tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142919042024-03-07T03:50:13.221-05:00The Darkside<em>What we lack in style, we make up for in ... something.</em>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-43102416195620632022009-05-21T20:35:00.003-04:002009-05-21T20:48:36.347-04:002008 CSA Wrap-UpCan't believe I never finished this out last year.<br /><br />Well, for my own benefit, since that's the whole reason I did this in the first place, here's the remainder of last year's CSA. Because they sometimes have to swap things out at the last minute, or had extra "bonus" stuff, there may be some things missing... I'm not really going to remember that almost a year later.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 17/22<br /></span><ul><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>6 4th of July tomatoes</li><li>1 squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>12 pcs swiss chard</li><li>1 eggplant</li><li>1 onion</li><li>1 bulb of garlic</li><li>12 ears of sweet corn</li><li>2 bell peppers</li><li>4 banana peppers</li><li>6 gladiolas</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 18/22<br /></span><ul><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>6 4th of July tomatoes</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>12 ears of sweet corn</li><li>2 bell peppers</li><li>4 banana peppers</li><li>1 pt. blackberries</li><li>2 sprigs of basil</li><li>1 onion</li><li>1 winter squash</li><li>1 lb. green beans</li><li>1 eggplant</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 19/22<br /></span><ul><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>1 onion</li><li>2 bell peppers</li><li>4 sweet peppers</li><li>2 eggplant</li><li>2 acorn squash</li><li>3 turnips</li><li>12 ears sweet corn</li><li>1 lb. green beans</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 20/22<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>4 tomatoes</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>4 sweet or hot peppers</li><li>2 carnival squash</li><li>2 onions</li><li>1 eggplant</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>1 lb sweet potatoes</li><li>2 bulbs of garlic</li><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>3 turnips</li><li>12 cut flowers</li></ul>(This week included an awesome recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Carnival Squash that we made quite a few times for the remainder of last season).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 21/22<br /></span><ul><li>4 tomatoes</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>4 bell peppers</li><li>4 sweet or hot peppers</li><li>2 winter squash</li><li>2 onions</li><li>1 eggplant</li><li>12 pcs swiss chard</li><li>1 lb. sweet potatoes</li><li>2 bulbs of garlic</li><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>3 beets</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 22/22<br /></span><ul><li>4 tomatoes</li><li>2 bell peppers</li><li>4 sweet peppers</li><li>4 hot peppers</li><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>2 winter squash</li><li>2 mini pumpkins</li><li>12 ears of sweet corn</li><li>1 lb. green beans</li><li>3 beets</li><li>3 radishes</li><li>1 onion</li><li>12 cut flowers</li></ul><br />And that's all!<br /><br />We were really happy with our CSA last year... so we renewed for 2009 (and have already picked up week 1 of that!). The only major complaint is that it's a drop-off at Amy's gym way out in BFE... but it's not THAT bad, especially for fresh veggies weekly!<br /></div>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-16896434389198840552008-09-21T07:18:00.002-04:002008-09-21T07:23:24.910-04:00Live From Value City Arena, 2008 EditionIt's OSU move-in day again, and I'm set-up on the floor of the Schott once more. I've lost track of how many times I've worked this event now. It's definitely been awhile - going back to when it used to be at the French Field House.<br /><br />Things are going pretty well so far this morning - for the first time everything I needed was already set-up at the table and waiting for me - so THAT'S a good start. Plus I'm actually feeling human and not like the three-times dead zombie I was <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2007/09/live-from-value-city-arena.html">last year</a>, so again, I've got that going.<br /><br />A flawless start just makes the day so much better...shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-87092872113641577442008-08-27T22:56:00.004-04:002009-05-21T20:48:24.982-04:00CSA UpdateHaven't updated in awhile, so let me catch up on the good 'ol CSA:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 12/22<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>3 Tomatoes</li><li>1 massive zucchini</li><li>2 Banana Peppers</li><li>1 bulb hard-necked garlic</li><li>3 odd-looking carrots</li><li>1 sprig of basil</li><li>2 yellow squash</li><li>2 green peppers</li><li>1 onion</li><li>3 heads of lettuce (again with the lettuce!)</li><li>2 large (summer) squash - 1 8-ball, 1 mini-pumpkin looking one (high-ball was it?)</li><li>1 pt cherry tomatoes</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 13/22<br /></span><ul><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>1 onion</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>2 green peppers</li><li>3 banana peppers</li><li>2 large (summer) squash - 1 8-ball, 1 patty-pan</li><li>1 tiny eggplant</li><li>1 pt. cherry tomatoes</li><li>2 sprigs basil</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 14/22<br /></span><ul><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>3 green peppers</li><li>3 banana peppers</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>2 sprigs basil</li><li>1 onion</li><li>2 large squash (another patty-pan and another mini-pumpkin looking one)</li><li>1 pt cherry tomatoes</li><li>1 smallish eggplant</li><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 pt. blackberries!</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 15/22<br /></span><ul><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 sugarbaby watermelon</li><li>1 pt cherry tomatoes</li><li>6 tomatoes</li><li>1 summer squash (8-ball)</li><li>1 pt. blackberries</li><li>1 onion</li><li>4 banana peppers</li><li>2 sprigs sage</li><li>3 sunflowers</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 16/22<br /></span><ul><li>5 tomatoes</li><li>1 pt cherry tomatoes</li><li>1 smallish eggplant</li><li>2 green peppers</li><li>6 banana peppers</li><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 pt. blackberries</li><li>1 large squash (I think we skipped it?)</li><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>6 4th of July tomatoes (kind of in between cherry tomatoes and regular ones)</li><li>1 onion<br /></li><li>1 bouquet cut flowers</li></ul>--And that's it! I can't believe we've still got 6 weeks to go! Should be interesting getting into the late Summer/early Autumn crops to see what we get.<br /><br />The farm our CSA is through lost their first two crops of corn to weather, so unfortunately we haven't gotten ANY corn from them. That's a bummer, but hey, helping farms through disasters like that is part of why we DO CSAs, right? They've given us more than enough stuff to make up for it.<br /><br />As you can see, these past few weeks have been VERY tomato and pepper-heavy. Since Amy doesn't like red pasta sauce, there's not much we could cook to easily go through that volume of tomatoes before they go bad... so I've been making a lot of fresh salsa! Taking a HUGE batch to a potluck at work tomorrow, actually.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-86638597240500422242008-07-22T17:18:00.005-04:002009-05-21T20:48:54.132-04:00Anniversary, CSA UpdateQuick CSA Update, week 11/22 - halfway over already!<br /><ul><li>3 tomatoes</li><li>1 onion</li><li>2 huge yellow squash</li><li>1 green pepper</li><li>2 banana peppers</li><li>1 cucumber (pickling)</li><li>1 sprig basil</li><li>2 ridiculously huge zucchini</li><li>1 large bulb of garlic</li><li>1 smallish light purple eggplant (they had white, but those were even smaller)</li></ul><br />The recipe they gave us for this week is for a tomato, basil, & mozzarella salad. It sounds pheomenal - can't wait to try it out, especially with fresh mozzarella.