Enter Zatanna!

Enter Zatanna!
Originally uploaded by hbot3000.

It was my Birthday last Sunday, and I was far, far too lazy to post about it. So I'm doing it now. Yay me.

Also, I'm going to need this song (you tube video) sung to me at all future birthdays. Just so you know.

Anyway, that's not really the point of this post. The point is that on my birthday, my lovely girlfriend and I adopted a new cat (as you may have guessed, the one in the picture here). She is very, very sweet. She was left behind by her owners when they moved and then brought in as a stray. She's been locked in a nice room for a few days to get her comfortable with the new house ( and get the existing cat used to the idea of a new cat). We let her into the house at large for a while last night. Minino (existing cat) is a complete coward and hisses at her and runs half the time. But overall their first meeting was surprisingly amicable.

As alluded to in the title, I have named her Zatanna after a Justice League Heroes character we both like. I feel good about it.

M.I.

I’m very down today that Molly Ivins died. From jan. 5 of this year:

What happened to the nation that never tortured? The nation that wasn't supposed to start wars of choice? The nation that respected human rights and life? A nation that from the beginning was against tyranny? Where have we gone? How did we let these people take us there? How did we let them fool us?

It's a monstrous idea to put people in prison and keep them there. Since 1215, civil authorities have been obligated to tell people with what they are charged if they're arrested. This administration has done away with rights first enshrined in the Magna Carta nearly 800 years ago, and we've let them do it.

She had a way to speak the unpopular truth that I admired. I am sad to see her gone.

Rebooting . . .

It’s weird, what was keeping me from blogging was needing to upload those photos. It was some sort of weird mental block. Now that that’s done, blogging will likely resume. This is assuming there is someone besides me still reading this.

Now taking bets on whether you are reading this.

Step 1, Remove the pins and needles . . .

SF-Fog2
Originally uploaded by hbot3000.

Finally, I have uploaded the photos from my trip to San Francisco. This particular one was from my favorite day in the middle of the week where the buildings disappeared into the very low clouds. Click the picture through to flickr in order to see the rest. They were all taken from my cell phone, so the quality isn't that great.

Looking through these again, none are particularly fantastic. The best I had were of the day we saw Al Gore's keynote speech (which was freaking great. contrary to the "common wisdom", he's a great speaker). Unfortunately, those were destroyed when my cell phone died, which brings me to:

The LG Chocolate phone is a piece of shit. I checked the time outside of a book store in SF and when I went to check the time 30 minutes later all I could get was a white screen of death. I had only had it for a month so they just gave me a new one for free, but still. I seriously regret getting into a new 2 year contract with that piece of crap. What's even more irritating about it is they try and get you to join up with their own version of itunes, the selling point of which seems to be that all the music is sold in .wma format and at twice the cost of itunes files. How can I resist that tempting offer? Especially now that the iphone is coming out. Oh how I wants it.

Tangential trajectory

(Strolls down street, whistling non-chalantly.)

(Notices blog, stops suddenly.)

(Looks in around in panic, then dashes down street, ducking around the nearest corner.)

(Peers fearfully around corner.)

(Dogs barking in distance.)

Where was I?

I return triumphantly to the blog with a location update.

I am in San Francisco for the week for a huge conference. Pictures are forthcoming.

So far it’s been nothing but rainy, but that’s been okay. Lupita and I have been having fun. I am, as always, a little freaked out by the sheer mass of humanity around me, but so far have not gone on any psychotic rampages.

I actually like it here a lot, lots of stuff in walking distance and a good metro system. I really like all the rooftop gardens and so forth that I’ve seen. The first thing I noticed on the 10-block walk to the convention center is that apparently the things that people need the most are cell phones and coffee as, on first glance, that’s all that the city seems to offer. I’m just astounded that there’s enough foot traffic to keep a verizon store in business every other block. Also, I count about 9 starbucks just on my walking route. The funniest spot is, of course, where they are literally across the street from one another. I thought that bit in Shrek 2 was hyperbole, but no, apparently not. I know I betray my county rubeness by my amazement at what are apparently common things here, but still.

Also, they have gay people here. Shocking I know, who would have thought in San Francisco? The only reason I mention it is that I think Lupita’s advisor got us a room in a hotel popular with the gay community. I only say this because I’ve seen mostly gay couples there, people looking at gay porn on the computer in the lobby, it’s called “Club Quarters” and is next to “Elephant and Castle” and smells powerfully of semen at times.

