If I would've eaten a fortune cookie today, it might have said: "You will receive a perk from an unexpected source." Totally unexpected, but pretty cool. Thanks.

Dang. Somebody out there has to figure out how to easily install and use ImageMagick and PerlMagick on a Mac OS X box. I've searched all over and many people have tried and failed. It shouldn't be hard... yet after 5 solid hours of experimenting yesterday, still nothing. Argh.

My spunky friend Cara called me this morning -- from Taipei! She's from South Africa and she's over there teaching English to the little tykes (3 years old). Very cool. Great to hear from distant friends, eh?

One of my co-workers brought in a huge amount of iris bulbs (or rhizomes) to us today, free for the taking. Cool. I'm gonna plant a bunch in my yard.

Running in the Strib: Local shoppers wait hopefully for arrival of Ikea. Meanwhile, we still drive 8 hours to Chicago or order out of the catalog. They'd kick butt in this market. (Note: you won't often find me cheering on too many huge corporations). I got the scoop a year ago.

Today was one of those days where I found myself eating all day long (breakfast of cereal, tuna sandwich, japanese pan noodles w/chicken, another tuna sandwich, miscellaneous bits of fruity treats...) and I'm still hungry! What gives? I think I'll blame it on the sudden cold weather. Or maybe my body is all hyped up from so much activity out in SF... either way, I feel so full. Or maybe it's related to some sort of circadian rhythm cycle thingy. I remember reading something long ago about fish feeding patterns. Hmm... nope, no gills.

Miyazaki creates another masterpiece of animation with his newest, Spirited Away. A dreamlike world of spirits and tests and growing up, the film is visually amazing and you can tell it was created with great care. Less dark than "Mononoke" but probably won't be the American box-office hit like it was in Japan. Well worth seeing. Go to it today.

The DVD for Monsters, Inc. came out on Tuesday and broke all sales records with a monster (oh, come on!) 5 million copies sold on the first day. Whoa. Target has it on sale for $17.99 with a coupon for a free bag of mini Oreos. Make sure you listen to the commentary on "Mike's New Car" -- brilliant!

Whew. Got back late last night from 9 days in San Francisco and it was wonderful! I loved the place, the weather and especially the food. I ate at a different Thai restaurant almost every single day and they were all good! I think I got in most of the major sights: Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, Market Street, Cable Cars, Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Cliff House, Yerba Buena Gardens, Haight Ashbury, Embarcadero... even rented a car and drove down to Fresno and then back through Yosemite. I was born around the Fresno area so I had to see where I was brought into this world. Also attended the Seybold conference. Hmmm... how soon can I go back?

What the heck is the Sport of Cup Stacking? And what kind of mutant powers does this girl have that she can stack cups so dang quickly?
(Video clip requires QuickTime. Link via boingboing)

Going to San Francisco soon... anybody got any great recommendations?
I will also, after 33 years, finally see the place of my birth. Should be interesting.

Last night we (Bill, Michelle, Jack, Jennifer, Randy, Pat & Smitty) went to see "Alegria" by Cirque du Soleil and it was ... an experience! It is difficult to describe the show using plain words. You somehow need to convey the grandeur, the emotion, the amazement, the impossibility of it all. Stunning, really. Worth experiencing live and in person as any recording of it will not do it justice. I loved the live music and vocals, too. Very nice.

"I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel -- a free man at the start of a long journey, whose conclusion is uncertain."
Yes, I finally saw The Shawshank Redemption today (excellent) and this quote really stuck with me. Interpret the word "free" to encompass "alive" and it applies to all who live life as if they are already dead. Huh? Well, I'm directing that towards myself as a reminder that I AM NOT DEAD YET* and I should stop living my life as if I was... stop living my life based on fear and complacency and start really living life and having experiences and interacting with people and going to places I've never been and taking in the sights, sounds, smells... in other words, taking a few more risks, living a bit more loosely, getting out of the house and away from work, maybe getting out of my own head a bit more than usual...

* Also a line from Gaiman's Hugo-winning "American Gods"

Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" was one of the Hugo Award Winners last night, winning for Novel. Nice. I've recommended this book to a few people as it is perhaps his most "accessible" book (I guess) but if you like this one, then you must surely read "Neverwhere," ok?