<br /><br />We're clearly being overwhelmed by zucchini and squash here - they're so large that most things I cook with them only use one at a time and we get 3-4 each week! Gotta come up with more things to do with them.<br /><br />So today is our EIGHT YEAR Anniversary. Completely crazy. Eight years ago today around this time I was posing for pictures getting ready for things to start - they were just about underway at this point.<br /><br />Amy & I are of course continuing the <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2006/07/anniversary-recap-top-movies.html">Anniversary Steakhouse Tour</a>. So far, we've been to, in order:<br /><ol><li>Ruth's Chris Steakhouse</li><li>Mitchell's Steakhouse (Crosswoods)</li><li>Smith & Wollenski</li><li>Morton's</li><li>Walker Station</li><li>The Top</li><li>The Claremont</li></ol>This year we're going to the brand new <a href="http://www.eddiemerlots.com/">Eddie Merlot's</a> on Polaris. It just opened a couple months ago, but saved us from having to dip into the well of places we've already been (together but NOT on the Steakhouse tour), like J. Gilbert's, J. Alexanders, or even Hyde Park. After that, we'll be looking to travel to find a new place that meets the requirements.<br /><br />After dinner, hopefully we'll be able to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/">The Dark Knight</a>... depending on how late it is I suppose. Chris says we're 2 of 12 people in the US not to have seen it yet...shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-73730872064540055612008-07-15T20:07:00.004-04:002009-05-21T20:49:12.610-04:00More CSAStill keeping track so that we've got a decent record of everything we got. Amy tells me that this is apparently the first year <a href="http://www.birdshavenfarms.com/csa.shtml">Bird's Haven Farms</a> has done a CSA, and they're learning quite a bit. I guess they also do "self-pick", and that's why we only got swiss chard once, for example (self-pick folks picked it all up!). Also, I guess they were planning on only giving fruit to people who got the "large" CSA, and only gave the medium folks (like us) some to make up for the slow weeks.<br /><br />This is our first year trying out a CSA, so it's all new to us anyway. And it's still been a blast getting so many fresh veggies every week and looking up new recipes to use them in.<br /><br />So anyway, the updates:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 9/22<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>(in week 9 we were driving back from Chicago on our usual pick-up day, so someone from the gym picked out our share for us)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></span><ul><li>1 yellow squash</li><li>1 zucchini</li><li>1 tiny eggplant</li><li>1 huge kohlrabi</li><li>1 head of cabbage</li><li>1 tomato</li><li>2 tiny carrots (that's pretty much all they have carrot-wise)</li><li>2 cucumbers</li><li>3 turnips</li><li>1 green pepper</li><li>1 bulb (or whatever you call a "head" of cloves) of garlic! [the sheet says we were supposed to get an onion, but somehow we wound up with fresh garlic instead. Works for me!!]<br /></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 10/22<br /></span><ul><li>2 tomatoes</li><li>2 large yellow squash</li><li>1 bunch of fresh basil</li><li>1 bell pepper (a purple one! I didn't even know such a thing existed! It looks most like the one in the back in this pic:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/vegetablesatoz/peppers/purplebell-med.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/vegetablesatoz/peppers/purplebell-med.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></li><li>2 banana peppers!</li><li>1 onion (for real this time)</li><li>1 huge zucchini</li><li>1 huge kohlrabi</li><li>1 cucumber (pickling variety)</li><li>3 turnips</li></ul>Another nice haul. I made a zucchini & onion stir-fry (with fresh garlic) to go with dinner tonight and boiled the cabbage to serve with a southwestern pork loin we had. Turned out pretty tasty I think, though the zucchini I used was too much - it made it hard to keep the moisture down in the stir-fry and things got soggier then I usually like.<br /><br />Amy's making kohlrabi & turnip stew using a recipe she's made a couple times now. It's tasty, and makes for good lunches especially.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-81381393376900517322008-07-01T19:13:00.005-04:002009-05-21T20:49:30.905-04:00CSA Week 8/22Picked up this week's CSA today, and it was another pretty impressive haul. We got:<br /><br /><ul><li>3 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 massive cucumber, 1 curvy cucumber</li><li>1 large yellow squash</li><li>2 large zucchini</li><li>2 bunches of broccoli</li><li>1 large kohlrabi</li><li>3 wimpy carrots</li><li>10 leaves of kale</li><li>1 green pepper</li><li>1 eggplant</li><li>3 turnips</li></ul>Their featured recipe was for the eggplant, but it was just plain fried eggplant. When trying to think of what to make for dinner with our haul, focusing on the eggplant specifically, there was fried or roasted eggplant, eggplant parmigiana... I wound up going with Ratatouille -- probably at least partly inspired by having watched the movie last week (our first Netflix selection!).<br /><br />It turned out pretty good, and I have to say it was a lot easier to make then I expected. I mean, with all the different veggies involved, I figured the prep-time would be a pain, but really it was just a matter of chopping it all up & throwing it in the pan for awhile. Easy! And actually a nice filling meal, despite being vegetarian...shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-68483855115401435112008-06-25T18:06:00.004-04:002009-05-21T20:49:48.350-04:00Diving into the CSASo after reading about them and seeing them around here and there, we decided to dive in and try out a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture">CSA</a> this year. That's community-supported agriculture, for those that don't know but don't want to follow the link. Think of it as kind of subscribing to a local farm -- you pay $$XX for the CSA and each week you get a variety of farm-fresh vegetables, locally grown and in season!<br /><br />I've been really happy with it so far. We went with <a href="http://www.birdshavenfarms.com/csa.shtml">Bird's Haven Farms</a> for our first try, primarily because they have a pickup location at Amy's gym, which she'd be going to anyway. They started a bit early in the season, so the first few weeks were a little thin, but things are really hitting a great stride, and it's so nice to have a variety of different fresh vegetables to work with each week.<br /><br />I wanted to try and keep track of everything we've gotten without needing to worry about losing the little pieces of paper they give out, so here goes. So far, we've gotten:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 1/22:</span><br /><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce (chosen from several different varieties, none being "iceberg")</li><li>1 bunch of swiss chard</li><li>4 radishes</li><li>1 ginormous cucumber</li><li>2 onions</li><li>1/2 dozen eggs</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 2/22:<br /></span><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 qt. strawberries</li><li>1 lb. spinach</li><li>1 huge cucumber</li><li>fresh herb planter/basket</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 3/22:</span><br /><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce</li><li>1 qt. strawberries</li><li>4 radishes</li><li>1 huge cucumber</li><li>1/2 dozen eggs</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 4/22:<br /></span><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce</li><li>2 large cucumbers</li><li>4 radishes</li><li>1 green pepper</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 5/22:<br /></span><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce<br /></li><li>1 large carrot</li><li>2 lbs. potatoes</li><li>1 large cucumber</li><li>1 green pepper</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 6/22:<br /></span><ul><li>4 heads of lettuce</li><li>2 large cucumbers</li><li>10 leaves of kale</li><li>2 large yellow squash</li><li>1 green pepper</li><li>2 beets</li><li>1 huge zucchini</li><li>1 lb. green beans</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 7/22:<br /></span><ul><li>1 green pepper</li><li>2 bunches of broccoli</li><li>1 kohlrabi</li><li>3 smallish carrots</li><li>2 beets</li><li>2 medium cucumbers</li><li>2 turnips</li><li>9 leaves of kale</li><li>1 large yellow squash</li><li>1 lb. green beans</li></ul><br />And that's all so far. Last week (6/22) and this week (7/22) were great hauls. Amy's actually started bypassing the biggest cucumbers, simply because we can't eat that much cucumber in a week. <br /><br />Again, one of the best parts for me has been trying new foods. I'd never had swiss chard before and I love it (sauteed with some garlic & olive oil). Kale and kolhrabi were new tastes for me as well. I can't wait to see what's still to come.