Elma Lewis, 82. Her work as a fine arts teacher in Boston's black community won her a ``genius grant'' and a presidential arts medal. Jan. 1.
Etta Moten, 102. Pioneering black actress-singer; featured in show-stopping ``Carioca'' number in Astaire-Rogers film ``Flying Down to Rio.'' Jan. 2.
Lynn Cartwright, 76. Veteran actress; portrayed the older Geena Davis character in ``A League of Their Own.'' Jan. 2.
Beatrice Winde, 79. Tony Award-nominated actress (Melvin Van Peebles' ``Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death,'' 1971.) Jan. 3.
Brian Gibson, 59. Director of acclaimed films including ``What's Love Got To Do with It?'' Jan. 4. Cancer.
John Toland, 91. Won 1971 Pulitzer for nonfiction for ``The Rising Sun,'' on the Japanese empire during World War II. Jan. 4.
Jake Hess, 76. Grammy-winning singer in gospel quartets; influenced Elvis Presley. Jan. 4.
Joan Aiken, 79. Children's book author (``The Wolves of Willoughby Chase''). Jan. 4.
Kiharu Nakamura, 90. Wrote about her experiences as a geisha; consultant on movies, plays. Jan. 5.
Thomas G. Stockham Jr., 70. Engineer, won technical Oscar for research in digital-sound recording. Jan. 6.
Francesco Scavullo, 82. Fashion photographer who made beautiful women even more so; shot many Cosmopolitan covers. Jan. 6.
Ingrid Thulin, 77. Swedish actress acclaimed for work with Ingmar Bergman (``Wild Strawberries''). Jan. 7.
John A. Gambling, 73. New York broadcaster whose ``Rambling with Gambling'' show, passed from his father to him to his son, extended for decades. Jan. 8.
Philip Geyelin, 80. Pulitzer-winning journalist, credited with turning Washington Post editorial page against Vietnam War. Jan. 9.
Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, 101. Founded WETA, Washington's first PBS station. Jan. 9.
Georgette Klinger, 88. Beauty expert who treated skin as a living organ. Jan. 9.
Alexandra Ripley, 70. Novelist selected by Margaret Mitchell's estate to write ``Scarlett,'' 1991 ``Gone With the Wind'' sequel. Jan. 10.
Spalding Gray, 62. Actor-writer who laid bare his life in acclaimed monologues like ``Swimming to Cambodia.'' Jan. 10. Apparent suicide.
Max Duane Barnes, 67. Country songwriter, wrote for greats like George Jones. Jan. 11.
Randy VanWarmer, 48. Had 1979 hit ``Just When I Needed You Most,'' then a successful Nashville songwriter. Jan. 12. Leukemia.
Uta Hagen, 84. Actress who dazzled Broadway for more than 50 years; was brutal Martha in Edward Albee's ``Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' Jan. 14.
Ron O'Neal, 66. His role as cocaine dealer Youngblood Priest in ``Superfly'' epitomized ``blaxploitation'' films. Jan. 14.
Olivia Goldsmith, 54. Her novel ``The First Wives Club'' became a revenge fantasy for abandoned wives. Jan. 15. Complications of plastic surgery.
Noble Willingham, 72. Played saloon owner in ``Walker, Texas Ranger''; ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Jan. 17.
Ray Stark, 88. Hollywood power broker; produced ``Funny Girl,'' ``The Way We Were.'' Jan. 17.
Jerry Nachman, 57. Colorful, award-winning journalist; editor of the New York Post, later vice president and host on MSNBC. Jan. 20. Cancer.
George Woodbridge, 73. Illustrator for Mad magazine for nearly 50 years. Jan. 20.
Bernard Punsly, 80. Last surviving member of movies' ``Dead End Kids.'' Jan. 20.
Billy May, 87. Grammy-winning composer, trumpeter; arranged such standards as ``Take the `A' Train.'' Jan. 22.
Ann Miller, 81. She fast-tapped her way to immortality in musicals like ``Easter Parade'' and ``Kiss Me Kate''; dazzled Broadway in ``Sugar Babies.'' Jan. 22.
Milt Bernhart, 77. Big band trombonist known for solo on Frank Sinatra's ``I've Got You Under My Skin.'' Jan. 22.
Bob Keeshan, 76. He gently entertained generations of youngsters as TV's mustachioed Captain Kangaroo and became an outspoken opponent of violence in children's television. Jan. 23.
Helmut Newton, 83. Acclaimed fashion photographer, explored gender roles and an icy sexuality. Jan. 23.
Eddie Clontz, 56. King of the supermarket tabloids as editor of Weekly World News. Jan. 26. Diabetes. Jack Paar, 85. Made the ``The Tonight Show'' the talk show everybody talked about, setting the stage for Johnny Carson and others to follow. Jan. 27.
H.B. ``Hard-Boiled'' Haggerty, 78. Professional wrestler turned snarling actor and stuntman. Jan. 27.
