Sunday, December 25, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
A fitting conclusion
Eileen Howells passed away this morning, joining her husband Harold in the afterlife.
She was my last living grandparent.
She passed peacefully, or as peacefully as such things go. She entered ICU Saturday evening, fell asleep on Sunday, and took her last breath earlier this morning. When we heard that she entered the hospital and things didn't look good, we hoped this would be the end. Dimentia had set in so her recollection of family was limited at best. Her children didn't necessarily get along and the majority of the family is spread out accross the country. Her wish was that the kids would stop arguing and enjoy the holidays with one another. As I type this, all her children that are able are gathering back in Ohio. As much as she was loving she was equally stubborn, and even in her death she appears to have gotten her way, if only for a day or two before the arguing over the services sets in.
Harry and Eileen were youth leaders at their local church for well over 20 years, faithfully serving their Lord by coming along side the high school children of their community and meeting them at their level. Their home was always open to the students they helped raise up, the plain and simple truth was always spoken in love, and their most profound message was simple: "God loves you and so do I."
May they both rest in peace.
She was my last living grandparent.
She passed peacefully, or as peacefully as such things go. She entered ICU Saturday evening, fell asleep on Sunday, and took her last breath earlier this morning. When we heard that she entered the hospital and things didn't look good, we hoped this would be the end. Dimentia had set in so her recollection of family was limited at best. Her children didn't necessarily get along and the majority of the family is spread out accross the country. Her wish was that the kids would stop arguing and enjoy the holidays with one another. As I type this, all her children that are able are gathering back in Ohio. As much as she was loving she was equally stubborn, and even in her death she appears to have gotten her way, if only for a day or two before the arguing over the services sets in.
Harry and Eileen were youth leaders at their local church for well over 20 years, faithfully serving their Lord by coming along side the high school children of their community and meeting them at their level. Their home was always open to the students they helped raise up, the plain and simple truth was always spoken in love, and their most profound message was simple: "God loves you and so do I."
May they both rest in peace.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Aftermath
Folks, I'm not gonna lie to you...this was probably the most fun I've had at a convention since GenCon Indy 2004. It's not that I haven't had fun at all the cons in between - to the contrary, there have been some great times. They didn't have the same feel, though. Not even close. Now that I've been back for a while and had the long-ish weekend to recover I've had plenty of time to think about why it was so enjoyable, and here's what I've come up with.
1) There was sufficient late-night drinking and laughs.
2) I got there early enough to enjoy the night before.
3) I wasn't in demo hell. It's not that I don't think I should have to demo. It's part of the gig and I accept it. Given the opportunity, though, I much prefer to be in the tournament hall than at the booth and I very much look forward to producing a second game so more time can be spent in the t-hall.
4) Hangin' with Ohio State girls after an Ohio State win (Go Bucks!)
5) Disney at the holidays. Or even just Disney period.
6) Product moving off our shelves and, more importantly, off other merchants shelves as well. Even singles were selling steadily and eBay prices moved up nearly $50 over the weekend - very nice!
7) Buca and Beer!
8) Watching a golden schlong get stolen by a teenage dork chickenshit doped up on E to change the life of a fabulously hot hollywood chick
And while all of the aforementioned qualities certainly helped make the con as enjoyable as it was, they pale in comparison to the next two...
8) I got to play some. And not just in tournaments, but in the exhibit hall, too. Greg took me over to the UDE booth to take a demo of some element air masters game or somethin-or-other in order to get a playmat. It didn't matter what the game was or the license behind it. I just enjoyed kicking his ass and celebrating (seriously, one of the steps in the game is celebrating...WTF?) aka doing stupid white boy chair dance after I slapped him around. Truth be told, I was so lucky that game that I probably could have gone to Vegas and paid for Joyride's complete convention expenses with my winnings. The Nightmare Before Christmas game was okay - nothing I'd play but the license alone will push some sales to fandom. What was more fun was watching the makers of it work so hard to push it. That booth was busy all con long. Congrats gentlemen, I wish you well. Watching people beat the crap out of each other (by accident - they're terrible fighters) with foam swords was hilarious! But some of the most fun in the exhibit hall (outside of gawking at the corsett both) was had at the AEG booth where one of their employees told me while demoing City of Heros that the company was in poor financial straights and if the owner didn't pony up personal funds then the game might not get printed. GOOD JOB, DUDE! Way to instill confidence in a potential player! That was almost as fun as the demo itself - neat game, much fun! I love playing and being around games, and that's why I go to these gigs. Good times.
9) The people. T-Mac and J-Dub. Colson. Vinson and Greg. New Guy Ophir. Vinson's SoCal gaming crew. Joey and Stephen. Silent Beal. Andy Lupp, Bojo, and Kyle. Dawn. Many of the people that helped make it fun when I started combined with some new faces that were great to meet and talk with. I really wish they all could have been there...Sonny, Girard, Mark, Chuck, Hayden, Latneau, Kim, Evans, Kirk, Marcus, and all the other fun gamerfolk I've met along the way. Maybe that'll happen again sometime. But yes, the people helped to make it fun.
Thanks for for the great time, and I'll see you all at the next con!
1) There was sufficient late-night drinking and laughs.
2) I got there early enough to enjoy the night before.
3) I wasn't in demo hell. It's not that I don't think I should have to demo. It's part of the gig and I accept it. Given the opportunity, though, I much prefer to be in the tournament hall than at the booth and I very much look forward to producing a second game so more time can be spent in the t-hall.
4) Hangin' with Ohio State girls after an Ohio State win (Go Bucks!)
5) Disney at the holidays. Or even just Disney period.
6) Product moving off our shelves and, more importantly, off other merchants shelves as well. Even singles were selling steadily and eBay prices moved up nearly $50 over the weekend - very nice!
7) Buca and Beer!
8) Watching a golden schlong get stolen by a teenage dork chickenshit doped up on E to change the life of a fabulously hot hollywood chick
And while all of the aforementioned qualities certainly helped make the con as enjoyable as it was, they pale in comparison to the next two...
8) I got to play some. And not just in tournaments, but in the exhibit hall, too. Greg took me over to the UDE booth to take a demo of some element air masters game or somethin-or-other in order to get a playmat. It didn't matter what the game was or the license behind it. I just enjoyed kicking his ass and celebrating (seriously, one of the steps in the game is celebrating...WTF?) aka doing stupid white boy chair dance after I slapped him around. Truth be told, I was so lucky that game that I probably could have gone to Vegas and paid for Joyride's complete convention expenses with my winnings. The Nightmare Before Christmas game was okay - nothing I'd play but the license alone will push some sales to fandom. What was more fun was watching the makers of it work so hard to push it. That booth was busy all con long. Congrats gentlemen, I wish you well. Watching people beat the crap out of each other (by accident - they're terrible fighters) with foam swords was hilarious! But some of the most fun in the exhibit hall (outside of gawking at the corsett both) was had at the AEG booth where one of their employees told me while demoing City of Heros that the company was in poor financial straights and if the owner didn't pony up personal funds then the game might not get printed. GOOD JOB, DUDE! Way to instill confidence in a potential player! That was almost as fun as the demo itself - neat game, much fun! I love playing and being around games, and that's why I go to these gigs. Good times.
9) The people. T-Mac and J-Dub. Colson. Vinson and Greg. New Guy Ophir. Vinson's SoCal gaming crew. Joey and Stephen. Silent Beal. Andy Lupp, Bojo, and Kyle. Dawn. Many of the people that helped make it fun when I started combined with some new faces that were great to meet and talk with. I really wish they all could have been there...Sonny, Girard, Mark, Chuck, Hayden, Latneau, Kim, Evans, Kirk, Marcus, and all the other fun gamerfolk I've met along the way. Maybe that'll happen again sometime. But yes, the people helped to make it fun.
Thanks for for the great time, and I'll see you all at the next con!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Speaking of wasting time...
Try this for just two minutes and see if you're not addicted...
My highest so far is 146 squares and 17642 points while dancing to the square groove...
My highest so far is 146 squares and 17642 points while dancing to the square groove...
Monday, November 14, 2005
Sheria's Story
I was just transfering cards today from folder to folder and came across my Wars foily sets. :-( I miss Wars. Fun game, even if I hardly ever got to play it. It made my mind work.
