I found a Ted here in the cosmos

Tuesday's notes

2006-11-14T09:18:00.000-05:00

One more day down only four days to go. It's almost Saturday, what will you be doing when the world stops for about three hours to watch The Game? Ohio State vs Michigan, the Shoe, the dotting of the i, Hang on Sloopy and 110,000 screaming fans rocking the stadium. This will be a great Saturday full of excitement and the hopes of cheering for the national championship in January hang on the balance. Stupid fans like me who think if they scream enough and concentrate enough, they can will their team to victory are priceless.

On a side note, I saw an appropriately dressed newborn the other day. The little guy was sporting a very fashionable Ohio State onesy. I so have to get that.

He writes again but only to warn the others

2006-11-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

Amazing, I still know my username and password. Unbelievable.

By now you should know the date, the time, where and who. November 18, 3:30 p.m. Columbus, Ohio - #1 The Ohio State Buckeyes and the #2 Michigan Wolverines. If you don't know then you either don't follow sports or you've been hiding under a rock. This will probably be the longest week of my life. Couldn't Veterans Day be this Friday? Or how about moving Thanksgiving to this Thursday? I'm not sure if I'll be able to concentrate at work.

My warning is for those who will see me on Saturday. I will either be drowning my self in sorrow in an attempt to stave off a deep depression or I'll be the most gleeful SOB this side of Columbus. The difference between now and say ten years ago, I don't fear Big Blue dashing the Scarlet and Gray's national title march. I have complete confidence in the Buckeyes and The Shoe will be rocking on Saturday.

Then comes Sunday as my Beloved Brownies go for two in a row against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. It's time to put those Steelers in their rightful place that is last place in the AFC North. "Here we go Brownies, here we go! Woof, woof! Here we go Brownies, here we go! Woof, woof! Shooooters!!!" I plan to here that all afternoon long on Sunday. For the outsiders, that is code for Touchdown Browns! Now give us our shooters!

Left Behind - the video game

2006-08-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

I've enjoyed reading the Left Behind series, though I'm only halfway through the entire series. I've even watched the first two movies featuring Kirk Cameron a.k.a Mike Seaver (oh, how I miss those days). Then I came across this article today about a new video game based off the popular series. At first I was curious about the storyline this video game based on the book series would follow. Your main objective, I gather, is to recruit people. Sounds a bit boring but makes sense. Then comes the violence. If you can't convert the non-believers, you have to kill them. Say what????

I play a lot of violent games, in fact, I don't know if I own any non-violent games that aren't sports based. I'm not an expert but I'd guess that most games involve some sort of "killing" the enemy. Even games like Disney's Kingdom Hearts, which I still have yet to complete the first installment, have you killing these shadow creatures. The killing doesn't include severed body parts and blood spattering everywhere but it is killing. I'm not going to get wrapped around the axle about this but killing "people" because they refuse to convert might be sending the wrong impression about a very touchy subject. I think because of the touchy subject that maybe this video game has gone a little too far and might not be appropriate right now. I wonder if this game has received any sort of blessing from the books creators, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Do I think this game will spark a rash of real life killings? In a word, no. However, I think it's rather odd that a faith based game would have violence of any kind. Are they trying to appeal to gamers and simply sell a product in hopes of making as much money as they possibly can? I would think that this type of game would try to send a very specific message and refrain from any sort of violence.

Youth baseball and ethics

2006-08-15T08:12:00.000-05:00

I came across this story today about a youth baseball game in Utah, in which, a frail little boy who has recovered from a malignant cranial tumor, suffered years of chemotherapy and can only play if he wears a batters helmet at all times. The little kid, Romney Oaks, steps up to the plate with a chance to win the championship game for his team in a 10 and under league. Unfortunately, Romney strikes out and his opponent wins the game.

At first it sounds pretty normal. Someone has to win and someone has to lose. It's the nature of sports. Then comes the ethics question. First how did Romney get in the game winning situation, well, the opposing team intentionally walked the batter in front him, mind you, the best batter on the team. Perfect strategic baseball. Walk the guy who could has the better chance of hitting the ball and go after the weaker hitter, especially if you only need one more out. However, should the opposing team have walked the best batter to get to Romney? Is it ethical in a little league situation to do such a thing? There is nothing in the rules that states intentionally walking a player is not allowed so the other coach instructed his pitcher to do something legally. They didn't cheat but did take advantage of a weak player.

Is it okay to teach kids to win at all costs? Is there a certain line we're not suppose to cross in youth athletics? I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. Sure, the best coaching move is to pitch around the best batter and go after the weak batter. However, it's little league baseball. You're not under pressure to win. There is no owner or upper management breathing down your neck waiting for you to bring home a championship. With that in mind, I'd say pitch to the best batter. Take your chances and see how it plays out. You'll be back to coach again next year if you chose to. There won't be an owner screaming at you and there won't be angry fans calling into radio stations voicing emotional opinions calling for a new coach.

