...on NIN and Gluteal Contusions

Over the weekend, on Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending the Nine Inch Nails concert at the Palace in Auburn Hills. After hearing a number of glowing reviews I entered the show with expectations of the highest order...and was not let down. Without question, it was the most awe-inspiring technical video performance I have ever seen, and of course the aural presentation was quite enjoyable as well. The band really pulled off a phenomenally impressive array of sychronized radiant palpitations and semi-opaque layers of atmospheric set pieces. A truly impressive spectacle that the following pictures do little justice for.







On an unrelated note, as referenced by the title, and similar to a malady suffered recently by Cowboys star Chris Canty, I have some gluteal contusions. Unlike Canty's, however, mine are from falling on my ass on ice...repeatedly. I've become a bit better at ice skating, so that now I'm to the level that I fall much less frequently, but when I do it hurts significantly more due to the speeds I reach and the position I'm in. My first competitive hockey game is on September 12th...I am fully expecting a complete comedy of errors.

Another reason to go see 'The Dark Knight'

Naturally, there was been a great deal of hype leading up to the imminent Dark Knight release, with talk of a posthumous Oscar for Ledger's Joker, and the promise of a more intense movie experience than the previous film...but for me there is another equally appealing and compelling need to see this movie; for the trailers that will be affixed to the beginning. In particular, the trailer that will be shown for the new DC Comics movie to be released in March of 2009: 'Watchmen'. For those of you not familiar with the source material, it was written by Alan Moore back in the 80s, and is a graphic novel set in 1985, during an alternate history of the US where we decisively won the Vietnam War and vigilante costumed crimefighters walk the streets of American cities, meting out their own brand of justice. While my brief synopsis sounds like the setup for a generic superhero romp, 'Watchmen' is far removed from such insipid comic trappings. Of all the "superheroes", only one has any quantifiable superhuman powers, and most are washed up or retired as a result of the fictitious Keene Act of 1977, barring any costumed heroes from practicing vigilante justice. Further, the heroes themselves are deeply flawed (for the most part), and certainly do not fit the standard paragon of virtue and truth typically attributed to masked lawmen, and in fact, one of the more important characters is essentially a nihilist. The graphic novel also serves as a compelling study of the paranoia associated with the Cold War (which the US is still engaged in), nuclear conflict, and moreover, the human condition. And honestly, for me to claim I have presented all that one can glean from this story would be foolhardy...this is just a damn good read, period, and a pretty cool mystery, to boot. If you have some time on your hands, I highly recommend picking up a copy (you should be able to acquire one on Amazon for about 12 or 13 bucks). And just keep in mind, the Comedian didn't get the name for his innate ability to crack clever jokes...

Needless to say, I'm fairly excited about this movie. The guy who wrote the screenplay (David Hayter) also penned the first X-men movie, and some might recognize the name in conjuction with the voice of Solid Snake from the immensely popular 'Metal Gear Solid' game series. Zack Snyder (of '300' fame) took the reigns as director of the film, and from reading his commentary, it sounds like they are staying quite true to the source material, which includes a couple of scenes that will be disturbing on-screen, but are absolutely vital to the story.

So, hopefully everyone will head to see the Dark Knight, and just remember, there's a good reason to make it for the trailers for this one...

So I finally broke into the Indian genre of food units for the first time in my life...not too shabby I must say. The place I went to was doing a lunch buffet, so I was able to peruse an assortment of different dishes. The hot pepper chicken I had (sorry, can't recall the exact nomenclature) was actually downright awesome, no churrascuria bacon-wrapped chicken, but not too terribly far off.

Crap, it's been far too long since I posted something up on my blog, so I will rectify that situation now.

Alas, I don't have too much interesting to report, other than that I've been slaving away in a combo platter of the machine shop, and the electron beam microscope lab. It has been raining a good deal here in Ann Arbor; almost feels like I'm back in College Station or something.

I would at this point like to take pause to recognize the passing of the great comedic genius that was George Carlin...and similarly the passing of Reunion Arena.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing everybody back in the Metroplex over the 4th of July holiday, as it will probably be my last few days off for a good long while.

Man, talk about random stream of consciousness musings...that's about all I got these days. Oddly, I am looking forward to the fall, not so much for the class, but because I haven't been so stoked for a Dallas Cowboys football season in a good long while (sorry, had to touch on the sports page). Even though I know I'm setting myself up to be disappointed, I expect nothing less than an NFC championship trip, which in all honesty, is not out of the question. There certainly isn't any team in the NFC that is vastly superior to the Cowboys in any way, and while I'm not going to throw down a guarantee, I suspect they will be one of the front runners for the conference title. I also have full confidence Romo will win a playoff game this year...and I expect him to cut down the interception total from last season (which sort of got lost in the mix of all the TDs he was throwing). I also fully expect to see Adam Jones make it rain during a crucial third down, four receiver set situation, in order to distract the receiver he is playing man-to-man with loads of cash dispersed about the turf.

Separated at birth?

Both want it all...both are incredibly intense at all times...



Anybody with me here?

In case anybody still checks this blog, and was wondering just what in the hell it is I do for a living...well here's a very small taste:



I have a lot of work left in order to perfect my techniques, but the long and short of it is that part of my research is to examine the morphological properties of engine deposits produced in my HCCI engine. This particular picture is actually one of deposits from an older piston running in a GDI (gasoline direct injection) configuration, mostly just to serve as practice. I'm actually more interested in structures on the nanoscale, but it is still somewhat worthwhile for the moment.

The Mickeroo throwing a huge flag at Roy

You know, I do tend to agree with a great deal of what's in that article...Roy has absolutely got to get his act together this year, and step up to be the defensive captain that he should be. I for one am tired of seeing some opposing receiver running around in the end zone after a long pass, and the shot panning to a confused Roy with shrugged shoulders after another blown coverage or bad angle taken.

Utter hiliarity:

Obi-Wan Force Speed

As the anthropomorphic canine hero of old, Scooby-Doo, might say:

"Ruh-roh..."

Belichick might be sttrrrugggling in the near future

So has anybody checked out Cuban's latest blog posting regarding the State of the Union for the Mavericks organization? Jason Kidd getting up the MVP level of Nash...eh...might be a little optimistic there, buddy. I almost get the feeling that he wants to keep the team very similar to its current structure, which I'm not sure is really going to work out. The Mavs have got to get more consistent defense in the paint (and some interior scoring would be nice, too).

I didn't laugh when I was watching the Draft this year...

Okay, idiocy aside, I really enjoyed sitting on my can all day Saturday and doing nothing but prognosticate, peruse, praise, and percolate. I was particularly excited when I saw that the Cowboys drafted Martellus Bennett, which at the time it occurred I let out an exclamatory "Yeah!" in the middle of a nice seafood restaurant (though there may have been a choice expletive in front of the "yeah"). I would have liked to see the Cowboys draft a receiver in the 2nd round, when it seemed like every team in the NFL was just making a mad run on them, but overall I was pretty satisfied by what the Cowboys came away with for the two days.

And...the Mavericks make me want to die. Freaking sports blue balls again.

Bryant Gumbel ousted

See ya sucka

Thank the heavens we won't have to listen to that dingus' play-by-play next year, as his version of sports broadcasting often recounts the exploits of such NFL greats as Al Gore and Rick Romo (Gumbel's butchered versions of 49ers running back Frank Gore, and Cowboys QB Tony Romo). I love the quote:

"But we've agreed that we'd all be better served going in different directions."

Translation: The NFL Network realized I was the most ridiculous play-by-play guy in the history of sports broadcasting, and canned me. I am a total loser, and need to stay as far away from the NFL as is humanly possible.

Now if TNT will just fire Craig Sager ("I'm here talking with Dick Nowitski", yeah, that guy), my sports soul will be at peace.

I uttered this comment last night while conversing, regarding moving to a different place next fall:

"If I move, then I will be closer to some different places."

A truly brilliant deduction.

Balls. I fear the worst for the little Mavericks. Dirk hurt at a crucial time when it looks like when he's not on the floor they can't get anything done...and they desparately need some wins right now.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up better with my blog, as I just noticed it's been almost a month...yeeouch. I need to be better about that. My humblest apologies to all one of you reading this blog.

Crap, I'm so worthless not posting to my blog in so long...I am failing in my blogly duties. My humblest apologizes to all two of you reading this.

Things, as per the usual, are almost too overwhelming. I should be relaxing and enjoying a stress-free Spring Break, but instead I find myself in my normal panic mode, anxious to complete all the homework and projects I have upcoming. Yeeesh.

