Ya I really don’t blog enough anymore. Not that I ever really updated “frequently”, but it’s been way too long since my last post.

Since then, a lot has happened that I should have blogged about earlier…

I had a really amazing, magical Christmas, definitely one I’ll remember forever. It was the start of a new tradition, and the significance and joy of that resonates with me still. New Years Eve was really special too, and it was the perfect way to celebrate 2008 and welcome the start of 2009. 2008 was a banner year for me, unquestionably the best year of my entire life. It was a year of discovery: I found an exciting new city to move to, a great new career to enjoy, and an amazing, incredible, beautiful woman to fall in love with. And I know that 2009 will be even better, a year of building on the success and happiness of 2008, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the year with unparalleled excitement and anticipation.

There’s a new president in the United States, the guy I’ve been hoping would win for the past couple years. That’s exciting, more so for me than ever before, considering my plans for the future. The whole economic situation freaks me out a bit, to be honest, especially considering my industry and my visa situation. But I’m still very optimistic about my career and my immigration hopes. No matter what happens, the future has so much opportunity, and I intend to seize those chances and make the most of them.

The coming months will be months of transition for me – finally moving to my new city, my new place, my new life. I’m looking forward to it more than I can describe. Yes I love Calgary, my family, my friends here, and what the city has meant to me for my entire life – but at the same time, I’m ready to move on. To move on to new possibilities, new experiences, and to be closer to the most important person in the world to me.

Along the way, I’ll still be blogging, so keep reading. The best is yet to come.

I said oooh, girl, shock me like an electric eel

The main JavaScript function from that badge is:

function twitterCallback2(obj) {
	var twitters = obj;
	var statusHTML = "";
	var username = "";
	for (var i=0; i<twitters.length; i++){
		username = twitters[i].user.screen_name
		statusHTML += ('<li><span>'+twitters[i].text+'</span> <a style="font-size:85%" href="http://twitter.com/'+username+'/statuses/'+twitters[i].id+'">'+relative_time(twitters[i].created_at)+'</a></li>')
	}
	document.getElementById('twitter_update_list').innerHTML = statusHTML;
}

So basically it’s just inserting into the twitter_update_list  (the list in the sidebar)  the text of each tweet, and then a link to that particular tweet with the “relative time” as the link text, with a separate relative_time(datetime) function that just converts an actual timestamp to an ordinal name.

So because there’s no formatting inside the twitters[i].text, links are displayed in the same formatting as any other text.

So even though this is kind of a major design flaw (imho), especially coming from Twitter themselves as the official blog badge, it’s just them being simple with their function – low frills.

BUT, we can be a bit fancy with regular expressions. So, if we add another script that replaces the twitter_update_list with a formatted version (that we subject to a search-and-format for links using regexes), then we can force the Twitter sidebar to have true links.

document.getElementById('twitter_update_list').innerHTML = document.getElementById('twitter_update_list').innerHTML.replace(/https?:\/\/([-\w\.]+)+(:\d+)?(\/([\w/_\.]*(\?\S+)?)?)?/g,"<a href="$&">$&</a>");

Overall, this shows that regexes can indeed, save the day.

this way is a waterslide-away-from-me-to-chase-her-fuller-everyday

*Spoiler alert!*

The intro-song was alright, but not spectacular. I liked the idea of the Captain Hammer groupies, but not the execution. The visual of the second, untouched frozen yogurt was a poignant touch.

Fillion’s speech/song was well-done and clever.  A few great, reusable lines, including: “Justice has a name, and the name that it has, besides ‘Justice’” and “it’s not enough to bash in heads, you’ve got to bash in minds!”

I didn’t really like Harris’ comeback solo. For the first time Horrible came across as being completely unlikable, but I guess that was foreshadowing. Then Hammer’s loss of powers tantrum was kinda annoying. It was in that moment when I grimaced and expected the ending to be rather mundane, some sort of Dr. Horrible change of heart and a Billy/Penny reconciliation/romance.

But no! Tragedy! “Captain Hammer will save us”. Ouch.

