Happy Whatevers

Dear Loyal Reader(s):

Okay, there's lots of you out there but most of you just use RSS so you'll probably skip this. However, to those who do read all the posts I'd like to wish you a Happy -- be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or some other event.

And I'd like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, auspicious and prosperous New Year. I certainly hope it's better than the last one. I also look forward to booting our current despots -- Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney -- from the office they hold as the result of fraudulent elections. That is going to be the best part of the new year and it cannot come too soon.

The blog will be silent for about two weeks as I shall be on holiday and am going to sever myself from all computer access during that time. Yeah, a proper holiday.

I'd also like to welcome Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to YouTube where The Royal Channel contains all sorts of fascinating goodies. I would suggest you start with her 1957 inaugural Christmas television address and then follow it with whatever other videos may amuse you. It's just fascinating. She'll be posting her current message later today but I shall be away by then.

I guess that's about it. Thanks for reading my posts this year, and double thanks to those who actually posted replies. And special gratitude to those of you who link to this blog.

[[my friends]]

Philip Pullman's Golden Compass (Movie Review)

I finally saw Golden Compass, the film based on the His Dark Materials trilogy. Let me get the first bits out of the way. The book is way better. If you loved the book, you will be mostly disappointed in this film because so much is left out, much of it essential. In order to condense the film into the allotted time, they've left out details that make the film a bit disjointed and confusing.

Secondly, the book is an anti-religion tirade that is a thinly disguised diatribe against the Vatican -- a well deserved target. The film loses all the anti-religion bits and that does take away some impact. The Magesterium becomes a political group instead. There are some allusions the die-hard fans will see, but it will be mostly transparent to the typical viewer.

First, Nicole Kidman is awesome as Mrs. Coulter. Chews up here scenes in a good way and pretty much is everything I could hope for in the role. Newcomer Dakota Blue Richards will be famous one day. She's a very good actress in this, her debut as Lyra the slightly churlish rascal, the lead in the film. There is a very quick cameo by Christopher Lee as well. Ian McKellan voices Iorek Byrnison, the polar bear.

The film is paced far too quickly, and many viewers would be confused about how the Golden Compass itself works or even the WHY of it. There was just too much cut out to make this film work and be the hit it should have been. Sure, it's much better than Narnia because there's none of the horribly wooden acting. All the kid actors are tolerable at worst and magnificent at best.

The details omitted also include the complex intertwining of the person and their daemon (soul) which is key to making you even care about anyone in the film. The adults dialogue is often stiff, but a lot of that may be because you don't understand the characters or the nationalities because they just aren't developed at all.

The visual aspect of the film is stupendous, especially the world itself. It shimmers and glows and feels very real. But some key scenes like Bolvangar are rushed to the point of sheer idiocy.

They screwed it up and I'm irritated, yet somehow I encourage you to see it nonetheless.

Peter Jackson Can't Kick the Hobbit: He's Signed On!

Peter Jackson: Middle Earth, A Hard Hobbit to Break

Some bits from various wire reports cut and pasted together:

Relations between Jackson and New Line soured after "Rings" despite a collective worldwide box office gross of nearly $3 billion, decimating records around the globe. After publicly warring for well over a year, "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached and agreement to make Tolkien's "The Hobbit," a planned two-film prequel to the blockbuster trilogy. A director has yet to be named. Production is tentatively set to begin in 2009 with a 2010 release, and the second part following in 2011.

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, which is how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. New Line said it was Jackson's idea to divide the story, adapted from Tolkien's first book about Middle Earth (which was about half the length of any from the trilogy that followed).

Jackson, who directed "LOTR," will serve as executive producer for two "Hobbit" pictures. Jackson brought Tolkien's Middle-Earth saga a total of 17 Academy Awards.

Late last year, acrimony between the Jackson and New Line became very public, but Jackson's suit, the two sides announced today, has been settled. The terms of the settlement were not announced, though New Line cheerfully added, "One of the key terms was we all shake hands with each other."

In his statement, Jackson thanked Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) Chairman and CEO Harry Sloan for helping him and New Line "find the common ground necessary to continue that journey." He also said, "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

The film's production schedule is subject to how long the writers strike lasts, which some forecast could continue for many months. There is not a script for either "Hobbit" film, and producers will be unable to even approach writers until the strike is over.

"If the writers strike drags on, then everything can change in terms of the time table," New Line said today.

In addition, Eric Seiden could be heard screaming nearly 100 miles away as he had a paroxysm of unbridled joy. Two films from a true-believer. What more could any fan want besides an accelerated production schedule.

The Rocket -- The Legend Of Rocket Richard

This movie has been released previously in Canada in French. The Rocket -- The Legend Of Rocket Richard
is now out on DVD having just been released 11 December. The DVD contains both English and French versions and I watched both to compare the two. Subtitles are also available -- but not recommended.

The film tells the “The Rocket” Richard (neé Maurice). Growing up a young French Canadian, Maurice Richard had a dream to play in the National Hockey League. In those days, there was an enormous amount of discrimination against French-Canadians, especially those who spoke little English -- and that, was Mr. Richard. Through sheer force of will he broke into the sport, facing down Campbell several times -- and after a particularly biased ruling, Montréal rioted in a historic moment in hockey history.

The Rocket played with a finesse, speed, and the fire that defied all odds and made him a legend, and a man beloved by all hockey fans. This movie is for fans and if you don't have a deep love for hockey, you may not like this film. I have that deep love of hockey.

Some quibbles: I noticed some differences between the spoken French and dubbed English but my French is pretty bad now so I shan't hold it against the film. The dubbed version irritates because you see mouths and voices out-of-synch which is common in all dubbed films and, more importantly, you lose a great deal because you don't realize when he speaks in English and/or in French. I strongly recommend watching in the original French with English subtitles. I know they put it here to widen the appeal, but the English version reduces the impact of the film. Also note that the English version doesn't translate the French text that appears on the screen throughout the film.

The film is rated "PG" for a few bloody hockey scenes and some foul words. Quite honestly, anyone over 10 can watch this film so don't keep the kiddies away if they love hockey. Richard is a role model you don't need to worry about, unlike modern day athletes.

Will the acting win an Oscar™? No. But it's serviceable and the characters are mostly believable. The cinematography is stellar. A journalist friend of mine also received a review copy. She told me the hockey scenes were well done. What an understatement! They were beautiful. Authentic down to the last detail -- skates, ice, uniforms, boards, chain link fences, everything. Even people in the crowd standing and blocking the camera view at times: a tour-de-force, mes amis! Pierre Gill and Michel Proulx deserve an Oscar™ for their work here.

Fans of current players can see cameos by:

• Sean Avery of the New York Rangers
• Pascal Dupuis of the Atlanta Thrashers
• Ian Laperriere of the Colorado Avalanche
• Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightening
• Stéphane Quintal previously of the Montréal Canadiens
• Mike Ricci previously of the Phoenix Coyotes

The Richard Story must be seen by all true hockey fans. It's available at Amazon.Com.

12-23-07 SPECIAL CONTEST: Win a free copy of The Rocket. You must join our hockey message board to be eligible to win.


Disclaimer: I have been a fan of Maurice Richard for ages and even saw the tribute at the HHOF in his honour, so my review is probably slightly biased. I reviewed a press copy as provided by Palm Pictures.

Bush's religious zealotry

I just need to point something out to my small core of faithful readers. Once again I read where Bush is saying he looks to God for answers. It bothers me on many levels because the Constitution, last I checked, clearly mandates the separation of Church and State. This means, among many things, you can't teach religion, you can't bring it with you to public office. You may certainly believe in whatever God you wish. You may not, however, use it to help you make the decisions. An elected official is to make decision on what is good for the country -- not what some mysterious voice from heaven tells him/her.

Bush is the worst kind of zealot: he's a fascist, dangerous person. He would, given the chance, turn our nation into a theocracy. So would Mitt Romney -- he said as much today when he said Nativity scenes and menorahs should be allowed into places they are currently not permitted.

If you wonder what's wrong with a theocracy, allow me to list some countries that cannot separate their states from their churches: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican are all virtual theocracies. Until recently so were Iraq and Afghanistan -- and we all know how well that's worked out.

Somehow, I'm not seeing the slow drift towards a religious state as a good thing.

A Very Near Brush With Death

Right. Step one is a special super thank-you to my bud Ernie Reardon, without whom I would probably not be talking to you all. I’m going to do something really nice for him. Of course he probably won't let me.

Earlier this month on 7 November, I went back to the Gastrointestinologist because my acid reflux was acting up again. He suggested I resume Nexium 2x per day instead of 1x per day. I had, as instructed dropped back to 1x per day after 90 days. His assistant, also an MD, suggested Claritin-D/24hr and he agreed. Not a big deal, especially since we know I’ve got allergies to dust and such. (See previous blog posts). I resumed the 2x Nexium 8 November.

