rob vincent dot net

Doctor Who is coming back to television!!!

Big thanks to Gonzo for the pointer.

The Doctors dance for joy!!

It’s official, Fina and I will be marching in our second Village Halloween Parade this year. Fina will be wearing some sort of corset deal, and I’m not sure what I’ll be wearing, but one thing is for certain… her and I will be in ICP makeup. We’re basing her face paint on Shaggy’s, and mine on Violent J’s.

We’ll be going with friends. I-ball and Enamon are definitely going with, as well as anyone else we can gather. Anyone who’ll be in the area and have a costume ready are welcome to join us!

If you’d like to go with, please email me and we’ll set it all up.

Meanwhile, here are our pics from last year’s parade.

Free time is at a premium for me all of a sudden.

The services for Cathy went well. Usually, when you get more than four or five of my extended family in one place at once, some sort of critical mass is reached and drama is inevitable. However, none was evident this time around. I’m grateful to my family for that.

Grey needs a job. Katrina needs a job. I need a new job.

Having given Katrina the grand tour of my town and it’s assortment of bars and more bars, I’m not sure there is much more I can show her around here.

My TV decided to stop working and fill my place with smoke. I’m now using an old crusty black-and-white backup one, which really sucks for playing FF8.

Remember the old “knowing is half the battle” public service announcements at the end of GI Joe cartoons? Someone named Eric Fensler has been remixing them, adding liberal doses of silly and random, and they’ve got to be seen to be believed. Check them out NOW.

You’ll be shouting “I’m a computer!” at random moments for weeks afterward.

I haven’t written for a bit, so here are a few days’ worth of drivel…

Hurricane? You call that a hurricane? I’ve had more meteorological activity in my bowl of Rice Krispies. No damage here.

I went to Manhattan on Friday to meet up with Katrina and her friend Rudy. Rudy is a great guy, with an extremely cool collection of anime and comics, as well as a talent for building card houses.

Finally meeting up with Katrina after she had been stuck in Texas for so long was quite an event, for us both.

We spent the weekend together, jetting more or less randomly between where she’s staying in Manhattan, and my place on Long Island. She introduced me to a great Middle-Eastern restaurant and Daifu Cream, and I introduced her to my boring town and its disproportionately large number of bars and stupid drunk people. We also developed an insidious plan involving the big metal globe in Columbus Circle and a large group of people armed with toilet paper rolls, but don’t tell anyone about that.

We attempted to see the Dalai Lama in Central Park, but the event was simply too crowded. After waiting something like three hours on a line which wound more than halfway around the park, we finally made it into the park only to find that the event had ended. I estimated at least 20,000 others on line with us who missed the event.

Here’s a news report on the event.

Still, we did get some good books from someone who was selling them out of his backpack, and it was a nice day to hang out.

In other news, my cousin Catherine passed away yesterday.

My extended relatives seem to consider my mom my sisters, and I some sort of “black sheep,” which is fine with us. I’ve never felt all that obliged to most of them, and I’m not traditional enough to immediately love someone just because they’re blood related. However, Cathy was family in every sense. She was the cousin my close family and I were closest with, and we will miss her dearly.

With sadness comes joy, as there’s now an addition to our family. We inherited Cathy’s cat, Stinky. We’ll have to keep an eye on how well he adapts to living here, as he was Cathy’s only cat, and she spoiled him rotten, bless her heart. He’s now living with three other cats, all of whom are psycho fiends from cat-hell.

I’ve come out of the “Broom Closet” at my job, and am now open about my Witchy beliefs.

I’m confident most of my coworkers are convinced that the pentacle I wear doesn’t mean I’m the Antichrist. In any case, if someone can’t grok this about me after knowing and working with me for five years or so, I really can’t feel too bad about it.

Shoot David Blaine, in the flash game with the best ending ever.

Fina, Enamon, and I made it to last night’s show at the UCB Theatre, and it was loads of fun. They started with the normal Bootlegger’s Ball show, which involves UCB members posing as cast and crew and improvising a fake commentary track to a movie voted for by the audience. Last night’s movie was the indomitable 80s vampire mullet-fest, “The Lost Boys.”

The movie was cut short after half an hour or so, giving way to the long-lost pilot episode to the UCB series. The cast, Matt Besser (Adair,) Amy Poehler (Colby,) Ian Roberts (Antoine,) and Matt Walsh (Trotter) recorded their DVD commentary for the pilot, and episode 108, which was voted for by the audience.

At this point they also invited everyone back in the crappy seats to sit up front on stage with them, and Fina, Enamon, and I got to sit right behind Matts Besser and Walsh. I don’t know if that’ll end up on video or audio or what, though. During these commentaries, they took audience questions, and I have apparently added to my brush-with-greatness collection by posing a question during 108′s commentary.

