Joanne Rowling

So I'm pondering what is Ms. Rowling going to do next, insofar as writing goes?

There is an issue with 'topping' what you did before. Seeing as Harry Potter is a best selling juggernaut the likes of which has never been seen before in the history of publication. It kind of puts one hell of a height of the bar for her.

Of course she really doesnt 'have to' write anything else ever. Broke single mom writes seven books and becomes the richest woman in England. She did mention she was going to take her notes and make an encylopedia. Which sounds fun. She also mentioned she wanted to 'fall in love' with a new project.

Personally, If I was in her shoes I would probably write a series of childrens books for kids just learning to read. Something that cannot be savaged by those icky people who wait for someone to fail and pounce upon them like vultures.

Have the proceeds go to 'reading is fundamental' or some such organization that helps kids learn to read.

Just an idea out there for ya Ms. Rowlings...

They say its your birthday (Beatles)

title is the answer to the question below....

Yup 46 trips around the sun. Woot! Not that I have really cared or payed attention too much. I figure the aches and pains that I do not recall from my earlier years are all the reminder I need. Anyways, it was an interesting day.

I came into work and was slammed because we had a lack of techs and I try to do my utmost to answer questions and review notes and come up with possible solutions for folks. At one point I had three people at my desk and six messanger windows open. (King multi-tasker here). I survived.

The morning was rather uneventful as everyone slept in. So I watched a bit of tube and decided I wasnt going to walk in on my b-day. The family met me for Mexican food. I overate and felt stuffed the rest of the day. Headed home to a light dinner of Greek peppers, feta, hummus and spinich puff thingys (insert proper greek word here).

Then it was phat lewt time. I got Ultimate x-men trade novel, Modern history of comedy (with DVD), new running pants, Comic book holders, work shirt and a Jet Li DVD (Fearless) so all in all a good haul.

We had some cheesecake for dessert with fresh blackberries. And watched some of the comedy DVD then Doctor who.

After all had settled down I perused some Doug and the Slug music videos.

So next another trip around the sun...

Here's another clue for you all.

Today is:

Opening track on the Third side of the White Album. (first song 2nd CD)

Busy work

I play World of Warcraft (W0W). It has largely taken the place of TV for me. That is to say instead of plopping down on the couch. I'll log in and visit the people online. It's more social and with all the bad shows on TV (American Idol, Survivor, that housewives show, etc.) I am not missing much.

Some people I work with have been getting together recently. So I have been meeting up with them on a different server then my usual haunt. Blizzard, the company behind warcraft has 210 different servers (realms) with identical worlds. They would put up a new server when the others got full. With 8 million accounts you could see why they would need multiple worlds.

It is a Sword and Sorcery setting and you design a character to play or portray. You start out doing tasks and gaining abilities and learning about the history past and current, along the way. Warcraft has a fairly deep storyline that goes back various incarnations of the game. You do not need to know the 'Lore' to play but I find it does add to the Entertainment.

Anyways, my new character is a rogue, they sneak around, pick-pockets, open locks and do a bunch of sneaky attacks that build up. I am on a Player versus Player server (PVP). Which means you can find yourself under attack by players of another faction. In WoW there are two factions. The evil, imperialistic Alliance, and the noble, accepting yet rough Hord.

Recently I have been upgrading gear as I have outgrown my old set. So I have my character travel to various points in the world and gather items then find someone with the skills to make the leather armor and daggers. As you gather up various stuff you can put it up for sale in a server wide auction house. The build in economy means you buy, sell and trade for items that you cannot or willnot get.

It can be quite a bit of busywork. Or you can ignore most of that and just plod along. In the course of 30min you can log on, do some stuff, laugh with some people and log off. I find it much more satisfying then sitting alone on the couch trying to find something worth watching on the Tube.

Travel

My daughters heading back home from her Germany trip today. This means she has traveled more then I have, as I have only been across the northern and southern boarder of the US.

It has been a quieter house without her, we miss her a lot. I am really glad she is comming home. As a dad I worry. Even though she was with some great people who have my trust, I still just feel better knowing she is home.

I figure she will have quite a few stories to tell and pictures to show. It is one of those things in life that have a lasting impact.

Global Warming now world's most boring topic: report

Spoofed news story

* 89 per cent wanted to know how it was possible for humans to control the climate, given that they have enough trouble forecasting it.

* 96 per cent believe those who use the term "climate change denial" are attempting to equate it with "Holocaust denial"

* 100 per cent of these respondents also believe such people should receive lengthy prison terms for crimes against the English language

* 79 per cent of the bands that took part in the Live Earth event did so because they feared the planet would be destroyed by global warming before they had a chance to receive free worldwide television exposure

* 87 per cent only tuned in to watch the lead singer from Sneaky Sound System, who is hot

* 92 per cent of those same people watched her on mute because they didn't want to hear that song again

Of all the issues raised in the survey, most common was whether the global warming debate was all just an elaborate ruse designed to sell stuff.

The study highlighted how those who subscribe to the prophecy of global warming automatically commit themselves to purchasing a vast array of expensive products, whereas sceptics don't have to buy anything to support their point of view.

Over 98 per cent of people surveyed also predicted that the standard response from global warming proponents to that last statement would be: "yeah, it won't cost anything - except the future of your planet".

