1,161 thoughts on “Jack Mangans Deadpan #158: The Difficult Ones

  1. Morning Deadpan!

    It’s five a.m. I started i-tunes and letting it download the latest Deadpan so I can listen to it on the plane.

    Now to hop in the shower.

  2. Body clean. Do I really have to put clothes on? Nobody will mind if I’m at the airport just wrapped in my towel will they?

  3. Now to sync up my touch. What does Jack mean by difficult show notes? More like no show notes because I ain’t doin’ them this week. :biggrin”

  4. Signing off for now. Leaving for the airport in about half an hour. May sign on for a bit while I’m there. Have to leave earlier than I need to so I fit into hubby’s schedule. That’s fine. Will have breakfast at the airport, read, listen to podcasts, maybe do some window shopping. The Calgary airport is its own little mall so there’s lots to look at. Won’t actually buy anything though, I don’t have the room in my suitcase.

    Later Panites!

  5. justa J0e, very much! wanting to not look like a moron for trusting it.
    if it was easy to change the default corrections I might keep.
    BUT I SAY NAY!!!
    sorry hold over from yesterdayth.

  6. Hmm, The Ladies of Deadpan seem to be getting naked in sequence (For showers/baths)… Who’s next? **looks at CJ, crosses fingers**

    Pix Pls?

    On another Note, Awesome use of Jack Nicholson, and the Humpty Beat. I’d love to hear Amy singing O Canada with the Humpty Beat in the back.

  7. Hey Deadpan.

    Currently at the airport wiating to be allowed through customs. They won’t let me through for about another hour. What’s that abour?

  8. Well, in more information you really don’t care about… I’m headed to the washroom, then I’ll go through customs. Will have time between that and when I actually board the plane. May check in again then

  9. First cup of coffee done. Looking for the second now. Lack of sleep is killing me. Killing me, I say.

    I can’t abide that. 😉

  10. So the new security is much stronger than when I was last in the US. They couldn’t use the full body scanner for some reason (even the security guard was surprised when she was ushering me to it and was told it was down). I’m wearing fairly tight clothes. Very obvious I’m not hiding anything, unless it’s in some cavity I don’t wan’t to think about, and I was still patted down. *sigh* I feel she should have at least offered to buy me a drink… and she wasn’t even good looking. 😉

  11. Does anybody remember, from Serenity, the message, “Two by two, hands of blue” in reference to the bad guys? All the security agents were wearing blue rubber gloves.

    Just saying.

  12. My tattoo guy wears black gloves.

    My joke with a straight friend who has a knee replacement is that she gets felt up by more women than I do because she flies so much.

  13. Blue gloves: you should have been bought a drink
    Whie gloves: brings you your drink madam..
    Black gloves: not aloud to have a drink and leaves you sore?

    Maybe not

    But I’ll be here all week… Don’t forget to tip your glove wearing workers…

  14. It’s amazing the number of people with either laptops or netbooks waiting with me. I’d say better than half the people here have some sort of computing device.

  15. Funny story, most US (and Mexican when I was there) are happy to take Canadian paper money but refuse to take our dollar (loonie) and two dollar (twoonie) coins. They usually tell you to go to a bank if you want to cash it in. I don’t understand why, It’s legal tender. And, at the moment, worth pretty close to the same as a US dollar or two dollar bill.

  16. No, the people patting you down are actually pretty grumpy. I don’t really blame them. While I’m coming down on them here in the Pan, I’m actually quite pleasant to them but I’m sure the get a lot of fuss and bother in their line of work. I actually admire them, it’s not a job I could, or would want to, do.

  17. According to the airport weather, it’s 10C in Pheonix right now. WTF? It’s 10 degrees here. It better be warmer by the time I get there or someone will have some ‘splaining to do.

  18. On a different, yet similar note, if I understand the Facebook comments, certain people are hoping I’m going to tie them up when I get to Arizona? Is that correct?

    If so, you guys are all a bunch of perverts :biggrin:

  19. Listening to TEB’s journey through customs has made me come to a realization about Sci-fi TV shows from the ’80s. They got the skin tight clothing in space travel correct. Who needs xrays when you can see every detail without it…

    TEB: I remember that line from Firefly… I also had the same thought going through security the last time I flew…

    JN: I frighten myself like that all the time… I used to have the nick-name “1/2 of IMDB”… I’ve been demoted to 1/4

  20. EssBee: I’m shocked that they bothered to ask permission… Don’t girls congregate without asking anyway? No one ever thinks twice about it. So, you and your friend “go stag”, meet up at the prom… hell, they could even give eachother a ride there…

    OK, I know they’re being open and above board… It just seems like permission wouldn’t have been needed…

    Still, the school board needs some time in the Chokey…

  21. Lejon: OR, they could have done what I did — Go to prom with a boy; leave with a girl. Of course, that was 21 years ago, and I hadn’t seen Brian go to prom with Justin on QAF, so asking a girl would have never occurred to me at the time.

    But the asshat school board put out a policy on prom dates! Handed it out to students! “You can bring a date to prom, as long as it is someone of the opposite sex.”

    You know us queers. We must get all political when someone gives us some shit like that to contend with.

  22. Tomorrow is the last day for the other person in IT at my old job.
    so the the guy will only have one week with anyone with any real IT experience at the company. Glad I’m out of there

  23. I grew up in a small town in WI. We only have 450 people in the highschool and 4000+ in the town. We didn’t have any rules like this for prom or and dance. I was well known at lest by the students we had a few lesbian couples. no one cared

  24. reaper, you should celebrate their new guy’s misfortune by meeting your wife again for lunch.

    Happy/safe travels, Lo Pan! See you soon.

    Rhett: or what if they both want to chew on the same can? Awkward.

  25. Jack, thats not a bad idea. I don’t think the guy will call it misfortune because he was laid off just over a year ago but he also has no idea what is getting into… yet.

  26. Bunny has arrived safely. I got to visit with her a bit before presenting her to my hubby who promptly whisked her away!

    Those of you going to dinner tonight have an EXCELLENT time!!!

    And have a drink for me! 🙂

    *muah*

  27. And yes – I will set up a ustream or skype whateverweneed for the bbq day.

    Dan may need to give me pointers on the mixer thingie, but I’m sure I’m quite deft at figuring out the mechanics.

  28. So RE: The Prom

    Here is the question I am just DYING to know –
    Given that these were High School students and likely “minors” … What school sanctioned activities were supposed to be occurring at this prom where by the sex of the participants would actually be coming into play? *

    If the concern was about “un-sanctioned” sexual activity … wouldn’t their chaperoning plans take care of that?

