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alright alright. I confess too. I own (and operate on a regular basis) an EZ bake oven. My sister got it for me as a bit of a gag gift for christmas - but having it in a dorm room is mighty helpful. Multiple cakes have been baked in the oven and I've even documented the process (w/ pictures). The ez bake is girly pink, but it makes one heck of a 2 bite cake. Though the funny thing is - with the prep-work and so forth the total amount of time to make a two bite cake is probably 25 minutes....and to buy a cake mix (this was walmart's price) was 5 dollars. This was enough to make two cakes. However - those two cakes are smaller than cupcakes! I could buy a regular full size cake mix and make a cake about 30 times the size with about half the cost and comparable time. This frustrated me, though the novelty of baking someone a birthday cake in my dorm room might have made up for it.

Also - if anyone wants to make an ez bake cake w/o buying the oven, a reading light with a 100 watt bulb stuck in a drawer works out just as well.

Since most people haven't seen most of the movies on the list, I made a handy-dandy cheat sheet w/ imdb links and so forth. So you can at least sound knowledgable at the office tomorrow when discussing "The Barbarian Invasions" or "Capturing the Friedmans."

Yeah, my network admin friend mentioned that same thin on my webpage. I guess I can see that, but even then, wouldn't it be just as easy if not easier to have them seperated into another search? They wouldn't be getting rid of it altogether or anything, it would just be listed differently...like under "forums" or something.

Personally, it isn't the blogs that bother me on google nearly so much as the forums and discussion boards. I've experienced a bit of blog noise, and my blog has even reaped the benefits of it...when I look through my http referrers, I get lots of hits from google for current topics that I just happen to mention. For example, when the new honda commercial came out, I was one of the first couple spots on google for related searched. I can see this as a problem, because I'm just an indirect link to the real source

However, I have a bigger problem with searching for something and getting piles of forums in the responses. If we can turn blogs off, I'd certainly like to be able to turn forums and discussions off...they're even worse than blogs because a lot of time they're blog like responses to a blog like post. I agree, it would be way nicer to have blogs turned off, but if we're gonna do that...I think forums are also a major item that should be checked out.

On another topic...I think that accusing blogs as idle chatter is a little off the mark. While I'm sure a lot are, I think a lot of people are trying to take it seriously and post their thoughts about life and current events. I don't consider that idle chatter, I consider that simply a different perspective.

Personally, it isn't the blogs that bother me on google nearly so much as the forums and discussion boards. I've experienced a bit of blog noise, and my blog has even reaped the benefits of it...when I look through my http referrers, I get lots of hits from google for current topics that I just happen to mention. For example, when the new honda commercial came out, I was one of the first couple spots on google for related searched. I can see this as a problem, because I'm just an indirect link to the real source

However, I have a bigger problem with searching for something and getting piles of forums in the responses. If we can turn blogs off, I'd certainly like to be able to turn forums and discussions off...they're even worse than blogs because a lot of time they're blog like responses to a blog like post. I agree, it would be way nicer to have blogs turned off, but if we're gonna do that...I think forums are also a major item that should be checked out.

On another topic...I think that accusing blogs as idle chatter is a little off the mark. While I'm sure a lot are, I think a lot of people are trying to take it seriously and post their thoughts about life and current events. I don't consider that idle chatter, I consider that simply a different perspective.

Among other things, spaf wrote: 'People don't seem to think before posting, they are purposely rude, they blatantly violate copyrights, they crosspost everywhere, use 20 line signature files, and do basically every other thing the postings (and common sense and common courtesy) advise not to.

I actually wrote an article similar to this on my webpage that discusses the lack of common courtesy and many of the problems with discussing things in email/instant messaging and messageboard style communication. I don't think it is that people don't have common courtesty, I think it has more to do with the medium of discussion and the false sense of intimacy and the obvious sense of anonymity. I guess I focused more on instant messaging, but the same things apply for message board style posting as well.

I've never heard of anything like this before!!! This is as crazy as Salon posting pro-war articles!. I'm befuddled!

"...suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall..."

The Fellowship of the Ring II 5 The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

Encyclopedia of Arda's entry on Balrogs.

more Arda entries on the subject

from greenboks

some geocities site

I probably would agree that they don't have wings, but Tolkien wasn't grumpy about it...as I recalled when the topic was brought up he told people to read the books and make their own decisions. Tolkien was very adament that one person's understanding of creatures in the book was different from other's, and one wasn't better than the other (which is probably why he had an aversion to making a movie of the books...).

Reading through the threads, I get the idea that you definitely dislike Peter Jackson and you definitely dislike the movies. Well...here's an option: DON'T WATCH THEM! IGNORE THEM! If you go and watch the movies and then expound upon them at length at a website (pro or con), you're still promoting them. If you're some sort of tolkien purist that believes the movies are evil and hacks, then stop promoting them.

Personally, I loved the movie (and I can deal with almost every change that was made from the books). If you go watch the movie, don't take the book with you. Remember...it isn't Tolkien making the movies, and these aren't the books put on screen. These are movies (not books) based upon the story by JRR Tolkien. Jackson has no obligation to stay true to the book (other than his own fanhood), his only obligation is to make a great movie. And, if the academy awards and the turnouts are any sort of clues, then he did a great job.

My advice: go watch the movies and check your books at the door...you won't be needing them. The movies aren't a supplement to the books, they are entirely different and you can't enjoy them if you nitpick over every detail. Movies are supposed to be entertainment...

Oh..I can't forget to shamelessly promote my review of the movie at my website.

"...suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall..."

The Fellowship of the Ring II 5 The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

Encyclopedia of Arda's entry on Balrogs.

more Arda entries on the subject

from greenboks

some geocities site

I probably would agree that they don't have wings, but Tolkien wasn't grumpy about it...as I recalled when the topic was brought up he told people to read the books and make their own decisions. Tolkien was very adament that one person's understanding of creatures in the book was different from other's, and one wasn't better than the other (which is probably why he had an aversion to making a movie of the books...).

Reading through the threads, I get the idea that you definitely dislike Peter Jackson and you definitely dislike the movies. Well...here's an option: DON'T WATCH THEM! IGNORE THEM! If you go and watch the movies and then expound upon them at length at a website (pro or con), you're still promoting them. If you're some sort of tolkien purist that believes the movies are evil and hacks, then stop promoting them.

Personally, I loved the movie (and I can deal with almost every change that was made from the books). If you go watch the movie, don't take the book with you. Remember...it isn't Tolkien making the movies, and these aren't the books put on screen. These are movies (not books) based upon the story by JRR Tolkien. Jackson has no obligation to stay true to the book (other than his own fanhood), his only obligation is to make a great movie. And, if the academy awards and the turnouts are any sort of clues, then he did a great job.

My advice: go watch the movies and check your books at the door...you won't be needing them. The movies aren't a supplement to the books, they are entirely different and you can't enjoy them if you nitpick over every detail. Movies are supposed to be entertainment...

Oh..I can't forget to shamelessly promote my review of the movie at my website.

I watched the meteor shower last year (which was incredible btw..) from the village of Trout Run, PA. Trout Run is in north central PA, about 20 miles from Williamsport (the closest town of any size). Trout Run has a gas station and a restaraunt that are open 24 hours a day, so they have normal "gas station" type lights. However, I was watching the meteor shower from camp susque which is about 4 miles down the valley, and it isn't a straight valley either...anyhow, we took a lot of pictures and in several of them, there is a SIGNIFICANT glow from the SINGLE gas station that is over 4 MILES away and partially obscured by mountains! It blew my mind..I didn't realize how bad light pollution was until then...I don't think there is any place in the US where you can get a truly dark sky.

I saw the shower last year and it was incredible. We saw hundreds if not thousands of meteors. At some points, you couldn't look anywhere in the sky and *not* see a meteor. It was truly amazing. If this year is half as good as last year, it should be pretty cool.

However, no matter how many meteors there are and how often they come, it seems to be VERY difficult to capture them on film. Using an SLR camera with a cable release and a tripod, a friend and I used something like 5 rolls of films and probably only got 15-20 usable pictures that had meteors in. (You can check them out here at peterswift.org. And they weren't joking about light pollution either! We were pretty far out in the country in North Central PA at Camp Susque, but even the lights from a tiny town with one gas station and a restaraunt really made a lot of the pictures have big bright spots (and the town/village was about 3-4 miles away!).

I finally got around to actually uploading the images tonight (this morning?)...if you want to see them, go here.

I finally uploaded the images: here

The 33 years thing is (should be) the cycle of the comet that creates the dust clouds we pass through. We will have leonid meteor showers every year, but the 33 year cycle determines how great the display is. We aren't guaranteed a phenomonal display every 33 years, it is just more likely. *shrug* It is confusing. However, if you want to see my pics from last year's shower (I finally got them uploaded), go to my webpage.

Yeah, I'm from north central PA (near williamsport..though I'm attending PSU in january...)...and the view from Camp Susque was incredible. We're shielded from light pollutions by mountains (though it does slightly limit your field of vision), but it was still incredible. We took a lot of pictures, and a lot of them turned out spectactular (we have some pictures of both the meteor, and the reflection of the meteor in our pond..along with the camp's observatory in the background. I'll have a bunch of the pictures we took up on my website (They were mostly taken by a friend..not me) sometime this evening, so make sure you check out peterswift.org sometime this evening for the pictures.

con? Maybe you live in australia or something, but I saw TONS of meteors last year. It was probably the most amazing thing I've seen in the sky (other than this daytime fireball from last summer)...I've got tons of pictures that I'll be posting to my website later tonight when I get home...as you'll be able to tell from the pictures, there was a lot more than one or two shooting stars (several pictures we took have up to 5 at once!). Check the space forecast for your area. Not all places in the world will have a good view of it...

last year it was over 40/minute at times. I saw it at Camp Susque, which is sorrounded by mountains (which means not too much light pollution...but..you also have limited viewing). We got some great pictures of them too..check my webpage later this evening and a lot of them will be posted...Last year was incredible..best I've ever seen it....we couldn't look anywhere and *not* see meteors at its peak (and several fireballs!). I plan on going out again this year....if it is half as good as last year, it will be mighty impressive.

(the previous post also appears on the responses to my review. :)

I said at random places...not necessarily in the end. I suppose they could also be robotic or something to prevent any chances of the morlocks actually eating them...it would also explain why they can still be around in 802701 (I mean..come on...the computer survived..what's going to prevent a bunch of robot woodchucks from surviving?). *shrug* I don't care if it defeats the whole point..it would have been a LOT more entertaining. :)

I went and saw "The Time Machine" on Friday....the theatre (being UA) sucked...and the movie didn't really help it. I was a little worried about the movie when I first walked in the theater and found it practically empty. I liked the beginning of the movie (there was a beautifal continuous shot down a flight of steps and through some hallways), and even up to the first time travel. However, after Alexander reached the far future...the whole movie went down hill. First of all, the civilization looked EXACTLY like the communities in Riven, and the underground world looked exactly like Isengard in "The Fellowship of the Rings". The time travel was cool, but as Katz mentioned, there wasn't much. I expected a LOT more as far as character development and more of an actual story. So much was left unexplained and the ending didn't really help. So, I rate this movie fairly low. To see my full review, go to Peterswift.org/html

A quote from my review: "If they had added some monkeys and woodchucks in random places in the movie, it would have been far more interesting and entertaining.

I bought tickets online for a United Artists theatre...I will never do it again, here is why (an email I sent to a friend about the problem):

About two weeks ago I called the UA to see if they were going to be doing
any advance ticket sales for FoTR...they told me that they weren't, all
advance ticket sales would have to be done over the internet. So, I went
to a webpage, and using matt's credit card, bought 4 tickets. Then, early
last week, I went down to the mall to pick up the tickets. (trip 1) They
said that I could not have the tickets unless I had both the credit card
and the owner of the credit card present (which is ridiculous, because I
already bought the credit cards...they should require ID...but not this
other crap since they don't even mention it on the webpage). I argued
half-heartedly with them for a few minutes, because there wasn't any time
when both matt and I could be there. I finally conceded and went home.

On Sunday, Matt called the UA (he was also disgruntled at the stupid
policy) and explained the situation and asked again if it would be
possible to just let me borrow the credit card and use that to get the
tickets. The woman said that no, it wasn't a problem.
So, today, after school, I headed down to the mall and attempted to get my
tickets (trip 2). They said no...I explained that matt had called and
explained my whole situation. I argued for quite some time about it and
almost ended up shouting. I kept my cool, but I made them mad because I
held up the line and explained in detail how retarded their so-called
policies were and explained that I was going to be late for work and
whatnot. The people in line agreed with me, making them more angry to the
point where they yelled at me and took me aside (no threats for security
yet). I finally left and they told me to come back after 8 when the
manager is there. I explained the time/money problem with driving that
far, but they obviously didn't care. I left, and came to work and explained it to matt. So, we are going in AGAIN momentarily. This is a
freaking pain. I am not leaving the UA till they give me my tickets for
FREE.

Worst part about this....they DO sell advance tickets! Bill bought his by
just stopping by. I have been lied to too many times! I am pretty pissed
about the whole thing.

After all of this, I went again, and was able to get my tickets and they gave me 4 free passes for anytime this month....but, it doesn't nearly make up for the waste of time/money and gas to make all the trips to the mall. I also don't really care about movie tickets...this is the only movie I really want to see...and if I watch it again, it will be in a DIFFERENT THEATER!!!

I still can't wait till I see it tonight though.

Relevant Link: PeterSwift.org/page.cgi?page=lotr

my site (Peterswift.org is cached on google and they have my images and pretty much everything i have on my site on their site. However, this doesn't bother me at all. They don't claim ownership to any of it, in fact, they blatantly say that they don't own any of it! I don't have a problem with them taking my page and putting it on their site. That just means more people access my page, and if my site ever happens to be down, then I don't have to worry as much. In fact..I hope google caches my site today, because I just uploaded about 40 or 50 images in the last week in my pictures folder, and if they cache it, then i don't have to worry about me screwing up html or anything...i can always pull my site from google. it is just another backup. :)

I would like to have an online journal or a rants page, but I end up wasting too much time editing my webpage and reuploading it and stuff that I tend to ignore it and only update it every now and then. Is there and easy, updateable through browser cgi script or something that I could use? I need something that is fairly simple to setup and use (slashcode is out. :) Just a little CGI script or something that would allow me to update my page through IE or netscape without any real hassle. Any ideas?

This is sorta strange..my friend MattH and I were just having an arguement about braincells growing back this afternoon. He was trying to feed me some line about cellular phones causing braincell depletion in small children...and I told him that now they learned braincells can grow back, so I wouldn't care if a small child used a cell phone (though I can't think of a good reason for them too) and he was telling me that braincells never grew back...I argued that I had seen some article in a magzine about it and how that could possibly prevent the onset of alzheimers disease....then I just got an email from him telling me to look at this article (admitting his dumbness. :) couldn't be a better time for it :)

See the man behind "fjordboy"