Darth Drabek

Teaching college kids non-survey courses.... now that's the life! You should have people who are genuinely interested in the subject material, and the truly determined students who are paying their own way will be a bonus. Now how to deal with the trust fund fratbags who are just killing time until the next kegger... Dude, do you even know who I am? My dad owns a dealership, dude! Make sure to schedule a few tests during "pledge week."

Muser has gone on a ridiculous rampage! The Posies - What's Going Awn

I thought as much. I'm leaving work for the day!

For crying out loud.... you guys should be politicians, the way you love insulting each other. See, there - we're back on topic!

Wow.... kirottu has just destroyed any chance that smiley had of becoming popular. ... Or maybe he's made it the most popular smiley on the boards!

Andrew WK was a guilty pleasure of mine back when that first album of his came out. It was pure, unadulterated rock. He put on a helluva live show, too. For a while, I was totally convinced that he was faking it. Then I realized he was just genius. Rx Bandits - Apparition

Then what are they going to do to fill that time? Those type of bars are gathering places as much as drinking establishments, and I just don't think smokers will forgo social contact because of the ban. If anything, they'll go there to bitch about the smoking ban! Okay, I agree that many of the people who would vote for a smoking ban are not bar patrons by nature. But maybe those folks will go out to enjoy a beer and watch the game now that the air is clearer, so to speak. Edit because my quotes were atrocious.

Here's how I look at the smoking ban issue. It's not going to stop smokers from going to bars. The number of smokers who boycott bars will be negligible. The ban will bring people to bars who don't normally go, however - those folks who don't like to smell like an ashtray when they leave. So basically, it's win-win for bar owners. The smokers will huddle outside to have their cigarettes, then belly right back up to the bar. Heh, most of the bars I know will reek of smoke for years anyway, because years and years of it has soaked into the walls. In Ohio, we had two choices: SmokeFree Ohio, or SmokeLess Ohio (that's honestly how they were promoted). SmokeFree Ohio was the full-on ban, and SmokeLess was a amendment to the state constitution allowing smoking in bars and restaurants. The thing that irked some people about SmokeLess Ohio was that as a constitutional amendment, it would overturn city ordinances - for example, the city of Columbus passed its own smoking ban several years back. That ban would have been overturned had the SmokeLess initiative passed. Although... at least one city in Ohio has repeatedly voted down proposed smoking bans, and now their population's mandate is being overturned. So that's a bummer for them... but it's for their own good, right?

Yep. The ceremony was considered a success however, because none of my friends spontaneously combusted upon entering the church. Yes, yes and yes to that last one too - just not for me. :joy: Ah, yes, and such a woman she is. Good thing too, because if she wasn't, removing the garter with my teeth would have been quite disgusting. We're just taking a trip to a bed and breakfast next weekend. No trips to Tahiti, because we're a poor young couple struggling to make it on our own, like Johnny and Sheena in "Living on a Prayer," except I haven't had to pawn my six-string yet. P.S. I see the new smileys have arrived! ELO - Don't Bring Me Down

Take away, take away Take away this ball and chain Just kidding, folks. I'm enjoying married life (or at least newlywed life) so far, and the wedding and reception went smoothly. Also, I've been enjoying the new album from the Rx Bandits.

I did like the Venture show clip, although I admit I didn't get all of it. I'd add this to the list of funniest cartoon episodes ever. It's the "Lost in Time" episode of Sealab 2021 - all 11 minutes of it. I remember sitting in my dorm room watching this on cartoon network with my friends, laughing so hard I was crying. Sweet dreams, dopplegangers.

Man, between you and Kor I've got more music than I have time to listen to it... but as country singer Joe Diffie (of "John Deere Green" fame) once said: "I'd like to have a problem like that." Erasure - Love to Hate You Hmm... sounds like the stuff that the indie kids are hyping these days. Guess it all comes around again, eh?

Man, it's been forever since I listened to Fishbone. While you're here, I'll ask a question. Is Double Nickles on the Dime really as essential as it's street cred says it is? I've heard very good things. Meat Puppets - Backwater Edit: Oh, and here's the interesting back story on that Ted Leo song. The name always left me scratching my head, and now I know what the heck "Tell Balgeary, Balgury is dead," really means! It's from a quirky British folk tale, I guess. Fun read.

