Papal Announcement
Here’s another strange dream that I had over the weekend…
I remember running around town in an attempt to get streaming video from the Vatican to display in all of the churches in town. Even the Protestant churches wanted to see this one because the Pope had some world shaking announcement that he was about to make. I’m not sure what the announcement was, but I remember feeling that it was one of those days that all of mankind was going to remember.
Oddly enough, the smaller churches in town were really easy to setup. The hardest ones were three huge Catholic churches that were somehow really close to each other. I had to fly to the roofs of the three churches, and then aim these really large satellite dishes at an orbiting satellite that I could somehow see.
Once the dishes were aimed, I had to run cabling from the dishes to a control room. The control rooms in the churches were awesome to behold. They were the best-of-breed electronics, dozens of TV displays, buttons, switches, levers, slides, and all sorts of other great stuff there for controlling the various displays around the church.
I got the first two churches done, and I headed to the third church. It was made of solid gold and gleamed in the sunlight. The floors were covered with white rugs that were somehow unstained despite the thousands of feet that had tread upon them. The windows were all stained glass, and they depicted many of the stories from the Bible. Over the altar at the foot of the pews was a huge crucifix that hung from the ceiling on golden wires. I stopped for a moment in awe as I drank in the sights of such beauty.
My reverie was interrupted by a priest pulling on my elbow, “Excuse me, Sir. We need you to come this way.”
I gladly followed the priest back to a control room that was even better than the other two that I had seen. I’m not sure what made it better, but I had the sense that no expense was spared in creating such a wonderful place. There were problems here, though. Despite the best equipment, they were having problems getting the feed from the Vatican. They started asking me all sorts of questions, and I had answers for most of them. Suddenly, I was in over my head, and I couldn’t answer their questions anymore. The techs in the room starting asking me if I knew anyone that did know the answers to their questions.
I turned to my left and said, “Yeah. This guy.” As I turned, my friend, Shinto, appeared behind me. I pointed to him, and the techs started to barrage him with problems. He stayed very calm and focused as he pushed past the techs to get to the console in front of them.
As he sat down, he mumbled, “I can fix this. Give me a few minutes.” Shinto typed away furiously for a few moments. Then he flipped some switches, and started to type some more. In a short amount of time, Shinto looked up, “Ok. All fixed.”
The manager of the techs stepped up and told Shinto, “You’re hired with tenure. You now have a job for life if you want the job.” Somehow he didn’t seem happy about this, but he accepted the offer.
The manager looked out a window into the chapel of the church at all of the people that had gathered to listen to the Pope speak. I looked out the window as well, and listened in on the announcement. The Pope’s image faded into view, and as he started to speak, I woke up.
I never did find out what the important announcement was, and I wondered about it for the rest of the day. What was he going to say? I guess I’ll never know.
Wal-Mart Tires
Craing called me up Sunday around 11:30, and said that he needed new tires. He didn’t want to sit around and wait for the tires to get done, so he asked if I could pick him and run around town with him. I didn’t have much else to do, so I met him about an hour later at Wal-Mart. He was just finished with the paperwork and such when I got there, so it was good timing. This was around 12:20.
We headed to Old Chicago’s for some food and beer. The service at Old C’s is usually pretty good, but this day it was slow. That’s ok. It happens sometimes. I’ll still go back there.
With our bellies full, we walked over to Best Buy, so that Craing could purchase an iPod to go along with the stereo that he put in his car a while back. Once Craing picked out his iPod, we walked over to the HDTV section to check things out. Yep. Still a little too expensive, but damn did they look good! Someday I’ll get one. We also wandered around Best Buy a while looking at various things and killing time since we were waiting for Wal-Mart to get done with the tires. They said that they would call when they were done, and we still hadn’t heard from them.
After killing time in Best Buy, we decided to head back to Wal-Mart since they were probably close to being done. When we pulled into the parking lot, Craing’s car had been moved, but the tires didn’t look all that new. Craing checked things out, and sure enough, the tires were the old ones. We wondered what they had been doing for the past two and a half hours. That’s when the fun began.
