I'm not a monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

Here's the moment you've all been waiting for, the unveiling of the new 2008 version of the mighty evilpenguin9000 logo. Copyright infringers will have a pencil jammed into their eye.

Notes from the nerdery

Some quick notes instead of an actual post. Enjoy...

• The Wire, Season 4 continues to deliver the awesome. I really like the character Omar, who is a gay gangster that makes his living by robbing drug dealers. Definitely not your standard effeminate gay man on television.
• Hating my computer and how poorly it handles video, as I find myself wanting to watch more things online lately and they all suffer from bad frame rate and skipping. Sucks.
• Watching this documentary on chiptunes, i.e. music made on 8-bit systems like the NES or old school Gameboy. Interesting sounds that I actually like, despite the fact that I almost never want to listen to the music in a game I'm actually playing.
• Any fast food that describes itself as "cheesy" is completely rancid and should be destroyed on sight.
• Saw Tropic Thunder. It's good, not a must see, but entertaining. In an odd twist I think Tom Cruise's crazy ass was the best part of the movie.
  
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is incredible. Twin stick shootery goodness.
• While I was at the beach I noticed I was less depressed. Whether this was due to actual interaction with friends or actually being in the sun I'm not sure. But I figured that absorbing Vitamin D could have been part of it, so I bought a supplement and have been taking those. I think it's working. While I still have a tendency toward depression, for so many reasons, the mood swings seem to hit with less force and are easier to get over. We'll see if it keeps up.
• Fantasy football is right around the corner with the draft taking place on Tuesday. Planning on hitting Nick's for that. Still feeling a little unsure of my preparedness, but I think that's a result of how bad my draft turned out last year.
• In order to get in the football mood I watched Invincible, the Vince Papale story about the random dude who made the Eagles. Not bad, standard underdog movie, but I'm a sucker for those.
  

That's about it. I'll be unveiling a new 2008 version of the Evil Penguin logo soon, as designed by H.R. Tripenstuff.

excuses and half-truths and fortified wine

Man, returning to work after vacation really sucks ass. Particularly this week, where three preseason football games have to be broadcast. It's just irritating. Plus all the shit that I normally don't worry about is getting on my nerves, just because there is nothing to look forward to for a while. Tonight was especially annoying as the Panthers/Eagles game was delayed by lightning. Grrrr.

Trip and I did have a good time seeing The Hold Steady on Tuesday. Chapel Hill makes me feel old these days, especially as there were a ton of freshmen coming in with there parents that day. Also we sw a scary crack lady that was insanely thin and unclean. I'm not one to rag on the destitute, but damn she was disturbing. We saw some cops clearly prepping to take her in by putting on rubber gloves, which seemed like a good idea for them. Yesh.

Anyway, the show kicked ass. The lead singer, Craig Finn, just does not look like what you expect a band's frontman to look like. He looks like he'd be better suited for working in a cubicle and being picked on by his boss. That said, he does know how to fucking rock a crowd and seems to adore every minute on stage. Gotta love em.

Finally beat FFTA 2, after 145 hours of game play. That's probably inflated, as I watched lots of The Wire while playing and may have been distracted. By the way, finished the third season of the Wire last night, while beating FFTA 2. Great stuff. Only two more seasons to go.

back to the usual

So I'm back from the beach, have been for a coupla days. Just too lazy to post. Had a great time at the beach. Made a concerted effort to stay away from the crap I usually do and actually take a break and enjoy some of the other things life has to offer... like sunlight, conversation and whatnot.

But yeah, great time. Good to see the gang and hang out, drinking many beers. I miss having a bunch of people to hang around on the regular. Managed to never get ridiculously sunburnt, which is a feat. Talked a lot about fantasy football, which is no surprise. I ended up with the dreaded 10th pick in the draft and so am left with the dregs. Ahh well. Anyway, great time at the beach and it sucked to leave.

Did quite a bit of reading at the beach, which was good. I finished Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour. Lots of descriptions of delicious food and weird behavior. I recommend it to anyone who likes travel and eats meat. Also read David Schwartz's Superpowers, which is about college kids with superpowers. Kinda pulpy, but entertaining. Deals more with the real problems superpowers would cause, as opposed to supervillains and whatnot.

But now I have returned home and am having trouble getting back to my nocturnal schedule, which will bite me on the ass when I head back to work tomorrow. Did manage to manhandle Trip at Soul Caliber 4 after spotting him a week of practice. It's brutal how much I own him.

Speaking of Trip, tonight he and I are going to see The Hold Steady in Chapel Hill. Looking forward to that, although I'm not looking forward to the drive. Kinda over car trips at this point.

14 hours and counting

I'm a scant few hours away from the official beginning of my vacation. I can hardly wait. If only I didn't have to suffer through work first all would be better. Anyway, when I don't update this week it's because I'm at the beach. Not like normal where I'm morbidly depressed and/or lazy.

Oddly satisfying

Jello time, bitches. That is all.

My feelings are a cancer

It's 7 a.m. I'm grumpy, tired, lonely. The usual. But at least next week I'll be heading to the beach for some vacation. Some question as to whether or not Greg will be bringing his son along. I think it's safe to assume which way I'm leaning on that question. I don't really care, I'm gonna relax and be obnoxious either way, so whatever. I really need a vacation.

I got a shitload of stuff to do before that trip tho. Car needs an oil change, need to pick up some reasonably priced non-perishables before the trip, gotta pack, need to pay some bills. And I get to work some overtime before the trip, which isn't a bad thing. I can use the cash.

Not much else going on, really. I'm still addicted to FFTA 2. I'm listening to a lot of the new Beck album, Modern Guilt. Dangermouse's production makes it exceptional. The new Girl Talk album, Feed the Animals, is a pure party man. So good. And Stay Positive, The Hold Steady's new one is pretty good as well.

Dork Knight (spoiler free)

So I saw The Dark Knight today, with Corb and Trip. I even got in free since I had to put up with obnoxious chatty types during Hellboy 2. I have to say this movie is special. It's amazing. It's incredible. It's headcavingly orgasmic. I don't throw that rating around a lot to try and keep it special, but this has earned it. The cast is amazing, the story well crafted and it's just marvelous.

I'll start with Heath Ledger because he's done such a good job that I really don't think anyone can ever play the Joker again. I just don't see how they could. He's so wonderfully deranged, with delicious idiosyncrasies and delivers such beautiful lines that I literally giggled with delight. Come on people, do I really have to say more. I'm not a giggler.

Aaron Eckhardt is amazing. He steals some scenes from Christian Bale, who was good, but not great. Eckhardt gets better as the movie goes on. I read an opinion on a forum I frequent that I totally agree with about Maggie Gyllenhal. I'm a fan of hers, she's good, but she's just not glamorous enough for this role.

And, of course, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are excellent. As Corb, Trip and myself discussed the movie and it's potential sequel, we wondered if the next big villain is the Penguin, will Morgan Freeman narrate his rise and fall? I think that would make for an interesting twist.

a test of my will

Pretty much the usual weekend for me. Lots of movies and video games. I did see Nick and Adam this weekend, albeit briefly. I arrived late to their dinner and we conversed for a bit. I was informed that this blog is primarily lots of pissing and moaning, which I can't deny. But, of course, I have to piss and moan about them saying that too.

Trip and I went to see Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, which I found to be wonderful (filet mignon). The story was pretty good, but what made it special was the wonderful creature design of Guillermo Del Toro. I'd describe them as one part Terry Guilliam, one part H.P. Lovecraft and completely amazing. This may have been my favorite movie so far this summer.

I also watched Charlie Bartlett, which was good too. (foot massage) Kind of a modern take on a John Hughes film, which isn't a bad thing. Also Robert Downey Jr. is awesome, as is usual. Finished up season 2 of Deadwood and now am resisting temptation to pick up season 3. I have way too many things I want to spend my money on and way too little money to spread areound.

One thing I did fall into temptation and pick up was this Batman Gotham Knight animated DVD that bridges the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Returns. Sadly that gap is not that great. Trip and I partook of it and he gave up halfway through and I persevered only because I was playing FFTA 2 while watching. It had a few interesting moments, but all in all it was dull and the animation left me wanting. I heard it compared to The Animatrix, which I had a fondness for and that comparison led me to the purchase, but it is quite dismal. (mudbutt)

After finishing with Batman, Trip and I played some co-op Army of Two, which was fairly fun. Some irritation due to goofy controls, but not too bad. Looking forward to playing more next weekend.

