I can't believe I'd never stumbled across this before...Most marvelous Mike Myers movie.

I'm coming waaay late to the party since this has already made its way across the Internet, but this is to good to pass up.  Not long ago a hilariously funny non-religion was brought into being to protest the decision of the Kansas school board to teach Intelligent Design in schools.

Read about the Flying Spaghetti Monster at Wikipedia:

I mean, how can you not like the idea of a omnipotent spaghetti monster as the supreme being that created all that is?

Which reminds me of when I used to proclaim the greatness of Bobism, the transcendental religion in which Bob is the supreme being of which we are all a part...more on that later.

So a new personality test has floated through my social group, the "Kingdomality Personal Preference profile."

Sheesh, what a name.  But being a fan of medievel times and personality tests, I couldn't resist.

Since you're dying to know...I am a Dreamer-Minstrel.

 our distinct personality, The Dreamer-Minstrel might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You can always see the "Silver Lining" to every dark and dreary cloud. Look at the bright side is your motto and understanding why everything happens for the best is your goal. You are the positive optimist of the world who provides the hope for all humankind. There is nothing so terrible that you can not find some good within it. On the positive side, you are spontaneous, charismatic, idealistic and empathic. On the negative side, you may be a sentimental dreamer who is emotionally impractical. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

I love the Web, it provides quick and easy access to information and ideas that would either take us much longer to encounter or worse, never encounter at all.

Take for example The Elegeant Universe.  For anyone interested in either physics or The Theory of Everything, I find this to be must read material.  It points to one possible answer, but that answer raises so many additional questions.

If there are 10+ dimensions, how many were involved/effected by the Big Bang?  Were the strings always there and the Bang was simply a strong vibration which caused the knots and ripples to coalesce?  Or did the Bang throw those strings across the universe like a baseball being unraveled?

Where does human consciousness come into play?  If our brains are the seat of our consciousness, and a brain is made up of billions of cells, and each of those cells is made up of atoms, and eventually those atoms are made up of strings, do the strings control our minds, or do our minds control the strings?

So many questions, so little (much?) time...

Found a cool alternative to IE that can do almost everything I want.  Firefox hasn't reached 1.0 vresion yet but it's already a very cool browser.  Built in pop up blocking, cookie management, easily downlaoded themes (Noia's my favorite so far) and most importantly, it can acces iNotes, the super cool version of web bsed e-mail for Notes. 

Ironicly, one of the few things it can't do it is post entries in this blog.  Something about the text field it doesn't like, just shows the formet toolbar and the save button, no text field. 

Now, I just have to get it loaded on my Red Hat box and see if it can jump through all the same hoops.

While visiting Richmond, Virginai, I also recommend taking a tour down Monument Avenue.  You'll see beautiful bronze statues of the Southern Civil War generals on tall marble displays.  You'll see expansize southern mansions, flower gardens and green lawns.  And there, at the end of the park like expanse, you'll also find a statue to Arthur Ashe.

Don't know who he is?  Then follow the link and find out!  Or maybe check here.  Then you may be able to see why seeing this statue of a great man was also kinda weird...

When I think of the Civil War what I remember first isn't a history lesson, it was being in junior high school history class.  I sat next to my best friend at the time and had a very cool teacher.  What could be better than that?  I did actually learn a lot, and eventually thoughts of battles, generals, presidents and dates start to percolate into my brain.  Oh, and General Sherman will forever be etched in my mind as "Yutz, The Wonder Snail." 

That may change, however, as this past weekend I went to the Museum of the Confederacy. 

It was kinda surreal at times.  It has the largest collection of period artifacts I've seen and I'm glad to have had the chance to see them.  But the underlying message in all of the historical descriptions seemed clear in my mind.  But I leave it up to you to visit and draw your own conclusions.

I will say that before I might of thought I could go to the south and find a way to fit in, I'm now sure that I am, have been, and will always be a yankee. 

It was actually really interesting and I really think I learned something.  I recommend everyone who has any interest in learning about American history and understanding why things are they way they are today go there. 