I began taking the Claritin-D on 9 November before bed. It kept me from sleeping making me restless, so I started taking it in the morning instead, starting 11 November. Since it was a 24hr pill, this shouldn't matter. I also had left, on 10 November, for my trade show in Las Vegas (also a previous blog post). The Claritin-D worked remarkably well and my severe morning reflux issues almost entirely vanished after a few days.

Over the course of that week in Las Vegas, I noticed my heart seemed to be beating faster, but I thought it might be my imagination. After all, I was at a trade show in Las Vegas, where there are rumours people drink a bit more than they normally do, you're surrounded by smokers, there's a lot going on that might cause more excitement than you would normally get in a given day. That and all the wonderful food. The rapid heartbeet kept up even after I returned home. It slowly worsened -- coming and going both fast and slow -- and I wasn’t sure what it was. I didn’t connect it to the Claritin-D. A possibly nearly fatal mistake.

By 22 November, Thanksgiving Day, it felt like my heart was beating really fast, then really slow, and then back to normal for a few hours, but when it started going I thought it was going to burst right out of my chest. I had no way to confirm my feelings except putting my hand on my chest and feeling it – admittedly not very scientific. It was, indeed, very noticeable. I did not have the "heart attack symptoms" such as pain in the arm, blue coloured fingers and toes, chest pain, shortness of breath, and so on. So I didn't panic and think I was having a heart attack.

During this time, I became extremely fatigued, falling asleep often even mid-day, sometimes getting light-headed. As the week progressed my heart got louder and louder, so I could hear the pounding in my ears, and even see spots in front of my eyes in time with each beat. I realized something was amiss, but I didn't know what. I decided, perhaps, on Monday if it wasn't better I might get around to calling the doctor. As a guy, I wish to report that it's true: we hate going to the doctor.

It so happened the evening of Friday, 23 November, I ran into my friend Ernie on-line (AIM). We chit-chatted and he asked how I was. So, I told him. He said it sounded like an Arrhythmia. Ernie has a medical background and uses big medical words I don't know. So, I peeked at Google – Google knows everything, trust me. It so happened that several of the matches specifically mentioned Claritin-D. I followed the link and saw a mention very rare side-effect of which is not listed on the box.

So I stopped taking it, to see if I would get better. At that time, I also sent a fax to the doctor’s office letting him know what I discovered. I figured if it got worse, I’d call emergency. I exercised on Saturday morning for 45 straight minutes (ice skating) with no problem, though that’s about 1 hour less than normal. It didn’t kill me though.

The GI doctor called me first thing Monday morning and told me to see my primary care doctor and then have my doctor call him. I saw my doctor today (Tuesday) as soon as he got back in town. I decided I’d rather wait until today and see my doctor rather than some random doctor in the hospital.

He spent quite some time with me. We did x-rays, EKG, and all sorts of other tests. All these results were compared with the base-line tests we did after my 40th birthday when I had a complete physical. Happily, it appears I have suffered no serious damage and that all of this was a reaction to the Claritin as it built up in my system. We are awaiting (Friday) results of my blood spectrum and toxicology reports. He's checking my thyroid as well, but based on my weight we're pretty sure that's not it.

Irregular heart rhythms can also occur in "normal, healthy" hearts. But I first got mine a few days after starting the Claritin-D. According to WebMD, although arrhythmias may be normal in certain settings, they can be life threatening in other situations. This is because certain abnormal heartbeats that result from electrical dysfunction in the heart make the heart unable to pump enough blood to keep a person alive. In other cases, irregular heartbeats can lead to blood clots, which can cause a stroke or brain damage and other tissue damage.

This really sucks, too. You know why? The Claritin worked very well and reduced my Acid Reflux to negligible levels indicating it is indeed at least partially allergen related. However, both doctors insist under no circumstances may I take any allergy drugs of any type for at least one month and then, only after a full consultation.

The Near Death of My Mac

Okay, it didn't really die, but I got quite the scare. Actually, I got the first EVER hard crash of my Mac. I've never even seen this happen before on ANY of my Macs. It's more impressive than the chimes of death (which I have seen on an old Mac in the shop many years ago).

The Mac's been on all day -- since about nine this morning. Unusual but not unprecedented for my Mac. I was sitting there burning CD-Rs of our new catalogue for people at work to check, before I declare it a Golden Master and send it off for 1000 copies. Suddenly, the screen went from normal to half brightness over a 2 to 3 second interval and the mouse and keyboard locked. In the dead center of the screen, an indented non-modal dialogue box -- it wasn't really a dialogue box but that's my best description -- appeared in dark grey with white letters. It said "Your Mac must be restarted" which was repeated in about 8 languages. The instructions said to hold the power button for 3 seconds or press the reset key*.

When the Mac restarted it informed me "OS-X unexpectedly quit, forcing the Mac to re-start" and a Report to Apple button -- which I clicked this time. Are you impressed? I am. I Googled this error and found only ONE match. The Mac appears to be running fine now.

Here's the Log for the geeks among you:

Unresolved kernel trap(cpu 1): 0x300 - Data access DAR=0x0000000026427F68 PC=0x000000000093D020
Latest crash info for cpu 1:
Exception state (sv=0x48260280)
PC=0x0093D020; MSR=0x00009030; DAR=0x26427F68; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x00940A04; R1=0x17ADB9F0; XCP=0x0000000C (0x300 - Data access)
Backtrace:
0x00940A04 0x00921014 0x002E9A80 0x002EB94C 0x0008C248 0x00029234
0x000233F8 0x000ABEAC 0xFFFFFFFF
backtrace terminated - frame not mapped or invalid: 0xBFFFD650

Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.ATIRadeon9700(4.1.8)@0x919000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x4cf000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.2)@0x8df000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.2)@0x903000
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x48260280)
previously dumped as "Latest" state. skipping...
Exception state (sv=0x2F9CC280)
PC=0x9000B348; MSR=0x0200F030; DAR=0x09D3B006; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x9000B29C; R1=0xBFFFD650; XCP=0x00000030 (0xC00 - System call)

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.0: Wed Oct 10 18:26:00 PDT 2007; root:xnu-792.24.17~1/RELEASE_PPC
panic(cpu 1 caller 0xFFFF0003): 0x300 - Data access
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 1:
Backtrace:
0x000954F8 0x00095A10 0x00026898 0x000A8204 0x000ABB80
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x48260280)
PC=0x0093D020; MSR=0x00009030; DAR=0x26427F68; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x00940A04; R1=0x17ADB9F0; XCP=0x0000000C (0x300 - Data access)
Backtrace:
0x00940A04 0x00921014 0x002E9A80 0x002EB94C 0x0008C248 0x00029234
0x000233F8 0x000ABEAC 0xFFFFFFFF
backtrace terminated - frame not mapped or invalid: 0xBFFFD650

Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.ATIRadeon9700(4.1.8)@0x919000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(1.7)@0x4cf000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.2)@0x8df000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.2)@0x903000
Exception state (sv=0x2F9CC280)
PC=0x9000B348; MSR=0x0200F030; DAR=0x09D3B006; DSISR=0x42000000; LR=0x9000B29C; R1=0xBFFFD650; XCP=0x00000030 (0xC00 - System call)

Kernel version:
Darwin KepModel: PowerMac7,3, BootROM 5.1.8f7, 2 processors, PowerPC G5 (3.0), 2.5 GHz, 1 GB
Graphics: ATI Radeon 9600 XT, ATY,RV360, AGP, 128 MB
Memory Module: DIMM0/J11, 512 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
Memory Module: DIMM1/J12, 512 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
AirPort: AirPort Extreme, 405.1 (3.90.34.0.p18)
Modem: Jump, V.92, Version 1.0
Bluetooth: Version 1.9.5f4, 2 service, 0 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: Built-in Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
Serial ATA Device: Maxtor 6Y160M0, 152.67 GB
Serial ATA Device: ST3160023AS, 149.05 GB
Parallel ATA Device: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108, 486.31 MB
USB Device: Hub, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: STRONG MAN KBD HUB, ALCOR, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Microsoft IntelliMouse® Optical, Microsoft, Up to 1.5 Mb/sec, 100 mA
USB Device: STRONG MAN KBD HUB, ALCOR, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 200 mA
USB Device: USB Monitor, LG Electronics Inc., Up to 1.5 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: SoundSticks, harman/kardon, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, Apple, Inc., Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Hub, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
FireWire Device: My Book Device, WD, Up to 800 Mb/sec
FireWire Device: Zip Ultra, Iomega, Up to 400 Mb/sec
FireWire Device: unknown_device, unknown_value, Up to 400 Mb/sec

From what I gather in reading this, it appears from all this that CPU#1 blew up with a problem between the ATI Radeon driver and the Apple IOKit with an unresolved kernel trap -- frame not mapped or invalid. I have no idea what the means. I mean, I have a basic idea but no idea how that relates to what I was doing.

