catches thieves, just like flies

In December of 2005, Toei Studios released an 8 disc DVD boxset featuring the entire Japanese Spider-Man TV series that ran back in 1978.


Now I'd been waiting, oh, twenty years for this to happen. Twenty years with nothing but 3 or 4 grainy, non-subtitled episodes - poor quality VHS recorded from satellite TV.

I watched - I mean, it was Spider-Man - but I watched clueless as to what was being said, who was saying it - any and all subtlety of plot completely missed.

One day, I thought, all these things will be made known. Because, eventually, EVERYTHING comes out on DVD. With Extras.

And this did too.

I was to my laptop and online in an instant, wallet open and ready. I scanned down The Official Website, initial joy turning first to doubt, then to a slack-jawed incredulousness.

My mind numbed and I hurtled downward into a dark cavity of shock, experiencing a soul disfiguring and planet shaking horror that tore me body and spirit, as I sought desperately those three... life... giving... words...

English Subtitles Included

They weren't there.

THE SET WAS BEING RELEASED WITHOUT SUBTITLES.

Oh, so slowly, I clawed my way back to reality. And it hit me that I had a very portentous decision to make:

Buy now for the vastly improved visual and sound quality, while CONTINUING to be lost in ignorance as to plot and characterization?

Or hold off, hoping against all sense, judgment and rationality that the English speaking fan base is somehow enough to warrant another - subtitled - release in the near to moderate future?

With my very spidey-world hanging in the balance, I chose to wait.

And wait.

las vegas pt. 2

Still at the conference. Today sucked rocks.

And the topic was a good one, too - software requirements. The presenter really was very nice. But he talked more about his family than about requirements. I feel like I've known him all my life.

Unfortunately, if you've signed up for a bad tutorial here, you can’t sneak into another one. There are QA Bouncers that stand at the door to each conference room.

We all have our "approved" tutorials typed on our badges. If you try to sneak past with the wrong tutorial on your badge, you get escorted back to your assigned one.

One kid got pretty loud about it yesterday, shouting about it being a free country and all - they took him outside and nobody’s seen him since.

I heard a guy say that he heard somebody say that they'd heard that someone had found the kid's conference badge in a dumpster out back of the hotel… with some blood on it.

But no sign of the kid.

las vegas pt. 1

My boss has sent me to Las Vegas for a conference.

Las Vegas is really neat. I’ve already met several interesting people – especially those nice men who give me cards when I walk by on the strip. I think they’re for trading - like baseball cards - but instead of baseball players, they have pictures of women on them.

First day of the conference was really good - an all day on leadership skills. I'm staying in the hotel next door - it's cheaper. I got lost on the way to the conference in the morning, and on the way back to my room at noon. And again on the way back from lunch, and then on the way home.

I think "next door" is a relative term in Las Vegas.

i ate five pieces

I was fortunate enough today to be the recipient of a gift that included some Laffy Taffy. As we all know, that sweet and sassy flavor is only one of the reasons to buy Laffy Taffy - the other is the great pair of jokes that come on every wrapper.

I ate 5 pieces.

1. 
   
   Q. When is homework not homework?
   A. When it is turned into the teacher.
   
   Q. Why did the skeleton cross the road?
   A. To get to the body shop.
2. 
   
   Q. Why did the ghost sing off key?
   A. He left his sheet music at home.
   
   Q. What's the best way to brush your hare?
   A. Hold him firmly by his long ears and brush gently.
3. 
   
   Q. How can you tell the ocean is friendly?
   A. Because it waves.
   
   Q. What has a bottom on it's top?
   A. Your legs.
4. 
   
   Q. What do you call twin brothers?
   A. A sunset.
   
   Q. Why did the potato go to France?
   A. Because he wanted to be a french fry.
5. 
   
   Q. Which runs faster, hot or cold?
   A. Hot. Everyone can catch a cold.
   
   Q. What does Christmas have to do with a cat in a desert?
   A. They both have Sandy Claws.

Ah yes.

neurosis

Using a napkin to wipe along all the edges of your just purchased take-out, to make sure there's no food / food-juice there, before you start eating - thus ensuring that all your food is within its proper boundaries prior to consumption.

I just did this.

Definition of Neurosis = me.

what's in your wallet?

Current contents of my wallet:

• bus pass
• costco member card
• driver's license
• salt lake zoo member card
• 2 u.c.u. debit cards
• 1 wells fargo debit card
• spare car key
• little card with important work numbers on it
• temple recommend
• health benefits card
• sticky note (with list of photography genres on it)
• employee badge / door opener
• 4 one dollar bills (4 more than I usually have)
• vision benefits card
• hollywood video rental card
• reuters phone / web conferencing card
• city library card (also works with county libraries)
• utrecht artsmart card
• minolta 5d slr quick reference guide

vegetable baby

It's lunch time and I'm eating steamed rice with vegetables at my desk. Everyone thinks I'm working through my lunch, but really I'm just puttering with sampasumb.

Steamed rice, vegetables and I have become very close since my Doc said I have high cholesterol and triglycerides. This is just a couple of weeks ago, so I'm still adjusting.

Today, as I walked past the mall McDonalds towards Panda Express, I thought I heard a McEmployee hiss "look at the rice and vegetable baby - go cry to your mama!".

But when I looked over, everyone there seemed busy doing regular McDonalds kinds of things. I guess I imagined it.

But it seemed so real.

nobody likes me

I feel unloved today because I had to go to the doc this morning and he yanked out my other ear tube and my ear hurts.

And no one (NO ONE) from my team is at work today so I'm all alone and its Friday so it's worse than if it were Wednesday or even Thursday.

I've recently come to realize that I don't know the rules for "its" and "it's". Every time I write one of 'em in MS Word, I get the green squiggly underline that says "this is incorrect usage, Stupid Human".

Not even MS Word loves me.

men's room

I was in the public men's room earlier and I heard a guy use SEVEN paper towels to dry his hands after he washed them. I couldn't actually see him, being in a stall myself, but I knew the number by counting how many times I heard the "shuh-SHOO-puh-duh" sound each towel makes when it's pulled out of the dispenser.

I think that's wasteful.

frogs and glass eyes

So I was reading in a magazine the other day, and I saw that Peter Falk draws and paints - he's even had gallery exhibitions and stuff.

He's got a website where you can look at his stuff. I think he's the cutest little man on the planet and Columbo is one of my all time favorite TV shows.

Plus, he has a glass eye. (And how cool is that?)