The Occasional Solipsist

So now I can safely say that we are all moved in to the new house. I have been holding off for two reasons on making that statement because the last holdout was to get our rural high speed set up. Reason 1 has to do with the fact that it didn't feel complete without it being done. And reason 2 had to do with the fact that I have been unable to get online and do anything without it anyways.

So now we're all moved in. All of that anticipating the move and whining about The Out-Laws is over. So now what the hell have I got to to talk about?

Labels: everything else, our new house

So my sister called me today to see how I felt about getting another year older and during that conversation I finally realized what the name of the tv show thirtysomething was going for.

I have never actually seen that particular pile of 80's television drek, but I know of it and it dawned on me that the title likely wasn't some clever pun, but rather a reference to people in their thirties not being aware of their exact age because it just no longer matters.

We ended up having a quasi-argument about how old we both were, and during it, I actually lost track of how old I was. I had to do the math to figure out that I am in fact 33 now. I think the reason for the disagreement was simple: We're both thirty something, and once you're there, the numbers seem to hold less meaning than they used to. Of course, I pointed out that there is a big difference between 31 and 39, so it might be more important for her to remember her age than me to remember mine, but she's pregnant with her second, so she's got more important things to worry about than counting down to forty.

In other news, I guess I had the best birthday I could reasonably hope for. I got woken up by Trinity and Superwife, had both my breakfast and dinner made to order for me, got to take my princess for a long ride in her new sled in 10cm of newly fallen snow, got to take my new PS3 for a test drive, and spoke to both my parents and had a great conversation with both of them. I think the only way it could have been better is if Superwife had surprised me by giving me a lap dance dressed in her Wonder Woman costume rather than falling asleep on the couch. But now that I'm getting older and edging closer to heart attack country, those sorts of things need to be more carefully planned anyways I suppose.

Labels: everything else, narcissism

10 / 10
Your Rank: Supreme Trekkie
Did you get Takei's autograph on the last Star Trek cruise?

You scored better than 84.6% of the 846 people who took this quiz.

http://www.jinx.com/trivia.aspx?qid=22

I took another one of those online quizzes from J!nx this morning, and as everyone who knows me knows, I am a huge Star Trek fan, so since the quiz was Trek themed, I ended up kicking all kinds of ass, sort of like Kirk did to that Gorn in 'Arena'. Ahem.

But just for the record, I do not use either the label Trekkie or Trekker; fan suits me just fine. And no I don't dress up at conventions. Although I did get to sit beside a green skinned Orion Slave Girl at a con once, and I totally got off on it. Are there as many Trek fans out there as we like to think there are?

Labels: narcissism, star trek

So we closed on our new house today. The builder wasn't finished with it until late this afternoon, so we decided to wait until tomorrow morning to start moving in. Something about moving in the dark while its snowing turned us off.

And it turns out that we didn't get the tidiest builder going. I just came back from sweeping the basement and wiping every surface down of dirt and dust prior to our move tomorrow. I think we are going to be pretty happy there, and I don't have any major complaints (yet!) about the quality of this guy's construction, but I sort of figured that it would be clean for us to move into. Course, I live with a clean freak, so maybe he thinks it was and I've just become more like Superwife that way.

So now its one more sleep at The Out-Laws. I couldn't possibly be more excited about getting some semblance of normalcy back. Being homeless, it turns out, sucks.

Here's our flickr gallery of the house from start to almost finished.

Labels: our new house

That actually seems like a reasonably hard to live up to headline. Especially because most of King's books that have been made into movies have sucked balls. Notwithstanding The Stand, The Shining, and maybe IT. But anything else, from Christine to Salem's Lot to Needful Things; well they pretty much all sucked.

Awesome books, usually very scary and well written, but most just haven't translated too well.

However. This month The Mist came out and I have such high hopes for this one. Based on a genuinely scary short story that's basically a survival horror bit with a horrible MacGuffin just outside, you've got the makings of a decent flick. Throw in a few religious crazies and some government tests on the barriers of reality, and you've got yourself a winner. Plus, in the short story I have always remembered the part where the husband and protagonist, whose wife has been missing (and presumed horribly, horribly dead) since the opening few pages somehow finds time to cheat on her while locked in the supermarket where the survivors are cooped up. That kind of asshole bears remembering.

I might even forgo downloading this and actually pay to rent/buy this movie when it comes out. Which, since it is a Stephen King movie that no one will go to the show to see, is likely to be soon. Here's the link to the site

Labels: books, everything else, movies

I just watched one of the most interesting and truly thought provoking movies that I have seen in a long time. The movie was called 'The Man From Earth', by Jerome Bixby, a guy I had never heard of but who it turns out makes for an interesting footnote in the history of science fiction.

The movie starts with a group of college professors getting together to celebrate the early retirement of one of their own. The retiree has decided that before he vanishes to parts unknown, he is going to tell the rest of the group the shocking truth of his life, that he is a 14,000 year old man, and over the course of the movie divulges his unique perspective on human history.

As the story unfolds, it basically becomes a 12 angry men scenario as more details of the man who currently calls himself John Oldman's life are revealed and the group attempts to put what he is telling them into something they can understand, and decide if he is crazy, lying, or telling them the truth.

