I Love Macs...And Other Tales That Will Confuse You

For years, I've avoided using Macs. Many people have tried to convince me to "Switch", but I wasn't falling for it. I wasn't falling for it, that is, until I started using an iPod. I'll be clear...you don't need a Mac to use an iPod and a PC even has some features in it's version of iTunes that the Mac version doesn't have. I wasn't forced to use the Mac. My guess is; the iPod carries with it, some sort of Apple voodoo. You get the iPod in your hands and it starts to control your mind.

"Update that Mac you haven't used in 6 months and see how it goes. It's time to REALLY learn how to use it"

I installed everything...all the crap that I use on a PC and then some. Then some = Widgets. Widgets, in case you haven't been fortunate enough to discover this, give you a crapload of functionality using the Dashboard...for crying out loud...just get a Mac and install the frikkin OS. Why am I telling you all this?

I know what some of you are thinking...the goatee goes away and all of a sudden Jeff likes Macs. Years and years of hate, and now he's pushing what he once considered the evil operating system. You're thinking I'm some other Jeff from a Mirror Universe. If you're thinking that way...you're just enough of a geek to own a Mac. And I mean that in a good way...for once!

P.S. Don't confuse this for a love of the Unix Monster that lives beneath the Mac OS...that will ALWAYS suck.

Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

The real question here is...who DOESN'T want to be a superhero? That's the question I'll be asking while I sit through the Sci-Fi channel original reality show, Who Wants to be a Superhero?...I friggin hate reality shows, but how can you NOT watch a show where real people pretend to have super powers so they can win a contest and be featured in a comic book...or is it a TV show....really, does it matter? Sometimes it's cool just to play.

Monty Stopped the Energizer Bunny

High Maintenance

How many of you thought this was going to be about Katharine? Nope...you're wrong. It's about ME! When did I become high maintenance? I was in the shower this morning, and I was looking around...Tea Tree Shampoo, Shaving Gel for Men, Gillette face moisturizer, Nivea for Men AfterShave, and the ever popular Nivea for Men Face Scrub. Stop laughing...it's not funny. It's a sickness. I used to wash my hands with dishwashing liquid. I used to wash my face with soap. The shampoo I used to use had a black and white label and cost 99 cents. This Tea Tree shampoo is 12 bucks. Holy Shit! When did this happen? When did I become high maintenance? Crazy products and 5 jackets. I used to own 2 jackets...a spring jacket and a winter jacket. Now I have 2 spring jackets, a fall jacket, an extreme cold winter jacket, and a wool/cashmere dress up coat. What the fuck? I said it...WOOL/CASHMERE. Damn...what's happening here?

See the lonely bottle of Suave in the background that never gets used anymore?

I Swear This is the Last Star Wars Post Until the TV Series Comes Out

I know...I know...only a true geek would post two Star Wars posts in a row, but this time, I have a lot to show you. I finally made it to the Star Wars exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science, "Where it's fun to find out"...OK that WAS their slogan when I was about 6 years old...back when they showed you how to make "An ocean wave, wave"...don't know if they still maintain that.

Anyway...after 30 years of Star Wars fascination (and a few weeks before the exhibit closed and was gone forever until George Lucas releases the Special Edition exhibit), I finally got close to my heroes. Granted, they were only the costumes worn by my heroes and the models that were used to bring the space battles to life, but it was still pretty cool. 119 pictures later...well, see for yourself by clicking on this closeup of Chewie (which is a little creepy considering he has no eyes):

Don't worry...when you click on Chewie, you'll see the rest of the pictures...this is not a trick....and Chewie will NOT be naked when you click on him.

The Coolest Geek Toy Ever

After years of drooling over the coolest Star Wars toy ever...that's right...even the "burned to a crisp" Anakin figure comes second to this one...I went out and got myself the Anakin Skywalker Force FX Lightsaber by Master Replicas. If you've clicked the link...you already know how friggin cool it is. If you've clicked the link...that was rude because you didn't finish reading first.

Now I have to say...it has one flaw...you can't actually cut off an enemy's limb with it. It only looks and sounds like an authentic lightsaber. It'll have to do for now until I get my hands on the real thing.

Hmmm...this color "glowy" blue seems to be invading my life. First Alienware and now this.

Set For Life, My Ass...

I don't play the lottery very often...only when the jackpot is HUGE! When I do play...I expect to win. I don't expect to win every time...I only expect to win big once and that hasn't happened yet. I expected a game called "Set for Life" to payoff.

