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Friday, November 30
Zero's Friday Five
Here are five things about the number five that I bet some of you didn't know.
1. "The Five" is the name of a 19th century Russian Group of nationalistic composers who included Cesar Cui, Aleksandr Borodin, Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov.
2. 5 is the uniform number of Hall of Fame Baseball players Hank Aaron, Luke Appling, George Brett, Lou Boudreau, Hank Greenberg, Johnny Bench, Joe DiMaggio, and Brooks Robinson.
3. 5 is the holy number of Discordianism, as dictated by the Law of Fives.
4. In binary, code five is 101. In ternary, code five is 12.
5. 5 is the third Sophie Germain prime, the first safe prime, and the third Mersenne prime exponent. Five is the first Wilson prime and the third factorial prime, also an alternating factorial. It is an Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part and real part of the form 3n - 1. It is also the only number that is part of more than one pair of twin primes. And if you understand that one, you spent more time and attention in college than I did.
posted by: Zero @ 6:39 PM
Wednesday, November 28
I promise I will never own the video fireplace
Television is a new medium. It's called a medium because nothing is well-done.
- Fred Allen, 1950
The holiday season, inevitably, has descended, the advent of Christ mixing in my daily life with the advent of plastic pine wreathing and multicolored fake glass bulbs.
With two children and a new sister-in-law, I naturally find myself contemplating the nature of family and of the holidays, and what each of these things mean to me - in conjunction, because without family, the holidays ring somewhat meaningless to me.
This evening Skeeve and the Tiny Emperor and I snuggled on the couch, watching the half-hour Shrek Christmas special, and as the franchise redeemed itself, making us laugh and our child's face light up, I realized that I've been laboring under a misconception for several years.
I've often thought about the intrusion of television into family life, the "warm glow" distracting our attention from each other, from building our interconnections, our experiences and strengths.
But that shared experience of discovering what is likely to be an ongoing viewing tradition in years to come, I started to think about certain other programs that were being advertised during the break - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman - that my family would always gather together to watch during the holidays. Even after there came a point where I imagine, if we tried, we could recite our way line by line and scene by scene through the entirety of any one of them.
And yet still we watch, year after year, and in doing so strengthen our silent companionships by way of simple, shared experience and enjoyment; the adoration for time-honored values presented in an animated bon mot with each one.
The rare times that television is well done, it becomes as much a tradition as any of the myriad things that make the holidays a time for something special, a time for family.
posted by: Bliss @ 9:19 PM
Monday, November 26
In my defense your honor...
Tomorrow I get a day off work.. To go to court. My emergency back up lawyer is meeting me there, so... Theres a ray of hope that my next blog won't come from jail as she keeps me from doing something entirely stupid.
But for now. I'm exhausted. And so, it's off to bed for me.
Wish me luck. Hope all is well.
posted by: Skeeve @ 11:39 PM
Friday, November 23
Zero's Black Friday Five
Did you get up at 3am to go shopping? I didn't. In fact, I tried my hardest to stay in the house all day. Thank you, needed overdue cleaning. Thank you, Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon. Thank you, Mass Effect. But, now I'm itching to go outdoors. It's 8pm. Is it safe yet? Here's five ways to stay safe in the wake of the holiday shopping season.
1. Online Shopping - This will help you avoid the crowded parking lots, long lines, and being the 200th person to want that certain present when the store only had 199 to sell. It'll also help you get your identity stolen. Why? Because you never password protected your wireless network, and you don't have virus protection. Well... Now you have something to ask Santa for.
2. Kill Yourself - The holiday season is also the season in which suicidal people really ramp up their activity. I think at least 5% of those people just do it to avoid the mall crowds and traffic. Go on. Get yours.
3. Atheism - No Jesus, no Christmas... right? Fellas? Anyone?
4. Hookers - Ha! It just wouldn't be a Friday Five without hookers. Here's the thing though, I'm not talking about fast tracking your way to VD. I'm talking about hiring hookers to hang up their crotchless panties for a day or two, and go do all your shopping for you. Just find one who can read, and give her your shopping list and your credit card. Then all you have to do is... You know what? This idea doesn't actually sound so good. I'm leaving it though. Because a proper Friday Five needs hookers.
5. Sherman Tank - Who cares about traffic, parking or long lines when you can just plow over everything with a big green monster? Sure, you might get shot at by the police. Sure, you might go to jail... FOREVER (if the po-po don't kill you first). But, people will be talking about you for YEARS. And isn't that what we all want anyway? To be remembered? To make our mark?
You are now free to make your mark all over the TKOP.
posted by: Zero @ 8:09 PM
Wednesday, November 21
Hey you.
For letting me me in to traffic.
For smiling back in the street.
For sharing a sandwich.
For bringing a cup of coffee.
For 30 extra minutes of sleep.
For bacon.
For rainbows.
For not letting Family Guy stay off the air.
For all the products of minds like Joss Whedon, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Jon Stewart.
For the Tiny Emperor and the Littlest Admiral.
For Skeeve.
For webcomics.
For the internet.
For holiday weekends and family gatherings.
For snow.
For sunshine.
For all the awesome people I know.
For all the awesome people I'm going to meet.
For the beach.
For cute girls in corsets.
For Hanes and Dove making commercials featuring REAL shaped women.