What I'd love to know, though, is what ever happened to Sheria? Last we knew one of the CiSyn (I think that was there name?) guys identified her as a potential kizen and whisked her away. She was kind of a silent assassin type, it seemed, and her little dive-roll-and-fire move was purty sweet - in fact, I named my monk after her! She and Hicks had the most compelling stories, IMO. If any of y'all have "the rest of the story," drop me a line.
What I'd love to know, though, is what ever happened to Sheria? Last we knew one of the CiSyn (I think that was there name?) guys identified her as a potential kizen and whisked her away. She was kind of a silent assassin type, it seemed, and her little dive-roll-and-fire move was purty sweet - in fact, I named my monk after her! She and Hicks had the most compelling stories, IMO. If any of y'all have "the rest of the story," drop me a line.
Another world
Right now it seems like WoW, City of Heroes, and Guildwars are the big MMOs with DDO looming in the near future. I might play DDO (emphasis on might - my graphics card might need upgrading for better detail/refresh rate). I was never a Warcraft fan, though, nor a big superhero guy. And by the time Guildwars came out I was already hooked into Ragnarok, a quirky little anime MMO that's lo-tech and all kinds of fun. While it doesn't have a lot of the eye candy, it's definitely another world, and a very large and detailed one at that. You can even get married, if that's your thing (don't get weirded out - there are gameplay reasons to do this), and even go on a honeymoon! A buddy of mine did this once and the wedding presents he got were sick...they received almost 100M worth of gear (a good, moderately upgraded and customized weapon would cost 500k-1M)!
Right now I'm building a monk, but to do so you have to be a little healing guy first so it's rough/slow goings to start out. The cool thing is that by the time I get finished I'll be beatstick that can heal and buff itself severely with access to every type of attack. The bad thing is that until that time I can't hardly wear armor and I have to heal myself after each monster I beat. I can solo, but if I get aggro'd (or if a f'n newb runs a swarm to me) then I have to warp away. That's neet.
One day I'll post screenshots of my monk. Until then, if any of you have a spare Whisper card, can I have it? ;-)
Right now I'm building a monk, but to do so you have to be a little healing guy first so it's rough/slow goings to start out. The cool thing is that by the time I get finished I'll be beatstick that can heal and buff itself severely with access to every type of attack. The bad thing is that until that time I can't hardly wear armor and I have to heal myself after each monster I beat. I can solo, but if I get aggro'd (or if a f'n newb runs a swarm to me) then I have to warp away. That's neet.
One day I'll post screenshots of my monk. Until then, if any of you have a spare Whisper card, can I have it? ;-)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Hodgepodge
-90 degrees is too damn hot for an American November day. I don't necessarily want 36 inches of fresh powder, either, but forgive me if I long for fall temperatures that actually feel like fall temperatures.
-There are certain buzzwords that seem to capture the minds and hearts of business professionals. People in the IT industry seem to like the words "robust" and "solution" quite a bit recently; generaly speaking, I don't want these words to be remotely associated with the software I use. For one, when a company markets its software as a "solution," often times it ends up becoming the "problem." Either the business becomes entirely dependant upon it so that if it goes down then work grinds to a halt OR they can't get it to work in the first place. As for robust...well, the only thing "robust" software seems to do is cost the buyer ten times as much. Screw that. I don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to be pissed of at my software. Bill Gates already saw to that.
-It looks like Thursday night is gonna be poker night. Not a guarantee yet, but if I go then it would be a bunch of people from work drinking beer and attempting to play cards. If their drunken poker skill resembles their sober fantasy drafting skills in the least then I *should* finish no lower than second. That being said, someone will probably go heads up with me on a jackass call and win on the river. That'd be fitting.
-I'm so glad hockey is back! Go Coyotes! They haven't won a playoff series for around twenty years now but I don't much care at the moment. Just being able to see the players throw around the puck again is refreshing.
-I'll never again take a full night's sleep for granted after last week. Not being able to sleep through the night for 7 out of 8 nights just sucks. Knowing that parents of newborns go through similar streaks for months makes me somewhat surprised that any of us are even lived through infancy.
-There are certain buzzwords that seem to capture the minds and hearts of business professionals. People in the IT industry seem to like the words "robust" and "solution" quite a bit recently; generaly speaking, I don't want these words to be remotely associated with the software I use. For one, when a company markets its software as a "solution," often times it ends up becoming the "problem." Either the business becomes entirely dependant upon it so that if it goes down then work grinds to a halt OR they can't get it to work in the first place. As for robust...well, the only thing "robust" software seems to do is cost the buyer ten times as much. Screw that. I don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to be pissed of at my software. Bill Gates already saw to that.
-It looks like Thursday night is gonna be poker night. Not a guarantee yet, but if I go then it would be a bunch of people from work drinking beer and attempting to play cards. If their drunken poker skill resembles their sober fantasy drafting skills in the least then I *should* finish no lower than second. That being said, someone will probably go heads up with me on a jackass call and win on the river. That'd be fitting.
-I'm so glad hockey is back! Go Coyotes! They haven't won a playoff series for around twenty years now but I don't much care at the moment. Just being able to see the players throw around the puck again is refreshing.
-I'll never again take a full night's sleep for granted after last week. Not being able to sleep through the night for 7 out of 8 nights just sucks. Knowing that parents of newborns go through similar streaks for months makes me somewhat surprised that any of us are even lived through infancy.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Charlie Brown's revenge
If you've read much of the Peanuts strip at all, you know that Chuck's a fan of sports. He plays baseball quite regularly...maybe not very well, but he still plays. But I think his secret passion is football, or at least getting revenge on that bitch-of-a-Lucy character. Lucy asks if Charlie wants to kick the football, Charlie says yes, she holds it, and he runs up to kick it only to have it yanked away at the last second yield terrible results and inevitably landing on his back, or if he really put his leg into it, his head. In fact it's a wonder Charlie Brown didn't end up in a wheelchair from all the falls he took, but I guess bones and organs are remarkably durable in the cartoon world. In any case, seeing that happen over and over as a child really made me angry. I mean REALLY angry!!! All he wanted to do was kick the ball, and that lying sack-o-crap Lucy would continually yank it away. Now, let's not overlook Charlie Brown's part in this...you figure after not more than 4 bad falls he'd have learned to find another holder (man, can you imagine what would happen to a holder in the NFL if he yanked the ball away like that?). He has a certain responsibility to himself to ensure he's not suckered repeatedly. Nonetheless, I still blame Lucy the Liar. If she doesn't yank that ball away...if she lets him kick it even ONCE, who knows how different Charlie's life might have turned out! I swore until weeks after Charles Schultz's death that he had a comic strip already written hidden away in some safe where Charlie finally kicked the ball, only to be printed upon his death. Damn you, Charles! You proved me wrong!
Charlie Brown, if you're out there, I hope you kick that ball some day, and when you do, I hope you drive it so far up Lucy's ass that it pops out her mouth.
Charlie Brown, if you're out there, I hope you kick that ball some day, and when you do, I hope you drive it so far up Lucy's ass that it pops out her mouth.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
This is the men's restroom, right?
It's no secret that women frequently go to the restroom in pairs, packs, and various other-sized groupings. Goodness knows what goes on in there...chatting about their boyfriends/dates, discussing the latest fashion trends, arguing over Brad vs. Orlando vs. whoever else happens to be the Hollywood flavor of the month...frankly, I don't give a damn what they do in there. I can confidently guess, though, that whatever it is, guys don't do it. Bathrooms were created for a reason. Guys use them for that reason. They're not gathering places. They're restrooms. We use them and leave....most of us, at least. I've come to find out that there's at least two guys at work that don't necessarily adhere to this philosophy as they've each repeatedly tried to start up conversations with me while I'm in the restroom. I've gotta say that I'm not really comfortable with this. I can think of nothing so important at work that can't wait to be said until I'm out of the restroom and available for a meeting, email, brainstorming session, phone call, or really anything other than a impromptu bathroom chat. I mean, can't you wait to ask me about reversing that fee or reviewing an account closure procedure until I'm done zipping up my pants? WTF? How 'bout you be a guy, leave me alone, and leave me a post-it note or message instead.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Library cards and Lattes
A friend of mine began to wax eloquently on bookstores, books, and the universe of knowledge out there which got me thinking (danger, will robinson, danger!!!)...
I enjoy bookstores because they are humbling...they remind me of just how much I don't know. You would think I would like libraries for the same reason but there's two major differences. One, libraries have the stigma (and often reality) of work associated with them...you go there for research/because you have to when you're younger and that pattern continues for decades. Bah. New books that I can flip through w/o buying anything give me a far more joy than flipping through old books that I don't have to buy. It's like I get to learn something that I want to learn and stick it to the man all the while. And the other reason? Bookstores sell coffee inside, whereas libraries tend to discourage bringing in drinks. Note to libraries - I can read a hell of a lot more when I'm awake!!!!