Nothing like a quick jaunt over to the Big Apple to complete the week.  Just wish I'd known I'd be going in advance!  After a particularly interesting teleconference Wednesday I found myself being shipped over to our NY office that night to continue our system upgrade.  Things went well, both flying and for the system upgradfe

On the plus side this trip allowed me to stay, on the company dollar, at the Waldorf-Astoria.  I have to heartily recommend the Waldorf (particulalry if you won't be stuck with the bill).

Another bonus was a dinner at Vago.  I wasn't initially convinced that I'd enjoy this "Asian fusion" resteraunt but after great food and great service I really have nothing to complain about. 

Pictures of Franklin the traveling frog coming soon...

I seem to be at just the wrong age to be able to date anyone.  Too old to date college girls, to young for "older" women to take me seriously.  A woman 3 years my senior referring to me as the baby of the group?  Doesn't anyone remember that love knows no limits?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller...

Which leads me to the following thought, why are relationships so hard?  Too bad we aren't all born with psychic powers and able to read each other's minds so we could get over all the small stuff right from the get go...

The truths are in the contradictions.  We're all able to do so much, have so much ability and talent and potential...and then we go and get hung up not on how powerful we are, but how powerless...
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So in between the general day to day activities of working to much and playing video games I recently managed to fit in some time for shopping.  I needed more winter clothes, and my wardrobe has needed an overhaul for months anyway.

Many pieces of apparel were easily acquired.  Pants, on the other hand, were not.  I find myself in a strange minority that the clothing manufacturers of America obviously aren't prepared for, I'm tall and thin.  This has been to my disadvantage in the shopping arena before, but never so much as this weekend.  No stores carry pants in my size, fine, I accept this fact.  But when the minimum waste size goes up to the point where I can't find anything remotely close to wearable things are getting out of hand.

Step 1: Put everyone in America (besides myself) on the Slim Fast plan.

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Make profit!

How does one find one's evil twin, and what does he do when he finds him?

I've tried putting up posters notices around town, but people keep pointing me out and trying to collect on the reward.  I tried to report him missing to the police and they seemed to take it as some sort of joke, said I was right there and was wasting their time.

I see his handiwork daily and I know he's lurking just around the corner...just can't seem to figure out which corner, though.

If you happen to see him, can you let me know?

A friend sent me the following in response to my last post, specificly the bit on Democracy.  What I didn't know was that there's ome history behind that thought.

"In Juvenal's time (55-127 A.D.), the Roman Republic was but a distant memory as the power of the emperors grew stronger and stronger. The once proud Senate that had witnessed the splendid orations of Cato and Cicero-dominated and weakened year after year by the succession of dictators-atrophied into a figurehead of an institution. However, Juvenal felt that the populace took the duties of citizenship far more seriously during the days of the Republic than in the virtual dictatorships of the Caesars.

Sheesh, finally getting around to when I left for Vegas.

The crush of work I had to do before leaving for vacation caught up for me, and the Wednesday night before leaving for Vegas I had a horrendous pile of stuff to do.  Worse yet, I had friends meeting up at The Big Bar, and I wanted to join them.  The compromise of this situation was working late, going to The Big Bar and grabbing food, and then heading back to work.  I heartily recommend The Big Bar to anyone with a sufficiently fat pocketbook.  It's good but it's also pricey.  I heartily recommend NOT working late before going on vacation, it can make you...cranky.  Not how you want to start the relaxation time.

So after staggering home late from work and collapsing I'm woken up Thursday morning by, you guessed it, work calling.  Took a little while to iron that out, but having FINALLY put my job behind me I packed and was on my way to the airport. 

I mentioned in a separate post I don't mind to fly.  Something that makes flying far less enjoyable is being seated in the very last row of a rear engine jet.  If I looked out the window I saw, you guessed it, the engine.  Can we say loud, boys and girls? What?  What?  Can't hear you...these engines are too darn loud.

