Brain dump... SGA, Computer Stuff, Plants....etc.
On the Tivo/Telly.....
I'm watching the show Chuck. Credits roll by. I notice the name Robert Duncan McNeill - Director and it looks familiar - I'm thinking Star Trek. I IMdb him and yep, he played Tom Paris on ST:Voyager. Score one for me!
SGA Lifeline: Nice to read switch842 and erin_anderson's comment that Almost-Gone-Weir is being written a bit better. I think Weir/Torri's problem was, Blonde!Weir was played so strongly by the original actress...she totally owned that part. And when Torri was cast - she was just not the correct actress for this role. It was truly a case of the totally wrong kind of shoes, not just being big ones to try and fill. If Torri had been casted in any other role, she probably would have been a more successful and popular character. After having watched the ep, I think the thing most wrong about Torri in this role is her voice. It is not a strong, sure voice....one that commands respect. Not really anything Torri can do about that (well, there is a little but that is another ramble), but I think it is a big factor on why she is/was not fandomly successful in this role. One of those subconscious things that influences. Loved Ronan cutting Rodney off at the 'verbal' knees. For the Elizabeth/Shephard shippers out there....there were A LOT of THOSE looks. I'm sure there was much squeeing around the fandom and there will be a rash of tag fic based on this ep.
I played the Outer Limits episode Tribunal featuring Alex Zahara (of multiple Stargate supporting cast roles) for HB just now. I can't even begin to imagine the mind-set that Alex had to get into in order to play his role. As always with this episode, I had to drag out the tissues. In reviewing Alex's IMDb page, it looks like he has a few things coming out in 2008. Nice to see that he is working.
On the totally computer/geek front....
My Micro Innovations 4PORT USB 2.0 PCMCIA Cardbus came in. I've always hated where the USB ports are located on my Toshiba Tecra M2 notebook. There are only two ports and I have lots of stuff to plug in. I had a mini-4port hub plugged in on an extension cord, it was messy looking. Over the past week or so, it seems that some of the ports were dying so something had to be done. And this was it. I now have it plugged it and it's up and running. Easy. Nice and sweet. I highly rec this device.
My wireless mouse uses regular batteries .... which really irritated me. I guess I could have just bought rechargeable batteries with a charger, but I had a frequent buyer card based on my purchases at Office Depot so I used those dollars on a Targus Wireless Mouse. What's nice about this version, the transmitter can bend up ninety degrees so it can be positioned out of the way. The mouse seems to work pretty well. It goes to sleep after ten minutes of inactivity which helps to prolong the battery charge. When it's time to recharge - just plug in the usb charging cable and you're good to go.
I was trying to figure out if I could play AVI files on my Palm Treo 700p. So googling, I came across a posting for Slingbox Mobile software to be played on a Palm. Reading, reading. Click, click. I found out that Slingbox finally posted a player to work on the Palm OS. Yippee!!!!! Backstory: When I bought my Treo 700p and Slingbox about a year ago, I had really vacillated about the OS version on the Treo because I wanted to be able to stream television on my Palm - being the TV junkie that I am. Slingbox already had a mobile player for the Windows version, but I was already using the Palm OS from my previous phone that was in the process of dying and needed to be replaced before it was past the point of no return. Eventually, I decided on the Palm OS hoping that Slingbox would get around to developing for the Palm OS. Slingbox was giving away a free mobile player for Palm Windows with Slingbox purchase (it turns out I just made in under the wire for the expiration date of the offer) which was a $30 value so I went ahead and requested the key. Fast-forward. Yesterday, I loaded the trial version of the mobile player, when I launched the software it asked if I wanted to register the software so it asked for the key. I dug it up the email with the key. Tapped it in. Voila! It worked. And the mobile player worked! So now I can watch my cable television and my Tivo programs on my Palm Treo....that is providing I have a pretty strong mobile signal. Sweet!
On the Domestic Goddess front....
switched842 mentioned that she had won a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma which got me to thinking about my own obsession with kitchen gadgets. In fact, I was at Costco the other day and broke down and bought a Cuisinart Mini-Chop. If I remember correctly, I think the KitchenAid version has gotten the better review, but I was in the mood to buy and it was sitting right there in front of me so I succumbed. And it was $29.99.
Yesterday, I was at Marshall's trying to find a stainless-steel splatter screen but walked out with everything but. A glass cake plate, a set of stainless steel measuring spoons in unusual sizes, a pair of kitchen scissors, and a spatula. I really don't like the one I have right how, the handle is too heavy and it falls over if I leave it resting in the pan. After Marshall's I headed to the grocery store where I picked up a few things for the weekend and said to heck with it and bought an aluminum splatter screen since it was on sale - I'm still in the market for a stainless steel one. I just need a couple of other micro-plane graters and I should be happy for a while, not counting the kitchen remodel that I'm pining after. But a kitchen gadgets under ten dollars each is a lot less expensive than a kitchen remodel. Yeah?
On the green thumb front....the Mutant Ginger plant has three new shoots. Two are sprouting leaves (the tallest being eight inches) and the third is a new bud. The tomato plant is producing blooms but I don't feel confident that they will eventually become tomatoes. : / The basil plants are dried sticks now - time for the trash. The mint is going to get a new start in the spring. For some reason, the variety that I purchased just never tasted very good. The dragon palm baby sprout is growing and doing well.
Work Front or the What-We Do-To Pay The Bills....
Our financial (controlling interest) partner has once again changed his mind about the direction of our company/partnership. First he was strangling us, no extra funds for marketing, etc. Now he wants to dump a ton of money into our brand - to expand on it, yadda. Totally disassociate us from his company....which he should have done from the very beginning. So if this goes through, it looks like we live to work another year. Which means, maybe HB will be more willing to do the kitchen remodel and then my little sitting-room/walk-in closet.
Miscellaneous Stuff....
I think Fergie of the Black-Eyed Pea fame should stick with studio recordings and lip-synch. I watched/heard her on two award shows a few weeks ago and she came across a Zero performer in my opinion. She doesn't have the chops for a live, solo performance. Better off in the studio where her voice can be boosted, remodulated, drowned out by the over-the-top orchestration.
I've decided that I really like Maroon 5...at least a few of their songs. So shoot me.
The cold weather/snow boots that my sister and I bought for our Mom and aunt were a great success. 'The Girls' called squeeing about the surprise boxes that came in via UPS, the discovery of matching boots, how smart they looked, how well they fit, etc. They've gotten to where they dress pretty much alike so it's hard to buy something for one and not the other. But that's okay. It's only money and we can't take it with us right? I can't get my purchase of these same boots to fit well, but I'm determined. The half-size exchange worked in that is what I needed for the length part, but the seam over the top still bothers. I'm going to try one more time - this time wider to see if it will take care of the problem. If it doesn't, then I give up. But these are really nice cold-weather boots. I just have an odd bump on the top of my foot.
I finalized our travel plans to Bangkok for January. It was good to get that out of the way.
I'm sure there is more that I've forgotten to mention but if I have, I'll save it for another post. Time to eat, I'm starving.