You're so off you're on

Now listening to: Sebadoh (Bakesale)

So Trip, Corb and I went to see Friday Night Lights tonight in Danville. It was really good, particularly if you like football. I thought it was well acted, not heavy handed with the message action and the editing was very visceral. It really felt like you were on the field. I had read the book, which naturally has more depth, and thought it was good and this movie does a nice job of keeping the heart of the book intact.

After that it was dinner at Red Lobster and back home for some Halo action. Trip had to get up early to park cars for the race so we called in a night around 10:30. I came home and watched some football highlights and then The Venture Bros. (which is one of my fav. things on tv these days.

Later on I watched this cool thing on CSPAN with Jon Stewart answering questions. Gotta love that guy, he's just the man. My Aunt Yvonne sent me a cool article about him from the Washington Post and I'd link to it if it weren't a registration site. Who wants to sign up for all that crap? My faithful reader..I think not. I'll email it to you if you ask. He was awesome on Crossfire.

Anyway now I'm fiddling around the net and playing poker for play money. I've been focusing on playing Omaha and 7-card stud, just for variety. Plus I can usually own the play money games at hold 'em. Not that I'm cocky, it's just those people have no idea how to play for real. Plus I like trying to figure out different games. Just makes it more interesting. Tomorrow should be a lazy day of watching football and perhaps watching a movie or two.

Skyscrapers are scraping together

Now listening to: Wilco (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

So I read a cool article in Time yesterday about the discovery of the gene that dictates how spiritual a person is, or rather determines their potential for spiritual experiences. I always find the space where science and religion come together very interesting. In the article it discusses how the need for religion may be hardwired into human code to help facilitate survival. How humanity needs a cosmic watchdog to make everyone obey the rules and play fair and how that increases the survival of our species.

Of course you could go the other way and say that god (or God if you prefer, I'm cool with either) put that gene in us so we would be aware of him. They had various religious leaders comment on the discovery and the Jewish guy argued that his God couldn't be reduced to a chemical reaction. The Buddhist, on the other hand, argued that the gene could be an indicator of who or what you were in a past life and dictate what type of life you will lead this time around.

That's why I tend to favor eastern religions personally, they seem so much more inclusive. I admit I don't live in the middle of Asia, where religious wars are fought between rival factions of the same religion, but Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism are less dogmatic in their basic ideas. The basis for the big western religions all starts with Thou shalt have no other gods before me, i.e. if you don't believe in the same thing I do you're an infidel. While the eastern religions believe you are pretty much destined to live the life you're living regardless. (Taoism is a little different, but it's even less dogmatic.) I guess it doesn't always work out that way, but I really don't like fundamentalists of any religion, particularly when they are intent on telling everyone how to live.

Moving to considerably less important topics, I'm about halfway through the third and final Halo book (yes I'm nerdy) and this one is better than the second, which was simply a retelling of the game story with a little more depth. I hope I can finish that today.

I also paid a bunch of bills and we all know how much fun that it. Still it's nice to be free of them for a moment. If I can be relatively frugal through Nov. I can relax in Dec. and enjoy myself...assuming I don't find a job between then and now.

So ronery and sadry arone

So I went to see Team America: World Police and it was pretty good, not great, but good (+1 chainmail). It had some seriously funny moments and poked fun at both the sides of politics. (Although I think the liberals took a lot more heat.) The songs were pretty funny (particularly America...fuck yeah! and the ballad with the line "all I'm saying is Pearl Harbor sucked and I miss you") and I like creative cursing. I mean come on, puppets saying Jesus titty-fucking Christ makes me laugh everytime, call me low brow if you will.

But even so, I don't like the concept of bashing celebrities for stating their political views and using their celebrity to bring attention to their causes. Isn't making people aware a good thing? I know those people can get a little too full of themselves, but they have the right to say what they want.

Anyway off the soap box, I also watched a tape Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the final presidential debates in Spin Alley, and man was that funny. He rips the spin artists to shreds and had me guffawing at his lines. "Was it painful when you had your shame removed?" Or to Karl Rove, "you're the brains for President Bush...I thought you'd be a smaller man." Ohh it kills.

I also was treated to the Apprentice and Survivor again at Trip's behest...I know I should just leave, but I end up hanging around and watching these damn shows. They are like any drug, you do it once thinking it doesn't matter and then you're hooked. While I'm not in full addiction mode yet, I got way too involved in the boardroom sequence tonight. Gotta kick it before the monkey gets on my back. Well that's enough ruminating on movies and tv for tonight.

One shot

Well I have quite a bit to cover today and all of it has to do with sitting on my ass and watching these newfangled moving pictures. I started the day off with a bit of the Deer Hunter. Wow, that's a quality movie. Not for everyone, but so well acted and deep. The whole Russian Roulette thing was hardcore. I'd give that one a foot massage.

After that I went to the normal tv stuff for a bit (PTI, Friends and the like). Despite my deep loathing for reality tv, I watched The Biggest Loser on NBC. It's about people trying to lose weight in contest form. OK, I'm kinda offended by the name of the show, especially when they have all these fat people rambling on about wanting to be the biggest loser, it just seems degrading.

Despite that, the show was interesting. Watching these people support each other and work to lose weight was pretty cool, less in-fighting than a lot of these shows (so far). Also those people lost a ton of weight in the first week there, but as anyone who's ever been on a diet knows, the first week is easy. After that your results aren't as significant and it tests your will power. I'll probably end up watching at least one more episode of this. After that I watched Scrubs, which was fantastic as always.

After Scrubs I flipped around for a bit and grew bored. As some of you know, I hate baseball, I find it tedious. That said, I ended up sorta watching the end of the Red Sox-Yankees game. Sorta because I also started watching Das Boot during it. I can't help it, I am rooting against the Yankees (like anyone with any soul is) and wanted to see if the Sox could force a Game 7, which they did. I may flip past that tomorrow to see if Boston can pull off the complete miracle.

As for Das Boot, man it is 3.5 hours of really compelling movie. It's an endeavor, to be sure, but it's worth it. It's about a German submarine crew during WW2 and you end up rooting for them, despite their NAZI roots. It has a full cast of quality characters that are really brought to life by good acting all the way around. Also I've been fascinated by sub warfare since I saw The Hunt for Red October back in the day. To top it off it has some wonderfully scenic shots of the ocean. I'm saying it deserves a Filet Mignon rating, despite the fact that I will probably never want to watch it again.

I've personally served that guy 20 beers a day for the last 10 years

Now listening to: Air

I am sooo beat. I got up before noon!!!! Then went and mowed at Trip's place. That weedeater kicks my ass. I did get to watch tons of NASCAR fans and personal drive into the speedway...woo. The necks are already out in force. I can't imagine heading to Martinsville for a vacation without actually living here. It boggles the mind. What do you do? Stare off into space and eat at Clarence's. (Through past interviews I found out that Clarence's is the hot spot for the retired NASCAR fan crowd, it's like spring break for people over 60.)

Anyway not much else is up, I'm feeling ever so tired and am probably just gonna do a bit of reading and then go to sleep. I need to write some cover letters and email them, but I'm feeling totally drained. Tomorrow I think I'm just gonna lay around and try to catch up on my Netflix. I still have Das Boot, along with Starsky and Hutch and The Deer Hunter to watch. How's that for eclectic?

You're not a war time consigliere

Now listening to: Wilco

So I wallowed on the couch all day watching tv and reading magazines. As you know I was engaged by the Steelers game and after that kinda drifted around watching poker shows and adult swim. All very exciting stuff. Oh I also read a coupla comics I got on Saturday about Loki, the Norse god of mischief. Pretty cool, but not a lot of action, more of a psychological story.

I also got a call from my little bro, Gabe. It was cool to chat with him. He just got the tv hook up in England and so was watching football. (His Eagles continued to win.) I miss that little goon. He's getting a computer soon, so I'm hoping I'll get to hear more from him online once that happens. I'm trying to lure him into playing Diablo and Partypoker.

Anyway, I think I'm gonna do a little reading (got some Halo books now, my mania and nerdity know no bounds) and then go to bed. I need to get up at a more reasonable hour tomorrow to do some mowing. Ahh damn manual labor, will it never leave me be?

Joy in Steel Town

WOOOOOOO! Steelers come back and slap down the Cowboys in the final two minutes. Oh yeah! Who could ask for anything more? Now Pittsburgh is 5-1 on the season and headed into a bye week, which will let them rest up and heal for a big game against the Patriots. Oh and I now have bragging rights on Mike for the season, life is good.

