12 - 2001 | ***Dave Does the Blog

Perhaps he should have offered to have them call the Attorney General

A guard of Arab descent from President Bush’s security detail, rerouted onto a commercial flight, is kicked off the American Airlines flight because nobody would believe he was in the…

A guard of Arab descent from President Bush’s security detail, rerouted onto a commercial flight, is kicked off the American Airlines flight because nobody would believe he was in the Secret Service, despite his credentials.

Once seated, he was confronted by airline security personnel, the Secret Service said, and was asked to exit the plane and submit to additional security checks.
After a delay of an hour and 15 minutes, during which the [armed] agent was questioned by the flight’s pilot, airline officials and airport police, the agent was ordered removed from the flight even though he had offered to have the Secret Service confirm his identity.

I wonder if this will have any impact on the President’s Homeland Security plans, or provoke a call to his Secretary of Transportation.

(Via Boing Boing)

For the true LotR fanboys

New Zealand has issued a set of stamps with images from the movie. What’s even cooler is that I think a couple of the images (Galadriel on the swan boat,…

New Zealand has issued a set of stamps with images from the movie.

What’s even cooler is that I think a couple of the images (Galadriel on the swan boat, for example) are not actually in the film.

Almost enough to make me take up stamp collecting again.

(Via Boing Boing)

Oh, pooh

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz! 46225 have taken this test so far. 26963 people are more like Tigger than you. 18142 people are more like Eeyore than you. 1120…

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

46225 have taken this test so far.
26963 people are more like Tigger than you.
18142 people are more like Eeyore than you.
1120 are the same charactor as you.

Actually, I’ve always thought of myself as more of an Eeyore sort of fellow, but I can live with Kanga.

(Via Trance Gemini)

More good news for coffee drinkers

You will have better memory. Science proves it. The investigators found that older adults who drank a 12-ounce cup of regular coffee before taking a memory test performed better than…

You will have better memory. Science proves it.

The investigators found that older adults who drank a 12-ounce cup of regular coffee before taking a memory test performed better than their peers who drank decaffeinated coffee. Not only did caffeine drinkers have higher scores on the test, which was given in the morning and afternoon, but they did not show any decline in memory throughout the day.
Test scores declined significantly between morning and afternoon in people who were regular coffee-drinkers but consumed decaffeinated coffee for a day.

(Via Blather)

Arf wit’ ‘is ‘ead!

The science of the guillotine, and how long do severed heads remain alive. The New Scientist continues its assault on the realm of Uncle Cecil. (Via Blather)…

The science of the guillotine, and how long do severed heads remain alive. The New Scientist continues its assault on the realm of Uncle Cecil.

(Via Blather)

The World’s Funniest Joke

Or perhaps “The Funniest Joke in Britain,” though it was run through an Internet site, inviting international input. Researchers have released the results of their, er, research into humor, with what registered as the funniest joke. Read about it (and the Second Funniest Joke, as well as the Funniest Jokes in Various Countries) here.

Good stuff.

(Via JillMatrix)

Uncle Dave

I’ve been de facto “Uncle Dave” to a number of kids over the years. But sitting here next to my nephew Nicholas, it was kind of neat to have a…

I’ve been de facto “Uncle Dave” to a number of kids over the years.

But sitting here next to my nephew Nicholas, it was kind of neat to have a case where it was not just a title of convenience.

I’m an actual uncle for a number of nephews. It’s fun, especially when I get to be “CRRRAZZYY UNCLE DAVE!”

I play that role with gusto. I blame my grand-uncles for that.

Kids say the darnedest things

The joy of an almost-two-year-old’s pronunciation from the father of an almost-two-year-old. I know the feeling. (Via Rooba)…

The joy of an almost-two-year-old’s pronunciation from the father of an almost-two-year-old. I know the feeling.

(Via Rooba)

I mean, have you heard the way he talks about his wife?

The title of this was a title text for a link to my blog on Bazima’s page. Hmmm. How do I talk about my wife? She’s in my heart, she’s…

The title of this was a title text for a link to my blog on Bazima‘s page.

Hmmm. How do I talk about my wife?

She’s in my heart, she’s in my soul, she’ll be my breath when I grow old, she is my lover, she’s my best friend …

Yeah, and then some.

I’ve been friends with Margie for many, many years, far longer than we’ve been involved romantically. And I’m really glad of that, because it’s made our romance all the richer.

She takes the places where I’m stronger and makes me even more so. She takes the places where I’m weak and makes me strong. She’s clever, she’s funny, she laughs at my jokes, she’s tolerant of my foibles and habits and esoteric interests (and brings enough of her own to the mix to keep things interesting), she’s a wonderful cook, and, frankly, she’s great in the sack.

She enjoys enough of the things I do to be someone I can spend lots of time with, but not so much that we end up in big trouble buying a life-sized Vorlon Encounter Suit or something like that for a zillion dollars on eBay.

She’s an excellent hostess and a wonderful mother to our daughter. She’s good at talking to vendors. She’s good at reminding me of things I need to do without being a nag. She’s good at pitching in when there’s hard work to do. She’s an enjoyable traveling companion. She’s an interesting conversationalist.

She’s my confidante. She’s the person I can be honest with, who will baby me when I need babying and give me a swift kick in the ass when I need one.

She stretches my horizons. She persuades me to eat food that I wouldn’t otherwise, and enjoy it, too.

She’s a saint. When she’s good, she’s very, very good. And when she’s bad, she’s better.

She’s wise, and sensuous, and cheerful and patient. She’s an inspiration, and a support, and a goal to aspire to, and someone I can care for and cherish.

She’s my right arm. And I hope that I can be hers, too.

As I enter a new year, and approach our seventh wedding anniversary (this April), and the twenty-first (I believe) year I have known her, I lift my glass on high to her, and I give you all Marjorie Lucia Kleerup.

Damn, am I lucky.

Who da Man?

Time has named Rudy Giuliani to be Man … er, Person of the Year. Now, it’s their magazine, and they can do whatever they want. But Rudy doesn’t meet their…

Time has named Rudy Giuliani to be Man … er, Person of the Year.

Now, it’s their magazine, and they can do whatever they want. But Rudy doesn’t meet their stated criteria. It’s supposed to be the person who had “greatest impact, for good or ill” during the year. Rudy may be the “most admired man” in some quarters, but his impact on events was, frankly, trivial compared to many others.

Some folks have claimed that Time chickened out, not wanting to name Osama bin Laden as PoY. But bin Laden isn’t the best choice, either.

It’s George Dubya Bush.

Bin Laden had a tremendous impact, no doubt, even though it’s unclear how directly or indirectly he’s been manipulating the Al Qa’eda network, etc.

But it was Dubya’s response to 9-11, one part President, one part Dictator (in the classic, Roman sense), one part Wrath of God, that set the tone for the US, and the World, post-9-11. He’s established more of a New World Order than his dad ever did. He and his appointees have had more of an impact on domestic politics and civil liberties than anyone else of late. Even before 9-11, a new President always has had a broad influence over the nature of events. Bush, thrown into the deep end of the pool by bin Laden, has put his stamp on this year, on the US, and on the world. His reaction, over the past months, outweighted bin Laden’s triggering action.

But I don’t think the Time editors wanted to give it to him. Partly it’s because he won last year (though I thought that was wildly premature). Partly I think it was politics.

I’m not a big Bush fan, by any means. But by the criteria, the award should have been his.

(I’m not much of a Giuliani fan. I think he handled post-9-11 extremely well, even heroically. The news clips I saw of him speaking were moving and inspiring. I also think he’s been a pig in his private life, and if he does move on to the national political scene, I hope that all of those folks who were spewing such venom over Clinton’s peccadillos choke over having to swallow Rudy’s.)

Okay, I feel better

Off here in Faerie, my blogging has been more than a bit spotty. I just noticed that Doyce’s last post was at Noon, Christmas Day. I feel better. Hope the…

Off here in Faerie, my blogging has been more than a bit spotty.

I just noticed that Doyce’s last post was at Noon, Christmas Day.

I feel better.

Hope the visit is going well, bud.

Your Daily Etymological Lesson

Since it came up in conversation the otherday, “demitasse” is from the French, and means, literally, “half-cup.” And now you know. And knowing, as GI Joe used to say, is…

Since it came up in conversation the otherday, “demitasse” is from the French, and means, literally, “half-cup.”

And now you know. And knowing, as GI Joe used to say, is half the battle.

Parenting

Doyce was kind enough to direct this little cartoon to me. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite that much in the groove, at least not in parenting, but I…

Doyce was kind enough to direct this little cartoon to me. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite that much in the groove, at least not in parenting, but I try.

I had a thought today, as I was running about the Santa Ana Zoo with Katherine and her cousin Nicholas. Much of the time parenting is spent in a crisis management zone. Where is she now? Can that hurt her? Why is she crying? Is she wet? Is she hungry? When will she need a nap? Could she fall from there? Could she break that? It’s way too easy to stay in that zone, because, like real life, there are more than enough opportunities available to worry.

Even when the dangers become less immediate, I suspect it will still be easy to be in a constant state of low-level alarm. Where is she? Is her homework done? Should she be allowed to that stay-over? Did I get her to the dentist yet this year? Why is she so unhappy about those other girls at school? Does her Girl Scout leader seem trustworthy? How will I afford college for her? Will her grades be enough for a scholarship? Etc.

But that’s a mistake. It’s a mistake that leads to people looking back and saying, “Where did all the time go?” It’s the mistake behind “The Cat’s in the Cradle.” It’s focusing on what could go wrong, and acting and thinking constantly to forestall it, rather than looking at what’s good and enjoying it while one may.

Katherine was zippity-zooming around the playground, up and down the slide, up and down off the big frog, so excited she was letting out a long yell of joy. And I had to just take a moment to enjoy her enjoyment, to see how happy she was, to enjoy coordination and her cheerfulness and her gung-ho attitude.

It was a neat moment. I need to take more of them.

My thoughts, exactly

Dork Tower is one of the funnier strips/comics out there. This one pretty well relays how I feel about LotR. (Via Doyce)…

Dork Tower is one of the funnier strips/comics out there. This one pretty well relays how I feel about LotR.

(Via Doyce)

WOW

That’s my summary of Lord of the Rings. We went Christmas Eve morning. It’s been at least a couple of decades since I read through the books, but what I…

That’s my summary of Lord of the Rings. We went Christmas Eve morning. It’s been at least a couple of decades since I read through the books, but what I saw simply blew me away as a very faithful (usually to the letter, always to the spirit) 21st Century film adaptation of a mid-20th Century fantasy novel.

It was the shortest three hours I’ve ever spent.

Ordinarily I’d sprinkle plenty of SPOILER WARNINGS for those few hapless unfortunates who’ve not yet seen it. But instead, through the magic of Movable Type, I can simply use the “More” function to go into the detail of my review. So if you’re interested, do the “More” thing below …

Continue reading “WOW”

Playing catch-up

Greetings, once again, from Faerie, where time slips by so incredibly easily without either the thought or opportunity to blog … We’ve been busy-busy-busy here in various revelry. Christmas Eve…

Greetings, once again, from Faerie, where time slips by so incredibly easily without either the thought or opportunity to blog …

We’ve been busy-busy-busy here in various revelry. Christmas Eve we went up to my brother-in-law’s for dinner. Yesterday, Christmas Day, we opened gifts here in the morning, went to my folks in the afternoon to open gifts there and have dinner with them and my Nona and some friends of theirs, and then up to dessert, again at the bro-in-law’s.

This is, of course, Southern California, where trotting off 60 miles for dessert is never thought of as a problem.

I’ve been having much fun with the digital camera, clicking many pictures, most (not surprising) of Katherine. Much fun indeed. And I helped my Dad with his digital camera — an Olympus, about 2-3 years old, significantly bigger (and slower), at 0.8MPixels, 2Mb memory, and, when purchased, the same price as the one I just got.

This afternoon we went to a couple of game shops, as I searched for a mini-fig for Doyce’s Star Wars campaign, and some new d8’s and d4’s. We started at the Game Castle in Fullerton, where we’ve gone for many years. Good luck on the latter, not on the former (they were, typically, out of stock). GC has gotten progressively less and less … alive over time. They still have plenty of stock, but it’s gotten quiet and lifeless.

Brookstone Hobbies in Garden Grove, on the other hand, is full of gaming stuff, wargaming stuff (both “paper” wargaming and miniature), not to mention models and all sorts of other keen, geeky stuff. We found the fig that was out of stock, a package of FUDGE dice (since I think I’ll be doing my campaign in FUDGE), and some keen quasi-cylindrical d4’s. Oh, and a special GM gift …

It’s been very busy here since we arrived — something going on every night. That’s true tonight, too, as we celebrate Boxing Day at the Barrishes. Good wine to be expected, of course, and good left-overs, but another night out, and when we return everyone hies themselves to bed, which impacts the on-line stuff mightily.

Tomorrow, Nicholas and Alexander, the 5- and 2-year-old nephews, come down for a visit, including a trip to the Santa Ana Zoo and an overnight. Katherine should have much fun with them, given how she acted with them the other evening.

Friday is Late Christmas with my brother, as he and his went to his mother-in-law’s in St George, Utah, since she’s having serious health problems.

Saturday is the Kleerup’s Christmas party.

Monday is New Year’s Eve.

Tuesday we start packing to leave.

Wednesday we’re on the road to Colorado.

Busy times here in Faerie. Which means I better get this next blog out of the way before I burst.

Some holiday thoughts

Living here in Faerie, I have no idea whether I’ll blink and suddenly discover that Christmas has passed and New Years is upon me. So, while I’m thinking of it…

Living here in Faerie, I have no idea whether I’ll blink and suddenly discover that Christmas has passed and New Years is upon me. So, while I’m thinking of it …

I wish you, each of you reading this, a merry Christmas.

You many not celebrate Christmas in a traditional, religious fashion. That’s between you and Yours, of course, but most folks in the US (if not in other places in the world where some of my readers hail from) do at least some sort of gifty, happy, celebratory thing around the 25th of December, even if the motivation is nothing more than fellowship and good spirits. And to you folks, I hope you get loads and loads of both, really and truly, and I wish I were there to share it with you.

And to you who do celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ — I wish you the joy and peace that celebration should bring. Oh, and lots of fellowship and good spirits, too. And gifts. Lots of fun gifts.

Hell, fun gifts for everyone. Even for Osama bin Laden who, if he’s lucky, is holed up in cave somewhere, shivering and hungry and wondering what became of the blessings of Allah that he was certain would follow him all the days of his life in exchange for mass murder and terror. I hope that someone does give OBL something nice on Christmas: a gift, a kindness, something to make him feel special in a different way than he’s been feeling. And that it either turn his life completely around, or else make him feel wildly, incredibly, can’t-go-on guilty. Preferably the former, but the latter would work for me, too.

For the rest of you, though — “love and joy come to you / and to you your wassail, too.” Enjoy, and I’m thinkin’ of you.

Why, look, more news on crappy Micro$oft security!

Dudes, when the frickin’ FBI starts ragging on you about your security, yes, you probably have problems. Remember, folks: this is the company whose security strategy consists of swearing to…

Dudes, when the frickin’ FBI starts ragging on you about your security, yes, you probably have problems.

Remember, folks: this is the company whose security strategy consists of swearing to secrecy folks who find security flaws in Windows, with vague promises to issue patches when they get around to it.

(Also via Xkot)

Tests, tests, tests

The Interent personality test meme seems to reaching its final melt-down, as now people are creating little test-result graphics just for the halibut. E.g., (Via Xkot)…

The Interent personality test meme seems to reaching its final melt-down, as now people are creating little test-result graphics just for the halibut. E.g.,

(Via Xkot)

Lights, camera

I already have my big Christmas present. That’s ’cause I bought it myself. A Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Elph (a/k/a Digital Ixus V). Don’t ask me about the names –…

I already have my big Christmas present. That’s ’cause I bought it myself. A Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Elph (a/k/a Digital Ixus V). Don’t ask me about the names — these guys not only go out of their ways to come up with confusing names for their products, but they often name them different things in different countries.

Anyway — cool little widget. About the size of a pack of cigarettes, 2x optical, 3x digital (though really you only want to use the former). So far, great fun.

It’s not the model I’d intended to buy. After much frantic research, I’d decided on an Olympus C3020 (or its predecessor, the C3000), but one could not be have for love or money at any of the dozen places I shopped. So I decided on this one, which is only 2.1MPixels, rather than 3.1, but which came recommended by a friend and was a hundred bucks cheaper … and was available.

With the hundred bucks I was able to buy two 128Mb Compact Flash memory cards, each of which will hold 128 super-fine 1600×1200 images. Which is what I’m defaulting to at the moment, until I actually start editing some things I’ve shot.

It means only a few dinky little presents tomorrow — but I’m happy with my new toy.