» On 11/25/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
I have my handbasket all picked out, thank you. "The original Jesus Dress Up fridge magnets, less than 40 left, so order today! This beautiful 11" x 8" die cut magnet kit has been hand designed and finely sculpted for your enjoyment. Over 30 different articles of clothing to choose from! Let Jesus hula his way into your heart in a coconut bra and grass skirt, or make Him be the bad boy in His favorite leather pants and skull T-shirt! There's an outfit for every occasion! So mix and match hundreds of different combinations to find the one that suits you (& Jesus) best!"

And now, to commemorate the biggest shopping day of the year, they offer a Christmas version. Or visit JesusDressUp.com for some interactive sacrilegious fun...

 
» On 11/20/2005 03:00:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Week One Recap. Even after napping away a good chunk of yesterday afternoon, I'm still tired. My first week was very exciting, but the job demanded a lot, too. In mid-January, our magazine's website will be completely redesigned, with many extra features... including one (or more) blog(s), which will be my responsibility. I've already completed an interview with the owner's son, who is an award-winning filmmaker. I've also written a short video script, because my bosses want to experiment with viral marketing. Next week, I'll do at least one more interview, with a gallery proprietor. I might even get a chance to direct some of the viral videos.

What an amazing opportunity.

Up until now, most of the sample blog postings I've generated could be inserted on almost any date, but I'll soon promote the January and February magazine issues (when they become available), and create postings that are more connected to current events. The company is buying lots of new equipment for me: a digital tape recorder (for the interviews), multimedia computer, mobile phone, etc. It's very flattering - but they obviously expect a lot from me, too.

One of the reasons I'm so tired is a novel-editing gig which took up the four days (Thursday-Sunday) just before I started this new job, on Monday. The novel recounts how this author met her husband: they were both casino dealers on cruise ships, so the details about their jobs were fascinating. The story was pretty good, but the writing needed help; I had to invest quite a bit of energy to get it up to submission standard. However, when her payment arrived on Friday, the check contained an unexpected 10% bonus. It was touching to know that she appreciated my efforts.

So you can see that I worked like a crazy person for 9 days in a row and was DELIGHTED to have this weekend off. I plan to take at least one more nap. During the 5-day workweek, I didn't sleep very much - the pressure of a new job is always intense, but I also want to turn this opportunity into a success for me *and* the company.

I've always heard about people who had "dream jobs"... but I still can't quite believe that it's happening to me.

 
» On 11/17/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Anikó wrote:
Milton's opus reduced 2 txt msg. Today's Daily Telegraph (UK) reports that Paradise Lost has been successfully shoehorned into a mobile-phone text message:

Devl kikd outa hevn coz jelus of jesus&strts war.p'd off wiv god so corupts man (md by god) wiv apel.devl stays serpnt 4hole life&man ruind.woe un2mnkind.

The translation, approved by Prof. John Sutherland, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, reads: "The devil is kicked out of heaven because he is jealous of Jesus and starts a war. He is angry with God and so corrupts man (who is made by God) with an apple. The devil remains as a serpent for the whole of his life and man is ruined. Woe unto mankind."

Put that in your cell and smoke it.

 
» On 11/15/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Positive Thinking Dep't: (1) We've purchased four tickets [19-24-26-34-42-31m, 09-25-27-36-54-12m, 21-33-44-50-55-15m, 02-11-40-41-52-05m] at the local Albertsons market for tonight's 11/15/2005 $310,000,000 Mega Millions lottery.

(2) We've downloaded the California Lottery Winners' Handbook.

(3) We've sacrificed several small animals, for good luck.

(4) We've crossed our fingers, toes and eyes.

(5) Just kidding about the animals.

Update: somebody from Anaheim won a cool $315 mill. Oh well. At least it was a Californian.

 
» On 11/11/2005 08:00:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Knock me over with a feather. A well-known national magazine just made an offer I can't refuse: they've asked me to serve as their Online Editor. My first assignment? Get their blog up and running, then keep it filled with content. So now it looks like these last ten years of wasting time with blogs—I mean, honing my skills to maximize opportunities—are finally starting to pay off.

 
» On 11/09/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Anikó wrote:
Hm, this sounds familiar: "They met on the Internet [...] They fell in love, they married. Their first child - a screenplay." Except that Reuters article refers to My Bollywood Bride, rather than The Fall In Budapest. Nice work, Brad and Kashmira - and we wish you the best of luck with your movie!

 
» On 11/08/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Milestone. Anikó has cast a ballot in today's election... her first vote as an American citizen. [Results will appear here.]

 
» On 11/01/2005 09:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Anikó wrote:
Inspirations, directed by Michael Apted (Seven Up series, Gorillas in the Mist, Nell, The World Is Not Enough, Coal Miner's Daughter): This film, based on a concept by Paul G. Allen (éminence grise behind Microsoft and SpaceShipOne), is an extraordinary look inside the minds of seven creators (musician David Bowie, painter Roy Lichtenstein, glassblower Dale Chihuly, dancer Louise Lecavalier, sculptor Nora Naranjo-Morse, choreographer Édouard Lock, architect Tadao Ando), who discuss why they became artists and what it means to create as both a daily routine and a lifelong passion.