Weird Fossilized Flying Reptile 'A Vision of Hell'
I'm half-expecting some redfaced fundamentalist to get up and complain about science's implication that pterosaurs exist in the afterlife.

The Stupid Gift Shop seems to have all the answers for when I'm stuck in a rut for gift-buying. The "stupid" describes the gifts, not the shop. My favorite is the Bug Gun (just in time for summer).

I'm a little short on content, so I've decided to answer 50 QUESTIONS.
1. What's on your desktop: the worst (therefore, the best) picture of James Ho, ever.
2. What book are you reading right now: I'm one of those idiots that never can read just one book and stick with it. I am in the middle of John Saward's "The Way of the Lamb" and "Visioneering" by Andy Stanley.
3. What's on your mouse pad: aside from my mouse? Soft green felt.
4. Favorite board game: Scattergories (and all the rest of those Trivial Pursuit derivatives)
5. Favorite magazine: I like ESPN, although it's no different than Sports Illustrated, really. I like Books & Culture (from my old work) and Harper's Weekly (it makes me think).
6. Favorite smells: grilled food, the ocean, and coffee.
7. Least favorite smells: The unequivocally worst smell I've ever come across were my brother's house shoes. He must have sweat in those suckers for at least a year, and then I catch a whiff of something awful, like a pack of dead animals, only to find that it's coming from his feet. Ugh.
8. Worst feeling in the world: letting down those who were counting on you
9. Favorite sounds: acoustic guitar, the sound of billiards being played
10. First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning: ...&(*(&E#@@$#...
11. How many rings before you answer the phone: 2.5 at home, ASAP on the cell
12. Favorite color: blue
13. Do you like your name: I better. I picked it.
14. Who were you named after: When I picked it (because nobody could pronounce my Korean name), it was only because I liked the letter "M." I was 8, go figure.
15. Favorite food: I love going out for steaks, but I can eat chicken everyday and not get sick of it.
16. Do you drive fast: yes, but not as fast I used to before my first speeding ticket, back in high school.
17. Chocolate or vanilla: vanilla. Vanilla should go under good smells, too.
18. Worst disaster you fear: A gigantic meteor smashing the earth seems a pretty crappy way to go.
19. Storms, cool or scary: cool, unless you're caught in it
20. What was your first car: Volvo 240 DL wagon, silver. The Mommobile, still going strong at 168,000+ miles.
21. If you could meet someone dead or alive, who would it be: There's too many, but my paternal great-grandfather is as good as any. He was a newspaper editor and the equivalent of Secretary of State in South Korea, back in the day.
22. What is your zodiac sign: scorpio
23. Favorite drink: I am currently infatuated with scotch (Lagavulin) and cognac (Hennesey).
24. Favorite vegetable: spinach
25. If you could have any job, what would it be: professional athlete or professional musician. I could do this writing crap on the side.
26. Hair, long or short: Uh, I guess short.
27. How many times have you been in love: I'm pretty sure I can say never. Which doesn't mean there aren't people I love.
28. Is the glass half-empty or half-full: half-empty, who the hell took it and is anybody going to put it back.
29. Do you type with your fingers over the right keys: sometimes
30. Favorite movie: Too many, but my latest DVD purchases (The Usual Suspects and The Royal Tenenbaums) are both good.
31. What's under your bed: carpet
32. Favorite number: 9
33. Favorite sport to watch: volleyball (partially because it's my favorite game to play, and it's such a rarity that it's on TV anywhere)
34. PC or Mac: PC
35. What's on your nightstand: I don't own one. But I imagine a lamp would be on there.
36. How many pillows on your bed: 1
37. In case of fire, what will you remember to take with you: outside of family members, my laptop.
38. What/who do you admire: My friend Shevawn, who had to struggle with growing up as an adopted child and an almost aborted baby, but continues to give of herself in conducting retreats for kids and giving them hope. There is no doubt that she is doing something to improve the world.
39. What do you think is the best thing ever invented: contact lenses
40. Most influential person: my mom
41. Favorite places: Chicago, New York, Rome
42. Do you say your prayers: yes, although I should more often
43. Minutes you spend in the shower: 7
44. Most prized possession: my degree is probably the most expensive, although not the most prized. I have some stuff signed by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretky.
45. What's your best asset: letting other people make fun of me
46. Jewelry you wear: a silver chain with mementos from my trips to Rome and Poland
47. Coke or Pepsi: neither. caffeine makes the gat go crazy
48. What did you have for breakfast: bottle of water
49. Favorite time of the year: the beginning of shorts weather
50. If you were a cartoon character, who would you be: Brak, from Space Ghost Coast to Coast, or Snake Eyes from GI Joe.

Microsoft Narrator reads password aloud in Terminal Services Client
The humor is a little subtle, but it's still there. Sue me, I'm in a mellow mood.

I haven't tried out "Alter Ego" yet, so you guys let me know.

I am wondering why I spent so much money today. Or recently, even. I bought a DVD player less than a week ago. Today I went to buy an RF adapter for my TV (for the DVD player, grrr), a new camera for my trip next week, and some other odds and ends I've been meaning to get for awhile, like phone cords and coaxial cables. Ugh. And since I've been wanting to get a CD-RW drive for the longest time, so I took a look at those and some FireWire I/O cards. Ugh. I have to get either a FireWire or upgrade to USB 2.0 so I can use the burner with my laptop.

I normally don't really spend money regularly outside of food, so these expenses (which aren't really necessary) are kind of scaring me. At least I'm making sure that what I buy is at a good price, which is a small consolation. But I have a whole list of other things on the purchase list (like new glasses) left over. Perhaps I should start busing tables. And the world always needs ditchdiggers.

My brother recently went to the doctor and has to go on this new diet which excludes cheese and milk, which he's been hating. Milk and cheese is in almost everything he likes to eat, too, so he's had to stop and think before eating anything.

For whatever reason, I've come to the conclusion that Irish people and black people are the coolest people on the planet. I dunno about the Irish part, but you can be cool like the brothas with some breakdance lessons.

The retreat over the weekend was really good. One of those situations where you're called to help out somebody else, and you somehow end up learning more about yourself at the end. Strange how that happens. I have to admit that I wish it had gone a little better for some of the kids, but there's only so much that can be done, and then you leave it up to God for the rest. You still wonder if you could have done better, though, even though you're exhausted and end up sleeping for 14 hours when you finally get home.

This is fricking disgusting.

A friend and I wondered if the whole country was going to turn into this after the Sept 11 bombings, even though the feds want you to think it's actually this. On a related note, you can check out George W. Bush's Amazon wishlist here, although everybody knows the best thing on Amazon are the recommendations and reviews of Meesta Bits.