judges - poetry - tennyson - philosophers - candide - Cartoons - squirrels - ANia - Darth Vader - air massage

[12:46:06 PM] pD says: Senior judge cleared of flashing

[12:46:13 PM] pD says: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6747975.stm

[12:46:23 PM] pD says: sad but true

[12:47:22 PM] nsy says: agh! i call shenanigans! get the pitchfork, son!!!

[12:50:18 PM] nsy says: well, its not as bad as some shenanigans (remember OJ?)

[12:50:42 PM] pD says: i would hardly call OJ shenanigan

[12:51:41 PM] nsy says: yes, that is the understatement of the year

[12:52:53 PM] pD says: Roy L. Pearson Jr. wanted to dress sharply for his new job as an administrative law judge here. So when his neighborhood dry cleaner misplaced a pair of expensive pants he had planned to wear his first week on the bench, Judge Pearson was annoyed.

So annoyed that he sued — for $67.3 million.

[12:53:02 PM] pD says: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/us/13pants.html?th&emc=th

[12:53:15 PM] pD says: i am telling you, those judge types are just dangerous

[12:53:23 PM] pD says: first getting off on flashing charges

[12:53:43 PM] pD says: now, suing for misplaced pants for $67+mm

[12:53:54 PM] pD says: gotta love the common law system

[12:55:16 PM] nsy says: there should be a strict screening process for judges... hmm

[1:10:39 PM] pD says: or, i was actually thinking that maybe it is time to get a jd degree so i can apply to be a judge too

[1:10:51 PM] pD says: surely, my moral character does not fall below theirs...

[1:11:48 PM] nsy says: all in favor... "Aye"

[1:12:07 PM] pD says: to be technically correct, since I am not an aspiring judge

[1:12:19 PM] pD says: you would need to introduce a motion

[1:12:26 PM] pD says: then, ask for aye's

[1:13:08 PM] pD says: http://www.robertsrules.org/

[1:13:23 PM] nsy says: wow, it looks like you are already on your way.

[1:13:38 PM] pD says: p.s. i meant to say, I am "now" an aspiring judge

[1:14:21 PM] nsy says: good thing - thats what i read. my brain works funny like that.

[1:14:48 PM] nsy says: wow, robert is very orderly

[1:15:07 PM] pD says: if you are going to rob somebody, rob them properly

[1:15:10 PM] pD says: that is what i say

[1:15:54 PM] nsy says: heh

[1:16:29 PM] pD showing off his caliber of moral character fitting of being a judge

[1:16:58 PM] nsy says: impressive show. thanks for the front row seats!

[1:19:52 PM] pD says: you are just waiting for a disaster to happen, aren't you!

[1:22:08 PM] nsy says: (wide-eyed, edge of seat, munching popcorn)

[1:25:25 PM] pD says: BOOO!

[1:27:11 PM] nsy says: aaagh! (popcorn everywhere)

[1:35:13 PM] nsy says: http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/10923.html

[1:38:20 PM] nsy says: http://www.slapupsidethehead.com/wp-content/media/2006/09/new_judge.jpg

[1:42:51 PM] nsy says: http://www.thecards.com/images/bigcards/judge.jpg

[1:49:57 PM] pD says: just posted last one: http://nsa-chatters.blogspot.com/2007/06/callebaut-valrhona-flashing-judge.html

[1:51:36 PM] pD says: i think for me, i would be the honorable white wig with the word "what is in it for me" carved on the face

[1:53:52 PM] pD has changed the chat topic to "poetry"

[1:54:25 PM] pD says: so, i was thinking about of a conversation with BIB

[1:54:49 PM] pD says: a.k.a. benevolent illustrious boss

[1:55:11 PM] pD says: she was taking a class on poetry therapy and was complaining that she does not get poetry

[1:55:52 PM] pD says: that was part of her shrinking training

[1:56:24 PM] pD says: anyway, it kind of got me thinking about poetry - i think the biggest problem is often time there is a perception that poetry has to be difficult

[1:57:03 PM] pD says: but, what it really is is about exposing difficult emotions

[1:57:27 PM] pD says: it could be about bliss, but how do you write about bliss that would communicate with the next person

[1:58:51 PM] nsy says: (back-topic) i would be judge mentoch. you can be judge mightor: http://www.answers.com/topic/harvey-birdman-attorney-at-law (and back-topic)

[1:59:27 PM] nsy says: ok, poetry... i think there is poetry for moments.

[1:59:58 PM] nsy says: you understand it when you have experienced the thing the poet is writing about, so as i grow and learn, i relate to more poetry

[2:00:52 PM] nsy says: some experiences i will never have, so i can never relate to those poems

[2:01:46 PM] nsy says: and like you said - expressing difficult emotions. so people often feel they are the only one experiencing that until they hear it in prose, and realize they are not alone - or something. ;)

[2:02:06 PM] nsy says: music can have a similar effect i guess

[2:02:45 PM] pD says: love mightor

[2:02:58 PM] pD says: i need to think about what i will cough up

[2:03:04 PM] pD says: also need to work on my southern accent

[2:03:28 PM] pD says: for somebody who has spent years in the south, i am a really sorry excuse for the way i talk...

[2:04:14 PM] pD says: i think you are quite right about having the right set of experiences

[2:04:25 PM] pD says: in that context, poetry is nothing but a hook

[2:04:45 PM] pD says: to take you on a journey

[2:05:27 PM] pD says: having said that, i do think that it is possible to "get a sense" of what the poem is talking about even without primary experience

[2:05:39 PM] nsy says: i think the best poets do not write for anyone but themselves. to push out something that is eating them from the inside. i love those poems.

