Category: Personal

Enterprise just went to the last commercial break on the season finale with Archer seemingly caught up in a massive explosion. But you know when we get back he’ll have been pulled out by a transporter in the nick of time. Sad how writers can’t find more believable ways to bring out suspense in such a rich context.

After the break: Well, smack me in the face–the writers sure did come up with a final few minutes that twisted past anything I expected! WWII fighters and blue-skinned aliens with lots of sharp teeth and no antenna. Now I am interested to see what’ll happen Friday nights this Fall.

FC Porto showed real power and cohesion in winning the Champions League final today. The first few minutes were unsettled but after that Monaco had almost zero offense and barely got off any shots on goal the rest of the way. 19 year old new Brazilian star Carlos Alberto, a surprise starter for Porto, got the first score in the 39th minute and after that the outcome was never in doubt as the Portuguese team’s back line was taller than six Shaqs in midieval armor. But fast.

There was a shot of Porto coach Jose Mourinho after the third goal, he was calmly drinking from his water bottle, but I could just hear the dollarEuro signs rining in his head as he calculated how much extra the result would be worth in his next contract. After taking the three best trophies he could this year–Portuguese League and Cup plus this massive bit of silverware–the possibility of him not moving to a major club is nearly nil.

After the game, the coach confirmed he expects to be named head of a club in the Premiership in the next few days. The hot rumor is Chelsea, which still has not settled with Claudio Ranieri, but also mentioned is topless Liverpool. Don’t think I need to tell you where I’d rather this new genius lands.

1. Why is it Volkswagon Passats only come in silver, white and black?
2. Was not Jack’s tearful breakdown at the end of 24 excellent?

Viv, Bill and Jacob

We just finished watching Love Actually with the commentary track featuring director Richard Curtis and actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangster (plays the drummer, Liam Neeson’s boy). Chemistry and a good sense of humor really made this enjoyable, probably something I should do with more of the DVDs; also brought out a ton of little factoids. Still, I can’t believe the poor reception this terrific film got when it came out, I think it’s so funny, sweet, smart and romantic.

Security on PCs must be serious, MSFT has released a Threat Modeling Tool.

JRobb points out what he termed the DOD’s corporate site. What I see, though, is an attempt to frame the news and deliver it from a very specific point of view; without the Defense logo, one might think one was reading a news website. Compare it to the US Treasury’s main site, for example (using a more equivalent URL for Defense makes no difference).

Also from JRobb: Herfing

Be careful what you ask for

When you’re dreaming in the night time

Cause you don’t know when you wake up

If your askings will be there

If the colors start to fracture

As you turn to look away

Consider that the colors tell

Each other just what to say

In the landscape in your left eye

Lush greens flower with a whisper

That can be heard above lower branches

On this side of the smaller river

Your right eye flashes black and white

Back and forth, and when light hits

Animals stand, then jump, then twist

Away to the horizon and darkness

BangBangBang–a cracking noise behind

Three times and when you turn firecracker

Paper is floating to the grass and

Clowns smile, or at least their paint does

Up the river comes a huge brown canoe

Pairs of men seated from front to back

Straining muscles to pull along rafts

Strung behind it, covered in gold bars

The paddlers chant in a wild mixture,

French, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi,

Softer and louder, softer and louder

Picking up the pace of the boat

BangBangBang–you whirl around again, don’t you?

No firecracker paper, no gun, no smoke

The light flashes again but what you

See is only two empty suits standing

The canoe comes to shore fifty yards

From where you stand and the rafts crash

In behind them and the bricks spill

Onto the grass and the men scream

The suits race to grab at the bricks,

The paddlers wave their hands wildly in the air

You scream “Stop no Stop no Stop no”

The bricks explode into firecracker paper

Be careful what you ask for

When you’re dreaming in the night time

Cause you don’t know when you wake up

If your askings will be there

“Digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras have been prohibited in military compounds in Iraq,” said a source inside the Pentagon, adding that a “total ban throughout the US military” is in the works.

Yeah, this is important because the Administration would rather cover up or hide problems than bring them into the light and correct them. Actually, part of the problem is that the Administration doesn’t appear to see the tortureabuses at places like Abu Ghraib, Afghanistan and Guantanamo as problems needing correction. What I perceive the attitude to be is that some excesses are inevitable and as long as the general direction is towards defeating the enemy, it’s all good. Are we actually moving toward a place with greater security? I don’t believe so and even some high profile conservatives (not neoconservatives) like retired Gen. Zinni and Tom Clancy agree.

With both sides playing squads depleted by injury, the Earthquakes showed their season is getting back on track with a convincing 4-2 win over the LA Galaxy tonight at Spartan Stadium. Dwayne Derosario got a chance to start up front alongside Brian Ching and showed this is a very strong partnership. Pat Onstadt was good, but not great, in goal in what looks to be the last game he and Derosario will play for San Jose for the next two weeks and possibly.

This is because next Sunday both players will be on the Canadian national squad in a friendly against Wales and then come to visit us in a club versus country match as our northern patsiesneighbors warm up for their World Cup qualifier series against Belize and that home and home will be held the following two weekends. The experience ought to be good for our boys but then again, they are the only two MLS players on Canada’s squad.

Back to the game. Dwayne really showed some skills and speed tonight, creating and scoring, and easily earned Man of the Match. Landon dropped back into midfield because Ronnie Ekelund was out with a serious viral infection and though he did get off several shots towards goal, most went over the top and none really challenged LA’s Kevin Hartman.

