Entry... 11/2/99 3:50pm

Well, since it is the start of a new month I decided to mess around with the design of my log. I don't think that I will go back and redo all the pages to look like this, but simply move forward from here.

About 40 people showed up at the Halloween party on Friday. There were some great costumes. Let's see if I can list a bunch of them here, in no particular order: The Crow, a Cute Bat, Bono, a Vampiress, a Dominatrix and her Slave, a beauty queen, a Blues Brother, a Witch, Michael Flatley the Lord of the Dance, a scary metal head ghoul thing, one of the three muskateers, a german waitress, a belly dancer, Catgirl, a gypsy fortune teller, Indiana Jones, a rugged cowboy, and Wonderboy (Superhero for the new Millenium.) The carved pumpkins were a big hit, and worth all the work. Bono acted as the DJ for the evening and brought a lot of great music for dancing and swaying. Other musical events included an impromptu jam session, the ritual singing of the "Monster Mash", and a drum circle. A group watched "The Crow" and the air hockey didn't get turned off all night long.

I spent Halloween night with my parents. It's always fun to see the kids who come to their house. The most creative costume I saw was a teenaged boy who dressed as a Grandfather's Clock. He had a cardboard box on with a weighted arm, and a paper plate for his face. It was cut out in the center for his face, and had the numbers all around the edges. My Dad was dressed in a hawaian shirt with beads and a straw hat, and my Mom was a witch. They gave out the good candy, too. All Hersheys.

I peeked back at some old log entries today, and saw that when I started doing this a little over a year ago I had 37 cans on my desk. I now have 100 more cans. At this rate, I will reach 200 sometime in May or June.

Entry... 11/2/99 4:25pm

I have a picture of my friend's new baby now. You can see the picture of Alexis by clicking here. There have been a rash of babies all of a sudden. Two coworkers are currently out on maternity leave. I was just doing some calculating... how many months ago was that big ice storm? February? That 9? Hmmm... gets you thinking.

My home computer is still out of commission. I may actually start a little work on it tonight, but more likely I will spend tonight doing mega loads of laundry and housework. The weekend was pretty busy for me, and I didn't a get a chance to do a good job. Besides, I am itchy to play some air hockey. I didn't get much of a chance on Friday.

Entry... 11/3/99 10:38am

When pumpkins go bad, department. I spent last night getting the last of the Halloween decorations put away. They are now all safely stored in a box until next year. I put all of the pumpkins (one of them in a stage of accelerated decomposition) in trash bags, but somehow the smell still persists in the entry way. I wonder how long that will linger.

Last night was a wild night. The wind was just howling. I kept hearing a spooky thump every now and then, but could not identify the source of it. It was starting to freak me out. Sometimes it sounded like it was on the roof, or a wall, or right inside the house. Thank goodness other people heard it, too, or I would have thought that I was going nuts. We do believe a ghost lives in the house, but he has been fairly non-combative. He shuts doors or turns locks, mostly in the basement. For him to make such a radical change, we really had to have pissed him off. Ok...ok, it's probably just the wind. After the rain stopped, the night air was surprisingly warm. I think it was in the 60's. I went on a walk around 10:30 around the neighborhood. The sky was filled with stars, but there was no moon. The streets were extra black and shiney, and leaves were spinning in the air. I was amazed at how empty the streets were. Everyone was tucked into their beds, or cuddled on their living room couches bathing in the electric blue light of their big screen televisions.

Well, I will try not to get too far into a talk of politics here, but I am just a little disappointed that Schenectady voters kept Mayor Al Jurcinski around for another 2 years. Niskayuna has their first Democratic supervisor in what seems like forever. That will be interesting to watch. Oh, and it looks like the outspoken Frank Duci failed to make it onto the Schenectady city council. Poor guy.

There's a new South Park tonight. Plug in, tune out. Did I mention the South Park Halloween special yet? I loved the whole Scooby Doo parody, Cartman singing Christmas songs, and Kenny's costume. "Hey Kenny."

Entry... 11/5/99 2:48pm

Ah, the weekend has arrived. It's even more special to me nowadays because until the end of the year, I have Mondays off. I know. I'm gloating. I've been told that I've been gloating. Wouldn't you?

It's going to be a fairly busy weekend. I am planning to go to the car show at the Empire State Plaza tomorrow afternoon, and then perhaps take in a hockey game at the Knickerboker/Pepsi Arena. I'll be rooting for Rochester, since I am not crazy about Rats fans. Big bunch of ninnies that they are. I heard that my friend Glen Mazula, owner of the Albany Firebirds Arena Football team, has reupped his contract at the Arena. Count on at least three more years of that action there. The weather on Monday looks to be clear, just cold - about 43 degrees (and that's farenheit boys and girls!) - so I may get a round of golf in before the snow flies.

