Kelly Hrudey: My Favorite Hockey Player

Giving Thanks

I am thankful for my wonderful wife.
I am thankful for my fabulous life.
I am thankful for my family and friends.
I am thankful for my health and (modest) wealth.
I am thankful for the endless possibilities the future holds.
I am thankful for our home and all we have.
I am thankful for yesterday, today and tomorrow.
I am thankful for you.
And you. And You. And You.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Next Book, Please

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Gun Seller is a sometimes hilarious, often humorous take on the spy novel. I really liked the beginning, but it lost me somewhere in the middle. Too many characters. And the writing is much better than the plot. Like other goodreads reviewers have mentioned, I imagine the narrator speaking in Gregory House's voice. All in all, a good, quick read. Or it would have been, if I didn't keep setting it down.


View all my reviews.

Voting Results

I updated my Voting Record, 2008 post with the results, for comparison purposes. All in all, I didn't do too bad. But of course my Libertarian vote was wasted, with Barr only securing 0.4% of the votes. That won't stop me from voting Libertarian in the future; I'm sick to death of this damn two-party system! It's my least favorite thing about America.

CNN Election Coverage: The High Tech Show-Off (updated with link)

I can't believe CNN's election coverage. As I write this, they're interviewing Will.i.am via... hologram! And this is just one of their high tech features.

Oh, and if you can get past all the gloss, you'll see that my prediction (Damn, I didn't blog it! You'll have to take my word for it.) of an Obama landslide is coming true.

Did You Party Too Hard on Halloween?

image courtesy of Healthline.com

The Happening: But Why?

Christy and I watched The Happening over at my brother's house last night. I was really loving the movie. I thought I was going to be blown away again, much like I was with Sixth Sense. And then the movie ended. No explanations. No answers, other than a hypothetical theory developed by the characters. (And, mind you, that theory was developed early on in the movie.) We're only left with the promise that this "event" (as they so often refer to it in the movie) is likely to happen again and again.

The movie seems half-written. I don't know if a sequel is planned, but I doubt it. I think M. Night Shyamalan was going for the artsy ending. But does it work? Not if it leaves the viewer completely unfulfilled.

And, oh yes, candy was consumed.

Blog Redesign... In Progress

Yes, it's sloppy, I know. But I've modified the blog to more closely match our beautiful new homepage. I'm not entirely happy with the colors, and there are remnant graphics from the old design. (Look for the corners and the little green arrows.)

I'm thinking I may just have to build a new template from scratch. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, as it would be a huge undertaking, including a steep learning curve.

But for now, I'm happy with the result. And the new header ties in beautifully with the design of our homepage.

Ah, but it's getting late, and I work early.

Bertram Shops at Ross

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After a long day of shopping, Bertram chooses to Reduce-Recycle-Reuse by napping in the shopping bags. He insists we keep an eye on him as he does so... for his own safety.

Owl Watch

I want this owl.

Great Finds at Ross

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Halloween at Work? I Guess Not

At work, we had decided to all dress as nerds for Halloween. But I'm guessing no one is going to dress up, after all. There's a lot of negative energy floating around because of something our manager did, such as not showing up to a meeting and not caring that we were all waiting around for 30 minutes before she decided to call us back to let us know that we should "probably" leave.

So, no. I don't think I feel much like dressing like a nerd. And I don't think anyone else will, either.

Never mind the fact that I'm basically a nerd, anyway.

My Voting Record, 2008 (updated with results)

I voted. Have you?