M.M. Kaye, 95. British author of sumptuous best seller ``The Far Pavilions.'' Jan. 29.
Janet Frame, 79. Overcame mental illness to become one of New Zealand's top authors. Jan. 29.
Mary-Ellis Bunim, 57. Reality TV pioneer with MTV's ``The Real World.'' Jan. 29. Breast cancer. Malachi Favors, 76. Jazz bassist; played with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Ensemble of Chicago. Jan. 30.
Frank Mantooth, 56. Grammy-nominated jazz musician. Jan. 30.
Robert Harth, 47. Led Carnegie Hall into an adventurous new era. Jan. 30. Heart attack.
FEBRUARY:
Frances Partridge, 103. British diarist, part of the literary Bloomsbury Group. Feb. 5.
Robert Colesberry Jr., 57. Co-created the HBO drama ``The Wire'' and played a detective in it. Feb. 9. Complications from heart surgery.
Jan Miner, 86. New York stage actress best known as Madge the manicurist in Palmolive television ads. Feb. 15.
Frank del Olmo, 55. Pulitzer-winning Los Angeles Times reporter and editor, voice for Hispanics. Feb. 19. Apparent heart attack.
Don Cornell, 84. Big band singer; hits included ``It Isn't Fair.'' Feb. 23.
John Randolph, 88. Tony-winning character actor (``Broadway Bound''); Roseanne's father in ``Roseanne.'' Feb. 24.
Daniel J. Boorstin, 89. Former Librarian of Congress; million-selling historian, social critic. Feb. 28.
Jerome Lawrence, 88. Writer for stage, radio and screen, including ``Inherit the Wind,'' ``Mame.'' Feb. 29.
MARCH:
Mercedes McCambridge, 87. Oscar-winning actress; provided demon-possessed girl's voice in ``The Exorcist.'' March 2.
Frances Dee, 94. Actress; co-starred in the 1930s and '40s with Katharine Hepburn, Gary Cooper and her husband, Joel McCrea. March 6.
Paul Winfield, 62. Oscar-nominated stage, screen actor (``Sounder''). March 7.
Robert Pastorelli, 49. Played screwball house painter Eldin on ``Murphy Brown.'' March 8. Accidental heroin overdose.
Dave Blood, 47. Bassist with 1980s punk band the Dead Milkmen (``Punk Rock Girl.'') March 10. Suicide.
Genevieve, 83. French-born chanteuse whose mangled English was a running gag on Jack Paar's ``The Tonight Show.'' March 14.
Nathan Heard, 67. Author whose novels (``A Cold Fire Burning'') drew from his experiences in prison and on the streets of Newark, N.J. March 16.
John ``J.J.'' Jackson, 62. Helped usher in music video era as early MTV personality. March 17.
Jan Sterling, 82. Cool, conniving movie blonde of 1940s and '50s (``The High and the Mighty''). March 26.
Jan Berry, 62. Half of surf music duo Jan & Dean (``Dead Man's Curve,'' ``The Little Old Lady from Pasadena''). March 26.
Adan Sanchez, 19. Rising Mexican singer, son of balladeer Marcelino ``Chalino'' Sanchez. March 27. Car accident.
Sir Peter Ustinov, 82. Won two Oscars for an acting career that ranged from the evil emperor Nero in ``Quo Vadis'' to Agatha Christie detective Hercule Poirot. March 28.
Art James, 74. Announcer or host for a dozen TV game shows. March 28.
Alistair Cooke, 95. Urbane host of television's ``Masterpiece Theatre''; interpreter of U.S. culture for decades on BBC's ``Letter from America.'' March 30.
APRIL:
Carrie Snodgress, 57. Oscar-nominated actress (``Diary of a Mad Housewife''). April 1. Heart failure while awaiting liver transplant.
Pierre Koenig, 78. Innovative Los Angeles architect. April 4.
Harry Babbitt, 90. Vocalist with the Kay Kyser big band (``The White Cliffs of Dover''). April 9.
Norris McWhirter, 78. Co-founder of Guinness Book of Records. April 19.
Mary Selway, 68. Casting director (``Raiders of the Lost Ark,'' ``Gosford Park''). April 21.
Jose Giovanni, 80. French filmmaker; hit crime movies featured stars such as Jean-Paul Belmondo. April 24.
Estee Lauder, 97. Built multimillion-dollar cosmetics empire. April 24.
Hubert Selby Jr., 75. Wrote acclaimed 1964 novel ``Last Exit to Brooklyn.'' April 26.
MAY:
Gilbert Lani Kauhi, 66. Jack Lord's burly sidekick on ``Hawaii Five-0.'' May 3.
Tage P. Frid, 88. Dubbed ``dean of American woodworking.'' May 4.
Rudy Maugeri, 73. Founder of 1950s group The Crew-Cuts; had a string of hits covering R&B songs. May 7.
Alan King, 76. Witty comedian, known for tirades against everyday suburban life. May 9.
Brenda Fassie, 39. South Africa's first black pop star; gave voice to disenfranchised during apartheid. May 9. Asthma.
