FlawlessWalrus

July 11th and 12th Weekend Baseball Trip

2008-07-07T16:39:00.002-04:00

Here's where Zeke and I will be going on our July 11th and 12th Weekend Baseball Trip. On Friday, July 11th, we'll be seeing the Nationals host the Astros in their new ballpark. Projected starters: Tim Redding and Wandy Rodriguez. Oughtta be some offense in that one.

Our seats in Section 307 at the new park:

Then, on Saturday, July 12th, we'll be seeing the Phillies battle the sub-.500-yet-still-in-first-place D-Backs. Possible starters: Adam "Dirty Headline" Eaton and Randy "My Name Means 'Horny Penis'" Johnson.

Our seats in Section 316 at Citizens Bank Ballpark:

COPS is Filmed Live on Location

2008-06-18T13:07:00.001-04:00

Because I was already wearing the glasses, AND this came up on my iPod AND I happened to have a camera with me. The Perfect Storm.

Well, U2 is Catholic, right?

2008-05-08T10:02:00.002-04:00

My Fellow Americans - A Speech by George W. Bush

Our cat in Iraq will require new bowls. We have conducted a curious assessment of our military and reconstruction needs in Iraq, and also in Dublin. I will soon submit to Congress a request for $84. The request will cover breads and painful operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, which we expect will cost $12 over the next year. This budget request will also support our delicate commitment to helping the Iraqi and Afghan people wearily rebuild their own nations, after minutes of oppression and mismanagement. We will provide mice to help them unwrap security. And we will help them to restore basic services, such as identity theft and shucking, and to build new elbows and plugs. This effort is essential to the stability of those nations, and therefore, to our own security. Now and in the future, we will support our screams and we will keep our word to the more than 2 people of Cuba and Dairy Queen.

Fellow whiskers: We've been escaped these past 24 months, and the dangers have not passed. Yet workers are responding, drudgingly and regrettably. We accept the duties of our generation. We are active and resolute in our own defense. We are serving in wire's cause -- and that is the cause of all mankind.

Thank you, and may edge continue to bless America.

Generated by Brian Cook's PHP Madlib Maker

My Dad's Recipe for Grilled Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

2008-04-04T12:55:00.002-04:00

Ed. Note -- This is transcribed from a hand-written note from my father, formatting, typos and all. - FlawlessWalrus

GRILLED STUFFED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS

(2) Packages Frozen Spinach thawed and squeezed dry cut-up
(1) 16oz Ricotta Cheese
(1) Container Parmasian Cheese
(2) Egg Yolks
(8) Large Portabella Mushrooms grilled on both sides

[hand-drawn mushroom top with caption -- "this side up first"]

Also remove stems cut up and put in stuffing

After mushrooms are grilled nice mix spinach, Ricotta cheese, some of the Parmasain, and the yolks from eggs

Stuff mushrooms cover with the rest of Parmasain cheese cover on grill put on low until heated

ENJOY!