Make of that what you will. I have already, however, formed opinions.

Thought for the Day

If I’m such a good driver, why do all the other cars on the road give me such a wide gap when they pass me?

Finale'

Actually, this guy writes very well about the Kerry nonsense. and he’s British. I am ashamed.

Check that

Ugh. It’s worse. What Kerry meant to say (as is in his prepared notes) is that if you don’t grow up and study and try to be smarter, you’ll be as dumb as George Bush. I think my rant below still stands considering republicans are pretending he didn’t mean to say that, but still. This is about the silliest controversy ever.

You cut me deep there Shrek

Oh John Kerry. What to do with him? He gets on TV for saying that a) unless you like suicide bombers, you probably don’t want to join the army and go to Iraq right now and b) Richer and/or more educated kids don’t join the army, that’s for poorer people. And now it’s a shit storm of epic proportions as the media and republicans try to stall The Democrats’ momentum going into the election. And today, John Kerry apologized.

Jesus, grow a pair John. I’m not the biggest Kerry fan, but he should never have apologized. Why? He was exactly correct in a way the Republicans can’t admit. Republicans are trying to say that because soldiers are good and true (we all appreciate their service, this is true) then any criticism of the war must therefore be a criticism of the troops and how dare we. No you stupid fucks, John Kerry was saying you fat, ignorant, draft-dodging pricks in charge of the war just spent 3 years and many, many American and Iraqi lives turning Iraq into place WORSE and more horrifying than it was under Saddam Hussein through sheer, unadulterated hubris and incompetence. And that that’s a disincentive to join the army right now. This is what both the Republicans and the public and the media that supported them have to admit to when they admit John Kerry was right. So John Kerry, will never, ever be right.

Election day can’t come soon enough. That said, I’m very excited about voting the bastards out until I remember the stellar job the democrats have been doing. More options please.

Oh, and CNN? John Kerry isn’t up for election for any office this year. Just FYI.

That hideous ratio

Specifically, the ratio of how long it takes to pack versus how long it takes to finish unpacking after the moving. I think it will be small. I actually moved about 10 small boxes that I had never unpacked from the last move this time. So, uh yeah. I’m a lazy bastard with a small ratio.

Which is all to say that we have moved to a new house now and it is lovely. Pictures are forthcoming.

Also, you bastards who couldn’t spare a simple day or two and a couple hundred dollars to come help me move are all on notice. Granted, I had 6 people from work helping, but still. Your failure and disloyalty has been noted.

On a big board in my house.

With your names in big angry letters.

(Shakes Fist).

Proud to be a U.S. citizen

So the new torture legislation makes all the torture we’ve been doing legal. Sure, we don’t kill, rape or mangle our prisoners, but anything short of that is A-OK. The Republicans had a meeting with the Republicans and decided torturing people is an effective element of national security. Of course, it’s not, but oh well. I’m sure it’s not a big deal.

Oh, and Democrats? Way to contribute to the debate there fellas. We all appreciate the effort it took to wrinkle your brow in consternation during the debate that the Republicans were having.

In other news, the White house asserted recently (via official mouthpiece Tony Snow) that the Supreme Court actually can’t decide the constitutionality of something, that’s the president’s job. No one’s really called them on it yet, but I’m sure someone will get around to it.

Our government is horribly broken. What I tend to wonder is, at what point does my government killing and torturing of innocent people tar my own soul? Does voting for the other guy get me off the hook? I hope so, because that’s what I’m doing this term. And I’m thrilled that I get to vote for the spineless mute party as opposed to the pro-torture, pro-war, all incompetence party. It’s a smorgasbord of options that overwhelms me with delight.

Quote and Code of the day

“Yeah, how I miss those days,
more than a little
growing young in the dumbo sun.” -- Tracy bonham (Dumbo Sun)

* hbot3000 primary algorithm

age = 0

do while(age.le.ageofdeath)

maturity = age
if(numactionfigures.gt.50.or.numlegos.gt.50) maturity = maturity - 12
if(age=30) then
call commencerandomnostalgia()
end if
if(maturity=30) then
call commencemidlifecrisis()
end if

age = age + 1
end do

A case of the Tuesdays

It’s official: I make too much money to live in my apartment now. And I need to be out before the end of September or I don’t get my deposit back.

In other news: fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

P.S. FUCK. A. DUCK.

