March Idiotness - The guy with the worst NCAA bracket of all time

Ok, I just HAD to post this story. It...well there are just no words. None. The unbelieveably vast pit of pure incompetence that lurks in this guy's head is just staggering. It must be read to be believed.

March Madness

Now I bet you're expecting me to talk about the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, right? While I am thoroughly enjoying the tourney so far (even though my brackets are now totally screwed thanks to LSU's ousting of Duke and Gonzaga's jaw-dropping collapse in the final seconds against UCLA), I am in fact speaking of the Xbox 360 Gamerscore contest between Josh, Brad, and myself.

It's been pretty close between Josh and I the past week, and now that we are entering the home stretch it looks like it might be a photo finish. But Brad is still the dark horse in all this as he has a lot of games that could potentially put him over the top, but we'll just have to wait and see.

To ensure that we don't lose track of the time, I've put a countdown timer on my blog to track how much time we have left. It's set to expire at 12:01 AM April 1, so when you see the words "Game over!", it's done, no more, el fin.

I'm thinking it might be time to rent some games this weekend. Hmm...what to choose.

Fun with the CS lab Nazi

This is the week for funny spam emails. I just recently got this one from none other than the CS Lab Nazi: John P. Cropper:

You have been violating the quota restrictions on
your CS alumni account for CGI space and have now
received 33 warnings.

Your WWW and CGI areas have been removed and your CS
alumni account scheduled for removal in May 2006

John Cropper
CS 'lab' staff

Hmmm...33 warnings, eh? Let's use a little math to determine just how much I care:

(33 warnings - 33 messages from 'root' that were flagged as spam) + 1 annoyed email from Cropper - 1 sarcastically replied to email from Cropper = 0 care level

Frankly, I was tired of the damn "over quota restrictions" emails and I was going to actually do something about it...but then I realized it would be more fun to see how long they would stand for my deliciously obscene quota violations. Turns out that 33 is the magic number where they finally snapped. Looks like I'm losing my alumni account. Gee, I feel real sad you know?

True, I did have my forums running on there but after my time as a CS127a section leader was up, they didn't get used anymore. Plus I can always host them somewhere else if I feel like it.

Pretty fire gym

Ok, the spam e-mails have just started getting wacky now. Not the usual "Increase you penis size with cheap viagra + free ink cartridges!" But getting borderline insane. I mean, it's like they aren't even trying to sell you crap anymore. Now they just have raving lunatics with laptops and access to Babelfsih writing their ads for them. Take a look. Here is a spam e-mail I got a few weeks ago, with the subject line "XP PRO, OFFICE 2003 AND ALL AT ONLY $12-60 EACH, WE GIVE U LICENSE":

side mentioned principle pretty fire gym. here find news wife profession make. latter why black bad light social.
black here thus speaking pride.
my human commit. happened anything yours again.
wife here wife different? sandwich anybody studied bought light immediate, thats is few.
motor commit taught respect wrong, window latter being.

And here's one I got this morning (same subject line):

anybody back window sugar mentioned wrong. corner sandwich edge disappoint anything. miserable happened social?
happened bought again. fascinate added similar side disappoint here,
prison bought sandwich commit somewhere,
studied goes rich wanted.
night supposedto principle. find reference fascinate use, mischievous taught supposedto?

Wow. Just wow.

30 books you should read before you die

Found this through Fark of all places. Apparantly librarians all over Britain were polled about what books everyone should read before they die. Since I think this is a great list, I'm presenting it here. (I've hightlighted books I've read in bold)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. The Bible
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien
4. 1984 by George Orwell
5. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
8. All Quiet on the Western Front by E M Remarque
9. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
10. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
11. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
12. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
13. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
14. Tess of the D'urbevilles by Thomas Hardy
15. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
16. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
18. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
19. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
20. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
21. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
22. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
23. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
24. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
25. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
26. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
27. Middlemarch by George Eliot
28. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
29. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
30. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzenhitsyn

So I haven't read a lot of these, but I feel good that I've read the top 5 (well not ALL of the Bible, but some if it at least). Looks like I've got some work to do. Oh and here's the original story.

Laser chess? Hell yeah!

Check out this sweet game called Deflexion! It's similar to chess, except some of the pieces have mirrros on them that reflect a laser beam around the board. To win you have to position your pieces (which are Egyptian themed) to strike the other player's pharoh (i.e. checkmate). Only $40 too. Man this would turn a few heads down at Starbucks :-p. Check out the site.

The greatest 4 minutes in basketball history

You hardcore sports fans may disagree with me on this one, but it's because of stuff like this that we play sports:

Edit 2: Haha, looks like it wasn't my fault! Josh just posted that CBS pulled the video! Guess YouTube was getting more views than the CBS stations. I've reposted the video (now it's from CNN). Man this post is the most work I've had to do for awhile.

Edit: Ok, WTF? I just copied and pasted the embedded code from YouTube twice, and for some reason it's working now. Just in case, I've put the link up here.

Let the games begin!

In the spirit of friendly competition such as the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, myself and a few friends have decided to have a little Xbox 360 contest. As most people know, the new Xbox Live has a point system that awards players points for achieving certain goals in different games. These goals are called Achievements, and the points earned are called Gamer Points.

Now this whole thing started when Josh got his 360 first and started earning points. I got mine about two months later and, after some marathon sessions on Call of Duty 2, passed him up. And since both of us are naturally competitive when it comes to games, we decided "What the hell! Let's have a real contest! Most points by some date wins." The prize? A whole bunch of Microsoft points (not the same as Gamer Points), which are the currency used in the Xbox Live Marketplace to buy Xbox Live Arcade games, Xbox Live Dashboard skins, and gamer pictures. We even managed to get Brad to join (with a 2000 point handicap since he started late). So, here are the terms, prizes, etc.:

• The contest ends at 12:01 AM, April 1st 2006. Any points earned after that time will not be counted.
• The contest consists of Mike Deats (SQUIDwarrior), Brad Dux (IcedError) and Josh Schlag (schlizzag).
  
• The winner will be determined by whomever has the most points by the date stated above.
• Each participant will put 1600 Microsoft points (equivalent to approx. $20) into the pot, winner takes all.
  
• Co-op points are allowed (i.e. co-op missions in Perfect Dark Zero or Kameo, either with each other or with other gamers.
  
• Trash-talking is highly encouraged.
• Mike will pwn you all.

Ok, I added that last bit but it is in accordance with the trash-talking rule.

So that's it. There's a little over a month to go and so far it's been a blast! There's still lots to go so make sure you keep up and may the best gamer win!

Dreams really can come true...

Many people know that one of my all-time favorite games is a little-known gem known as System Shock 2 (SS2. WARNING! This link has plot spoilers, so be warned!). It was released in 1999 and continues the story of "the Hacker" (you) from the original System Shock game (1993). SS2 won many Game of the Year titles in 1999, and it almost always shows up on "Greatest Games of All Time" lists (PC Gamer had it as number #5). It's mixture of atmosphere, plot, unique challenges and character-driven storytelling, plus some mind-bending plot twists, make it one of the most original and breathtaking games ever pressed to a CD. In fact, 7 years later, there is still an active (even rabid) fan base that is still creating new maps, missions, and even upgrading the graphics and gameplay models.

I first played SS2 around 2002 I think. My roommates at the time said "Ok, you HAVE to play this game. You have to play it in the dark, alone, with either surround sound or some serious headphones. And you have to play it loud." So I did. And boy, once I got about half-an-hour into the game, I began to become afraid. I was literally TERRIFIED at times. Never has a game made me so paranoid or edgy in my entire life. There were times that I felt that my own life was in mortal danger; that the game was trying to kill ME. I kid you not. I think these quotes from Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" write up about SS2 really sums up what made SS2 so great:

The game was scary. Damn scary. And this isn't schlocky-horror-movie-style monster-closet scary, where the bogeyman jumps out at you when you least expect it. Shock 2 projected real psychological terror through the tragic grotesquery of the formerly human enemies, the urgency and grim portent of the crew members' audio logs, and the unparalleled sound design that brought the menace and forebodingness of the Von Braun to horrible life.

... Sometimes characters are betrayed, but the player never is. I wanted to violate that trust and make the player feel that they, and not [only] the character, were led on and deceived." - Ken Lavine, General Manager, Irrational Games

System Shock introduced what is, in my opinion, the most incredible villain in gaming history: The female AI SHODAN (WARNING! This link has spoilers, though they aren't too bad. You have been warned). Most villains in video games are simply trying to kill you, and so you try and kill them back. SHODAN was much more insidious than that. She was manipulative, scheming, and unquestioningly evil. I remember one part where you have an uneasy alliance as you're both trying not to die, and she provides you with some supplies to help you with your mission (essentially enhancements to your cybernetic implants). During this particular chapter, you find an empty storage compartment with the door stuck half open. Since your weapons are constantly deteriorating and you have very limited ammo, you tend to explore everything you can (you will never be as excited over finding 5 bullets as you are in SS2, trust me). As you approach the room, SHODAN pipes up to warn you (rather menacingly) that you are running out of time and need to get on with your mission. You now have a choice. Do you enter the compartment and explore, or do you obey SHODAN and continue?

Well if you make the choice to explore, you will come across something that tells you that SHODAN is more involved with what is going on than she wants you to believe, and that something is horribly, horribly wrong. Once you exit the room, SHODAN promptly removes your upgrades and says, ominously,

I hope you enjoyed your little rebellion, irritant. But remember, what SHODAN gives she is more than able to take away.

Damn, when creepy computer AIs start paraphrasing scripture, you know you've got problems. When she said that to me the first time, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Though by far the best quote that really epitomizes all that makes SHODAN at once a wonderful and terrifying villain can be summed up in this audio clip. (It's in the Ogg Vorbis format, so you'll need this codec to play it). There's also this collection of quotes from both SS and SS2. There are spoilers here, so be careful if you want to be completely surprised.

So why am I posting all this you ask yourself? Maybe it's pure sentiment for my past, like my post about Babylon 5. Maybe it's my revitalized interest in video games thanks to my Xbox 360. I think in truth it is closer to something in between. The main reason I am posting this is because Irrational Games (makers of the System Shock series), are making what they call a "spiritual successor" to SS2 called BioShock. Gamespot has a great retrospective on SS2 that really ties in with this concept.

Needless to say, I can't wait. It's supposed to come out in 2007 for PC and 360. It's set in the late 1960s, in an "intellectual utopia" community known as Rapture that just so happens to reside at the bottom of the ocean. You awaken floating in the ocean with survival the only goal in mind, and you soon find yourself trapped in this bizarre world (much like how you find yourself on the Von Braun, the spaceship you wakeup on in SS2) Game Informer had a feature on this game in the latest issue and am positively giddy with excitement. This is one of my gaming dreams come true (with the other being Freespace 3, but that's another story). While it's not System Shock 3, it is at least the same team that made SS2 and they are going to take the same concepts and game mechanics and mold them into a new game.

2007 can't get here fast enough.

I hate Valentine's Day...and cruises rule

I have the best girlfriend in the entire world. For many, many reasons. But the main one I wanted to mention is the fact that Jen doesn't like Valentine's Day. Hates it, in fact. Which is great for me because I don't have to do anything or plan anything special, jsut because someone said today is supposed to be romantic for no particular reason. And since our anniversery is on the 3rd of February anyway, it'd be kinda anticlimatic to do something extravagent 11 days later. Oh well.

On the brighter side, Jen and I are going on a cruise in March! I didn't think we'd be able to do a cruise because of airfare and all that, but I found a 3-day out of Los Angeles to Mexico for a great price! And if we leave early enough, we can just drive all day and then relax on the ship that night. Our itenerary looks like this:

• Friday (3/10): Depart from Los Angeles at 5:30pm
• Saturday: Arrive in Ensenada Mexico at 8:00am. Depart at 6:00pm.
• Sunday: Day at sea.
• Monday: Arrive back in LA at 8:00am

I'm really excited because this will be my first real vacation that I paid for myself. Makes me fell all grown up. :-P

Well that's all for now kids. Back to my Xbox 360. Gotta start rackin' up the points.

Google: Naughty BMW! Naughty! No page ranking for you!

So BMW thought that their "ultimate driving machine" status entitled them to try and cheat the "ultimate searching machine." It seems that BMW's German page (yup, their home country's page no less) used a trick called "doorway pages" which trick search engine ranking systems to make them value pages more highly. Right. Because BMW really NEEDS to let people know via Google about their cars. If this were Fark, this story would have the "dumbass" tag. So when Google found out about it, they issued the "Google Death Penalty" to the page. They gave the page a ranking of 0, effectively removing it from search results.

Check out the full story on Boing Boing.

3D Room Paintings

Check this out! The first pic shows what appears to be a 3D image superimposed over a picture of a room. But the second pic shows that the 3D-looking image is actually painted ON the room to appear 3D. Neat optical effect!




Clicky here for more.

Project Gotham (Dirty) Racing

Last night I decided to give PGR3 on Live a try. Well, on the one hand it is very well done, and 99% of the time it's a blast. But that 1%, well it just sucks. The reason is dirty racers. I didn't think it would bother me, but after playing a few dozen races I just can't stand it. These people will ram you into walls, spin out your car for no reason, and even T-bone you if you are already spun out and are trying to right yourself.

Now granted, this kind of thing happens by accident often, and the cars will start spinning pretty quickly. But it's one thing to pass someone on the inside of a turn and accidentally nudge their tail while they're powersliding, and quite another to purposefully spin someone for no reason.

Case in point. I was in a high-speed race that had several crazy corners, and a rather long straightaway. As usual with these races, I was near the back. 7th (out of 8) to be precise. Going into the straightaway, I hit the turn too fast and smacked the wall, while the guy behind me managed to slingshot through nicely. I watched him come up behind me, and I moved to the right since I knew he would pass me and there was nothing I could do about it. Does he just pass me up and then we duke it out at the next turn? Nope. He comes up behind me, and nudges my back end. I spin around twice and slam into the wall. I just sat there fuming, and then backed up and continued the race (because no matter how bad I am doing in a race, I always finish). I was so far behind at that point that I never even saw another car and the time ran out before I could finish.

I was pretty miffed. I mean he could have passed me and finished the race fair and square, (you know because 7th is so much better than 8th at that point), but he felt the need to spin me out when I was LETTING him pass. I could have cut him off and tried to clip him going into the next corner, but I don't race like that. Maybe I should, because it seems that the only way to win on Live is to race dirty. I've seen it happen. The guy in second on the last lap, who has been slamming people into the walls and spinning them over the place, manages to nail the guy in first who's been hitting his race lines the whole time, and wins. I suppose it's inevitable that when people get their hands on any game that has competitive play, they will do anything to give them the edge.

The funny thing is, the guy that spun me can dish it out, but he can't take it. After the race I set his as Non-preferred player for Unsportsman-like conduct, and he sends me a message bitching about how I gave him bad feedback. So I blocked communication from him. Dude if you're going to be an ass, don't be a whiny ass.

But despite this, I really had fun, even though I kinda suck. Hey, I've won 1 race so far. So that's something. I'm not going to let anyone ruin this game for me, so if people are racing dirty, who the hell cares. I'd like it to stop, but it never will. All I can do is just stick to my guns and know that whatever place I come in, it won't be because I cheated to get there.

Firefly posibly coming back in a DVD-only format!!!

Edit: I'm not entirely sure this site is legit, even though I want it to be. For now, take this with a grain of salt.

"A New independent film company is looking to bring back firefly in a DVD-only format! Check out this site and take the survey, if enough people sign up they will re-hire the serenity crew! If you like the show at all please fill this out and don't let the series die. You can't stop the signal."

This is the latest top Digg story and I HAD to blog it! This would be so AWSOME if they managed to get the rights to the show. If you loved "Firefly," head to the site and submit your "Browncoat recruit profile." They say the more interest they get the closer this is to being a reality.

read more | digg story

The 5th Element

Ok, so it's a bit of an odd subject but today I listened to the first show of a new podcast being put on by some of the regulars on Slice of Sci-Fi which just so happens to be dedicated to Babylon 5. For those that never watched the show, it was a radical new format for sci-fi shows since pretty much anything in the genre at that generally had something to do with some sort of trek through the stars. The main difference was B5 was planned from the beginning with a complete story arc that would span a full 5 seasons or more (depending on how well the show did). It was quite different from the stand-alone episodes that "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was known for.

The main setting for the story took place on a space station called (you guessed it) Babylon 5. Why 5? Well it just so happens that the first 4 suffered engineering accidents, sabotage, or just plain disappeared. I guess 5th time's the charm, eh? The station itself is fascinating, mainly because one of the central themes of the show was the cultural diversity between all the races living on the station. Bruce Boxleitner (station commander for seasons 2-5) described it as "A free port for diplomats, travelers and businessmen. A combination of building the United Nations and Times Square on an intergalactic scale."

Why am I mentioning this? Why does it matter? Because I love this show, and I feel the need to let other people know about it. In my view it stands head and shoulders above any other sci-fi series to date, including "Star Trek." No, that's not quite true. It STOOD head and shoulders above the rest. B5 has been my gold standard against which all new sci-fi shows are judged. The only shows to gain equal footing with B5 in my mind, are of course "Firefly", and the new "Battlestar Galactica." And let me tell you, coming from me, that is the HIGHEST praise I can bestow.

These shows MEAN something to me. They are a part of my life and as such, a part of my culture. Sure, I watch "CSI" and "Law and Order: SVU," but those shows are just passing through. Nothing compares to the depth and sophistication that B5 displayed in it's 5 year run. B5 dealt with such deep subjects as addiction, self-sacrifice, and most importantly: The struggle between authoritarianism vs. chaos; light vs. dark vs. gray. The gray is especially important because it is often the people caught in the middle of great conflict that suffer the most. War is obviously pivotal to the series, but it is the focus on the untold "third side" of the conflict that truly makes this series stand out. I guess you could say this was the first show that I really cared about. It was so easy to simply let myself be absorbed into the B5 universe and really delve into the story and the characters lives.

Maybe that's a little weird, but in fact I think it's completely normal. Babylon 5 is an epic story, told in the same tradition as the great stories of old: "The Iliad," "Beowulf," "Macbeth." The only difference is the medium; the central themes are still there. This is not just mindless entertainment, nor is it overly cerebral and pretentious. Rather it strikes a balance between being enormously fun to watch, and being deeply philosophical and insightful.

Anyone who hasn't seen this show doesn't know what their missing. Find someone with the DVDs and ask to borrow season 1, or put it in your Netflix queue. Or even buy the crappy Asian import DVDs for $10 and see if you like it. If you give it a chance and watch season 1, it just gets better and better from there.

Well, that's all I have tonight. I got a little philosophical and even waxed a bit nostalgic with this entry, but hey. That's why this is "Mike's Pensieve." ;-)

Mmmm...Podcastilicious

As everyone else has been doing this, I figured it was time for me to give it a whirl. So here are the podcasts I listen to at least semi-regularly. I love podcasts. They keep me sane on my drive to work and help the day go by so much faster. Plus it keeps me up to date on news and goin's ons. Though most of them deal with tech and sci-fi stuff, but hey: That's what I'm into. So without further ado, here we go. Oh, BTW, you can get all of these off of iTunes for those with iPods.

• This Week in Tech (TWiT) - This podcast is great. It's run by a bunch of ex-TechTV hosts and technology journalists. The main character, so to speak, is Leo Laporte who plays host and at time mediator between the other eccentric personalities such as Kevin Rose (one of the brains behind Digg.com) and PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak (who gets NO SPAM!!!). Always sharp, witty, interesting, and at times brutally honest.


• Major Nelson's Blogcast - Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) is the Director of the Xbox Live Programming division at Microsoft. He has great inside info on the Xbox 360, and has done some very interesting interviews with many of the minds behind the Xbox, including one of my former Computer Science section leaders at UofA, David Shaw. If you're into gaming, especially Xbox, this is a good one.


• Science Friday - This is the podcast version of the highly popular NPR show. It deals with everything from medical advances, global warming, technology trends, and even the ethics of highly controversial science subjects. This is one of those podcasts that make you just feel smarter.


• Security Now! - This is another of the many podcasts by Leo Laporte. Leo does this podcast with Steve Gibson, a computer security expert. This is a very technical podcast that looks at all manner of threats, from viruses to Windows vulnerabilities. Leo really helps keep the show understandable for us mere mortals because, while he's a techie like myself, he's not a hacker or a coder and always asks the right questions to help the listeners understand what Steve babbles about.


• PotterCast and MuggleCast - It's probably fairly obvious what these two shows are about. I listed both together because the hosts of both shows do a lot of crossover, each appearing on the other's show. They even did a live podcast in New York after the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Good stuff if you're a Harry Potter fan.


• Spaceship Radio - I have to admit, I love classic radio shows. "War of the Worlds" was always one of my favorites. My Dad had a set of tapes of old radio shows and I used to listen to them all the time. This podcast plays only sci-fi or fantasy related shows (usually episodes of X-1). Plus there is a smattering of great original shows as well. I mean, where else can you hear radio dramatizations of Ray Bradbury and Phillip K. Dick stories anytime you want?


• Skepticality - This is just a good, smart, talk show. The hosts Derek and Swoopy (not her real name, obviously) talk about subjects such as crop circles, bigfoot, the Illuminati, urban myths, etc. They have great skeptical insight on all sorts of cool stuff. Derek recently had a stroke, so he's just now getting back on his feet, but he's doing much better.


• The Signal - A podcast dedicated solely to Firefly and Serenity two of my favorite shows/movies of all time. Not much new content lately, but a good show nonetheless.


• Matt's Today in History - This is another one of those "smart" podcasts. Matt Datillo makes a (usually) daily podcast about a significant historical event that happened today. It can be anything from the last century, to events from Greek and Roman history as well. Each show is only about 4-10 minutes long, so it's great if you miss a few because you can listen to two or three at a time and not be overwhelmed.


• Michael and Evo's Slice of Sci-Fi - This is by far one of the funniest and most entertaining podcasts I've ever heard. These guys are nuts about sci-fi, everything from movies, TV shows, and even the ubiquitous Star Trek novels. The best part? This is a local, home-grown podcast picked right off the vine from Phoenix Arizona.
  

Now I also listen to a few podcasts which are called "podiobooks." They're full-length novels that are released in podcast form, usually once a week. These are great for car trips or just sitting in bed and listening. You can find all of these at Podiobooks.com.

• Earthcore - Ok, this is one of the best stories I've ever heard. You just have to check out the site and subscribe as I just can't do it justice. Scott Sigler is a god.


• Ancestor - This is Scott Sigler's second podiobook, and it's just as good as Earthcore, though a bit shorter. It just finished this week so you can subscribe now with no waiting!


• The Pocket and the Pendant - If any of you have ever read any of the "A Wrinkle in Time" books, you'll love this one. It's very similar in style and touches many different genres, such as sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, and even drama. There's even a little "Lord of the Flies" mixed in there as well. Great book.


• Brave Men Run - Just started this one, so I can't give you a good synopsis of it (or even much of an opinion) but it's good so far.

Whew! That was a long list, but well worth it. I love these shows and don't mind at all writing about them. Now if you don't mind, I need to watch UofA kick the crap out of ASU in basketball.

Cheers.

Episode I: A New Post...er Episode IV: The Phantom Blog...I mean...ah hell

Hey! This is my first post in my new home! Wow, it feels so...liberating compared with my previous blog. I mean, I'm a fan of 1up.com (most of the time) but their blogging tools are about as flexible as a frozen twinkie. I can't even post/link my Xbox Live gamercard! And that's, you know, gaming related. I've e-mailed them about adding this feature, but of course they have ignored me completely. Figures.

So anyway, here I am! (But not in a "Three on a Meathook" sort of way. Heh, probably only 3 people on the planet will get this reference, which is about 3/4 of the total people who have seen this movie). It will probably take awhile for this blog to take shape, but I think I'm going to stay here for awhile at least. Unless Apple drops the price of .Mac accounts. Then I may publish my site using iWeb, but that remains to be seen.

Stay tuned!