Brain buck shot

Saw Wall-E and it was very good. It was definitely not your average cartoony kids movie. It was a scathing indictment of America's consumer cultur and it's consequences. Also there was a really great love story in there despite the main characters not being able to actually talk much beyond saying their names. I recommend it highly, filet mignon.

I'm still burning my way through The Wire, which is good. I'm into the second season now. The first season seemed to end on a bit of a futility note, with the drug dealers not really paying that much for their crimes and the police bureacracy screwing over a bunch of cops. Probably fairly true to life.

I'm also watching Deadwood again and into the second season of that, as well. It amazes me how fast that show moved. I mean the plot flies by and if you miss something, too bad for you. Which is a good thing, television usually plays to the lowest common denominator and this show assumes it's audience is not moronic.

Still completely addicted to FFTA 2. I'm nearing the 80 hour mark. I realized it's the job system that I love. It's fantastic, making it so your team is well balanced and has a plethora of skills at it's disposal. I think it triggers some semi-autistic part of my brain and I can't get enough.

It's nearing fantasy football time again and I have done no research. I'm clueless. I suppose I shouldn't worry too much, nothing really matters until training camps start and we find out who is actually who. Still I need to put up a better showing that last year's 6-9 season. The Evil Penguin must be on top!

Zero to bastard

I've been on a spending spree lately, that probably needs to stop. I'm buying shit up left and right and spending way too much cash. Last week I bought Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 and it is indeed awesome. These strategy games are not for everyone, but I love the FFT series. It's like pure crack.

Yesterday Trip and I went to Winston-Salem, ostensibly to try this steak restaurant, but I ended up spending a ton of cash. The restaurant, Texas Land and Cattle (not a great name in my book), wasn't bad. It smoked the steak, which gave it a flavor that wasn't really my favorite. But an interesting diversion.

Where I really dropped money was at Best Buy tho. I'd been coveting the Deadwood DVDs for a while now, but they were ridiculously expensive, like $80 for each season. They were on sale for $40 this week and so I decided to get this first two, since it's like two for one. Pricey? Yes, but Deadwood is so worth it.

I also finished watching the Flight of the Conchords on DVD and that is good stuff as well. They are definitely by favorite New Zealand humor folk troupe.

Wait, they don't love you like I love you

Recently I've been trying to decide if life goes by too quickly, with far too little time for all the stuff I want to do or if it is an endless drudgery where loneliness and horror never seem to end. I'm not sure... maybe both. Anyway on with the nerd crap I use to fill my time.

Trip and I watched The Machine Girl tonight. It had a certain B movie charm, with lots of over the top gore and bad acting. Basically it's about a Japanese schoolgirl who tries to avenge her brother who was killed by a Yakuza's son. She loses an arm in the process and straps a machine gun to it and carnage ensues. I'm gonna say foot massage for the gore and Meh. for the overall package. Basically some of the scenes are worth watching again, but watching the entire thing over is highly unlikely.

I got Ninja Gaiden 2 from Gamefly and tried it out last night. I'm playing the lesser difficulty, because I'm not a total masochist. It's not bad except for the godawful camera. Combat moves fast and I find myself hacking enemies that are always just off the screen and that gets annoying fast.

Also picked up Space Invaders Extreme for the DS and that's interesting. It's a new take on an old favorite and I'm digging it. I always loved that type of game from Space Invaders to Galaga to Megamania and this holds up.

I finished reading Little Green Men and it really picked up there when I gave it a chance. Buckley really knows how to throw in tasty little tidbits of satire that make you stop reading because you're laughing so hard. (foot massage)

Where is the lamentation of their women?

Another week, another mass of empty hours filled with nerdy nonsense and work. Work was work, so I won't really get into it. The nerdy nonsense on the other hand...

I went to see Don't Mess with the Zohan, because I am an Adam Sandler fan. That's right I said it. I don't care what all the pretentious twats out there say. He's funny, most of the time. That said, Zohan isn't great. It's pretty much mediocre across the board. A few laughs, but keep your expectations low. I'm saying Meh.

Trip and I also saw Kung Fu Panda, which I didn't know a lot about going in, but I like animation, I like Jack Black and I like Kung Fu, so I figured what the hell. Turns out, this movie ruled! Nigh-Pixar level animation, cool story and characterization and just plain fun. It's awesome (Filet Mignon).

I also watched Semi Pro, because I also love Will Ferrell. It did not disappoint, foot massage. And I am about midway through the third season of Battlestar Galactica, which I love more and more. It offers up really awesome political and social commentary wrapped in a satisfying sci-fi package. I challenge you to look past the nerdiness and try it for yourself.

On the video game front, I finally beat Conan on the 360. It's basically a hack and slash God of War knockoff that I only went to because Trip beat it. I also cranked up the difficulty so I could brag about how my epeen is bigger than his. No big whoop. As I told him I crushed my enemies and saw them driven before me, but I never heard the lamentation of their women. Therefore the game gets a Meh. rating. (There were also glaring technical flaws and poor level design, but the lack of lamentation is the major factor.)

I also re-read Max Brook's World War Z. It's really well thought out and wonderful. If you like zombies, this book is for you. I'm hoping there is a sequel or just something new from him soon. I'm also in the middle of Christopher Buckley's Little Green Men and it's not bad, but I'm stalling a little bit. I think it's been hard just because I've only been reading it at work.

the joys of being a "great guy"

Haven't posted in a while. Haven't really felt communicative, as the last couple of weeks have been difficult to put it mildly. The last week especially has been awful. It's as if the dark raincloud that normally follows me around has metamorphasized into an asshole that sprays shit. But why go on about it? It's not as if anything I say or do will change anything for the better.

So I've just been dealing with it in the normal ways. Trying to distract my mind from constantly thinking on the continuous dissatisfaction and rejection that define my life and filling the gaping holes of my existence with fatty foods. Yay positive feedback loop of negativism.

But at least I have the next three days off. That's something I suppose.

sniffle, sneeze, cough

So after a work week filled with sore throat and sinus headache my weekend has kicked off with my sinuses kicking into high gear. Nothing like a runny nose and lots of sneezing to make for a fun time. I don't even have any sinus stuff at home to assuage it. I should run out and get some, but I'm too lazy.

So what is new, you ask? Not a lot. I read Christopher Buckley's Boomsday, which is fantastic. It's filet mignon worthy. That's the same guy who wrote Thank You For Smoking, which I need to read, but the movie was excellent. Boomsday is about how when the baby boomers retire social security is going to be up shit creek. That is to say how younger people, like me, are going to be paying for the convalescence of the boomers and it's going to break our backs. The book is great satire and manages to be hilarious despite the sad topic.

I'm also reading the new Chuck Palahniuk, Snuff. I was afraid someone at work was gonna ask me what I was reading and I'd rather not have to get into it, since it's about a 600-man gangbang film. Yes, Mr. Palahniuk never fails to tackle the most awkward situations. So far it's good, but it hasn't grabbed me the way some of his other works have. Still entertaining, tho.

Trip and I watched Shoot em up tonight and it was absurd in the extreme. Leave all hope of plausibility at the door and enjoy it for it's silliness. Lots of shooting and smartass lines, also more than one death by carrot. I shit you not. I would not judge Paul Giamatti's career by this movie. Go with Big Momma's House instead.

Excuse me miss, but do you like dragons?

File that title under failed nerd pickup lines.

So for the past week or so I have dug deep into my very own cave of nerdom. Yes, I'm usually down that particular rabbit hole, but I've been spelunking even more than usual. Jill and I went to see Iron Man last week and it was good. We both enjoy Robert Downey Jr. (for somewhat different reasons I think) and he proved to be excellent. I'm saying it was a foot massage movie, it could of been higher, but the lack of a proper villain kinda put me off. Also I may be reaching my fill of super hero movie franchises.

On top of that I have continued to plow through episodes of Battlestar Galactica, which continues to impress. It's doing some good social commentary and has some great effects. I'm through season 2.o and am waiting for Netflix to get me the first part of season 2.5 so I can get off this cliffhanger they've left me on.

I also read Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. A nice graphic novel from the 80s that does a nice job of commenting on the culture then (some of which is still true today) and making for an entertaining Batman comic. Also Batman and Superman fight! Always a draw.

