This morning I watched a bit of the movie In the Valley of Elah. Good movie. They should just make a movie called "Tommy Lee Jones Investigates Murder" because I'd watch that too. He makes one good cop.

Also this morning I blew some fuse somewhere while changing a dead lightbulb and now none of my lights work. Also one outlet died, though all the others are still okay. Here's hoping I haven't done major electrical damage to an old house.

And in other news, they've decided to release a juvenile delinquent in my neighborhood who likes to knock pedestrians over and steal their stuff. But I'm sure he's learned his lesson this time.

(from a Microsoft employee's blog about an internal memo recommending against the viewing or searching of patents)
I was confused by this guidance till I wrote and reviewed one of my own patents. The legal claims section--the only section that counts--was indecipherable by anyone but a patent attorney. Ignorance is bliss and strongly recommended when it comes to patents.

Gone to too many concerts and events to comment on them all here. This thing isn't getting updated as often as it once was. Saw Electric 6 and the Local H with Rachel, and then saw Umphrey's McGee with Mark. Both were pretty decent. But now I'm tired of standing, listening to too-loud music, and ending the night feeling disgusting because you've been standing too close to smokers. I need to see a good moshing-type concert next.

Metro is recommending that everyone within 2 miles walk to Inauguration instead of trying to take the overcrowded metro trains. They better have cops down there yelling at people or there will definitely be doors breaking as tourists repeatedly hold them open and squeeze through. It's going to be chaos. Unfortunately I live about 3 miles from the capitol, so I probably wouldn't walk. But to compensate, I'm giving a discount to my renters. Site this blog entry and get a special deal of just $100/night to stay on my couch. Though if you look sketchy I'm not even opening the gate for you, so keep that in mind.

(carrying Kate's suitcase. It's a little heavy but I'm very manly and strong)
kate: Will you be alright with that?
me: Of course! What kind of man do you think I am!?!
(slight pause)
kate: A monkey!

Just pulled the old print-and-leave trick on my officemate. You set your computer to print a few dozen pages and then ditch the now-noisy office to go buy coffee or visit a coworker. My officemate does it occasionally, but I tend to use the group printer (which you can't hear because it's in another room) instead. Every time he leaves the office and then his printer starts making noises I think "Oh you sneaky bastard!" So this time I pulled it on him. It's the little things that make this office interesting.

(Sometimes I read the nonsense on Slashdot. This is from an article about new power plants in development that vaporize trash to produce energy)
CubicleView: This solves nothing, once we hit peak trash production then we'll be screwed all over again.

Listening to Bishop Allen at work and thinking that their song "Click Click Click Click" (not to be confused with the New Kids on the Block song of almost the same title) is kinda like that movie Wedding Crashers, but without the sex. The narrator runs into a wedding celebration to get out of the rain and finds himself having a good time just because everyone else is so happy.

It reminds me of going to parties at Josh's old house, when he and his neighbor would coordinate to have their house parties on the same nights, and then at some point I'd wander over to the neighbor's and they'd have lots of people crowded around one beer pong table in the basement. Nobody cared who you were (the average age was probably 5 years older than me but it was too dark down there to tell). They only cared that you were either good at beer pong, or good at heckling (I, fortunately, am good at both), and that you were having a good time. Man, those were good parties.

I know that nobody likes reading about someone else talking about music they don't listen to, much like listening to someone ramble on about a dream they had, but I'll write something more interesting next time.

(Playing Palin bingo while watching the VP nominees debate. After Sarah Palin repeately describes herself and McCain as mavericks.)
me: Man, I wish I had two Mavericks!
kate: I wish I had a whole sheet of Mavericks! I'd have won by now.
me: You can't say that, after I say I wish I had two Mavericks.
kate: Why not? I just one up'd you.
me: You're not supposed to do that! You're supposed to have my back.. You're supposed to be supporting my jokes!
kate: What? We're a team! You set 'em up, I knock 'em down! You set the ball, and I spike it!

Saw the Mountain Goats last night with Eric. It was a pretty disappointing show. They now have a drummer, who I don't think adds anything except noise to the songs, and the co-singer seemed more annoying than usual too. The best songs of the show were the 2 or 3 that John Darnielle performed alone. He did a broad mixture of really new stuff (that he collaborated on with this extremely short guitarist Kaki King), really old stuff that is decent, and only a little of the newer stuff that I like the most. He only played 2 or 3 songs off the newest album, instead promoting this new EP (of questionable quality) he did with Kaki King (though I don't think anyone at the concert appreciated the overly-long guitar instrumentals). He didn't play the Alphonse Mambo, which is the song I always hope for. That and a cover of the Sign.

Also briefly went to my co-worker Paul's birthday in St Ex. I'm not a big fan of the basement of St Ex, it gets way too noisy and stuffy in there. And slightly too dark with the tv sets casting weird shadows. If feels like there should be a fight club down there instead.

(me on the phone with my mom)
me: Do you know the results of that proposition about giving animals more space?
mom: (to my dad) Peter, what were the results of that chicken proposition?
(a pause)
mom: It passed. Your father says the people voted for animal rights and against human rights.

For Halloween I dressed as a cowboy and Kate was a cute lobster. Sadly, I didn't remember to get any photos. But we went to a quiet party at Val's and had a good time.

Yesterday I went to a "trivia" event at Fado's with Rachel, Kate, and some of Kate's friends. It was okay. I think we did the worst of all the trivia teams, though I'm not sure why. Maybe DC bar people are smarter than you'd think.

Surf over to Rachel's Tumblr for a photo of my sweet new cowboy hat.

Tonight we find out election results. We'll see how it goes. Kate is all worried, but I'm pretty confident that Obama will get the majority vote and majority of electorates.

(from a forum)
Edi: This discussion is also moving to territory where it might as well soon be shut down because it's not going to be productive in any way if things continue in the same vein.
Innocence: Excuse me, but do you own this forum? You seem very eager to shut down this discussion on the general principle that you find it tedious I've stated a new important issue about this case, and yes, you're probably right that it wont change their descision, but please let other people have their say before you cry out, demanding the discussion be shut down.
JimMorrison: Edi is a hard man, and these forums need discipline, something their mother never gave them.