Killswitch Engage, As Daylight Dies: Meh. HJ has a really good range, comparable to the mighty Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, but can't quite manage a proper deathgrunt, so sometimes he's screeching. Diverges into math-core at times. The single ("My Curse") is reasonably indicative of the rest of the record. Should appeal VERY MUCH to the kids looking to appear tougher than their My Chemical Romance/Fallout Boy guy-liner buddies.

Threat Signal, Under Reprisal: Other than moments where it sounds like the guy from Linkin Park is singing, damn this is some good shit. Sounds a lot like Fear Factory pre-suckdom (ie the Roadrunner days).

Only Crime, Virulence: Hey, it's a Bill Stevenson band! So you already know what it sounds like. Every other Bill Stevenson band. Is it a harder version of All? Is it a better produced version of "Live '84"? Does the singer sound like Milo? Pretty much, yeah. I mean that's awesome but, yeah. I suppose there's some sort of Zen Koan in there about being what one is.

If you're into that sort of thing,
http://twitter.com/neurobashing

So, yeah.

When we move, I need to join an actual gym (our apt complex has a nice, albeit small, "fitness center" which I have used extensively, as well as a pool).

The pool part is covered by HOA fees for our local development (well, technically not, but ... oh nevermind, suffice it to say the pool angle is covered). What I need to do now is find a place to work out.

Ashburn Village (one development over) has some sort of gym thing, for the paltry sum of $70/month for non-residents (only $120/month for a non-resident couple). Why my development (Ashburn Farms) has no gym-thing is beyond me.

There is a Golds about 6 miles from my house, so that's an option. However like all gyms, they zealously guard their fees from prying eyes. (You have to call or go there, and I don't want to put up with a sales pitch, upsells, etc)

Anyone able to ballpark what Golds charges for its membership? All I really care about is individual and couple. I don't know yet that I'd pay for "roaming" (most places restrict you to a single club unless you pay extra).

Likewise there is a Lifetime Fitness along my commute route (I prefer to work out after work), but it seems unless their prices are REALLY competitive, there's no need, since I can just go swimming in the summer or pay a 1-time fee at the PW County indoor pool. But if you know their rates, please, enlighten.

There is no other big-name gym anywhere near me, so I don't care about Ballys or other gyms.

TIA

Lately we have some continually repeated memes/catch phrases around here. The top 3:

1. in response to questions about one's condition or well-being, "All sex nuts and retard strong."
2. In response to ... just about anything, "So's your face!"
3. As a greeting, or all-purpose response to anything: "Let's fuck some WHORES!"

We're terribly small-minded.

http://turnabout.ath.cx:8000/node/1535 on the rise and fall of the American conservative movement. (A very brief sketch, which argues that it has lost its way, and it's time to bootstrap the movement again. I agree; dump the imaginary friend brigade and let's talk.)

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2006/07/reviving_the_in.html Reviving "classical" liberalism. (Tyler Cowen is a local micro-celeb, noted for extensive reviews of local eateries, as well as a prof of modest repute)

It finally occured to me that CES is a giant, masturbatory waste of time and effort. It's basically, "the A/V squad from high school have all the money now, so they make this giant thing to exclude the jocks".

It has nothing to do with reality: nothing at all. Attempts to justify it are that, justifications.

Seriously, scroll through the feed of, say, Engadget. Will *anyone* buy any of that shit? Not really. Most of it is prototype/demo stuff, rather a lot of it is 6 months out at best, and still more won't ever actually get made at all, it's fire-and-movement against competitors.

I still know people - technical people, hands-on developers and sysadmins - who haven't gotten around to putting wireless in their house yet! Everyone I know either has 1)a RAZR or version thereof or 2)the free LG piece of crap that came with the 2-year signup. I see lots of borg-ed out people and Blackberries, but it's DC, you have to have both of those or you're clearly unimportant (for the record, I have neither), but all these fucking OQO and UMPC and mega-phone-cam things, fuck no. I saw some guy with a Treo the other day. And old, Palm Treo (not Windows Mobile).

I just wish everyone would admit it's porn for gadget geeks and stop trying to pretend that 1/10th of the shit on display will ever filter down to, say, my dad. Or even me! God, who needs that shit.

