my mental sieve...
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| Evil Wayne my mental sieve... |
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Tuesday, March 30, 2004 Dream Sequence I had this dream last night; I was at my high school reunion, but it was in my parents basement—which is way smaller than my class could fit, even if we were a small class (like 75 grads). Anyway, I walk downstairs and I see a couple of people I don't know milling about. There's a table with a white cloth and a punch bowl, but the rest of it looks like my parent's basement. Half-finished, a couch, a bar - the furnace. I wander around the people there, I still don't seem to know anyone, and someone calls my name. I turn and it's Dana Delaney. Only she's Colleen McMurphy from China Beach. She wearing a red and black checkered outfit and a white, puffy, fur jacket. She hugs me and says how much she's missed me. I know this is Dana as McMurphy. There's a weird duality that I seem to be aware of as she talking to me. She both people at once. She tells me she now works at a radio station and she's got me tickets to Don Henely - which is odd. Then, I ask her how things have been and she gets quite and somber. She tells me about being a nurse in Vietnam and I sort of realize that she's back to being just McMurphy and then the reason the room is so empty. All the people we went to high school with have been killed in Vietnam. Then it degenerated into hard core lamenting to the point I actually woke up because I was starting to hyperventilate and it's 5 AM. Freaky. However, this one is really a no brainer. We've been watching way too much China Beach. Thanks in part to the boy and to Tivo, we managed to amass about 8 unwatched episodes. So over the last month it's been catch-up. In fact, the outfit McMurphy is wearing in my dream is the same one from the episode we watched last night, The World, Part 2. The really weird thing is that the episode isn't really all that special. And we've had nights where we watch two or three in a row, last night was just the one and we hadn't seen an episode since last week. There were more impactful episodes before this, but this one leaves some kind of imprint? Odd. Oh and I'd like to add one tiny rant; Okay, I've always had a bit of a crush on Dana Delany, especially the China Beach years, and this is the dream I get?!? My brain hates me. posted by Evil Wayne | 8:49 PM 0 comments Monday, March 29, 2004 YARLOP "Little-Known" Attractions of Lynchburg and Central Virgina 2001 Explained A Cold War Conundrum Speak and Spell posted by Evil Wayne | 10:36 PM 0 comments Wednesday, March 24, 2004 New Fun I've added a contest page and a sub-area for, what I hope will be many pointless contests. So, without further ado... The What-The-Hell-Is-In-Your-Fridge Contest This couldn't be more simple (or pointless...) Go home, open your fridge door and take a quick picture of the contents, as is. Then email me the pic at fridge@evilwayne.com by 4/14. I'll post them some place on this site and on April 15th, 2004 I'll pick a winner according to whatever criteria I feel like at the time (i.e., What the hell kind of mood am I in today?) Rules: 1. Only enter one (1) picture. Multiple pictures will make me come after you using a board with a nail in it. 2. You can take whatever kind of image you want, but you need to resize it to 640x480 at 72 dpi and save it out as a jpeg (jpg). You're best bet is to take it sideways, as most refridgerators are taller than wide (so the dimensions end up being 480x640 - see my fridge for an example). That should be decent size for email, posting, and view. Plus it will not make me angry at you. 3. Including your freezer is strictly optional, but only if it fits within the frame. Please don't violate rule numbers 1 and/or 2 or something truly terrible may befall you. 4. If you don't want me to use your real name, include an alias or some other identifying marker. More than likely, I'll be making up obvious nicknames or naming combos for your image if you don't specify. All email addresses will be held in strict confidentiality, unless someone backs a dump truck full of money to my door, then you're boned. 