And of course I've been playing many video games. I traded Gabe my old mountain bike for his PSP. Yes, I know the fat guy shouldn't be giving up exercise equipment for more video games, but really it'd been hanging in the storage area for years. Why not let Gabe actually put it to use?

But yeah, I've been playing loads of stuff on that. God of War: Chains of Olympus is awesome, especially if you love Greek mythology. I'm digging it a lot. I'm also playing Jeanne Darc, which is a turn-based strategy game, which is a game type you either love or just don't get. No real middle ground on those.

So yes, my nerd level is high. I may have to get a pocket protector if things continue like this. Ohh in sports nerdiness (which is more socially acceptable), the Penguins are one win away from the Stanley Cup finals! Hell yeah, Crosby and Malkin getting it done.

true incoherence and randomness

So I've been banished from the digital realm the last few days. Turns out my router has some kinda problem. Of course, I had to figure that out for myself, since the people at Comcast tech support are too dumb to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide. I think they must do the opposite. That's right, they are so dense I'm positing them as plant life. Sad really.

But anyway, I gotta get a new router, which kinda blows since I seems like I just bought one. I guess it's been a few years. Time flies and then you have to replace your electronic equipment. Also I gotta say, I'm not sure I can survive without the internet anymore. Life seems so vapid and empty. I'm used to being able to look up any fact, no matter how obscure, on a moment's notice. Also no email, no news, no podcasts... it's unbearable. I'd hook it straight into my veins if possible.

Had a bear of a night at work last night. Lots of thunder, lightning and tornado action. Warning beepers going off everywhere, equipment failing basically shit hitting the fan. Fortunately I wasn't at the helm for all of this. I was just a bystander who tried to help mostly by being unobtrusive and going about my everyday duties while the building collapsed around me (metaphorically speaking).

What else is new... Trip and I got good and drunk Sunday evening. We went with a quatro de Mayo celebration, getting a jump on everyone else. It all started when I realized how good margaritas are while at MiRanchito. Of course, this was something I already knew, but it was a rediscovering of lime-y deliciousness followed shortly thereafter by a quality tequila buzz. So when we got back to Trip's place I mixed up a coupla margaritas there too for Trip and myself. I actually mixed four of them and used half a fifth of tequila in those. I got rip-roaring silly.

I also got to hang with Kevin some on Tuesday evening, as he returned from visiting Langdon in the hospital in Winston Salem. (Here's a shoutout to Langdon to get well soon.) We watched some tv, including the ever-popular Hell's Kitchen. We shouted PETROZZA!!! quite a bit and had a good time.

Let's start a war

I know, I know. I haven't updated in a while. I'd say I've been busy, but really I'm just lazy. There is also the fact that I haven't done a whole lot of interesting stuff either. Basically just working, watching tv and playing games. We're in sweeps now so work requires a bit more attention and effort. Got to run a NASCAR race last night, which actually went pretty smoothly. But it was a pain.

I saw the Harold and Kumar sequel and it's good. If you liked the first one, you'll appreciate the second. I was amused. I'm saying this movie has potential, but it will need to bear repeated viewings to get up that high. filet mignon

I also started Netflixing the first season of Battlestar Galactica. Yes, I know I'm a huge nerd. No arguments here, but it's pretty good. I'm a coupla discs in and I dig it. I like the Firefly-esque space camera work i.e. the outer space cg shots look like they were shot by an actual camera, not just a god mode view that keeps everything centered and in focus. It adds to the level of immersion. Also the concept of humanity creating artificial intelligences that want to kill them is interesting. What would make them come to the decision to genocide their creators. Hoping this is explored in depth. There is also the nostalgia factor as I always dug the old school cylons oscillating eye when I was a kid.

Alright, that's enough for now. I'm going to bed, it's been a long week.

I may be dull, but at least I'm nerdy

My days off have flown by and I can hardly believe I have to go back to work tomorrow. Sunday Jill and I went out to Greensboro for dinner and a movie, but the movie thing didn't pan out as there wasn't anything we really wanted to see. So we walked around Target then hit up the Olive Garden. I know it's like the most generic white people night possible, but I had fun.

Haven't done anything unusual. Played video games, had dinner with Trip, watched a bunch of tv. I watched Walk Hard, which was pretty funny. Occasionally it went a little too far down the self aware parody line, but enjoyable overall. I'm saying foot massage levels. I just watched Beowulf, which actually was better than I thought it would be. The animation was pretty nice and it definitely attacked adult themes. I was expecting the usual PG-13 nonsense. So I'd give it a foot massage as well, if you're in the mood for an actiony animated movie.

I also read the second and third graphic novels of The Walking Dead, a zombie comic book, and it's amazing. Amazing depth, I'd recommend it to anyone with even a marginal appreciation for zombies and intense stories. I'll be buying more of them the next time I decide I have some discretionary income.

I'm not bitching, no really!

Had a good day today. It was beautiful outside, so my drive into work was pleasant. Had a tasty Subway melt for dinner. Work was surprisingly laid back. Everyone doing there job and making life easy. I even got to sneak out for a while and join the Plaster family as they ate outside. There was this big bright ball in the sky and it was warm! Weird.

Sitting in the sun and hanging out with Kevin, Courtney, Eve and Zoe put me in a good mood. So I subclipped my ass off and got way ahead of the game, which wasn't that hard since, as I mentioned earlier, everyone else had did at least their fair share. Awesome.

Here's hoping the rest of the week turns out as well as today.

Just a little slack please

So it's been a big fuck me week. It just seemed like everything that could be a pain in my ass was. Work sucked. I had to run both the end of a baseball game and a NASCAR race on Saturday. Of course, the baseball game ended up rain delayed and it was a huge clusterfuck trying to keep track of everything and figure out what I'm supposed to do. Plus that late shit means I have to record and subclip the news and MadTV while I am running the game. Lots of little things you have to remember and take care of. It's stressful.

Ohh another fun fact this week. I'd been operating at a financial surplus for a while now, keeping a nice little nest egg just in case. The minute I dip into it to get myself a new stereo I get smacked down with another bill to drain it even further down. I parked my car on Thursday night and had a flat tire the next morning. A flat tire on the back and a nearly flat one on the front. Come to find out my alignment is grossly out of whack and I had to buy all new tires. I'm getting the alignment fixed on Wednesday morning. I love sneak attack bills.

Sunday I slept in until 5p.m. which is late even for me. Had dinner with Trip and then did very little of note for the rest of the evening. I did watch LoudQuietLoud, which is a documentary on the Pixies reunion tour. I love the Pixies more than I can tell you. So much depth and abstraction in their albums.

But now I think I'm gonna try to go to sleep, although my stomach may disagree. (It's feeling rather upset from the sandwich I had several hours ago, I gotta start eating better.)

retail therapy

I decided to prescribe some retail therapy since I've been trying to fight off the gloom latelyst . So I got up extra early, drove to Greensboro and had a new stereo and speakers put in my car. I spent too much on it, but since I spend so much time driving I figured it was something I'd enjoy. Plus the busted rear speaker was driving me mad and fiddling with my little broadcast thingie to listen to the music on my iPod was probably dangerous.

Now I have a direct jack into the stereo so I don't have to lean the iPod just right and hold the cord to get it to pick up. Such luxury.

I almost broke down and bought a tv, since Best Buy had some nice open box deals, but i fought off the urge, since there is a relatively short life span on high def tvs. I don't need to buy one that's been on for most of a year before it's ever put into my living room. Plus I had already spent too much money today.

We value everyone here, we're all part of a team

I had a shitty day at work, surprise. Had to go in early for a meeting, which was a complete waste of time. No surprise there either. I hate being forced to corporate yammering about how valuable everyone is and how they want input from everyone, when they just want you to shut the fuck up and do what they tell you, even if they tell you to do it wrong and they blame you for that too.

But anyway, I don't have a lot of other stuff going on at the moment. Watched the first episode of Hell's Kitchen yesterday and it was yell-tastic fun. There appear to be some serious shaved apes on that show this season. I thought the neck beard guy was sure to go, but no, it was the stay at home nerd dad. It's a stark contrast to the chefs on Top Chef who are innovating and amazing. Love that show.

Tonight I watched the UFC fights that were live on Spike TV. Good stuff. The first fight lasted for like one punch and the other guy was out. Fun.

