Cormac.com: Utterly Meaningless Since 1996 tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1 2008-05-12T23:44:25Z A bunch of stuff about a guy named Cormac and a bunch of stuff about nothing whatsoever. Occasionally a bunch of stuff about something earth-shaking or sea-changing. It really all depends on how much sleep he gets. Movable Type 3.34 Why We Need Birth Control tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.66 2008-05-12T23:41:58Z 2008-05-12T23:44:25Z No public transit system should have to employ human-packers. I mean, I like Pokemon and all, but eff that.... ]]> Nasreddin teaches the donkey to speak... tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.65 2008-04-24T01:58:22Z 2008-04-24T08:38:35Z It's been some time since I updated the blog. Let's have a brief recap, shall we? My new niece is growing up. My new girlfriend continues to stick around and lick my skull (see above-right). She kicks ass like a... It's been some time since I updated the blog. Let's have a brief recap, shall we? My new niece is growing up. My new girlfriend continues to stick around and lick my skull (see above-right). She kicks ass like a dual-Thunderfury ninja on energy drinks. My unemployment is over. I now know many more central Asian parables than before, thanks to Dr. Boris Krakov, my Uzbeki spirit guide. Sketch comedy continues, and I should be performing at the LA Comedy Fest if nothing explodes. And a great big WTF to the writers of BSG. How dare you do what you did when you did that thing that you did? I'm trying to avoid spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but doods--you halved the female eye candy in about 4 minutes. How dare you? And without any Summer Glau or Jewel Staite for me to fall back on. Cruel.]]> I Love The Onion tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.64 2008-03-21T08:28:09Z 2008-03-21T08:29:40Z Also, this: Black Guy Asks Nation for Change...
Also, this: Black Guy Asks Nation for Change]]> Just in time for Passover tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.63 2008-03-05T22:07:44Z 2008-03-05T22:12:12Z Moses was high. And never forget: Jesus was gay. Cormac is happy.... Moses was high. And never forget: Jesus was gay. Cormac is happy.]]> R.I.P. Gary Gygax tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.62 2008-03-04T19:16:43Z 2008-03-04T19:33:20Z MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69. He had been suffering from health problems for... MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69. He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax. Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies. Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said. "It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that." Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity. Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children. From http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/03/04/obit.gygax.ap/index.html We'll miss you, Gary. You made it OK to be a geek like me, and that means a lot. ]]> Congrats, Fi and Mi! tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.61 2008-02-28T18:44:48Z 2008-02-28T18:50:45Z Baby girl, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, 20.5 inches. Born at exactly 6:00 PM Ireland-time. Mom and baby are doing great. Fi was in labor for 13 hours, without a scream, grunt or anything of the sort. There was one "ouch,"... Baby girl, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, 20.5 inches. Born at exactly 6:00 PM Ireland-time. Mom and baby are doing great. Fi was in labor for 13 hours, without a scream, grunt or anything of the sort. There was one "ouch," and another, calmly-spoken "Oh my god this hurts." No name yet. Pictures to follow. What's New, Volume 3: The Family tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.59 2008-02-21T08:12:12Z 2008-02-28T08:13:00Z UPDATE: Understatement of the Year: So at 12:08 AM PST, I received the following text message from Sister Fi: In labor now about three hours. Guess I should wake up mom and Michael for hospital pretty soon. Gee. Ya think?... UPDATE: Understatement of the Year: So at 12:08 AM PST, I received the following text message from Sister Fi: In labor now about three hours. Guess I should wake up mom and Michael for hospital pretty soon. Gee. Ya