I have more that I want to do with my home computer, but haven't gotten too yet. I found out why my scanner stopped working when I upgraded the system to Windoze 98. The basic answer is that the SCSI card that I have is no longer supported by Windows 98. Period. No credit for you. Would you like to buy a nice, new shiney card from us? Step right over here to order one. Have your credit card at the ready. The bastards. So I have an old SCSI card at work that I am going to pilfer and attempt to use. This is not going to be fun.

The desk pop can count blasted up another 3 cans in just two days, and now stands at 140.

Entry... 11/7/99 6:19pm

Hey! I got the scanner working with some spare parts that were donated for the cause. All it took was a new(er) SCSI card, different drivers, a new cable and some swearing. I actually have forgotten just how long it has been out of service. I found a picture of myself on the Raptor rollercoaster at Cedar Point still on the scanning bed, left there since I tried to first scan it in August when I got back from Cedar Point. So, I scanned it to test the device, and I present it now to you here. The guy sitting next to me was pretty funny. He had ridden the ride 3 times that day and wanted to get a good photograph to take home on this turn on the ride. So he was getting all ready for the camera so that he could do a double "thumbs up" right when the photo snapped. We were trying to time the flash for the right moment. I told him just to go the whole ride with his thumbs up, and that way he'd get the shot he wanted. We were like "Ok, here it comes, get ready. Almost there. Ready? Ready?" FLASH "Ok, there it was." Unfortunately, you had to hang on tightly. He got one thumb up in time.

Rented "A Simple Plan" on Friday night. I rate it an "Eh." Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda played a married couple in a small town and Billy Bob Thorton played the lead characters brother. Billy Bob once again pulled off a great job, playing the older but slower brother. The movie was another one of those dark morality exercises, like Indecent Proposal was. What would you do if you found a bagful of money in the woods? But I though the movie just got way out of hand and took the characters too far.

I did get out to see the River Rats play last night with some friends. When we got to the arena, we still needed to buy tickets, so we headed for the box office. A guy named Jeff in a ridiculously huge Dolphins hat stopped us and asked if we needed tickets, since some friends of his cancelled out on the game at the last minute. So we bought the tickets from him for like 5 bucks off the box office price and got in. He must be a season ticket holder or something. We were right down on the glass, the closest I had ever sat at the Knick. It wasn't bad for watching the action that happened right in front of us, but we had terrible distortion for anything that happened at the other end of the rink. Luckily, there wasn't much of a crowd, so we moved up a few rows after the first period. There were a whole mess of Girl Scout and Brownie troops at the game, and they had one girl from each troop on the ice to shoot a puck into the net for prizes during breaks. The girls were totally into the sport, cheering and watching the action. I thought it interesting that they would introduce such a sport to girls that young. Not many were older than 10. They were full of energy, but that was probably a full day of junk food and soda talking.

Entry... 11/8/99 10:17am

"I'm very fond of stupidity. I think it's probably the most important and least understood aspect of American life. American society,...has a concept of coolness and cuteness...both are factors of stupidity...Now that we've established diplomatic relations with China...those people are ready for coolness, cuteness and stupidity...It's not getting any smarter out there...You have to comes to terms with stupidity...and make it work for you." - Frank Zappa, 1979

There's a new Halloween 1999 page up. Click here to see pictures of this years Halloween fete, pumpkin carving results, and other miscellaneous intangibles.

I'm due on the golf course at 2pm today. What does the fashionable golfer wear in 40 degree weather? Cleats and a parka, I'm thinking.

Entry... 11/11/99 11:00am

I lucked out and got a pretty good Monday to do some golfing. We played 9 holes and finished just before dark in mostly 40 degree weather. The wind was non-existent and the sun made it seem warmer. I played well enough on two holes (birdied twice) to actually think that I might have a chance at the game. Then I shot like a 23 or a 48 on the final hole. So, it's back to the grind for me. No promises of a Tiger Woods 6.8 million dollar a year career in my future. For some, golf is just an excuse to stand around outside for a few hours and then drink beer. Count me among that group.

Desk pop can count is up by 2, to 142.

Oh what will they think of next? If you can think it up, I guess they will build it. I recommend the rest of the site, as well. Click here to check out Scarlet Letters. There's some great writing and images on the site. However, I suppose I must caution you now as to the erotic content.

