This guy is KILLIN me here.

JPennant: urgh. this guy is torturing me
JPennant: http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/for/51549917.html
McClint: hehehehe
JPennant: And now he's willing to negotiate. Oy.
McClint: a digicam for a red MINI?
JPennant: he'll kick in cash for the difference
McClint: yeah but still funny to see
JPennant: well, a dealer wont take a camera system for trade in, so it makes sense to me
JPennant: well, if a lottery ticket comes in paying, i'll pick it up :-)
McClint: but of course

Only sheer poverty is keeping me from getting in contact with this guy and seeing if we can make a deal/payments.

Naturally, today's horrorscope sez:

You're eager to make a deal, and the last thing you want to do is ask for the opinion of a disinterested party -- but that's the thing that's going to help you the most.

Making a decision from a feverishly excited state is too risky!

Fine, fine.

But, man. I could make good use of that camera...

Worker Boi

McClint: yo ho ho
JPennant: yo humbug
McClint: hehe
JPennant: wats goin on
JPennant: i hadda wake up far too early this morn
McClint: why did you have to wake up early? and define "early"
JPennant: went to bed at 2:30 woke up at 8
McClint: ah yeah that's early
JPennant: and I gotta work til midnight
McClint: oh yeah that's right! i forgot you're a workin man now
JPennant: i dont think of it as working for money
McClint: whoring yourself out?
JPennant: i think of it as working for the things i need :)
JPennant: the work is bone easy
JPennant: far less stressful than IT
JPennant: i didnt appreciate just how stressful that work is until now
McClint: hehe


JPennant: cool :-)
misterB: so, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing for the dough-re-mi?
JPennant: swing shift ******* for my landlord
JPennant: easy money, low stress compared to IT work
misterB: ahh, cool. I think I saw that in the movies before. ;-) hehehe
JPennant: heh
JPennant: i did this before in college
misterB: the over-qualified guy working the late shift, to tide him over until he got his big break... :-)
JPennant: LOL. thats so LA
misterB: you think? I usually think of NY or any east coast locale.... they don't have as many of that kinda apts here...
JPennant: oh, i meant the 'big break' :-)
misterB: yeah, the "big break" on Hollywood kinda thang?
JPennant: yup

Baby steps. Making my own breaks.

The rest will follow.

One of my utterly disgusting habits..

I sleep with the TV on.

When im alone, i like doing that, although its mostly because I use the TV as background noise and am too lazy to turn it off.

In any case, I woke up this morning to Regis & Kathy Lee -- err, Kelly.

Whats interesting about sleeping with the TV on is that my mind tries to adapt the dreamstream to the background noise, making up a new story.

What was really interesting was the dream i woke up to took what was going on the Regis show (he dared something with Kelly) and my mind took it and made something new, where a character in my dream was dared to crash a party and do something un-noticed.

An ex (Le Girl) did the dare, dressed in an evening gown, and carried it out.
What struck me in the dream was that she looked awesome in the dress (in real life, she is more the natural outdoorsy/hippie type, so Ive never seen her buffed to a high sheen), and I woke thinking, WOW, i would love to photograph her and my friends in high-art/fashion/fine art portraits.

As the dream wears off, the excitement is wearing off (no more noise from Kelly and Regis), but i still think it'd be a great idea.

Just wrote that down so i wouldnt forget.
---
Another thing ive started doing that id normally never do is enter sweepstakes with the same desperation of buying lotto tickets.

I normally NEVER do that. I dont wanna enter sweepstakes to put my name and address on mailing lists, where the odds of actually winning are astronomical.

Makes no logical sense.

No, just no.

I would tease the cappy unmercifully about doing that. She'd just put her tongue out at me and keep sgning up. :)

But now, its like an inhibition has fallen away.

I see a sweepstake, the prize looks good, and I enter.

Interesting

Current Conditions for San Francisco, CA

56°F
Rain and Windy

Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service

... WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...

SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH THIS EVENING IN THE NORTH BAY... SPREADING ACROSS THE BAY AREA OVERNIGHT. EVEN STRONGER WINDS COULD DEVELOP AT TIMES IN THE HILLS AND ALONG THE COAST.

A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE 35 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 57 MPH. MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD USE CAUTION UNTIL THE WINDS SUBSIDE. POWER OUTAGES COULD OCCUR.

Another winter storm. My windows are actually rattling around, my walls occasionally shaking.

Man, I feel sorry for anybody who has to be outside.

Apparently it had been snowing in the northeast yesterday.

Hm. Guess i should be counting blessings, eh.

Image takers

Im getting tired of no images. Too used to expressing myself with pictures.

Ive been actively looking for cameras now.

Looking for a good pocket cammy as well as a large lens prosumer. And still eye-ing a good digital SLR

Reading the about page of the uber-talented Rachel of brownglasses.com and the list of cameras she currently owns and uses reminds me of my own little list that ive got in mind.

There are cameras Id like to have, but cant because of cost and prejudice i wont. Canon's fer instance.

Stupendously great cameras, one and all - and its the favorite of everyone from grandma's to professionals. But something in me just doesnt wanna deal with them.

Right now, Im looking for a good pocket camera. The Canons would be an obvious choice, specially at the price point I want (less than 200 bones - with tax). But I just cant.

Simply not feeling it. Not sure why.

Hm. Frye's has a Kyocera 5mp unit on sale for $179, normally 300 plus beans. Wow.

Oh yeah ,camera list..

- Pocket camera for unobtrusive everyday use. My old Fuji MX2700, which was the size of a deck of cards is probably the template, but now I want, in addition to a small size, something with an a minimum of 3 megapixels, optical zoom lens, white balance control and selectable ISO .. all the good stuff.

You would not BELIEVE how many cameras that fit the crieria there are available.

