466 thoughts on “UnMarkedForman

  1. Sorry, Bunny, but it’s already 68F in Los Angeles — supposed to get up to 79F.

    Good morning, everyone!

    I am remote, so can’t download the episode until I get home Saturday. Damn!

  2. TEB – Using a box is realistic when it’s 7am and the toddlers are making their demands! 🙂

    It’s also easier for them to help. They like to do all the “work” of pouring and stirring.

  3. I was just kidding. While I do tend to prefer making things from scratch, I have to admit, the quality of product from today’s boxed baked goods (say that 3 times fast!) sometimes make you wonder if scratch is worth it.

  4. Comment 2 or 2 (or nipple 2 of 2)

    Tired as I was, I didn’t forget the Watchmania Deadpan announcement. I’ll make an official onpod announcement in the next release. For right here – I’m going to say: Let’s do the episode on the last Wednesday of February. 2/25 (?)

    I also regretted leaving 2 of the best voicemails evar, but they’ll make it into the next full-length episode. Send more great VMs in the meantime.

  5. Van: I know “Tales of the Dark Freighter” will be initially sold as a separate DVD about the same time as the release of the movie. I think some of the end chapter stories will be partially incorporated into the film, but for the most part, I expect they will be done as extras in an extended cut of the movie DVD.

    I know the movie varies a bit from the ending in the GN, but so long as the end effect is the same, I won’t mind. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.

    Cj: Dan better submit his thoughts for the palooza.

    Back to work for me. Gah.

  6. How can the ending be different. The ending of the GN was a great piece of symmetry – showing “the circle of life” (insert Elton John music here)

    … see, still no spoilers 😉

  7. Hey, I have a thought, if anybody is willing. We should do a group Skype discussion/recording on our thoughts of the book for the show.

    If a number of us can get our acts together at the same time, that is 🙂

  8. Bunny, I can only record 1 person at a time with PowerGramo (although I’m testing a new app that might be capable of more). A group Skype discussion would rock. Capital idea. 🙂

  9. It says it will record multiple people. I guess I’d have to experiment. The problem is, I’m not running through a mixer, just straight from my computer so I’m not sure how it would turn out using the Skype conference call.

  10. Wow.
    I just called the White House comment line. Unexpectidly, you get an actual human being who talks with you and takes your message. I somehow found that very disturbing.

    BTW: Jack, you might want to sleep under your bed for the next few weeks. I kinda sorta told them my name was Jack Mangan.

  11. Re: Roundtable Skype discussion of Watchmen – Dan and I could totally help with that. We have the mixer, the recording software, and Dan has all the know-how in the world; not to mention the totally willingness to help – should you be interested in something like that.

  12. Ed, I listened to Tony Mast – I’d heard of him, but hadn’t listened, and while I’m sure there is some similarity, I’m not hearing it. Maybe it’s just because of my familiarity with Dan.

    I assure you that my husband is Dan.

  13. I’d love to be involved on the Watchmen call, but I don’t have to be. And -sure Cj, if you guys will have me over, then that could be fun.

    I’m assuming a Sunday would work best, for all timezones involved?

  14. Everyone should add us both to your Skype – make sure to say you are from Deadpan so we know.

    Dan: lovelongandprosper
    Cj: twinklergirl

    And Sundays are good for us too. If we can take the kids to a play date elsewhere, we can try to do it earlier in the day so everyone can participate.

  15. Ok, I didn’t say I was from Deadpan (obviously can’t read directions 🙂 ) But I did say I was “The Energizer Bunny” so you should still be able to figure it out.

  16. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory the greedy bastards.

    Microsoft that is.

    In a conference call in Skype would I need TEB’s skype name as well?

  17. We are both working from home today, so we are online and facing the screens almost 100% of the time.

    Until about 5:30, when my darling hubby leaves me for 3 days to go to a wedding in TX, which means that you’ll all see me posting more this weekend because I’m lonely or…. not at all because I’m out running amok with the children.

    Time will tell!

  18. I believe the way a Skype conference works is that Dan sets up a chatroom of sorts and everyone is able to speak through audio by joining the room. We’ve done it before through both Skype and Stickam. Stickam offers the video ability as well. It was cool to do a live show – we haven’t done it in a while though.

  19. “…or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.”

  20. must.make.decision.

    I finally stoped the disk rescue program after it had located 90gb worth of files.

    To actually retrieve those files, I’d have to buy the software for $100 AND have a drive with that much space available to transfer it to.

    I think that the data on this disk was “back-up” files. I think. Who can say.

    So do I buy the software and a new disk drive to transfer it to ? Or do I just nuke the disk and move on with my life (what’s gone is gone)?

