Your Mileage may vary

So Friday's count was 10,318 steps and only 546 calories, 5.66 miles. I'm a little curious how I managed to take 3000 more steps on Tuesday than Friday. I also made it to the gym Friday, did some weights (chest, squats, abs) and 25 minutes of cardio for about 400 calories.

The thing about all this exercise, not to mention the killer pollen allergy (the pollen count was way off the scale yesterday, 748), when I get home I'm tired. I was in bed asleep at 9 pm, and blissfully slept until 6:30 this morning.

Off to do some writing before class (and need to figure out what mix I'm going to play). Hope to post a chapter today, then going to brunch tomorrow.

Take action

Email your Senators and Congressman to tell them you are against drilling in the Arctic Refuge! You can also email from this page to tell your Senators you are against the 'nuclear option' ('nukuler' to George Bush) that would prevent filibusters. Thanks to my Sis for the link!

Take that, Bill Gates!

Mac Os X Steps Ahead of Windows

The sad State I live in

Reason: Virginia Is for (Homoracial, Heterosexual, Mentally Adequate) Lovers: Old Dominion's old attitudes rise again

Today's Spin Mix

In case anyone is wondering...

• If You Leave/OMD (warmup)
• I Melt With You/Modern English (short sprints/add resistance)
• Mr Vain/Culture Beat (30/30 in/out of saddle, adding)
• In a Big Country/Big Country (Climb out of saddle)
• I think We're Alone Now/Tiffany (Resistance off/spin out/sprints)
• To the Moon and Back (dance remix)/Savage Garden (begin adding again)
• Express Yourself/Madonna (heavy resistance climb in/out of saddle)
• Love at First Sight/Kylie Minogue (spin out)
• Heat of the Moment/Asia (begin climb again)
• White Wedding/Billy Idol (continue climb/heavy resist)
• Another Night/Real McCoy (spin out/sprint to end)
• You Saved the Best For Last*/Vanessa_Williams (cool down/stretch)

*Of course every time I hear this song, I think of the Aborigine drag queen at the end of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!

And we're walking...

I got a pedometer the other day. I was curious how much mileage I was doing just walking to work and activity while at work.

Tuesday I did 13767 steps and 733 calories. That was just walking to the Metro, walking around work all day, and waking back home. I need to get a distance on that.

Today (Thursday) I've already done 5993 steps, 381 calories and 3.3 miles. Of course Thursdays are not typical. I get up at 5:00 (ugh), walk from my house in Rosslyn to the *Fabulous* new Georgetown WSC (walking across the Key Bridge right before sunrise is actually quite pleasant these days) where I teach my 45 minute spin class followed by a 15 minute abs class (teaching that abs class has actually made my abs a little better), then I walk from Georgetown to where I work downtown, right across the street from the HRC and the National Geographic Society. And tonight I teach another spin class at Clarendon, then probably stop by Whole Foods and visit Tim. Whew!

Prostitutes in the White House?

But it's not what you think! Thanks, Gene!

This week in TIME

I subscribe to the Washington Post print edition and several news and science magazines (and, my guilty pleasure, Entertainment Weekly), and I like the serendipty that comes from paging through them and coming upon unexpected things. Two delightful quotes from this week's TIME:

"We've got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States. That's just outrageous. And not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research on the internet? That is incredibly outrageous."
-- Tom DeLay

(especially outrageous, considering apparently some Senators on a committee considering internet/phone reform don't know how to even send an email. I know Windows®™© is difficult, but really...)

And from a mini-interview with Kenneth Branagh, who I have loved since Henry V but even more after he played the foppish Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in the Harry Potter movie:

Interviewer: To Be or not to be?
KB: You've gone all profound on me, haven't you? Be. It's the hardest thing to do. The trickiest thing in life is to be just here in the moment, in this conversation. There's no point in agonizing about your broken VCR is there?

SciFiDaily: Emperor Benedict XVI: "So Be It"

What a hoot! But who is the master, and who is the Apprentice?

Hate Mail

You know you're doing something right when you start to get hate mail (actually, this is pretty tame for hate mail. Back in the old Boyband days I would get screaming rants from teenies (teenage girls) about how "LANCE IS STRAIGHT, GET OVER IT!"

You just have to laugh. Anyway, here's this one:

ok i would like to start off by saying why do you care about the gotti boys and why are you judging others i seen your pic and you are not that cute sorry to say. If its jealousy get over it!! ok now lets see what your respond will be dude

Well, all I can say is I never said I was cute, and I'm over the Gotti boys: deleted from the TiVo season pass. I almost feel sorry for them: at their age they are already getting pudgy around the middle. Just look at their uncle and you can see their fate: fat and bald. And they have gotten simply annoying, like Victoria's whiny gay assistant and that idiot Luigi. I have better things to do...

like gloat over how, once again, the Republicans have forgotten the lessons of just a few years ago and their arrogance is getting the better of them. And it's going to come back and smack them in the face.