I want one of these really bad (gift idea, hint, hint), but dropping $38 seems really stupid. I also want this cake for my BDay.

Poop sockin' all the live long day

Ahhh it's been a good day. I'll describe it for you. I got up, showered and played Bioshock. Yep, that's it. I poop socked my way through Bioshock. (Poop socking is a term for marathon gaming sessions i.e. you are so involved in the game you don't want to waste time going to the bathroom and hence, shit in your sock. Not sure if that has ever actually happened, but the term amuses me.) But yeah, I finished Bioshock around 3 a.m. and it was fan-fucking-tastic. I recommend it to anyone with a clue.

It felt good to not have to leave the house. I've worked a shitload of hours the last coupla weeks and I enjoyed vegging. Plus it was all cold and nasty, with a forecast heavy with racetards in the greater Martinsville area. So staying in was probably best for my sanity.

Hey have I mentioned my downstairs neighbors are probably running a meth lab? Well it's true. The chemical stench burns my eyes some days. We are alerting the landlord and if that doesn't do what needs to be done I'm calling the cops. Fuck waking up to that smell, much less the potential for the damn place exploding.

I also re-read The Watchmen, a graphic novel by Alan Moore (who's pretty much redefined comics since the 1980s. You've heard of his works, even if you don't know it. V For Vendetta, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and so on.) Anyway The Watchmen is fantastic. It's being made into a film by the same guy who did 300 and I have high hopes. Gonna go and do a little reading now.

One step further down the rabbit hole

MMMM. I created a wonderful beverage just now. You start with orange juice, about 1/4 of the ice-filled glass, then add an IBC tangerine/orange soda. The final touch is a smidge of vanilla extract. I served it in a clear plastic cup and drank it from a straw since that seems to make things taste better for some reason. So yum.

Anyway, I had to work again tonight, which blew. I got one day off this week. I'm beat. Waaay too much time watching crap tv.

I watched the first disc of Unforgivable Blackness, the Ken Burns documentary on Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He is an awesome character that just refused to live by anyone's rules but his own. Check it out if you're a boxing fan, or are interested in complete badasses who beat the hell out of his opponents with a smile on his face while having a conversation with people in the stands.

In an endeavor to further push myself into complete nerdiness, I bought a couple of graphic novels. That's right, comic books. Only playing the depths of D&D, LARPing and cosplay are left to lower my rating on the nerd scale. But I got the first book of The Walking Dead, a story about survivors of the zombie apocalypse (always a winner with me). It's very good and I'm looking forward to getting the next couple of books in the series.

I also got the Batman title, Arkham Asylum. It's a tale of the crazy people in Arkham taking over the asylum and insisting Batman join them there. It's a great story and the art is fucking awesome. It really carries the feel of darkness and insanity throughout the book.

Fisted Sister

So today I found out that I am responsible for the current recession this country has fallen into. I'd like to go on record and say "T'm sorry." You see I started a 401K in December and that's when things really started to turn for the worse. I got my first statement today and every single one of my investments lost money. Even the ones that were supposed to be fairly conservative. So, once again, to all of you losing money in the stock market, I'm very sorry I tried to save for retirement and caused everything to fall to shit.

In other news, I was listening to Chicago Public Radio podcast Sound Opinion (which is a solid music podcast) and Bob Mould was on the show. He was promoting his new album, District Line, and it caused me to remember how much I love this guys music. He shreds the guitar, it's hypnotic. It's not like a metal wank solo either, it's just thick and noisy and strums the very chords of my soul. So I went to iTunes and bought it. Haven't listened to much of it, but it's good so far.

Played a little Bioshock on Tuesday evening. By a little I mean like five solid hours. It's excellent, pulls you right into this underwater world of weirdness. I meant to play some more last night, but felt in more of a mindless mood and decided to shoot people in COD4 online and that was fun. I blasted Slayer's Reign In Blood album on the headphones and threw lead at opponents for a while and it felt therapeutic.

Oh I also watched Michael Clayton, which I would describe as a much darker version of Erin Brockovitch, minus the pushup bra and smile. George Clooney is the man tho. Tilda Swinton also probably deserved that Oscar. Good stuff, despite moving fairly slow at the beginning (foot massage).

Aborting mission of my own volition

Went to Gboro today with the full intent of buying a HD TV, but that plan did not come to fruition. Saw an LG 42 inch in the Best Buy sale paper and assumed it was the same one they had on sale last week, but I was mistaken. It only had a 1,600-1 contrast ratio and so I said nay. I debated buying a couple of others there, but I decided to hold off. One seldom gets burned by waiting to buy electronics.

So I rode around Greensboro a bit and shopped. Bought a few Marvel cartoon movies at Circuit City for $4 apiece. Decent deal. I looked around the Barnes & Noble and somehow emerged without buying anything. A good day for uncharacteristic restraint. Had a pastrami sandwich at Jason's Deli, which was not bad. Not great, but not bad.

I then came home and watched tv for a while, watched Truffaut's Day for Night (Meh.), and put together a cops and robbers themed playlist in iTunes. Woohoo. I'm the coolest guy ever.

unexpected accolades

Received a commendation at work today, which is unprecedented. Usually something goes wrong and I can expect to hear bitching about it regardless of whether it was my fault or not. So for something like the evening news to be completely fucked up and then praised for how I handled the situation is astounding.

Of course, after hearing good news something bad had to come my way. We are having a meeting with corporate people soon, which undoubtedly will lead to a huge pain in the ass. I've never been to a work meeting that had any positive value and I don't expect it to change. So I'll have to drive to work on my day off, get my ass chewed and drive home. That's how this usually works.

Been playing Call of Duty 4 some and it's sweet. I suck at multiplayer online, but it's fun. The campaign is really good too. It's got some exceptional moments and is really well packaged. I did have to turn the difficulty back down to normal, which is odd since I beat COD2 on the higher difficulty. Not sure why that is.

Four yaks and a dog?

Having a decent weekend. My 36o came back in and lo, it is mighty. I had missed it. But more on that later. After a brutal weekend of work... ok it wasn't that bad until Saturday's new cast went to fuck pie. No fault of mine, but shit rolls downhill and I'm standing at the bottom in this metaphor. So that's something to look forward to Wed.

Sunday, Trip and I headed to Greensboro to look at high def televisions because my resistance has been worn down. I think I'm gonna get a 42-inch LG LCD because it has all the pertinent stats and is cheap (relatively speaking). But I may wait until next week to pick it up, just to see the sale paper and allow for a whole weekend to gaze at it's awesome visage in my living room before being forced to return to reality.

Tonight was Cue night (as in BBQ) and then I shopped around Sears for tvs, but nothing impressed me as much as the LG. The Trip and I headed to his pad to watch Unhitched and then we played Rock Band for several hours. When Trip mentions playing Rock Band, my reaction is usually one of disinterest. But tonight he forced it on me, like improper sexual advances in the workplace, and we did have a good time. It's so much fun rocking out to Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills or all those classic rock songs that are familiar without my actually knowing what they are. It is challenging tho and my pinkie gets really tired after a few songs.

After leaving Trip's I came home and watched a few episodes of The Tick cartoon (which I picked up on Sunday). Ohh I love the Tick, it's just genius. I then went on to finish the campaign in Call of Duty 2, finally. Yes, the Nazis were beaten back once again and the world is safe from their tyranny. I should be lauded and lavished with affection for my efforts. On to Call of Duty 4 where I will face down terrorist hordes without fear in my heart.

The work week gets longer all the time

Man it's been a tough week and it's good to finally be able to not be at work. I worked an extra overnight this past week and for some reason it just crushed me. Probably didn't help that we were constantly behind and missing a person on the busiest night and so I had to bust my ass. On top of that I've just felt like shit for the last few weeks anyway.

So now I'm enjoying wandering the interwebs,drinking a nice cup of tea and I'm listening to NPR's All Songs Considered (which Adam will tell you is liberal somehow) and feeling decent. Mellow, even. I'm trying to download the new Nine Inch Nails album (I even paid for it!), but I'm experiencing some trouble. The file I get is corrupted or something. It's a pain.

