Chuck Palahniuk's new book, Snuff, comes out a week from today. Here's a trailer. Kinda NSFW.

Welp, I'm off to my final final. Math 128 Calculus and Analytical Geometry 1. I was scared shitlitless going into the class and it turned out that I already knew most of it by instinct. Gotta go with my gut, do better than a 70%, prod some serious buttock.

Though the claith were bad,
Blythly may we niffer;
Gin we get a wab,
It makes little differ.
We hae tint our plaid,
Bannet, belt and swordie,
Ha's and mailins braid --
But we hae a Geordie!

Its that Volkswagen logo on his biceps?

Full Article

LONDON (AFP) - Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday. The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fueled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

I especially love this quote:

'"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."

This should settle the debate once and for all in regards to Einstein's belief in God.

So there's this event going on tonight at the Polk County Convention Complex here in Des Moines called the Big Dream Gathering and I think I'm going to go.

How it works is that you fill out a "dream sheet" describing your dream, list what you've done so far and what you still need to make your dream a reality. The rest of the sheet leaves room for people to comment.

The process is completely anonymous. Everyone gets a number to use in place of their name. Afterwards, pick up your sheets at a scheduled pick-up time and decide whether or not you want to contact any of the commenters.

Basically, it's an opportunity to network and brainstorm in a consequence free environment. Kind of like speed dating for entrepreneurs.

They've already hosted a few of these things over the last few years and hundreds of people turn out. I think it's a perfect opportunity to get some feedback on Theater Hopper from people who have some real-world experience and who are completely objective.

Specifically, I want to find ways to grow Theater Hopper's audience (I've lost traffic in the last year) and also find ways to put my books into more hands. Whether that means distribution or hooking up with a publisher, I don't know.

I talked to Cami about the gathering and she talked me into go. She's really supportive of it, so that's a good feeling.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Soulver. What's cool is that it's essentially as if you opened up a notebook and wrote out math problems, watching them instantly solve themselves in the side column. No equals sign required.

I'm running a demo now, would certainly have to consider buying if it proves useful. I tally a lot of running lists of item. This suits my weak-ass math habits.

Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party



Happy birthday Mike Gravel, you unstoppable sonovabitch! There is nothing like a best-of video with Beatles music to celebrate democracy. You can send him birthday wishes at birthdayboy at gravel2008.us

Ok. I'm done. Studying done. Math done. Study more tomorrow. I figured out that I only need to get over around 70% on the final to get an A in the course. I know my derivatives pretty much cold. (Barring some of the funkier inverse trig functions). My integrals are ok and I'll brush up tomorrow. Oh and I need to brush up on my logarithmic derivation.

I just really really REALLY hope we don't have to kill our calculators before the exam. I've got a ton of trig identities in there along with my actual, y'know, programs. Right now, I think I'm gonna drink a couple drinks, try out "Boom Blox", go to bed.

Any of you cats have older iPods you don't use anymore and would be willing to trade for shirts and hoodies and such? (I even have a couple secret wooden robots stashed away. I've also got some secret icon grid shirts I could draw on and make you a handmade piece of BW pixel artwork)

They don't need to be perfect or new- simply capable of disk mode, not exhibiting internal damage and greater than 4 gigs in size. Firewire-capable ones are preferred but it's not required. Color and model are unimportant.

(I'm specifically looking for iPods as opposed to other brands, as I understand the drivers and basic repair on them.)

Basically, I'm looking to add a cheap layer of extra backups to the five or so computers we use at work. This seems like a nice ghetto internet recycle-y way to do that! If too many people have them and you want to trade among yourselves as well, please do.

Bill O'Reilly is an Asshole on FunnyOrDie.com

I was watching a movie of myself (no, not that movie) and noticed that my voice sounded a little bit raspy. Is my voice really that raspy? People at work compliment my voice all the time and say that its very pleasant. Whats the deal.

Welp, I turned my paper in. All that's left is my calc final. I am not sanguine. Sigh. I really just want to play video games and watch movies, but I need to wait til tomorrow. Time to study.

There are three of us that volunteer on Mondays at 826. All three of us take the 5 bus from downtown to Greenwood and every time all us sit there and read the New Yorker.

Walking through the underwear section at Walmart

Jack: *pointing to the displayed bras* Nummies!!!!!!
Me: No.
Jack: Nummies! Nummies! It's Nummy time!
Me: This is probably the most disappointing thing you will ever experience in your life. And I hate to break it to you, but those are all empty.
Jack: Nummies!

Friday night was kickball, but I've already written about that.