I also wonder if this is related to the fact that when I try and install Leopard it tells me my drives must be formatted in "HFS Extended, Journaled" even though they are already formatted in just that way. I tried to install it on my second internal and my external drive, but in both cases Leopard first tried, then failed, and on the second attempt said the drives were not formatted properly. Screw Leopard.

* I don't have one.

Making Money (Pratchett Book Review)

Ah, yes, another in the beloved Discworld series, and I've just finished it -- Terry Pratchett's latest adventure. This one features Moist, Vetinari, and cameos by some of the Guards. It's a direct follow-on to Going Postal. I really liked Going Postal. And I liked this one too.

However if you're looking for Terry's normal bell-laugh bludgeoning you will be disappointed. While funny in spots, very funny to be exact, mostly it's a relatively serious though comical take on running a Mint.

Personally, I like Vetinari remaining mysterious but we learn quite a bit about him in this novel. And we learn more about Moist and, well, I won't spoil it. We meet Mr. Bent and if he's gone missing you can always get Bent :)

There's also a new family, the Lavishes, who I hope make a return appearance. They are horribly dysfunctional and could be right out of the old soaps Dallas or Dynasty.

I could go on about this book, but I try to be spoiler free. I will give it very high marks, and a full refund in Ankh-Porkian dollars to anyone who doesn't agree*.


* Apply to Sgt. Detrius at the Watch

Randomness Part Four

1. I have removed SnapShots from my blog because their login procedure pissed me off. It had nothing to do with the fact they have advertising. Just a stupid login problem. If they contact me, I'll put it back. They won't, though. Too bad. I liked it.
2. I am back from Las Vegas. I left Vegas at 1220pm for Miami via Atlanta, arriving in Miami at near midnight. My luggage took considerably longer. I didn't get home until after 1am.
3. If you hear anything about the Mandalay Bay building a new multi-billion dollar tower, I just want everyone to know I paid for the damned thing. Buy stock in MGM/Mirage -- they're going to have a GREAT quarter. It was not a good week from a financial standpoint.
4. Business? I don't discuss business on my blog, but the convention was sad. Over 5,000 grown men all crying about the economy: how bad it is, how much worse it's going to get, and how clueless the American Public is abut it.
5. I've gotten invited to the new Hulu beta. Interesting. Am playing with it. Will report later.
6. In the past six nights (Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs) I have gotten about 16 hours of total sleep. I am in pretty damned bad shape. There are other details, but I won't bore you.
7. I probably gained 20 pounds on the trip.
8. I am writing a new novel. I am not planning on sharing this one with anyone. But it's rather good, if I do say so myself. I refuse to share any new works until I get the last one published which probably won't ever happen. No self-publishing or POD for me, dammit.

Today's Medical Reports

Lots of health news today. I'll be self-centred and go first.

I am relieved as all hell to report that I do not currently have Barrett's esophagus which I was afraid I might have. Barrett's esophagus is a relatively uncommon side effect of Acid Reflux (see multiple previous blog entries) that often leads to esophageal cancer, which is generally fatal. Anyway, I don't have it so enough of that. However, my Acid Reflux is acting up strongly again because a new granuloma has recurred (if you remember, I had a previous pair) and is also located on my vocal cords. As such, I'm going on a new regimen of drugs and dtronger dosages and frequencies thereof and expect more arguments from my shit-ass insurance company. I am confident in Dr. Arin H. Newman, the doctor in question, so we'll see what happens. I go back in six months unless I feel my granuloma is getting worse in which case I go back immediately. Those of you who have talked to me recently know how bad my voice has sounded.

My dad is not-cancer free, but he's almost cancer free and it has retreated to negligible levels. There's no such thing as "almost" or "negligible" in the cancer world, but he is no longer in any immediate danger of dying from his lung cancer (second hand smoke is bad which is what caused it). All good news has some bad news with it, and this is no exception. His bronchial passageways, which were already a mess because of his chronic and severe asthma, are in very, very bad shape due to damage caused by the cancer treatment, so he is going to a pulmonary specialist soon to see what, if anything, can be done.

And, for those concerned, Scooter has stopped gaining weight but she is at a relatively healthy weight for her advanced (20+) years -- having recovered from the 5-1/2 or so pounds she sunk to at the bottom of her illness. She's happy. She's not so playful any more -- probably because of the ligament that's torn which they can't operate on due to her age -- but she's happy to be petted. She's even jumping small distances again, though getting down still challenges her. Her hearing is definitely shot for good (cry) and she has dental issues which they also can't fix due to her age.

Return of Wherefore art thou Eric J. Hedlund?

It's been a busy week. Let's see, I'm sick. I have a cold. My throat problem appears to be back, but I've been ignoring it for weeks -- it's pretty bad now so I'm off to the doctor tomorrow. Dad gets his one year oncologists report tomorrow.

Last night, I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Evan and Brenda, their kids, and Adrian. Actually enjoyed it. For their second year running, they opened the show in Sunrise, Florida. It's a bit early for a Christmas show. WHAT? CHRISTMAS? Yeah. But that's not why I go, though I truly don't mind it. I love the second half where they do rock-based classical music. That's how I discovered TSO.

Codey, a 17 year old kid, who I never, but knew on-line, died this past Sunday. I won't go into all the details but it's not fair. Life isn't fair. A great kid and we need more people like him. I'm remarkably sad considering I never spoke to him, only had a few IMs, and basically knew him via email and/or forum posts. Friendships aren't defined like they used to be.

In a previous post I wrote about Unca Eric which was actually a follow up to a 2004 post I made. A few months ago, I decided to track him down a few months ago. I found out he left his job in Taos (see that previous post). I knew some of his friends names -- met them once so many moons ago -- and through the power of Google and my persistence I contacted PL and EW -- who both had no idea how to get in touch with him. E-mails to all known addresses bounced. I had given up.

Then, suddenly, there were new posts in his blog. Yay. YAY! I wrote him through the LiveJournal internal mail system for its members, figuring there was no chance of contact whatsoever. He wrote me back! I felt some really nice, sincere, deep joy. I realize none of my blog readers will care, but I do. Eric meant a lot to me -- in a world of mental midgets he was a rare mental giant I could talk to. I respect him.

Runaway Trains and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

There's a great song by Soul Asylum called Runaway Train, but it wasn't about this! Yes, you read it right. In a surprise bid for freedom, a Docklands Light Rail train escaped its operator at West India Quay station and went for a ride. Naturally, being the DLR and English, it dutifully came to a peaceful ending at Westferry where the train awaited the return of the operator. For the uninitiated, the DLR operated in London.

In news that is far less funny, I wish to bring your attention to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. While humorously named, it's decidedly less funny. You can read a story over at the San Francisco Chronicle about it. To sum it up, this collection of plastic is formed on land where a piece of plastic floats into a sewer, follows the storm drain to the ocean, then makes its way to the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- a heap of debris floating in the Pacific that's twice the size of Texas. The enormous stew of trash - which consists of 80 percent plastics and weighs some 3.5 million tons -- floats where few people ever travel, in a no-man's land between San Francisco and Hawaii.

People just don't realize our planet can be broken, and it's on the verge right now. Yes, we're destroying our own planet, the only place we have to live. If it's not global warming, it's pollution. Talk about people shitting in the own backyard. Sad.

Why Led Zeppelin Sucks, Part II

(This post was edited on 27 October to include additional chart data)

On 5 March 2005, I made the obvious and ludicrously titled post "Why Led Zeppelin Sucks" which has generated tens of thousands of hits on this blog. Two-and-a-half years later, it's still generating traffic every single day as well as random hate-mail to go along with it. I have finally decided to say more on this matter because there's obviously still massive interest in this.

I am amused because at no point did I ever actually say Led Zeppelin sucks, because quite frankly they don't. However, the people "reading" the post -- who quite clearly haven't read it -- reply with such vehemence and often vitriol, it's amazing.

First, if you think Led sucks, I will not argue with you one way or another. You certainly can have your opinion. You won't be alone, but I will surmise you will be in small company. Led is talented and there's no question about it. You can dislike them, certainly, because that is a matter of personal taste. I dislike Luciano Pavarotti, but I don't like opera. That doesn't mean he sucks or lacks amazing talent. It just means I'm not a fan. Pretty simple concept many people miss.

