Mr. Bad Example

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:55:56 GMT

Yay for bike being serviced, and for shop finding and fixing a plugged pilot jet on a carb! It feels like a whole new machine!

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:19:16 GMT

Yay for exquisitely relaxing afternoon spent lying on the grass in the sun at Charleson Park! Now half of my torso is bright pink.

Sun, 06 May 2007 23:02:46 GMT

Or maybe I'll just watch old episodes of The Real Ghostbusters on YouTube all day.

Sun, 06 May 2007 21:40:17 GMT

I can very easily see myself doing nothing all day.

Sun, 06 May 2007 21:23:28 GMT

Guess I'm not working today!

Sun, 06 May 2007 07:46:27 GMT

I really should go to bed. There's nothing to do at this time of night =D

Saw Notes on a Scandal tonight with me mom. Judi Dench can be EVIL. I would be scared of her if she got all evil on my ass.

In other movie news, I did NOT realize that Hugo Weaving was the voice of Megatron in the new Transformers movie. Hell, I'm gonna go see it just for that.

In other Hugo Weaving news, and providing an interesting crossover with Red Dwarf, apparently, "He got the idea of how to play character Agent Smith in the Matrix after watching Red Dwarf, a popular British sitcom. In the episode Holoship, Hugo decided that the character Captain Hercule Platini is how he was going to play the famous role in the Matrix."

And Spiderman 3 is getting mixed reviews, it seems, with the most consistent complaint being the large number of characters it attempts to take on. I still think it would have made much more sense for them to introduce Venom at the end of the movie and make an entire Spiderman 4 of Spidey vs Venom, but oh well. I'll probably go see it sometime...

Fri, 04 May 2007 18:15:48 GMT

The Collect Call of Cathulhu!

I know what my next DVD box set purchase is gonna be!

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:45:44 GMT

Down to business, then my delusional ramblings.

Sunday: in the interests of being able to have a meeting location, I propose that we meet at John Lawson Park in West Van at 7 o'clock. I don't figure this is really a dinner outing, more of a snack, so that should give everyone time to have dinner first.

Most importantly, people need to know where John Lawson Park is! So, here goes: John Lawson Park is located along the beach, south of Marine Dr in West Van, literally just across the train tracks, roughly between 16th St and 17th St. There is a bus stop at 17th St and Marine Dr which the 250A Dundarave, 251, and 252 all stop at. These busses can all be caught going along Georgia downtown. There is a small playground area with swings, teeter-totters, a monkey cage, a (probably empty) pool, and a wooden ship. I suggest we meet around the playground.

There is a good sized, free, parking lot directly north of the train tracks from the park, and tons of parking along the street, Bellevue Ave, which runs parallel to Marine Dr to the south (that is to say, if you're making your way from Marine Dr to John Lawson Park, you'll cross Bellevue Ave and then the train tracks before reaching the park), if anyone is driving.

Now is the last time to suggest alternate locations if you have them and can direct us to them =D

From John Lawson, it's a short walk to Ambleside and the location of our last little fire. At this point in time, I'm expecting that we'll end up there around 8 or 8:30 at the latest. If anyone is planning on coming but is also planning on being late, lemme know and I'll give you a call if anything changes from this after we get started!

I'm going to pick up firewood from my Mom's, but I probably won't be able to carry a huge amount on my bike, so all firewood is welcome! As for foodstuffs, if you're planning on bringing some, please post here or contact me in some other manner so I know what to expect and what not to bring myself.

Here's the list of foods I will want to have personally and will bring unless people volunteer to bring something specifically (in which case I will not bring that item!):

-hotdogs and buns
-mustard and ketchup
-marshmallows
-cookies and/or chips
-drinks, probably juice boxes

Obviously every extra food item I need to bring reduces the amount of firewood I can carry, though there is a grocery store fairly close I could raid if that works out better... might just do that.

Anyhoos, I think that's it. Feedback!

I've decided I'm not going to ramble in a delusional fashion, after all. It's late. I'm going to bed =D

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:58:15 GMT

Holy crap, I'm gonna be U-Pass-less in a few days!

In other news.

For campfirey things on the 29th, firstly can anyone drive (for the easier transporting of the firewood, if nobody can, I have a backup plan involving my bike, saddlebags, and a milk crate)?

Also for campfirey things, who is coming?

Closely related to who is coming, what sort of foodstuffs do people want, and who can bring what?

And finally, when shall we all meet and at what location? Personally I'm off work at 3:30, so I can probably be just about anywhere by 5:30, though that may be a trifle early. But anytime after that I'm good for. As for location, the beach we used last time is an option (Ambleside, the east side, just past the cul-de-sac at the end of the Ambleside parking lot, the parking lot which is behind the soccer fields, to the east of the police station), but I know other people have good ideas for beaches we could use, so if you have another beach, please post it (and clear directions as to where exactly it is)!