  21. I have to go to Radio Shack tonight. My Grandmother is blind and cannot keep her sanity unless her talking watch tells her what time it is every hour. Her watch has failed.

    Why is Radio Shack the only place that carries this type of thing and why are they so cheap that they fail!

    I’m going to find a talking clock that plugs into the freakin’ wall. It must exist somewhere!

  22. I already said this elsewhere, but…

    If I was calling Apple to tell them they screwed something up, it would be hard not to say “Hey, Genius!”

    I mean, they make such a big deal of calling themselves Geniuses…

  23. The Iraqi government is kicking the U.S. mercenary company “Blackwater” out of Iraq. How much of a douche bag company do you have to be in Iraq for THEIR people to consider you to dangerous to have around?

  24. JB: Hope you have a relaxing weekend.

    So far, I have Jack as a Skype contact, and have sent requests to Cj, Van, and TEB (they have question marks next to their names). Tried and failed to locate ditto and Ed.

  25. I had a big success today. I worked up my courage and called the tech support line to get my work email password reset. It has only taken me several weeks mental prep work and an hour of intense effort to start the phone call.

    phew.

  26. Okay, think I’ve found you Amy.

    Morning Pan, four days off and I’m not quite sure what to do next but I’ll think of something.

    Re-reading Watchmen is up there though.

  27. I could use a good four days off. It’s a long run until the next holiday rolls around.

    Definitely going to need to make another run through the Watchmen (that’s not a euphemism, joe 🙂 ) to see what other details I missed.

    There were a lot of details that jump out at you the 2nd time through.

  28. *juvenile mode*
    hehehe

    The book depicted graphic descriptions of two men
    “roasting the invisible lower smurf.”

    hehehe
    “roasting the invisible lower smurf.”

    */juvenile mode*

  29. Morning Pan!

    Amy, I still haven’t received your ping. I tried pining you instead, but haven’t received anything back (still question mark). Not sure why our Skypes don’t like eachother. (I have CJ, Dan and Van ok)

  30. Oh, and I’m Nomad_Scry on Skype, but I’m too bloody chickenshit to talk. If I’m around (Sunday is my catch up on sleep before the work week starts day) I’d like to listen in. I just have to find my password…

  31. So heading home after seeing Revolutionary Road.

    Well acted, but I found the charcters so unsympathectic I didn’t cared what happened to them.

  32. Nomad, feel free to add me on Skype. I won’t have access to add anyone back until late tonight – or tomorrow. It would be cool to have you in on the big Watchmen talk, even if all we get from you is breathing.

    I’ve found that Skype is a little stupid about functions when one party is offline. Those connections will come through.

  33. TEB – Out of place? Never!

    The “About Me” section in Skype. Yours says, if I may quote you, “I’m small, cute and deadly!”

    Mind is “Tall, Gaunt, and Empty!”

    The contrast (and stark truth) of both amuse me.

  34. Yeah. I forgot I wrote that, it was so long ago. Although, at 5’2″ and now that I’m taking martial arts, it’s probably a little more accurate.

  35. Oh the tension mounts… Episode 36 drops tomorrow…
    With show notes and everything.

    And new segments. Final time 57 min…

    Wow. I think I like the new setup…Can’t wait for other opinions.

  36. Well Pan, I must go buy groceries. Then I think it will be baking time, then back to working. Somewhere in there I must fit lunch as well.

    Later!

  37. If the guy’s description is accurate, then that’s just a new hardcover version of the book, J0e. It should do you right.
    I’d still recommend trying your local B&N or Borders, if at all possible.

    I admire your dogged determination to acquire the course materials.

  38. If everyone left their Skype online all day fooling people into thinking you are there (when you are actually at work *ahem*) then the requests will be on the screen when you return home.

    If you are offline, they may or may not pop up when you go online. I finally see that Amy and I are connected. Happy Happy Poopy Joy Joy.

  39. Joe: If I recall correctly, the “Absolute Watchmen” is a larger version of the GN that has also been recolored. Plus, as Van said, there are some extras. It is also more expensive.

  40. Okay – there is a “like new” copy of Absolute Watchmen (wish that meant it came with vodka) on EBAY from a guy with 100% feedback rating. It ends in 2.5 hours he is only asking $2.50 for postage and the current bid is $8.

    I call dibs!!!

    It might be easier to go buy a new copy for $13.50 from B&N but part of my issue is budgeting. I have some “discretionary” money left in my Paypal account that I could use for this so it would be swell if I could find a copy at a good price from someone who takes Paypal.
    Belt tightening times and all that rot.

  41. I’m getting a bit confused – are we talking about having a session THIS Sunday? With party preparations and all, that might be tough to pull off.