Halfway through the third quarter I thought it was all over, but you can't keep the Steelers down. Ohh I'm excited. Ben Roethlisberger continues to look like the real deal and the Pittsburgh offense looks like a juggernaut. The defense gave up too many plays on third down, but we managed to survive.

In fact I just called Mike's punk ass and talked a little shit. Man is that fun. He admitted that he had my number ready to speed dial when his 'Boys were up late in the game so it's all good. I gotta get a Terrible Towel.

Any of you cunts want another drink?

Now listening to: Ministry

Went to G-boro today with Trip. Had a decent time. Ran into faithful reader Nick and Abbie at Petsmart, as they were helping dogs from the animal shelter get adopted. Hanging out there and listening to Nick talk about the dogs horrible situation made me want to take one home. They were pretty cool, although all too big to have in this tiny ass apartment. Plus mom would give me the Heisman if I brought a dog home.

After that Trip and I roamed free for a while stopping at the Laz-E-Boy shop (god, we look gay sometimes). I found a "fainting couch" that I liked and hope to some day be able to both afford it and have someplace to put it. When that day will be, who can say?

We did some low grade shopping and then went to see Shaun of the Dead, which was damn good. I like zombie movies anyway and this one was a different take on the genre, which I appreciate. I'm giving it a foot massage. Came back to Trip's and ran into Corb, fortunately. We should have called him, but we are forgetful assholes. Anyway we watched Club Dread (+1 chainmail), which was fun, but definitely not as good as Broken Lizard's first movie, Super Troopers (Filet Mignon).

Looking forward to some football tomorrow and am hoping that the Steelers-Cowboys game will be broadcast, but I'm not expecting it really. You can't count on seeing that game on Fox, damn the Redskins.

Cosmic shame

Now: calmly chatting with my mother and watching Malcolm in the Middle

I just watched bits if the Tenacious D DVD, which is high quality. Lots of semen jokes and really who doesn't love those? But you've just got to love their goofiness. They truly are the greatest band in the world. Come and share in their rocket sauce.

It feels like fall now, which is both good and bad. Good, because I love fall. The leaves changing the brisk air, the joy of snuggling under a blanket to fight off the chill you know is outside. Bad, because my Jeep is still open air. I'm considering buying a new top with my credit card at this point. It would be another cheapass top, but it'd be better than nothing. I also need new tires...man does being poor suck.

So Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger is getting mad press lately. He's being compared to Dan Marino, who is the all time leading passer in the NFL. Of course I'm hoping he can be better by winning the big game, which Marino never did (oww, that's gotta hurt Nick). While I do like that he's getting some good press, I'm concerned this could swell his head and hurt the team in the long run. Hopefully, he'll stay humble and do his job.

I don't like this air

Now listening to: Built to Spill

So today was another slackathon. I finished watching the fourth season of Angel and it was good, although entirely too many turns and twists. At some point I want to have a clue of what's going on for more than two episodes in a row. But it was still very good (foot massage).

Hmm what else did a do today...I watched a lot of crap. I watched the Scrabble world championship...or maybe it was nationals..I dunno, I didn't pay attention to the specifics. But it was interesting watching all these people with an insane knowledge of words. I wonder how many of them know what the words they use mean and how many just memorize things.

I also played some Katamari Damancy, which is an interesting game where you have to roll over things and collect them to rebuild the stars in the sky. It's an odd concept and very Japanese, but it's pretty fun. I also slipped in Virtua Fighter 4:Evolution to knock off the cobwebs in my game (and there were plenty). Man is that game addictive, I had to focus to make it over here to the comp.

That's about it, another day gone to waste. Oh well, I'm gonna get in some fake poker and then probably sleep. I need a life so bad it's pathetic.

Come on, everybody loves fetal pigs

Now listening to: Interpol (Antics)

The final debate in the bag and I'm too bored to care. Was anything new or interesting turned up in the 90 minutes of tonight's debate? OK, Bush lied about saying he wasn't concerned about Osama and continues to over-simplify or misrepresent everything Kerry says, but really none of that is new. It was just a snore overall.

After the debate, NBC had it's group of six undecided voters and three decided that they were for Bush, while two said Kerry and one was still undecided (don't know what that loser's problem is). That made me realize that we're probably going to have another four years of a moron in office. The American people are just too dumb to understand complexity and will follow the guy with the slogan and the simplistic view so they don't have to think. I'm still hoping Kerry can pull it out, but right now I believe that we Americans are probably gonna end up with the stupid president we deserve.

Anyway other than the debate not much went on today. Watched more Angel, played more Halo co-op and watched a tape of Scrubs, which is pretty damn funny. That about sums it up. After watching the debate with Trip, I came home and completely flaked in front of the TV watching absolute crap. It's sad, I know I'm the king of time wasting, but this was worse than normal. I was watching shit I don't even like. I hate it when I do that.

Incidently, this new Interpol album is pretty kickass. I think it's around a foot massage, maybe moving into filet mignon territory if it has some staying power, but that takes time to discern.

343 Guilty Spark

Now listening to: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Damage)

So yeah, I watched more Angel today and then went to Trip's where we played Halo. Now I know I say I play Halo all the time, but this time we did co-op in the story mode instead of deathmatching. I've never beat the story mode, mostly because I don't really enjoy that sort of thing by myself. It's more fun with a teammate, which is odd since usually I hate teaming up in games.

Anyway nothing very exciting going on, same old crap. I'm currently playing online poker (and losing to jackasses. (How do you call a preflop raise with J2 offsuit?) I'm also listening to the new Blues Explosion album that I borrowed from Trip and it's pretty good. I have to admit they have never been one of my fav. bands, but this is a solid album.

I was considering watching Das Boot, but that's a lot to absorb. You really have to be in the right frame of mind to start a movie like that. I think I'm gonna play poker for a bit and then read for a while. I'm reading this book, that's actually three books about a world where Norse mythology is true. I've always kinda dug Norse mythology (particularly Odin). Unfortunately the writing isn't so great. It's ok, but it seems kinda rushed together...I've come to expect more from fantasy writing a la Robert Jordan or George R. R. Martin. But then again there is my weakness for all things Norse and it's nice to see Loki get what's coming to him.

The Darker Days of Me and Him

Now listening to: Sleater-Kinney

So you'd think sitting at home all day would be relaxing...but not at my house. There is always some bullshit to upset me and pretty much ruin the whole fucking day. Actually I was sorta expecting it as every Monday this sort of thing happens. I'm not gonna get into it, but it sucks and makes life worse than it has to be.

Other than that I haven't done anything besides watch TV and some episodes of Angel. That show never stops with the armageddon. Between Buffy and Angel, the end of the world is threatened every coupla months. I can barely handle a doubled internet bill, much less the apocalypse every couple of months. Still it makes for fun watching.

I'm kinda bored so my shut in stage may be over for the moment. I'm sure I'll be stir crazy tomorrow. I'm thinking I may need to get out early and do something...something cheap to be sure, but something. I need to start writing again, but my inspiration is running on empty. Where is my muse? Where is my mind?

I think I'm gonna spend some time playing free internet poker tonight and maybe do some reading later. Nothing like completely wasting time.

Don't say no, just say you don't

Now listening to: Built to Spill

Well I've been pretty slack about blogging this weekend. What can I say, I've been otherwise occupied with my usual brand of doing nothing. Saturday Trip, Danny and myself rolled into G-boro for some low grade hijinks. We didn't really do much notable there, but we came home and changed Danny for Corb and played X-Men Legends for a bit, which is fun, but more difficult that I expected. I think the teamwork aspect makes it harder, as I suck at working with a team. I'm a loner Dotty, a rebel.

Today I got up and watched the Steelers toss a beating to the hated Browns, which was awesome. Roethisberger looked really good again and the offense seems to be clicking. I'm just hoping it clicks again next week against the Cowboys, as Mike will never let me live it down if they don't.

After that Corb, Trip and I hooked up once again for pizza and more X-Men Legends, but I got home early and watched the Skins-Ravens game. I thought Washington was going to do me a favor and beat Baltimore, but I should have learned by now not to count on a team that's named after a racial slur. Anyway I then watched adult swim and some NFL highlights and that brings me pretty much up to date.