Anything else I need to mention? If I forgot something I'm sure I'll be reminded =D

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 05:21:52 GMT

Well, the latest trailer for Spiderman 3 is up, and it looks like I was wrong... they ARE going to cram Sandman, pseduo-Hobgoblin (Harry Osbourne), and Venom into one movie.

At least it'll be exciting!

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 06:44:53 GMT

Quick update on the campfire-type thing idea: consensus seems to be that the 29th is just as good for everyone who can make it on Sundays (if everyone can also make it on Thursdays, that works better for Pedro!), so we'll push back to then to allow more time for planning/location scouting! Huzzah!

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 01:57:59 GMT

Everyone who wants to come out for fires and toasting food on beaches, would Sunday the 29th be just as good?

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:58:08 GMT

What a day to do my road test on. Pissing down rain! Great fun. And I lost the tester's van cutting through a yellow left turn signal, but I didn't realize it at the time. So when he gave his next instruction and I didn't understand it, I tapped my helmet. And then I kept tapping. And I kept tapping. And I realized they must not be able to see me tapping, so I pulled over. Heard them ask me to pull over cuz they'd lost me, and use the mic to tell 'em where I am. So I fiddle with the mike, saying things like, "Hello? Is this thing on? Is it working? Can you hear me?" They catch up, turns out we were right by the ICBC building, tester gets out of the car, says, "Thanks for making us laugh," and I passed! Huzzah! I think I'm gonna hit up a pub and get a burger and a Guinness to celebrate.

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:32:50 GMT

Who would be up for a night of campfires, hotdogs, and marshmallows, and other silliness, sometime next week, say, the night of the 22nd (or other dates, suggestions?) down at that beach on Ambleside which isn't clearly marked with "No Fire" signs (unless they put some up in response to our last visit)? Or if anyone knows of another beach, one where we could have a little fire without being bloody harassed by paranoid yuppy fuckheads?

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:14:34 GMT

'Tis funny. As I was walking down University Boulevard at about 1:30 AM, I was thinking, and I decided some things, but those thoughts aren't the point of the current story!

Anyhoos, I was walking along, and I stopped near the end of the golf course, because I heard an absolute cacaphony of frogs. I have never heard frogs before, at least, not in a multidutinous chorus like that, and I stopped and listened for a while, enjoying the noise and the night and the solitude. And suddenly, I realized that I was enjoying myself immensely, and that it was completely unnecessary for anyone else to be there to share the experience with or otherwise validate it! I was enjoying the hell out of listening to these frogs, and that's all that mattered! Not wishing someone else was there, not worrying about how I'd share the experience with others, just enjoying it for what it was!

I started laughing, literally at MYSELF, because in that instant I realized what a damn FOOL I am and always have been! I laughed and laughed and laughed until I cried and I was taking deep, gasping breaths, staggering down the street. I caught a bus... somewhere about 5 or 6 blocks later, got off the bus at Broadway and Granville (still laughing all the while), and I think I only stopped laughing out loud somewhere around the 800-block of Broadway.

It was sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:32:32 GMT

Bleargh... that cheap cheese tasted kinda like soap.

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:56:20 GMT

Erik, when are you planning on going climbing this week? I'll try to keep the day free... at the moment I'm assuming you're climbing on Thursday.

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:01:49 GMT

/me is enjoying life at the moment, and is going to ride down to Stanley Park and chill out on the playground for a while.

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 06:50:44 GMT

Heh... I'm making such a fool of myself, and I love it! Though that grocery bill was a wee bit, just a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit, bigger than I thought it would be... I can't keep that sort of thing up, financially, for very long =P

But then again, "What do YOU care what other people think?"

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:17:20 GMT

So that's what it feels like. I've never had my heart rate spike to the point where I nearly lost vision before, much less merely as a result of seeing someone. Holy crap, what have I done to myself? And what will I do to myself when it all comes crashing down?

I'm being facetious with that last comment. Honestly I'm still thinking positively! I just have to remember that she hates idle chatter, and do my best to not engage in such.

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 07:46:14 GMT

*butterflies*

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:58:15 GMT

Dear sweet fucking hell in a handbasket, I feel completely, totally, utterly, intensely shitty. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhghghghgh...

*collapses*

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:44:35 GMT

A pre-fight (tonight's fight) quote from Tim Sylvia, which anyone who saw his pathetic title defense against Jeff Monson will enjoy: ""If they want a knockout, give me a standup fighter," Sylvia said. "The guy [Monson] wasn't willing to fight. Those fans were booing the fight, not me. I think I have a lot of fans; hundreds, thousands of fans. I think what you saw [in Sacramento] were 500 booing it, but the rest loved it.""