[2:05:42 PM] pD says: for example, tennyson's "charge of the light brigade"

[2:06:10 PM] nsy says: yes, I can see that. you san definitely get a sense there.

[2:12:00 PM] nsy says: maybe truly great poets express their ideas in such a way that you can have a vicarious experience. but those are not my personal favorites. (again with the eye of the beholder thing) i prefer the feeling of resonance and validation that comes from poetry that echoes familiar emotional (but not necessarily literal) experiences.

[2:14:08 PM] pD says: ever the procrastinator, i would just say that it is all context dependant. sometimes, i want to be taken for a ride to an unfamiliar land and other times, i just want to know that life does not suck for me alone

[2:14:25 PM] pD says: the flip side of it is the creation of poems.

[2:14:40 PM] pD says: that was part of the BIB discussion on poetry therapy

[2:15:13 PM] pD says: and, i think, for me, i have come to the stage in life where i just throw things in front of me in a minimalistic fashion

[2:15:18 PM] pD says: for poems i mean

[2:15:42 PM] pD says: so, trying to get to the nugget of the idea that i am getting at and ignore everything else

[2:15:57 PM] pD says: sort of a lazy man's poetry method, i suppose

[2:17:41 PM] pD says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Tennyson%2C_1st_Baron_Tennyson

[2:19:36 PM] pD says: btw, you can hear Tennyson read the charge of light brigade: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade_(poem)
[2:29:16 PM] nsy says: wow, a moving experience!

[2:29:34 PM] nsy says: i didn’t realize so many famous quotes originated from his prose

[2:33:23 PM] nsy says: useless factoid... the band Iron Maiden used that poem as inspiration for their song "The Trooper"

[2:35:10 PM] nsy says: plus the crimean war

[2:35:45 PM] nsy says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War

[2:40:20 PM] nsy says: interesting how Tennyson referred to Bruno and Spinoza - I'm learning so much. God Save Wikipedia!

[2:40:59 PM] pD says: oh, what did Tennyson say about Spinoza?

[2:41:19 PM] pD says: wasn't spinoza the "best of all possible world" guy?

[2:41:51 PM] nsy says: there is no direct quote except for bruno: His son's biography confirms that Tennyson was not Christian, noting that Tennyson praised Giordano Bruno and Spinoza on his deathbed, saying of Bruno: "His view of God is in some ways mine."

[2:42:44 PM] nsy says: yes Spinoza... "By virtue of his magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, Spinoza is also considered one of Western philosophy's definitive ethicists."

[2:43:18 PM] nsy says: "Spinoza lived quietly as a lens grinder, turning down rewards and honours throughout his life, including prestigious teaching positions, and gave his family inheritance to his sister."

[2:44:14 PM] nsy says: Bruno was an Italian philosopher, priest, cosmologist, and occultist. Bruno is known for his system of mnemonics based upon organized knowledge and as an early proponent of the idea of an infinite and homogeneous universe. Burned at the stake as a heretic by the Roman Inquisition, Bruno is often seen as the first "martyr [1] for science."

[2:44:42 PM] nsy says: Bruno developed a pantheistic hylozoistic system, essentially incompatible with orthodox Christian Trinitarian beliefs.

[2:45:21 PM] nsy says: wow - i didn’t even know what hylozoistic was. brain so happy... soaking it up...

[2:53:35 PM] pD says: sorry i was confusing Spinoza with Leibniz who was lampooned by Voltaire in Candide

[2:53:47 PM] pD says: Leibniz: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz

[2:54:00 PM] pD says: Candide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candide

[2:54:56 PM] pD says: When i read candide long time ago, i thought Dr Pangloss was really cool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangloss)

[2:55:11 PM] pD says: i suppose my twisted sense of what is funny is well developed early on...

[2:55:38 PM] pD says: okay, i need to dig up my book on western philosophies

[2:55:49 PM] pD says: it has been a while since i touch philosophy

[2:58:59 PM] nsy says: i never studied philosophy but my good friend has a philo degree, so i learn whether i like it or not ;). but i secretly love it - don't tell her.

[3:06:27 PM] nsy says: pangloss - fascinating. so much modern terminology stems from the story. panglossian paradigm even has its own page.

[3:07:07 PM] pD says: well, Candide was considered a major work by Voltaire

[3:07:25 PM] pD says: and, of course, it was often a required reading for something like me

[3:07:40 PM] pD says: but, it is also true that the story is so incredible, that it leaves an impression

[3:08:40 PM] nsy says: sadly, they don't teach much Philosophy in Catholic School.

[3:12:27 PM] nsy says: and college was all about Math for the CoSci stuff. I was robbed.

[3:26:23 PM] nsy says: although my calculus book briefly mentioned Leibniz

[3:26:50 PM] nsy says: and some other computer science books

[3:30:08 PM] nsy says: but his mother was a schmuck

[3:30:21 PM] nsy says: Catherina Schmuck

[3:31:05 PM] pD says: you enjoyed that one didn't you

[3:31:16 PM] pD says: i think it is time for you to repent

[3:31:26 PM] pD says: for taking that much pleasure in somebody's name

[3:33:43 PM] nsy says: (sinister snickering) http://www.gardenmob.com/snidely-whiplash.jpg

[3:38:58 PM] nsy says: i was actually looking for the mutely laugh: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6762466046961647838&q=muttley+laugh&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4

[3:39:19 PM] nsy says: can you tell i was raised by a pack of wild cartoons?