think? ;-) Good luck in there. Love ya! So my niece or nephew is due to show up today. I'm assuming he or she is so full of the local Irish charm that s/he's late, but for all the returning of my text messages that goes on these days from across the pond, the little one could already be out, walking, talking, and college-educated. Bwahaha. Actually, I don't even know if I'm using the right number, with all those damn zeros and country codes those silly foreigners make you use. You can read more about the strange journey of Little Baby Doe (they still don't have a name) on Sister Fi's blog. In other family-related news, my "Deep and Soulful" (not my quote) Uncle Jim, AKA The Attorney-At-Love, was just interviewed in the Arizona Daily Star. You can also bring that voice to your local book club via speakerphone (or in person, if you live in AZ) by contacting him through his Web site.]]> What's New, Volume 2: The Job tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.58 2008-02-21T08:04:22Z 2008-02-21T08:31:24Z I still don't have one. This is not all bad. First, it allows me plenty of time to go to the gym, drive down to see the gal, and post blog updates that only my mom will read. Second, it... I still don't have one. This is not all bad. First, it allows me plenty of time to go to the gym, drive down to see the gal, and post blog updates that only my mom will read. Second, it frees me from the shackles of at least one defining attribute, allowing me to return to that unkinetic, Lloyd Dobbleresque state in which I am full of potential and kickboxing is the 'sport of the future.' Two irons in the fire at the moment. One iron required me to write a sample that took 3 days, then add an additional section that took another 2. I'm no math whiz these days (see 'potential,' above), but I think that adds up to a work week, sans pay. I'll keep you posted on that. The other is a telecommuting gig working for an alternative (non-credit card) payment processing company in Europe. Let's hope for business trips to the home office, shall we?]]> What's New, Volume 1: The Girl tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.57 2008-02-21T07:02:17Z 2008-02-21T08:33:51Z It's been a long time since I've posted, so my update will be in chunks, necessarily focusing this blog more than usual. So enjoy it. The ADD returns soon. I feel almost guilty mentioning this, since several of my friends... It's been a long time since I've posted, so my update will be in chunks, necessarily focusing this blog more than usual. So enjoy it. The ADD returns soon. I feel almost guilty mentioning this, since several of my friends are going through breakups at the moment, but what the hell. Here's my attempt to balance the scales. About a month ago, I started dating a gal, and she's kinda fantastic. Don't believe me? Well, then, you're an ass. But there might be hope for you just yet. Witness the evidence:
  • Pasty as the sun-bleached bones of Casper the Friendly Ghost after applying Crest Whitestrips.
  • Calves.
  • Interesting, despite having her shit remarkably together.
  • Knows more about Fangoria Magazine and everything it covers than I ever will.
  • Says things like 'I think it's hot that you play D&D.' No--really.
  • Watches Futurama, Family Guy, and South Park religiously.
  • Thinks goofy bald guys are sexy.
Am I setting myself up to look foolish if this all blows up in my face? Sure. But if you can't be foolish and excited, what's the damn point? So yeah. She's a badassed ninja. And while yes, I am a pirate, and some of you subscribe to the archaic notion that pirates and ninjas don't get along, I'm here to get all Obama (go, Obama 2008!) on you and tell you that YES--they CAN work together in harmony. For the less creative in the house, an example: the ninjas could slit the throats of the guards, allowing the pirates to sneak in, blow shit up, and pillage. And when I'm in a pillaging mood, there's no one else I'd rather have slitting enemy throats. :)]]> Let There Be Heat on Earth... tag:www.cormac.com,2008://1.55 2008-01-03T16:09:32Z 2008-03-05T22:14:33Z ...and let it begin with me. Old home: New(ish) home: That's what you get for letting The Whalers go to Flahrida. And on an unrelated note, thank you, Wyatt Doyle, for providing me with the opportunity to thank your former... Old home:

