Meanderings Archived

07/31/05 - 09/08/05



09/08/05 1:15am

Painful Agassi and Bloating

Nice Comeback

I wanted Agassi to win but I honestly thought James had him. Awesome match, tremendous effort. And no shrieking like Sharapova/Williams last night, either. That was really getting old. I used to enjoy it but I can see now how disruptive and kinda cheap it is. Ah well. I thought she earned it before the grunting began anyway.

Anyone watching US Open matches knows the folly of all the repetitive commercials; I think I've meandered about this before. My least favorite so far are the "perspective" Mass Mutual spots, where everybody's doing the old "I crush your head" gag on an object that *gasp* grows progressively larger the closer they get to it. One of those slick marketing packages, seen so often in financial advertising, where the product ($$) is secondary to some power word they choose to latch on to and exploit visually. I wanted the little boy to get all the way up to the ferris wheel (Texas State Fair, incidentally) and then have it detach and roll him over. How's that perspective for ya, chum?

My favorite, in a sick way, is the Powercop. It opens on a "parent's worst nightmare": TV and video-game addicted kids. What could be fucking worse. I ask you. How the fuck are we supposed to raise our kids right AND keep blindly buying stacks of movies and video games for them. Well guess what. Now the Powercop takes it out of your hands entirely. Just fuckin set this damn timer here, lock it around the power cord there, and take off for the Bahamas knowing your kids will only be able to watch 30 minutes of TV until you get back with "the precious." They used to have a more shamefree responsibility shirker attitude at the end of the commercial but now that we're getting into the semis I guess everything needs to be that much more PC.

The Lexus "Ridin' wit' Roddick" (or whatever) series is only entertaining for Andy's crosseyed facial expressions. Of course I could never get tired of Maria's Powershot camera ad; here's hoping they keep that one around for a few years. Great thigh holster. Whaddaya, get that at a specialty store I imagine? Yap.

Jeez, people used to be executed by being elephant-crushed. Ouch.

Bloody Finger Mail. Gruesome. Make your own.

Organic HTML seems to grow a set of crazy flowers based on the site design of whatever address you type in there. Neat to play around with.

Well, Agassi vs Federer, lets do this already. Get crackin'.

Comment on this entry...


09/05/05 5:30pm

The Pabst Identity

Cecil's Gambit

Seen here clutching his newest find (Pabst talls), McCecil sealed his place in my immortal pantheon this weekend by appending an expertly crafted tailgating session with a brief but still enjoyable SGS Reunion (replete with Hanky, Gay Shaun, and The General T-Shirts for San Gabe alumni). After clogging my inbox with more emails than the Hello virus, nearly all of the old gang converged on the parking lot for a few beers on Sunday night. Luckily Wilmo was able to play a single classic tune ("Patience") on his trusty guitar before a Men at Work reject cop showed up to shoo us away, sending us packing to Showdown. Noise complaints my ass. I had a dream that night that I went up to the place above 106 and some strange girl that lived there fessed up to being the snitch. She was quite nonchalant about it and completely unremorseful. I called her some choice names and left disgusted with humanity.

Showdown was a good time though, good to see all the out-of-towners again. If anyone has any photos of the reunion that came out better than my cell phone pics (surely), send em and I'll make a Yahoo! album. Speaking of which, I'll be scanning in all my SGS pictures for a public album - and I'd love contributions from all parties, digital or prints (I can scan and return them). Together we can build the master tome. Think of it.

A really crazy Dawn of War forum thread. Bizarre but amusing.

Home of the F-Bomb.

Comment on this entry...


09/01/05 10:41pm

One Dog's Handiwork

In Tatters

I wish I could blame Katrina, but this mess is actually the handiwork of one inspired dog. Bastard. He was pissed because I was getting things together for my diel study last Tuesday. A lil' separation anxiety. Anyway, I left at 3:30 the next morning, drove out to Blanco, stayed at my study site taking measurements and running filtrations every two hours until 7:00 the next morning. Camping is such a trade-off: fresh air, silence, amazing starscapes at night... all combined with the heat, humidity, mosquitos, fire ants and whatever else I've forgotten. It was nice to put behind me but I think I got some good work done. Here's a photo album. This is like the best time-lapse photography of all time. Like anyone can even know that, Napoleon.

Comment on this entry...


08/28/05 12:26am

War war war war war

Before Dawn

I finally grubbed me some Dawn of War (PC), and it's everything I knew it would be. I've only played one skirmish as Chaos against an easy Computer opponent, and I didn't even get the Bloodthirster, but already I know I must approach this one with caution or be cursed to sleepless nights of 41st millennium warfare. Coincidentally, I rented Fire Warrior (PS2) and since it's only a couple of bucks above rental price to keep it, I think I probably will. It's nowhere near the best PS2 first-person shooter I've ever played, but all the licensing really sealed the deal. To pick up a bolter and rapid-fire the explosive shells at plasma pistol-wielding, chainsword swinging Space Marine sergeants charging at you, yelling out vows to the Emperor all the while... it makes the generally mundane title a must-see for 40k fans. Not bad at all.

