It's Not So Late But I'm Tired
But I wanted to say: tomato plant pics tomorrow. The Erfbox appears to be doing its job. Still no sprouts on the cumcumber side but a couple more green pepper plant sprouts than I'll need for the next Erfbox (I'm starting to run out of ways to say this). I wonder if I can still find cuke plants for sale to save the attempt at sprouting again. But, as I said, more later.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
So What Does One Do?
When one is feeling blah and wrung out. My answer: join Netflix.
Now to put about half a thousand movies in my queue and watch them all in the next two weeks, cancel and pay nothing! Ha ha ha! Joking. Joking, people. I think divids will be the cure for no new te-re-bi on the broadcast medium. A medium that, when well done, is rare.
UPDATE: Oooh. "Hell's Kitchen" is coming back. One night a week a week I won't have to watch the discs.
When one is feeling blah and wrung out. My answer: join Netflix.
Now to put about half a thousand movies in my queue and watch them all in the next two weeks, cancel and pay nothing! Ha ha ha! Joking. Joking, people. I think divids will be the cure for no new te-re-bi on the broadcast medium. A medium that, when well done, is rare.
UPDATE: Oooh. "Hell's Kitchen" is coming back. One night a week a week I won't have to watch the discs.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Why? Oh Why?
Julie Bowen is a lovely, lovely woman. Beautiful. Wonderful smile. Good actress. loved her to death on the late NBC show "Ed." She even played a good part in "Lost." And she's from Baltimore. Nice to have a (fairly) local on the national scene. Now I see she's doing ads for Neurogena sunless tanning products. (sigh) Julie, doll, I hope the money's good because they've made you the color of a mutant tangerine on my TV.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go over there and be sad a while.
Julie Bowen is a lovely, lovely woman. Beautiful. Wonderful smile. Good actress. loved her to death on the late NBC show "Ed." She even played a good part in "Lost." And she's from Baltimore. Nice to have a (fairly) local on the national scene. Now I see she's doing ads for Neurogena sunless tanning products. (sigh) Julie, doll, I hope the money's good because they've made you the color of a mutant tangerine on my TV.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go over there and be sad a while.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Kevorkian Shows Up Again
I saw in my noisepaper last Sunday that Dr. Jack (not Happy Jack by any account) has some tsooris in his incarceration. His attorney (I will be quoting from a USA Today link which may expire) "said the assisted-suicide advocate will probably not survive another year if kept in prison, as he again asked the state to grant his client a pardon or commute his sentence." Mouthpiece Mayer Morganroth is seeking "pardon, parole or commutation" based on the Kevork's declining health: "'Kevorkian has become increasingly frail and has fallen twice, injuring his wrist and fracturing two ribs,' Morganroth said in a statement. His blood pressure has gone 'through the roof,' the lawyer said Saturday."
And in one of those twists that O. Henry used to love: "Kevorkian has said he assisted in at least 130 deaths, but has promised that he will not assist another if released."
All right then. Here's the deal: You save the taxpapyers of Michigan a big old butt-load of money by assisting just once more. Kill yourself now you son of a bitch. You didn't seem to have any trouble with it before. What's stopping you when your "quality of life" is failing?
I saw in my noisepaper last Sunday that Dr. Jack (not Happy Jack by any account) has some tsooris in his incarceration. His attorney (I will be quoting from a USA Today link which may expire) "said the assisted-suicide advocate will probably not survive another year if kept in prison, as he again asked the state to grant his client a pardon or commute his sentence." Mouthpiece Mayer Morganroth is seeking "pardon, parole or commutation" based on the Kevork's declining health: "'Kevorkian has become increasingly frail and has fallen twice, injuring his wrist and fracturing two ribs,' Morganroth said in a statement. His blood pressure has gone 'through the roof,' the lawyer said Saturday."
And in one of those twists that O. Henry used to love: "Kevorkian has said he assisted in at least 130 deaths, but has promised that he will not assist another if released."
