Reuters | U.S. agency wants fine for Bono expletive / Full News Coverage

Everytime I go to post here, I'm avoiding posting anything relevant.  Everytime I pray I've been avoiding discussing anything relevant.  I really need to stop doing that and move on with my life.  Yet, I've let my life skid to a halt these past two weeks.  I'd like to stop that now. 

As I've been catching up on my backlog of Xanga subscriptions, I found this which was of some reassurance.  I'm only five and a half months behind now.  I guess I should stop now and go to bed.  My work week starts tomorrow.

Athena

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Talebones #24 - Spring 2002
"Clothes Make the Man"
By Kenneth Brady
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Chutes and Ladders Statistical Analysis

So, I've had a busy weekend.  Dustin came home too late for us to go rescue his character in Steve's D&D campaign, so we just chatted last night.  I enjoy it when we get a chance to do that, as its uncommon.  Today I mowed the lawn before my mom came over to chat.  She stuck around for mass and a few games of Groo.  Then, Bill stopped by for some SW:RPG 3.5 character creation (because he wanted to get some character ideas out of his head, not because he knows anyone who will be running it anytime soon) and a quick trip to go see the latest version of Dawn of the Dead.  Just think, my weekend is only half over!

You're An Intellectual! You can always be found reading or on the computer. People always come to you when they need information. You don't really care about love at this point, your only goal is to improve your mind. After all, knowledge is power!
What Type Of Anime Character Are You?
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Dvorak Card Game - The Candy Land Deck 

Not a Great Week

This week my manager was demoted, which has caused some internal uncomfortableness for obvious reasons.  Tonight was Michael's memorial services, which caused some personal uncomfortableness as I was asked to speak about him.  You might notice that I haven't even done that here yet, much less vocally in front of others.  I'm still not too comfortable about it, so I'll avoid it by discussing the impersonal aspects of it again.

The Trollhalla Legend of the Green Dragon will soon include Michael's Farmboy Shadowfist character as an NPC of some sort.  Z-Man Games is thinking of naming the GenCon Shadowfist tournaments in his name.  Game Depot will christen their gaming tables area after him, including a plaque on display.  So, we know he's sorely missed.  Thanks again, for everyone's well wishes. 

I'm tired, I work early tomorrow (as on all Saturdays), and I don't have Michael to give me that ride to work anymore (it was our Saturday morning tradition so that I could stay up later to game with them on Fridays), so I ought to go to bed.  That, and I had to be up early today because I did the morning shift instead of my normal afternoon shift.  At least I have my bicycle back from the shop now.  Even if Landis Cyclery was cruel enough to replace parts without asking and nearly double my bill.  Would a phone call requesting permission first really be that hard? 

Did I mention that this week both Robert Miles and Bruce Babbitt were in the store?  I had a good chat with each.  I found Star Wars:  Epic Duels on sale for only $3.99 at the Kay Bee Toys inside Metrocenter Mall.  I've been looking for a copy of that game for years!  *much rejoicing* 

Meera had Wayne and I over for corned beef and boiled potatoes and cabbage for Saint Patrick's Day while we listened to The Unicorn by The Irish Rovers.  We had a good chat.  Lots of people I see regularly, lots of people I rarely see anymore, and lots of people I've never met were at tonight's services, and I had many a good conversation tonight.  Unfortunately, Bill decided that he wasn't up to sharing his grief with us and decided to drown his sorrows in a bar with his friend James.  If he continues to cut us off like this, he's just going to have more regrets in the long run, so you might pray for him.

No, I don't hate America.  In fact, I can be disappointed in America but still love it.  After all, we have so much more than so many others, how could we not appreciate that?  However, I've noticed a trend recently in the quiz answers I've been getting.  See if you catch on to it, too.

I am an Intellectual



Which America Hating Minority Are You?