[3:41:03 PM] pD says: love cartoons

[3:41:11 PM] pD says: bugs bunny

[3:41:23 PM] pD says: i also like donald duck

[3:47:41 PM] nsy says: do you like ugly dogs? http://samugliestdog.com/

[3:48:27 PM] pD says: hmm...

[3:48:39 PM] pD says: i am not a pet person for practical reasons

[3:48:46 PM] pD says: they will never grow up and make money for me

[3:48:54 PM] pD says: but, are the ugly dogs cartoons?

[3:49:19 PM] pD says: i do not know if Sam looks "ugly"

[3:49:24 PM] pD says: but he sure is a bit scary

[3:49:36 PM] nsy says: i think i would like ugly dogs if they were cartoons, but otherwise, i'm not a huge fan.

[3:50:03 PM] pD says: oh, i also like the two squirrels that were always picking on Donald Duck

[3:50:07 PM] pD says: whatever they names are

[3:50:38 PM] nsy says: oh yah - i forgot about them... they were really cool.

[3:50:59 PM] pD says: http://www.concordantia.com/sfm/Images/Squirrel.png

[3:51:46 PM] pD says: now, here is a squirrel worth having as a pet: http://www.ttgnet.com/images/armed-squirrel.jpg

[3:54:18 PM] nsy says: yeah - thats no chip'n' dale squirrel

[4:09:33 PM] nsy says: http://www.squirrels.org/video.html

[4:14:18 PM] nsy says: ok, this one's better http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7867532138386013952&q=squirrel+obstacle+course&total=4&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

[4:25:54 PM] pD added ANia to this chat

[4:26:05 PM] pD says: i would like to welcome today's guest

[4:26:07 PM] pD says: Ania

[4:26:17 PM] pD says: she was wondering what NSA Chatters is about

[4:26:39 PM] pD says: and, basically, it is about a bunch of people at work who has nothing better to do and cannot exactly leave to goof off

[4:26:49 PM] pD says: fair explanation, nsy?

[4:27:05 PM] nsy says: yay! a goof-off guest!

[4:27:10 PM] ANia says: hehe

[4:27:12 PM] ANia says: :)

[4:27:35 PM] pD says: so what kind of gift are you looking to buy?

[4:27:55 PM] nsy says: did you give her the URL for the old chats?

[4:28:15 PM] pD says: http://nsa-chatters.blogspot.com/

[4:28:31 PM] ANia says: yea, i got this address

[4:28:39 PM] ANia says: should i create a character there?

[4:29:01 PM] ANia says: i mean ID

[4:29:03 PM] pD says: creating a character (avatar?)

[4:29:09 PM] pD says: you gamers are too much

[4:29:14 PM] nsy says: maybe we should have protected her from the insanity. she may run screaming and never return. hmm...

[4:29:19 PM] pD speaking for self

[4:29:33 PM] pD says: we just chat on random topics

[4:29:44 PM] pD says: hey, there is a first for everything

[4:29:57 PM] ANia says: true

[4:29:57 PM] nsy says: and I interrupt pD a lot to see if steam will come out of his ears.

[4:30:04 PM] pD says: i am setting up a pool on how long before Ania realizes this is a complete scam

[4:30:29 PM] pD thinking... but, it is our scam

[4:30:33 PM] nsy says: what are the odds on 30 seconds?

[4:30:45 PM] pD says: 1:5000

[4:30:57 PM] pD says: actually, you missed it already

[4:31:05 PM] nsy says: ok, i'll bet 10 cents

[4:31:20 PM] pD says: Ania was invited on 4:25:54

[4:31:22 PM] nsy says: aaw, dang. i'm always late tot he tea party

[4:31:24 PM] pD says: hmm

[4:31:30 PM] pD says: the force is strong with this one

[4:31:47 PM] pD says: (heavy breathing)

[4:31:52 PM] ANia says: hehe

[4:31:53 PM] pD speaking from the dark side

[4:32:13 PM] nsy says: darth pD is back! RUN!!!

[4:33:01 PM] ANia says: my boyfriend was darth vader for the halloween

[4:33:03 PM] pD says: too late, i have your throat

[4:33:18 PM] pD says: you non-believer

[4:33:26 PM] pD as an aside

[4:33:28 PM] nsy says: GGARRG

[4:33:35 PM] pD says: so, Ania this is what we do in this IM/blog thing

[4:33:45 PM] pD says: does that answer your question?

[4:33:51 PM] ANia says: i see

[4:33:55 PM] ANia says: yes, it does

[4:33:57 PM] ANia says: :)

[4:34:06 PM] nsy says: do you have pictures of your boyfriend as Vader?

[4:34:14 PM] ANia says: let me thing

[4:34:19 PM] ANia says: think

[4:34:23 PM] ANia says: yes

[4:35:06 PM] ANia says: do you wanna see him?

[4:35:19 PM] pD begging to be graced

[4:35:39 PM] ANia sent file "[deleted]" to members of this chat

[4:35:41 PM] pD says: btw, Lucas film is soliciting Starwar theme short films: http://nsa-chatters.blogspot.com/2007/06/115345-am-pd-says-hi-folks-i-would-like.html

[4:36:19 PM] pD says: we should come up with a script and i have already downloaded the various sound effects that we can use

[4:36:43 PM] nsy says: now you're talking!

[4:37:43 PM] nsy says: whoa! sweet costume!

