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A Super Mario Kart-inspired rendering of the Bay Area Rapid Transit map. I so want a print of this for my eventual new place in San Francisco.

The artist also just released a map of DC's Metro system based on Super Mario Bros. 3; a second version includes the full Silver Line as planned.

Captain Peacock is no longer free.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If you must shorten it, it's "Paddy" not "Patty." To wit:

Paddy is derived from the Irish, Pádraig, hence those mysterious, emerald double-Ds.

Patty is the diminutive of Patricia, or a burger, and just not something you call a fella.

So there you have it.

Had I planned my weekend better, I'd have gone out of my way to make some sort of Irish-themed brunch today, complete with a Guinness-based cocktail: the Black Velvet Royale. From their Facebook page (because I can't find this recipe on their regular web site):

BLACK VELVET ROYALE RECIPE 
Ingredients
• 1 part GUINNESS® 
• 1 part Champagne
• Splash of Cassis (to taste) 

METHOD
Make sure all ingredients are well chilled. Start by mixing the Cassis with the GUINNESS to increase density of the GUINNESS. Slowly pour the GUINNESS/Cassis down the side of the champagne flute until it half fills the glass. Top with champagne poured over a bar spoon.

Well, there's always next year for the brunch.

Whether you celebrate with a pint or a parade, sláinte!

As I get older, more and more of of my friends, colleagues and so on settle into married life. While I – approaching 35 – don't know that I'll ever be the marrying kind, for the first time ever, I'm invited to witness the formal unionizations of three couples.

In one of those ceremonies, I'll perform best man duties to the best of my ability. Oddly enough, that wedding is for my first ex, as he marries the man he dated after me. Life gets weird like that sometimes. We all get alongfortunately, but my best man speech is sure to involve awkwardness at some point.

Another of these ceremonies – this time for one of my colleagues – takes place a copule of weeks earlier in New Orleans. I'd love to be there; I have great respect for him and he is fantastic to be around. When I returned to work after a month-long absence due to illness, he welcomed me back with a big hug and let me know how great it was I returned. 

The third event for a pair of very close friends takes place in late Septmber. I had this date in the back of my mind and given my plans to relocate to San Francisco in July, I expected to fly back to DC to celebrate with them. I received their invite today and much to my surprise, it's in Long Beach. Certainly, this will be an easier trip to swing at that point. And after a brief text exchange this afternoon, I suspect there's more for me in store personally with this one.

The mystery lingers on – at least until I have dinner with them next.

2013 is shaping up to be a celebratory year, and we only just begun.

Today I remember the Honorable Ed Koch, Mayor(-for-Life) of New York City. His mayorship began about 3 months before I was born and lasted for 12 years.

Oddly, I remember him less for his mayorship and more for his many television and movie appearances, most set in New York City of course. His credits include Gimme a Break!, the Muppets Take Manhattan, Spin City, and Sex and the City.

Koch was also the first sitting mayor to host Saturday Night Live. Below is a clip of his opening monologue, where he takes jabs at President Ronald Reagan, Governor Mario Cuomo, and even himself.

How'd he do?