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Lifescapes|Relaxing Instruments|Instrumental Blues
By Various Artists
"Swampy"
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azcentral.com | Obituaries | Michael Lee Jackson 

I found out today that people sign guestbooks attached to obituaries.  I never would have thought of such a thing.  I have no idea how long such an obituary guestbook stays online, but that seems like a rather nice service to provide. 

Today is Jinnetics birthday, so wish him a happy one. 

This morning I mowed the lawn before Bill came over.  We made him a 1st level Baktoid Combat Automata B2 Series droid for an unspecified future Star Wars 3.5 campaign.  Then we went and saw The Last Samurai.  He really wanted to hang out to talk about Michael it seemed, and I can hardly blame him. 

After the movie Bill rushed me to the Local Speculative Fiction Convention Program Team meeting.  There I agreed to take over At-Con program for LepreCon XXX and let Kitty take over my Participant Green Room responsibilities.  That's this mother's day weekend, so I guess I had better start planning now. 

This morning they released an preview image from the next Shadowfist expansion set, The Seven Masters versus the Underworld.  It's an Eaters of the Lotus character card called Long Axe and Short Axe (which is actually two characters with a combined fighting of 6).  It looks to be a really good card, and I'm hoping that means that a new battleaxe weapon state will be in the set.  Michael always preferred the Lotus over the other factions, and I know he would have loved that card. 

I stole the new profile pic from Trollgod's Main Tunnels & Trolls site.  Thanks, Ken!  It was just too cool to pass up.

Anyway, here's another quiz:

CNN.com - Filming starts on new 'Batman' movie - Mar. 5, 2004

Thanks to those that have expressed their condolences.  I'm back from a poor showing at the Arizona Proving Ground.  Trav did a good job of filling in for Michael, but no one other than the regulars showed.  I was the only person to be shut out in three consecutive games.  I'm not sure if that's because I didn't build my decks until after I got home last night (which was after midnight).  If so it might have been because of my sleep-deprived mind at the game or my sleep deprived mind at the time of deck construction.  If not, then it could just a horrible run of luck.  However, I've noticed that I did similarly bad in the other duel tournaments, so it might be my lack of dueling experience.  Once I played the same deck in multiplayer I was able to win.  I know that's a real weak spot for me because Michael rarely liked dueling, and declined most opportunities. 

Because I had been last minute deck building so late last night, I ended up sleeping in too late to catch the bus to Ken's side of town before their depature.  Luckily for me, Lori offered to give me a ride when I called to leave a courtesy message about my running behind (as I planned to bus over to the game having missed my window of opportunity with Ken).  That meant that instead of attending morning mass at St Agnes (where the Little Flower's relics passed through a few years ago.  I don't remember if that's a journal here or elsewhere and I don't feel like looking it up right now) I attended mass at OLMC.  With Mom in Oklahoma that might have meant bussing back home, but Kitty was kind enough to give me a ride back home. 

I keep mentioning the bus because last night on my ride home both sets of brakes went out on my bike.  I noticed this when I went to stop for the red signal at Greenway Parkway.  Luckily, there was no pedestrian traffic, so I made a quick, unsignaled right hand turn onto the sidewalk rather than cross through the intersection against traffic.  That was a little scarey, but for some reason only on a mental level.  I had no physiological changes such as increased heart rate or pumped adrenaline like in other potentially dangerous situations.  Maybe my body is becoming jaded with the dangers of bicycling in a major metropolitan area. 

After I got home and started planning out my deck building strategy, I got a call from Trav wanting to see if we wanted to go see a movie.  In the end we went and saw The Butterfly Effect which ended up being an excellent movie.  Of course, had we planned that before I went home from work we could have seen an earlier movie.  Oh well, it was fun anyway. 

Friday, all of Michael's close friends got together at his house to talk and play games.  I think it was rather comforting to Kay to have that same level of activity in the house as before. 

Anyway, I ran out of things I wanted to discuss, so here's a quiz:

You are Form 0, Phoenix: The Eternal.  "And The Phoenix's cycle had reached zenith, so he consumed himself in fire.  He emerged from his own ashes, to be forever immortal."  Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum (Egyptian).  The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life, the number 0, and the element of fire.  His sign is the eclipsed sun.  As a member of Form 0, you are a determined individual.  You tend to keep your sense of optomism, even through tough times and have a positive outlook on most situations.  You have a way of looking at going through life as a journey that you can constantly learn from.  Phoenixes are the best friends to have because they cheer people up easily.

Which Mythological Form Are You?
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FATHER AND CHILD REUNION: JOE QUESADA'S 'DAREDEVIL: FATHER'

I left off with plans for going to the rock gym with my father.  Well, he called Monday and offered to give me a ride after he got off work, so I went grocery shopping during the time I would have spent riding over there to meet him.  While I was filling out the paperwork to get my new Preferred Savings Card (just what I needed, another card to carry in my wallet), I received a call from Kitty.  She asked me to sit down (which I already was for the form I was filling out) before she told me of Michael's death. 

Well, I was rather distraught after that.  I found myself wandering the grocery store not knowing what I was supposed to be buying, or even really knowing where I was going in the store.  So I called my father and cancelled.  He was kind enough to be understanding and allow me to reschedule, even if he wasn't very understanding on how people grieve.  He even told me then that he never really got close enough to any people whose death would have touched him.  And its certainly believable from what I know of him.  He said at one point that he didn't know what he could say that would cheer me up, so that was rather telling. 

Kitty asked that I not tell anyone via any medium until she had called everyone, and later she called to ask me to tell Wayne who was in California for his grandmother's funeral.  So down I went to Wayne's to get the emergency numbers he had left posted in his kitchen.  The two-one punch of deaths was a bit much for him, so after we got off the phone I called Meera to tell her so that she could be there for Wayne when he came home the next morning.  After that, Kitty had said it was safe to post.

I tried posting here, but I just stared at the blank XTools page for what seemed like forever before posting what I could.  Then I posted in Trollhalla where I was surprised to find that Ken hadn't yet posted.  I just figured that he was too busy or something. 

Tuesday I received lots of calls from gaming partners of his that are more familiar with me than Kitty.  It started in the mid-morning and went into the late evening.  I stopped by Wayne's after work to mke sure he held up alright and got home late enough that I missed out on a full nght's sleep.  Wednesday I went over to his place to help confort Kay and Kitty.  I was sent home with the books I had previously lent Michael, once again late enough to miss out on a full night's sleep.

Today, I got a call just before leaving work from Monte.  I was invited to go out to dinner with some of Michael's friends.  So we went to Denny's and chatted about Michael and things (Kitty, Rusty, Lori, Travis, Monte, and I).  So once again I'm not getting a full night's sleep.  It was as we were porch lagging outside Denny's that my father called.  He actually called just to check up on me out of concern for how I was doing!!!  Can you believe that?  It make me feel like I actually have a real father.  I'd always hoped that such a day might come, but I don't know that I actually ever believed that it could really happen. 

So, despite the fact that I'm tired beyond belief, and that I still don't feel like discussing Michael here at the moment, I just had to post about that here as soon as I could.  That might be the most momentous thing that happens to me this decade.  I had to share the wonder and excitement asap.  So now I think I'll go to bed.  I appologise if my sleep dep has made this entry too confusing.

Michael Jackson, 9 August 1964-8 March 2004.

Rest in Peace my good friend.  I miss you already.

An interesting bit of trivia found at Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Today in Toons for Sunday, March 7, 2004:

"On this day in 1942, Michael Eisner, who (as you may have noticed) has been in the news recently, was born. Whether you love or loathe the controversial Disney executive, he's 62 years old today."

OK, so I have a backlog of stuff to get to today.  First off, we've had rain!  <kermit d frog>Yaaaaaaay!</kermit d frog>  If we can get another month of good storms like that we'll have a chance of getting out of our drought.  We got about 2.5" of precipitation on my side of town in one day.  Considering how our average is 7" a year, that's awesome.  That'll help out our rapidly depleting groundwater table, even if it wasn't in the higher elevations where we need the runoff waters to fill our lakes.  Thursday afternoon we got enough marble-sized hail that the streets and awnings looked like they were covered in snow for a few hours.  

Thursday morning Meera's mother died.  They were kind of expecting it, as she had said that she never wanted to die in a hospital, and Wednesday she was moved home from the hospital.  So I'm stopping by and feeding Ming while Meera and Wayne are in California for the wake and funeral.  Meera's not taking it too well, so any prayers for the family would be appreciated.

Thursday night/Friday morning I had a dream set in my nightmareland.  However, this was another of the new breed where it wasn't actually a nightmare.  I might have to start renaming it if it keeps up.  In this dream, my stepfather was telling me about a new attraction there and offered to show it to me.  So in the car we went, and before I knew it I was waking up to see the spires of a new attraction out the car window.  The new attraction was built in the west parking lot just south of the cornfield maze and below the cloudcoaster.  There were various things for kids of all ages to climb, slide, and sit on, benches for picnics, and even some portions of evil attractions dismantled and set up as harmless surprises in this new area.  For example, a piece from the spiderweb alley was set up as a safe climbing area for little kids.  It was interesting to wander this new area and take it all in--the new and the remodeled together. 

Friday evening I ran more of the Invasion of Theed mini-campaign.  Lori leveled, catching up to the others at level two (although she barely stayed awake long enough).  They were able to make several runs into town, first to destroy some battledroids and steal a STAP, then to rescue some people from a Trade Federation concentration camp. 

Saturday, Steve ran his D&D campaign where Valor came to our aide while we attempted to defeat the rest of the skeletons.  He was able to call upon the power of Vhaeraun to cure light wounds upon Serran and Twiggy, so now we're all confused.  How does a druid call upon the power of a chaotic evil god to heal his enemies?  Then, after he and Griswald went after a skeleton king by themselves and sealed the way behind them, Twiggy found a shipping manifest which indicated that Valor had shipped the fifty barrels from Dagger Falls to himself some three weeks ago and that they had arrived here one week ago.  So, his plans even more a mystery than before, we decided to wait for the evening return of the hunting parties so that we could get led to the local bear caves.  After all, Valor does have a foundness for bears.

At mass today, father mentioned in his homily that deepening our prayer life was more important than what we give up during Lent which just further reinforced my decision.  Some days I have done better than others at making that time, so I think God keeps reinforcing the idea within me in order that I might succeed all the time. 

Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet my father to go rock climbing at AZ on the Rocks in the evening.  Wish me luck. 

The Slow Dancer
Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLDm)

    Steady, reliable, and cradling her tenderly. Take a deep breath, and let it out real easy...you are The Slow Dancer.  Your ideal woman is someone intimate, intelligent, and very supportive. 
    While you're not exactly the life of the party, you do thrive in small groups of smart people. Your circle of friends is extra tight and it's HIGHLY likely they're just like you. You appreciate symmetry in relationships.

Take the test: Always accurate, always scientific:  http://www.okcupid.com

My stomach is in knots all because of a letter.  I've avoided discussing the current family conflict on these pages because I was attempting to remain neutral to both parties.  However, I don't like Connie's implication that I was some sort of bad person before: 

I don't appreciate you insulting the way I raise my children when I look back at how your own son used to be. Should I start telling you where you went wrong?. You have no room to talk.

So far as I know, I have never been anything other than friendly and polite to Connie and her family.  So I have no idea why she would write such a thing other than to enrage my mother.  Luckily, despite the fact that the letter was addressed to my mother, she was wise enough to ask her husband and I to review it first.  She knew that Connie would try to challenge her in some way in the E-mail, and boy did she ever.  However, no matter how logical that is, it still feels like an attack against who I am.  And that is what physically upsets me. 

I don't like feeling like this, but what can I do?  I've been praying for a good resolution to this matter for a while, and that looks even further away now than it did before.  I can't reply to the E-mail, anything I say will either be used against me in the future (now that she knows what buttons to push) or be untrue to how I feel.  Either way, I can think of nothing which would help matters any. 

Just prior to her attack on me, she said, "You are supposed to encourage the good behavior and the grades in school and the job."  I had excellent grades in school (despite being in the International Baccalaureate program in high school), was in drama and six school clubs, never ditched a day of school (at least not until college), never had a detension (except once in middle school, but they removed that from my record when I successfully fought the injustice of that particular incident), and never came home past curfew or any other such stuff at home.  In fact, if anything, I was too good of a kid as my friends past and present have said.  So, once again, I have to wonder what kind of horrible person I was that Connie would have to be so venomous about me.

I had come online to update the world on several things here, but this wound is still raw.   0 eProps to Connie for making my life hell tonight.  Pray for us.  Maybe this will all work out for the best in the end after all.

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Fantasmic! (1992 Original Disneyland Park Soundtrack)
By The Walt Disney Company
"Chernabog"
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NSF - OLPA - PR 04-10: Beyond Feng Shui: Designing for Innovation

Well, what a weekend.  Tom & Lori had a wedding and LARP stuff to do early and late Friday evening, so we once again played Shadowfist instead of Star Wars.  Saturday I left work at the Map Gallery in order to go work the RV Show.  Surprisingly, the thirteen hour work day was actually enjoyable.  I had never worked one of our show booths before.  Then, when I got home I went on the computer to post the Leap Day link and check E-mails before going to bed. 

I did another early mass, this time for for the Assassins in Love tournament.  Somehow I was actually awake for it.  Father Gene stressed the importance of using the daily prayer guide which the parish had mailed out, but I was already using it to assist in my daily increase of prayer time.  Ironically, I found out last night that my mom's Lental sacrifice is to pray the rosary every day.  Does that make me a chip off the old block or what?

Corey and I did miserably in the tournament.  We only had one game in which we even looked to have a chance, and that didn't even last long enough to make it to my turn.  If there's another Assassins in Love tournament, we'll have to keep in mind what we learned from the other teams when constructing our next decks.  Michael and Ken won the tournament, with Tom and Lori taking second, Travis and Jason taking third, and us dead last. 

Afterwards, Tom treated us to The Transporter at his place.  Afterwards, Trav treated us to Snatch.  Both were excellent movies to watch in the Shadowfist genre.  Then,  Lori, Michael, Trav and I played some more Shadowfist until the wee hours of the morning.

Monday I made sure to mow, trim, and weed the yard while it was between rainstorms.  Good thing, too, as it rained again today.  I hope this rain keeps up so that we can get out of our drought in the next few years. 

After she got off work, Mom came over and she treated us to The Haunted Mansion at the discount theatres followed by dinner at Sonic and Harry Potter Uno here at home.  HM was another good Disney theme park attraction movie adaptation, but one not likely to have any sequels.  While it was excellent enough that I'd easily watch it again, it doesn't have the power for sequelling like Pirates did.  Obviously, the singing graveyard busts were meant to be Disney homages, but the only one I recognized was Walt himself.  Does anyone know who the other three were?

And for those that loved Battle Monkeys, here's something else with mindless fun:

What Is Your Battle Cry?

Yea, verily: Who is that, stalking out of the mini-mall parking lot! It is Chernabog, hands clutching a thorned whip! He roars vengefully: "Hail the blood-letting! I plunder like a sentient bulldozer!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

"I am sure the 163,000 factory workers who have lost their jobs in Michigan will find it heartening to know that a world of opportunity awaits them in high growth manufacturing careers like spatula operator, napkin restocking, and lunch tray removal."
~Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) in a letter to Bush economic adviser Gregory Mankiw questioning the administration's suggestion that fast foot jobs should be listed as manufacturing.