Olive Osmond, 79. Mother of the performing Osmonds. May 9.
Phil Gersh, 92. Agent; represented Humphrey Bogart, other top stars. May 10.
John Whitehead, 55. R&B artist best known for 1979 hit ``Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now.'' May 11. Shot to death.
Syd Hoff, 91. New Yorker cartoonist; author of ``Sammy the Seal,'' ``Danny and the Dinosaur.'' May 12.
Floyd Kalber, 79. Popular Chicago anchorman; had stint on ``Today.'' May 13.
Anna Lee, 91. Film, television actress (``How Green Was My Valley,'' ``General Hospital.'') May 14.
June Taylor, 86. Emmy-winning television choreographer, founder of June Taylor Dancers. May 17.
Tony Randall, 84. Comic actor; the fastidious Felix Unger in ``The Odd Couple'' and fussbudget pal in several Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies. May 17.
Elvin Ray Jones, 76. Renowned jazz drummer; in John Coltrane's quartet. May 18.
Lincoln Kilpatrick, 72. Appeared in stage version of ``A Raisin in the Sun.'' May 18.
Roger W. Straus Jr., 87. Co-founded one of the great publishing houses, Farrar, Straus & Giroux. May 25.
Irene Manning, 81. Classically trained movie musical star (``Yankee Doodle Dandy,'' ``The Desert Song''). May 28.
JUNE:
William Manchester, 82. Historian who brought novelist's flair to biographies of such giants as Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy. June 1.
Nicolai Ghiaurov, 74. Bulgarian-born opera singer; one of great basses of his time. June 2.
Frances Shand Kydd, 67. Princess Diana's mother. June 3.
Nino Manfredi, 83. Italian film star, appeared in some of the finest Italian comedies of 1960s and 1970s. June 4.
Ronald Reagan, 93. Before entering politics, a popular Hollywood actor (``Knute Rockne: All-American,'' ``King's Row.'') June 5.
Barbara Whiting, 73. Actress in the 1940s and 1950s (``Junior Miss,'' TV's ``Those Whiting Girls.'') June 9.
Ray Charles, 73. Transcendent talent who erased musical boundaries with hits such as ``What'd I Say,'' ``Georgia on My Mind'' and ``I Can't Stop Loving You.'' June 10.
Egon von Furstenberg, 57. Known as ``prince of high fashion.'' June 11.
Mattie Stepanek, 13. Child poet whose inspirational verse made him a best-selling writer (``Heartsongs'') and a voice for muscular dystrophy sufferers. June 22.
JULY:
Marlon Brando, 80. Revolutionized American acting with ``A Streetcar Named Desire''; created the iconic character of Vito Corleone in ``The Godfather.'' July 1.
Robert Burchfield, 81. Chief editor of Oxford English Dictionaries. July 5.
Syreeta Wright, 58. Motown recording artist and songwriter, teamed with ex-husband Stevie Wonder (``Signed, Sealed, Delivered''). July 6.
Jeff Smith, 65. Public television's ``Frugal Gourmet.'' July 7.
Isabel Sanford, 86. ``Weezie'' on ``The Jeffersons.'' July 9.
Carlo Di Palma, 79. Innovative cinematographer in films by Woody Allen (``Hannah and Her Sisters'') and Michelangelo Antonioni (``Blow-Up''). July 9.
Joe Gold, 82. Founded original Gold's Gym in 1965. July 11.
Arthur Kane, 55. Bassist for influential 1970s punk group New York Dolls. July 13. Leukemia.
Carlos Kleiber, 74. Celebrated German-born conductor. July 13
Bella Lewitzky, 88. Renowned choreographer, teacher. July 16.
David A. Wallace, 87. Influential urban planner who revived downtowns and waterfronts, notably Baltimore's Inner Harbor. July 19.
Irvin Shortess ``Shorty'' Yeaworth Jr., 78. Directed 1958 cult movie ``The Blob.'' July 19.
Jerry Goldsmith, 75. Oscar-, Emmy-winning composer for shows ranging from ``Star Trek'' to ``The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' July 21.
Illinois Jacquet, 81. Tenor saxophonist; played with nearly every jazz luminary of his time. July 22.
Eugene Roche, 75. Paunchy character actor; ``Ajax man'' in commercials. July 28.
Sam Edwards, 89. The town banker in ``Little House on the Prairie.'' July 28.
Virginia Grey, 87. Actress from 1920s (``Uncle Tom's Cabin'') to 1970s (``Airport''). July 31.
AUGUST:
Don Tosti, 81. Musician, composer; blended jazz, boogie and blues to create the 1940s ``Pachuco'' sound. Aug. 2.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 95. Acclaimed French photographer whose pictures defined the mid-20th century and inspired generations. Aug. 3.
Hunter Hancock, 88. Los Angeles disc jockey; championed rhythm and blues, early rock 'n' roll. Aug. 4.
