naladahc | tripping along the golden path

Every week I find another reason to hate marketers.

I mean, I think I could develop an entire anti-marketing religious-political group if I was so inclined to combat marketing.

Of course, we'd devolve into the People's Front of Anti-Marketing and the Anti-Marketing People's Front within days so it would all be pointless.

Marketers. The people you turn to when you really need illusions cast for you and your company to fill the voids in your existence.

Wow!

DC characters on US postage stamps in 2006 (Newsarama)

The Post Office will be issuing 20 stamps next year based on DC Comics characters.

What's really cool is that some of them are actually from comics covers and George Perez's Wonder Woman will make it to a stamp! Yay!

The stamps also confirm that postage will be going up to 39 cents too. Joy.

So I'm putzing around the 'net on break and came across something interesting: the Association of Pizza Delivery Drivers.

It is an online-only labor union of pizza delivery drivers.

Quite interesting. Just reading their major issues made me realize that there's some things I've never considered before in regards to people who actually do this occupation for a primary means of living.

I never gave much thought to it since for the most part, I've typically gotten pizza from small places that are usually near Cowland State University and therefore have transitory staff and delivery people.

But indeed, there are issues to consider in regards to personal use of private vehicles for commerical uses that I've never thought about.

And you know, it really is a dangerous job for the most part. I sure as hell wouldn't do it now. I probably would have in my dumber stupider youth though.

The House of Love is freezing!

And if you think that could be bad you should feel what it is like up here in the Attic of Love!!!

I HATE WINTER!

I know this is pretty whack'd but I find myself thinking it would be enjoyable, in some bizarrely strange dark ages way, to watch the two Pope movies with Max Power while both of us are drunk and/or small off our asses.

If it was 1994 we'd definitely probably enjoy this.

So there was this horrible bus accident in Glass City yesterday.

According to the article, Caesar's Show Bar, the building hit...

The club was made famous by the Kenny Rogers' song "Lucille" as the "bar in Toledo across from the depot" and was one of the city's first opera houses, Mr. Wicks said.

I find this very interesting because this is knowledge I had never heard.

Caesars, when I left in 1988 to go to Cowland State U., was a drag queen bar that used to advertise with these horribly tacky bad television ads late at night. There'd be drag queens doing their boring ass schtick in the ads and I remember being a kid and going "what the fuck" and all.

I hadn't realize Kenny Rogers hung out at Caesar's.

My only interaction there occured in January 1988 during an incredibly frigid blizzard-like night.

I was doing some event at my high school (which of course I lived across town from) and since the freeways weren't safe I decided to take the long route down Airport Highway to Western to the Anthony Wayne Trail and all the way through downtown.

It was around 2:30am and even though I wasn't driving fast, due to the lack of visibility, I almost careened into a drunk drag queen as I drove by. "She" shouldn't have been in the middle of the street during a blizzard drunk with drunk friends trying to cross snow valleys and such.

I remember a feather boa and drag queen flying into a snow pile and that's about it.

Yes friends. That's my first experience at the tender innocent age of 17 with a drag queen.

And you know something, even all these years later, I still find them far more entertaining frozen in a snow pile than "performing" on stage.

Everytime I've heard of Caesar's, have been out in the freezing cold and seen a drag queen, or have seen a drag queen face down in a snow pile I think of that special night in 1988.

Behold... the greatest mullett ever!!!

And it was on my head in September 1991!

Of course, it wasn't called a mullet yet but still the "bi-level" and as you can see I am totally serious up front and all party in the back.

This hair was gone by the end of the 91 and a year later (October 1992) I was in my grad student mode (left).

Of course, 1992/1993 was that oh so wonderful year of my life in which I basically threw away all of my hopes and future wishes for everything I held dear and devolved into what would become what is known as "Dark Ages Nala" by the end of 1993.

And for the next 5 years or so things were a more or less a mess.

Man. If I could just go back to October 1992 and tell me 3 or 4 key things to avoid doing I'd have my Ph.D. now, would probably not be anywhere near the Cowlands at all, and would probably have both tenure somewhere and many published papers to my credit.

Instead. I have this to blog about today.

Great. Isn't it?

I was reading some preacher shit today and within the article was the golden gem that defines a good part of christianity that underlies the evil that exists today.

Denominations are run by democratic or congregational rule, he said, while the Bible preaches kingdom rule, with authority given to the leadership. “Democracy is a great social rule but not a good kingdom rule,” he said. “Churches want kingdom power but they want to function like a democracy and that just doesn’t work.”

And humans love to open their bank accounts and rectums to be fucked over in the name of god.

Beware all people who seek out roles as political or religious leaders masked under the lies of "a calling".

They want power and control and if you are a woman than want your uterus so they can have it from day one when you get pregnant.

The pierogi filling preparation and cooking has begun!

I've decided on the standard potato and cheese filling, a kapusta fillling, a cabbage and mushroom filling, and a ground beef and dill filling.

I've had some form of the first 3 many times over the past 35 years but the last one seems un-pierogi like but I will try to make a few of them to see how they turn out.

Quite frankly, this whole entire event could become a disastrous mess. I've got some base recipes I'm working from but the quantities and such are going to be estimates. I have little experience in dough making so that scares me a bit too.

The actually creation of the pierogies is what really worries me. I know the shape and appearance I want but I know that is the result of using a biscuit maker/ravioli maker that seals the filling inside. I've tried about 7 different places and could find nothing that remotely would serve. So instead we've got a hodge-podge of devices that will basically cut 4" circles in the dough. These will then get a filling placed onto them and then they'll be folded into half-moon shapes. Hopefully sealing them with a fork will work.

Like I said. This can easily spiral into a $180 disaster and mess.

Of course you know I'll document the whole thing with photos so you can remind me what a fool I was for attempting this.

Two fillings down.

Two more to go.

Yup! They've got new hats!

So I've got about 30lbs of potato and cheese filling, about 6 lbs of kapusta, a couple pounds of cabbage and mushroom, and 3 lbs of the beef/dill mixture ready.

The first batch of dough was troublesome but hopefully Mr. G.'s mixer will help with that and also allow us to have 2 batches constantly being made.

If we run out of fillings I also plan to do an emergency type with pre-made mashed potatoes and such so we can run to the Giant Eagle and quickly throw it together.

I'm debating about getting Ganesh and St. Jude involved.

At best guess there are about 500 pierogies in my freezer right now. Maybe a dozen or so less since we've eaten a few and gave a few out.

It all turned out really good with the only problem being that I made enough fillings to last for a decade. We could have made probably 30 more batches of dough and worked until 4am Sunday morning to make all of them. Thankfully the potato/cheese mixture can be frozen and find other uses, the kapusta can be eaten, and the cabbage/mushroom mixture can become a soup stock base so not much will be wasted.

The beef/dill mixture pierogies tured out really good but I'm the potato/cheese and kapusta are still my personal favorites.

