These random musical memes are always good, stupid fun...
1. Put Your itunes, windows media player etc on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
If someone says "is this okay?" you say,
"Dreamcatcher" (Secret Garden)
And then they look at me really funny.
How would you describe yourself?
"I Know Now" (James Galway)
I know, but I'm not going to tell you!
What do you like in a guy/girl?
"Journey of the Sorcerer," aka The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme song.
Yes, I like someone who can appreciate Hitch-hiker's. In fact, this may actually be my biggest criterion for liking someone.
How do you feel today?
"Forty Lashes" (Winton Marsalis)
It's not that bad!
What is your life's purpose?
"Being Boring" (The Pet Shop Boys)
*snerk* 'Nuff said.
What is your motto?
"Fragile" (Stringmansassy, covering Sting)
Don't hurt me! I'm fragile!
What do your friends think of you?
"The Last Resort" (The Eagles)
Is that bad? That sounds like it might be bad.
What do you think of your parents?
"Two Faces" (Bruce Springsteen)
Well, there's two of them, and they both have a face...
What do you think about very often?
"Cavity Search" (Weird Al Yankovic)
It's about going to the dentist! Honestly.
What is 2 + 2?
"Magic" (Pilot)
Always a difficult-to-refute answer to anything.
What do you think of your best friend?
"A Day in the Life" (The Beatles)
I have no idea what to make of this one.
What do you think of the person you like?
"The Wild Wild Sea" (Sting)
Or this one, to be honest.
What is your life story?
"Movin' Right Along" (Kermit the Frog & Fozzie Bear)
So, my life story is The Muppet Movie? Cool!
What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Crossroads" (Gordon Lightfoot)
Unfortunately, there aren't many job openings in that field.
What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Civilized Man" (Joe Cocker)
I do prefer civilized men.
What will you dance to at your wedding?
"I Started a Joke" (James Galway)
A few minutes later, I will sue for divorce. Ha-ha!
What will they play at your funeral?
"Stop Talking About Comic Books or I'll Kill You" (Ookla the Mok)
Bwah! If it's attended by my friends, this is entirely likely.
What is your hobby/interest?
"Suzanne" (Peter Gabriel, covering Leonard Cohen)
I don't know any Suzannes, but I supposed listening to Leonard Cohen covers is something of an interest of mine.
What is your biggest fear?
"She's Got a Way" (Billy Joel)
I fear her ways!
What is your biggest secret?
"Southern Rain" (The Cowboy Junkies)
It's so secret even I don't know what the hell it means.
What do you think of your friends?
"Vulture Culture" (The Alan Parsons Project)
But I mean it in love. Really, guys.
What will you post this as?
"Gimme Three Steps" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Following Lynyrd's example, I will post this and quickly depart.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Deleted Scenes
It seems the Canadians have already had the Doctor Who season finale, so I figured I'd post this now. I'll post a reminder link to it when the episode airs here in the states, too. Just to be clear, US people, this is referencing the episode that airs on Sci-Fi on Oct. 5, not the one that aired on Sept. 28.
Anyway, this is in the way of a public service announcement, to let you know that if you watch, have watched, or will watch the season finale ("Last of the Time Lords") on television outside the UK, what you're getting is a rather heavily edited version, as it ran long on the BBC and was then chopped down a full seven minutes for the international release. Fortunately, you can see at least some of the bits you're missing on YouTube. Thus:
This should come right after the scene with Martha at the beginning. In fact, if you're watching a recording of the episode, I recommend hitting "pause" and watching the clip right then. Because this bit of sheer and utter insanity should not be missed. It, um, certainly sets a mood...
This, on the other hand, is an extended version of, erm, a scene near (or possibly at) the climax. And the bit that was cut out of it is a rather terrible thing to have cut, for a couple of reasons. Note: DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE EPISODE. I mean it.
Several other small things were cut, and all of 'em are a damned shame to have lost, especially when I consider that there are other parts of the episode that I honestly think could have benefited from a good trim. But I don't think any of them were nearly as signficant.
If anybody wants a copy of the full version (as an .avi file or on VHS), let me know.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Although I'd prefer if Canadians who want to discuss the episode in general hold off and comment on the regular thread for that next week, people may want to talk about the cut scenes here, so I will warn right up-front that the comments to this post are not a spoiler-free zone. Unspoiled Americans, you really want to stay unspoiled, so beware! Wait until you've seen the episode, and then you can come back here. (If you're looking to request a copy of the uncut version, you can contact me by e-mail.)