Gloria Emerson, 75. New York Times correspondent in Vietnam; won National Book Award for ``Winners & Losers.'' Aug. 4.
Rick James, 56. Funk legend known for 1981 hit ``Super Freak.'' Aug. 6.
Fay Wray, 96. The damsel held atop the Empire State Building by the ape in ``King Kong.'' Aug. 8.
Leon Golub, 82. Artist who depicted scenes of war and oppression in large-scale figurative paintings. Aug. 8.
David Raksin, 92. Oscar-nominated composer; arranged music for Charlie Chaplin's ``Modern Times,'' wrote memorable theme for ``Laura.'' Aug. 9.
Julia Child, 91. She brought the intricacies of French cuisine to Americans through television and books. Aug. 13.
Czeslaw Milosz, 93. Polish poet and Nobel laureate known for his intellectual and emotional works about some of the worst cruelties of the 20th century. Aug. 14.
Neal Fredericks, 35. Cinematographer of the low-budget horror smash ``The Blair Witch Project.'' Aug. 14. Plane crash.
Elmer Bernstein, 82. Oscar-winning composer, scored such classics as ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' ``The Great Escape.'' Aug. 18.
Al Dvorin, 81. Announcer who dispersed Presley fans with the phrase ``Elvis has left the building.'' Aug. 22.
Daniel Petrie, 83. Directed the movie version of ``A Raisin in the Sun,'' and won Emmy for ``Eleanor and Franklin.'' Aug. 22. Laura Branigan, 47. Grammy-nominated pop singer known for 1982 platinum hit ``Gloria.'' Aug. 26. Brain aneurysm.
E. Fay Jones, 83. Architect; his Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas honored as nation's top design of the 1980s. Aug. 30.
SEPTEMBER:
Frank Thomas, 92. One of Disney's top artists; animated the pups romantically nibbling spaghetti in ``Lady and the Tramp.'' Sept. 8.
Fred Ebb, about 76. Wrote lyrics for ``Chicago'' and ``Cabaret'' as well as ``New York, New York.'' Sept. 11.
Jerome Chodorov, 93. Playwright, co-author of ``My Sister Eileen''; later adapted it as the musical ``Wonderful Town.'' Sept. 12.
Kenny Buttrey, 59. Top Nashville session drummer; recorded hits with Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett. Sept. 12.
Johnny Ramone, 55. Co-founded the supremely influential punk band ``The Ramones.'' Sept. 15. Prostate cancer.
Virginia Hamilton Adair, 91. Poet; published her first collection of verse to acclaim at age 83 (``Ants on the Melon''). Sept. 16.
Marvin Mitchelson, 76. Hollywood divorce lawyer; pioneered the ``palimony'' concept. Sept. 18.
Russ Meyer, 82. Producer-director who helped spawn the ``skin flick'' - and later gained a measure of critical respect - for such films as ``Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' Sept. 18.
Skeeter Davis, 72. She topped the charts with ``The End of the World'' in 1963 and sang on the Grand Ole Opry for decades. Sept. 19.
Francoise Sagan, 69. French author, became famous in her teens for the best-selling ``Bonjour Tristesse.'' Sept. 24.
Marvin Davis, 79. Billionaire who owned 20th Century Fox in the 1980s. Sept. 25.
Ma Chengyuan, 77. Chinese museum official who saved priceless artifacts during the Cultural Revolution. Sept. 25.
Geoffrey Beene, 77. Award-winning designer whose classic styles put him at the forefront of American fashion. Sept. 28.
Scott Muni, 74. New York DJ whose encyclopedic knowledge of rock made him ``The Professor'' to generations of listeners. Sept. 28.
OCTOBER:
Richard Avedon, 81. Redefined fashion photography as an art form while achieving acclaim through his stark portraits of the powerful. Oct. 1.
Janet Leigh, 77. Wholesome beauty whose shocking murder in Hitchcock thriller ``Psycho'' is a landmark of film. Oct. 3.
Rodney Dangerfield, 82. The bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating ``I don't get no respect'' brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies. Oct. 5.
Jacques Derrida, 74. World-renowned thinker who founded the school of literary analysis known as deconstructionism. Oct. 8.
Christopher Reeve, 52. ``Superman'' actor who became the nation's most recognizable spokesman for spinal cord research after a paralyzing accident. Oct. 10.
Betty Hill, 85. Her tale of being abducted by aliens became the subject of a best-selling book, TV movie. Oct. 17.
Anthony Hecht, 81. Won Pulitzer in poetry in 1968 for ``The Hard Hours.'' Oct. 20.
Robert Merrill, 87. Metropolitan Opera superstar with the velvet baritone, equally at home singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium. Oct. 23.
Lester Lanin, 97. Bandleader who for decades supplied music for presidential inaugurations, high society. Oct. 27.
Vaughn Meader, 68. Gained instant fame satirizing John Kennedy in the multimillion-selling album ``The First Family.'' Oct. 29.
Peggy Ryan, 80. Teamed with Donald O'Connor in movie musicals such as ``When Johnny Comes Marching Home.'' Oct. 30.
