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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

BummerMan Goes to Bizzaro Heaven

I've found the holy land of negative reviews. The cockles are finally warm.
_Cinema

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Monday, November 28, 2005

Social-Lite

Thanksgiving weekend provided ample opportunities to reach out and connect with good people. Stave It Off irregulars Dan Phillips and Jimmimoose were up in Seattle for the weekend. We drank beer and argued about Buddhism til five in the morning. Bellinghamite Calvin Priest crashed Walter's Movie Night and helped facilitate an hour long spirited debate about personal ethics and morality in a globalized corporate world. Later, Dan and Clay and I got into it regarding relationships and post-break up socializing. So it could be the booze, or the holidaze, but I've been having lots of lovely arguments lately.

Carole and I spent a chaperoned evening together for the first time since breaking up last weekend. Clay, whom I originally contracted to protect me from emotional pitfalls, ironically bolted like a chicken after accusing me of cowardice. So, with grave determination, I headed for Carole's alone with a pocket full of Netflix and a belly full of whiskey. Luckily Chris Holland, a good mutual friend that Carole and I both know from MSW school, saved the day. He was there to keep the conversation light, to remind us to enjoy the homemade cookies, baked strudel and fine dark chocolate. And to usher us along to the featured entertainment, Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory. Afterward, Chris and I left Carole's together without the a single unpleasant incident... Just a little awkward silence when there ought to have been a hug.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2005

True Stories in Social Work





toons

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Monday, November 21, 2005

Depressing Movies


Which one of these adorable children will be dead by the end of the movie?


Nobody Knows is the most relentlessly depressing film I've watched since Grave of the Fireflies. Both films involve the tragic consequences exposed when children are left to fend for themselves (in a much more moving and horrible way than William Golding ever imagined.) Both films are Japanese. Both films rate an impressive 8.2 on IMDB. If you're in the mood to cry for 2 (or 3 hours in the case of Nobody Knows) then go ahead and rent one of them. I dare you. _Cinema

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Riddle Me This


For all you literate puzzlemasters, I submit a homespun crossword. Diane provided some creative assistance, so is ineligible for the fabulous cash prize I'm offering to the first finisher. The puzzle should open as an Excel spreadsheet when you click the link.

Tip one: There are two pages... look for tabs at the bottom of your application to switch pages from squares to clues.

Tip two: It's easier to work on if you print out the pages.

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Friday, November 11, 2005

Audio Hosting

Perhaps the solution to this audio hosting problem is to go the old-fashioned route. So I'm trying an experiment. Though limited to 26 megs or so, my free web-page from Comcast allows me to host any type of file I want. Using their new Web Utilities for Dummies toolkit, I uploaded a self-produced music file.

Hopefully clicking THIS will stream an instrumental song to your 'puter. The tune is an homage to Roy Montgomery.

I promise, just like my comic strip and other artistic ventures, I'll put up a couple of things and then the novelty will wear off and I'll quit.
_Music

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Thursday, November 10, 2005

A Couple of Stylistic Changes 'Round Here

Hey, I figured out (ala Walter's blog) how to get rid of that Blogger Navbar up at the top! I also kicked off the "Powered by eBlogger" button. Now I'm ad-free... A condition almost as relieving as being lice-free or scabies-free.

Now if only I could figure out where to get free audio hosting so that I could post links to selected sound bytes. I've heard of some places, but they either seem very band-oriented or designed for lazy bloggers who want to (literally) phone it in. Instead, I'm looking to put up mp3s of original sounds (not necessarily musical) that I record on my own equipment... and I'm having trouble finding that service. Anyone have any ideas?

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Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Day After Pill

CNN is reporting that the Dems had a good showing at the polls yesterday. A governorship here and there, a few initiatives that were good for a lefty-leaning populace.

Bummerman is less enthused.

The fascist smoking ban passed. I've actually heard supporters refer to their victory as "making Washington smoke free." I'm sure they would like nothing better, but hopefully this law will fall short of such a ridiculous result. If only there was a way to round up all the people with minivans and mass-lobotomize them. I'm sure these kinds of initiatives would flop then.

The monorail seems doomed now. Congratulations jerkwads. Now please make some other option for efficient mass transit materialize. I'm happy enough to say goodnight to endless monorail bureaucracy, but our current highway and bus system blows monkey chunks. Does this mean we will now suffer a light-rail alternative boondoggle? And then what... a 2030 hovertrain boondoggle? A 2060 laser-guided teleportation system boondoggle? And then for the year 2100 we can all celebrate having zero gas-free transportation options just in time for the ceremonial burning of the last drop of gasoline. It will be used to power the MiniTank that Tim Eyeman III uses to drive from Bothel to Renton for his day job.

As for all the elected official races... it seems like all the incumbents and expected-to-win people secured their positions. While this provides some kind of relief, it also seems a bit disappointing. Surely we can agree that there has been some poor leadership in fair Seattle, and it seems sad that another term of Mayor Nickels is the best we can hope for. Go, go status quo!

Bummerman apologizes for this interruption. Go back to your day-after election parties.

Afterward:
Barak Obama (on Jon Stewart the other night) was actually funnier than the Daily Show host.
But he sure has unnaturally white teeth, fueling speculation that he's literally an Oreo cookie. Conversely, 30-something Detroit mayor, and unapologetic hiphopper, Kwame Kirkpatrick won his reelection bid while steadfastly... uh... keepin' it real... um... y'all. Many speculate that with Larry Brown gone from his coaching position with the Pistons, Kirkpatrick will have a hard time milking the feel-good vibes in Motorcity for much longer. But to his credit, he has apparently figured out a way to relocate all the city's rioters to Paris.
_Rants

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Monday, November 07, 2005

Monday's Weekly Musings

My toes are still purple. The bruising isn't clearing up nearly as fast as last time. Yesterday I bought a couple of ankle braces. Once all the swelling goes away maybe I'll be able to squeeze into them. Should make playing basketball; balancing on a rolling, half-submerged log; bar-hopping with Clay; and walking down the street far safer.

Went to see Good Night and Good Luck with Erik. No real review here... just saying that it did successfully fill me with nostalgia for the days when our talking heads could actually compose a speech. I remember reading somewhere that neither side in the Bush v. Gore debates ever spoke above a 4th grade level. But, the film bombs when it comes to emotionally connecting with it's cast. When a prominent character commits suicide, I just thought, "Well, it's about time."
_Cinema _Bodily Injury

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