First things first. You probably have noticed there are a few new odds and ends scattered around fac13. And you might be asking yourself ... "Login? What the hell for?". Well, let me respond to that in a few ways. First, it streamlines comment submission and allows for a few new features. Second, it adds an extra layer of security for the site. And third, it was another programming challenge, the kind i just can't resist. Oh yes, and fourth, if i ever am hard up for money, i can sell all your emails for a quick buck. Just kidding. But not really. But seriously, as always, an upgrade could just as easily be called a bug in disguise so if anything looks awry to you, please let me know.

Also, if you've explored a bit you may have noticed i added a concert review section to the music page. Just a few minutes ago i added my thoughts on last Wednesday's Yeah Yeah Yeahs show. I've trolled my journal and copied all show comments, large and small, to this new area. You'll notice that while browsing my mp3 library and listening statistics, any band that i have a concert review for will be appropriately linked.

I've spent way too much time implementing these changes (and unfortunately, my riddled brain just keeps coming up with more). In other news ...

Saturday Night Live this week, with host Natalie Portman, was actually pretty funny. Breaking the string of garbage that show had been putting out lately. However, in their two performances punk pop flavor of the month Fall Out Boy sounded like four guys who'd just met ten minutes earlier. Did they sound check? Do they care about playing the song or just jumping off the drum stage? Can the rhythm section keep time?

I won a bet against Veronica last week. While i didn't call Crystal's exact abductor on All My Children, i was only one person removed. And a hell of a lot closer than V's guess of Janet, and the bet was that she was correct. So i won $100, $43 of which went towards Black, the latest first person shooter and carnage-fest for the Xbox. Geoff and Naomi were over on Friday night, and us guys gave it a whirl. More than a whirl, it kept us up until 3:30am. No multiplayer, but we alternated tackling single player levels. A wonderfully-executed visual game, with solid FPS mechanics. I loaned it to Geoff as he and Naomi headed back to Sac on Saturday, he's reportedly plowing right through it. I'll give it more time asap.

I used the remainder of my winnings to buy a smattering of graphic novels at Borders after dinner with my parents on Saturday night. I've been meaning to check out V for Vendetta prior to seeing the film version later this month. So i grabbed that, but was then enticed to finally pick up Frank Miller's reinvention of Batman in the classic the Dark Night Returns. Alan Moore's often-referenced Watchmen brought my book and game spending to an even $100.

Dinner with my parents was scrumptious. My dad grilled a whole chicken using a magazine recipe, one that involved opening a can of beer and stuffing the bird with it while cooking. It resulted in a wonderfully juicy and flavorful main course. My mom also made some very tasty cheddar and jalapeno drop biscuits, and a tomato and artichoke side.

V and i cruised the bay area hunting for a new entertainment center all weekend. We drove to the Bay Street shopping area in Emeryville Saturday afternoon, having a quick lunch at Fuddrucker's before inspecting a candidate piece at Hold Everything. We agreed it looked too plain and mass-produced, so we passed. Forays into Harvest Home Store, Pottery Barn, and Bombay (Mumbai?) were no more successful. Today we went to San Francisco to look at an interesting unit with intricate lattice doors at Room and Board. V is waffling over the final decision, so we may or may not return to buy that one soon. We did come away with a very nice 200 year-old Chinese painted wooden box, which looks particularly at home atop our imperial Chinese china cabinet.

They just showed a one second clip from Blade Runner on the Oscars. That movie is so damn brilliant. So brilliant that even a one second clip sucked me in more than the ten second montage of Titanic. I didn't see any of the Best Picture clips this year, although i am adamant that i will catch Munich and Capote eventually. Maybe even Brokeback Mountain.

Unfortunately, i left my cell phone at home all day Saturday and missed Jenz's invitation to that evening's Stereolab show. After getting Veronica to pester her to see if she had any extra tickets. I'm a butthead. Apparently the show was great, impressing Stereolab-newbie Jenz.

I'm open to the possibility that Robert Altman may be brilliant. But the movies of his that i've seen, Prêt-à-Porter, Gosford Park, and Popeye, have all left me going ".......... annnnnnnd?".

After talking to old friend Greg after the YYY show, i discovered that i am by no stretch of the imagination on top of the concert calendar anymore. I had no idea (although i can't rule out the possibility that V told me and i just zoned out) that Stereolab were playing, nor was i aware of upcoming shows by We Are Wolves, Animal Collective, Oneida, +/- and Her Space Holiday at the Noise Pop Festival, and Wilderness. I'm not as much of a showgoer as i used to be, but this is unacceptable. I don't need to go to them all, but i need to know they're happening!

Allow me to be the 10,000th person to make this joke ... is there some little-known clause in the Academy bylaws that requires nominating Judi Dench whenever she appears in a film? Pretty soon she'll be nominated for playing M in the James Bond movies.