President and Vice President
Bob Barr / Wayne A. Root (Libertarian)
Result: Obama/Biden (Democrat); Barr received 489,817 votes, 0.4%

United States Representative 44th Congressional District
Bill Hedrick (Democratic)
Result: Ken Calvert (Republican)

State Senator 31st Senatorial District
Ameenuh Fuller (Democratic)
Result: Robert D. Dutton (Republican)

Member of the State Assembly 64th Assembly District
Brian Nestande (Republican)
Result: Brian Nestande (Republican)

Riverside Community College District Governing Board Member
Mary Figueroa
Mark A. Takano
Result: Mary Figueroa; Mark A. Takano

Prop. 1A
Yes
Result: Yes

Prop. 2
Yes
Result: Yes

Prop. 3
Yes
Result: Yes

Prop. 4
No
Result: No

Prop. 5
No
Result: No

Prop. 6
No
Result: No

Prop. 7
Yes
Result: No

Prop. 8
No
Result: Yes

Prop. 9
No
Result: Yes

Prop. 10
Yes
Result: No

Prop. 11
Yes
Result: Yes

Prop. 12
No
Result: Yes

Don't you just love mail-in ballots? I do.

TV's Latest, Part 3: In Response to "Anonymous" & "Anonymous" the Second

Dear Anonymous,

I was hoping you would check back for my reply, and thank you for your latest comment. I did indeed setup a TiVo wishlist; one movie, Americano, is soon to be watched, and another, Gossip, is set to record. I will keep an eye out for Aurora Borealis, Safety of Objects and I Love Your Work, but I suspect I may have to actually rent those. I will watch them soon and post my thoughts.

Dear Anonymous the Second,

You and Anonymous must be friends. You're the nice one.

Horchata, Waiting for Christy

Actually, I'm waiting for Christy. I thought I would surprise her at her usual lunch spot! The horchata is here for me.
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TV's Latest, Part 2: In Response to "Anonymous"

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your comment on my post, "TV's Latest". Sometimes I wonder if anyone even reads our blog, and, if nothing else, your comment proves people do.

Maybe I am an idiot, as you point out. Other than Dawson's Creek, I was only aware that Joshua Jackson was in one movie, and all I remember about it was that it was one of those teen thriller flicks. (Cursed?) But a quick search on IMDB reveals a long list of credits, including these highlights:

• The Mighty Ducks - 5.8/10


• Apt Pupil - 6.5/10


• Urban Legend - 5.1/10


• Cruel Intentions - 6.7/10


• Cursed - 4.8/10


• The Shadow Dancer - 6.6/10


• Shutter - 4.8/10

Though I've certainly put my foot in my mouth, his list of credits doesn't appear to include anything one might consider challenging. Sure, his characters may differ, slightly, but I want to see him in a dramatically different role. I'd love to see him play a quiet introvert, maybe someone with a mental disability (think Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape), or maybe something slapstick.

Anonymous, maybe you can suggest some of his more obscure films that support your claim to his acting versatility?

And keep in mind, I'm not saying that Joshua Jackson is a bad actor. He most certainly is not. In fact, I enjoy him thoroughly. My point is this: probably through no fault of his own, his characters have been very Pacey-like.

That said, you have a point, Anonymous. I'll create a TiVo wishlist for "Jackson,Joshua" so I can be better informed.

Now, if only you knew how to write...

TV's Latest

I've been watching My Own Worst Enemy and Fringe. They're both fun shows, but nothing spectacular. Christian Slater and Joshua Jackson, though decent actors, have limited acting ranges. Jackson, especially, essentially plays the same character in every role. But they both have charisma and are fun to watch. I fully expect Enemy to outlast Fringe, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see a second season of Fringe.

In TV's not-so-latest, Christy and I watched the "Birthmarks" episode of House last night and we agreed it was one of the best. For once, we get a look into why Gregory House is who he is. We also see further signs of true emotion from him, building on what we witnessed in "House's Head/Wilson's Heart". And as for the House-Wilson bromance... bravo! "Birthmarks" may also be the funniest episode we've seen.

Thursday Morning Hockey on TiVo

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A Midafternoon Break with Christy

Spending time with Christy on her break between classes. First, Miguel's Jr. Then, Target. Now, Starbucks and a venti green tea latte with soy milk, over ice. And let's not forget the petite vanilla scones.
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"Nice Sky"

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She's Grading Papers at Miguel's Jr.