[4:37:44 PM] pD says: let's make that an agenda item for tomorrow

[4:38:00 PM] pD says: hey, how come i am still downloading

[4:38:03 PM] ANia says: yea, it is cool costume

[4:38:03 PM] pD says: 35% complete

[4:38:13 PM] pD says: somebody is holding out on the bandwidth on me

[4:38:21 PM] nsy says: mwahahahahaha

[4:38:22 PM] ANia says: but i had a hard time to figured out my costume

[4:38:36 PM] pD says: yeah, what did you have?

[4:38:44 PM] ANia says: i ended up being a nurse, Darth Vader private nurse

[4:39:06 PM] ANia says: in case he had problems with breathing

[4:39:12 PM] nsy says: LOL

[4:39:14 PM] pD not saying anything un-PC

[4:39:39 PM] pD says: anyone wants to know my costume

[4:39:46 PM] ANia says: sure

[4:39:49 PM] pD says: 65% complete

[4:39:52 PM] pD says: ay...

[4:40:06 PM] pD says: i am, was and probably will always be, the invisible man

[4:41:03 PM] nsy says: did you hear something?

[4:41:10 PM] pD says: ?

[4:41:12 PM] ANia says: ?

[4:41:14 PM] nsy says: must have been the wind

[4:41:25 PM] nsy says: or... the invisible man!

[4:41:33 PM] ANia says: heheh

[4:41:34 PM] pD says: hahah!

[4:41:50 PM] pD says: oh, that also reminds of a dirty joke

[4:41:57 PM] pD says: anyway, i can tell you tomorrow

[4:42:26 PM] pD says: on second thought

[4:42:32 PM] pD says: it cannot be the invisible man

[4:42:44 PM] ANia says: why not?

[4:42:52 PM] pD says: because part of his power is the ability to do nothing - part of

[4:42:58 PM] pD says: staying "invisible"

[4:43:05 PM] pD says: so, he ain't going to create no wind

[4:43:30 PM] pD says: finally finished the download

[4:44:01 PM] pD says: i am in love with your boyfriend

[4:44:05 PM] ANia says: hehe

[4:44:06 PM] pD says: that is just so cool

[4:44:34 PM] ANia says: yea, it is a cool costume

[4:45:29 PM] pD says: hey, how about doing a script where a game tester ends up having darth vader actually coming out of the game

[4:45:30 PM] ANia says: and he has awesome light saber

[4:46:00 PM] nsy says: triumph ruined darth costumes for me. so sad. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6144096400228908907&q=triumph+star+wars&total=93&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[4:46:30 PM] pD says: sort like the purple rose of Cairo: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089853/

[4:46:48 PM] ANia says: nice

[4:46:55 PM] pD says: or, sigh, the last action hero: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107362/

[4:47:32 PM] pD says: right, and darth vader come out of the game because his saber was jammed and he needs the game tester to fix it

[4:48:27 PM] pD says: so, the game tester makes him go through a series of goofy stuff like jumping on one leg while saying "dark side is good"

[4:48:41 PM] ANia says: :)

[4:49:07 PM] ANia says: nsy, that video is awesome

[4:49:14 PM] nsy says: hahaahaaa - that sounds perfect! see you already have the script under way

[4:49:14 PM] ANia says: (rofl)

[4:50:59 PM] pD says: oh, here is a good one, make vader give "air massage" using the force

[4:51:24 PM] nsy says: mwahahaha

[4:54:20 PM] pD says: as a matter of a fact...

[4:54:38 PM] pD says: we can do a series of Jedi services

[4:54:42 PM] pD says: air massage comes to mind

[4:54:57 PM] pD says: what other stuff do you think they can do - something mundane and domestic

[4:55:21 PM] pD says: the script could be a series about how the game tester becomes a mastermind behind "Jedis on Call"

[4:55:36 PM] pD says: sort of mistreating and exploiting the Jedis for their force

[4:55:43 PM] ANia says: wow, you are very creative

[4:55:48 PM] nsy says: (snicker) hmm...

[4:56:19 PM] pD says: not sure about creative but years of studying has done serious damanage to my psyche

[4:56:30 PM] ANia says: heh

[4:56:36 PM] nsy says: lifting the couch cushions to look for change, then taking the (insert name of bipedal white mammal) to the drive-through for a burger

[4:56:51 PM] nsy says: damanage - i like that

[4:56:54 PM] pD says: say, we can say this is the real pre-qual [sic] to the original

[4:57:06 PM] pD says: so, it was not so much that anikan fell to the dark side

[4:57:06 PM] nsy says: heheh - i think thats been done

[4:57:14 PM] pD says: oh, so sad

[4:57:33 PM] pD says: somebody was already selling Jedi services for domestic help?

[4:57:54 PM] nsy says: it aint easy being jedi

[4:58:07 PM] pD says: okay, guys, i am going into a conference call,

[4:58:10 PM] pD says: brb

[4:58:15 PM] nsy says: l8r

[4:58:20 PM] ANia says: ok

[4:58:33 PM] ANia says: i am gonna make a dinner

[4:58:35 PM] ANia says: brb

[4:59:07 PM] pD says: do you think we have overwhelmed Ania, nsy?

[5:00:13 PM] nsy says: for now. i think once she gets comfortable, she will put us in or place.