Craing went inside to inquire about the status of his car, and came back a few minutes later. He was slightly annoyed (or really pissed and hiding it quite well) because they had started working on the car an hour after we had left, but could not complete the job because they couldn’t get two of the lug nuts off. What kind of tire shop can’t get lug nuts off?!? Wal-Mart, I guess. I heard them using their impact, so I knew that they had the right tools. There was also a lug nut missing (but nothing wrong with the bolt) and they claimed that they couldn’t replace the lug nut because they don’t keep them in stock. What kind of tire place doesn’t keep lug nuts in stock?!? Wal-Mart, I guess. They had also left the hub cap off to show Craing the missing lug nut, but they had somehow lost the hub cap. What kind of tire place loses a hub cap?!? Wal-Mart, I guess. They finally tracked down the hub cap, but didn’t put it back on. Instead, they threw into the front seat of the car. Craing and I had to put it back on ourselves. What kind of tire place doesn’t even put the hub caps back on?!? Wal-Mart, I guess. Once the car was back together, Craing had to go back inside to gather his keys. They had misplaced his keys, and it took a while for them to find them. My main bitch was that they tried to replace the tires and failed. When they failed after an hour, they should have called Craing right away instead of waiting for him to show back up. It’s not like we were in a hurry that day, but it would have been nice to know that we needed to pick up the car and get it to another place ASAP.
We ended up going to a Firestone that was nearby. They were able to get the car in, get the tires changed, and they called Craing while we were at the mall waiting for the tires to get done to tell him that his brakes were shot as well. He told them to fix the brakes while they were at it. Firestone got the brakes, tires, and missing lug nut done in a little under two hours. What kind of place gets all that work done in such a short time?!? Not Wal-Mart, I guess.
International Mead Fest
Rhianni and I went to the International Mead Fest Friday night. There were some cool people, some decent meads, some good meads, and some horrible meads. I’ve been brewing beer and wine for four years now. I’m by no means an expert on the topic, but I do know what I’m doing. However, I’ve never tried making mead, so I was a total newb in the area. People were talking about the different types of mead, and asking me things like, “Do you prefer Cyser or Braggot?” Fortunately, there were lots of public (e.g.: non-mead specialists) people there, so I was able to get away with asking questions without looking too stupid.
I came home with some good literature, and some good ideas about what I like and what I don’t like. I also discovered that there are around 40 different types of honey! Holy cow! I really didn’t know that honey could be that varied. The prices on honey range from $120 to $540 for a 5 gallon bucket of it. From what I learned, 5 gallons is enough to make 2-3 batches of mead. The $120 price isn’t too bad, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be serious enough to fork over $540 for the good stuff. I did taste some of the good stuff, and it was really good!
After the party, we headed up to one of the main people’s hotel rooms to hang out. I felt a little like a fish out of water. I’m a beer brewer (and while I’ll probably try to make mead, I’m going to remain a beer guy,) and I was in a room full of mead people. I tried to avoid the topics of brewing beer in case there was some sort of cultural gap (or hatred?) between the two groups. I didn’t have to worry about it much. We spent a good three hours sipping mead, and trying a wide variety of stuff. Like at the public showing, there were some good ones, some great ones, and some bad ones. There was one in particular that was especially horrible. Rhianni, after sipping some of it, managed to get out, “It tastes like pain!” When that particular mead came around, I already had something in my tiny little sipping glass, so I missed out on it. Later, thought, Rhianni insisted that I try it, so I did. My first sip reminded me of bitter NyQuil. I thought I tasted some orange, and maybe some alum, and then maybe some honey, and then maybe something rotten. I wasn’t sure. Rhianni was right. It’s liquid pain. I’m not one to throw out alcoholic beverages, so I decided to finish the small amount of mead that I had left. I downed it as quickly as I could, and man… It sucked. I’m pretty sure that if I had made this, and I tasted it, there is no way I would bring it to an International Mead Fest, take it to a hotel room where the best in the world are hanging out, and share it. I doubt I would even keep it around for fear that someone would find out that I made something that horrible.