I enjoy bookstores because they are humbling...they remind me of just how much I don't know. You would think I would like libraries for the same reason but there's two major differences. One, libraries have the stigma (and often reality) of work associated with them...you go there for research/because you have to when you're younger and that pattern continues for decades. Bah. New books that I can flip through w/o buying anything give me a far more joy than flipping through old books that I don't have to buy. It's like I get to learn something that I want to learn and stick it to the man all the while. And the other reason? Bookstores sell coffee inside, whereas libraries tend to discourage bringing in drinks. Note to libraries - I can read a hell of a lot more when I'm awake!!!!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
It's beginning to look a lot like...
commercial American X-mas. And I can't stand it
I mean it. I can't hardly tolerate going into a big box right now.
Part of the reason I can't stand it is because stores selling X-mas stuff starting Oct. 1 are simply taking the focus away from the fun holiday of Halloween. I mean, you've got Halloween at the end of October, Thanksgiving at the end of November, and Christmas at the end of December...and yet the last holiday of them all gets the most shelf-time at the ol' big box, competing w/the first one? Sad.
But that's really the least of it. Why don't stores put Halloween merchandise on the shelves 10 weeks prior to the holiday? Because it won't sell. Ah, but X-mas stuff apparently does (which means I'm also not a big fan of the people buying the merchandise that early, either). So yes...duh! It comes down to the almighty dollar! Nevermind the fact that I've seen nativity scenes on sale in the same isle as demon masks and statues at the same time. So long as they both bring in the Ben's, right?
From a purely business standpoint I can't say that I blame the companies doing it. If it sells well and the consumers are happy there's really little motivation for them *not* to sell it. Nonetheless, it frustrates me that companies refuse to hold off to sell X-mas gear until at least November, and it frustrates me a little more that people feel they need X-mas gear SOOOO much that they can't possibly buy enough of it from 11/1-12/24 so they have to start a full month earlier.
I realize not everyone does this. I know there's a vast body of people out there that still celebrate Christmas in it's traditional sense and remember the events that the holiday was intended to honor. I just get frustrated by the fact that $$$ has bastardized something wonderful and turned it into X.
*end rant...maybe*
I mean it. I can't hardly tolerate going into a big box right now.
Part of the reason I can't stand it is because stores selling X-mas stuff starting Oct. 1 are simply taking the focus away from the fun holiday of Halloween. I mean, you've got Halloween at the end of October, Thanksgiving at the end of November, and Christmas at the end of December...and yet the last holiday of them all gets the most shelf-time at the ol' big box, competing w/the first one? Sad.
But that's really the least of it. Why don't stores put Halloween merchandise on the shelves 10 weeks prior to the holiday? Because it won't sell. Ah, but X-mas stuff apparently does (which means I'm also not a big fan of the people buying the merchandise that early, either). So yes...duh! It comes down to the almighty dollar! Nevermind the fact that I've seen nativity scenes on sale in the same isle as demon masks and statues at the same time. So long as they both bring in the Ben's, right?
From a purely business standpoint I can't say that I blame the companies doing it. If it sells well and the consumers are happy there's really little motivation for them *not* to sell it. Nonetheless, it frustrates me that companies refuse to hold off to sell X-mas gear until at least November, and it frustrates me a little more that people feel they need X-mas gear SOOOO much that they can't possibly buy enough of it from 11/1-12/24 so they have to start a full month earlier.
I realize not everyone does this. I know there's a vast body of people out there that still celebrate Christmas in it's traditional sense and remember the events that the holiday was intended to honor. I just get frustrated by the fact that $$$ has bastardized something wonderful and turned it into X.
*end rant...maybe*
Monday, October 10, 2005
It's almost here!
Fall and cooler temperatures.
Yes, I know I live in Arizona. But it does actually get cooler here. Not cold. Just cooler. Right now things are very comfortable...beautiful days and somewhat chilly nights. It's what I imagine spring ought to be like. Before the last three days of October we're gonna get blasted with a heat wave again when people will be pissy, then after that it's cooler temps until the end of February (then things suck again, but we won't think about that right now)!
I love being able to wear jackets comfortably! Long sleeves, campfires (hypothetically speaking), hot coffees, blankets...I love it.
:-)
Yes, I know I live in Arizona. But it does actually get cooler here. Not cold. Just cooler. Right now things are very comfortable...beautiful days and somewhat chilly nights. It's what I imagine spring ought to be like. Before the last three days of October we're gonna get blasted with a heat wave again when people will be pissy, then after that it's cooler temps until the end of February (then things suck again, but we won't think about that right now)!
I love being able to wear jackets comfortably! Long sleeves, campfires (hypothetically speaking), hot coffees, blankets...I love it.
:-)
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Insert Primal Grunts
This weekend was man weekend.
It started with finishing a hard day at work, then coming home to eat double-pepperoni pizza. Meat. Meat is good. I like pepperoni pizza. The next morning started much how the previous night ended - with pizza for breakfast.
We then move on to football (worst weekend so far...my teams went 1-7 [OU was my serrogate team this weekend - I wanted them to beat Texas since Tx beat Ohio State earlier]). My teams lose, but I'm doing nothing but sitting in my shorts, watching football, and being lazy. Football is good. I like football.
I then go and pick up an old roommate of mine to go see Serenity. For those that don't know what Serenity is, click on the link then go see the movie. For those that know what it is and haven't seen it yet, WTF are you waiting for??? As for it fitting into the man weekend, what's not to like about explosions, assasins, hot chicks that kick ass and openly admit that they enjoy a physical relationship, and deep blue space cowboy story? It's like John Wayne meets Matrix meets Star Trek. Fun stuff. Space Cowboy movies are good. I like space cowboy movies.
From there, I travel to poker night where we have wings, chips, beer, and other people's money. Needless to say (well, it *should* go without saying, but just in case you don't know me well enough to figure it out), I took them all, particularly during one hand of 7 card stud where I had four natural queens with an 8 kicker (yeah, kicker...like I could even use it). Wings, chips, beer, and other people's money are good. I like wings, chips, and beer. I REALLY like other people's money!
I woke up today and turned out the telly to watch some NFL action in HD on the big screen. Good times. After the early games were over I went to play some cards with another friend in the area, then returned home for barbequed meat...some burgers and salmon fillet. Barbequed beef is good. I like barbequed beef.
This was a good weekend! Nothing to complain about, lots of fun. Hope yours was just as enjoyable!
It started with finishing a hard day at work, then coming home to eat double-pepperoni pizza. Meat. Meat is good. I like pepperoni pizza. The next morning started much how the previous night ended - with pizza for breakfast.
We then move on to football (worst weekend so far...my teams went 1-7 [OU was my serrogate team this weekend - I wanted them to beat Texas since Tx beat Ohio State earlier]). My teams lose, but I'm doing nothing but sitting in my shorts, watching football, and being lazy. Football is good. I like football.
I then go and pick up an old roommate of mine to go see Serenity. For those that don't know what Serenity is, click on the link then go see the movie. For those that know what it is and haven't seen it yet, WTF are you waiting for??? As for it fitting into the man weekend, what's not to like about explosions, assasins, hot chicks that kick ass and openly admit that they enjoy a physical relationship, and deep blue space cowboy story? It's like John Wayne meets Matrix meets Star Trek. Fun stuff. Space Cowboy movies are good. I like space cowboy movies.
From there, I travel to poker night where we have wings, chips, beer, and other people's money. Needless to say (well, it *should* go without saying, but just in case you don't know me well enough to figure it out), I took them all, particularly during one hand of 7 card stud where I had four natural queens with an 8 kicker (yeah, kicker...like I could even use it). Wings, chips, beer, and other people's money are good. I like wings, chips, and beer. I REALLY like other people's money!
I woke up today and turned out the telly to watch some NFL action in HD on the big screen. Good times. After the early games were over I went to play some cards with another friend in the area, then returned home for barbequed meat...some burgers and salmon fillet. Barbequed beef is good. I like barbequed beef.
This was a good weekend! Nothing to complain about, lots of fun. Hope yours was just as enjoyable!
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
The results are in!
Probably the best football weekend so far...
