Below are the most recent 15 friends' journal entries.

Thursday, January 7th, 2010
baronmind	11:55a	Running Through My Head I woke up this morning with mildly sore muscles. This was a bit odd, since the closest I came to physical activity yesterday was walking to and from my car. That was while I was awake, though. While I slept, I dreamed about running and fighting and generally being in a street war, which was very exciting and also apparently somewhat physically taxing. My best guess is that, like my dog who frequently twitches his paws as he runs in his sleep, I was attempting to physically participate in the scenario my mind was serving up. I can only hope that I didn't look half as funny as the dog does. Even if I did, though, it hardly matters, for this has given me a new brilliant idea. I'm going to put out a series of audio recordings under the brand name Exersnooze™. They'll start out with white noise to gently lull the listener to sleep. After a short while, the noise will slowly have soft suggestions of energetic activities blended into the background, to subliminally guide the dreams of the listener. The effects of keeping your muscles mildly active for large portions of the night will be minor, of course, but the cumulative results over a period of time will be discernible. At the very least, it'll be better than not exercising your muscles at all, which is where I suspect most of Exersnooze's™ target audience is starting. I'll need to run some tests first, of course. This is not because there's any scientific basis to my idea, but just because testing sounds professional. There doesn't seem to be any real scientific basis to most diets, or running shoes, or sit-ups, or half of the other exercise stuff out there, so I don't feel that I should let it hamper me, either. My tests will be to confirm things like if two people are sleeping in the same bed, they will not accidentally end up fighting each other. I feel secure in my hypothesis that Exersnooze™ will not produce such unwanted results. I plan to start out with a basic action-adventure suggestion, then branch out into more specific storylines. Pirates, ninjas, cowboys, Robin Hood -- the sky's the limit, as long as it's in the public domain. Once I get going, I may be able to contract with some authors or studios to get the rights to specific characters. Exersnooze™, featuring James Bond! Fight him or fight as him; it's all up to you. Exersnooze&trade: Dream On. Current Mood: happy Current Music: HUMANWINE -- Fire (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
alpheratz	9:09p	A reel of movies I bought this new deodorant that promised to smell like peaches, and peaches smell good, so I bought it, and now I think it actually smells like the first deodorant I ever had. It is a very strange feeling. What is the collective noun for movies? I saw enough movies in the past two weeks to warrant using one. ( The Blind Side, Christmas Day - 3.5 out of 4 stars ) ( Up in the Air, Boxing Day - 4 very enthusiastic stars ) ( Sherlock Holmes, whatever the 29th is - 3 stars ) ( Avatar - 1 star ) ETA: This is pretty amazing and makes a certain thing slightly less stupid. h/t ariastar (2 Comments |Comment on this)
baronmind	11:56a	500 More They say that those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. Speaking personally, I remember my history just fine, but appear doomed to repeat it anyway. I suppose that technically they didn't say that those who do remember history aren't doomed to repeat it, and I guess that "Those who participate in history are doomed to repeat it" doesn't have quite the same warning tone to it. Still, I feel that those who forget history are being unduly maligned here. At least it's new and fresh to them the second time around. I've signed up for the One Day Hike again! For those of you traditionally doomed to repeat history, that's the clever plan wherein I, and up to 349 of my closest friends, get up at 3 AM on a Saturday and attempt to walk 100 kilometers -- 62.1 miles -- for no reason whatsoever. I tried it last year, and fell about 14 miles short. In that sense, I do have a reason for doing it this year; I've got an old record to beat now. I've been getting ready for this with the All-American Training Plan, by which I mean I haven't done a lick of exercise since Thanksgiving, but I've been eating like I plan to hibernate for the winter. I went out running yesterday to see if it's still terrible even in this glorious future year, and it turns out that it's actually worse than ever. So not only do I not have a jetpack or a flying car, but it's going to take me longer to get places on foot, even. The future is disappointingly slow. If