Aleph Ersatz

So I didn’t even hold out six months before I’m back on the “no-posting” wagon.  For a while there, I actually contemplated switching to Twitter, but really, I don’t want to be a twit.  And the concept is stupid.  I hope it dies, just like that stupid AYBABTU.  That didn’t last long, right?  I mean, who even remebers it?

I have been up to alot, actually.  Working, tons, been doing 200+ hours a month again.  Reading tons and tons of manga.  The otaku list needs a major update as I’ve read at least 10 - 15 different books and novels in the last while.  Found a bunch of new good stuff, and some of the worst mangas in existence!

I’ve begun the long and arduous process of learing Japanese.  Not only am I horrible with spoken languages, but this one also involves re-learing how to read.  However, I’ve managed to nail down most of the Hiragana table, so all I need to do is learn Katakana, practice, and start learning the grammar structures.  Sounds so easy doesn’t it?  Been practicing my reading on vaious things around - maily mangas - and actually I’m doing pretty well.  Plus I’ve found a variety of very useful and informative websites.

• Grammar and Langauge: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/index.html
• Writing and tidbits: http://japanese.about.com/
• Writing: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/7047/
• Hiragana Pracice: http://www.chipchat.com/NihonGo/protect/HiraganaDrill.html
• Katakana Practice: http://www.chipchat.com/NihonGo/protect/KatakanaDrill.html

I’m actually really enjoying being able to read it.  It seems like such a huge feat, but I know there is much more to come.

Lastly, I wrote a letter to a newspaper and got it printed.  While not hugely exciting, I’m kinda happy.  It’s in today’s Now Newspaper.  If you can read it.  I’m not readily posting a link because it lists my name on the letter.  But if you know me, send me an IM or email and I’ll send you a link.

Finally finished The Talisman.  Was a pretty good book, very interesting, and I can see how the styles of King and Straub converge, but generally had a  good idea of when King was he predominant writer.  His work just burrows under the skin of one’s imagination, creepy as hell, but absolutely fantastic.

With that is done, I’ve been pounding away and the local libraries’ manga collection.  Found a few interesting ones, and updated my otaku list to match waht I’ve read recently.  Insert sigh here. It grows, always growing…

Got my hands on The High End of Low.  Jesus fuck, was that ever a load of shit.  Not that I expect much from a Manson album, but that was pure, uninspired, crack induced crap. Not even worth a once-over listen too.  Couldn’t do more than three songs at a time, at most.

Gladly, though, a couple other good albums may be coming out soon from artists I enjoy alot more than Manson.  VNV nation has a new album on the 23rd, and are touring.  Now if I could only get to Seattle for July 1st!  30 Seconds to Mars may also have a new album soon, which will also be pleasing.  There are a couple more, too, I just cannot remeber whom!

That’s right, my father-in-law’s cancer rally is back on!  Check out the website!

http://www.fraservalleythunder.org/

Feel free to contact them, or me, with any questions you may have!

It’s amazing how easily conversations with the right people can go awry. From a conversation discussing War Dialing, War Driving and War Games, we got to predicting the future of tech-wars. This somehow combined War Driving with the Internet Tubes to create: War Tubing.
The rest is an actual quote:

Co-worker #1: War tubing?!?

Aleph: Stay out of my tubes!

Co-worker #2: That’s what she said.

The worst part is, CW#2 said it without missing a beat! Such a cruel place for a TWSS joke!

The Grid Mural has picked up rapidly.  Three pieces up in the last two days, and the next few spaces being divided and conqured soon.  Check back tomorrow and I will have the B2 piece added in then.

—

As promised, although slightly late, the answers for March below the cut.

(more…)

Managed to get out to a cafe last night and see both Distraction and Outspoken Worsmiths.  Wasa great show once the strange newbie poets finished.  Amazing beatboxing from the OW and Distraction was as awesome as always.

Unfortuantely, had to leave due to a family emergency just as distraction started.  So a crappy end to a good night.

—

My first contribution to the GF Grid mural is up:

Check out the Mural Page to see how it fist.

—

Will have the usual answers for March posted tomorrow.

So today it rained, then snowed, then was sunny and decently warm, and is now raining and windy as hell.  I hate this crazy weather!  Where’s my spring! Arg!

