Saturday, March 05, 2005

Great news for parents everywhere! Now, instead of keeping an eye on your kids, you can go to work and leave the little crimb crunchers in the care of a robot disguised as a teddy bear.

I think the most interesting line in the story is the last line in the first paragraph: "allowing a parent talk to the child through a special phone, or monitor the child via a camera and wireless Internet connection." Obviously, this means the parent isn't at home. How long will it be before your little domesticated yard ape will figure out that all he or she has to do is just go to another room to get away from your spying eyes? Or will your little curtain climber ask teddy for a cookie, you say, "No. It'll spoil your dinner," and he or she pouts out of the room and straight to the cookie jar? Or will the little monster quicly learn the three finger salute to keep rebooting the bear?

"The vision behind this is to be two places at once," said Steven Bathiche, a research and development program manager with Redmond-based Microsoft. I wonder if that isn't a gift from Sir William of Redmond to his minions. "No more maternity/paternity leave! Get back to work, and watch your kids from your cubicle!" It reminds me of those commercials where a business big wig thanks Americans for working extra hours, forsaking vacation, and taking one for the team, rather than living their lives.

Friday, March 04, 2005

After three long years, I have finally put together the first volume of "Chasing the Sun," my graphic novel. It's taken me three years to draw 220 pages of comics and art. That's averages out to a panel a day. I only wish I had that pace.

Last night I finally put the lastest chapter and final pages into the collection and uploaded it to CafePress, where my store is. It weighs in at 246 pages. If I have any regrets, it's that my art stinks at first, and gradually gets slightly better, and that the story has an almost glacial pace.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

I recently decided that I couldn't live another minute (!) without a Captain America action figure to go along with my collection of JSA action figures. I am fascinated by the heroes of the 30s and 40s. Anyway, as soon as the Mint-In-Box figure arrived, I ripped it open so I could play. (Keep 'em in the packaging? You can't play with 'em then!)

I wanna know what genius decided 45 points of articulation was a good idea? All of the joints are just loose enough that Cap woun't stand up! How stupid is that? Sure, you can put him in all kinds of dynamic positions, but you can make him stand and admire him from across the room! And he won't stand up beside my JSA Wonder Woman action figure.

Speaking of her, the sculpter that designed her with both feet together, so she can't balance. She had to be glued to her base to keep at a reasonable 80 degree angle. Get her to stand straight? Fageddaboutit!

Have I mentioned that I'm 40?

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

In case your wondering where the French stand in the War Against Terror, here's how the French News Agency, Agence France-Presse, refers to him:

Picture dated 08 November 2001 shows Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri at his hideout at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. Emphasis mine.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

When did democratic elections become a bad thing?

There is a web site that apologizes to the world for Bush's reelection. They've even published a book. It seems that the left beleives that democracy only works when they win.

Here's a little a lesson about democracy, folks: Sometimes your guy loses.

Geez, you guys are as bad as the conservatives who whined when Clinton won.

The left beleives that guys like Rush Limbaugh have Svengali-like powers over their listeners, making them into mindless robots carrying out the orders of the Vast Right Wing Consipiracy.

The right beleives that the left, using the media which already leans left, obscures some arguments and overemphasizes others to make the public beleive their point of view.

In other words, the Right and the Left beleive the American public is stupid.

Finally! Something they agree on.

Me? I'm Libertarian.

Monday, February 28, 2005

Another Iwo Jima Commemoration story.

The night before the Heroes Parade on Main Street, my cousin, Gary, and I went to a local restaurant to drink Guinness Stout. We were joined by a friend, Bobby, who has three kids in the Marine Corps, two girls and one boy. We watched all the older people coming in and out, trying to see if we could figure out who was a veteran and who wasn’t. We even spotted some of the reenactors who had to be Marines.

We saw two older gentlemen and their wives leave the dining area. One of the men was rail thin, wearing a black leather coat with a thick fur collar. It was darned cold outside, so that didn’t seem too out of place. The other guy was barrel-chested sported a Marine Red blazer and overseas cap, I think they’re called. Bobby shouted out, “Semper Fi, gentlemen!” The two of them immediately changed course and came over to our table. We thanked them for their service, welcomed them to town, and Bobby whipped out his wallet to show off his three Marines. While we spoke with their husbands, the wives stood by the wall waiting. The gentlemen thanked us for welcoming them to town and left.

At 11 pm, Gary and I decided to leave. Bobby said he would stay a while longer, and immediately went off to the table full of reenactors, flipping open his wallet like Captain Kirk signaling the Enterprise.

Sunday, February 27, 2005

I've gotten back into home brewing beer. It is an expensive and addicting hobby, to be sure.

A friend of mine has graciously allowed me to use his workshop and is helping buy ingredients. A couple of weeks ago, we brewed a HopTech kit called American Light Ale. I had hoped to bottle it last week, but the Iwo Jima celebration in Fredericksburg ate up all my time. Instead we racked it to secondary, and bottled this weekend.

I thought I had enough bottles, but wound up a six pack short. Well, we weren't about to let that beer go to waste. It was plenty carbonated, so we drank the excess. It was great! A bit hoppy, but great!

Next, my buddy is going to order a Raspberry Wheat and an Old American Ale from Williams Brewing. Hopefully, we'll have our own little brewery making great beers before we both get bored.