    Most other Sundays I’m good….well, available anyway.

  42. I assumed it would be sometime in February, closer to the deadline set by Jack. That way people have time to read the book first.

  43. Wow.

    Just got this forwarded. It has to do with some older(60’s) relatives of mine that live in Kentucky. None of the family had heard from them since before this last storm.
    +++++++
    They are okay. They have no power and no phone. They are keeping warm by the fireplace and the gas stove. It looks as if they will not have power for up to four weeks. They cannot get out and travel easily because of downed trees, but they seem to have everything they need right now. Their house is maintaining a high 50 degree temperature. We are also without power, very similar condition. We have no heat, but are staying with others who have heat. It is truly a disaster. There is very little good news right now other than it is supposed to finally get above freezing this weekend. Cell phones are down right now, but I hear that they may come back this weekend. Unfortunately, they are all about dead now. I will try to bring their phones to work to charge them sometime this weekend. Their telephone to their house is down. Let me know if you need to know anything else. I have Internet and power at work, so I can communicate as necessary.

  44. Sounds like a mess, J0e. I wish them well.

    As far as the conference, I’m thinking February 15th or 22nd (if that’s not cutting it too close.) I also have to read it.

  45. Feb 22 should work for me. Tentative agreement to that date?

    That’s so cute about your son, Cj. 🙂 If the plan works out, I’ll see him on conference call day.

    J0e, I also hope for the best for your relatives. That sounds awful.

  46. I’ve seen other Etch artist’s work before. I believe they drill the backs of the units and let the extra power drain out. Then they inject some sort of fixative into the Etch to make it permanent. Thus their life’s work isn’t gone in a flash from an unsupervised three year old.

  47. I marked 22nd on my 30 boxes.

    And yeah Jack, You’ll see him before then. Geez, that’s like a month from now. I’ll need a babysitter before then for sure.

  48. I caught my bank robbing me.
    Their position is … Ha! Gotcha. if you don’t catch us within 90 days, we get to keep it. It’s YOUR job to make sure we aren’t screwing you over!
    Nice.

    Add banks to the list with Insurance Companies, politicians and lawyers as getting their own special place in hell.

  49. Count me innish on the 22nd. There will be a baby in the area, and I may need to mute mic and help tend to things, but I’m up for it.

  50. So Cruel by Bono

    We crossed the line, who pushed who over?
    It doesn’t matter to you, it matters to me.
    We’re cut adrift, but still floating.
    I’m only hanging on to watch you go down, my love.

    I disappeared in you
    You disappeared from me.
    I gave you everything you ever wanted
    It wasn’t what you wanted.
    The men who love you, you hate the most
    They pass right through you like a ghost.
    They look for you, but your spirit is in the air.
    Baby, you’re nowhere.

    Oh, love, you say in love there are no rules.
    Oh, love, sweet-heart, you’re so cruel.

    Desperation is a tender trap
    It gets you every time.
    You put your lips to her lips
    To stop the lie.
    Her skin is pale like God’s only dove
    Screams like an angel for your love
    Then she makes you watch her from above
    And you need her like a drug.

    Oh, love, you say in love there are no rules.
    Oh, love, sweet-heart, you’re so cruel.

    She wears my love like a see-through dress
    Her lips say one thing, her movements something else.
    Oh, love, like a screaming flower
    Love dying every hour.
    Ah, you don’t know if it’s fear or desire,
    Danger the drug that takes you higher?
    Head of heaven, fingers in the mire
    Her heart is racing you can’t keep up.
    The night is bleeding like a cut
    Between the horses of love and lust we are trampled underfoot.

    Oh, love, to stay with you I’d be a fool.
    Oh, sweetheart, you’re so cruel.

  51. I’m in the process of trying to not to play the silly mind games of ‘how quickly should I respond to a text message’ and the not so classic ‘should I let the phone ring a number to times so I don’t look too keen’.

    At the moment I’m failing…

  52. Thanks Van.

    I disappeared in you
    You disappeared from me.
    I gave you everything you ever wanted
    It wasn’t what you wanted.
    The men who love you, you hate the most
    They pass right through you like a ghost.
    They look for you, but your spirit is in the air.
    Baby, you’re nowhere.

    -Genius.

  53. Good afternoon Pan.

    WotC got their new character program up, so hubby and I are now using it to level up my characters. It’s a very nice program.

    Amy, I still don’t have anything on Skype for you. I wonder if we both have to be on at the same time for the pings to work?

  54. No burrito for me. I’m letting the kids make their own personal pizzas tonight while I try to figure out something else fun to do. Might be hosting/participating in a Stickam party.

    Oh the excitement.

