Last night was great! The 10-strong Badger posse descended on the Quarter before midnight and partied up a storm on Jackson Square and later at Flanagan’s, the second-best Irish pub in New Orleans (although they were out of Guinness for a few crucial hours). We even had an immune-compromised Michiganian in tow, as an example to those who may question the might and right of the Cheesehead nation.

“Look, it’s Harry Anderson at the end of the bar.” Casually tossing hair aside and peering over shoulder, I realize that it is indeed Harry Anderson (Judge Harry on Night Court), playing his infamous card and coin tricks on barflies. Ok, whatever, he isn’t talking to me.

Back to the matter of the missing Guinness.

An hour later, D’s over talking to Harry about hats. Besides being tall and, ahem, gifted in the mid-section, D and Harry share a love of les chapeaux. It is revealed that Harry has a head the size of a melon and can easily fit into the hats inherited by D from his late great-grandfather. Ok, more weird boy stuff.

Where’s my Guinness?

30 minutes later, Dave and Michigan Boy get thrashed at games of 3 Card Monty. Guess who’s doing the thrashing. Yup, it’s Harry!

Still no Guinness.

Dan and Michelle, thoroughly starstruck (and equally pie-eyed by now), decide to “get autographs from and take pictures with Harry.” Oh my god, get away from me, you freaks, and don’t tell anyone you know me. Then, the unexpected. As I say goodbyes to friends and get ready to leave, I get a Happy New Year hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a quiet “You’re gorgeous” from Harry. Thanks?

Forget the Guinness.

Conning the con man: I heard later that as Harry and D were talking about hats and card tricks, Harry said to D, “You know who I am, right? I played the judge on Night Court.” To which D deadpanned, “No, no, can’t say that I’ve ever seen that show.” Harry was dumbstruck. Cruel D, but so appropriate!

Oh, and GET ‘EM, BUCKY!

From Think Secret:

Code-named Q88, [the new Mac with] a 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 processor is said to be incredibly small and will be housed in a flat enclosure with a height similar to the 1.73 inches of Apple’s Xserve … size benefits will include the ability to stand the Mac on its side or put it below a display or monitor. The so-called “headless” iMac will allow Apple’s target audience — Windows users looking for a cheap, second PC — to keep their current peripherals or decide on their own what to pair with the system, be it a high-priced LCD display or an inexpensive display.

Initial reaction: I am “LIKE OMG SO TOTALLY SO” getting one of these.

Then, suspicion creeps in. What’s the catch?

Hope all of you are enjoying your holidays so far. The Southeast Asian Quake and Tsunami reminds us that “civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” This incident hurts even more as a lot of the poor and uneducated who perished did so not knowing what a tsunami is. They, mostly youngsters, thought it was something cool to witness and actually walked towards the ocean to get a better glimpse.

Just wanted to let you know that if you are planning on giving to the Red Cross or an equivalent disaster relief fund, please find out whether your employer will offer matching funds. If not, please think about giving your money to someone who can acquire matching funds before sending the money over. Lots of companies will give up to $500 in matching funds for this sort of effort. With today’s exchange rates, your donation is worth a lot to the average Asian.

Some of us have ties to southeast Asia by being, you know, southeast Asian. My grandma (father’s mother) was evacuated out of her beachfront home, and my parents, who currently reside two blocks from the Bay of Bengal in Chennai (SE India) are busy feeding and clothing the homeless who have set up makeshift homes right outside my parents’ house. While only 300 or so people died in Chennai (3000 total in the state of Tamil Nadu), beachfront homes up and down the coast have been damaged or washed away and the imminence of disease epidemics reigns supreme. Add to that being unable to leave their home due to the threat of looting, and you can understand the collective dilemma that a lot of Asians face even if not directly hit by the tsunami.

2004 was a tough year in terms of climatological disasters. Here’s hoping that the new year brings with it natural and manmade peace.

ReliefWeb – South Asia: Earthquake and Tsunami Updates

Query Letters To A Hollywood Producer

My favorite is Hoop Dreams Meets Shawshank: “A black guard coaches a prison basketball team and finds the strength and motivation he needs in a crippled, white inmate who shoots three-point baskets better than anyone he’s ever seen.”

That and Midnight Runs Meets Spaceballs