All right then. Here's the deal: You save the taxpapyers of Michigan a big old butt-load of money by assisting just once more. Kill yourself now you son of a bitch. You didn't seem to have any trouble with it before. What's stopping you when your "quality of life" is failing?
Some Real Guitar Playing
If you want to see someone make a guitar sing - just watch "Mary" on the Pete Townshend Music From Lifehouse DVD. Wow. And later on he even does a few good old windmills on "Won't Get Fooled Again." It's not as great as Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" (now there's a party I wish I'd been invited to!) which is simply the best concert DVD ever. But it's damnably good for a slobbering Townshend fan boy such as yours truly.
If you want to see someone make a guitar sing - just watch "Mary" on the Pete Townshend Music From Lifehouse DVD. Wow. And later on he even does a few good old windmills on "Won't Get Fooled Again." It's not as great as Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" (now there's a party I wish I'd been invited to!) which is simply the best concert DVD ever. But it's damnably good for a slobbering Townshend fan boy such as yours truly.
The Nike iPod Connection
What sort of music do you listen to on your Nike iPod?
Sole music of course.
What sort of music do you listen to on your Nike iPod?
Sole music of course.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Today I Am Seven Squared
Old. Getting older. I never thought I'd get this far. When I was young my parents told me that I'd never make 18 so I guess I've been living on borrowed time for the last 31 years. Of course one day I'm going to have to pay back all this borrowing but it would appear that it won't be for a while. I'll put off the reckoning for a bit.
But for now, Potlatch Baby! Two Lileks books (opened earlier), Pete Townshend's Music from Lifehouse, the Mel Brooks Collection (eight movies! woot!), the Griffin Tech iPod connector cables, Griffin's GarageBand guitar cable (so now I can plug directly into the iMac) and luxy all-weather floormats for the Outback. And some other things I suppose that haven't reached me yet.
Now, I'm going to make myself two eggs over easy, two slices of chewy natural bread to go with and about three cups of coffee. I'll read the paper. I'll plant out my tomato plants, shower, spend about an hour with the guitar and by then, it's off to dinner with friends. There are worse ways to get old.
Tomorrow it's another Atlantic Cycling day. I'll point you to pics when they're post on the AC website. Cheers, y'all!
UPDATE: Earthbox The First is now all packed with soil and tomato plants are mashed into the proper places. Fingers are crossed. And, happily, I see sprouts in the green pepper side of the seed starter kit. Perhaps the cool weather has slowed down the germination. That's my story for the nonce.
Old. Getting older. I never thought I'd get this far. When I was young my parents told me that I'd never make 18 so I guess I've been living on borrowed time for the last 31 years. Of course one day I'm going to have to pay back all this borrowing but it would appear that it won't be for a while. I'll put off the reckoning for a bit.
But for now, Potlatch Baby! Two Lileks books (opened earlier), Pete Townshend's Music from Lifehouse, the Mel Brooks Collection (eight movies! woot!), the Griffin Tech iPod connector cables, Griffin's GarageBand guitar cable (so now I can plug directly into the iMac) and luxy all-weather floormats for the Outback. And some other things I suppose that haven't reached me yet.
Now, I'm going to make myself two eggs over easy, two slices of chewy natural bread to go with and about three cups of coffee. I'll read the paper. I'll plant out my tomato plants, shower, spend about an hour with the guitar and by then, it's off to dinner with friends. There are worse ways to get old.
Tomorrow it's another Atlantic Cycling day. I'll point you to pics when they're post on the AC website. Cheers, y'all!
UPDATE: Earthbox The First is now all packed with soil and tomato plants are mashed into the proper places. Fingers are crossed. And, happily, I see sprouts in the green pepper side of the seed starter kit. Perhaps the cool weather has slowed down the germination. That's my story for the nonce.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Wherein I Channel Joe Sherlock
I saw two Toyota FJ Cruisers today in my driving about. Remarkably cool looking. One was yellow, the other silver. Yellow was a bit garish for me but not so over the top that it would be a deal-breaker. I'd be interested to see some specs like interior comfort, exterior size (my garage wants to know!), mileage numbers and ... no, I guess that's what I'd like to know. I'd take a test drive if I were in the market. Maybe in another five years or so.