Mrs. T., and later J., also did a couple dozen blueberry pierogies from the same dough. They turned out well but will need to be finished off in a totally different manner than the others. Frying them in butter and onions just doesn't cut it.

The whole photo set of the day can be seen here at my Flikr accout.

I also took a few videos:

• Dough rolling and cutting.
• Pam stuffing and sealing a pierogi.
• The whole group stuffing.

If anyone wants recipes let me know. Just remember this is an extremely labor intensive job but the reward is indeed great.

Thanks to Giger, Mr. G., J., Mr. and Mrs. T., Mrs. B., Pam, and Evebird for all of the hard work and effort. Without them it wouldn't have all come together like it did.

Happy Birthday to Giga!!!

So for Giga's birthday I tried to get him something out-of-the-ordinary, yet fed both his geek side yet wasn't necessarily geeky.

I bought David Willis' original art from the May 25, 2005 Shortpacked! strip and also acquired a full size matching color print of the finished piece.

I matted and framed them and they really turned out nice.

And Giga liked them a lot so that's a helluva lot better than more plastic crack.

They can be in his office, the guest room, or whever he wants to hang them.

Warren Worthington III looking out at Coit Tower and the pyramid.

Now personally I feel that Angel is one of the most boring X-Men characters ever created. Sure. He's one of the original X-Men. But that sure doesn't matter in the movie continuity so that can't give him any bonus points. At least Walt Simonson made him a bit more appealing by having Apocalypse corrupt him into the Angel of Death way back in the 80s in X-Factor but that is the past of course. He's just so boring.

From what I gather this film will have all five original X-Men in it. Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast, and now Angel all appear.

San Francisco seems to play a major role in the film too and while this flik is not on my "must see" list I definitely want to see Magneto rearrage the Golden Gate Bridge, tearing the Marin side off and redirecting it to Alcatraz. That could be really cool in CG or look like total shit. We'll have to see.

I find it funny though that many stories in (or from) comics now occur in San Francisco with Teen Titans and this X-Men film leading the pack.

In the mid 90s I wanted a reconstituted Infinity, Inc. to relocate to San Francisco from LA. Of course, I never got to write comics so that never saw the light of day.

Anyway. I digress.

I can't say I like the released image of Beast. It just looks like a blue Wolverine to me. While I'm no fan of the current 2nd mutation Beast, I somehow would like to have seen him done the way Perez did him in Avengers during the 70s. That to me is Beast. I think that is also the way a lot of fandom thinks of him too.

Some children conceived by a common IVF method could be carrying chunks of bacterial DNA in their chromosomes, finds a study in mice. (New Scientist)

Woohoo!!!

While I'm all for realistic and postive scientific exploration in all fields of human study I do have issues with augmented fertility improvement methods.

It comes from my basic acceptance that our genes manifest the totality of our physical reality for a reason and that nature reacts to those manifestations accordingly. Natural reproduction via coitus in Homo sapiens sapiens is the only way I feel children should be conceived.

If egg and sperm cannot meet and a viable embryo supported through natural means that have evolved over millions of years than there is a reason. This should not be tampered with or overcome by science. If a couple doesn't conceive after repeated attempts during highly fertile monthly times, it isn't because of magic, gods, some animal you failed to sacrifice, or necessarily any fault you have control over. There's a reason that you aren't having children and perhaps one or both of you shouldn't have children.

Personally, I would love to have children. For me it would be the fulfillment of many possible paths that go back through many generations.

But nature and nurture introduced certain undeniable mental instabilities that I cannot afford to pass onto any offspring. These could be genetic. They could be cultural. But the negative in my opinion far outweighs the positive here.

Would I adopt?

That's a hard one to answer. The genetic flaws would not be present but could I feel good about myself if I passed on negative cultural damage and baggage to a child? I don't know. I think about it quite a bit.

So what does any of this have to do bacterial DNA being introduced to human chromosomes?

Not much.

I just don't believe I've ever addressed the topic about my belief in normal coitus as the only means of human reproduction.

See. Now you know that.

And knowing is half the battle.

It is with a sad heart that I write to you all that Scary Korean Restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat, will be demolished soon along with the skateboard shop that it is a part of.

However, it will apparently be reopening in an as yet unknown new location which probably will not be as "scary" as the original one was prior to the Lane Ave/High Street work.

So. There's still a couple of weeks to get Scary Korean cousine.

I will hopefully have my camera the next time I'm there so I can document this wonderful place.

Today's fun and exciting terms in my search referral logs:

• those vanilla bullshit things
• tittie bars in south bend indiana
• darth balls
• chinese overlords
• what went wrong with the non drip enamel paint

I suppose apologies are in order for the person searching on "mental retardation" who clicked on this site's result. While this site is more definitely retarded it is retarded in a loser way and not a true medical way.

Here's another reason why Poles rock the balls!

From Poland: the most fantastic Godzilla movie posters EVER!!!

Deep down inside I know that you all wish you were Polish.

Wow! This no scalpel vacectomy web page has made even me queasy.

I suppose it is safe for work only in a "medically-approved" kind of way but hey, I don't know who clicks on what links where or when I post them.

But you know. Only the brave men out there should click the link and only from the confines of your attic of love, creepy basement, or wherever your personal private computer may reside.

Wow! Someone made a documentary about Suzanne Muldowney, the "Underdog Lady" that often would rant on the Stern Show.

Whack'd!

New X-Men 3 teaster trailer is now online and I was right.

I just don't care about such things anymore.

No excitement whatsoever.

CBR is running an article/interview with Scott Shaw! about the appearance of Captain Carrot & His Amazing Zoo Crew in future issues of Teen Titans.

I am actually really excited about this since I was an avid Captain Carrot fan in my youth.

I love this one panel from one of the pages.

The Super Squirrel comic! The Green Lambkin panel (if you look close enough you can see Wonder Wabbit too)! The "Call Roy" sticky note! Dan Didio firing Rodney Rabbit note!

Yeah. I loved the brief (and only) appearance of the Justa Lotta Animals back in the 80s and I'm so happy that Scott Shaw! and Geoff Johns included a brief little bit of them in this appearance.

Long live Earth-C! Long live Earth-C-Minus!

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 8/10 correct!

*sigh*

This makes me really depressed.

I really don't remember the order to solve some types of algebraic equations.

I wonder if I could take math all over again at Columbus State U. just for kicks.

I really want to be completely fluent in mathematics and logic too.

Woman mistakes cheese for cocaine, hilarity no doubt ensued. (ONN)

Police in Memphis, Tennessee, say a woman mistook a block of cheese for cocaine -- and tried to hire a hit man to kill four men and steal it. Police say the 18-year-old woman was mistaken about the hit man, too. He was an undercover policeman... Authorities say the aspiring model was in the men's house recently when she saw the white, crumbly cheese that she thought was cocaine.

These are the kinds of events that happen within Homo sapiens sapiens that bring both a smile to my face and simultaneously a tear to my eye.

I need to see what Time Warner is charging for Howard Stern In Demand and I do need to get my shit together on finding a Sirius satellite radio system and account.

