HELLO... WEEN...

This past Saturday night, I spied:

- an adorable dementor
- (a bloody) Scream
- Darth Vader (without his helmet)
- Cinderella
- an angel
- Snow White
- a knight
- 2 ninjas
- Neo
- a judge
- a prison inmate
- Marilyn Monroe
- Gwenevere
- a she-vampyre (without fangs)
- a sailor
- a witch
- a football player

HARDEST DECISION: Do we dress here or over there?

PRECIOUS MOMENT: HotFudge in ninja outfit walking hand-in-hand with mulysa's youngest going to see the wabbits.

ATE: Chips & dip, links, the absolute best french fries I've ever had, chicken tenders in the shape of animals...

WITNESSED: lots of fun and laughter, an offended knight, a pouting Darth Vader, Gwenevere running around Marilyn Monroe in fetal position, enhanced cleavage...

OVERHEARD: [RE: The removal of bras.] "At the end of the day, it's like....." (a long sigh of utter relief [or ecstacy?] followed)

INTRIGUING: that 3 women of varying shapes and sizes were able to interchange their costumes.

A NEW WRINKLE: In certain cultures, you're not suppose to show the bottom of your shoe(s) to others. It's considered an insult.

DIDN'T KNOW: That Darth Vader could stick-fight... Such determination. Such power. Such grace. Such poise. He will be a great warrior someday... Let me complete his training, and we will rule the galaxy together as RONIN and DARTH VADER (The Gentle Giant)...

WAS ATTACKED BY: Gwenevere, Darth Vader, and Scream...

ACCUSED: by Gwenevere of stealing/hiding her precious cigarettes...

HI-LITE(S) (I am undecided on which of the following three incidents should be the absolute hi-lite of the evening.):

- the live soft-porn tickling
- linestepper putting her foot on me
- NEO rubbing up on me...


BEST TRICK: Linestepper guiding a camera down her dress.

======================================

OVERHEARD TODAY: (Evening instructor to another evening instructor): "Last week, my students asked me if they had to come to class tonight [Halloween night]." DUHHH!!

FRIDAY... IN A NUTSHELL

SCARY MOMENTS: Thought I was short $45.00 in cash count. Found it after doing some research / Sold Bus Pass #666 / Glanced at odometer earlier this week and it happened to be 666

HARDEST DECISION: Do I call HotFudge and bother her with some minor crap? [I chose not to bother her...]

OVERHEARD (in a bookstore): Narnia.... I luuuuuuuuuuv Narnia. I wish I could go to Narnia...

OVERHEARD (at WalMart): The haunted house sucked / It was great / They didn't even touch us / They're not allowed to / All they did was...

SOMETHING THAT MADE ME LAUGH: EMILF.... HA HA HA...

THANK YOU: for the soy milk

DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE?
SITUATION: After releasing Financial Aid check to a student, the student said "Thank-you"
WHAT I HAD TO SAY: "You're welcome..."
WHAT I WANTED TO SAY: "You sorry ass b*tch. You've got straight F's and W's (Withdrawals) since 1998 AND you're on academic probation. How is it possible you're getting Financial Aid?

PURGING / ORGANIZING / RE-ORGANIZING...

[I must thank linestepper for this topic. It's cool when one person's blog can lead to a blog of your own.]

Everybody has their own idea of how things should be organized.

For me, just for now, I'd like things not to be lying around. For example, I have the habit of dumping clean laundry onto the bed in our guest room, where it just sits and wrinkles, instead of hanging things that need to be hung and folding things that need to be folded. What are closets and drawers for, right? Bank statements and checkstubs go unopened and unfiled for long periods. And junk-mail... oh geeez... the junk-mail. I did a minor analysis and asked myself: "Where is the majority of paper coming from?" It's not like I take home tons of paper from the office. Majority of paper seems to come from the mail... junk mail to be exact. Mostly credit card offers or mortgage offers or ads. These have a tendency to pile up on the kitchen counter, on the family room table, and at my bed-side. When it gets to be unbearable, I get into this mode: "I'm going to clear everything off, and once it's cleared, it should stay clear." When I finally get the kitchen counter or family room table cleared of paper, it stays that way for awhile. Then... slowly... more junk mail starts to pile up. I'll have to admit, though, HotFudge is better than me at getting rid of her junk mail.

