a real early flight this morning, so we said our goodbyes to him yesterday. I can't believe we have to

Harajuku

2005-04-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

Today started late, obviously. We met up at noon with Patty and Erica, went to the AM/PM and picked up some sandwiches for breakfast and ate outside in the sun, which was nice, even if we were being gawked at. After brunch, we were of to Harajuku to wade through the mass of humanity. And yes, it was literally like wading. Sunday is usually the day when most of the Japanese have off. So, everybody

The Yuri Revolution

2005-04-16T22:01:00.000-04:00

So, after lazing away the past seven days, it was now time to go to work. This was the real reason we came to Tokyo, we just built a vacation around it. ;)Anyway, we started the morning a little earlier, and we decided to dress up a little, just because. And everybody had the same idea, it seemed, we were a relatively good looking bunch. We met in the lobby, where my job was carry Erica's large

Nakano/Akihabara/Shinjuku 4/15/2005

2005-04-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

Went to bed at 12:30am and woke up at 7:30 am. Again another gorgeous day here in Tokyo. Today is pretty simple. The only thing we have planned is a return trip to Nakano branch of Mandarake. So off we go, with the regular crew, plus a few from the list. We get there and it's pretty much we're left to our own devices. We stop at an arcade first as Donna gets jonesing for some action. And then,

Nezu/Akasaka/Nakano

2005-04-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Went to bed at 11pm and woke up at 6:30. I think I've finally settled in here. When I woke up the light from outside was saturating the heavy curtains on the windows, so I knew it was sunny out today. Sure enough, I peek out the curtains and beautiful, wonderful sunlight poured into the room. Today is gorgeous. We roll early today, to get some breakfast before we meet up with everyone, since that

Ikebukuro at Night

2005-04-13T08:58:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to take pictures of the city at night for a while. Tonight, I remembered. We chilled and relaxed for a bit after returning from Asakusa and Kappabashi, then when we went out for dinner. We wandered through Ikebukuro and ended up in the Sunshine City mall and a curry place in the basement. I had the mutton curry, very spicy, and a Guinness. Delicious. Not sure what's up for

Day 5: Asakusa/Kappabashi/Inaricho

2005-04-13T03:07:00.000-04:00

Woke up at 6am today, after falling asleep around 1am. I had wanted to watch the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig episodes that were supposed to air at 2am, but I missed them. Today is another beautiful, dreary day in Tokyo. And now it's starting to get tired. I'd like to see the Sun again, it makes my pictures better. But, I'll take an overcast day in Tokyo to an overcast day in

Day 4 : Tarakazuka

2005-04-12T08:58:00.000-04:00

So I managed to sleep straight through for once, but only for 6 hours. Again I was up at 5 am, but I'm getting better at this. Maybe tonight, I'll be able to go on a regular sleep schedule. Today is another beautiful overcast, wet day in Tokyo, and today there are no Earthquakes. I found out that the second tremor we felt yesterday afternoon was actually its own quake and not an aftershock,

Ikebukuro/Shibuya

2005-04-11T02:31:00.000-04:00

****NOTE: Be sure and check out Erica's blog for another perspective on this trip. There's also a picture of Donna and I up there as well.****Again I started the day obnoxiously early: 6am. I had gone to bed around midnight, woke up at 2am, fell back asleep and then I was up again at 6am, this time for good. I'm guessing I won't get the hang of things until next Wednesday, when it's time to leave

Tokyo Day 2

2005-04-10T05:59:00.000-04:00

Woke up this morning at 6 am and could not get back to sleep. Donna woke up too, but since she's Narcolepsy Girl, she went back to sleep relatively quickly, I stayed up and watched Sunday morning Japanese TV, including a show where the hosts, a guy and two girls, traveled to Osaka and explored the area, the Sunday morning "Super Hero Hour" featuring Mahou Sentai Magiranger and Kamen Rider and

Konnichi wa, Bitches!!

2005-04-09T08:37:00.000-04:00

Tokyo Blog 4/8/2005It's 8:30 am and I'm at Gate D11 for United Flight 883 to Chicago, where we'll be catching our connecting flight to Tokyo. There is a free wireless network provided by Cingular, but for some reason I don't bother figuring out, it won't give me a DHCP lease, thus, no web surfing. Oh, the indignities. (Update, I figured out what it was later, when I had trouble connecting to the

Hot Coffee In A Can!!!