I think the design cue of the down-sloping of the roof line at the rear seems to work spectacularly well. And Toyota just doesn't make bad cars. I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota becomes the number one car-maker in the world ere long.
I saw two Toyota FJ Cruisers today in my driving about. Remarkably cool looking. One was yellow, the other silver. Yellow was a bit garish for me but not so over the top that it would be a deal-breaker. I'd be interested to see some specs like interior comfort, exterior size (my garage wants to know!), mileage numbers and ... no, I guess that's what I'd like to know. I'd take a test drive if I were in the market. Maybe in another five years or so.
I think the design cue of the down-sloping of the roof line at the rear seems to work spectacularly well. And Toyota just doesn't make bad cars. I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota becomes the number one car-maker in the world ere long.
Doesn't This Speak For Itself?I love creme soda. That intense fake vanilla is just soooo good. I bought a four-pak of Boylan's at Trader Joe's the other day and thought the highlighted incongruity might be worth noting. I know that the package copy is pretty much boilerplate but they might want to think about which soda they're putting their words on.
The soda itself is great. And I even dig the retro packaging. It's the Lileks in me.
Click the image for better view.
I'm A Paul Reed Smith Guy
But have you ever seen a $100,000 guitar? Possibly even a $200,000 guitar if the bidding keeps up. (Hat tip to Billy Beck.)
UPDATE (Monday morning): The price has indeed gone over $200,000 and not even reached the reserve yet. It will be fascinating to see not only the final bid but what the reserve price is. This gitbox is reaching the price of a house in some markets. Can't live in a guitar and with a museum piece like this, I don't think you can make a living from playing it. A least a $200,000 car you can sleep in!
But have you ever seen a $100,000 guitar? Possibly even a $200,000 guitar if the bidding keeps up. (Hat tip to Billy Beck.)
UPDATE (Monday morning): The price has indeed gone over $200,000 and not even reached the reserve yet. It will be fascinating to see not only the final bid but what the reserve price is. This gitbox is reaching the price of a house in some markets. Can't live in a guitar and with a museum piece like this, I don't think you can make a living from playing it. A least a $200,000 car you can sleep in!
Things Pile Up
I hope to be putting up a whole bunch stuff (read: krep) that has been accumulating but that means I'll have to dig the scanner out from under a pile of papers and ... well, you get the idea. But my intentions (gorramit) are good.
But the nub of my gist in this little jet of vented bile is return address labels. Many years ago I got a program called Silicon Press for my old Mac. It did labels. It did labels with flair. Labels with graphics. I made great labels for the mailers of the book club I was in. And, of course, I made return address labels for myself. Silicon Press went the way of many digital lives to an ignored but not unlamented demise. And I began to use SuperPaint for my address labels as it was the first program that allowed me to combine a paint (bit mapped graphic) layer with a draw (vector graphic) layer in one file. I did Christmas labels, I did labels with a leading graphic initial. They weren't earth-shaking but they looked good and I spent an unGodly amount of time tweaking the placement so that they would print out -just so-.
And SuperPaint died with System 9. I still have a bunch of old files that I created in SuperPaint that I'd love to futz with again but no program, despite the crunching power and ability of modern programs like Photoshop and InDesign, allows me to create like I did in SuperPaint. But I digress. It's the address label thing.
I can not believe that in this day and age any person would need to create an address label for him or her self. I must get at least one begging letter a month that includes a guilt gift of mail labels. I laugh Ha! Ha! For I am not swayed by guilt and use the labels with abandon. Specifically, abandonment of the beggers who sent me the letter in the first place. Now, most of these labels do advertise the concern of those who sent them but the careful use of an X-acto knife and I'm good to go.
Am I the only one who has an envelope full of address labels sent by alleged charities? C'mon. Fess up. I'm not judging. I just want to know.
I hope to be putting up a whole bunch stuff (read: krep) that has been accumulating but that means I'll have to dig the scanner out from under a pile of papers and ... well, you get the idea. But my intentions (gorramit) are good.