  55. Washed the car and did some other outdoor chores. It’s nearly 70F/20C today.

    So, I’m rewarding myself with the Boulevard Russian Imperial Stout. Mmmmmm. Hawesome.

  56. I see Rhettro is enjoying Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Good game. I wish Marvel had made a better game for the 360. It’s essentially a slight upgrade from the X-Men Legends games, but with quick time events–which I don’t care for.

  57. I will never catch up on all the comments, so sorry if this is a repeat.

    Did you all see Neil DeGrasse Tyson on The Daily Show this week? How about the next day when Jon talked about his rubik’s cube?

  58. You know, I thought the latest BSG episode was going great until they revealed that Dirk Benedict was going to be the new Vice President.

  59. I don’t think the Battlestar can reach Ludicrous Speed.

    I’ve chosen to mellow at home tonight, in spite of a really fun-sounding invitation out. I’m cool with my decision. Was out last night, will be doing some Super Bowl festivities tomorrow too.

    How was/is everyone else’s Saturday?

  60. So I went and saw the Lark Rise Band (with Ashley Hutchings founding member of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention) last night.

    Nice show, but a bit short (it was finished by 10pm).

  61. I’ll just add my self to the list of pissed off with iTunes.

    Installed it to my netbook, moved the music folder to a 16 gig SD card, and it won’t save previously bought apps to the SD card..keeps putting them on the C drive…grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

  62. Ice storm update.

    Kentucky relatives got their phone line back and called this morning. The good news is that their local “Tractor Supply” store got a shipment of 20 generators and they were 13th in the line so they got one.

    Bad news, I now have an older, confused relative trying to figure out how to operate and USE an electric generator.

    They said that some “tree cutters” from N. Carolina came by yesterday and helped him clear downed trees… and charged him $800. I hate being “skeptic guy” but I saw how vultures prayed upon the elderly after Katrina and I have to wonder …

    I also worry about the big picture cost. They are retired and living on a fixed income and although they had carefully planned for retirement … they didn’t plan on U.S. financial collapse. He had recently mentioned that they were very concerned now about their finances and were having to be very careful on spending. Now he has just had to buy a 6000watt generator and pay $800 for tree cutting. Oh, he also had a power pole fall on his vehicle but hopefully insurance will pay for that.

    One other note – His, mother is in a local nursing home whose back-up generator is apparently only enough to power the lights in their office. Not for anything else – like heat.

    suckage

  63. J0e, that definitely does suck. The vulture thing always amazes me. I don’t understand how people can take advantage of other people under normal circumstances, and even more so when the chips are down. My heart goes out to your family. I hope things start getting better soon.

  64. Arrgggg. They are obviously having problems in my Ontario office. First it told me I can’t save my file. Now it’s telling me I can’t access my profile.

    I think it’s going to be a loooong day.

  65. Too fluffy? What kind of cookies were you trying to make? No matter what, I don’t think the recipe would have included fur 😉

  66. Some of my coworkers also run a tree removal business and from what I’ve overheard, it is quite expensive. Not that the NC storm chasers aren’t being pricks. I was part of a storm cleanup crew in TN when I was a teen. We went around and picked the trees and moved them out of the roads. For free.

  67. These were supposed to be chocolate chip cookies, though the chips didn’t make it into all of the cookies… I think that I whipped the mixture with the mixer a little too much. Then again, it didn’t help that the degree markings on the oven knob are all worn off. I think I had it at something or other temperature.

  68. RE: Tree guys.

    A good tree service IS expensive and not knowing the scope of the work that was done – I don’t know that these guys took advantage of anyone.

    My experience after Katrina was that people who are enduring these sort of catastrophes just aren’t thinking very clearly while things are in such disorder.

  69. And one final note before heading out to SB stuff, have you guys heard any of the semi-recent Speaking of Beer episodes? I saw Charlie on Thanksgiving of last year, along with a drunken/chatty Evo Terra and Sheila, plus a few others. It got broken up into 3 10ish minute episodes.
    http://speakingofbeer.com

    Don’t watch football, listen to podcasts this afternoon!

    OK, go local guys. I’m off.

  70. On another note – at the zoo the other day, there were several teenage girls (jailbait as my male friends would call them) wearing Twilight shirts.

    On the front it says, “Twilight” and on the back it says, “the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest”

    Am I nuts or is this just asking for trouble?

    http://tinyurl.com/aokcyy

  71. Morning Pan!

    6:30 and a balmy -3 right now.

    You’re right, Van, I’m laughing at you. Our schools don’t shut down until the temperature reaches -40 (honestly). And the last time I remember my husband staying home because of snow, we had a record 24″ in 8 hours. (doesn’t happen often, this was about 5 years ago).

