MemeMachineGo!

Civilization IV: the Complete Edition, -- Civ4 with all three supplements, including the recent Colonization, is finally out. It's all on a single DVD for $37 at Amazon, and with no DRM, which should make it a lot easier to get it to work under Wine. I'm not buying anything with DRM anymore (not counting functionally non-existent DRM like DVDs') so I'd figured I'd never see the two Civ4 supplements I don't have. Way to actually give people what they want, 2K Games.

I'm holding off on purchasing it, though, 'cause I don't want the time hit right now.

The Linux Hauppauge HVR-2250 driver looks to be in usable condition, so I should be able to disassemble the Rube Goldberg arrangement by which I have a device attached to my serial port that sends IR remote control signals to a digital TV converter box to change channels so I can record things on my analog TV tuner card. (Yeah, I'm amazed it works at all, too.) I'll be able to record in HD, too, for all the good it'll do me, what with still chugging along with a non-HD CRT TV and an original Xbox for an HTPC.

Last Thursday, the 14th, I ordered Civilization IV: the Complete Edition, like I planned, from Amazon. It was eligible for Free Super Shipping Saving, which I chose. On Sunday, they emailed that it had shipped via USPS, and gave a tracking number. Of course, that just meant that they'd printed the label; they couldn't get it to the Post Office before Monday.

As of now, Wednesday morning, USPS still hasn't heard of it. Order tracking on Amazon describes it as having shipped on Sunday with the details "Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit."

Maybe the Amazon warehouse in New Castle, Delaware is really far from the Post Office. Maybe it's lost or there's been some other screw-up. Maybe it's even the case that every truck out of the warehouse in the past two days has been filled to capacity with higher-priority packages.

But it's seeming a little more likely that it's simply sitting, waiting to be shipped until I've been adequately punished for my cheapness.

Updated: In the comments, Doug G. points out that USPS' tracking isn't reliable enough to conclude that an item hasn't shipped. He's right, and I withdraw my speculation that Amazon was sitting on my package.

A new genetic study has determined that the ancient Egyptians were latecomers to cat domestication, which now looks like it began around ten thousand years ago in the Fertile Crescent.

There's no disputing of the Egyptians' pioneering contributions to cat worship, however.

First televised image of Mars was color-by-numbers [via Sore Eyes]

The Netherlands is closing prisons: not enough criminals. [via Bob Harris]

If your dad is a chemistry professor, asking why can be dangerous

Pocahontas and I went to Monterey this weekend. Cannery Row is now tourist shops, with no signs of poverty allowed.

Local hotels sell 2-day passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the same price the Aquarium sells a one-day pass. On Sunday, it seemed like we were violating some local custom by not having brought a double-wide child stroller, but Monday wasn't so crowded.

Besides the sea otters (there's supposed to be a webcam of them, but right now it's showing an exterior shot of Monterey Bay,) my favorite exhibits were the leafy sea dragon, and the ribbon pipehorse, two of the most incredible animal mimics I've ever seen, even trumping the leaf mimics I posted to the Free Range Memes sidebar.

Entry title courtesy of the Tick.