2005-03-31T15:37:00.000-05:00

There was a lot of stress in March for me, between new daily crises at work, and all the commitments I've made for my spare time: comic, band, wedding, the Donna. But the one thing that kept me going was my battle cry: "Hot Coffee In A Can!" It instantly put a smile on my face, and whatever was bothering me at the moment, just wasn't that big a deal anymore. For those of you wondering, "Hot Coffe

"Flights of Fancy" update

2005-03-31T15:35:00.000-05:00

So, March was a really, really hectic month, but, it's all good as, we've broken a lot of performance records this month, which means fat bonus for me, and lots of spending money for Tokyo next week. :-D More about that in a minute. Anyway, I'm not where I should be with this, but I am on pace to actually finish this, unlike last year. The naughty pages are taking me awhile, as they're naughty,

Blast From The Past

2005-02-24T22:41:00.000-05:00

Way back in the day, when I was fresh out of college, circa 1994-95, I played with a couple of guys, trying to get a band together. It was my first attempt at trying to put together a band. The guitar player, Joel Sain, lived in my building and we had been jamming in my apartment for a while. If I recall correctly, it was mostly his enthusiasm that got me motivated, but I don't think any of us

One Of These Days. . . .

2005-02-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

I'll actually have time again to post on a regular basis. Though who knows when that will be.

I'm Still Alive

2005-02-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

So much for trying to keep this thing up to date the last couple of weeks. Been kinda crazy hectic at work and I've been too beat when I get home do anything more than watch anime or TiVo. Anyway, a bunch of stuff has happened in the last few weeks that I want to comment on. So stay tuned.

Weird Associations

2005-01-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

So, it's winter and a sign of the season is the perennial sale of Girl Scout Cookies. Every year I buy a lot of boxes of Samoas, because they're awesome. And every year when I bring them home, I say something along of the lines of "I've got Girl Scout Cookies. Made with real Girl Scouts!" This particular line had its origins in the Vampire LARP we used to play. Donna played a sociopathic looney

Whew Part II

2005-01-31T22:40:00.000-05:00

So, it's been kinda crazy the last bunch of days. We've been shorthanded at work for various reasons and I've been pulling up the slack, doing double duty as tech and my other managerial duties. This week is shaping up to be not as intensive, so I might be able to update a little more this week. So stay tuned.

Brave New World

2005-01-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

That great whoosh you heard around 6pm yesterday was the collective sigh of relief from the entire Philadelphia Region as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons and the electric Michael Vick 27-10 to advance to their first Super Bowl in 24 years. When the Eagles last went to a Super Bowl, Ronald Reagan was barely into his first 100 days and I was 8 years old. I really don't

The Hockey Lockout Claims It's First Victim.

2005-01-21T17:45:00.000-05:00

Surely this should be a wake up call. After something like this, I find the two sides positions assuming that the fans will return, increasingly hard to believe.

Cyber Spite

2005-01-21T17:18:00.000-05:00

The Donna sends this unintentionally hilarious article about online RPGs, people's weaknesses and the new ways to exploit them.

Deathknell continues

2005-01-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

I was going to mention that talks were starting up again, but I figured I'd wait until there some progress. Good thing I waited. As this article says, absolutely nothing has changed. Hopefully, one day we'll have professional hockey again.

LInk Of The Day

2005-01-19T12:20:00.000-05:00

You know Jibjab's hit the big time when KYW1060 considers their new release worthy enough to merit a mention every 22 minutes. Like their previous two films skewering the election process, this one skewers Bush's victory and the Inauguration. Worth checking out.

Another Balmy Day in Paradise

2005-01-18T18:12:00.000-05:00

While I highly suspect that I would thorougly enjoy life in Southern California. like my friend Dave, all things considered, at least I don't live in Embarrass, Minnesota. While it's a testament to the durability and adaptability of humanity to its environment, I just don't see the appeal.

It All Comes Down To This

2005-01-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

So, here we are a year later, a little older, a little wiser, and the Eagles are hosting yet another NFC Championship game. All the criticisms about resting players and whatever were answered yesterday in a neat 27-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. But, as many questions as they've answered, the Eagles still have more left to prove. The Atlanta Falcons seem, to me at least, to be exactly

Activism or Jurisprudence II

2005-01-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

From the "I can't believe that this is still an issue" department comes this recent ruling against an Georgia School Board's decision to preface Biology textbooks with a sticker saying that evolution is only a theory. I suppose that, semantics-wise, that's true, but considering there exists a preponderance of evidence, to use the civil court standard, collected by thousands of scientists for

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2005-01-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

A lot of people will probably complain that Sharon is playing hardball again, and that he should give Abbas a chance to assert his power. But, I can see why Sharon would want to play hardball sooner rather than later, to find out if Abbas will be like Arafat or will really push for peace

Anybody Remember Hockey?

2005-01-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

You remember that in the days between Eagles and Sixers games there used to be a fast paced sport with equal parts skill and brutality? No? Me either. This is probably why. As I've stated before, their near sightedness will only succeed in ruining professional hockey at the highest level, as this report seems to indicate. When 50% of the fans don't care if there's a season, that doesn't seem

Activism or Jurisprudence?

2005-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

So the Supreme Court rules against mandatory sentencing for Federal Courts and decides not to hear a Florida Gay Adoption case. One sounds like a liberal victory, the other sounds like a conservative victory. And again the Rehnquist court continues to baffle any and all who attempt to predict how they will rule. Since the SCOTUS can decline a case without comment, we don't know why they didn't

Of Course Democracy Works

2005-01-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

Though as the Ukrainians prove, it ain't always pretty. Kudos to the people of Ukraine, Victor Yuschenko, and all the organizations,watchdogs, and volunteers who perservered and survived the attempt to highjack the democratic process. Definitely one of the feel good stories of the year. ***EDIT: Fixed typo in title.***

I'm Shocked. Shocked, I Say!

2005-01-10T17:09:00.000-05:00

Another follow up to the UN Oil for Food scandal. An independent inquiry has posted the results of of the Iraq Oil for Food program and finds several areas to criticize the UN and its oversight bodies for. It sounds like incompetence and understaffing enabled a lot of collusion. But, I'm sure more details will come to light shortly, and maybe some indictments. I didn't say anything about the

A New Beginning

2005-01-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

This and not Randy Moss' fake mooning is probably one, though not the only one, of the biggest stories to come out of the weekend. Everybody is saying all the right things as the world congratulates him, but it remains to be seen if he will actually be an effective President. Hamas and Arafat's militants still remain a problem, especially since they celebrated Abbas' election by calling for more

What I'm Watching Part 2: Gundam

2005-01-05T19:56:00.000-05:00

Even, though a couple of series I've been watching have ended, I'll probably still be writing about them, if for no other reason than to sharpen my critical thinking skills, or lack thereof. So here we go with Part 2 (For those that care: Part 1) First off, is an entry in the Giant Robot genre, which is what people usually think when you say anime, after they think of tentacles and porn.

Uh, Maybe This Wasn't Such A Good Idea

2005-01-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

So nearly 6 weeks after they initially proposed this rule change, which I wrote about here,the House Republicans have decided to reverse themselves and let the ethics rule stands. Though from reading the article, it seems their interest is not reforming the ethics rules of conduct, but protecting Tom Delay, in the the least controversial way possible. I'm still amazed at this man's hubris,

SEPTA Sucks A Little Less

2005-01-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

I missed this little piece of news on the SEPTA "Doomsday" front released on Friday. So, there's at least a one extra month reprieve, but hopefully I'll be driving by then. Of course, it doesn't mean that anything will get resolved by then, as this quote indicates. Steve Miskin, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Samuel H. Smith (R., Jefferson), said House Republicans still need to be

Happy New Year!

2005-01-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

So that's another year in the books. And looking back on it, it wasn't a bad year at all. If there was one real regret I had over the last year, it would have been not finishing up my comic for Yuri Monogatari 2, but that's something I'll correct for 2005. 2004 didn't start off too well, as Donna was horribly sick with the flu and we had to go the hospital so they could treat her, while I was

wow, continued.

2004-12-29T20:45:00.000-05:00

As I continue to see phots and videos, this is still very hard for me to comprehend, this is clearly one of those things that you have to experience in order to fully understand, like being in New York on 9/11/01. My friend, Rick, sent me this Uêba !! ->link. More photos and videos at the usual locations. Drudge, CNN, and Google among others.

Ewww

2004-12-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

So, one night after losing one of its favorite prodigal sons and arguably the best pass rusher in NFL history, The Philadelphia Eagles played an ugly game of trying not to get hurt. While I agree with John Madden about the need for competition, especially on Monday Night Football, I'm not the winningest coach in Eagles history, so I'll trust that Andy Reid knows what he's doing.

wow

2004-12-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

This is clearly the story of the week, if not the year. And everybody and their mother is covering it. Just a little perspective: • Lincoln Financial Field completely sells out at 68,532 people. • Last year, 75,000 people died around the world from natural disasters, including the 40,000 that died in the Bam, Iran earthquake. (Link from Jeff Jarvis' Buzz Machine.) Compare that with the 1213

And Then There Were Four . . .

2004-12-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

< sigh > You'll recall a month ago I wrote about the split with Tom. To recap, an argument broke out between Shawn and Tom about how and which songs were going to be added, and Tom quit. Sort of. I didn't think it was going to be permanent, just a flare up that we'd hopefully resolve. The next week, the band voted 3-1 to let Tom go his separate ways. After that we played two gigs with Tom and as

Christmas #32

2004-12-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

So, another Christmas has come and gone and for the most part it was a good Christmas. I was more excited about seeing the reactions of people I gave presents to, than anticipating what I was getting. A long, long time ago, I picked up the idea that having very low expectations at Christmas would mean that I'd rarely be disappointed in whatever I received, even if it was an ugly sweater, or a

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year VI

2004-12-24T10:43:00.000-05:00

Drudge again. Because it isn't Xmas until you make a fat boy cry.

Cleaning Off The Egg

2004-12-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Following up on this post earlier this month, comes news that Kofi Annan's chief aide is retiring. The article seems to suggest that this is the just the start of the housecleaning at the UN, in the wake of the Oil for Food Scandal. Stay Tuned. Linked from Instapundit.

What Science Hath Wrought II

2004-12-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

What price progress? $50,000. That's how much it costs to get yourself your own cloned kitty. Science marches inexorably forward, leaving Society to play catch up.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year V

2004-12-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

Found on Drudge: Seasonal Displays Being Looted. It's a Washington Post article, so you might need to register to read it.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year IV

2004-12-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

In the interest of fairness, I submit this stellar example of the Christmas spirit in my home state. Also found on Drudge.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year III

2004-12-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

Found this on Drudge. Is it wrong for me to smile because this happened in France? No, good. ;)

The Other Shoe Drops

2004-12-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, around 3pm there was an audible gasp across the entire Delaware Valley, as T.O. limped off the football field. Today, there is no joy in Hoo-, er Philadelphia, as we learn that there will probably be no T.O. until, and if, we make it to Jacksonville. No, the joy and elation we should have felt at this team notching another historic first in this, it's dream season, a franchise record

New Year's At Ev's

2004-12-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

In what is turning out to be the primary plans for a fabulous New Year's 4 years running, my boss, Everett is again hosting a New Year's Eve Party in his new swanky digs on South Street. While it never completely descend into a bacchanalian orgy of sin, it's still a damn good time. So, for all my friends who are looking for something to do on New Year's this is it. I've padded my RSVP with at

SEPTA Sucks Update

2004-12-18T17:26:00.000-05:00

Dan Geringer reports with much less bias this time, that the City is suing SEPTA to stop any cutting of service or raising fares to a national high of $3. We'll see if the City gets an injunction for Xmas.

Why I Love The Japanese II

2004-12-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

From the "Except for our differences, we're a lot alike" Department, comes this from Mainichi Daily News' "Wai Wai" section. Compare this with Tom Wolfe's new book, I Am Charlotte Simmons and Katie Couric's forthcoming TV special on teen sexuality, and discuss amongst yourselves.

Speaking Of The Blame Game. . .

2004-12-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

The NHLPA knows how to play. It doesn't matter who's right, but NHLPA are doing a good job of painting Bettman and the NHL owners as the bad guys. We'll see what kind of effect that will have on public sentiment after this is all over.

NEWSFLASH: SEPTA Still Sucks!

2004-12-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

In one singluar stroke, SEPTA's Board of Executives have managed to destroy any sympathy they might have had in this whole financial crisis mess they're in. Instead of doing the proper PR thing and painting Republican State Majority Leader John Perzel as the asshole and the villain, SEPTA made sure the bullseye landed squarely on them, by passing their Doomsday scenario despite protests from

Blame The Parents

2004-12-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

There's clearly not enough information in this article to say whether or not Nathan Gale's mother deserves the suffering she is heaping upon herself but this statement makes me think that it's completely justified: "He came home with the medications, and I don't know if he took them or not," Clark said, refusing to show her face on camera. "I have such remorse for those families, and I am so

Why I Love The Japanese I

2004-12-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

So, I was actually going to post this a couple of days ago, but I forgot. Still, check out what the the innovative and weird Japanese have come up with now. Just in time for Xmas, surprise one of your lonely, but cutely pathetic friends withthis. At the very least, it will make you smile.

The Jack-Heeled Boot Of Despair

2004-12-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there are plenty of nuances to this NHL labor dispute that I'm not privy to, but apparently neither side really knows what the meaning of compromise is. So much for watching Hockey this season, I wonder if either side knows how difficult it's going to be to win the trust of their fans again. It took years for MLB to overcome the bad blood engendered by its labor dispute. The NFL dispute

If Only

2004-12-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

If only this were real. . . .

Hope Born Across The River

2004-12-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

This struck me as big news, when I first about it on KYW1060 yesterday morning, but it seems to be only a big local story at this point. Drudge did have it posted yesterday, though, so who knows. If this proves to be true, it will probably be hailed as the great breakthrough of 2004, and another shining testament to human ingenuity and dedication.

Heresy: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore.

2004-12-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Xmas, I now know whither shall I spend eternity, once I've shuffled off this mortal coil. The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!Here is how you matched up against all the levels:LevelScorePurgatory (Repenting Believers)Very LowLevel 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very LowLevel 2 (Lustful)Very HighLevel 3 (Gluttonous)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Part II

2004-12-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Found this at Andrew Sullivan yesterday: The Ten Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time. Try and guess which one is my favorite.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2004-12-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

Spotted this on Drudge. Now that's funny.

More On The Death Of Dimebag

2004-12-10T13:04:00.000-05:00

Details are starting to emerge about the incident. There's this Channel Six claim that Nathan Gale thought Pantera stole his lyrics. Though it seems that his big beef was that Dimebag broke up Pantera last year. Clearly, he was not all together and unfortunately we'll be left to wonder why. Condolences and reactions from the industry are starting to come in as well. But, I'm glad that people

What A Move!

2004-12-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

In what I'm hoping will be the beginning of the end, the NHLPA met with the NHL commisioner yesterday and put a proposal to get hockey going again. It seems to be a bold move by the NHLPA and shift toward the NHL's position, according to this story. Considering that the two sides haven't talked since sometime in September, this can only be considered a good thing. Bettman will respond on Tuesday

Hollow

2004-12-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

So, today didn't start out well, as I have been fighting off whatever it is that has submarined Donna, and that made me extra late getting out of bed this morning. Then I discovered that yet again, Lady Luck did not bless me with winning Powerball numbers. And then when I get into work, Nick emails me this story in a "Can you believe this kind of crazy shit?" kind of email. This only further

Don't Believe The Hype

2004-12-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

One of the big memes to come out of 2004 is that the country is undergoing some sort of social conservative revolution, and that they are sick and tired of all the filth that spews out of the liberal Hollywood Media. Just like the "Values" meme that was propogated after the 2004 election, the campaign against indeceny being waged by the FCC after a record number of complaints, appears to be the

Hint Hint

2004-12-05T22:50:00.000-05:00

So the Springboard Xmas Party is coming up on the 16th and every year we do a Pollyanna/Secret Santa. Up until last year I never really thought about the difficulty co-workers face in buying gifts for me, mainly because, in years past, the people who ended up picking me, either asked me, or knew enough about me to pick up something I liked. That changed with poor, unfortunate Katherine last year.

< sigh > Good Times

2004-12-04T03:28:00.000-05:00

So I got a call yesterday from my friend/enabler/The Devil Incarnate Mike O'Hara who wanted to get a head count for the LARP he's planning on running at next week's Philcon. You remember he's the one who inspired me to start this blog. It's supposed to be a reunion for all the Darkness Before Dawn LARP'ers from back in the day. (I can't believe that page is still up, btw.) Anyway, Mike's

A Little Update

2004-12-03T23:35:00.000-05:00

Nothing much, just added a bunch of links to the right hand side underneath the archives. I put up three sections, for now, "Links" for things I'm involved with, "Friends" for my friends' blogs, and "News and Commentary" for the places I read to get informed and to pick up my talking points. ;) I'm thinking about putting up a webcomics section, like Kelly has, for the stuff I read, when I'm

You Got Egg On Your Face

2004-12-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

World Government. It's a concept that you see a lot in Sci-Fi, and hear about from the left. I remember thinking along those lines up until five years ago, roughly. The idea that all the world's ill could be resolved by giving the UN some balls seems like a good idea, but when you stop to consider that Syria sat on the Human Rights Commision, and Iran is on a UN Internet panel trying to grab for