New(ish) home:

That's what you get for letting The Whalers go to Flahrida. And on an unrelated note, thank you, Wyatt Doyle, for providing me with the opportunity to thank your former classmate, Tina Fey, for this pic. You are, indeed, a noble friend.]]> Thank you, Jed tag:www.cormac.com,2007://1.53 2007-12-12T23:41:31Z 2007-12-12T23:42:25Z

Hell. Yes.... ]]> Kentucky: Location of my Affectation tag:www.cormac.com,2007://1.52 2007-12-11T22:28:11Z 2007-12-11T23:31:39Z For years, I've wanted to cultivate some sort of affected interest in a liquor of some sort, but the truth of the matter is this: most liquor, even the good stuff, tastes like ass, butane, or butane-laced ass. And being... For years, I've wanted to cultivate some sort of affected interest in a liquor of some sort, but the truth of the matter is this: most liquor, even the good stuff, tastes like ass, butane, or butane-laced ass. And being into clear liquors doesn't count. Maybe gin, I suppose, but then you just seem like a teenage girl or an old drunk. But really, the poseur's liquor of choice needs to be brown. Scotch tastes like vodka filtered through cow dung. Irish whiskey (sorry, Dad) is straight-up lighter fluid with caramel coloring. Canadian whiskey reminds me of my grandfather, but it tastes like the bastard child of Irish whiskey and Diet Coke. So much for my whiskey fetish, right? Wrong! Last night, my friend Pattycake Butler was passing through town, taking the long route from Oxford Business School to Connecticut, and we had a few drinks. Deciding to give my whiskey dream one last shot at greatness, I asked what kind of bourbon they had, and I settled on a bottle of 1996 Evan Williams Single Barrel. Don't let the review fool you--it was nothing like scotch, or at the very least, the corn balanced out the typical Scotchy sheep-vomit taste. Whatever the reasons, it tasted completely unlike the Jack-Daniels-in-a-Diet-Pepsi-can that kicked off my drinking life, and it gave me hope that I can find some other, better, single-barrel snooty bourbons out there worth drinking, even when I'm not planning on getting hammered. Because that will save me from being the "metro wine guy." At some point, I suppose I'll have to learn to move into a plantation house, start raising horses, spend a lot of time on a porch drinking lemonade, and learn to play my banjo (or hire someone else to), but that's all somewhere down the line. For now, I'm going to kick it with my Kentucky Spirit Guide™ and do some serious drankin' research. Yee-haw for the Commonwealth!]]> Resolved! tag:www.cormac.com,2007://1.51 2007-12-09T03:40:16Z 2007-12-09T04:10:14Z I'm not much for superstition, but I'm all for bragging, and bragging is easier when you can prove you've exceeded expectations. Even when they're your own. I'm also a big fan of guilt, shame, and fear as motivational tools. So... I'm not much for superstition, but I'm all for bragging, and bragging is easier when you can prove you've exceeded expectations. Even when they're your own. I'm also a big fan of guilt, shame, and fear as motivational tools. So for all these reasons and more, welcome to this year's edition of Cormac's New Year's Resolutions for a 12-Month Span Roughly Equivalent to 2008! First up, this year(ish): fitness. I've let things slide a bit in the last 12 months. Quite a bit, actually, so just getting back to where I was will do. 1. Weight: 165 or less 2. Bench Press: 210+ 3. Mile: 5:45 Here's the trick: I have to hit all three targets in the same week. The mile, actually, will be the toughest one for me. I am just not a fast runner at all. And yeah, I know 5:45 isn't exactly speedy, but "baby steps," people. Baby steps. While I'm at it, let's throw in: 4. Hand stand Just because. Moving on, a very conservative target: 5. 6 open chords on the guitar That should be enough to establish a baseline so I can get interested enough to keep playing. Also on the creative tip, but somewhat less conservative: 6a. One full-length play, submitted to a festival or workshop or 6b. One pilot, submitted to the person to whom you submit pilots plus 7a. Three short stories, submitted to journals / magazines or 7b. One novel, submitted to a publisher of some sort That's it for now. We'll see how that goes. Updates coming in a month or so.]]> Oh yeah. That's me. tag:www.cormac.com,2007://1.50 2007-12-07T04:06:27Z 2007-12-07T04:08:10Z Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion |||||||||||||||||||| 86% Stability |||||||||||||||||| 80% Orderliness |||||| 30% Accommodation |||||||||||||||| 63% Interdependence |||||||||||| 43% Intellectual |||||||||||||||| 70% Mystical |||||||||||| 43% Artistic |||||||||||||||||||| 83% Religious || 10% Hedonism |||| 16% Materialism |||||||||||||||| 63% Narcissism...
Advanced Global Personality Test Results
Extraversion |||||||||||||||||||| 86%
Stability |||||||||||||||||| 80%
Orderliness |||||| 30%
Accommodation |||||||||||||||| 63%
Interdependence |||||||||||| 43%
Intellectual |||||||||||||||| 70%
Mystical |||||||||||| 43%
Artistic |||||||||||||||||||| 83%
Religious || 10%
Hedonism |||| 16%
Materialism |||||||||||||||| 63%
Narcissism |||||||||||||| 56%
Adventurousness |||||||||||||||| 63%
Work ethic |||||| 30%
Self absorbed |||||||||||||| 56%
Conflict seeking |||||| 23%
Need to dominate |||||||||||| 43%
Romantic |||||||||||||||||||| 83%
Avoidant |||||||||||| 50%
Anti-authority |||||||||||||||| 63%
Wealth |||||||||| 36%
Dependency |||||||||| 36%
Change averse |||||||||| 36%
Cautiousness |||||||||||| 50%
Individuality |||||||||||||| 56%
Sexuality |||||||||||||||||| 76%
Peter pan complex |||||||||||||| 56%
Physical security |||||||||||||||||| 76%
Physical Fitness |||||||||||||||| 70%
Histrionic |||||||||||| 50%
Paranoia |||| 16%
Vanity |||||||||||||||| 63%
Hypersensitivity |||||||||||| 50%
Indie |||||||||||||||| 61%
Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality test by similarminds.com Stability results were high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.. Orderliness results were low which suggests you are overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense too often of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment. Extraversion results were very high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity. ]]> Was it really even a question? tag:www.cormac.com,2007://1.49 2007-11-20T00:52:33Z 2007-11-20T01:08:28Z I'm bunking with Jewel Staite. With which sci-fi crew would you best fit? (pics) You scored as Serenity (Firefly)You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different.... Jewel Staite.

With which sci-fi crew would you best fit? (pics)
You scored as Serenity (Firefly)

You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you.

Serenity (Firefly)
75%

Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
75%

Babylon 5 (Babylon 5)
75%

Moya (Farscape)
69%

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)
63%

Deep Space Nine (Star Trek)
56%

Bebop (Cowboy Bebop)
56%

SG-1 (Stargate)
50%

Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix)
50%

FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files)
44%

Enterprise D (Star Trek)
44%

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)
38%

Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica)
25%
]]>