Anyway, this is in the way of a public service announcement, to let you know that if you watch, have watched, or will watch the season finale ("Last of the Time Lords") on television outside the UK, what you're getting is a rather heavily edited version, as it ran long on the BBC and was then chopped down a full seven minutes for the international release. Fortunately, you can see at least some of the bits you're missing on YouTube. Thus:
This should come right after the scene with Martha at the beginning. In fact, if you're watching a recording of the episode, I recommend hitting "pause" and watching the clip right then. Because this bit of sheer and utter insanity should not be missed. It, um, certainly sets a mood...
This, on the other hand, is an extended version of, erm, a scene near (or possibly at) the climax. And the bit that was cut out of it is a rather terrible thing to have cut, for a couple of reasons. Note: DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE EPISODE. I mean it.
Several other small things were cut, and all of 'em are a damned shame to have lost, especially when I consider that there are other parts of the episode that I honestly think could have benefited from a good trim. But I don't think any of them were nearly as signficant.
If anybody wants a copy of the full version (as an .avi file or on VHS), let me know.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Although I'd prefer if Canadians who want to discuss the episode in general hold off and comment on the regular thread for that next week, people may want to talk about the cut scenes here, so I will warn right up-front that the comments to this post are not a spoiler-free zone. Unspoiled Americans, you really want to stay unspoiled, so beware! Wait until you've seen the episode, and then you can come back here. (If you're looking to request a copy of the uncut version, you can contact me by e-mail.)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Drumroll, Please! It's Another Doctor Who Discussion Post.
Today's Doctor Who episode here in the US is "The Sound of Drums." You may now talk about it here! And there's only one episode left now to avoid spoiling.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Possibly I'll Be Less Grumpy After More Coffee. Much More Coffee.
I have this annoying urge now to ring the doorbells of day people at 4 AM to ask them if they want their lawn mowed, and see how they like it.
I Told You I Was a Tortured Genius.
Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?
I like the fact that this test claims to tell you how dumb you are, not how smart you are. Judging by the questions, I'd say that's the correct way of looking at it.
Thought of the Day
I really ought to get out of the habit of answering my e-mail on a last-in-first-out basis.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Since I Missed "Talk Like A Pirate Day"
My pirate name is:
Black Bess Flint
Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.part of the fidius.org network
Monday, September 24, 2007
Up The Waterspout
It's nice when work can provide you with a bit of a chuckle on an irritating day. I am thus grateful to find in my inbox today the following amusing work order:
Work Requested: Failure - LA - Rain gauge not recording rain.Insert your own joke about bugs in the equipment here. (Fun trivia fact: I think the original "bug" that lent its name to the whole phenomenon was, in fact, a moth.)
Corrected Action: Removed spider and spider webs from rain gauge.
Show Me The Money!
Well, I think I've gotten the stupid bank thing straightened out, or at least on its way to being straightened out, but, aargh, was it annoying.
I called the bank's customer service number, navigated their labyrinthine phone menu system, and, after giving my account number (twice), social security number, name, date of birth, street address, blood type and shoe size, I was finally permitted to discuss my problem with a human being. (OK, I made up the last two. But, honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd asked.) Said human being listened to my tale of woe, pulled up my records, went, "Gosh, yes, that's clearly a mistake!" and cheerfully informed me that it was no problem, they could get the double-deduction and the overdraft fees removed for me right away, you betcha! "Hooray!" I thought. "Good bank!" And then she said she'd have to transfer me to the "check department," so they could deal with it.
So, OK, I get the "check department" -- which turns out to be the check fraud department -- and give them my name, rank, serial number, six-thousand-digit account number, etc., etc. all over again, and once again launch into the Tale of Woe. Another person pulls up my records and, while I am in the process of explaining about the overdrafts, interrupts to inform me that I have the wrong department. My mortgage company submits their checks electronically, so I need the department that deals with electronic transactions.
So, I am transferred again, and again give six pages worth of identifying info, all the while thinking, Jesus Christ, how many departments does this bank have, and are none of them capable of communicating?! I recite the Tale a third time, whereupon I am informed that, why, no, the bank cannot and will not help me, as the mistake was made on the mortgage company's end, and is their responsibility, overdrafts and all. Indeed, as far as they are concerned, the overdrafts are perfectly legitimate, because my account was negative, end of story. All of which was explained to me politely enough, but I'm afraid I got pretty snippy at this point, leading the person I was talking to to explain how those first-tier phone-answering people like to tell you things even when they don't know what they're talking about. Which just made me snippier. I feel kind of bad about it now. I imagine the electronic-department person is as annoyed about this kind of thing as I am, and it wasn't her fault person #1 was a lying idiot. But from a customer-service standpoint, that kind of shit is just plain unacceptable. Telling me that the problem is on the other party's end and that they're responsible for refunding my money is reasonable (and, in this case, perfectly true). Promising me it'll all get cleared up right away, making me play phone tag for fifteen minutes and then telling me I'm S.O.L. as far as you're concerned? Bullshit. I'm still annoyed about it, and even more annoyed that I took it out on somebody who was only trying to do her job.
