I can’t sleep. I’ve tossed and turned for nearly two hours, but for some reason I just can’t quiet my mind enough to fall asleep. Plus I have a headache. Plus, I have to be up in 5 hoursto go to my meaningless meeting so a bunch of Indians can piss and moan because I didn’t get to answer their emails last week while I was killing myself to reach an arbitrary deadline set by a lame-duck team lead. ...

Most addictive game in the world: Snood Download and play at your peril!

The Dante’s Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory! Here is how you matched up against all the levels: Level Score Purgatory (Repenting Believers) Very High Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) Low Level 2 (Lustful) Very High Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Low Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) Low Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) Very Low Level 7 (Violent) Moderate Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) ...

I miss hockey. I really miss being able to watch hockey LIVE, when the Thoroughblades were in Lexington. America responded to the NHL lockout with a collective shrugh of the shoulders, but I CARE, darn it! Hockey is a wonderful sport: Grace, power, speed, action, and violence in one package. Sadly, it’s awful on Television, and unlike basketball or football, you don’t grow-up playing pickup games of hockey in Florida, Texas, or California.

How to know you’ve been working some very long days: Email from manager: “I’ll be out for Jury Duty the next two days…” You: [Homer Simpson voice] “mmmmmmmm…..Jury Duty”.

The first Hummer I’ve ever liked: The H3. Not too massive and it’s well proportioned.

For two days, my project has beaten me. Never three days in a row! /wishful thinking.

GEEZE it’s cold. I have plastic over both my windows, and towels under every door, and still yet my apartment is chilly. Spring is how many months away? The Pup’s hating her consignment outside this winter: The driver’s side door’s creaky, the engine takes forever to warm-up, and that pop-crackle-pop rattle under the engine (heat shield?) is back. Still, it’s a superior car to drive in the winter–climate control, heated seats + mirrors, and snow tires. ...

CNN.com - Journalist: U.S. planning for possible�attack on Iran - Jan 16, 2005: “Hersh said Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld view Bush’s re-election as ‘a mandate to continue the war on terrorism,’ despite problems with the U.S.-led war in Iraq.” Yikes.

Ah, such a relaxing weekend! The world freezes outside, and a gentle snow greeted me on my way to church this morning, consigning Thor to the garage in favor of the Pup’s winter tires and FWD traction. Whitney came down this weekend and we had great times at Ruby Tuesday’s, going to watch “The Aviator”, and then watching “King Arthur” off her Netflix queue. :-) Went bowling today and cracked 100, which is decent for me. ...

Alice and Bill.com - Independent Tech Because EVERYONE needs an underwater mp3 player.

God be with you L-Squared. You’ll be in my prayers each day. Good luck in your fight to stay with us in God’s Eden, and know that your attitude edifies my heart and brings a tear to my eye. Peace be with you.

Great New Yorker this week: Dan Baum writes a provocative article, “Battle Lessons”, about how Captains and Lieutenants are using internet forums to exchange information about how to do their jobs. Just like my own addiction to Slashdot and The Car Lounge, warriors in the field check these sites daily for tips and community. The sites: CompanyCommand and PlatoonLeader. Adam Gopnik reviews two new Leonardo da Vinci books, examining the ups and downs of Leo’s life, and revealing, once again how extraordinary and (at times) maddening the man was.

Oh man…I’m calling it right now: Apple will sell a billion Mac mini’s Thing is 6.5"x6.5"x2"…Makes so much sense it’s not even fair: Finally, an affordable mac that you can use any keyboard or monitor you have lying around. Finally a competitor to the PC.

Well, I’m one week into Giving Up Coffee and I’m doing great except for one thing: The Smell. The heavenly smell of someone’s cup of fresh-brewed, freshly-ground, single source beans. Black coffee, with all the nuances of taste and flavor explodes inside my brain–the aroma and earthy tones, the notes of bitterness and clarity. It’s like the old bugs-bunny cartoons where the girl’s perfume would tease the hapless fop’s nose and drag him back to her mistress. ...

Ahh, Mondays, the days I get up at 5 am, zombie-around for 2 hours, rush to the office in time to be 5 minutes late to my Monday Video Conference… Some random thoughts: My theory o’ the day: You can tell how close a software development firm is to crunch time by the state of its snack machine. Full snack machines imply workers who aren’t snacking, thus ones not in a hurry. These lucky hackers come to work after a good breakfast, take time for lunch out (or brownbag), and leave in time to eat dinner elsewhere. ...

Few pics from the 2004 Awards banquet David Patrick My 2nd place tropy:

From left, Chris Brown, Bill Randall, and Joe Guillory

A shout-out to my mom, the illustrious Dottie, who sent me this in response to my tongue in cheek blog entry below: Write what you are feeling! Is that not what a blog is all about? Love ya, mom! And I always *will* write what I want. Didn’t realize my tongue-in-cheek post about Bill’s criticism of all the “car crap” on my blog would cause such an uproar.

Report from some of my faithful readers: Bill and his Mom are both tired of reading the tripe that currently passes for deep thought in my blog. They’re tired of car-based topics, ramblings about pop-culture that are of no significance, and other topics not so funny as konichiwaffle. Henceforth, my blog shall be devoid of such drivel. …most of the time. [AMENDMENT] Bill is just tired of the car stuff. The other stuff can remain :-D ...