And suddenly the tale becomes much deeper – the loss of the only truly good thing in his life pushes the protagonist over the edge into darkness, with but a glimpse of his shattered humanity in the final moment. It’s, it’s…

horrible.

this darkness which you know you cannot fight

The whole geek anti-hero aspect of the story is definitely what makes it entertaining – so strikingly cliché, and yet told from an opposite perspective. And delightfully musical.

The crescendo intro duet was great, as was the outro rock-ish tension builder. Harris has a really great “abject dejection” face, and the blink-twitch is a nice mannerism touch that emphasizes the whole socially-inept-genius element. I especially enjoy the visual of him in the goggles and labsuit, awesome costume work. Haha, both Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible remind me so much of Freedom Force.

“The hammer is my penis”. Hahaha. Instantly classic.

I’m looking forward to the third and final act, which drops on Saturday.

over rivers, farms, and state lines

Ok, so it wasn’t actually that great. But for a < 15 min. musical comedy vlog, it was worth my time. Neil Patrick Harris came across surprisingly good (I hate Malcolm in the Middle, for the record, which affects my judgment). Uber-cool Nathan Fillion was actually kinda douchey, but I guess that’s his character. Although, it was amusing to hear both of them sing (Harris – again, surprisingly good). Felicia Day I don’t really find attractive at all, which kinda ruins her hero’s-romantic-interest potential in my books, but she has massive geek cred so it’s ok.

Overall it was campy but enjoyable, quirky but watchable – and touched actual emotions just enough (laundromat scene/song) to make me want to watch Act II when it drops tomorrow.

The inflated-popularity is hugely attributable to fellow browncoats looking for some of that Whedon+Fillion magic to be revived again (that was my reason for tuning in), and although Firefly can’t be bested, seeing Fillion again, in anything with Whedon’s name on it, is almost good enough. The key word being “almost”.

’twas the twelving day of Everfair

It’s pretty cool to be able to visually express text in this sort of format, and instantly recognize certain key words and concepts that stand out.

For example, here’s the word-cloud for my blog feed (click to expand):

“Like, really?” Haha.

can’t help but think of yesterday

Haha, the following list highlights some of my favourites (i.e. I know they definitely apply to me):

• #4 – Assists
• #8 – Barack Obama
• #11 – Asian Girls
• #19 – Traveling
• #26 – Manhattan
• #34 – Architecture
• #36 – Breakfast Places
• #55 – Apologies
• #64 – Recycling
• #80 – The Idea of Soccer
• #87 – Outdoor Performance Clothes

Lol, classic.

when fools can be kings?

Anyhow, this isn’t a “return to my normal blogging routine” post, but a pre-post to that, a forewarning if you will, a waypoint on that journey.

And how lame is that? :P

But hey, whatever, I feel like posting again. Even if it’s only to say that I’m pretty busy at work, to the point where I haven’t really had a chance to figure out numerous other aspects of my life, or put much effort into staying in contact with people. But then again I’m also a workaholic with poor extra-curricular time management skills and a probable sleeping disorder. Who enjoys long walks on the beach… :P

Oh, just one “hot topic” I wanted to touch on briefly: the recent death of Heath Ledger, which saddens me greatly (or at least as greatly as a celebrity death can.) I liked him as an actor (The Patriot, A Knight’s Tale, Four Feathers) and whatever the “true story” behind his departure from this world might be, it’s tragic. I was really looking forward to the upcoming awesomeness that Dark Knight should (hopefully) prove to be, but now it’s doomed to a certain other overhanging darkness. Perhaps especially due to the type of role (The Joker) that Ledger plays in the film.

Anyhow, I don’t have time now to explain (hopefully it’s obvious), but it’s something I would have otherwise explored in greater detail, with high introspective potential. But ya, never mind, opportunity lost.

In every sense…

millions never will

It needed a feminine touch anyhow ;)

Chrissy, good things come in pairs…

in an ordinary world

Reflections on what went down in 2007, along with some hopeful anticipations for ’08, will be forthcoming… as I actually sort them out myself. I suppose this 07/08 chronological divide also marks another chapter break in my personal narrative, as the change of calendar corresponds with a change of my semi-permanent geographic location – perhaps my most significant relocation of yet? Hmmm… such things to think about.

I think I’ll sleep on it.

these are my snow covered dreams