Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Lobby Pizza
Pizza Capri was having a promotional thing in my apartment lobby! Gotta love lobby pizza! Perfect end to a crazy-busy day!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Summer's End
Amazing that summer's nearly over, truly. You wouldn't know it from the heat and humidity, but there it is. Looking at my calendar, there are 123 days left in 2010. Another year, blazing by.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Swelter
Man, it's hot and humid again. I had been enjoying the milder weather, but looks like there's another heat wave coming through.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Fallen
I was productive today, got over 3100 words written for the long piece I'm working on (I still have that aversion to calling it a "book" until it's done; right now, it's novella length). Anyway, I was pleased I got that done, although I know I will have to revise the stuff as I'm going through it -- my drafts are very clean, but in terms of plot, I'll definitely need to go back and revise and QC everything and make sure it all sorts out properly, the pacing, all of that. Not the kind of thing I worry about at the first draft stage, but it's still something in the back of my head, as I work on it.
I cleaned up around the apartment; had to be done. The in-laws are nice enough, but where they go, chaos follows. I cleaned up the boys' room, the living room, and the kitchen. Much better.
I'm cooking potato gnocchi tonight, with a tomato-mascarpone cheese sauce, and Brussels sprouts, which I alone apparently enjoy. I really want to get the boys to eat more veggies. That's on my To Do List, without making it a big damned deal. I always loved vegetables; my mom always cooked with a lot of'em, and I had almost no vegetable aversions. I want the boys to have a well-balanced diet, to be good (and varied) eaters.
It still amazes me that B1 is nearly two inches taller now than he was a year ago. He's growing so tall so quickly. He takes after my father and me, definitely.
The boys were cute today -- they really, really didn't want to go with Exene's family. They wanted to stay with me. Both said that. B1 said "Nothing's fun without Daddy!" and B2 had his own version of that, saying he wanted to stay with me. I told them I was going to be writing, and that they'd have fun at Legoland, where the in-laws were taking'em, among other places. But they still really wanted to be with me.
The sun is setting earlier. It's filling the apartment with pumpkin-orange light. Fall is coming. I love Fall. My favorite season. This summer really flew by. It's extraordinary just how quickly 2010 flew by. Man. It's not done, yet, but Fall is fast approaching.
I'm going to go enjoy the evening light.
I cleaned up around the apartment; had to be done. The in-laws are nice enough, but where they go, chaos follows. I cleaned up the boys' room, the living room, and the kitchen. Much better.
I'm cooking potato gnocchi tonight, with a tomato-mascarpone cheese sauce, and Brussels sprouts, which I alone apparently enjoy. I really want to get the boys to eat more veggies. That's on my To Do List, without making it a big damned deal. I always loved vegetables; my mom always cooked with a lot of'em, and I had almost no vegetable aversions. I want the boys to have a well-balanced diet, to be good (and varied) eaters.
It still amazes me that B1 is nearly two inches taller now than he was a year ago. He's growing so tall so quickly. He takes after my father and me, definitely.
The boys were cute today -- they really, really didn't want to go with Exene's family. They wanted to stay with me. Both said that. B1 said "Nothing's fun without Daddy!" and B2 had his own version of that, saying he wanted to stay with me. I told them I was going to be writing, and that they'd have fun at Legoland, where the in-laws were taking'em, among other places. But they still really wanted to be with me.
The sun is setting earlier. It's filling the apartment with pumpkin-orange light. Fall is coming. I love Fall. My favorite season. This summer really flew by. It's extraordinary just how quickly 2010 flew by. Man. It's not done, yet, but Fall is fast approaching.
I'm going to go enjoy the evening light.
Bubblelicious
This morning had me shooting bubbles out the window with B2, using a couple of trippy bubbleguns the boys had gotten from their relatives. They're awesome -- they have flashing LEDs on them, and shoot a wonderful stream of bubbles. I wanted to unleash them on club kids last night -- it's like an Instant Rave. Good times! But B2 and I managed to nearly fill the cul-de-sac behind our building with a barrage of bubbles. The wind was carrying them everywhere, but we managed good coverage. Fun!
Ghost Train In Vain
This guy, so keen to plumb the depths of the Ghost Train legend, has now become part of it...
Man, Waiting for Ghost Train, Killed by Real Train
Man, Waiting for Ghost Train, Killed by Real Train
Friday, August 27, 2010
Whew
Traffic was bad tonight, but I always enjoy it, because the city's full of activity. Just the boys and me tonight. We're watching "Transformers" and having dinner. Nice day, great weather. Work was annoying, but I got through it. Definitely ready for the weekend, which I'm going to make good use of, just get a lot of stuff done. Have my list of things to do.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Scrubbing
One public transit pet peeve of mine: health care workers who wear scrubs on public transit (particularly, but not exclusively, city buses). I'm not a germ fiend, but any time I see various health workers in their scrubs on the buses (and I see it all the time), I just can't help but wonder. I don't know if anybody's done cultures of city buses, to see what's there, but I imagine there are a lot of germs there -- particularly on those fuzzy seats; I imagine the old hard-shell plastic seats were somewhat less germy, but the fuzzy seats that replaced those are probably little septic gardens. And scrubs at least nominally carry the onus of being worn in a place where cleanliness matters, or should, where you might have all sorts of immunocompromised patients there whose interests might not be well-served by somebody coming into their hospital room wearing funky scrubs that were worn not only through the city, but on the buses. Some time may be saved and some "Hey, I'm a health care worker" social status preserved by wearing scrubs on the buses, but is it worth it if it exposes your already-sick and/or injured patients to outside germs?
Stemming the tide
I think about this a lot (below). Our country's falling behind...
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2010/08/25/129422571/climate-energy-and-stem-cells-ceding-the-frontier
The wingdings pound their angry, reactionary drums on these issues and the rest of the world moves forward, leaving us behind.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2010/08/25/129422571/climate-energy-and-stem-cells-ceding-the-frontier
The wingdings pound their angry, reactionary drums on these issues and the rest of the world moves forward, leaving us behind.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Transitory
Wonderful summer day again -- that perfect blend of warmth without excess humidity, lots of sun, breezes. Good stuff.
This evening was irksome, commuting-wise. The bus I needed wasn't showing up, and so, rather than wait forever for that, I hoofed it to the El. Great moment when this Latino guy and I were racing up the three flights of stairs to catch the train we needed (if we hadn't sprinted, we'd not have made it), but there were tourists at the top, like corks in a bottle, requiring some adroit public transit juking to get around them and dive for the open train car doors before the train left (the engineer was kind, gave us a split-second grace period to get in there. Once inside, the Latino and I exchanged knowing grins, like "Hell, yeah. We so made it." Not a bad accomplishment during rush hour, which impacts even the El (like if you miss one of those trains, it can sometimes take awhile to get the next one, depending on the traffic through the Loop, and even then, the trains can be packed).
I smelled delicious fish-n-chips cooking at one of the local neighborhood taverns. I noted that for future reference. Haven't had that in awhile, but I am jonesing for it.
Gonna work on my weekly short story this evening. SF story. Dark, darkly comic, dystopian. Good times. Muahhahah!
This evening was irksome, commuting-wise. The bus I needed wasn't showing up, and so, rather than wait forever for that, I hoofed it to the El. Great moment when this Latino guy and I were racing up the three flights of stairs to catch the train we needed (if we hadn't sprinted, we'd not have made it), but there were tourists at the top, like corks in a bottle, requiring some adroit public transit juking to get around them and dive for the open train car doors before the train left (the engineer was kind, gave us a split-second grace period to get in there. Once inside, the Latino and I exchanged knowing grins, like "Hell, yeah. We so made it." Not a bad accomplishment during rush hour, which impacts even the El (like if you miss one of those trains, it can sometimes take awhile to get the next one, depending on the traffic through the Loop, and even then, the trains can be packed).
I smelled delicious fish-n-chips cooking at one of the local neighborhood taverns. I noted that for future reference. Haven't had that in awhile, but I am jonesing for it.
Gonna work on my weekly short story this evening. SF story. Dark, darkly comic, dystopian. Good times. Muahhahah!
Shady Lane
I was never a fan of Pavement, but this is one of theirs that always sticks with me, like I can hear it and it'll stick in my head all day...
Pavement, "Shady Lane"
Of course, it being a Spike Jonze video, it's sort of deliberately "avant garde" and whatever. But the tune is memorable, regardless of the video.
Pavement, "Shady Lane"
Of course, it being a Spike Jonze video, it's sort of deliberately "avant garde" and whatever. But the tune is memorable, regardless of the video.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Days of Future Past
This NPR piece amused me, how we've passed various "future" dates from all sorts of movies, and how quaintly unrealized those various futures were, and what they say about the present times that spawned them, and how real life is far more complex and rich than these imagined futures.
Funny that this came up, as I was watching an episode of TRANSFORMERS with the boys, where this politician uses doctored media to fan anti-Autobot flames in the populace (aided by Megatron, naturally), propagandizing people into thinking that the Autobots are the bad guys, which gets them booted off the planet, leaving it for the Decepticons. Anyway, a fairly straightforward demagogue narrative that communicates that this is a bad thing.