I'm thinking I might lay low this week and try not to leave the house a lot. This is an effort to not spend money, as my bills continue to mount. I opened my internet bill today to find that it was double what I thought it would be. Naturally I was outraged and fumed about it. Anyway after further review it seems they are switching me from paying for last months to paying for next months...which means I get to pay for both this month, along with my wonderful auto ticket. Man I hate being poor.

Anyway I have some good stuff to keep me occupied while staying in this week. I got Das Boot from Netflix and that wonderful German film is over three hours of subtitled goodness. I also have almost a whole season of Angel to watch. So my efforts to become a total shut-in have a good foundation. If anyone needs me I'll be on my couch.

Keep your unit on ya

Now listening to: The Distillers

So anyway I managed to stay occupied today. I watched some of Angel (Season 4) and that was good. I then proceeded to Trip's for our standard Halo night. I kicked it into high gear and put myself on top most of the games I played. Hard to deny the fact that I dominated, even for someone as skeevy as Trip.

Anyway after our Halo fervor fizzled for the night, we watched the end of the debate. I didn't see the beginning, but what I saw was pretty even. It's down to different ideologies for the most part, with each side distorting the other side's arguments and trying to impugn the integrity of their opponent. Bush clearly had been coached on not looking like such a jackass when Kerry was speaking, it was funny to watch. But yeah I'd say it was a rub overall, with Kerry's arguments making so much more sense to me.

Came home after that and watched Jersey Girl, which was universally panned by critics. It wasn't the best movie ever put together, but it didn't deserve to be crapped on as much as it was. Basically it was caught up in the whole Gigli fall out and paid the price. It was well written (Kevin Smith just writes good dialogue, hands down) and Liv Tyler was good in it and man is she a hottie. She has a really sexy look and clearly isn't rail thin. (One of the few starlets that has a body like an actual woman you might see on the street.) I'd rate the move at +1 chainmail, which is the lowest rating I'd give any Kevin Smith movie.

Incidently the post preceeding this one is all about a discussion Trip and I had over the flavor of water (or lack thereof). I won't get into specifics, but sufficed to say I won and he reverted to simple Republican smear tactics (basically denying the subtlety of my arguments and just blasting forth with his "You're wrong argument, which I admit is one of my own personal specialties...but nonetheless, I'm right this time).

On the subjective nature of all things...

Trip does not win! I win!

You're fired!

Now watching: the rerun of the UVa-Clemson game

Since I was forced to watch TV I wouldn't normally bother with tonight I shall riff a little on my television habits and TV in general. First it should be noted that I am not an easy person to watch TV with, as typically I watch about three things at once. I am constantly changing the channel on most things. Back and forth at a speed which gives some people motion sickness. What can I say, I process things fast and enjoy variety.

That means that whenever someone who is slower on the draw with the remote is in control, I am going insane with boredom. Why watch commercials? What's the point, why not see what else is going on...catch up on sports scores, view a few moments of a music video or see if a classic movie moment is on TBS (and they usually are). I want constant input!

Tonight Trip forced me to watch Survivor and The Apprentice, both in the reality TV genre which I tend to stay away from. Trip freely admits he watches these shows because of his love of schedenfreude (which I think I spelled right). While I certainly have the capacity for that feeling, reality TV never evokes it to the degree where I actively pursue it.

Take the Apprentice (please), half the show is in the boardroom with all those business types trying to pass the buck. It's like a scene from high school...he said, no she said, but he didn't do this, but she did that. I've spent most of my life trying to avoid situations like that, why do I want to watch them in my spare time?

After giving up on Trip's ability to discern good TV from bad, I came home and ended up watching Viva La Bam reruns. While I know I would kill someone for any number of the stunts they pull on the show, I do find it entertaining to watch. I guess that actual pain and humiliation do trigger my schedenfreude reflex more than the psychological abuse of The Apprentice.

Anyway, my disillusionment with THUG 2 continues. I really don't like the fact that everything seems so hard to find. Plus all the levels seem so tight, like they crammed in as much crap as they could making it so nothing flows. I am probably gonna trade this in this weekend, barring any new epiphany. I'm thinking I may pick up a role-playing game as I haven't tried one in a while...well that or Mortal Kombat. We'll see.

Boy meets girl

Just watched: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Man that was a great movie. Charlie Kaufman (the guy who wrote it) is something apart from everything else there has ever been. His movies have a way of touching you that you can't explain or ever have expected. Honestly Eternal Sunshine is really an age old story of boy meets girl, boys loses girl, boy gets girl back. The oldest story there ever was, but it gets a completely new face when Kaufman puts his seal on it.

Jim Carrey may have put in his best dramatic performance ever and Kate Winslett was awesome as well.

It's funny how a movie that is really so convoluted can seem so pure. I could ramble on and on about Kaufman's genius and how well Michel Gondry shot the film, but I'll just leave it at Filet Mignon.

Twisted into a knot

Now listening to: The Shins

I haven't felt well for most of the evening and as such haven't done a damn thing. I watched some TV, but honestly the only bit I remember was The Daily Show and Tough Crowd. Nothing else seemed to stick, not that it should.

Since I've finished reading The Order of the Phoenix I haven't been able to find another book to get into. I've tried three so far and none have captured my interest. I suppose the reason why I never give a book below a + 1 chainmail rating here is that I really don't read the crappy ones all that often.

As for the VP debate, I haven't heard anyone claim a definitive winner. In fact, mostly all I've heard was talk about Cheney's lies. I suppose that amounts to a democratic victory, but Edwards looked like a lightweight to me. Of course better a lightweight than a manipulative, lying troll.

My foray into playing the new THUG game has been disappointing. I'm not overly impressed really and think I'll be trading it in sooner rather than later. It's just the same old, same old and honestly I think it's a step down from the last game. I'm going to play it a bit more before giving up on it, but if my opinion doesn't improve I don't know that I'll bother playing to the end, not with so many other good games out right now.

He's donating his body to science fiction now

Now listening to: Interpol (Antics)

I'm starting this post with a moment of silence for the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, who died today at 82. He was a comedic genius and responsible for some of my favorite movies. So here is too Rodney, who I always respected...



Well I have once again proven that I have no self control. I went to Danville and spent entirely too much money...and Trip bought me dinner! I swear I go into a store and go into neanderthal thought modes....shiny!!! Want!!! and spend cash like I'm big money. I have a horrible head for money management...of course I suppose I'm still better than the president, as I am still working to decrease my deficit while in my own personal economic slump.

Anyway I bought the new Tony Hawk, which is pretty cool so far I suppose, I haven't played much, just schooled Trip a bit. I also picked up the new Interpol album as their first album was really awesome and in a Joy Division kind of mode...and how can I resist that? Having only listened to a coupla songs it's really good.

After my shopping debacle, Trip and I returned to watch the VP debates. I was less than enthusiastic and rightfully so. It was an essay in boredom, with both sides parroting what the presidential candidates said. It was a little bit more personal that the presidential debates, with Chaney and Edwards both attacking each others personal records. If I had to point it, I'd say that Chaney won by a very small margin, he seemed better prepared and substanitive, while Edwards looked flippant and clamped on to the same jargon again and again. Of course this tactic may work, hell it's what won for W. in 2000.

Of course, Trip looked up some online polls afterward and Edwards led them across the board. So who can say what is the final take, clearly I'm not the average American (what with my ability to separate sloganeering from actually having a definitive policy). The Daily Show didn't do a live broadcast afterward, but was really good anyway. Rob Cordury's bit about Kerry not being able to reconcile the difference between what he believes and what the Bush campaign says he believes was excellent.

Anyway I'm off to shred the streets in THUG 2 (Tony Hawk Underground, for the uninitiated).

Controlled violence

Now listening to: Wilco

Just watched the Chiefs-Ravens game at Trip's and have to say I love watching the Ravens lose. It's just wonderful. The Chiefs' O-Line is so much fun to watch, those guys just punish people. Also Priest Holmes looks awesome with his incredible leap. The Ravens losing means the Steelers are on top of the AFC North, I'm just hoping it stays that way for good. But it's a long season ahead and I'm just hoping we can stay consistent (there I go with the we again, but I really am a part of that team).

I spent the afternoon on the porch reading The Order of the Phoenix again. That is a really good book. There are several things I love about those stories. Ms. Rowling really knows how to make everything readable first and foremost. I mean this last book is forever long, but you can't wait to turn the page and you don't want it to end. That's good writing.

She also knows how to portray children and even adolescents. How for a kid being thought cool is every bit as important as people dying. That's an extreme example, but it is the way kids think. I could cite examples of this I suppose, but this isn't really a dissertation, just my rambling.

I also like that she has strong female characters, I know this is easier for her being a woman, but it's still nice to see. I mean fantasy is rife with women who can hold their own, but how many are honestly the brains in their group? Hermione is clearly the brightest of the crew and puzzles out all the stuff Harry and Ron can't see. Rowling also makes sure to show that always being smart isn't always the easiest thing. Hermione has to take a lot of crap about being smart. I'd say she is the heart of the books, sure Harry is the focal point, but Hermione puts things in perspective for him, gives him his morals and is the guiding hand that keeps the whole story moving at times.

Anyway I'm gonna get back to the book now and maybe try to make up my mind on whether I can afford a new game tomorrow and if so which one to get (the new Mortal Kombat or the new Tony Hawk game.)

You feed me to the lions

Now listening to: Radiohead

Another day of total slack. My back continues to ache, so I decided to not do a damn thing today. I watched most of the Steelers-Bengals game and liked what I saw. Our rookie QB, Ben Roethlisberger, is looking pretty damn good in his second start, hopefully he's only going to get better and become a franchise guy. Also the safety, Troy Polamalu, continues to look better and better. He is a playmaker.

After that I tried to watch the movie Julien Donkey-Boy, but really couldn't get into it's gritty, nonlinear and general avant weirdness. So I switched to Werner Herzog's Cobra Verde, which was pretty good. You have to stand in awe of the sheer magnitude of filming a film like this, it's literally got a cast of thousands. Klaus Kinski does a great job of playing the bandit Cobra Verde, a man who acts without remorse, but manages to capture his loneliness and regret. I can't really recommend this type of german epic to everyone, as it is not an easy movie, but I'm saying it's a cinematic foot massage.

I then spent the rest of the evening flipping around until Adult Swim and finished reading the Goblet of Fire. I am now going to re-read The Order of the Phoenix. I've only read it once, so it isn't quite at the same level of escapism as the rest, of course it's still pretty high. What can I say? I like Harry Potter, I'm a fantasy nerd.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and get applying for jobs out of the way for the week and movie on, so I can enjoy the week without a ton of stress. You'd think being unemployed would be easy, but really it constantly gnaws at your mind.

Everybody knows that I'm a scumbag

Now listening to: punk webradio

This is gonna be quick as not a lot interesting happened today. I know, I know, you're thinking "how's that different from every other post you've written?" My response is screw you people, my life sucks enough without your constant whining, so let it go. ...ok, glad I got that off my chest.

Anyway after waking with still worse back pain (I feel so damn old complaining about back pain, it's pathetic), I took a hot shower and headed to Trip's to hang with Kev, who stopped in briefly. Fortunuately the hot shower helped loosen up my back and so it wasn't completely unable to hang. Kevin couldn't stay long, so we hung out after he left and Corb showed up and we played Halo again. I have to admit I got annoyed with the shit talk while I was losing. I tend to get overcompetitive when I'm losing and got frustrated. I'm not sure if that competitive nature is a good thing or not. Maybe it's good if I applied it to something that's not a video game.

Anyway Corb eventually left and Trip and I watched The Venture Bros. which is awesome (foot massage) and the new Saturday Night Live (which was ok, nothing special really, Meh.) Now I'm going to fix some soup and get back to the Goblet of Fire.

stampeding for the clitoris

So my life found two new ways to make everything suck today. For starters I caused an auto accident this afternoon and got a ticket. Don't worry, nobody was hurt (thankfully), but because I looked at my radio and drifted into the other lane, my neighbor and his friend had to swerve off the road and hit a mailbox. This decimated his mirror and window and so I got to spend over an hour today standing by the roadside waiting for a state trooper to come and issue me a ticket. There is also the added bonus of increased insurance rates when that comes around next summer.

The odd thing was that I was totally numb throughout the whole incident. I wasn't shocked or annoyed or anything...just numb. Maybe I'm just starting to expect bad things to happen.

The second way my life sucks is that after all that was done, I went to Trip's and my lower back started to ache in a new and interesting way. So that's fun, back pain and auto accidents, just when I thought I had hit rock bottom the world has a new level of downer. That is to say, everytime I think I'm getting onto life's freeway I end up in a cul de sac. I'm just scared about the next curve I get thrown, what could it be...loss of a limb? Ferrum somehow revokes my degree? I get bitten by a tsetse fly? What can it be?

So yeah, in an effort to not think about the myriad of ways my life is wanting, we played some Burnout 3 and Halo at Trip's and watched Monty Python's Meaning of Life, again. I don't really know that it worked, but what else could I do? Now I think I'm going to reread some Harry Potter, because while he has some issues it all comes out in the end and I need a happy ending at this moment.

When the devil came he was not red

Now listening to: Wilco

Well again I intended to post last night, when my internet went down. After a long series of internal cursing I decided to go to bed relatively early. Of course this only meant that I slept longer instead of actually rousing earlier. But it's a good day to sleep, what with the cloudy and all. Also magicalyl my internet was back on, so I don't have to kill anyone at the cable company...yet.

Anyway yesterday I ended up at Trip's and we plunged the depths of automotive madness with Burnout 3, ramming into everything within our grasp. I managed to eke out a come from behind win for the nightly total, but it was never easy (damn you stealer icon!). After that we watched the presidential debate, which I'm glad I did actually.

Initially I was reticent, as I am fed up with the bullshit political crap I've been reading for the last three months. Kerry actually seemed to have a plan for his presidency, rather than rely on the fact that he can't possibly be worse than Bush. It was a pleasant feeling seeing someone with an idea of what needs to be done to get the U.S. back to an international ideal, instead of just being the bully on the block.

Bush seemed flustered throughout the debate and just kept repeating his mantra about mixed messages, flip flopping and "the wrong was, the wrong time, etc." After the debate, Guiliani tried to spin it like Kerry was lecturing, while Bush was appealing to the common man, but that's not how I saw it. Kerry mopped the floor with him. I'm now looking forward to the debate on domestic topics...Bush really has no leg to stand on there.

The Daily Show was fun to watch afterward, especially the bit about how the two campaigns tried to spin the debates beforehand and lower their expectations. Good stuff, I also liked how John Stewart called Guiliani on how Kerry seemed to have it all together while Bush looked bewildered. I'd have to say that the Daily show is the best news show on tv, IMHO.

Danny Devito! I love your work!

Now listening to: Air (Moon Safari)

Well today was pretty good...aside from waking up to the sound of an obnoxiously irregular chainsaw. My neighbors are huge fans of any and all gas powered engines. The kids ride motorcycles around the yard all the time (it was go carts when they were younger) and the parents are constantly mowing or weedeating or something. Hell, when it's winter they often have a gas-powered generator going for no reason at all (or so it seems to me). Anyway today it was a chainsaw and I considered going across the street and showing the proper technique for dismembering. But since it was around noon I let it go...this time.

I had planned to go out and get my Jeep inspected and apply for a couple of crap jobs...but ended up with a late start. I was surprised to find out that I already had a new inspection sticker that my dad had to have gotten today. What a pleasant surprise.

So I collected a bunch of old games and Trip and I went to Danville for some trade action. A nice meal at Quizno's (we love the subs!! cause they are good for us!) and hit EBGames. I traded in four games and School of Rock and picked up Burnout 3 and paid for half of Halo 2 on a preorder...not a bad deal actually.

We then came home and played Burnout a bit, then watched Mean Girls which was pretty good. It had some slow moments, but there was one line that made me nearly bust a gut. Oh my god I laughed my ass off for 10 minutes after it and am still giggling about it several hours later. It is, of course, the title of this post and honestly I can't tell you why it was that funny...it just was. As for the whole movie I'd say +1 chainmail...although the fact that Lindsay Lohan is so hot makes me consider a higher rating.

After that I came home with the intention of geeking out with my new game...I got sidetracked and ended up finishing The Princess Bride, which was very good. It would have been better if I hadn't seen the movie before, but it was still excellent. Ya know, after thinking about it some I think the movie may be better overall. It's not that the book is bad (not at all) it's just that the movie does a better job of consolidating the story as a whole. Also you get the great characters brought to life with some excellent acting, a la Andre the Giant (Obey the Giant!) and Mandy Patankin. Even Billy Crystal is awesome and how many movies can you say that about (this one and When Harry Met Sally, everything else is kinda ehh...)

