Amélie!

After several Shauna-coming-homes with her copy of Amélie (a.k.a. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain), we finally found time to watch it.

It was SO GOOD, and you know I don't use full caps lightly. I say, quite sincerely, that it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Amélie is adorable and wickedly crafty; the plot, special effects, and editing are all crazy and wonderful..

If you haven't seen it, you should really do yourself a favor and do so. =)

=)!

Ooh, this should be good.

At jude's suggestion, I just subscribed to the SF Gate Morning Fix.

SF GATE MORNING FIX: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, a very skewed email column and newsletter, highly opinionated and expertly written, edited, and sporadically spell-checked by SF Gate columnist Mark Morford somewhere between his morning pedicure/colonic and his heavily medicated regression therapy treatment/wine tasting.

**PLEASE NOTE: May contain strong language, irony, deadpan humor, and occasional pointed remarks about the NRA, the Catholic church, and liquid cheese products. Not suitable for anyone who loves pleated khakis, pink wine, or Meg Ryan movies. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are usually those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SF Gate or Hearst Communications.

Truck, getting better all the time

Since today featured such gorgeous weather, I decided more truck work was in order. Tightened up the 12V outlet, so that it holds a plug securely (for the first time since I got the truck). Tightened up the parking brake, so it doesn't have to go to the floor to work.

Then, poked around under the truck. From the catalytic converter back, it should go: muffler, resonator, tailpipe. Between cat and muffler is a flange connection, just fine. The pipe aft of the muffler, welded on, has a hanger also welded on. Attached to this by slip joint and clamp should be the resonator; this pipe is rusted almost clean through at the hanger, just before the resonator. At the rear of the resonator should be welded the tailpipe; this pipe is rusted clean through (and broken apart) just past the res. The tailpipe is resting on the axle housing at the fore end, hanging from its hanger at the aft end.

( The exhaust saga )

Also!

• My bike, despite not starting yesterday--itwould turn over fine, but not start--started just fine today. Alas, I didn't get to ride anywhere as time/destinations didn't permit. Can't fetch exhaust pipes on a bike, after all. Tomorrow promises cold/rain, but the weekend should be great again!
• Dinner was slow-roasted spare ribs and garlic mashed potatoes. So good!

Also also!
Clay Aiken, one of the winning four wildcards in American Idol this week (and thus in the top 12), is phenomenal. I really hope he wins.

Ah, Eight, dilletante of web comics.

After a long hiatus, Bloodlark will not return, nor will Sephen. Continuing his trends of starting a new comic, kicking off well, likely going strong for a while, and likely ending because he no longer feels like writing it, we have his latest, Experimental Pilot Comic #4 (untitled), also at Eightland. It's strongly reminiscent of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

For the record, he's started 14 serial strips and 12 one-shots. Perhaps if he devoted his time to a few and stuck it out.. *sigh*. The problem is that he's -good-, he really is, but he doesn't see it--not enough to keep up with what he starts, anyway.

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In checking through the strips I'd listed as "On long hiatus", I found a few more updates.

Life on Forbez is back! Went on hiatus last April, just came back last week on a new domain.

Story of The Pet Elf came back from pay-only in January, but I forgot until now. (Not work-safe, not even a little.)

I concluded that Ice Cream for Breakfast, Microcosm, Demise Comics, and Nosferatu were never coming back. In most cases, their sites are gone entirely.

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Oh yeah! Happy birthday, BenRa!