Then, I made a most tragic mistake of comparing them to Pink Floyd. I say tragic because of all the fighting it caused. Do I think Pink Floyd is better than Led Zeppelin? You betcha! Go read the original post and comment away if you'd like. However, it's still a matter of personal opinion. Dark Side of the Moon is, perhaps, one of the very best albums ever made. Every single song on it's very good, stands on its own, and evokes emotions. The album IV (Zoso/Runes/etc) on which Stairway to Heaven appears is a very average album overall. It happens to have one of the best songs ever created on it: only a philistine would dare say Stairway isn't one of the best rock songs ever written and I love that song. But it's one song. The album has seven other songs, and some of 'em, they ain't great: just average.

If you want to compare songs, Stairway will probably dust anything Floyd wrote -- and I am a huge Floyd fan. But if you want to compare albums and oeuvres, then Floyd will win. Their overall output was of far better quality overall. And there aren't hundreds of accusations of plagiarism over Floyd's heads, either. For the record, Led has settled several of these suits out of court, so there is merit to the accusations. (Stairway remains untouched by any allegations.)

If you want a true measure, here are the top 10 entries for the most weeks on the Billboard Top 100 charts. Note that totals are for the main albums chart only, catalog chart totals are not factored in. Please note who is in SOLE POSSESSION of first place -- remaining on the top 200 chart for 14.25 years. YEARS!

1. (741 weeks) The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd
2. (490 weeks) Johnny's Greatest Hits — Johnny Mathis
3. (480 weeks) My Fair Lady — Original Cast
4. (331 weeks) Highlights from the Phantom of the Opera — Original Cast
5. (302 weeks) Tapestry — Carole King
6. (295 weeks) Heavenly — Johnny Mathis
7. (283 weeks) Oklahoma! — Soundtrack
8. (282 weeks) MCMXC a.D. — Enigma
9. (281 weeks) Metallica — Metallica
10. (277 weeks) The King and I — Soundtrack
11. (277 weeks) Hymns — Tennessee Ernie Ford

There are many theories as to the hold of Pink Floyd on the charts. Most center around the fact that people bought their copies on vinyl and wore them out. It wasn't until it came out on CD that it finally drifted off the charts. Led is conspicuously absent.

If you go for best-selling album of all-time in the USA, then Led and Pink are tied in third place behind Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Eagles Greatest Hits (which I refuse to count, as it's a compilation album and not an original work). If you go worldwide, then The Eagles drop down and Led drops even further.

I just had to say this because the debate will not die. But it bothers me when people say I hate Led Zeppelin. I don't. I am not a fan, but I respect them, what they've done, and can assure you both Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin will both be remembered long after rock dies*.

(*Rock will never die, dammit.)

What's Wrong With Blogging

I had this burning desire to post some really personal stuff here, specifically a few things that were on my mind. That's what blogs are for. I wanted to make a post and I didn't make it because I was afraid a particular person might read it, or maybe a particular group of people. Blogging is supposed to be about expression, but it's not free. That bothers me, I think. Stuff along the lines of: I like person A. I hate person B. I really feel emotion C. That sort of thing.

Then I realized that I was censoring myself. Yep, the blog has come to that point. I've got people reading who, quite frankly, I just don't want to know some of that stuff and if I post it here, it'll be pretty damned hard to hide won't it? I think the blog was a little more fun for me when it was anonymous and I didn't know who was reading it. It's ironic that as the blog gets more visitors and more people, it's harder and harder for me to put what I want in the blog. It's might also be interesting to my readers that since you know what I'm willing to write here, you ought to wonder what I'm not willing to write.

As an illustrative example: Do I care if random person X knows that I like A or hate B? Not in the least. Do I care if A knows that I like him/her? Maybe. Do I care if B knows I hate him/her? Of course not. Do I care if anyone I know thinks I'm having emotion C? You bet your ass. I used him/her so nobody would read anything in to the pronouns. (This is an illustrative example only, not an actual example for those of you who couldn't pick up on it without me explaining it.)

To carry it further, what might be okay for a stranger to read, you might not want your best friend to read. What be okay for a friend, might not be okay for a relative. And what's okay for a stranger and/or friend might not be okay for an employer. So the blogsphere which is supposed to be censorship free becomes self-censored.

It was an interesting revelation and/or epiphany to have. So this blog, while it isn't censored, definitely only shows you part of the picture. And the very best part? This may the most uncensored post I've ever made* even though it appears totally censored.

I only know of one person -- who probably won't ever read my blog -- who will have any clue what's going on in this post. Most of my readers will think I've taken too many medications and dismiss this post as inconsequential when in truth it's the single most important post I'll ever make. And, it's quite possible, a few of my readers -- one or two of my friends I suspect -- will actually try and figure it out. And fail miserably. Sorry, guys :)

This post made me feel sad inside and put a smile on my face (this is a true statement).

* he said cryptically.

Bold text added 10-25 for people who, apparently, need things spelled out.

Dumbledore Queer As Three Dollar Bill

In a somewhat surprising revelation JK Rowling has revealed Albus Dumbledore was gay. I laughed when I first heard it, thinking it was a joke. Then I thought "that's great" because it'll perhaps bring a bit more tolerant to those intolerant twits who think being gay is an issue. Then I asked "why is she bringing it up now?"

Excerpts from the AP newswire reports: Author J.K. Rowling has confirmed Hogwart's headmaster Albus Dumbledore was gay. "If I had known this would have made you so happy, I would have told you years ago," Rowling told a full house of fans at New York's Carnegie Hall Friday. Rowling said she slipped movie director David Yates a note about Dumbledore's sexuality after she noticed a reference to a girl in Dumbledore's past during the making of the sixth Potter film.

Yeah, okay, he's gay. That's up there in importance with eye colour in the big scheme of things. In the small scheme it's pretty significant that it's out there because it will force her readers to think about that fact now. And, to those who hate her books for religious grounds, it's just one more reason for them to add to their list.

I don't know what to think of this really. I don't care if he's an arse pirate or not. He certainly wasn't after Harry's at any rate. I am bemused, to be sure. But somehow I think this was significant somehow, but damned if I know why.

Book Review: Frek and the Elixir and Hero

Ah, well I've read two books in the past 24 hours.

I'm going to review the first one I read, "Frek and the Elixir" by Rudy Rucker was first up, and it started out great. Original, different, unique, and a bit weird. Frek grows up in a truly odd world written by a clearly odd person. At nearly 500 pages, it's hard for an author to keep it going and at some point it becomes so absurd as to be uninteresting. Yeah, the last 100 or so pages really let me down and I lost my desire to finish, but being in a plane makes you plough through. I did. And if you want a fun read that's very imaginative, you'll like this book: right up until the end. This book is enormously popular, so maybe it's just me.

The second book, "Hero" by Perry Moore I cannot imagine anyone I know liking. I read a review in Time and bought it based on the review. I think it's fantastic. I'm going to read it again. If you're brave read this because it's just a little hard to read while being enjoyable nonetheless.

Random Stuff

1. I had dinner last night with someone I hadn't seen in about 20 years. I'm still trying to figure out the exact date. Randy Barris. I had a really great time. He came over around 515pm right after I got home from work -- a good 30 minutes before I figured he'd get there -- and we talked until around 630, then we went to dinner. We had a decent meal at Macaroni Grill, and then talked until almost 11pm -- me, having trouble staying awake since my day began not long after 530am. I just thought I'd let interested parties know. No further public details available.
2. A few more people accepted my LinkedIn invitations plus I got a few invitations and my contacts are over 30 now. Yay. I recommend LinkedIn to everyone from a professional work standpoint. If you have a job and you're a professional, you should have an account. It's a great resource. I have the free account and it's more than sufficient for my needs.
3. Reminder: if you're on NHL Connect, Orkut, Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn -- let's connect. I use my darsysataoldotcom address on all of them.
4. If you haven't visited kiva.org, please check it out. If you haven't joined, let me know and I'll gladly send you an invitation. This is a great way for you to help those less fortunate. It's a micro-lending site. You put your money in $25 a pop and when you're paid back you can get your money or re-loan it to someone else. I have a few friends already participating. I've got 5 loans outstanding as of right now. Their default rate is low. It's not a charitable contribution, nor is it a tax deduction because you put in and get your money back without interest. But it's double-karma points and we all need good karma.
5. Looks like I am, after all, going to London this Christmas. I am ditching Christmas and leave Christmas morning with my sister. We're flying to Paris, spending a day in EuroDisney, and then taking the train to London. Continental has absurdly low fares to CDG from Newark right now. With the current exchange rate, the trip will still be a bit expensive. I'm working on that. Well Karen is, but she's so slow to respond it's frustrating me. Relatives will have to see me Christmas Eve instead. SMARTIES! YORKIES! YUMMMM! I'm going to try and meet with an estate agent to see what I have to do to buy a home and reture there, though the time of year may prohibit that.
6. I'm really hungry right now. I wish someone would bring me food.