that's so, though, then it's even more important than ever that I be able to walk for a day without stopping. While everyone else is tied up in ever-larger traffic jams, and the once-snide cyclists and joggers are wheezing on their asphalt paths, I will stride boldly by, backpack on and walking stick in hand. I think I'll probably want to grow my beard out to complete the image, but since I'll also need to get a walking stick and a decent frame backpack, I figure I've got time to get around to that. As ever, I encourage everyone to join me on the One Day Hike. There's a 50K option, if 100K seems too insane for you. You might be about to say that even 50K is much too far, but let me just remind you that my mother walked that last year in 90 degree heat. So if you still want to say it's too tough, go ahead. I won't think less of you for wimping out of something that my mother could do. How you think about yourself is, of course, entirely your own business. Current Mood: good Current Music: Кометы -- Джульетта (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
baronmind	11:56a	All Part of My Plaster Man It's January, and I've been doing my annual financial review again. Everything seems to be in order, but I like to do a full analysis once a year to make sure that I'm not doing anything particularly stupid. I'm pleased to report that everything lines up like it ought to, and there were no nasty surprises this year. Unfortunately, I didn't find any real place to cut back expenses, either. Now, obviously, I spend plenty of money on luxuries, and could easily knock some or all of that off. However, the whole reason I want to save more money is so that I can retire early, buy a private island and live there off of the interest being generated by my savings. It doesn't make sense to quit living a good life now just so that I can live a good life later, even if it does mean that I may not ever end up with a private island. I did find one area in which I could curb my spending, by making just one major sacrifice: I could sell my house. House payments, insurance, utilities, internet and the occasional major repair all add up to a chunk of change; throw in the cost of gas used driving to and from work, and I could save almost an entire paycheck every month just by not having a house. Of course, if I didn't have my house, I'd have to live somewhere, and traditionally this costs money -- but I have a cunning plan. See, I have a private office at work, with a lockable door. I've got full access to the building, in case things break and no one else is here. I keep a toothbrush, toothpaste and razor here, as well as a pillow; I've already had more than one occasion to use each of these items. So really, it wouldn't be all that big of a jump to just move into the office. Now, obviously, this wouldn't be allowed, but that's easy enough to get around. I could just leave at the end of the day for a few hours, then come back once everyone else was gone. Similarly, in the mornings, I'd just have to pop out for an hour or so. I'm sure I'd oversleep occasionally and people would spot my car in the parking lot, but having my coworkers think that I'm getting to the office early isn't such a bad thing. I'd have to get a storage locker for some of my stuff, which is no big deal. I'd also have to kick out spookyhandle, which is a bigger problem, but I could buy her something nice to make up for it with the money I wasn't spending. I'd have to get rid of my dog, too, which is a shame -- but he really hasn't been pulling his weight, anyway. I've told him time and time again to go get a job, and he just gives me a look like my words don't even make sense to him. Eventually, I'll get caught -- but even if I only manage to get away with it for a couple of months, that's thousands of dollars in savings. If I could avoid notice for a year, it would shave almost a year off of the time I'll need to work. It would require some sacrifices, naturally, but the rewards are pretty astonishing. I may have to stop inviting everyone over for a while, but don't worry; you'll all be invited to my island-warming party in a few years. Save the date! Current Mood: devious Current Music: Paul McCartney -- We All Stand Together (5 Comments |Comment on this)
alpheratz	12:24p	On a scale of One to Ten, you are Eleven No, not the episode. But I think I may have a blind spot for everything that's bad about this show, or maybe I trained myself to only see the good... I've mentioned on previous occasions that Doctor Who is sort of like a Platonic Shadow, and the Form is in my head. As long as the Form is there, I'll see what I need in the Shadow. ( The End of Time ) ( Oh no, I'm a girl! ) Oh, also, if you didn't like the episode that much or hoped to like it more, I highly recommend ariastar's recap with screencaps and the comments on it. I feel a rosy glow now. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 4th, 2010
