Rob's blog of posts

News from 2600…

Since the first Friday of the month happens to fall on the 4th of July, many establishments where we have our monthly meetings may be closed. Depending on the specific situation in your city, the monthly meeting will take place either on the 4th or on the following Friday (July 11). For example, we have been informed that the Citigroup Center in New York won't be open that day, meaning the New York City meeting will take place on the 11th. If your meeting has an official website, check there for any additional information. Otherwise we suggest contacting the place where the meeting is held to see if they will be open. This only affects meetings in the United States - meetings elsewhere will be held on the 4th.

I'm still going there, as are some other hardcore geeks like myself. I shall call it.. "Mini-Meet." Then, next week, we get another!

I picked up a neat grey jacket for my Crim costume at Salvation Army today. It’s not velvet like in the movie, but a velvet one has proved really hard to find, plus inappropriate for the weather this time of year. Plus, it only cost me seven dollars, which will make it less painful if I wreck the thing trying to alter it. Now I’ve just got the ascot to make, which will probably be the hardest part. I’ve got plenty of red fabric to ruin, though.

Here’s the costume guide I’m using.

Fina is the coolest person ever to shop with, by the way. She found a yellow “Crazy Eddie” baseball cap for a buck, which reminded me of an occurrence back in the mid 1980s, when VCRs were still a major luxury item. The original Crazy Eddie’s chain of electronics stores put a big ad in the paper for a VCR on sale for some ridiculous price, and a tagline “One of a kind!” My mom, a friend of hers, and crowds of people flooded the local Crazy Eddie’s to get hold of the deal, only to find that “one of a kind” meant – get this – they were only selling one of them. How’s that for a stunt?

Later in Salvation I was browsing the trousers, and found a frightening traffic-light-green pair which I got a huge kick out of. I showed them to Fina, who took a long look at them, a long look back at me, and said “If you wore those.. I’d still talk to you.”

Speaking of appearances, the last time I was at DTCP, Mark mentioned to me how he tries to encourage as much hair length as possible in Witches. I ran my hand through my bald spot and laughed that my genetics disagreed with him. But it’s all good. In fact, I’ve decided that just because I’m struck with male-pattern baldness doesn’t mean I shouldn’t buzz my hair really short for Summer. As soon as I figure out these fancy-schmancy hair clippers I got, I may go for it.

Enamon23: I think this country needs another Civil War. But this time it should be over something stupid. Like quilted toilet paper. Of course the war will never end because halfway into it we’ll get into a war with the Martian invaders. We’ll win in the end, of course, because we’ll discover that the Martians have a major weakness. They’re allergic to quilted toilet paper.

Someone has claimed the CWP archive, and I’m absolutely thrilled with who it is! More news as it develops.

“What do you mean, page not found??”

I’m giving up my Celebrities With Phones archive. Click Gladys for more info.

I just did an automatic natal chart thingy on this site, and it’s surprisingly on the mark. I’m still going to get one done the old-fashioned way, though.

Saw “The Hulk” with Grey and Infinity² last night. It’s not a bad film, and I won’t post any spoilers, but I want to throw something at Ang Lee for his comic-panels. The scene changes, multiple angles, and stuff are often on screen as floating, shifting panels which are probably meant to represent comic-book-style panels, but which in practice make it seem as though he filmed the movie on a Rubik’s Cube.

The CG Hulk did resemble an angrier Shrek. Nick Nolte, however, was very appropriate for the role of psychotic, antisocial, redneck hermit.

Apologies to Grey for chuckling like a madman through the whole flick, but I was MSTing it in my head, and kept making myself laugh. It’s a very MSTable movie.

To any of my local pals who read this.. does anyone have a decent video camera I could make use of next month sometime?

My esteemed webhost has pointed kracked.com to my site, which is holding its place until he decides what to do with the domain. What a guy!

Kracked’s Internet Services have moved to Project Detour, if you’re looking for them.

Outlook Express ate my email accounts for the last time. I’m going to get a better email client. If anyone has emailed me in the past month or so without a response, please re-send as it may have vanished into the ether.

In other news, 3:10 PM (EDT) today is the Summer Solstice, the moment when the Sun appears highest in the sky. Here is the astronomer’s explanation of what the Summer Solstice is, here is a less technical one, and here are some of the Pagan traditions associated with the day.