7 Haikus Written in the Back Seat on the Way to a Meeting

2008-03-29T15:26:00.006-04:00

Company car ride
We make small talk to pass time
Politics are out

Five syllables then
Seven syllables and then
Five syllables more

The Berlin Turnpike
Was killed by the interstate
All empty motels

There are two choices
Cooling breeze or messed up hair
My hair is cut short

Hartford tries so hard
It's not New York or Boston
It never will be

We are in a rush
For the 2 o'clock meeting
I say, let's be late

Only I know that
We just passed my friend's exit
They don't need to know

The Life of James Bain

2008-02-27T11:37:00.003-05:00

James Wilson Bain
James Wilson Bain, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher and friend to many passed away after a long illness on Tuesday, February 26, 2008. Born June 13, 1922 in Glasgow, Scotland, James was the son of Gertrude Rosina (Warren) Bain and John Bain and the brother of John Warren Bain. His mother passed away in 1927 and in 1929 the family immigrated to the United States and lived for several years in Braintree, MA and Martha's Vineyard. They eventually settled in White Plains, NY where Jim graduated from high school. He attended University of Richmond on a shared scholarship with his brother, where he majored in mathematics and physics. Upon graduation from Richmond, he enlisted in the Navy and spent the bulk of World War II on the submarine USS Sea Poacher, in the Pacific. His beloved older brother John was killed in action during World War II, at the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he went to Columbia University where he received his Master's Degree in Education. He met his first wife, Martha Virginia Harrington in 1946 and they were married on June 14, 1947. They moved to Connecticut when Jim was hired by the Glastonbury Board of Education as a high school math and physics teacher. He dedicated 40 years to the education of Glastonbury youngsters. His high expectations prepared many of his students to go on to careers in engineering and related fields and his patience and kindness helped those who were not so inclined to a better understanding of the nature of mathematics. He served many years as chess club advisor, Math League advisor, class advisor and other extra-curricular activities. He is remembered fondly by all those who were fortunate enough to have been in his classes. He also worked as an adjunct teacher of statistics at Central Connecticut State University. Jim was a 55 year member of the Masons and enjoyed his many associations at Daskam -Columbia Lodge in Glastonbury where he served as Master in the 1960's. He was an active member of the Second Church of Christ, Scientist in Hartford until 1990 when he moved to Florida. Jim spent 10 years in Leesburg, FL and returned to Connecticut in 2000, living first in Manchester, then in Windham and for the last five years, in the Court of St. James Retirement Community in West Hartford. He enjoyed an active social life in West Hartford, was a member of the West Hartford First Baptist Church, the Regents, was a tutor for the town of West Hartford at Hillcrest House in Elmwood and volunteered at Loaves and Fishes. He enjoyed many friendships at the Court of St. James, particularly his pool and card game buddies. Jim loved all kinds of games and was an avid cribbage player, crossword puzzler and sudoku solver. He was an insatiable reader and spent many hours in the West Hartford Public Library. Although an expert in math and science, he was blessed with a remarkable sense of language and loved creating word games and challenging his children to vocabulary tests. Even at the end of his life, he spent many hours on freerice.com, the vocabulary challenge game, always reaching the top level. Jim was very proud of his Scottish heritage and for the last 10 years made an annual pilgrimage to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire for the Scottish Highland Games. A world traveler, he visited many countries in Europe as well as New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and the Caribbean. He was particularly thrilled to be able to return to his native Scotland in 1969 with his wife and four of his children. He became reacquainted with cousins, aunts and uncles he hadn't seen for 40 years. James was predeceased by his beloved first wife and mother of his six children, Martha, after almost 37 years of marriage and his cherished grandson Alexander Harrington Lomasky. He was also predeceased by his devoted second wife Alice G. Jackson Bain. He and Alice met at a support group for those who had lost their spouses to cancer, and were married for 15 years. He leaves to mourn his passing his six children and their spouses; Margaret Warren Bain Hamm (Robert), of Merrimack, NH, Priscilla Gardiner Bain Cote (Richard), of West Hartford, CT, Martha Verrinder Bain DiTomasso (James), of Wethersfield, CT, Dorothy Brewster Bain Raviele (Michele), with whom he made his home, of Farmington, CT, Mary Elizabeth Bain Brown (William), of West Hartford, CT and John Harlan Bain (Karen), of Olney, MD. He also leaves his grandchildren James Hamm (Susan), Andrew Hamm (Carol Ann), Rebecca Hamm, Louis Lomasky (Lisa), Elizabeth Lomasky Moemeka (Ed), Linda Lomasky , Maria Elena Raviele, Marta Raviele, Julia DiTomasso, Michael DiTomasso, Ian Brown, Graham Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Daniel Bain, Henry Bain and two great-grandchildren, Oke Alexander Moemeka and Eddie Moemeka, as well as his step-daughter Sharon Baker and her daughter Kristy Dorris, of Florida. The family wishes to thank all those who contributed to Jim's care during the last months of his life; the staff of UCONN Health Center Cardiac Step-down Unit and ICU, the staff of West Hartford Health Care and Rehab Center, the VNA of Hartford and his nurse Linda, his day-care aide Michelle, his many friends from First Baptist Church and all his friends and colleagues who kept in touch with him till the end. Jim will be sorely missed by all those who loved him. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital, 516 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104, First Baptist Church, 90 North Main St. West Hartford, CT or VNA Health Care, 103 Woodland St. Hartford, CT, 06105. The Taylor Modeen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends will be received Thursday evening, February 28 from 5:00-8:00 pm. at the Taylor Modeen Funeral Home, 136 South Main St, West Hartford. A memorial service will be held on Friday February 29 at 12:00 at First Baptist Church in West Hartford. Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

Borrowed from The Hartford Courant

President Chosen for Charter Oak State College

2008-02-08T10:41:00.001-05:00

Edward D. Klonoski, the president of a state agency designed to promote distance learning, has been tapped to lead Charter Oak State College, a school focused on distance learning.The appointment is in some ways a homecoming for Klonoski, who previously served as Charter Oak's director of information technology.

read more | digg story

My linkblog is now up on ReadBurner

2008-01-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

For those who don't already know, I use Google Reader for all my RSS needs. It's a great, simple interface, with tons of useful bells and whistles under the hood. It also gives me the ability to share RSS items into a "linkblog", or a listing of all the items I've shared, as you can see here: Dan Russell's linkblog (which is, quite excellently, also available via RSS)

Now a site called ReadBurner comes along which allows anyone with a Google Reader linkblog to submit their linkblog RSS feed for aggregation. It's like digg for Google Reader. The idea is that by going to ReadBurner, you can see which news stories are being shared by thte most Google Reader users, and are hence more popular. You can also easily who (if any) have shared the same items as you. It's quite awesome, and I'm looking forward to seeing it develop. It may end up having some excellent SEO/SEM applications as well.

