Month: October 2007

I congratulate my good friends, Sarah and Bryan, who got married today in Australia. I am disappointed I could not be there in person to share in their happiness but I am glad that a few mutual friends were able make the trip. I can only imagine how beautiful it is at Airlie Beach at this time of year. As I type this, the party must be in full swing by now.

It would have been grand to have said to Sarah’s father, “it takes a man to give away angel.” I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Kidd before and I know he would have liked that.

Sarah and Bryan, I know you’ve made each other very happy and will continue to do so. Once again, congratulations on the happy day and I look forward to seeing you soon.

This post might only apply to people who use toilet paper but if you do, this might interest you. In the last few weeks, we’ve been using Charmin Ultra Soft here at the offices of et.com. I tell ya, it must be the softest and thickest TP I’ve ever had the pleasure of wiping with. It feels like I’m using restaurant linens and really, when you’re in the bathroom, that’s the experience you’re trying to go for.

Next time you’re at the supermarket, think about picking up a few rolls.

I like Tom Cruise the actor. For the most part, I enjoy watching his movies. Whether he’s running away from an UAV-launched missile or trying to keep himself and his family from being killed by aliens, it’s good times all around.

It’s Tom Cruise the Scientologist that I don’t like so much. It’s weird because for the most part, I’m pretty down with people who believe in aliens. The Scientologists though, man, they take it to a whole new and odd level. Just do some research on Xenu and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Recently, there have been reports that Cruise plans to build a $10 mil USD bunker underneath his Colorado home. Apparently, the bunker is in preparation for an attack by Xenu whom Cruise believes will return to Earth someday. Sounds crazy right? Well, even though Cruise reps have denied such plans, I think it’s a great idea. Let me explain.

So while I think it’s unlikely Xenu will return to our planet to attack humans, I believe the bunker would serve Cruise well in more likely doomsday scenarios. In no particular order, they are:

1. Global nuclear war

While the Cold War is now decades behind us, that doesn’t mean nuclear weapons have disappeared from the planet completely. All it takes is one military AI system to become sentient and pretty soon we’ll have ICBMs criss-crossing the Atlantic. Cruise’s bunker would be an excellent place to wait out the effects of the nuclear winter that is for sure to follow.

2. Zombie apocalypse

Sure there’s no scientific proof that zombies exist but as movies, TV shows, books, and comics show us, a global takeover by zombies could be feasible (and happen quite quickly as well). Civilization as we know it would be gone. So while you’re trying to board up your windows and looking at the last granola bar in your kitchen, Cruise would be snug knowing his bunker would be completely zombie-proof.

3. Giant meteorite event

Despite the leadership from President Morgan Freeman and the last second heroics by Bruce Willis, it’s quite possible that a large meteor could indeed strike our planet with devastating consequences. It’s been theorized that such an impact killed off the dinosaurs by blocking out the sunlight (on a global scale) and rendering the Earth uninhabitable for many, many years. In such a situation, the bunker would definitely help but Cruise would still be in a lot of danger. The Earth could wind up off-axis which might lead to extreme weather conditions. Also, the planet’s surface could be uninhabitable for centuries, meaning Cruise would almost certainly have to live out his life inside the bunker.

4. Alien attack from other than Xenu

It would be close-minded to think that only one alien in the universe might attack Earth. While, I am sure Xenu would be a formidable opponent for Will Smith and his Marine F-18, the possibility does exist that another race of aliens could attack our planet. Cruise’s bunker would be an excellent place to be during the first wave of attacks where the aliens could be laying waste to the surface. It’s unclear how good the bunker would be if the aliens came looking for Cruise though.

So there you have it! Would Cruise be crazy for building such a bunker? I think not!

The gaming portion of the web site AT&T blue room came to EA Black Box to do a multi-part feature on skate. The host of the show, the lovely Brittany Allbright, did a taped tour of the entire floor where skate. was made. They picked an unfortunate time to come to Vancouver since most of the team, including myself, was on a very well-earned vacation. I didn’t even know these videos existed until tonight. It’s just my luck that the one day an attractive lady comes to talk to the team on camera and I’m away. I know I would have probably just made a fool of myself but hey, I want that chance. They must have did the taping in late August or early September.

Anyways, there were some people around, so a few of my co-workers were able to get on camera. Ms. Allbright was led around the floor by the always entertaining Chris Parry who is also known as “Cuz” in the online community. Click here for the video tour of skate. central. If you look closely in the video, you’ll the see the entrance to the awesome “executive” washroom where people go do their important business. The rest of this series is quite interesting, I don’t think another web site got this much access to the game.

It’s been over a month (about five weeks) since my last haircut. I’m getting my hair shortened on Tuesday.