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-6167673023764587752007-09-16T09:05:00.000-04:002007-09-16T09:14:14.632-04:00Live From Value City ArenaAnother OSU move-in day, and another day working the morning at the Schott. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it at first, because I woke up this morning and my cold (or maybe the weather change?) led to me feeling slightly worse than death warmed over. It also doesn't help that I got sunburned pretty badly yesterday while at the neighborhood tailgate party. It wasn't even that sunny - wtf? Definitely snuck up on me.<br /><br />Thankfully as the morning has gone on, I've been feeling quite a bit better. Which is good, since I'm here until noon... Things are fairly slow today, which is nice. Apparently with the away game yesterday lots of folks moved-in early this year. <br /><br />Which is fine, because it makes for a slow morning with downtime for recovering and the Intarwebs.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-41952713909494437622007-08-29T22:16:00.000-04:002007-08-29T22:31:25.232-04:00Insight Makes The DealWell, with the opening game of the season less than 72 hours away, sold out, and being broadcast only on the <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2007/08/its-that-time-of-year.html">previously mentioned</a> <a href="http://www.bigtennetwork.com/">Big Ten Network</a>, it's getting down to crunch time. Come Saturday there are going to be a lot of pissed off Buckeye Fans...<br /><br />BUT... less than there would've been as of yesterday. <br /><div class="hed"></div><blockquote><div class="hed">Big Ten Network, Insight reach deal</div> <div class="subhed"> </div> <!-- begin creation date --> <div class="date"> Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:20 PM </div> <!-- end creation date --> <div class="byline"> <div> By <a href="mailto:bbaptist@dispatch.com">Bob Baptist</a><br /></div> </div> <div class="srcline"> THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH<br /><br /> The Big Ten Network and Insight Communications reached agreement on a contract today, clearing the way for Insight cable subscribers in central Ohio to watch Ohio State's season-opening football game Saturday in the comfort of their homes. <p>Ohio State will open the 2007 season against Youngstown State at noon in Ohio Stadium. The game is one of an anticipated three or four Buckeyes games, including Sept. 8 against Akron, that will be carried on the new network.</p> <p>Insight will carry the Big Ten Network as part of its "classic" service package when the network launches programming at 8 p.m. Thursday. In central Ohio, the network will be available on Channel 24 to subscribers without set-top converters and on Channel 26 to those with converters, Insight spokesman Bob Lau said.</p></div></blockquote>(Check the <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2007/08/29/insight.html">Full Article</a>)<br /><br />Yes, that's right - <a href="http://www.insight-com.com/">Insight</a> and the Big Ten Network came to an agreement, and the 2nd largest cable company in Columbus WILL be carrying the new network when it kicks off tomorrow night, and therefore WILL be showing the game on Saturday. And it's even going to be on the basic service ("classic") tier... which seems to me like Insight gave-in somewhat on that. Personally, I've placed most of the blame on the Big Ten & the network from the beginning, as the whole nonsense that it has to be on the classic service is just stupid. A sports add-on or special sports package (which we already have... with ESPNU, CSTV, etc.) is the perfect place for a new niche channel like this - there's no reason everyone should have to "pay" for it (even if the cost is hidden in their regular cable bill and not itemized). <br /><br />But... in Columbus (and Evansville, IN apparently), Insight gave-in, while in other areas it'll be on the sports tier where it belongs. From their previous <a href="http://www.whatsthebigtendeal.com/">"use this to send a complaint to the Big Ten Network" site</a>, there's a little more detail:<br /><blockquote>We believe that the compromise we have reached with The Big Ten Network is a good one. We are carrying the channel as part of our Classic service in the communities we serve in Columbus, Ohio and Evansville, Indiana which are in the heart of Big Ten territory. In the rest of our cable systems, which are located primarily in Big East and SEC territory, we will provide the channel on our Digital 2.0 tier alongside our other specialized sports programming. These additional areas include all of our Kentuckiana communities in and around Louisville as well as Lexington, Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky markets.</blockquote>So... win one for the bad guys, I guess. But hey, at least we get to watch the game! Bonus!shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-39289700330551241492007-08-21T09:36:00.000-04:002007-08-21T09:38:12.018-04:00W The Movie - WTF?I don't know what to think of this... the facepaint gives it a very trippy King Diamond/Damon Zex vibe... I want to watch more in that "staring at a trainwreck" kind of way.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f0lz5ae4Bls"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f0lz5ae4Bls" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cA-HLqKMvUw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cA-HLqKMvUw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BU6Pi1D85us"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BU6Pi1D85us" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-83322326190424858592007-08-10T14:03:00.000-04:002007-08-10T14:15:31.312-04:00For The Weekend Shopping ListCouple things I stumbled across today for your weekend shopping list.<br /><br />First off, because making a buck off of someone else's problems is <span style="font-style: italic;">the American Way</span>, and because any chance I get to mention <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Mexico#Ron_Mexico_lawsuit">Ron Mexico</a> is a win for me, I bring you the <a href="http://www.vickdogchewtoy.com/">Michael Vick Dog Chew Toy</a>. Referred to as "<a href="http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/06/michael-vick-chew-toy-the-only-thing-you-can-still-buy-with-vic/">the only thing you can still buy with Vick's name on it</a>".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jimmyshowbiz.com/vickstoy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.jimmyshowbiz.com/vickstoy.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">infinitely</span> more practical news, I TOTALLY need one of these. The <a href="http://www.ecodigital.co.uk/estore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=66">ECO Media Player</a> - an mp3 (and other media) player powered by wind-up hand crank! No more running out of juice right in the middle of a plane ride, or worrying about leaving your wall/car charger at home when going on long trips. Instead, "one minute of winding gives up to 40 minutes of play time".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ecodigital.co.uk/estore/images/ecomedia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ecodigital.co.uk/estore/images/ecomedia.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, the "up to" part is a little worrisome. I mean, a gallon of gas in my car could last "up to" 20 years if I didn't drive it anywhere.... but small print-shmall print! It's a hand-powered mp3 player!! Think of the starving children!!shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-73650820091357247902007-08-08T11:17:00.000-04:002008-12-14T17:16:11.436-05:00It's That Time Of Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics30/500/FS/FSBBRUTBLFZRZIG.20070807141926.