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Morning Mexican Lavender

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Disneyland Parade

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Untitled Poem, Unearthed

Looking back through my old blog over at Livejournal, I found this poem I had written:

Her book of poems found its way
to sit comfortably next to the Bible
the Mormon's gave me.
Her spine white, and sharp like a knife.
His, black and dull.
The two sit there still, one supporting the other,
yet surrounded by strange books
with questionable intentions.
Somehow their poetic souls mingle amongst the chaos.
Their words, standing in line patiently,
one after the other,
waiting for the moment for which they were born.
Their moment comes and goes
in what may or may not have been a thought.

Hockey!

I am so excited about the new hockey season! I think it officially starts on October 9 or 10, but they had a couple games on TV today. I TiVo'ed the Senators-Penguins game, as the Ottawa Senators are probably in my top five favorite teams. I'm thinking about joining a fantasy league, but the last time I did that, I didn't do well.

New Web Site Design

It's been a while since either of us has posted. That's probably due to the fact that we've been obsessed with Facebook. But I do have a (relatively) big announcement: I finally got around to redesigning our web site. It's simple and beautiful, if I do say so myself. Check it out here:

http://www.christyandgreg.com

And let me know what you think!

Our blog is next up for a redesign. It may be a while for me to get around to it, though.

It's a Good Bean

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From DSL to Cable + Telephone!

We're upgrading from DSL to cable modem and having cable telephone installed, as well! The tech just finished with the cable modem, so I did a before and after speed test at speedtest.net:

DSL
Download: 2579 kb/s
Upload: 431 kb/s

Cable
Download: 4906 kb/s
Upload: 485 kb/s

Nice! But I'm a little surprised there isn't a bigger difference in the upload speed. But how often does one upload, anyway?

Now I can't wait to use the cable telephone, which he's currently working on. Update later.

ah tawk phunee

Radiohead Does Romeo & Juliet

Waiting for Christy

I came with Christy to work on the spur of the moment. I've been sitting here in the car passing time: Twittering, listening to the Audible book ABSURDISTAN, and now Radiohead. It's been a relaxing evening.

I am starting to have an obsession with ultra closeups of my eyes. You should try one; it seems to capture something other shots can't.
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Space Mountain

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Disneyland WOOT WOOT!

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I Used to Work Here

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I'm Always the First

I always manage to get to the meetings first. Not surprising, really. Will have the crepes again.
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Dodgers Lose 4-3

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3-3, Extra Innings

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Dodgers 2, Brewers 0, Us Late

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Olvera Street

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Rented SUV, Road to Dodgers

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Murse Search Continued

As the search continues, I like this one, but don't like the color selection. Give me a darker blue or a bolder green. I worry it may be a tad small. The price is right, though.

This one has an interesting look to it, but it's way too big. I'm not even going to look at the price.

Perhaps this one looks too much like a purse.

Uhhh... no.

I'm not sold on this one, even in the green. The price of $60 is high considering how simple it is. Only two pockets! Bah. Excellent size selection though.

Final stop, for now, at eBags, where I purchased my first murse, in a dark blue. Looked at this one (ditch the red), this one (if a laptop fits in it, it's too big), this one (the interior is hideous), and this one (only exterior pockets?).

The search continues... later.

The Perfect Murse

I may have found the perfect murse, but sheesh, it's not cheap at $110. For the record, I like the Citizen in kelly with black stripe.

Better keep looking.

Strike That, Reverse It

TiVo... Why? WHY?! So, as it turns out, YouTube is only available on the latest models of the TiVo, which makes absolutely no... @#$%ing sense!

Excuse me while I go lodge a complaint....

TiVo Gets Better and Better

So I just read on the TiVo website that you can now access YouTube from the comfort of your TiVo. This is a feature I thought hoped prayed they would have had a long time ago... but it's here now! My prayers were answered.