Rhianni and I headed back home around 1 in the morning. I seriously needed some caffeine, so we hit the nearest 7-11. As we were getting out of the car, Rhianni said, “Look. It’s a drunk cop.” I looked up, and this guy in uniform was stumbling out of the 7-11, and heading right for me. I immediately thought it would trouble. I looked closer at the guy and his badge had something like, “Northern Security Company” on it. Not a cop. He got pretty close to me, and I wasn’t going to make the first move, but I was ready for trouble. Turns out the guy was harmless, but the whole time he was yelling, “Violence! Violence! Violence!” He managed to mumble out a story about how he tried to stop a guy from stealing a TV, and got hit on the head with the “bud” of a gun. I’m pretty sure he meant “butt”, but I wasn’t about to correct him. After his short story, I told him to take care of himself, and he wandered off to his car yelling, “Violence! Violence! Violence!” Rhianni and I had a good time yelling, “Violence!” at each other on the trip home.
I had a good time, and I’m very happy that I went to the mead fest. While there I signed up for the American Homebrewing Association. I got a free book, and a free magazine out of the deal. That right there almost covered the price of the annual membership. I think it was a good buy. The book that I got was “Radical Brewing” and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of stuff I can come up with out of the book.
Dilbert Moment
I’m trying to search for some files on the usenet, but I’m not sure what nttp server, username and password to use through my DSL. I hit my DSL provider’s web site to try to find the details. They won’t give me the details without the username and password, which I don’t have. I click the “forgotten password” link and it gives me a wide variety of suggested about where I might have put my password after they snail mailed it to me. I don’t have any of that paperwork anymore (or it’s stashed away in Kiara’s office.)
However, there is a link for technical support. I decide to click the link. It tells me that in order to access technical support I need to log in. Umm… Folks? I don’t have the username and password, which is why I need technical support.
A perfect Dilbert moment.
Dresden Files, Part Three
I just watch Sunday’s Dresden Files, and I’m still not sure that I like it. This episode was better in that it contained some more mystery, which is the heart of the Dresden Files books. There was actually some magic performed by Dresden, but not quite enough. I like the portrayal of the Dresden character, and I really love the actor. He’s not quite gritty enough, but I can deal with that.
I’m right on the edge of hating Bob. I can’t stand the actor, and the characterization of Bob is horrid. Bob has yet to prove his usefulness, and he’s nothing more than a snide wise-ass that plays Dresden’s conscience. That’s not his purpose. Well, not his full purpose.
I’m beyond the edge of hating Murphy. She doesn’t look right. She doesn’t act right. The more that I see of the actress, the more that I think Ron Jeremy’s hairy ass would look better in the role. Ok. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I think you get the point. Murphy showed a little bit of vulnerability near the end of the episode, so maybe there’s hope for the character. Murphy needs to stop being a huge bitch towards Dresden.
Despite my hard words towards the show, I do see some improvement. Enough improvement that I’m going to watch the third episode. We’ll see from there.
American Idol
I’ve watched a few episodes of American Idol this season, and I got my fill. I probably won’t watch it again until the end of the season when the last 4 or 5 people are left. That way I’m certain to get a decent performance out of them. Everything between the really horrible (and funny!) auditions and the really good performances at the end are a waste of my time.
Anyway… I had a dream that I was part of American Idol, and I’m not sure where it came from. It’s also quite disturbing (at least from my point of view.)
Simon walks up to me and says, “It’s against my better judgment, but we’re giving some of these bush-baby buffoons a second chance at getting on the show. They’re your responsibility. Weed them out, and only give back to me the ones that have shown remarkable improvement.”
As he walks away, I feel the desire to kick his British ass, but he’s my boss, so I hold back. I turn around and I find a ton of hopeful singers at my back. They’re eagerly awaiting my greeting. I say nothing to them, but I motion for them to follow me. I turn my back on them, and lead them up a hill, and into an ancient German castle that resides on the side of a cliff.
As we enter the castle, I pass by a mirror and I look like this guy. That’s right. I look like Vlad the Impaler. That’s when I realize that the people following me into the castle have two options:
- Make the show and win a shot to become rich and famous.