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics30/500/FS/FSBBRUTBLFZRZIG.20070807141926.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sanity returned to the world <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=270805018">this past Sunday</a>, as football is officially back in season. That long, HORRIBLE drought between the NBA finals and the return of real sports is over. It's a shame it had to come back with the f'ing STEELERS winning a game, but hey - at least Santonio Holmes landed one of those TDs. Oh, and Brady <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/news/story?id=2966012">finally got an f'ing deal signed</a>. So, yeah... get your ass to camp, son. I'm guessing even with the late start, he'll make an appearance in at least one of the preseason games, probably multiple.<br /><br />Of course, we all know preseason NFL is garbage -- but at least it's there while we wait the next 3 weeks or so until the College Football season kicks back into gear. The teams started camp this week, and I have faith in Tressel and the rest of the coaching team to field a strong bunch again this year. I know there's a LOT of questions on the offense, and based on past experience, I wouldn't be surprised if Tressel fell into a 2 QB system before deciding who the clear starter is (though I HOPE that doesn't happen), but meanwhile, those first four games should be a good warm-up. The schedule feels fairly week this year, especially to start. I mean seriously, a I-AA?? I know it's Tressel's old school, but STILL. Check out the helmets of the first four games this year, IN ORDER:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjziFhclmS2B-0a9BX1GNEkKfpnrGHaO62o88mfuN9gExNIO0DNOVk9BB4hhx_G9-Gkcx2oL7ZQ15wbohUcvQRTswqNjak-7NDfTQIdRlOkSB1FiMkrRLq9VNKAm8zPkW4HDi/s1600-h/YAWN.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjziFhclmS2B-0a9BX1GNEkKfpnrGHaO62o88mfuN9gExNIO0DNOVk9BB4hhx_G9-Gkcx2oL7ZQ15wbohUcvQRTswqNjak-7NDfTQIdRlOkSB1FiMkrRLq9VNKAm8zPkW4HDi/s320/YAWN.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096357631550902642" border="0" /></a>I mean seriously, was that intentional commentary by the scheduling committee? Washington could end up being a tough game, but the others? Well, the helmets say it all.<br /><br />Of course, unless you have tickets or DirectTV, you're probably not going to be able to watch those games anyway, thanks to <a href="http://www.bigtennetwork.com/">these assholes</a>. I love how they're playing up the conflict to be a problem with the cable providers, completely glossing over the ridiculous price and placement demands they're making of these places for a TOTALLY NEW, UNPROVEN entity. I mean seriously, do they really expect this to get ANY worthwhile numbers outside of college football & basketball season? It's not like they're going to have the rights to show bowl games or NCAA tournament games on there....<br /><br />I'll leave ya with a bit o' non-football related content. Saw this video today from the <a href="http://www.blindferret.com/">folks behind</a> a couple <a href="http://leasticoulddo.com/">quality</a> <a href="http://lfgcomic.com/">webcomics</a> I read. It's one of the characters from <a href="http://lfgcomic.com/">Looking For Group</a>, with a fun little Disney parody song:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fcbazH6aE2g"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fcbazH6aE2g" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-20561959372146214412007-07-26T21:27:00.001-04:002007-07-26T21:29:21.349-04:00The New Boogie Man<span class="postbody">So, you know how parents (and grandparents) used to (and presumably some still do) scare their kids into behaving by telling them stories about the boogie man, the monster in the closet, or whatever local scary legend there was?<br /><br />Well, next time they act up, I'm thinking of telling my dogs that if they don't shape up, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/26/vick.dogfighting/index.html" target="_blank" class="postlink">Ron Mexico</a> is going to come take them away in the middle of the night...<br /><br />(btw, I know I've been slacking here -- but I HAVE been throwing stuff on the <a href="http://shroud.tumblr.com/">tumblelog</a> pretty regularly, so make sure you're keeping an eye on that feed too. In fact, that picks up posts here too, so if you want to watch just ONE feed, that'd be the one...)<br /></span>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-68198989710604194482007-07-10T22:00:00.000-04:002007-07-10T22:27:43.878-04:00We Live In Interesting TimesPer the <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20040404010918/http://hawk.fab2.albany.edu/sidebar/sidebar.htm">"Ancient Chinese Curse" that wasn't</a>.<br /><br />An exciting day today, complete with bomb scare, evacuation, business continuity planning put to the test, random filtered details, sketchy news coverage, and eventually a return to normal by lunch time! Can't beat that.<br /><br />In the end, it apparently was a misplaced or forgotten briefcase with someone's repair kit of some kind. It got blown up by the bomb squad to be on the safe side.<br /><br />News coverage:<br /><br />---The local NBC affiliate has my favorite quote in <a href="http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2007-07-10-0013.html">their article</a>:<blockquote>Police evacuated the building, <span style="font-weight: bold;">along with Grease Hall</span> and a journalism building. Police created a perimeter of yellow tape, as students and staff gathered to watch the investigation.</blockquote> GREASE Hall! Looks like someone wasn't paying close enough attention to the spellcheck! :)<br /><br />NBC appears to have the most complete/informed post-event wrap-up.<br /><br />---10 TV (CBS affiliate) has <a href="http://www.10tv.com/?story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200707/1506189448.html">it's own coverage</a>, which was also reproduced by <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/10/osu_detonation.html">the Dispatch</a>. I have to call them on a possible exaggeration - it mentions "several hundred" people standing around outside the buildings. Now, I suppose it's possible the crowds died down after I left the scene, but I definitely wouldn't call the crowd that I saw "several hundred".<br /><br />---News Center (ABC & FOX local news) had to get in on the misspelling game in <a href="http://www.wsyx6.com/newsroom/oh/topstory/topstory2.shtml">their article</a>:<br /><span id="text2"><blockquote>Baker Systems Engineering building as well as nearby <span style="font-weight: bold;">Drees Lab</span> and Campbell Hall were evacuated during the incident. No one was hurt and students and faculty were allowed to return to the buildings within a short time.</blockquote>Not quite as fun as "Grease Hall", but still missing the trailing "E" there. They also mention Campbell Hall has having been evacuated, but everything I heard pointed to Journalism being the only building on the other side of Neil evacuated...<br /><br />---</span>Mykola Bilokonsky actually has some really good coverage on <a href="http://darkside.newsvine.com/_news/2007/07/10/828514-breaking-news-bomb-scare-at-osu?r=397291463">his Newsvine page</a>, though he also mentions Campbell Hall being evacuated... *shrug* What he's got is definitely more personal & more interesting than the short pieces the big money sources offer.<br /><br />---There is currently <span style="font-weight: bold;">no mention</span> of this on <a href="http://www.thelantern.com/">The Lantern</a> or <a href="http://uweekly.com/">UWeekly</a> pages -- though I'm sure it'll be the front page of the Lantern tomorrow (what else is there to talk about all Summer), and I'd be pretty shocked if <a href="http://uweekly.com/cowtown/">Corey Spring</a> doesn't get his blog-on about it ....<br /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-87564799445813132692007-07-05T22:43:00.000-04:002007-07-05T22:57:18.955-04:00Action Movie MAYHEM<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/trailer/10012886/trailer_17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/trailer/10012886/trailer_17.