Various, Numerous Doodads

So, this first item is for Christy. I really wanted to go to this (right) because I know how much it would bug you. After all, she's British, she's Minnie Driver, she looks like Lisa, and you're disgusted with me for lusting after her (Minnie, not Lisa). But, it's $29, I'm married (and old), and I bothered to listen to her music on Amazon first, so there's no chance I'll be going because her music, well, it sort of sucks.

This second item is for Klund. I heard on X-Play that the Star Wars Legos Game actually allows head-to-head play with all the characters, so you can finally kill Jar Jar Binks in a Star Wars game. Gamespy gives it something like a 4.7 out of 5 - it includes scenes from episode 3, using the force to rearrange the legos into useful shapes, interesting lego character deaths, the ability to team up Yoda and Darth Maul, no annoying dialog (legos don't talk), and the possibility of playing totally useless characters like a single square block droid. Also, you're really annoying for talking about Buster Bars on your blog - I had an overwhelming urge to eat one tonite, to the extent I sent Jen in search of them - it's entirely traceable to you.

This is for no one in particular. I recently watched Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea on National Geographic - if you're at all interested in nature documentaries, try to catch it - it's fascinating. They address how Orca pods are really extended families with particular hunting grounds and hunting skills suited to those grounds. You get to see the whales beat up penguins so they have slow targets to practice on; use particularly strong winds to ride the surf for extra speed to catch faster penguins; snatch seals from the shallows by almost beaching (the mothers actually push the calves ashore for practice, and position themselves to help the calves back out if they get stranded); brother whales who hunt together, one swimming past slowly so the seals think he's leaving the area while the other one sneaks up to catch them as they distractedly enter the water; seal pup basketball, followed by returning the seal pup to shore (they carry it there in their teeth and drop it off, unhurt) because they're full; and finally even Orca masturbation, as they return over and over, annually, to a cove with particularly, evenly-sized rocks that are good for rubbing. It kept me up for an hour past my bed time.

Also for no one in particular, if you get a chance to watch Elling (subtitles) or Grave of the Fireflies, do it - both are wonderful. The latter is great even if you don't like anime at all - it left me depressed for two days.

And finally, overheard at work on third floor, "He's a Republican? Are there like two that work in the whole building?" (followed by much laughter). Sadly, no, there are more, I work with some of them and couldn't even escape them when I temporarily moved between groups. There's one less since the one who used to bug me the most on first floor left for a more Christian-centric company. And one other, well, I replaced her when she left to sell makeup and have children. I'd like to think I'm either driving them out or converting them, but sadly I know it's not true. On a positive note, Pooteewheet and I recently taught Eryn to use the tape recorder in her room and the tape I gave her was the first episode of Air America, so whenever Al Franken shows up between bits of recording, Eryn says "Daddy!" That's just good liberal fun.