    Brits are nothing but a bunch of weather wusses 🙂

  72. There’s an old Goldie Hawn movie called “The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox”. In it is a song called “Please don’t touch me plums”

    “enjoy a fuzzy peach, but please don’t touch my plums.”

  73. Got tired of hearing that the “Stimulus Bill was full of pork” without getting any real details of what that meant. So, I am wading through a downloaded copy of what was passed by the House.

    As one might reasonably expect … the issue is not “black & white”

    I found one item that seems near and dear to the hearts of some Deadpanites. They have included $160 million for “Americorps”.
    Is this “pork” ?
    I guess if you are a stockholder of Haliburton it would probably seem that way. Then again, Haliburton had their corporate offices moved to the Middle Eastern country of Dubai so that they would no longer be the answerable to the U.S. government OR have to pay US corporate taxes.

    Money going to Americorps though, gets spent on U.S. soil – mostly in the very communities where they are helping out.

    I guess it is all “Pork” – it’s just a mater of who’s getting fed.

  74. Van: I’m not laughing at you. Your country just isn’t equipped to handle snow. I’ve seen Dallas shutdown for barely 1/2″ of snow–they aren’t equipped either.

  75. I will laugh at nobody who is getting snow. On two different occasions here in Arizona, I’ve been delayed on flights into/out of our airport due to the runway being frozen (no actual snow) and the runway being too hot causing it to be soft and melty.

  76. And, just cuz I can…

    “Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties
    because it’s COOOLD out there today!”

    That’s right! IT’S GROUNDHOG DAY!!!

  77. So, what were your favorite and least favorite commercials from last night?

    My favorite was the Hulu commercial with Alec Baldwin.

    My least favorite–ignoring GoDaddy cuz that’s too easy–was the Coke parody of the classic “Mean” Joe Green.

  78. Kitty and I have shared lunch. (once again she didn’t help with the clean up afterwords)

    The litter boxes have been cleaned and the garbage has been taken to the curb (she also didn’t help with this. Really must have words with that cat)

    And the first of three loads of laundry has been folded (kitty did help with that, but her idea of helping is to climb into the basket of warm laundry and lay down in it, making it impossible to fold).

    Now… spreadsheets.

    – on a side note, the noon news did mention London’s weather woes.

  79. ditto, I think my favorite was the careerbuilder spot. Altho the 1-second ad also deserves an honorable mention (as if there’s anything honorable about Super Bowl commercials).

    The worst ad was probably Bruce Springsteen, dredging up his tacky old catalog.

  80. You know, the Japanese may be strange, perverted, weird, or whatever adjective you want to choose, but they really do have a talent for horror. I recently read a 3 page short story that was damn creepy. I don’t think I’ll look at sandboxes the same way again.

  81. RE: Ads
    “Go Daddy” – the Paris Hilton of Super Bowl advertisers?
    “McGuyver Parody” – all set up, No Joke. Honestly, I expected a 2nd spot that would be the punchline. Never happened.

    “Careerbuilder” was pretty good.
    “Bruce Springsteen” – can be counted on to deliver a consistent product. Not sure when the last time was he delivered art.

    I think my favorite was the determined kid in his pajama’s and cape walking through the city. Besides the fact that that the “grown up” looked like “Wash” (cast an actor from Firefly and you automatically score points in my book) … I connected with the – “remember those dreams you had?” theme.

  82. Joe: I thought the same thing about the Pepsuber commercial. The only cool part was MacGyver was actually in it. 🙂 I much preferred what Pepsi did with “I’m Good”.

    I thought the “Inner Hero” commercial was building up to a great moment but then it closed for an ad to Universal Studios. I felt a bit let down, to be honest.

  83. I agree with the “I’m good” spot.

    Pepsuber was cute, then they showed MacGyver and I thought “This is going to be great …” and it wasn’t. Would have been funner to have the actual MacGyver save the day but somehow have everyone (including the spoof guy) think that the Pepsi guy was responsible for doing so.

    Will say that “Inner Hero” failed as advertising because I couldn’t even remember who it was for. You’re right about the set up on that one … really seemed to be building to something much more profound then an amusement park.

    Danica Patric = FAIL
    IMHO – million dollar driving skills, 10 cents worth of class. meh

  84. Earlier, J0e said:

    “Money going to Americorps though, gets spent on U.S. soil – mostly in the very communities where they are helping out.”

    Damn straight! For you non-AmeriCorps-Members, that money is going to give a lot of people like me the money they need to live on while they’re spending a year working to make the communities they’re living in safer, smarter, and/or healthier.

  85. ditto, speaking as an anime-n00b, you (and whoever else knows this stuff) should give the rest of us a crash course, sometime.