I picked up the Justice League The New Frontier dvd on a whim (with Trip applying pressure to my spending tendencies). It was decent, although I thought it could have been fleshed out a bit more. Still it was fun. I'm still more of a Marvel Comics fan over DC tho. I also bought The Darjeeling Limited, the new Wes Anderson movie. Haven't watched that yet, but I have no doubt I'll love it. It's Wes Anderson, my favorite director!

My ability to resist buying a high def tv is being tested weekly. I nearly went for a deal at Best Buy last week. I kind of regret not getting it, but I probably should be responsible. It's tough. I may simply give in to my tech nerd desires. We'll see.

Wave the Terrible Towel to honor a fallen legend

Myron Cope died today and the Steeler nation is saddened. He was Pittsburgh's announcer for 30 years or so (feel free to check his bio). He was the inventor of the Terrible Towel and coined the phrase Immaculate Reception. I've only heard clips of his game coverage and seen interviews, but even with that limited exposure I understood that he was one of a kind. So doff your cap to the memory of one of the Steel City's great men.

On to other topics, my alba mater, Ferrum College, had reports of a gunman on campus. Nothing really came of it, but it sucks to hear about. I'm thinking it may have all been a misunderstanding, at least I hope so. I don't want to hear about Ferrum being shot up. Hell, I don't want to hear about any school being shot up, but particularly not Ferrum. That may be the place where I was happiest in my life and I'd hate to think of it otherwise.

Black sun in a white world

Spent the evening at Trip's watching the Oscars. I love the Oscars and tonight I actually figured out why. I love lists. They provide a wonderful start for conversation and discussion and I enjoy that. The Oscars is essentially a lot of lists that ultimately turn into another lists and provide debate options for all time.

The Oscars didn't seem to hold a lot of surprises really and there are several movies that I still need to see, the top of the list was There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day Lewis is the man. I also want to see Persepolis, the black and white animated movie.

Hmmm, other news... I read the fifth of Orson Scott Card's Ender books, Ender's Shadow, and it was worthwhile. Probably the second best of the books in the series so far. I may head to the library and get a couple more of them since they do make my overnight work time go quicker. I started KJ Parker's Devices and Desires, which is good a couple hundred pages in.

Still missing my Xbox 360. I picked up a collection of old school Sega Genesis games to play on my PS2 and looked at a few of those this afternoon. Some Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, Vectorman and three, count em, three Phantasy Star games which I am gonna try to get into soon.

Nerd urges. Nurdges?

Christ I'm missing my Xbox 360. I don't think I mentioned it here, but my 360 red ringed a week or so ago. For those of you not in the know, red ring is the three flashing lights on your machine that indicate that it had run to hot and is fucked up. It's not uncommon and after less than I year mine died and I had to ship it off for repair. This means that Nick is the only Xbox 360 owner I know who's machine hasn't red ringed. He's only had his for like 7-8 months, so good luck to him.

It's funny, normally, I can sometimes go for a week without looking at the thing, watching movies, reading and whatever. Now all I want to do is play it. It's annoying. I've resorted to playing my PS2 just to fill the time, but can't seem to get involved in any game I've got for it. I did play quite of Einhander tonight, which is a PS1 shooter that's fun. Still it was a desperation move to fill the empty hours of my pathetic excuse for a life.

I've been debating getting a PS3, but that's just stupid. Why pay $400 for another system when I don't really have time to play the one I have usually. It's just a knee jerk reaction that I've managed to squelch so far.

I have been looking into getting a new cell phone, since my contract is up soon and they are trying to lure me into a new one. The phone I really like is this one, but it's incredibly expensive for something that is way more than I really need. Still my nerd genes cry out for it like baby birds exhorting their mother to vomit up the sweet technology to satiate their hunger. Wow, how's that for simile?

All hail booze

I've found, that when you are down being drunk makes things seem better, at least for a little while. It's not a solution, really and not something I'd advise you use all the time, but occasionally it is a nice diversion. I had a lovely bottle of French red wine from the Rhone region and supplemented it with a few beers. Suddenly things seemed better.

I also watched No Reservations, the Catherine Zeta-Jones movie. It wasn't bad, but nothing really special. Maybe a +1 chainmail rating. I'm now watching Planet Terror and it has just the right amount of horror/humor/badassedness for the moment. Oh and Rose McGowan is smokin' hot. Even with one leg.

Nothing new

I don't feel great either emotionally or physically. Nothing seems to be going my way and I'm just trying to weather the storm. So I hope you'll forgive me for my lack of posts.

At least that bullshit is over

So Valentine's Day... I've expressed my distaste in the past and have not changed my mind. Why would I? It's just a kick in the ball in the middle of February every year.

Long fuckin week

As my title suggests I am exhausted. Work has been trying, I haven't been sleeping very well and I got some upsetting news from a friend this week. So I think I'm just gonna finish this up and go to sleep for a long, long time and hope I wake up with my reserves not still spent.

I had to run NASCAR's Bud Shootout last night, which did everything in it's power to make my normal slack Saturday night into a stress-a-thon. So that was fun. Did I mention I hate NASCAR with every fiber of my being? From Hell's heart I stab at thee!

I downloaded an album this week from Amazon's mp3 service called Look Directly at the Sun. It's a collection of Chinese bands and it's pretty good. It's got a very 70s underground rock vibe to it and I am enjoying it. Heard about it on a NPR podcast.

I'm talking gourmet shit

What an eventful few days. Got to experience the pure joy of watching the Patriots going from the best team ever to the biggest disappointment ever. How sweet is that? And such a compelling game, if only I hadn't of had to watch it at work with people who don't really give a shit about football. Ahh well, at least I'm getting overtime for watching football.

As some of you may know, I had to work during my office's Xmas party. Not a huge deal really with my antisocial nature and all, but it paid off for me. I got a $50 gift card to the 202 Market where they had the party and Trip and I made use of it tonight. That was some serious gourmet shit, man. And I'm glad I had the gift card since I still paid more than I like to even with the card.

But it was so worth it. I debated cheaping out, but said "What the hell?" and went for a steak. It was heavenly. Add a glass of wine and Radiohead on the stereo and I was thrilled. I wanna go back... of course, that means I need to save up and wait for a celebratory occasion.

Also Gamefly has shipped me Call of Duty 4 and I played a little bit of that. It's so beautiful, even on my standard def. tv. I had to take it out, just cause I want to beat COD2 before I get into it because I know I won't go back otherwise. Still I'm fighting the urge to get online and shoot some people in the face.

I also read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and the first of it's sequels Speaker of the Dead. Good stuff. Probably gonna have to hunt down the rest of the series. But right now I'm re-reading Neuromancer, which I recommend to anyone with a passing fancy to sci-fi. William Gibson is not an author to be trifled with.

The oracle has spoken

For those of you wondering how this weekend's Super Bowl will go, I have received the answer from the holiest of places. That's right, it's a prediction based on Techmo Super Bowl! Few doubt the genius that lies within one of the greatest games of all time, so why not apply it to modern problems?

For those of you too lazy to follow the link The Pats squeak out a win 24-21 and Kevin Faulk is named MVP. So it is written, so let it be done.

Ways to know you're gonna have a bad day.

You start to make a sandwich and the bread looks like this.

This image stolen from the Skull a Day blog.

Rag and bone

I have spent entirely too much money this weekend. Eating out, buying shit I don't really need. I gotta not buy any new books until I've read a bunch of the ones I've already got. I have an addiction. Seriously.

But it was Trip's BDay so I took him out Sunday and we had a good time. Then tonight we went out again and saw Cloverfield. I'd it deserved a +1 chainmail overall (to assuage longtime readers). I liked the ad campaign that didn't tell you much about the movie, but it loses points because it's soooo hard to watch one of those handicam/Blair Witch style movies. Motion sickness can be a problem for movie enjoyment. Still worth a gander, although I probably won't be going back to watch it ever again.

Ohh and last week I finished watching the Ken Burns documentary on WW2, The War. Damn it's good. So much depth. I recommend it to anyone with some time to kill and an interest in World War 2. It's enlightening.

So my internet continues to suck. Comcast is supposed to be updating the channels sometime soon, so I'm hoping once that happens it'll be fixed. But if it continues to drop out in the wee hours of the morning (when I use it) I'm gonna throw a shit fit at someone. Here's hoping this posts without problem.

My new favorite game

Lonely wind blowin through

Apparently I'm the only one who is amused by the serious cat. Plus no one comments here anymore, a sad state of affairs. Ohh and my shoulder has hurt for the last few days and I have no idea why.