I've also tried this philosophy: "If I could just throw away one thing or shred one thing per day..." Works for awhile, then I slack off.

So I end up doing "purge marathons" with my junk mail. Shredding those damned credit applications and recycling the envelopes. There was a time when I kept bills (gas & electric, garbage, water, etc.) for years. Now I shred them the moment the check clears.

HotFudge and I do have a paper problem. Boxes of paper. Ironically, I think there're tons of her sh*t I could throw away. She feels the same way about some of my stuff. This has led to an impasse. I have no right to talk about her sh*t until I get my sh*t under control, and vice-versa. So we may talk sh*t about eachother, but I don't touch her sh*t, and she doesn't touch mine. I try to go through boxes once in awhile, but there are always those things that you can't quite toss: a term paper from high school, a short story from college, some notes with doodles on the side... And so our boxes sit (and sh*t.)

My latest endeavor at organizing files is a combination of "File 'n Store" boxes (purchased at Office Depot) and accordian style folders. (Neither HotFudge nor I want bulky filing cabinets anymore.)

Recently started "project": One accordian style folder marked "Grab This One", containing birth certificate and something else that eludes me for the moment... (In case the big one hits, I'd want to at least try to grab the most important docs (or maybe not).) Haven't decided what else would be worth grabbing. Passport, insurance stuff, latest bank statement perhaps. Of course, HotFudge's safety, clothing and food would be secondary (NOT!!!). I've wondered about the practicality of preparing a backpack with some bare essentials (bottled water, shoes, couple pairs of sweats and shirts...). With all the disasters that have been occurring, there've been one or two "Are You Prepared" workshops on campus.

Tried scanning documents into a computer for awhile. Kinda nifty to have tons of info on one CD. Time consuming, though. And you need a computer to access it.

TofU and I both loathe the cases CDs come in. Can't stand them. Years ago, I got rid of the cases and put the CDs in one of those cases that hold 200+ CDs. I accumulated about 6-7 of these larger cases. Then logged each CDs' "location" in Excel (spreadsheet). I created an inventory of my CD collection. But then again, in order to find a particular CD, I had to turn on the computer and call up the file so I could see what "section" my CD was in. And if I bought a new CD, I'd have to update the file. It kind of worked... for awhile. Then the system just crumbled. This year, I have, what is the best system thus far. Went to The Container Store and found a container that would hold CDs. Bought lots of those. Then bought tons of CD sleeves. Transferred all CDs and liner notes to the sleeves. Now it's like an easy filing system. Don't even have to go to a computer. And if I buy a new CD, I immediately get rid of the case and put the CD in a sleeve and file it in alpha order. This has been my most successful project thus far.

The space I have is limited and the space must be maximized. Therefore, I should be getting rid of things. Logic dictates that if I bring in more than I get rid of, eventually (and it could take years), my space will run out...

So... What have I purged lately? A few comic books (donated), some old bills (shredded), paper with no "sensitive info" (recycled).

I guess I'll be able to say "I'm organized" when I've made things as easy as possible to get to. If I'm looking for taxes from 3 or 4 years ago, I should be able to find it right away. If I'm looking for a specific blue shirt, I should be able to find it right away and not have to go through a pile of laundry. That would be cool. I think then, I'd consider myself organized.

RECENT HI-LO-'S

highs: bowling with the guys / disembodied laughter echoing through a near empty parking lot / a call from a friend / a reconnection / i suck at bowling

lows: students who don't deserve to be in college / other people wasting my time (when I'm perfectly capable of wasting my own time with no help from others) / a picky e-mail / one of HotFudge's co-workers is irritating her / i REALLY SUCK at bowling

overheard: a long argument between an A.S. Officer and a club officer in the room next door.

FROM FIREFLY TO SERENITY... LEAVE THEM WANTING

[Once again, I must thank Tormented Soul for recommending Firefly. And let's not forget GMF. He was kind enough to loan me the series.]

Yes, I'm a sci-fi geek. Big (relatively) Star Wars fan, all Star Trek variations, Battlestar Galactica, etc. Anything with spaceships and robots and lasers, I'll take a chance on.

Firefly was a short-lived "sci-fi western". I guess it aired on Fox on Friday nights. Of course, Friday night is considered the "imminent death" time slot, especially for a brand new series. I had no idea the series even existed. After getting past the music and setting of Firefly, I realized that this was a quality show. Don't worry, I won't summarize the series. Aside from the special effects, I liked the characters and their little quirks, how they interacted with eachother, they're different backgrounds, the majority of the storylines, and even the overall arc. Unfortunately, Firefly was cancelled. I think only 12 episodes aired. The DVD set has all 14 eps. I heard they weren't even aired in order. Does that make any sense? I watched the DVDs, so at least I saw them in order. And I got to know the characters and thus, became invested in the series. I can only assume the show was cancelled because of weak ratings. [Does anybody out there have the real scoop on how a network rates its shows? Is Big Brother watching what we watch? Are there sensors in our cable box? Does someone (possibly in a foreign country) call individual households and ask about viewing habits?]

Regardless, the movie Serenity brought some decent closure to the series. I suppose there was just enough of a fan base to make this possible. Movie was good. It could stand alone, but it's so much better if you've seen the series first.

So what's the point? It's good to see shows end on a high note. Obviously, if a show is doing really good, it'll be on the air for awhile. But then, in general, shows eventually lose their steam, the ratings go down until the show sees its final episode/season. It's kind of sad when a show starts to go down (storylines get old, special guest stars make appearances, an entire show may be based on flashbacks, etc.). At least if you're left wanting, you'll have nothing but good things to say.

The show was already good in my opinion. I honestly feel it would've gotten even better had it had a chance to evolve.

So...

Did they do it right by cancelling Firefly? No. Because I've been left wanting...

Did they do it right by cancelling Firefly? Yes. Because I've been left wanting...

MOLESKINE...

Oh, how I wish I'd known about the Moleskine notebook in my younger years. I could only imagine what it would be like if I had boxes of these gems, filled with my thoughts and daily activities, from years (nay... decades) gone by. I picture myself years from now, memory failing, but having these little notebooks to drop back on, to help me remember what I did with my life. I envy those who have kept some kind of continuous journal throughout their years. I even would've used the Moleskine notebook to takes notes when I was in college.

Again, I must give credit where credit is due. It was Thane of the Universe (TofU) who turned me onto these pocket notebooks. I've tried keeping journals. I've used spiral notebooks, sketch pads, etc. But I never kept it up. Never did like the "feel" of using regular notebooks or sketch pads. Last year TofU referred me to the Moleskine website. I was intrigued. Moleskine claims that many famous artists used this product. I don't know if it's true or not. There are those who think the popularity of this product has been overblown by association to famous people. I really don't know, and I'm not going to do the research to find out. Regardless of the Moleskine's history, I jumped in. I called around to several bookstores and bought three.

After a few days of writing, I was hooked. It's small, it's convenient, and it's durable. Obviously, I don't think it's waterproof or fireproof, but it can take a beating. And I am writing this because I recently finished another Moleskine. In fact, it survived a trip to Spain earlier this year. There's nothing like kicking back in a foreign country while listening to my favorite music via MINIDISC and writing (or drawing). When I look back, there are many details I would have otherwise forgotten had I not written them down. The names of different places... little factoids, myths, and legends... the names and addresses of people we crossed paths with... specific conversations, etc. etc.

Nowadays, I find myself writing in restaurants while waiting for my order, or in movie theatres before a movie. In fact, I was in front of a movie theatre last night when I finished my Moleskine.

The only complaint I have (and this is such a minor issue): I wish there was some way to attach a writing implement to the notebook. But then something would be lost. It's already "perfect" in my opinion. Finding a way to attach something would mess with the size.

My Moleskine pocket notebook goes pretty much where ever I go. I look forward to when I take it to Italy next year...

MINI-DISC VS. IPOD

I know several people who own IPODs. They are indeed sleek, sexy, compact, and extremely easy to use (I'm talking about the IPOD, not the several people, although they are also sleek and sexy). You really can't beat the user interface; that "wheel" is just awesome. Please note that I am complimenting the IPOD. Truthfully, the only complaint I've heard is the life of its powersource. But hey, it'll only get better, right? Among my coterie, I am outnumbered. Debates have ensued, research has been done, meetings and conferences have been held, data has been compiled, tests have been done, etc., etc.

So why am I being so stubborn? Why won't I convert? Yes, one could argue that the minidisc is more "klunky" than IPOD, and I whole-heartedly agree. IPOD holds more music, too. And the access to all your music, pictures, audiobooks just can't be beat. So, here it is: for me, it all comes down to PRESERVATION. I've been a big fan of minidisc ever since it came out years ago. Finally, something to replace those horrible cassette tapes. UGH!! Always hated those, but that's what I used because that's what was available. Regardless of the supposed "quality" of the tape, things recorded always had that "muffled sound. Then came CDs, then came the minidisc. With the minidisc, I was able to preserve and archive my entire vinyl collection. The music I recorded years ago onto minidisc still sounds great. For those of you who're old enough to remember, I'm referring to 45's and 12" records. The things where the vibration of a needle along a long groove on a vinyl platter produced the sound. (I'm feeling my age here. I can barely remember 8-tracks. And now there's a generation whose first exposure to music is either the radio or CDs or maybe the Internet.)

It's all about the "LINE-IN" and the microphone. It's all about the ability to record from multiple sources. I haven't dabbled in the IPOD software, but I'm guessing that everything must come from a computer. To the best of my knowledge, an IPOD does not have a "line-in" or a microphone, features that the minidisc does have. Also, I can't get past the idea of "losing" everything once an IPOD breaks down. "Losing" may be too strong a word. IPOD owners have told me, its all in your computer. I do understand this. But I hate being "tied" to the computer. Thane of the Universe (or anybody else who happens to read this blog), perhaps you could answer this question: What is the bare minimum I would need (hardware & software) in order to get the music from a vinyl record to an IPOD? CDs are wonderful, but not everything has gone to CD, not all music has gone to CD. And then, there are perhaps live performances worth saving. With an IPOD, I cannot record from any other source but a computer. So there it is. It's all about preservation. If my minidisc player breaks down, I just buy a new player. The music on my discs is still intact. If I were to buy an IPOD, it would eventually break down (as with anything mechanical), and I'd have to transfer everything all over again from my computer. HMMMMMMMMM. A minor inconvenience, and with today's computers, it probably wouldn't take very long, but a point of contention with me, nonetheless.

I can only hope that minidisc, although not the most popular format, will be here for at least as long as I am.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LINE-IN...
IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESERVATION...

NORTH COUNTRY

DISTURBING...DISGRACEFUL and PATHETIC BEHAVIOR... IGNORANT
COWARDLY are those who hurt others, especially while running in packs...
COURAGEOUS are those who stand up and tell the truth... especially when they're alone...
SEXISM... are we so different?

What do you do when the ones with all the power are hurting the ones with none?
The only way such conditions could exist is if management is aware, AND DOES NOTHING...

NETFLIX... THANK YOU...

So far, they're doing this one right. ("They never do it right" is a phrase I credit to my good friend, Thane of the Universe.) I've been a member of Netflix for about 2-3 months now, and it has breathed new life into the hours I spend in front of the boob-tube. For those of you who don't know what Netflix is, it's an on-line DVD rental business. Very simple. Set up an account, add movies to your queue (list of movies you want to see), and Netflix sends them to you via mail. The turn-around time is impressive, usually 2-3 days. They have several plans which vary in price depending on how many movies you want to have "at home". You can have just 1 at a time all the way to 8. Personally, I started at 3. When that proved insufficient, I changed to 5. When that proved insufficient, I changed to 7. I am quite taken by Netflix because of the convenience. Unless you're into serious immediate gratification, there's nothing like ordering on-line in the comfort of your own home, and just waiting for your rentals to come in the mail. You no longer have to physically get ready to go out, get into your car, drive to the nearest video rental store, browse thru numerous catagories, genres, etc, stand in line to rent, get back into your car, drive home, watch the movie(s), and then repeat the process when you return your rental(s). With Netflix, you just wait for the movies in the mail. And the "envelope" the movies come in also serves as the return envelope. They did it right!

I can remember many days and nights of channel flipping and not being able to find anything worth watching. Remember when we only had about 8-10 channels to choose from? And now with cable and satellite, we have channels galore... But I still have trouble finding things to watch. I've got a small collection of DVDs, and there are those choice few that I could watch over again, but Netflix has provided me with a near endless selection. I could probably rent forever without ever watching the same thing twice. Also, it has given me a chance to catch up and re-live certain series I grew up with. With the exception of Star Trek: TNG and Babylon 5, I don't think I've ever stuck with any TV series in its entirety. Not even X-Files. In the past, my general pattern of watching TV was to hear about a series thru friends or commercials. I'd watch the series, get into it, and then faithfully keep up (set up the VCR to record, etc., etc). Then, I would gradually lose interest, missing an episode here and there, until its importance in my life faded to a mere shrug of the shoulders. Now, I see this as an opportunity to "catch-up" and fill in the gaps. I have at my fingertips, the chance to watch entire seasons and series at my leisure. Further, it's much more satisfying to watch episodes back-to-back as opposed to once a week.

Many times, before NetFlix, I've opened the cabinet next to the TV and peered in. I don't have a huge collection of DVDs, and that's a good thing. But I've often just watched things over and over again, just to have something on TV while I was eating breakfast. But now, especially with NetFlix, I have second thoughts as to why I had bought certain DVDs. I think: "How many times have watched this one? How many times do you think you're going to watch it again? I didn't really have to buy this one." The same could be said for probably two-thirds of my collection. A friend of mine, who has a lot more DVDs has this pattern: buy a DVD, watch it once, put it on the shelf, and never watch it again. Needless to say, I will rarely be buying DVDs in the future.

So now I had a new quandry. For me, there are many movies out there not worth buying, but worth watching again. Since there's so much out there I haven't seen, do I spend time re-watching things I've already seen? Or do I watch everything only once, and never again? I've opted for the former. Something I'd seen many years ago might hold something different for me now. I might appreciate something more now. I might despise something now that I loved years ago... Again, I must say, it's amazing that what I once thought was magical, is not so much anymore. Kinda sad in a way...

I have almost 400 in my queue. Now, I'm looking for that perfect rotation where I always have something to watch...

So, thank you, Thane of the Universe, and thank you, Netflix...

A RE-DISCOVERY...

I've recently re-discovered my comic books. The Scribbler once said they make good bathroom reading, and I agree. They've been "in storage" for many years, kept in comic book boxes and individually wrapped in plastic bags, a choice few in special "mylar" bags. These were stiffer "bags". Actually, I don't even think bag would be an accurate description. A bag is flimsy. Mylars (if they still exist) were meant to keep comics extra stiff, not let them bend that easily.

Anyway, I've decided to read my comics again. [This is all part of my "trying to get rid of things / minimization project". A blog on this topic later.] I've already read through one "maxi-series" (a 12-issue saga) and 2 "mini-series" (a 3-4 issue saga). It's interesting to go back and re-read things at different stages of life. I've read the Chronicles of Narnia in its entirety 3x-4x. I've since donated these books as I'm sure I will not be reading them again. (I hope the upcoming movie does Narnia justice.)

RE: my comic books. I won't say which ones I've read so far , but I found the writing to be extremely poor. [Again, it amazes me how attitudes and perceptions change over the years. What was once magical is now boring. What was once "a waste of time" may now deserve some reconsideration.] One of the things that has annoyed me the most while reading thru my comics is, what I consider, needless dialogue and needless thought bubbles. I think a lot of the comics of my day contained more useless drivel than the garbage out there in TV land and movie land. For example, I've seen many, many, many fights. Fighting, whether it be hand to hand, with knives, with swords, with spaceships, IS exhausting. You need your strength. Never have I seen such useless dialogue and thoughts in comic book fights. The villain says: "HAH! You're no match for my ______________". Then the hero actually takes precious moments to say something back like: "You have delayed me but a moment. I still have my ________________. You have no chance against it..." And so on and so on and so on. UGH!!!. I've got news for some of you writers out there. People who are really trying to hurt or kill each other, DO NOT talk like that in the middle of a fight. Like I said before, it takes a lot of energy to fight, and talking wastes that energy. If the illustrator is talented enough, he/she can depict the action without having some ridiculous piece of dialogue slowing the reader down.

Now, I'll admit, the comics I collected back in the 80's aren't the same as today's. As far as I know, comics have come a long way in terms of art, storytelling, depth, etc. This is definitely a good thing. There's no reason to "dumb-down" young readers. Why not give them serious issues to read about? Granted, I will not get rid of all my comics. There are a few that were groundbreaking for the time and are worth reading again and again. Whether it be the art or the story or both, there are those that stand out, and thus, are worthy of being kept. Don't worry. I don't just throw away the comics I no longer want. I "donate" them. There's an area near where I work where boxes of books are left for anyone to take. It's all free. That's where I've been leaving my comics. I usually leave them in the morning. At the end of day, as I'm walking by, I notice they're gone. That's a good thing. They shouldn't be thrown away. They should be passed on...

If someone can unlock the secrets of the universe by reading something I no longer have use for, so be it...

OF NICKNAMES & PSEUDONYMS...

I'm not talking about those cruel ones that are meant to hurt, like when a gang of kids single out the fat kid, or a bunch of teens single out the one with mega pimples. I'm talking about the name(s) that are given to you by your peers, by your coterie. The ones that are unique because of a quality you may have that only those in your group will understand. Screg (pronounced skrej) has been with me for years. Screg is the root, and it has seen several encarnations: Scregie, ScregieFresh, even Squeegie (pronounced like that thing you use to wipe frost and dew off your car's windows). Thus: ScregMan. However, I have no idea what this means. Who gave me the name? Years ago, when I was in 11th grade, a senior in high school gave it to me. I don't know why. One day, he just started calling me Scregie, and it stuck. My more current nickname is ronin. For those of you who don't know what a ronin is, it's a masterless samurai. Am I a masterless samurai who carries a sword and wanders the land? NOT! But I do lack a dojo. My sensei lost his lease, so I am out of practice for the moment. Thus the name: ronin. I believe it's pronounced roh-neen, with a long e sound. But I like the short i better. This name was given to me by Shogun and Linestepper. I have another friend who is a Tormented Soul and Thane of the Universe. Ah.. Tormented Soul... I beg you to reconsider that name. It has not become a self-fulfilling prophecy, has it? I seem to recall two friends bowing and kneeling to eachother, referring to eachother as thane. We must have been reading Shakespeare at the time. There's also GMF.

The one that I'm spending the rest of my life with... the #1 person in my life... her name is HotFudge, of the clan Chocolate Mama.

BEGINNINGS...

Hmmm... My first blog. I'd heard about these things. Never even thought I'd give it a try, let alone start one. But a friend of mine started one because some friends of his had started some, etc. etc. And so I'm continuing this chain. I have nothing grand or earth-shattering to say, and if I did, it's all relative anyway. What may be "intelligent" to some will be absolute crap to others.

I like this idea: "If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you."

I've heard that twice on TV from Sports Night & The West Wing. Don't know if these are Aaron Sorkin's words or not...

But the bottom line for starting a blog... Why not?