Then I start to think about how ESPN televises little league baseball, more specifically, the Little League World Series. Well, doesn't that change everything? I would want my team to feel the joy of winning and celebrate a championship even if it's not on TV. If it came down to the last out, first base was open, the best hitter was at bat and I knew a weak batter was on deck, I'd walk the best batter and pitch to the weaker batter. If first base is open and I had a David Ortiz at the plate and a Damien Jackson is on deck, I would walk Ortiz take my chances with Jackson(Oh, for those of you who don't know, David Ortiz maybe one of the best clutch hitters in the game today and Damien Jackson is not known for his hitting abilities).

Look, it's unfortunate that a kid who's gone through so much in his life had to be the final out. I don't think people should be in outrage about it and spark a national debate. I think it comes down to how you view youth sports. Are you on the side of winning/losing or the side of creating an atmosphere where kids can take part in a fun learning experience about teamwork. I think there should be balance of both sides. I still don't know what I would have done. I'd probably would have pitched to the best batter and taken my chances.

Professional Mixologist

2006-07-31T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'm an -ologist, as in a mixologist. Not just a mixologist, a professional mixologist. Around 6:30 pm Friday evening I passed my written and speed test and officially became a mixologist. I even received a diploma. Now it's decision time. What to do with my new skill? Where to work? How many days a week? Decisions...decisions...decisions. I'm pretty excited about the possibility of working a little part time job as a bartender. I think I'd make a pretty good bartender in the right place. I'm glad the course is over. I can leave work and go home. I don't have to detour and spend an additional 4 hours in Arlington and then come home between 11pm or midnight. I'll have to get a little familiar with some drinks that weren't required for class but were given to us in supplemental handouts...ie red headed slut.

So much for a recharge

2006-07-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

It was my plan this past weekend to do absolutely nothing. Sadly, I showered but I did avoid brushing my teeth. They felt very gross. I played hours of video games and watched plenty of shows and movies. I made the morning run to Starbucks and a Saturday night run to India Palace (yum!) Unfortunately, I'm still tired and worn out. So what if I traveled the galaxy, fought off the Empire and revived the Washington Huskies football program. I never left the house. Why am I so tired? I still get the same amount of sleep even though I'm going to bed at midnight instead of 11. I get up at 6 instead of 5. I suppose the 4 hours I spend in bartending class is draining my energy/brain power and messing up my eating schedule. I basically get up, go to work, leave work, go to class, leave class, go home, eat, sleep, wake up and go through the same thing again and again. I dream about making drinks and wake up thinking about what I do with rum, triple sec and juice. Bartending school might be a whole helluva lot of fun, I'll be glad when it's over. I can go back to my normal routine. I think this next weekend, I'm sleeping more. It'll probably do nothing to help and even may make things worse but I will have spent the past two weeks dreaming and thinking about shooters, cocktails, highballs, specialty drinks and lord knows what else and I just want to dream about something else.

On a side note, I think I might try this bartending thing. I don't want this knowledge that I've gained to go to waste. It may not be my money that went towards this class but why not use this as an opportunity to earn a little extra even though I really don't have to. Hmm, an upgraded home theater sporting a projection tv. A larger tv in the game room to go with a new xbos 360 perhaps. But then reality sets in and I'll be paying someone to finish the stupid flooring project my wife and I started in January. Oh an someone will need to be paid for fixing a leaky roof. Painting is not a problem nor is putting up shelves, blinds, curtains, pictures or other wall decorations. Just need the floor in place to move along with the housing upgrades. The cool technology gadgets will just have to wait.

Mixology 101

2006-07-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

I'm uber excited about my new little adventure. I just started my 40 hour professional bartending course at, you guessed it, The Professional Bartending School in Arlington. It's a serious chunk of time (4 hours a day), especially after a full day of work but it's a whole lot of fun. My brain is working overtime trying to remember 24 different drinks that I learned in one night. I think I've got them down so bring on another batch of drinks.

I really have no idea what I'll do with this new skill. I'm just excited about learning all sorts of drinks and how they are made. One short fall, I have no clue what these drinks taste like because we use colored water. Boooooooooooo! Makes sense because alcohol is expensive and how could anyone learn if they're drunk.