But watching it today, you can't help but think that this is what we have now -- the talk radio and Fox News circuits create a reactionary echo chamber that crafts its own reality, affecting how people react to the world around them in various invidious ways. It wasn't a reflection of the prescience of the kiddie show, so much as it showed the debasing of our political culture by a demagogic faction, and how much damage that had done. In the episode, of course, the bamboozled people realize the error of their ways; in real life, people most certainly haven't; if anything, they've gotten worse!
Funny that this came up, as I was watching an episode of TRANSFORMERS with the boys, where this politician uses doctored media to fan anti-Autobot flames in the populace (aided by Megatron, naturally), propagandizing people into thinking that the Autobots are the bad guys, which gets them booted off the planet, leaving it for the Decepticons. Anyway, a fairly straightforward demagogue narrative that communicates that this is a bad thing.
But watching it today, you can't help but think that this is what we have now -- the talk radio and Fox News circuits create a reactionary echo chamber that crafts its own reality, affecting how people react to the world around them in various invidious ways. It wasn't a reflection of the prescience of the kiddie show, so much as it showed the debasing of our political culture by a demagogic faction, and how much damage that had done. In the episode, of course, the bamboozled people realize the error of their ways; in real life, people most certainly haven't; if anything, they've gotten worse!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Finally
Got the pix out of iPhoto's clutches! The lake looked like the ocean this morning. A little tiltycam on the top one. Whoopsie! But I kept it because the colors and contrast were so nice.
Sunny
Lovely summer day. Great light, good temps. I snapped some pix, need to get them uploaded. iPhoto's being a dick, so I have to sort that out.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A Touch of Evil
This is kind of interesting, a Columbia forensic psychologist coming up with a 22-point "Scale of Evil."
"Semi-psychopath" is an interesting term I hadn't really considered (just because in my view, if somebody's a psychopath [or psychopathic], they've pretty much crossed a line, there, where human behavior is concerned).
Also, the presence of torture on this list is interesting, given our legalistic sanctioning of it as "enhanced interrogation."
01 Those who kill in self-defense and who do not show psychopathic features; these cases do not involve murder.
IMPULSIVE MURDERERS
02 Jealous lovers who kill: These murderers, though egocentric or immature, are not psychopaths. This level on the scale includes crimes of passion.
03 Willing companions of killers: Killers on this level are usually impulse ridden, meaning they have a hard time controlling the kinds of violent thoughts that most people ignore.
04 Criminals who kill in self-defense, but are extremely provocative toward the victim.
05 Traumatized, desperate persons who kill: These murderers may be genuinely remorseful and they lack significant psychopathic traits.
06 Impetuous, hot-headed murderers, who don’t have marked psychopathic features.
07 Highly narcissistic, but not distinctly psychopathic persons, who kill “loved ones” out of jealousy.
08 Non-psychopathic persons with smoldering rage: These people kill when their rage is ignited.
SEMI-PSYCHOPATHS
09 Jealous lovers with marked psychopathic features.
10 Non-psychopathic killers who murder people who are “in the way”.
11 Psychopathic killers who murder people “in the way”.
12 Power-hungry psychopaths who kill when cornered.
13 Psychopathic murderers who kill out of rage.
14 Ruthlessly self-centered psychopathic schemers who kill to benefit themselves.
15 Psychopathic spree or multiple murderers.
PSYCHOPATHS
16 Psychopaths committing multiple vicious acts, which may also include murder.
17 Sexually perverse serial murderers: In males, rape is usually the primary motive and the victim is murdered to hide evidence.
18 Torturer-murderers: Murder is the primary motive and victims are killed after a torture that was not prolonged.
19 Psychopaths driven to terrorism, subjugation, intimidation and rape, but short of murder.
20 Torturer-murderers: Torture is the primary motive with these killers.
21 Psychopaths who do not kill their victims, but do subject them to extreme torture.
22 Psychopaths who inflict extreme torture on their victims and then murder them.
"Semi-psychopath" is an interesting term I hadn't really considered (just because in my view, if somebody's a psychopath [or psychopathic], they've pretty much crossed a line, there, where human behavior is concerned).
Also, the presence of torture on this list is interesting, given our legalistic sanctioning of it as "enhanced interrogation."
Good Fathers and Bad Dads
I'm not going to blog about my father, except to say that there is a world of difference between fathers and dads; any man can be a father, but not every man can be a dad, and he was never my dad. In my view, a dad is someone who loves you unconditionally and unreservedly, is kind, caring, honest, gentle, compassionate, empathic, emotionally accessible, and protective, and supports you emotionally and spiritually, encourages you and heartens you. Take away those things, and all you have is a father, not a dad. I know the difference, because he was the former, and not the latter. Ideally, a father is a dad, and that's what all fathers should aspire to; most think the one automatically gets them in the club, and that's why I think there are so many bad dads out there. I think mine wrestled with so much stuff coiled up inside him that he could never healthily relate to the world around him (which is likely why he had, what, four or five marriages under his belt?)
And the same dichotomy can be applied to mothers and moms, along similar lines. Parenthood is a challenging enterprise, when contrasted with simply having kids. Having kids is comparatively easy, and humans have been doing it for awhile, now. But raising them is the real challenge, and not everybody's cut out for it. I know my father certainly wasn't.
The one good thing I drew from my time with him as my "dad" was that it taught me across the board how NOT to be a dad -- I used him as a counter example, and have excelled at parenting by simply not being like him, or asking myself "What would HE have done? Okay, I won't do that." And it's worked out very well for me. My boys adore me, and I am there for them, whatever they need, and I hope that the good example I offer them as a dad will translate in their own successful lives, and on, and on, down the line, for their kids, and their kids' kids, and so on. In my view, life throws enough at you without having a bad parent in the mix to make things that much harder.
My father, 1933-2010. Onward and upward.
And the same dichotomy can be applied to mothers and moms, along similar lines. Parenthood is a challenging enterprise, when contrasted with simply having kids. Having kids is comparatively easy, and humans have been doing it for awhile, now. But raising them is the real challenge, and not everybody's cut out for it. I know my father certainly wasn't.
The one good thing I drew from my time with him as my "dad" was that it taught me across the board how NOT to be a dad -- I used him as a counter example, and have excelled at parenting by simply not being like him, or asking myself "What would HE have done? Okay, I won't do that." And it's worked out very well for me. My boys adore me, and I am there for them, whatever they need, and I hope that the good example I offer them as a dad will translate in their own successful lives, and on, and on, down the line, for their kids, and their kids' kids, and so on. In my view, life throws enough at you without having a bad parent in the mix to make things that much harder.
My father, 1933-2010. Onward and upward.
Friday, August 20, 2010
This & Thataway
Today should be fairly busy, although I've soldiered through most of my workload, thankfully. Definitely better off by the end of the week than I was at the front end. Although we'll see how it goes, what curveballs come this way. Some promising opportunities, jobwise, which I'm hoping will come through for me. We'll see.
I've changed up my writing schedule a bit, just to reflect the exigencies of the week. I'm doing short stories on the weekdays (or, more accurately, one short story per the weekday schedule), and am working on the long fiction on the weekend. I think, at least for now, it works better in terms of available time, since I need a bigger bloc of time for long fiction, which is easier to come by on the weekend. Whereas short fiction is something I can resolve on a normal 5-day schedule. I contacted a publisher regarding one of my story submissions, and am hoping it gets picked up. We'll see. Publishing schedules are always tricky.
I may take the boys to the Willis Tower SkyDeck this weekend, that is something they've been jonesing to do for awhile, so I may indulge them. It's tourist-pricey, but it's super-cool, and they should dig it! Or at least B1 will (B2 is a definite thrillseeker, but he can balk at unpredictable moments). I'll take some good pix of it, if we manage to go. Nothing much else on tap for the weekend, beyond writing and biking and SkyDecking.
That power outage at work was odd; ComEd was doing some work, not sure what tripped up the power. It was several city blocks that lost it, like a straight line going west. They fixed it in about a half an hour. Haven't had that much fun since Sparky the Raccoon got fried on a power line. Sparky was my name for him -- it was quite ghoulish: a raccoon had climbed one of the electrical poles and had apparently electrocuted itself. It was hanging upside down from that pole, and because its pelt matched the old bleached wood color, I don't think anybody noticed for a very long time. Of course, I noticed, and I dubbed the raccoon "Sparky" in honor of its demise. Sparky was there for months, before somebody finally saw him and took him down. Weirdly, there's a nook at the top of the pole, and since Sparky's passing (this was a few years ago), a squirrel has turned that pole into a kind of clubhouse, storing nuts in the top, I guess. It just shinnies up the pole and vanishes in the top.
I've changed up my writing schedule a bit, just to reflect the exigencies of the week. I'm doing short stories on the weekdays (or, more accurately, one short story per the weekday schedule), and am working on the long fiction on the weekend. I think, at least for now, it works better in terms of available time, since I need a bigger bloc of time for long fiction, which is easier to come by on the weekend. Whereas short fiction is something I can resolve on a normal 5-day schedule. I contacted a publisher regarding one of my story submissions, and am hoping it gets picked up. We'll see. Publishing schedules are always tricky.