The first time I ever bought a $10 scratch ticket. EVER. I scratched my numbers. I scratched the winning numbers. I got a 2, my number was 12. I got a 19, my number was 9. You get the idea. I was pretty excited when I scratched off one of the prizes and it said "1 MIL"...I've never seen "1 MIL" on a scratch ticket. I didn't win "1 MIL"...if I did, I wouldn't be posting today...I'd be out having lobster and buyng new furniture! I didn't even win a dollar. Fuck $10 scratch tickets.

TJ Hooker Likes Strange Movies

I finally received my second DVD from the William Shatner DVD Club...(the customer service people had to send it to me express mail), and this month's...uhm...I guess it was February's feature, was called IMMORTEL.

It's a French sci-fi film about a pyramid that appears in the sky over New York in 2095 as the gods of ancient Egypt are judging Horus. Sounds pretty fucked up, doesn't it? I wasn't sure at first myself when I started to watch it. It was an "interesting" movie and that's not to say it was bad. It was an awkward combination of live action and animation, but not in the traditional sense. All the characters were meant to be real people, but apparently the budget only allowed for 5 real actors and actresses...the rest...why not create them digitally? Costs less that way. Who needs real people to tell a story anyway? If I ever make a movie...I don't think I'll use real people either. Oh wait...I've made 3 movies and I only used the voices of real people...does that count?

Anyway. I did sit through the whole movie...it held my attention and not because it was spectacular...also not because it was a train wreck. It was just so strange that I couldn't help staring at it...kind of like...nevermind.

Sweet and Sour

If you put a Tic Tac Orange mint and an Altoid Tangerine Sour in your mouth at the same time...do you think they would fight? I was curious, so I tried it this afternoon...it was a little weird....I think they did.

That's a Crock

From now on, every Sunday is crockpot day. Sure it took 10 hours and 100 KWH, but I made a fantastic pulled pork roast and I'll do it again. Oh yes...I will. You don't understand what this means...real meals on Monday and Tuesday. Sunday, we won't be able to eat the masterpiece...we'll simply drool over the smell ALL DAY LONG. But Monday, we will enjoy the feast.

I documented the process this week...I did...after all, this was the crockpot debut. What started out as this (looks good, doesn't it):

Has turned into this (you can't have any):

Woke Up This Morning

On Sunday, March 12, 2006, HBO will bring back the only show it has left worth watching. The Sopranos returns for it's 6th season after a year hiatus...but is anyone not currently subscribed to HBO willing to sign up again at $15 a month just for that? I don't know about you, but I don't even remember what happened last season...I could technically watch season 1-5 again and by then, season 6 will be out on DVD.

Having said that...if anyone happens to have HBO for whatever reason it is that they still have it; if you've got TiVo or some other video recorder and if you're already planning to record the show, I would appreciate copies of whatever media it is that you used...you know...so when I'm ready, I can sit down and watch the whole season in a week like I did the first season. Don't worry...I'll buy the 6th season when it's released on DVD to complete my collection...I'm not looking for something for nothing!

This Day in Alienware History

Ahhhh...my laptop is fixed, my TiVo has been replaced, my Sirius rebate is supposedly in the mail, I found jeans at Eddie Bauer for $15 (75% off the price I paid for a single pair which I can now return for my money back), and I received my William Shatner DVD club disc (which I'll talk about after I've watched it).

Today I replaced the tiny little video card in my Alienware laptop...the first time Alienware has ever sent out a part for the user to replace on site. Typically, you have to send the whole laptop back to them...silly...silly people. All kinds of cool copper tubing inside that thing...I should have taken pictures, but I needed 4 hands for the job as it was (thanks Dan). We'll see how long it lasts this time, but things are looking up...even the Alienware tech support guy was friendly and helpful.

Is everything right with the world again? Maybe.

Battlestar Galactica vs Star Wars

About a year ago, I posted a statement about the Battlestar Galactica curtains that I had when I was a teenager and how much they sucked because they weren't Star Wars curtains. The last remaining evidence of those Galactica curtains is here (from 1986):

Now it's 2006 and it's all changed. The new Star Wars movies were released and they were less than they should have been. The new Battlestar Galactica series is now showing on Sci-Fi and it blows away any new Star Wars that has come out. So, although the old Battlestar series will always suck ass in my heart; if I were 14 years old again, I would welcome the NEW Battlestar curtains over the NEW Star Wars curtains. Maybe I'll put those on the wedding registry...Katharine will love them.

:-P