10 - 2005 | ***Dave Does the Blog

Music Man bites dog

This will be a fun one to follow: a countersuit in Atlantic v. Anderson: This is the case peer-to-peer file sharers have been waiting for. Tanya Andersen, a 41 year…

This will be a fun one to follow: a countersuit in Atlantic v. Anderson:

This is the case peer-to-peer file sharers have been waiting for. Tanya Andersen, a 41 year old disabled single mother living in Oregon, has countersued the RIAA for Oregon RICO violations, fraud, invasion of privacy, abuse of process, electronic trespass, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, negligent misrepresentation, the tort of “outrage”, and deceptive business practices.

Ms. Andersen’s counterclaims demand a trial by jury.

Stay tuned.

(via Amanda)

A little nip in the air

Also sprach the National Weather Service: Expires 11:15 PM MDT on October 04, 2005 Statement as of 3:08 PM MDT on October 04, 2005 … Freeze watch in effect from…

Also sprach the National Weather Service:

Expires 11:15 PM MDT on October 04, 2005

Statement as of 3:08 PM MDT on October 04, 2005

… Freeze watch in effect from late Wednesday night through Thursday morning…

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a freeze watch… which is in effect from late Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing across northeastern Colorado for the first time this fall on Thursday morning. Low temperatures are expected to be in the upper 20s in most areas.

These conditions could kill crops and other sensitive outdoor vegetation. Plan on taking protective measures for tender plants Wednesday night and disconnecting hoses to prevent faucets from freezing.

Someone was just asking me yesterday whether we had snow yet …

Wait … that’s not spam!

While one would ordinarily just discard a message with a subject line, “Unclaimed Property – Outstanding Check,” a further subtle characteristic of both the subject line and the from line…

While one would ordinarily just discard a message with a subject line, “Unclaimed Property – Outstanding Check,” a further subtle characteristic of both the subject line and the from line led me to actually open the e-mail …

… to discover that, no, it wasn’t spam, but a notice that I’d never cashed a check I was supposed to have received six years ago, and should they send me a new copy?

Cool. But, once more, demonstrating the danger of sending messages with spam-like subject lines.

And I even sometimes wear a vest

You scored as Simon Tam. The Doctor. You have a gift for healing that goes beyond education. You took an oath to do no harm, even when your patients…

You scored as Simon Tam. The Doctor. You have a gift for healing that goes beyond education. You took an oath to do no harm, even when your patients have tried to kill you. You are out of place where you are, being used to refined society. However, if you take that stick out of your arse you should be fine.

Shepherd Derrial Book

81%

Simon Tam

81%

Hoban 'Wash' Washburne

69%

Kaylee Frye

63%

River Tam

56%

Capt. Mal Reynolds

50%

Zoe Alleyne Washburne

50%

The Operative

50%

Inara Serra

44%

Jayne Cobb

13%

Which Serenity character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Yeah. Yeah, this is probably about right.

(via Les)

Note to the Universe

Dear Universe, While I appreciate that phone conference being cancelled, since it was to my fifth phonecon since I got into work this morning, the average length being about 60…

Dear Universe,

While I appreciate that phone conference being cancelled, since it was to my fifth phonecon since I got into work this morning, the average length being about 60 min. each (plus or minus 30 min.), each one more complicated and generative of further work than the last, I would very much have appreciated knowing it was going to be cancelled before I cut short my sanity walk in order to be back at my desk for it — or, rather, to read about its cancellation.

Please be certain that future arrangements are less ironically made when attempting to do me a favor.

Yours, sincerely,

*** Dave

Dream Meme

It’s all DOF’s fault. 1. If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life? Travelling. Writing. Playing a lot more City of Heroes. Staying up/sleeping in…

It’s all DOF‘s fault.

1. If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?

Travelling. Writing. Playing a lot more City of Heroes. Staying up/sleeping in a lot later. Doing volunteer work of various sorts. Doing stuff I enjoy.

2. Money is just that – an object, so why aren?t you doing it?

Because travelling and playing CoH take money. And, more importantly, I have a wife and a child to support. That said, if anyone wants to privately endow my family with enough money where we don’t have to be employed and still live the life we’ve grown accustomed to — well, I’m not too proud.

3. What?s better: horses or cows?

Horses are more romantic and interesting and practical as modes of transportation. On the other hand, I love dairy product and beef products. I certainly interact more with the cow world, and get more enjoyment out of it, on that basis.

4. What do you think the secret to happiness is?

Having a reason for living, and living to that reason. (Akin to Shepherd Books’ admonition to Mal to believe.) I think happiness stems from aligning oneself with a purpose, and achieving some fulfillment thereof. I’d like to think that the purpose needs to be constructive and positive, but I’m not sure I’m able to add that on.

5. When was the last time you had a dream that you either remember well or did not want to awake from? Can you share a bit?

I rarely remember my dreams for more than a few moments after waking. There are brain chemistry reasons for that, but evidently some people are better about it than others.

6. When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A scientist. A computer programmer. A teacher. That’s all I can recall.

7. Complete this statement: Love is . . .

… better than chocolate. But often more difficult to find, though you can find cheap substitutes for both. But real love, even more than real chocolate, is really, truly, awfully grand. And just as tasty.

8. Can you tell a good story? (write one!)

So I’ve been told. And so I’ve been told I should. My files are littered with good stories, half-writ. (See #1)

9. Can you remember your last daydream? What was it about?

I think it was CoH-oriented. Or even CoH-playing-oriented. I tend to read instead of daydream.

10. If you were to thank someone today, who would you thank?

I thank God for how overall fine my life is, and Margie as the proximate manifestation of that fine life.

Another interesting nomination

Evidently Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to replaced O’Conner on the bench has folks on both sides of the aisle all a-twitter. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is said to…

Evidently Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to replaced O’Conner on the bench has folks on both sides of the aisle all a-twitter. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is said to have been someone who suggested her to Bush. Democrats are still leery of her lack of judicial record on their key issues. Republicans, especially on the far Right, are equally concerned — and, since they are “in power,” are kind of cheesed.

Eugene Delgaudio, president of the conservative group Public Advocate, described the nomination as “a betrayal of the conservative, pro-family voters whose support put Bush in the White House in both the 2000 and 2004 elections and who were promised Supreme Court appointments in the mold of (Clarence) Thomas and (Antonin) Scalia. … When there are so many proven judges in the mix, it is unacceptable this president has appointed a political crony with no conservative credentials.”

Added Troy Newman of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group: “The small pieces of information we do know are disappointing. For example, she?s Southern Methodist, notoriously pro-abortion.”

Well, gee, with folks like that miffed at her nomination, I’m almost ready to leap forward and support her whole-heartedly.

Conference calling

Rrg. We are transitioning from Sprint’s Conference Calling Service (here in the US) to a global contract with BT for conferencing services. This is a no-reservation type of setup, where…

Rrg. We are transitioning from Sprint’s Conference Calling Service (here in the US) to a global contract with BT for conferencing services. This is a no-reservation type of setup, where I can tell folks who I want to organize a phonecon with, “Here’s a local toll free number, and when you dial it, here’s the access code to use to get into the conference.”

On the plus side, it will be a single service world-wide, and there will be local toll-free numbers in all our countries that they can call. Yay.

On the minus side …

Previously, all the Sprint calls in the US went through a single number. Now there are indications that there will be multiple numbers with BT that conferences might root off of, which makes pre-programming phones a lot more annoying.
Under Sprint, the access code was (usually) the coordinator’s direct dial phone number, which meant you could guess it if you didn’t have it written down. No longer. Now it appears to be a random 8-digit number.
Under Sprint, the access code for me, as call coordinator, to start the call was my direct dial phone number plus a four digit code. No longer. Now it’s a completely different 8-digit number.

Rrg. Just what I need is more numbers to memorize or write down.

Curtain call

After another show on Saturday night, we closed Cotton Patch Gospel yesterday afternoon. Technically, that show was only so-so. Fun, yes, and the audience seemed to love it and appreciate…

After another show on Saturday night, we closed Cotton Patch Gospel yesterday afternoon.

Technically, that show was only so-so. Fun, yes, and the audience seemed to love it and appreciate it. I had some major mic problems in the first act, though. I also majorly muffed one scene start, stumbled on a few lines, and struggled with a couple of tunes. If the show were still running —

But it’s not. I can put it out of my head for now (easier said than done), and enjoy my evenings back to being free. That’s a tremendous relief, though it’s also a little sad. The performances were exhilarating, and the response from the audience was always a blast. I had a lot of people come up to me and say, “I had no idea you were so talented,” or, “This way, way, way exceeded my expectations.” Which I’ll take as a complement. But, regardless, I do have grave concerns over those “free evenings,” and am already being further lobbied for participation in the choir and/or the contemporary music group. Eep!

It was cool seeing so many in the congregation there. Friday was about the size of a “light” (say, mid-August) Sunday 9 a.m. service; Saturday was a bit smaller, but Sunday’s matinée was a whole lot of people — less than, say, an Easter/Christmas, but more than the average Sunday. And I saw some people come back a second time, which was neat, and I saw some folks there who’ve left the church over various “differences” over the past few years, and that was neat, too.

Also in the audience last night were Margie and Katherine, the Testerfolk, and Stan. Randy, evidently, had conflicts all weekend. That was really neat, though, having non-church friends out there. They even made noises like they enjoyed it, which shows what good friends they are.

Afterward, we all headed off to Pappadeaux’s for dinner, which was a surprise, but a nice one.

Kudos to my fellow cast members, and the director, for making all this happen and making me actually look good up there (or at least better than I deserved, and hopefully I was able to return the complement). But biggest kudos to Margie, who was unstinting in her support and help and understanding. She deserves quite the ovation for that.

Serenity

Randy invited and Margie kindly offered to watch after Kitten, who was feeling slightly under the weather. So … I went. Boo-yah! Not much I can add to my review…

Randy invited and Margie kindly offered to watch after Kitten, who was feeling slightly under the weather. So … I went.

Boo-yah!

Not much I can add to my review from the preview in May. The movie has gotten a high buff and polish — the music is perfect, the post-processing on some of the scenes has lent them appropriately interesting tones, etc. Nothing much was changed — there might have been a few little bits tossed in, though the scene adds in the Visual Guide were not present. But it all feels cleaner, grittier, and more exciting and fun, even knowing what was coming.

The movie starts out a bit rough — it feels a bit too much like a TV movie on the big screen, in tone and presentation (and, occasionally, in effects and set pieces). But eventually things really get rolling, and it all comes together, and other cliches like that.

If I have one objection to Serenity, is that it does seem like a movie that wraps up plot points that ought to have been spread out over five years or so. It reminds me a bit of Season 4 of Babylon 5 — rushing to get to the good parts, which both gets you the good parts and gets you that rushed feeling.

That said, I can see some things that could be done with a sequel. And, heck, if I can see them, heaven knows what skulduggery Joss can see …

Go see it. So we can see the next one.