NHL sued by NY Rangers (MSG)

For an interesting discussion, I give you this story and this related story. Madison Square Garden (owner of the NHL's NY Rangers) has sued the parent league, the NHL. This is interesting as hell to me, and his a great deal of significance to hockey fans everywhere.

The NHL, this year, took over every team's website. That is if you go to www.floridapanthers.com you're actually going to the main NHL website and you'll see your URL changed to http://panthers.nhl.com/. The site is designed, run, and maintained entirely by the NHL for the sake of league conformity. It might not seem like a big deal to you as a fan, but it's a big deal to at least one team. The NY Rangers feel they want to retain complete control over their site. I have to support them. The league may want conformity, but ultimately it's the Rangers' team that should decide how they present themselves to the outside world. Yes, I am down on record as supporting the NY Rangers in this matter*. I do not know what all the Rangers' beefs are with the NHL sites -- though I find them cluttered, boring, and lacking in any depth. If it's going to be fluff (and it's the blandest type of fluff, I might add), one might as well let the teams control it.

However, cynic that I am, must assume it's money. Let me quote an excerpt from the article:

MSG said it filed the suit in U.S. District Court because the NHL would begin fining the organization US$100,000 per day starting Friday (9-29-07) if the company did not give the league complete control over the Rangers' Web site and other promotions. The league is seeking to control the licensing of teams for all commercial purposes and to stop teams from marketing apparel, merchandise and memorabilia, the suit said. MSG asked that a judge order the league to stop limiting team promotions, and it also wants the court to clarify the boundaries of the league's rights.

As I said at the beginning, there are significant ramifications as a result of this. On the plus side, if you're a Panthers fan you'll be happy. Why? As you well know many very cool NHL items are only available in select teams. The NHL's intent is to make sure most items are available in all teams' logos and colours, though some regional items are expected to be exempt. As a Panthers fan, most items I've wanted to buy are not available for our team -- you all know that. On the minus side, when the team decides it wants to do something "special" for its own use, it can't. It's all controlled by the league -- including team promotions. So that cool giveaway you get at some games would also, in theory, be affected.

Although I understand the league's position. I think they've gone overboard. But it won't come down to what we, as fans, think. It'll come down to the rules that govern what the league can or can't do with respect to the teams. I suspect merchandising with a logo comes down to a league decision. Ultimately, I imagine it'll end up being like the NFL/NBA/MLB arrangement -- whatever that is. For me, I am most interested in the sentence in red above.

This case will give us all an interesting insight into how the league is run as well as to how much money is involved with merchandising, though I suspect this will be an unusually big year because of the jersey redesign. Lots of people are buying new, $390 authentic jerseys: at least that's our in-arena price -- less at NHL.com


* It's quite possible that the fact I agree with the NY Rangers is a sign of Armageddon.

The Kingdom: An Unexpected Review

I wanted to see The Kingdom because the previews were interesting even though it didn't seem like "my type" of movie. I figured I might like it or be entertained. I didn't actually expect it to be good. This is an action film that has more than its fair share of suspense.

Although Jennifer Garner is wasted, getting no significant screen time, the rest of the cast does well. I must say the surprise casting move was Jason Bateman of Arrested Development in a largely dramatic role. He does very well. Jamie Foxx of course, rocks in his role.

To sum it up, there's a suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia targeted at an American Compound. A bit painful to watch and very bloody to boot. You also get a very condensed but oddly accurate representation of the rise of Saudi Arabia as an Islamic Kingdom. I was expecting a highly politicized film. It is, but not in the way you'd expect. There are no red-state/blue-state issues in this film but there are lots of political statements.

You will be drawn in. You'll even accept the film's notion that there are good and bad people on both sides. So it makes it really difficult to accept the film's devastating last revelation. "What did he whisper in your ear?" To reveal the answer here would spoil the impact, but I have to say this is a FANTASTIC film and I recommend it without reservation and qualification to anyone over the age of 13 as long as the sight of blood doesn't gross you out. There is a lot of it, but in a film like this there's no alternative.

Bush and the Deficit

The US is nearing its credit limit according to Henry Paulson, the treasury secretary. Yes, not only have the past seven years turned us from a budget surplus to being in the hole, that hole is now $8.9 trillion dollars. Trillion. With a "T" to be exact. Or in numbers that's $8,965,000,000,000 -- which is what it will be on 10-1 when the US government will exceed its credit limit. I am not making that up. Yep, we're about to overdraw our checking account. The Senate has approved raising the limit to $9.82 trillion as a temporary fix, the fifth such increase in the past 6 years. The US has never missed a debt payment, and has always upheld "the full faith and credit" motto making our currency stronger.

Everyone wants to know why the dollar is currently hovering at record lows against most major currencies. This is a big part of the answer. Not only has Bush sold our integrity, our respect, he's sold our souls to the highest (or perhaps it's lowest) bidder.

Sleep easy. If you were to pay this off at $1 million per day and there was no interest, it would take you 26 years to pay it off. And that assumes the budget is miraculously balanced. To put it in different terms, if every living person from newborns to those about die, who was a US citizen were to pay $30 per day, it would take a year to pay it off. Or if everyone paid $11,000 we could do it right now. I'll ask Bill Gates for his share -- you go ask the new baby next door and the homeless guy down the street.

For shame, shame, shame.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Using Stumble Upon I found what is one of the most amazing videos I've ever seen. This guy is talented whilst at the same time irritating. I am in awe. The video is here.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is one of the most classic songs of the rock era. This cover by Canadian comedian Rick Miller will blow you away. If you've got StumbleUpon give it a thumbs up!

Best 5 minutes and 21 seconds you'll spend tonight.

Fuck Bush Says a Student Newspaper

The headline and editorial ran thusly: "Taser this FUCK BUSH" I will withold comment on the lack of proper punctuation in said headline.

That was the entirety of a four-word column in the student-run Rocky Mountain Collegian. I think that's great. But in response to the headline, it's way too juvenile for a professional newspaper which a college paper puports to be. Still I admire their spirit, if not the lack of a carefully placed asterisk or two.

A number of newswires have picked it up from Raw Story who are running it unedited to Fox News and USA Today who are commenting on it with an expletive deleted tag. Most coverage is local and even those who sympathize with the sentiment are not giving the headline good marks.

The editor will likely lose his job, and the staff are facing pay cuts to compensate for lost advertising revenue. I was just amused that it's come this far. I agree with the sentiment. Totally. I just don't think it should have run without an asterisk in a newspaper.

Family Guy does Star Wars

In an earlier post I had said Family Guy jumped the shark, and true, it's been pretty sucky lately. But the new season première take on Star Wars was utterly, and completely brilliant. This may have been the best episode of the show. Ever.

It's a scarily faithful retelling of the original Star Wars (episode IV for the geeks) that begins with a hysterical crawl about Angelina Jolie. We have Darth Stewie, Leia (Lois), Han (Peter), Luke (Chris), Obi-Wan (Herbert, the pervert), C3P0 (Quagmire), R2D2 (Cleveland), Chewie (Brian) and the monster in the trash chute (Meg). We have cameos by just about everyone who's ever had a recurring role in Family Guy.

There's a great bit about John Williams, a funny thing with the couch, and watch out for the limp light sabre. This episode just really has a lot going for it. And the Asteroid Field. Yes. Definitely that. Lots of little cheap shots at Star Wars, done in an obvious fan-boy loving sort of way. There is more sexual innuendo in this episode than the entire last season combined. We finally learned why it's called a Tie Fighter. And there are cameos out the ass.

I cannot recommend this enough. It's a shame they'll break the two parter up, because it will lose a great deal if not seen as one continuous episode.

Man. It's amazing. A one hour animated Star Wars. It works, dammit. IT WORKS. I think I like it better than the real Star Wars.

Marcel Marceau, Famed French Mime, Dies

When asked to speculate on the cause of death, police were silent.

Family members asked had no comment.

Other mimes were quiet on the subject.

I hate Christmas

Dear God Almighty. I was at BJ's Wholesale today to buy some bulk stuff for work -- this is a routine event. Today, I wish to point out is 22 September 2007. They had artificial Christmas trees, wrapping, decorations, and were playing Christmas music. It's 93 days away. Save us all from holiday creep.

How on earth can you have Halloween Decorations next to Christmas Decorations. They haven't even got that Thanksgiving stuff out yet. It's unseemly and just a little bit creepy.

In other news, Thomas is still in the rehab center for his hip. I went and got his keys and got him stuff from his house. My good deed for today, I suppose. He was under quarantine in his room because of some infection from surgery, so we really couldn't visit much. Went to lunch at Smokey Bones with Erin, Kathy & William, and Adrian. Got home around five, and then went off to BJ's which is what started this post.

The weather outside is frightful.