    *At any HS dance I attended, girls ended up dancing together because most of the guys wouldn’t. The girls stood around in groups together talking because that is what they did in High School. Girl friends had their pictures taken with one another in their fancy attire to commemorate the event. How is any of this different if two of the girls were there as “dates”?

  29. justa J0e: An excellent point.

    May I point out that this in Mississippi? I think the Earth is still officially flat in Mississippi.

  30. EssBee, you should be like the rest of us at the party and go naked….

    …of course, I be remembering something wrong from the invitation 🙂

  31. Sarah and I coloured Strawberry Shortcake. Fletcher made me a pretty pictures.

    Sarah was worried I was staying becuase I didn’t have a home. She then gave me a hug. It was very sweet.

  32. I’ll have to look at it later EssBee. I saw the first few seconds and decided it’s probably not something I should watch with kids haning off of me.

  33. Ah, I wish I could partake of this evenings festivities, but I’m a busy bee until tomorrow night. Looking forward to tomorrow after work.

  34. My current favorite “guilty” TV pleasure is “Archer” on the FX channel.
    It’s so juvenile and clever and juvenile and completely wrong. Did I mention it was juvenile? Still, it makes me laugh.

  35. Vanamonde, you are required to be here for the Deadpan MMMmmmeetup 2011, assuming that a comet doesn’t destroy the earth and it actually happens.

    That goes for all of you.

    I had a fantastic time tonight with everyone and I’m truly grateful for all of the great, great people who’ve come into my life through Deadpan.

    And holy crap, I finally met ditto! And how fucking cool is Mrs. ditto?

  36. Work is trying to send me to MS. As if that weren’t scary enough, they haven’t specified -why- they want me to go… just that it is for an “event.”

    I’m not even being vague to be amusing or interesting either. That’s all I know. A freaking “event”? What does that mean?

    !

  37. At my prom we didn’t have a school. Less than 350 students total and only 60-odd in my graduating class. I don’t really remember the last 9 weeks of school, though, because I’d already gotten married and had a bun in the oven. I don’t know what the policy was in the rest of the world, but I would have been expelled if either fact were known, so … yeah.

    I think not being heterosexual was also an expelling offense. Gotta love them Southern cults.

  38. CIMH and all of the top of my head (but wishing I was in AZ)
    Alright stop what your doin’ cus i’m about to ruin
    the image and the style that ya used to
    I look funny but yo it just a snuggy see
    so yo world I hope ya ready for me
    now gather round cus i’m the new fool in town
    and my sounds lad down by those is :pan: town
    I’ll drink up all the {insert good beer here} you’ve got on your shelf
    so just let me introduce myself…

  39. So, I’m listening to my audible edition of the Wall Street Journal (complimentary with my Audible subscription. Did I mention I love Audible? And no, my name is not Jason Calincanis)

    What was I saying? Oh, yeah…

    So, the article talks about how Americans have been reducing their debt over the last year. Much of it has come through defaulting on loans and bankruptcies.

    As a result, they now have free cash available from the payments they aren’t making anymore. The markets are now optimistic that “consumers” will then use that “free money” to start buying again and get the economy moving.

    Seems like something of a vicious cycle…..I would hope those folks to take at least another year and bank a good chunk of that “free money” as a buffer for the future.

  40. Ed/reaper: Too true. I am amused that so many people can think long-term and rationally in World of Warcraft and similar, but have to “keep up with the Joneses” and require immediate gratification.

  41. JN, no kidding. I’m rather glad some places like Wal-Mart decided to make the 401k program opt out. They won’t have it to spend right away. Now they are saving with out thinking about it. I would bet most of the people saving this way see that line item on their pay stub just thing “damn Government talking more of my money” and get the investment statement and thinking it is just junk mail. It doesn’t really solve any problem but maybe just maybe a few of those people will finely open that paper work up and say to themselves Wow that money really grew this 401k thingie is good, I should keep doing it. and hopefully have a better life. <— Me having faith in people again.

  42. Alright, time to clean up, finish packing, and make my way to the airport. Hopefully my next post will be from said airport, or maybe even Arizona itself.

    You’ll just have to check back and see. I know, JJ it getting all tingly with the excitement of uncertainty…..

  43. JN, amazing isn’t it. from the story I read there where the first $mulitbillion to do it. So basically they got the headline. But they did steal a GOOD idea.

  44. CP: Keith and the Girl 1140. Sometimes hard to listen to @ work b/c of the swearing

    I love using @ for at after the DP ep. where Jack said something about people being so lazy we need an abbreviation for at but I forget a lot. I like b/c also for because, because I can;t spell because right.
    Damn Dyslexia. <— one more word I can't spell.

  45. CIMH: My name is Humpty pronounced with an umdy
    yo lady oh how I like to hump thee
    and all you rappers in the top 10 please allow me to bump thee
    I’m stepping tall ya’ll and just like humpty dumpty
    ya gona fall when the stereos pump me
    I like to ryhme I like my beets funky
    I’m spunky I like my oatmeal lumpy
    I’m sick with this straight gangsa mack…

    I think I need help…

  46. Hope all is well in AZ land.

    It’s an interesting thing about the “savings” deal.
    People putting money in the bank IS at a high point right now. Fear of the unknown causing people to think twice before going out and buying stuff … which is the good and responsable thing to do on a personal level. On a national level it has a very negative effect on economic recovery. Businesses need people to buy so they can stay in business. The Gvment needs people to buy so they can get he sales taxes and the profit taxes from the businesses who sell the stuff (so we can have an army and build bridges and provide congressmen with really sweet health insurance benifits).

    So it’s the really screwed up conundrem in which what is good for the individual isn’t good for the country which in turn works out poorly for the individual.
    Makes my head hurt.

    BTW – Having a job that gave me the option of deducting for a 401k may be one of the best things that ever happened to me. I lost 2/3 that money in the crash of 2000 but that made me take a close personal interest in how the money was there-after invested and since then I have made it all back plus a whole lot more. If I had just put all of my paycheck in the back I would have surely spent it all on Comic books!
    Of course, I can’t REALLY say it was a good thing until I get to draw any of it out but I have done a whole lot since 2000 to protect myself from future crashes (like this last near depression).

    Allright, enough financial stuff. You may all wake back up now!

  47. heading to brunch with the bunny!

    Looks like it’s just us! I get her all to myself muahahaha unless someone else decides to show up?

    on another note, she thinks I’m funny for plucking my eyebrows!

  48. $$$-related stuff:

    My IRA tanked, along with everyone else’s. Those of us that rode the wave, as one should, have been doing pretty well overall. Generally speaking.