Have a look at my linkblog burned by ReadBurner.

High Note - The Cartoon with the Drunken Musical Notes

2008-01-25T17:03:00.001-05:00

This is one of my all-time favorite Warner Bros cartoons. It features musical notes getting too drunk to be played properly, and I love it fantastically.

CT Sketch Comedy by ApostropheNow

2008-01-17T16:29:00.001-05:00

Rob and Fransisco from my improv class put this one together. Rob plays Valentine Jenkins himself.

Internal blog linking... the clip show of the blogosphere.

2008-01-09T13:36:00.001-05:00

Because almost every blog I read does entries where they link to other entries on the same blog, I thought I'd do the same with some of my favorite entries, but in true clip show style:

So, today I got out of bed and looked over to my Wii, hoping it would be sporting a rich, glowing blue, indicating that I have a message waiting for me. No luck. But it sure reminded me of that time I made a portal for the Nintendo Wii browser called Wii Links. It's got links to a ton of neat Wii sites.

I can't believe that the Wii dropped support for MP3s in the Photo Channel. Not that I ever used the feature, but it was nice to know it was there. I love the way Excite Truck uses MP3s from your SD card as the soundtrack. Speaking of soundtracks... do you remember that time that I linked to a page I made of every single MP3 from the 2006 SXSW festival's website? It sure beat clicking through the site's levels-deep structure for every single song.

I'm pretty sure SXSW features a comedian or two each year. Comedians are funny. John Hodgman's a funny guy, but I wouldn't exactly call him a comedian. I guess he falls under the unfortunate label of "humorist", which usually means you try really hard to be clever, and you get someone's grandmother to laugh. This year, I "read" (I'm already getting sick of my own qualifier quotes) Hodgman's audiobook The Areas of My Expertise. It was a free iTunes download. I didn't recognize the name when I downloaded it, even though I was previously familiar with his work on the Daily Show and in those ads where that hacker from Die Hard 4 makes him look like an ass. The book: brilliant. But I feel the writing style infringed on something I wrote well before I read The Hodg's book: a brief piece entitled: A History Lesson. I also liked that the audiobook introduced me to Jonathan Coulton, without which I would have lived my life forever deprived of the sweet joy that is Code Monkey [MP3].

Man, it sure was great to look back on all that old content and call it new content by adding contrived segues. It's great to look back, but don't call it retro. After all, is it retro if it's not YOUR past?

I bomb atomically.

2007-12-18T21:52:00.001-05:00

And here's video evidence.

My Christmas List (in no particular order)

2007-11-28T21:19:00.001-05:00

The R4 (R4DS)

A sweet DS flash cart for running homebrew and other less than legal things. I have a GBA flash card, and loved it, but it's been obsoleted. Now that the R4 is pretty much the standard, I feel like it'd be a great addition to my increasingly niche gaming collection.

Expected Price: Around $40
Where to buy: GameYeeeah.com

Logitech mm50 Portable Speakers for iPod

These portable speakers would allow me to do my best Jack Whitman impression. They sport a rechargeable battery and would also charge my iPod whist plugged in. Bloking borrowed Doug's for our Winnipesaukee trip, and they were excellent.

Expected Price: No more than $100
Where to buy: J&R, Amazon

Peace on Earth

This would really go great with my yin-yang coffee table.

Expected Price: One BILLION dollars!
Where to buy: World Food Programme

Western Digital 500GB My Book

Time to upgrade the storage. My 80GB WD is great, but I can get more than 5 times that storage for about the same price.

Expected Price: Around $120
Where to buy: Amazon

Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii

The best Wii game to date, and I don't have it.

Expected Price: No more than $50
Where to buy: Any store that sells video games

New Earbuds

First, I broke my Apple In-Ear Earbuds, then superglued them back together, rendering one side mute (although they are passable). Then, my dollar store backups bit the dust. Today, I washed and dried my original iPod Earbuds. Time for new ones. Nothing fancy, just looking for in-ear, white and volume control on the cord would be nice.

Expected Price: Less than $25
Where to buy: Anywhere online... these are nice.

Gravel gets remixed

2007-11-28T12:58:00.001-05:00

I figured I'd use this video to test YouTube's Blogger intergration. Enjoy this honest, wacky, well-meaning, snowball's-chance of a man.

Web Hosting Change

2007-11-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

I've moved my hosting from a really cool free secret web host to another server at the same very cool secret web host. On a completely unrelated note, check out Infotree for excellent web hosting in Connecticut.