I may take the boys to the Willis Tower SkyDeck this weekend, that is something they've been jonesing to do for awhile, so I may indulge them. It's tourist-pricey, but it's super-cool, and they should dig it! Or at least B1 will (B2 is a definite thrillseeker, but he can balk at unpredictable moments). I'll take some good pix of it, if we manage to go. Nothing much else on tap for the weekend, beyond writing and biking and SkyDecking.
That power outage at work was odd; ComEd was doing some work, not sure what tripped up the power. It was several city blocks that lost it, like a straight line going west. They fixed it in about a half an hour. Haven't had that much fun since Sparky the Raccoon got fried on a power line. Sparky was my name for him -- it was quite ghoulish: a raccoon had climbed one of the electrical poles and had apparently electrocuted itself. It was hanging upside down from that pole, and because its pelt matched the old bleached wood color, I don't think anybody noticed for a very long time. Of course, I noticed, and I dubbed the raccoon "Sparky" in honor of its demise. Sparky was there for months, before somebody finally saw him and took him down. Weirdly, there's a nook at the top of the pole, and since Sparky's passing (this was a few years ago), a squirrel has turned that pole into a kind of clubhouse, storing nuts in the top, I guess. It just shinnies up the pole and vanishes in the top.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Dinobotics
Okay, I'm probably asking for it by even analyzing it, but why the hell are the Dinobots stupid?
I never liked the Dinobots, and watching the show with my boys, I am reminded of how annoyed I was at the Dinobots all over again. They're robots. Thinking machines, crafted by Wheeljack, the prime inventor/engineer of the Autobots, who seems tirelessly talented in creating things. And he designed the Dinobots with the help of Ratchet (I think), emphasizing the strength and power of the dinosaurs in their design, and, apparently, their lack of brains. Alright, so while it might play well as a wrinkle in the plotline to have these dumbass robots in their midst, and it's certainly played to amusing effect in the storyline, such as it is, but the logic's just not there -- a slow-witted robot? Sentient enough to have a sense of self and identity and to carry out its functions, but otherwise not sharp? Makes no sense.
Ratchet and Wheeljack could've simply designed them to have strong chassis and have them have the CPUs able to handle that kind of load and power -- if anything, their strength, size, and power would make it vital for them to have a reasonable amount of intelligence. Prime, in greenlighting the creation of the Dino-dullards, makes a grievous error in judgment, unleashing these dangerous machines on the world.
Of course, the implications of the Dinobots aren't fully explored -- it's a kids' show, after all -- but stupid robots? Huh? Since robots are designed with a purpose in mind, the abdication of good sense on the part of the creators of the Dinobots is kinda shocking, given that the Autobots made them, the ostensible good guys of the series. It would be like equipping a main battle tank with the brain of a dog to guide it. Not a good plan.
This clip somebody made (and amusingly edited to show how thick they are) highlights the central flaws of the Dinobots... ("Do you understand?" The second part of this clip is similarly amusing)...
Story of the Dinobots
I never liked the Dinobots, and watching the show with my boys, I am reminded of how annoyed I was at the Dinobots all over again. They're robots. Thinking machines, crafted by Wheeljack, the prime inventor/engineer of the Autobots, who seems tirelessly talented in creating things. And he designed the Dinobots with the help of Ratchet (I think), emphasizing the strength and power of the dinosaurs in their design, and, apparently, their lack of brains. Alright, so while it might play well as a wrinkle in the plotline to have these dumbass robots in their midst, and it's certainly played to amusing effect in the storyline, such as it is, but the logic's just not there -- a slow-witted robot? Sentient enough to have a sense of self and identity and to carry out its functions, but otherwise not sharp? Makes no sense.
Ratchet and Wheeljack could've simply designed them to have strong chassis and have them have the CPUs able to handle that kind of load and power -- if anything, their strength, size, and power would make it vital for them to have a reasonable amount of intelligence. Prime, in greenlighting the creation of the Dino-dullards, makes a grievous error in judgment, unleashing these dangerous machines on the world.
Of course, the implications of the Dinobots aren't fully explored -- it's a kids' show, after all -- but stupid robots? Huh? Since robots are designed with a purpose in mind, the abdication of good sense on the part of the creators of the Dinobots is kinda shocking, given that the Autobots made them, the ostensible good guys of the series. It would be like equipping a main battle tank with the brain of a dog to guide it. Not a good plan.
This clip somebody made (and amusingly edited to show how thick they are) highlights the central flaws of the Dinobots... ("Do you understand?" The second part of this clip is similarly amusing)...
Story of the Dinobots
Truth in advertising?
These signs amuse me any time I see them, although I was more pleased with the great depth of field with my otherwise nondescript digital camera.
Powerless
Power outage at work! Been awhile since that's happened, our usual annual summer power failure. Only about 30 minutes, but enough to frag the servers, it would seem.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Gruh
Today was annoying. Just dealing with work stuff. Way too much going on, too few people to do it, and nobody communicating and/or knowing what's going on. It stresses me out.
Who Knew Dickless Had Big Balls?
I did. Don't believe? Check it out...
Best chick Grunge band? They certainly get props for their band name, which is great for a Grunge Grrl Group. Kelly Canary's vocals (I would classify them as a gila monster gargling gunpowder and whiskey-soaked razorblades) are alternatively off-putting and charming, especially when paired with the killer riff they have as the bedrock of that tune. Dickless were a blink-and-you'd-miss-them band, but the above cut is priceless and unforgettable.
Their tune, "Sweet Teeth," plays a bit with Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" riff, adding bucketloads of Grunge to it...
Dickless, "Sweet Teeth"
Best chick Grunge band? They certainly get props for their band name, which is great for a Grunge Grrl Group. Kelly Canary's vocals (I would classify them as a gila monster gargling gunpowder and whiskey-soaked razorblades) are alternatively off-putting and charming, especially when paired with the killer riff they have as the bedrock of that tune. Dickless were a blink-and-you'd-miss-them band, but the above cut is priceless and unforgettable.
Their tune, "Sweet Teeth," plays a bit with Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" riff, adding bucketloads of Grunge to it...
Dickless, "Sweet Teeth"
Yawn
I woke up around 3:30 this morning. Just woke and couldn't get back to sleep. It's been nicer than it has been -- cool in the evenings, and not blisteringly hot and humid as it has been.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Plane in vain
Saturday, August 14, 2010
GoBots
While looking into the loser predecessor of TRANSFORMERS -- the ill-starred GoBots, I stumbled across this gem of a clip from the GoBots show, which is unintentionally hilarious.
Air & Water, Shown
Round 1 of the A&WS, the Blue Angels this year. They alternate with the Thunderbirds. I had the boys downtown, catching "Despicable Me" again (in 3-D). They wanted to see it again, so I obliged them. Gotta love those double-barrel 3-D prices ($35 for the boys and me, good lord -- that's why 3-D is so popular -- lets the theaters ramp their prices skyward). Anyway, it's crazy-hot-n-humid here, still no real relief in sight. The boys had a good time downtown, despite the teeming hordes.
Soundwave
My favorite Decepticon was Shockwave (although Starscream always amused me, with Cobra Commander's voice and all, and his endless scheming against Megatron -- the "Odd Couple" relationship between Megatron and Starscream amuses me). My favorite Autobot was Brawn. B1's favorite Autobot is Optimus Prime ("He's very strong, and he agrees with some stuff and sometimes he doesn't."); his favorite Decepticon is Shockwave (B1 says "He looks interesting and cool, and when he talks, his yellow dot eye flashes"). B2's favorite Autobot is Bumblebee ("Because he's small.") His favorite Decepticon is Thundercracker ("Because he's BLUE!")
Friday, August 13, 2010
Air, Water, Show
The Air & Water Show is this weekend, so the city's full of roaring planes the past few days, as the participants practice, get their dose of airtime, buzzing the city. Jetwash weekend! Shock and awe! I saw a flight of Stealth fighters and a pair of B-1 bombers fly earlier today. Something loud is flying now, an F-15 they trot out. There should be an F-22 flying this year, too, since there wasn't one last year.
Zzzzzzzzz
I had insomnia this morning -- work-stress was waking me up, around 3:30 a.m. I couldn't go back to sleep, so, as I usually do when insomnia hits, I just do stuff. In this case, laundry. I got that done in the wee hours, and managed maybe another 25 minutes of sleep between loads. Still, not enough sleep. Gruh.
This morning's going to be crazy-busy. There's a conversion to XML going on, and our IT people have fallen behind on that, so, I'm having to lend a hand to get the wheels of (publishing) industry rolling again. The Editorial Commando strikes again. I'd rather not, but I was "asked" to do so, and so, I add that IT workload to my manuscript mountain range on my desk. I figure I can give them an hour of my day, and hopefully get their stuff done (odds are it'll be an hour of my day, each day, for the next four months. So, that adds up! My success in this endeavor is invariably my doom -- I'll be "rewarded" with more of that stuff, once I demonstrate that it can be effectively done.)
I sent out a query for a different book of mine, in hopes that the agent I sent it to would be amenable to it. We'll see. I truly can't get my hopes up, but it's a good fit for the agent, so we'll see if he goes for it or not. My bet's on not, but one has to try, regardless.
Totally wiped today. Sleep-debt's a bitch. I will try to make it up over the weekend, although we'll see how it goes. I'm invariably the first responder with the boys, so they'll wake up like at 6:30 and be like "Daddy!"