    People spending less money with great abandon can hurt businesses. Mostly businesses that think nothing of going into the red often. Like the kind that take out loans monthly to pay their staff. If a business doesn’t know how to handle their finances, I have as much sympathy for them as I do for people that rather blow money on T.V.s and fancy cars than invest for their retirement.

  49. I make a very decent salary, and have a small 401K, but mostly, I doubt I’ll do anything close to “retiring” if I’m lucky enough to live that long.

  50. I haven’t done to much with my 401k other than make a few moves here and there. My wife and I plan to start saving a lot more after she is finished with school and both kids are out of the house (4-5 years). I do have a pretty good and very unusual citation. I’ll be 35 and suddenly have 2 incomes and no kids in the house so I haven’t worried about long term saving maybe as much as I should.
    On a somewhat unrelated note: I really looking forward to being a pretty young grandpa and being able to spoil the grand kid and help the kids like my grandpa did for my family.

  51. Well considering the percentage of people who will going to develop a lot of conditions that will lead to a very miserable old age:

    Fuck the future, enjoy yourself now.

  52. JN there are both advantages and disadvantages to having kids young.
    Disadvantage: My wife isn’t finished with school after going for nearly 20 years.
    Advantage: still being of an active age when the grandkids come.

    Incase anyone is doing the math and scratching their heads. Yes my wife is a bit older than me and Yes they are step kids. I wasn’t 12 getting girls knocked up. I could jam with Humpty but even I didn’t have that much game

  53. Awesome evening last night. It was cool to finally meet many of you and I look forward to tonight. The wife–you can call her tcat, she doesn’t like Mrs. much–also had a blast. We were pretty tired so we slept in this morning.

  54. I don’t fear my age. I’m in the best shape of my life, with a fantastic woman, and I make enough money to keep us fed and off the streets. I just miss some aspects of being younger, I guess you’d say.

    For most of my life, I was rather pessimistic, and quite certain that I’d not live to see 30. So this is all gravy.

  55. TEB: Welcome to AZ. It really hasn’t been all that chilly… OK, last night and this morning, yeah, that made my hands hurt, but the days have been lovely.

    ED: That Vicious cycle will only start if people haven’t realized that they should cache some of that “Free” cash. As for me… I just went $2700+ further into debt… (stupid car motor seizing up)

    JN: Wal-Mart does lots of things “correctly”. Why do you think they’re a successful corporation? Of course, I’m sure that you have to be a full-time regular employee to even apply for a 401k…

    JN: I drive a ’01 Toyota Corolla which just got an Engine Transplant from a ’04 Matrix… That’s fancy for me…and I spent money on it… I’m not gonna say anything about my TV…

    VAN: If it takes pictures, it’s not a “Toy” Camera. A toy camera, doesn’t hold film, doesn’t have a digital image senser or storage. A toy camera is basically a box with a hole in it, and nothing to capture an image. (sorry, a bit ranty there. 7 semesters of art photography… Again, sorry) — Besides, you didn’t call it a toy camera, that came from the link… Stupid web addresses… Some cameras don’t even have lenses…

    Retirement:
    http://www.google.com/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en|en&hl=en&q=retirement
    —Redundancy is a bit recursive in its repetitive nature…

  56. I come from a long lived family on both my mother’s and father’s sides. They live to ripe old (90+) ages…
    Each side also has interesting health issues:

    Diabetes
    Dementia
    Heart disease
    Cancer

    So, I expect that I will never die, and be in pain for most of it…

  57. Being held hostage is partly my fault. I forgot my e-mail address this morning and typed it in wrong. Silly me. But I guess that’s what you get when you wake up at four in the morning.

  58. Lejon, we have a 2001 Corrolla too! That sucker has over 200,000 miles on it. Sly B drives it. Ours is Impulse Red, and a S-class. I’m proud if that car because it’s the only car I’ve ever (or probably will ever) bought brand new.

  59. Jack, are you referring to the secret of NIHM?

    And when are you going to take your Scrabble turn.. you aren’t scared of a little old game now, are you? :wassat:

  60. EVFN generally starts at 6 but Bunny and I are going to get there early.. between 5 and 5:30 to order foods and make sure we have a place to sit.

  61. Speaking of Scrabble and Cj . . .

    We just finished a game. She obviously wiped the floor with me. But I am proud to say that I kinda held my own!

    Cj = scary Scrabble skillz.

  62. Van: yes. I never did pinhole photography myself, but the principle is pretty basic. Small holes create small circles of light. The smaller the hole, the greater the depth of field is which in turn increases the focal range (this is what the aperture ring on a camera adjusts). A very small pin-hole can give pretty good focus. It’s just inconvenient to load film, and exposure times are usually longer… (sorry. Again, fell into teaching mode… I hate teaching… sorry, again)

    TEB: I believe there is likely going to be a high cost in hugs.

    EssBee: I would relate the trials of my corolla… the fact that it has just gotten an engine transplant after only 129000 miles should speak to the size of the disaster… but good on you for yours!

    ditto: EVFN usually runs 6pm-8pm

  63. *tossing in 2 cents on cars*
    never owned a Toyota but I have had a number of newer and older honda’s
    loved them all. one had 251000 miles on it and I still see it around town.
    one had 175000 when we upgraded the 2 we own now have 120000 and 37000. Just did regular maintenance (oil, plugs, trans, radiator flushes) and they run/ran perfectly. when one of the kids wants to by the 99 civic i would like to get an older fit.

  64. She’s now said, since she’s on the floor, she won’t have to expend too much energy. Really, you should be here – to watch if not join in.

  65. Just got the mail that my new netbook should be arrive soon.

    So any advice on transferring my iTunes library (don’t care about the cd rips..just the apps and podcast feeds) to the new laptop that is running W7 (the old one runs XP)?

  66. Van, I just copied the files added them to the library and tried to run them. It work fine for nearly everything after I logged in to iTunes. Ranks and that type of data didn’t come across but it didn’t take to much time to fix that for me. didn’t have any apps though.

  67. The Jackast would attract some awful listeners.

    SPAM of the day:

    BE A TIGER IN THE SACK!!!

    Ever wanted to give your lady everything she deserves? Get closer to your goal with the most renowned product in the world

  68. Lejon: Eating McDonalds makes most people want to do nothing more in the sack than fart and sleep. That’s terrible advice! Poor ladies!

  69. EssBee: well…I can’t think of another product that qualifies as the most renowned in the world… I’ll have to think about it some more… Perhaps I should start with more illicit products… Marijuana, Cocaine, Guinness…

  70. The dog’s name was stitch. Weirdly, he’s a regular.

    Anyhoo.. home safe and sound for now! Looking forward to tomorrow.