I meant to post this in the last entry - a site I linked to from Rapture Ready: Way Of The Master, hosted by none other than my main man Kirk Cameron. Witness as Kirk guides you through his organization's interpretations of the 10 Commandments and calls you out for being the weak piece of human shit you are. But don't worry, salvation is just a few mouse-clicks and several decades of groveling away.

Robersan brought me up to speed on the Pizza Man Bombing Mystery. Such a strange story.

Wilmo sent me this Mirror.co.uk story about Rockstar's new PS2 game, Bully. Well, thanks to Google I found this great British site, Bullying Online. But don't get your hopes up. These people are apparently anti-bullying. Imagine the nerve. And apparently they get to talk to Rockstar about the game, according to their news section. For those still suffering the lingering effects of bullying: For Older People.

I went to Amistad last week, here are some pictures: August 2005.

Some doll wars between myself and Mucky. Imperial Guard held the line for a draw.

Comment on this entry...


08/27/05 2:57pm

For this jelly...

I Don't Think You're Ready

Pictured at left is a Jellyfish sculpture piece created by Satava Art Glass. Pretty damn expensive, but the site is worth clicking around a bit.

Are you Rapture Ready? Why not take the Spiritual Health? Better get yourself ready! After all, the "The supremacy of Christianity over all other faiths is not based on arrogance... [rather] simply based on facts." Oh, okay. Maybe I'd find it easier to "adhear" to the Word if these guys had a spellcheck. I'm reluctant to have two entries in a row bagging on religion but what can I say. This stuff has been jumping out at me lately. Check out the site's Photorama page, specifically the Flood and Knowledge pages - gotta love a webpage that gives the internet as a sign of the approaching Rapture. I also liked going through all the Rapture convention photo albums; here's a great example.

Another good one is The Preterist Archive, created by believers that seem to be at odds with the Rapturites. Apparently, he did indeed return!

Duck Doom. Awesome. Speaking of Doom, check out the preview for the upcoming film starring the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. First-person Fantastique.

Comment on this entry...


08/20/05 4:40pm


Modern Croquet Issue 1

Comment on this entry...


08/19/05 12:02am

Lesson Learned!

Don't Break The Sabbath

Well, this is probably the find of the week: the Brick Testament (c/o http://del.icio.us/). I mean, obviously the Lego work is the main attraction. Very very good. But I was surprised at how many of these things I just pored through during my very first sitting. God is always the best character, always with this pissed-off expression on his face as he commands his chosen around, shamelessly fickle and hopelessly sadistic. Honestly, why people would choose to depict their lord and creator as such a confused monster is beyond me. I guess if you're leading your armies on a road trip of slaughter, rape, and pillage he's a good one to look to for guidance. It's been a while since I've read stories from the wilderness section. Gimme a break. Then there's J.C., who's shenanigans remind me of noone more than David Koresh. There, I said it. He's crazy. A lot of these lessons make no sense, and are completely contrary to the whole 'love thy neighbor' bit he's so famous for. And the parables - what the hell?! I've wondered whether in the future I might turn to the church as many do, but yea, it will have to be after I've forgotten everything I ever read from the Bible. I'll just have to figure something else out, I guess.

Some hits from Genesis: So everyone knows Topaz is back in town? He went with me to see Scout Niblett at the Parish on Tuesday night. I don't know anyone besides myself into this female artist, but then again she's probably not for everyone. The show was definitely worth the cheap cover, but I felt like she could have been a bit better prepared to perform. Halfway through "Pom Poms," probably my favorite track off her last album Kidnapped by Neptune, she just kinda gives up - just as the drum bits are coming in - and skips to her next song. That was a letdown but I still had a pretty good time. There was hardly anyone there and she was staffing her own merch table. It was cute.

I've been saying it for years: You are worthless, Alec Baldwin.

Can't handle Mine Sweeper? We can't all be Dan Payne - here's how to cheat. By the way, 'Dan is a snake on the road -- a viper on the path who bites the horse's heel so that its rider falls off backwards!' - Gn 49:17.

Pharyngula is a nice science topics blog. IMHO. Not that I'm all that hot on science right now, I just got done with a ten-hour day in the lab blundering through this particulate organic carbon analysis and I seriously doubt I got any good numbers from it. Fuckall.

Megaman, awesome!

Had a bit of a games day on Monday - first dolls with Mack, croquet with K-Lube and Mucky, and then some more dolls.

Comment on this entry...