After arriving in Vegas we hopped a cab and checked in.  We stayed at the picturesque Boardwalk Hotel, which is located between the Monte Carlo and The Bellagio.  I believe it could safely be called the Howard Johnson of the Vegas Strip.  Nothing fancy to be found there, but rooms were clean, and it was way cheap.  On the other hand there were no perks, and we had to walk outside to get to our rooms (in 110 degree heat).  The Belagio this was not.

In this short interlude I tell you that some pictures from my trip have been posted, my gambling skills are poor, and that when in Vegas stay cheap, eat well.

So a friend told me last night that, since I haven't posted to the blog in a while, and my last missive was describing being way sick, that it seemed like I'd died.

But as I'm fond of saying, I'm not dead yet!

So here, in a nutshell is what I've done since my last post: worked to much, slept too little, gone to Vegas, fixed a broken PC, read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, installed RedHat 9 and started playing with it, played more volleyball, and complained about this that and the other thing.

More on each of the above topics will be forthcoming, probably starting with when I got back from Vegas and working backwards from there.

It was my great luck today to stumble across a sound archive with clips from the cartoon The Tick. If you're not familiar with this fine piece of animated entertainment, use that web browser of yours and start get familiarized! You won't be disappointed by the power of might blue justice!

The key is to remember there's a bit of superheroness within us all. Whether your superpower happens to be that you shovel well, can throw high heeled shoes with deadly or are just nigh indestructible, get a funky costume and a wacky superhero name and start showig the world what kind of super hero you are!

Spent a lazy day doing some errands, and inadvertently came out with quite a load of goodies I wasn't really intending to buy:

A Gandalf the White action figure - Happened to wander by a Kay-Bee toystore when I had some time to kill and thought Gandalf was cooler than the Star Trek figures they had. Plus now he can fight the cool as hell Sauron figure in my display case.

Sandman Book #7: Which I read this afternoon. Sad thing being I already had that one...

2 cookbooks: I need (as in need for my very survival) to become a better cook. Hopefully these will help, one on Indian cooking and one to cover the basics.

Soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou - I heard Man of Constant Sorrow at the most random moment, while in a movie theater waiting to see Matrix Reloaded. Something about hearing that quite excellent song made me it necessary to pick up the album.

Soundtrack to Chicago: The Cell Block Tango rocks, baby.

The Age of Reason: By Jean-Paul Sartre, one of my favorite philosophers. Figured it's about damn time I read it.

 Rice cakes kill six in Japan

- - - - - - - - - - - -
Associated Press

Jan. 2, 2003  |  TOKYO -- Six elderly Japanese died and 25 others were hospitalized in Tokyo after choking on gooey rice cakes over the New Year's holidays, an official said.

Three men, ages 87, 88 and 89, died Thursday after suffocating from the traditional New Year's fare. An 85-year-old man and a 92-year-old woman died Wednesday and an 86-year-old man died Sunday under similar circumstances, Tokyo Fire Department official Yuichi Yokomizo said.  
Twelve others were in a coma, he said.

Every year, a handful of mostly elderly Japanese suffer after getting "mochi" rice cakes stuck in their throats. Mochi are usually served grilled and wrapped in dried seaweed, or in a broth.

Twenty Japanese, most of them elderly, were hospitalized during the holiday last year after getting mochi lodged in their throats, but none died. A mochi accident survey is taken annually from Dec. 26 through Jan. 3, when the rice cakes are most commonly eaten.

On Monday, the Tokyo Fire Department warned residents of the risks of eating the rice cakes, and urged them to take small bites, chew well and drink a lot of liquid with them.
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My favorite piece of the exhibit was a photogram, in which the photographer had taken a giant piece of photo paper and put it on the bottom of a streambed in the middle of the night and then used a strobe from above it to create the picture.  The ripples of the water were amazing and and there were shadows from the branchs of trees, if looked like you could touch the picture and feel the water rushing by.

It had been a while since I'd been to the Art Institute, I'll have to remember to go back more often.  I did wander and see more than simply the photo exhibit, I always love seeing Monet's work and they had several pieces by Magritte which I had seen from books, but seeing the originals was more fulfilling.

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