    Sleep will adjust my brain – right now I have brainpain.

  71. It has been an awesomely fun night. We got our luggage situated, then assembled the troops and went to #EVFN, and then went to Dave and Buster’s to play pool and video games. I can barely keep my eyes open anymore. Good night!

  72. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves tonight! I certainly had fun getting schooled by “Texas Slim” Ed at billiards. It felt an awful lot like politics. . . .

    Thank you everyone for turning out.

    Goodnight ____ .

  73. I liked Jj’s point about what is good for the individual is not what is good for the business. I hadn’t thought about it from that angle before.

    As for saving money, I’ve had a bank account frozen by the state before – through no fault of my own – and was unable to get to my money, including paychecks, for over two weeks. I no longer trust banks for saving money.

    I expect, if it all works out, when the great-grandkids come to dispose of my belongings, they’ll fine a huge ziplock bag of $100s stuffed into the back of the toilet tank. 😉

  74. Morning Deadpan

    Actually slept in til about seven this morning. It felt nice.

    I did my part last night to prove us Canadians are not the gentle, polite, pulled back people most people think we are. 😉

  75. CW: Dora the explorere. Yesterday she jumped the shark (literally), let’s see what adventure she goes on today.

    Previously watched wonder pets. As I watched cartoons at this age, I sometimes wonder what crazy ass drugs the producers were on when they thought of these ideas.

  76. Yawn. Stretch. Coffee. Bunny.

    Kids are packed for their night at Gramma’s house.

    We are heading to the market for yummies after I shower etc.

    Anyone need me to remember anything?

    Those of you attending today’s festivities keep in mind that I don’t know beer.

    That means Bring your Own because I have no clue what to buy.

    I’ve got a loaded liquor cabinet and I’ll pick up some standard mixers, but ya know… I’m chillin today. :happy:

  77. No worries, Cj – thanks for all that you’ve already done. We’ll do a beer run on the way.

    It was a great surprise that you made it last night, Rhett. Tonight will be fun for part 2!

  78. I too slept in until a bit after 7 this morning. Had to recover from Lo Pan’s driving lessons at Dave &Busters last night.

    It sure is bright around here.

  79. It is bright around here. We (myself, Jack, Ed, Lo Pan, ditto, and T-cat) just came back from a good brunch, and now we’re having some chill time. Beer run and sightseeing later, then party time!

  80. My computer was hi-jacked tonight. I honestly didn’t say any of the comments that were posted under my name tonight.

    … Although the guava jelly comment was very… appropriate.

    Now, must get to sleep. This bunny had a tad too much to drink and knows she’s going to regret it in the morning.

  81. No wait… I mean.. uhm.

    OK seriously. I have to get to bed.

    Dan and I had an awesomesauce time. You guys and gals all roxors. Sorry Tcat didn’t make it. Hope she feels better soon!

  82. Please post more definitivie definiitivie definitive instructions as to the time and location of brunch please. I am not going to remember come morning. It’s already morning and I know it involves Indians bending or something and one ohhhh one ooooh one ooooooh one.

  83. Things I’ll be bringing to Denny’s include:

    The Deadpan poster.
    Some black thing-a-ma-bopper that is some sort of Jack’s “equipment”
    A book by Bruce Campbell – signed
    Amy’s (I think) power cord for her laptop.

    If you feel there are more items you’ve left behind, please let me know.

    oh look a pillow.

  84. Well, that was fail.

    I thought I’d watch the ustream of last night’s festivities on my phone, but the uStream viewing app is stupid. It seems to only allow popular shite. Bah.

  85. So did anything interesting happen last night? And does anyone know how I managed to wake up with a headache and find myself in Arizona?

  86. Morning Deadpan.

    Man, how bad is it when you’re body’s use to a schedule. In bed after one a.m., slightly tipsy and here it is, 7:30 and I’m up, showered and dressed already. On the up side, while I’m understandably a little tired, I don’t feel any other effects from last night. How rocking is that?

  87. Seriously, it was an awsome time last night. Everybody there (here?) are such great people. And I apologize to all for my lack of sobriety. Honest, I’m not really much of a drinker… maybe that’s the problem.

  88. It was 60 and sunny yesterday; today it’s 30 and cloudy. I sure hope it rains or snows on our newly planted radishes, chard, spinach, and peas so I don’t have to water!

    It was fun watching you guys last night. I missed the BLC part, but did hear everyone’s favorite DP moments and the live Jack MAN-GAN song. Sounded like a real party.

    Today = clean this damn house. We really need a wife.

  89. BTW, thanks to Dan and Michelle for the guava jelly, it was awesome!

    (I still want to know who posted as me last night. I know I didn’t claim to be jumping out of a cake covered in guava jelly, no matter how drunk I was. Cj says it wasn’t her.)

  90. Well, if Jack can manage to edit it into coherence sometime this year, it should be a BLCyou can play along with well, Essbee…

  91. We heard from Jack this morning, ditto. I’d let you talk to Cj but she’s getting dressed (this is the bunny on Cj’s computer). Maybe give Jack a call because I know we’re suppose to meet pretty soon.

  92. hehe

    Jack called. Said we are meeting at Denny’s at the 101 and Indian Bend. I look up address now for GPS peoples.

    9160 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250-8503

    We are leaving shortly to be there about 10:15ish.. According to my count we have

  93. Hmmm. Looked up the address of the Denny’s on Google Maps, just for shits and giggles. Seems that Scottsdale is really close to Tempe… and Mesa… and Chandler… and Pheonix. I hear these names across multiple podcasts and somehow assumed that these places were at least somewhat more distant from each other. C’mon Arizona people. Really? Scottsdale is like 10 blocks wide and Mesa is like 5 or 6 blocks north/south until you hit Chandler? They may be tightly packed, but sheesh. You’d think you live in a nearly uninhabitable desert region and have to huddle close together to make life giving things like water a better chance at transport… oh…

  94. Well, I have made it to the airport. Got the car turned in two minutes before it was due. But now my flight has been delayed for about two and a half hours.

    Bleach….

  95. Looks like high winds in New York have been delaying flights out. That’s where my plane is coming from. At least I don’t have to worry about a connection.