Soon I'll know what to do with those two bottles of vodka and bourbon and they actually might taste good too! Apparently vodka mixes well with everything but I'm too chicken to test that theory. I know why it's called a screwdriver. I also now know that the names of these drinks actually mean something and certain words have meaning. A sloe (yes, its spelled like that for a reason) comfortable screw against the wall has all the ingreidients listed in the name. Sloe=sloe gin, comfortable=southern comfort, screw=orange juice and wall=Galliano (a licorice and vanilla taste, which supposedly tastes nasty). You can even take out screw and insert doggy style which is grapefruit juice. I learned what's in a spicy bloody mary and I'll be skipping that drink. Oh, and I know the name for a free shot at the bar. However, I'd advise against ever really ordering it. Well, it's off to class. Hooray bartending!

Missing that little space

2006-07-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

I really miss that little space I called a bedroom when I was growing up. It was my personal safe haven. I'd play my music and write in my notebooks. I even had the glow in the dark stars all over my ceiling and two stuck on the ceiling fan. I could turn off the lights, stare at the fake me out stars and dream away.

Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of space in our house. The game room is too distracting and crowded. The living room is too big and open. The office is under construction. The spare bedroom might work and even the master bedroom might work. I just don't feel the creative energies in those rooms. In fact, I really don't sense them anywhere in the house. Poop on the creative energies. Why are you so hard to find?

I never seemed to have this creative problem back in my youth. I was never that distracted by television, video games, movies, sports or anything else that I can't think of right now. I always found the time to write. One reason could be that writing was an escape for me and I don't need that escape now. I love to write but that love hasn't produced anything in a long time. For the first time, I've cooked up a complete story. I know exactly where the story begins and ends. I know my cast of characters and what awaits them. I've played the story out in my head and reworked it several times. Now I just need a gadget that can take my thoughts and put them in a notebook or a word document. I could just shut the hell up and stop whining about a "comfort" space. I'm not scared of writing. I never have been. This is the easiest form of communication for me. I wish I could write to everyone and never speak a word. I hate talking, especially verbal conversation.

My nickname during my brief stint on the high school wrestling team was "mute." I didn't feel the need to speak to anyone. I was there to wrestle and that's all I wanted to do. I didn't want anything to do with anyone of the team. I didn't particularly like them even though I knew most of them from my days on the Jr High team.

At work, I prefer emails. I really don't like picking up the phone and talking. I only do it because I have to and its not that terrible. I simply prefer email.

I feel like I missing something in my life and it's that little space where I feel comfortable enough to write and eager to get back to that space when I have to leave for whatever reason. Of course, it will all have to wait for two more weeks. I'll be extremely busy with bartending school. Thanks to my job, I'm going to bartending school which will eat up my nights for the next two weeks. I have this feeling I won't be in the mood to do anything productive on the weekends. However, I do see myself writing furiously, listening to music and sitting in the bedroom. Hmmm, maybe it's a vision of the future.

Can I get another hell yeah!!

2006-06-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

Look, I'm eagerly awaiting Superman Returns and I can't wait but May 2007 can't come any quicker so how about this little teaser for Spiderman 3.

I'm stoked so who's in?

2006-06-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm stoked about the upcoming Superman movie. What makes it even more exciting is the possiblity of seeing it in 3D-IMAX. The quesion is, do I want to go way out of my way to Chantilly to see the movie or simply watch it at our normal theater. I don't even know where Chantilly is? I feel like it's some far distant land hidden in the depths of Virginia. So, who's in? I'll go with a group. I'm certainly not venturing alone into the great abyss known as Virginia.

Oh, I'm not entirely sure if it's 3d-Imax or just plain old Imax.

An impossible task

2006-06-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

I'm trying for the impossible. I'm trying to avoid the results of the US - Ghana match. I have the Tivo set to record it this morning and I would really like to watch it without knowing the end result of the match. So far, the only thing I know is that it started at 9:55 am on ESPN and it's now 10:36 am. I may have to avoid the internet all day long---oh my god I don't know what I'll do. Well, here goes nothing!

10:47 am - Holy crap! Someone just wildly cheered. There must be a television nearby. I'm gonna have to pull the plug or I'll never survive this day.

4:17 pm - Wow! I've almost made it through the enitre day. Only a few more hours. Of course some random lady almost ruined it for me during lunch. I was standing in line and these women behind me were yapping about their husbands who took the morning off from work to watch the game. One of the ladies sure wasn't happy about her husband sitting at home drinking beer and stuffing his face with greasy foods. Thankfully they weren't the least bit interested in the outcome of the game.

9:10 pm - Okay, I made it. I completed the impossible task and what a depressing let down. The US laid another stinker. I should have just had the gamecast on during the day, read the story that follows and been done with it than sit for two hours watching the US. On the other hand, Ghana is such a great story. I hope they upset Brazil.

So how old are you?