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Been a good week for action movies! This weekend my Dad & I saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/">Live Free or Die Hard</a>. You never know what you're getting into with these supersequels (part FOUR in this case), especially when it's been twelve YEARS since the last installment, and the star isn't exactly a young 'un. That said, I have to say this movie paid-off BIG TIME. It was extremely well done, a great addition to the Die Hard franchise, with some perfectly classic John McClane moments. Yes, there was some unbelievable stuff in there (the jet vs. semi-truck being the worst), but keep up your suspension of disbelief and enjoy the old-school action and great one-liners. And I have to say, the PG-13 rating didn't seem to hurt the movie at all. Only one F-Bomb in the whole movie, but the cursing (or lack thereof) didn't bug me at all. You NEED to see this movie. They even updated the song!<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OTyw6cq86kY"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OTyw6cq86kY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Monday night I saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/">Transformers</a> with Hutch, Holly, Randy , Gary and Hutch's friend Tony. I have to say I had my qualms going in -- I played with Transformers, watched the cartoon and even read some of the comics, but I was never a HUGE Transformers fan - GI Joe always won top-spot for me. Still - how could a live action film do it justice? Well, I'd have to say this one did a pretty good job of it. The BEST part was hearing Peter Cullen's voice narrating & doing Optimus Prime once again. Totally brought me back to my childhood & gave me chills. The robots were VERY well done, looking well integrated into the scenes. The fight scenes were a little too busy to follow at times, and there were some rather big plot jumps (not necessarily a HOLE, but skipping something that should've been resolved) - but just like with Die Hard, I think it takes a backseat to a fun, VERY well done action movie. I could've done without Bumblebee pissing on the dude though...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/z/s/N/transformersposter3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/z/s/N/transformersposter3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-24770340375317340522007-06-28T21:50:00.001-04:002007-06-28T22:14:10.160-04:00Around The InternetsAs I've mentioned several times before, I'm a total Web2.0 junkie. I'm a sucker for trying out all the fun new toys, gadgets and gizmos. Some catch on and <a href="http://del.icio.us/shroud">keep my attention for prolonged periods of time,</a> while others kind of <a href="http://www.listsofbests.com/">fade into the background</a> as I devote my time to other things. Time is a limited commodity, even when I stay up way later than my wife & daughter most nights, I still can't fit everything in.<br /><br />So, to blatantly steal an idea from <a href="http://www.warrenellis.com/">Warren Ellis</a>, here's a quick update on where I am, relatively actively, around the Internets as of late June 2007. Most of these are linked in the sidebar, but just in case you're not paying attention.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/">The Darkside</a> - my personal blog. Containing typical bloggy-type things. Such as, for example, this post. You're reading it right now. Presumably. Maybe.<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.myspace.com/shroud9">MySpace</a> - isn't everyone?</li><li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> (profile not linked directly, just search for me there if you want to find me). I probably check on Facebook a little more frequently than MySpace, but neither are ignored (or obsessed over, for that matter).<br /></li><li><a href="http://shroud.tumblr.com/">The Aggregated Darkside</a> - combo-feeds/Tumblelog</li><li><a href="http://del.icio.us/shroud">Del.Icio.Us</a> links</li><li>My <a href="http://digg.com/users/shroud/news/dugg">Digg feed</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shroud/">Flickr Photos</a></li><li><a href="http://shroud.yelp.com/">Yelp Reviews</a></li><li>Movie Reviews: <a href="http://www.flixster.com/user/shroud">Flixster</a> or <a href="http://www.trustedopinion.com/users/shroud-max-t">Trusted Opinion</a> (I'm not fully sold on either just yet)</li><li><a href="http://www.last.fm/user/shroud9/">last.fm music profile</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://twitter.com/shroud">Twitter</a></li><li>the <a href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/">Columbus Underground</a> , (fairly regular poster in the forums, as "shroud" naturally.</li></ul>I think that's a pretty fair compilation. At least of stuff I check into "actively". (Which varies depending on the service. I obviously don't have new movie reviews to add daily or even weekly, but when I do, I add them one or both of those places. And last.fm is basically passive scrobbling for the most part.) If you're interested in any of that stuff, be sure to add me as a friend - the one thing about my web2.0 addiction is that I can always use more "friends" on all these social services. Ever the wandering loner, eh?<br /><br />Anyways, it's a good time, and as far as addictions go, better than most. Something tells me that it's not going to net me any <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2007/06/heavy-metal-addiction.html">government assistance</a> though.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-2331294428947053632007-06-20T13:49:00.000-04:002007-06-20T13:54:08.540-04:00Heavy Metal Addiction?Normally I'd post a quick link to an article like this on <a href="http://shroud.tumblr.com/">Ye Olde Tumblr</a>, but this one definitely requires a special highlight:<br /><blockquote><div class="posttitle"><h1><a href="http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2007/06/19/sweden-supplements-income-of-heavy-metal-addict/" rel="bookmark" title="Sweden Supplements Income of Heavy Metal Addict">Sweden Supplements Income of Heavy Metal Addict</a></h1></div> <div class="postdate">06/19/2007</div> <p>A heavy metal fan in Sweden is so obsessed with his favorite music that the state of Hässleholm in the southern part of the country has deemed him psychologically impaired and eligible for financial assistance from Employment Services.</p> <p>According to <a href="http://www.blabbermouth.net/">Blabbermouth.net</a>, the story was first printed in the Swedish publication <a href="http://www.thelocal.se/7650/20070619/">The Local</a>, which reported that 42-year-old Roger Tullgren underwent psychological analysis after losing numerous jobs because he stayed out late at so many shows he couldn’t make it to work the next day. He claims to have attended almost 300 rock shows last year.</p> <p>“The fact that I am so into music has affected my work situation to the extent that I have had to quit some jobs,” he said.</p> <p>Tullgren started seeing a psychologist when he was fired from his last job and went on welfare. When the analyst realized the severity of the man’s situation, he had Tullgren sign a paper that indicated his “heavy metal lifestyle” was a “disability” and <span style="font-weight: bold;">the man became qualified for a wage supplement</span>.</p></blockquote><p></p><a href="http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2007/06/19/sweden-supplements-income-of-heavy-metal-addict/">FULL ARTICLE</a><br /><br />I'm not totally sold on the veracity of this (the initial mention coming from BLABBERMOUTH seems a little suspect), but seriously... being SO METAL the government has to PAY YOU. Well played.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/4/6/5/5/12345564-12345565-large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/4/6/5/5/12345564-12345565-large.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Baz Approves. ROCK ON, Young Swede.