Saw at the Ralph Lauren Rugby store the other day, the obligatory nippled mannequins -- male and female, sportin' the nips. Now, I ask you the aesthetic behind that. Can you imagine the people in charge of the window displays, saying "We need nippled mannequins. Perkily nippled mannequins." I mean, they're mannequins, so realism is kind of beside the point (so to speak) -- nobody's going to look at them and think "OMG! Those people are statues!" They're mannequins. So, why give'em nipples? There's some psycho-sexual undercurrent at work with them, right? Show chick mannequins in bikini tops with perky nipples? Oh, how risqué, Ralphie boy! What sly and elegant subversion! (sarcasm)
This morning's going to be crazy-busy. There's a conversion to XML going on, and our IT people have fallen behind on that, so, I'm having to lend a hand to get the wheels of (publishing) industry rolling again. The Editorial Commando strikes again. I'd rather not, but I was "asked" to do so, and so, I add that IT workload to my manuscript mountain range on my desk. I figure I can give them an hour of my day, and hopefully get their stuff done (odds are it'll be an hour of my day, each day, for the next four months. So, that adds up! My success in this endeavor is invariably my doom -- I'll be "rewarded" with more of that stuff, once I demonstrate that it can be effectively done.)
I sent out a query for a different book of mine, in hopes that the agent I sent it to would be amenable to it. We'll see. I truly can't get my hopes up, but it's a good fit for the agent, so we'll see if he goes for it or not. My bet's on not, but one has to try, regardless.
Totally wiped today. Sleep-debt's a bitch. I will try to make it up over the weekend, although we'll see how it goes. I'm invariably the first responder with the boys, so they'll wake up like at 6:30 and be like "Daddy!"
Saw at the Ralph Lauren Rugby store the other day, the obligatory nippled mannequins -- male and female, sportin' the nips. Now, I ask you the aesthetic behind that. Can you imagine the people in charge of the window displays, saying "We need nippled mannequins. Perkily nippled mannequins." I mean, they're mannequins, so realism is kind of beside the point (so to speak) -- nobody's going to look at them and think "OMG! Those people are statues!" They're mannequins. So, why give'em nipples? There's some psycho-sexual undercurrent at work with them, right? Show chick mannequins in bikini tops with perky nipples? Oh, how risqué, Ralphie boy! What sly and elegant subversion! (sarcasm)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Spacing Out
It's kind of humbling to think that, after this fall, once the last couple of Space Shuttle missions are flown, that'll be the end of America's manned space flight program -- we've had that going for something like 50 years, and there won't be anything after that. B1 was asking me what was going to replace the Shuttle (he teared up when I told him it would be the last flights of the Shuttle), and I said "Well, there's nothing made, yet. There are concepts and so forth, but there isn't anything in play, yet, at least for manned flight." He was disappointed.
But in these times, it's hard to imagine a program like that being continued, especially in the absence of, say, a Moon base. Maybe if the US had gone whole-hog on a weaponization of space program, some kind of orbital weapons platform, we'd have a vigorous manned presence up there, but barring that, there's little enthusiasm for it -- we'll go up there for the wrong reasons, dammit -- but exploration? Nah. Barring a weaponizing of space (which we're still likeliest to do), I guess there's the corporatification (sure, why not? A new word!) of space, where private interests go up there and try to establish claims.
Even then, however, the logistics of it are daunting. There's venture capitalism, and there's VENTURE capitalism, and space-prospecting is almost ludicrously difficult to conceive and execute, let alone turn a profit. There's a reason why space programs were historically nationalized. And even the US really only went hard after a space program because it was wary of the Soviets having too much of a lead on them -- so much of the Space Race was a nationalistic/militaristic exercise, not wanting the Russkies to have an edge on us in space. They still thought in terms of the ultimate high ground, whether Earth orbit or even the Moon, before the strategists realized that particularly the Moon was just unrealistic militarily, and ultimately useless. And enthusiasm waned. There is some irony to be found in it, however -- the US does not object to throwing money into money pits -- we did that in Vietnam, we did it (and are doing it) in the Drug War, we have done it in the Middle East. Of course, there are ginned-up justifications for those various money holes, whereas space exploration, I guess the void is just too apparent there for any justification to be accepted.
All the same, this fall will see the end of an era in American history, and it makes me a little sad. Other, more financially solvent (and nationalistically ambitious) nations will pursue their own space programs, and maybe that'll spur another American Space Race, an urge not to be left behind on this. Or maybe we'll just be too busy cutting our own throats to bother looking skyward. Who knows? I kind of think the latter case -- if paving roads, having libraries and public schools, and fixing bridges is somehow controversial, then how can one possibly justify having a space program?
Our astronauts will likely have other, more immediate concerns by then...
But in these times, it's hard to imagine a program like that being continued, especially in the absence of, say, a Moon base. Maybe if the US had gone whole-hog on a weaponization of space program, some kind of orbital weapons platform, we'd have a vigorous manned presence up there, but barring that, there's little enthusiasm for it -- we'll go up there for the wrong reasons, dammit -- but exploration? Nah. Barring a weaponizing of space (which we're still likeliest to do), I guess there's the corporatification (sure, why not? A new word!) of space, where private interests go up there and try to establish claims.
Even then, however, the logistics of it are daunting. There's venture capitalism, and there's VENTURE capitalism, and space-prospecting is almost ludicrously difficult to conceive and execute, let alone turn a profit. There's a reason why space programs were historically nationalized. And even the US really only went hard after a space program because it was wary of the Soviets having too much of a lead on them -- so much of the Space Race was a nationalistic/militaristic exercise, not wanting the Russkies to have an edge on us in space. They still thought in terms of the ultimate high ground, whether Earth orbit or even the Moon, before the strategists realized that particularly the Moon was just unrealistic militarily, and ultimately useless. And enthusiasm waned. There is some irony to be found in it, however -- the US does not object to throwing money into money pits -- we did that in Vietnam, we did it (and are doing it) in the Drug War, we have done it in the Middle East. Of course, there are ginned-up justifications for those various money holes, whereas space exploration, I guess the void is just too apparent there for any justification to be accepted.
All the same, this fall will see the end of an era in American history, and it makes me a little sad. Other, more financially solvent (and nationalistically ambitious) nations will pursue their own space programs, and maybe that'll spur another American Space Race, an urge not to be left behind on this. Or maybe we'll just be too busy cutting our own throats to bother looking skyward. Who knows? I kind of think the latter case -- if paving roads, having libraries and public schools, and fixing bridges is somehow controversial, then how can one possibly justify having a space program?
Our astronauts will likely have other, more immediate concerns by then...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Jack's Back
The bulldog was out digging up bricks again. That dog cracks me up -- this husky English Bulldog, mouthing these big bricks, digging them up around one of the city trees. The dog goes wild for'em. I laughed; I can't help it, the dog is funny -- bricks as chew toys! I asked the owner what the dog's name was, and the guy said it was "Jack." Jack's a stitch.
It's frickin' hot, and is slated to be hotter still tomorrow (and more humid).
I'm gonna make something good for dinner tonight. I'm motivated because my lunch kinda sucked today, so I'm hungry.
It's frickin' hot, and is slated to be hotter still tomorrow (and more humid).
I'm gonna make something good for dinner tonight. I'm motivated because my lunch kinda sucked today, so I'm hungry.
Bikini Zeitgeist
I was going to post this the other day, but didn't get around to it...
A Brief History of the Bikini
"Brief."
And then I saw this today...
Bikini Strippers Protest Church in Ohio
And felt I kind of had to post it, now. Some kind of bikini zeitgeist at work, here. But, like with so many things, reality intrudes and then you actually can see the bikini-clad Ohio strippers behind the tantalizing headline (in this video clip) and then it's just plain sad and horrifying, across the board.
A Brief History of the Bikini
"Brief."
And then I saw this today...
Bikini Strippers Protest Church in Ohio
And felt I kind of had to post it, now. Some kind of bikini zeitgeist at work, here. But, like with so many things, reality intrudes and then you actually can see the bikini-clad Ohio strippers behind the tantalizing headline (in this video clip) and then it's just plain sad and horrifying, across the board.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Way to go, Portugal!
Once again, Portugal puts itself on the front end of progress (first it was their drug legalization program circa, what, 2001? And now with renewable energy)...
Portugal Gets A Clean-Energy Makeover
Obama's plan has the US getting 20-25 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025. Weak. Portugal went from getting 17 percent to 45 percent of its power from renewable sources in 5 years.
At some point, there will be head-scratching here at home, as we watch the rest of the world move forward on this, and we continue to belch about how it can't be done, it's unrealistic, blah blah blah -- the usual propaganda of assimilation lines we hear. At some point, even here, the critical mass will be achieved, right?
Indeed, the powerful lobbies are likely to be the biggest obstacle, as it's probably always been, once Big Oil and Big Coal got in the driver's seat on our country's energy policy.
Portugal Gets A Clean-Energy Makeover
[A]ggressive national policies to accelerate renewable energy use are succeeding in Portugal and some other countries, according to a recent report by IHS Emerging Energy Research of Cambridge, Mass., a leading energy consulting firm. By 2025, the report projected, Ireland, Denmark and Britain will also get 40 percent or more of their electricity from renewable sources; if power from large-scale hydroelectric dams, an older type of renewable energy, is included, countries like Canada and Brazil join the list.