But on to other topics. I say No Country For Old Men tonight. Another Tuesday, I have nothing else to do type of moment. It was as good as a movie experience can be in Martinsville, which is to say I was the only person in the theatre (and from what I could tell, the only person in any of the theatres at Movie Town). The film itself was good, but disquieting. It had this thread of loneliness that seemed to run throughout. From the movies basic themes to the austere, wind whipped landscapes to the timbre of Javier Bardem's voice, just seemed to drive home the distance between people.

After the movie I drove through Martinsville and speaking of lonely places. Nine o'clock on a cold Tuesday night and the area practically shuts down.

I also watched Shoot the Piano Player last night, which was exceptional. Francois Truffaut's French New Wave took hold of me and wouldn't let go. It also had a sort of lonely theme with the main character being fractured somehow. Fantastic. Probably didn't hurt that I downed a bottle of Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon, which was also good.

Ohh and The Pursuit of Happyness, the Will Smith movie. It was exactly what I expected. Not great, not bad just average. The standard times are tough, guy perseveres and things work out plotline. Don't bother would be my recommendation.

Serious cat is unfuckwithable

For those who need to a moment to get it together... Serious cat. If you doubt him, see how he deals with that.

Pork swords

Now listening to: The Flaming Lips

I haven't written in a while just because there hasn't been a lot going on that would be interesting. I continue to battle the cold from hell and seem to be winning, but wake up every afternoon with my everything muffled in my right ear. It sucks.

Tonight I went to see the movie Juno, which was high quality. I went alone, had dinner and goofed off all by myself. I used to really enjoy doing that sort of thing alone, but it seems to have lost some of it's luster. I suppose that's because I used to spend most of my free time in the company of many friends, whereas now I tend to be alone most of the time.

But anyway, Juno was exceptionally good. Well put together storyline, good dialogue, likeable characters. I'm saying filet mignon. Ohh, and the soundtrack is very cool too.

Anyway it's bedtime for me. I need to rest up for another fun filled work week.

Recreational diptheria

Still feeling fairly ill. I woke up today feeling a little better and hoping my cold was nearly it's culmination. So I decided to trek out into the real world in search of food, supplies and entertainment. I got shitty food from Ryan's (the lure of mashed potatoes and gravy prove to be my undoing once again). I then shopped around a bit, finding that shopping in Martinsville at 6p.m. is a bad idea.

Every corner I turned was inhabited by an ill tempered and shrieking child. I'm looking at DVDs in Walmart? A pair of boys yelling about who gets to play the goddamn demo DS. Picking out juice in Kroger? A little girl screaming about god knows what. By this point my sinus headache had kicked into overdrive and I felt like my forehead was in a vice, so screeching kids made my night just wonderful.

Also, while out and about I noticed I was sweating. Initially I thought it was just the unseasonably warm weather, but finally figured out that I had a fever. Bleh. A fever and the temperature is skyrocketing outside. Is it too much to ask for winter to be fucking winter? Just a little chill in the air?

I made it all better by coming home and watching loads of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. I cool food around the world show on the Travel Channel. After that I pulled out my iPod for some tunes and started reading Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, which I've always been interested in, but never got around to reading. It's been a little difficult getting into, but I think I'm getting it slowly. We'll see how it goes.

I've been listening to a ton of new music, but don't feel like writing about it now. Check last.fm if you wanna know before I take the time to delve into it.

Staying out in the cold and catching one

So I am making a concerted effort to fend off a cold, Trip's cold to be specific. I blame all my day-dwelling friends for weakening my constitution by making me rise during sun-enriched hours. Also sitting in the rain this weekend probably didn't help, but whatever.

Speaking of day dwellers, I am considering the possibility of turning into one. I could take a day shift at work. There are pros and cons for both sides and I'm not sure which way to go. The big problems are the 4 a.m. wakeup call which necessitates an 8 p.m. bedtime. Also the increased social aspect of having other people in the building could be stressful. I dunno, I'm torn.

I'm currently going through a number of best music of 2007 lists and trying to see what I missed. I've got a preliminary best of list myself, but haven't finalized it yet, with so many songs unheard and a few tracks that probably are on there for more nostalgic reasons than any other.

A few albums I'm 100-percent sure I recommend are :The National's Boxer, Okkervil River's The Stage Names and LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver. Good stuff.

Back to our regularly scheduled dullness

So the holidays are finally at a close. We can all return to our everyday mindnumbing existence. I gotta tell you my vacation seemed like more work than normal. Traveling, making an effort to be social, it was almost more than I could handle . But I had a good time.

The day after Xmas, Mike, Shannon, Trip and I went out drinking in Martinsville and had more fun than I thought (given the location). Greg joined in at some point and we even had shots of Barenjager to make the night go smoothly (but expensively). Thursday Trip and I went to Roanoke and hung with Kevin and he made it to Martinsville on Friday to hang once again, bringing Courtney and Langdon out to play as well.

Friday night I didn't sleep, as Nick piled myself, Mike and Shannon into his family truckster to head to Leesburg to see Adam and Rachel. I gotta say, the Williams' hospitality was in full effect, making a nice dinner, cooking up breakfast and buying steaks for tailgating. I'm definitely giving my stay a five star rating.

Sunday we went to the Cowboys at Redskins game. Got there early and tailgated some, it was fantastic. We bribed a parking attendant to let us in on the primo parking right next to FedEx Field and had a kickass time. Right about the time we were ready to head into the game the rain started. It was not warm, I can tell you that. We lasted for around three quarters in our nosebleed seats (literally no one was behind us in the stadium) as the rain broke down our warmth slowly but surely. At that point, it was obvious the Cowboys were done and so we headed out, avoiding traffic and regaining feeling in our nethers.

I forgot to mention I was forced to maintain a day-dweller schedule through most of this trip and I still haven't fully recovered. Last night I was unable to stay awake at 4 a.m. and had to hit the sack. Doesn't sound that bad to most, I'm sure, but Friday I won't be able to do that and will have to drive at 6 a.m. It's a problem.

For New Year's I kept it fairly low key and watched a movie with Jill. Quiet, but pleasant. And yesterday, on my final day of vacation Trip and I went to Gboro for some minor shopping. We went to Bravo!, this Italian eatery that I don't recommend. I won't be heading back there. We went to Starbucks and I drank too much latte and we debating the bourgeoisie nature of Starbucks and Trip's inherent goofiness.

I can't say my vacation was relaxing, but I did enjoy it. I hope everyone's holidays went well and am looking forward to 2008 continuing the promise of the last week of 2007. But now I return to the weekly grind of commuting and working, with the added bonus of annoying BCS games going on all week.

A Christmas on a bizarre schedule, even for me

So it's 7:39am and I'm up and wide awake on Xmas morning. I woke up at 4:30am after a sole hour of sleep yesterday and am now filling my time in the usual ways, watching movies. I expect much of the day will be filled in this manner.

Yesterday I girded my loins for a full day with my parents and went to see my brother and his family. Except for the traveling it was pretty good. Kelly made a nice lunch and I enjoyed hanging with Gabe. Also Cameron had a great time, with more presents than he could stand to open. So I considered that visit a success.

I slept through most of the drive home, completely exhausted and then climbed right into bed around 6:30pm for a "nap" that lasted until 4:30am and now I'm wide awake, having a cup of tea (Lady Grey seemed appropriate considering the movie) and preparing to watch The Queen.

Ohh the picture? Well that's the message Santa left me when I inquired about a gift. I suppose I wasn't quite good enough this year. What else is new?

Middle age riot

Long night of work followed by long hours of slack. I watched Running With Scissors, which is based on the memoir of Augusten Burroughs' childhood. Imagine a childhood filled with batshit crazy parents and being forced to live with their even crazier psychiatrist. Scary, yet amusing.

I'm just counting down the days until I'm on vacation. It's gonna be nice. My big problem is gonna be trying to not spend all my damn money. I'm ahead of the game for a change and I need to not get it in my head that I have plenty of money, because that's always when I spend too much and end up struggling. Being poor bones.

I think I'm gonna go to bed now. Have to do pretty much the exact same shit tomorrow as I did today.