Of course, it’s raining buckets outside. It’s not one of my best Sabbats at any rate, but the astronomy buff in me still digs it.

Enamon23: Have you seen this? http://www.arpa.mil/dso/thrust/biosci/brainmi.htm
Rob T Firefly: Wacky.
Enamon23: I’ve found a patent application by one of the people on the project.
Enamon23: The front page includes a picture of a monkey.
Rob T Firefly: It just goes to show, anything can be improved by adding a picture of a monkey.
Rob T Firefly: Where’s the patent?
Enamon23: I didn’t bookmark it. Lemme find it again.
Enamon23: Go here and type in 20030093129
Rob T Firefly: Hmm..
Enamon23: The guy has a website: http://www.nicolelislab.net/NLNet/Load/index.htm
Enamon23: The Girl From Ipanema is the background music for that site.
Enamon23: That has got to be one of the freakiest scientific websites I’ve ever come across.
Rob T Firefly: It’s not as fascinating as patent #4182335, but still intriguing.
Enamon23: I’d have to disagree. The anal filter patent lacks a diagram portraying a monkey making full use of the device.
Rob T Firefly: Maybe, but that’s what mental imagery is for.
Enamon23: Those anal filter diagrams look disturbingly like Hot Pockets.
Rob T Firefly: What language is the Ipanema song in, here?
Rob T Firefly: It hurts my head.
Rob T Firefly: That’s why I don’t eat hot pockets.
Enamon23: I have no idea but within a few minutes a woman begins to sing it in English.
Enamon23: The woman who was the inspiration for the song runs a restaurant down in Rio.
Enamon23: It’s called…. <drumroll> The Girl From Ipanema
Rob T Firefly: That.. is amazing.
Enamon23: Of course she must be at least 50 something right now.
Enamon23: In a few years she will be a prime candidate for the use of the anal filter.
Rob T Firefly: If not already.
Rob T Firefly: Anyway, I must go. I’m hitting a cheezy mall fair tonight.
Enamon23: Ah, ok then.
Enamon23: Good luck then.
Enamon23: Watch out for… THE MALL PEOPLE!!!
Rob T Firefly: I worked with them for four years, I know full well what to expect.
Rob T Firefly: That’s why I’m bringing a harpoon gun and a fusion bomb with me.

I Ball SoF: I’ll quote what I just told Sergey
I Ball SoF: [Jennifer Love Hewitt] hit puberty like Andy Dick hit a telephone pole.
Rob T Firefly: Hah!

I just rehashed this story for a message board post, but since it’s slightly amusing I’ll put it here.

When I registered to vote, I registered without a party. What was fun about that is that the lady at the DMV counter completely didn’t understand the concept. The conversation went thusly…

COUNTER LADY: You didn’t select a party.
RTF: That’s because I don’t want to register with one.
CL: So you want to register as Independent Party?
RTF: No, that’s a party. I don’t want a party, unless there is cake involved.
CL: Cake?
RTF: Yes, cake. Or pizza. Food is what labels are for. Not people.
CL: But what party are you registering to vote with?
RTF: None of them.
CL: So, that’s the Independent party.
MY MOM: You can’t vote in the primary if you don’t pick a party, Rob.
RTF: That’s because the primary is a party thing, it’s not the election. I don’t want to vote in any primaries.
CL: You don’t want to vote? But you’re registering to vote.
RTF: No, I don’t want to vote in a primary of some party of which I’m not a member.
CL: That’s why you register with a party, so you can vote in their primary.
MOM: If you don’t, you can’t.
RTF: Oh, for crying out loud.

After that it got even more “Who’s on first”-like. But eventually all parties concerned were made to understand.

Mister Murd0c: I can’t help it, I hate hate hate street racers
Mister Murd0c: I like my shitty car, and thats it, no neon, no NOS and NO FUCKING 20 inch RIMZ Y0!
Rob T Firefly: Not to mention those modded Hondas are ugly as anything.
Mister Murd0c:yes
Mister Murd0c:no one seems to mention it though
Mister Murd0c:except me, when this guy in a Cavalier
Mister Murd0c:come up and asks me for directions, and I tell him his car is “fucking ugly as all shit!” he peels off trying to impress a bunch of 16 year olds. Which I think is a lot of street racer’s MO’s.
Rob T Firefly: It’s that whole male ego thing.
Mister Murd0c: i know