The United States, which last year generated less than 5 percent of its power from newer forms of renewable energy, will lag behind at 16 percent (or just over 20 percent, including hydroelectric power), according to IHS.
Obama's plan has the US getting 20-25 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025. Weak. Portugal went from getting 17 percent to 45 percent of its power from renewable sources in 5 years.
At some point, there will be head-scratching here at home, as we watch the rest of the world move forward on this, and we continue to belch about how it can't be done, it's unrealistic, blah blah blah -- the usual propaganda of assimilation lines we hear. At some point, even here, the critical mass will be achieved, right?
If the United States is to catch up to countries like Portugal, energy experts say, it must overcome obstacles like a fragmented, outdated energy grid poorly suited to renewable energy; a historic reliance on plentiful and cheap supplies of fossil fuels, especially coal; powerful oil and coal industries that often oppose incentives for renewable development; and energy policy that is heavily influenced by individual states.
Indeed, the powerful lobbies are likely to be the biggest obstacle, as it's probably always been, once Big Oil and Big Coal got in the driver's seat on our country's energy policy.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day of the Locust
Man, it was all about the cicadas today -- hearing them buzzing in the trees, and seeing one at the bus stop, just sitting on the sidewalk. I nudged it with my shoe and off it flew. And then, later, on the bus, I saw this gal on there (who looked like a young Joan Cusack) wearing a brass (?) cicada ring! I saw it in passing, thought "Man, she's got some serious bling going on, there." and then when she went to get off the bus, she rested her hand on one of the seats, and I could see it in detail -- this cicada ring that covered about two knuckles' worth of finger, with three purple stones set on it, running along the cicada's back. Otherwise, she was professionally attired, but that ring was fierce!
The city's been plagued with mosquitoes and horseflies. Not sure what's up -- maybe all the rain we've been getting, but I've never seen the city so beset with bugs before, in all my years here. There are plenty of dragonflies, too, but not enough to keep up with the plagues of mosquitoes lurking about. And they're aggressive, too -- they just come diving at you. None of the usual meandering mosquito dance; no, they just fling themselves your way. If Americans are really lucky, malaria'll come back in a big way in the States (it's been on the upswing, anyway). As it is, we have West Nile Virus to contend with, already. Good times!
This week is shaping up to be a hot one. Storms every day, but they're doing nothing to lower the heat.
The city's been plagued with mosquitoes and horseflies. Not sure what's up -- maybe all the rain we've been getting, but I've never seen the city so beset with bugs before, in all my years here. There are plenty of dragonflies, too, but not enough to keep up with the plagues of mosquitoes lurking about. And they're aggressive, too -- they just come diving at you. None of the usual meandering mosquito dance; no, they just fling themselves your way. If Americans are really lucky, malaria'll come back in a big way in the States (it's been on the upswing, anyway). As it is, we have West Nile Virus to contend with, already. Good times!
This week is shaping up to be a hot one. Storms every day, but they're doing nothing to lower the heat.
Symbolic
Interesting piece today on NPR about how symbolic thinking paved the way for human civilization.
Happy 65th Birthday, Fat Man.
Weird to think of the span of days between those two bombings, an eternity and an eyeblink, the changing of the world forever, in a bang and a whimper.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Worst Paintings
Oh, I love this...
15 Worst Paintings of All Time
The Museum of Bad Art! Bahah! Painting is one of those things that people think they can do, like anybody can do it. Until they actually try, and create something ghastly. There are some laughably bad paintings in that collection above.
15 Worst Paintings of All Time
The Museum of Bad Art! Bahah! Painting is one of those things that people think they can do, like anybody can do it. Until they actually try, and create something ghastly. There are some laughably bad paintings in that collection above.
Colonized and "The Aviator"
"The Colony" sounds like an intriguing show...
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/the_colony/index.html?story=/ent/tv/heather_havrilesky/2010/08/07/the_colony_apocalyptic_reality_show
Also, I watched "The Aviator" yesterday, and enjoyed it well enough. Scorcese's man-crush on DiCaprio continuing. How many movies has he directed Leo DiCaprio in, now? Anyway, I kept wondering why the Ava Gardner was so leaden in the movie, and then I realized it -- Kate Beckinsale. She's just not a good actress. She's so wooden that I am constantly forgetting who she is, any time she shows up in a movie -- she has a very generic kind of beauty to her and her performance chops aren't there, so she's just a flatliner -- and for her to be playing Ava Gardner, lordy. Cate Blanchett was great as Katharine Hepburn, however -- but Blanchett is a good actress, and you could tell she was enjoying that role. The cameo with Jude Law as Errol Flynn was well-chosen.
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/the_colony/index.html?story=/ent/tv/heather_havrilesky/2010/08/07/the_colony_apocalyptic_reality_show
Also, I watched "The Aviator" yesterday, and enjoyed it well enough. Scorcese's man-crush on DiCaprio continuing. How many movies has he directed Leo DiCaprio in, now? Anyway, I kept wondering why the Ava Gardner was so leaden in the movie, and then I realized it -- Kate Beckinsale. She's just not a good actress. She's so wooden that I am constantly forgetting who she is, any time she shows up in a movie -- she has a very generic kind of beauty to her and her performance chops aren't there, so she's just a flatliner -- and for her to be playing Ava Gardner, lordy. Cate Blanchett was great as Katharine Hepburn, however -- but Blanchett is a good actress, and you could tell she was enjoying that role. The cameo with Jude Law as Errol Flynn was well-chosen.
"Look at me. I'm Ava Gardner. I'm ACTING. It says I'm Ava Gardner in the script, so there you have it." (WHAT emotion is Kate Beckinsale communicating in this still? Blankness? Vapidity?)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Bike
I loaded about $130 worth of groceries on my bike (using the handlebars to carry a few extra bags). That's about right for the milk crate I have on the back. This old lady saw me loading it and said "Well, it looks like you know what you're doing." I told her it was fine so long as I didn't hit any potholes.
I had the boys to one of the playgrounds earlier today. They were having a blast. Now they're playing with trains. Terribly cute.
It's fucking humid today. Hot-n-humid. We're supposed to get storms all next week, but the temperatures will stay hot. Woo hoo!
There's a puppy pug in our building -- its name is "Gnocchi" -- that's very cute! The thing is so tiny. I'm no fan of pugs, but "Gnocchi" is a great name for a dog like that, somehow.
I had the boys to one of the playgrounds earlier today. They were having a blast. Now they're playing with trains. Terribly cute.
It's fucking humid today. Hot-n-humid. We're supposed to get storms all next week, but the temperatures will stay hot. Woo hoo!
There's a puppy pug in our building -- its name is "Gnocchi" -- that's very cute! The thing is so tiny. I'm no fan of pugs, but "Gnocchi" is a great name for a dog like that, somehow.
Winston Churchill and UFOs
This news story amused me...
Winston Churchill Ordered Cover-Up of UFO Sighting
Amusing that such a stalwart like Churchill was tied to something UFO-ish. Bahah! Whatever they'd seen, it had dismayed Churchill enough to put a 50-year delay on releasing the information. Lord knows what it was, but it's still funny.
Winston Churchill Ordered Cover-Up of UFO Sighting
Amusing that such a stalwart like Churchill was tied to something UFO-ish. Bahah! Whatever they'd seen, it had dismayed Churchill enough to put a 50-year delay on releasing the information. Lord knows what it was, but it's still funny.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Happy 65th Birthday, Little Boy.
We're all still in the shadow of that first blast. There are nearly 23,000 nuclear weapons out there these days. It's probably only a matter of time before another of these goes off, likely by a nonstate entity. Or perhaps tactical nukes used by a state against another state. Either way, it's going to be ugly. And more nations are still wanting to join the nuclear club, which only increases the likelihood of something happening.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Heath Ledger Junior?
Ledger (l) and Gordon-Leavitt (r).
One thing that weirded me out in "Inception" was how much Joseph Gordon-Leavitt resembles Heath Ledger. The guy's going to likely gobble up parts that would have gone to Ledger. I mean, what does it matter? Ledger's dead. But still, that they'd find a current actor who so closely resembles Ledger, and have him star in a Christopher Nolan movie, I couldn't help but wonder if Nolan had originally wanted Ledger for the part Gordon-Leavitt played.
Fauxbama and the Eightball
The commute home was interesting -- I caught the commuter rail downtown in an attempt to bypass the inevitable traffic that hits owing to Lollapalooza setting up, and the Obama motorcade. Well and good -- the Metra's always comfortable and quiet, a soothing ride downtown. I love train travel. I get downtown and am hoofing it through the underground station (amusingly enough, it's part of what they used in "The Dark Knight" -- the chase scene where Bats is driving his motorcycle-hybrid and crashing about, so I've got flashbacks of that in my head as I walk through it), and I get up to Randolph and Michigan, and come up into a Thin Blue Line of burly cops staring me in the face. I pause and look around, see a large motorcade there and crowds. Ah, Obama's in the building there.