<br /></div>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-47993242071478750372007-06-18T12:44:00.000-04:002007-06-18T13:05:13.755-04:00Best News I've Heard All Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://education.vetmed.vt.edu/Curriculum/VM8054/Labs/Lab14/IMAGES/FINGERPRINT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://education.vetmed.vt.edu/Curriculum/VM8054/Labs/Lab14/IMAGES/FINGERPRINT.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Well, thankfully (<span style="font-style: italic;">as far as I know</span>) so far I've managed to avoid all the personal information/social security breaches, including all the credit card company leaks, OSU leaks, etc. But when the story broke last week of the backup tape with the personal information and social security numbers for <span style="font-weight: bold;">all state employees and their dependents</span> I figured it'd finally happened to me too.<br /><br />I know several folks who have had their information compromised, and have been acquainted with some folks who have actually had their identities stolen. It can be a painful process getting everything cleaned up. Prevention & remediation plans are underway in pretty much every sector at this point to try and stem the tide, but it seems like there's still SO much to be done. <br /><br />So anyways, the good news... I've been digging through all the news reports of this State leak since it first came out, and thankfully saw the news I was looking for today:<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>But the state has confirmed that the tape contains the names and Social Security numbers of all 64,467 <span style="font-weight: bold;">non-university</span> state employees. If they were enrolled in the state's pharmacy-benefits management program, their address and phone numbers also are included, as well as the names and Social Security numbers of 75,532 dependents.</p> </blockquote><a href="http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/06/18/more_guv.ART_ART_06-18-07_A1_PD71UAM.html">Read the full story here</a>. Emphasis added by me (the good news in question).<br /><br />So one more break. Don't know how long it'll last, but good news for me and many of my friends and family for now at least. If you were one of the state employees who WERE affected (or a family member of), I'm assuming you'll be getting a letter in the mail soon (if you haven't already), and I'd strongly recommend taking advantage of the ID protection services they're offering. See the <a href="http://ohio.gov/idprotect/">State Employee Identity Protection website</a> for more info.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-37835956816791646162007-06-03T00:37:00.001-04:002007-06-03T01:01:18.892-04:00Eastern. Conference. Champions.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/314d401f-1fac-4dff-a301-5fd8476c9ebc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/314d401f-1fac-4dff-a301-5fd8476c9ebc.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history!!<br /><br />Before I get to that though -- I have to back up a step. Sadly, I slacked off and never got around to blogging about LeBron's INSANE performance in <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270531008">Game 5</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/541bf682-0246-44fa-b020-dec5b4f0d4a3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/541bf682-0246-44fa-b020-dec5b4f0d4a3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> There's dominating performances and then there's totally putting a team on your back and carrying them through to the win. Scoring 29 of the team's last 30 points. 25 points straight. All the scoring for the team in BOTH overtimes. EVERY. SINGLE. POINT. He was driving and dunking and no one could stop him - the entire Detroit team, coaching staff, and every fan in that building knew who was getting the ball - but they just couldn't stop him. Even the few times they DID keep him outside he threw up shots that had NO RIGHT to go in, but did anyway! If you missed this game, you missed an unreal performance.<br /><br />Take a few minutes to <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons&entryDate=20070601">read</a> <a href="http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/17309261.htm">some</a> <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2007053108&prov=ap">of</a> <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2007060205&prov=ap">the</a> <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=stnbaplayoffs&prov=st&type=lgns">raves</a>. It was all over the sports talk & news outlets. A particularly interesting one: <a href="http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/17313307.htm">25 Points, 25 Memories</a>.<br /><br /><br />So how do you follow-up a performance like that? Well, you can't really expect to TOP it... but it's important not to relax -- after all, last year the Cavs were in a VERY similar situation -- drop the first two games in Detroit, win the next two in Cleveland, go back to the Palace and steal a win... only to lose in Game 6 at home, then, hearts broken, get crushed in Game 7. Well, NOT THIS YEAR! <br /><br />Things started out pretty close, then the Cavs got into a great rhythm at the end of the 1st, only to go cold during a <span style="font-weight: bold;">21-MINUTE TECHNICAL DELAY. </span>It's ridiculous they let it go that long. Detroit kept it close, and LeBron did pretty much all his scoring from the line. The rest of the team did a GREAT job in stepping up to fill the gap.<br /><br />The game stays close until the 4th Quarter... when not LeBron, but "Boobie" Gibson, the ROOKIE takes over. Draining 3 after 3... It was GREAT to see them finally pull away and knock it home. An absolutely great moment. a 21 year old rookie out of Texas, only 1 year younger than LeBron, but he looks like he's 16, and standing next to the big guys it's a riot - he looks like a freaking hobbit standing next to Z. But his play is HUGE. "Boobie Trap" indeed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/b7bd6a1a-baad-4277-9fe7-e846f2574363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/b7bd6a1a-baad-4277-9fe7-e846f2574363.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Great game, great night, great team! Gotta love it.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-6867682630081752852007-05-29T20:44:00.000-04:002007-05-29T23:18:10.048-04:00Journey Round The InternetsBeen staying up a little later the past few days and playing around with lots of different sites out on the Internets. Feeding my bizarre Web2.0 addiction primarily -- I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff, as I'm sure you know by now, and I've found a lot of fun sites there to feed said addiction lately. Most of them things which have been around for a little while that I just hadn't gotten around to previously.<br /><br />I'll call your attention to the right-hand sidebar there, where you'll hopefully notice two new additions:<br /><ul><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tumblr.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.tumblr.com/images/logo-2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://shroud.tumblr.com/">The Aggregated Darkside</a> --Followed a link/brief write-up from <a href="http://www.warrenellis.com/">Warren Ellis</a> to <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, and decided to sign-up. Tumblr is apparently a site for "tumblelogs". As they put it, if blogs are journals, then tumblelogs are scrapbooks. Essentially, it's blogging without the commentary - just a collection of links, pictures, videos, etc. And Tumblr has a really nice interface for importing whatever RSS feeds you want to throw at it, as well as pre-made import scripts for common sites like Digg, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, etc. So, as you might guess from the name, I've set it up to import my stuff from all over the webosphere2.0. Plus some extra pics & links thrown in just to share. If nothing else, it's hopefully an easy one-stop-shop feed you can subscribe to to keep an eye on all that is Max. Or something.