More eloquently: God damn it! FUCK. FUck fuCK.

Okay, I feel better now.

not really.

A case of the Mondays

Short Story:

Last Thursday I check my voicemail to find the following message:

“This is Mike from The Bluffs [my apartment complex], please give me a call back, it’s a matter of some urgency.”

I dutifully call back the next day, some airhead answers the phone, doesn’t know what I’m talking about, says “oh, from Mike? it’s nothing, he’ll call you back if he needs to. la la la.”

So today upon leaving the apartment I notice an envelope attached to my door. It essentially tells me that upon review of my account, I may now be making too much money to live there (they are low income housing, and get a tax break if X percent of their tenants are low income). It says that I may now reapply for housing, or move my ass out in 30 days. I am not confident that reapplying does me any good as that’s what started the problem in the first place. I will reapply because I don’t particularly feel like moving, but I am not confident that it will do much good. In the meantime, I guess I’m apartment or house hunting in case I need to move.

I didn’t need this right now.

Oh Pluto, what have they done to you?

So Pluto is now demoted. Actually, I like this definition better. Dwarf Planets. Yes. That is a decent name. And the definitions seem to be better and more accurate. Oh the controversy, I know, but poor Pluto. Nobody loves large rocks of ice anymore.

I predict in another two weeks the controversy will get so large that Pluto will be declared never to have existed in order to solve the problem. Immediately after which all of our space program resources will go to making sure that is true, using as many nuclear weapons as possible. Come to think of it, what a killer way to de-nuke this planet eh? This is why I should be a world leader.

Lazy or Incompetent?

I have never seen this movie, but it’s very existence has been gnawing at my soul.

Dr. T and the Women, Lazy or Incompetent?

In this case, your answer may refer to either to the title or the movie itself. For my money, this has to be the worst, most hideous movie name in the history of time.

Getting back to my roots

I am not sure what to think about such decisions. On the whole, I think I like the change overall. It gives planets a more decisive definition that I tend to like. Also, it distinguishes nicely between the classical, large planets and the smaller, icy ones. Essentially it distinguishes the planets by formation type, which I also approve of. Also, I find it interesting that the asteroid ceres is now considered a planet.

What I don’t like is calling these smaller planets “plutons”. It sounds more like the name for a sub-atomic particle. Also it is very silly. Why not names reflecting the formation of each type? Why not Kuiper planets (well, that wouldn’t work for ceres I guess)? Or even a simple Rank A planets and Rank B planets. Or hell, Planetoids works great. But Plutons? Give me a frickin break.

I believe this starts a new feature here on the blog:

Lazy or Incompetent?

Was giving lower rank planets the name of “Plutons” lazy or incompetent?
(where here incompetent is defined as “couldn’t have thought of a better name if they tried.”)

I have nothing to add

to this.

I must regenerate

My fanboy credentials are clearly fading. I’ve missed a few crucial fanboy products that I should have caught. Therefore, I will be returning to San Diego this weekend to indulge in all that is the San Diego Comicon. My sweet Lupita and I will be making a daring one-day visit on Saturday this year due to work constraints. But there we shall bathe in the non-judgemental purity of geek paradise. Or something like that. In any case, not too lake to make your last-minute, impulse travel arrangements.

Speaking of comic books, in reading 40 years of X-men I have so far discovered the following:

1. The professor had a crush on Jean Grey early in the series. As it seemed incredibly creepy (especially since Jean spends most of her energy early on keeping the other 5 students from humping her leg) it was a plot thread soon lost. Only to reappear somehow during the onslaught miniseries if I’m not mistaken.
2. The blob was originally a circus performer. After rejecting Xavier’s offer to join the x-men, the blob rounds up the circus to destroy the mansion. So the big fight at the end is of the mutants beating the crap out of circus clowns and acrobats. Also, cyclops shoots an elephant in the face at point-blank range. I did a little head-scratching on that one.
3. The weirdness of Stan Lee’s stories aside, Jack Kirby’s art was very good and I found myself enjoying the first run of issues with Stan as author and jack as artist very much. But they are pretty cheesy.
4. the other mutant power that all x-men have is to have 8 complete sentences worth of dialogue while doing a backflip or falling 5 feet. There was actually a panel where I think cyclops and jean have this whole conversation while falling 5 feet and they end it with something like, “Watch out for the ground!” They either talk very fast or gravity doesn’t work the same for them as it does for us.