Google Wave demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_UyVmITiYQ

Anyone have any vendor/installer recommendations for house windows in the Chicago west suburbs?  I am so biting the bullet come the spring...

An IT person's passive aggressive dream:

http://www.letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=how+to+find+information

Gone are the days of going to the nearest school or church before work to stand in line to vote on Election Day. B and I voted at the mall tonight, no lines, and pleasant old people all excited to give you the "I Voted Today" sticker. Done deal!

We watched the VP debate last night and I thought it was very good. Palin didn't give much to SNL to play with this weekend and took a good approach to the debate... folksy Washington outsider talking directly to the American people. That said, I grew increasingly frustrated with her not even attempting to answer some of the moderator's questions, and I kept wishing the moderator would call her on it. I'm glad Biden did not, as that would have been risky. Biden came off as extremely intelligent, passionate, a nice guy, and very specific on his views and intents. Palin came off as passionate and determined, but lacked substance in my opinion. She proved she's not Tina Fey's version of her, but did not win on the issues.

One weird comment she made though was that she referenced an alternative interpretation of the Constitution that supposedly gives the VP more power in the Senate than to break ties on votes, and said something along the lines as she's glad that's in there and would pursue it. She also referenced that Cheney had the same view. That's going to be an interesting one to see vetted in the media today.

All in all, this debate won't matter. The House of Representatives will soon vote on the economic bailout/rescue plan that passed in the Senate. Last blurb I heard last night was that there weren't enough votes to pass it yet.

Lunanoir and Shruew gave me a tagine pot for my birthday. It's basically a deep skillet with a dunce cap for a lid. The theory is something along the lines that the conical lid keeps all the moisture in the cooking process and tagine dishes are supposed to be very flavorful due to the cooking process it provides. I know, very scientific.

Anyway, today I winged beef stew in it, and it turned out fantastic. I liken it to doing something in a slow cooker, but in a lot less time. I tossed a little oil in the bottom pan, and browned flour-covered stew beef in it. Added cut up leeks, shallots, potatoes and garlic, then beef broth with a little corn starch and Emiril's Essence mixed in. Conical lid on, and walk away, except for the couple of times I went to check on how it was cooking up. The first time I checked, I was surprised at how thick the stew sauce was already. The second time the potatoes were done. Total cooking time was about an hour, and on low heat because I kept turning the flame down since I could still hear the stew simmering. It might have gotten a little more cooking time since I let it cool in the pot (we weren't ready to eat yet, as I was expecting a longer cooking time). Anyway, SUCCESS!

I'll need to invent some recipes for it. The cookbook covers woks, clay pots, tagines, and some other pot I forget, and the tagine recipes were pretty Morrocan and I'm not so sure they are B-friendly. But, lots of source material to work with, so I'm sure I can adapt a number of recipes pretty well.

Next stop...chicken. =)

Had a great time out last night with Lunanoir, even if I didn't find all the things I have on my mental shopping list. $1.49 apiece for cheap plastic glasses for work? I think not. And I'm still hunting for the "right stuff" to decorate my new office at work... I'll know it when I see it!

However, our last stop of the night was Houlihan's, where I discovered the Green Tea Martini. I'd make it less sweet than what it was, but I am intrigued and shall make it my mission over the rest of the summer to seek out other versions and perfect a recipe!

... what kind of olive would you put in a green tea martini?...

(I know... ew. I can't think of one either.)

So I was in Age of Conan last night exploring one of the first towns in Stygia on an alt when I turned a corner and there he was:

Cock Handler

Some guy with crates of chickens around him. I laughed my ass off.

It's a rhetorical question, I don't need an answer. I just find myself pondering the tradition of marriage after finding out about yet another affair in the office. I don't get "affairs" at all. I get the concept of divorce I guess... blah, blah, blah, things didn't work out. But the concept of an affair seems downright bizarre.

Then again, I freely admit that I'm very naive. It's just disturbing me right now.

So, as of last night I am working out again. I finally decided that the best time for me to sacrifice other things is basically the hour before bedtime (at least on weeknights). I set up a small TV and a DVD player in the basement and brought all of my workout DVDs down there so B can still watch the plasma in the family room at night.

I'm on the lookout for new and interesting workout DVDs if anyone has any to suggest. I still like TurboJam a lot, but I want to bring in more variety.