Ohio State won
Michigan Lost
Notre Dame won
ASU won
Peoria won
My fantasy teams won 2 and lost 1
6-2 overall this weekend.
Ohio State and Arizona State each had the ballgames won in the first half - impressive! And the Badgers of Wisconsin became my new favorite team by beating Michigan and knocking them out of the polls for the first time in quite a while (may the Wolverines rot and die).
Hey Taz, I've got an idea for OU's QB situation - American Quarterback, where the audience decides! :-)
And for the record, it's raining in Arizona right now. Good times!
Ohio State won
Michigan Lost
Notre Dame won
ASU won
Peoria won
My fantasy teams won 2 and lost 1
6-2 overall this weekend.
Ohio State and Arizona State each had the ballgames won in the first half - impressive! And the Badgers of Wisconsin became my new favorite team by beating Michigan and knocking them out of the polls for the first time in quite a while (may the Wolverines rot and die).
Hey Taz, I've got an idea for OU's QB situation - American Quarterback, where the audience decides! :-)
And for the record, it's raining in Arizona right now. Good times!
Saturday, September 24, 2005
A good day (the 72-hour kind)
I arrived at work yesterday to find caution tape and crepe paper (the pink kind) wrapping my office and gifts lining my desk. I figure it's a good sign when your employees think enough of you to tease you on your birthday weekend, although the caution tape may have been a legitimate warning to any passers-by that happened through the department. A princess then stole me away for a few minutes to sing me a song and present me with cake and candles (of which only a few were lit, but I didn't care...it was cool, and they were the only cakes and candles I got).
Today I watched college football (a great day, might I add - but more on that tomorrow) and went bowling with a lot of old acquaintences. I got to talk with Sue-in-a-bottle, a dear former coworker of mine, and did something I haven't done in my entire life - converted a 6-7-10 split. It was quite the exciting moment, and the only one converted all day to the knowledge of the employees. After that I came home to watch more football before venturing off to the other side
of the valley to have barbequed meat served to me at the local churrasco. If you enjoy meat and you've never been to one, you should be ashamed of yourself. My first experience with one was a 2.5 hour long sitting at Samba in the Mirage Las Vegas - probably the best first churrasco experience one could possibly have. The local one here had great food, just was missing the ambience. Anyway the list was incredible...tilapia, salmon, chicken breast, chicken legs, lamb, sausage, ham, filet mignon, top sirloin, prime rib, bacon-wrapped turkey...mmmmm. Meat, fire, and an incredibly cute hostess - quite possibly the most physically-attractive woman I've ever seen in my life. Greg, if you're reading this, she beats all the cute PF Chang's hostesses we've seen COMBINED. And then I had their chocolate mousse...sweet mercy, so good!
I'm gonna watch a movie now, then pass out, sleep in tomorrow, maybe have some margaritas at Applebees, maybe buy something electronic, watch more football...birthdays don't get too much better! All that's missing is a good woman and I'm golden! :-)
Today I watched college football (a great day, might I add - but more on that tomorrow) and went bowling with a lot of old acquaintences. I got to talk with Sue-in-a-bottle, a dear former coworker of mine, and did something I haven't done in my entire life - converted a 6-7-10 split. It was quite the exciting moment, and the only one converted all day to the knowledge of the employees. After that I came home to watch more football before venturing off to the other side
of the valley to have barbequed meat served to me at the local churrasco. If you enjoy meat and you've never been to one, you should be ashamed of yourself. My first experience with one was a 2.5 hour long sitting at Samba in the Mirage Las Vegas - probably the best first churrasco experience one could possibly have. The local one here had great food, just was missing the ambience. Anyway the list was incredible...tilapia, salmon, chicken breast, chicken legs, lamb, sausage, ham, filet mignon, top sirloin, prime rib, bacon-wrapped turkey...mmmmm. Meat, fire, and an incredibly cute hostess - quite possibly the most physically-attractive woman I've ever seen in my life. Greg, if you're reading this, she beats all the cute PF Chang's hostesses we've seen COMBINED. And then I had their chocolate mousse...sweet mercy, so good!I'm gonna watch a movie now, then pass out, sleep in tomorrow, maybe have some margaritas at Applebees, maybe buy something electronic, watch more football...birthdays don't get too much better! All that's missing is a good woman and I'm golden! :-)
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Bliss in a chair
I tend to do a lot of work at my computer. I work at home sometimes. I talk to you all. I write articles. I do research. I sleep (there's been more than one night with QWERTY across my face). With all that, you want a comfortable chair.
I haven't been using a comfortable chair for quite some time. My butt and back have hurt a lot. I'm sure you wanted to know that.
A couple months ago I was leaning back in my perfectly comfortable chair and heard something of a crack - never a welcomed sound. In my mind, I knew that sound meant certain doom if I leaned back in my chair one more time, yet the laws of idiocracy compelled me to throw my weight backwards as I have so many times before, half expecting to lean back as normal, the other half expecting to be impaled by the steel that connects the back to the cushion.
The latter half won, sans the impaling (whew). It was a good chair... *tear* Only $50, but it lasted me years, had a great cushion, good back support, and great lean. I lean back in my chair, so that's quite important. I lean. It's what I do.
Since that fabulously awkward moment I've been using some leftover piece of crap chair that mom brought home from her old job. Barely any cushion, squeaky, strangely shaped back, and NO LEAN! I'm surprised I didn't just chuck it out the window. Just the other day I saw my chair on sale for $50 again, so I went out and snagged it. Thank goodness for machine parts! It feels just like the old one...a little firmer cushion, a little stiffer lean, but it's definitely the same chair. Who knew $50 could buy you bliss?
That's all for now. I have to get back to work. I'm leaning.
I haven't been using a comfortable chair for quite some time. My butt and back have hurt a lot. I'm sure you wanted to know that.
A couple months ago I was leaning back in my perfectly comfortable chair and heard something of a crack - never a welcomed sound. In my mind, I knew that sound meant certain doom if I leaned back in my chair one more time, yet the laws of idiocracy compelled me to throw my weight backwards as I have so many times before, half expecting to lean back as normal, the other half expecting to be impaled by the steel that connects the back to the cushion.
The latter half won, sans the impaling (whew). It was a good chair... *tear* Only $50, but it lasted me years, had a great cushion, good back support, and great lean. I lean back in my chair, so that's quite important. I lean. It's what I do.
Since that fabulously awkward moment I've been using some leftover piece of crap chair that mom brought home from her old job. Barely any cushion, squeaky, strangely shaped back, and NO LEAN! I'm surprised I didn't just chuck it out the window. Just the other day I saw my chair on sale for $50 again, so I went out and snagged it. Thank goodness for machine parts! It feels just like the old one...a little firmer cushion, a little stiffer lean, but it's definitely the same chair. Who knew $50 could buy you bliss?
That's all for now. I have to get back to work. I'm leaning.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Bloody Pooh Bear, and another bummer weekend
There's someone at work...well, a couple of someone's, actually...that are going to challenge my workplace cunning. Or so they say. Evidently they think it'd just be the bees knees to mess with my desk and such at work, as my desk is too organized for their liking. Yes, I'm organized. No, I'm definitely not OCD. I told them that they don't frighten me, which is entirely true. I've gone up against far worse than them and come out unscathed. Not even Princess Pino and her unruly gang of knaves could scar me! They asked what made me so confident, at which point I relayed my Pooh Bear incident.
Pino and her lackey Michele stole my smiley figurines and Daunte Culpepper. I said we'd get them back, they said we wouldn't. So I resorted back to an old addage - kill them with kindness. That night I went out and purchase a pooh bear stuffed animal, a large Disney gift bag, and a smaller white box with some tissue paper. Michele was a big Disney fan, so I figured she'd never suspect anything unseemly. I then went home and ripped pooh's head off, painted the stuffing red, jammed it on a pike, and wrapped it in tissue paper for Michele. I then painted the top of the body red and put it in the box to be delivered to the Princess later the same day.
It worked to perfection - Michele saw the bag, was delighted, and opened it with glee only to find Pooh's head on a pike, holding up the stick for all to see. It was great! Then the body was delievered to complete the day. Good times! Everyone in the department knew I was weird, but then they thought I was a psycho. Nobody messed w/me again. :-)
And for the record...
OSU won...
Michigan didn't lose...
Notre Dame lost...
ASU won...
Peoria lost (0-3 for the first time ever...sad, sad days)...
All my fantasy teams lost...
2-6 for the weekend. *sigh* Shameful and saddening.