For waking in the middle of a cold night to find a kitty nestling onto my legs.
For a thousand things too numerous to mention, that can be boiled down to this:
For the things that make the world a better place, and make me happy, I am thankful.
Happily holidays, TKOP'ers.
posted by: Bliss @ 10:00 PM
Monday, November 19
Give thanks:
An abundance of riches, and I cannot make the words to properly give thanks for them all... I cannot rub this poor currency of words in my possession to properly compensate for all that I have received.
I am neither lonely, nor hungry. I am neither lost, nor impoverished. I am not uncomfortable, nor bewildered. I do not suffer the nights, nor do I crawl on my hands and knees.
All I can give for all these gifts is love and thanks.
Thanks for every day.
Oh, and a couple hundred years ago some pilgrims ate food with some indians.
posted by: Skeeve @ 9:25 PM
Friday, November 16
Zero's Friday Five
A Track and A Train
posted by: Zero @ 1:49 AM
Monday, November 12
Deep in the spleen of Texas.
Having a wonderful time, wish I weren't here...
Not actually true... I'm learning things. Having some fun. Getting some reasonable food, for institutional fare, and have had a little time to walk off site and roam the streets of Dallas. I got to meet up with Evelynne Darkstar this weekend, which was *REALLY* nice to hang out in person with someone you've known online for so long, and we had some of the best BBQ I've ever had in my life. Sunday was both memorial day and the first day of classes/sessions, and the afternoon I did finally get my luggage back, which made it very nice to have a shower and change into fresh clothing. (I'm sure those seated near me appreciated it too... Ick.) Picked up a book to read, and am having a good time with it so far, as well as having wifi just about everywhere... (Except the desk in my hotel room, there's crap reception there.)
Today I started being a bit more social. Had people to chat with at lunch, got invited out to a game night, with board games galore, and there's a BoaF (Birds of a feather) EDU group meeting tonight, so more networking ability abounds.
For now, I'm going to go get some Pizza (Place downstairs claims hot delicious to go... we shall see...) and then wait around and perhaps go up in the observation tower. Thursday I fully intend to blow off, play hooky and do the tourist thing. (I'm literaly 5 blocks from the grassy noll, and the book repository has a museum. There's also an aquarium.)
Have a good week, I'll try to drop in o the foura today, but I'm pretty slammed.
posted by: Skeeve @ 7:23 PM
Friday, November 9
Zero's Friday Five
You probably thought I forgot you, didn't you? Well, worry not, my little muffinnuggets. I was simply out to prove myself a rock God, greater than the heights of Skeeve-er-ino. Oh yeah, I too have conquered Guitar Hero III, but I did it on a truly challenging difficulty level...
...Medium.
So, there! Behold the true rock God of TKOP (throne will be yielded to anyone who beats it on Hard or Expert).
Now, in keeping with my awesomeness, I present to you the songs in GH3 that I scored the highest on, along with said high score. Ahem...
1. One, By: Metallica - 254,264 (5 stars)
2. Knights of Cydonia, By: Muse - 235,002 (5 stars)
3. Stricken, By: Disturbed - 202,762 (5 stars)
4. Pride and Joy, By: Stevie Ray Vaughn - 196,114 (5 stars)
5. The Number of The Beast, By: Iron Maiden - 226,044 (5 stars)
Raining Blood, By: Slayer is supposed to be the hardest song in the game. I scored a dazzling 72,088 (3 stars) on it. For those of you who've never played, just the bare minimum to get by. Sucksville. Craptacular. It's like beating the game on Easy and writing a blog about it. :)
You may now feel free to rock out around the TKOP.
posted by: Zero @ 10:42 PM
Wednesday, November 7
I am a God of Rock
Last month, we got a Wii. Last week, we got Guitar Hero III. And last night, I beat the career level of the game on Easy.
There's a strange sense of accomplishment in kicking the Devil's butt in a head to head of Charlie Daniels' Band's The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
Tonight's South Park, appropriately enough, lampooned GH3 and the flash in the pan rock star lifestyle, and while laughing my ass off, it also did remind me that I have a very real guitar that I could be learning to better play.
But dude - I rock at the guitar-shaped button-pushing controller. Feel free to come stand in front of my porch and throw teddy bears and panties.
posted by: Bliss @ 10:29 PM
Monday, November 5
Carry on?
On business trips...
My first ever real business trip looms, as I leave at ridiculous o'clock this Saturday and go to Texas for a week long conference. It's both exciting and daunting. It's a Linux conference, so it really won't be much different that the trek cons and gaming cons I've been to in the past. (Although there are likely to be even fewer cute girls. ; ), well except for the paid booth babes.)
I will be flying and getting a rental car, as well as staying in a hotel all on the company dime as I take in the sights, sounds and smells of a high tech *nix conference. I'll be blogging from the Con, next Monday, the day after it starts. (Who starts a convention on a Sunday??!) I'll be there till next Friday afternoon just a soaking up the geek.
For now I'm enjoying some time with my family. I'll miss them when I'm off in Texas.
Night all!
posted by: Skeeve @ 10:22 PM
Friday, November 2
Zero's Friday Five
Jeff, Rocky, Wolo, Chip, Ginger
posted by: Zero @ 10:40 AM
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