Our New Fetus Codename: Crimson Raptor

Tina and I would like to announce the existence of our new fetus. The fetus is currently code named Crimson Raptor. It's hard to find a good gender neutral code name, but luckily the Internet is full of helpful people willing to lend a hand. This is a close up of the fetus taken using ultrasound technology. The picture is from March 1st. The baby is due September 25. Here's the wide angle version of the picture. Update: I corrected the due date from 9/21 to 9/25

Baby Name Voyager

Here's a really neat program for exploring baby names. I got it from Sarah Lane's blog. Check it out. It explores frequency of baby names from 1900 to 2003.

An Expensive Education

As part of the moving process, I called in a GE repairman to look at our gas stove. The front right burner would no longer light on it's own. It made the clicking sound. I could light it myself, so the gas was flowing, but it just wouldn't light normally. So, after not finding any anwers on the GE website in the "fix it yourself" section of the website, I called in an expert. In my defense, I'm nervous about messing around with anything that uses natural gas. He flipped up the stove top. He pulled the whole burner assembly out. I had no idea that it would come out so easily. He cleaned out a small whole with a special tool. By special, here, I mean something that looked like a small wire. Like a paperclip. He cleaned out some holes with the tool and the burner works flawlessly now. He said it was a "customer education visit" and charged me $89.95. I thanked him and he went on his way.

The Moving Process Has Begun

Well, the moving process has begun. I've gotten together with my real estate agents, Judy and Bob Caton, and signed all the paperwork to start the listing process. We picked the listing price, worked out agent commissions, decided on disclosure versus disclaimer, and got a picture taken of the house. Now, as soon as I finish my list of preparations, we're ready to go. Carolyn has been nice enough to loan us her basement to store some of our clutter during the moving process. There's still a lot of decluttering to go. I'm hoping to hire professionals to give it a good cleaning. There's a little painting to do. Some appliances to get into top working order. Then it'll be onto the market!

Kara Goes Home Again (Spoilers)

This week's episode of Battlestar Galactica, "You Can't Go Home Again", has a few small touches that I wanted to point out. After Apollo recognizes Starbuck's raider, there's a moment where they greet each other by rolling their vipers from side to side. The original Galactica has an episode in it where Apollo and Starbuck fly a captured Cylon raider back from a mission on a Basestar. They signal to the fleet's vipers that they are not cylons by "waggling their wings".

Another moment that I wanted to point out is a line from the deck chief to Apollo. He says, "You can push a man a lot further than you can push a machine." That's a very interesting line if you think about it. Does that line explain the course of evolution that the cylons are following in becoming indistinguishable from humans? An interesting question...

Moving Out...

We've decided to move. A recent study ranks moving as one of the top sources of stress in life. It's right up there with getting married, having a baby, or changing jobs. We're moving for several reasons. I've developed a feeling that if we don't take advantage of the lowest interest rates in my lifetime, I'm being financially irresponsible. We'd also like to move closer to Annapolis if possible. The preparations for putting the townhouse on the market have begun. We've got some cleaning to do and some basic repairs to make. Once we've sold the townhouse, we can begin our search for a new place to live.

Battlestar Galactica

This is a great show. As a teenager, I was a big fan of the original Battlestar Galactica. Later in life I watched some reruns and learned the awful truth. It was really just another Glen A. Larson TV show. Perhaps I'm being a little defensive here. I was a fan of a lot of Glen A. Larson TV shows. He was the executive producer of most of the popular TV shows while I was growing up. I watched a lot of his TV. I'll admit I was entertained. Now, I'm twice as old as I was when those shows first aired. My tastes have developed. When I was that age I enjoyed grape juice. Now I enjoy a nice Pinot or Cabernet. That is the difference between the original Battlestar Galactica and the new Battlestar Galactica. One was a sugary indulgence and the other is a complex bouquet.

Yes, Starbuck is a girl. If I were Dirk Benedict, I'd be irritated that my writers didn't give me nearly as much to work with as Katee Sackhoff got. Sackhoff just pulls off an amazing performance. I'll admit I was skeptical about the female Starbuck. Starbuck was my favorite character from the original show. But, Sackhoff sold it perfectly. There's all the stuff that I enjoyed from the original Starbuck in there, but there's a layer of complexity sewn on top of it.

Then there's Baltar. It was always difficult for me to understand the motivations of the original Baltar. Why did he sell out humanity? So he could ride around in that baseship and make snide comments to his Cylon sidekick? Now, if Tricia Helfer had been on the battlestar, I could understand his motivation. And so, I can understand how the new Baltar got into the situation he's in. I particularly enjoyed the bit of artistry the writers employed working Baltar's dialogue with Number Six into the conversation Baltar was having with the people actually present in the room.

Then there's Edward James Olmos. Ever since the Bushido episode of Miami Vice, there's been a special place in my heart for Edward James Olmos. He's dead on for playing the new more complex character of Commander Adama. I love that the quest for Earth is just a myth that Adama resurrects as a focal point for his intrepid band of refugees.

I've told the TiVo to record it. I'll be watching...