I failed to find an Evac today. I swear I just can't seem to come across this damn Transformer anywhere.

Grrrr...

Pssst... Hollywood.

99% of remakes suck such nasty balls that they are not worth the investment.

When will you fucking get it?

Remaking a harmless 60s film that had A-list talent in the form of Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda just because you can is even worse.

Yup... the remake of Yours, Mine and Ours clocks in with a 5% of 81 reviews were positive. 5 percent is insanely bad.

Keep it up Hollywood.

Blame your failures on copyright infringement and such.

It doesn't matter in the end.

This is cool.

It appears that a new mystery mammal has been intelligently designed outta nothing in Borneo.

Awesome!

Isaac says that catching an animal is the ideal way to establish its true identity. However, in recent years taxonomists have been able to classify some new species, for example beetles, by using their DNA. “If you could get a hair from this thing or fæces then you could compare the DNA with close relatives,” he suggests.

I love the use of the fæces spelling.

I so loves me some ligatures.

You know something.

If you are all good and behave I may just blog about this past weekend's Snots Landing Reunion that aired.

I saved it on the Tivo for a reason dontcha know!

So I went out after work and bought me a Sirius satellite radio for my car and a home kit so I can plug it into the stereo here in the house or at work.

I've wanted one ever since I was in Max Power's latest car and while not "portable" in the sense of an iPod I definitely think this will be money better spent than an actual iPod itself, regardless of the fact it requires a monthly subscription.

So... time to get me an account!

And Evebird will just have to put that extra reissue Soundwave on ebay now.

I really should get Max Power the Baby Jesus Cheeto for Christmas.

For the first time in many weeks a search term has unseated Brent Corrigan as the number one seach result that ended up at naladahc.com.

The new title holder: Gloomy Bear.

Sure. I wish "butthole baby" or "lesbian haircuts" had ursurped the throne but hey, what can ya do.

It is official now.

I totally love Sirius Satellite Radio!

There are some fantastic music channels and I am all about the talk/entertainment channels I now have.

Channels I like so far:

• BBC Radio 1 - I've wanted access to non-American music content for a long time and this channel is fantastic. Wow. I even heard an unedited version of Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl. I'm sorry FCC... "this my shit" is not offensive. Stupid yes. Offensive no. I can't confirm that I have BBC 7 yet but if I do, Giga will love the fact they run Dr. Who radio plays.
• BBC World Service - Finally... a decent news feed.
• Howard 100 - While I have wanted satellite for some time, Howard Stern's move to Sirius is what finalized my choice for this brand. Yeah. I'm a major Stern listener. And yes, I do find myself eerily drawn to the silly content. While he won't debut until January there's some funny shit on now.
• Channel 106 - The Faggy Channel - While I can't say I'm that much of a fan I did spend some time last night listening to this sex show that really wasn't all that gay. What was refreshing about it was the fact that it was uncensored and didn't use baby or medical talk. That was pretty insane.
• Big 80s - This channel is run by my MTV VJs playing my music. Can I ask for more in radio??? I don't think so.
• Standard Time - Sinatra and all the other standards vocalists of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. I'll be all over this.

Now it is really great that as a subscriber I can log in to the site and stream the music channels over whatever computer I may be on. But it kind of sucks that I can't stream the talk and entertainment channels.

I know in Stern's case he's been adamantly against streaming of his Infinity Broadcast show but since this is a subscriber service I really feel that should be a part of the package.

Hell. If I could have paid $15/month for a web-only subscription I would have probably bought that without any consideration if all the channels were included.

But quite frankly, I figure I'll listen to satellite radio at least 100 hours a month (mostly at work) so that'll break down to about 12 cents an hour. That's not bad at all considering how much money I waste on other things.

And the hardware? In total it was cheaper than the iPod I was looking at. And I'll probably get more use out of it in a given month.

The Mars rovers continue to chug along. (CNET)

Kudos to the engineering team that developed Spirit and Opportunity.

The mission was supposed to last only 90 days, and most of the components were stress-tested for a lifetime of 270 days.

And Spirit has so far kept chugging along for over 684 now. That's damn impressive.

When humans, mostly for fear of profit loss, can't develop more fuel-efficient environmentally safer engines, it really is nice to know that we can send these small fairly simple robots out into hostile alien environments millions of miles away and they can far surpass any design expectations.

For every thousand times we fuck up we get one or two things right.

Let's just hope the Viking landers don't wake up and get pissed that some little rovers are on their turf. Big time shennanagins will ensue. I guarantee it.

This is why I need to rid myself of all of those comic books that I've accumulated over the past 27 years.

Comics just take up too much physical space and I have like 15 long boxes taking up valuable closet space in the attic.

Must get this shit sorted, sold, or given away! It has to go.

---

In other news, while I have no recollection of ever reading this comic, World's Finest Comics #289 may just be the gayest comic ever.

Goodbye Akbar.

I remember when you came to Glass City.

Both of us were much younger back then.

I've decided that for Christmas presents I'll be utilizing the services of BreathCapture™ to capture my breath in a glass vial and then giving you all these photo displays so that you will always remember that it was I who wasted so much money on quite possibly the lamest gift ever.

You can then display it on your desk at home or at work. You can put it on a shelf in your living room or even on the back of the toilet in your bathroom.

However I will come right out and admit that I do love some of you more than others and after I die, those of you who I love more than I love others will get my ashes turned into jewelry courtesy of Lifegem.

Now understand, there may not be a whole lot of my cremated remains left after I have Giga mix my ashes into the coffee to be served to my enemies at my wake. But rest assured, for those that get a Naladeathgem™, you can be proud to display it next to photo and breath vial on the back of your toilet tank.

I really want The Bulge - Package Appearance Enhancer.

The bulge is designed to look realistic without being irritating, or inconvenient.

I mean... how can I live without that!

'Safe' painkiller is leading cause of liver failure (NewScientist)

Paracetamol (or acetaminophen as it is known in the US) is used by millions of Americans each year, and is commonly thought to be safe. Until 1980, paracetamol was not even listed as a cause of acute liver failure. But between 1998 and 2003, the proportion of cases of liver failure caused by the drug nearly doubled.

Oh joy. That's the kind of good news 'Murkins love. Especially for something that has been on the market for ages.

Now I'm a plain old aspirin taker for the most part. The poor conditions of my knees requires me to take something about 3-4 times a week or else I'll be a very hurty wreck. I know my mother has always been a Tylenol chick so she's consumed massive quantities of acetaminophen over her life time.

Lee thinks American drug enforcers should follow the lead of the UK, which requires products that contain acetaminophen to be packaged in blister packets and sold in small quantities. "I think we should talk about limiting package size," says Lee. "You can buy 500 at a time. They're like M&Ms."

How dare someone tell the US how to possibly deal with overdoses of this. Who the hell do those kidney pie eaters think they are trying to tell god's chosen people what to do with their lives? The gall of those limeys.