Ok, fine. Under 2 hunnert bux.

You would not BELIEVE how many ...

- Fuji S7000

Ever since Stella died, ive been pretty firm on that as her replacement. A 6 megapixel cammy that can produce 12 megapixel images, along with the traditional sweet-handling ergonomics of Fuji cameras.

Irony is, I dont wanna spend 450 bux for it. So, ive been eyeing the Fuji s5000, which has a more powerful lens reach and is 200 bux less, while being smaller and lighter and nicer to handle. And does nice picture.

But.. what about the predecessor of the s7000, the s602? This just might be one of those cameras that is actually BETTER than its replacement. And if I can sniff around enough, it can be had for that magic 200 bones..

Or.

Youve got the professional version of the s7000, the s20 Pro, which can be had for less than 100 bux more than s7000.

And except for sensors and options, these are pretty much all the same camera.

Heh.

Its only because of money do I get to pick only one...

- Fuji S2 Pro

sounds like its just a fuji thing, eh? Actually, this is a Nikon thing on this level.

At this level, to get the best out of your equipment, you need quality lenses. A lot of them. which can cost more than the camera itself.

This means, at this level, a digital SLR is a &%$$#@& inve$tment. People think that the camera is the biggest investment. HA!

So, I buy nikon lenses and i can use them with Fuji AND Nikon AND Kodak cameras.

I get a canon, and its only canon. *pffft*

I like choices.

VIRGO

Your thoughts are more important than you know. What you create in your head now is what will take form in the physical world later. That applies even more than usual this week. If you focus your mind's eye on what it is you truly desire, there is no doubt at all that you will get it sooner or later. Make sure your thoughts are positive.

Yeah, I have what i need in mind.
----
Hadnt spoken to her since mid 2002...

JPennant: i think the last time i spoke to you , it was before my spin into the depths of some greek term
cece: what term might that be?
JPennant: *shrug* something meaning fiery depths or cauldron :-)
JPennant: since im not a librarian with excellent recall, i'll throw a 'haephestus' into the ring
cece: librarians don't have excellent recall.
cece: We're just resourceful.
JPennant: hehe
cece: But either way, it sounds like a painful experience.
JPennant: it has been worth it
JPennant: on all kinda levels
JPennant: the tempered steel, what doesnt maul you makes you stronger, sorta thing
JPennant: :-)
JPennant: but im taking baby steps
JPennant: taking baby steps on my way up
cece: larger steps usually mean a bigger fall.
JPennant: zactly

JPennant: so my taking over the world plan is on track
cece: what's the first step on world domination?
JPennant: clean my room
JPennant: :-)
cece: LOL
--------

Why Dont You Do Right ...

Ever since my last breakup, Ive been trying to .. do right.

Kinda make up to people I might have not been so nice to.

so, I navigated to the web site of an ex, read up on how she is feeling.

Not so great overall.

I remembered her birthday is coming up, so i figured that I should queue up a birthday card, since I was in the process of doing it for gg and lilbro.

Then, I tried to remember her email address. Mmm, having not sent her an email in years, i was drawing a blank.

So, I tried to work out her addy from her name.

*blank*

My brain could NOT retrieve her name. Damn.

I remembered her face, her mannerisms, her nature, her family, our dates like they were yesterday .. but her name was stubbornly coming up blank.

Have I become so efficient at moving on?

JPennant: man, something happened to me yesterday
JPennant: remember when i dated ***** ***?
Glinessa: yep
JPennant: well, her birthday is coming up, so i thought a card would be nice
JPennant: then I realized I dont have her email
Glinessa: lol
JPennant: eh, no problem I thought
JPennant: i can prolly figure it out by her name
JPennant: for the life of me, I couldnt remember her name!
JPennant: that just freaked me out
JPennant: i mean, i remember everything about her
JPennant: but her name? nope
Glinessa: lol

JPennant: she's another tiger ;-)
JPennant: y'all are too too tough
Glinessa: too too?
JPennant: yep
JPennant: tough on yourselves, tough on the people you love until they prove themselves to you
Glinessa: hahaha

Or, am I just a dick?

The mothership arrives

Ever since my friend Clint and I became cubicle buddies @ AOL, he has had a life's dream.

Being a Cappy, he knows what he wants and wont let go until he gets what he wants.

This week, he learned the mothership has arrived.

McClint signed on at 10:30:45 AM.

McClint: joe joe joe joe joe joe joe joe joe joe joe

Auto response from JPennant: siestas are good for you

JPennant: yo clint
McClint: THERE YOU ARE!!!!
JPennant: was sleeping
JPennant: wassup papi
McClint: well it appears that I am going to need a tour guide beginning Jan 30th :-D
JPennant: rght on!
JPennant: congrats man.
JPennant: excellent :-)
McClint: i just got back from San Diego thursday night
JPennant: so, how was it?
McClint: we went to Tijuana wednesday and when we got back to this side of the border we had to stop so my cohorts could take a pee. while i waited in the car I figured I'd check for messages on my answering machine
McClint: the company chick called 4 times
McClint: just saying "call me back"
McClint: so i called her right then and she told me that I got the job
JPennant: heheh
JPennant: you musta been smiling on the plane
McClint: hehehe i couldnt sleep the next 2 nights
JPennant: heee

McClint: well i've got almost 2 months to figure it all out
JPennant: :-)
JPennant: congrats my friend :-)
McClint: danke!
JPennant: aight chat atcha later
McClint: you better be a good tourguide!
McClint: hehehehehe :-)
JPennant: LOL
JPennant: i will introduce you to the Muni buses
McClint: later

McClint direct connection is closed.
McClint signed off at 11:53:08 AM.

Happy for him.
-----
Happy birthday, gg

All the best to my favorite princess.