NOVEMBER:
Theo van Gogh, 47. Outspoken Dutch filmmaker; great-grandnephew of Vincent. Nov. 2. Murdered, apparently by Islamic radicals.
Joe Bushkin, 87. Jazz pianist and songwriter, co-wrote early Frank Sinatra hit ``Oh! Look at Me Now.'' Nov. 3.
Howard Keel, 85. Broad-shouldered baritone in glittery MGM musicals (``Kiss Me Kate,'' ``Annie Get Your Gun''); later on ``Dallas.'' Nov. 7.
Ed Kemmer, 84. Intrepid Cmdr. Buzz Corry in the 1950s children's TV show ``Space Patrol.'' Nov. 9.
Iris Chang, 36. Best-selling author (``The Rape of Nanking''). Nov. 9. Suicide.
O.D.B., 35. The rapper (real name: Russell Jones) whose unique rhymes and wild lifestyle made him one of the most vivid characters in hip-hop. Nov. 13. Death ruled accident; from combined effect of cocaine, prescription painkiller.
Harry Lampert, 88. Illustrator who created the superhero ``The Flash.'' Nov. 13
Cy Coleman, 75. Composer of Broadway musicals (``Sweet Charity,'' ``City of Angels''); pop songs (``The Best Is Yet to Come''). Nov. 18.
Terry Melcher, 62. Songwriter, record producer who aided the Byrds, Beach Boys; son of Doris day. Nov. 19.
Noel Perrin, 77. He catalogued his experiments in rural living in books such as ``First Person Rural.'' Nov. 21.
Larry Brown, 53. Author who wrote about the often rough, gritty lives of rural Southerners (``Big Bad Love,'' ``Dirty Work''). Nov. 24. Apparent heart attack.
Arthur Hailey, 84. Best-selling author of big novels (``Airport,'' ``Hotel''). Nov. 24.
David Bailey, 71. Veteran soap opera actor (``Another World,'' ``Passions''). Nov. 25.
Philippe de Broca, 71. French director whose 1960s films ``The Man from Rio'' and ``King of Hearts'' brought him wide renown. Nov. 26.
John Drew Barrymore, 72. The troubled heir to an acting dynasty; Drew's father. Nov. 29.
DECEMBER:
William Sackheim, 84. Television, movie writer and producer, involved in everything from ``Gidget'' to ``Rambo.'' Dec. 1.
Dame Alicia Markova, 94. One of the 20th century's greatest ballerinas, co-founder of English National Ballet. Dec. 2.
Mona Van Duyn, 83. Pulitzer-winning poet (``Near Changes''). Dec. 2.
Jerry Scoggins, 93. He sang ``The Ballad of Jed Clampett,'' theme song to ``The Beverly Hillbillies.'' Dec. 7.
David Brudnoy, 64. One of Boston's most recognized talk radio voices. Dec. 9.
``Dimebag'' Darrell Abbott, 38. Guitarist with Grammy-nominated heavy-metal band Pantera, more recently Damageplan. Dec. 8. Shot to death during a performance.
Agnes Martin, 92. Abstract artist whose paintings combined spare simplicity with a subtle reflection of personality. Dec. 16.
Johnnie Carl, 57. Arranger, conductor at California's Crystal Cathedral. Dec. 17. Suicide.
Tom Wesselmann, 73. Pop artist best known for his modern take on the female nude. Dec. 17.
Renata Tebaldi, 82. Renowned Italian soprano hailed as having ``the voice of an angel.'' Dec. 19.
``Son'' Seals, 62. Singer and guitarist who electrified the Chicago blues scene. Dec. 20.
Susan Sontag, 71. Writer whose fame began with 1964 essay, ``Notes on Camp, `` Dec. 28.
Jerry Orbach, 69. Longtime actor on ``Law & Order,'' also known for work on Broadway. Dec. 29.
99% ready for the Holidays
Still have to go to the store (3rd time today) to pick up stuff we
forgot to get or ran out of at home.
That's the grocery store we are talking about.
No problem, you think? Think again. I saw someone get shoved to the
floor and beaten with a loaf of french bread until they were
unconscious.
Well, not really.
What I did hear was from a Papa Murphy's pizza guy, who said that
someone who was in the store earlier came in to order a pizza and
complained about someone elbowing her out of the way to get some
rolls. Rolls.
Amazing what this season does to some people! They become ravening monsters!
Yet again, we can talk about the difference between becoming a monster
and being a monster (long email thread argument with some friends that
I just don't want to repeat). Nah!
Have a happy time, everyone. ;)
Haven't been sleeping on the job
I've been busy getting stuff done for Xmas.
So busy, in fact, I spent Tuesday playing NeverWinter Nights with 4
other guys at Christopher's house, in LAN mode.
We had a great time and my Halfling Paladin, Josiah Barrelhaven, found
a Holy Avenger! That's +5 to hit, +5 damage and additional damage if
the opponent is a bad guy!