—

Got a brand new couch and loveseat today from the neighbour.  They were gonna give them away so we got it first.  Finally replaced the old chunk of our sectional and the piss-poor futon-style bed we got from EvilMart.  Not only was the matress damaged from liquid spills (kids) but the frame was shot.  Most of the welds have given out and the crap super-thin wire frame was mostly broken and falling out the bottom.  Got tons of pictures of it, and man, the damage is downright scary.  I can’t beleive we actually used that.

Will post some of the pics later.

—

Couple of movies lately have shown up on my radar.  Must remeber to check them out:

• Dragonball Evolution - American butcherization of the classic Anime.  I am scared, and disturbed that they chose that one to brutalize first.
• Watchmen - Considdering how 300 and Sin City were, I’d have to say that Frank Miller comics are excelent and make great move conversions, when done faithfully.  This one appears to be very faithful, so I am intrigued, although I know nothing of the Watchmen series at all…yet.
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I’ve read the Origin comic, and Wolverine has always been my favourite.  Plus, the X-Men movies aren’t that bad either, but I have yet to see the third one.
• Che (One/Two) - Two directors, one iconic man, one biopic.  I hope it is as good as it sounds, although I seriously do not know enough about Che Guevara as I should, I hope the movie will be accurate enough that I can learn more.

I may actually try to catch Watchmen while it’s in theaters too.  Somewhat rare for me especially now with our spending money hampered.

It’s up, and it’s renamed!

My Otaku List is updated and running, check it out!

I still have a couple of issues with teh table setup (IE no lines and a gigantic gap before the header) and I need to fill in the details, but the list is full and has all the main items I can remeber.  It’s a pretty damn long list and I hope to make it much longer in the future!
—
In other news….holy shit it’s snowing again!  Big freaking snowing!  So not fair!!!

Finally got the power supply replaced.  Got me a new Corsair CX400W for $80 minus a mail-in rebate, so good deal there.  Purrs along nicely and keeps things well powered, as fa as I can tell.  Oh and the fans work, so it’s not heating up the case and CPU constantly!  Now to just replace the three main case fans, get a new slot-fan and front plate as well and things will be perfect.

I have a 24″ case, exactly, with a divider, giving me two cooling zones.  HDD, CPU, GFX card and Motehrboard are in one large one with an input an output.  DVD burner and PSU are on the other, with a single output.  It’s a large space, so it cools nicely, but needs new fans, these old ones are loud and cranky.

—

Got fairly behind this weekend, but had a good D&D session.  Added my fourth player to nicely balance out the group.  The new guys uses a tablet PC, and while it dislikes my wireless, makes it very easy to keep character sheets and copies.

Plan on making him a quick dice-roller app, and if it works well, I mayb jsut post it here.  Been interesting in fighting with GTK, this might be the time to try it.

—

Same as last month, since this one went so quick, I’m going to reveal the answers to the music-related posts below.

(more…)

Had an interesting meeting with the one neighbour of mine.  Her car is in the same parking lot as  ours, and during the big Decemebr snowfall, her car got burried by the plow’s shitty work.  My wife and I helped her get out, and now we say hello when we pass.  Very neighbourly.

So today, while waiting in the ice and snow for the bus, I look over and see one of the other regulars running across the road.  The bus stop is right by a T-intesection onto a major street, so there is only one stop sign.  The woman runs across the two lane road across the stop-sign side, but instead of going straight across, she cuts across at an angle, putting her about 10 feet behind the stop sign.  Then, she slips on the ice and falls.

That was all fine and dandy, until I saw the jeep.  The jeep swerved nicely, though, very excelent driving, and cuts between the stopsign post and the wooden barrier on the side walk, slowly going over the grassy corner and cleanly ripping the fire hydrant right out of the ground.  It was at this point I realized, “holy shit, they realyl DO shoot guyesers of water”, because that’s what it did, covering the Jeep in muddy water.

Luckly, the Jeep was going slow it could stop easily off the road, literally, and the storm drain was clear, so there was a little lake, but didn’t flood anything, and the driver could get in and out easily.  That was when the passenger, who happened to be my neighbour from before, got out!  I always seem to meet her at the oddest of times it seems.

So, the eighbour and I checked on the woman who fell, and whom was totally ok, then got the standard information from everyone.  I gave her a chunk of paper from my notebook and my pen to use, and she was grateful, and we had a good chuckle before I caught my bus.  The poor driver, she was a bit distraught, but her angered comment of “why is a fire hydrant there?” was quite amusing…and I totally agree.  It’s on the side of the 3-way furthest from all of the houses!  Makes no sense to have it there, but I guess it just had to be there.

Pure irony.  Damn the universe.