1.2.2020 (first posted this week 2002)
An obsession? Sort of. A hobby? Maybe. It’s a stretch, but maybe you could call it a hobby. It certainly falls in that gray area between obsession and hobby. I would guess there’s a point where every hobby crosses that border. I myownself have gone overboard with one or two hobby-like interests. One just gets a little too into it.
There was a time when I couldn’t get enough of the game Tetris. Before school, after work and well into the night, I’d be flipping around those blocks building and disintegrating that wall. Sure there was the typical high-score-related rivalry with my roommates, but it went beyond wanting to kick their asses like stepchildren. I liked the hypnotic effect of endlessly rotating the Tetris bits. I’d slip into a three-hour Tet-com (Tetris-Coma) that would seem like 15 minutes. It sure was a fun game to play, but not necessarily to watch. There wasn’t much to do. You could root for a “backwards L” to drop next or root against your highscore being defeated but that was about it. Mostly a bunch of BS and small talk. One hot topic of conversation while someone was getting their Tet on was the origin of the game. There was some bullshit story about the game originating in Russia or the USSR or some crap. I never bought it. The Reds could build nukes and pop corn and distill vitamin-V, but computer games?
“Yeh, but, what about them Kremlin-thingys on the box?” I didn’t have an answer for that except for: “Some package-design geek drew the Kremlin. They were probably listening to Sisters of Mercy when they were designing. That’s where the Russian influence starts and stops. Oh, and they were probably hungover from a Stoli binge.” One dill-hole said they knew for a fact that children used to play a version of the game a long time ago on the wind-swept, grassy steppes of Siberia. “Explain that one to me, brainiac. How do you play a practical version of Tetris. Scrabble translates to video game, so does hockey and deer hunting, but Tetris? You’re on crack.” He didn’t have any rebuttal, but he stuck to his guns. Idiot.
To be continued …
Tonight - Orbit Room
News: Well hell. 2002. I’m banking on this year being a lot better than its cousins – Y2K and 2K1. Those years seriously sucked. I’m grateful they’re behind us. Hope all had nice holidays, got everything you wanted and didn’t get food poisoning.
See ya all at the bar. Get there early, get there late, just get there. I spent Christmas Eve there. It’s nice. Bring yer pals. bye-ee!
Oh, and, remember ... "two thousand two." Not "two thousand and two." Don't piss me off.
bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!
Thursday, January 09, 2020
Thursday, January 02, 2020
Perfect Vision
1.1.2020
Given the hectic holiday season, everyone's liver gets an extra week off.
See you next week!!
whrr ... clik!
Given the hectic holiday season, everyone's liver gets an extra week off.
See you next week!!
whrr ... clik!
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Domed (REDUX)
12.3.2019 (first posted this week 2007)
I recently made an iTunes playlist of a bunch of mp3s I got while working at a weird-but-cool place in SF (Stillman might remember the joint) and I gotta tell you ... I'm liking it more than my iTunes library.
It's got Thai pop from the 70s, Blacksploitation anthems, high school bands, Star Trek sound effects, Carl Stalling, a witch casting spells, Detroit funk, The Stooges, The Residents, Stereolab, Nurse With Wound, Underworld, Quintron, Flossie and the Unicorns and a million other things, many artists having been around for years but are totally new to me.
Viva Crazy mp3!
Tonight - Homestead
(last official meeting of the decade)
Homestead for the Holidays. Happy Winter Holiday Season to you all, yo.
bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!
I recently made an iTunes playlist of a bunch of mp3s I got while working at a weird-but-cool place in SF (Stillman might remember the joint) and I gotta tell you ... I'm liking it more than my iTunes library.
It's got Thai pop from the 70s, Blacksploitation anthems, high school bands, Star Trek sound effects, Carl Stalling, a witch casting spells, Detroit funk, The Stooges, The Residents, Stereolab, Nurse With Wound, Underworld, Quintron, Flossie and the Unicorns and a million other things, many artists having been around for years but are totally new to me.
Viva Crazy mp3!
Tonight - Homestead
(last official meeting of the decade)
Homestead for the Holidays. Happy Winter Holiday Season to you all, yo.
bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!
Thursday, December 12, 2019
"In?" (REDUX)
12.2.2019 (first posted this week 2000)
I'm wonderin' if my best friend can kick my other best friend's ass. Let's say that one of my best friend's name is Phil and the other's name is ... uh ... Phil too. Okay. Phil is pretty tall and, I dunno, works out a lot I guess. I don't know if he does for sure but it sorta seems like it. Big dude. So Phil's a pretty tall, big guy, and he could probably kick some ass. Makes sense. He's mostly non-violent though. He'll fight to protect himself or his girlfriend. Or his other friends. Or somebody who's getting their asses kicked unfairly, probably. You know, jump in if the fight's unfair. That's an important factor in being one of my best friends: Not being a hothead, but being just. Back to the question! Can Phil kick Phil's ass? One Phil is big, strong and nonviolent. The other Phil ... wouldn't balk at a fight, but he ain't that big. He wouldn't start it, necessarily, but he'd fight. I picture the Phil/Phil fight being like, Phil not starting the fight and the other Phil not jumping in the nonfight. They'd sit around and talk and laugh and drink beer. Kinda like they do already. The whole concept reminds me of the old "Who-would-win-in-a-fight-between-a-velociraptor-and-a-ninja" dealio. That one's still up in the air. Sit around, talk and drink beer here tonight:
Hyde Out
(*CASH ONLY* - Special guests)
Brother Jer is bar-tendin.' Guess what? Allison is back on the list as herownself. Nicole is new to the list. As is Abigail. Welcome. (nameless) S. Miller alt. email address. A "Get Well Soon" goes out to Kevin. We're raising glasses to yer speedy recovery! Not much more news.