    I’ve seen Akira and the first 2 Vampire Hunter D films (were there more?), and I’ve loved almost everything from Miyazaki. The Ghost in the Shell movies were great too, although I wasn’t nearly as impressed with the tv series. I find that the over-the-top attempts at humor in a lot of anime just shuts me out completely.

  86. Don’t think that anime got a cinema release near me ditto.

    I’ll have to have a look to see if it got a DVD release in the UK.

    Morning Pan, pissing down here, these boots are made for walking..

  87. Happy Tuesday, Deadpan!

    Might be a rough day at Evil, Inc. today, so I might (again) be sparse. Wanted to drop in pre-shower and say hi! Miss y’all.

  88. Hi EssBeeeeeeeee!

    Jack – that is truly giggle-worthy.

    Amy – I don’t see that as pork either. I too see it as creating jobs WHILE improving our communities. The CEO’s of the (remaining) major banks in this country don’t seem to see it that way though.

    Who do you think will get the most “air time” though?
    You, … or the Republican congressman who have been bought with millions in lobbying dollars by the failed banking industry.

    I thought the media was supposed to be controlled by the Liberals. What’s happened with that?

  89. Morning Pan!

    Hovering around freezing here, with expected temperature to reach around 12 C. I might actually peek my head outside today.

  90. So my mom sent me an ad for services in her local area:

    “Will trade Chainsaw work for liquor. (Saanich Peninsula)
    ________________________________________

    I have 3 saws and all the related equipment.
    Will buck, split, and stack your firewood in exchange for liquor.
    Don’t worry, I drink after the work day!
    I’ll do an honest 8 hour day in exchange for a 60 oz. Bottle of liquor.
    I’ve been using saws for 25 years, I don’t mess around.
    If my terms aren’t fair in your view, we can discuss something more to your liking.
    Thanks 🙂
    • Location: Saanich Peninsula
    • it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
    Posting ID: 986993337”

    How very strange.

  91. Joe: Sounds like a good idea.

    Jack: Sure, I don’t mind making anime recommendations. The thing with anime is that it isn’t a genre, rather, it’s a style that incorporates many genres. So, since people’s preferences vary so much there is bound to be plenty of disagreement as to what’s good. If I know what you typically like, I can make recommendations based on that.

  92. Meeting is over, the good news is I still have a job, the bad news is that general office time (about half my paycheck) pays me 30% the standard rate. The net effect is a 40% reduction in my pay check, which has already been reduced 30%. I’m making half what I was making back in August. It’s time to move on. So any leads on 40K plus jobs?

  93. Sorry to hear about that Rhett. It sucks. I wish I knew of something, unfortunately, anything I might know of wouldn’t do you much good down there.

  94. (awkward segway)
    Speaking of which …
    (/awkward segway)
    There is a distinct lack of Van this morning. Do you suppose polar bears are now running rampant through the streets in England?

  95. Alas, I too have nothing good to offer on the job front. It’s finally made it’s way to Texas in a big way. I should survive, but I expect my company will be about 1/3 the size it was last year.

    I can tell you we’re in for a long recovery…whenever it does actually begin. So much capacity has just been shut down due to the lack of demand. Even if people did suddenly start buying stuff again, it’s going to take a while to get the supply chain ramped back up.

  96. I see I managed to not check in at all yesterday…bad Ed!

    RE: Superbowl – the game, at least, was excellent. Didn’t bother to watch the halftime show. There certainly wasn’t much in the way of memorable commercials.

    Honestly, I think the best part was the attention that NBC put on the Monday night line up. I’m hoping that Chuck at least gets the audience it needs to keep going.

    Chuck is still on the DVR to check out, but we did watch Heroes last night. The opening looks strong. I just hope the writers have a full season worth of idea this time.

  97. I’m afraid you are right Ed. Architecture (especially commercial architecture, yeah me!) has been completely hard hit. Firms that were hiring a year ago are bankrupt. I believe the firm I am in will be bankrupt within three months. It’s going to be two years for architecture to become a viable industry again. I seriously entertaining the thought of retraining for a job in health care, something that can last through this recession.

  98. Rhettro, I’m afraid that even healthcare is being hit by this financial axe. In another field I have a phone meeting in 5 minutes. Here’s hoping I have a job when I return as well.

    Oh, btw Pannites. I’ve been lurking a bit lately as I catch up 🙂

  99. Busy morning at work, snow all gone, oh and somebody on the 24 writing staff maybe a closet scifi fan..the plant manager in the latest episode was called John Brunner.