I was so excited about this, I had to blog about it. But now I need to go try it out!

Post-Swim Love

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Wife Swimming, Me Blogging Wet

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Commercials, Waiting for DARK KNIGHT

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Sometimes at the Table

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Back on last.fm

Thanks to FlipSide and some really cool widgets, I am now using last.fm again! FlipSide is now getting more playtime than nuTsie, as it sends a list of recently played songs to last.fm, which in turn--thanks to twitterfeed--posts tweets to my Twitter. And, by the way, my Twitter is now easily accessed from GregShort.com.

I think I've met my link quota for this post. But why not just one more, thanks to StumbleUpon. Oh, wait. That's two. Sorry.

Nevermind Baby

Okay, so I've never been a huge Nirvana fan. I admit they changed the face of music, in their own way. The fact is, I've never owned a Nirvana CD. Not even Nevermind. But who doesn't remember the album cover? A naked baby floating in the water, reaching for a dollar bill on a fishing hook.

Well, NPR has a great story about that baby, 17 years older.

Thanks, skore @ StumbleUpon!

What was in My Cat Food?

This is the trippiest photo of Bertram... ever! It happened purely by accident, as I jerked away when he lunged at the camera. I really love this pic and have immediately set it as my new desktop wallpaper. (Sorry, Christy!)

What Raptor is This?

These raptors hang around our apartments a lot. Can you identify what kind it is?


And here's a video which captures the call of this bird better than it does a visual.

Impression of Birds

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Cool "Stomp" Animation

Sometimes I'm just amazed at what can be done with Flash. If you enjoy "Stomp", check out this animation. Very creative.

Force Feed Twitter

If you're anything like me, you don't always have time (or the inclination) to Twitter. But you can keep yourself active on Twitter by force feeding Twitter with links to blogs, news and more using a service like TwitterFeed.com. Currently, I use it to Tweet Wil Wheaton's blog, as well as my own latest blog posts... like this one! It's a great way to share what we're all reading and writing.

TwitterFeed Works!

If you have a blog, you can "connect" it to your Twitter account using TwitterFeed! TwitterFeed will check your blog's RSS feed as often as every 30 minutes to see if you have a new post. If so, it sends out a Tweet, complete with the link to the post. Is that cool, or what?

As I was out shopping with Christy, I thought what a great feature this would be. And with a quick Google search, TwitterFeed was the first result.

Oh, did I mention it's free? And did I further mention that it's ad-free? Score!

We Are Hobbits

My Hobbit name is Minto Toadfoot, and Christy is Rosie-Posie Toadfoot. Thanks to The Hobbit Name Generator.

From BoingBoing's Twitter

Radiohead's new 3D-viz video made from Creative Commons-licensed data http://tinyurl.com/6lsehs
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ComicVine.com

How have I not discovered ComicVine before now? I've just joined, but it looks like a completely interactive community of comic book fans, including comic book reviews, blog hosting, friend lists, and more. I'll let you know more when I've had more of a chance to check it out.

But now, it's time to get ready for work.

White Park Picnic

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Zombies + Golf = Killer Game

Zombie Golf. Play it.

The Mysterious 4th of July Post

Okay, so thanks to a completely expected time warp, the mysterious 4th of July post has been posted... on the 4th of July. (See below.) Never mind that I just reposted it today.

The whole fiasco started when I tried to make a post by email on my Blackberry, but the data services (e.g. email, internet) were not working. The problem has been fixed and life can continue.

Please go about your business.

Happy 4th of July, Love Timothy

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In the Meantime

While we await the mysterious post that may never see cyberspace until such a time as when better cell phone reception can be had, please enjoy the following:

courtesy of zmu @ StumbleUpon

Coming Soon... Hopefully

Forthcoming is the best Fourth of July posting ever... if it ever leaves my Blackberry.