Because he's in there, they have a huge security dragnet around the area, and public transit is effectively hobbled at that point, so I just go back underground and come up on the north side of the intersection, and hang out in the crowd, taking pix. There are snipers on the roof, cops all about, Elvis impersonators loping around (apparently there was an Elvis 5K in Grant Park, so between all the Obama gawkers and rush hour grinders, there were these Vegas Elvis folks milling through, too), Amish wending their way, and people repeatedly asking what all the crowds were there for. I hung out for about 45 minutes, since there was no way to get home at that point because the crowds were too big, the security kept traffic from going through, so it was a very "When in Rome..." kind of moment, and I just chilled. Plenty of false alarms, what I called "Fauxbamas" -- folks who looked like him, or crowd reactions to nothing. There were a couple of "Matrix"-like moments, too, when I saw a guy in a crazy paisley shirt walk through the crowd once (heading east), and then, later, I saw him heading east, through the crowd AGAIN. WTF? He looked a little scrawny to be Secret Service, but who knows? I looked sort of Secret Service-like in my shades and work clothes -- people kept glancing in my direction as they'd make their way through the crowd, and periodically asking me "Why are all of these people standing here?"
Finally, Obama's motorcade whisked by, and that was that. My favorite moment was when some grizzled guy asked "What, are they filming more 'Transformers' here or what?" and somebody said "No, Obama's in there." and the guy grumbled "Obama? I was hoping it would be Optimus Prime."
The crowds finally dispersed, and then they restarted the bus lines, and I was (eventually) able to get home, where apparently B1 was in a crisis because he'd lost this rubber eightball I'd given him (he liked pretending it was a black hole -- big shocker, right?) and Exene had either not understood what he'd said about it being lost, or didn't care (both?) and so I asked B1 where he'd lost it, and he told me, and I said "Well, let's go into the park and look for it. You can be our guide." and so he, B2 and I trekked over there and I began a zig-zag search for the ball, once B1 showed me where it had last been seen (apparently he let a kid throw it and the kid overthrew it and it got lost in the park). B1 found it about 30 seconds later, tucked in a shady nook on the ground. He was elated, and I was pleased that we got it back, since he was really upset about having lost it. Yay! A tiny victory, but a satisfying one!
Because he's in there, they have a huge security dragnet around the area, and public transit is effectively hobbled at that point, so I just go back underground and come up on the north side of the intersection, and hang out in the crowd, taking pix. There are snipers on the roof, cops all about, Elvis impersonators loping around (apparently there was an Elvis 5K in Grant Park, so between all the Obama gawkers and rush hour grinders, there were these Vegas Elvis folks milling through, too), Amish wending their way, and people repeatedly asking what all the crowds were there for. I hung out for about 45 minutes, since there was no way to get home at that point because the crowds were too big, the security kept traffic from going through, so it was a very "When in Rome..." kind of moment, and I just chilled. Plenty of false alarms, what I called "Fauxbamas" -- folks who looked like him, or crowd reactions to nothing. There were a couple of "Matrix"-like moments, too, when I saw a guy in a crazy paisley shirt walk through the crowd once (heading east), and then, later, I saw him heading east, through the crowd AGAIN. WTF? He looked a little scrawny to be Secret Service, but who knows? I looked sort of Secret Service-like in my shades and work clothes -- people kept glancing in my direction as they'd make their way through the crowd, and periodically asking me "Why are all of these people standing here?"
Finally, Obama's motorcade whisked by, and that was that. My favorite moment was when some grizzled guy asked "What, are they filming more 'Transformers' here or what?" and somebody said "No, Obama's in there." and the guy grumbled "Obama? I was hoping it would be Optimus Prime."
Obamamobile (at right).
The crowds finally dispersed, and then they restarted the bus lines, and I was (eventually) able to get home, where apparently B1 was in a crisis because he'd lost this rubber eightball I'd given him (he liked pretending it was a black hole -- big shocker, right?) and Exene had either not understood what he'd said about it being lost, or didn't care (both?) and so I asked B1 where he'd lost it, and he told me, and I said "Well, let's go into the park and look for it. You can be our guide." and so he, B2 and I trekked over there and I began a zig-zag search for the ball, once B1 showed me where it had last been seen (apparently he let a kid throw it and the kid overthrew it and it got lost in the park). B1 found it about 30 seconds later, tucked in a shady nook on the ground. He was elated, and I was pleased that we got it back, since he was really upset about having lost it. Yay! A tiny victory, but a satisfying one!
Radioactive Wild Boars!!
I heard this on NPR this afternoon.Here's a hot news story:
Radioactive Wild Boars Plaguing German Forests
I like the sound clip of a boar here, too.
Radioactive Wild Boars Plaguing German Forests
I like the sound clip of a boar here, too.
Weather Or Not
It's gorgeous outside today. Idyllic summer weather: sunny, warm breezes, that nice blend of sound and motion in the trees, the leaves, the interplay of light and shadow. Wonderful.
Saw a young couple walking their lil' baby in a carriage, saw their tired faces (the baby was happy, naturally), and I truly sympathized -- I know the Baby Boot Camp dance all too well. But to see that look of fatigued bewilderment on their faces (and furtively discussing "stress" as I passed them), I felt comic empathy with them. Kids are wonderful; I love kids, but I recognize the incredible work they represent. And this couple was young (I'm guessing early 20-something). No Lollapalooza for you guys. No sleep, either, is my guess.
Obama's in town, apparently, for his 49th birthday. Haven't heard the helicopters, but I'm sure they'll be about at some point. Maybe he's going to Lollapalooza. Ha! Yeah, right!
Saw a young couple walking their lil' baby in a carriage, saw their tired faces (the baby was happy, naturally), and I truly sympathized -- I know the Baby Boot Camp dance all too well. But to see that look of fatigued bewilderment on their faces (and furtively discussing "stress" as I passed them), I felt comic empathy with them. Kids are wonderful; I love kids, but I recognize the incredible work they represent. And this couple was young (I'm guessing early 20-something). No Lollapalooza for you guys. No sleep, either, is my guess.
Obama's in town, apparently, for his 49th birthday. Haven't heard the helicopters, but I'm sure they'll be about at some point. Maybe he's going to Lollapalooza. Ha! Yeah, right!
Swim.
I saw this American Apparel ad on the back of this week's Chicago READER. Mmmmmm. It almost makes me want to go swimming, if only our beaches weren't currently toxic with E. coli.
Miscellany
Watched "The Black Hole" with B1 last night. He loves that movie, because he loves all black hole-related stuff, of course. So, lucky me, I get to watch that decidedly mediocre movie umpteen times! Still, it's cute to watch it with him. We theorized that the black hole in the movie must've had a ring singularity in it, hence the characters being able to travel to another universe (yessss, I know there's allegorical Heaven and Hell pictured in the "trippy" sequence as they enter the black hole, but whatever -- that's boring). It was fun to hear him theorizing about parts of the movie. I remember my father taking me to see that movie, and how I'd been enthused about it, only to be disappointed by the movie (although I did have a V.I.N.CENT action figure, I remember). B1 loves it. So, I'm sure I'll get to watch it many more times, still. But, hey, it's got Ernest Borgnine in it, so that's something it has going for it, right?
Lordy, Lollapalooza starts tomorrow. Oh, man. The city's gonna be insane. Soundgarden's headlining. It's almost worth heading down to the park and loitering just to hear them play. They're playing a little show at the Vic, which would be crazy-hard to get into (and I've heard that it's even harder -- that "winners" of the ticket raffles have to go dicking around the city to find where the tickets have been hidden -- what kind of minfuck is that? My sympathies on whoever's actually won those tickets).
Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do this weekend. Take the bike out for a spin, probably (weather permitting -- we keep getting a lot of rain). Entertain the boys, sling out some query letters and what-not. Get more writing done.
I finished watching "The Wire" (on DVD). It was a good series, another gem in HBO's serial drama crown, although the writer(s) took some liberties with plot and character at a few key points to get to the end they wanted. Still, kudos to them for actually ending the series, instead of dragging it on forever, like they do on network programs. There's something to be said for shows that don't overstay their welcome and have a defined narrative arc (the UK "The Office" is a key example of that, the right approach, whereas the US "The Office" has just gone on and on and on).
Lordy, Lollapalooza starts tomorrow. Oh, man. The city's gonna be insane. Soundgarden's headlining. It's almost worth heading down to the park and loitering just to hear them play. They're playing a little show at the Vic, which would be crazy-hard to get into (and I've heard that it's even harder -- that "winners" of the ticket raffles have to go dicking around the city to find where the tickets have been hidden -- what kind of minfuck is that? My sympathies on whoever's actually won those tickets).
Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do this weekend. Take the bike out for a spin, probably (weather permitting -- we keep getting a lot of rain). Entertain the boys, sling out some query letters and what-not. Get more writing done.
I finished watching "The Wire" (on DVD). It was a good series, another gem in HBO's serial drama crown, although the writer(s) took some liberties with plot and character at a few key points to get to the end they wanted. Still, kudos to them for actually ending the series, instead of dragging it on forever, like they do on network programs. There's something to be said for shows that don't overstay their welcome and have a defined narrative arc (the UK "The Office" is a key example of that, the right approach, whereas the US "The Office" has just gone on and on and on).