Fortunately, when I called the mortgage company, I immediately got somebody who seemed to both know what he was talking about and to have the authority to do something about it. He instantly agreed that it was all their fault, was friendly and sympathetic, and assured me that they'd credit me for the whole thing ASAP, overdrafts and all, and that if I faxed them a copy of my bank statement (or even the online records, since I hadn't gotten a paper statement for the month yet), they'd have it taken care of in a couple of days, maximum. (This as opposed to my bank who told me that I'd have to sign an affidavit saying the debit was wrongly applied, warned me that if I didn't mail it back promptly it would be ignored, and then told me it would take them ten days to do anything about it once they got it.)
To attempt to balance out my bad-customer karma or something, I gave that guy praise and a high customer-survey rating. I just really hope he doesn't fall down on the follow-through. In the meantime, I've transferred some money over from my savings account to make sure nothing that clears in the next couple of days sends me into the negative again. Man, I'm just really glad this happened now, when I've got an actual financial cushion, and not back in my starving-college-student days. Because, in that case, I actually would have starved. (Erm, not that I had a mortgage then, of course.)
Oh, and the craptacular icing on the craptastic cake? Today I get a whole slew of overdraft notices in the mail. Thanks, bank. It's real helpful to be informed of that after I've been bouncing stuff for over a week. *rolls eyes*
I called the bank's customer service number, navigated their labyrinthine phone menu system, and, after giving my account number (twice), social security number, name, date of birth, street address, blood type and shoe size, I was finally permitted to discuss my problem with a human being. (OK, I made up the last two. But, honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd asked.) Said human being listened to my tale of woe, pulled up my records, went, "Gosh, yes, that's clearly a mistake!" and cheerfully informed me that it was no problem, they could get the double-deduction and the overdraft fees removed for me right away, you betcha! "Hooray!" I thought. "Good bank!" And then she said she'd have to transfer me to the "check department," so they could deal with it.
So, OK, I get the "check department" -- which turns out to be the check fraud department -- and give them my name, rank, serial number, six-thousand-digit account number, etc., etc. all over again, and once again launch into the Tale of Woe. Another person pulls up my records and, while I am in the process of explaining about the overdrafts, interrupts to inform me that I have the wrong department. My mortgage company submits their checks electronically, so I need the department that deals with electronic transactions.
So, I am transferred again, and again give six pages worth of identifying info, all the while thinking, Jesus Christ, how many departments does this bank have, and are none of them capable of communicating?! I recite the Tale a third time, whereupon I am informed that, why, no, the bank cannot and will not help me, as the mistake was made on the mortgage company's end, and is their responsibility, overdrafts and all. Indeed, as far as they are concerned, the overdrafts are perfectly legitimate, because my account was negative, end of story. All of which was explained to me politely enough, but I'm afraid I got pretty snippy at this point, leading the person I was talking to to explain how those first-tier phone-answering people like to tell you things even when they don't know what they're talking about. Which just made me snippier. I feel kind of bad about it now. I imagine the electronic-department person is as annoyed about this kind of thing as I am, and it wasn't her fault person #1 was a lying idiot. But from a customer-service standpoint, that kind of shit is just plain unacceptable. Telling me that the problem is on the other party's end and that they're responsible for refunding my money is reasonable (and, in this case, perfectly true). Promising me it'll all get cleared up right away, making me play phone tag for fifteen minutes and then telling me I'm S.O.L. as far as you're concerned? Bullshit. I'm still annoyed about it, and even more annoyed that I took it out on somebody who was only trying to do her job.
Fortunately, when I called the mortgage company, I immediately got somebody who seemed to both know what he was talking about and to have the authority to do something about it. He instantly agreed that it was all their fault, was friendly and sympathetic, and assured me that they'd credit me for the whole thing ASAP, overdrafts and all, and that if I faxed them a copy of my bank statement (or even the online records, since I hadn't gotten a paper statement for the month yet), they'd have it taken care of in a couple of days, maximum. (This as opposed to my bank who told me that I'd have to sign an affidavit saying the debit was wrongly applied, warned me that if I didn't mail it back promptly it would be ignored, and then told me it would take them ten days to do anything about it once they got it.)