[5:00:25 PM] pD says: you know

[5:00:30 PM] pD says: i am always glad

[5:00:37 PM] pD with a glint in my eye

[5:00:51 PM] pD says: to help somebody get ready for the real life in the office

[5:01:12 PM] nsy says: ah, yes

[5:01:23 PM] nsy with misty eyes

[5:01:32 PM] nsy says: real life

[5:05:14 PM] ANia says: oh, I am not overwhelmed, I am just not that familiar with Star Wars, I have seen all the episode but only once

[5:05:15 PM] ANia says: :)

[5:06:19 PM] nsy says: i'm more of a lord of the rings geek, really

[5:06:22 PM] nsy says: :)

[5:06:46 PM] nsy says: i'm surprised you get a chance to watch anything with all the schoolwork you have

[5:07:53 PM] ANia says: oh, that was last summer

[5:08:02 PM] ANia says: we spend all weekend watching star wars

[5:08:16 PM] ANia says: my boyfriend could not believe that i have not seen it

[5:08:22 PM] ANia says: so he made me watch it

[5:08:28 PM] ANia says: but it was fun!

[5:08:46 PM] nsy says: hahah - that is quite a movie marathon!

[5:10:28 PM] ANia says: yea,

[5:13:39 PM] pD says: all 6?

[5:13:45 PM] ANia says: yes

[5:13:53 PM] pD says: you must really love him

[5:13:58 PM] ANia says: hehe

[5:14:19 PM] ANia says: yea, i do

[5:14:24 PM] ANia says: but it was fun

[5:17:48 PM] pD says: long time ago before George Lukas decided to ruin the original star wars

[5:17:56 PM] pD says: there was a national run for all three of the original

[5:18:12 PM] pD says: a bunch of friend and I went into the theater to watch the films

[5:19:20 PM] pD says: that built a lot of characters

[6:09:57 PM] pD says: can i post this?

[6:10:23 PM] nsy says: have at it!

[6:10:38 PM] pD says: ania?

[6:10:51 PM] ANia says: yes

[6:10:53 PM] ANia says: ?

[6:11:09 PM] pD says: post to NSA Chatters

[6:11:14 PM] ANia says: sure

[6:27:00 PM] pD says: p.s. can I post the darth vader pix?

[6:27:02 PM] pD says: pls!

[6:28:06 PM] ANia says: hm

[6:28:16 PM] pD says: pls!

[6:28:46 PM] ANia says: i do know, i should ask him first

[6:29:01 PM] ANia says: but i guess no one would now that it is him

[6:29:02 PM] ANia says: sure

[6:29:05 PM] ANia says: you can post it

[6:29:19 PM] pD says: the force is strong with this one...

[6:29:24 PM] pD says: thank you

[6:29:40 PM] ANia says: just don't tell him

[6:29:45 PM] ANia says: if you ever meet him

[6:29:47 PM] ANia says: :P

[6:30:04 PM] pD says: oh, i was hoping that he can be a guest for one of these IM sessions!

[6:30:11 PM] nsy says: meet who? ;-p

[6:30:22 PM] ANia says: my bfriend

[6:30:26 PM] pD says: Ania's personal darth vader

[6:30:29 PM] ANia says: heh

==
NSA Chatters

Callebaut - Valrhona - flashing judge - Iyengar yoga - tech support - minutemen - the history lesson - texas - mafalda

[11:32:56 AM] pD says: hi nsy, recall the chocolate discussion?

[11:33:02 AM] pD says: http://nsa-chatters.blogspot.com/2007/06/jolly-roger-vote-chocolate-la-chapelle.html

[11:34:32 AM] nsy says: i also read the discussion from last friday when i was hiding. very nice!

[11:34:55 AM] pD says: found out that Donnelly Chocolates uses Valrhona from France

[11:34:57 AM] pD says: http://gc-gastronomic.blogspot.com/2004/12/valrhona.html

[11:35:10 AM] pD says: and Callebaut from Belgium

[11:35:14 AM] pD says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callebaut

[11:35:32 AM] pD says: they both make good quality chocolates for chocolatiers

[11:36:02 AM] pD says: on the other hand, they are also "limited" by what Valrhona and Callebaut make

[11:36:46 AM] nsy says: wow - i'm learning so much about chocolate, and I foolishly thought myself an expert just because i eat so much of it

[11:37:05 AM] nsy says: did you find that out from their web site?

[11:38:57 AM] pD says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valrhona

[11:43:42 AM] pD says: my CD Rom trey won't pop out. any suggestion other than re-booting?

[12:09:35 PM] pD says: met their stand a couple of years ago in a benefit thingie and that was one of the standard questions that we always ask.

[12:09:44 PM] pD says: naturally, i have forgotten about it, but my boss reminded me of that

[12:10:04 PM] pD says: yeah, we are a bit of geek when it comes to chocolate

[12:18:18 PM] nsy says: cd rom - use a paperclip in the tiny hole on front

[12:18:52 PM] pD says: i will try it next time, i rebooted already

[12:19:14 PM] nsy says: sorry - crazy busy today

[12:19:52 PM] pD says: no worries, that is why you are paid the big bucks

[12:20:25 PM] nsy says: heh. indeed ;)

[12:37:48 PM] pD has changed the chat topic to "top story: my favorite judge"

[12:37:55 PM] pD says: Judge denies flashing at commuter - A senior judge, accused of flashing at a woman on a

train, holds up a pair of his underpants in court.

[12:38:07 PM] pD says: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6744861.stm

[12:48:40 PM] pD says: cannot decide which story i want to believe: a flasher judge, or a judge being hauled onto the court for being a flasher

[12:51:40 PM] pD says: correction: not believe, but which I find more entertaining

[12:56:15 PM] nsy says: i love this: "he believed a judge also had a responsibility of "probity" that went beyond a person's ordinary responsibility."