5. Images have to be received by Wednesday, April 14, 2004, oh let's say by midnight. No, make it 11:28 PM. That's Eastern Standard Time, kids. Blah, blah, or bad things happen blah, blah, blah... 6. I reserve the right to make fun of whatever you have in your fridge. But, in fairness, I will allow you mock my contents as well. You just don't get to do it here. :P Prizes: HA! Good luck with that idea. I might let the winner have a glowing spotlight at the top of the page. You will probably get a heartfelt Good Job! from me. Well, you'll at least get a Good Job. Do you really care if I feel it in my heart? posted by Evil Wayne | 12:31 PM 0 comments Tuesday, March 23, 2004 I Won! Whoo-hoo! I entered a contest over on the Neverwinter Night Vault at the Community Expansion Pack area. You had guess which thumb was going to be used for the 1 Day Remaining counter (they've been counting down the days when the CEP becomes available). And yours truly not only got it right, I was the only one to get it right. While somewhat pointless, I took a screenshot of the text. I'm registered under hazy28 in the forums, an old nickname. The CEP is adding tons of community content to NeverWinter Nights in an effort to create a single hakpak for boundless uses in modules. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the wings and tails work. I won myself a copy of the lastest expansion of NWN, Hordes of the Underdark (~$30). So I'm pretty excited about that, even if I haven't finished getting through the original campaign or Shadows of Undrentide. Hey, I play games at a snails pace. (Actually, it's more of a time-and-boy issue). Groovy. :D posted by Evil Wayne | 10:13 PM 0 comments Monday, March 22, 2004 Welcome Spring! This was in my email this morning. It pretty much sums it up.  posted by Evil Wayne | 12:51 PM 0 comments Friday, March 19, 2004 Partial Transcript of Pretty Much Every Interview with Condoleezza Rice Commentator: Good evening, Dr. Rice. I hope you’re well. Rice: I’m much better, now that brave coalition forces have removed the butcher Saddam Hussein from power. C: How do you respond to concerns about the failure to find any weapons of mass destruction? R: There’s been no failure. We have to recognize that ever since Sept. 11, 2001, the rules have changed. C: Okay, but what about the WMD? R: Let’s be perfectly clear. We were attacked on our own soil. If we want to avoid the loss of American lives, we need to take the fight to the terrorists, in their own backyard. C: So you’re not going to comment on the WMD? R: I think I’ve made my views clear on that point. Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator, and we don’t want terrorists to strike at us again within our borders. C: (Sighs) Let’s change tack a little. It’s been reported that you declined to testify before the 9-11 commission. Aren’t you concerned that this might make it seem that the administration has something to hide? R: Not at all. Pres. Bush has shown remarkable leadership in the wake of 9-11. The world is a better place with Saddam Hussein out of power. C: But if you have nothing to hide, why not testify publicly? R: We didn’t begin this war—we were attacked on our own soil, let’s not forget. Saddam Hussein has been defeated, but the war goes on. C: Everyone agrees that it was good to remove Saddam, but it can hardly be said that the world is safer with him gone. Look at the continuing bombings and assassinations in— R: I agree that Al Qaeda continues to be a threat, just as this administration has asserted all along. The terrorists who flew civilian aircraft into our buildings are the same homicide bombers who’ve fought to keep democracy out of Iraq, but they won’t succeed. C: So, it’s your assertion that Saddam Hussein had definitive ties to Al Qaeda? R: Let me put it this way. If Saddam had given WMDs to Al Qaeda, the tragedy of 9-11 would have been much, much worse. Pres. Bush has shown great leadership in the war on terror— C: Right, right. But what about the massive apparent intelligence failures preceding, during, and after the invasion of Iraq? R: All the intelligence confirms what we’ve said all along. Saddam’s regime was incredibly cruel, and he needed to be removed. We don’t want another 9-11 on our hands. C: Okay, but President Bush, VP Cheney, Sec. Powell, Dep. Sec. Wolfowitz, and you all stated clearly and with confidence that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and the intent to use them, and Sec. Rumsfeld went so far as to say we knew exactly where they were. How do you respond to those who question those claims, now that no evidence of WMDs has turned up? R: As we’ve stated clearly before, Saddam was clear in his non-compliance never to show the disinclination not to pursue a potential program to research the possible non-development of weapons of mass destruction. We stand by that assertion. C: Ah, yes. I understand now. In