dark tower redux
I’ve been too busy to lose myself in my new Sidekick II, but as soon as I get a chance I will write a complete review. Suffice it to say that I am thrilled with it so far. For some reason today a silly joke came to mind, and with it, unbidden, the mental images of three different metal keys. When I finally placed the reference to the awesome electronic boardgame released in 1981 called Dark Tower, I googled and found the Dark Tower Flash Game. O, the retro goodness.
Read Moredeclare yourself
I tend to avoid using this journal to express my political views, mainly because I don’t think this is the best format for reasonable discussions about complex subjects. I’ve seen way too many threads devolve into meaningless blather, which does more harm than good. I will, however, express one very strong opinion on the subject. Vote. Apathy is a luxury, not a right, especially in these troubling times. It is your responsibility as an American citizen to participate in this most fundamental act. Instead of justifying why you will or will not be voting, spend that time and energy educating yourself on the upcoming...
Read Morenew toy dawning
What is throwing me off about graduate school is that I have extremely mixed feelings about it. One day, I’m elated to be participating in the program, and the next, I feel like it’s a colossal waste of time. The latter sentiment is not aided by the fact that my paperwork, despite being turned in on time and correctly, is utterly messed. After told that a course I wanted was too full, I registered for a different one. But I was wait-listed on that first course without my knowledge, and then promptly got in without my knowledge, so I had to drop it past the drop date and fill out an academic petition to make the “withdrawal” turn into a drop. As a result, I’m paying taxes on three credits I’m not taking; due to the tuition...
Read Morehere
While reading Metroblogging San Francisco’s “Scenes from a park” during my lunch break, I found myself nodding in agreement. I really had no idea what San Francisco was like until I went out on a few dates with the MSG. The City has always been a part of our relationship, from the restaurant where we had our first meal together, to the farmer’s market we shop nearly every Saturday morning. Not too long ago, I stood on the corner on which we met for the first time in person. That night, I was on the corner, desperately looking for the bar, because it was supposed to be Right There. I couldn’t find it, but that isn’t saying much; I get lost in downtown San Rafael. No matter which way I turned on that corner, I could not find...
Read Morefunny
You know what sounds great right now? Going back to bed. Yes, it does. The MSG looked so content when I left this morning, and then he’ll go to the farmer’s market without me soon, and guess where I am? I’m at work on a Saturday, which means I am at least one of the following things: (a) undercaffeinated, (b) exhausted, (c) hungover, (d) grumpy. Today I am all four. But hey, at least I’m (e) alive. On my right middle finger, I have an asymmetrical ring with a square on one side and a circle on the other. I put it on backwards this morning — the square goes on the left — and it messed me all up. Why do these little details trip me up so? I know people who wouldn’t bat an eye about it, and there I was, stopping...
Read Morefriday off
Those of us who have participated in the FreeiPods.com offer have this to ponder: “A Web site that gives away free iPod Mini’s to customers who participate in promotional offers is being criticized by its customers for failing to get them their promised portable music player and inundating them with additional spam e-mail. The company’s owners are defending their service saying they are shipping mini iPods, but that they can’t get enough to fill demand from Apple Computer.” [read more] Today is my day off, since I’m working tomorrow. Despite the “Quantum Leap” marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel, I have been ridiculously productive, managing to clean my room for what I hope will be the last time because I really do not...
Read Morenamed
Today I feel like posting my answer to some silly name meme that was circulating months ago. It had something to do with names. I think. Here goes: If you call me Halsted, you are at least acquainted with me, and most likely a friend or colleague. If you call me ‘Sted, you’ve been introduced to me as such, either by me (unlikely within the past ten years) or by someone who was introduced to me as such. If you call me Kelly, you work at the Peet’s I visit weekday mornings, where I give a fake name for my order because no one, not anyone, hears me correctly when I say my name and that’s just too damned much time to spend buying a cup of coffee. If you call me Boss, Captain, or Ma’am, you are one of my sarcastic employees and I adore...
Read MoreLast Stop
Here is a quick little poem by me for you today. Last Stop On the window of the L-Taraval there are five yellow spots. I stare at the smeared glass through all four stops, wondering who would throw mustard, shoot paintballs, or bleed the wrong color on accident. The trick of not making eye contact absorbs me. Finally, someone has granted me a focal point: the spots. Before they dried, they dripped, so I count the lines, careful not to follow them to their endpoints near eyes. We swing together, me, yellow spots, crisp shirts. Reflected back at me are ghosts in those shirts, ghosts of the spots, of me, of the destination in bright green dots: EMBARCADERO. Last stop.
Read Moreempty space
What makes insomnia taste better? French Vanilla Milano cookies do! Also, some really horrid sitcoms on UPN, and a round little Zen smurgling the blanket right next to me. The critique for my workshop piece went all right. I need a new title, better structure, and details to specify the characters a bit more, but other than that, it’s okay. I want to put it away and not think about it for a while so I come back to it with a fresher eye. There’s another story idea on the horizon, anyway … On Monday night before workshop, M and I sat outside the café on campus and he played the guitar and sang. Some people stopped by to chat; the guy who used to work at the café (whom I nicknamed “Thursday” because of a shirt he once...
Read Morefalling for vancouver
One of our last days in Vancouver, the MSG and I visited the campus of the University of British Columbia. We took a bus all the way, then wandered around and checked out the library. (No surprise there.) The library building is somewhat of an Escher painting. None of the stairwells make much sense, and there are many tiny little passages that lead you to believe you’re going to dead-end somewhere … then you don’t, but don’t know where it is you haven’t dead-ended. Collection-wise, it’s completely impressive. Millions of volumes, and complete runs of obscure scientific journals dating back to the ’40s. We were fascinated. Our backs were drenched in sweat from the heat, from the closeness of the stacks, from the midday...
Read MoreNestcam
The cam was last on Friday, May 4.
Hello What
I am Halsted, a/k/a cygnoir, and I do stuff with words.
My favourite things to do with words are keeping this diary, writing stories, and organising information.
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Tenacious D
3 days, 15 hours and 57 minutes ago - To Be The Best
Tenacious D
3 days, 15 hours and 58 minutes ago - They Fucked Our Asses - Explicit Version
Tenacious D
3 days, 15 hours and 59 minutes ago
Plugging