Disappointing numbers

clearly I've got to work harder or good will win over...

Hell is chrome

Now listening to: Wilco

Well today was a wasted day...although I have to admit I do feel relaxed. I slept late (even later than usual) just because it was raining out and I love that sound while I'm in bed. Then I spent the rest of the day replaying Fable and watching crap TV. I did watch Scrubs which is cool. Gotta like Zack Braff and Heather Graham is nice to look at.

Anyway add leftover pizza and watching bits of Fight Club on fx (how can I not watch the very end when Where is my mind kicks in and the buildings fall? headcavingly orgasmic) and that's my whole day. I'm gonna want that time back someday.

I finished rereading Bloodsucking Fiends and it was as good as I remember it. I started reading the Princess Bride, basically because Trip gave me a copy (along with several other books) and it's good. The book is usually better than the movie and I'm hoping this holds true, because the movie is awesome (Filet Mignon). I'm debating opening a bottle of wine and sipping that while I read it tonight. I'm not sure it's a great idea (the whole drinking alone thing while unemployed is too much of a cliche to become) so I may just forget it.

Hideous, screaming pain!

Now watching the Skins/Cowboys game

Hmm where to begin. Yesterday was fairly uneventful after my post. I finally finished Fable and the ending was blah...I took the evil path, which was certainly more fun. After that Corb, Trip and I grabbed dinner and had an intense religious discussion. Corbin has some intense and unbending ideas about religion that caught me off guard. It's his right, I suppose, but it still boggles my mind. While Trip and myself were diametrically opposed to Corb's beliefs the whole affair stayed civil, which is a rarity.

The problem I always have with those discussions (besides the fact that noone has ever had their mind changed because of one) is that ultimately it all comes down to the question of faith. Believers always throw the "You've just got to believe it." ball at you and it's impossible to dodge. The really annoying ones make it seem like it's some fatal flaw in your character that you don't believe in their imaginary friend. That really pisses me off.

Today I managed to stay away from intense philosophical discussions and did very little. I watched Life or Something Like It, which was ok, but nothing I'd be that interested in watching again (Meh.), although I do really like most of Edward Burns' acting roles. After that I went to Trip's and we watched some Invader Zim, American Chopper, The Daily Show and generally just goofed off.

The Redskins are having some issues in this game. Lack of offense to name one. I think the problem is that Joe Gibbs is essentially still playing with Steve Spurrier's players...which isn't the best idea. Oh on a similar football note I'd like to rub in the fact that my Steelers beat Nick's Dolphins. The Phins' offense is kind of floundering about at the best of times. Add hurricane force weather and the Steelers defense and running game managed to grind it out against a suffering squad. Of course Nick is already lamenting the season so I'll let him off easy.

Committing suicide really slowly

Now watching: all three football games in small doses

Well yesterday was funfilled. It started with a trek to my aunt's wedding, which went incredibly quick. In and out, no muss , no fuss. The only truly notable moment was when the minister talked about psycho weirdos who believe that marriage could be between something other than a man and a woman. Nothing better than a anti-gay marriage rant worked into the wedding ceremony. On a day that's supposed to be about a celebration of love, the minister works in a little bit of bigotted hate. That's nice. Anyway, aside from that debacle I had a good time hanging with the fam. and joking around at the reception.

After I left the reception I hightailed it to Reed's apartment to go and see Wilco with he and Kevin. We had a pretty good time. Some good conversation on the way down and back and the show was kickass (foot massage). Technically those guys were awesome and while they tend to be more on the mellow side usually, when they broke it down, it was excellent. It was also good to hang with Kevin and Reed and break out of the usual. Sometimes I just need something different to do to keep my sanity.

Today I'm gonna kick back a bit. I'm not really that interested in any of the games that are on early, kinda dull. I still need to beat Fable, so I can trade it in for something else and I mean it this time. I may also give Trip a call later and try to see Shaun of the Dead, which I hear is good.

Just like Muhammad Ali, they called him Cassius

Well it's much later and I did call MV about the job. Initially the principal told me to call back later, when I called back he wasn't availiable. So I get to wait all weekend and frankly I'm not that optimistic. Upon further inspection my weird interview may have been a blow off. I realized it the other day and tonight when I mentioned it to my mother, she told me that he'd done that before to people he never hired. So it seems I'm get screwed over.

It's so frustrating. I know I was smarter than a lot of the teachers I had in high school and can undoubtedly do a better job of teaching than they did. However I am being denied because this principal is a douche bag. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do if I don't get this job. Mom mentioned that I should go ahead and take the Praxis, which is probably a good idea. Pass that and I'll be a shoo-in for a job somewhere next year. Of course it'll be a long cold winter in the mean time.

Anyway after all that crap I went to Trip's for our regular Halo night action. It was kind of a letdown. Nobody seemed enthusiastic about anything and we all just sat around mostly. Trip had to rise early anyway so we all called it a night pretty early. Now I'm thinking I'm gonna beat Fable so I can trade it in next week for something good.

I'm gonna take your tongue out and lick my ass with it

I really wanted to post yesterday, but wasn't able to. My internet went down in the afternoon and I just got it back online (with the help of my friendly neighborhood cable dude). Anyway I ended up hanging with Trip yesterday (big surprise) and we went to Danville and did our thing.

We came back and played Def Jam: Fight for NY. My initial thoughts were that this game had to suck, it's licensed crap and looks like a wrestling game, but actually it's really good. I know I was as surprised as you are. Anyway we played that for most of the night and there were some really funny lines in it (a la the title here today). I'm saying it's a foot massage with filet mignon potential. It's just a little difficult at times.

Anyway I am supposed to call about the teaching job in a coupla minutes and see how that goes. Keep your fingers crossed.

I also finished reading Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. It's an interesting book about a totalitarian government that sponsors this killing game where they take a class of 14 year olds and put them on an island and make them kill each other until only one is left. It's a Japanese translation and it's pretty good. The only trouble I had was that sometimes it was obvious that the language difference was hard to overcome. I'm saying this was a foot massage as well.

Oh, Kevin called me today and invited me to see Wilco tomorrow, for free! It's gonna be pretty sweet. I've been meaning to call that cat anyway, so this is a plus. OK I'm going to make the call now.

Sticks and rocks

Now watching: Throne of Blood

So last night I finally got to play Star Wars Battlefront with Trip and Corb. It was pretty fun, flawed but fun. We had a good time shooting rebel scum and Ewoks. Corb was playing as Corbacca, which I found to be hilarious. So a good time was had by all. It will probably be even better online or with the system link.

After that I came home and watched the end of the WSOP Tournament of Champions, which was fun. It's always cool to see high level players you're familiar with in action. Between that and Mike's invite to play poker I decided to get a little play money action going. It's not the same as the real thing, but I wanted to play something. I started out on and Omaha table, which was a bad idea as I got school quickly. I then moved to a pot limit hold em table where I did very well. Had some solid hands where a low pocket pair turned into trips and then a full house. After starting with $25 of fake cash I ended the night around $190. Sure it's fake money, but it's always fun to win.

I started watching Thone of Blood yesterday and it's damn good. Another Akira Kurosawa samurai movie that is just well put together. You can't deny the epic battle sequences or the acting of Toshiro Mifune. It's a window into Japanese history, with a bit of fantasy thrown in. An evil spirit delivers information on the future and the main characters end up acting to make them come try, with the help of a meanspirited, needling wife in Mifune's case. It's a morality tale about not betraying trust to further your own goals. A bit of a steal from old Shakespeare, I think, but still excellent. I'm saying foot massage, but admit it's a bit slow paced and not for everyone.

It puts the lotion on it's skin or it gets the hose again

Soo my interview was weird. I'm not really sure if I got interviewed or the principal and I just hung out. I had to wait forever before he got to me, which I can understand lots of stuff was going on like someone having a seizure. So that's not a big deal. Once I got in his office I answered like three questions and then we walked around the school. I'm not sure why we walked around the school, but we did.

While we were walking he talked about classroom management and gave me examples of different ways to do it. It was almost as if he believed I'd never been in a classroom before. I just kind of nodded my head and went along with it. I have no idea if it went well or not. I was just there. He told me he'd let me know something on Friday, so let's all hope I get the job.