Brian Ching was really solid as well, scoring the first goal of the game a few minutes before the half and the second a few minutes after. When Brian Mullan drilled a third in the 54th minute the ending seemed clear. And so it was, but not before the Quakes fell asleep for about 20 minutes and let the visitors get two goals back. Fortunately Dwayne got the finisher 10 minutes before the end, snuffing any hope of a collapse.

The first home win puts us over .500 for the first time this season (3-2-3) and keeps us within three points of the Galaxy, who have played one more game at this point. But injuries are a big problem, with Waibel, Brown, Walker and Dayak also not really game fit, and national team duty coming up not only for the Canadian pair but also Landon and Mulrooney with the US. Dominic Kinnear is doing well so far for a rookie headman but June and July will be challenging if he doesn’t get players healthy.

For tonight, though, let’s celebrate another fine win, the team’s third in a row, and the fifth game without a loss. Next Saturday, the Earthquakes visit the Columbus Crew, a dangerous team off to a slow start.

We had a fun afternoon with the chatters at someone’s house in San Leandro, where it was quite cool and bereft of real sunshine. Probably 20, 25 people turned out and that’s pretty good when you consider that we’ve been friends for about three years now. Of course it’s not all the same people, some have drifted out or moved away and others have joined, but I am surprised all the same.

Good to see some of the other couples too, like–using their chat nicknames–ForbiddenIllusion and LoveBugg (getting married later this year) and Spazz and AlanaMae (together for a year now, she was our host). I tried AlanaMae’s lumpia, yummy, and we had a couple of grills going with various meats. We were celebrating some birthdays too, the aforementioned LoveBugg and Ellie too. PrettySmilez showed off her totally cute three week old son.

There ought to be a couple of pictures of Vivian and/or me and I’ll post them when they arrive.

Apparently it’s a good idea to review the manuals every once in awhile when programming since the developers make improvements (versus, that is). I had a fun 15 minutes switching over at work, got to do this for this here website soon too.

When does a price become ridiculous? $2.30 or more for a gallon of gas? Guess not. $30 fee for depositing a check that bounces? Closer. $10 for a movie ticket? Bzzt, there you go. AMC, one of the bigger chains nationwide and owners of the nearest theater I go to these days, just raised their admission to double digits. That’s gonna cut down on my visits.

For starters, let’s just say Joss Whedon didn’t come close to the Buffy finale. The crew did wrap up the Wolfram & Hart storyline, more or less, and all in a quite uplifting way. I just didn’t come away with the expected satisfaction and sense of completion. Perhaps that’s because there’s talk of TV movies to continue Angel’s tale…

Just finished watching today’s UEFA Cup championship match between Olympique Marseilles and FC Valencia, which the Spaniards won with ease 2-0. I understand better why Manchester United headman Alex Ferguson was willing to toss aside goalkeeper Fabien Barthez for young American Tim Howard.

Barthez returned to Marseilles after being dismissed by ManU, though he ran afoul of FIFA transfer rules and had to sit for three months for the next opening. He’s done reasonably well over the last five months and matched well with the team’s sturdy defense to reach this tournament final. But after a meandering, meaningless first half was almost done, his lack of complete mental toughness came out and ruined the team.

With a beautiful cross to the far side of the six yard box from Torres, Mista chested the ball down and only Barthez was between the Valencia striker and his goal. Instead of cutting down the angle or sliding and throwing his hands in the way, the French National Team keeper, a man whose earned many medals and trophies over the last dozen years, instead chose to slide into Mista feet first.

Penalty kick. Even worse, Barthez was sent off with a red card for a professional foul. The decision by referee Pierluigi Collina, widely ranked as the world’s best, could not be disputed and was not, even in comments by the losing coach after the game.

Vicente stepped up to the spot and, after waiting nearly two minutes for (rarely used, 20 year old) substitute Jeremy Gavanon to take his place, easily put the ball into the net. Marseilles never again really threatened and a second goal, just before the hour from Mista, sealed the trophy for Valencia. A great year for them as this will look lovely in their display next to the one for the 2003-2004 Primera Liga title.

We were out tonight taste testing the new low carb wraps at Quizno’s (not bad) and arranging a tuxedo rental at Men’s Wearhouse (silver tie and vest) and ran into one of those things that make you go “Huh?” on the drive home. Traffic on El Camino Real, the most major of thoroughfares in the South Bay/Peninsula, was slowing to a crawl and looking up ahead showed why.

There was water gushing 30 or 40 feet up into the air on one side of the road past the next traffic light and cars were being merged to the left to avoid the police cars and fire trucks. I didn’t think this was so bad, people were moving smartly, but then I got up close to see the details and here you go: the valve to shut off this main was in the middle lane of three lanes on our side of El Camino.

That’s right. The geniuses who built our water pipeline system put the shutoff for a main in the middle of the biggest road in two counties. Tell me, how smart is that?

Was it my imagination or did last night’s episode of The Simpsons just out and out go after the Bush Administration? As always an excellent and funny half hour but blatantly political. Kind of a huge surprise to see something so anti-Bush on a network owned by Rupert Murdoch.

I agree with Viv, Albertson’s new policy sucks.

Tonight’s episode was really something else! I don’t think I’ve seen a longer dream sequence–not counting that whole season of Dallas–and the dead guys plus Annette Benning. Just wow. And still David Chase managed to continue the development of Tony’s character and push along the NY storyline.

People driving by in cars so loud that my house’s windows shake make me want to grab an RPG and blow them off the street.