Progress...

jamestrainor and I hauled the new futon up to the apartment this afternoon after stopping on the way out from Depth of Field to do lunch at the New Century. It was more awkward than heavy, as I had expected, though JT strained his right arm helping get the thing out of the basemnent storeroom at DoF. It wasn't too bad, I guess, since he declined pain pills.

I filled a large garbage bag with various items that needed to be chucked, including the plastic wrapper the futon came in, and got rid of that on the way over to visit stuckintraffik, who was chained to the pager this weekend. We fooled around with LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, which contains most of the important scenes from the first three movies done with LEGO characters. They're sidesplitting, and I can see why there's no "Play All" option - nobody would ever watch Lucas' DVDs again. ^_^ Also seen were short films Schwarzfahrer (Black Rider), Movie Club, Evil Hill, and George Lucas In Love, the last of which puts a really creepy (but amusing) spin on "writing what you know".

Still on the to-do list for tomorrow are the remaining bookshelf, dishes, cleaning the bathroom, and some final tidying up in the bedroom. I'm also thinking of going over to IKEA or Pier One for some candle holders. I have a metric buttload of votive candles that I got for some now-forgotten reasona few years back, and it seems stupid to just let them sit around unused.

Well, time to wash the socks out and see how the futon is.

Progress...

jamestrainor and I hauled the new futon up to the apartment this afternoon after stopping on the way out from Depth of Field to do lunch at the New Century. It was more awkward than heavy, as I had expected, though JT strained his right arm helping get the thing out of the basemnent storeroom at DoF. It wasn't too bad, I guess, since he declined pain pills.

I filled a large garbage bag with various items that needed to be chucked, including the plastic wrapper the futon came in, and got rid of that on the way over to visit stuckintraffik, who was chained to the pager this weekend. We fooled around with LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, which contains most of the important scenes from the first three movies done with LEGO characters. They're sidesplitting, and I can see why there's no "Play All" option - nobody would ever watch Lucas' DVDs again. ^_^ Also seen were short films Schwarzfahrer (Black Rider), Movie Club, Evil Hill, and George Lucas In Love, the last of which puts a really creepy (but amusing) spin on "writing what you know".

Still on the to-do list for tomorrow are the remaining bookshelf, dishes, cleaning the bathroom, and some final tidying up in the bedroom. I'm also thinking of going over to IKEA or Pier One for some candle holders. I have a metric buttload of votive candles that I got for some now-forgotten reasona few years back, and it seems stupid to just let them sit around unused.

Well, time to wash the socks out and see how the futon is.

Busted in the blinding light

Contrary to the forecasts, it's a beautiful morning out there today. Quite a contrast to the last few days of clammy drizzly ugliness, and with any luck it'll last through next weekend when everything (the StippleAPA collation, Arcana, the Detour meeting, the ATC Board meeting, and, presumably, P's moving party) happens at once.
( This morning's sermon is on politics, and an unfortunate comparison. )

So much to do today. I'd better quit lounging around in front of the computer and get to it.

Busted in the blinding light

Contrary to the forecasts, it's a beautiful morning out there today. Quite a contrast to the last few days of clammy drizzly ugliness, and with any luck it'll last through next weekend when everything (the StippleAPA collation, Arcana, the Detour meeting, the ATC Board meeting, and, presumably, P's moving party) happens at once.
( This morning's sermon is on politics, and an unfortunate comparison. )

So much to do today. I'd better quit lounging around in front of the computer and get to it.

Oh, my.

Considering how many websites there are that mock the Japanese use of English, it was only a matter of time before someone came along to record the equal stupidity of people misusing Chinese ideographs and kanji, especially in their tattoos. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Hanzi Smatter? (Eve Tushnet)

Also via Eve, The Rat begins a list of twenty-one writers/novels that matter to her and why. I might have to steal that idea.

Eve also has a link to an op-ed by Vladimir Bukovsky arguing against the use of coercive techniques by interrogators based on his experience as a victim of such techniques used by the KGB. Unfortunately for Bukovsky's argument, the Army and Marines are not the KGB, and we're not going to be subjecting criminals to "the conveyor". There is a very big difference between what secret police do and what military intelligence troops do - for one thing, the MI doesn't bull blindly ahead to get a confession, because it's looking for verifiable intelligence, not evidence in a show trial. I understand how he feels about it, but the distinctions are important here.

In the meantime, cleaning proceeds. Dishes are 90% done and the sinks have been cleaned; I think now is the time to tackle the bookshelf in the bedroom.

Oh, my.

Considering how many websites there are that mock the Japanese use of English, it was only a matter of time before someone came along to record the equal stupidity of people misusing Chinese ideographs and kanji, especially in their tattoos. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Hanzi Smatter? (Eve Tushnet)

Also via Eve, The Rat begins a list of twenty-one writers/novels that matter to her and why. I might have to steal that idea.

Eve also has a link to an op-ed by Vladimir Bukovsky arguing against the use of coercive techniques by interrogators based on his experience as a victim of such techniques used by the KGB. Unfortunately for Bukovsky's argument, the Army and Marines are not the KGB, and we're not going to be subjecting criminals to "the conveyor". There is a very big difference between what secret police do and what military intelligence troops do - for one thing, the MI doesn't bull blindly ahead to get a confession, because it's looking for verifiable intelligence, not evidence in a show trial. I understand how he feels about it, but the distinctions are important here.

In the meantime, cleaning proceeds. Dishes are 90% done and the sinks have been cleaned; I think now is the time to tackle the bookshelf in the bedroom.