baronmind	1:47p	Time on My Hands I have a small clock on my desk that does not tell me the time. It tells me a time, to be sure; according to my desk clock, it's constantly 1:47 on the dot. Nothing in particular happens at that time, or at least, at what other clocks agree is that time. As far as my desk clock is concerned, absolutely everything happens at 1:47. This failure to tell time might seem like something of a major deficiency in a clock, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. My computer tells me the time, after all, as do my watch and the wall clock. The phone does, too, although that's behind me and I can't often be bothered to revolve my chair to look at it. So I don't really need an additional time source; the clock serves other purposes. Its primary use, which I discovered shortly after the battery first ran dead, is as a puzzle. The watch is set into a stone base, from which it can be pried with a bit of effort. What I'm left with then, though, is a smooth, seemingly unbroken metal casing. It surrounds the watch completely, with a small hole for the stem so that the clock can be set, and a hole in front into which the crystal is set. There is no clear way that a battery could ever be replaced in this timepiece. I've often puzzled over this, because surely everyone knows that batteries run down. The back does not pull off, nor does it unscrew. Pulling and pushing the stem do nothing to start or stop the clock; winding it does nothing but move the hands around, so it's clearly a battery-based mechanism. I've tried prying the crystal off, but the casing wraps over top of it; there's no edge to get under. I could smash the crystal, of course, then tear up the clock face to get to the guts, but at that point replacing the battery would only begin to fix the problems. It's possible that there are some special watch-tools that could solve this problem. Aside from requiring me to actually do work to resolve the problem, though, this also means that I'd be trading in a puzzle for just another timepiece. Timepieces I have; puzzles are worth keeping around. Current Mood: enthralled Current Music: Paul & Storm -- Opening Band (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
jadedsquirrel	10:04p	Reflections in the fresh year I spent an incredible hour with myself tonight. I've been in Baltimore for the past week, bouncing around and seeing people and having adventures, and today I started the familiar goodbye process that begins with last kisses, moves to hours reminiscing with my mum, and culminates tomorrow when I get on a plane back to Seattle. On my drive from York to Lancaster, I found myself in a head space that was at once at peace with my world and myself, open the the newness of the year, and strong enough to take on what comes my way. ( All right meme, just go quietly and this'll all be over soon ) Current Mood: exhausted and at peace Current Music: Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (Comment on this)
joshwriting	10:04a	Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter! The next two weekends, the Voyagers Shakespeare Company presents the romantic comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter, by William Shakespeare - and a dozen or so other people, including me. I'm directing a cast of 18 home-schooled students, ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old, as we tell a bit of the story from June, the month before Romeo met Juliet! You should come see it, if you're in the area. (And if you are thinking that you would be in the area for Arisia, but therefore unable to come, know that there will be other folks coming to see the show from Arisia, and rides are likely available.) Also... it's not (yet) too late if you wish to advertise in the program - drop me a note or reply here to let me know if you want details. We'll also be making a DVD of the show. We're performing at 530 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts. http://wiki.voyagersinc.org/wiki/bin/view/Public/TicketInfoF09 Please join us for 90 minutes of comedy, romance and surprising twists. * Friday, January 8, 7:00pm * Saturday, January 9, 7:00pm * Sunday, January 10, 1:30pm * Friday, January 15, 7:00pm * Saturday, January 16, 7:00pm * Sunday, January 17, 1:30pm There are two tiers for ticket pricing: * Front Row seating - $15.00 * Standard Seating - $12.00 Nuclear Family Maximum is limited to the first 4 most expensive tickets. (For example - A nuclear family of 5 buys 2 Front Row tickets and 3 Standard tickets. They pay for 2 seats at $15.00 + 2 seats at $12.00 + 1 seat at $0.00 = $54.00) Current Mood: excited and nervous Current Music: Another Opening, Another Show (2 Comments |Comment on this)
comic_foxtrot [ dreaming_faerie ]	1:59a	Foxtrot (Sunday, January 3, 2010) (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
baronmind	11:56a	By the Numbers An alarming crisis is looming on the horizon. This is big, and frightening; Y2K, 2012 and even 2038 pale into insignificance beside it. What's more, no one seems to have even thought about it yet, despite the fact that its impact will begin to be felt in less than a year. It's as if no one's even noticed what's coming. I refer, of course, to the impending New Year's glasses problem. We've been living for decades in a boom period of years with circular numbers; every year has had at least two 8s, 9s or 0s which can be conveniently made into the eyepieces for comical New Year's glasses. We've grown complacent, and no one seems to be thinking about the fact that in 2011, only a year and a day away, that bubble is going to burst. The last time we faced this problem was in 1977, over thirty years ago. Almost nothing in my house is that old; for that matter, 3/5ths of my immediate family hadn't yet been invented in 1977. We are not a culture that clings to our past. Often, this is good for us; it helps us stride boldly into the future. In this case, however, I think we're about to be blindsided as our history repeats itself. You may think that nothing much will happen. I did a Google image search for "1977 funny glasses," though, and I discovered something horrifying: without the ability to look through numbers at New Year's, people were forced to wear ridiculous glasses all year long. It spread to their hair, too, presumably through the earpieces. Without a yearly outlet, it infected their entire wardrobe. The first half of the decade, 1971-1975, was a vast wasteland, due to five years of suffering without wacky number glasses. 1977 was, if anything, worse; when 1976 came along, people thought that the worst was behind them, and were plunged back into depression at the end of that year. Now, more than thirty years later, we're due to begin the same cycle, and we've made no preparations whatsoever. Enjoy your last double-rounded year, people. The decadence of our civilization won't allow us to survive another five year spell of straight numbers. By the time 2016 gets here, we'll all have stabbed out our left eyes and devolved into piracy. I can see it coming. Current Mood: alarmed Current Music: Skee-lo -- I Wish (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
baronmind	11:58a	The Dotted Line I've just gotten another email from one of my political groups asking me to sign an online petition. This one, they assure me, will have the most signatures ever; it will undoubtedly prove once and for all that absolutely everyone agrees on this subject, and that Congress will immediately change its ways when the representatives see it. Like the spammed advertisements for Viagra, I assume that petitions must have some sort of a success rate, or I wouldn't keep seeing them. I have trouble imagining a situation in which they'd be effective, though. "Time to get to the Senate! I've got to go vote for drilling in Alaska." "Senator, wait! We've just received an email; over two hundred thousand people have clicked a link saying that we shouldn't drill in Alaska!" "What?! This changes everything! Why, in that case, I'll vote against it -- but wait. What about the other petition last week, where 150,000 people said that we should drill?" "I -- I hadn't thought of that!" "All right, start calling everyone who signed their names. They're going to have to meet up and fight it out. Last group standing gets my vote." Okay, so clearly I can imagine a situation in which it's effective, albeit one that gets a bit silly by the end. I cannot, however, believe that petitions work. The fact that people have scribbled what may or may not be their actual names on something that they most likely have not read just doesn't seem like a huge motivator to me. I sign the petitions I agree with; I figure that it certainly doesn't hurt anything, although I suppose that I may change my mind when I get called up to join a battle royale against the counter-petitioners. After all, maybe I'm wrong, and minds really are changed by this sort of thing. But it seems to me that this sort of thing is largely counter-productive; it allows people to feel that they've made their voice heard, without actually doing anything at all. In fact, that'd be a fairly clever tactic for people to use on their opposition's supporters. "Sign this petition, let Congress hear you! Don't bother to write, call or be active; trust us to take care of that for you. Senator S. H. Redder will be very interested in this!" Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: The Crimson Ghosts -- Somewhere in a Casket (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