[12:57:53 PM] nsy says: you gotta watch out for those stuffy proper types. its like the wise adam ant says "don't drink, don't smoke. whatcha doody doody? Must be something inside..."

[12:58:32 PM] pD thinking

[12:58:44 PM] pD says: are you talking about me? the stuffy proper types?

[12:58:53 PM] pD says: my cover has been blown

[12:59:16 PM] pD says: i may have to kill you now...

[1:00:08 PM] nsy says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhvqVqLAdLI

[1:06:10 PM] nsy says: adam ant will protect me with his lip gloss

[1:10:05 PM] pD says: MTV from the 80's

[1:10:10 PM] pD sigh

[1:10:18 PM] pD says: youth...

[1:10:56 PM] pD says: the clip is actually quite innocent

[1:13:08 PM] nsy says: i miss innuendo. i like using my imagination. now they show you everything and its boring

[1:13:31 PM] nsy says: MTV is boring!

[1:22:40 PM] pD says: don't have MTV, so cannot comment on it

[1:23:10 PM] pD says: do people still watch "music video"?

[1:23:37 PM] pD says: it was pretty neat for a while, but i thought the MTV channels moved onto other youth entertainment thingies - whatever they are

[2:48:09 PM] pD has changed the chat topic to "all about mike"

[2:48:23 PM] pD says: just out of curiosity, what does mike do?

[2:49:35 PM] nsy says: heehee. i assume you are talking about my sweetheart because you know what michael jordan does

[2:49:55 PM] nsy says: he's a tech support guru at OSH

[2:50:17 PM] pD says: you mean my high school buddy who is white and cannot jump if his life depends on it?

[2:50:26 PM] pD says: no, i actually do not know what happen to that michael jordan

[2:50:30 PM] pD says: but, i digress

[2:50:39 PM] pD says: yes, what does mike the steak eater do?

[2:54:13 PM] nsy says: he's a tech support guru at OSH

[2:54:22 PM] nsy says: now sears

[2:54:39 PM] nsy says: where we met in 1997

[2:55:24 PM] nsy says: what does "the (original) boss" do?

[2:57:24 PM] pD says: for a number of years, she was trying to teach yoga - Iyengar style

[2:57:34 PM] pD says: did not work, Iyengar is not a popular style

[2:57:54 PM] pD says: she is now looking into getting a degree in shrinking

[2:58:12 PM] nsy says: is that like curling? ;)

[2:58:35 PM] pD says: but, in real life, she works in semiconductor managing highly toxic wafer/chip making processes

[2:58:52 PM] nsy says: sounds dangerous!

[2:58:56 PM] pD says: oh, shrink as in "the first memory of my mother..."

[2:59:32 PM] pD says: so, you and mike are more or less doing the same thing?

[2:59:56 PM] pD says: tech support is hard - there are so many idiots in the world who should not but do operate electronic equipments

[3:00:13 PM] pD says: myself included, but at least i do not pretend to enjoy operating any equipment

[3:00:20 PM] pD is honest that way

[3:15:13 PM] nsy says: haha. no, you are actually quite adept. and yes, there are many idiots. they made me so crazy i started supporting really spart people (java developers), but many of them are condescending and pretentious(sp?), so now i have a happy medium. tech admins.

[3:15:31 PM] nsy says: spart=smart, btw

[3:16:09 PM] nsy says: mike spends a lot of his time frustrated supporting end users at a hardware store

[3:16:31 PM] pD says: I think the tricky life of a support is that you only deal with people with a problem, so that is not the best way to start

[3:16:48 PM] pD says: then, you either get asshole-know-it-all's or nincompoops

[3:16:59 PM] pD says: which does not enhance the situation

[3:17:10 PM] pD says: mike supporting hardware store?

[3:17:24 PM] nsy says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4z8HqOBACU

[3:17:27 PM] pD says: like how to use a rotating saw? or how to work the registry?

[3:17:38 PM] pD says: or, how to input the right inventory number?

[3:18:25 PM] nsy says: yes, lots of inventory tracking system questions - like those RF guns, the registers, the office computers, data lines, etc

[3:21:26 PM] nsy says: printer repairs - eew.

[3:22:40 PM] nsy says: so whats the deal with Iyengar yoga? why is it less popular than something like bikiram?

[3:40:11 PM] pD says: iyengar is a pretty stern style. you hold a pose for a long time and they focus on details such as alignment

[3:40:56 PM] pD says: whereas bikiram is "easy" to do similar to doing aerobic

[3:41:35 PM] pD says: i think it is partly a cultural in terms of local audience

[3:42:12 PM] pD says: but, a lot of it has to do with most people do not have the level of conviction (therefore patience) to do Iyengar properly

[3:43:45 PM] pD says: printer repair - that is just a rather distasteful idea

[3:44:14 PM] pD says: does mike get the call from people who use the CD ROM trey as a coffee holder? or, that is a bit old

[3:44:39 PM] pD says: i recall one time (many many years ago) when training a bunch of mainframe users

[3:44:57 PM] pD says: the instruction was point the mouse at the object and click

[3:45:22 PM] pD says: and, a mainframe user (who was a purely command line guy) picked up the mouse and started to click.

[3:45:51 PM] pD says: ay... he was not "wrong" but i am not sure if the instruction could have been any better either

[3:56:51 PM] nsy says: LOL!! that is hilarious! yes, mike deals with stuff like that too. people calling support because their computer is broken, and the monitor is powered off, etc.