  100. Sorry to hear the news about your job Rhettro, hopefully you’ll have better luck in the future.

    My brotherinlaw thinks he’s getting the chop in March, works for a firm that supplies Nissan with parts and the car industry (what’s left of if) in the UK is having it bad of time of it,

  101. I hope so too, Van and I wish everyone who is having a hard time good luck. On the bright side, the odds of my family getting tossed out into the street are pretty slim. The absolute worse case would be that we’d loose our house and I’d have to move in with my folks. My wife could keep her current job and telecommute if that happened. I have no idea what that would do to our credit and our ability to buy a house again. My guess is that if things are so bad that we would loose our home, so would a sizable chunk of the country, and there would have to be some form of federal amnesty given to people’s credit. Those kind of hard decisions are at least nine months off for me. I know there are people out there a lot worse off and I feel for them.

  102. Hi Cynful.

    I lucked out at the beginning of this year. I think I’m the only not mechanic left in our plant with less than 10 years seniority. As it is, I can’t complain about the loss of overtime anymore.

    Ah, who am I kidding. That overtime every week was sweeeeeeet. I miss it.

    Heh.

  103. I’m not sure what work visa laws are for US workers in Canada. I know it’s fairly common, but I don’t know how it’s done.

    (On a different note, if you did moved to Calgary, you’d be required – yes required – to join in our Friday night gaming 🙂 )

  104. I know of people who commute from Red Deer to Calgary (2 hours one way) every day, but Arizona?

    However, I guess I shouldn’t talk since my office is in Burlington, Ontario.

  105. RE: Heros

    I watched the season opener. It was nice to see after having tried to watch LAST seasons opener (twice) and then skipping the entire season, I could follow along easily enough.
    It was entertaining though not what I would call “gripping”.

    WARNING. Possible spoiler comment :
    Next week’s previews left me wondering if this was going to be called “Heros – The LOST season.”

  106. We have Heroes on our PVR, but won’t be able to watch it for a few days. My hubby has a parent council meeting tonight, then some other school stuff for the rest of the week.

  107. There, my car is nice and clean. I also bought a sugar-free slurpee and a Bounty chocolate bar. I figure the two cancel each other out.

  108. Two weeks in, and the guy’s already under siege. Sure, McCain would have faced the same thing, but…. damn…..

    The bailout plan must be scrutinized as carefully as possible, but some of the critiques are obvious pundit-pleasing partisan attempts to undermine.

    meh.

    Abolish the two party “team” system now.

  109. Rhettro, and anyone else who thinks s/he’s in danger of losing a job: My dad has been pushing me to become a computer networking technician. I think that has at least some chance of lasting through the recession. I’m not in love with the idea, but if I can’t get anything else to pan out (translating, or more ESOL teaching), I might go for the Cisco networking certificate.

  110. LOL!

    Amy, just be cautious, because as school districts – particularly in CA, which is what I know the most about – are laying off district-level staff, and putting those folks back in the classroom. Each time that happens, a teacher gets bumped out. ESL, though, is an excellent field to get into — high demand, great results, limited field.

  111. So for the obvious reason I need not state, I couldn’t see the latest Chuck in 3D, so for those who got the glasses was it good? or was it like the old Viewmaster toys?

  112. Good morning, Pan.

    I woke up with Savage Garden’s Affirmation stuck in my head.

    I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
    I believe you can’t appreciate real love ’til you’ve been burned
    I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
    I believe you don’t know what you’ve got until you say goodbye

  113. I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned … only dismembered, burned, wrapped in contractor plastic and mailed to you in several small, unlabeled boxes.

    I believe you can’t appreciate real love ’til you’ve set it on fire to free it from all of the evil thoughts it made you have.

    I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side but that smoking it just might put off that “Mall shooting rampage” you have been planning – for one more day.

    I believe you don’t know what you’ve got until you say goodbye … and then nail the lid shut and cover it with three feet of dirt. You’ll want to wear your earbuds and play your “Air Supply” song list really loud to cover up all of that pitiful, muffled pleading. It can be distracting.

  114. *Hugs all around*

    Thanks for the input Amy. I’ve got several leads from my call out to the “nets” yesterday. My office just landed a very short term job, but one that’ll keep me out of the red another month. So today’s stress level is definately lower than yesterday’s.

  115. JOe your humour makes life worth living. Or at least gives us a reason to keep life’s brain dead body hooked up to the support system another week.

  116. 🙂

    … another reason to smile is that 15 degree (F) temperature makes cleaning up the dog poopy like picking up rocks.

    So it’s all good!!!!

    (plus I believe I get the “double Deadpan score” for being able to use the word “poopy” in my post!)

  117. YES YES YES
    President Obama is on the air RIGHT NOW (press conference) saying all the things I had been saying for the last 3 days –

    His stimulus critics are saying we need to rely on the very ideas that led us to this problem.

