Seriously...

feel like stabbing someone today.

A New Website I've Found

I just stumbled upon (literally) this fun new website which I am sure all my comic nerd friends will love. It's a great way to look back and discover exactly why one of our favourite forms of entertainment has gotten a reputation for being silly and for kids. Read, laugh and enjoy!

Holidays in IT Land

How us IT folks get in the holiday spirit! A Tonerbaum!

Christmas List

Goose...if this isn't on your Christmas List something is WRONG!

Shatner's a Shami?

Check out both of these World of Warcraft adds. They are pretty darn funny. Thanks to the Bottleguy for showing me these and the Chuck Norris clip.

Idon't know...

If I should be afraid of or vote for this guy. Would I dare not to? He's Chuck approved!

Happy Thanksgiving...

What would Thanksgiving be with out some "Naughty Turkey"?

No skips

Got a new Ipod this weekend. I can now carry ALL of my music. Started it on shuffle this morning. So far 46 of 19904 songs played and no skips. Even when 98degrees came up.

Informal Poll

Anyone who thinks Peter Parker Francis would be an awesome name for a baby (a boy obviously) raise your hand!

My Newest Feature...

Hey folks! We got a new feature here on "In Mark's Head." It's called WHERE IS DONNY? Tune in each month (or as often as I feel inspired) to find out just where Donny is. There is a permanent link to the right.

Clobbering Time...Online!

This is pretty awesome! Looks like Marvel Comics is going to start publishing old back issues of comics online. There will be a subscription for the service, but it might be worth it. Being only a fringe Marvel reader I've spent so much time on Wikipedia trying to wrap my mind around Marvel continuity (which I feel is just as confusing as the DC Universe with or without the Multiverse.) It will be great to be able to go back and read older Marvel stories in order to fill in the gaps.

Now if only DC would follow suit. Gabby...perhaps you could mention this to Dan and Paul the next time you get a moment with them!

Very Sad

I have to send some sympathy out to Kanye West. His Mom passed away recently apparently as the result of some cosmetic surgery. Say what you will about the evils of cosmetic surgery, but my heart still goes out to him. If you've listened to his music you know he loves his Mom very much. I send my condolences. (I know, Kanye totally reads my blog.) It is no secret how much I love Chicago, and Kanye is the biggest Chicago booster out there.

Sorry for your loss Kanye.

meh

yep. meh. just meh.

Sorry to anyone who has had the unfortunate pleasure of being in my presence recently. I've been feeling very disconnected from everything. No reason I can think of. It happens sometimes. I guess.

Ive been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand,
Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?
These sensations barely interest me for another day,
Ive got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away.

Its getting faster, moving faster now, its getting out of hand,
On the tenth floor, down the back stairs, its a no mans land,
Lights are flashing, cars are crashing, getting frequent now,
Ive got the spirit, lose the feeling, let it out somehow.

What means to you, what means to me, and we will meet again,
Im watching you, Im watching her, Ill take no pity from you friends,
Who is right, who can tell, and who gives a damn right now,
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know,
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know,
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know,
Ive got the spirit, but lose the feeling,
Ive got the spirit, but lose the feeling,
Feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling.

-Disorder - Joy Division

Now that's what I'm talking about...

This needed to happen, and I am so glad that it has. "Guitar Hero" has come to the iPod. A new release this week through the iTunes Music store called "Phase" brings the fun of rhythm games to your hand. Developed by Harmonix the creators of the original Guitar Hero games (except for Guitar Hero III). The game is instantly understandable and very easy to play. Using the right, center and left buttons of the click wheel you are charged with keeping in time with the rhythm scheme being presented to you. Occasionally you'll also be challanged by sweeping runs of "notes" that you use the scroll portion of the click wheel to maneuver a little "basket" to catch the string of notes. The response time on the button presses is pretty easy to master, but catching the strings of notes with the basket can take some getting used to. The coolest feature of this game by far is that it makes your entire iTunes available to you to play through this game. Yep. That is right. Any song that you have in iTunes can be added to the game. When you install the game after buying it from the iTunes it creates a new play list for you. Want to rock out to "Heroin" by the Velvet Underground? Simply drag the song to your new "Phase" playlist sync your iPod and you are ready to go. The game generates the note sequences for any song you add to your play list. It's a great way to kill sometime while stranded on public transportation. ROCK ON!

One of the things that I am very intrigued about with this game is the fact that it is capable of generating the note sequences for any song that you throw at it. The fact that Harmonix has developed a program capable of doing this is really exciting. Especially when you consider that we are beginning to see the release of these types of games on the PC. The idea that someone out there in Mod world might be able to make something that will give me the ability to rock out to my entire iTunes library is amazing!

So what did you do this weekend?

See the full slide show here.

I went to Charleston SC for my friends Rachel & Mike's wedding. It was an epic adventure for me and "The Gent." 15 hours there. 15 hours back. Easily one of the best road trips I have ever been on. It was great to get out and see the landscape of our beautiful country. Especially since the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina were in the midst of their autumn colour changes. Beautiful reds, oranges and yellows running up and down the mountains as far as the eye can see. Accompanied by Maxine our trusty GPS device we navigated our way down from the chill of Chicago to the bright warm sun and 70+ degree weather of Charleston. The city of Charleston was amazing. Such a wonderful old historic town, with cobblestone streets that were lit by gas light in the evenings. Wandering around the historic district led us to discover houses and grave yards that had been in existence since the late 1700's. Every church had a small grave yard it seamed.

In our two days there me and "The Gent" had a chance to explore much of Charleston and even made some friends with a few "Good Olde Boys" from Charleston named Lawrence, Tommy and Max (aka Otis) and the beautiful Maxine. (Sadly no photographic evidence of this encounter.) We rode in "Big Foot" a pickup truck owned by Lawrence. This truck was FREAKING HUGE! We even got invited to got hunting at one of their plantations. Expect the "Good Olde Boys" to make a visit to the windy city. (Might be a good time to take some out of town vacation. These boys are pretty freaking crazy.)

Rachel's wedding was perfect. She looked gorgeous. Michael looked handsome. They looked absolutely happy. The wedding took place at a beautiful old mansion in the heart of the historic district called the William Aiken House. The weather was perfect. Me and the gent managed to make a few friends that evening as well. Pretty much everyone we meet was so nice. However, our closest bond was with Lori and Collin. A couple that we were seated with at the rehearsal dinner. Collin was in the bridal party and sort of looks like Jack Black. Lori was one of the coolest gals I've meet in awhile.

Some Random Thoughts Collected During the Trip

• Can you drive past Spartanburg South Carolina and not yell "THIS IS SPARTANBURG!"?
• Apparently The Joker is not the criminal genius we've been led to believe, or Batman really is slacking off.
• We attended a Southern wedding and heard the phrase "I wish we weren't related."
• Seriously...
• The Gent has powers. This is not news.
• I could see myself living in Charleston.
• It's called "The War of Northern Aggression"
• "The main difference between Us Chicagoans and you boys from Charleston is that you kill the deer. We just eat it." - The Gent