My Starbucks and iTunes D'oh

I was in Chicago the other day and grabbed a couple of those Starbucks iTunes song redemption cards at a Starbucks in a Target. Which is pretty wild. I wish there were more Starbucks in places like that. Not that we have Targets in Canada, but most of them are in Chapters (Canada's equivalent to Borders and Barnes and Noble) with a handful of separate locations besides. And really, you can never have enough Starbucks. There's the tops.

But anyway, I tried to redeem one of the codes and it didn't work since it was designed for the US iTunes and not the Canadian one (yeah, there's a difference, and don't think I'm not cheesed off by that). It's for Yusuf, the artist known as Cat Stevens' "Welcome Home". The codes are 9W3NAXLFPYWK and KWYRYYW6AFAJ. If you use them, just let me know so I can check them off.

Chicago was nice, by the way. Did a bit of a driving tour of the downtown, went by Target for some cheap tube socks, Cherry Coke Zero and Pretzels, and caught "(500) Days of Summer" at an AMC by the theater. It was a nice little trip.

Reflective Thoughts on 2008

As I look back at the past year and the experiences that have shaped my life and current direction, my mind focuses on a select few I thought I'd share as 2008 comes to a close.

Although several of my favorite television programs were canceled this past year, I'm still pleased that Chuck hasn't been axed yet.

I've finally lived up to one of my perpetual resolutions and got out to the movies quite a bit this past year. Looking back, I suspect that had more to do with the number of interesting movies released more than a general desire to get out to the show, however.

As I wear my new pair of glasses with my updated prescription lenses, I begin to realize how much I must've been squinting when watching TV or movies with my old pair.

I've updated my list of fake names to include "Funky Buckwald" and "Dr. Quincy R. Mason", putting my total at five fake names to hold onto when the situation calls for it.

I still haven't gotten sick of Coke Zero, egg salad sandwiches, four cheese Bistro Crustinis, and fruit and yogurt bowls, despite the frequency with which I enjoy those food items.

I've unexpectedly found myself attracted to my barber, a comely young woman with a fondness for dyeing her hair and tattooing her hips. I think, more than all of the other indications offered throughout the year, that the fact I considered asking her out a sign that my troubles with depression are improving. And thanks to the wonders of the internet I was able to discover she's (sadly) currently attached, sparing me the embarrassment of asking her out and making things awkward, especially since she's 'almost' got my haircut right. If only that technology were around when I was in high school.

And then the obligatory ten ten list...

My favorite comic books of the past year (in no particular order):

True Believers (five issues, Marvel Comics)
Green Arrow/Black Canary (twelve issues, DC Comics)
Justice League of America (twelve issues, DC Comics)
Amazing Spider-Girl (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Captain America (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Avengers: The Initiative (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Shadowpact (five issues, DC Comics)
Captain Britain and MI13 (eight issues, Marvel Comics)
Ghost Rider (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Blue Beetle (twelve issues, DC Comics)

Hard to say which is my favorite of the lot, but there they are. Not to say I haven't also enjoyed X-Force, the Flash, Vixen, I Hate Gallant Girl, Manhunter, or any of the other series I regularly followed, but those are the ten that spring to mind when I'm thinking of titles I particularly enjoyed or put at the top of my reading pile.

And with that I conclude my personal year-in-review. Are there other things worth noting? Perhaps. An exciting story there, the fact I might be a published author under one of my fake names, the numerous games of online scrabble and wordscraper, the comfort and affordability of the Klobo... but what's the fun in boring you, humble reader, with minutia (however nice the Klobo's turned out to be). Here's to a decent year and the hope that the next will be better yet, and the fact I can finally get around to using two of my favorite seasonal jokes -- saying "wait 'til next year" on January 1st, and toasting to "peace on earth" just as an attractive woman walks by and saying "piece of that fine ass". Slightly crude, true, but amusing to me, no matter how often I pull that old chestnut out.

See you for now, and have a happy new year.

My Comforts This Week

Haven't been feeling too good lately. The whole business with my computer and a few bad days have brought me down and I haven't been able to get myself back up again. Hoping to have a good day this weekend to bring me up, but I'm getting by with what I have.


Coke Zero is pretty good -- tastes like regular Coke, but with the goodness of a diet drink. Can't tell you what a delight that is, since I love regular Coke but find the diet kind of flat.



I finally got around to reading Watchmen, and it lived up to all of my expectations and the hype and all that. Just an absolutely amazing piece of fiction. If anything, I'd say it was maybe a little underrated -- I was surprised by the wonderful character work, when I'd mostly been made aware of the story points and such.




And I had a couple of slices of Pesto Amore pizza from Pizza Pizza, and that stuff is always good. If you haven't tried it and you live in Ontario, I heartily recommend it.


That's my week. Such as it is. Hope there's more bright spots to come.