But the nub of my gist in this little jet of vented bile is return address labels. Many years ago I got a program called Silicon Press for my old Mac. It did labels. It did labels with flair. Labels with graphics. I made great labels for the mailers of the book club I was in. And, of course, I made return address labels for myself. Silicon Press went the way of many digital lives to an ignored but not unlamented demise. And I began to use SuperPaint for my address labels as it was the first program that allowed me to combine a paint (bit mapped graphic) layer with a draw (vector graphic) layer in one file. I did Christmas labels, I did labels with a leading graphic initial. They weren't earth-shaking but they looked good and I spent an unGodly amount of time tweaking the placement so that they would print out -just so-.
And SuperPaint died with System 9. I still have a bunch of old files that I created in SuperPaint that I'd love to futz with again but no program, despite the crunching power and ability of modern programs like Photoshop and InDesign, allows me to create like I did in SuperPaint. But I digress. It's the address label thing.
I can not believe that in this day and age any person would need to create an address label for him or her self. I must get at least one begging letter a month that includes a guilt gift of mail labels. I laugh Ha! Ha! For I am not swayed by guilt and use the labels with abandon. Specifically, abandonment of the beggers who sent me the letter in the first place. Now, most of these labels do advertise the concern of those who sent them but the careful use of an X-acto knife and I'm good to go.
Am I the only one who has an envelope full of address labels sent by alleged charities? C'mon. Fess up. I'm not judging. I just want to know.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
In The Words of The Late, Great Walt Kelly
As expressed by Mam'selle Hepzibah, "Reciprovocation is the spites of life."
As expressed by Mam'selle Hepzibah, "Reciprovocation is the spites of life."
Friday, May 12, 2006
Woot!
The tomato plants arrived from Burpee today. I'm following directions which means I should be planting them out on Sunday.
It's a curious thing. I am not a fan of raw tomato. A slice thereof, however, on a burger or a sandwich is purely delightful. And cooked tomato in many forms can be quite delicious. So I decided to go ahead and grow them in the possibility that my tastes have changed. But what I forgot was the smell of a tomato plant. I can't describe it because I know of nothing that shares that smell. It's a bit spicy and I love it. An added benefit of having the suburban equivalent of a garden. I'll post pics when I start to get fruit of my labor.
The tomato plants arrived from Burpee today. I'm following directions which means I should be planting them out on Sunday.
It's a curious thing. I am not a fan of raw tomato. A slice thereof, however, on a burger or a sandwich is purely delightful. And cooked tomato in many forms can be quite delicious. So I decided to go ahead and grow them in the possibility that my tastes have changed. But what I forgot was the smell of a tomato plant. I can't describe it because I know of nothing that shares that smell. It's a bit spicy and I love it. An added benefit of having the suburban equivalent of a garden. I'll post pics when I start to get fruit of my labor.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
A Few Bits & Pieces
I've fallen behind on my book reading partly because I've started using LibriVox to listen to H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines." It's got to be the laziest way to get audiobooks ever but hey, that's right in my wheelhouse. Necessity is not the mother of invention - sheer cussed laziness is.
I haven't been keeping a daily eye on my seed plantings but I haven't seen much effort by the green spring that drives the vital force. And the tomaht plants haven't come yet either. Very frustrating to read of Acidman's garden starting to run wild when I've got nothing going here. Next year it's going to be all plants and no seed starting.
UPDATE: I just got notified that the chirpy Burpee folks (OK, I don't know if they're really chirpy but it rhymes - work with me here) have shipped my tomato plans. All right!
Recent movies rented: Aeon Flux, Mrs. Henderson Presents and The Baxter. All have some good though Mrs. H is the best of the lot. More punchy depth and pithy analysis to come on those. Some would say very pithy.
And the very, very deepest PoW wishes to Kris over at Anywhere But Here for speedy return to full and glowing health, finding the right teaching position (I favor standing and glowering at the pupils personally) and taking the Blues Challenge all the way to Memphis! Gots to love me dem blues!