The National Lampoon has a world wide web site that is pretty funny, and interactive. They lampooned Jennicam, a popular web site that depicts the life of a girl living in Baltimore. I liked the Gunnerson High School parody of the Littleton event. You may need an updated Quicktime player and Shockwave to enjoy the site completely.

Visiting the National Lampoon site today made me remember the magazines that I read when I was a kid. I had a paper route, and I remember well the times that I would take my earnings and blow them on model cars, chocolate pies, and Mad and Cracked magazines. I got quite a few of them, and I don't recall if I still have any around. You can buy all of the Mad back issues on CD Rom now. The Mad site just offers teasers of what is in the latest mag. Cracked Magazine offered up some content, and I like their Unorganized Militia's Top Secret Entrance Exam.

Entry... 11/12/99 3:49pm

Can I just say that I am so glad that it is the weekend? Ok, great, here we go. I'm glad it's the weekend!

Need the definitive last word on scientific phenomenon? 600 questions with answers can be found on this site. You may not know this, but ants might be the greatest lovers on Earth. For less useful trivia, get yer Useless Facts here.

Next week is going to be a short week for me. I have Monday off, and I am traveling to Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Thursday. My company is shutting down a satelite office, and I am to collect all the gear that they have out there. I will be renting a full sized van since I have to retrieve some furniture. Maybe I'll stop in Vermont and get a fooseball table. The basement can use one more piece of furniture. I know it can. As fun as my air hockey table is, I still want a full sized table. I played on a full sized table last night (split the games 6 to 6) and nothing compares to the experience. I will argue that a buck a game is outrageous.

"Mom! The rabbit is on top of the hamster again!" Now look what happened. Well, one suspects this is what would happen.

Experience Melvian Thought. Or don't. Visit the Nightmare Keep. Explore. Poke around. Read about a woman's experience with her own breast reduction surgery. Or don't. It don't matter none.

The deed, it is done. I humbly submit for your approval the following actions undertaken at my whimsy:
1. On-line Journal updated.
2. This deed was performed on November 12, the nineteen hundreth and ninety-nineth year of our Lord.
3. A tree was planted in recogition of this occasion.
4. Four retired astronauts and a minor league baseball player were burned in effigy as representations of the public hysteria that always follows such an event.
5. Your first born was taken as payment. Thank you.
Don Howe
Chief of Things Silly
Internal Systems Center

Entry... 11/16/99 5:00pm

Ok! I'm packing! It's way to cold outside and the wind is no friend of mine at all. I don't know whose idea it was to actually build houses and roads up here and have people actually live here, but I am sure they are long dead and buried. Probably laughing their deceased butts off at us right now for staying. Let's go! Load em up!

The best of Popular Science in 1999.

It's out there...and it waits for you. Try some Bad Candy

Too much time on his hands. Visit Dave, just another guy with a website to call his very own. Another guy with too much time on his hands made up these wonderful HTML Color Charts.

I got a call from my favorite neighborhood used CD store today. They got in one of the discs that I reserved - Gordon, by the Barenaked Ladies. So I went over at lunchtime and picked it up. I also got Metallica's Black CD and Dizzy Up the Girl by the Goo Goo Dolls. That one was hard to find used. Heck, it was impossible to find new in any of those mail order CD places, too. I guess they never licensed it for resale or remanufacture through them.

Two more sites I found today and like. Check out Reverend Ed and Oops!. For your amusement!

I spent a few hours learning some more JavaScript. My goal today was to write something up that used arrays and image swapping. The fruits of my labors can be seen here. Click here to see a little slide show. I used my Halloween Pumpkin carvings in the demo. And remember, if you feel tempted to steal code, make sure you give proper credit on your page. Ha ha! I crack myself up!

Entry... 11/17/99 2:01pm

If you visit Playsite, you can play games against others, online, anytime of the day. Somebody went and made an online version of Pass the Pigs. I couldn't get the little pigs working on my screen, but the game was still playable.

Visit Big Mouth Girl - a writer with some New York magazines.

More JavaScript fun for Don. I modified this chart to appear in its own little window. Click to see and use the Guitar Chord Chart.

Dr. Demento is always a favorite of mine. Years ago, I was a member of the Five Dementians, and one of our songs made it onto the Dr. Demento show. This probably dates back to 1982 or so when the song was recorded. I found the actual dates (January 8, 1984 and July 22, 1984) that the song "My Friend Jason" (in Italiano: "Il mio jason dell' amico", in Portuguese: "Meu Jason do amigo", and in German: "Mein Freundjason") was played on the show. You can visit the good doctor himself at his own site.