[3:59:21 PM] pD says: yeah, it takes a special person to be a good tech support

[3:59:45 PM] pD says: and, whenever i talk with tech support, i just keep reminding myself that they are often only the messenger...

[4:00:10 PM] nsy says: i'm glad at least one person understands that

[4:00:44 PM] pD says: i said try, but i would not care to speculate on the success rate...

[4:20:17 PM] nsy says: this is his current music project -that are a minutemen tribute: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=71844567

[5:02:57 PM] pD says: very cool

[5:03:21 PM] pD says: what kind of music does the band play?

[5:04:26 PM] nsy says: the minutemen were an early 80's punk/funk/poetry/prog/rock sort of outfit, i suppose. hard to explain.

[5:04:59 PM] nsy says: the frontman was killed in a car accident, and they have a sort of cult following

[5:05:42 PM] pD says: so, mike plays in a band that is doing a tribute to the minutemen?

[5:05:48 PM] pD says: want to get the basic story straight

[5:06:12 PM] nsy says: yes - thats exactly it

[5:08:47 PM] pD says: so, what does mike's band do?

[5:11:20 PM] nsy says: um... they play shows every now and then - usually with other bands that like the minutemen. the minutemen have some very loyal fans so they are often very excited to hear the songs live

[5:12:12 PM] pD says: ref my plan for midlife crisis, maybe i should think about signing up with Mike one of these days

[5:12:18 PM] pD says: what is Mike's band's name?

[5:12:43 PM] nsy says: the history lesson

[5:12:59 PM] nsy says: sure! he would love that. its all about the music with him.

[5:13:17 PM] nsy says: i think i've asked you before, but indulge me - what do you play besides electric tuba?

[5:13:37 PM] pD says: of course, I would need to buy a new guitar since I play classical guitar...

[5:13:54 PM] pD says: electric tuba?! that is a new one

[5:14:03 PM] pD says: do they even make that?

[5:14:10 PM] nsy says: oooh! thats hot. did you know that is the only way to beat the steve vai devil?

[5:14:38 PM] pD says: ?

[5:14:40 PM] nsy says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idb2dUtTpuU

[5:14:43 PM] pD says: who is steve cai devil

[5:15:09 PM] nsy says: its a reference to the movie crossroads

[5:15:26 PM] pD says: i do not know the hot part, but classical music is pretty warped in its own way

[5:15:52 PM] pD says: robert johnson - who sold his soul to the devil to play the delta blues?

[5:15:55 PM] pD says: reputedly

[5:17:40 PM] nsy says: yeah - i'm sure the script started there. a great movie if you ask me. this kids parents make him learn classical guitar, but he wants to be a blues player, so he goes to the south, and the devil challenges him to a guitar duel (see the link), and he almost loses (because the devil is Steve Vai), but he busts out the classical riffs and kicks the devil's butt

[5:17:55 PM] nsy says: steve vai is a famous rock guitar guy

[5:18:28 PM] pD says: i will have to look up the film

[5:18:49 PM] nsy says: its actually pretty cheesy, but was great when i was 13

[5:19:11 PM] pD says: the funny thing about guitar is that it is an easy instrument to pick up but very hard to play well

[5:19:44 PM] pD says: and, i think a lot of it has to do is that it really takes a lot of patience to get good with guitar but a little bit of effort does not sound bad either.

[5:19:47 PM] nsy says: i agree whole-heartedly. i played for a while, but i was never any good at it.

[5:19:54 PM] nsy says: but it was fun

[5:19:55 PM] pD says: at least when the strings are tuned properly

[5:23:55 PM] nsy says: now that i see the duel again, i think steve vai was just working for the devil, but not the head cheese. i haven't seen it in a while...

[5:30:40 PM] pD says: actually, i have not played my guitar for over a year now

[5:30:56 PM] pD says: i use to practice several hours a day

[5:31:17 PM] pD says: drives the boss nuts, but it was very calming for me

[5:31:23 PM] pD says: going through the scales and what not

[5:32:57 PM] nsy says: yes, i can relate on both counts.

[5:33:39 PM] pD says: say, does mike use skype?

[5:33:50 PM] pD says: do you think we can arrange for a special guest appearance on our blog with mike?

[5:33:55 PM] pD says: that could be kind of fun

[5:34:16 PM] pD starry eyes thinking about cool punk bands

[5:36:24 PM] nsy says: ha - i don’t think he's a regular, because sears has traffic filters so they don’t allow IM, or visits to fun web sites, etc. and at night he is over computers so he just check s the band's myspace account and his g-mail, then he's over it.

[5:37:27 PM] nsy says: wow, was that even readable? sorry

[5:38:14 PM] nsy says: we would have to blog when he is off work... hmm

[5:40:06 PM] nsy says: it would probably have to be an email thread. :(

[5:40:57 PM] pD says: i am flexible, if he is game

[5:41:15 PM] pD says: i think bringing in diverse views is important

[5:42:37 PM] nsy says: he posts to a few music forums, i should find out which ones.

[5:42:56 PM] nsy says: well, i'll start an email thread if you choose a topic

[5:43:09 PM] pD says: does he do it after work? does sears allow forums?

[5:44:00 PM] nsy says: if they haven't catalogued the site yet, it will be reachable for a while. but he does most of it from home

[5:44:24 PM] pD says: and, i suppose he is at work when we are at work...