TONIGHT'S CONTEST: Make-out Contest.
TONIGHT'S DRAMATIC REENACTMENT: The opening of the first indoor ice rink. The year, 1912. The day, Christmas Day. The city, Victoria, B.C. Two brothers, Lester and Joe Patrick, opened the world's first indoor ice rink. The dang thing cost $110,000 (Canadian) and seated 4000 people. Under the ice was the world's largest refrigeration and ice-making equipment. A mere three days later, the brothers opened the world's second indoor ice rink in Vancouver. This one was bigger than the first, as it could hold more than 10,000 people. As one might guess, it's ice-making gear became the world's largest. These fellas didn't rest easy: Over the next few decades, they opened indoor rinks all throughout Western Canada and the Northwestern U.S. Players: Spaz and his brother Rob are Lester and Joe. Matt and the other Matt are the rink and ice-maker in Victoria; John and the other John are the rink and ice-maker in Vancouver. Whoever can skate play skaters. Whoever can't play the audience. I need a volunteer to play the Zamboni and the Zamboni operator.
TONIGHT'S SINGLED-OUT LIST MEMBER: Woody. He used to bother Coach Bjeldanes a lot but does not so much anymore. Good for him! Good for her! God bless us, everyone!
When yer readin' something on a website or email that's misspelled, do you think the writer can't spell or can't type?
See you suckers tonight. Bring somebody worth makin'-out with and win the contest. I know I will. (!) ... er ... what I mean is ... I'll see you suckers there! bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!
I'm wonderin' if my best friend can kick my other best friend's ass. Let's say that one of my best friend's name is Phil and the other's name is ... uh ... Phil too. Okay. Phil is pretty tall and, I dunno, works out a lot I guess. I don't know if he does for sure but it sorta seems like it. Big dude. So Phil's a pretty tall, big guy, and he could probably kick some ass. Makes sense. He's mostly non-violent though. He'll fight to protect himself or his girlfriend. Or his other friends. Or somebody who's getting their asses kicked unfairly, probably. You know, jump in if the fight's unfair. That's an important factor in being one of my best friends: Not being a hothead, but being just. Back to the question! Can Phil kick Phil's ass? One Phil is big, strong and nonviolent. The other Phil ... wouldn't balk at a fight, but he ain't that big. He wouldn't start it, necessarily, but he'd fight. I picture the Phil/Phil fight being like, Phil not starting the fight and the other Phil not jumping in the nonfight. They'd sit around and talk and laugh and drink beer. Kinda like they do already. The whole concept reminds me of the old "Who-would-win-in-a-fight-between-a-velociraptor-and-a-ninja" dealio. That one's still up in the air. Sit around, talk and drink beer here tonight:
Hyde Out
(*CASH ONLY* - Special guests)
Brother Jer is bar-tendin.' Guess what? Allison is back on the list as herownself. Nicole is new to the list. As is Abigail. Welcome. (nameless) S. Miller alt. email address. A "Get Well Soon" goes out to Kevin. We're raising glasses to yer speedy recovery! Not much more news.
TONIGHT'S CONTEST: Make-out Contest.
TONIGHT'S DRAMATIC REENACTMENT: The opening of the first indoor ice rink. The year, 1912. The day, Christmas Day. The city, Victoria, B.C. Two brothers, Lester and Joe Patrick, opened the world's first indoor ice rink. The dang thing cost $110,000 (Canadian) and seated 4000 people. Under the ice was the world's largest refrigeration and ice-making equipment. A mere three days later, the brothers opened the world's second indoor ice rink in Vancouver. This one was bigger than the first, as it could hold more than 10,000 people. As one might guess, it's ice-making gear became the world's largest. These fellas didn't rest easy: Over the next few decades, they opened indoor rinks all throughout Western Canada and the Northwestern U.S. Players: Spaz and his brother Rob are Lester and Joe. Matt and the other Matt are the rink and ice-maker in Victoria; John and the other John are the rink and ice-maker in Vancouver. Whoever can skate play skaters. Whoever can't play the audience. I need a volunteer to play the Zamboni and the Zamboni operator.
TONIGHT'S SINGLED-OUT LIST MEMBER: Woody. He used to bother Coach Bjeldanes a lot but does not so much anymore. Good for him! Good for her! God bless us, everyone!
When yer readin' something on a website or email that's misspelled, do you think the writer can't spell or can't type?
See you suckers tonight. Bring somebody worth makin'-out with and win the contest. I know I will. (!) ... er ... what I mean is ... I'll see you suckers there! bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!
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