08/14/05 4:54pm

Anaconda

Anaconda (1997)

Steve Buscemi A Japanese "Cammy" Cosplayer
John Steinbeck Satan

Furthermore: Woah, what a stinker. Unfortunately I didn't have time to make blue period 'scheisse' markers. I guess I felt like I needed to take on some bad movie karma after Broken Flowers, and woah nelly I earned every damn point I got. It did start to improve, once they hooked up with Jon Voigt's crazy paraguayan poacher (is that shoe polish in his hair?), but then it hurried back to Shit Town pretty quickly. Totally weak. I don't know why these movies are made. The snake is fucking ridiculous. Ice Cube, J Lo, ah man just flush it already.

Comment on this entry...


08/14/05 4:06pm

The Machinist

The Machinist (2004)

Steve Buscemi A Japanese "Cammy" Cosplayer
John Steinbeck Satan

Furthermore: I agree with Mucky: a cross between Jacob's Ladder and Memento. Christian Bale at his skinniest. Interesting twist at the end, but like a Shamalyan film there's probably not too much replay value (maybe once more to catch clues you may have missed). Weird imagery. Brad Anderson.

Comment on this entry...


08/14/05 4:06pm

Broken Flowers

Broken Flowers (2005)

Steve Buscemi A Japanese "Cammy" Cosplayer
John Steinbeck Satan

Furthermore: Probably my favorite movie to come out this year. I like Jim Jarmusch a lot, and given my usual weakness for unabashed fanboyism it suprises many to hear that I haven't seen earlier titles like Down by Law and Night on Earth. Well, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. And I digress. Broken Flowers is fantastic. The sense of humor is so masterfully crafted to my exact specifications, I can't even believe it. Jarmusch is one of those directors who isn't afraid to have a trademark - the long fadeouts, old cartoons - and frankly if it was any other director I'd probably hate the obviousness of it. Instead I think it puts the setting firmly in Jarmusch's own universe - a world very much like our own but shaded by the edges of his perception - and it makes the bizarre characters and situations that much easier to explore. And all the characters are explored exactly at Jarmusch's discretion - he'll give you exactly as much information as he thinks you need. No dumbing it down, even for the more simple jokes. The result is a hilarious, poignant, unique look at life and the inexorable march of time. Bill Murray is so subdued as Don, so shameless. I could say more but I don't want to give anything away. See it yourself. Cool movie. I mean, it made me use the word 'poignant;' enough said.

Comment on this entry...


08/14/05 4:06pm

Jesus' Son

(1999)

Steve Buscemi A Japanese "Cammy" Cosplayer
John Steinbeck Satan

Furthermore: Like most movies starring heroin, this one is quite a downer. There are some funny characters and situations, but by the end not even his hopeful return to sobriety could pierce the dark cover of clouds that obscures the entire hour and a half of Jesus' Son. The title didn't make that much sense to me, and the scene that it references was also similarly muddled. The cast was excellent, they all did a good job. I was initially leery of old Leary but his Wayne was probably my favorite character in the film's diverse population of junkies and losers. Jack Black, also a favorite: "We'll camp in the wilderness, and in the morning we'll breakfast on its haunches!" Because the director (Alison Maclean) does a decent job of capturing the main character's slightly retarded perception of the world around him, most of the film was interesting to watch. Overall though some of it felt kinda pointless. I mean, jesus, the baby rabbits...?

Comment on this entry...


08/13/05 5:08pm

Bullyish

The Motherlode <--link!

1: omnibully - all bully
2: conbully - with bully
3: nonbullyment - action or process of not bully
4: bullygraphy - representation of or process of representing bully
5: contrabullymetric - relating to measurement of against or opposite of bully
6: bullyish - of, relating to, or being bully
7: bullygenesis - beginning of bully
8: magbully - great bully
9: audiobullycide - to cut down or kill hearing or sound bully
10: peribullyant - being, promoting or causing around, about bully

And of course #10 is the best of all. Or maybe #8. Or maybe #5. Like I tell my wife, don't be so fucking contrabullymetric all the time.

Comment on this entry...


08/07/05 11:22pm

Secret Chiefs 3, Pelican, The Dears

Blux Dux

I'd been meaning to work on the new scheme for some time, and I like how it came out. I think it really evokes a mating of stark european style with my stony resove to put as little effort into learning html as possible. I'm taking bets from myself on whether my initial drive will wane before I finish the rest of the mkave.geo site. Little do I know, I paid myself off to take a dive so I can collect on the wager I made against myself. Easy money!

Three albums I've been listening to:
  • Pelican - The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw - decent instrumental metal. Good for backround listening. I think they will only get better. First recommended on that Waterloo records page that's always in The Austin Chronicle.
  • Secret Chiefs 3 - Book of Horizons - sometimes exotic, sometimes metal, sometimes just some really weird shit. Another instrumental composition. Can be difficult to listen to, but some tracks are definitely interesting enough to warrant your perusal. First recommended by Porgie.
  • The Dears - No Cities Left - Indie shenanigans. First half of the album can be a chore, but second half is quite rewarding. I knew I had to get it after reading the most pretentious Pitchfork review ever - putting it in the running for most pretentious worldwide. First recommended by this girl that works in my lab.
CNNsanity?
  • Lame - The headline is cheesy, the story is lame, the people are boring. If it weren't for the accompanying video interview I'd probably not mention it. Soledad, you saucy harlot you.
  • Oh Wait - This one is even lamer. Who fucking cares? I mean, I know its filed in the 'offbeat news' section, but this was actually one of the main headlines of the day, along with the shuttle coming home and dead folks in Iraq. Better tell somebody.
  • Some Folks Call It A Slingblade - Ha. I can only imagine the media crowding eachother out to get a shot of a woman mowing some grass. Congratulations, vultures, you've outdone even yourselves.
  • Ya, Well, That's Like, Your Opinion, Man - When you read between the lines, you find that this whole story is predicated upon a single conviction and a couple of the writer's buds. Great research there, chief.
  • Put Me Down As 'Jetrophobic' - Whaaaa? Flabbergastation. Check out www.jetrosexual.com.
  • Pick Up The Phone, Rickey! - Ah yes. I love that bit.
Other t'ings:

Comment on this entry...


08/07/05 11:22pm

Tell me, does it actually exist?

You Traveled A Long Way For "I Don't Know," Sonny.

Boy howdy, I got a bunch of random shit to blather about.

A strange site. A couple of briefly captivating games, some lame cartoons, and... Kev. My advice, leave Kev alone.

Ah, potassium dichromate. Will you be my undoing? I shall handle you with the greatest of care. May you oxidize my particulate organic matter well and with haste.

I watched both of the videos of the little handcuffed nine-year-old from Florida, really kind of creepy. What a silly fucking situation. The teacher doing the little fadeaway blocking like she's protecting the paint, the girl's crazy randomness in what she chooses to pick up, throw or smash, and yeah I guess the handcuffing is still the craziest part. I'm hoping for a People magazine rehash ten years from now, see where the girl ends up.

Tom Waits spoof at everything2.org.

Thank you Cecil McCecil for this wonderful nightmare. Superb.

The Necrons took over the game with the help of Mack's new Monolith. Here's the pictures. Commentary complete.

Because you always wanted to know how to rifle a rubber band. Because you always wanted to know what cat vacuuming meant. Because you always wanted to know who Bill McKibben was.

Comment on this entry...


07/31/05 9:25am

Wouldn't You Like To Get Away

He's the Zissou

Not a great week, but I did find some time to put up pictures from Amistad.

Water balloon popping at zero gravity. Pretty cool.

There's so many things about XP that I just assume can't be changed, that is, until I read tips like this one. Tech Recipes is full of these kinds of things, shit that annoyed me but not enough to warrant a bunch of research.

I had a strange 'webtrain' the other day, starting out at onegoodmove, and following a link to Jesus' General. Then clicking an ad on the right led me to Santorum Exposed, which featured the expression 'freedom without responsibility,' apparently one of his little catchphrases. By the way, the clips from his appearance on the Daily Show are instructional. Anyway, when I searched for the aforementioned phrase, the first link was to Arnold Kling's writings on a website called Tech Central Station. Never heard of it. However, Arnold struck me as a bit familiar, and when I went to his main personal page I realized I had been there before, having randomly browsed there directly from del.icio.us. Besides the small-world buzz I got from the experience, I enjoyed going through Kling's writings. Regular readers might already have inferred that I'm not an economist, MIT-educated or otherwise. So with a lot of that shit I got to take A.K.'s word for it. And I don't 100% agree with his views but he seems like an intelligent human being.

Last week's Austin Chronicle had some interesting articles. The piece on the FLDS invasion creeped me out. There was also a short article about the Blanco which may key you into the community trying to manage this river - people other than me actually care about it! I still haven't decided where I fit into their "hands-on, managerial approach [vs.] hands-off, romantic types" dichotomy.

Damn I want that Boltgun T-shirt (nerd). At least it doesn't say "40Krunked" on it or some shit like that.

Is this old news? I just saw it for the first time the other day. Fucking hilarious, especially since I hate that anchor. The sound of him backpedaling, pulling himself back from the brink, is sweet, sweet music.

Oh and I started reading a bunch of new webcomics: Brainwrap Comics, NNTS, Butternutsquash, and for better or worse The 10K Commotion.

Comment on this entry...


Back to Current Meanderings!
1