Another Christmas Beer

Last night, after I got home from work (mmm overtime) I went batshit crazy wrapping presents. In the past I haven't really wrapped gifts for any occasion. But it occured to me last year that unwrapping a gift adds an air of mystery that pulling it out of a bag doesn't supply. Even if you get a shitty gift, at least for a few seconds the possibilities are endless. That said, my wrapping skills are suspect.

Today was a busy day. I got up way early (for me). I ran a ton of errands, went to the library, got my oil changed and did some last minute xmas shopping (although I only ended up buying stuff for me). I picked up a new jacket that I like, Columbia makes good stuff too.

I bought a new office chair so I can sit my fat ass in front of the computer in comfort. My old one was screwy and had started to scratch the floor. So I shifted to the one that Danny gave me and had been in my room, which made me remember why I got rid of it. It was nice, leather upholster and everything, but it had one flaw. It felt like it was trying to eject you into the floor the whole time you sat in it.

So I spent way too much money on a new one that I like. I learned long ago that going cheap costs you more in the long run. Especially with my huge ass. I spent a good portion of the evening putting it together.

Now I'm enjoying a tasty glass of red wine a la France and watching Monday Night Football. Sweet relaxation. I got four more days of work before my vacation and I can't wait. I'm gonna be super-fucking-busy over the holiday, but it should be a good type of busy. Lots of people to see and things to do. Almost like I have a life... but not really.

See ya later jerks

A lot of topics to cover here today. Firstly, The Evil Penguin has been utterly removed from the playoff picture, sadly. It hasn't seemed likely for quite a while, but today removed even the remotest of possibilities. That coupled with the Steelers losing to the dread-Patriots has made me turn my interest from football into an even more dangerous sport... the illustrious Pro Thunderball!!! Those interested in the rules should check here first and then go here to research the league. I root for the Austin Vampirebots mostly, but also have a soft spot in my heart for the Lancaster Amish Rakefighters.

Saturday I was in Ukrops looking for something to eat for dinner in the deli. The bistro meals look good, but I never get them because you have to talk to the guy and tell him what you want. It occured to me that most people wouldn't be bothered by asking a few questions and getting what they wanted while I just avoid the social interaction.

I thought about it for a while and realized I always do that sort of thing. I mean, noone should be surprised that I'm antisocial, I suppose, but I never realize how ingrained it is until something like this happens. I put off having my haircut so I don't have to talk to whoever cuts it. I hate being forced into conversation at work. I sit as far away as possible from people in restaurants. I don't suppose I really have a point, I just noticed it.

Trip and I ended up watching the new Futurama movie, Bender's Big Score tonight and it was excellent. I love me some Futurama. My only complaint, not enough Kif. But you can't have everything.

More upbeat? I dunno, maybe

I'm gonna try to not get all whiny on you, so I'll stick to the goofy bullshit that fills my time. Trip and I've been playing loads of Virtua Fighter 5, which is mighty. Recently he discovered a character that a retarded gorilla could play effectively and has become a bit of a challenge. Still I maintain dominance, as the gods intended. I do have to note that he won bragging rights last week on a fluke win.

I'm sick of hearing about how great the Patriots are. They pulled a win out of their asses against the Ravens and I hope the Steelers can end the streak this week. (Although I'd rather they end it in January.) Also the '72 Dolphins can suck my balls. If they weren't such pricks about the undefeated season I wouldn't care, but they are obnoxious. Put the champagne away and take your own cocks out of each other's mouths.

In other news, the Heroes finale was ok, but not as great as I had hoped. Too much left unanswered and it seemed kinda of forced. Which isn't a surprise with the writers strike in effect. I tell you television is gonna get really bad, really quick if that doesn't end. I offer you the Battle of the Choirs to prove that. Can you smell the execs sweating?

I am reading The Hunt for Red October, since I watched the movie on AMC the other night and thought to myself, the book is usually better than the movie. It's hard to say at this point, but the movie may be better. Hard to deny Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery. Still it's a good read halfway through. May look into some more of Tom Clancy's stuff.

Black-eyed zombie of television

It's been a tough week. Working loads of overtime with little or no time for myself and just feeling grumpy, bitter and generally lugubrious. So much overtime means I have plenty of time to sit around and think about how bad I feel lately.

That all sounds like a lot of whining, I'm sure, but that's how I feel. The last two months have been absurdly bad. I keep waiting for something to break out and be good, but it hasn't. Instead some small shitty thing happens to make me feel worse, like my iPod dying. Maybe December will be better... I don't know how much worse I can stand.

I finally finished Monster Planet, the final novel of David Wellington's zombie trilogy. It was ok, but the series got progressively worse. The first couple were worth the effort, don't know if I'd say the same for the third.

Watched Pushing Daisies, which continues to deliver. If this show can stay afloat ratings-wise (it's quirky and I enjoy it, which usually spells doom for a show) I predict it will get better and better.

Anyway I'm off. I have two more 12 hour shifts and then I get a few days off. I will need them desperately.

In spite of all the bullshit

Thanksgiving. Despite the fact that my Thanksgiving feast consisted of a chef's salad that had seen better days that I didn't even finish and that my life is sucking I'm still gonna talk about what I'm thankful for in an effort to not be Debbie Downer all the time.

So the first thing I'm thankful for is my mother. All the good stuff in my life can be traced back to her. Secondly I'm going with my brother, who I'm really proud of and trying to follow his example. Next up is my friends, I've got some great fucking friends that I don't get to see enough. Still I'm glad they are out there and willing to put up with my crabby ass.

Next up on my list is being thankful for the fact that I have a job and seem to at least be moving forward a little financially. My life still sucks, but it's a dream compared to where I was two years ago, unemployed and feeling completely hopeless. Now I'm only moderately hopeless. It may not seem like much, but it's a start.

Anyway that's the major stuff that I'm glad to have. Hope everyone else's Turkey Day sucked less than mine.

Dr. Rosenpenis

I have kept busy this weekend, watching both the Steelers and The Evil Penguin lose, hating my life, watching tv and movies. Great stuff.

I watched the usual battery of shows on Monday with Trip, How I met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Heroes. All good. Heroes is so good. We also watched Kenny vs. Spenny. I love that it's now on Comedy Central. The meat eating episode is hysterically funny, but you probably need a strong stomach to make it all the way through.

Tonight Trip and I grabbed some mexican food and played Rock Band. Man it's fun. I don't want to get into it because logistically it's bad for me. A music game doesn't fit into my late night, trying to not wake everyone up plans as well as the $160 price and the storing of everything. Still, it's cool to play. Also playing that prevents me from humiliating Trip in Virtua Fighter 5.

After coming home I watched Monsters Inc. which I had never seen. It's ok. I was a little disappointed considering it was a Pixar movie. Not to say it was bad , just not as good as I wanted it to be. I'm giving it a Meh. mostly because I wanted more.

After that I watched Black Sheep, which is a movie about vicious genetic-engineered predatory sheep that can create were-sheep if they bite a person (+1 chainmail). Gotta love that absurd horror vibe. It was enjoyable just because of the silly premise and the humor. When the hero hits a were-sheep with mint jelly I had to laugh.

ROFL for reals

This video made me spew out my RC cola.

Sad excuse

So it's been a week, sue me. I've been busy with my hollow excuse for a life. Lots of Halo 3 and Virtua Fighter 5 to fill in the voids.

Ohh, and football. The Steelers continue to please and the Evil Penguin has climbed back to .500, clawing out a win over The Cellar Dwellers (formerly Heavens Own). So I guess things don't completely suck... just mostly.

I suppose that's it. I probably shouldn't have even bothered.

A whole nation of gutless whores

So I'm six beers in and pulling out the scotch. OK I'm probably not gonna drink much scotch, I have no need for a mega hangover, but I felt there was need for celebration. Firstly, and probably most importantly, the Steelers kicked the everlovin' shit outta the Ravens tonight. That always brings me joy. Secondly, that Steelers win allowed the Evil Penguin to defeat Mike's Danglers in Techmo Lucky Breaks action. (A win I didn't really expect.)

Finally, as of midnight, I am now 33 years old. Yes, the old BDay. I'm making an effort not to get all depressed and ignore all the crap going on I don't like. So I'm savoring my victories, Hoegaarden and the little things. Almost a third of a century. Think of the changes... when I was born you couldn't even log on to the intarwebs and listen to an overweight white American male complain about how horrible his life is.