Enterprise: WTF!?

I watched the latest episode of Enterprise, the first part of another Mirror, Mirror spinoff. It was not fun like the TOS and DS9 ones, it was just creepy -- and not in a good way. All the Hoshi and T'Pol sexuality is just icky.

And what the hell is going on with the Stolen Defiant from the future? Talk about jumping the shark!

Bluetooth

You know those little wireless ear/mouthpieces with the blue indicater light that people are wearing these days, the ones that look very high-tech and cool? Well guess what, all you guys in suits wearing them and talking as you walk down the street: you are notLieutenant Uhura opening hailing frquencies. You look like either a) a dork, or b) a crazy person talking to yourself. So just stop it.

Tim who?

Forget that guy at the Whole Foods, I'm back in lust with someone else. He substitutes for my Spin class for me at Capitol Hill Saturday mornings sometimes, and teaches a cardio-kick class right after my spin class. I feel kinda bad for him because he usually only gets a couple of people. I keep meaning to take his class... well now I have an excuse. Today he showed up early and took my class.

I think that, ironically, part of the reason I'm hot for him is that he shows no interest in me whatsoever; that whole unattainable thing, you know? He's too young for me anyway; I doubt that he's 30. It occured to me that he would make a great Vulcan, so I'll call him Siruk (though regular readers might know his name, I feel like maybe now I should be a teeny bit more discreet). Anyway, Siruk is at least 6 feet tall, with light brown skin, and he is at least half-asian, though I'm not sure what flavor (I can sometimes tell Japanese from Thai from Korean from Chinese; his name suggests Chinese but he doesn't look it, more Korean.) Anyway, he's very handsome (I think) and is lean but pretty muscular, and has his hair pretty short but not buzzed. He wears little rimless glasses that I think look so cute on him.

He has some kind of Environmental job with the government and sings in the Choral Arts Society. He has a pretty deep voice, though I wonder how much he puts it on. He seems to work hard at being very butch and stoic (hence the Vulcan thing) I was just listening to This American Life, and Ira Glass had Dan Savage on talking about sissies. Love Dan! and I had this image of Siruk queening out.

But maybe I'm imagining it all and he's straight and has a girlfriend. Hm. Don't think so.

Anyway, it was interesting having another instructor in my class; I'm not sure what motivated him to do it after all these months. After class (a pretty good sized group) I got applause and several people come up to me while he was right there telling me what a great class it was. So I asked him how he liked it and he was kind of noncommittal, saying it was good but it seemed like I had a lot of speed work (like that was a bad thing). I said that it varies; sometimes I do more climbing but it varied with my mood.

Must go get work done!

Ugh

One More reason to get a Mac!

Princes Royal

I confess, I swiped this picture from The Love Lemming

Harry is so hot.

The Cult of Apple

This quite entertaining BBC News article courtesy of Robert.

Mr Fix-it

At the little food place around the corner from work this morning while waiting for my bacon-egg-cheese bagel, I saw this fan on top of a shelf with a big AirKing logo on the seal in the center. Suddenly I was taken back to when I was a kid in Bethel Park, PA (just south of Pittsburgh). We had this big, very old box fan, which I am pretty sure was an AirKing (we didn't have air conditioning, yoicks). The fan was all we had to keep us cool at night, and at some point the switch broke on the top. Mom was reluctant to buy a new fan, so I salvaged these push-button controls from an old blender, mounted them on top, and somehow figuired out how to wire the thing so we still got HI/LOW/OFF to work.

In retrospect I am kind of surprised that my mother allowed her 12 year old son to mess around with electrical appliances...

I'm not a Shuffler

I should have known that the iPod Shuffle was really not for me. I'm just not a 'shuffle' kind of guy. In fact, some people would even say I am a control freak.

I don't like surprises. I don't want some random song to just start playing. I want to know what's coming next. Or, better yet, I want my entire vast music library (from Duran Duran to Gregorian Chant to the soundrack to Camelot to the collected works of *N Sync to Haydn string quartets to Pet Shop Boys to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos to Cher to all of my Spin mixes) all at my clickwheel fingertips. I have yet to set my iPod Shuffle to 'shuffle' except by accident. I never had the old 5 gig iPod on shuffle; but I would often be walking to work and think Hey, I really want to hear (for instance) the Stargate theme! and there it would be.