closing, Dr. Rice, what do you say to critics of the administration who question the President’s choice to use images of the tragedy of September 11th in his campaign ads? R: The nation has faced great challenges, both after 9-11 and during the war in Iraq. President Bush has shown tremendous leadership, and the use of those images is appropriate, in fact necessary, so that we never forget our shared experiences as a nation. Under President Bush our brave servicemen and women have fought the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be a great disservice not to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. -Dave Schuler posted by Evil Wayne | 10:49 PM 0 comments Yet Another Fractional Update (YAFU) Added actual pages to both draw and image, but there's no real content so it's not like it's worth the trip or anything. I burned too much time on the stupid demo game to get much more going tonight. I really want to get something up here soon, even if it's just more of the serial. I want something for you to feel it's worth returning to every now and then to check out an update. I'm working on that. posted by Evil Wayne | 12:04 AM 0 comments Thursday, March 18, 2004 Demo So, this was freakin' addicting. posted by Evil Wayne | 11:02 PM 0 comments Wednesday, March 17, 2004 Happy Freakin' St. Patrick's Day I was sort of saving this to post today, but then I forgot about it until around 4:30 at work, so I'm briefer than I meant to be - damnit, when the hell did my life become so complicated I couldn't sit down and write a short essay? Oh right... the boy. SPD is a big deal at the old McCaul place. Food, beer, games. Family get together. Every year, we'd all hang out and be friendly to one another. I loved the time, like Christmas or Thanksgiving, everyone would show up and we'd play games until the wee hours. But the last few years have been lackluster. Most of the holidays start out nice but they wind down and, even though I keep bringing my Chez Geek and Munchkin cards, they don't get played very much. I've been rather disappointed the last few holidays. But this time I started to feel the why. It happened when my younger siblings' friends showed up and they all got into a game. Not that I couldn't have played if I wanted. That's not it, but there's a passing there. They got into a game and were laughing and being loud like I remembered we used to be. I guess, sitting there I started to realize that those days really have passed on. It’s a little sad that it's behind me. I miss hanging out and having fun like that, even if it might be considered lame by some people. And I can lament the passing of time and the way it changes everything in ways you don't expect. I keep buying card games, but I find I have less chances to play them. The kids aren’t old enough for the Geek and find the other either too complicated or stupid. Yeah, yeah, wallowing in my own self-pity, I know. Whatever. Oh, one last thing: Gram would be 105 today. This one's for you Iris, wherever you are; Happy Birthday! posted by Evil Wayne | 9:29 PM 0 comments Monday, March 15, 2004 Quote "I am a fan of democracy. A big fan. I don't believe in forcing on people, and I don't believe in simply giving it to people. Democracy has to be won. Democracy carries a great deal of responsibility. It requires a great deal of tolerance and a commitment that any simply do not grasp. Waltzing in and passing it out like lollipops is not helpful in the mid to long term." -Richard Parsons posted by Evil Wayne | 8:11 PM 0 comments Fractional Update I've updated a tiny fraction of the word section, by adding the prologue of That 50s Space Car. It's a serial, so you can expect it to be updated sporadically. When I get around to it, I'll post the 4S serial from the early 90s. You should also expect the serials to be lame and childish with a plot line that you've seen a bazillion times beforehand. They tend to be written towards a lower common denominator. I also updated the image in both word and media. posted by Evil Wayne | 12:13 AM 0 comments Wednesday, March 10, 2004 Lego Idea Book I'm doing a little guest blogging over at Jake McKee's Building Instructions Portal (BIP). You can read my Lego Rant here. posted by Evil Wayne | 3:16 PM 0 comments Sunday, March 07, 2004 Restless Finally got to see The Return of the King on Saturday. Did that not freakin' rock!?! Holy crap, what an awesome way to end the whole trilogy. Nope, I never read the books, so I'm sure there's a teaspoon of a brown dwarf worth of stuff left out, and several parts I was genuinely confused on who was who (like the brother who's father wished it had been him who died; or when the orcs overran the ruined fortress, I thought, oh they just recycled that set from The Two Towers, but no, it was supposed to be the same place) and I can't possibly remember any non-main character's name, but I Don't Care. It kicked ass and was probably one of the best things I've seen since the original Star Wars movies wrapped up. It reminded me how much I liked fantasy. Some day, I'll try tackling the novels, but I couldn't possibly right now. I just don't have the time. Which brings me to my point. I've had that trapped-in-the-house-on-Sunday-and-I-can't-seem-to-fish-or-cut-bait thing going on all day. Actually, I've been getting it all week. I think it's the onset of Spring that's bringing up all this conflicting garbage and generally messing with my muse. When I do get time, I flip-flop for so long I simply run out the clock. I keep looking for something to play, but all the demos I download don't really do anything for me. I've been uninterested in the games I have; they're just not holding my attention right now - or the ones I want to play are too involved (NeverWinter Nights). So I try to write and that's not working either. I reread some of the fragments I have and nothing strikes a cord. I've try doing some cold writing but that just ends up being a mess. I got a whole two bloody pages before I realized I had no idea what I wanted it to be. Hell, I switched tenses after the first third. I keep reminding myself that I'm really not into a groove yet. But the lack of interest is starting to feel like a rut and I really don't want to go there again. :P See? I've already burned enought time that I really need to go to bed. It feels early, but all last week I screwed myself by staying up to 1 AM every night. Mostly over nothing... posted by Evil Wayne | 11:04 PM 0 comments Friday, March 05, 2004 Happy Blogversary! Okay, that's really stupid, but you get the idea. It was a year ago today that I decided to actually try to keep a blog going. Of course, I haven't been all that consistant (and if you check the first entry, I've already apologized for that so in your face!) but I'm working on it. Now that I'm paying real money for this site, I figure I should be a little better at keeping things more consistant (but don't hold your breath or anything). I've still got a long way to go on getting everything I want up here running smoothly -in some cases, running at all- and then there's the whole ducs thing to work on. But I feel a lot better about the creativity thing as a whole. Things haven't changed to the point I can have blocks of time to write, draw or work with Lego; the boy is still *tons* of work. But I at least feel like it's moving forward. There's a very, very, very dim light at the end of the tunnel. I get fragement here and there. If the workers ever start the bloody home improvements and subsequently finish, I should be able to eek out another sliver of fragements. Anyway, on this my first blogversary, I'm going to offer you a picture I took today. I'm not a 100% sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, that ain't right. 
I'm entertaining thoughts to go along with this image, but if you've got some ideas of your own email me and let me know. Here's a couple of full sized shots: Near and Far. posted by Evil Wayne | 9:35 PM 0 comments Monday, March 01, 2004 GAH! I'm having one bitch of a time debugging some of this. Because of the way Lunarpages sets up webhosting, you can't have sub-domains off an add-on domain. Well, I didn't plan on using any sub-domains off evilwayne.com, but puncducs.com is another story. But I made a boo-boo when I jumped onto evilwayne first and made it the primary. That cut out all my plans for the ducs and Tine (who'd rather have space under puncducs.com than evilwayne.com. I can't say I blame her). I just had more immediate content for this site. The ducs are going to be a slow build, I think. Anyway, the folks over at lunarpages were nice enough to flip them for me, but it's really fucked things up as far as the blog. I've had one bitch of time getting it back up and don't be too surprised if it goes down again. Right now, I can't figure out what happened to the archives again! I've been screwing with the bloody ftp for the last 2 hours. Plus, when that's all straightned out, then I have to port over the few pages I've already done. posted by Evil Wayne | 11:35 PM 0 comments |
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