  96. 1. Jack Mangan, you’ve really got yer shit together. Srsly! I mean, I only had to travel a few miles to hang with everyone. But your are so awesome, folks will come from neighboring countries to bask in the Mangan awesome. That and the guava jelly.
    2. Danthol and CJ are the most awesome hosts evar. They never fail to impress. Sweeter and cooler folks you’ll never find. I’m lucky and happy to call them friends.
    3. It was a blast to meet Lo Pan, Ditto & Mrs. Ditto, and Ed from Texas in person. Wish I could have stayed longer to hang out wich’ya’ll.
    4. It was great to see Rhettro, Lejon & Mrs.FromChandler, Amy, and TEB again. Let’s do this all again real soon now.
    5. Oden is just a pleasure to hang out with. She likes to lurk in the background, too, but she’s no wallflower.
    6. Danthol was cooking MC’s like a pound of bacon! I finally gained an appreciation for Vanilla Ice. It took the raw awesome of Danthol to help me see the light.
    7. I think my favorite memory of the weekend was playing Rock Sugar for everyone and seeing the reactions from the musical mashups.
    8. I really wish I could have hung out longer than I did. One day, hell one weekend isn’t enough!
    9. Thank you all for coming out to my book signing. Jack had mentioned such plans were in motion — but I was pleasantly surprised that ALL of you came out — and that means more to me than you can imagine. I suffer from chronic shy-authoritis. Yesterday was my first signing and it was a great time because you came out to support me. Thank you SO MUCH!
    10. This MMMMMMeetup was awesome, but whenever the next one happens, I hope more folks have a chance to come out. The community is awesome, because of the friendships forged here. I know I lurk in the comments here, but I’m always amazed by the pure unfiltered awesomeness that abounds.

  97. Back at home. I really appreciate the 24 hour drive through at the Burger King near my house.

    Dan – indeed a nice summary of the awesomeness that was the MMMeetup.

    For those who weren’t able to be with us in body this time. Start blocking out March 2011! I don’t know if I’ll have another chance to get out there again before, but I think this is definitely a new tradition for the Pan.

    Man, I’m glad I took off from work tomorrow….er, today.

  98. Just chillaxin’ with my Goddess than off to the airport. I’m conflicted. I want to go home and cuddle my hubby but that means I have to leave my Goddess and the rest of my Arizona peeps. I don’t want the Deadpanmmmmm party to end.

  99. :blush:

    :wub:

    I haz tired this morning. Drinking coffee with Bunny and being cuddled by one of my munchkins.

    I’m also sad to see the weekend end. I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend yesterday with you all. I’m excited that you got to travel to one of my favorite places in the world!!!

  100. Greetings :pan: !

    I’m awake, and apparently alive, having suffered through that Bachelor party and not returning to the MmmmmeEEtup… Kind of bummed about it…

    Safe flights to all heading home today. Sorry we missed the Sedona bit, had we only had enough time to come up with TimeShare points, we might have made use of it… Sedona is awesome.

    Usedhair: True, few blocks around here, but they are pretty big ones. Like the ones for children under 1 year old…

    Dan: Well said, sir! Oh, and in case I didn’t mention it, you have an Awesome Ladmo Tie T-shirt!

  101. I can’t say enough about how awesome you all are, and how much I appreciate everything that everyone did to help make this weekend a fun, memorable, successful one. I’m floored and grateful.

    I’ll echo the wishes for safe happy travels to everyone heading home today.

  102. No you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah it was big time Lo Pan approved. Everyone deserves congrats and thanks. Specially those who let us in their homes (you know who you is) and bought us foods. (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!) Muchas damn gracias.

  103. TEB: You are correct, Daylight Savings Time does not effect Arizona. If I worked at a phone job where I only spoke with people in Arizona, I wouldn’t have said anything. However, I have to get up an hour earlier now because the rest of the country is who calls me, and they are on Daylight Savings Time. It blows.

  104. So, yeah… if I start going on about my appreciation for this weekend, I might get a little teary.

    It’s always such a pleasure to even know that I’m part of such a warm and loving group of people – whether in person or just online.

    For everyone that made the time to travel beyond borders (whether it be the country border, state border, or city border), thank you for doing so.

    I’m incredibly thankful to call each one of you a friend!

    To those of you who I met in “real life” (quotes because to me Deadpan is real life!) this weekend – ZOMG… you are so incredibly awesome, sweet, sexy, beautiful, funny, entertaining, and amazing that I will miss your physical presence dearly!

    Thank you for making yourselves at home in my home. You are all always welcome here.

    T-cat, I can’t wait to get to know you better.
    Long Pan … well, you know 😉 :blush:
    Ed, you are too cute for words *snuggle*
    ditto, I need more hugs from you next time!
    Amy, I love you with or without the cookies, but the cookies are really really good too!

    And, Bunny, my dear, sweet Bunny. 🙁 Thank you for everything. Your delightful energy and spirit will be missed around here. You bring a light with you wherever you go!

    — ok Bunny says I’m writing a novel over here… I better hit send before she starts to wonder if she’s right.

  105. I don’t know how much longer I can post. My battery’s level is going down. Hopefully there will be plugs at the airport so I can post while I’m waiting for the plane.

    PS: Why hasn’t Cj eaten yet?

  106. I second Jack’s sentiments. In Deadpan, more is definitely better. I can’t wait to meet the rest of you.

    And Jack, thank you for being the catalyst that brought such an awesome group together. While you would say it’s everyone (and it is) and that you aren’t the leader (you are) – the fact is that without you, several of us may have never met at all.

  107. TEB: Oh, I am SO mad at the rest of the world… Well, Congress I guess is more accurate. The US didn’t have Daylight Savings Time until 1926 or something… All to help the poor farmer who couldn’t get to the bank during banking hours. Now we don’t have an agrarian country anymore, and banking can be handled 24 hours a day through teller machines and online banking… Sorry… Ranting… Will Stop now.

  108. Thank you, Cj. And yes, thank you very much for everything you did to help make this work, from baking cakes to hosting to ordering food to carting us back and forth to Dan Shaurette’s event.
    I need to extend that gratitude to Dan and Dan’s mom and the kids too for the parts they played.

  109. Well the new netbook arrived today, and a quick play made me realise how much I’ve been spoilt with SSDs.

    HD drives are sooooo last century…

  110. Man, it was good to get to drive my car again today. Between my wife hijacking it from me last week and that anonymous Kia SUV this weekend, I’ve been going through withdrawl.

  111. Many many favorable memories were made this weekend. I shall treasure them for that is part of what life is for me – collecting memories. But, these are but a deposit. I will be back to collect again. And with these, there is no pie, there are always enough slices for all who want them.

    I hope more will be able to share in this next year as well.

  112. Just a short check in Pan. I can’t find a plug for my netbook and I’m almost out of juice so I don’t know how long I will be panning.

    Despite the fact neither of us wanted it to happen, Cj took me to the airport. Much hugs, goodbyes and “I’ll miss you” happend at the drop off.