Pino and her lackey Michele stole my smiley figurines and Daunte Culpepper. I said we'd get them back, they said we wouldn't. So I resorted back to an old addage - kill them with kindness. That night I went out and purchase a pooh bear stuffed animal, a large Disney gift bag, and a smaller white box with some tissue paper. Michele was a big Disney fan, so I figured she'd never suspect anything unseemly. I then went home and ripped pooh's head off, painted the stuffing red, jammed it on a pike, and wrapped it in tissue paper for Michele. I then painted the top of the body red and put it in the box to be delivered to the Princess later the same day.
It worked to perfection - Michele saw the bag, was delighted, and opened it with glee only to find Pooh's head on a pike, holding up the stick for all to see. It was great! Then the body was delievered to complete the day. Good times! Everyone in the department knew I was weird, but then they thought I was a psycho. Nobody messed w/me again. :-)
And for the record...
OSU won...
Michigan didn't lose...
Notre Dame lost...
ASU won...
Peoria lost (0-3 for the first time ever...sad, sad days)...
All my fantasy teams lost...
2-6 for the weekend. *sigh* Shameful and saddening.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Fan 2, Idiots 0
A couple of years ago I went to help my friend install a new ceiling fan in his house (he was remodeling before they actually moved in). Allow me to set the stage somewhat...
- My dad is disabled and wasn't able to show me how to work on anything, so all my building/mechanical skill comes from reading directions, trial, and error. I can change my oil in my car, change belts, and change tires. I can also put together complete home gyms and such. Not much else beyond that. I absolutely abhore yardwork, but I know how to install sprinkler systems (hell, I helped installed a small city's entire water system - not a lie). I'm not electrically inclined, but I know enough that red goes to red, black goes to black, green goes to ground, and blue goes to I have no idea.
- My friend likes power tools. A lot. And likes to use them whenever he can. He acts similar to Tim the Toolman Taylor, but he has maybe 1/3rd the know-how. So combine mechanical power with ignorance, and...yeah.
So anyway, we go to install this fan. He takes is Ryobi power drill and some screws and starts going to town. I look at the directions, then look up at what he's doing; I immediately see that there's *no* way we're going to be able to install this fan. He doesn't have the installation box installed to the frame, instead electing to try to mount the fan straight to the drywall/ceiling. I try to tell him this won't work. He drills another hole so as to say, "This just worked." I think about trying to explain to him that a 15-20 pound fan won't stay secured to dry wall by two screws, but instead I just climb the ladder and drill a hole - may as well join in the fun, right? Then he goes to start working with the electrical connections, and I notice the switch is still on.
"Joe, you turn off the circuit?"
"No. Switch is off."
"Joe, don't touch that wire."
"Why? The switch is off."
"Uh, the other switch is on."
A few watts and a tingling sensation in his fingertips later, we turned off the circuit.
And the fan didn't stay up (duh).
Fan 1, Idiots 0.
So yesterday he moved out of the house he spent three months remodeling and lived in for a little over a year to a different house on four days' notice. One of the new tasks was none other than installing a ceiling fan. By this time he's seen his father-in-law - a *highly* industrially-inclined individual - install a few ceiling fans and figures he knows what he's doing now. And for some reason I figure he knows what he's doing now, too. Turns out I'm right. This time we turn off the circuit, he matches the wires right, installs into the right area...things go well. Until we notice that the mouting plate is mangled. The welded one mounting bolt at an angle so we have to bang that over with a hammer. Not a problem. They melted a second mounting bold so the tip is 1/8th inch to wide and stripped/warped. Problem. We tried to install it anyway, figuring two bolts might be enough. We figured wrong. Fan blades scraped. Project blown, time wasted. Fan wins again.
Fan 2, Idiots 0.
I'm gonna destroy the next ceiling fan I see that isn't attached to a ceiling.
- My dad is disabled and wasn't able to show me how to work on anything, so all my building/mechanical skill comes from reading directions, trial, and error. I can change my oil in my car, change belts, and change tires. I can also put together complete home gyms and such. Not much else beyond that. I absolutely abhore yardwork, but I know how to install sprinkler systems (hell, I helped installed a small city's entire water system - not a lie). I'm not electrically inclined, but I know enough that red goes to red, black goes to black, green goes to ground, and blue goes to I have no idea.
- My friend likes power tools. A lot. And likes to use them whenever he can. He acts similar to Tim the Toolman Taylor, but he has maybe 1/3rd the know-how. So combine mechanical power with ignorance, and...yeah.
So anyway, we go to install this fan. He takes is Ryobi power drill and some screws and starts going to town. I look at the directions, then look up at what he's doing; I immediately see that there's *no* way we're going to be able to install this fan. He doesn't have the installation box installed to the frame, instead electing to try to mount the fan straight to the drywall/ceiling. I try to tell him this won't work. He drills another hole so as to say, "This just worked." I think about trying to explain to him that a 15-20 pound fan won't stay secured to dry wall by two screws, but instead I just climb the ladder and drill a hole - may as well join in the fun, right? Then he goes to start working with the electrical connections, and I notice the switch is still on.
"Joe, you turn off the circuit?"
"No. Switch is off."
"Joe, don't touch that wire."
"Why? The switch is off."
"Uh, the other switch is on."
A few watts and a tingling sensation in his fingertips later, we turned off the circuit.
And the fan didn't stay up (duh).
Fan 1, Idiots 0.
So yesterday he moved out of the house he spent three months remodeling and lived in for a little over a year to a different house on four days' notice. One of the new tasks was none other than installing a ceiling fan. By this time he's seen his father-in-law - a *highly* industrially-inclined individual - install a few ceiling fans and figures he knows what he's doing now. And for some reason I figure he knows what he's doing now, too. Turns out I'm right. This time we turn off the circuit, he matches the wires right, installs into the right area...things go well. Until we notice that the mouting plate is mangled. The welded one mounting bolt at an angle so we have to bang that over with a hammer. Not a problem. They melted a second mounting bold so the tip is 1/8th inch to wide and stripped/warped. Problem. We tried to install it anyway, figuring two bolts might be enough. We figured wrong. Fan blades scraped. Project blown, time wasted. Fan wins again.
Fan 2, Idiots 0.
I'm gonna destroy the next ceiling fan I see that isn't attached to a ceiling.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
My kids were needy today
I manage a group of about 23 people for a major credit union here in Arizona. And they're kinda like kids. I get them when they're young, build them up, teach them how they should do things, and inevitably they run off in their own directions to succeed or fail as they will.
Right now, 2/3 of my staff are what I could consider newborns-toddlers. And they were needy.
I have no children of my own (not complaining...there's time enough for them later), but I assume that my experience today was something like that of a parent chasing aroudn a room full of 2-4 year olds. Seperating those that aren't getting along. Helping people see what they did wrong and teaching them a better way. Apologizing to those parents of others that were wronged. Feeding them. And pleading for just a moment of silence to yourself in between putting out fires and trying to clean things up around the house.
Yeah. These are adults I'm talking about. And I'm in charge of them...wow...weird.
In spite of the tiring/stressful day, I enjoy what I do and I pretty much always have. Only once have I had a job that I couldn't figure out how to leave it at work and illicited swearing; when I noticed myself reacting like that, I knew it was time to go. But in pretty much everything I've done, the common thread has been growing up a group of people to be successful...teaching, coaching, youth work, managing, squad/fire team leader...I enjoy that. Taking a group of people and training them so they can be successful. My job isn't glorious, nor is it the best job in the world. But I like what I do, and in that regard I count myself blessed.
Even if it does mean cleaning up after 24 year old toddlers.
Right now, 2/3 of my staff are what I could consider newborns-toddlers. And they were needy.
I have no children of my own (not complaining...there's time enough for them later), but I assume that my experience today was something like that of a parent chasing aroudn a room full of 2-4 year olds. Seperating those that aren't getting along. Helping people see what they did wrong and teaching them a better way. Apologizing to those parents of others that were wronged. Feeding them. And pleading for just a moment of silence to yourself in between putting out fires and trying to clean things up around the house.
Yeah. These are adults I'm talking about. And I'm in charge of them...wow...weird.
In spite of the tiring/stressful day, I enjoy what I do and I pretty much always have. Only once have I had a job that I couldn't figure out how to leave it at work and illicited swearing; when I noticed myself reacting like that, I knew it was time to go. But in pretty much everything I've done, the common thread has been growing up a group of people to be successful...teaching, coaching, youth work, managing, squad/fire team leader...I enjoy that. Taking a group of people and training them so they can be successful. My job isn't glorious, nor is it the best job in the world. But I like what I do, and in that regard I count myself blessed.