Aside from some of the really interesting historical observations in the film, it is it's discussion about religion that ends up taking center stage and provides for the most interesting dialogue. It turns out that John Oldman ends up playing a fairly pivotal role in the evolution of modern religious ideology, much to his own disappointment, and it is this part of the movie that provokes the most reflection.

I don't want to give too much more away than I already have, but this movie should be required viewing for pretty much any thinking person.

And it opens up some interesting lines of thought as far as the religious references go. I am an unapologetic atheist, as anyone who has stopped by here before is likely to already know. I just have such a hard time understanding why theists have to attribute more than there already is to the natural world. I look at the universe and marvel at its breadth, depth and grandeur and I see theists as looking at the same view and saying, 'Yeah so what else is there?' I can empathize with the need for an afterlife to settle up with the innate fear of death, but once you get past that, I guess I wonder why what is just isn't enough.

But I got thinking about one of the film's premises and got to wondering about this Jesus character. On some days, I think that there might once have been some dude named Jesus who lived 2000 years ago, made a few reasonably on point comments, and was subsequently gangbanged over and over again by revisionist history and a power hungry religious empire. On other days I have thought that maybe the guy is a total fiction, fabricated completely from the minds of that same self-serving organization that still seeks to own the nonexistent souls of its members through fear. How's that for a Jedi mind trick eh? Teach the masses that they have some unknowable, unseeable eternal spiritual avatar, and then teach them that the only way to avoid that avatar spending eternity in agony is by doing exactly what you tell them to. Uh huh.

But maybe this Jesus guy was a real guy, just some regular schmuck with the idea that things could change. What if, as the film suggests, he were around now to see how his unorthodox teachings had been used and bastardized over the generations between? Would he see the many different churches grown up in his name as anything other than abominations? Would he go mad, cry, seek to repair the damage? Or would he quietly hide out, hoping that someday we might drop all the religious nonsense and get back to his original message that people just be nice to each other?

It really was that good of a movie. Every thinking person should see it at least once. And if you’re a theist that refuses to allow rational thought in for fear that it might throw that antiquated belief system into the unrelenting glare of obvious truth, then you need to see it even more.

Labels: atheism, movies, philosophy, scifi

I guess I do this every year. I get thinking about why I like Canada so much right around the time of year that we take a day to remember the people who have died defending the rights of other Canadians.

The bulk of the collective remembering usually goes to those who died in or survived WWII, that being the last major confrontation that we were embroiled in, save for the various peacekeeping missions we have been embroiled in of late.

Its amazing to me that in spite of the enormous amount of killing currently and recently going on in other parts of the world, that we are relatively untouched by it. Not that I am downplaying for a second the lives of Canadian soldiers who have died in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and elsewhere. I totally respect the person that is willing to give his or her life for someone else's rights. I wouldn't do it, except for the people that truly matter to me. My wife, my daughter, my sister. That's pretty much the list. I do however have a huge problem with the politics behind some of the recent conflicts, but that does not diminish for a moment my respect for the people who follow the orders that I disagree with.

I love my country and can't stand our current Prime Minister. I am a lefty, and do not agree with a single one (that I can think) of the Conservative Party's ideals. I believe in free speech, the right for a woman to make her own choices about her body, the right for medical science to be free of restraint from antiquated religious beliefs, and the right to think and do what I want so long as those actions don't harm anyone else. I believe that differences like sexual preference and skin colour are semantics and should have nothing to do with the setting of public policy. I further believe that belief in a supreme being has about as much place deciding public policy as belief in the tooth fairy.

If I had to pick a political persuasion I would claim to be a Libertarian, or even sometimes a Libertarian Socialist, but I usually end up voting Liberal as they end up being the party that hits the mark close enough and has a chance of winning.

In discussing my feelings for this awesome country to a friend earlier, I quoted something I posted about a few years ago, and I feel the text bears repeating here. Its from an old beer commercial, and aside from the glowing recommendation of hockey (which is the stupid cousin of the sports family), its origin doesn't necessarily mean the quality of its writing should be dismissed. You think if he were around now, Shakespeare wouldn't be writing porn scripts if the money was right?

Either way. I'm remembering with more humour than normal this year, but I still wear my poppy like everybody else. So just so its been said out loud again, Thanks.

Hey, I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader....
I don't live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dogsled....
and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada,
although I'm certain they're really really nice.

I have a Prime Minister, not a president.
I speak English and French, not American.
And I pronounce it 'about', not 'a boot'.

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack.
I believe in peace keeping, not policing,
diversity, not assimilation,
and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.
A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch,
and it is pronounced 'zed' not 'zee', 'zed' !!!!

Canada is the second largest landmass!
The first nation of hockey!
and the best part of North America

My name is Joe NOT Joe, (its Derek actually).
And I am Canadian!!!

Labels: everything else, rants

Dear Trinity,

Another month, another month that we are still homeless. Even you are getting anxious to get into your own space. Every time we go over to the house you tear down the hall to go check out what (if anything) might have changed in your room and you throw a fit when it is time to leave. And not just any fit. The kind of fit that you lately only reserve for the real freakouts, like when we go shopping and it looks like you aren't going to be getting a treat. Or when we drive past (and do not stop at) a McDonald's. Or when it is time to leave the park.