  113. Got through customs relatively quickly. Much more so than coming but, really, who wants to hurt Canada?

    Then had the greasyist (sp?) Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in my life. OMG, i can feel my arteries hardening as I type.

  114. I’m going off for a moment. If I can find a plug I can listen to LLAP and Pan at the same time while I wait for my flight. If not, will sign on one last time before I completely run out of battery power.

    Back in 5!

  115. I actually said more(ish) the first time but I don’t think WP like me.

    Well, THE FEELING’S MUTUAL WORD PRESS! *shakes fist*

  116. It’s a very bitter-sweet day. Happy going home, sad leaving here. I wish I could do both.

    And no, I don’t want to be cloned because I’d always want to be doing whatever my clone is doing. I just don’t see it working.

  117. They are testing the emergency evacuation system here at the airport.

    “Please disregard the alarms. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

    Really?

  118. Actually, it might even be a little early. It has arrived and people are coming off it. I know they have to do clean up and refuel but still…

    I think I’m going to search for a washroom then we’ll be boarding soon.

    Won’t be back on today, lots to do when I get home.

    Until tomorrow Panites, be well!

  119. I have reverse MMMMMMMeetup. It was a mite lonely yesteday with everyone MIA.

    Today kicked me so hard I fell asleep after doing the dishes. My wife had to wake me up to take out my contacts. And now i can’t fall asleep. While this amuses me now, I doubt it’ll be funny in 3 hrs when I gave to get up.

  120. My kids are beyond misbehaving today. *mommypatiencefreakout*

    I think the weekend was a bit exciting for them too and they will miss the Bunny around here.

    breathing

    finding center

    patience…

  121. So, my wife is looking through the books that I brought home from AZ. In it, she finds Dan’s note in “Lilith’s Love” of:

    Thanks for coming out

    And asks “Is there something you need to tell me?”

    Yes, the snark and appreciation for innuendo run deep in my little corner of Deadpan Land.

    🙂

  122. The deadpan pool pics of the meetup are fantastic.

    I should have known better with this bunch, but I never thought I’d find others who appreciated the [joy and horror] of Ice Ice Baby. “Anything less than the best is a felony.”

  123. Alright, after much converting, uploading, and waiting, I think I’ve got the HD versions of all the videos of Jack’s concert at Dan and CJ’s. I didn’t have enough memory left on the card to get all of the last song.

    The first for files in this search are the videos I shot Saturday:

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jack+mangan&search_type=&aq=f

    If you want to watch the HD versions, you’ll probably want to pause after you change the resolution. They take some time to buffer.

  124. Seems like the meetup was a good time!

    Not sure when Jack or Lo-Pan can give me the low-down (Lo-Pan’s Lo-down.. this needs to be a podcast/radio show of some kind) on the weekend so I thought I would come on here and see what you all had to say.

    Your Smarty Hotties® are really seriously hoping to be at the 2011 version as long as things continue moving along smoothly with Hughs treatments here. I demand that everyone makes the next one as well 🙂
    I also demand Jack licks the cake, ed and ditto again too. He should also probably lick Hugh and I as well I hope. I wouldn’t mind doing some licking myself *swooon*

    Damn I am making a whole bunch of demands here. I’m usually not so demanding. I’m just having meet up envy.

    Night pan
    Night mush
    Night cockles

  125. Fantastic! I’ll have to steel up my nerve and watch those vids. Thanks, guys.

    Amy, I’m told you are a great houseguest – just FYI.

    I’m glad your wife’s sense of humor is aligned with ours, Ed. That might not have been the moment to tell her about your stumble over the word “come”, however.

  126. So should I, but instead I have to go back to work today. Between time changes, time zone changes, and partying into the night, ye olde body is protesting mightily.

  127. It was truly an awesome weekend. 🙂

    TSH: You and Hugh were missed. I’m really happy to hear things are going better. Let’s hope that in 2011 we’ll have everyone at the meetup.

  128. I want to thank Cj for being the hostess with the mostest. She was most gracious to put up with me. I wish I could give her a hug right now.

    …actually, I wish I could give you all hugs again. Next time.

    I may be rather intermittent today, nobody does my work while I’m away so I have some catch up to do.

  129. EssBee I would wait now that I have seen them. and
    “You will be. I mean you should, but you will be.” is a very good way to put it.

  130. Looking forward to playing God of War 3 to see how the series ends. I still have to finish the previous one, but it has been awesome so far.

  131. did my budgeting. Came under in Arizona so hubby says I don’t have to wait, I can order my computer tomorrow. I luvs my hubby. Will be spending the next few days cleaning up this one so the file transfer will be relatively easy. So won’t be just intermittent today, but possibly for the week.

    My daughter has claimed this computer when I’m done. Must do a major cleaning. I don’t believe giving software that she hasn’t purchased which means no MS Office, No games, no… anything. Will pretty much back up my files onto my pocket drive then do a wipe of the computer. Of course, you do that anyway if you’re recycling the computer but I don’t think my daughter is impressed when I do it to her too.

  132. Plans for 2011: Show up for the deadpan mmmmmeetup.

    I wish I could have made it this year. It looks like all ya’all had an awesome time! I’m getting caught up on all the comments. HOLY CARP!

    Sadly I need brain bleach right now as the pic of Chyna reminded me of the horrifying video of “One Night in Chyna” AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!

    The other pics were cool though 🙂

  133. I had the crazy idea of creating a Deadpan Droid app. Not sure if it is a good idea or not yet. I’ll need to do a bit of research first.

  134. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ‘

    So even though it’s basically a murder mystery with some violent sex thrown in, a darn fine movie..

  135. Speaking of clits…

    There was a guy at work last night that had to use a Mac for something and he’d never used one before. He came back to his desk and informed me that the mouse on the Mac has a “nubbing” that reminds him of a clitoris.

    “The mouse has a clitoris!”

    Yeah… I looked at him funny and didn’t respond.

  136. I need to get my lazy ass in the shower and take the kids to the park.

    Spring Break rules.

    I appreciate Spring Break for occurring just after the Mmmmeetup because it’s allowing me to recuperate.

  137. Cj: I can’t believe that guy! If one of the men here said anything remotely like that to me, they’d be doing the hold-my-sack-crawl out of my office.

  138. I meant “nubbin” not that it matters. I did a -g and either my finger slipped (that’s what she said) or I’m in moderation. I don’t know.

    But yeah.. personally I have a several buttons…

    and a spinner.

    So… I’m a PC.

  139. EssBee: He’s an odd kid. He has a wife, so it’s her job to deal with his nubbin-issues. I just kind of let him be. I’m sure people think I’m pretty odd in my own ways as well.

