It's Freaking Hot!

I'm out in Phoenix on busyness. Thankfully, no mooting, just software integrations. Real work.

Alas, I'm out in Phoenix on busyness. The temperature was over 111 degrees and the "breeze" was just God leaving his hair dryer on by mistake. No offense to the fine denizens of Phoenix, but do you think the fact that you have to paint the trunks of your orange trees white to keep the sap from boiling might, just might, be a sign they don't belong there?

Update: Arizona is officially on the list of places you couldn't pay me to live. My sinuses are going bonkers from the dryness... I can't get back to my steam-bath of a home fast enough...

Update 2: I'm currently sans voice, it having been stolen by "God's hair dryer" that is Phoenix. Just in time for the holiday weekend. Yippee.

Update 3: While waiting at the airport for my return flight, I apparently missed the show. You'd think they could have put it on the monitors for us...

Update 4: Just in time for my holiday weekend, that oh-so-special Phoenix air let a nasty sinus infection-type something or other into my system. Behold, the wonders of Omnicef!

I Say Lads, Is That Cape Cod?

New Strong Bad Email

Poetic Justice, of a Sort

As you've surely read by now, the 5th Amendment took a bullet to the head last week with the Supreme Court's (if not already, soon will be) infamous "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision. And surely it has been commented ad nauseum by those more (and some less) eloquent than I. Suffice to say I think this is one of the worst decisions they've handed down in my lifetime. In fact, I'm in rare company when the editorials of both my local mullet-wrappers agree in their condemnation.

At any rate, the universe, not being without a sense of justice, has seen fit to hoist Justice Souter by his own pertard. It seems his quaint & quiet New Hampshire abode may fall victim to a nefarious private developer. He may be well-connected enough to avoid the wrecking ball, but I hope not. I hope it gets smashed and the "little people" his decision (well, his contribution to it) put out in the street gather around, point and cry "Sauce for the goose!" And I'll cry with them.

Sorry, I get a little cranky when my constitutional rights get so blatantly trampled on. I mean, I expect them to get taken away bit by bit (And lets face it, do you really own something that can be seized for not paying your taxes on it? You more own your DVD box set of Gilligan's Island) But now even the illusion of ownership is shot to hell. Now the motto is, "A man's home is his castle, as long as Wal-Mart doesn't want to build there."

Wisconsin and Texas are already considering laws to reign in local goverments who are on the take from the big developers of the world. Hopefully my home state will follow suite. If not, time for a citizen-initiated amendment.

Update: To quote Kosh, And so it begins...

Update 2: Slate's got some great editorial cartoons on it.

A Simply Mahvelous Time

L threw a little apartment-warming shindig tonight and graced yours truly with an invite. It's a cozy little place, quite agreeable with her, and her suaree was simply maahvelous. L had on her most appropriate Perfect-50's Housewife Attire, lacking only an apron to make it perfect. Too much of tasty food - the apple pie was to die for. Mmm... delicious pie... I managed to escape without taking some home. I had to. I've been slacking off the gym as it is, don't need no pie...

Anyanka's Recommendations

My friend Anyanka sent me two links, both Star Wars related. Thought I'd pass them along...

What if Darth Vader were Teh Cute?

Dork Tower's new Sith Supplement. You've got to be a gamer to appreciate this one.

Die, You Little B@stards!

This evening, my porch (as much as the entrance to my apartmented abode can be considered one) became The Killing Fields. I came home today and I kid you not, the outside wall and door was practically covered with these millipede things. Everywhere. I don't know if it was some mass hatching or an evacuation from recent rains. All I know was that I went Hudson: "There's movement all over the place!" You don't understand. These things had gotten inside once before and I'd spent the better part of a winter either killing the little suns-a-beaches or finding their dried husks in various nooks and crannies and I was damned if they'd breach my sanctus sanctorum again! This time, I was taking the fight to them!

So I did what any macho-macho-man would do. I entered my abode, threw everything on the floor, grabbed the can of Raid from my closet and turned my porch into a hazmat zone. I pretty much emptied the heretofore full can of insectide as I soaked the wall, the window, the door, everywhere I could find one of these little things. As liquid death oozed down, it carried the invaders with it. They struggled in vain to remain aloft before plopping on the concrete, where they thrashed, writhed and wiggled in agony before falling silent. And it felt good. I embraced the toxic moment, knowing I was committing "insecticide", that my quasi-porch was a mass bug-grave. I even took a picture of their little corpses as a warning to those who would think to follow their lead.

Behold! The Carnage!

Update: I just found one in my tub. Snap, it's on.

And Dat's Why I Like the Scroll

Does it ever get Boring where you live?

Plus some Bonuses!

Where's the Cheat?

Need a Loan?

New from Galoob!

An Intermission

I have a proper rant, a follow-up on my mail hut parkers, but lack the time to pen it properly. Maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, here's an article from Universe Today, which sounds like it belongs in an episode of Babylon 5 or Star Trek, but is actually a spiffy cool site. I like to read it, if nothing else, as a reminder that God isn't quite ready to give away all his magic secrets...