baronmind	11:57a	Yeah, Your Mom's Running for Senate Yesterday, the Illinois Republican party kicked out one of its members. I'd been wondering for a long time whether the parties had the ability to do this sort of thing. Obviously, they can't stop him someone from voting Republican, and they probably can't even stop him from publicly calling himself a Republican -- but they can refuse to let him run for office under their name, apparently. The recipient of this honor is US Senate hopeful Andy Martin, who recently released a radio ad alleging that his Republican opponent is gay. I applaud Mr. Martin's efforts to drag political discourse to a new low, but would encourage him to stop taking these half-measures. Why release an ad saying, "[T]here is a ‘solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual’...Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth," when you could instead buy airtime for a sing-song chant of, "Mark is a faa-ag! He has a rainbow flaa-ag!", and its companion ad, "If Mark Kirk likes homos so much, maybe he should just marry one." I can't really see this behavior alienating anyone who would refrain from voting for a Senator based on rumors about his sexual orientation, anyway. Since the radio stations claim that under FCC regulations, they're required to run any campaign ads unedited, this would apparently be allowable, too. In Martin's defense, he backs up his claims by naming other people who have been spreading the rumor. This is known in playground parlance as the "Yuh-huh, everybody knows it" defense. It can be very hard to refute, especially in radio ads, as the "Do not!" rebuttal is short enough to get lost amidst the ads. I'm curious about the exact wording of this "radio stations have to run all election ads" law, though. Are these only ads by the candidates? If so, what determines a candidate? Can I run as a write-in and have my ads qualify? Do they have to be relevant to the campaign at all? For that matter, what does it cost to buy a radio ad? I think someone should meet Andy Martin on his own territory here. "Andy Martin seems very interested in knowing whether or not Mark Kirk is gay. Why is that? Why is Martin so interested in who Mark Kirk likes? Is he seeking a friend -- or something more? Andy Martin should tell Republican voters the truth. Paid for by people who think ticking off homophobes is funny." I'd chip in a few bucks to hear that aired! Current Mood: irritated Current Music: Michael Giacchino -- Roar! (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 28th, 2009
baronmind	11:52a	Snow Problem It snowed here last week! This was predicted well in advance, of course, giving people plenty of time to panic before water stopped being a liquid and life as we know it came to an end. I stopped by a grocery store myself to pick up some food, and not only was the bread aisle bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard, but even the flour had been ransacked. There were a few bags of all-purpose flour left on the shelves, along with a liberal coating of free-floating flour. I couldn't help imagining two people both grabbing for one bag of flour simultaneously, then snarling at each other and pulling until the bag broke in half. I heard that DC got a record amount of snowfall for this month, breaking the old high set in 1899. I don't think Richmond quite managed that same feat, but we did get a foot of snow or so, measured by my incredibly accurate technique of sticking my fist into the snow and seeing how much of my forearm it covered. In any case, there was certainly a lot of snow. The Virginia Department of Transportation, which I usually only mention in order to malign their name, did a fantastic job of preparing for the snow, clearing the roads, and keeping them safe and drivable. I didn't drive anywhere on Saturday, the first day of the snow, but I did push a couple of friends' cars up my hill -- and once they were out of the neighborhood, the main roads all appeared to be decently cleared. Even more surprisingly, on Sunday, a sandtruck backed down into my neighborhood, dispensing sand and salt all the way down to the cul-de-sac at the end. I was astonished that they'd even bothered; on all previous years that I can remember there being any amount of snow, the general idea was, "We'll plow the