The Annekenstein Monster

Well, with only one week remaining in the regular season, and then the playoff games left, The Annekenstein Monster’s small but mighty playoff pool is really coming down to the wire.

Here are the standings as of this week:

reverseflash:  130-110 (54.2%)  points:  150   Last Week: 11-5
annekenstein: 130-110 (54.2%)  points:  150  Last Week: 10-6
Jim Simmonds: 127-113 (52.9%)  points:  141  Last Week:  10-6
Graham the Conqerer: 92-102 (47.4%)  points: 82  Last Week: 10-6

Over the course of the season, it had been a two-way battle for first place, between Jim Simmonds and myself, but JS has slipped the past couple of weeks and has some catching up to do.  Reverseflash, early in the season, was down and out but has been coming on strong and is a strong threat to win it all.  I’ve been pretty steady throughout the whole season, and if I don’t win, at least I’ll have that to comfort me.  Graham the Conquerer was right up there at the top the first half of the season, but at one point he forgot (I assume) to enter picks for a week and that pretty much ended his chance.  Like a trooper, though, he’s been playing out the season.
For a brief period, we had a fifth member, Nils, but I believe he only picked one week, or two, then wasn’t heard from again.  After a number of weeks of not picking, I removed him from the game.  His stats were bringing the group’s average down.  As a group, we are at 52.4% for the season.

Isn’t it exciting, wondering who will win this totally meaningless pool?

Last night, for whatever reasons, I didn’t feel like going to bed at the usual time (and when I finally did go to bed, I was wide awake), so I was up until 2am, farting around on the computer.  Actually, farting around on the blog here, seeing what’s what.  I spent some time trying to increase the number of archive pages that are listed.  Currently there are only ten month’s worth of archives.  Since I’ve been doing this since 2003, there are many more months that are at least two-clicks away (Can You Imagine!).
Failing to find a solution, I sent off an email to the Typepad people, asking how to rectify that issue.
This morning when I wake up, the reply is waiting in my inbox.  Prompt service.
Unfortunately, one cannot list all the monthly archives on the ‘front page’.  It’s limited to ten.  But, Carla suggested, one could add a Typelist link to my full archives page (even though clicking on the word ‘Archives’ achieves the same thing).  So, that’s what I’ve done.
I’m happy enough.

Tonight on Canada Now, there was a report about high storm surges due to the recent inclement weather.  A part of the report showed (what I assume to be) a fisherman standing on a rocky shore.  He was holding the  microphone, which was odd in and of itself, and talking about the potential dangers of the tide pulling the earth back into the water.  The reporter (off camera) asks, barely heard (because the guy being interviewed held the mic): “are you worried about having to protect your yard, fields and whatnot?”
I found the *unprofessional* use of the word “whatnot” rather humourous.

That is all.

I may have written about this neurosis of mine in a previous post, but it bears re-posting because it’s still, inexplicably, present in my life.
I have a fear that if my son sleeps longer than his usual wake-up time, that he has died in his sleep.  When he was a baby, and he slept beyond his anticipated waking time, I would begin to think that he wasn’t waking up because he had died.  Of course, as I was talking myself into this irrational fear, I was
also simultaneously telling myself how unlikely that was, and how silly
I was for still fretting over such a thing.  Yet, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I was being irrational, the thought just wouldn’t leave my mind until he woke up. Sometimes, as minutes passed, I would be almost totally convinced that
he had died.  I’d prepare myself to walk into his room and see his
lifeless body.  When he was very young, the fear had, perhaps, a greater potential to be true, what with SIDS and all…
He never did die.  Not yet, at least.  Now that he’s 12, I still find myself (not as often, mind you) preparing myself to see him dead when I walk in to his room.
These days, he’s usually up well before 9am each day, whether he has to be or not.  I got up at 10-ish and realised that he was still in his bedroom.  Notice I didn’t just say “realised he was still asleep in his bedroom”. Yes, again I began to think that, since he wasn’t up, he was dead.  And so began another battle in my mind regarding the life-status of my son.  As much as I’d tell myself the notion is preposterous, and as much as I’d agree, completely, with that line of thought, the ‘he is dead’ concern wouldn’t completely leave my mind.
He came skipping down the stairs at around 10:45.  I think it was the latest that he’s ever slept in.
Now that he’s entering those awkward teen years, I’m going to have to adjust my “he’s dead” clock to accomodate his upcoming predisposition to sleeping in.