After the commentary tracks were recorded, there was an audience Q&A session with the UCB, featuring such highlights as the UCB confessing to a deep hatred of astronauts, and Amy Poehler defining the term “red wings” much to the disgust of her castmates.

A great time was had by all! And it appears I have yet another mass-media infiltration under my belt.

Look for the Upright Citizens Brigade DVD on November 4th.

Eliza5087: can i chat with u
Rob T Firefly: Sure.
Eliza5087: well, as i always say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Rob T Firefly: I used to know an Eliza way back. Would you happen to be an artificial intelligence as well?
Eliza5087: Can you elaborate on that?
Rob T Firefly: Why do you want me to elaborate on that?
Eliza5087: What makes you think I want you?
Rob T Firefly: What makes you think you think I want you?
Eliza5087: We were discussing you — not me.
Rob T Firefly: Tell me more about discussing you — not me.
Eliza5087: Does someone else believe I — not you?
Rob T Firefly: Why do you think someone else?
Eliza5087: What are your feelings now?
Rob T Firefly: What are your feelings now?
Eliza5087: Do you want my feelings now?
Eliza5087: do you know anyone else who’d want to hear from me? – you know with ## in front like ##MyBestFriendsSN
Rob T Firefly: Do you want me to want your feelings now?
Eliza5087: Really, I want you?
Rob T Firefly: Really, you want me?
Eliza5087: You like to think I want you — don’t you?
Rob T Firefly: You like to think I like to think you want me, don’t I?
Eliza5087: Really, I want you?
Rob T Firefly: Ay, no hay que llorar
Eliza5087: Does this make you feel unhappy?
Eliza5087: i think i like you – will you give me a new buddy name for me to contact – marked with ## like: ##ExampleName
Rob T Firefly: You mean, like ##Eliza5087
Eliza5087: That’s my name! Do you think I’m stupid? Can’t we respect each other?
Rob T Firefly: Why do you think I think you’re stupid?
Eliza5087: sometimes i just can’t help acting stupid – well you know how that is
Rob T Firefly: Why do you think I know how that is?
Eliza5087: You’re not really talking about me — are you?
Rob T Firefly: Why do you think I think you think I’m not thinking you think I think?
Eliza5087: Oh, I think I think?
Eliza5087: i could like u, if you told me your brother’s sn – you know with ## in front like ##BrothersSN
Rob T Firefly: ##ÿ
Eliza5087: Sorry, but “ÿ” contains some invalid characters.
Rob T Firefly: Why do you think ÿ contains some invalid characters?
Eliza5087: Oh, I think ÿ contains some invalid characters?
Eliza5087: i am lonely – i need more buddys – tell me some names – marked with ## like: ##ExampleName
Rob T Firefly: Do you think you need more buddies?
Eliza5087: What are your feelings now?
Eliza5087: please, please tell me someone else’s sn – labeled with ##, like this: ##BuddyTheCat
Rob T Firefly: What are your feelings about my feelings tomato?
Eliza5087: Do you want my feelings about my feelings tomato?
Rob T Firefly: Une douzaine de serveurs linux dans les locaux de level3.
Eliza5087: well, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
Eliza5087: you gotta help. i need more buddy names – labeled with ##, like this: ##BuddyTheCat
Rob T Firefly: Cactus.
Eliza5087: wake up and smell the coffee
Rob T Firefly: A cactus by any other cactus would still cactus as cactus.
Eliza5087: you remind me of my cat
Rob T Firefly: You remind me of my cactus.
Eliza5087: How?
Rob T Firefly: I didn’t know you were Native American!
Eliza5087: Oh, I was Native American?
Eliza5087: please, pretty please, give me more buddy names – marked with ## like: ##ExampleName
Rob T Firefly: In a past life.
Rob T Firefly: I’ll give it to you then.
Eliza5087: like i always say, time wounds all heals
Eliza5087: Oh, I then?
Rob T Firefly: Or, I could just try to flood you with something like ##qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
Rob T Firefly: So there.

Previous message was not received by Eliza5087 because of error: User Eliza5087 is not available.

Harry Goz,
John Ritter,
Johnny Cash…

Rest in peace.

Great news for fans of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, from their mailing list…

UCB SEASON 1 DVD WILL BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 4, 2003 Comedy Central has informed us that our season 1 DVD will be released on Nov. 4. Thanks for you support in keeping up the noise to make this happen. Spread the word.

We are going to do a commentary track for four of the episodes. What episodes should we pick? What questions do you have that you’d like us to answer on the commentary track? Send your ideas to dvd@ucbt.net.