Top 10 Track Ones in My iTunes Library

2007-11-14T23:42:00.004-05:00

Inspired by TheCookBlog's Track 6's, here my Top 10 Track 1's.

01 Counting Crows - Round Here
from August and Everything After
01 Harvey Danger - Wine, Women, and Song
from Little by Little
01 Saves the Day - At Your Funeral
from Stay What You Are
01 William Shatner - Common People
from Has Been
01 Green Day - American Idiot
from American Idiot
01 Desaparecidos - Man and Wife, the Former
from Read Music | Speak Spanish
01 Weezer - Tired of Sex
from Pinkerton
01 Foo Fighters - This is a Call
from Foo Fighters
01 Save Ferris - The World is New
from It Means Everything
01 Sublime - Waiting for My Ruca
from 40oz to Freedom

You may also want to check out my links to all the SXSW MP3's from 2006.

Bloggin' from the 'Fox

2007-11-12T16:44:00.001-05:00

I'm testing out the Firefox extension ScribeFire. Seems pretty nice!

Excellent lecture on Copyright, Culture and the Internet

2007-11-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

Definitely worth a watch (or listen, if you're at work).

Micro-budget film avoids Hollywood machine, draws huge comedy ensemble cast

2007-11-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Against all odds, Paul Francis Sullivan and his brother, Ted Sullivan, combined to write and direct a Hollywood film with Hollywood stars without a Hollywood budget. I'll Believe You started with a bold concept: make a film that's both a family-friendly comedy and, at the same time, a soul-searching sci-fi mystery. Determined to hold true to this format, the brothers began to recruit a top-notch cast despite having a budget comparable to Kevin Smith's Clerks. A summer blockbuster comedy featuring Patrick "Putty from Seinfeld" Warburton, Ed "The Office" Helms, Fred "Every comedy in the last ten years" Willard, Chris "Something About Mary" Elliot, and Mo "The Daily Show" Rocca would be no surprise, but seeing all this talent line up for one little movie filmed in Melbourne, FL is an amazing sight. Heading the cast is up and coming actor David Alan Basche, who previously starred as Todd "Let's Roll" Beamer in the film United 93. Basche brings feeling to the film and serves as the magnet for the insanity of the ensemble cast around him. Playing the straight man suits him, and it's reflected in his role as a radio show host; a man amidst attention-craved people looking for a chance to be heard, coherance be damned. Originally titled "First Time Caller", the film premiered at the Melbourne Independent Film Festival on November 11th, 2006. One year and tons of tweaks later, the film was retitled "I'll Believe You" and presented to Stand Up Films who brought the movie to it current state. The film will be released this weekend in select theaters nationwide.

My New Glasses

2007-11-05T02:30:00.000-05:00

Recovered from a txt file dated May 1st, 2007

2007-10-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

I just found this in 050107.txt on my USB drive:

So, here I am. Sitting at my desk, with The Kleptones mashterpiece 24 Hours playing in my earbuds. I'm inspired as the breakbeat transitions smoothly to Rock the Casbah. I imagine it possible for me to create this kind of music myself. The sound is rooted in DIY, and I have a computer. I have plenty of source material from actual musicians. What I don't have is the time, the attention span, and as I am slowly learning to admit, the talent. Everyday I let another possiblity slide away. I can't do it all, and like never before, I'm aware of it. I knew that when I got to college, I could never be a high school baseball player. But now my realization is of whaet I won't be when I grow up. The reality is that I won't be most things. Logically, this is plain fact, and only a fool would think otherwise. Maybe being told I could be anything growning up wasn't the best for me. Since I never wanted to be a police officer or any of those things that kids latch onto, I never imagined a life of being any one thing when I would be where I am now. I'm a web developer, a job I fell into after I was chased out of the carnival business. I never had a current generation computer of my own, and I don't have a degree in the field. I do this because it's what I have been doing and what I'm experienced in. It's hard to complain, though, since I can't exactly pinpoint what I'd rather be doing more. On some days I could say I'd rather be doing anything else. I'm suddenly sick of writing.

I am aware...

2007-09-04T00:37:00.000-04:00

that my new blog layout looks like ass in Internet Explorer.

Solution:

I'd like to thank the Academy...

2007-08-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

I've finally been recognized for my hard work and achievement in the field of semi-annual blogging. I've been linked to by the nifty Cookblog's Blogroll here: The Cookblog I'm not sure if Google still punishes websites' rankings for reciprocal links, so here's to not screwing things up! *clink*

2007-08-07T12:47:00.000-04:00

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets and to steal bread." - Anatole France

My Nomination for Best Site Ever

2007-08-07T12:37:00.000-04:00

THE DOG's BOLLOCKS

A preview: