I may be religious, but I can't say I'm especially superstitious.

All this talk about dates being harbingers of doom makes me skeptical. Sure, it is fun to speculate about when humanity's end will arrive, but we are doing well enough with that on our own.

The significance of particular days seems to be more than coincidence due to the fact certain events were planned by man, rather than being true disasters. 

Was it not Jesus Jones who noted the world could change in the blink of an eye? With empires rising and falling almost overnight, we live in a time where any morning we could wake up in a different different world than the one we knew before. Take the consumer product empires of Sony, Proctor & Gamble, and General Motors. With a shift in consumer preference, or rises in oil prices, luxury goods go from necessities to past indulgences.

The concept of butterfly effects in weather, financial markets, or emotional states shouldn't be anything new. Japan's economic collapse in 1989, the economic downturn of the new millennium, and the Great Depression are just a few taught in schools these days.

California may be warming up for the big one. It could come in the night. It could arrive at the break of day. I doubt it will come on a superstitiously observed date . . . but I am allowed to be wrong.

In a possibly anticlimactic exercise of existentialism, I ask myself every morning when I get up, "What will be the new world of today?"

Experts measure consumer confidence, market caps, depression, barometric pressure, and a slew of other KPIs to answer the same question. Others deal with the radical uncertainty by either amusing themselves into a stupor or running around crying wolf. A few, determined individuals look to the future with hope and through hard work make their dreams a reality.

While we certainly live in an era marked by disaster, conflict, and consumption, each of us can have a positive, profound impact within our circle of influence and ultimately throughout the world. A day is what you make of it. The particular calendar entry should rarely impose constraints on how you live your life.

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34)

This last weekend provided some curious revelations which have led me to believe in secret identities once more.

After the better part of a year associating with some friends of ours, my wife and I had dinner with the couple at their house. Aside from being impeccably decorated, their home offered a pleasant atmosphere for discussion about a litany of subjects. 

Since we met in Lamaze class, our children and child-based activities have been the cornerstone of our interaction. With both children securely retired, we had some additional adult conversation ranging from travel debacles to why Star Trek II is the best Trek. After the former discourse degenerated into a comparative evaluation of interests, we lingered on a comic book discussion for a while.

In startling revelations, my friend Dan turned out to be none other than D. Curtis Johnson of Chase fame.

His identity was secret even to me. Perhaps it was his super identity that had escaped me, since I knew him only as the mild-mannered, fellow tech employee.

Sometimes the secret identity is the best identity with whom to be acquainted.

In other super hero news, my copy of the new Aquabats album showed up. It is familiar Aquabat fun packaged in audio form. While the production has increased over time, the songwriting has declined due to time, cast, and creativity pressures.

For those not in the know, check out the video I uploaded.

Over the years (even in my relatively old age) I have enjoyed the zaniness of their concerts, the antics in the music, and the squeaky-clean fun available for all "the kids."

I have waited in lines with Prince Adam, met Karl Malone in the middle of a Louisiana project, gotten a back rub from the Governator's personal masseuse, and been rebuffed by Jim Lee. Somehow, somewhere, some of that power must have been passed on. As of now, my secret origin is a secret even to me.

"You'll never take us alive!"

Lately the Big Three have been making a lot of statements. It seems the next-gen system war is heating up and it is spilling over into a PR war.

Nintendo renames its console, Gates makes statements about Halo 3, Phil Harrison is calling people stupid and saying the PS3 will replace PCs, Peter Moore says "nobody is concerned anymore about backward compatibility" . . . I could go on.

While all of the talking heads are going on about technology and branding and which system is better, they are causing casualties. In tactical stations around the world, PR people are dying as their terminals explode from truly shameful executive statements.

Observe the destruction within the Nintendo PR room after the Wii announcement:

I'm not sure how OSHA allows this danger to persist, but it needs to stop. Common workstations are just not capable of handling the intense data pressure generated by ludicrous statements.

The additional hazard pay provided to Marketing and PR employees is insufficient to offset the danger. This is why it is essential for executives to think before they speak.

The NEW Cars have hit the road in support of thier new album. Unfortunately, the quirky life that flowed through the music is absent in the new tracks.