I was thinking about this just this morning when I was emailing my friend Ruth and talking about how I don't want to play online games like EverQuest with other people. I really liked The Sims but I remember when Vince told me that there was going to be an onlne version, I said I'd never play it. Everyone said it would be a big hit, I said I didn't know, because then you have to play your little Sims in some other peoples' world. I liked having all my Sims (mostly happy little gay Sim couples) in MY world where I can control them.

I was kind of surprised that Sims online was a big flop; maybe other Sims players felt the same way as me.

It's Not To Be

Dear Tim at the Whole Foods,

I fear that our relationship is doomed to fail even before it begins. Yesterday, as I meekly shuffled towards your check-out aisle, I was intercepted by a little Indian woman who practically grabbed my arm to steer me into her empty check-out aisle. The only good thing about it was that it was next to your aisle so you were right behind me as I unloaded my, um, basket. I pretty shamelessly admired your wide shoulders and narrow little waist and cute butt, noticing that you had gotten a haircut since the last time I saw you. Your neck looked very... sexy.

Too bad the Fates -- in the person of little Indian checkout ladies -- have intervened to keep us apart.

CNN.com - Cardinals begin conclave to select pope

Silly Cardinals. I keep meaning to call up the Vatican and let them know that God has already spoken to me and told me that I have been chosem by Him to be the next Pope.

That's the way it ought to work; God should just pick someone. Big hand down out of the sky. Isn't it odd that we don't see that kind of thing any more? No burning bush, pillar of salt, nothing. Why do you suppose that is?

INFJ Profile

I love reading this stuff: INFJ Profile

I vow to thee my country

Talk about poetry.

I first heard this when I randomly popped in the video "Another Country" in 1984:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar, the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago
Most dear to them that loves her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King:
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering:
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

It turns out that Princess Di loved this hymn best of all, and Charlotte Church has a wonderful rendition on iTunes.

You Know

Regular readers of the Synaptic Discharge know I have no shame, being a terrible teeny even at my age. And here, without remorse, I offer this picture of Justin showing off his fake tattoos. Get your own drool cups.

Movie Celebrity Height List

This is interesting if you like this kind of trivia. I thought Usher was shorter, and Timberlake was 6'1" or so. And Ryan Phillippe is only 5'9"? At least they nailed Tom Cruise at his runty 5'7".

Poetry

Not to be outdone by Enviroboi, here is a poem I like for Poetry Month (though I think a lot of my favorite song lyrics could be considered poetry)

The Loneliness One dare not sound
by Emily Dickinson

The Loneliness One dare not sound --
And would as soon surmise
As in its Grave go plumbing
To ascertain the size --

The Loneliness whose worst alarm
Is lest itself should see --
And perish from before itself
For just a scrutiny --

The Horror not to be surveyed --
But skirted in the Dark --
With Consciousness suspended --
And Being under Lock --

I fear me this -- is Loneliness --
The Maker of the soul
Its Caverns and its Corridors
Illuminate -- or seal --

Special People

For some reason as I live in the DC area, I am frequently reminded of an article that appeared in the Washington Post Health section a year or so ago. It was written by a man who liked to mountain bike, and he and a freind would frequently take a morning ride on a running/walking trail in Rock Creek Park that was specifically marked No Bikes. But it was okay, because he and his friend only did it once in awhile (or some such ridiculous rationalization). The point is, he didn't think, for reasons that remain a mystery to me, that the rule applied to him.

Anyway, his article was about their near collision/encounter with a runner (a very slim, unintimidating runner, by the biker's own description) who doubled back and nailed them with pepper spray for biking on a running trail -- which of course, can be very dangerous to runners. (Often there are actual reasons for rules.)

The biker was furious and indignant that he had been assaulted by this runner. I, reading this article, was incredulous at the biker's mindset. Not only was he wishing he could have beaten up the runner, he still didn't understand what right the runner had to assault him with pepper spray. He wanted to press charges. So this biker is so self-absorbed and clueless that he writes an article in the Post about his horrific experience. I wondered what his editor was thinking... was he giggling to himself that this guy was gonna get his commupance once again, or was he sympathetic?

Well, I was gratified to see a raft of letters the next week, unanimously slamming the biker for his arrogance and flouting of the rules. Yes, the runner's attack was over the top -- even assault -- but perhaps he felt threatened after he'd nearly been run down by two guys on bikes who shouldn't have been there. Unfortunately I doubt that the biker got the picture even then. People like that never do. I work with people like that allmost every day: people who ignore the big sign that says "Employees Only Beyond this Point" who walk right back into the production dept and try to sit themselves down at one of my computers and "just do this one little edit" to their file. Often these people are architects, which is not surprising, because we were taught a certain sort of arrogance in Architecture School.