[5:44:30 PM] pD says: timing, it is everything

[5:45:30 PM] nsy says: yep. sometimes he works weekends and has weekdays off, but he usually plays disc golf on those days

[5:47:17 PM] pD says: well, check with him if he wants to do an email thread. same process, we just CC everyone to go back and forth and post it after everyone is tired of it! :)!

[5:47:36 PM] nsy says: okeedokee

[5:49:13 PM] pD says: i wonder how is AE doing

[5:51:43 PM] nsy says: me too

[5:52:08 PM] pD says: i wonder if he was ever tempted to run back home...

[5:52:09 PM] nsy says: his texas family sounds a little scary

[5:52:19 PM] nsy says: my guess is yes

[5:52:21 PM] pD says: oh, then, he will run even faster...

[5:52:32 PM] pD says: i guess i will need to ask him about it when he is back

[5:52:48 PM] nsy says: yes, we can probably have a whole blog about it

[5:53:17 PM] pD says: scary texas:

[5:53:18 PM] pD says:
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/new_line_cinema/texas_chainsaw_massacre__the_beginning/r__lee_ermey/chainsaw.jpg

[5:53:34 PM] pD says: i lived in texas for a few years, really enjoy the place and the people

[5:56:14 PM] nsy says: heh - great image!

[6:01:17 PM] nsy says: how do you feel about poetry?

[6:01:38 PM] pD says: only if she is cute

[6:01:46 PM] pD says: what about poetry?

[6:15:56 PM] nsy says: just thinking of a poet friend who would be interesting to blog with, but it looks like she is busy with some projects and a radio show, so no go/ sakena saliva godden

[6:17:00 PM] pD says: oh, so sad

[6:17:06 PM] pD says: would be fun to talk poetry

[6:17:20 PM] pD says: it took me a very long time to warm up to poetry in english

[6:18:08 PM] pD says: i think a lot of it is that poem makes a lot of unspoken assumption and assumptions come from context which, as you know, can be quite different from mine

[6:19:17 PM] pD says: as a kid, i was forced to memorize a lot of poems

[6:19:52 PM] pD says: did not understand most of them then, but it is kind of neat that i still remember them and it really helps to expand the horizon

[6:25:15 PM] nsy says: i feel that way about bugs bunny cartoons

[6:25:18 PM] nsy says: ;)

[6:26:05 PM] nsy says: but seriously - i love poetry. thought about making that my course of study, then realized i don't like being poor, and poetry is just as fun after work

[6:26:30 PM] pD says: i know what you mean

[6:26:39 PM] pD says: a lot of things are more fun when you do not have to make money off it

[6:26:46 PM] pD says: that is how i feel about music

[6:26:54 PM] pD says: would hate to be a pro for music

[6:27:02 PM] pD says: same thing with my ph.d. plan

[6:27:12 PM] pD says: i would only do it after i have retired

[6:27:18 PM] nsy says: the translation thing is definitely an issue. i love rielke's poems, but i feel like i'm just looking at the tip of the iceberg, and its still a germanic language - can't imagine from chinese

[6:27:32 PM] pD says: so i can study what I wan as oppose to what i think the academic market wants

[6:27:49 PM] nsy says: sounds like a good plan. what kind of phd?

[6:28:11 PM] pD says: reading poetry is sort of like looking at painting

[6:28:28 PM] pD says: i spent a lot of time doing background research just to understand the symbols

[6:28:45 PM] pD says: greek mythology, biblical stories, histories, etc.

[6:29:30 PM] pD says: without all the info, a painting of venus emerging from sea shell is just a slightly overweight (for today) woman surrounded by a bunch of other women...

[6:31:20 PM] nsy says: yes, i often appreciate art more when i know the artists intent or inspiration. but sometime i wish i had left it as " beauty is in the eye of the beholder" instead

[6:31:54 PM] nsy says: i saw a documentary on bukowski, and sometimes i wish i had never seen it

[6:32:17 PM] pD says: i think you really need both - ultimately appreciation comes from the gut, but having the information surrounding the work at your disposal gives more options

[6:32:46 PM] pD says: after all, even Rothko (the painter whose is known for painting a canvas black) comes from a specific tradition and style

[6:33:27 PM] nsy says: i knew it - you're a reader, aren't you?! (hey fellas - get the torches!)

[6:34:42 PM] pD says: reader?

[6:39:19 PM] nsy says: someone who reads books.... there's a great comedy routine that Bill Hicks does about being accosted in a texas diner because he is reading a book - i can't seem to find it online at the moment

[6:39:46 PM] pD says: does comic books quality?

[6:40:06 PM] pD says: i have a wide spectrum in Spanish, English, Japanese, and Chinese

[6:40:47 PM] nsy says: wow - impressive. the only comics i have are jhonen vasquez. what do you collect?

[6:40:50 PM] nsy says: http://www.bullz-eye.com/entertainment/standup_hof/bill_hicks.htm

[6:40:50 PM] pD says: graphic novels, i think that is currently preferred term

[6:41:09 PM] pD says: i do not collect per se, just bought them over the years

[6:41:29 PM] pD says: very helpful when you are studying a language since it is much more fun to read comic books

[6:41:42 PM] pD says: my favorite is Mafalda

[6:42:43 PM] pD says: http://www.escuela32.com.ar/imagenes%20y%20animacion/mafalda-lee.jpg

[6:43:04 PM] pD says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafalda

[6:43:37 PM] pD says: very political in its way

[7:07:51 PM] nsy says: nice! thanks

[7:08:10 PM] pD says: going home, ciao

[7:08:25 PM] nsy says: ta1

[7:08:26 PM] nsy says: TA!