12.5 hours of NeverWinter Nights LAN Party. I brought a Costco pizza
at 10:45AM and we had various snacks during the day. At about 7:30PM
we stopped and got Teriyaki take-out from Kami Teriyaki, then back to
NWN!
6 players total, 5 from 11AM to 4:30ish, then the sixth guy showed up
and watched for a bit until two of the other players had to leave (one
to pick up his wife and one to go to work). Then there was 4 of us
until about 9:30, and then one left, leaving Christopher, Matt and I
(Druid, Barbarian and Paladin) to take on the rest of the game until
11:30!
Very much fun time.
Saw "A Series of Unfortunate Events" today
It was a visually beautiful film. But there was something about it
that just totally unsettled me, and that I can't quite put my finger
on.
It's not that I object to sad stories or ones with a variety of bad
things that happen.
I think it has something to do with the fact that Jim Carrey is so
"present" in the film that it skews it for me.
I give it a 7 out of 10. Worth renting, rather than seeing in the theatre.
Just heard a friend's daughter is going to Reed, in Portland, OR
Congrats to KC!
Reed is a wonderful school. My friend Drew went to Reed and I've wandered around the Campus several times. It is a very cool school. Lots and lots of famous (and not so) people have gone there.
They have a very small nuclear reactor, so they have a great physics department! They are also a very eclectic bunch of people. Associating with Drew, I met many of his Reed friends, and they were all very interesting people. One winter day in 1995, I was going to Reed with Drew and some of his friends and we missed the "traditional" nude snowball fight - oh, well ;) From what we heard, the turn out was truely disappointing ;(.
I lived in Portland during my Graduate School days. Portland is probably my favorite city in the World at this point. There are so many cool places to go:
For Sushi - Takahashi, 10324 SE Holgate Blvd, (503) 760-8135, out past I-205
For Coffee - Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, 707 SE 12th Ave, (503) 232-2640, East side of Portland (check out the Bathroom!)
For Cajun - Le Bistro Montage, 301 SE Morrison St, (503) 234-1324, under the east side of the Morrison Bridge.
For Books - Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, in Downtown Portland
For Cool Neighborhood #1 - Hawthorn District
For Cool Neighborhood #2 - 23rd Street
For Theatre-Pubs - The Bagdad on Hawthorn and the Mission, both McMenniman theatre-pubs. My brother Paul and I went to the Bagdad years ago and watched True Lies and drank Terminator Stout and ate pizza! Fun times!
Portland is such a cool city!
Congrats to KC again!
/M
#End
My Vacation starts in 3 hours
And then I only have 2 more days to work this month!
I'll let you calculate how much vacation I have as a math problem.
Received this email just now
From: postgateway@blogger.com
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 9:41 AM
To: me
Subject:
Your message could not be posted because of the following reason(s):
@blogger.com, XML-RPC Error or Publishing Problem.
---
So, I wonder if this will post?
Played NWN on Monday Night!
Again, the NWN group met.
Christopher, Matt and I.
And we got our asses handed to us by this magic-wielding witch (and her many guards).
We saved the game right before we went into combat with her.
In less than 30 seconds, my PC, Josiah Barrelhaven, the valiant Halfling Paladin (Level 4), was dead.
We did this several times. Then again another few times. Then again and again.
Each time, because I was fighting the witch and the rest of the group was fighting her guards, my PC died first.
Each time.
So, finally, we changed tactics. The Druid negotiated with the witch and we survived, but had a quest to kill a white dragon the witch was in conflict with.
Since we couldn't kill the witch, what makes us think we can kill the dragon?
We are going to meet again next week! I can hardly wait!
Not in the happiest moods today
Just sort of down in the dumps.
Things are OK at work but I've encountered some negativity as I was calling my clients. Not something I enjoy.
Well, it can only get better, right?
At least that's what my optimistic side tells my fatalistic other side!
:)
This weekend, we shopped, shopped, shopped!
Sunday was our shopping day for Xmas presents.
We went to Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington, and saw how the mall has changed. They've really spruced it up in the last several years.
First it was Sears for Julie's Uncle Bob in Canada, then Borders (again for Uncle Bob), Williams-Sonoma for various gifts, including that very tasty Peppermint Bark, then to Nordstroms (didn't find anything), then finally to The Bon Macy's for Julie's Aunt Donna.
Then we found a Taco Time for lunch (around 2ish) and stopped off at a army surplus store and then GI Joes, looking for gifts for Julie's sister's BF.
By 3:25, we had made it to Archie McPhee's in Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, where we spent a while choosing the appropriate gifts for a few of my nephews.
Then a quick stop at Game Wizard for Pirates of the Spanish Main collectable constructable card game for a few of my other nephews.
With dark hitting around 4:30, we stopped off at a kid's clothing shop in Ravena (the shirt Julie was looking for was vintage and no longer there), we finally finished up - except for groceries!
