What Is A Movie Trailer?

You must check out this new internet-only trailer for the upcoming Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.

Just brilliant.

Family Update, 2-25-05

Yes ladies and gents, its time for another Weekly Family Update! (Patent pending, hos and hoettes)

Abby

Abby has a new hobby: She's decided to not only climb her way onto things (and not know how to get off them...you should watch her fall off things a few inches from the ground, I don't know whether to laugh or...laugh), but she's also decided to climb up on Annie's bed when we're not around and...

Jump up and down like a rabid monkey! Yes, it's so cute it actually hurts your eyes to bear witness. I cried tears of cuteness.

Anyway, after that little feat we work our way past the baby food and into Regular Food, where Abby too can enjoy the goodness of Ericka's cooking. I seem to be regulated for the rest of my days to cooking Meat during functions and the occassional family outing. It's tough work being a dad, I tell ya.

Annie

You know what's great about Annie? It's that she's slowly but surely catching on to everything. I know that sounds weird and stupid and generic (that's because it was), but in the great scheme of things she's Getting It, and I think that's great.

Also, she has a fondness for me that I find endearing to a fault. What can I say, I love the girl.

Today's conversation:

"Hi daddy."
"Hi booger!"
"I got my lip gloss."
"Oh yeah? That's great baby. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye!"

But that's not the cutest part. This is what Ericka said when she came back:

"She just repeated that conversation to herself."
"What?"
"Yeah, she said 'Hi daddy. Hi booger! I love you, I love you too.' and went into her room."

Too cute peeps, I'm telling you.

Ericka

Ericka officially has her first Dessert Making Job. That's a great thing by any standard, but I think the looming trip to Mississippi will be even more telling. While I wish I could go, work calls and she'll be on her own.

However...she won't be alone.

In a moment of clarity (or insanity), I did the annual Tax Return Splurge where we buy something a little ridiculous and unneccessary. This year it was matching iPod Shuffles for me and the Mrs. Yes, I know. It's insane how much goodness is packed in that little white stick. And the form/function balance is something of an enigma. There have been scientific studies into its brilliance. Results? Inconclusive.

People ask, "Just how sexy are Apple products?"
Allow me to answer: "The iPod Shuffle packaging was the sexiest I have ever felt." Yes, and that's just the paper. I won't rest until I know just how sexy the iPod itself is, but we'll hold off on that one (for awhile).

What's really creepy is how many Apple products I've been using here lately. First I sent my PC off on the caravan to the conference and kept my trusty Powerbook (that I'm writing this post from), partly because the Shuffle/Powerbook combo is so damn sexy it hurts. I also got a Super Sexy Cool carrying bag for the Powerbook. Too sexy for your shirt? Shit...my computer is too sexy for me.

Hell, the accessories are too sexy for me. Its like the whole world went insane and the shuffle stood alone. Man that thing is cool.

Hey, Apple? Love ya.

Shuffle Time

Ugh, don’t have long for a post today, just a quick blurb: iTunes keeping track of the machines you’ve authorized and deauthorized is a pain in my ass.

Buy Ericka a present (I’ll reveal tomorrow), and now I’m stuck with this shit. I can’t buy a single song on iTunes because I’ve apparently shared music with 4 others at ORNL. Seriously, let’s spell this out: I can buy a song I just can’t download it from here.

Does anyone else think that’s totally fucking shithouse rat crazy?

Bleh. More prep work for the big conference next week. Later.

How Bloggishly Cute

Well, okay then, I guess the Oscars producer has his own blog. Complete with “Hey look at me I’m at the computer doing stuff” picture. He laments about Chris Rock’s appearance on the Oscars, the smartest choice this side of Steve Martin (who was fucking brilliant as the host…when they would let him).

Also, god help the poor fool who chose the color scheme for that site. My lord, orange and green? Despite the fact that the former color is in my url, that doesn’t mean I have to like it (note that my name references the movie Reservoir Dogs and has nothing to do with colors or affiliations…that is all).

It’s like the graphics guy took a technicolor shit, shaped it sorta Oscar-like, and then called it the header image.

Actual Conversation

This is an actual conversation I just had with some idiot at CompUSA:

“Hello, this is (unintelligible), how may I help you?” He sounds like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite. I hear the constant drone of girlish chatter and giggling in the background.

“Yes, I was looking for a PCMCIA wireless card for my G4 Powerbook.”

“You want a PCA…”

“No, a PCMCIA card. It’s a … style of hardware, expansion cards for laptops.”

“Uh, okay. I have here a two port USB hub PCMCIA card…” Giggles, big laugh in the background. I roll my eyes.

“No, I need a wireless card for a G4 Powerbook. PCMCIA.”

“PIA…”

“No…PCMCIA. An Airport wireless card.” I try to give him as much information so he can feed it into his search box. The unstoppable giggling is beginning to get on my nerves.

“Okay, here is one. $39.99, PCMCIA wireless for mac.”

“Okay, great. Is it in Knoxville?”

“No, it’s not in Knoxville.”

“Where’s the closest store other than Knoxville?”

“Uh…one second.” *click, click, clack* “I see it in the Alpharetta store…”

Alpharetta Georgia? “Um, okay. So is it there?” I figure I’ll just get it overnighted or 2–day express.

“No, it’s not there either,” He says. My anger begins to boil.

“So how do I get this? Is it online?”

Classic line coming up. “No, it’s In-Store Pickup only.”

“Which store has it?”

“I don’t know.”

Somebody. Just. Kill me.

He got hung up on shortly after. I then just googled the bastard, and got what I needed from SomewhereThatDoesn’tHireMorons.com.

Just Shopping

it was cold
it was like cold water
my funny whispers
thinking back on past mistakes
holding that candle as the wax burns my fingers
I've often dreamt myself imaginary characters
lived their superb, defrosted lives
and breathed their exciting air
and then returned, back again
like old wool
to lay aimlessly
and look around
but never touch the merchandise
- Anonymous

As you were, I was. As I am, you will be

RIP Hunter S. Thompson.

B-Day Postmortem

Man, I am absolutely exhausted. I’m pretty sure I have the flu from Annie, and of course this is in the middle of me having to prepare for a week-long conference in San Antonio (Brian, this is where I’ll be next week).

Regardless, Abby’s Birthday Party went off like gangbusters. Ericka made a sweet little caterpiller cake (she’s quickly become the dessert baker I knew she could be), and some amazing presents were given via my sisters, friends and family.

I wish I could take back the decision to let Annie spend the night with said sisters, as she was really too sick to go, but I wanted her to spend time with her cousins. Bleh. Hindsight is so 20/20.

Nevertheless, I am sick and all I want to do is crawl in bed and rest. Where’s the medicine? The chicken soup? Warm me up a bowl already. I have a date with a warm bed.