  140. The Score of a Slow Reader:

    Started reading Paul Park’s “A Princess of Roumania” in early January, finished in early March: 2 months.

    Started reading Jim Butcher’s “Captain’s Fury” March 7, finished on March 15: 8 days.

    The books have similar page counts.

    I’m assuming one just didn’t catch my interest as much.

  141. Keeping my G-spot comment to m’self!

    Lejon: I am a super-slow reader. I haven’t started Butcher’s Fury series yet, but I have book 1. I have been reading the latest Wheel of Time book for MONTHS. I’m almost finished, but I limit myself to reading only when the dishes are done in the evening. Doesn’t leave much time before I get sleepy.

  142. EssBee: It took me 10 months to read books 1-9 of Wheel of Time… Then book 10 came out 3 months late, Book 11 was full of glacial movement… Then there was New Spring (prequel)… I may have gotten lost here…

    I usually read for 20 minutes a day in my car at lunchtime, and sometimes I read before bed. Depends on how engrossing the book is. I’m about to start Butcher’s White Night in the Dresden series, which I will follow with Small Favor. I’ll probably move onto The Gathering Storm after that…

  143. ZOMG, White Night is my next book too! I’ll probably just be starting when you finish!

    I love the WOT books, no matter how many have come out. I’ve read and re-read them.

  144. Froth filled the top half of the stein. The beer had been steamed leaving only heady foam. Schneider closed the lid over the contents and set the large mug on the serving tray. Fräulein Helga, the barmaid, picked up the tray, walked to the far side of the alehaus, and set the stein before Egenbach. The man pulled twenty Deutchmarks from his pocket and handed the bill to Helga.

    As Helga returned to the bar to get the man’s change, Egenbach popped open the lid of the stein and tilted the contents to his lips to drink, triggering the explosive charge that Schneider had set moments before. The pressure wave shattered all the glass in the alehaus. Egenbach stood up and glared at the bar. Schneider had left the building.

  145. My Dragon Age Awakening came today. Patience is nowhere in my name. I decided not to install it until I have my new computer. It’s already killing me.

  146. Starting to uninstall programs. I have 5.3g free on my hard drive. I expect to remove at least 50 gig today. the same tomorrow.

    My current HD is only 140gig. I’m getting a terrabyte. I’m excited.

  147. While what you do with it does make all the difference, a nice size doesn’t hurt…

    well… maybe it does, but not if you are doing it right…

    *cough*

  148. Well, I only managed to get 35gig free. There are a lot of items that I won’t remove until I have my new computer (like MS Office). Now the waiting game begins.

  149. I see your *cough* Cj, and raise you one.

    It’s not about size. It’s about focus! If I can’t see it, I’m not gonna focus on it.

    *cough* *cough*

  150. EssBee: I can see getting a set for Halloween, or for testing the water on how friends would receive them, but if you’re that worried about how people you know will accept a tattoo, you shouldn’t get one in the first place.

  151. Needless and pain don’t bother me. I like tattoos. Only problem is that I haven’t found one that I would want to wear permanently.

  152. I guess I’m kind of butch-ish . . . I don’t know if I am or not. Lo Pan can tell you in a week . . .

    I think tattoos are more a enjoy the sensation of it than a being tough thing.

  153. ditto: I’ve never been into self adornment. I wear a watch and a wedding ring, because I like to know the time, and I’m married…

    I’m not a fan of needles, largely because of my mother.
    She used to do a lot of sewing, involving pins and needles. She had a knack for losing pins and needles in shag carpet. My feet had an extraordinary ability to find lost pins and needles… Never been a fan…

  154. Lejon: I had the same problem finding my mother’s pins and needles. Never fun pulling those out of your toes. Ouch! I’m also the same way with self-adornment. The only thing I wear is my wedding ring.

  155. I’m not big on self-adornment either just have the wedding ring. I like wearing hats but my wife doesn’t like them so I rarely buy or were them. I love my jester’s hat in the winter, its so warm.

  156. Jack: Don’t forget about the clit and the g-spot conversations.

    LeJon: Change that comment from: “Watch the Big Bang Theory Sometime” to “Watch the Big Bang Theory ALL THE TIME!!!! NOWWW!!! DOWNLOAD IT! HULU IT! WATCH IT WATCH IIT WATCH IT NOWNOWNOW!”

    I kind like the show. It touches a nerve 🙂 Every episode. It’s loaded with geeky reference goodness.

  157. Dead Deadpan… if you have a podcast, please email me and send me a promo. Please.

    Thank you.

    That is all.

    Nothing else to look at here.

    No, really. I’m just rambling now.

  158. Re: Elevator music: Shoutcast probably has three streams devoted to it.

    I’ve never gotten a tattoo. I’ve worked with too many old dudes with old tattoos. Not a long-term thing. I used to have my tongue pierced, so that’s the extent of my body-modification.

  159. I am quite irresistible.

    And I’m home.. squeeee!

    Once again I threw up my lunch/dinner at work. Ugh! So having a midnight snack so I can sleep eventually.

    Why does my tummy hate work lunch?

  160. Morning, Pan.

    Just got finished reading Tee Morris account of things on his Facebook fan group page. Fans and friends will definitely want to give it a look.

  161. EssBee,
    I think I’m to polite to not add people I don’t really want to and I hate explaining “who the hell are those people” when adding people my wife doesn’t know. or being a fan of thing and having to explain what it was.
    I’m really have no problem with social networks…
    other than MySpace now that it is virus ridden.

  162. Hockey! So its amazing to me that Phoenix has 91 points and is only 5 out of the top of the ENTIRE CONFERENCE. Thats well done, ‘Yotes.

    Avs-Flames tonite! Its not personal, TEB. Just business.

  163. Ha! Its fun when reviewers blame Anaconda 2 for having giant plot holes. Um… its an Anaconda movie. I think plot holes are a given if not a necessity.

    OK! Promise now I’m done speaking bout giant snake movies.

  164. Yep, I saw that one!

    I threw a corned beef in the crock pot this morning and drove to the office without turning it on. Argh! Short term memory, I curse you!!

  165. I’ve slipped to 8th place (out of 12) in my hockey pool. *sigh* I guess I should be happy, I’m at least doing better than the Flames.

  166. I think I must have been tired this morning. I just realized my shirt is on inside out. It’s a good thing I work from home.

  167. I just finished watching Oldboy.

    Um… I’d heard it was messed up, but I had thought that was “just” the ultra-violence. Noooo, not this one. This is more/worse/different/something else all together.