Anyway after grabbing some lunch I came home and took a nap, which was pleasant I can tell you. Nothing like cool fall air and snuggly blanket. After finally getting up my cousin Mike invited me to a poker game in Roanoke, which I had to turn down because of finances, but it was a nice thought. I'll probably get to see him this weekend at his mother's wedding, which should be an interesting affair to say the least. So I've got that to look forward to.

Archie is not fucking Mr. Weatherbee!

Another wasted day spent playing video games and watching tv. I did call and set up an interview for that teaching job tomorrow. So I get to get up early for that. I also talked to the guys at Danville about the job and they seemed interested. I don't want that job tho, I really don't. Talking to him it occured to me how many things I really hated about working exclusively with sports and newspapers. Of course, should this teaching thing fall through I suppose my options are limited.

I've realized I don't want to have to go back to work, but I'm not happy not working. Of course I'm definitely not happy when I am working. I suppose that means that I'm just not going to be happy. I'm just hoping the sense of dread I have about getting back to work will prove to be unfounded. Generally what I expect is exactly opposite of what actually happens.

It's funny, I have an interview tomorrow, but I'm not really nervous. I was nervous last night about making the phone call, but I'm not worried about the actually interview, or rather I'm worried a lot less. I'm not really sure why that it, I think I'm pretty comfortable in the interview environment, having given them for so long.

Anyway I spent the day watching Chasing Amy again, which may be Kevin Smith's best movie...probably is. Mallrats is still my fav., but Chasing Amy has more depth. I played some Fable and then just flipped through the channels for the rest of the night. I did watch a lot of the Eagles/Vikings game and that was ok. Eagles looked pretty good.

Try new human rinds

Now: preparing to watch Adult Swim

I've been bummed today as the Steelers were just beat off the ball for most of the game today. They showed a few signs of life in the second half, but it was too little too late. I was impressed with Troy Polamalu, who seemed to always be around the ball. Still a loss put a pallor on the day.

After that I bummed around for a while and then Trip and I went to see Mr. 3000. It was ok, Bernie Mac was funny and it had moments, but it wasn't exceptional. A little too much heartfelt growth and not enough goofy laughs. Angela Bassett did look hot, that woman must really work to keep herself in shape. Well that or she's spent a lot of cash, either way she's hot.

I got a call tonight about the Danville job. It seems they are interested in interviewing me. But I also have a lead on a teaching job, which I'd prefer. I'm gonna see what the deal is there, but I may set up an interview with Danville. Still I'm not looking forward to working nights again, that just sucks.

The one problem I have with this fall weather is that I want to sleep all the time. I know some of you are thinking "But he always wants to sleep all the time." Well I say screw you, I don't, I'm just largely nocturnal. Still with this kind of weather it's so nice to be snuggly under a blanket. I have a real tough time waking up and even once I rouse myself I stay groggy for quite a while. It blows.

We can't park here, this is bat country

Now: ready to go to bed

I've been too distracted to write for the last coupla days, between playing Fable and whatnot. Fable is pretty sweet, but a bit flawed. I still have a ways to go tho before I can make a concrete rating.

Today Trip and I went to Danville to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Actually we went there, had dinner, shopped a bit and then drove home to see the movie. It was an odd circumstance and it just worked out that way. Anyway the movie was pretty good. The critics quotes used in the ads made it seem like it'd be a lot better tho. Still it wasn't bad, just not as immersive as I would have liked. I did like the effects and the design of the villanous robots. I'd say it tetters on the line of +1 chainmail and foot massage.

While shopping I picked up the Guilty Gear X2 Reloaded basically because I'd heard good things and it was only $20. I really like some of the character designs, but man do I suck. I thought I'd be ok, but really I'm pretty clueless. I will need some time to figure out what does what before I hit XBox Live.

Last night I fiddled with Fable and watched a lot of TV. I found myself watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas again and giggling quite often. Man is that a great movie. Some of the lines lifted from the book are also incredible...in particular the soliloquey about how you could see the highwater mark where the 60s culture of peace was turned back. That's just good drug-fueled writing. I recommend it to one and all, the movie and the book. (Filet Mignon, with headcavingly orgasmic moments).

In the wake of all the tornados and hurricanes, the weather has turned into fall and I like it. That nip in the air is wonderful, I only wish my Jeep were less open. Still it's nice to go outside and not immediately burst into sweat. I love the smell of fall air too, seems so brisk and refreshing. Plus fall fashions are much more flattering on the big man.

You are the prototype

Now: turning off my television

Having a Falwellian moment, I have decided that the reason that the south is being pelted with hurricanes is because god is mad at them for voting Republican. That's right, all this suffering is brought on by the sinful nature of the right wing. We can only hope they repent and the lord forgives them.

Played a lot of Fable today and after several hours of trying and getting annoyed, then going away, then coming back and trying again I got past the problem I was having. My biggest problem is that sticking to my evil mindset is hard. I always end up with good points for killing stuff, which annoys me.

So anyway, it's supposed to rain like a bastard tomorrow, so I have that to look forward to. Halo night is penciled in, but with Danny already counting himself out it may be a wash. Corb has a tendency to find other stuff to do and inclement weather can also take him out of the game. I may end up sitting here playing Fable all day and night again tomorrow. That would be ok, but I'm already feeling the stir crazy pangs.

Remember to repent and vote Kerry if you want the hurricanes to stop. Also the terrorists win if Bush stays in office (if the argument is good enough for Dick Cheney, then it's good enough for me).

Happy 1000th visitor to me!

I just noticed that I have over 1K hits now. Woo, in less than a year I've gotten you people to come here 1,000 times. Man are you easy to dupe...err...that is to say...Thank you!

Chickenchaser...do you chase chickens?

Now: preparing to play more Fable

Last night I didn't update because I got Fable and was intent on getting some time in with the game. So far it's pretty kickass, although I still have only scratched the surface.

Yesterday I got a haircut and tried to find a copy of Fable for most of the afternoon. I eventually had to drive to Danville to get it, which was annoying. I had a disgusting meal at IHOP (I won't be going back there soon) and had to wade hip deep in tards at EBGames. Honestly, there was one guy debating buying a warranty for his new XBox and he asked how long a year was no less than three times. Also there were the pair of crack heads selling off an old PS1 and bunch of crappy games for drug money. Finally I was released from the tard-a-thon and went back to Trip's where we goofed off for a while and I let him play a bit.

I decided to apply for the Danville paper job and sent off my resume just now, a la email. I included some salary requirements so I may not get it anyway, but I did apply. But there is no reason to start at a new job and not make as much as I did at the Bulletin, that's just absurd.

Froggy went a courting and Bender is great

Now listening to: Cap'n Jazz

A full day of doing nothing. There are few things more satisfying than doing nothing when you are in the mood for it. Today was perfect for it and I vegged to my maximum potential.

I watched The Great Escape, which was very good. Loads of notable actors putting together a solid movie. My only complaint was that it was too long, 2.5 hours. But all in all it was good, I'm saying foot massage. I also watched The Transporter, which was ok. The DVD was scratched so I didn't get to see the very end, which annoyed me, but honestly I don't think the Oscar clip would have been there. I'd rate it +1 chainmail, but that's only because I was in the mood for mindless. Catch me on a different day and it could be Shaq-fu.

I also watched the finale of the World Series of Poker. There were some excellent hands and some interesting moments. I do have to say that this one seemed to have a little less personality than last year's tournament. I think it was partly because Sammy Farha wasn't there. Also when Marcel Luske went out in 10th place, the final table lost a lot of personality.

Anyway I'm still undecided what to do about the whole Danville paper job. I'm really not sure I want to go back to working nights and weekends all the time and making no money doing it. Right now I'm making no money, but at least my nights and weekends are free. It's a question of whether I believe something better is out there for me that I can do well. Also a question of whether I'm willing to wait for it.

Anyway tomorrow I am gonna go and apply at some crap job that I won't get and maybe get a haircut, which I need desperately. I also intend to pick up Fable, which I hope lives up to some of the hype.

Should I stay or should I go?

Now: watching the end of the Packers/Panthers game

Well one of my worst nightmares has come true. A moment of decision, that will dictate how I want to live my life. The Danville Register & Bee just posted an opening for a sports reporter/designer. Essentially the same job I had at the Bulletin. The pay would probably be worse than I made, but the benefits would be better. The question is do I want to go back to that or should I wait for something better? That's no easy question.

Now that my life has settled in a little with unemployment I'm a lot less stressed. Sure I'm still prone to depression derived from not having a job or a lot of money, but when I was working I got depressed for having a job. It's just one of those things. I don't know if I want to go back to working nights and all the other crap that goes with reporting, but it could be a lot better than other jobs I might get. It's a conundrum. I'll have to apply some serious thought and maybe talk it out with some people. Danville isn't great, but it's better than Mville (marginally). So that's where I'm at with that. I am applying for a social studies teaching gig at Radford, that I think would be ok. Maybe I'll get that and all will be well.

That's pretty much taken up my thoughts since I got home from Trip's, where we watched Fear Factor (yesh) and the first half of the game. I can't really think of anything else to talk about right now. I anticipate that it will be difficult falling asleep tonight...although the fact that I stayed up until 7 a.m. finishing Carter Beats the Devil last night. It was a good story and I'd say it rates a foot massage.

Those hats are murder!

Now listening to: Slipknot

It's been a pretty good day. I started things off by watching the Steelers pull out a late victory over the Raiders 24-21 this afternoon and that set the tone right. I'll probably blog about that more at Goal Line Stand. After that I had planned to watch the Giants/Eagles, but the dimwits at the local Fox affiliate decided that the Falcons/49ers game would draw a bigger crowd...I think not. That is just stupid. So I bailed and Trip and I celebrated the Steelers win (ok I celebrated Trip was just there) by eating crab legs at Red Lobster. Which was good.

We returned to Trip's pad and watched Resident Evil. Milla Jovovich is really hot, but the movie was not good. I'm a big fan of zombie movies and this just left me kinda cold. Too many places where I wanted to see more gore and didn't (Meh.). Also I have a question for most zombie movies...if the zombies are basically motivated by their desire to eat, why don't they eat each other? It's the same flesh. The movies where they only want fresh brains I get, but the flesheaters are eating the same thing either way. Just a thought.

We watched the Slipknot video that was on the Resident Evil DVD and Trip remarked that they were kinda crappy. That sparked a debate that covered a defense of death metal (by me), shock rock and how a band's fans don't necessarily provide an accurate picture of what a band is doing. Oh and we bashed the Family Guy for a bit, because that show is really not so good, despite a dedicated fan following. I defend it to Trip, but watching tonight's episode, it really is a poor man's Simpsons.

After that we watched adult swim, which is awesome. High points included a blue buffalo shouting the title of this post, a milkshake firing t-shirts through a window and a man subduing his captors with the power of his ass muscules. I have to say it was pure genius.

Back to Slipknot, I'm listening to Iowa, which I picked up a while back when I didn't exactly know what Slipknot was like. It's not bad, but not great either. They wear odd masks and have their own band lore to pull their fans in. Musically it's got that grinding metal sound a la Korn, with an occasional nod to speed metal/death metal. Lyrically, it certainly appeals to angst filled teenage males, I wouldn't say it'd devoid of worth. They aren't really blazing a new path, but if writing about original things was a requirement then there wouldn't be a whole lot to choose from (although They Might Be Giants might still have a substantial catalogue, but they are rather unsual). I'd say this album ranks about a +1 chainmail, but I do have a higher tolerance for yelling, noise and angsty lyrics than most.

Curse you devil weeds

Now listening to: Classical webradio

I mowed Trip's grass today and I am TIRED! That weedeater kicked my ass. It's been a while since I worked on the golf course and did that for eight hours at the time. Now 15 minutes of it makes me think I'm in heart arrest. Anyway it's done and I can relax and watch football all day tomorrow.

After my debilitating afternoon, Corb, Trip and myself had dinner at Clarence's and then I watched them play coop Halo for a while. Honestly I was too tired to take part. I just laid on the couch and scratched Bodie (Trip's Boston terrier) behind the ears. Now I'm thinking the bed sounds like a good idea.

Before I went into the world of grass and mowers, I watched the end of Rudy again today. I don't give a damn about Notre Dame really, but man I don't know how you can watch the end of that movie and not get a little sentimental. It's such a great movie, you have to root for the guy. Nighty night.

Blinded me with science

Now: getting ready to read Carter Beats the Devil

The usually Friday night hijinks, Halo at Trip's. Trip also rented The Guy Game, which is basically a party game where women flash their boobs. It's nothing special and if you need to see boobs rent a Girls Gone Wild video. I'd say Meh. is being generous.

I went to bed early last night (around 1 a.m.) and got up early and now I'm feeling tired. Could this be the signs of a normal sleep schedule? I doubt it. I'm also not feeling well, Bojangles did not do me right. So there is that.

Carter Beats the Devil is pretty good. It's set at the turn of the century (the 19th to the 20th, not the more recent turn) and I really enjoy reading about that period. America seemed to have such a different face. The frontier spirit still alive instead of the get rich quick and be a reality tv star mentality we have now.

First down

Now: recovering from the football game and watching ESPN highlights

So I just finished watching and blogging about the opening game of the NFL season. I ended up with like 10 posts through the game, just publishing as thoughts occured to me. Check it out at Goal Line Stand, if you are interested at all. It was a good game and I rambled on and on...

Haven't done much today, started playing Culdcept a little and am already frustrated with it. I can see how it could be addictive, but the learning curve seems a little harsh. I think I may be better served playing an old school PS1 RPG, as that is the urge that this is catering to. I may just not bother until next week when I get Fable.

I also watched the premiere of Joey. It wasn't bad, but I'm not really that intrigued. Seemed like more of the same old sitcom crap.

For some reason I'm feeling tired. I think it was drinking just one beer, that always makes me yawny. The answer is to always drink four or five really quick, then you don't get sleepy, you get drunk.

Bunk, I say, bunk!

Now listening to: Minor Threat

Another slackass day in the books. Hung around, went to Trip's and we got dinner then did some grocery shopping (we look so gay walking around a grocery store together, it's sad) and then watched some TV. Watched the 60 Minutes on the guy that helped Bush into the Texas Air Guard. I am actually tired of all the Vietnam talk in this election. Can't we just do some talk about the issues...the fact that W hasn't done anything, except start a highly controversial war and destroy the environment. That he's just a corporate toady and needs to go.

Umm, after that we tried to watch the British version of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. It was less than good. I am a little bored with the original (although watching it with friends and making fun of people is fun) and this new version lacked the charisma that the first one had. So we switched to Good Eats, which is a pretty good cooking show.

I came home and applied for a PR job at VCU and am now typing this up and digging some straight edge punk done right. I think I may hook up some Culdcept before bed and if that gets boring move into Virtua Fighter 4: Evo.

Hopefully I won't have as much trouble updating tonight as I did yesterday. It just wouldn't work...I do notice that my few dedicated readers come back to see if I've updated more when I don't. Hmm I could drive up my numbers by making you guys wait. :)

Last night I ended up finishing Grass for his Pillow and it was ok. Clearly there are going to be at least a couple more in this series and this was basically a set up book, putting the pieces in place for the future action. As such, it lacked the energy of the first one and was more about character development. Not bad, but not great, (+1 chainmail). I am now moving on to Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold. It's a loaner from Kevin and I'm only a couple of pages in, but it seems cool. I'm not going to stay up until 6 a.m. reading tonight tho. At least I had a dreamless sleep afterward, that's a definite plus.

The early bird dinner special is next

Now listening to: The Grey Album

Man today was stressful. I got up at 1p.m., then fiddled with the interweb for a while. I then chatted with my aunt Yvonne and Trip and then watched Invader Zim on DVD. After all that I had to have a nap. Whew! When I woke up I stayed on the couch for the rest of the night. Well I did move to my chair for some more internet action. I actually found a job in G-Boro that would be cool. I'm giving them a call tomorrow.

Anyway, yeah I'm tremendously slack. I couldn't believe I actually took a nap this afternoon. It's sad. I'm turning into a 29-year-old retiree. I'm going to try and make it out of the house tomorrow and apply for some work and just get out for a while. Maybe do some reading at the library or something. As it's supposed to rain I will likely not be going to G-Boro to play poker, although Nick will probably call me. He's been cool about that I have to say, but I'll save him the call this time. I will get up with you sometime soon dude, but right now I'm both poor and not wanting to drive my soggy ass Jeep.