To attempt to balance out my bad-customer karma or something, I gave that guy praise and a high customer-survey rating. I just really hope he doesn't fall down on the follow-through. In the meantime, I've transferred some money over from my savings account to make sure nothing that clears in the next couple of days sends me into the negative again. Man, I'm just really glad this happened now, when I've got an actual financial cushion, and not back in my starving-college-student days. Because, in that case, I actually would have starved. (Erm, not that I had a mortgage then, of course.)
Oh, and the craptacular icing on the craptastic cake? Today I get a whole slew of overdraft notices in the mail. Thanks, bank. It's real helpful to be informed of that after I've been bouncing stuff for over a week. *rolls eyes*
Sunday, September 23, 2007
No One Understands My Tortured-Genius Pain.
| You Are 65% Tortured Genius |
 You are smart. Brilliant in fact. And while it's a blessing, it's also a curse. Your head is filled with everything - grand ideas, insufferable worries, and a good deal of angst. |
Home, Sweet Home
Time-Lord's Manor
 | |
Find YOUR Dream Home! |
Sweet! With a setup like that, I would easily be the most popular person in my social circle! And I already know how to operate a radio telescope, even.
I'm not sure why my Time Lord's Manor is more Trekkish than Whovian, but, hey, that's OK. Although it would be even better if it were bigger on the inside than the outside. And traveled through time and space.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
1=1!!!
Well, there's nothing quite like glancing at your ATM receipt only to realize that it shows you as having about a thousand dollars less than you should have. Or, if there is, it involves going online to check your transactions and discovering a crapload of negative numbers glaring at you in bright red text and about nine overdraft fees because the stupid frelling bank deducted your mortgage check TWICE.
Guys! One check number = one check = one deduction! A six-year-old child could figure this out!
Sigh. Wish I'd caught this before, y'know, 2 AM on a Friday night. But come Monday, they will feel my wrath. Oh, yes, they will. And they'd damned well better refund those overdraft fees.
Guys! One check number = one check = one deduction! A six-year-old child could figure this out!
Sigh. Wish I'd caught this before, y'know, 2 AM on a Friday night. But come Monday, they will feel my wrath. Oh, yes, they will. And they'd damned well better refund those overdraft fees.
Friday, September 21, 2007
It's Friday! You Know What That Means!
Today's episode of Doctor Who here in the US: "Utopia." Which means you may now talk about it here. Or about anything else you like. Just remember, no spoilers for later episodes, yadda, yadda, you know how this goes by now.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Damn You, Ayn Rand!
I swear, four times in the past month or so I've put my iPod on random shuffle and had it come out at some point with Rush's "Anthem." I'm beginning to worry that it's converting to Objectivism and soon will refuse to play anything for me unless I pay it.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Leap of Logic
Amazon's recommendation engine often comes up with some cool and useful suggestions, but sometimes it makes some incredibly amusing blunders. Like this e-mail I just got:
As someone who has purchased or rated books by Jon Stewart, you might like to know that Kierkegaard and His German Contemporaries: Philosophy (Kierkegaard Research: Sources Reception and Resources) will be released on September 30, 2007. You can pre-order yours by following the link below.Somehow, I really doubt that's the same Jon Stewart. But, y'know, if I'm ever looking for a $125 book on Kierkegaard, now I'll know where to go.
Kierkegaard and His German Contemporaries: Philosophy (Kierkegaard Research: Sources Reception and Resources)
Jon Stewart
Price: $124.95
An Open Letter
Dear crappy discount store,
If you don't trust me with your stuff, why on Earth should I trust you with mine? Also, the statement "you have to leave your backpack here" is both rudely phrased and demonstrably false. I do not have to do anything, including shop at your crappy store.
No love (and no money),
Me
If you don't trust me with your stuff, why on Earth should I trust you with mine? Also, the statement "you have to leave your backpack here" is both rudely phrased and demonstrably false. I do not have to do anything, including shop at your crappy store.
No love (and no money),
Me
These May Turn Out To Be Surprisingly Revealing Questions.
That "interview questions" meme that periodically circulates around the web seems to have popped its head up again, and Andrew Ironwood has thus posed me the following questions. (Actually, he gave me a set of "easy" questions and a set of "hard" ones, and invited me to mix'n'match. Which I cheerfully have.)
1) What book have you most recently finished reading?
I just finished Reckless Engineering by Nick Waters. It's um, a Doctor Who novel. Not that I'm obsessed or anything. It was okay. Not great, but okay.
2) What would I most likely find in your refrigerator on any given day?
Coffee. 2% milk (for use in the coffee). I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Fruit. Possibly some cheese. Well-past-their-sell-by-date eggs. Assorted condiments, most of them left there ages ago by visiting relatives who failed to share my complete lack of interest in condiments. Maybe some orange juice, if I'm lucky.
Gender is an incidental issue; basically, I'm a bachelor. And the fridge, sadly, reflects this.
3) Let us assume a fully grown, completely healthy Clydesdale horse has his hooves shackled to the ground while his head is held in place with a thick rope. He is conscious and standing upright, but completely immobile. And let us assume that-for some reason- every political prisoner on earth (as cited by Amnesty International) will be released from captivity if you can kick this horse to death in less than twenty minutes. You are allowed to wear steel toed boots. WOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO DO THIS?
Probably not, although whether the failure would be due to a lack of faith in my physical strength or my extreme tender-hearted squeamishness is an open question. I can't even help feeling slightly upset about killing cockroaches.
4) You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: every three years, someone will break both of your soulmate's collarbones with a Cresent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: you must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear-for the rest of your life- sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice In Chains. When you hear Credence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice In Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice In Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you). WOULD YOU SWALLOW THE PILL?
Bah. That would really suck. But I suppose, being the altruistic, non-horse-killing soul that I am, I would feel honor-bound to put another human being's physical welfare over my own aural enjoyment. And at least I'm getting a non-broken soulmate out of the deal. Not that I actually wanted a soulmate or anything, but if I'm gonna have one, one with functional collarbones would probably be preferable. Also, man, they're gonna owe me, aren't they? That could pay off. Not that I'm basing my decision on such selfish concerns, of course. Not at all.
5) A visitor from the future gives you one free use of a functional holodeck, which he has programmed to be able to simulate *any* sci-fi 'universe' from literature, TV or films. You can choose the location in both space and time, but this holodeck has two peculiar bugs: 1) you have to pick a precise length of time you will be in the simulation before starting (which you cannot change once you are inside and the program is running); and 2) the Mortality Safeguards are, well, not *entirely* reliable. WOULD YOU STILL USE THE HOLODECK, AND IF SO, WHEN AND WHERE (IN WHICH CONTINUITY) WOULD YOU GO?
Aargh. OK, maybe I am obsessive. Because, yeah, how could I resist? And I would go with Doctor Who, not simply because I am obsessive, but because the mortality rate among Doctor Who companions -- the role I assume I would be playing -- is actually very low. Not non-zero, but low. It'd be a hell of a lot safer than, say, Farscape. Hell, I'd feel reasonably safe giving it a few weeks. You know, assuming I had vacation time and someone was feeding my cats, or whatever. Because that would be the single coolest vacation ever. Possibly I would hang around with the Eighth Doctor. (Pre-Time War, obviously. Well pre-Time War. I have no desire to be exterminated by holo-Daleks, although, really, it would be a very me way to die.) And I will steadfastly maintain that my reason for picking number Eight is entirely because he was a cool Doctor who got very little screentime and would thus be interesting to see more of, and not at all because he is incredibly hot. Ahem.
OK. That was... sort of interesting. Anybody want me to ask them questions, now? Because, as I recall, that's how this meme is supposed to work.
1) What book have you most recently finished reading?
I just finished Reckless Engineering by Nick Waters. It's um, a Doctor Who novel. Not that I'm obsessed or anything. It was okay. Not great, but okay.
2) What would I most likely find in your refrigerator on any given day?
Coffee. 2% milk (for use in the coffee). I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Fruit. Possibly some cheese. Well-past-their-sell-by-date eggs. Assorted condiments, most of them left there ages ago by visiting relatives who failed to share my complete lack of interest in condiments. Maybe some orange juice, if I'm lucky.
Gender is an incidental issue; basically, I'm a bachelor. And the fridge, sadly, reflects this.
3) Let us assume a fully grown, completely healthy Clydesdale horse has his hooves shackled to the ground while his head is held in place with a thick rope. He is conscious and standing upright, but completely immobile. And let us assume that-for some reason- every political prisoner on earth (as cited by Amnesty International) will be released from captivity if you can kick this horse to death in less than twenty minutes. You are allowed to wear steel toed boots. WOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO DO THIS?
Probably not, although whether the failure would be due to a lack of faith in my physical strength or my extreme tender-hearted squeamishness is an open question. I can't even help feeling slightly upset about killing cockroaches.
4) You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: every three years, someone will break both of your soulmate's collarbones with a Cresent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: you must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear-for the rest of your life- sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice In Chains. When you hear Credence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice In Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice In Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you). WOULD YOU SWALLOW THE PILL?
Bah. That would really suck. But I suppose, being the altruistic, non-horse-killing soul that I am, I would feel honor-bound to put another human being's physical welfare over my own aural enjoyment. And at least I'm getting a non-broken soulmate out of the deal. Not that I actually wanted a soulmate or anything, but if I'm gonna have one, one with functional collarbones would probably be preferable. Also, man, they're gonna owe me, aren't they? That could pay off. Not that I'm basing my decision on such selfish concerns, of course. Not at all.
5) A visitor from the future gives you one free use of a functional holodeck, which he has programmed to be able to simulate *any* sci-fi 'universe' from literature, TV or films. You can choose the location in both space and time, but this holodeck has two peculiar bugs: 1) you have to pick a precise length of time you will be in the simulation before starting (which you cannot change once you are inside and the program is running); and 2) the Mortality Safeguards are, well, not *entirely* reliable. WOULD YOU STILL USE THE HOLODECK, AND IF SO, WHEN AND WHERE (IN WHICH CONTINUITY) WOULD YOU GO?
Aargh. OK, maybe I am obsessive. Because, yeah, how could I resist? And I would go with Doctor Who, not simply because I am obsessive, but because the mortality rate among Doctor Who companions -- the role I assume I would be playing -- is actually very low. Not non-zero, but low. It'd be a hell of a lot safer than, say, Farscape. Hell, I'd feel reasonably safe giving it a few weeks. You know, assuming I had vacation time and someone was feeding my cats, or whatever. Because that would be the single coolest vacation ever. Possibly I would hang around with the Eighth Doctor. (Pre-Time War, obviously. Well pre-Time War. I have no desire to be exterminated by holo-Daleks, although, really, it would be a very me way to die.) And I will steadfastly maintain that my reason for picking number Eight is entirely because he was a cool Doctor who got very little screentime and would thus be interesting to see more of, and not at all because he is incredibly hot. Ahem.
OK. That was... sort of interesting. Anybody want me to ask them questions, now? Because, as I recall, that's how this meme is supposed to work.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Also, A Warning For The Who Watchers
I haven't seen it yet myself, but I'm told that Sci-Fi's preview for next week contains some really big spoilers. Which -- trust me on this -- you do not want. Do yourself a favor and don't watch anything preview-y. If you desperately want a less-spoilery glimpse at the next episode, ask me and I'll give you one.
(Stupid goddamn Sci Fi. They are always doing this kind of crap.)
(Stupid goddamn Sci Fi. They are always doing this kind of crap.)
Better Not Take Your Eyes Off This Doctor Who Discussion Post
Currently airing in the US: "Blink." Once again, you may feel free to comment below if you have anything you want to say about this episode, previous episodes, Farscape episodes, Shakespeare plays, action figures, the Doctor's love life, whatever. Just remember, no spoilers for anything past "Blink." Thanks!
The Story Thus Far
At the risk of this turning into the All-Doctor Who-All-the-Time Blog, I simply must link to this: 43 years of Doctor Who in five-and-a-half minutes. Lots of nostalgia value if you're an old-series fan, a nice little glimpse at the Doctors you've missed if you're a new-series fan, and if you've never seen it at all and are wondering what the heck this thing is that I keep going on about, it'll actually give you a surprisingly good idea.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Better! So Much Better!
Computer-genius friends rock. My screen display is... well, a teensy bit out-of-proportion, really, because my computer doesn't seem to support exactly the right resolution for the new monitor. But it's perfectly legible and usable, and my icons no longer look like they're made of Duplo blocks. And my buddy thinks he might actually have a spare video card that'll work for me; he's going to let me know.
Hooray! Man, possibly the only feeling nearly as strong as the that sick-to-the-stomach sensation that happens when the computer gets messed up is the incredible feeling of relief when it's better. What's sad is, it took less time and effort for him to fix the thing than it did for me to break it.
By the way, in looking at the little serial-number plaque to make sure we were getting the correct drivers for it, we noticed that today happens to be my computer's fifth birthday. Happy B-Day, you bastard machine! (Actually, what's funny is that, when my friend noted this date, my reply was, "Yeah, I knew it must be five years old this month, because I got it the same month it was announced that Farscape was canceled. Hey, the only kind of nerd I'm not is a computer nerd." At least he got a laugh out of the experience.)
Hooray! Man, possibly the only feeling nearly as strong as the that sick-to-the-stomach sensation that happens when the computer gets messed up is the incredible feeling of relief when it's better. What's sad is, it took less time and effort for him to fix the thing than it did for me to break it.
By the way, in looking at the little serial-number plaque to make sure we were getting the correct drivers for it, we noticed that today happens to be my computer's fifth birthday. Happy B-Day, you bastard machine! (Actually, what's funny is that, when my friend noted this date, my reply was, "Yeah, I knew it must be five years old this month, because I got it the same month it was announced that Farscape was canceled. Hey, the only kind of nerd I'm not is a computer nerd." At least he got a laugh out of the experience.)
Computers: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Throw 'Em Out A Window When They Piss You Off. Even When You Really, Really Want To.
Aaargh. I just bought a new widescreen monitor and have now managed to utterly and completely fuck up the video display in the process of attempting to get the computer to produce the funky resolution settings said monitor prefers. This... is not good. I can still sort of use it, but it's kind of like the visual equivalent of working in thick wooly mittens. (Bad metaphor? I can't even tell. I am far, far too stressed.)
Having gone far, far, oh, so very far past the point where my attempts to fix things only started to make them worse, I now have given up and left a desperate message calling for my biggest computer-genius friend, who I am hoping will be able to swoop in like Superman and save the day. In the meantime, I'm cadging time on work computers. Which also seem to be having some problems today. Clearly it's some kind of epidemic.
Man. It's amazing how easily computer problems can give you that sick-to-your-stomach feeling.
Having gone far, far, oh, so very far past the point where my attempts to fix things only started to make them worse, I now have given up and left a desperate message calling for my biggest computer-genius friend, who I am hoping will be able to swoop in like Superman and save the day. In the meantime, I'm cadging time on work computers. Which also seem to be having some problems today. Clearly it's some kind of epidemic.
Man. It's amazing how easily computer problems can give you that sick-to-your-stomach feeling.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Oh, My Word!
Your Score: The Second Doctor
You scored 55% intelligence, 4% compassion, 45% sense of humor, and 17% weirdness!
Ah, the comedian! But a *capable* clown. You like to come across as a lovable goof, but in reality you're a genius who succumbs to occasional absent-mindedness. You know when to cut and run, and you know when you deny authority, no matter how laughable you sound. Your turn-ons include Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, men in kilts, women in catsuits, flutists, and your giddy aunt. Your turn-offs include omnipotent beings who like to interfere with your affairs, the ever-persistent Cybermen (heck, you don't even like cybersex!), and thinking about the lisping dandy you'll eventually become.
| Link: The Which Doctor Who Are You? Test written by TottersLane on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Oh, come on, surely I'm both much weirder and much more compassionate than that! Not that I'm complaining about the result because, aww, how can you not love the Second Doctor?
Also, this quiz is full of the Doctor Who love, and thus makes me happy.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
My Inbox Runneth Over
Damn it, you people need to stop e-mailing me and leaving me comments and generally being really interesting, so that I can step away from the internet and actually get something accomplished today!
Isn't That What Happened To Wesley Crusher?
| Betty figured out the undisputed meaning of life. | |
| ... afterward, Betty became an ideal and disappeared. | |
| 'How will you be remembered in history books?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
Friday, September 07, 2007
Because, Hey, It's September...
Current clothes: Gray sweat pants. Black t-shirt that says "I'm blogging this." (My t-shirts always speak the truth!) White socks. Black sneakers. So, you know, pretty much the same kind of stuff I'm always wearing.
Current mood: Not too bad. Hungry. Does that count as a mood?
Current music: Most recently listened to some random-shuffle stuff again. I think the iPod is currently on a bit of a Rush kick. And so am I, for that matter, because the last thing I listened to before that was Rush's Snakes and Arrows, which I'm really liking. I wasn't super-impressed with Vapor Trails, to be completely honest, but this one is a terrific return to form.
Current annoyance: In what universe is it fair that I'm getting gray hairs but still have acne? Stupid human body.
Current thing: Sleeping. I've been living a mostly-nocturnal existence again for the last few weeks, and I've been doing some world-championship-quality sleeping during the day. Which beats the hell out of insomnia, but the fact that I keep having days where I hugely oversleep is making my circadian patterns even more bizarre than usual. Today I went to sleep at 11:30 AM. (Though admittedly it would have been earlier except for the fact that I stayed up to get my hair cut.) But that meant I slept until 8:00 PM, which is not so good, considering that tomorrow I have to be at work at 7:45.
