Kopaka's Ice Engineering

SNOWWW!!!!!!!

It's snowing outside right now. I'm going to be late for work because of SNOW. SNOW. (You people up north don't realize how big a deal snow is here.) -KIE

*takes a page from countless international observers who appeared to have assumed a McCain-Palin victory would have meant 4 more years of backwards podunk politics in Washington, D.C.* Welcome back to the rest of America, New Orleans. Louisiana elects the first Indian-American to the Governor's Mansion, and the first Vietnamese-American to Congress. Heh, maybe we are on the cutting edge after all. I am locking this before discussion begins, but I do welcome the discussion off the public board. -KIE

What? No hippopotamus?

Bah. I tried to force myself to write this entry Saturday night before heading to bed, but then I realized it was 1 AM Sunday morning. So, this had to wait until I got back tonight. Let me tell you about my weekend. *collapse* The fun started awful early, as Wednesday afternoon found me in an auto accident. Nothing major: the other driver (who was in his first accident in 45 years) clipped me in the process of avoiding me. We're both fine, but I still haven't had time to start to file a claim (which is something I will hit tomorrow). I suppose it would be just as well: I was driving no farther than Baton Rouge anyway, as my mother & I were going to take one vehicle to Monroe for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I left the paperwork concerning the accident in my car. This is why I have to call them tomorrow. Since I'd only gotten half an hour of work off, we were still middle of the night getting in...ten minutes until Thursday to be exact. (Next time I'm going to take Friday afternoon off. Honest.) While catching up with my fiancée was great, something upset me getting to the bed: Something (I don't know what) upset my costichondritis, and I spent all morning (from 1 AM on until 7ish) wheezing in bed. Amanda got me some ibuprofen, and I did get to pass out for an hour or so. Thursday morning saw me doing my chef thing. I give you... I understand it got rave reviews, but I don't know for certain: without breakfast, the squash splitting took quite a bit out of me. Compounded with the lack of sleep the night before, and I was in fairly bad shape at the end of the recipe. In fact, I missed the meal entirely, sleeping off my first fever in at least 8 years. Friday found us doing no shopping for gifts, but instead shopping for hotels in Monroe for the wedding. Weather was bad and most of us were distracted by the goings on in Little Rock that afternoon. We drowned our sorrows in fried seafood. Amanda did pull this one large bag from that shop, though.... Perceptive people: don't act until we get stuff set up. Saturday was a trip to Hallmark after Ollie's first birthday card turned up missing, and the trip back to Baton Rouge. Once there, I had put in enough time on the Wii in Monroe, I was feeling up to challenging my brother to a game of Wii Sports Tennis: the two of us against two computer opponents. It matched us up against some near-perfect competition, so good that we had to "kill" the game a few times. By the time we'd gotten adjusted (There's always rust to knock off.), it was time to leave to pick up take-out. Upon our return, I took on the same competition alone, and to all our surprise, I got a fair amount closer to pro than I would partnered with my brother. Feeling overconfident, I switched to Baseball (a sport I went from *9* skill back to *0*), and proceeded to obliterate the computer: 15-0. Maybe it's because I try to swing through that everything I hit in real life bounces in the infield...maybe I should start swinging down to create some loft over the infielders.... Feeling supremely confident, I went for Bowling, and proceeded to regain my Pro status there. Gosh, I feel protective of records on a system that's not even my own. Sunday afternoon was Ollie's birthday party. Quite windy, but I think it was a good day for Ollie: he got his first LEGO set, a bag of QUATRO bricks I'd bought better than a year ago. I would have a link, but I couldn't even find them on shop.lego.com anymore. Anyway, I see that it's now technically Monday. I best close this off and go in hiding for another week & change. -KIE

Guilty as charged. -KIE

Barry Manilow is cool. -KIE

1280×1024 here, 1152×864 at the officeAgape feast (carry-in Thanksgiving) at churchGod loves you.Absolutely.Amanda. -KIE

To the new reader, I would still like to call attention to the original Thanksgiving entry back in 2006. If I get an update on those prescriptions, I will post it here. In more current news, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. My mother & I will be spending Thanksgiving in Monroe with my fiancée and her family, since my father went offshore this morning. As soon as I can get away from work, I'm headed to Baton Rouge to meet up with my mom to go to Monroe in one vehicle. Also, I'm bringing squash to cook. If successful, I will post a recipe. If not, you'll likely hear nothing of it. Here's hoping your holiday finds you well and in good company. -KIE

One should always know what the answer to The Question will be before asking The Question, but it's always good to hear confirmation. -KIE

I called my fiancée tonight to ask her: since her Sirius hasn't scrambled her lineup, and my XMs are shifting around, I think it's XM conforming to Sirius, rather than the other way around.