And when acetaminophen-related liver damage deaths start rising in the US we'll sue those boiled meat eating bastards for publicizing that acetaminophen overdose can cause problems!

And then I read...

Heavy snow warnings and snow advisories are in effect from late this afternoon through the overnight across most of ohio with a winter weather advisory in place for the southeast where snow is expected to mix with freezing rain and sleet... Still, generally 3-5 inches of snow is on the way for most of Ohio...

And the wave of Cowland depression hits me again like it always does at this time of year.

And we've been waiting for a bit of warmer weather to get the storm windows in the back addition.

Grrr...

Supreme Court rules Social Security can be seized to pay school loans. (Toledo Blade)

The 9-0 ruling gives the government an extra way of collecting on more than $7 billion in delinquent student loans. It could cost retirees up to 15 percent of their monthly benefit.

Now I believe if you get a loan such as this it is your responsibility to pay it back. End of story.

I spent the Dark Ages accruing $15,000 in credit card debt for useless things that I have nothing to show for. It was my responsibility and I worked my ass off to pay it off with the only negative being that my credit was kind of bad for a while through most of the later 90s. I never declared bankruptcy and since I got myself in the mess only I could get myself out.

But with the recent vermin-controlled bankruptcy changes and something like this, the hole that the US has been digging itself just keeps getting deeper and deeper.

It'll be something to see when all of this collapses. It'll be really beyond belief.

I'm pretty sure it will happen in my life time now. The Republicrat vermin has pretty much guaranteed it due to the actions and inactions of the past 5 years.

I really thought it'd happen after 2100 or so but not anymore.

You all better start really cramming into your warehouse churches. There will be a helluva lot of praying to save your ass. Magic will be the new black.

I wasn't going to write about it but yes, it was 25 years ago today that John Lennon was murdered outside the steps of his aparment building.

Bad craziness.

Bad bad bad craziness.

I was 10.

I had discovered John Lennon by way of my mother's Beatle albums sometime around 1976 or so when I was around 6.

I have been a Beatle fan ever since.

I remember the news coverage of his murder.

25 years.

Bad bad bad craziness.

So JSA #80 came out yesterday and all I can say is...

(spoilers)

Christopher Robin replaced by tomboyish girl (USA Today) (via)

Disney's Kanter says the new cartoon represents not an abandonment of an old, familiar world, but rather an alternate universe for Pooh and his crew.

"Christopher Robin is still out there in the woods, playing," she says. "We hope people will fall for this new tomboyish girl. The last thing we want to be is the ones who brought the franchise down."

If I believed in hell I'd have to say there are places reserved there for Disney employees like this.

It is bad enough that Disney rapes and pillages history and other people's creations and essentially does a Microsoft on them. I'd like to have the meeting notes where it was decided to this kind of thing was necessary.

I'm not saying I'm averse to change. Not at all.

I'm averse to change for the sake of being able to create a whole new fucking merchandising line!!!

When the great collapse occurs, Disney will be one of the first to feel the wrath of reality.

Indeed I've been finding photos here and there that are far worse than the ones I posted a week or so ago.

Don't believe me?

Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny.

I think this is the funniest way I've ever seen them drawn. [via]

I was just reading Lady, That's My Skull and came across this post with quite frankly the best non-superhero comic book cover ever:

Charlton Comics Just Married #108 is brilliant.

It is even vaguely Phil Noto-ish in design (but not execution).

But I ask you... when exactly is the appropriate time to wear the outfit that the guy on the right has?

Ok. It is super-mega-official now. I totally love my satellite radio system.

I've been listening the past few days and took it on the road with my while I ran errands and I just can't get enough of it.

My favorites so far?

1. 1st Wave - It has been a bombastic Howard Jones and XTC day with some really obscure Soft Cell thrown in. And plenty of Echo and the Bunnymen and Psychedical Furs to keep me moist all day. I tell you... this channel makes me feel young again. You can have your grunge. You can have your doo-wap. You can have your rap and hip-hop. This is my music. Scary. I know.
2. Alt Nation - I suppose you could say this is the "modern alt rock" version of Cowtown's CD101 radio station. Nothing too avante garde or really all that different or "alternative" in 2005 but decent nonetheless.
3. BBC Radio 1 - I love this channel! Totally. Balls awesome! But the only complaint, and unfortunately a big one, is that the satellite receiver displays the name of the program and not the name of the artist and song like most of the other channels. This is not doubt because it is essentially a simulcast and not totally controlled by Sirius. But it is sad since so many of the bands they play I've never heard of and I would seek out full albums of some of this stuff.
4. Chill - This is probably my favorite of the "electronic" stations but it isn't as house bar faggy as some of the others. I suppose it is tied with Boombox in terms of my favorite current electronic favorite.

If you are a music listener but you either 1) don't have an iPod with all of your music or 2) your local radio stations suck as much nasty ballage as Cowtown's stations do I highly recommend trying out the 3 day Sirius trial for streaming music or give XM a try.

I had forgot that having so much music and talk choice at your fingers could be such a good moisture panty-wetting thing.

Now Sirius just needs to add channels focused like XM's the 40s and I won't need any more.

I goofed off most of the day while Giga made cookies.

Richard Pryor died.

When I was a kid I used to take his albums out of the library back in Glass City and listen to them all the time. Hell, I used put on vinyl comedy albums and fall asleep to Pryor, Carlin, Newhart, Martin, Murphy, Allen, Rivers, and so many others every night. I don't think my parents ever realized that their 11 year-old fell asleep to comedians like this. Hell. I doubt libraries would lend material like these classic comedians to kids today due to "parental advisory" and bullshit like that.

Richard Pryor had slipped from the public eye many years ago with his MS got really bad. I don't even remember him physically appearing at that one televised tribute to him a few years back.

He was brilliant. And his passing puts Mrs. T. and Evebird on the board.

Now I was never a huge Aquaman fan when I was a kid since I was more enamoured of married duo Kator and Shayera Hol (Hawkman and Hawkwoman).

Norm Alden and William Callaway did an admirable job portraying him on Superfriends and such but I never warmed up to Aquaman as a character. Even less as the 80s hit and the beard came along.

However, thanks to Scipio over at The Absorbascon I now not only have an appreciation of the Silver Age Aquaman but more appropriately, Topo, his octopus sidekick.

Topo rocks!!!

Screw Aqualad. Screw Mera. Screw Black Manta.

Topo has got it going on!

Don't believe me?

How many octopi can do this???

Oh Oliver Queen... you are such total pussy when Topo holds the bow(s)!

Still not convinced? Three words: Octopi and Hand Grendades.

And that's all I'm going to say about the matter.

So I find myself becoming more and more interested in Doctor Who for some reason.

Last night I rewatched The Five Doctors which is really the only actual Doctor Who content I've really seen other than the Rose, the 1st "modern" episode of the new series. I also watched The Curse of Fatal Death again but I don't think that counts.

I think I just may be more starved for some Battlestar Galactica. January 6th just can't get here fast enough.

Scifi Channel or somebody better get their asses in gear and license this new Doctor Who shit. Methinks I'd like this new 10th Doctor.

And I'm not even a frigg'n fan of the series!!!

There's nothing quite like opening up your browser to your favorite blogs, taking that first sip of coffee, and then spewing said coffee out when you read...

...the area around her urethra was soiled with debris, what appeared to be a mixture of urine and hot cocoa...

Oh Erik. You make my day man!

Now you just need a digital camera-wielding octopus.

So Giga's presents have been bought. I don't know what to get my parents. I know Giga suggested using the Kroger gift card he has as a present and that truly is better than any "thing" I could buy.

There's nothing 2 55+ year old people could possibly need other than a new place to live to get them out of their neighborhood. That of course I can't provide.

I still need to find something for The Cousinling.

I so hate the guilt associated with the holidays and this obscene spending that feels mandatory. I already know what my mother is going to get me and while my internal monologue has been debating the cost I have decided that since she's retiring soon I will allow this last "big" gift and make it plainly clear that next year and from now on this insanity ends. Sure. I may succeed in getting her to stop buying for me but the lady will go into debt anyway like she does every single year over this damn evil holiday.

Insane! Insane! Insane!

I need to completely wean myself off the last remnants of this christian consumer holiday orgy.

Except for the food.

Why oh why must people bring in the delicious cream cheese/dried beef cheese balls instead of those nasty nut encrusted cheddarish ones?

Cream cheese/dried beef cheese balls are currently the bane of my existence.

January can't get here fast enough.

I found a present for the Cousinling this afternon while I was on break.

Definitely fits the "Nala bought her that" type of gift.

So that just leaves something else for my mother and father. Something small yet quite possibly useful.

Hmmmm...

Holy shit did he have to post the most disgusting photo ever. (source photo)

On the whole I don't have problems with insects or centipedes or millipedes when they are moving but there's something with a static shot of the pattern in the legs that totally grosses me out.

I get the same queasiness when I see a sutured wound or even certain seed patterns in fruits.

I had no problems doing cadaver dissection but if I came across a pattern in a skull or the marrow pattern interior of a femur or other long bone I would get nauseated.

I just realized that this exact same feeling of grossness and such is exactly the same problem I have with driving at night with light patterns or driving in tunnels and on bridges. I get the exact same nausea!!!

Isn't that strange as hell?

I have some bizarre reaction to both organic and inorganic line patterns.

There ya go. There's my Kryptonite!

I can truthfully say I now completely understand Doctor Who.

I have never read a more simpler explanation of what Doctor Who is all about.

I'm busy. I got nothing today to talk about or rant about or anything.

I could write about the whole Tookie Williams thing but see, I'm one of those people who believes in State's Rights and the State of California has legal execution and believes it has done right, and since the whole thing is a California thing a fucking Cowlander like myself really can't have issue with it.

Of course, if it had happened here in the Greater Cowlands I'd be all over it.

So I got a card today and the photo that fell out of it made me laugh harder than I've laughed in ages.

Ok. This isn't a really a comic book blog.

Sure I bitch and rant and moan about how comics are retread boring ass garbage (usually) and how paper crack addiction can be a bad thing when you can't dispose of them. But really when I got nothing to say the occasional bitch-rant about comics fills a void in the blog that needs filling.

Anyway, there's a whole bunch of DC info for March that just needs some bitch-ranting. Of course, I'm known for barely coherent bitch-ranting anyway when it comes to comics.

(spoilers ahead)

Trying to get to see this damn Miami Vice trailer reminds me of how much I fucking hate Flash sites!

Small Flash objects here or there is one thing. Flash for the whole site is a mother fucking abomination!!!

I won't be paying to see the film. Then again I'm done with movies made from television shows.

And another example of why Hollywood is imagination bankrupt: the remake of The Poseidon Adventure hip and groovily now just called Poseidon (or so it seems from the marketing) is up in trailer form.

Rest assured. If you pay to see this you are endorsing Hollywood to creep churning out remakes of previous films.

This was already remade for television and had Adam Baldwin, Steve Guttenberg, C. Thomas Howell in it and includes an awesome terrorist threat plot to improve the original.

C'mon.

You'd have to hate America if you didn't like that remake.

So today was the yearly gift exchange at work.

I got a bottle of wine and a gift card for The Andersons so I can buy me some kielbasa from their meat department.

Andersons is the only place that basically imports Glass City kielbasa to Cowtown so at least I have a palatable alternative here and don't need to bring it back every time I visit the old home town.

Yay!

And to those of you who don't know:

It is important that you understand the difference. The left brings death. The right brings eternal life.

Know this and know enlightenment.

I wonder if Peter Jackson will remake Kingu Kongu tai Gojira now?

And in other news there's only 2 days left of Howard on regular radio.

It is almost shocking the number of 50+ year old women I work with who are Stern fans and have all gone out and bought Sirius because of it.

I am really excited about the show's future on Sirius. And I'm rarely excited about anything anymore.

Holy shit sherlock!

Gerri Jewell, best known as Blair's cousin with cerebral palsy way back in the 80s on Mrs. Garrett's Teen Lesbian-o-rama, is in HBO's Deadwood.

I didn't know that since I haven't started watching Deadwood.

I may need to check her out.

Hopefully she doesn't do stand-up, which in my opinion totall sucked.

Hell... Alice Krige is in it too.

Watch... your future's end.

I feel like total shit and I want to go home and crawl into bed.

Hell. I'll even bring The Hoont up and let him lay with me on the bed too.

I worked out an extra 30 minutes this morning since I figured that would help my metabolism a bit since I was having the yearly xmas lunch at Super Generic Italian Restuarant #1 with coworkers.

Of course, by mid-morning, my knees were killing me.

And of course, now, I feel like I want to make patented Nala-pukies due to the extreme carbohydrates and calories I consumed at lunch.

Ugh!

Feel... like... total... shit...

I almost had a moment when Alice leaned over and surprisingly said "There are so many young guys working here" to which I almost added "Yes and they are all screaming nelly queeny fags!" which of course would have been weirdly inappropriate even for me to verbalize.

But let's just say the one creepy shaven-headed huge-goateed leather bear daddy looking guy looked totally out of place working as a server at such a place. He'd totally look normal in The City but here in Cowtown he stuck out big time!

Music icon (Bob Dylan) to spin records, interview guests and offer commentary on new XM satellite radio show. (CNN)

"Bob Dylan epitomizes the American music experience and his unflagging integrity and vision defines everything we hope for XM to be," Lee Abrams, XM's chief creative officer, said in a statement.

Ok. I have nothing against Bob Dylan. Hell. I enjoy his early stuff a lot.

But even I don't know if I can handle 1 hour a week of listening to Bob Dylan as a radio show host.

Is it me or does XM announcing this now, as lame as it relatively is, merely an attempt to get their name out in the media with all of the Stern/Sirius news saturating things?

I typically feel like this around December.

A nationwide recall has been issued regarding bone and tissue products that have been used in transplantation. Those products have found their way into patients here in Central Ohio. (ONN)

Exactly how does one "recall" bone and tissue products that have been transplanted?!??!

The bone and tissue products, which are used for anything from bone fillers to skin grafts, have the potential of carrying infectious disease. Apparently the donors weren't screened properly but the company has assured the FDA that the products completed a strenuous cleaning process before they were distributed.

I just find it all so insane.

Then again, I find more and more things insane and absurd on a day to day basis.

In which Mr. Evebird writes a post that I have absolutely no idea what it is about, who it involves, or why it should be important to me.

Indeed.

This is the side of Mr. Evebird that I do not know at all.

Does Javier Vazquez transform into anything? A football bat? A baseball club?

I just don't know.

Cute Overload! is only vaguely disturbing in a girly way. [via Neekole]

There's a small black and tan short-haired dachshund down on the the first floor full of morphine, thorazine, and a belly full of activated charcoal.

Yup. Hensley just got back from the emergency room.

They had to induce him to vomit up the 500mg aspirin that he consumed.

Of course, it was totally my fault.

I had just bathed him and put him on my bed to dry him further. I needed a new towel and only turned my head for a second to go to the hallway and he found an aspirin that I had obviously had on the end table. I managed to get the second one from him before he could consume it.

To say I was a bit tense is an understandment since I couldn't really tell if he had eaten one to begin with but he was crunching something so I was worried.

But he's ok now and is only mildy retarded from the drugs. The 500mg dose is definitely at the toxicity level for his weight. Not super toxic. But not healthy.

Everybody knows that Optimus Prime is Jewish right?

So if you are Jewish as well why not have an Optimus Prime Menorah this year for Chanukah.

So today is the final day of Howard Stern on terrestrial radio.

Yes. I am a part of the Howard Nation. While I'm rarely a "joiner" of groups I do wish I was in NYC today just to see the march to Sirius. I found this pic on Flickr today that shows just a few of the people waiting to march.

This such an event that even Yahoo! is covering it.

Who would steal hundreds of toys intended for Cowtown's neediest children? Other Cowlanders of course!!!

Go Cowtown! Go Cowtown!

Steal from children! Steal from Children!

Go Bucks!!!

I should donate some extra Transformers I have.

Of course my loyal friends and readers know that deep down in the recesses of my being I despise snow and winter with a passion and hatred that most would find unnerving.

Would you like some insight into why? This is why!

Glass City (aka Toledo) is a messed up place.

It isn’t even winter yet — at least, not on the calendar — and already Toledo has had close to two-thirds of the average snowfall it receives in an entire winter.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, the second major winter storm in a week had delivered 6.2 inches of wet, sticky snow at Toledo Express Airport, and flakes were still falling.

That brought the season-to-date total to 23.9 inches; Toledo’s long-term winter average is 36.8 inches of snow.

Arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

We did get a lot of snow days though.

The Fabulous Andrea emailed me a photo taken in July 2004 at Comfest of her and I and quite frankly I am so disgusting looking in it that I can't post it.

My face is so fat that the bags under my eyes are enormous, I have these massive man-boobs, and it looks like I'm 8 months pregnant and my water is ready to break.

I am SOOOOOOOO getting focused on getting rid of the rest of this weight.

While it is true I haven't been able to lose more these past few months I can say that I haven't gained any either. I have now learned what I need to do to maintain a set weight so now once the holidays are over I can refocus on getting the remaining 40lbs off before my birthday in March. That way I'll have lost 120 lbs in the course of 10 months and I'll finally be happy with that.

Size 36 pants... here I come.

Well... after December is over with. There's Scary Korean to be had tonight.

(And if I really want to feel disgusting I'll post the photo so you can all make fun of me. All I need is a party hat in it.)

Do you have a geek office?

The countdown has started until the eventual demise of one of my favorite restaurants: Scary Korean Restaurant.

Giga, Mr. and Mrs. T., and Mr. G. joined us. My pork, kimchi, and tofu dish was spicy and as good as always. Giga and I did the seafood pancake too which was fantastic. There's nothing quite like the combination of octopus tentacles and shrip in an eggy dough.

See. It isn't all that scary.

Not if the bike shop was still butted up to it we'd have to walk down a 30-40 dark tunnel to get to this entrance. This walkway was very scrary and creepy. This of course is why to this day we still call it Scary Korean Restuarant.

This video on sushi etiquette is fantastic.

Don't blink towards the end or you may miss a Micromaster.

Yup. I bought the house in the summer of 2003 and finally, on December 10, 2005, the back addition windows are complete. Yup! You read it right!

Not a hoax! Not a what if!

The storm windows have been installed!!!

Remember when they looked like the picture below?

80 down. 40 more to go by March 1, 2006.

'Nuff said!

(Ack! My arms are frigg'n hairier than hell! Ack! And I've got a deodorant stain on this undershirt! This I tell you is a classy picture!!!)

How I spent my Sunday evening

Just in case you were worried, The Greater Cowlands has now adopted stricter egg nog rules.

If state oversight is needed to ensure that the nog industry complies I am sure that Max Power will take on this new solemn duty of Nog Inspector.

I never thought I'd see one of my favorite now non-existent comic characters tattooed on someone's chest but now I have.

And it is even taken from a George Perez drawing from the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #11.

Oh Helena Wayne... Huntress... I miss you.

The Comics Curmudgeon wrote...

There’s all sorts of interesting things to say theologically about Sunday’s Family Circus, like about how different manifestations of God fulfill different needs within the human soul, or how monotheistic religions gradually develop an array of more accessible intercessor figures, and blah blah blah. Mostly what I want to point out about this comic is HOLY CRAP GOD’S THRONE IS FRICKIN’ SWEET.

Man I forget about how much I dislike the craptastic Family Circus until I read a panel like Sundays.

Ugh!

And Thel needs to go back to her old hair.

Why should she be the only one to have had any remote change in this strip for the past 100 years!

Damn them.

We have to stop these damn activist judges!

He even goes on to say...

Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activist Court. Rather, this case came to us as the result of the activism of an ill-informed faction on a school board, aided by a national public interest law firm eager to find a constitutional test case on ID, who in combination drove the Board to adopt an imprudent and ultimately unconstitutional policy.

He will so be burning in hell!

I've mentioned how evil the beef and cream cheese balls have been here at work lately but in no way could I have prepared myself for the item that was brought in today: cheesy pepperoni dip!

This shit is da bomb!!!

It is one of the most addictive things I've ever eaten.

It tastes like Tommy's Pizza but in hot melty dip form!!!

I am so going to regret today.

*sigh*

There goes the 4 lbs I just lost.

Ok.

So much to do this evening and tomorrow in prep for the holidays.

Gotta do a major aquarium cleaning when I get home. I really am leery of doing these now since "room temperature" any where in the House of Love is way below the water temperature of the community tank. I've got my gallons of water in the bathroom with the door closed hoping that that warms them up more than if they were just in any room.

And man oh man is the algae just horrible on the front glass. The algae chemicals haven't done shit. Not that I figured they would. Perhaps I'll find some remains fo the last crab, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few weeks ago without so much as a trace of dead remains.

Of course Number Six's tank is perfect and clear and has zero algae. Only the tropical tank has the problem. Then again Number Six is the World's Most Beloved Goldfish so perhaps that has something to do with it.

I need to pay some bills too and try and figure out what is up with ericnassau.com too.

I suppose I should pack for this weekend too and maybe get the car ready.

Tanks are cleaned.

Now we wait patiently and hope that the temporary temperature drop hasn't had a negative impact on the fish and that the general freak-out the experience isn't too stressful.

Keeping a smaller tank is indeed a much harder task than a 10+ gallon one. You can't just replace 1 gallon of water without having major impact. At least I don't think I've ever had a loss over the past 8 months due to these water changes and gravel cleanings but stranger things have happened.

Speaking of strange things the crab that I haven't seen in like a month is alive and well and was obviously somewhere lurking about. Where the hell he could have been is anyone's guess. I mean, I've even moved shit around in an effort to look for his supposed remains and he was no place to be found. Even Giga watched me do it one evening so I know I wasn't losing my mind that he was not readily visible. But he's crabb'n around now.

I need to get a separate scraper/cleaner for Number Six too. I don't need to introduce algae into that aquarium.

Hell. I probably did today since I forgot to wash my hands between cleanings.

I wish I was fabulous again.

There was the brief moment in 1992.

But that was a long time ago.

So. Any of you following to new David Letterman drama involving the woman granted a restraining order against him?

She...

...contends the CBS late-night host used code words to show he wanted to marry her and train her as his co-host.

A state judge granted a temporary restraining order to Colleen Nestler, who alleged in a request filed last Thursday that Letterman has forced her to go bankrupt and caused her "mental cruelty" and "sleep deprivation" since May 1994.

Nestler's application for a restraining order was accompanied by a six-page typed letter in which she said Letterman used code words, gestures and "eye expressions" to convey his desires for her.

She wrote that she began sending Letterman "thoughts of love" after his "Late Show" began in 1993, and that he responded in code words and gestures, asking her to come East.

She said he asked her to be his wife during a televised "teaser" for his show by saying, "Marry me, Oprah." Her letter said Oprah was the first of many code names for her and that the coded vocabulary increased and changed with time.

Um. Yeah. Ok.

Not only does the woman have severe mental issues and probably no life whatsoever, the judge who ruled in favor of this restraining order must also be mentally incompetent if he based such a thing as the reasons for this because of mental telepathy, code words over the television, and all around good old christian-sounding magic.

This is yet another real example of why this country has already collapsed.

Yes. Already collapsed.

Display Shows Bleeding Rudolph Hanging From Tree (WFTV) [via]

One red light represents its nose and the rest appear to be blood draining from Rudolph's body. The display represents a hunting technique called field dressing, which is what hunters do to a deer they kill, but many neighbors say it disgusts them. (photo)

"I don' think it's very nice at all. It's Rudolph and I think that's really nasty," said neighbor Bree McMahon.

Neighbors said they just want the display taken down.

Alas, the problem is here is that most children are given sappy Americanized useless pablum of talking deer and such other magic when in fact deer are slaughtered by the tens of thousands every year during hunting season.

Now this begins the fun of Americans infringing upon the rights of an individual because they don't like what he's done, or in this case, displayed with his holiday lights.

But there can't be a law about such a thing.

Can there?

Even in that Bush fiefdom?

Of course, in that bastion of heathens New York City, people can get away with a knife-wielding Santa Claus holding a bloody head and nobody bats an eye.

I think the best quote of the day comes from an old interview of Brad Meltzer by Newsarama I discovered.

In response to the question "when did you get into the hobby?" and by hobby he means comic books Brad says...

...I remember he brought me that, and some time later, he brought me Justice League of America #150, which was a story that involved the Key, and I remember just losing my mind over it. There was one splash page that had all the JLA members stuck in these Key 'prisons.' All of the members were stacked up one on top of another. I remember looking at that page and thinking, 'Oh my gosh - who should act first?' And the addiction was born.

I think that's how comic addictions are always born - just like drugs, the first couple are free, and then you know who to call or where to go if you want more.

That is just pure beauty.

I completely and utterly understand what he means on a gut level.

Paper crack. Plastic crack. Just like drugs.

Sick.

Ok. I need to make my rounds and make sure that the open computers are ok and that various miscellaneous production issues are taken care of and I am outta here until 2005.

What's funny is I've been emailing that I'd be back in the office on January 2 and I found out we are actually off that day so I get an extra day off that I didn't know I had coming. Woot!

So I'll return to the Office of Love on January 3rd!

Who knows. Maybe I'll keep off the computer and blogging for the vacation.

I know Giga didn't buy my any plastic crack so there won't be holiday crack acquisitions to blog about. But then again, I hope to start on front bedroom work so of course I need to document all that for posterity.

Ok. Perhaps I will blog.

Thanks to Sirius I have rediscovered Madness, Howard Jones, and surprisingly Social Distortion.

Age. It sucks the memories right out of you sometimes. So many CDs sold to pay for food while in college.

And oh... if I haven't said it already... I FUCKING LOVE SIRIUS RADIO!!!!

Bill Would Allow Arrests For No Reason In Public Place (NewsNet5)

The Ohio Patriot Act has made it to the Taft's desk, and with the stroke of a pen, it would most likely become the toughest terrorism bill in the country. The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong.

...even if they are not doing anything wrong.

You can smell the awesomeness that is Ohio! Bathe in the grandness that is the Cowland!

Thankfully, Cowlanders can carry concealed weapons now.

Because. You know. Concealed weapons and the possibility of being arrested for having done absolutely nothing wrong is a beautiful holy union.

The possibilities for Homo sapiens sapiens is stunning.

I guess that evil bitch protocol demands I wish you all Happy Holidays, er... A Super Saturnalia, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Crazy Kwanzaa, or whatever thing you celebrate during the later part of the month of December.

And the Golden Age Wonder Woman makes a helluva better present delivery vehicle than a fat old bearded white man. I mean hell, she can even knock out the bastard with a gun on the roof!

See you in a few!

Glass City... oy kolendy!

So it is chaos here at the Glass City House of Nala and of course it doesn't need to be.

The mother is in over her head as usual with making too many things that require more time and space than is allowed by nature. I managed to take over the kitchen and made 2 desserts, the meatballs, and the cheesy potatoes so that they will be on time for our arrival in Northwood Cowlandia later this afternoon.

I got Giga on helping her wrap and prep her presents and stuff so that made a huge difference in gettin her out the door to have her nails done and such.

Nalamom is not looking good. She looks tired and haggard (as if she slept with Jeffie) and I find out her diabetes is going crazy, she can barely see anymore, and she's been sick with a chest/nasal infection for oh 4 weeks now. Definitely need to find a means to convince her she has to get her shit together and tackle her disease. Yesterday was her last day of work and since she's now retired she has all the time in the world.