That's probably my favorite song (that isn't a Warren Zevon cover ) on the new Pete Yorn album. Although "Ice Age" is up there too. Bob Dylan - I Threw It All Away (from Johnny Cash's old variety show)

The song is "A Little Respect," and Pidesco broadened my horizons with a Portugese band's version of it. My musical knowledge has been tested and found wanting, however, because I have never heard an Erasure song in my life (that I know of). I must have missed that scene, I guess. The singer for this band, which is named Silence 4, has a very nice voice that is capable of fragile falsetto and strident singing as well. The band is tight, too, once they kick it in after about a minute. Matthew Sweet - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (Neil Young cover)

I was young, and still thought the fusion of rap and rock was a noble endeavor. :D But even in my youth, I always hated Korn. And yes, the song was good... although I have never heard the original. I liked how it picked up halfway in. Warren Zevon - Desperados Under the Eaves

I remember that song! I saw Hed P.E. when I was a sophomore in high school... must have been seven, eight years ago. They were antagonizing the crowd a lot, because no one was really there to see them. It was a four-band show, and they were the third band to play. I think I still have "Bartender" on my computer somewhere. Fun fact: Linkin Park opened that show. No one had heard of them yet, and "One Step Closer" had yet to burn up the charts. My friends and I were all pretty impressed and a few of us picked up their CD. I even praised the album in a review for the school newspaper. Edit: TL & the Pharmacists - 2nd Ave., 11 a.m.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The High Party

I know, the lower level equipment is great too. I'm really beginning to appreciate anything the least bit magical. Actually I just pinched Greywolf's Long Sword +2 and I feel like I can take on the world. I'd kinda forgotten how good a game it is, I'm enjoying the plot and the questing far more than i have done with BG2 recently, maybe I've over played it over the years. Where you up to at the moment Drabek? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, without spoiling it for any weirdos like me that play famous games for the first time after they have been out for seven years, I think I can say that I have made my return to Candlekeep and now I'm on the lamb. I'm considering putting off my return to the big city to finish lots of little quests all over the place and hopefully get Imoen's inactive thief class back (I dueled her to mage at 6).

Badminton... at a party? That is genius! Also, kudos to the party-throwers for playing cool music and not caving in to "whatever makes the girls wanna dance." Whenever I tried to get inventive with a party mix, it usually fell flat. Then I would just retreat to more vanilla mixes with plenty of Snoop. Check out the video for The Afghan Whigs' "Gentlemen." I love how he plays the voyeur. Nobody does "menacing lecher" like Dulli. Oh, and any mix with late-Waits, nomeansno, 1965 and Liquid Swords would be a quite eclectic one. But you know that.

That Eyeball Skeleton stuff is actually good! Catchy guitar and guitar... just listened to "The Smoking Turtle." But now I'm gonna bring the funk with the Afghan Whigs channeling Stevie Wonder. Going to Town

Both good lists. Brady and P. Manning are far ahead of the rest, after that I'd say McNabb, Brees, Hasselbeck and Bulger (12 TDs, 1 INT, that's why) are the next tier. Grossman is definitely playing top-tier ball, but I don't think that would be happening without his supporting cast. I'd drop Palmer into the third tier with Michael Vick, Trent Green and Phillip Rivers, who also wouldn't be having as great a year if he didn't have a strong running game for defenses to focus on. The Burger is so hot and cold... I mean he was in the zone against Atlanta before he got knocked out - but then he'll play an awful game the next week.

I've been having a blast with BG tutu as well. I really like the low-level adventuring. It's such a big deal when you get your first level 3 spell, because they can be devastating. It makes all that babysitting of the mage worthwhile! My only problem is I'm too eager to burn through the story, so I'm missing sidequests and exploration all over the place.

Yes, yes, yes. Beautiful. Wilco's "Summerteeth" has been making its way back into my CD player. Wilco - Via Chicago I dreamed about killing you again last night And it felt all right to me Dying on the banks of Embarcadero skies I sat and watched you bleed Buried you alive in a fireworks display Raining down on me You cold, hot blood ran away from me To the sea

Ah cool. Thought so. It appears Gnarls Barkley has released as the next single, and has a pretty slick video to go along with it.