A old goal

I was flipping through channels on the television when I came across Extreme Martial Arts on the Discovery Channel. Mesmerized by the bodies(!) performing seemingly impossible and complex moves, I felt a rush as I remembered my experience in the martial arts back in college. I had made it a goal to master the basics (i.e., achieve a black belt) in at least one art in my lifetime.

A new goal to set starting next year. Yikes!

Humor: Stamps

Thanks, Kent!


A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards. She says to the clerk, ''May I have 50 Christmas stamps?''

The clerk says, ''What denomination?''

The woman says,"God help us. Has it come to this? Give me six Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran, and 22 Anglican."


- T.J. (Thom) Park, Oshawa, Ont.

So THAT'S what little girls want....

Thanks, Dan!

Every Little Girls Dream

A teacher asked her class "What do you want out of life"? A little girl in
the back raised her hand and said "All I want out of life is four animals".
The teacher asked "really and what four animals would that be"? The little
girl said "A mink on my back, a jaguar in the garage, a tiger in bed and a
jackass to pay for all of it".

Stayed up late

One of the ways I know a book is really good (at least to me) is if I'm willing to stay up late to read another chapter or, worse, try to finish the book. The last series I did that were by Robin Hobb.

This time, it was a TV series.

I recorded both episodes of the new Battlestar Galactica mini-series. Late last night, while the second part was half-way through, I started to watch the first two hours while doing some housework. There went the housework.

I enjoyed the first half. And, after R. had finally fallen asleep, I bolted out of bed at 01:00 this morning and watched the second half. I know I'll pay for it later today.

I enjoyed the show. Did I enjoy it as much as the first series? Probably. It's been a couple of decades but I remembered enough to notice--for example--the similarity of the Fleet ships between the two series as well as the more blatant homage stuff like the music during the decommission ceremony. Is the new series that different? Yeah. Same theme, different feel. I liken it to the two version of the song, Proud Mary, both of which I enjoy immensely. Did I like the direction the show has taken? Yes.

I normally don't watch TV but I may be recording this series (or, at the very least, purchase the DVD set when it comes out.) And that's asking a lot of this bibliophile.

2004 Goals

Before Murphy's Law throws another wrench (or pie or banana or...) in my life.


Major goals to complete by end of 2004:

Words
Complete work-in-progress (WIP).
Sell at least one article.
Read at least 36 books.

Weights
Drop body fat percentage to 10% (20 pounds at 200lbs).
Increase physical strength/stamina.
Drop from a 36 waistline to a 34.

Whatever
House organized.
Increase socializing with friends and family.
Stabilize finances


Breakdown into projects and sub-projects (all with the important end dates) to be detailed later.

Update complete

There. Changed to the more advance template. Much better background (though still have to add my pic.)

Bio update

Not so much the contents but as the formatting. I'll upload my pic and change the background color as soon as I figure out the new program.

Limited edition Barbies

Thanks, Greg!


> Mattel recently announced the release of
> Limited-Edition
> So-Cal dolls for the Southern California market:
>
> Irvine Barbie
> This princess Barbie is only sold at The Irvine
> Spectrum. She
> comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, a
> Lexus
> SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey, and a
> cookie-
> cutter house. Available with or without tummy tuck
> and face
> lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with
> "augmented" version.
>
> Tustin Barbie
> This modern-day homemaker Barbie is available with
> Ford
> Windstar minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets
> lost
> easily and has no full time occupation or
> secondary education.
> Traffic-jamming cell phone sold separately.
> Van Nuys Barbie
> This recently paroled former "Porn Actress" Barbie
> comes
> with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy
> with dark
> tinted windows, and a methlab kit. This model is
> only available
> after dark and canonly be paid for in cash.
> Preferably small,
> untraceable bills. Unless you are a cop, then we
> don't know
> what you are talking about.
>
> Santa Monica Barbie
> This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW
> convertible
> or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup,
> credit
> card, and country club membership. Also available
> for this
> set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper.
> You won't
> be able to afford any of them.
>
> Fontana Barbie
> This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler
> jeans two
> sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt, and Tweety Bird
> tattoo on
> her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Coors Light and
> a Hank
> Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and
> kick
> mullet-haired Ken's ass when she is drunk. Purchase
> her
> pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag
> bumper
> sticker absolutely free.
>
> Newport Beach Barbie
> This collagen injec! ted, rhinoplastic Barbie wears
> a leopard
> print bikini outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while
> entertaining
> friends at the beach house. Percocet prescription
> available.
>
>
> Riverside Barbie
> This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a
> pair of her
> own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from
> the time
> she chased Beer-Gut Ken out of Fontana Barbie's
> house.
> Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans,
> fake fingernails, and a see-through halter top. Also
> available with a mobile home.
>
> Laguna Beach Barbie
> This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long
> straight
> brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no
> makeup, and
> Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you
> call her
> "Willow". She does not want or need a Ken doll,
> but you if
> purchase two Laguna Beach Barbie's and the
> optional Subaru
> wagon, you get a rainbow flag sticker for free.
>
> Long Beach Barbie
> This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant
> doll.
> Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass.
> Gangsta
> Ken and his '79 Caddy were available, but are now
> very
> difficult to find since the addition of the infant.
>
> Rancho Santa Margarita Barbie
> She's perfect in every way. We don't know who Ken
> is because
> he's always away hunting.
>
> City of Industry Barbie
> This Spanish-speaking-only Barbie comes with a 1984
> Toyota
> with expired temporary plates and three baby
> Barbies in the back seat,
> but no car seats. The optional Ken doll comes ! with
> a meat-packer's uniform
> and is missing three fingers on his left hand.
> Green cards are not available
> for City of Industry Barbie or Ken.
>
> West Hollywood Barbie/Ken
> This versatile doll can be easily converted from
> Barbie to
> Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple
> "snap-on"
> parts.

And it spreads....

The cold/flu's spreading now into my throat. Ugh. And of course I forgot my cold-ez lozenages. Sigh. Will have to pick them up at lunch.

Lots of work this week. Let's see*

Monday:
Drop off clothes at drycleaners.
Work.
Prepare R.'s b-day card. No gift since I gave permission for that $$$ ring.
Dinner out.
Work on that Vision article.
REST.

Tuesday:
Pay bills (i.e., regular bills, reimbursements, rebates, etc.)
Work.
Pick up clothes at drycleaners.
Foodshop.
Get holiday cards.
Check P.O. box.
Finish (if possible) Vision articles.
Write in work-in-progress (WIP) if feeling up to it.
Take out trash.
REST.

Wednesday:
Work.
Schedule events (i.e., flight to see parents over the holidays, plays, etc.)
Write in work-in-progress (WIP) if feeling up to it.
Housework.
REST.

Thursday:
(GenCon SoCal opens!)
Work.
Housework.
Write in work-in-progress (WIP) if feeling up to it.
REST.

Friday:
Work.
Housework.
Write in work-in-progress (WIP) if feeling up to it.
REST.

Saturday:
Attend GenCon?
Choir?
Holiday party: 1800.
Holiday party: 1830.

Sunday:
Attend GenCon?
San Diego?
REST.


*Workouts go out the window until I fully recover.

Black holes in Earth's atmosphere?

Cool.

Exploding black holes rain down on Earth

Throwing a wrench....

I thought it was the two double-double cheeseburgers late Friday night. But Saturday morning I felt nauseous, headachy, and achy all over. Still hoping it was the cheeseburgers, I stayed in bed all day and most of the evening. It was only after a long talk with R. (it doesn't hurt to be married to a physician) and taking the necessary meds did I confirm the worse.

I'm sick.

We're not sure if it's a mild cold or the flu. In either case, it's crippling. Forget my original plans this weekend: workouts, housework, dancing, visits. I need to rest, rest, rest. While I like to lounge in bed, I like to do so voluntarily.

Well, change in plans. Once the meds took affect (and my stomach settled in reaction to them) I was able to crawl out of bed and get some real food in my growling belly. Fortunately I can still write which is good, since I have a lot of projects to finish up this week. I hope that--whatever I have--I'll recover from shortly. Let's see if those three years of trying to be healthy have paid off.

But ugh.