I, unlike the more conciliatory people at my place of business, do not put up with this behavior. One time I returned to my dept to find a sales person hovering nervously over a client who had helped themselves to one of our computers. I walked up to them and restated the company policy: "We don't allow clients to use the company equipment." I wanted to say "If you need a computer, there's a Kinko's around the corner."

Yes, I took a certain satisfaction in saying it -- and seeing the 'what do you mean, I'm not special!?' look on their face -- probably not unlike the satisfaction felt by the runner who pepper-sprayed the biker.

But they still won't get it.

Sony sucketh

I just was watching part of Empire Strikes Back followed by the second half of Attack of the Clones (something charming about the old puppet Yoda as opposed to the CGI one) but of course right at the end as the fleet takes off, the crappy assSony 'Dream' system DVD player started, as it tends to do, skipping like a gay kindergartener on tina. SO aggravating, I almost grabbed the unit and slammed it against the wall. I never wanted a player that sucked the DVDs inside it anyway, what's the point? It only plays one before it starts to skip. And I've complained but to no avail. Guess I'll have to replace the whole goddamn home theater, but it won't be a Sony.

Radio Twist

Now this is an interesting turn of events. WGMS, a commercial radio station (and the only one left in the DC area that still plays classical music) is now heavily promoting that they are going to start broadcasting From The Top on Sunday nights at 7 pm. Now I'm not complaining, as FTT was one of my favorite shows on WETA before they tossed ALL of their classical music programming for a talk format. But it seems more than a little bit strange that a commercial station is going to start broadcasting a Public Radio Program. What's going on?

Though I think it's rather interesting that WGMS is obviously actively going after the WETA music listeners. Go them!

Still Going!

Spirit and Opportunity are still both going strong on Mars. This April 12th update page shows some cool new views. And check out the reports by the current little cutie Flight Director Byron Jones! Maybe he's not Chris Lewicki, but I think he looks darling with or without those glasses. I need a job at JPL, that's obviously where all the cute geeks work.

Happy Birthday

Leonardo da Vinci!

Dear Tim at the Whole Foods

Dear Tim,

I wish I'd gone to your checkout line today, like I did last week. Sure the young woman who rang up my olives and Kashi and tuna salad and wine was nice enough, but she isn't you. Such a handsome blond young man with a disarming, genuine smile, and a look that held mine long enough to make me feel awkward. I can't imagine that you're much over thirty, and what sinewy arms you have. I can tell you're intelligent, just from the few words we exchanged about the weather. I can tell that about people, it's a INFJ thing.

I saw you again tonight, and you didn't smile at the other people the way do did to me, but maybe you were just having a long day. I was staring at you, watching your arms, and my checkout lady had to tell me to hit the "OK" button because I was zoning out.

I walked past your aisle and I have to admit I looked back to check out your ass. You even have a great ass. But I like your smile the best.

I'm getting in your line next time.

Apple kicking ass

Profits are way up!

In related news, Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...

It's time for me to start thinking about what kind of new computer I should get for home; my poor little Cube is over four years old, and the 17" CRT monitor is limiting. I can't decide if I want the 20" iMac, or to spring for a full-blown G5 with a 20" Cinema display (a considerably greater expense).

Georgetown Spin

Well, there were only a few people today, but from looking at the log sheet, the other morning classes this week were slow too. On th bright side, one regular woman was telling me that my music was the best of all the classes she has been to. She said the Tuesday woman plays some kind of spacy new-age stuff, and one time there was a sub who was the fitness instructor who absolutely could not match music with routines. That made me feel better; maybe I actually know what I'm doing.

And just as ego-boosting, in the locker room, I had noticed this hot looking guy come in before me and his locker was right across the bay, so instead of facing the wall on the bench I decided to face the room while I put on my shoes. Just for the scenery, you know. Well, it turns out this guy is even hotter in a towel (though i did not stare): perfect pecs and ass, and very handsome face. Of course he probably wasn't even 30, though his hair was a little thin in back. Anyway, I'm dressing and out of the blue he says "So are you the spin instructor?" As soon as he opens his mouth the gaydar alarm goes off. So we have a chat about spin class, and whether he could try it as a 'beginner' since he only took one class years years ago. I assured him that he could start in and sit out a few of the harder intervals the first few times.

I hope he shows up next Thursday, he was darling. Of course, we're not supposed to fraternize with the members...

Retro-sexual

I have this burning desire to see the video of the original Bonnie Tyler version of the video for Total Eclipse of the Heart, the weird boy's school dream/nightmare where she is a teacher, but at night she is running down these furling-drapery-lined corridors and the boys are frolicking about, sometimes in just speedos and goggles, getting soaked with water. And at the end they are all outside in their ties and jackets, and one of the boys looks up and his eyes glow blue.

Am I the only one who remembers this?

Guess I'll just have to settle for an old Duran Duran vid.

Oh, and my newest spin mix has a Linkin Park song on it. What have I done? Well, they are kind of cute.

I digress

Me: "So I missed that whole kindergarten 'learning to play well with others' thing."
Janine: "Well, that explains a lot."

Frozen, by Madonna

You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen
When your heart's not open

You're so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You're broken
When your heart's not open

(refrain)

Now there's no point in placing the blame
And you should know I suffer the same
If I lose you
My heart will be broken

Which X-Men member am I?

You scored as Beast. Codename: The Beast Full Name: Henry P. McCoy Mutant Powers: Increased agility, strength and stamina. Henry "Hank" McCoy is a founding member of the X-Men. Among all his original teamates, Hank had the best childhood, between loving parents, and so his temper and way of living was one of the happiest at the mansion. Beast's mutation at first was hardly noticable, but while away from the team, Hank made a terrible mistake: testing a new substance that he was using to study the x-factor. Beast tried the substance on himself. This caused a further mutation on his body, covering him with gray fur (that later became blue), fangs and great nails. He had then indeed become a "beast". One of the only students at the mansion who took up an education beyond that of the Xavier school, Beast's studies were in the biogenetic area of his field. Possessing a quick wit, a wry sense of humour, and scholarly wisdom, he also has a penchant for quoting the classics and poetry. Despite his beastly exterior, he is possesess incredible genius, making him one of the most intellingent minds in the world. Beast 80% Cyclops 75% Archangel 70% Jean Grey 65% Wolverine 65% Professor X 60% Shadowcat 60% Rogue 55% Storm 50% Banshee 45% Colossus 35% Nightcrawler 35% Iceman 30% Which X-Men member are You? created with QuizFarm.com

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'd prefer Cyclops.

Today

It's a beautiful brisk spring day in Washington. I don't get to say that very often. My allergy cough has subsided and I'm actually sleeping through the night without drugs (sleepng 9+ hours in fact). Somewhat disturbing is this gurgly rattle when I breathe sometimes, and a wet cough every few hours. But otherwise I feel fine, physically.

However, while the sun shines brightly and outdoors I enjoy that cool wind on my bare arms, I feel the dysthemia blahs starting to slide into a depression ditch. I don't know why, except that I've been bummed about the last few spin classes, I've felt myself more irritable than usual at work, and Sunday I told myself I would suck it up and write emails to my parents. Just bland hey I'm still alive, nothing new emails like I used to send; nothing they could latch onto and criticize.

Why did I promise myself this? Oh, probably to assuage the little bit of guilt I do feel for basically not speaking to them for the last few years. They aren't getting any younger, and I tell myself it wouldn't kill me to maintain some completely superficial contact. But here it is Wednesday and no emails. I tried every night and morning but just haven't been able to do it. Why is that, I wonder?

And now I'm stressing about classes tomorrow. I'd be tempte to quit or at least cut back, but I need the money, especially with ICE not paying me recently.

This is the kind of day I wish I was back on my old noon-9 schedule and I could walk to the Java Shack with my laptop and do some writing.

Heaven Less Opulent Than Vatican, Reports Disappointed Pope

Snicker

My Life as a Company Bigwig, Part II

Note: these are my recollections as I remember them; my memory could be faulty. I also intend no malice, insult or libel against anyone mentioned; I hope none is taken.

(Part One can be found Here)

By request, Here's some more random gems from Ye Olde Days of ICE...

Rick, a generally good guy, was our Art Director. He was also color blind. He also had a computer phobia. As we migrated more to using Macs in the late 80's, his determination to lay out covers by pasting up text manually became more of an issue. Finally we hired him an assistant to do the computer work.

During this time we were expanding quite a bit, and moved our offices to a swank location right on Charlottesville's beautiful Downtown Mall. We also suffered periodic cashflow problems (as did nearly every RPG company). At one point, we needed a receptionist, and another alter ego was born: Preston Eisenhower IV. (Kurt Rasmussen, who, to his chagrin, had been our real receptionist before -- turned out that boy could touch-type! -- had graduated to be a full-time bookkeeper). That was fun for a little while, since I could do editing and writing at the same time. However, soon I had to take over as Production Manager, where I was at one time presiding over a department of at least ten people (some part-time UVa students).

Then Rick left the company and I also assumed the duties of Art Director. Around the same time, in 1989, we bought a brand-new Mac IIci, a machine with a color monitor and an entir 8 megs of RAM. We hooked it to this monstrous box housing a huge (we thought) 300 mb hard drive, and soon we were actually laying out covers in Quark and having the film done electronically. We were on the bleeding edge of technology!

We also had a regular Friday Happy Hour. This mandated that Kurt, Bill Covert (Bill had many roles at ICE, starting as afternoon trash boy and moving up to production and bookkeeping...) and I all pile into a car, go to the nearby Safeway, and buy a whole lot of beer. Depending on the company's financial straits, we bought more beer. I have many fond memories of Happy Hour, especially i the summer when we would hang out on the balcony overlooking the Mall.

Also, as an aside, two people came to work in my Production Department about the same time: Jonathan Eddy and Will Hyde. Jonathan came from Wisconsin, as was apparently one of the founder of the Onion; he had this mane of curly hair. Will came from some prep school in VA and looked it. They became fast friends. (Oh, and we all became obsessed with Twin Peaks.) Eventually though, Will and Jon moved to Seattle, and founded the Stranger, the weekly paper that made Dan Savage's fame and fortune. (Back n the day, they would send me copies of the Stranger, and I asked If I could have a date with Dan; Dan apparently said sure if I flew him out here. Ah, the missed opportunities. When I met Dan a couple years ago, he smiled and said "My boyfriend's name is Terry." Sigh.)

Spin ennui

I have got to sit my butt down at the Cube tonight and burn a couple of new CDs for spin class. I've got the dreaded Thursday night hard-to-please crowd coming up again and I need to wow them after last week's lackluster performance. They don't care that I'm sick; they want enthusiasm and fresh music. Argh.

Or I could call Kelly and ask her to sub it again...

Gossip

Not that I am one to gossip, so you didn't hear this from me, but this Blind Item from Filth2Go was just passed on to me:

New Filth2Go Blind Item (April 11) -- Monique Jonville, 05:26:52 04/11/05 Mon
Could it be that a certain sexy cinema stud left wifey at home while he cavorted with the boys at Palm Spring’s notorious White Party? Rumor has it that the shirtless actor (who still looks like a gay teenager) rolled into the Saturday night event wearing sunglasses and his wedding ring (and was quickly locking lips with a number of hotties). In order to quell a squall rivaling The Perfect Storm, I should note that I have the best of intentions reporting this story - even though about half of the buff shirtless boys wearing sunglasses at these events could pass for our chaotic cutie. Adding to the mystery are photos that have surfaced of our nowhere man buying beer the very next day – sans wedding ring.

Those of you familair with Blind Items know that there are clues to the identity of our 'cinema stud' in the text. This one is easier than most, and quite titillating. One need only venture over to this page of the IMDb to see that, yes, Ryan Phillippe has been seen at the White Party kissing boys!

I'm verklempt!

Princess Carrie

I never noticed this, but when Entertainment Weekly pointed it out, I had to go back and see, and they are right. In Star Wars ep IV, in her scenes with Peter Cushing, Carrie Fisher puts on this fake British accent. Giggle.

Nerd Factor

How big of a sci-fi nerd am I?

I'm watching the SeaQuest pilot that I taped on the sci-fi channel lo many years go. I want the DVD!

Hmm, Ted Raimi, Marco Sanchez, and Don Franklin! Hotties! And later they even had the asian dude from 21 Jump Street and not one but two DeLuise dudes! Michael was sooo hot then.

Busy

For some reason I am feeling much better today than yesterday, despite haveing broken down last night and take a slug of Nyquil (the only thing that seems to quell the allergy cough and let me sleep). Yesterday after class I felt brain-dead, no appetite, and was coughing quite a bit. Today, despite taking something with Chlorpheniramine (antihistamine) and the dreaded pseudoephedrine, I'm feeling pretty good, and getting some writing done. I'm coughing a little, but not too bad. Maybe yesterday the class just took it out of me? Today I had gotten a sub of course, planning to do the Leesburg ride. Instead I have been taking it easy indoors (and looking longingly out at the sunshine, though at times I wish it was cold and raining, and clearing the air!

Oh, and for now I've given up on both WETA's annoying talk and WGMS's even more annoying commercials, and enjoying classical music streaming from the Cube through the Airport Express to the little stereo here in my bedroom as I write on my laptop. Yes, I am a Mac Geek.

Oh the Coughing

After teaching yesterday, I spent the rest of the day indoors, which I hated because this is my favorite weather. But I can't stand the horrible hacking, phlegmy cough that comes with the tree pollen. I caught up on on TiVo (I can't believe they killed off the hottest guy on Lost!) and watched some live tv. Charles' and Camilla's wedding news was inevitable, but I didn't mind so much because I was treated to many clips of the increasingly handsome Wills and Harry. Though poor Wiliam looks like he is already starting to lose his hair in back, poor guy. Bad-boy Harry is really growing into his looks, and I love that fiery red hair.