<br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/"><br /></a></li><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.last.fm/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://panther1.last.fm/depth/header2/red_logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.last.fm/">Last.FM</a> -- I've known about Last.FM a LONG time... but never bothered signing-up for it because I listen to my own iTunes music the vast majority of the time, and already have so much crap imported into iTunes that I didn't really see much need for Internet radio, social or no -- but then there's the whole AudioScrobbler thing they've got going. Basically, you can download a utility which CAN play their Internet radio (tag channels, friend channels, specific bands, whatever), but can ALSO pay attention to what you're listening to in the audio player of your choice and write it out to your profile, so you can build nifty little "recently played" lists like the one on the sidebar there. Or, if you rather, you can do "top plays", or whatever. It's pretty fun. And hey, I've even got two friends there already! (Thanks Gary & norb). FWIW, I already turned OFF my last.FM feeds to Tumblr because it was just too much - in comparison to everything else, the songs I listened to (per song) were just drowning the other content.<br /></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://twitter.com"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://assets1.twitter.com/images/twitter.png?1180419207" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also broke down and signed-up for <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> today. I honestly don't know if I'll have much use for it at the moment, but it seems to be the current rising wave, so I want to at least poke around at all the different things you can do with it. The basic premise is that Twitter answers the question "what are you doing RIGHT NOW?" -- kind of like the Facebook "status" field, only even more immediate. You can add friends to a feed, and see all their updates automagically in your stream or RSS, or you can get the updates pushed to your phone via text messages (you can update via text msg as well!), IM, custom desktop apps, etc. It's apparently "really addicting" -- I suppose that depends on having friends using it too, and ATM, as far as I know, I have none. :P (heh)<br /><br />So yeah, I love me some web2.0. I'm such a sucker.<br /><br />Anyways, more fun from around the Internet, random link edition:<br /><ul><li>Belly Dancer gets half her butt liposuctioned away:<br /><blockquote>A German belly dancer has been given twice as much compensation as she asked for - after a plastic surgeon accidentally sucked away one of her buttocks instead of reducing the size of her thighs.</blockquote>Yeowza. <a href="http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=41399&in_page_id=2"> LINK</a>.<br /><br /></li><li>What to do with that wedding ring after a failed marriage? Why, <a href="http://www.weddingringcoffin.com/">GIVE IT A PROPER BURIAL</a>, naturally.</li></ul>That's all for now. Gotta get back to watching the Cavs fight for an even playing field heading back to Detroit. Let's go Cleveland!! Can you FEEL the excitement Z?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/24d36234-655a-47fa-a2c3-9f197a1a6ca8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/24d36234-655a-47fa-a2c3-9f197a1a6ca8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Umm... I'll take that as a yes?shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-1002065437212687672007-05-25T23:14:00.001-04:002007-05-26T00:11:04.202-04:00The 4400: Viral Assault<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.promicinterror.com/images/terror.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.promicinterror.com/images/terror.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Season 4 of <a href="http://www.the4400.com/">The 4400</a> (the series) hits USA (the channel) on June 17th (the date). To rev up, they appear to have put quite a bit of work into a viral marketing campaign, including several themed websites, videos (hosted on YouTube, naturally), etc.<br /><br />What's a real shame is that the first I heard about any of this is when Googling around this afternoon trying to find a premiere date for the new season. With all the work that went into it, why is the only thing I saw on it a <a href="http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=41619">Sci-Fi Wire news blurb</a> from May 23rd? Now admittedly, per that story they just launched things on 5/21, but still - have we already become so jaded to viral marketing like this that no one cared enough to notice? Or are they going to ramp it up and get the word out a bit louder in the next week or two as the actual premiere gets closer? I would think some actual TV spots for the ads would be pretty cool -- though it might be a hair too realistic & freak people out, possible backlash, yada yada yada. Still, wouldn't it be fun if they ran something <a href="http://www.promicinpower.com/2007/05/18/pro-promicin-gap-ad/">like this</a>. That one won't embed - here's a shorter hack version from the ad company on YouTube:<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VWdY8cEEOtw"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VWdY8cEEOtw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />I'm really pretty impressed with the amount of stuff out there. These aren't simple, quick one-page sites, they've actually put some effort into them. Here's what I've dug up so far:<br /><br /><ul><li>Anti-Promicin: <a href="http://www.promicinterror.com/">promicinterror.com</a></li><li>Pro-Promicin: <a href="http://www.promicinpower.com/">promicinpower.com</a></li><li>Informational(?): <a href="http://www.promicininfo.com/">promicininfo.com</a></li></ul>Each site seems to have plenty of videos (the article mentions at least 80). I like the commercial-type spots a bit better than the "dispatches".<br /><br />One thing they seem to be doing differently from some other viral marketing, is that they're actually ENCOURAGING roleplaying - non-paid, non-affiliated people joining up, typing stuff in character about their own stories, their own abilities or exposure, etc, etc. Though it's a pretty early 4th wall break for the site, the PromicinTerror has this "<a href="http://www.promicinterror.com/contribute.aspx">Contribute to the Cause</a>" link which explains it a bit more:<br /><blockquote>Play a character and become a part of The 4400 universe -- tell us the part of the promicin story that only you can create! Take a look at some of the videos, articles and photo-illustrated stories on <a href="http://promicininfo.com/"><b>Promicin Info</b></a>, <a href="http://promicinterror.com/"><b>Promicin Terror</b></a> and <a href="http://promicinpower.com/"><b>Promicin Power</b></a>. Then decide what new promicin story you'd like to tell and how you'd like to tell it. <a href="http://www.promicinterror.com/contribute.aspx#guidelines">See suggestions below for creating a great submission.</a><br /><br /></blockquote>They've even got <a href="http://www.promicininfo.com/forums/">forums setup on PromicinInfo</a> where there's all kinds of folks posting in character, about promicin/4400y things, and some of THOSE people even link back to their own<a href="http://intothepromicinvoid.blogspot.com/"> in-character</a> <a href="http://fixitsparky.livejournal.com/">personal blogs</a>... of course, some of them link to unrelated sites, and some link to in-character blogs that <a href="http://r2roswell.livejournal.com/2274.html">BREAK</a> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/193049499">character</a>... I was able to register for an account on the forum & post a reply to one of the threads (I made it neutral enough that it wouldn't break kayfabe)... very cool touch, but as the word gets out, I'm assuming it's going to take some AGGRESSIVE moderating to keep griefers out. Because lord knows the Intarwubs luvs them some griefers.<br /><br />So if you're exited for the new season of the 4400 to start, or if you're just a fan of viral marketing and fan-involvement, check it out!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EDIT:</span> Unfortunately, their "embed video" links for the non-YouTube flash vids don't seem to work so well (with Blogger at least), so I had to cut out a couple. Be sure to check out the "Protect our Children" video on the first page of PromicinTerror.com - it's quality.