120 IBUs
20% ABV
$10/bottle (regular 16oz)

That sound you hear is me shuddering orgasmically with each sip. This is seriously intense brew.

the Emperor's in the pig sty, and the geisha's in the shack, and you better believe I'll hold 'em here, until the Feds, they pay me back

In accordance with prophecy, the wife and I made an offer on a little townhouse in Ashburn. I'm actually digging the process: offer, counter offer, plans and plots ... the wife's a nervous wreck, but whatever.

So, yeah.

i want to be stereotyped
i want to be classified
i want to be a clone
i want a suburban home, suburban home, suburban home, suburban home
i want to be a masochistic
i want to be statistic
i want to be a clone
i want a suburban home, suburban home, suburban home, suburban home
i don't want no hippie pad
i want a house just like mom and dad
(repeat)

The Descendents, "Suburban Home"

Update: So, yeah. They accepted. IM IN MY HOUSE PAYIN MY M0RTGAGE.

I got nothing, I just thought we were memeing again.

I have achieved a HUGE milestone in my career: I made a customer cry!

WOO-HOO!

(Long dreary tech support issue: It sounds like her Outlook config or PC in general is horked, and her mail hasn't been working for 2 weeks, and she decides to call today about the critical issue.)

After much (wasteful, meaningless) discussion, I finally said: I have verified that all elements of the server are functioning correctly. Approximately 500 other users on that server are sending, receiving, and reading their mail without issue. I cannot do extended troubleshooting on what is almost certainly a PC or local connectivity issue, you'll have to track down your sysadmin and ask them.

Blah blah blah, the usual whine. "Look, I can't help you". Lather, rinse, repeat. After a few variations, she busted out in tears.

I have never been a happier man: fuck them. Your pain is my happiness. They're a productivity black hole. I hope your cat dies too, bitch.

Please state the nature and status of your pants. Also, do something amusing. Entertain me.

I was listening to 'Boombox' on Sirius, when some dopey synthpop thing came on. Catchy, I guess, pretty bubblegum sounding. Hey wait a minute. Is that Kathleen Hanna?

Got home, quick search. Yeah, 'Le Tigre' is her new band. It's mostly lo-fi synthpop, reasonably catchy, and of course it's all political and stuff ("womynism" and all that).

But I watched the video for the single, and ... holy crap. Looks like ol' Kathleen has decided to reinvent herself, and she's ... pretty hot. Damn.

I guess you had to live through the riot grrl 'movement' to get how Kathleen looking superfine is ... odd. (For those playing at home, Kathleen Hanna is who Courtney Love spent the majority of her career pretending to be; it was Kathleen who said to Kurt Cobain, "You smell like Teen Spirit", or so the story goes)

I'm feeling extremely "emo" (for lack of a better term) so it's critical I shut the fuck up, post-haste, else this become Livejournal.

In other news, my favorite-band-of-the-moment (Rise Against) is touring with my most-hated-band-in-recent-memory (My Chemical Romance). I don't understand how that bill even happened: the "Bad Religion 2.0", extremely political, very punk-rock-focused band gets to open for the guyliner-du-jour homofest (WAH, girls don't like me, I guess I'll go kiss guys, then).

Speaking of emo crapfestery, I picked out my next ink. (Sorta, toss up between 2). I can't decide if I should sleeve my right arm or right leg. I figure, I'm 33, I've got maybe 3 years left to get ink before I'll have to buy a Harley to justify hanging out in tattoo parlors.

I think I'll be in NYC next week, if anyone cares. I've told the wife like 20 times I really don't give a shit about going, in fact I don't really want to, but it looks like this decision was never mine to even influence, much less make, so there you go. ("What do you want to do, anyway?" "Go to a museum and a carriage ride in central park, and ice skate at Rockafeller Center.... " "Yeah lemme know if any of that is fun, I'll be drunk and getting lapdances at Scores.")

See? Total LJ. Well except for the whole hetero thing.

Or maybe this?

I really, really dig 1911-pattern pistols (I have a Hi-Power presently).

I dislike hammer-drop-on-the-slide patterns. I guess I have small hands? (pity Mrs. Banky) I always cant the pistol a little taking the safety off, and no matter how hard I try, first-round accuracy from a draw (either shoulder or hip holster) is off. But a 1911-pattern (and I predict, a Sig) or with a Glock (or DAO or revolver) is dead-on. Hence my chub-rock.

All I know about Para-Ordnance is, "high cap 1911's". Anyone ever fire one? I've heard a lot of "well it was great after I took it to the pro shop and had them clean it up" on other pieces (later-model Springfield 1911, others) and I seriously don't want to expend effort on it.

This or this?