And another: ""He's coming in to take me down, but I'll knock him out," Sylvia said. "I'm at a different level in my striking ability, a totally different level. He's going to get hit, and he can't take the power I'm going to bring. We saw it in his last loss to [Liddell], Randy's lost a step. He hasn't gotten any better in the last three years.""

And some commentary, part of which is complete horsecrap (italicized): "Of course, even if Sylvia is taken to the ground, he no longer fights like a fish out of water in that domain. In fact, to the surprise of many, the champ surprised a lot of people when he basically outgrappled Jeff Monson in his last fight. Ironically, that fight only bolstered Couture’s conviction that he matches up well with Sylvia, who was unable to finish Monson, arguably an inferior takedown specialist and puncher than Couture."

And finally, Tim Sylvia gets his ass smacked down: "The 43-year-old Couture, at 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, agreed to return when he was offered a shot at Sylvia. Couture took immediate control of the fight by sending the 6-foot-8, 263-pound champion to the mat with a right hook seconds into the first round. Couture dominated each of the five five-minute rounds, and sent the crowd into a frenzy when he reclaimed the belt that he lost to Ricco Rodriguez in September 2002."

Entering the Octagon for the UFC 68 main event to the strains of Aerosmith singing ‘Back in the Saddle’, Couture smiled from ear to ear, seemingly overjoyed to be back in action as an active fighter. Conversely, Sylvia was all business – for him, this wasn’t a celebration; it was an affirmation that he was the UFC heavyweight champion and that an aging legend wasn’t going to change that fact in the next 25 minutes or less.

Then again, the former two-time heavyweight and light heavyweight champion never operated by anyone else’s plans, and with the first right hand he threw, Couture dropped the 6-8, 263 pound champion and pounced on him, looking to end the fight as the arena erupted. Soon, Couture had Sylvia’s back, but the champion took his time calmly as he tried to escape ‘The Natural’s clutches. Couture continued to work for the finish throughout the rest of the round though, as Sylvia arched backwards in an effort to weigh down and tire the challenger until the bell rang.

Couture quickly closed the distance to open the second, and despite being tossed back by Sylvia on his first attempt, his next try was more successful as he drove ‘The Maine-iac’ to the fence in an effort to get the takedown, which he got with 3:30 left. On the ground, Couture was active with both hands in order to not only score points but to keep his dominant position, and it wasn’t until there were 30 seconds left in the round that referee John McCarthy stood the fighters up. But it didn’t matter, as Couture landed with a solid left and took Sylvia to the mat yet again before the end of the stanza.

Sylvia pressed the action to begun round three, but Couture still amazed with his crisper standup and his impressive defense, complete with quick head movement and bobbing and weaving while he potshotted the 30-year old champion. Soon, his right hand was finding a permanent home on Sylvia’s left cheek, which began to swell, but he was still fighting with the discipline of a fighter who knew that one overeager mistake could mean the end of his night. Sylvia knew this too, and he kept trudging forward, hoping for the one right hand that would put him back in the fight.

Visibly winded between rounds, Couture had built enough of a lead that he could conceivably run out the clock for the next two rounds, but that’s just not his style, so he immediately sought – and obtained – another takedown of Sylvia to begin the fourth frame. From the ground, Couture conserved some energy while continuing to potshot Sylvia, who held the challenger until McCarthy stood them up with under three minutes to go. But again, it was Couture dominating the standup until he could put Sylvia on his back once again with just under two minutes left. As the one minute mark approached, Couture got into the full mount briefly before Sylvia escaped and started to put his own offensive together, but it was too little too late, and suddenly Couture was five minutes away from an unprecedented third heavyweight championship.

With his title slipping away, Sylvia again tried to land the equalizer on his opponent’s chin, but Couture would not be denied as he took the champion down and worked his way into side control. Sylvia had no answers on the bottom as Couture fired knees into his side and dropped forearms on his head, and then moved into the full mount with a minute and a half left in an improbable comeback that few believed he could realistically pull off. But in the final 30 seconds, the crowd that had been behind him from the opening bell roared and stood in unison for the new king.

With the win, Couture improves to 15-8. Sylvia falls to 25-3.

I can't find any videos yet of the first punch Couture threw, which was awesome because it literally sent Sylvia to his ass and across the mat, but if I find one I'll post it.

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 08:49:13 GMT

Friday!

Mike's on the Island, Pedro's busy, but who else is up for stuff? And what kind of stuff?

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 06:43:15 GMT

Say Erik, if we were to get those jackets, which colour would you like?

Here's the links: Spike and Leather Ghost.