<br /> <object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5WyH3rZPJ0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5WyH3rZPJ0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-92206814584260104932007-05-23T10:59:00.001-04:002008-12-14T17:16:11.955-05:00Solid FootingSo our deck is done! (Well, the CONSTRUCTION of the deck is done).<br /><br />We went ahead and loaded it all up last night with our brand new outdoor furniture (including Evie's own little picnic table Grandpa got her) and our old grill. Take a look:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh3sKKAtPWYzLbHp5yD4BU8W49hN5k9WvJwwgXfUBT2O5u46j8LPVZNSTrkLEXz919iSJvCrcmHqkz6S8Z7WIM6maisdF-fzb1SJJA1vse50SFDzW79k5QBp0JfMbe3F-qbdR/s1600-h/image001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwh3sKKAtPWYzLbHp5yD4BU8W49hN5k9WvJwwgXfUBT2O5u46j8LPVZNSTrkLEXz919iSJvCrcmHqkz6S8Z7WIM6maisdF-fzb1SJJA1vse50SFDzW79k5QBp0JfMbe3F-qbdR/s320/image001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067771149080187794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eg7BzlN0U_Zy_6cGUU5_XDJ5rYd4BRxBtUBTBdbFVod2aNHobTFwubUO6zLy6UVdgSV_zpFPDihyphenhypheniWfK9P6FdxBYW280KjnwpVX2beOg-bX-zjaEcqomFGgbun711Cbdv15N/s1600-h/image002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eg7BzlN0U_Zy_6cGUU5_XDJ5rYd4BRxBtUBTBdbFVod2aNHobTFwubUO6zLy6UVdgSV_zpFPDihyphenhypheniWfK9P6FdxBYW280KjnwpVX2beOg-bX-zjaEcqomFGgbun711Cbdv15N/s320/image002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067771153375155106" border="0" /></a><br />I think it's great! And done in time for a Memorial Day cookout even! Too bad it's supposed to rain this weekend... We'll also have to UNLOAD the entire thing within a week or two and seal/stain it, but for now we're living it up! <br /><br />If it <span style="font-style: italic;">does</span> rain, then at least I won't have to regret missing the great weather if we wind up seeing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449088/">PotC: At World's End</a> (which I definitely hope to do). Can't wait, should be a good one! (Though the threequels haven't been working out so well for other franchises... but I have hope.)<br /><br />Gotta run - but I also wanted to share this PG edit of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/">300</a>:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HWbD91urM-k"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HWbD91urM-k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-39283068839404143452007-05-21T22:54:00.000-04:002007-05-21T23:07:25.204-04:00Close, But No CigarI'm still here. Things are going pretty well in Maxville. VERY busy at work lately, but that's a good thing - keeps things focused, yet busy means it's not all one thing and doesn't get boring. It also helps the time fly by very quickly.<br /><br />Outside of work, our deck is almost done! It LOOKS done, but there are a few minor details I'm assuming should be polished off tomorrow. I'll get some pics up once it's all finished. (Of course, the "finish" (sealing/staining, etc.) won't be for another week or two). Not exactly looking forward to that, but you do what you gotta do. I AM looking forward to the deck itself - it looks awesome.<br /><br />The title up there would be tonight's Cavs game. The boys put up a tough fight up in D-town, but fell JUST short at the end. The upside to the loss (if there is one) is that they went for the WIN instead of the tie at the end, LeBron driving the lane before kicking out to Donyell Marshall for a nice open look at a game-winning 3 that was JUST off... If they can take one of the games in the Palace before coming home to Cleveland, they'll be in GREAT shape. I believe.<br /><br />Been having fun Yelping it up too, throwing up several more reviews tonight, and getting the beginnings of my favorite restaurants list together. I'll fill it out as I get more places reviewed. Hopefully soon. I threw a link to my Yelp Reviews over in the sidebar there. Still only have ONE friend there so far (thanks Irene~!)...<br /><br />Last but not least, this week I FINALLY got around to checking out <a href="http://www.kleptones.com/pages/downloads_24h.html">24 Hours</a>, the Kleptones double-album that came out LAST YEAR. It's not as thoroughly awesome as <a href="http://www.kleptones.com/pages/downloads_hiphopera.html">A Night At The Hip-Hopera</a>, but it's still some solid Kleptones goodness... well-executed mashuposity that is definitely worth your time.shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-85057517893666876152007-05-14T22:22:00.000-04:002007-05-14T22:30:38.853-04:00Cavs SQUEAK By, Get the Road WinWell, after looking TERRIBLE in their first road game of the series in Jersey Saturday (and ruining my ALL SWEEP, ALL THE TIME master plan, the Cavs took back control of the series with a <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2007051417">squeaker-win tonight in Jersey, 87-85</a>, and will head home to the big C to get the job done. Gotta hope the Bulls can do their part tomorrow night and get another win against D-Town so they don't get TOO fresh on us waiting for the conference finals to start. Better yet, force that series to game 7 so that the Cavs can polish off the Nets AND get some rest.<br /><br />The ESPN gallery's currently a little thin (give 'em a break, the game <span style="font-style: italic;">just</span> ended), so no EmotiBron tonight. Instead, Z brings you a LITHUANIAN KARATE CHOP!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/e8b44dfc-dcb5-4c35-a050-aa1a6d164929.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/e8b44dfc-dcb5-4c35-a050-aa1a6d164929.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hi-YAH! Take THAT Mikki Moore! What kind of a name is Mikki anyway?shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291904.post-91315234714590435312007-05-09T15:22:00.000-04:002008-12-14T17:16:12.203-05:00Yelp Me Out Here<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yelp.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgiZpkX8eS7HeLvg_UFq39ZrPjTyQJyZnA2P5HrBqiSLNlH5pMO2zfw2rggZuOcRj89LsmckUIaDsCkrQWJAnbzxp2h5R6G0jCAFfDnnJKpzXiUpvInYrRBUD1mDlBmIZjk8N/s200/yelplogo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062645568377464306" border="0" /></a><br />So someone over at the <a href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/index.php">Columbus Underground forums</a> mentioned this social restaurant/store/entertainment review site called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/?location=Columbus%2C+OH">Yelp</a>. It's kind of like Yahoo reviews or Citysearch-meets-Web2.0. A dash of social network, a dash of local reviews, etc. Just my kind of new toy to play with, and very similar to the previously mentioned <a href="https://www.trustedopinion.com/">Trusted Opinion</a> (ref'd <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2007/04/movies-third-times-still-charm.html">here</a>) or to a lesser extent <a href="http://www.librarything.com/">LibraryThing</a> (ref'd <a href="http://shroud9.blogspot.com/2006/06/star-wars-at-cosi-gaming-librarything.html">here</a>). Only, you know, with a much larger base than just movies or books.<br /><br />So I checked it out, and it seems like as good a place as any to throw my opinion out there. After all, I definitely enjoy checking out new restaurants, and have tried my hand at reviews in the past. Well, this is a much less formal, more social way to do so. I've only written up a few reviews so far, but I'm sure more will be coming - it fits a good niche, and is "flashier" than the other options. <a href="http://shroud.yelp.com/">Here's my page</a>. If you sign-up, be sure to "friend" me - I look so lonely with no friends there! ;)<br /><br />In other news, the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270508005">Cavs are up on the Nets 2-0</a>! Only 10 games away from an NBA championship baby! That's right - I'm calling for the Cavs to SWEEP the ENTIRE NBA playoffs! It could happen, right?<br /><br />What do you think LeBron, can you & the boys make it happen?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/dcce07f5-bc20-41c0-b3a7-c2cb5934762b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/dcce07f5-bc20-41c0-b3a7-c2cb5934762b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>shroudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170602416638554539noreply@blogger.com