    That the American people wanted change from those failed ideas and elected him to make that change.

    GO DADDY GO !!!!!

  118. I’m alone in the room so I dropped in. Typically while I’m training the guy to fill in during child leave (and eventually replace me when they decide they pay me too much) I just occasionally jot off something in the

  119. The Beatles – Were just a band.
    Led Zepplin – Just a band.
    The Beach Boys – Just a band.
    The Sex Pistols – Just a band.
    The Clash – Just a band.
    Crass – Just a band.
    Minor Threat – Just a band.
    The Cure – Just a band.
    The Smiths – Just a band.
    Nirvana – Just a band.
    The Pixies – Just a band.
    Oasis – Just a band.
    Radiohead – Just a band.
    Bloc Party – Just a band.
    The Arctic Monkeys – Just a band.
    The next big thing – JUST A BAND.

  120. Why aren’t girls given the title of “Jr.” ?

    CJ’s mother was also named CJ … why can’t she be CJ Jr. ?
    Anybody know what the naming convention is with that?

    BTW: ditto, perhaps I am ! 😉

  121. Funny…

    That post was hampered by me lazily using a “less-than” sign instead of spelling it out, as you might to save characters. what followed the sign was “140 characters range.”

    But of course WP saw it as part of an html tag…

  122. Wow. I just heard the best term that describes a certain behavior that is endemic in my industry. The Changeineer. To quote the ACM article I’m reading:

    “What’s a changeineer? Usually this is the person [sent] out to a remote site, like a data center when something breaks. They don’t really know how the system works or how to fix it, but they do know how to change every single component in the system until the problem magically disappears, at least for a few days. Disk is slow? Change the disk. That didn’t work? Upgrade the CPU. Still slow? Get faster RAM. Ad nauseam.”

  123. The following items have been shipped to me by Amazon.com:

    1 Watchmen $11.99 1 $11.99

    Yay me. It was 40 bucks at B&N.

    I still have the digital version in case anyone finds need for it, please let me know.

  124. So in the Wing Commander movie, why does the bulldozier thingy have to push the pilot out of the dock? Couldn’t they have spacewalked out and rescued her first?

  125. I’m ordering Chinese for dinner. Won Ton soup has magical healing properties and I need some healing.

    My mother’s name is not Cj.

    My name is also not actually Cj. I think that’s been covered here before though.

    Who is this Cj you all speak of, anyway.

  126. For the sake of juvenile humor, I will share the fortune from my fortune cookie.

    The first blow does not fell the tree.

    A wise man wrote that, indeed.

  127. Cj, if that is indeed your name, I always order hot & sour soup when I’m sick. Makes the nose runny and the head unstuffy.

    Hope you all are just fine tonight. My back is thrown out and I’m going to get horizontal. Nighty-night.

  128. Evening, DP.

    It’s been a rather crazy week so far. I’ve been out of town until this evening for a funeral. A close cousin of my wife died unexpectedly over the weekend. I can’t say I knew him terribly well, but he and his siblings were pretty close to my wife and her siblings while they were growing up. It made for a rough day for her. I also hadn’t realized that he made quite an impact on his community. I estimate well over 1000 people turned out for the service today and there must have been close to 100 cars in the procession to the cemetery.

    But, now I am back and quite exhausted. I’ve done a lot of driving in the last two days.

  129. And, in the “it just gets worse and worse” department – While driving home today, I was surprised at the number of long trains that were sitting idle, presumably because their containers were not in demand to actually ship anything.

  130. Hot and Sour soup DOES have mystical powers!

    Coincidently … I went to the Chinese buffet for dinner. I had some of most everything.
    My fortune said …
    “You are original and creative.”

    (… EssBee? You may have the honors)

  131. Thanks to all.

    And, sadly, no – the Caddy stayed home as I was traveling with the kids. When it comes to road trips with kids, there’s just no substitute for a minivan.

    Though I certainly would have enjoyed the trip more in my CTS 🙂

  132. Morning Pan.

    In this mornings news –
    http://tinyurl.com/c6egy3

    MILWAUKEE – An 18-year-old male student is accused of posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts.

    What amazes me with this story is that there are still high school kids out there who actually believe that someone they meet on-line is who they say they are.

    Our local school system teaches “Power Point” to third graders! Maybe it is time to have a grade school level class that teaches how ANYONE you meet ANYWHERE online, regardless of who they say they are or what pictures they send you … can be (and probably is) fooling you.
    I thought that the deposed African leader and the millions he wants to send me would go away after our parents generation “logs off” … but it looks like there is a whole new generation being raised , “fleece ready”.

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