Current desktop picture: This picture of Saturn by legendary space artist Chelsey Bonestell. Check out the space art blog I got it from. There's a lot of very cool art there.
Current book: Recently finished Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold. Next up: Kockroach by Tyler Knox.
Current song in head: Well, now it's random Rush tunes.
Current DVD in player: Disc four of season 2 of Numb3rs. I kind of love this show. It's like "Mathnet" for adults! Although, honestly, I don't generally care all that much about the plots, or even about whether the mathematics is entirely right and relevant. It's just that I could watch Charlie Eppes for hours. He's unbelievably cute, and he fights crime with math. Is it possible for any human being to be more appealing? I also love his buddy Larry, with his endearing way of drawing metaphors between human relationships and physics. He makes me incredibly nostalgic for college, because back when I was studying astrophysics, I swear, we really did talk exactly like that.
Current refreshment: Water. I woke up kind of dehydrated today. I think both that and my oversleeping is due in large part to the fact that it's cooled off enough here for me not to want to turn the swamp cooler on before I go to sleep, but not so much that the house doesn't get somnolently warm by the afternoon.
Current worry: Oh, hell, I don't know. Possibly something to do with that procrastination thing I mentioned the other day, but I am at least making some progress on things now.
Current thought: Hungry. Huuuuuuungry!
Current mood: Not too bad. Hungry. Does that count as a mood?
Current music: Most recently listened to some random-shuffle stuff again. I think the iPod is currently on a bit of a Rush kick. And so am I, for that matter, because the last thing I listened to before that was Rush's Snakes and Arrows, which I'm really liking. I wasn't super-impressed with Vapor Trails, to be completely honest, but this one is a terrific return to form.
Current annoyance: In what universe is it fair that I'm getting gray hairs but still have acne? Stupid human body.
Current thing: Sleeping. I've been living a mostly-nocturnal existence again for the last few weeks, and I've been doing some world-championship-quality sleeping during the day. Which beats the hell out of insomnia, but the fact that I keep having days where I hugely oversleep is making my circadian patterns even more bizarre than usual. Today I went to sleep at 11:30 AM. (Though admittedly it would have been earlier except for the fact that I stayed up to get my hair cut.) But that meant I slept until 8:00 PM, which is not so good, considering that tomorrow I have to be at work at 7:45.
Current desktop picture: This picture of Saturn by legendary space artist Chelsey Bonestell. Check out the space art blog I got it from. There's a lot of very cool art there.
Current book: Recently finished Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold. Next up: Kockroach by Tyler Knox.
Current song in head: Well, now it's random Rush tunes.
Current DVD in player: Disc four of season 2 of Numb3rs. I kind of love this show. It's like "Mathnet" for adults! Although, honestly, I don't generally care all that much about the plots, or even about whether the mathematics is entirely right and relevant. It's just that I could watch Charlie Eppes for hours. He's unbelievably cute, and he fights crime with math. Is it possible for any human being to be more appealing? I also love his buddy Larry, with his endearing way of drawing metaphors between human relationships and physics. He makes me incredibly nostalgic for college, because back when I was studying astrophysics, I swear, we really did talk exactly like that.
Current refreshment: Water. I woke up kind of dehydrated today. I think both that and my oversleeping is due in large part to the fact that it's cooled off enough here for me not to want to turn the swamp cooler on before I go to sleep, but not so much that the house doesn't get somnolently warm by the afternoon.
Current worry: Oh, hell, I don't know. Possibly something to do with that procrastination thing I mentioned the other day, but I am at least making some progress on things now.
Current thought: Hungry. Huuuuuuungry!
Damn My Guilty Conscience!
  | |
 | Ten Years: You would get caught, but only because of the guilt you'd feel. You would sign a plea bargain and spend your years in jail feeling really bad about what you'd done. |
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| from QuizGalaxy.com | |
The Triumphant Return of the Doctor Who Discussion Post
Tonight's Doctor Who episode here in the US is "The Family of Blood," meaning that all you poor souls who had to wait for two weeks to see the conclusion can finally ease your suffering. As usual, if you've got something to say, talk! But no spoilers past the current episode, please.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Memo To Myself: Do The Dumb Things I Gotta Do
My life would probably be much easier right now if I'd just stop stressing about all the things I'm supposed to be doing and started actually, y'know, doing them.
On the plus side, though, procrastination at least leads to me having clean carpets.
On the plus side, though, procrastination at least leads to me having clean carpets.
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