The other night while playing games, a group (who shall remain nameless to protect their identities) and I came up with a fictional band. We then started reminiscing about their albums, debating which were our favorites. The band?

The Shitty Bricks

Their albums include...

Drop 'Em Off
Menage a Deux
In The Face
Owe You A Shit Ton

...and their greatest hits album: In The Whole.

Juvenile humor doesn't have to stop being funny just because you're not juvenile, y'know?

Feeling: silly

I never got this kind of treatment at Microsoft. I guess different places value their contractors...differently.

Located: The Bunny Hole
Feeling: pleased

I have way too many CDs. Enough that it's silly. Enough that I don't listen to anywhere near all of them. Some of them, I don't even like but keep on hand because maybe someone else will want to listen to them. It's ridiculous. So, I made myself a promise that, if I could get together over 100 CDs to sell at the used record store, I'd trade them in for credit toward the Beatles remasters box set. I culled 260.

Below is the list. If you'd like any of these before I take them to the used CD store, I'll let you have them for used CD prices. Let's say $2.50 per CD, $10 for 5.

( The List )


Send me an e-mail, leave a comment, call, do whatever. I'll drag what's left to the store sometime later this week.

Feeling: accomplished

I'm hosting the auditions for Geeks Who Drink next week and thought I'd post the details here in case anyone I know in the Seattle or Eastside is interested.

Geeks Who Drink currently runs four weekly pub quizzes in Seattle and is set to start up at several other new venues in the coming weeks. They are looking to hire several talented quizmasters and mistresses, AKA hosts, emcees, etc.... They're looking for outgoing folks with snarky senses of humor who can talk coherently on a mic in front of a room full of strangers, drunks and strange drunks.

They provide all the questions and other quiz material as well as training, the host just needs to...host. And then blog about it. The host also needs a laptop and a digital camera.

It's a weekly gig that usually starts around 7-8pm Monday through Thrusday. The pay is $50 plus a $25 bar tab for 2.5-3 hours of work.

Prospective candidates should fill out a quick online application here: http://www.geekswhodrink.com/blog/jobs/qmapply.php

I will be holding auditions at Ozzie's in Queen Anne on Thursday, Sept. 17th starting at 7pm. You need to fill out an application in order to audition.

GeeksWhoDrink.com has more information about who they are and what they do. Please see the "About Us" section. Or you can ask me!

Located: The New Bunny Hole
Feeling: working

Kitchen Timer

You need one. We all need one. The one on your stove is broken. The one on the microwave makes a loud, unnatural sound that irritates your pets and makes your skin crawl. Using your cell phone isn't actually cool unless you have an iPhone with a kitchen timer app and then it's only cool to those people.

So, you buy a kitchen timer; one that you have space for and counts down just as many minutes as is necessary. I bought this one from Kikkerland Design because it's magnetic, easy to use, and comes in old-fashioned appliance blue.

Don't buy it; it's a piece of shit.

Picture this: you get your new kitchen timer home and eagerly unwrap it, like a gift you bought yourself after Christmas. You toss the instructions because they say obvious or useless things like, "Turn to set," or "Buy our other kitchen timers." You put it on the refrigerator but not quite in the right place, so you slide it to a new location and it leaves a black trail across the face of your freezer door.

Maybe you should clean it. Maybe, but doing so in the sink will fill the timer with water, warping the readout paper and causing the face to fog up. You won't be able to return it in that condition.

Maybe you should wipe off the magnet with a paper towel. Maybe, but tell me when you eventually get black residue to stop rubbing off. I never got that far.

In all likelihood, you'll buy two or three kitchen timers in your life and pay a paltry sum for each one. Just don't buy this one. Also, if you happen to walk by 423-427 West 127th St, New York, NY 10027, pick out a random designer and kick them in the nuts.

Located: The New Bunny Hole
Feeling: amused

I didn't know this launched!

Rocket Riot came out for Xbox Live Arcade on the 17th. Having no internet during the move means I miss all the cool stuff.

XBOX 360 friends, get your ass online and download this game! It's frantic! It's awesome! It's like real-time Worms with jetpacks and destructible environments! Also, the football/rugby mode is excellent. Four player on the box! Eight player online!

Seriously, this game is a riot and I can't wait until I get the internet (that's now working in my home) all the way down to the man cave so I can partake too.

In closing, try the demo and soon you will understand.

Located: The Cave of Secrets
Feeling: excited

Today was my first day as the trainer in the super secret game testing lab. I told those new guys what's what and they wrote down everything I said! That should have been the my favorite part of my day but I got a message from Miranda just after lunch. Matt Harding wrote a book. He was giving a talk and signing it in Wallingford.

I went. I bought the book. He signed it. We danced.



In closing, that was actually my favorite part of the day.

Feeling: pleased
Listening: "Drone" by David Garza

Brains of the Brainless
Law of the Lawless
Loves of the Loveless
Life of the Lifeless
Light of the Lightless
Chicken Dicks of the Chicken Dickless

In closing, I'm sure each one of them had something profound in mind.

Located: The Bunny Hole
Feeling: awake

The organization I work for is is ramping up like they do every Spring meaning it's time to hire game testers. Both my boss and my Volt recruiter have asked if I know anyone interested in the work and to pass along their resumes. If you're interested, let me know as the referral could be good for you and the sweet, sweet referral bonus could be good for me. (I do not deny some self-interest in these hard economic times.)

THE JOB:
40 hrs a week, currently day shift only (9:00-5:30), ~$11hr DOE. Contracts from 3 months to a year (no more than 12 months though). Location: near the ass end of 520. No computer science degree nor previous testing experience necessary. However, you do need a healthy interest in games and the ability to find faults with them. This is the bottom of the heap but it's a nice place to start or a good way to stave off those unemployment blues.

Drop me a comment or e-mail at ironmaus (AT) gmail (DOOT) com.

In closing, I'm stoked for the quiz at Ozzie's tonight. Many chicken strips will be eaten and brain sprains dealt.

Located: The Cave of Secrets
Feeling: mischievous

When you're around me, every day is National High Five Day.

In closing....

Located: The Cave of Secrets
Feeling: dirty
Listening: "One" by Bee Gees