Even if it does mean cleaning up after 24 year old toddlers.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
A rough weekend
Well, lets see.
Peoria (my old h/s football team) lost in the fourth.
Arizona State lost in the fourth.
Ohio State lost in the fourth.
The Arizona Cardinals lost all day long.
The only team that lost that I *wanted* to lose was Michigan, which always brings a smile to my face. Ohio University beat Pitt, too; while I don't really care about Ohio U so much, it was a heck of a game. The ASU/LSU game was incredible, too. I was there in section 208 on the 35 yard line...much fun. I just wish whoever was calling the plays for ASU that game wasn't a certifiable moron. Larry Fitzgerald got popped somethin' fierce in the Cards game this afternoon. In fact, he got hit so hard that his helmet flew off...I'm just glad his head wasn't in it when the helmet came off.
I'm glad that football is back in full swing, make no mistake. Wish a few more of the games would have gone my way, though.
I'll just take it out on my employees tomorrow :-)
Peoria (my old h/s football team) lost in the fourth.
Arizona State lost in the fourth.
Ohio State lost in the fourth.
The Arizona Cardinals lost all day long.
The only team that lost that I *wanted* to lose was Michigan, which always brings a smile to my face. Ohio University beat Pitt, too; while I don't really care about Ohio U so much, it was a heck of a game. The ASU/LSU game was incredible, too. I was there in section 208 on the 35 yard line...much fun. I just wish whoever was calling the plays for ASU that game wasn't a certifiable moron. Larry Fitzgerald got popped somethin' fierce in the Cards game this afternoon. In fact, he got hit so hard that his helmet flew off...I'm just glad his head wasn't in it when the helmet came off.
I'm glad that football is back in full swing, make no mistake. Wish a few more of the games would have gone my way, though.
I'll just take it out on my employees tomorrow :-)
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Cheers to the gamerfolk
I recently found out that another friend of mine was laid off by a game/accessory company. Shortly thereafter I read that another high-profile volunteer resigned from my old corps. As one friend had his destiny handed to him and another chose it, I just wanted to honor those that I've met and worked with over the past couple of years in the industry...a "thank you" to those who have fed my addiction, so to speak.Decipher - They gave me my first experiences in the industry. Some incredible people working incredibly hard.
Rook - They make the best damn deck boxes around!
Joyride - My new pimp. Quite a fine cast they've put together, and a product to match.
Wizkids - A neat gaming company I very nearly threw my volunteer efforts to.
Bandai - I worked hand in hand with these guys at times. Another company I almost shifted to.
WOTC - They may be the Evil Empire, but where would we be without them?
So three cheers to the gamerfolk!!! Here's to good friends and new opportunities! See you at the next con...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Teams I like, Teams I don't
Like...
1. Ohio State. I'm a Buckeye, born and raised in Columbus, OH. There is no other school greater than Ohio State, and anybody who knows anything in Columbus knows this. It is an incontrivertable fact of life (unlike my spelling).
X. Arizona State. My family moved to AZ in the early 80's. Been living in the Phoenix area ever since. Go Devils!
X. Notre Dame. Fun for me to watch...I enjoy following the independent teams, and ND plays a hell of a schedule every year. That's the reason I followed Penn State, too (until they joined the Big Ten that can't count).
X. Florida State. It seems to me you have to like one of the three big Florida schools. I can't stand Miami and its cockiness and when I was forming my opinions Spurrier was coaching Florida and running up the score in the 4th which I disagree with. So FSU it is.
There's others that I like/pull for, but these are the ones at the forefront of my mind.
Those that I don't like...
1. University of Michigoboom. The name that I dare not speak. The root of all evil. The spawn of Satan. Nothing good comes from Ann Arbor (as far as I'm concerned Tom Brady jumped straight to the pros from high school). Directions to Ann Arbor from Columbus...north 'till you smell it, west 'till you step in it. I could go on and on.
2. University of Arizona. Slightly less hated than Michigan since they're ASU's rival.
Y. University of Miami. Your mascot is a hurricane, yet an Ibis (or is it a crane) represents you? And you have a giant U on your helmet. Where the filth does that come in. Oh, and they're a bunch of cocky SOBs. I know, I know, Ohio State often has had thugs coming out of there. But I'm from there, which forgives a lot (not murder...I live in Arizona, but Lauren Wade murdered my friend and fellow teammate. F that.).
Y. Tennessee. Because they owned OSU during the 90s. Then again pretty much every top 10 team owned OSU during the John Cooper era. He was a hell of a recruiter, but he couldn't motivate a team to beat a jr. high girls flag football team if they were ranked in the top 10. And their mascot is a volunteer, which strikes not a bit of fear into me whatsoever.
Y. Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, and the Big 12 in general. Because they're genrally good, and they generally end up beating my teams at the worst times. And I don't like their colors and/or mascots (or in Texas' case, both). And they usually take the TV slots when I'd rather see other teams. And I still think that Auburn would have given USC a better game last year, although I think USC would have won either game. And I still think Penn State should have been the champ back in 94/95 when Nebraska somehow bested them. But whatever.
Folks, that's part of what makes college football/sports great...passionate fans for no other reason than "Just cuz, and up yours!" I know that Ohio State isn't the best at everything, and a lot of times they're not even good or likeable, but I'll root for them until I'm in the grave, then I'll root for them some more as I kick Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr in the junk.
1. Ohio State. I'm a Buckeye, born and raised in Columbus, OH. There is no other school greater than Ohio State, and anybody who knows anything in Columbus knows this. It is an incontrivertable fact of life (unlike my spelling).
X. Arizona State. My family moved to AZ in the early 80's. Been living in the Phoenix area ever since. Go Devils!X. Notre Dame. Fun for me to watch...I enjoy following the independent teams, and ND plays a hell of a schedule every year. That's the reason I followed Penn State, too (until they joined the Big Ten that can't count).
X. Florida State. It seems to me you have to like one of the three big Florida schools. I can't stand Miami and its cockiness and when I was forming my opinions Spurrier was coaching Florida and running up the score in the 4th which I disagree with. So FSU it is.
There's others that I like/pull for, but these are the ones at the forefront of my mind.
Those that I don't like...
1. University of Michigoboom. The name that I dare not speak. The root of all evil. The spawn of Satan. Nothing good comes from Ann Arbor (as far as I'm concerned Tom Brady jumped straight to the pros from high school). Directions to Ann Arbor from Columbus...north 'till you smell it, west 'till you step in it. I could go on and on.
2. University of Arizona. Slightly less hated than Michigan since they're ASU's rival.
Y. University of Miami. Your mascot is a hurricane, yet an Ibis (or is it a crane) represents you? And you have a giant U on your helmet. Where the filth does that come in. Oh, and they're a bunch of cocky SOBs. I know, I know, Ohio State often has had thugs coming out of there. But I'm from there, which forgives a lot (not murder...I live in Arizona, but Lauren Wade murdered my friend and fellow teammate. F that.).
Y. Tennessee. Because they owned OSU during the 90s. Then again pretty much every top 10 team owned OSU during the John Cooper era. He was a hell of a recruiter, but he couldn't motivate a team to beat a jr. high girls flag football team if they were ranked in the top 10. And their mascot is a volunteer, which strikes not a bit of fear into me whatsoever.
Y. Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, and the Big 12 in general. Because they're genrally good, and they generally end up beating my teams at the worst times. And I don't like their colors and/or mascots (or in Texas' case, both). And they usually take the TV slots when I'd rather see other teams. And I still think that Auburn would have given USC a better game last year, although I think USC would have won either game. And I still think Penn State should have been the champ back in 94/95 when Nebraska somehow bested them. But whatever.
Folks, that's part of what makes college football/sports great...passionate fans for no other reason than "Just cuz, and up yours!" I know that Ohio State isn't the best at everything, and a lot of times they're not even good or likeable, but I'll root for them until I'm in the grave, then I'll root for them some more as I kick Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr in the junk.
Monday, September 05, 2005
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
The college season kicked off this weekend, and a hell of a weekend of football it was. ASU kicked ass (yeah!), Ohio State kicked ass (yeah!), OU lost (yeah!), FSU won (yeah!), and Michigan won (may they all forget how to procreate). Some great plays this weekend, including NC State's double-lateral final play, even though it didn't work.
