Not really post related, but I had to share this link: 10 Terrible Christmas Sweaters http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-terrible-christmas-sweaters.html I sort of disagree with the order the blogger has them in, and I'm not sure if any of them can truly be in the same league as your clown sweater, but some of them are definitely going to bring a chuckle (or painful grimace).

After being sprayed with oxytocin at the perfume counter, Wil needed to hug something that wouldn't slap him.

Whoa. When I posted the other day about EWW being a Moriarty, I didn't truly realized how on the mark that comment was. Talk about getting into people's minds. Double whoa! Even though I was all prepared for evil, I had a gut reaction when EWW messed with Penny's insecurities. While some people are worried about the breakup ruining the show, I think it may open some opportunities for comedy we haven't considered yet - like Sheldon trying to get them back together out of the principle that he can't allow EWW to succeed in everything. Or even Sheldon being torn between the two, because while he won't admit it, he really depends on Penny as well as Leonard.

I, for one, love the Evil Wheaton. As much as I enjoy Sheldon, the character needs a true nemesis to give us a reason to sympathize with him, while at the same time exploiting his obsessive, childlike, narcissism. I tried imaging the first Wheaton episode with Nice Wheaton and I realized that had the writers done that, Sheldon would have just come across as an obnoxious creep, instead of the future mad scientist we now know and love. Evil Wheaton not only provides a foil for Sheldon, but cleverly uses Sheldon's own nature against him - much like a Master Ninja. :) I really like the comment about "living in there rent-free" from the preview. This is so true when you obsess about an enemy and yet delivered in that context, the comment comes across more as strategic tactic - a chessmove - some thing to counter. Sir, you and the writers of The Big Bang Theory, have masterfully created a character that is a Moriarty to Sheldon's Holmes. And have done it in a way where one doesn't not have to root for either one to enjoy the battle between them. I applaud your combined skills and wait eagerly for Monday's show.

From the guy who created Guitar Hero - http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/246 Tod Machover of MIT's Media Lab invented the musical technology behind Guitar Hero, and at TED2008 he talks about what's coming next. Listen for some brand-new ways to interface with music -- to play it, compose it, understand it. In the second half of this talk, Machover introduces Dan Ellsey, a composer with cerebral palsy who uses the lab's tools to create and perform his own music. Ellsey conducts his own piece, "My Eagle Song." It has so much awesome that I knew I had to pass it on.

From the guy who created Guitar Hero - http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/246 Tod Machover of MIT's Media Lab invented the musical technology behind Guitar Hero, and at TED2008 he talks about what's coming next. Listen for some brand-new ways to interface with music -- to play it, compose it, understand it. In the second half of this talk, Machover introduces Dan Ellsey, a composer with cerebral palsy who uses the lab's tools to create and perform his own music. Ellsey conducts his own piece, "My Eagle Song." It has so much awesome that I knew I had to pass it on.

Last week I spoke of the man I am in love with using his first name in front of my daughter. Since I usually use his more formal title around most people, my daughter was confused for a moment. When I clarified who I was talking about, she said, "Oh! I always think of him as a 'Dad'." A few days ago, they were in the building he works in, near his office, and he came out to greet them and helped them with something. When they came back to the room I was working in, in another building, my son teased my daughter, saying she couldn't have a crush on the guy because I already did. She defended her adoration firmly. The truth is, he's told both my kids that they can always talk to him and my son has taken him up on that once or twice. They have more respect for him than their own father. I don't think I've ever met someone so wonderful to me.

Last week I spoke of the man I am in love with using his first name in front of my daughter. Since I usually use his more formal title around most people, my daughter was confused for a moment. When I clarified who I was talking about, she said, "Oh! I always think of him as a 'Dad'." A few days ago, they were in the building he works in, near his office, and he came out to greet them and helped them with something. When they came back to the room I was working in, in another building, my son teased my daughter, saying she couldn't have a crush on the guy because I already did. She defended her adoration firmly. The truth is, he's told both my kids that they can always talk to him and my son has taken him up on that once or twice. They have more respect for him than their own father. I don't think I've ever met someone so wonderful to me.

Wil, Your keynote brought back so many happy memories of Dark Tower that I had to do some Googling about it to share with my kids. And I found an online flash version of it [ http://www.wakefieldfamily.net/darktower/ ] through a site with the rules [ http://well-of-souls.com/tower/dt_board.htm ] The only drawbacks I've found so far is that it's easier for the other players to know that you were the one who cursed them and I had the dragon piece refuse to stay on the board when I tried to place it once.

Wil, Your keynote brought back so many happy memories of Dark Tower that I had to do some Googling about it to share with my kids. And I found an online flash version of it [ http://www.wakefieldfamily.net/darktower/ ] through a site with the rules [ http://well-of-souls.com/tower/dt_board.htm ] The only drawbacks I've found so far is that it's easier for the other players to know that you were the one who cursed them and I had the dragon piece refuse to stay on the board when I tried to place it once.

Heck. I'm a 42 year old woman and if someone gave me a treehouse and a robot with a laser beam, I'd have my "no boys allowed" sign out faster than you can say "rainbows and kittens". Don't you know that purple ribbons improve laser accuracy?

Heck. I'm a 42 year old woman and if someone gave me a treehouse and a robot with a laser beam, I'd have my "no boys allowed" sign out faster than you can say "rainbows and kittens". Don't you know that purple ribbons improve laser accuracy?

VEKdigital, if you wouldn't mind, I would love for you to shoot a copy of the MP3 version to mamaslyth at gmail dot com. I can hear only part of this one. It keeps stalling on me after the first song. :( Wil, it must of been something in the air last night. After working on an art journal, I had to find a recording of an old song I was mesmerized with as a young person, listening to my parents' oldies collection - http://www.esnips.com/doc/68dac736-d93c-4d64-ad39-04b2b6bf2cfb/Georgia-Gibbs---Kiss-Of-Fire

VEKdigital, if you wouldn't mind, I would love for you to shoot a copy of the MP3 version to mamaslyth at gmail dot com. I can hear only part of this one. It keeps stalling on me after the first song. :( Wil, it must of been something in the air last night. After working on an art journal, I had to find a recording of an old song I was mesmerized with as a young person, listening to my parents' oldies collection - http://www.esnips.com/doc/68dac736-d93c-4d64-ad39-04b2b6bf2cfb/Georgia-Gibbs---Kiss-Of-Fire

Just because it might not be cut out for a comedy sketch does not mean it is without worth. It was a very healthy way of dealing with the frustration involved using humor. As we all know, humor is very therapuetic and yet comedians can be very unhappy. I think something similar happens to them that can happen to a trained artist who takes art therapy - they access the talent for stress relief and then instead of just letting go and letting the humor do its job on a personal level, they start trying to think of ways to create from it, right then and there. Trained artists can still do art therapy to deal with the problems, but it is suggested that they not do any professional work during the time, if possible, because stressing over something's commericial value will get in the way of the healing. The other solution is to have them do their art therapy in a group with nonartists to help curb this thought process and unlearn for a few moments their training. So, this post needs to stay because it is still cute and it shows how you dealt with a stressful situtation. It doesn't need any more value than that.

Just because it might not be cut out for a comedy sketch does not mean it is without worth. It was a very healthy way of dealing with the frustration involved using humor. As we all know, humor is very therapuetic and yet comedians can be very unhappy. I think something similar happens to them that can happen to a trained artist who takes art therapy - they access the talent for stress relief and then instead of just letting go and letting the humor do its job on a personal level, they start trying to think of ways to create from it, right then and there. Trained artists can still do art therapy to deal with the problems, but it is suggested that they not do any professional work during the time, if possible, because stressing over something's commericial value will get in the way of the healing. The other solution is to have them do their art therapy in a group with nonartists to help curb this thought process and unlearn for a few moments their training. So, this post needs to stay because it is still cute and it shows how you dealt with a stressful situtation. It doesn't need any more value than that.

I loved the review. And while you might not be part of any ST gatherings any time soon, I do hope you get to reconnect with a few of your former cast members during the next few months. It's so great to read your view of them. (It would be cool if more of them blogged, so they could return the favor. *wink*)

I loved the review. And while you might not be part of any ST gatherings any time soon, I do hope you get to reconnect with a few of your former cast members during the next few months. It's so great to read your view of them. (It would be cool if more of them blogged, so they could return the favor. *wink*)

Oh! Just to clarify - the person who asked me to mapped out my inner voices is an expert in creativity and wholely supports my cast of characters. The guy thought they were things to keep me from being lonely. *rolls eyes* (Or maybe he just saw them as getting in the way of convincing me he was right...)

Oh! Just to clarify - the person who asked me to mapped out my inner voices is an expert in creativity and wholely supports my cast of characters. The guy thought they were things to keep me from being lonely. *rolls eyes* (Or maybe he just saw them as getting in the way of convincing me he was right...)

Damn it, Wil. You're bringing me to tears. This is why I read you. You're not the only one with a chorus of inner-voices. I've actually mapped out the evolution of mine a few years back at the suggestion of a friend. I've been battling a different type of mental block of late and tried to work through it by writing dialogs between myself and an injured part of me using the non-dominate hand technique. Found out that part of me had frozen itself because some guy I had been dating was trying to make me get rid of my Inner Warrior - or what I call my "worse, but wiser" self. I tried to explain to him what Julian was, but this guy had the delusion of being someone's one and only and didn't even want to share my affection with even my own animus. We had to finally go our separate ways, but I never realized how those discussions had wounded me. Here I had worked so hard to listen to my inner voices in a healthy way - I never even had an imaginary friend as a child - and this guy was trying to force his unhealthy fantasies onto me. The irony - he was first mesmerized by me because of my ability to tap into my creative center. Silly fool didn't realize that his mistaken beliefs were what was crippling his ability to do the same. It is just so comforting to read your inner dialogs. Thank you.

Damn it, Wil. You're bringing me to tears. This is why I read you. You're not the only one with a chorus of inner-voices. I've actually mapped out the evolution of mine a few years back at the suggestion of a friend. I've been battling a different type of mental block of late and tried to work through it by writing dialogs between myself and an injured part of me using the non-dominate hand technique. Found out that part of me had frozen itself because some guy I had been dating was trying to make me get rid of my Inner Warrior - or what I call my "worse, but wiser" self. I tried to explain to him what Julian was, but this guy had the delusion of being someone's one and only and didn't even want to share my affection with even my own animus. We had to finally go our separate ways, but I never realized how those discussions had wounded me. Here I had worked so hard to listen to my inner voices in a healthy way - I never even had an imaginary friend as a child - and this guy was trying to force his unhealthy fantasies onto me. The irony - he was first mesmerized by me because of my ability to tap into my creative center. Silly fool didn't realize that his mistaken beliefs were what was crippling his ability to do the same. It is just so comforting to read your inner dialogs. Thank you.

Speaking of providing to the masses, everyone might want to check this out: http://www.worldebookfair.com/ The World eBook Fair welcomes you to absolutely free access to a variety of eBook unparalleled by any other source. 1/3 million eBooks await you, all free of charge for the month from July 4 - August 4, 2006, and then 1/2 million eBooks in 2007, 3/4 million in 2008, and ONE million in 2009. Me? I'm planning to work my CDROM burner very hard that month.

Speaking of providing to the masses, everyone might want to check this out: http://www.worldebookfair.com/ The World eBook Fair welcomes you to absolutely free access to a variety of eBook unparalleled by any other source. 1/3 million eBooks await you, all free of charge for the month from July 4 - August 4, 2006, and then 1/2 million eBooks in 2007, 3/4 million in 2008, and ONE million in 2009. Me? I'm planning to work my CDROM burner very hard that month.

I was going to take umbrage at the Huey Lewis fan comment, but then I realized I don't have any of their albums and I no longer remember which song of theirs I liked the most. *sigh* I just don't have it takes to be a diehard fan for anything. I tried being a Ian McDiarmid fan, but I had to give it up and just be satisfied with being an admirer of his work. However, I do have a copy of Just a Geek...