We're here in Carlsbad for the holiday, and let's just say it involves a mostly bald cat.

Bertram, we still love you.

Mother duck's 'bird brain' saves ducklings

From the Vancouver Sun, Friday, July 13, 2001:

Petersen, a community police officer for Granville Downtown South, was walking in the 1500-block Granville Street (directly under the Granville Bridge) Wednesday morning when a duck came up and grabbed him by the pant leg. Then it started waddling around him and quacking.

Read the rest of this heartwarming story here.

Thanks, StarDust @ StumbleUpon!

Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place (thumbs down version)

Last Weekend, Her Feet and Ocean

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Last Weekend, Us and Sand

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Last Weekend, Christy and Horse

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My First Post of the New Year

Yes, I see now that the last time I posted, it was still 2007. I have to tell you that I have read at least a couple of books since the Harry Potter Gregory has listed over in the margin somewhere under "Christy's Reading." This is what he calls salad speech, by the way--drifting from topic to topic with no place to land.

It's ridiculous that I am writing to you at 1:00 in the morning. I do this because I'm not quite ready to go to bed, mostly because I'm thirsty for some Stater Bros. Light Cranberry Raspberry juice. Hold please...

TIME PASSES

It was a refreshing few gulps. There was a bit of discomfort involved as I lifted the nearly-full bottle. Yesterday we were in Carlsbad at my brother's, which meant that there was Wii. Wii Sports, to be exact. I excelled in bowling. Saturday night we watched him play Bully, which is a sort of Grand Theft Auto-type game in a high school setting. As the name implies, much bullying is done. The highlight was when he made his character make out with another guy, and the girl he had previously been making out with ran over and kicked him.

I'm losing my thoughts, which means I really should go to bed. I can hear Bertram waiting to spring out at me as I walk by his hiding place. He's been kind of a jerk tonight, so I will beware.

Dog Police

I remember this song from MTV in the early days. The video is different than I remember it, though. I'll have to investigate further when I have more time. But for now, enjoy!

Dear Blog

We haven't forgotten you. Really. It's just that sometimes life gets in the way of things like blogging and exercising creativity. It's not that we don't have anything to say. There's been plenty of things about which one or both of us could have blogged. But I guess we were too busy living them.

We promise to do better in the future. Really.

Your friends forever,

Greg and Christy

Tower of Terror #2

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Birth of Astro

Everyone Should Be So Lucky

A gentle rain is falling and I'm feeling morose. The two don't have anything to do with one another; I have always enjoyed the rain. But here I sit at the dining room table, Christy asleep in the bedroom, the sound of rain trickling from the gutters, and, yes, what I feel can best be described as morose.

It's not unusual. Lately, especially. Thoughts creep into my mind. Thoughts about the big picture. Thoughts about the effect I have on the world. Thoughts about how I can be a part of something big. Thoughts of how I long to be part of something big. Something meaningful.

Sometimes, when I get this feeling, I feel like I'm just going about my daily business, I'm just doing enough to get by. I begin to feel discontent.

I want to create something that effects the world. I want to write the Great American Novel. I want to compose beautiful music. I want to start my own business. I want to be a father.

But then my mind comes back to my home, my beautiful wife. I have created something that effects the world. Our love--through all of our daily relationships with family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers--makes the world a better place. Every day.

I cannot take my marriage for granted. I am blessed and I must not forget that. I must not overlook all that I have. Everyone should be so lucky.

Vote Republican?

I thought my days of voting Republican were long gone, but GlassBooth.org tells me my political views are 67% similar to John McCain, compared to 59% Clinton and 57% Obama. I was actually strangely drawn to Mike Huckabee--don't ask, I don't know why--but he is apparently only 55% similar to me. But I'm independent, so my vote won't matter.

Oh, I'm not ignoring the fact that I've been, well, ignoring this blog for a longish long time. Life happens. Sometimes blogging doesn't.