Since XM merged its programming with Sirius this morning, all my station presets are out of whack. To top it off, the station it was most often tuned to, is now off the air and online-only. KIE is sad. To commemorate a comprehensive post that never happened, I give you the XM channels I had preset, in their order. XM 32 The Message: In my opinion, this mix is superior to Sirius 66. It's why I was an XM fan before the sports tie-ins.XM 110 Classical Hits: ...because I'm a sucker for a string section.XM 175 MLB Home Plate: A jump point for the MLB stations. Though my fiancée would disagree, MLB > NFL.XM 140 ESPN Radio: Especially since 1280 WODT changed formats, this is my only general sports radio.XM 82 The System: I am a huge closet fan of electronic music, stemming all the way back to the days I played Descent in high school. Heh, bet you didn't see that coming.XM 4 40's on 4: I should say my music tastes are varied & ecclectic, as I also am a huge fan of Big Band.XM 70 Real Jazz: Did you honestly think with Vince Guaraldi as my ringtone, I wouldn't have a jazz station favorited?XM 199 SEC Sports: The PREMIER Division 1 athletic conference, especially for football. There's one other, but I'll have to check my old channel list tomorrow to find it. -KIE

Brown, although my fiancée just noticed the other night that my goatee is red when the light hits it just rightAn EightHn, well, yesGood question....this is why I'm not an artist.Sí señor. -KIE

I didn't realize that non-fluoride toothpaste was still in production over the past 35 years. -KIE

I am KIE, and I recognize this. Seriously, Niki, my hat is off to you. You have a gift I seem to not have been blessed with. I applaud you, and rejoice. You too, Smeag. -KIE

Life is so great when one gets the rest of the story. -KIE

There's a saying in Louisiana that people in New Orleans vote early & vote often. I haven't learned anything about this "voting often", but I did vote early this time around. In the off chance that it would influence anyone's vote (which it SHOULDN'T: You were the one paying attention the last 10 months. You were the one weighing everything you heard said by and about the candidates. You formed your own opinion on this landmark election season.), From the outskirts of Chocolate City endorses the following candidates and positions for the November 4 election. 2008 Louisiana Electoral College Dianne ChristopherRoger F. Villere, Jr.Lynn E. SkidmoreJoe LavigneBilly NungesserAlan SeabaughKaren HaymonCharles DavisCharlie Buckels pledged to vote for John McCain of Arizona and Sarah Palin of Alaska United States SenateJohn Kennedy, (R)Landrieu sloughed off my friends at Presidential Classroom 12 years ago...if she doesn't have time for my friends, I don't have time for her. United States Representative, First Congressional District of Louisiana Steven Scalise (R)Louisiana State Senate, District NineConrad Appel (R)Polly Thomas (R) lost my vote when she wouldn't quit badgering my fiancée in the primary. Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, First Supreme Court District Greg Guidry (R)...as if I have any idea who either of these people are.... Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #1 Term Limits for Members of State Boards & Commissions. FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #2 Time Limits for Calling Special Sessions AGAINSTLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #3 Temporary Successors for Legislators Ordered to Active Military Duty AGAINSTMy opinion would be different if it were the legislator himself/herself appointing the successor, instead of the Legislature itself. Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #4 State Severance Taxes to Parishes FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #5 Transfer of Special Property Tax Assessment Level AGAINST...even though it would likely be in my best interest in the future. Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #6 Re-Sale of Certain Expropriated Property FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #7 Investment of Non-Pension Benefit Trusts FOR...because now is the time to get into the market Jefferson Parish Proposition Special Sales Tax Re-apportionment AGAINST...because the Sewer department doesn't need its revenue further carved. And a couple of ones that I have a strong opinion, and would vote if given a vote. United States Representative, Second Congressional District of Louisiana Helena Moreno (D)Seriously. It's time to fire Bill Jefferson. California Statewide Proposition Number Eight YES...not because some first graders were taken out of school for a wedding, but because those that took them out saw fit to put "NO on 8" pins on the kids' lapels. A 6-year-old should not be used as campaign material. -KIE

While I could throw everyone a curve and explain something I learned in statistics, I won't. I've taken quite an interest in the Chef Jeff Project, on Food Network. I think it's quite admirable to see an entrepreneur to put his company at risk to aid some unfortunates, and also inspiring for half a dozen Gen-Y'ers to buck the cycle they've known only, and aspire to something greater, something outside their environs. Of course, I volunteer this with a caveat: I know nothing of growing up in the hood, nor of gang influence or crystal methamphetamine. I thank God most every day for the loving home where I grew up (even if Dad was home only half the time), and the relative well-to-do of my parents that we were suburbanites. While working as a consultant for the Sewerage department post-Katrina has sent me to some very rough neighborhoods on the West Bank (foremost being Lincolnshire), I confess that I've only seen the houses. It wasn't until I started at the parish building proper (in the office of Capital Projects, still a consultant), that I got to get a peek into the mindset behind the seeming dilapidation. (Thank you, Zakita.) No, I'm not going to classify a group of people as a social experiment: that's ascetic, cold, and marginally (though not intentionally) racist. But, I am still an interested onlooker, and I thank this Food Network program for the peek inside. As far as the premise itself, good things happen when people take it upon themselves to pull themselves out of a destructive cycle in which they find themselves. This is the American spirit embodied, and I hope to see much more of it going forward. And in news also related to the title at hand, my boss at the parish (the one my boss answers to) is quitting smoking after ~30 years. Friday was one week without a cigarette. My hat's off to you, Reda. -KIE

Today is launch day for Red Alert 3, and I do not have an advance copy. In fact, I didn't even know the game existed until this past Sunday, when my brother called me while I was at the airport. (Why was I at the airport? I was getting €310 at a nice-ish rate for some spending money on the honeymoon next year: I have to expect to have passed the exam.) The good news is that my computer can run the game. The bad news is that my brother can not. The worse news is that, in the process of searching for a new graphics card for my brother, I discovered that I missed my opportunity to get a second ASUS EN8800GTS for SLI. Can anyone tell me if SLI will work if the specs on the cards are identical, but not from the same manufacturer? Anyway, the strange title comes from the progenitor of the entire Command & Conquer line: Back in high school, I had the privilege to play a game put out by Westwood Studios called "Dune II". It was the neatest thing, in that it wasn't Wolfenstein 3D, Tetris, or Scorched Earth (an old tank shell-lobbing game, long live the Funky Bomb!). It was my first taste of RTS, and I was quite hooked. I'm still not very good at RTS, but I take the same attitude as I do the Pyro in TF2: I'm not playing because I'm good at it, I'm playing because I'm enjoying myself. In any case, from Dune 2 came Command & Conquer [Tiberian Dawn], and from C&C came C&C:Red Alert. From C&C:Red Alert came C&C:RA 2, then C&C2, C&C3, and now C&C:RA3. And for the first time in...5 iterations, there is a third party without an expansion. Ordos, meet Rising Sun. I can tell I'm going to be torn between Allied & Rising Sun. Where my brother goes from Soviet, I'll just have to find out when he gets a new card. -KIE

Forgive me for not posting this 28 hours ago: I didn't have time before running out my brother's door in Baton Rouge. Forgive me for not posting this 14 hours ago: I had a splitting headache (which hasn't quite gone away yet). The PE exam was quite similar to the FE exam. The ones I got, I feel supremely confident about. The ones that required books that I don't own, or the one I left in Metairie (The AASHTO Design of Pavement Structures (AASHTO Green Book)), I confess that I took blind stabs. I will say, however, that kinematics saved my backside. The test really tests how comfortable you are with your reference material, and how well you can decipher & categorize all the information given: much of it is extraneous, and if you put every number into the pot, the answer will be wrong. I'm not going to say if I passed it or not: I did an unsettling amount of guessing in the afternoon portion (6 of 40 questions). To borrow a baseball metaphor, I crushed it. I got all of that one. I hit it waaaaaay out of the park. It was twisting foul however, and they'll finish looking at the replay by January. -KIE

I thank you for not having the sense of entitlement, Bfahome. Sad to say, but that puts you in the minority of the Red Sox fans I know. Seriously. If you're not up in arms, this isn't directed at you.

*looks up from his Civil Engineering Reference Manual to make a comment* Memo to Red Sox nation: Your sense of entitlement no longer amuses us, nor does your Game 7 mystique have us in awe. Complain about the breaks you got and brace for being viewed in the same light as the New York Yankees faithful. You lost. It's time for parity anyway. -the rest of the baseball world. -KIE Go Rays.

Printed out today, because I just found out that they won't send it through the mail..... (with many formatting errors...I'm transcribing a PDF as best I can) Well, I'm official now. Time to start studying. -KIE

This is why, although we, Who Dat Nation, are livid at the perceived ineptitude, we do not hold Hochuli responsible for the loss. That responsibility is shared by Messrs. Grammatica & Kaseviharn.

Three points from my first Monday Night Football experience: 1. Ed Hochuli needs to forfeit his white cap. Come on. If that face mask were any more blatant, the helmet would be facing the shoulder. And the "fumble that I'm calling not-a-fumble," please stop rewriting the rule book, oh ye of many words and massive bicep. And none of this patronizing "make up call" business, either. If you're going to jam a team, jam them both halves of the game. Be consistent. 2. Reggie Bush is all that, a bag of chips, and 2 large sodas. Reggie Bush has 3 punt returns for touchdowns in his career, and Amanda & I have gotten to witness all 3 in person. He has officially made the 2005 season worthwhile. Just so long as we find a new feature back in the off-season, because it is so beautiful to see him operate in space. 3. I know how a Bills fan feels now. Scott Norwood, meet Martin Grammatica. -KIE, past his bedtime.