Top Foods in Woodinville provided us with pork chops, potatoes, lunch fixin's, and Wilcox Eggnog (Yum!) and we arrived home at about 5:25.
Long time on the road shopping!
One more week of work before Xmas Vacation
I have only 5 short days of work (actually, five days of eight hours
each, so none of them are shorter than normal) before my Xmas vacation
starts. I won't be back in the office until December 29th.
That's 11 days off (including 2 weekends). 11 days!
Before long, I will feel like I am unemployed again!
;)
If I had a $1,000,000!
Bare Naked Ladies is truely the best of bands.
I just love all their albums (are they even called albums now?).
Between "If I had a $1,000,000" and "Brian Wilson" I have been totally
amused by their lyrics as well as entertained by their music.
Here's to Bare Naked Ladies! Long may you produce fine music!
Having some trouble with the Blog
It's not getting the format I want to run very well.
See, if you look to the right, you should see the archive bar, but
that's not where it is.
It's at the bottom of the blog.
I can't figure out why it's doing that. But then, on my browsers it
appears to not be where it's supposed to be.
Maybe it's my browsers.
I will investigate.
Company Xmas party was very fun.
It was held at The Big Picture in Seattle.
Saw nearly everyone from work and had the opportunity to meet spouses,
drink some fine lemon drop martinees, have a great dinner (including a
nice cheese tray and dessert tray) and avoided singing karaoke (the
karaoke room was very crowded).
All in all, very fun evening!
Thanks Danny and Robert!
Tonight is my company Xmas party
Should be a fun time :)
/M
Five sales today, NINE for the week total!
I made five sales today. Five! In one day, that's my record. Also, with NINE sales over the course of a week, that's also a record. Going to be a good Xmas for me!
Played NeverWinter Nights last night!
Over at my friend Christopher's.
It was me, Christopher and his friend Matt. We started one of the adventures of the 1st expansion pack, set in Hilltop in the snow.
It was very, very cool.
My character was Josiah Barrelhaven, a halfling Paladin of Banjo! Matt played a Barbarian named ReVe Evil or something like that and Christopher was a Druid.
The game went pretty fast and we all had a good time. All of our PCs bit the dust at least once, but because we were saving as we went, we could avoid any bad repeats of death.
Again, it was very, very cool.
I just may be a believer, now.
Shocking, but True!
Finished watching the Matrix Reloaded
Well, I finished watching the Matrix Reloaded last night.
I thought it was pretty good. I could see the various problems with it that some of my friends were really upset about, but despite that, I thought it was an OK movie. Definitely not in the same category as the first one, but a solid (albeit the problems) movie.
I especially liked the Architect and the Oracle scenes. Double cross was good, but there should have been more of a "that door leads to x and the other leads to y, or am I lying?" that would have added a bit more to it. Why the Architect gave him the choice to rebuild Zion and simply didn't force him into it by lying to him, I don't know. From a master manipulator POV, that should have been an easy sell.
I'll probably get the next movie Matrix Revolutions from my local Library.
Working hard, not hardly working
Got 4 sales this week so far. Most of them are small sales, with profit appropriate to the cost.
Not much in commissions, though. I think I made about $52.50 on these sales
50 bucks is 50 bucks!
Today's funniest IM chat
between Christopher and me:
matt: Have you watched that?
matt: It's got that kid from Charles in Charge or something, doing Bibleman.
Xtopher: oh, and there is a bible girl too. Righteous!
matt: and they only have sex in a committed, God defined marriage.
Xtopher: That's not sex, that's baby making.
matt: And only in the missionary position!
Xtopher: With a missionary watching.
matt: "Don't mess with the Missionary Man!"
Xtopher: She's on a missionary from god!
Xtopher: Ok, off to work... talk to you later.
Guess you had to be there.
NeverWinter Nights
As I've mentioned previously, I am interested in NeverWinter Nights Computer Game. It's now on my Xmas list but I still haven't played it, so I still don't know if I will like it.
My friend Christopher is going to have me over to his house to play the game. He's got both the Mac and the PC versions.
Hopefully, we can multi-player NWN sometime this week - maybe Thursday!
That is sooo cool! Thanks, Christopher!
Matrix Reloaded
I didn't see the Matrix sequels in the movie theatre. I heard such bad things about them from friends who saw them, so I didn't go.
I picked up the Matrix Reloaded DVD from my local library.
And I watched most of it last night - I still have a bit more to go.
And it's an interesting direction on the whole Matrix thing.
I'm not sure if I like it, but I'm not hating it.
Recent movies seen in the theatre: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, National Treasure, The Incredibles.
Recent movies seen at home: Matrix Reloaded (not finished yet), League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Love Actually, Sleepy Hollow.
I know what I want for Xmas.
Yes, a decision has been made. While I don't really need anything right at this point in my life (with the exception of more money), I've come to some decisions.
A list is needed in order to fulfill the necessary requirements for certain people:
NeverWinter Nights for the Mac.
An invite to an English Tea (with lots of cakes and sandwiches).
An invite to the Space Needle.