Jesus Christ Action Figure

Courtesy of my friend and ex-employee Ken: TV Ads: Jesus Christ Action Figure Warning: Not for the sensitive. You'll need Quicktime too I think.

Even I thought omg! at a couple points. But I laughed out loud at the end with the Ark of The Covenant.

Let's review the Old Testament

In honor of the Pope's funeral, I thought I'd bring back this post for review.

Fun with Tree Pollen

Ah, it's Spring, and the tree pollen is giving me digusting drainage that makes me cough day and night. I've tried like five allergy medicines, and they either don't work (Clarinex), make me irritable (Allegra), or raise my heart-rate to the point where I can't teach a spin class (anything with pseudoephedrine). I thought I was going to faint after my morning class yesterday and couldn't catch my breath.

It seems to get worse every year. I'm coughing as I type. Help!

Fire Tom DeLay

Sign up now! Fire his ass!

Lobbyists allegedly paid for DeLay trip to Russia

It keeps piling up. If true, arrangement could have violated House ethics rules

I so want this self-righteous bastard to go down in flames!

Witness Says She Saw Jackson Showering...

...With Wade Robson

Yoicks! Wade!!

Air Force and the Vatican?

Okay, I have been out of it, and a bunch of people had croaked lately, but I was mystified today as I walked by the Air Force Association Building and noticed that the Air Force and US flags were at half-mast.

Now who could this be for?

Terri Schiavo?
Prince Ranier?

The Pope?

Why does this really annoy me?

Dreams & Misdemeanors

Ugh, been under the weather again. Sunday after teaching I started to feel sick again, and was out of it Sunday and Monday (maybe teaching 5 classes in 4 days is a bit much?). Just about better now though, after a long sleep last night punctuated by coughing (ah the beginning of allergies!) and more bizarro dreams.

I can only remember fragments but they are doozies:

I was at this kind of tiki bar (in the eerly morning of all things) and decided to visit my old roomate, who lived above the bar. I still had my key, so I figured I'd just drop in on 'Alfie' (who was, in fact, Jude Law). Well I opened the door to the loft, and lit in the morning sun was Alfie, about four other guys and a couple of women, all on the bed, naked, and... well... Alfie was a bit put out that I barged in on him engaged in some fun with two other young men. I made my apologies (I wasn't asked to stay, darn it!) and scooted.

Then there was this whole sequence of events in my condo, but I also appeared to own a unit on the first floor (I'm on the top, 3rd floor), where I had left a lot of old 70's looking furniture. There was this flooding that was taking out the first floor, but for some reason I wasn't concerned. THEN I came out of my bedroom on the 3rd floor to find this team of people scouring my place. They politely informed me that they were DEA agents who had let themselves in and were looking through my place for drugs. I wasn't overly concerned, and we all exchanged light banter as they neatly ransaked my place and put things back. Weird.

Drew Fuller

Fellow Charmed fans who miss Drew Fuller as White-Lighter/Witch Chris, you can get a fix from this tawdry little movie: Voodoo Academy. Definitely get the DVD. Watch Drew writhe on the bed in his boxer briefs! see the hot priest give Drew a little shoulder massage in the bathtub! So bad with its cheesy boys-in-boxer-briefs exploitation, it's good... kinda.

Contact

As the Pope lies dying (and I sit in my bed not going to a social event I said I would attend), I feel the urge to watch Contact again, the movie based on the novel by Carl Sagan. Here are some memorable quotes (sorry if you haven't seen it you probably won't get it):

David Drumlin: I know you must think this is all very unfair. Maybe that's an understatement. What you don't know is I agree. I wish the world was a place where fair was the bottom line, where the kind of idealism you showed at the hearing was rewarded, not taken advantage of. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world.

Ellie Arroway: Funny, I've always believed that the world is what we make of it.

---

Palmer Joss: Is the world fundamentally a better place because of science and technology? We shop at home, we surf the web... at the same time, we feel emptier, lonelier and more cut off from each other than at any other time in human history.

---

Ellie Arroway: So what's more likely? That an all-powerful, mysterious God created the Universe, and decided not to give any proof of his existence? Or, that He simply doesn't exist at all, and that we created Him, so that we wouldn't have to feel so small and alone?

---

Ellie Arroway: Why did you do it? (her former lover Joss voting against her to take the Machine trip)

Palmer Joss: Our job was to select someone to speak for everybody. And I just couldn't in good conscience vote for a person who doesn't believe in God. Someone who honestly thinks the other ninety five percent of us suffer from some form of mass delusion.

---

Alien: You're an interesting species, an interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.

I don't wish the Pope ill, but it's too bad he can't turn back for a moment as he heads towards oblivion to let everyone know what really happens when you die. Or, even then would he be able to admit the truth?

My Life as a Company Bigwig

Note: these are my recollections as I remember them; my memory could be faulty. I also intend no malice, insult or libel against anyone mentioned; I hope none is taken.

Joel asked what it was like running a game company. With the thought on this 25th anniversary that a few others might find this entertaining, let me fire up some of those old synapses and tell you a tale...

First let me introduce the primary players in this saga:

Pete F. was the real creative soul behind the company. I met him when I was a First-year man at UVa through Anne Skinner, and I was introduced to Role Playing Games. It was like a drug! Pete was Fourth-year, and ran a Middle-earth campaign in the Second Age. When I joined the company, it was the second year of the 'Crown Quest' in which we had to destroy the Iron Crown of Morgoth (this was pre-Silmarillion, so we didn't know that it had been re-made into manacles). Even then Pete was modifying D&D, and we were using the computer-generated pre-Arms Law weapons tables.

Coleman C.: Coleman I think was already working on his doctorate in Computer Science back then. He was in the game, always the sneakiest of players.

Bruce N.: My year, he was another friend of Anne's, and joined the campaign a bit later.

Rick B.: He was never really into RPGs; more of a war gamer (which all the other guys were into, though I never was), Rick helped found the company with some much-needed capital.

Me: Callow youth.

I played all through school, while Pete continued to develop the system with help from others. When we started, he was (I think) fresh out of Law School at William & Mary. We rented a space in a little brick building in downtown Charlottesville, and I think Rick was the only full-time employee at first. I was working at the UVa Library for two years after I graduated, working for ICE at night. One very unusual (even unique I think) thing about our RPG company was that we were essentially run by committee: all five of us were on the Board of Directors, and we all took a very active part in company decisions.

Our first two products were Arms Law and Iron Wind, both 'typeset' on an IBM Correcting Selectric. We took way too many to our first GenCon, but a distributor snapped a lot of them up, and we were off.

Some random snippets:

Many of the original spells of Spell Law were invented by Pete one at a time, or at most in proto-lists. All were lovingly written in this elaborate script on parchment sheets. Some of them were real doozies.

Mentalism was invented by Olivia Johnston (later Olivia Fenlon) and me over beers at Pavilion XI, the student bar at UVa. We based the idea on the telepathic abilities of the High Elves and Wizards in the Lord of the Rings.

Pete once played a Mystic in a game run by Coleman before Mystics had any spells. He basically spent the entire game acting strangely.

There was no air conditioning in our first office, and the summers in Charlottesville can be sweltering. I remember sweating over that Selectric, typing spell lists.

Space Master started out as "Tech Law" an unsolicited proposal for a rules supplement sent in by a Canadian named Kevin B. There's a whole story behind that as well.

Our first computer was something called a 'Basis' that was the huge metal thing that ran on two 5.25" floppy disks. Our next generation of computers were Kaypros, metal boxy things that were supposedly portable. They ran on two 5.25" floppy disks as well using the CP/M operating system. We had one Kaypro with a -- get this -- 10 megabyte hard drive. Then in 1984 or five, we got our first... Mac. We were amazed. We could typeset stuff ourselves! No more stupid codes!

I was an incredibly prolific writer back then. I wrote a ton of Space Master stuff. Oh, here's a little secret for you few game people out there. For some reason, at some point when I was Art Director and Production Manager, Deane the Sales manager didn't like the idea of me writing ICE material on the side, even for free. By this point we had a board of seven people and she was on it. So to go behind her back I invented a nom de plume. I wrote several Space Master modules under the name Alexander Brooke Lindsay III. I think I told Kevin B. at one point but no one else. I think several people suspected, but no one said anything.

Related to the above, when the first Shadow World novel came to us, I suspected that the author (Roxanne Longstreet) was a nom de plume of a local writer named Brenda, but Pete has always assured me that she was a real person, and the last time I brought it up, he even -- with his trademark sly grin -- said that some people thought that the book had actually been written by me.

Back to Shadow World, this was my biggest project by far, going far beyond our original plans for the World of Loremaster envisioned when we published Iron Wind, Vog Mur (this was originally a module submission to TSR written by Pete and Kurt Fischer) and Cloudlords of Tanara.

More to come.

Planet on the sensors, Captain!

This is so cool. Astronomers capture photo of extrasolar planet

Daylight Saving

It's that weekend again, when we turn the clocks back and pretend like we have kind of control over time. I'm always reminded of the time in October back in Charlottesville when we were playing in a fantasy game in the night we were supposed to turn our clocks back. An encounter in the game went horribly wrong, but we realized that we had a way to turn back time and relive the hour (a la Harry and Hermione in Prisoner of Azkaban) even as we did it in the real world. Sorry, geek moment!