Oh, and in case you missed it, true freshman Keegan Herring, a fellow Peoria Panther, ran for over 130 yards and a TD in his first collegiate game ever, averaging over 10 yards a carry. I hear that kind of performance will win you some awards if you do it over and over again (freshman awards, not the Heisman...I don't think he's *that* good, but if he is, BONUS!).
This weekend was also draft weekend for fantasy football. I'm doing three leagues this year...two of which I have a good shot at finishing top three, the other I'll need a bit of luck as I always do. The guys in that league are all seasoned veterans, but none of them puts in the preparation like I do. Hours of calculations and formulas, hours of strategizing...it's great! Too bad the season takes 22 weeks but the draft only takes a couple hours :-(
A league can never be won in the draft, but it CAN be lost.
Ah, football! Shannon, eat your heart out!
The college season kicked off this weekend, and a hell of a weekend of football it was. ASU kicked ass (yeah!), Ohio State kicked ass (yeah!), OU lost (yeah!), FSU won (yeah!), and Michigan won (may they all forget how to procreate). Some great plays this weekend, including NC State's double-lateral final play, even though it didn't work.
Oh, and in case you missed it, true freshman Keegan Herring, a fellow Peoria Panther, ran for over 130 yards and a TD in his first collegiate game ever, averaging over 10 yards a carry. I hear that kind of performance will win you some awards if you do it over and over again (freshman awards, not the Heisman...I don't think he's *that* good, but if he is, BONUS!).
This weekend was also draft weekend for fantasy football. I'm doing three leagues this year...two of which I have a good shot at finishing top three, the other I'll need a bit of luck as I always do. The guys in that league are all seasoned veterans, but none of them puts in the preparation like I do. Hours of calculations and formulas, hours of strategizing...it's great! Too bad the season takes 22 weeks but the draft only takes a couple hours :-(
A league can never be won in the draft, but it CAN be lost.
Ah, football! Shannon, eat your heart out!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink...
In their most literal meanings, nature is terrible, unforgiving. I'll spare you with the pictures...you all know what the devastation looks like.
Folks, make no mistake about it - the destruction of Hurricane Katrina will be newly realized for years; the damage we're seeing now is only the beginning.
And yet, ravaged as the land may be, I remain supremely confident that something beautiful will spawn in the wake of this storm most awful.
Folks, make no mistake about it - the destruction of Hurricane Katrina will be newly realized for years; the damage we're seeing now is only the beginning.
And yet, ravaged as the land may be, I remain supremely confident that something beautiful will spawn in the wake of this storm most awful.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Immigration by cannon
Do we really need this?
For those too lazy to look at he article, they fired a guy out of a cannon across the US/Mexico border at Tijuana into a net. This scares me somewhat. We have a hard enough time controling immigration through the border crossing areas, now we have to deal with human cannons? Now, I realize that this guy was legal and all, but still, I can see the little light bulbs turing on in the minds of Mexicans everywhere. Or an entrapeneuer going down there with his cannon telling folks, "Sure, I set up a net on the other side. Yeah, that's it."
Flinging Mexicans. It's kinda funny when I think about it.
*BOOM*
"Ayyuudameee!"
In the article they call it "art." I disagree. Art would be us firing the illegals back :-)
(Being from a border state, I'm a huge fan of legal immigration but I absolutely hate the illegal stuff. While I certainly don't seriously think the idea of launching Mexicans over a fence is right nor humane, something must be done to curtail the flow of illegal immigrants into the state/nation and punish those who are caught).
For those too lazy to look at he article, they fired a guy out of a cannon across the US/Mexico border at Tijuana into a net. This scares me somewhat. We have a hard enough time controling immigration through the border crossing areas, now we have to deal with human cannons? Now, I realize that this guy was legal and all, but still, I can see the little light bulbs turing on in the minds of Mexicans everywhere. Or an entrapeneuer going down there with his cannon telling folks, "Sure, I set up a net on the other side. Yeah, that's it."Flinging Mexicans. It's kinda funny when I think about it.
*BOOM*
"Ayyuudameee!"
In the article they call it "art." I disagree. Art would be us firing the illegals back :-)
(Being from a border state, I'm a huge fan of legal immigration but I absolutely hate the illegal stuff. While I certainly don't seriously think the idea of launching Mexicans over a fence is right nor humane, something must be done to curtail the flow of illegal immigrants into the state/nation and punish those who are caught).
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Why can't they figure it out?
Science has done some amazing things. It allows me to communicate with people that are thousands of miles, sometimes continents, away in the blink of an eye. It figured out how to heat up food in seconds, and make food last for longer than it ought. It helps me get to work in minutes and conventions in hours. It's even cured diseases.But one thing it hasn't done is given me a blanket rhinovirus/adenovirus vaccine - also known as a cure for the common cold.
And I ask, why not? If science helps us put boobs on DVD and give us 4-hour stiffies (ah, the joys of late night television commercials), why can't they fix it so I don't sneeze so much that my head and chest feel like they're going to explode from the internal pressure?
While that's more of a rhetorical question than anything, I still find it frustrating for two reasons. One is that I have a "common cold" at the moment and the symptoms of said cold aren't fun. The other is that I've fallen victim to something common, which distresses me (more than it should). I really don't like the idea of being the victim of something common. It's almost like an assault to my pride. "What do you mean a cheap, common cold is gonna beat MY immune system?" I mean, influenza, streptococcus, stapholococcus, pneumococcal infections aka pneumonia, etc...they all have menacing names...names that are recognized and feared (even if abreviated). But not rhinoviruses. In fact, there are so many of them that we just get lazy and call them "colds." Common colds. Bah.
Well, dammit, enough I say! Scientists of the world unite! I want to see school fundraisers! I want to see benefit auctions and tribute concerts! I want to see telethons with celebrities and tympanies on a three-day weekend! Together, we can find a cure for the ravaging rhinovirii!!!
Until then, I'll have some Dayquil and complain.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
It doesn't take a lot...
I don't need a lot to be happy.
I've had money, I've been poor. I've been all over this nation, more than half of the fifty states in fact. I've been in freezing cold and heat that's made me practically pass out. I've been hurt deeply and loved dearly, and returned those feelings in kind. I've lived on my own, and I've lived in the same room with 87 brothers. I've slept on everything from the dryest dirt to the plushest mattresses, and tasted food from a can as well as in a room lined with gold. I've labored hard and vacationed harder, worked and relaxed. I've participated in sports of all kinds, both playing and watching, and enjoy a good video game or card game just as much.
I've been in all sorts of situations in life, and frankly, there's not a lot of difference between the best of them and the worst.
Nope, not much at all.
There is, however, one variable on this earth I've found that can turn a moment from regretable to unforgetable...from horrendous to absolutely sublime - having someone I care about there to share those moments with.
May we all find someone to share moments with.
I've had money, I've been poor. I've been all over this nation, more than half of the fifty states in fact. I've been in freezing cold and heat that's made me practically pass out. I've been hurt deeply and loved dearly, and returned those feelings in kind. I've lived on my own, and I've lived in the same room with 87 brothers. I've slept on everything from the dryest dirt to the plushest mattresses, and tasted food from a can as well as in a room lined with gold. I've labored hard and vacationed harder, worked and relaxed. I've participated in sports of all kinds, both playing and watching, and enjoy a good video game or card game just as much.
I've been in all sorts of situations in life, and frankly, there's not a lot of difference between the best of them and the worst.
Nope, not much at all.
There is, however, one variable on this earth I've found that can turn a moment from regretable to unforgetable...from horrendous to absolutely sublime - having someone I care about there to share those moments with.
May we all find someone to share moments with.
Friday, August 26, 2005
I can't believe I made it this far in life...
...without killing someone. Or myself. Or getting fired. Or sent home from school. Or something equally terminal, relatively speaking.
As I've previously described, I'm not exactly a morning person. Far from it, in fact. When my alarm clock rings the only part of my brain that actually wakes up is the part that knows how to control my body to make the alarm turn off and, in theory, sleep more. Of course, that usually doesn't happen. Instead I somehow make it into the shower, often times turning off and on the water multiple times because I forgot soap, or to rinse the shampoo out of my hair (shut up...you still have to wash what's there), or something equally fundamental to showering. Frequently I'll find myself pulling into work without remembering how I got there, as though I blinked my eyes and magically warped from home to work (my gas gauge tells me otherwise). Goodness knows how I ever got homework done during school.