Entry... 11/22/99 2:01pm

My business trip out to Portsmouth, New Hampshire went without incident. I got to drive a huge 15 passenger van there and back to collect all the supplies, tables, computers, and network gear that we had there. I traveled with a coworker who is going to be getting a new job and moving out there. So part of our trip was to allow for him to search for a place to live. When we got into town, he bought a paper and holed up in his room making phone calls and I channel surfed. We went out for dinner at a restaurant called Muddy River and I had barbecued ribs and a stout. After dinner we walked over to the Portsmouth Brew Pub and I sampled their lager. Friday was the day to pack the office and load the van. Right in the midst of loading up, the town's Christmas tree arrived. I was almost pushing through a crowd of onlookers with monitors and computers while they watched a huge crane lift the 60 foot tree into place. When the load up was done, we all had a final lunch and a toast at The Rusty Hammer (the chicken teryaki club was to die for.) There were lots of state police out on Friday, but we got into a good swing of traffic that let us fly back in about 3 1/2 hours. We got back to the office before quitting time, so I had some help unloading the truck. Just in time to go to happy hour! So we all went out to Sutter's. While I was flipping through the Metroland, I saw that the Refrigerators were at the City Limits in Colonie. Spontaneous people that we were, we ended up going dancing. They have a new lead singer named Hayes M. Fields who is really good. They now do that new Santana song "Smooth" and the Ricky Martin tune "Livin la vida loca." Nice stuff!

I spent most of Saturday night cleaning my room. I had decided that I wanted to get rid of the carpet that I had - a lovely red shag monstrosity that came with the house. I have a nice hard wood floor that is going to waste. So, every surface got cleaned and dusted and moved and shaken and stirred, leaving me with a bare floor and lots of dresser space that I forgot I had. On Sunday I went to Huck Finns and bought two small white area rugs to put in the traveled areas. I like the new look.

I'm having a nice relaxing day off after a busy weekend. I spent most of the morning in bed, reading short stories by Kurt Vonnegut, and then I watched a couple of short videos via the internet. One was a 30 minute interview with Tori Amos and Ana Voog. I just watched the movie "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels." My brother had rented it a couple of days ago, and I just got around to watching it myself. It was a good bit of fun but a bit bloody. They left you with a cliff hanger ending, so you will never know exactly how it all turned out. I rented "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and watched it again. Way too funny. I have EdTV here as well, and I may watch it tonight. I have to return them all today.

Today must be a banner day of sorts. I received a credit card in the mail today. Can you believe it? I'll wait for you to get up off the floor. Don't get too excited. It's not in my name only, of course. It's in conjunction with my company so that I can travel and rent cars and so forth. First time in 6 years that I have plastic. Did somebody say "Sears?"

I found a huge website with all sorts of ferret links. There is a subpage off that one full of individual pages made by the owners. There is a comic strip called "Free for All" that has a coffee drinking ferret named Angus as a main character. My Dad turned me on to this strip.

Entry... 11/24/99 3:52pm

I took an extra 15 minutes at lunch time today so that I could run some errands. I hit the bank and the post office, picked up lunch and went to Price Chopper. I redeemed my points earned there for a free turkey. Now, I don't need to provide the turkey this year for either of the two dinners that I will be going to, but it was free. So now I have a turkey in my freezer. Have to cook that sometime. Maybe for a holiday meal. I can invite a group of friends over and have a sort of "Friend Night."

Do you dig M.C. Esher? Here's a page full of links to scans of his artwork. I liked David McAllister's collection the best.

Desk pop can count up by just one today. It now stands at 143.

I wish you the happiest of holidays! Happy Thanksgiving!

Entry... 11/29/99 11:47am

Oh my God! It's snowing! Aiieeeeeeeeeee! Shoot me now! Only 26 shopping days left till Christmas, folks. I think that we're in for a humdinger of a winter.

So, how would you like to know now who you should vote for? Here's a website that asks you your opinions on major topics, and you can see which candidate comes the closest to how you feel about the world. Then all you have to do is pull the lever.

I'll bet that you didn't know that New York State's entire budget is posted on a web site. Well, you do now.

In other news, the movie "Breakfast of Champions" is finally due out this week. As you may or may not know, it is loosely based on a book of the same title by Kurt Vonnegut. Writing and direction credit for the movie was given to Alan Rudolp, who also made "Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle" and "Afterglow." The initial batch of reviews have all panned it ("Bad Bad Bad." "Horrifically not good" "Gag! Uck! Spew!") but I will see it anyway. Hey, it's Vonnegut. I have to.

Ok, I got this link from my brother's site, but it was too good not to include here. Darth Vader for President!