I may have written about this neurosis of mine in a previous post, but it bears re-posting because it’s still, inexplicably, present in my life.
I have a fear that if my son sleeps longer than his usual wake-up time, that he has died in his sleep.  When he was a baby, and he slept beyond his anticipated waking time, I would begin to think that he wasn’t waking up because he had died.  Of course, as I was talking myself into this irrational fear, I was

also simultaneously telling myself how unlikely that was, and how silly

I was for still fretting over such a thing.  Yet, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I was being irrational, the thought just wouldn’t leave my mind until he woke up. Sometimes, as minutes passed, I would be almost totally convinced that

he had died.  I’d prepare myself to walk into his room and see his

lifeless body.  When he was very young, the fear had, perhaps, a greater potential to be true, what with SIDS and all…
He never did die.  Not yet, at least.  Now that he’s 12, I still find myself (not as often, mind you) preparing myself to see him dead when I walk in to his room.
These days, he’s usually up well before 9am each day, whether he has to be or not.  I got up at 10-ish and realised that he was still in his bedroom.  Notice I didn’t just say “realised he was still asleep in his bedroom”. Yes, again I began to think that, since he wasn’t up, he was dead.  And so began another battle in my mind regarding the life-status of my son.  As much as I’d tell myself the notion is preposterous, and as much as I’d agree, completely, with that line of thought, the ‘he is dead’ concern wouldn’t completely leave my mind.
He came skipping down the stairs at around 10:45.  I think it was the latest that he’s ever slept in.
Now that he’s entering those awkward teen years, I’m going to have to adjust my “he’s dead” clock to accomodate his upcoming predisposition to sleeping in.

Whether you celebrate the winter solstice, the birth of Jesus, your African roots, the birth of Mithra, Hannukah, or just that it’s a Sunday, I hope your day is pleasant.

I saw this hypothetical question asked elsewhere and it immediately piqued my curiosity.

How many 5 year-olds could you take on at once?

Here are the factors to take into consideration:

You, nor the five-year olds, have any foreign objects.  It’s hand-to-hand only, and no protective padding, other than a cup, and normal, everyday street clothes.
The arena is roughly the size of a basketball court, and it’s enclosed.  Nobody can touch the walls.
You lose when you are knocked unconscious.  They lose when the final five-year old is knocked unconscious.  Once a kid is knocked unconscious, that kid is “out”.
The kids all receive one day of hand-to-hand combat training,  designed specifically to teach them how to team up to take down one adult.   You receive one hour of “counter-tactics” training.
The kids are motivated enough to not get scared, regardless of what occurs.  Even the very last one will give it their all.
The kids are all “average” healthy kids, half of the number you choose will be female, the other half will be male.

So, how many could you take on without being defeated?

I think I’d try to take on 12. 

The Fam and I went to see King Kong at a Wednesday afternoon matinee.  I like the holiday matinees because they usually aren’t as busy as regular movie nights and matinees.  There weren’t a lot of people in the theatre for this showing, and that is always good.

The movie was fantastic.  Yes, perhaps a bit too long (but still entertaining) to get to Skull Island, but man oh man what a rip-roaring old-fashioned adventure once we got there.  It was pure excitement and thrill.  Fun fun fun.
My only complaint with the movie were the actions of the heroine at the end of the movie.  Without spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, I’ll just say that the efforts she makes at the end of the movie are wholly not believable.  I don’t care what your motivations are, but when you’re standing on a 15 foot wide dome plate, a thousand feet in the air, you’re going to act like you’re afraid of falling.  And, I may be wrong, but I believe the winds at the top of the Empire State Building are blowing a lot stronger than it appeared in the film.

So, a great adventure movie that is only slightly tarnished by the ludicrousness of the final scenes at the top of the building.

Absolutely worth seeing at the theatre.