In any case, on the way to work in the carpool van I was resting my head on my hand when it occurred to me that my face felt kinda prickly. The obvious *why* to that issue, however, didn't. Then I get to work (which in itself is a miracle because the driver today was insane...she drove 3/4 of the way there without having the van completely in gear..."What's that sound?"..."Oh, that would be the transmission burning up at 7500 rpms as we go 30 mph) and finally catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror when I finally realized that I forgot to shave. Neet.
Now that I've realized I have forgotten something so basic, I begin to wonder how many other times in life I've forgotten to shave. Or brush my teath. Or lock my car. Or even put clothes on (although I don't recall ever being sent home or arrested for excessive nakedness, so it's either never happened or I look great in the buff and nobody cares). One of the gals at work then mentions to me that I forgot to shave, and wonders out loud how anybody could possibly forget such a thing. Evidently she knows when she forgets to shave whenever she pulls her pants on. I told her that I don't exactly wear pants on my face. She didn't find that funny. I did. It's morning.
As I've previously described, I'm not exactly a morning person. Far from it, in fact. When my alarm clock rings the only part of my brain that actually wakes up is the part that knows how to control my body to make the alarm turn off and, in theory, sleep more. Of course, that usually doesn't happen. Instead I somehow make it into the shower, often times turning off and on the water multiple times because I forgot soap, or to rinse the shampoo out of my hair (shut up...you still have to wash what's there), or something equally fundamental to showering. Frequently I'll find myself pulling into work without remembering how I got there, as though I blinked my eyes and magically warped from home to work (my gas gauge tells me otherwise). Goodness knows how I ever got homework done during school.
In any case, on the way to work in the carpool van I was resting my head on my hand when it occurred to me that my face felt kinda prickly. The obvious *why* to that issue, however, didn't. Then I get to work (which in itself is a miracle because the driver today was insane...she drove 3/4 of the way there without having the van completely in gear..."What's that sound?"..."Oh, that would be the transmission burning up at 7500 rpms as we go 30 mph) and finally catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror when I finally realized that I forgot to shave. Neet.
Now that I've realized I have forgotten something so basic, I begin to wonder how many other times in life I've forgotten to shave. Or brush my teath. Or lock my car. Or even put clothes on (although I don't recall ever being sent home or arrested for excessive nakedness, so it's either never happened or I look great in the buff and nobody cares). One of the gals at work then mentions to me that I forgot to shave, and wonders out loud how anybody could possibly forget such a thing. Evidently she knows when she forgets to shave whenever she pulls her pants on. I told her that I don't exactly wear pants on my face. She didn't find that funny. I did. It's morning.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Bleh...
That pretty much sums up the day.
I was coughing off and on last night before I went to bed; when I woke up I had a raw throat and congestion, which means one of two things - either I've succomed to the post-convention crud for the first time (the general attack on your immune system from shaking hands and touching the property of hundreds of strangers in between two plane trips which recycle the same air over and over) OR I'm getting a cold. Bleh.
This morning's meeting went relatively well...no deaths to report. But work was boring, at one point having to deal with 120+ calls on hold and a failing internal telephone software system. Not to mention that someone very near and dear to my heart is on vacation this week so the time doesn't pass like it often does (I miss you...enjoy your vaction, but hurry back soon). Bleh.
(Okay, so I'm watching Sportscenter and they just covered a bilingual blind guy that's the color commentator for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and Devil Rays. Blind. In two languages. That's my kind of sports fan, and one hell of a dedicated individual. Cheers to you, blind bilingual color commentator guy!)
I'm achy all over so I could use a massage. Bleh.
Dinner was grilled well but all the seasoning in the pantry, for whatever reason, wasn't able to spice up the meat. Bleh.
And I'm just flat out tired. Need to sleep tonight.
Bleh.
I was coughing off and on last night before I went to bed; when I woke up I had a raw throat and congestion, which means one of two things - either I've succomed to the post-convention crud for the first time (the general attack on your immune system from shaking hands and touching the property of hundreds of strangers in between two plane trips which recycle the same air over and over) OR I'm getting a cold. Bleh.
This morning's meeting went relatively well...no deaths to report. But work was boring, at one point having to deal with 120+ calls on hold and a failing internal telephone software system. Not to mention that someone very near and dear to my heart is on vacation this week so the time doesn't pass like it often does (I miss you...enjoy your vaction, but hurry back soon). Bleh.
(Okay, so I'm watching Sportscenter and they just covered a bilingual blind guy that's the color commentator for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and Devil Rays. Blind. In two languages. That's my kind of sports fan, and one hell of a dedicated individual. Cheers to you, blind bilingual color commentator guy!)
I'm achy all over so I could use a massage. Bleh.
Dinner was grilled well but all the seasoning in the pantry, for whatever reason, wasn't able to spice up the meat. Bleh.
And I'm just flat out tired. Need to sleep tonight.
Bleh.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The Agreement
Sometime around when I was 12 years old the sun and I reached an agreement: it was going to rise every day (until it doesn't, at which time we all have far more terrible issues to consider) and I wasn't going to like it. Such has been the case for the past 15 years. It's not that I hate the sun, but more that I love the nighttime. More on that later...too many thoughts to quickly jot down.
My employees at the credit union are going to feel my squirrly morning wrath tomorrow when they have me facilitating a department meeting at 9:00AM. There's no amount of caffeine-filled goodness that can prevent this, and heaven forbid that one of the employees in that meeting is a morning person lest I will be compelled to hurl them out the window of
the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Emerald Palace (aka headquarters...our central operating center is surrounded by green glass). F'n mornings...it's not a good morning until 12:30 PM, and anybody that greets me with, "Good morning!" is a dirty dirty liar.
If you see a headline about someone plummeting to their death in Arizona tomorrow, that likely means I'm in jail. May as well divy up my cards since I don't think TCG collections command a high value in the slammer. Triple G gets my foils. Single H gets my signed cards.
My employees at the credit union are going to feel my squirrly morning wrath tomorrow when they have me facilitating a department meeting at 9:00AM. There's no amount of caffeine-filled goodness that can prevent this, and heaven forbid that one of the employees in that meeting is a morning person lest I will be compelled to hurl them out the window of
the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Emerald Palace (aka headquarters...our central operating center is surrounded by green glass). F'n mornings...it's not a good morning until 12:30 PM, and anybody that greets me with, "Good morning!" is a dirty dirty liar.If you see a headline about someone plummeting to their death in Arizona tomorrow, that likely means I'm in jail. May as well divy up my cards since I don't think TCG collections command a high value in the slammer. Triple G gets my foils. Single H gets my signed cards.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Entry The First
Well, let me start by saying that I hate this. I hate making web pages and I hate posting to them. But the webpage basically seemed to build itself, and the posting/creation of it basically falls under the "everybody else is doing it" category. Regardless, it's built. Here is my blog in all of its glory - or lack thereof.
On the flipside of that coin, I love communicating and this appears a pretty easy way to do it. Seems to be an easy way to chronicle ones' life, like an anti-diary of sorts...all your personal, private thoughts conveniently bundled so that everyone in the world can read them.
The name of the blog, sadly, comes from work. My company purchased the license to a customer service training program that offers a personality test very similar to the DiSC system, and it turns out that it thinks I'm a Controller. I prefer order and justice, make decisions based on facts, not easily swayed by emotionally-based rhetoric, and prefer stability to recognition. I guess that largely makes sense. I was a supreme court justice in Boys State, an R.A. in college, a coach in college and beyond, and now a high-level CCG judge. The name of the site is more lighthearted, stemming from my love of the Final Fantasy series, and my hope that before I die I'll get to live one final fantasy...
On the flipside of that coin, I love communicating and this appears a pretty easy way to do it. Seems to be an easy way to chronicle ones' life, like an anti-diary of sorts...all your personal, private thoughts conveniently bundled so that everyone in the world can read them.
The name of the blog, sadly, comes from work. My company purchased the license to a customer service training program that offers a personality test very similar to the DiSC system, and it turns out that it thinks I'm a Controller. I prefer order and justice, make decisions based on facts, not easily swayed by emotionally-based rhetoric, and prefer stability to recognition. I guess that largely makes sense. I was a supreme court justice in Boys State, an R.A. in college, a coach in college and beyond, and now a high-level CCG judge. The name of the site is more lighthearted, stemming from my love of the Final Fantasy series, and my hope that before I die I'll get to live one final fantasy...
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