  168. I had a feeling about the first … surprise(?) which should have informed the second… surprise(?) but …

    At least when I finished Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, I knew what I thought.

    Tomorrow, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. After that, I think I’ll take a break from Park and Korean films for a bit.

  169. Yeah those films are great once. After that I cant really bring myself to rewatch. Charlie the Beer Guy was the king of the Japanese/Korean shock films.

    Took me forever to realize Oldboy was part of a trilogy.

  170. Well, I’ve done all the work I can for today since people have decided not to do their jobs and I’m not getting the reports I need.

    *sigh* This means I’m still not really caught up from the few days I took off.

    On a happier note, it means I’m most likely done for the day.

  171. Gratz, TEB. I wish I could say the same.

    Right now, I’m just dealing with work insanity. Reinventing the wheel is *so* much fun. We’ll see where it goes from here.

  172. TEB: No, the wheel is over-engineered. Plus, making circles is too hard. We can approximate a circle using straight segments and then rubberizing the outside. The customer experience should be nearly the same. Plus, we’ll make them acknowledge a EULA that says any discomfort is their own damn problem.

  173. The movie is Copperhead. It is a 2008 Sy Fy original so we know it will be good. The DVR writeup says, “A mass of copperhead snakes besiege an old mining town in the West.”

    It gave it zero stars. I don’t know if that means the movie is that bad, which is possible, or it just didn’t rate it, also possible. It can’t be any worse than The Chair which, I think, was the last movie I did.

  174. Jessie shoots, now tells the stranger to take the dead man’s place at the poker table.

    This movie has covered most of the Western cleches in the first few minutes

  175. “I never wanted blood on my hands but some men, some men were just meant to die”

    “There’s an old saying, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. Men like him and me, we have plenty of blood to spill.”

    WTF?

  176. Snakes to right of them,
    Snakes to left of them,
    Snakes in front of them
    Slither’d and thunder’d;
    Storm’d at with shot and shell,
    Boldly they rode and well,
    Into the jaws of Death,
    Into the mouth of Hell
    Rode the six hundred.

  177. Well, you can’t get blood from a turnip, but trying to get turnips from Blood is hard too. My old man was a crochity bastard, and he luvs him some turnips, wons he gots hold of one it was game ova.

  178. CP: Knuckle Down — Ani DiFranco

    This is my theme song, of late.

    That’s just my cowgirl alter-ego
    Riding on her bar room bull
    Dripping with the sweat of irony
    As the cowboys whoop and drool
    Shooting glances at the mirror
    To see if her scar is showing
    She is truly going nowhere tonight

    Lecherous old lady wanna-be
    Much too young and shy
    Flailing her whole life
    Just thinking she can teach herself to fly
    Vehement romantic
    Frantic for forever right now
    But forever’s going nowhere tonight

    Sick of goading her self-loathing
    She thinks, I think I’d better leave
    ‘Course whiskey makes me smarter
    And I’m happy as can be
    But please excuse me darlin
    It’s not you
    It’s me

    And there’s a dusty old dust storm on mars, they say
    So tonight you can’t see it too clear
    Still I stood in line to look through their telescope
    Looked like a distant ship light
    As seen from a foggy pier
    And I know that I was warned
    Still it was not what I hoped
    Yes I know that I was warned
    Still it was not what I hoped

    I think I’m done gunnin to get closer
    To some imagined bliss
    I gotta knuckle down
    And just be ok with this
    I’m gonna knuckle down
    Just be ok with this
    ‘Course that star struck girl is already someone I miss

    I swear some stuff you just see better from further away
    And I think I communicate best now, the less I say
    And I can’t dance if the band can’t play
    And the vibe is going nowhere tonight

    ‘Cuz somewhere between Hollywood and its pretty happiness
    And an anguish so infinite it’s anybody’s guess
    Is a place where people are all teachers
    And this just one long class
    And that ass will get you nowhere tonight

    There’s a dusty old dust storm on mars they say
    So tonight you can’t see it too clear
    Still I stood in line to look through their telescope
    Looked like a distant ship light
    As seen from a foggy pier
    And I know that I was warned
    Still it was not what I hoped
    Yeah I know that I was warned
    Still it was not what I hoped

    I think I’m done gunnin to get closer
    To some imagined bliss
    I gotta knuckle down
    Just be ok with this
    Gotta knuckle down
    Just be ok with this

    ‘Course that star struck girl
    Is already someone I miss

  179. So I finished Nocturnal today. It was an overall fun listen. Kind of like X-Men meets Unbreakable.

    Probably my biggest complaint is something I’ve been encountering more and more in books, audio or print. It should be a basic rule: Do NOT use the “but this isn’t the movies” phrase or any vaguely similar derivation thereof. I read a book that used that at least five times in two consecutive chapters. Nocturnal may have used it a dozen times. It does NOT raise the tension. If anything, it pulls your reader or listener out of the story, since it IS a story, not real events. Furthermore, it seems to become a crutch, as evidenced by the repeated use within a short span.

    That is all.

  180. Just listened to Savage Love, Ep. 178. He covered the lesbian prom issue extensively, and suggests that people email or call the Superintendent and Principal responsible for this entire clusterfuck. He gives out their #s and email addresses on his blog: http://podcasts.thestranger.com/savagelove/

    I’m sure that they will be inundated with calls both pro- and con- prom cancellation.

    The thing I kept thinking as I listened was this: every school has queer students. The message this district/school is sending to students is so, so troubling.

    /political EssBee

    Enjoy a little Irish for me, y’all! Be safe.

  181. Vanamonde: Yep, great fun! I would play with two joysticks when it came out for the Genesis, to simulate the arcade feel. Lots of fun, but still not quite the same as the arcade unit, naturally. Never made it to the Pleasure Dome, though . . .

  182. I added Freak Angels to my reader before they started and then forgot all about it until many months had gone by. I really should try to read, instead of feeling guilty every Friday.

  183. I prefer movie soundtracks to be unnoticed, but I’ve loved the Dark Knight soundtrack ever since I first saw the movie. That crunch crunch sound makes me jump and I love it.

  184. While I think the situation in MS is stupid and wrong, I think that giving out personal email addresses to the bold little anonymous troll-masters of the Internet is stupid and wrong. From the little of Savage that I’ve listened to, he seemed smarter and WAY more conscientious than that. There has to be a better solution than to vomit a flood of idiot rage at them.

  185. The Other Sister? imdb….

    Ah. Juliette Lewis is in it. I try to avoid her. I think someone or something did very bad things to her and she is not right and it makes me very nervous to be around her… and that is just from the TV. I’d probably run away if I met her in person.

Leave a Reply to Johnny Null Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *