I like this picture not only because it's very cute, but also because it looks like my son Katsuya (superman) is setting my other son's (Kazu's) hot dog on fire (with his heat vision, obviously).

(I couldn't resist a little photo shopping...)

This was a busy week and stressful week.

I've had to work in the office a lot (and less from home) because I was recently saddled with taking over an E-Newsletter for my department.

This is overall a good thing. I've been getting more responsibilities and it's obvious to me that I'm being regarded as an increasingly important asset. [I already know that a few other contractors were 'cut' in the wake of budgetary issues, and they chose to keep me in preference to him/her/them.]

However, this was stressful -- it was one of those situations where no one on the existing team (except 1 person, who helped me get started) really knew anything about the software, procedures, or anything else about creating and publishing the newsletter.

It took about 2 weeks of wrangling help, support calls, and leg work digging up the information I needed to do the job. I probably know more about it than anyone else now.

And I just sent the damn newsletter off to about a zillion people.

Talk about a load off.

TGIF indeed!

I saw a big truck about the size of a U-Haul the other day that said "Clowns Unlimited" on it.

If your average VW bug holds fifty clowns, that truck must hold two-million or more -- or maybe it really does hold unlimited clowns.

But how are they unlimited -- in number only, or are they clowns without limits?

I find the idea of both unlimited clowns and clowns without limits terrifying.

Finally. It's been a busy week. A few highlights:

• Stressed at work while I ramped up learning a new (and arcane) program and take over the department's newsletter. Fortunately, said program wasn't too tough, and the newsletter is largely locked and loaded for distribution early next week.
• My wallet is nearly $700 lighter thanks to my car, but at least the car is now licensed.

I'm really, really, really anxious to see The Dark Knight, which is getting rave reviews. (I'd be anxious to see it regardless, but the good reviews make me even more excited about it.)

Most likely, however, we'll see Hellboy 2 (also very well reviewed) this weekend, which I'm also really excited to see.

We tend to see movies about 1-3 weeks after release to avoid crowds, and because that's just the way our schedules tend to work best (my wife works every other weekend). Sometimes we sneak off and see a movie around lunch time during the week.

Later in the coming week we'll probably take the kids to see Wall-E.

My car has been a pain in ass lately. 3 trips to the Emissions testing station in about as many weeks and 300 miles -- and it still says it's 'not ready to test'.

Apparently the on board computer couldn't complete a 'drive cycle' that makes it ready to test. I finally took the car to the dealership today (I've only got another 2 weeks or so until my tabs expire).

The good news is that the dealership found some bad sensors and such that were preventing the drive cycle from completing. The bad news is that it will cost about $500 to make the necessary repairs.

To top it off, a game I've been trying to play (Assasin's Creed, for the PC), which I got via STEAM for a mere $29 (it's always nice to get the triple-A titles 6 months after they were released) has turned out to be the crashiest crasher since crash came to crashtown. It completely crashes Vista (64) to a blue screen of death.

I have a more than capable rig to run the game, and having worked in game support and IT for many years, I'm more than a little PC/technically savvy.

I sent an email to UBISOFT support, only to get a very typical "try all these standard troubleshooting blah blah" emails that outlined all the usual crap I already told them that I tried. I sent a slightly snarky email back, but essentially told them that it didn't help. Hopefully they have some better ideas, but I doubt it.

The anti-video game lawyer schmuck is facing permanent disbarment from practicing law in Florida-- basically for being an ignorant jackass.

Woot!

My only question is: Why did it take so damn long?

He hasn't been driving with all his clowns for quite some time...

Full story here.

Not only does my youngest son Katsuya (age 2) love his Hulk hands, he's scarcely taken them off. Last night he only removed them long enough to drink some milk, and then insisted that I put them back on him.

This morning, at about 7am, he walked into our bedroom holding his Hulk hands. "I have Hulk hands for you daddy!" he said.
I put his Hulk hands on him and he's been Hulking about ever since.

So far this morning, the only time he's not wearing his Hulk hands is when he's playing with his Hulk action figure (with Iron Man in a supporting role, and sometimes Spider Man). [He actually called them "action figures" last night at one point. Very funny.]

He also takes great delight in watching this video (so do I, actually) -- which you'll see serves as obvious inspiration. He'll watch it repeatedly, at least until he runs off, grabs his action figures, and starts making them beat up his robots (or dinosaurs, or each other, or whatever is handy.)

I dig thunderstorms, and we're having a great one in the Seattle area today.

It does some strange, however, that we've managed near-record temperatures and very warm, sunny weather...

...right up until the 4th of July. Then it pours. It's practically tradition in Seattle and surrounding regions.

Guess we'd better enjoy the lightning show, because tomorrow the fireworks will be soggy.

Or, as my friend wrote in his blog -- maybe we've angered the Gods! :)