An invite to Snoqualamie Falls.
A Whidbey Island excursion.
An afternoon browsing my Favorite Local Bookstores and a snack break.
An afternoon at Archie McPhee's.
Gift Certificate for Safeway (but only if I can buy Safeway gas with it - check before you buy). Gift Certificate to Amazon.com (please, not Borders or B&N, I prefer Amazon).
Gift Certificate to get car detailed.
Gift Certificate to Fred Meyer.
Car cleaning supplies (like dash wipes, window wipes).
A baseball hat with an Eight Ball stitched on the front (or back) or a BPRD Patch (google BPRD Hellboy).
A pair of Converse Low Tops, size 13 Wide, Black, Blue or Red.
Chocolate.
Orangina.
A more complete list to come.
Very busy today.
I'm very busy today.
That is usually very good because the day goes faster.
But why should I want it to go faster? Shouldn't I savor Life like a fine wine or a beautiful piece of fruit?
We rushed around last night getting things done, when I would have much rather relaxed and enjoyed the evening.
But rarely does that happen, it seems.
Today, I will rush around my office, working hard and doing lots of stuff. Then when I go home, I will rush around my house, working hard to make dinner, do laundry, bring in the trash, clean up stuff, prepare for tomorrow, and so on, until it gets to be around 8ish or so, then I'll have time to relax and maybe get some reading done.
Maybe that's why I can't manage to read any book all the way through, I get distracted by my rushing around.
Got to go! Work to do!
Car in the shop, played the car-swap game
Yesterday, I played the car-swap game.
It's not my car that's having mechanical failure, it's my GF's.
So, I got off work at 4PM. Had to drive into Seattle to pick up the GF at 5PM. There was a Seahawk's game, so traffic by 4 was a pain.
My co-worker Will left his car lights on, so I had jumper cables and helped him out. Couldn't get his car started.
At around 4:15, he said "Go but can I borrow your cables?"
Took the long way (but most likely to move) around the North end of Lake Washington.
Got to the GF's office at around 5:20PM.
Drove back around the North end of the lake. Along the way, a car spun out of control in front of us on I-5, nearly causing a 5-car collision (including us).
Met my GF's mom at her mechanic where she was picking up her other car (a Jetta) around 6:30PM and we all went to dinner (each driving a car to the restaurant).
Dinner went OK, nothing exciting - OK mexican food.
Got home at 8:15PM and switched the cars around. Took out the trash (today is pickup day), and drove off to the mechanics. I followed in my car.
Dropped off the car at the mechanics and drove home. Arrived home at around 9:20ish PM.
So, since 4PM, I have been driving around the Seattle area (with a break for dinner).
Very exciting end-of-day.
Current reading list
I'm currently reading: Vancouver & Victoria For Dummies (well, actually skimming through it).
Want to read: The Da Vinci Code, but I want to read Angels & Demons first.
Number of books checked out from my local library: 43 (estimated).
Number of these books that I will end up just skimming through: 35ish or so.
Number of books started this year but never finished: in excess of 100.
Why I don't finish reading books: I get distracted.
Vital Statistics
I'm a salesman.
I started this job 136 business days ago. This is my 29th week in this job. Before this job, I never sold a thing in my life.
Here are some vital statistics for my performance so far.
254 total sales quotes out to customers.
141 of the 253 declined by customers.
35 sales from 39 quotes (some sales were combined quotes).
74 quotes still out as possible sales.
39 quotes/(39+141 quotes) = 21.67% sales to total sold+declined quotes.
254 quotes/29 weeks = 8.7 quotes per week.
141 quotes/29 weeks = 4.8 quotes declined per week.
35 sales/29 weeks = 1.2 sales per week.
Ratio of Gross Profit to Total Sales = 31.36%
Four sales quotes out so far today!
Monday Morning Test
This is a Monday Morning Test post. Will it work?
Stay tuned!
I'm interested in Neverwinter Nights for the Mac for Xmas
"What do you want for Xmas?"
"Nothing. I have everything that I can afford. And I don't really need
anything."
"You have to want something!"
Well, maybe.
Maybe I want Neverwinter Nights for the Mac.
Two points, however, should be mentioned:
1. I'm not a computer gamer. My favorite computer game is Curse of
Monkey Island for the PC and, while I have a copy of this game, I
don't own a PC, I own a Mac.
2. I spend way too much time on the computer in the first place, would
this computer game enhance my life or just suck it away?
I looked at some of the stuff for NWN and the demo is 250MB, which is
12 hours of download with my 56K modem. Oh, well, who wanted to look
at it anyways?
But still, it is interesting enough for me to want to try it out.
Maybe . . .
One more test!
Just testing pound end again.
And I tested the pound end bit
I'll even test it again . . .
I'm going to write (pound) end then the Declaration of Independence.
Will it show up?
Test #2 proved publishing question
Yes, this posting happens automatically.
How amazing!
Test #2
Does this publish on it's own or do I have to keep pushing republish?