- Fail to make the show, and be thrown into the furnaces in the basement of the castle to heat the castle for the rest of the contestants.
However, the people following me like sheep do not realize their mortal peril. They think that they get another shot at being famous, and the worst thing that can happen is that they are shot down again and that they have to return to their homes a nobody.
I sit behind a table, and person after person after person auditions. My attitude is a cross between Paula (a cheerleader) and Simon (an asshole.) It’s an odd bipolar feeling of going between these two extremes while dressed up like an ancient killer of thousands of people.
In the end, I send hundreds to their deaths to the furnaces (but I’m toasty warm) and a few make it on to the show to try to compete with the real singers in American Idol. Somehow, I’m happy to say that I sent this guy off to the furnaces. Good riddance.
I usually wake up almost right after my dreams are over, but I seem to sense that I slept (and slept quite well, oddly enough) for a while after this dream ended.
Catch And Release
I went and watched Catch and Release last Friday. The only reason that I went to the movie was because it had Kevin Smith in it. I’m glad that my reason for going was Kevin Smith because he really and truly was the only good thing in the entire flick. Jennifer Garner was passable as an actress, but her character seemed to have no guidance, predictability, inner soul, or moral compass. Maybe that was the way she was written and directed, but I still didn’t like it.
Only Smith’s performance kept me going. When he would walk off camera, I would find myself watching the movie just so I could see him walk back on screen. The delivery of his lines was perfect. The cadence and inflection that he used was very natural, flowed quite well, and made me believe that his character was a real person in Boulder, CO.
The other characters circling around Gray (Jennifer Garner’s character) seemed very much like cardboard cutouts. Maybe it’s just they they pale in comparison to Kevin Smith’s performance. Maybe I’m being too hard on them. Nah. I’m not being too hard on them. Good money was paid to see a good performance, and only Smith delivered.
If you like Kevin Smith’s natural speaking ability (Evening with Kevin Smith, and Evening Harder) then you’ll like this flick enough to shell out your hard-earned cash. If you don’t like Kevin Smith, then I would highly suggest that you stay at home and ponder the meaning of your existence.
American Football National Championships
On Sunday, I got together with some friends for the American football championship game (you can’t call it the S**** B*** because of legalities.) We had some good food, good salsa, good company, and a good time. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. I’m not sure if the women enjoyed themselves because they were all upstairs in the dining room. I’m not even sure that they watched the game. All of the guys were downstairs watching the game, and we had a good time hanging out.
The commercials this year were ok, but not great. The first commercial was a FedEx commercial that represented zero-G on the moon. I thought every high school physics student learned that the moon has 1/6th of Earth’s gravity. However, the commercial did end with a great funny moment. The best commercial of the game was the Snickers commercial. Now I have a new pickup line, “Hey baby. Want to share a Snickers?”
Despite the lackluster commercials, I still enjoyed the game. It was a comedy of errors at many times because of the rain. The opening kick-off had me scared (I was rooting for the Colts,) but a friend of mine reminded me that the Colts are pretty damn good when it comes to playing from behind. My friend was quite right, and the Colts made an amazing comeback. The rain made things a nice touch. I always love watching football in inclement weather. It really makes the players try harder to do things that are generally easy for them. The extra effort separates the exceptional players from those that are merely good.
Grassroots, Part Three
Two weeks ago, I made this post, and I followed up with this post last week.
My other senator, Ken Salazar, just got in touch with me via email a few days ago and sent the following:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about Section 220, a
provision included in the Senate lobbying and ethics reform bill that
would require organizations to disclose their expenditures on grass roots
lobbying efforts. An amendment was introduced on the floor to strike this
section from the bill altogether. I supported this amendment, and it was
accepted, 55-43.Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
Ken Salazar
United States Senator
I’m especially happy with our government now. I’m still not sure that my individual voice made a difference, but perhaps my voice, along with multitudes of others, made a difference. Had I remained silent, would my Senators voted the way that they did? I’m not sure, but I like to think that I had a little influence.