Bodie and Rocket got me a cool Steelers t-shirt for my BDay. They are, of course, Trip's Boston Terriers. What's most impressive is not that they figured out how to use the internet with no opposable thumb, but that they pay that much attention to the things I like. They seem so focused on me giving them food or scratching them behind the ears most of the time.

All World's Cowboy Romance

I just watched The Mission of Burma Story: Not a Photograph and it was awesome. I love Mission of Burma. I know that of my "regular" readership here there is maybe two people, maybe, that could give a shit about MOB, but I shall rant about their greatness nonetheless. They are this Boston band that never hit it big and broke up just as they were starting to get any national recognition.

They reformed in 2002 for a reunion and have recorded a couple of albums since that are as good as the original stuff, maybe better. They are a thinking man's punk band. They have a definite edge, but underneath they are technically proficient, have smart lyrics and create these waves of noise that you can snuggle into like a warm blanket. In the DVD, music journalist Michael Azerrad (who's book is awesome) draws a line from Mission of Burma, through the Pixies to Nirvana. So if you dug grunge you owe MOB some thanks.

Anyway, other than watch that movie and football I did very little today. Played some Virtua Fighter 5, which is awesome. Watched some Adult Swim and trolled about the internets. Very slack. I'm debating whether I'm gonna just stay in tomorrow and do nothing again. The Steelers are on Monday night, but I'm not sure if I'll be doing them a disservice by watching. Every game I watch they lose of late.

Here's the mutiny I promised you

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Seeking coma state

It's been a while since I wrote. Frankly I've been having a shitty week. In fact, it's been a shitty month and when everything is tallied it may even be a shitty year, although it'll be close in the end on that. But I'm not going to bitch about how much work, my love life, everything sucks. I'm just gonna say some things about the good stuff that has happened recently.

Firstly I got to hang with my brother last Sunday. He came in and we just lounged around the house all day, watching football, playing video games and talking. It was cool. I miss getting to do that with him. Reminded me of the old days.

Secondly I sold my Jeep for close to my asking price. It was relatively painless, despite standing in the pouring rain for over an hour to close the deal. Now I just have to decide whether I want to be responsible with the money or not. Reality vs. a wide screen tv. Oddly I'm leaning toward holding on to most of the money in an "Oh shit" fund. That would probably be the smartest thing to do. The problem is my tendency to dip into that sort of fund for shit I don't really need. Bah, whatever. I am getting some new Dr. Marten's tho, my old one's have holes that let water in with the greatest of ease.

The Red Sox won the World Series. I don't normally give a grizzled fuck about the Red Sox, but they did it in four straight games, making my life considerably easier. So here's to them.

Here's to hoping November does a better job of not giving me the cockpunch. Off to bed.

Vinegar chips, gypsy rock and Dr. Strange

Another wholly average day in my life. I did get a good night's sleep tho. Which was nice.

Anyway, this post is gonna be some random thoughts that occured to me today. So without further ado:

• Cape Cod Sea Salt and Vinegar chips are super awesome. It's like crack except for fat guys.
• Slurpee kicks the ass of Icee in every possible way. It's not close. I only lament that 7-11 is so far out of my normal drive and, hence, Slurpees are harder to procure.
  
• The new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, is exquisite.
• Kitchen Nightmares is great. Why do I love a show about a guy yelling at people to get their act together when I'd smack someone who treated me that way?
  
• The weather needs to move back toward fall. I'm sick of days in the 80s. Fuck all that, I want it brisk! I want those beautiful leaves on the trees.
• I also would like more rain.
  

That is all for now.

The stench of mediocrity

Alas my weekend is drawing to a close. We're still training the new guy and so, I get to work an extra night this week. I won't be complaining when I get the overtime pay, but I do likes my time off. Doesn't help that I have to run playoff baseball, which is a huge pain in the ass. Friday was a clusterfuck I won't get into. I don't look forward to doing it again this weekend.

Trip and I went to Danville for dinner tonight with the intention of spending some cash afterward at Toy R Us. They are having a buy two get one free deal there and we were both gonna pick up the Orange Box and I was gonna grab something else, maybe Madden or NCAA. Maybe a DS game to play at work. But, sadly, TRU was out of The Orange Box, so we just browsed the toys and came home to watch Heroes and How I Met Your Mother.

Not my fav. episode of Heroes, but still good. Having a Hiro-free episode really showed how captivating he is. Also no Peter Petrelli. Seems they are trying to make you care more about some of the other characters, which is ok, but I miss those two.

Good fantasy weekend for me, tho. I took part in an anti-Jessup weekend as Adam and I took down the brothers. The Evil Penguin beat Greg's Innsmouoth Fish Eyes, to prevent him from sweeping our series this season and the Leghounds remained undefeated, pounding Mike's Danglers (huh huh, huh huh). I'm starting to believe we need some injuries on Adam's squad so the rest of us can pick up the Lucky Breaks.

Gonna try to rise early and check the Roanoke TRU to spend my money on more video games I don't have time to play. I consider it an investment... ok I can't even justify that to be funny, I'm silly. I spend money, it's who I am. Leave me alone, I'm doomed to be poor, but at least entertained.

Who remembers the Armenians?

Certainly not our president. Or rather, he wishes he didn't. He vetoed a bill to recognize the 1915 slaying of 1.5 million Armenians by Turkey as a genocide. I mean, really, what's 1.5 million people? Bush is on a veto streak and didn't want to break it. Genocide? Nah. Healthcare for kids? Who needs it? Incidently, the title of this post is a quote from our old pal Adolf Hitler to justify his genocide on the Jews. Hmm, Bush and Hitler mentioned in the same paragraph... interesting.

Anyway, fall seems to finally have arrived, thankfully. I love brisk weather (it's my penguin nature). Work was blah, not surprisingly. Gonna be stressful tomorrow, with the baseball game crushing my usual routine.

When I got home I plunged forth into Halo 3, playing the second level on Legendary difficulty, which lives up to the name. I tell you, playing that stuff co-op is soo much easier than alone. I may try to play through the whole damn campaign alone, but I may run out of steam before that. Still, I'm really enjoying the game now. It's engrossing.

Too much entertainment

So my weekend continued to be fun after my Sunday drive. I got called into work on Monday and had a nice 12 hour shift. Ohh yeah, nothing better. I did get to watch most of the stuff I usually watch on Monday nights, How I met Your Mother (still excellent) and Heroes, which I wish I could just wait and watch in a marathon at the end of the season, but I can't wait. It's soooo damn good.

I also watched a lot of the Cowboys-Bills game. I was rooting for the Bills, both in order to win my fantasy game and to spite Mike. Neither payed any dividends. The Bills screwed themselves and the Cowboys got just enough luck to turn a certain loss into a win. Screwy. I still think the Steelers are better.

Anyway, I finally did get to relax some today. Trip and I had some BBQ for dinner and then played some NHL 08. High quality game, really feels like hockey. I schooled Trip, but tried the A.I. tonight and yesh, not pretty. I also played some Halo 3, although not exactly the way I wanted. But I managed to achieve officer status finally.

I also downloaded Puzzle Quest, which is pretty sweet. It's like a puzzle game with a RPG thrown in as spice. Way too many good games coming out now. Halo 3, NHL, Puzzle Quest... I want to get The Orange Box, which has three distinct games in it, but seems a little silly with all the stuff I've already got. Also Virtua Fighter 5 comes out at the end of the month and I'm def. getting that. I'm inundated.

I also picked up the new Douglas Coupland book, The Gum Thief. I'm about a third of the way through and his insight into the lives of the underemployed is impressive. That is to say, he writes about the stuff I think a lot. Which is both amazing and sad.

Why not commute for fun?

Maybe I should just quit watching football. I slept through the Steelers game today and they dominate Seattle, I'm winning my fantasy game until I tune into the second half of the Bears game and Desmond Clark catches a TD to make my 12-point lead a 1-point deficit. Stunned. Now I need Lee Evans to outscore the Dallas defense by two points... I don't like my chances.

It's been that kind of weekend tho. Everything I go to do has not turned out how I wanted this weekend. An example you ask? Well last night I was told I needed to work today (which is a long drawn out story that I will not bother with) so I drive in to work and find that Misty is already there to do the job, in spite of everyone's expectations. So I got a nice two hours in the car today for no reason at all.

I think I'm gonna open a bottle of wine and finish it. Cheers.