Why Philly Is Cooler Than You Think

2004-12-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

So, ever since I noticed this story posted on Drudge yesterday, I've been telling a lot people about it, so I figured I needed to blog about it. Cereal is one of the things I don't eat a lot of anymore, since I rarely have time for breakfast at home anymore. But, I have to admit, I want to check out the cereal bar, since it seems like a cool, if silly, thing. Anyway, here's the link to their

What He Said

2004-12-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

So remember in this post, when I said I'd post my thoughts on what the elections results mean. Well, here it is a month later and I've not done it yet. I'm not one to dole out a lot of excuses, but I really haven't been able to coalesce my thoughts into something coherent yet. Fortunately, for me, my friend Matt has done the work for me, actually within days of the election, and he just never

Rock Star

2004-11-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

As I promised in this post you can now view a few of the Halloween photos here. Thanks go out to Number 1 Allan's Jacket fan Joyce for snapping these photos. Just in case you're wondering, it takes years to develop that cool, aloof Rock Star disdain that I'm sporting. ;)

Driving

2004-11-27T20:32:00.000-05:00

So, my friend Lauren took me out for my first driving session. It really wasn't a lesson so much, since I had a pretty good handle on the basics, as it was just trying to get comfortable behind the wheel. Which I started to, but it's clearly going to take a lot of repetition to make it natural, but I think I probably started off a lot better than most beginner's, I think. Everybody knows that

Not My Father's Son

2004-11-26T14:22:00.000-05:00

So, coming home Wednesday night, my Dad and I were talking about the news and how the nightly national news is a dinosaur and that all the cool kids get their news online, when my dad was talking about columnists he liked and disliked. One of the names he mentioned of columnists that he liked would have caused a spit take from me, had I been drinking anything at that particular moment. My family

Young, Dumb And Full of . . . .

2004-11-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night the band played the Top 5 Bar and Grill on Haverford and City Line Avenue and we had the largest crowd there in the 3 times we've played that location. But, honestly that place with the tables cleared out could have easily fit twice as many people without being too crowded. What was surprising was the amount of young people in attendance, fresh faced young boys and girls whose

SEPTA Sucks

2004-11-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

One of the cruel, hard facts of living in the Greater Philadelphia Area is that we pay an arm and leg for the worst public transit system in the entire country. SEPTA has a massive fleet of buses, an anemic subway/trolley system and decent railroads. But, SEPTA has a very long history of mismanagement and fiscal problems. The latest crisis threatens to derail weekend service across the board and

Should We Be Worried?

2004-11-21T22:13:00.000-05:00

I noticed this story on Drudge today and I'm pretty sure he's been posting similar stories this year. Now I'm not a biblical scholar -- but I play one on TV-- but aren't plague of locusts one of the Seven Signs or something? I'm just saying.

The Hockey Gods Are Angry

2004-11-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

Annoyed that the NHL and NHLPA aren't even trying to resolve their dispute, the Hockey Gods have apparently found other outlets to express their displeasure. A week ago Sunday there was this, and then Friday night, there was this in Detroit, and yesterday the madness spread to South Carolina where we got this. Clearly, the message is "Get back to playing hockey, dumbasses, where fighting belongs.

Hanging Tough

2004-11-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a tough week for Arlen Specter, but I'm glad to see that pressure from Social Conservatives succeeded in only giving Arlen a few sleepless nights. Looks he'll be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I've noticed, as have others, that Santorum has been quiet about the whole matter. Two more years, Rick, two more years.

Power Corrupts

2004-11-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Tom DeLay, the Republicans voted in a GOP caucus this week to tweak their rules to protect the Majority leader in the case that he's indicted in Texas. Several of Delay's cronies in Texas have already been indicted, and the prosecuting DA may indeed have an axe to grind, but I doubt it, but even if it's found that Tom Delay is not criminally sleazy, it still looks like the Republicans

The Agony of Bad Decisions

2004-11-21T14:20:00.000-05:00

Of course if it's game day in Philadelphia, it's time for a new T.O. controversy. This week: Monday Night Football meets Desperate Housewives, a suggestively naked Nicole Sheridan and a willing Terrell Owens. It's been impossible to watch TV or read the newspapers or surf the web without hearing about the MNF fiasco. I've seen the spot and it's silly, full of bad acting (T.O.), and just stupid.