So I'm reading Grass for his Pillow, the Tales of the Otori book I mentioned before, and it's pretty good. I like the whole Japanese vibe. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys samurai stuff.

Balls as smooth as eggs

Now listening to: Ugly Casanova

Had a weird night last night, actually the last couple of nights. I've been having these weird dreams where I'm trying to get somewhere, but never do. They clearly are anxiety driven and I'm not sure what to do about them. I guess not much I can do other than get a damn job. I'm hoping I can get back to non-restless sleep tonight, but we'll see.

Went to Roanoke today with Trip and Danny and had a decent time. I was a little out of sorts at the start, but eventually got into the swing of things. Did a little shopping and guess what...I spent too much money. I bought the new Invader Zim DVD, which simply has to be awesome. I also picked up a couple of books, one the second book in the Tales of Otori storyline I recently started and the other is Porno by Irvine Welsh. I'm hoping Porno is as good as Glue, which really sold me on him (Foot massage). The last thing I read by him was Filth and I didn't enjoy that as much (Meh.). I should probably go back and actually read Trainspotting instead of just relying on my knowledge of the movie...maybe.

I finished reading Battle of Corrin last night and it was good (+1 chainmail). The prequels that Brian Herbert is writing for his father's books have all be ok, but they really don't have the depth of the original Dune series. I guess it's just impossible to live up to the original, which synthesizes politics, religion, ecology, sociology and several other things into one unified story that fits perfectly together. It's simply an astounding achievement (headcavingly orgasmic).

Mammals have four chambered hearts

Now listening to: Miles Davis (Kind of Blue)

I'm feeling tired and have no real reason to. I goofed off all day, not surprisingly. I read a lot of the new Dune book (Battle of Corrin). It's pretty good. Then Corb picked me up and we went to Trip's and watched Shaolin Soccer, which was fun. Not great, but enjoyable: +1 chainmail. We then grabbed some burgers and played Halo. I was talking shit...my new thing is talking about how I "drop science" after a victory. It amuses me, especially when I illustrate what dropping science is like. It's fun, although I think Corb and Trip may enjoy it less than me.

Anyway, now I am spending more time in front of the computer doing nothing useful. I still feel like ass and my congestion has moved into my ears which makes me totally deaf (and I didn't have that far to go before). I think I'm gonna go watch Adult Swim now.

We're not going to makeout

Now listening to: The Shins

I had an early morning today as Mom woke me up around 9 a.m. I had to finish making some cds to send to Gabe so she could mail them today. It was odd being up in the a.m., but not all bad. After finishing my cd making project I watched TV for a while (the NCAA football pregame on ESPN) then called Trip. We went to see Garden State in Danville.

I knew I was going to like this movie, just judging from the reviews I read and what Nick said about it. I was totally right and it may be one of my fav. movies of the year. It was quirky and a little moody, with just the right amount of funny. I really like Natalie Portman, she's beautiful and just seems like she'd be someone that's just fun to hang around. Maybe I'm just projecting. Anyway I'd say the movie was Filet Mignon. I'm always ranting about how much I love Wes Anderson's work and this movie had some similar motifs.

The one problem was that the movie made me start thinking about how things are going in my life. That's really not a good thing at this point. I've become one of those people that avoids talking to someone they know because they are embarrassed about how their life is going and don't want to hear how great things are for others. Bitterness is not a pretty thing.

Anyway other than that not much happened, the standard Halo playing and goofing off. Oh, we watched part of the Dave Chappelle standup on Showtime and that was pretty cool. He's a funny motherfucker.

I'm now debating downloading some Frou Frou, who were featured heavily in Garden State alongside The Shins. Some Nick Drake might be better, but I think Kevin has some of his stuff. That'd give me an excuse to visit that guy, plus I need to take some of his DVDs back to him.

I've got the 21st century breathing down my neck

Now listening to: The Smiths

Went to my alba mater's first home football game tonight with Danny and was stunned. With the two schools combining it was a nightmare. The stands were packed and I had to wait forever to get in (which is a stark contrast to the way I used to sneak through). Anyway we finally get in and sit in front of the loudest people, who explained "I payed my $5 I'm gonna yell all I want!" It was obnoxious.

On top of that, Magna Vista didn't look so great. I'm not sure if it's because the team they were playing was so good or if they have just went down a notch. The offense sputtered all night and the defense allowed the Fleming RBs to break tackles all night long. We left at the beginning of the 4th quarter when Fleming picked off a MV pass and returned it for a touchdown to give them more than a 2 TD lead.

We then picked up some beer and hung at Trip's for a while, playing Halo and Soul Caliber 2. We also watched The Daily Show where they rip into Zeb Miller's tirade, particularly when he challenges Chris Matthews to a duel. That is funny stuff, as he's a total wackjob.

Now I am home and considering bed (beer makes me sleepy). Not sure what's on tap for the rest of the weekend. It's Labor Day weekend and I don't have to labor...pretty much like every other day.

Just rip the skin right off of the bone

Now listening to:Fugazi

Ok I've got to be honest, I've got this weird tickling around my rectum. I think it's from where George Bush blew smoke up my ass all night. I watched most of his speech (well I occasionally changed the channel when he would say something so far from the truth that I couldn't stand it). Both he and Dick Cheney talked about respecting the troops, but these are the same people who said yes to the Swift Boat ads that attack a decorated veteran with completely untrue allegations. (And if you think those ads went up without the Bush campaign's knowledge you are far too naive.)

Actually I have to admit a couple of the policies Bush offered for the next four years weren't completely off base. Improving the health care system is a big thing I'm all for, the problem is I don't believe he'll do it. In his last State of the Union address he talked about all kinds of things he would be working on...I ain't seen it. The only thing he's worked on was his campaign.

Of course I shouldn't be getting so upset over this election and the sad state of America. The American people will be getting what they deserve. If they are stupid enough to give Bush power for four more years then it just proves my first rule. (People are stupid.)

Moving away from politics, I have been a useless waste of space again today. Still recovering from my allergies (which seem to be receding thankfully) and just watched tv all day. I watched most of the Steelers/Panthers game and that was ok, nothing special. All in all, a day I'll wish I had back at the end of my life.

Function is the key

Now listening to: Fugazi

Still feeling ill, the battle with allergens continues unabated. Slacked off most of the day (I know all of you are shocked). I played a little Prince of Persia, which is pretty sweet, but I'm not sure if I'll have the patience to puzzle out all the things I need to do to get from point a to point b. Still it is a well engineered game.

I also went to Trip's for a while and we watched a little TV and then The Italian Job. No not the one with Marky Mark, the original with Michael Caine. It was another case of the slow starting 60s movie. The last half an hour was cool, it was the first hour that really sucked the life out of me. I did like the cliffhanging ending. Still I'm saying Meh.

We then watched Dick Cheney's speech, which throughly pissed me off. Are the Republicans capable of talking without spouting lies and digs at their opponents? Doesn't seem to be the case. We then watched The Daily Show, which had a nice segment on Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. A nice take on how Bush's words haven't ever matched up with the actions. Not surprising, coming from the propaganda machine the Republicans have in place.

I just read an article on Salon about the Republicans' negative oriented campaign tactics. Those guys are just brutal and ignore the facts completely. It's not surprising, they are fascists looking to keep their death grip on America and the world intact. I swear if they win the next election I don't think I'm gonna be able to stand it. The only hope would be that some good oppressed music would come out of it. You'll note that after 12 years of Republican rule, 1992 saw the grunge/alterna-rock scene break out. I'd say there was a definite correlation there.

Can you hear me calling?

Now listening to:P.J. Harvey

My allergies have kicked in overtime. I've felt crappy all day and decided to just stay at home. I didn't do anything significant outside of watch Me, Myself and Irene and the new WSOP episodes on ESPN. Currently I feel as though there is a dodgeball lodged between my brain and forehead. It's not a fun feeling. I don't recommend it.

In a fit of boredom I downloaded the iTunes exclusive album that P.J. Harvey recently did. It's pretty cool. Some nice commentary tracks and some cool new versions of old songs. The only annoying thing is some of the tracks are just old versions offered up as new. Still P.J. is always good. I was debating getting the new Bjork, but went with P.J. instead.

I think I may look for a new book to read this evening, I am officially bored with The Bourne Supremacy. I think trying to read it and The Bourne Identity back to back was too much. I'm not sure what my next book will be, I need something light. I can't handle anything serious at this point.