I've fallen behind on my book reading partly because I've started using LibriVox to listen to H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines." It's got to be the laziest way to get audiobooks ever but hey, that's right in my wheelhouse. Necessity is not the mother of invention - sheer cussed laziness is.
I haven't been keeping a daily eye on my seed plantings but I haven't seen much effort by the green spring that drives the vital force. And the tomaht plants haven't come yet either. Very frustrating to read of Acidman's garden starting to run wild when I've got nothing going here. Next year it's going to be all plants and no seed starting.
UPDATE: I just got notified that the chirpy Burpee folks (OK, I don't know if they're really chirpy but it rhymes - work with me here) have shipped my tomato plans. All right!
Recent movies rented: Aeon Flux, Mrs. Henderson Presents and The Baxter. All have some good though Mrs. H is the best of the lot. More punchy depth and pithy analysis to come on those. Some would say very pithy.
And the very, very deepest PoW wishes to Kris over at Anywhere But Here for speedy return to full and glowing health, finding the right teaching position (I favor standing and glowering at the pupils personally) and taking the Blues Challenge all the way to Memphis! Gots to love me dem blues!
Ain't It A Day?
I have a post about my fargin' plasma TV all stored and awaiting completion (picture the TV lying back asking, "Was it good for you too?") but suffice it to say, for the nonce, that a replacement set was delivered today for the one I physically purchased. We shall see, we shall see...
But what fun otherwise! Two packages on my doorstep (probably delivered yesterday and I didn't look) - the four CD package from Daedalus music of which "Black and White Night" is now iTuned and playing through the good, albeit not fantastic speakers on the iMac. Wow. It's such a showcase of Orbison's best that I can't think what took me so long to get it. I'm not the biggest RO fan in the world but his place in modern music can't be underestimated even if just by the number of people he's influenced. And for all the big hits, listen to "Leah" and chills will play tag up and down your spine. What a voice. I repeat: Wow.
And I have the Al Petteway CDs lined up for ripping after I've listen to B&WN a few times. My iTunes Library is now up to 3365 items, playable for nine and a half daysand using 18.64 GB of storage space.
Plus! Lycurgus has begun the process of the transfer of goods in conjunction with my natal anniversary. Potlatch baby! I now have the Lileks books I previously did not: "The Gallery of Regrettable Food" and "Interior Desecrations." The man may well be the funniest daily writer in America. He has already surpassed Dave Barry with his invention and wit. Can a "humorist" be brilliant? Oh hell yes.
What further delights will my ripening to the seven squared bring me? At the very least a visit from my best friend of the Duke years next week. (insert happy dance) Such a mensch he is!
I have a post about my fargin' plasma TV all stored and awaiting completion (picture the TV lying back asking, "Was it good for you too?") but suffice it to say, for the nonce, that a replacement set was delivered today for the one I physically purchased. We shall see, we shall see...
But what fun otherwise! Two packages on my doorstep (probably delivered yesterday and I didn't look) - the four CD package from Daedalus music of which "Black and White Night" is now iTuned and playing through the good, albeit not fantastic speakers on the iMac. Wow. It's such a showcase of Orbison's best that I can't think what took me so long to get it. I'm not the biggest RO fan in the world but his place in modern music can't be underestimated even if just by the number of people he's influenced. And for all the big hits, listen to "Leah" and chills will play tag up and down your spine. What a voice. I repeat: Wow.
And I have the Al Petteway CDs lined up for ripping after I've listen to B&WN a few times. My iTunes Library is now up to 3365 items, playable for nine and a half daysand using 18.64 GB of storage space.
Plus! Lycurgus has begun the process of the transfer of goods in conjunction with my natal anniversary. Potlatch baby! I now have the Lileks books I previously did not: "The Gallery of Regrettable Food" and "Interior Desecrations." The man may well be the funniest daily writer in America. He has already surpassed Dave Barry with his invention and wit. Can a "humorist" be brilliant? Oh hell yes.
What further delights will my ripening to the seven squared bring me? At the very least a visit from my best friend of the Duke years next week. (insert happy dance) Such a mensch he is!
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