A little bit off the beaten path.

So, today was an interesting day - I got a package that contained a spiffy, shiny computer system. I then proceeded to rub my hands together in that Mad Scientist way... and it was time to do some transferrence. First things first, though, I’ve got to get everything set up, which includes beating back the Microsoft product into something that works the way I want it to, and then setting up the not-Microsoft product to be the thing I want to boot most. After that is the transition of media files and other goodies from old place to new place. Here’s hoping that everything goes smoothly. (In the aftermath, it didn’t go quite so smoothly, but everythign’s across. Now, I just need to find out some way of getting the Linux driver to recognize the fact that my line-in is on the back of my computer, not the front. That way I can watch TV and talk in VoIP.)

With Arizona defeating a gay marriage ban (while others passed theirs), they earn cred, much mroe than my state currently has. New York, however, might be making gender a personal decision, meaning that even without reassignment, the birth certificate may be able to be changed. There needs to be some doctor documentation, and assurances that the change will be a permanent one, but having the option makes New York’s cred go waaaay up. In other possibly homosexual descoveries, did Bill Maher say something he shouldn't have? Whether it would have been slanderous, or whether it’s true and nobody’s supposed to know, I’m not sure. But apparently, it’s been revised and scrubbed.

There’s probably a lot of bias in this article, but also, perhaps, a grain of truth in it. The affirmative action proposal that passed here, according to this article, had the endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan. I’m not sure that’s necessarily something that makes it favorable. But it’s true. (Not that surprising, either.)

The Feral Scholar makes some very key points - now that the Democrats have been voted in, it’s time to get cracking on busting their nuts. Homeymoon? Ha! says that the Dems now have a responsibility to prove to their electorate base that they are the liberal party of America, with all that entails, and that if they fail, they should be dragged through the mud for being just as bad as the last crew. Joe Liberman says he's a Democrat, so we should treat him with the rest of them. After all, politicans won all the contested races. And there’s still nearly 9 billion dollars unaccounted for in Iraq. Maybe they’ll read through Rumsfeld's Rules and follow them better than Rumsfeld did. All that said, things should not get so ridiculous that one complains about the election officials eating fast food at their posts. It would be nice for them to get a break, but part of their duty involves supervision at all times. So you eat at the desk.

Craig Murray says for as much as Saddam is a scumbag, kangaroo courts and hanging is not the way to go. Maybe putting him in the pink prison will get him to change his tune. If that doesn’t work, then perhaps he needs to remember that occasionally, you make the wrong decision to pick on someone.

Dolphin might confirm the link between land-dwelling porpoises and the current sea-dwellers. Another tick mark, potentially, in the evolution box. With the way things are going, though, maybe we'll need to grow fins ourselves?

Muppet Quilt. This is the kind of think I’d love to have tucking me into bed at night. And then, just because I could, I’d also snuggle up to the Radha and Krsna stuffed dolls. In Ukraine, the bus stops have quilted art of their own.

Barbados Faces Invasion By Giant Snails. Those of you who’ve played Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist know exactly how to handle this - beer. And lots of it. Pesticides apparently work, too. But setting out the nastiest of beer for the snails might be just the thing to get them to stop eating the crops. Unfortunately, can’t send Jack Palance out, because he died today.

A War Against Boys? Right. Boys are just little monsters that have to have Dad beat them with the switch and Mom be at home with juices and snacks. If that’s the “traditional” definition of masculinity, then call me a sissy. I don’t want some antifeminist reactionary telling me and my children that men need to be aggressive rambunctious assholes. I wonder how the people the article is railing against would feel about the nurse-themed grill.

Speaking of things that will get you steamed, Wal-Mart says, "Yes, Bill, I believe there is a War on Christmas!" My already dim view of Wal-mart only grows dimmer. All the excess heat I generate on this will be helpful, though. I’ll combine it with these tips on staying warm in the winter and it’ll be toasty in the room the whole time.

The Smithsonian's Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web. Put in a topic, or a name, or an Institution, and see what they have on-line, either for viewing, or to advertise them for you. For aspiring culture snobs, this should be just your thing. For the rest of us, however, here’s Dennis the Menace and Fight Club: Part One, and Dennis the Menace and Fight Club: Part Two. Remember the rules, of course.

The last thing is something that magicians and all who want to start with positive thinking (or make it even more effective for them - This Shit Fucking Works. Not much for mumbo-jumbo or the trappings of tools. Lots of sigil theory and the mindset behind making them do the psychological heavy lifting for you.

Five Things I'm proud of - #2

Here comes number two in this tagged series of entries. 2dlife‘s imposing prompt, “Write five things that you are proud of yourself for, without qualification or comparison” , continues to draw upon my resources to produce answers acceptable to me - which are often the hardest answers to produce. So here’s number 2.

#2: I’ve shaken the hand of one of this era’s finest composers, Mr. John Williams, and played under his direction.

This is my “I’ve met more famous people, and participated in a lot more really cool things in my life than I realize” statement. Going to anime conventions and meeting industry personalities, dub voice actors, some very famous celebrities (the creator of Love Hina and Negima, the character designer for Sailor Moon, Fred Gallagher (and his conscience), along with D.C. Simpson and Caroline Curtis. I’ve been in the same stadium as Patrick Stewart (this happened just last week). I’ve participated in the creation of a vocal student section in one of the women’s sports that was rather quiet (they’re all quiet, really. Even with our nuisance crowd, we’re still really the only noisemakers.) I’ve been on television, (local public TV for quiz bowl type shoes, and national television for the Rose Bowl Parade.) so I have some small part of fame myself. The crown jewel of these famous-people accomplishments, though, are the trips to Pasadena, California, to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. The second had Mickey Mouse as the Grand Marshal, which was a bit of a bust. The first trip, however, had the composer of the Star Wars Trilogies, Harry Potter Movies, 1942, Jurrasic Park... the list goes on... John Williams.

We played his arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner. We heard rumors that during the rehearsal, he turned away from the USC band and focused his attentions on the MMB. He came very close to the trombone sectional, and said “I like what I’m hearing.” To which everyone in the bone section secretly pumped their fists. Outwardly, we waited until he was out of earshot. Then we all went “Whoooooooa.” We heard first that the television audience was going to hear a prerecorded version of the SSB while we played live in the Rose Bowl. During the rehearsal, however, he said that he was giving serious consideration to having us play it out live.

So, before the MMB goes out to do our pregame, while we’re getting loose, I spot John williams not fifteen feet from me. I’m still not sure about the live-recorded thing, so I do what any confused student would do. I went up to him, shook his hand and asked, “Maestro, are we doing this recorded or live?” He told me, “Live.” And I said, “Excellent.” and went back to my preparations. I also squeed just a tad that I had just shook John Williams’s hand. (EeeeeEEEEeeEEeEEeeeeEEEEEEE!) And then we went out on the field.

I’ve still got the gloves. Those gloves are going into the box that recounts my exploits at college / the marching band. The things you never thought you’d do, you know. So be proud of yourselves - you’ve probably met more famous people than you think. Or you’ve already met someone who’s going to become famous. Or maybe it’s you that’s going to be the famous one, and everyone is going to say “Hey, I knew that guy in high school/college/life!”