The good news is, the old stuff is covered well, despite the absence of Ric Ocasek and, the now deceased, Ben Orr. While some have argued the whiz-bang sounds that made them famous disappeared before they first broke up, I have found most of the back catalogue to be not only quirky, but also a pop confection hard to refuse. The members of the band may be getting older, but they definitely rock better than the [perennially] Rolling Stones.

The live tracks from It's Alive have a solid, rocking flow fitting of any who would call themselves the Cars. Some of the songs sound different, but the difference is more of a reflection of the new lineup.

Despite living and working in the 21st century, no song by the Cars should ever mention the mobile gadget known as the Blackberry. . . especially when taking a woman's number, who you do not plan on hooking up with tonight.

Some things don't age well. 

As I near the end of my Corporate Finance class, the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) becomes an especially heavy topic to wrap my head around.

Fortunately, I can always count on my journalistic friends at GameSpot to deliver relevant and inspiring opportunities to apply my newfound knowledge. The latest of which came today in the news of Midway's $72-million bond offering.

Genius

an I get a w00t for this new emblem? Evidently I've "exhaustively used with the tagging system." [sic]

Yesterday, after a marathon Halo 2 session, I completed King Kong on the 360. That aKomplishment Katapulted my achievements into the thousands.

The monkey game wasn't really that tough. If it hadn't been for the points, I Kan honestly say I would have never played. Now I just have to tie together all of the PerfeKts I racked up in Burnout Revenge. Then I Kan rent some disposable games to get the sKore to the artificially high "normal" level.

Microsoft really needs to sell a shirt that says, "I play for points."

In the next two weeks I have: finals, moving, and more work than I Kare to think about. Truly, Summer time has arrived.

On Memorial Day two things are traditional: a Bar-b-que, and a remembrance of the valiant men & women who have given their lives to ensure peace, freedom, and the American way of life.

Both of my grandfathers were veterans of World War II. Some of my closest friends, and members of my wife's family have consecrated their time to serve the will of the Commander in Chief.

It just so happened I attended a confluence of gaming and grilling in the form of a Halo party. Like charcoal sales tactics, we piled the ammo high and watched it fly! We had some truly noble matches, with my team prevailing often. By no means has anyone in the afore-mentioned match-ups been nationally ranked, but we had a great range of players.

I just wish I had gotten some points for the matches.

It is amazing how adorable my little girl can be in a room full of women.

A bunch of my friends came over to my parents' house for dinner today. There was almost a fight between all of the women to hold the little angel. My parents ran interference to ensure they got to spend the most time with their offspring. A wise move.

Last night my wife and I watched Mystery Men. I hadn't seen it since I watched it waaaay too many times in college. I had set my wife's expectations of the film so low she was actually pleasantly surprised by it. Definitely not one of the best super hero movies of all time.

Don's Top Five Super Hero Movies thus far:

1. Spider-man 2 - The conflict within Peter Parker is brilliantly captured in Sam Raimi's follow-up to his ground-breaking first film. The continuing father/son issues, the difficult relationships, and the longing for companionship with the right person all combine in a stellar, character-driven film with plenty of action.

2. X-Men 2 - Finally, Bryan Singer and an army of writers have captured the essence of what makes the X-Men great. The history of Wolverine is told and the seeds of the Phoenix are planted. Two fo the greatest X-stories are suitably interwoven (among others) to provide one of the greatest hero stories of all time.

3. Spider-man - Sam Raimi tells an updated story of the origin of the webslinger. Excellent casting and a strong script support the experience. The end is not only true to form but sheer brilliance in telling a story of true love and difficult choices faced by those who would wisely use their power & responsibility.

4. Superman - It IS Superman. The man of steel begins his tenure in Metropolis, hits it off with Lois Lane, faces Lex Luthor, and a story that can turn back time better than Cher could have ever done. Star-powered casting, and remarkable performances give this movie wings where others (including sequels) fall flat.

5. Batman - Gotham city is a dark and brooding place. A perfect city for Tim Burton to tell the caped crusaders story. The batmobile is sexy and the story is just as exaggerated and flamboyant as any comic. Unfortunately, the casting was too star-powered.

Can one hope for gaming on a holiday weekend?

If that person is me, we shall see.

Hopefully I can knock out the rest of King Kong. Another 800 achievement points should hold me for a while.

:D