I saw the Cowboys signed Zach Thomas, which is just an absolutely solid pickup, getting a proven veteran like that on the cheap, and a guy who is still extremely productive and will immediately upgrade their linebacking roster. They got the all-time leading tackle leader among linebackers...yeah, I'm more than okay with that move.

As far as all the speculation of Jerry dealing with Bill Dwayne Tuna Parcells to acquire the pick for McFadden, and trying to sign Randy Moss...well I'll believe it when I see it. Frankly, March will probably tell us a great deal about the Moss situation, because TO Owens will be due a rather sizable signing bonus. I have a feeling the Cowboys are going to pony up for that, and hence, not be willing to sign Moss for some ridiculous contract they can't afford. And considering how Jerry has gotten severely burned in the past on trading away picks...I think he would approach some McFadden inspired pick/player trade situation with extreme trepidation (even though, I have to say I've been rather impressed by what the guy has done at the Combine).

And, last but certainly not least, the little Mavericks recent trade...I have to say, I think Kidd is going to work out pretty well for them. Kidd is definitely still productive, and there is a tangibly different feel to the court with the new starting lineup...I think Dirk is pretty excited that Cuban brought in Kidd after seemingly having a Mavs/Kidd trade rumor the past 3 or 4 seasons. Let's hope it all pans out, and the Mavs can get things in gear for the playoff push, and go in with some momentum this year. I don't think it's a complete stretch to say they have the ability to win an NBA Championship this year, but they certainly aren't the favorites, even in my mind.

And for a random funny...listen closely to Terry at the 50 second mark:



Isn't it fun to be able to laugh a little bit?

Have a happy VD

...I mean a happy Valentine's Day, come on, what did you think I meant?

Boy, talk about sports blue balls, being delivered by Devean George last night...wow. Everyone was reporting the Kidd deal for the Mavs was essentially done, and then the train absolutely flew off the tracks once George exercised his contract option. I for one don't know quite how to feel about it all. I think short term, it makes the Mavericks a better team, but Devin Harris appeared to be showing more promise this year and I was really looking forward to seeing where that might take the team...which I suppose is technically still on the table for the moment. I have a hunch, though, the front office will find some way to make the Kidd acquisition happen. And then we will really be able to separate the men from the taxpayers...most definitely.

The Greatest Super Bowl Upset Ever...No Question

Well, NFL history was made last night, as in all improbability, Eli managed to take out the Death Star, and proved the he too, may be attuned to the ways of the Force... (too bad Vader, i.e. Belichick, got away in his Tie Fighter before the Death Star blew up). Actually, that was a pretty sorry thing of him to do, running off the field before the final snap. Several athletes in recent years have been harangued by the media for such actions, including the like of Vince Carter and A.I., and I certainly hope there will be articles dedicated to Belichick's egregiously poor display of sportsmanship.

Hell, the Super Bowl loss may be the least of his concerns now, as this information regarding the illegal taping of the Rams walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI has surfaced. Frankly, I'm just glad we aren't talking about another P-men Super Bowl victory, and all this perfect season and greatest team ever talk simply vanishes like a fart in the wind.

Wow, Roger Clemens really seems to have done a 180 on his position concerning the use of steroids...

Auto Show greatness

Okay, sorry for the tardiness of the pictures, but here are a few things I culled from the photos I snapped on Saturday:

So the first picture is a Ferrari F430...running on biofuels!?



Here is a nice 650K dollar supercar...a Mercedes SLR:



Next up is the new version of the STI rally car:



Here is Nissan's answer to the 911 Twin Turbo...the Skyline GT-R:



This Lexus IS-F (a souped up version of the IS350) has something to say about M3s everywhere (namely, to suck it!):



And finally, the car I was perhaps impressed with the most is this Audi R8 TDI; it's a turbocharged diesel engine producing 500 brake horsepower, and about 740 ft-lbs of torque at extremely low RPM...and it gets 23 miles to the gallon!



Overall the car show was quite impressive, though I was a bit disappointed that BMW didn't have the new M3 there, and also some of the companies didn't have too much information readily available to check out the specs for their cars. And my GOSH, were there a lot of little rugrats scurrying about everywhere and a plethora of strollers on the show floor...it was quite a beating at times. Mind you, I have nothing against little kids, but the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) is a big people place, not a funhouse for the little ones.

Man, I have really been shirking my duty in keeping this blog updated. I am truly failing at life.

I will definitely have a post sometime Saturday night or early Sunday, as I will be attending the North American International Auto Show this Saturday in Detroit. Hopefully I can get a few interesting pictures to post up here (my understanding is Ferrari has a freaking bio-fuels car at the show!). This is the world's biggest automotive show, and I've been looking at pictures posted on the Subaru forums site I frequent for years now, wishing I could be there. That dream will now be realized (though I've been told it's only good to go to every few years).

To touch on the sports page...Tuna is stealing all our coaches! We lost three more today, not including the recent loss of Tony Sporano, so Wade is going to have to get to work here in the off season. Thankfully we will be able to retain the services of the great Jason Garrett, which I'm sure most would agree is the most critical coaching component of this Cowboys team.

I tell you, this Super Bowl is just completely depressing to me. This time of year I'm supposed to be excited about watching the final clash between those teams which epitomize gridiron greatness, but all I can think about is how much I loathe both teams, and wish they could both lose and award the championship to the Cowboys. I am really not looking forward much to watching the Big Game, though I suppose I will, and I further suppose I will root for the hated New York football Giants, very begrudingly I might add. It's just not really a good time in sports for me now, what with having to endure the Mavericks AND Cowboys top-seeded choke jobs in a 7 month time period, and having to endure another year of A&M mediocrity. I'm not sure how much more my fragile sports soul can endure.

It's been a dark and dismal week for me...that Cowboys loss has really not set well with me. I have never had less interest in the Conference Championship weekend, though I do have some hope that with the Green Bay is playing, they might be able to take the P-men in the Super Bowl (come on, we all know that's who it's going to be).

Naturally, my mind is already turning on what moves need to be made in the off season to correct the issues they had this year. I don't know how they are going to do it, but Jerry is going to need to throw even more money into a secondary that already represents a considerable financial investment on his part. They just don't have any depth at corner after Henry and Newman and Roy...he is a shade of his former self. He doesn't seem as opportunistic anymore, and he is becoming more of a liability on the field than an asset. I'm not sure there is much solution there, as he's under the shade of a massive contract for several more seasons...we are probably stuck with waiting for the next horse collar tackle he performs.

Jules Jones is probably done...definitely a good character guy, I've certainly never had any problem with the dude, but after the end of his rookie season I certainly had higher expectations for the guy. I suspect the Cowboys may use a lower round draft pick to grab a runner with some finesse to compliment the greatness of MB3, and perhaps even sign a veteran before camp, and likely cut Tyson Thompson. There will be significant talk about Jerry, the noted Arkansas alum, trading Dallas' two first round picks and likely other picks to get down low enough to draft McFadden, but honestly I would be fairly suprised to see this occur. Jerry, among other people (sorry Coach Ditka) have gotten themselves into trouble trading away multiple high round draft picks for a single player. Obviously, though, I think McFadden will be a stud in the NFL, and if the Cowboys could work something out for a minimal trade, I could probably be on board...I'm just not sure there is any viable scenario for that to occur.

The more likely case for Dallas in the first round is to trade down with the two picks to try and snag a nice receiver, as we all know TO Owens and Terry Glenn just aren't going to have too many more seasons left.

Thank goodness Garrett is going to stay, though honestly, considering he will make head coaching money to stay with a talented team and knows that he will probably be head coach in one to two seasons, it didn't really make much sense for him to leave. He is going to end up inheriting a great team which he already has close ties to, and obviously a good repoire with the owner...it makes financial and career sense for the guy to stay in Dallas.

Oh man, I could probably sit here another hour furthering this offseason discourse, but frankly, I can only sit and think about the Cowboys for so long before I start tearing up like TO Owens...

And because I don't want to end on a downer, enjoy some idiocy:

Many information are available on the Web's.

Indeed, the Web's is a source of many information, as one of my professors informed me. Also, I've been informed that all your base are belong to us.

Cary, thanks for the link to the Hardline commercial, as I remembered when that aired; too bad we'll never see The Hammer again.

Everything is going okay for me so far, I'm just hoping right now the Cowboys are able to win a freaking playoff game, considering that is an event I haven't been able to enjoy since my early high school days. Let's just hope TO Owens can take the field on Sunday afternoon.

Klemick makes pretty awesome blueberry pancakes.