Out of Pocket

Kirsten and I will be in Huntsville, Texas for the next few days. Her neice is graduating from high school, and as part of the political bargaining that is putting on a wedding, we're required to help the young lady celebrate.

I'm sort of looking forward to it - I've never been to Texas or to Houston, though I hear driving in the latter is a disaster. I think part of the reason I want to go is because I want to prove to the world that driving out there is not nearly as bad as people think it is.

Now, See, That's Just Wrong

What happens when a treasured American comic strip, drawn by a trendsetter who will likely never be equaled, meets a modern comic strip centered around a narcissist with a childlike personality and a Ramesses-like sex drive?

Lucy gets freaked out, that's what.

And you know, it's funny, but Halo is never where I figured I'd see two guys with a killjoy complex really open up to each other. Or one of them opens up, anyway.

It's Not That I Hate the Red Sox

I just would have preferred the Cubs to win the World Series before the Sox did. But whatever, no matter.

Check this out:
Some collection of jokers put together Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (you know, the Buckner Game) on the original RBI baseball.

It's not perfect, mind you, but it's still pretty good.

And it's really, really enjoyable.

It Makes My Life Easier

I may not love my job, but it's one of the few jobs out there where I can do several things at once and do them all well.

For example, I was recently able to ask a friend, "Hey, you want to see if these souvenir gummy dice from Vegas are rigged?"

And test them.

And eat them.

And still meet all of my goals for the morning.

By the way, they were rigged - the damn things kept coming up three. Never gamble with gummy dice.

When They Sell Out, They Don't Screw Around

So, I've broken down and decided to get a Nintendo Wii. I think I realize that there's been a bit of a jump in video game system quality since I bought my last one (Sega Genesis in 1993, Sonic represent!). And so, despite my basement's low ceiling and the potential to therefore make some plaster-throwing contractor a millionaire, I've been looking to buy a system.

Funny thing, though - it seems that the Wii is the best-selling console game system in America.

Ever.

They've sold 6 million Wii consoles worldwide in the last 6 months, far outpacing sales of any other console system over its first 6 months of life. And that has put quite a strain on supplies - apparently, Nintendo didn't expect sales to be that good, and so there's a global supply problem.

I blame the elderly.

Anyway, that means there are no Wii consoles out there. None in stores, none online. Kirsten and I asked around at the mall yesterday, and apparently the stores there don't even get real shipments; according to one guy at EBGames, they get maybe 2 or 3 units at a time.

So, long story short, there's no Wii in my home. And that means no Zelda: Twilight Princess.

But that's OK - maybe I can wait until Guitar Hero comes out before making the purchase.

Just a reminder: The Wii is now $249.99 in stores - the PS3 is still hovering in the $600 range. All other things being equal, it's a bargain.

Interesting and Useless

The average person uses about 260 kg of molecular oxygen per year, give or take.

The average tree produces 115 kg of oxygen per year (older trees produce less because they aren't expending energy on growing, the same way that Taco Bell looks great to a 17-year-old, but disgusting to a 45-year-old).

The average acre of forested land produces about 4700 kg of oxygen per year. That means that there are, on average, 40 trees per acre.

Anyway, the reason I bring this up: If you want to do your part for global warming, plant three trees. You'll even produce a net oxygen credit.

If you have to drive somewhere to visit your trees, you should probably plant 6 of 'em. You know, be on the safe side and all.

Images Everywhere

I have a new favorite "Spiderman might not be straight" image: Click for a good time.

Also, I uploaded a photo album onto webshots with like the 10 pictures I took during Reunion. It's not many, but a few.
Click here

Also, another update on the Reunion class. Charles is almost done with his own PhD in Physics, which is based on modeling the flow of blood through the heart.

I Went Reunioning

So, I know a few of my readers didn't manage to make it to Wash U's class of 2002 Reunion the other weekend, which is a bummer, but no big deal. I have managed to both remain in St. Louis and not have a real life, allowing me the opportunity to attend all of the WU events that I choose to.

Now that I think about it, I don't attend too very many.

That being said, a lot of things have changed with the Class of 2002, and I figured I ought to upload my less fortunate (mainly Bostonian) classmen with some interesting updates. I've also got this neat little image I'll use to indicate goodness or badness of each.

So, here's what I learned about our fellow alumni:
-Neal got cleaned up. Like, fairly well. Apparently, he's on a local elected body, he's bartending, runs a boutique marketing company in LA, and still has no house payments (there's a story behind that).

-Marlena's finished her PhD program.

-Cara is moving to Alaska to do river-raft-guiding.

-Florina got married.

-And quickly divorced.

-Kristen is still doing her PhD.

-In Minnesota.

-Near the Metrodome. And, by extension, near Brad Johnson.

-Julie has founded a chapter of a read-to-a-kid-in-school program called Everybody Wins! in Miami.

-Tom has gotten into sand volleyball in San Antonio (they don't call it beach volleyball, lacking beaches and all) and met a nice girl through it.

-At the zoo, they actually debated whether the perfect poop is possible.

-Justin's practicing law in Philadelphia.

-Justin is not a wookie, but now has the right to use my "Took off his shirt at the zoo, and got darted and dragged back to the monkey house" line.

-Adam is also chilling in South Florida, if I recall correctly.

-Lisa's at the EEOC in DC. but I think we all knew that. Just felt like adding it.

-Meg's working for the Teach for America program in St. Louis. As an administrator, not a teacher.

-Brian has too much time on his hands.