Another Mac In The Wall

(Apologies to Pink Floyd for the title)

I normally just write about what's on my mind and don't take requests as it were. However because the topic was so appropriate for me and because the person who sent it to me is as cute as a button (Erin), I've got no other choice than to throw it on my blog for all the world to see -- or at least the 500+ visitors I still get every week. I've written on this topic before.

So many people are switching to the Mac, hence the rising sales of their computers (Yay) it almost isn't worth of note. I could name many famous Mac users who are recent converts, though I think people would be hard pressed to find anyone who recently switched away from a Mac.

But this case amuses me greatly because it's none other than billionaire Marc Cuban. Mark says I had gotten to the point where I was embarrassed to be a PC owner. So a few months ago I made the executive decision to buy a MacBook to replace my laptop. I haven't looked back. Like most honest people he's got complaints with the Mac. One of which, I might add isn't valid. I have no idea why he can't left click. That's been available to Mac users for ages. Maybe he's got it turned off.

Remember: changing the world, one person at a time. Do your part. Save the world from the Microsoft.

VideoGate: Belichick's Cheating Ruins NFL Credibility

I'll skip the discussion of the travails of the actual incident in questions. It's pretty much blatant and obvious. I'm going to move right on to my opinions of the NFL's response. I think it's a total sham. What a freaking crock of excrement.

First and foremost Belichick, doesn't have even have to pay his fine because the Patriots are doing it for him.

Secondly, Belichick earns $4.2 million per year so even if he HAD to pay it, it's about 12% of his salary. In that regard, it's pretty minor. Sure, nobody wants to lose 12% of their salary, but I'd see many people giving up 12% for my Vince Lombardi trophy. This fine is insulting to the fans and the other teams.

Thirdly, Belichick has been accused of this in the past and has been warned in the past. He went and did it anyway. That's a pre-meditated offence and deserves the harshest punishment for him and his team. I don't believe for one second that the team wasn't aware of his actions. I think it's fantastic they got busted. I hope it serves as a distraction to their entire team. (I feel bad for their fans and ex-players because now their entire legacy under Belichick is now tarnished and in question.)

Fourth, the annual revenue of the New England Patriots is $250,000,000 (on an estimated worth of $1.1 billion dollars) -- yes about $250 million dollars per year. So a $250,000 fine is 0.1% of their annual revenue. Yes ZERO POINT ONE PERCENT of annual revenue is the amount of their fine. That's probably a day at the concession stands at best, or maybe the take for parking. It's a disgrace.

Fifth, The draft picks are a minor detail. They should be, at minimum, barred from the playoffs for a year or three and possibly have their last title stripped from them too. Belichick should be suspended for a year or two and not be allowed to coach or attend any games. The league needs to make a huge statement that it will not tolerate this sort of behaviour. This is far worse than what has been done by the players and it creates a double standard.

I'd cheat every game if I were disposed to be a cheater. What the NFL has done is create a situation where it pays to cheat. It's absurdly disgraceful. They need to do something FAR more severe but they won't. For $250k per game, or a few million dollars a year, you can cheat at every single game. Even the team with the lowest revenue rakes in over $167,000,000 per year and is worth 3/4 of a billion dollars.

I think cheating destroys the integrity, honesty, and character of a sport. It's inexcusable and must be discouraged in a meaningful way.

(Belicheck -- to catch the people who can't spell it right)

OJ Did It Again

Yeah, for the second time in my life, I am blogging about OJ Simpson. (First time here) The last time, I wrote about OJ was to discuss the theory that he was actually innocent. Yeah, I still believe it's possible. From the glove that didn't fit, to the matching DNA, to the time he killed driving around town: it all fits the theory that OJ was protecting his son who committed the murders.

But OJ, nut-job that he is won't go away and die a peaceful quiet death. He has to drag us all along for the miserable ride. He's in the news again, this time on breaking and entering. Yes, he broke into a hotel room at the Palace Station casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. I mean what was this guy thinking. He's just so bizarre I can't stand it. He was also, a year or two ago, involved in case of road rage here in Miami where he lives in suburban Pinecrest or thereabouts.

Can someone possibly explain the weirdness that is OJ? I can't.

I was In a Fender Bender Today

Today, I was in a relatively minor fender bender. Or, more accurately, I was rear-ended by a cel-phone wielding blonde bitch. Maybe she isn't but her attitude bears me out.

I left work a bit early today to go to the post office and pick up some stuff while they were still open. So, along about 435pm or so, I am on the NW 36th Street access road (the road that runs right next to NW 36th Street). The road merges from two to one lane as it hooks left onto Ludlam Road. I was in the left lane (the through lane) and the right lane merges into it (they have the merge sign, and therefore the left lane has right of way).

I am driving substantially below the speed limit because it's raining and the road is wet. Right next to me in the right lane is a dark blue Kia Sportage. In the right lane following the Sportage is a gold Honda Civic, driven by a blonde who appears to be on a cell-phone. In front of me is a white Nissan Pathfinder (or maybe it's a Q45; I'm not positive as I wasn't paying attention to that). I slow a little more to let the Sportage in, and continue as the lanes merge. Please keep in mind there is no median and it's a blind curve so you cannot weave into the oncoming lanes without risking a fatal head-on collision.

I am still driving WELL below the speed limit, going approximately 10 to 15 MPH due to the fact we're merging, the road is wet, and we're on a blind curve. Three wonderful driving conditions.

Apparently the lady in the Honda decides to merge and lean on her horn at the same time. It is my understanding that, apparently, if you're a blonde on a cel-phone merging left, leaning on the horn gives you the right of way even if a car is ALREADY in the space you wish to occupy. Apparently it does not dawn on her she can slow down or stop and get behind me.

It is FAR more convenient for her to actually clip my back bumper in the far right corner and keep leaning on her horn. I pull over in front of Miami Aviation (or whatever that abandoned building in front of the UPS Air terminal is called) and get out and grab my (OFF as always) cel phone. She exits her car and is gabbing on the phone -- which is why I assume she was on it when she hit me as she didn't likely have time to make a call in the few seconds that elapse.

She starts yelling at me in Spanish and I yell back at her in English (no foul words were used). I ask what she wants to do because, happily there is almost NO visible damage to my car. She yabbers something so fast, I cannot understand it to translate it with my semi-limited Spanish. I say "Policia?" and she says "Si! Policia" so I call the Police (she is still on her phone call). I call 911 and transfer to the non-emergency number and give them the details calmly, and politely as a cop drives by and totally ignores us -- we're standing in the rain. I probably should have mentioned that because it adds to the joy of my situation.

Amazingly, not 4 minutes later the police show up -- okay, it's a PSA but still four minutes is rocking. I like the police. We greet him simultaneously, me in English, her in Spanish. She's hung up the phone at some point. He looks for the damage on my car and doesn't see any except some paint chips, and then looks at her damage. He asks me to describe what happened and I tell my side pointing at the clearly marked lanes and road signs. He asks her for her side -- in Spanish. I should mention the PSA is very professional -- some guy named Officer Delgado with a scary looking scar on his left arm.

It's quite clear she rear-ended me while not having the right of way. He doesn't TELL me that, but he talks to her in Spanish and I don't think he realizes I speak a little. Sometimes silence is good: keep your mouth shut. He asks what I want to do. I told him she wants a police report, so we should let her have what she wants. I explain, again, that nobody is hurt and I have no serious damage -- it's all on her front bumper and the rear of my car, hence the overwhelming evidence she rear-ended me. I've just got a few nicks which I can probably fix myself.

He talks to her in Spanish and tells her that she can drive away and he won't write anything. He asks if I'm okay with that, and despite my desire to punish Blondie as she so richly deserves, I'm very tired of being in the rain. Apparently she is too, and decides it's okay to leave with no report. He instructs her to leave first and stops traffic so she can get back on the road. I notice she jots my plate number down as she drives off -- which is why I am writing this so when I get a legal document, I have everything written here while it's fresh in my memory along with a nifty time and date stamp.

I stay a few moments more chatting with the officer before I get in my car and get to the post office just before 5pm.

I'd have posted this earlier, but I got home a little later than expected as I got stock in 5pm traffic, in construction (yet another batch of new construction -- this time on 25th street and Milam Dairy) on my way home. Then I had to call Thomas to find out how his hip replacement surgery went -- it's fine. He's awake and as alert as he was before the operation (take that as you will). He'll be in the hospital until this weekend approximately before he goes to a rehab center. He's watching baseball -- he says he likes it, but I think it's to dull the plain. Watching baseball makes me numb....

So how was YOUR day?

Panthershockey.net gets a sponsor!

Well, I've taken the plunge and accepted paid advertising. I never thought I'd actually do it. However, as my combined sites' Technorati authority ratings have climbed, offers have increased. I won't even CONSIDER porn ads, though those offers were SUBSTANTIAL and into the four figures. My Technorati authority rating broke 5 not that long ago -- and now it's up to six!

I finally got a sponsorship offer that I didn't find offensive, was related to what I talk about, and covered my annual ISP hosting bill. The fact that I have a lot of sports pages, often talk about sports, and quite frankly, like sports made this one of interest. So, I am pleased to announce, as my first sponsor and Première sponsor, Barry's Tickets. If you like this site, please click on the link or banner ad and check them out. Sure, they do non-sports stuff, but that's not what made them attractive to me as a sponsor:

Here's the little blurb we wrote about them for their sponsor tag-line: Barry's Tickets -- our site sponsor -- is your one-stop source for tickets to the hottest events nationwide. We offer premium seating and sold-out tickets as well. As a privately owned ticket broker, Barry's Tickets has seats for all sports and entertainment events buying and selling tickets at the best prices available. Visit them and help support our site!

I hope they get some business -- to be clear I get no commission from sales. They paid me a flat fee, and I agreed to give them a one year exposure until 8-31-08. So far they've been extremely professional. You will see their ads around my sites as follows:

1. Darsys.com/panth (www.pathershockey.net) left-side navigation bar on EVERY SINGLE page in the site exclusive to them
2. Darsys.com index page left-side navigation bar exclusive to them
   
3. Darsys.net index page left-side navigation bar exclusive to them
4. Darsys.com index page TOP OF LIST banner ad (like the one above)
5. Darsys.net index page TOP OF LIST banner ad (like the one above)

So, share the love and click on the from my website. If you buy and they ask where you came from, mention DARSYS.COM, DARSYS.NET, and/or PANTHERSHOCKEY.NET.

The entire cost of the darsys.com domain was paid for by this and left me a two cent profit. If I get another sponsor, I can probably get darsys.net paid off too. Send me an offer -- the more zeros the better :)

Iriomote Cats, English Teachers, Yellow Submarine, and Bush Declares Martial Law

Today we have another random group of eclectic posts.

1. Way back in December 2006, I wrote about the Baiji Dolphin become extinct. Truly a sad thing, indeed. Well it's about to happen again to another species. Now, Japan’s Iriomote Cat is Headed for Annihilation
according to the latest news. I am far more saddened about this because I love kitties of all kinds. This has been reported in National Geographic. It's a beautiful cat, too as you can see.

2. I am trying to locate Karen Goff; she was my eighth or ninth grade English teacher from McMillian Junior High School in Miami, Florida. It's an off chance, but she was one of the best teachers I ever had -- and in a subject I am rather fond of. I want to thank her. If anyone knows where she is, that would be great. The school was of no help whatsoever nor was the local school boards.

3. In other disturbing news: I am not a conspiracy theorist, and I often ridicule those who are. Let's be honest, most of them are utter and complete crackpots. However there's a new one making the rounds that even my regular "upstanding citizen" type friends are subscribing to. And, I think I do too. As you know Dubya's term is coming to an end -- and he's not happy, nor does he understand why he's the least popular president ever. There are more and more rumblings being made about Iran from inside the administration, but nowhere else. What happens when he uses some random event -- you know the odds are in favour of an event -- to declare martial law and take over and remain in power? Will anyone be able to stop him? Will the military say no? It's looking more and more real to me every day. Him and his cronies are looking for a way to stay -- just like the Kremlin in its heyday. It scares me.

4. Next Wednesday, I am still predicting a Yellow Submarine iPod pre-loaded with the Beatles oeuvre. It will look similar to the current iPhone without the actual phone functionality. Further, regardless of what comes next, I bet you get a Bluetooth iPod so people have no more wires. You'll also get some form of the iPhone touchscreen. Apple has ordered way more screens than it needs for phones. There's really no other conclusion to be had.

Costly and Fatal Commas of Blasphemy

The first three items are excerpted and amended from the original at canongate. The fourth item is from my own blog.

1. THE FATAL COMMA
   Czarina Maria Fyodorovna once saved the life of a man by transposing a single comma in a warrant signed by her husband, Alexander III. On the bottom of the warrant the czar had written: `Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia.' The czarina changed the punctuation so that her husband's instructions read: `Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.' The man was set free.
2. THE BLASPHEMOUS COMMA
   In several editions of the King James Bible, Luke 23:32 is changed entirely by the absence of a comma. In the passage that describes the other men crucified with Christ, the erroneous editions read: `And there were also two other malefactors.' That clearly includes Christ as a malefactor. Instead of counting Christ as a malefactor, the passage should read: `And there were also two other, malefactors.'
   
3. THE MILLION-DOLLAR COMMA (USA)
   The US government lost over a million dollars through the slip of a comma. In the tariff act of June 1872, a list of duty-free items included: `Fruit plants, tropical and semitropical'. A government clerk accidentally altered the line to read: `Fruit, plants tropical and semitropical'. Importers successfully contended that the passage, as written, exempted all tropical and semitropical plants from duty fees. This cost the US a fortune until May 1874, when the passage was amended.
4. THE TWO MILLION-DOLLAR COMMA (CANADA)
   In August 2006, Rogers Communications was to lose C$2,130,000 because of a misplaced comma in a contract. Yes, the world's most expensive comma and you should all read the column in my previous blog post. The whole thing comes down to this: Page 7 of the contract states the agreement: “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” Look at the comma in red -- I've highlighted the previous word to make it easy to find. Without the comma it's a five year contract which renews for successive 5 year terms. With the comma, it says the contract can be terminated with one year notice regardless of the terms. This is standard contract verbiage. The judge has ruled that the contract is quite clear and is allowing it to be terminated.

A comma is important. Really. And even if you don't like these anecdotes, you must realize it's important to express yourself clearly and accurately. The comma will help.

Random Tidbits

SCOOTER UPDATE: She's feeling a bit better after we saw Dr. Child -- Dr. Child has a much better bedside manner than the other two doctors in the office. Plus she's a cat owner. Cat owners make better cat vets than dog owners (and vice versa).

She changed Scooter's medicine levels to 1-1/2 pills per day, down from her original 2 but up from the 1 that the other doctor recommended. She's still got all sorts of symptoms -- but most have lessened except the thyroid stuff -- but she seems happy and doesn't seem to be in any pain. I have to make the appointment to take her back in late September. At some point I also have to take her to see Dr. Diaz (my regular vet). I'm just reluctant to get two doctors involved if the first one seems to be doing a good job and knows what she's doing. [This has nothing to do with the fact the vet is very cute. I promise.]

SHOULDER UPDATE: I saw Dr. Levitt today -- my orthopaedic surgeon. My shoulder saga -- on and off again -- being painful and unpleasant. I figured I best check and see what the hell was wrong. His assistant made an initial assessment before the doctor saw me. Then sent me to a brand new x-ray machine that is digital (no film, film cartridges, or any of that). They take it and it's done -- and if they don't like it, they take another one. They can zoom it in/out and rotate it all from their control box. It looks like an MRI room actually only it's full of gantries so the machine can move around on its own or with their help.

A few moments later, I was back in the doc's office with the results. I kid you not -- under five minutes for the answer. The good news is: absolutely, positively, no serious damage and no surgery required. I am to continue to see my chiropractor. I was told what to tell him. But basically the muscle is knotted up and not in the wrong place and that's causing pinching and it just needs to be re-aligned. He asked me a lot of questions about my chiropractor -- because he feels most are quacks (as do I) -- but my answers satisfied him. And he gave Dr. Yoham the a-ok.

REST OF ME UPDATE: I also asked Dr. Levitt about a number of my other joint aches and pains. Sadly, his answer was the one I feared. I'm getting old and all those aches, pains, pops, and noises are part of the process. He said to do nothing out of the ordinary and hopefully it won't get much worse. I have mild arthritis in my knees, but that's not a surprise. It happens if you have surgery on your joints. Nothing life-altering. Yay.

RANDOM NEWS: In unrelated health news, I have an uncomfortable itch. You don't want to know where. I had to tell someone, and that someone is you. Aren't you lucky? In even more unrelated news, London is still not looking very good and I've thrown out a last ditch plan before I throw in the towel and try to combat the resultant depression.

SITE NEWS: I will have some soon. If you're clever and have been around http://www.panthershockey.net or my other pages http://www.darsys.com and http://www.darsys.net you may have already figured out what the announcement will be. But no formal announcement for 5 to 10 days. It's all related to the fact that the site authority level has been creeping up. We hit 3 earlier this year, and 4 a few months ago, 5 recently, and 6 yesterday. That's good because it means people are pay attention. That means more eyeballs. And those eyeballs (insert your own conclusion here).

Dell Hell Redux: Consumers Fight Back

One of the most popular posts I've made on this blog in terms of readership has been Why Dell Sucks and Blows! Don't Buy A Dell! (aka Dell Hell). Although it's only got 23 comments, I've received tons of e-mails -- probably close to 1,000 from all over the world. Amazingly, they've all shared experiences as bad as, or worse than, mine.

I met a few really decent people including an IT professional from Singapore with whom I still occasionally email. All as a result of this post. By reading my IP reports, I can see people from Dell have read my original post. Naturally none of them are polite enough to actually get a reply to my original inquiry -- well over two years now. But one wouldn't expect Dell to behave in a professional manner, so I ought not be surprised.

A little over a week ago, I received an e-mail from France with this request: "Here's a thought: would you consider posting a 'research help wanted' on your blog? The substance would be essentially what I wrote to you (there is a potential class action suit, but we need invoices to document which subsidiary sold what and when), and you could post my e-mail for folks to contact, so you wouldn't be bothered."

[Please note that on the morning of 30 August this post was partially redacted from this point at the request of the parties involved. No hard feelings, but for technical reasons they thought it best I pulled the information they asked me to share. The offer still stands, but you'd have to send it to me for forward for the time being.]

You may contact me with your information and I will forward it along. What they need is a copy of invoices and/or packing slips. You may, at this stage, remove your personal details if you'd like but leave your city, state, and zip code. (Please remove any credit card information that may appear). You may send PDF files or contact him for other methods that may work.

I'd love to tell you how I participated and sent in all of our documentation, but sadly as the machines have been fully depreciated and the warranty's expired, we don't have the receipts any longer. I'm continuing the search, but I at least want to help them with this project because I support anyone who is building a case against Dell.

SuperBad, Vladimir Tod, and The Every Boy (Three Reviews)

Ladies, Gentlemen, Children of All Ages: Today I have just for you a total of THREE, yes THREE reviews in one.

First up, we have the review of the film SuperBad, which I had decided not to see based on the lame-ass previews. But the film got great write-ups and a number of people recommended it to me. So Saturday, after skating, we went to see it. I could have posted this review Saturday evening but I was having a mixed bag of emotions. I couldn't decide if I liked the film or not.

Ultimately, it was a very funny film in a dark yet loving sort of way. If you're from my generation (born in the late 1960s) you'll probably relate really well to the main two characters. They steal the show. And I believe that if the film was about them and only them, it would have been a grand-slam home-run. But they have the “cop interlude” and that detracts from the final product no matter how funny it may have been – but I felt it dragged.

Michael Cera kicks-ass and his Arrested Development timing and squirmishness is undiminished. You'll never look at a blood-stain the same again.

Next up, we have the book I read on the flight from Miami to Orlando. It's entitled “The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod -- Eighth Grade Bites” and it's the first work by Heather Brewer. I gotta' tell you up front that I would not even normally buy this book because it's not my type of thing. First, it's squarely in the soft side of the young adult category, though that's not a deal breaker. Secondly, horror books aren't my thing, even soft horror and that is invariably a deal breaker. But, the cover icon was so stunningly subversive I picked up the book and read the back cover blurb. I bought it. Boy was a I glad I did. Vlad, the protagonist vampire, is engaging and interesting. You will feel for him and enjoy going along for the ride as his friendship with his best friend Henry is tested. You'll squirm as he tries to get together with his crush, but like all eighth-graders, it's not so easy to ask out a girl on a date. And you will feel the angst (gently) as you read through it. This is not a work of art because (A) the adults except for his Aunt Nelly are very thinly drawn and you just have no real sense about them, especially the villains and (B) the writer is in a huge hurry to get where she's going that she leaves out a little too much detail and I wish she'd taken her time because I really did want to read more. The ending was very compressed. You will like this book – you'll probably wish you were friends with Vlad. Her website indicates this is first in a series, and I will read the rest for sure. Check this one out.

The final review, my book on the return flight from Orlando to Miami was The Every Boy by Dana Adam Shapiro. This book is not for everyone and it's not for kids, that's for sure. The protagonist, fifteen year old Henry Every, is dead – that's the whole premise. His body is found and they learn about his decidedly unusual life by reading his journal – it's not a diary because as Henry says “Only girls keep diaries.” You will laugh with him – he's funny. You will share his frustrations, loves, likes, and dislikes. There's plenty of angst and irony. And you will learn all about his parents including the fact that his father isn't his father (this is not a spoiler). This book is unusual because the author is the director of the Oscar® nominated film Murderball and he was a senior editor at Spin magazine. This is a truly quirky book that could end up as an independent film in the vein of Little Miss Sunshine if handled by the right person.

Michael Vick Is Evil and Deserves to SUFFER

8-17-07 RICHMOND, Va. - Two of Michael Vick's alleged cohorts in a grisly dogfighting case pleaded guilty Friday, and one said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback joined them in drowning and hanging dogs that underperformed.

8-24-07 Michael Vick filed his plea agreement in federal court Friday admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping kill pit bulls. He denied ever betting on the fights, only bankrolling them.

Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The National Football League suspended Michael Vick indefinitely without pay today, hours after he admitted conspiring to run a dogfighting operation that Commissioner Roger Goodell called "cruel and reprehensible.''

I think we should give Vick a pair of meat underwear, then coat him in beef gravy and throw him in a cage with a few pit bulls. If he survives, we should electrocute him -- not to death. Then we should beat him -- not to death. Then, we should give him to PETA*.

Vick should be made a pariah with no chance of redemption because his debt to society can never be paid. As long as he remains on this planet, the planet is defiled.

I hope he becomes a prison bitch and is violated in the worst most inhumane ways by an AIDS infected inmate who is very well endowed. I hope his life becomes an unbearable hell and he contemplates ending it and sparing the planet his pathetic existence. I am not more favourably disposed towards his co-defendants, either. People who torture other living creatures for fun and/or profit are heinous creatures who deserve no mercy. They should reap what they have sown**. I also hope the Atlanta Falcons go after their paid-up-front money so his pocket can hurt too.

If you would like to suggest other ways Vick should be punished, have at it. I am in no way encouraging anyone to commit an act of violence against Vick. Tsk, tsk.

And, more importantly, to the few sick individuals who have said they don't see what the big deal is. You're just as bad as Vick and deserve the same (including Donovan McNabb, Stephon Marbury, a number of his Famcons team-mates, and select NAACP members). Look, they guy committed a heinous crime. He doesn't deserve your support. If you support him, you are the same sport of scum he is.

To those who would play the race card: what planet are you from? Get a grip. We don't know what race the dogs are. Oh, you think it's about Vick's race? Hahahahaha! That makes you dumber than Paris Hilton. Jump under a bus: this is about a pox on the face of humanity. Vick will rot in the eternal abyss of Hell. I feel sorry for all the less evil people down there who will have to associate with him. I do hope there is a very special Hell reserved for people like Vick***.

* I am not a fan of PETA, though I certainly support their message ,just not their whacked-out methods. I eat meat, dammit. Steak. Yum.

** I've just quoted the Bible. The world is ending.

*** Guangzhou, China perhaps?

In a pissy mood....

Yeah, I'm in a pissy mood today. I bet you thought it's cause tomorrow's my birthday. Wrong. I care not one whit about said birthday. I am over birthdays. I had my big blast on my 40th and the next one will be at my 50th if I decide it's worth the energy.

So what's the pissy mood about? London. I was planning on going from 12-25 (leaving that night, arriving on Boxing Day) and staying through approximately 1-2 -- New Year's in London, where Greenwich Mean Time beings.

Sadly, the plans are absolutely disintegrating. I miss London and haven't been, well, since May 2006 with MoMo. I should be in London once or twice a year because it's where I belong. But London is a city that's far more fun with someone you'd be willing to spend a lot of time with, and there aren't that many people who qualify. The last one has turned me down citing family obligations.

I don't really relish going alone. I mean, eating out at a fancy restaurant alone is not fun. Going to a play alone is even less fun. So you may be amused during the day, but the nights are misery. I don't want to be home. I don't even want to be in this country.

This sucks for me. I probably won't get to go until at least December 2008 or maybe 2009 -- and that will be at least 2-1/2 years from my previous visit. And to be honest, since I'll be in China in October 2008, I won't be psyched about that second 2008 transoceanic plane trip. So even that is in doubt which bumps it to a full 3-1/2 years.

It's hard for me to get vacation except that last week of December because there just isn't qualified staff at work to handle things. So it's just really screwed up. I am whining in general because most of you reading this blog don't even know me, so you probably won't be going with me to London ever. And those of you who I do know and are reading this have already turned me down. So I wish to whine and am doing a fine job of that along with wallowing in self-pity.

9-21-07: Updated this to correct dates. Apologies to MoMo who I offended by not being accurate. My bad.