Of course, not that both of my parents are retired and at home I'm not sure which one will survive the almost daily death matches. It is most definitely crazy here. They need to get rid of 75% of their belongings, get rid of this house and find a smaller 1 level place, and get the fuck out of this god-forsaken neighborhood.

Ok. Enough with the holiday depression.

Giga and I went to Tony Packos last night because I was majorly craving some Packo's sausages and pickles. Suffice to say I left fully satisfied. Giga had the stuffed cabbage rolls but prefers mine instead so that's a complient. Oh. And Packo's now batter dips and deep fries their pickles too! WooHoo!!!

(Yes. I know I will put on 5-7 lbs this weekend. Yes. I care. But what can I do. I'm exposed to such food!!!)

This morning we went to this place downtown called Michael's that is actually partly run by an old grade school friend of mine (who went to Max Power's high school) but alas, I was not able to find him. I haven't seen him since June 1984 so you could say it has been a rather long time. But my contact info was left with his brother and I hope to get an email soon. I really would like to have seen him but that shall be another day.

Oh another front, Hensley does not get along with the parents' new dog. While not outright hostile there has been some snappy hoont rhetoric lately. I knew it was going to be a pain in the ass with 4 dogs in this house. Hensley hates coming up to Glass City and is completely out of his element and home.

Anyway, I gotta shit, shower, and shave so we can head to the Cio Cia's around 4 or so.

I don't mind seeing people. But really? I do hate this holiday. More on that later...

Somewhere in Glass City Max Power lurks. I hope he's having a good time.

And so another holiday cames to a close as festivities at the Ciotka's house come to an end.

Long long long day.

Way too much food consumed.

However I got a chance to spend a little time with The Cousin, The Cousinling, assorted other 2nd Cousins, 2nd Cousins Once Removed, cousin-in-laws, aunts, uncles, and just get a chance to be around kids.

At least kids make the holidays bearable. Adults? We are kind of just obstacles of enjoyment.

The Nalafather's back was killing him so he didn't attend and the Nalamom's general sickness made her leave early.

But man oh man the food... the food...

And being Polish, there was never a time when coffee wasn't being brewed and I think I drank about 4 pots between 2pm and 6pm.

Bad craziness.

We return to Cowtown tomorrow and there's a certain black and tan short-haired dachshund who will be mighty pleased at that.

We have returned to the Central Cowlands and Cowtown feels like a lubed condom slipping over a familiar... oh... nevermind.

But I have to admit the Hoont is very happy to be back. He spent the better part of 150 miles whining and crying which pretty much drives me totally bonkers.

I have to say that my new Sirius radio made this trip a total joy in terms of the drive.

I got a 5 quart Kitchen Aid mixer, a nose hair trimmer (which I so have needed), a digital kitchen probe thermometer, a digital kitchen scale, and miscelleneous other stuff.

Giga got some Doctor Who stuff so I broke my word about not buying any geek shit. Oh well.

More later.

The last 2 days of gorging and eating has made the Nalarhoids all "Hey! I hate you!" and stuff so I need to lay down.

I so want to sleep. Hensley made it practically impossible to get any decent sleep this weekend.

Hensley is most definitely thrilled to be back in the House of Love and laying on the Furnace Vent of Love.

He's not a fan of the car trip to Glass City nor does he like the other dogs.

And a happy Hoont is the kind of Hoont I like.

So between what I bought him and what he bought for himself today there's a whole lotta Doctor Who in the house now! Well. At least Doctors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. No Colin Baker and of course no 8th Doctor. I sooooo want to see 9th and 10th Doctors though. I need me some modern Who!!! These old ones get a bit talk-heavy most of the time and drag on and on if there's not a Dalek screaming out exterminate or something along those lines. (And actually, the Daleks, for so much of their vaunted evil, really are all talk for the most part!)

Yeah. Giga, Evebird, and I went out running around the Cowland wastelands today finding bargains, deals, and some more plastic crack. Up to 1493 Transformers as of today. Pretty horrid. I know.

Gonna do Scary Korean with Mr. and Mrs. Evebird tonight too.

Well it had to happen. Wasn't sure if it was going to or not since it all depended on UPS or the Post Office.

But the illness that is my transformer collecting officially took me over 1500 transformers today.

Quite sick indeed.

And due to an obvious accident on the part of MC I ended up with 2 of everything.

Now I wasn't charged and I do feel sort of guilty about it but it would be a pain in the ass to ship this all back and then try to get credit for the postage and all. I probably should call them though and explain what they did and see if they want the 2nd set back. (If not, I'm really at 1517!!!)

Ok kids. It is that time of the year.

With only 3 days left in 2005 Max Power is clearly a favorite to win the 2005 Death Pool with 3 versus everybody else's 1 for the year.

So. It is time to declare your 2006 Death Pool lists. Email me or post a comment with your 10 people for 2006 and I'll get them assembled soon.

You know you want to win. There can be only one! And for 2006 let's make sure it isn't Max Power! He already owns the Sacred Chalice of Reeks. He don't need no more prizes!

How does one waste an entire... and I mean entire Friday?

First: Get up at 8am and don't go to the gym.

Second: Stay in bed from 8am until 6:30pm watching practically the entire 16th season of Doctor Who called "The Key To Time".

Third: Realize you are starving and have eaten so many calories this week that you might as well have pizza.

Fourth: At 7pm decide pizza would take too long and fry up some pierogies.

Five: At 8pm decide to blog about what a lazy fat fuck you've been all day watching Doctor Who.

Sixth: Head back downstairs to crawl back into bed and probably watch yet another DVD of Doctor Who, probably the 7th Doctor. (I've never seen anything with him.)

There you have it. That's how you can waste a Friday.

Oh. And K-9 is most definitely short for "canine ex machina".

Sure I was excited about finding Alternator Skids today but you know something, I'm far more excited about finding a "life-size" Brian for the Attic.

I just wish he was holding a martini in his hand. That's how I think of Brian.

Well... that and this.

Ok. So pizza tonight. Breakfast with the Mr. and Mrs. B. tomorrow morning and then I've got to get back on the diet and routine. Being off of work this past week and getting sick hasn't helped at all.

I have missed the gym most of this week and I've been eating total shit. I can feel it over my entire body. Sucks.

My fault. I've allowed it.

Hell. I even stuffed myself at RJ Snappers the other night when the Brownings took us there. Bad Nala! Evil naughty Nala!

But I know those of you who read this here fine blog will forgive me and allow me this past few days transgressions. Hell. You'll probably forgive me more than I'll forgive myself.

But come Monday it'll be all about getting back into focus, getting these last 30-40 lbs off, and getting refocused on all of the house work that needs to get done. (I've also totally slacked on that since the rush to get the back bedroom done for Thanksgiving. And I don't count the storm window installation as real work.)