Saturday I got to sleep in which was nice.  Then theryn, Natalie, and I went to get a digital converter box.  We received the $40 certificate in the mail and went to Best Buy first.  They had one option, $60.  We decided to comparison shop so we headed to Radio Shack - one option, $60.  The only other option to use this thing was at Wal-Mart so we went with the option at Radio Shack.  It bothers me that they ask for so much personal information.  Anyway, we got it home and I set it up.  It is both good and bad.

The bad:  While we gained a few channels, they're all Jesusy channels.  Also, we lost some channels, such as 38 the Spot (which I watch every night at 6 for Family Guy), and KSHB NBC 41.  So, now I don't have any NBC stations unless I unhook this damned thing.  What sucks is NBC 41 comes in clearly without the box, but with it there's not enough signal.

The good:  What channels we do get come in crystal clear.  However, besides the Jesusy channels, really the only channels we get are FOX 4 and CBS 5.  Those come in crystal clear, though. 

We have a digital antenna and we're going to try a signal booster.  There should be an analog switch on the box so you can opt not to use it but not have to unplug the damned thing.

I wish we could afford cable.

Anyway, Saturday night I went to wtcits and electricpear's house in KC for Rodney's birthday FIESTA!  We drank strawberry margaritas (until we ran out of strawberries) and ate tacos and enchiladas.  We played trivia games and ended the night with our own version of Pictionary - we didn't have the actual game so we just took Apples to Apples cards and drew what was on them.  It was really fun and often times really hard.  You try to draw Ginseng or the Common Loon.  Know, however, that if Rodney draws a man and a rocket ship the answer is John Glenn.  We also played the Nintendo Wii.  I'd never played it as much as I did that night.  I loved it.  I definitely think it's something I'll get down the road.  anomie22 and mungersmurf were there as well.  I was glad they came as it will probably be one of the only opportunities I have to see them while they're in town.

I stayed longer than I should have and didn't get home until about 2.  The drive home was a bit scary as the wind was blowing like crazy.

Sunday morning we took my mother to breakfast at 8am.  I was tired but it was worth it.  Then we came home and I did laundry, cleaned the house, and watched The Descent.  It was... weird.  I can't really even remember why I wanted to see it, though I think it was a preview on the continuous loop that played above me in my last days at Best Buy.

In the evening we went to my brother-in-law's for a Mother's Day cookout.  While there Natalie indicated to Theryn that she would like to nurse.  Theryn's... I guess she'd be her step-grandmother said, "Oh, we're not using a cup yet?"  Theryn told her that the current idea is to nurse to at least 2.  Her grandmother replied, "Well, what does common sense say?".  I was livid.  I kept my tongue, though.  I don't remember exactly what Theryn said, but it was a lot more tactful and respectful than what I would have said.  Here's a list:

• I don't know what common sense says, but common courtesy says mind your fucking business, old lady!


• You know, common sense used to say that black people were inferior to white people because of the color of their skin.


• What sense does it make for a baby to stop sucking at its mother's tit and start sucking on a cow's?


• I will END you!


• Really?  Did you really just fucking say that?  What the fuck?


• Wow, Anne, tell us what you really think.


• Shut your pie hole!


• You raised your own kids, let us raise ours.

That last one was too nice.  I should have added a bitch at the end.  Anyway, that really rubbed me the wrong way.  Don't fucking judge us - especially using decades old theories.

After we ate we came home and they went to bed and I watched the Survivor finale and reunion show.
( Cut for spoilers )
And then I stayed up too late despite wanting to go to bed early.  And now here I am at work, typing this entry instead of doing the work I have in the window behind this one.

Oh - Natalie had a rough weekend.  Theryn was in the bath and Natalie woke up from her nap and I wasn't able to get her back to sleep.  Natalie wanted down and she walked back to watch Theryn in the bath.  She was in the doorway, turned, started walking... right into the door frame then fell backwards like a plank.  I had to stifle my laughter and console her.  I felt so badly but it was just so comical.  Then before we went to dinner last night she was heading to the front door to look out at the world, tripped and banged her head on the door frame there.  She's still got marks from that one - I was worried about a concussion but Theryn finally convinced me that Natalie was fine and of course she was right.  But man, the welts on her head from that were crazy big.  And finally, at dinner last night - the one second I turned my head, Natalie fell off the deck.  It's a low deck so even if she hadn't fallen into a patch of high grass she would have been okay, but she did and she got a couple of scratches on her face from it.  The poor thing.  But, I guess nature knows what its doing and builds these things tough.

Fin.

ETA: I remember what Theryn told Ann - she explained Natalie's sensitivity to cow's milk. Simple enough, and the subject was changed.