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sunset
The sunset tonight was spectacular! I snapped some pix of it, which I'll likely post tomorrow. Just amazing stuff. B1 had spotted it, said the clouds looked interesting. I got up and checked'em out, and he was right.
Opera House
Another operatic morning at the abode, with the boys alternately singing grouses to one another, using various melodies (the James Bond theme being the favorite, along with Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" being another). B2 started it -- "[B1] is a bad guy, he's a bad bad bad bad guy." (James Bond theme) and then B1 would counter with "I know you are, but what am I?" (James Bond them) and they're busy singing back and forth that way, ad hoc lyrics, revolving around B2 claiming his big brother's a villain, and B1 gainsaying that, and while this is going on, I'm snickering, and then finally I pipe up "Boys, it's time to brush your teeth, we've got to get ready, it's time to get ready." (Cornell) and B2's like "Okay, Dadddyyyyyyyy..." (Cornell).
Wetday
Man, another rainy morning. Storms and such. No big deal, but it's wicked humid and rainy. I had the boys all dressed for it and ready, and wore my slicker, so it was all handled.
I got a library card again yesterday, after work. I picked up Joshua Ferris's "And Then We Came To the End," a much-ballyhooed first novel circa 2007. It was third on my list of to-get books from the library (the other two weren't there, were at other branches). Anyway, for a book that was roundly hailed as a masterwork, I dunno. I'm reading it, but it's not sending me into the stratosphere. Some of the narrative choices he made in the book are like itching powder to me. But I'll soldier through it.
Speaking of soldiering, I stumbled onto "The Ruins" on FX last night. I had read that book years ago (hadn't liked it overmuch, and had issues with some of the ways the writer had set things up). But anyway, it was damned gruesome -- the movie kept pretty close to the story, and the gore was particularly skin-crawlingly icky. The crowning irony of our censorious society -- violence is fine, but no sex -- so you can show somebody carving themselves up with a knife, but don't show tits and ass. Anyway, I'm pretty jaded where horror movies are concerned, but some of the stuff they showed was still damned icky.
I cooked a terduchen last night! Ha! I saw it at the grocery store, and had to snag it -- turkey stuffed with chicken and duck (and pork sausage -- so does that make it a terduchenpor?) Anyway, it was good, a lot milder than I thought it would be. It was a total meat bomb, however. I had some and thought "Wow, that was almost a deadly amount of meat." And practically had meat-overload-induced aphasia. Exene was amused, said "You've lost the power to speak?" Before going into a mild food coma, I managed to stammer out that it was an ideal dish for her family, that I could see them tackling a 15 lb. terduchen and digging it mightily. I'd not make terduchen a regular part of my diet, but it was pretty damned good. I had to try it. Has that same over-the-topness of something like Beef or Lamb Wellington.
I got a library card again yesterday, after work. I picked up Joshua Ferris's "And Then We Came To the End," a much-ballyhooed first novel circa 2007. It was third on my list of to-get books from the library (the other two weren't there, were at other branches). Anyway, for a book that was roundly hailed as a masterwork, I dunno. I'm reading it, but it's not sending me into the stratosphere. Some of the narrative choices he made in the book are like itching powder to me. But I'll soldier through it.
Speaking of soldiering, I stumbled onto "The Ruins" on FX last night. I had read that book years ago (hadn't liked it overmuch, and had issues with some of the ways the writer had set things up). But anyway, it was damned gruesome -- the movie kept pretty close to the story, and the gore was particularly skin-crawlingly icky. The crowning irony of our censorious society -- violence is fine, but no sex -- so you can show somebody carving themselves up with a knife, but don't show tits and ass. Anyway, I'm pretty jaded where horror movies are concerned, but some of the stuff they showed was still damned icky.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Books
Transitory
Dinner was a grilled Havarti cheese sandwich with a slice of tomato on it, buttermilk bread, in a pan with some bacon grease in it. It was delicious!
This evening was full of amusements -- this family of four from the western suburbs, nervously navigating the CTA. They asked me how to get back home, and I tried to help them, at least point them in the right direction. The wife was nervous, explained (repeatedly) how they had never taken the bus before and were more comfortable with driving everywhere, and didn't know how anybody could navigate the public transit system -- after trying to help them out, I pointed out the LED displays on the bus that indicate the streets being passed, and the robot voice that loudly announces whenever a stop is coming up. Not to be a smartass, mind you, but just told her that it used to be that those things weren't on the buses in the 90s, making navigating on them a lot harder than today. The CTA has made a lot of screwups over the years, but they've made their buses and trains so much more user-friendly -- with the robot voice announcing stops the way it does, a blind person can actually get where they need to go on them, which is a nice thing. Anyway, the family got where they needed to go, heading back to their tiny town (the woman said that a couple of times, too, almost apologetically, not that I held it against them -- kudos to them for venturing into the city at all).
Speaking of that, as I sat on the overcrowded bus, seated next to a nutball youngling who was tittering over his Blackberry (seriously, he was audibly cooing and hooting over it, and pulled an ultimate dick move on the bus -- namely, I got up to let a woman out, and the guy actually slid over two seats to take the window seat. Total breach of bus etiquette, since I was seated next to the gal who'd had the window seat -- I had "dibs!" And to make it worse, the guy actually got off a few stops later, so it was as gratuitous window-seat grab). Anyway, that aside, and the presence of the American Psycho lookalike on the ride home, I was reflecting on how much I enjoy the CTA -- each ride is a kind of adventure. You never know what you're going to get. Sure, there are regulars, but each ride is different (especially on the buses -- the El trains are more reliably familiar, although I did ride on an El in the 90s that caught fire, and we had to walk through the tunnels to get to the next stop, since we fled that train when it filled with smoke).
Anyway, each commute is its own kind of narrative, and I never get tired of it -- seeing who's on the bus, what they're doing, wondering what their stories are: families, execs, students, oldsters, divas, dowagers, goons, everything -- just an unending assortment of humanity in action and life.
I've commuted by car and by mass transit, and while the car is absolutely quicker (depending on where you're going, of course), it's also insulating and isolating. You're not really experiencing where you're driving -- you're just going from A to B, inoculated from the world around you. And that can be nice, for sure -- you have your own little solipsistic automotive world, there. You're master of your domain, right?
But I find when I take mass transit, getting there really is half the fun. I never complain about commutes because each commute offers up another slice of the city, a chance to talk to people, to watch and to listen, to experience, basically. It's a much more varied experience than an automotive commute, where the objective is very much on getting where you're going -- and when you're driving, you have to pay attention to what you're doing (at least I hope you are) -- and you can so easily miss details. As a passenger of mass transit, however, you don't have to worry about that, and can just people-watch. Sometimes the bus and/or train offers up great moments, surreal things, crazy stuff (one of my favorites was in the mid-90s, when this crazy guy got up and preached fire and brimstone to the El train occupants -- I mean, he was all blood and thunder. And I'm sitting there, watching him go, wondering why nobody else is reacting to it. And then I see some of the occupants do sign language to each other, expressions like "WTF is this guy talking about?" The train car had about 20 deaf passengers on it, and they got up and got off the train at the next stop, signing to one another. The would-be preacher was just floored by that, shaking his head, and he got off at the next stop, just pissed that his ad hoc sermon had literally fallen on deaf ears. I said to Exene, after he'd left: "The Lord works in mysterious ways!" I also said "Nobody's even going to believe we just saw that!" But that's what happens when you take mass transit -- you just see stuff. Humanity in all its incarnations.)
This evening was full of amusements -- this family of four from the western suburbs, nervously navigating the CTA. They asked me how to get back home, and I tried to help them, at least point them in the right direction. The wife was nervous, explained (repeatedly) how they had never taken the bus before and were more comfortable with driving everywhere, and didn't know how anybody could navigate the public transit system -- after trying to help them out, I pointed out the LED displays on the bus that indicate the streets being passed, and the robot voice that loudly announces whenever a stop is coming up. Not to be a smartass, mind you, but just told her that it used to be that those things weren't on the buses in the 90s, making navigating on them a lot harder than today. The CTA has made a lot of screwups over the years, but they've made their buses and trains so much more user-friendly -- with the robot voice announcing stops the way it does, a blind person can actually get where they need to go on them, which is a nice thing. Anyway, the family got where they needed to go, heading back to their tiny town (the woman said that a couple of times, too, almost apologetically, not that I held it against them -- kudos to them for venturing into the city at all).
Speaking of that, as I sat on the overcrowded bus, seated next to a nutball youngling who was tittering over his Blackberry (seriously, he was audibly cooing and hooting over it, and pulled an ultimate dick move on the bus -- namely, I got up to let a woman out, and the guy actually slid over two seats to take the window seat. Total breach of bus etiquette, since I was seated next to the gal who'd had the window seat -- I had "dibs!" And to make it worse, the guy actually got off a few stops later, so it was as gratuitous window-seat grab). Anyway, that aside, and the presence of the American Psycho lookalike on the ride home, I was reflecting on how much I enjoy the CTA -- each ride is a kind of adventure. You never know what you're going to get. Sure, there are regulars, but each ride is different (especially on the buses -- the El trains are more reliably familiar, although I did ride on an El in the 90s that caught fire, and we had to walk through the tunnels to get to the next stop, since we fled that train when it filled with smoke).