main roads; if you can't make it out of your neighborhood, that's your problem." And honestly, this seemed like a fine theory to me. There are a lot of main roads, after all. Really, the only problem I had driving anywhere was that it was hard to tell where it was safe to park on the sides of roads. I cleverly parked my car in a snow-covered ditch one night; thanks to the snow, it was completely level with the surrounding ground. I spotted my mistake as soon as the front right wheel lurched downward, but at that point, it was too late to correct my error without manual intervention. Fortunately, with the help of a few friends, this situation was easily put to rights. So, in what may be a first, I'd like to issue a totally sincere thanks to VDOT. Job well done, folks! Current Mood: good Current Music: Savatage -- Devastation (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 27th, 2009
comic_foxtrot [ dreaming_faerie ]	1:49a	Foxtrot (Sunday, December 27, 2009) (Comment on this)
Friday, December 25th, 2009
joshwriting	8:18p	Playlist for a wintry Christmas Day American Colonial Christmas Music - Berkeley Chamber Singers Hallelujah - Josiah Flagg My soul doth magnify the lord - Old Indian Hymn (?!) Christ the Lord, the Lord most glorious (with the Moravian Chorale) - John Antes Song of the Angels - Winchester (tune) Dedham - William Billings An Anthem for Christmas (Hark! Hear you not a cheerful voice) - William Billings A Virgin unspotted - William Billings Boston and Shiloh (Methinks I see a Heavenly Host) - William Billings When Jesus wept (canon) - William Billings What wondrous love is this - William Billings Coronation (All hail the power) - Oliver Holden Christmas Hymns (While shepherds watched their flocks) - John Palma An Hymn: On Christ's Nativity (Behold! The grace appears) - William Tans'ur An Anthem out of the 2nd chap. of Luke (Behold I bring you glad tidings) - Joseph Stephenson Anthem (Now for a tune of lofty prince) - Samuel Holyoke Worcester (How beauteous are their feet - Abraham Wood Magnificat (My soul doth magnify the lord) - Charles Theodore Pachelbel Christmas Carols & Motets of Medieval Europe - The Deller Consort w/Musica Antiqua of Vienna De Nativitate Domini - Anon. Ave Maria Lauda - Giacomo Fogliano Decet huius conctis horis - Jan of Jenštejn In Nativitate Domini - Pedro de Escobar O Regina, Lux Divina - Anon. Hodie Christus natus est - Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina Nescient Mater - Byttering Et in terra pax (instrumental) - Johannes Ciconia Crist and Sainte Marie - St. Godric Sancta Maria - John Dunstable O Maria virgo (instrumental) - Anon. Gloria - Anon. Puer natus - Henricus Isaac Foeno iacere (instrumental) - Thomas Stoltzer Maria Zart - Ludwig Senfl Beata Progenies - Leonel Power Alleluya Psalllat - Anon. Sir Cristemas - The Elizabethan Singers I saw three ships come sailing in - Trad. (arranged by Simon Preston) The First Christmas - Fleming/Fricker Deck the hall - Trad. (arranged by Hugo Cole) Dormi Jesu - Trad. (music by Richard Rodney Bennett) Here we come a-wassailing - Trad. (arranged by John Joubert) Our Lady's Song - Aon. (Music by Nicholas Maw) Unto us is born a son - Pieae Cantiones (trans. by G.R. Woodward, arranged by Eastwood) There is no rose of such virtue - Music by Joubert, words medieval We wish you a merry Christmas - Trad. (arranged by John Garfdner) Silent Night - Rothery/Gruber (arranged by Alan Ridout) The Boar's Head Carol - Trad. (arranged by Malcolm Williamson) Balülalow - words by James, John, and Robert Wedderburn, music by Halsey Out of your sleep arise - 14th century words, music by Anthony Milner Ecce Puer - James Joyce/Bernard Naylor What Cheer? - Richard Hill/William Walton From Heaven winging - Trans. by Swinyard, arranged by Basil Ramsey Welcome Yule! - Trad. (music by John Joubert) Ave Maria - Hail, blessed flower - medieval words, music by Peter Maxwell Davies The first nowell - Trad. (arranged by John Gardner) Now Make We Merthe: Medieval Carols - The Purcell Consort of Voices w/the Boys of All Saints, Margaret Street Lux hodie: Orientis partibus Resonemus laudibus Verbum caro: In hoc anni circulo Fines amourettes Verbum patris hodie Lullay, lullow: I saw a sweete Fulger hodie de Pespine Now make we merthe: Now God Almighty Noe, noe, noe, psallite Nowell The: borys hede Pray for us: In this valey Verbum patris humanatur Conditur fut le non-pareil Nova. nova: Gabriell off hye degre Nowell: Dieus vous garde - Richard Smert Riu, riu, chiu: El lobo rabioso Verbum caro: Dies est laetitiae Joseph, lieber Joseph mein - Joseph Walther so far... Current Mood: amused Current Music: carols, motets, and assorted hymns and canons (Comment on this)