Walking

In order to get into better shape and to loose wieght I walk to work as much as possible. I do change it up and ride my bike sometimes, but the bulk of the time I walk to work and jog home.

This is a two mile trek with a couple of pretty good hills. I dont use a headphone\ipod\mp3 player\radio or anything like that. One I like to hear cars approaching, two music can really disrupt my walking cadance.

Back in November I was in a car wreck and hurt my right ankle. Just this week I have tried walking without the brace and so far so good. I was jogging home last night without any problems but Tina came by and I accepted the ride.

So, I guess I'll see if I did more injury later.

Plumbing.

Being that my pop knows a thing or two about plumbing, he is periodically called upon to diagnose what some particular issue is with the plumbing of some house general plumbing knowledge.

He is a remarkable resource with a vast amount of knowledge and is generally spot on with his advice and solutions. My Pop is quite possibly the foremost expert on plumbing alive today. you would be hard pressed to find someone with his 70 years plus knowledge.

While he will gladly dole out advice and plans etc. It is very, very difficult to get him to 'stop by and take a look' at something (unless your family). He explained it to me this way "If you go do the work, there can be an expectation that you are going to maintain that if something goes wrong". As such the few times he did go help out, he would supervise and not accept any form of payment in any form. Making it more of a learning\teaching thing.

This attitude probably saved quite a few friendships.

Friday the 13th

• The 13th day of a month is more likely to fall on a Friday than on any other day.
  
• In each 400-year cycle of the Gregorian calendar, 170 years have one Friday the 13th, 171 have two, and 59 have three.
  
• It is impossible to have a year with no Friday the 13th or a year with four or more Fridays the 13th.
  
• When there are three Fridays the 13th in a year, they occur in February, March and November except in leap years.
  
• In leap years, they occur in January, April and July.
  
• When there is only one Friday the 13th in a year, it falls either in May, June, August or October.

Good Media minded definition.

Activist.

A politically-concerned citizen given to the vigorous pursuit of Liberal causes. Not to be confused with extremist, a politically-concerned citizen given to the pursuit of Conservative causes (e.g., animal-rights activist, gun-rights extremist).

Worlds funniest joke (go ahead and google it)

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

Bertrand Russell (what a guy)

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.

Bertrand Russell (British Author, Mathematician & Philosopher)

Daft Punk Daft Dance

Daft Punk Dance

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Found this on the web, found it very entertaining.

Quotes from movies

Yeah right. Who's the only one here who knows the illegal ninja moves from the government?


You ask for a miracle, I give you the FBI


I made fun of "Lord of the Rings" so hard, it made some supergeek puke all over the counter. Where do we keep the mop and bucket so I can make Elias clean it up?


Let's take a look-see. Hate your hair. Not likely. Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. And, let me guess, you have a great personality.


Damn you! I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!


The gun katas. Through analysis of thousands of recorded gunfights, the Cleric has determined that the geometric distribution of antagonists in any gun battle is a statistically predictable element. The gun kata treats the gun as a total weapon, each fluid position representing a maximum kill zone, inflicting maximum damage on the maximum number of opponents while keeping the defender clear of the statistically traditional trajectories of return fire. By the rote mastery of this art, your firing efficiency will rise by no less than 120%. The difference of a 63% increase to lethal proficiency makes the master of the gun katas an adversary not to be taken lightly.


Want a twinkie, Genghis Khan?


Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.


Sir, the private believes that any answer he gives will be wrong! And his senior drill instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself, sir!


Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously good looking?


I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.


Water floats, but also capsizes boats.


Hostage etiquette: kidnapper pays the incidentals.


I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.


God's given me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well.


Are you staring at me or her? 'Cause you're starting to freak me out.


I'd like to punch that guy in the face right now. But I can't, you know, because I'd get in trouble. I bet you get a lot of that on "Let's Make A Deal."

Independence day.

Independence day. My favorite day of remembrance. If you read the news you get the impression that everything is bad. On the contrary, they just dont get ratings for the good things. I assembled a few patriotic quotes from people I feel we could learn a lot from.

"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a patriot." -- Mark Twain

"The things that the flag stands for were created by the experiences of a great people. Everything that it stands for was written by their lives. The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history." -- Woodrow Wilson

"Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return." -- Colin Powell

"We must always remember that America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people but because of what people did for themselves and for one another." -- Richard Nixon

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." -- Abraham Lincoln

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty." -- John F. Kennedy

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." -- Samuel Adams

Just Connor and Me.

Last Thursday and Friday Tina and Trevor headed to collage sign ups, testing and orientation. Trevor tested well. (maybe 'too well' but, that's another posting).

Connor is fun to be with. He sees things and comments on them. You never quite know where he is coming from without some introspection. Recently he wanted to go to the Hospital pool. We finally latched onto the fact his Omi and Opa had been in town and the hotel they stayed at did have a hospital look.

He is quite fond of Burger King, not for the food but for the fact it is a drive though. He is very particular about the quality of fruit in the form of black berries and can distinguish tart and sweet primarily by touch. Same with Apples.

He enjoys hot dogs, tater tots, Kraft Dinner, pringles, white cheddar popcorn and rice cakes.

Frequently we will play catch with the football, pass with the hockey puck, or pitch and hit with the baseball.

Every time I see his smile, I cannot help grinning myself. I see him as the embodiment of joy.