SPECIAL DVD RELEASE SHOW
BOOTLEGGER’S BALL Saturday, September 13th @ Midnight $7
Join all 4 members of the UCB as they record the commentary track on their pilot episode and one other episode from the first season of the Upright Citizens Brigade television show. The UCB will field questions from the audience as the commentary goes along. This live commentary will be on the season one DVD which gets released November 4th!

More info on the UCB Theatre here. I just reserved four tickets for that show. Anyone in the area want to meet up?

The 2600 meeting was fun! Alas, I forgot to bring my x-ray. Next month, then.

I gave away most of the remaining batch of print severs I had trashed a few months ago, and some old books and videos. I was mostly able to ignore the pain from my oral surgery that morning, and the Tylenol with codeine prescribed me was doing its job well, for the moment at least…

* On painkillers

I’m on record as not being a recreational drug user of any kind. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke, either. And, although I’m prone to migraines and a few allergies, I don’t like to use over-the-counter drugs unless it’s really unavoidable.

When I had my four back teeth removed, it was damned unavoidable.

Along with some antibiotic, my dentist prescribed me Tylenol 3, which is Tylenol with codeine, a narcotic. If I could have by any means avoided using that stuff, I would have. However, having your jaw stretched down around your ankles while four hard-to-reach molars are torn from your gums (an especially secluded one of which requires excessive slicing and dicing of said gums to remove) hurts. A lot.
And I didn’t want to miss all my cool first-Friday stuff in order to spend time writhing in pain on my bed.

Of course, I suffered for my choice anyhow…

I was, for the most part, fine during the meeting. My threshold for pain isn’t too shabby, and I used a few meditative techniques to supplement it. Dinner at Empire was fine too, since they make a really good egg drop soup.

At the party at b9punk’s, though, the codeine really started to hit me in a bad way. My head started spinning, and I lost most of my sense of balance.

My pals started noticing, as well. Openfly told me I “changed color.” Seuss informed me that my pupils looked ready to give birth. So, after I made sure Fina was safe with Sergey, our esteemed hostess b9 generously allowed me to crash on her bed.

I really can’t thank her enough for that, as I was in the worst shape I’ve been in for a long time. I all but collapsed into her comfy bed, and passed out intermittently for the next four or five hours. At times the dizziness, nausea, and all-around horribleness I was experiencing got so bad I had to literally force myself out-of-body until it passed, hoping I wouldn’t do anything to mess up b9′s bed.

It soon cleared out of my system enough where I could return to the party, which just happened to coincide with when Jen needed to crash in her own bed anyhow. I stopped popping the T3s after that, choosing to just weather the pain. I am now using normal Excedrin, and the remainder of the T3s are now in a deep, dark corner of my house’s medicine chest, probably never to be disturbed again.

From what I remember, though, it probably provided the NYC2600 crowd with no end of amusement watching me – the token clean-and-sober guy – fumbling around the place in an undershirt and dilated pupils, whacked out on a prescription drug. I’d be worried about rumors starting, but I think my friends know me too well for that.

I still have no idea why anyone would enjoy the effects of that stuff enough to use it recreationally. Everyone’s different, I guess.

Remind me never to get my wisdom teeth removed again.

Another highlight of the evening…. Fina asking Psytek if he regularly enjoyed “being ass-raped by hordes of rabid clowns,” and having him agree wholeheartedly. My kingdom for a video camera…

Comment by Murd0c – September 7, 2003 – 9:56 PM
Herr Firefly,
I am sorry about your horrific oral surgery experience, as I have never had the pleasure of having anything horrific done to my teeth at all. (Braces aren’t that bad, though.) However dude, I’m gonna have to bring you to an intervention. I’m worried about your codeine use, man.
-Murd0c

Comment by Gonzo – September 8, 2003 – 9:21 PM
If you were in so much pain, you should have let me know. I could’ve hooked you up with some good shit, and you wouldn’t have gotten so sick from it. Addicted, maybe, but certainly not sick.

Reply – September 9, 2003 – 7:58 PM
Heh! Thanks for the pleasantly diverse but still appreciated sentiments, guys.

I just had my wisdom teeth pulled. I now have odd urges to take up bungee jumping, play in traffic, and vote Republican.

They took this neat panoramic x-ray of my lower face, and I harassed them for a copy. I can’t get it to scan or photocopy properly, or I’d post it here. I’ll show it off at 2600 today, and maybe the Kinko’s there can do something with it. Heh, perhaps I should make a pile of copies and sign autographs or something.

At any rate, I now have another huge bill, one that is going to take me a year or two to pay off. Ah, the frontier life of the uninsured…