Man, can you yell. I don't raise my voice very often; I have been always been more the whiny, moody angry type. And your Mom is more of the quiet grudgy angry variety. So we don't know where the screaming comes from. Personally I think it comes from watching your Grandpa in action, because that guy can yell and slam doors with the best of them. Maybe not the finest example of things you're learning while living with your Grandparents, but there it is.



But its not all unfinished houses and door slamming. You have been really fun to hang out with lately. The different facets of your burgeoning new personality come out more and more all the time. For example, seemingly out of nowhere you have decided to proclaim yourself your Uncle's personal champion. He is still banged up pretty bad, the worst of it being his leg slowly healing up, and you have decided to take it on yourself to defend him from any perceived wrongdoing, even from your Mom and I. If someone sits on his couch, even if he isn't coming back for awhile, you pull them out of it. If someone moves his glass, even to refill it, they get a 'That's Uncle Dave's!' for their trouble. It is really funny to watch.

This month has seen the introduction of my two so far favourite phrases from you. The first, 'I love you so much' melts me about as fast as an ice cube might when tossed into the sun. You usually accompany this gem with a huge hug, some kisses, and a nosy thrown in for measure. A nosy being rubbing our noses together and saying 'Nosy, nosy, nosy'. And you do this on your own, without provocation, when you feel the need to communicate how you feel about us. Its awesome.



The other new favourite phrase is this: 'You wanna watch Spaceballs dad?' Inexplicably, this movie fascinates you. It does happen to be one of my all time favourites, and I count among my skills the ability to quote any line from any scene from memory. But I haven't pushed this on you one bit. I think the only time I have ever watched it with you at all was one time waaaaaay back during the first few weeks after you were born and you hadn't yet started sleeping through the night. And that couldn't have been less than 2 years ago. Maybe its the image of Dark Helmet that gets you so. It is pretty funny. Either way, you love this movie, and because of that aforementioned skill about knowing every scene in the movie, I can skip past the parts I deem inappropriate and you and I can watch a good father-daughter movie together. And eat popcorn, let's not forget that part.



Another thing that you are getting into, and this can only be attributed to my interest in comics, is superheroes. You love going through the issues that I am okay with you tearing to shreds and you can name most of the DC Universe now. How many other 2 year olds can do that? The only complaint I would have is that I am now noticing how male centered the superhero genre is. I have tried to find you some girl superhero pjs or play costumes, and its almost impossible. I finally settled on a pair of Spider-Man pjs, and have just taken to calling you Spidey or Spider-Girl, which you love.

Our major highlight from this past month was definitely taking you out for your first Halloween. That was so much fun for everyone. You had a few different outfits to choose from, and you ended up settling on a lion. So cute. And safe? I can’t imagine a safer why to spend Halloween than having your Mom and Dad drive you to every house (you went to 4 total), walk you up to the door and then drive you to the next one. You said Trick or Treat at each stop and you also thanked the candy givers each time.



Next year, I think we might try out one of those mall things, where we sign you up and you go around to the participating retailers to get your goodies. Still as safe, not quite as much fun, but you’re certain to get a ridiculous amount of candy in the process. And that is likely to matter more as the years go by.

I think next year I am going to dress up too. No point in you having all the fun. Maybe we can go as some kind of father daughter team. Although now that I think of it, none really come to mind. Well, I have a year to think about it.

Talk to you next month.

Love,

Daddy

Labels: everything else, our new house, trinity

I am sure that there must be something that angers me more than getting my headphones all snarled into a big annoying mess every fucking time I go to use a pair for use with one of my myriad devices. There must be something. But I can't think what that might be right now because I am too busy untangling my god damn iPod headphones again. Argh!

Seriously, how the fuck have we not made wireless headphones cheap, easy and sold with every device that might need them? I mean we sent a man to the moon over 30 years ago.. Oh wait, turns out that might not probably didn't almost certainly never happened. Ok, well, we made a really convincing movie about going to the moon over 30 years ago, so how can we not have this headphone thing down yet?

Any one got an answer for this? Does this bug everyone else as much as it does me?

Labels: rants

So I finally got around to watching episode 6 of geek week, one of my all time favourite video podcasts, and one which, sadly is rarely produced. Instead of 'geek week' it might be more appropriately called 'geek twice a year'.

But the weird thing is this: I took a screen grab awhile back of the best part from a past episode, one where a cosplaying Sarah Beattie (the female host) is in a pillow fight with a Sue Richards lookalike, and I posted it on my blog (here).

So how surprised was I when in watching this episode I find that they used the exact same screen grab in a scene in the current ep? Very weird.

What does it mean? Well, obviously to me, it means that not only are they fans of mine as well, but that I am right about the whole solipsist thing and the universe does in fact revolve completely around me.

Or it might be a coincidence. Either way.

Here's the link to the site and the latest ep. If you are into anything comic related, you will enjoy it. Plus they have cute girls in cosplay pillowfights sometimes.

Labels: comics