Anyway, each commute is its own kind of narrative, and I never get tired of it -- seeing who's on the bus, what they're doing, wondering what their stories are: families, execs, students, oldsters, divas, dowagers, goons, everything -- just an unending assortment of humanity in action and life.
I've commuted by car and by mass transit, and while the car is absolutely quicker (depending on where you're going, of course), it's also insulating and isolating. You're not really experiencing where you're driving -- you're just going from A to B, inoculated from the world around you. And that can be nice, for sure -- you have your own little solipsistic automotive world, there. You're master of your domain, right?
But I find when I take mass transit, getting there really is half the fun. I never complain about commutes because each commute offers up another slice of the city, a chance to talk to people, to watch and to listen, to experience, basically. It's a much more varied experience than an automotive commute, where the objective is very much on getting where you're going -- and when you're driving, you have to pay attention to what you're doing (at least I hope you are) -- and you can so easily miss details. As a passenger of mass transit, however, you don't have to worry about that, and can just people-watch. Sometimes the bus and/or train offers up great moments, surreal things, crazy stuff (one of my favorites was in the mid-90s, when this crazy guy got up and preached fire and brimstone to the El train occupants -- I mean, he was all blood and thunder. And I'm sitting there, watching him go, wondering why nobody else is reacting to it. And then I see some of the occupants do sign language to each other, expressions like "WTF is this guy talking about?" The train car had about 20 deaf passengers on it, and they got up and got off the train at the next stop, signing to one another. The would-be preacher was just floored by that, shaking his head, and he got off at the next stop, just pissed that his ad hoc sermon had literally fallen on deaf ears. I said to Exene, after he'd left: "The Lord works in mysterious ways!" I also said "Nobody's even going to believe we just saw that!" But that's what happens when you take mass transit -- you just see stuff. Humanity in all its incarnations.)
Allez!
I forgot to mention -- on Saturday, I had the boys at a particular playground in the 'hood, and was amused when B1 was playing with a group of five French kids (three boys, two girls). I was pleased to hear him using some of his French to talk with them (and him asking the kids if they were French, and the oldest girl saying, in a perfect American accent, "Yeah, we're French." Bahah!) Anyway, the dad finally came over to get his little brood together, and he spoke to them in French, and the kids blew him off, and then he spoke English, and this was my favorite moment -- he had a thick English accent (not Cockney, but a strong London accent) and he called to his kids again, punctuating it with an "Allez!" It was unexpected, that English accent! All of the kids had clearly French names, so I guess the wife must be French. I didn't see her, but it made me laugh, anyway.
Aluminum
SLATE's "blogging the periodic table" is a good series.
Weekend Wrap
It's frickin' hot and humid. Dog days of summer are looming. This summer's been kind of surreal, just in how quickly time is flying. The boys had a blast, and I got their room all sorted. I have them help me with it, but their library of books was a chaotic mess, and Exene sure as hell wasn't going to touch that, so I sorted through and organized it yesterday, and it looks great. I made it all functional -- activity books on the top, then nonfiction (divided between oversized books on one shelf and normal-sized books on the other), then a shelf of fiction for B1, and the bottom shelf being fiction books for B2. It looks great. I was very satisfied. It was cute, too -- while I was doing this, B2 came up and grabbed a dustrag and asked if he could help. He loves helping that way. It's terribly cute. I said "Sure, Buddy." and let him go, watched him very diligently clean the shelves with the dustrag. B2 is very much a joining-in type of guy, for all his impish pugnacity, he wants to help, so I encourage that when I see it. I think that'll work in a variety of settings, like food and chores -- like his desire to be in on "the action" (whatever it is at the moment) can have him playing ball almost despite himself. B1 is curious, because he is both more sensitive than B2 on some levels, and yet also more stubborn. I think that's a good thing, truly -- his stubbornness protects that sensitivity on some level.
My plan is to get B1 to eat a wider variety of foods by bringing B2 to the table to join in with me at dinner. I'd like the boys to eat more foods, not just their favorites. So, I'm going to try to bring them to the table by cooking good stuff and getting them to try some new foods.
Anyway, I didn't get as much written as I wanted, because I was busy with the boys, but the weather was nice, I got some reading done, and generally just enjoyed myself the way I usually do.
My plan is to get B1 to eat a wider variety of foods by bringing B2 to the table to join in with me at dinner. I'd like the boys to eat more foods, not just their favorites. So, I'm going to try to bring them to the table by cooking good stuff and getting them to try some new foods.
Anyway, I didn't get as much written as I wanted, because I was busy with the boys, but the weather was nice, I got some reading done, and generally just enjoyed myself the way I usually do.
More Than Meets the Eye
The Decepticons are apparently still trashing downtown Chicago. I had thought Michael Bay's production had moved on in their filming of "Transformers 3" but they're hitting Van Buren and Canal now, which now looks like a cinematic disaster area. Damn those Decepticons! They've been riding roughshod over the city! I have to hand it to Bay -- he's made the sets look convincingly devastated!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
"Decker...Decker...Decker....DECKER!"
B1 LOVES "The Doomsday Machine" episode of STAR TREK. He just loves it, loves the cornucopia-shaped doomsday machine. The remastered version of it looks very good. Watching the episode for the umpteenth time, I realized that Commodore Decker made a fatal error in judgment on the front end -- the setup for the episode has him aboard his ruined (and empty) starship, the USS Constellation, with a clearly-traumatized Commodore Decker recounting his actions (the ship is crippled by the planet-killer, and he has his crew beamed down to the third planet of the system they're on, where the planet-killer destroys that planet, and his crew).
Now, it's clear (from Decker's testimony to Kirk) that Decker realized they were up against a planet-killer when they engaged it, so the fatal error in judgment was, of course, beaming his crew planetside. I mean, the context of the episode has him regretting that decision and being shellshocked by the loss of his command and his crew -- but on the front end of things, if you're up against a planet-killer, even with a crippled starship, the very LAST place you'd want to drop your crew would be on a planet, yes? At least on the starship you have a fighting chance (even on a crippled starship).
Just saying. It's good for Decker that he commits suicide near the end because if Starfleet got their hands on him, they'd be putting him in front of a court martial for gross incompetence for losing a starship and an entire crew. I can just imagine the board of inquiry about his decision-making...
"So, Commodore, you were facing a PLANET-KILLER, what you knew was a planet-killer, and yet you beamed your crew to one of the planets anyway, when it appeared that your vessel was damaged beyond repair?"
Dr. McCoy also screws up when he brings Decker to the bridge, instead of to Sick Bay, where he had been instructed to take Decker. By bringing him to the bridge (and Bones had no reason to be on the bridge), he precipitates a power struggle between Commodore Decker and Spock, which leads to Decker commandeering the Enterprise and nearly getting it destroyed.
Finally, it's telling that this episode has them using only phasers against the planet-killer, since the key way of destroying it is by feeding it the USS Constellation, which detonates (something like 97.835 megatons). But photon torpedoes are supposed to be around 90 megatons a pop, so, rather than sacrificing a starship to the planet-killer, Kirk could've fired a couple of photon torpedoes into the maw of the thing, giving them a yield of ~180 megatons, snuffing out the planet-killer without sacrificing a starship. I would imagine a review board making an inquiry over Kirk's decision to send the Constellation in instead of trying to fire a few photon torpedoes in there, first.
(the "Decker" reference in the header of this entry is from Airplane!")
Now, it's clear (from Decker's testimony to Kirk) that Decker realized they were up against a planet-killer when they engaged it, so the fatal error in judgment was, of course, beaming his crew planetside. I mean, the context of the episode has him regretting that decision and being shellshocked by the loss of his command and his crew -- but on the front end of things, if you're up against a planet-killer, even with a crippled starship, the very LAST place you'd want to drop your crew would be on a planet, yes? At least on the starship you have a fighting chance (even on a crippled starship).
Just saying. It's good for Decker that he commits suicide near the end because if Starfleet got their hands on him, they'd be putting him in front of a court martial for gross incompetence for losing a starship and an entire crew. I can just imagine the board of inquiry about his decision-making...
"So, Commodore, you were facing a PLANET-KILLER, what you knew was a planet-killer, and yet you beamed your crew to one of the planets anyway, when it appeared that your vessel was damaged beyond repair?"
Dr. McCoy also screws up when he brings Decker to the bridge, instead of to Sick Bay, where he had been instructed to take Decker. By bringing him to the bridge (and Bones had no reason to be on the bridge), he precipitates a power struggle between Commodore Decker and Spock, which leads to Decker commandeering the Enterprise and nearly getting it destroyed.
Finally, it's telling that this episode has them using only phasers against the planet-killer, since the key way of destroying it is by feeding it the USS Constellation, which detonates (something like 97.835 megatons). But photon torpedoes are supposed to be around 90 megatons a pop, so, rather than sacrificing a starship to the planet-killer, Kirk could've fired a couple of photon torpedoes into the maw of the thing, giving them a yield of ~180 megatons, snuffing out the planet-killer without sacrificing a starship. I would imagine a review board making an inquiry over Kirk's decision to send the Constellation in instead of trying to fire a few photon torpedoes in there, first.
(the "Decker" reference in the header of this entry is from Airplane!")
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