I don't think I've mentioned how much I love Sci-Fi's Ghost Hunters.  At first glance, it seems the show is a realistic take on paranormal investigation.  But after you've watched a couple of episodes, you realize that this show about a bunch of guys from Rhode Island (led by two blue-collar plumbers) is not just a fascinating look at the unknown, but also very funny.  The TAPS crew is lovable and I promise that you'll come to know them all like your own friends after a couple of episodes.  I have found myself laughing at most of the episode and then being completely creeped out in a matter of minutes.  Ghost Hunters is on Wednesday nights at 9, but since I get home from work around then, I just wait for the repeat at midnight (believe me, it's a lot more fun to watch it then).  Check out the TAPS website, too.  They've got a lot of their video and audio evidence up for you to check out for yourself!

Speaking of Ghost Hunters, the website GhostWatcher.com is down.  If you check out my Links section, you've probably seen it.  I've been fascinated by the site, for sort of the same reasons as Ghost Hunters.  June Houston is a member of flyvision, a consortium of artists (mostly from NYC) who all use the Internet as a way to display their work and ideas.  She's got a bunch of webcams set up in her home so that people can help her watch for ghosts in her home.  I think of it more as an art project than anything else, because I've never seen anything out of the ordinary.  However, the people who post on her site love to try to see things in the images, which often gets a laugh out of me.  However, the site is currently down and June left a message saying that "abnormal events" have taken place and that when the site is back she'll need her viewers "more than ever."  She says she's okay, but I am incredibly intrigued. 

So now I'm pretty relieved that Christmas is over, and it's time to concentrate on New Year's/My Birthday/Mom's Birthday/and the birthdays of several other people I know.  I think that half of my high school class was born in January 1983.  What was in the water in April '82?

So I think I'll just mellow out to Smile for a while and maybe watch Dodgeball later.  Hope everyone else is having a good Christmas!

I put together a really crappy video the other night to see whether or not I could pull off a certain special effect.  It's not even an official video, I'm just linking to it because I've gotten positive feedback.  Blame the fact that I have been watching Star Trek in the afternoon.

As for the redesign, I'm not sure if I'll have everything done by the new year, but we'll see.  I think I was in the same predicament last year.   

So the newfangled registers went into the store yesterday, and things are going really well with them.  A lot of people were nervous about them, but once they got a couple of orders under their belts, they started to see that they're really quite good.  I think that once everyone has the hang of them, they will be faster and more efficient.  Next week will be the real test!  (Also, I am surprised that the word "newfangled" was not flagged by my spell check.)

I'm kind of bumming because I had to shave my beard today.  A couple of weeks ago everyone thought that with Hannaford now owning the store, we could ignore the old "no facial hair" rule, but Bill told me yesterday that I've got to get rid of it until further notice.  Then I saw a note by the punch clock that read "All Victory dress codes are in effect until there is a Hannaford sign on the store."  They should have just posted a memo that said: "Attn Steve, Mark, Brian, Chris, Nick, Lorne, Corey, and Gary: Go home and shave."  Oh well, at least I know that it'll look good.

That's right, it's time for another NP1 Film!  The long-awaited recap of the Thanksgiving game is now up and ready to go.  Marvel at the lack of actual footage and the witty nicknames of the players involved!  Just click on Brandon to go to NP1 Films (or click on those words right there) and see for yourself!

Tonna stopped by the store tonight and informed me that he learned all about the AIDA system in school yesterday.  Only a matter of time before he knows to Always Be Closing.  Also, I gave a woman $6.66 in change.

Slovin and Allen were on again today.  "Cuidado para el plutonio!"  "Plutonio?  Es verdad!"  "Si, es verdad." 

I'd direct you to check out the incredible musical tour de force that is McRorie, but his site is down at the moment.  Check it out later, maybe it'll be back up.  You're bound to watch it over and over again.

I know I had lots more interesting things to write about this evening.  Let's talk about baseball instead.  This steroid thing has finally come to the forefront after years of dancing around the issue.  Personally, I think the records you score on steroids should be stripped, or at least asterisked.  That way, Roger Maris can once again be the king of home run hitting. :)  Now there was a ballplayer, and that was when baseball was pure.  Not even a DH rule, for crying out loud.  But things change... at least now that the doping has become a real issue they might do something about it.  And I'm not going to bother trying to defend Jason Giambi.  I love the guy, so I'm not going to act like I'm shocked and angry, either.  I'm more or less disappointed that he went down that road. 

Now I remember what else to talk about... Fran and I hit the IceCats on Saturday for the first time this year.  They lost horribly to Hartford, 6-0.  Still, it was a fun game and I didn't feel cheated because tickets are only sixteen bucks for the front sections.  I might sneak some hockey footage into the football video to make it more interesting.  The 'Cats are moving to Peoria after this season, though, which sucks.  I'd hate to see them leave.  Where is the Centrum (OH I'M SORRY THE DCU CENTER) going to make its money now?  The circus?  I think not!

So what's next?  For one, I'm starting to piece together ideas for the next version of NP1.  I think I've mentioned it before, but I'm really putting ideas to paper now.  I'm going to be asking people for input here and there, so if I catch you online or at MySpace or LJ, I'll get some info outta you.  Also, the Thanksgiving football video will be up in a week or so.  I'm going to say right now that there isn't much actual football footage, but it's still going to be worth the download.

Also... I have been listening to U2's latest, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.  The guys are in fantastic form these days, even though Bono can't speak Spanish... but it's kind of funny... their last couple of albums were both very good (in my opinion at least) but they also took a while for me to warm up to them.  This one hooked me from the very beginning.  It could be that I've got a renewed respect for them as musicians and as humanitarians, but I think you'd have to be an idiot to not like it.  Or just not like rock and roll, either way.  But where R.E.M. have been showing their age (as hard as I find it to say), U2 are proving that they can keep up with the times and still be who they have always been.  Bravo to Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.

I'm talking a lot so that the cells line up.  I'm working on higher resolution these days.