2006-06-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

Apparently there are these ringtones that adults can't here. I can here up to 17,000Hz but no higher. Once you're at the website, select Mosquito Tones, then select it again and then again. You should now see a list starting with 14,000Hz ending with 20,000Hz. Start off with 14,000Hz (just select and hit preview). You should hear some high pitch, really annoying ringing. Goodness gracious, I'm deaf. My ears are still ringing after that. Oh and if your curious, here's the story.

Hell yeah!!!

2006-06-13T07:46:00.000-05:00

Transformers. Do I need to say more??

Riddle me this

2006-06-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

What's the population of the world? Then explain how China TV expects 10 billion to tune into the finals.

Losing yet loving it

2006-06-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

As much as I dislike communicating with strangers, I recently started playing tennis. I joined TennisDC to satisfy my friendly competitive hunger. I've met a few interesting people so far and a couple of guys that I can meet up with during the week to play some friendly matches. It's a little annoying because there is no set location to play or schedule. You basically email or call (definitely not my choice of communication) your opponents to set a date and time.

Of course, I really don't know a thing about tennis. I searched the internet to read up on the rules of the game and for tips on how to play the game. To my surprise, Comcast onDemand had some sports training clips so I even watched a few lessons. I think I've got the basics down and with a few matches under my belt, I still stink. I like the competition and making the effort to get outdoors more so the "I suck" part really doesn't bother me. I keep learning more and becoming more consistent with my game so eventually I may win a set or two...check that...eventually I may win a few more points. Losing two matches 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0 is extremely bad. Despite the wide margin of defeat, I did put up a heckuva fight. I would be up 40-0 or even 40-15 but I just couldn't close it out. They'd eventually strike even and we'd go back and forth and I'd find a way to lose. The game seems so easy and the people I've played aren't very special but I'm not very good either. I feel like I can win and in time I will. For now, I just have to keep playing, especially those friendly matches on the weeknights. It's one thing to hit the ball against a giant green wall or pratice my horrifying serve; I find it extremely helpful to play against a real, walking, talking and breathing people, who hit the ball back. For the curious, I'm in the men's recreational league at the bottom of the standings.

It was good while it lasted

2006-05-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

I let out a huge "Oh no!" just now. One of my favorite SF shows is officially not coming back next season. So long Invasion. It was great first season and I'm hugely upset about it because now I won't even get to find out what happened. It ended with a wonderful cliffhanger and I can only hope that the SciFi channel picks this one up. So much for the SF shows this season. CBS canned Threshold. NBC dropped Surface and now ABC dropped a bomb by letting Invasion go.

Actually, this is horrible. I enjoyed all three shows and Invasion had to be my favorite of the three even though I couldn't see how the show would last. When Invasion first started I really thought it should have been a movie or a mini series. However, after watching an entire season, I really felt that the show could at least be on for two, three maybe even four seasons. I'll miss Russell, Larkin, Tom, Dave, Jesse, Rose, Kiera and (damn...I forgot the mother's name). Well, I miss you too. See what this has done to me, I can't even remember the mother's name. So long Homestead, FL and to all the hybrids.

On another note, I'm curious as to how this new NBC show Heroes turns out. Superhuman powers and dramtically changed lives - could be very cool or extremely bad. I hope for the very cool. Oh and Mr. Super weird Jeff Goldblum has a supernatural show coming out as well on NBC titled Raines.

I guess we all wait until 2008 for the Chronicles of Narnia sequel.

And finally the bright cheery news...Smallville and Supernatural are both coming back next season. At least Thursday nights are safe.

If you are curious, all of this info was supplied by the Sci Fi Weekly

My boy Chris is alright

2006-05-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

I've refrained from writing anything about "American Idol" until now. I was a bit peeved that my "idol", Chris Daughtry, was booted Wednesday night. Well, I'm happy to say that things have turned out simply alright for him. It sounds like he'll be the new front man for Fuel. Um, has that ever happened to an American idol contestant? The dude is going to front an established band. Forget Bo or Constantine, this guy is about to be the lead singer for a "successful" band (I put successful in quotes only because I really don't know how "successful" the band really is. I know the band, own their albums, like their music but I'm no judge for successful). Way to go Chris! Whatever this guy decides to do, either take the gig with Fuel or start his own band, you will find his songs on my ipod. I do have to say, I hope Chris learns to do something other than his death ray stare. He's very intense and at times I thought his head was going to explode. You go boy!

I'm the old grumpy neighbor

2006-05-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

Well I'm officially old or at least I feel like it. This weekend some little punk kid parked his mustang in our parking space. My wife left the first note on Saturday telling them not to park in the space. So Sunday morning creeps around and there's the Mr. Mustang but this time he's parked in a different position but still in our space. My good early Sunday morning feeling withered away. So before I left for the Orioles game, I left a second note which was a bit confrontational. I simply stated this space was reserved for the residence of ___ I had inserted our address number. Now, my wife didn't particularly like it but it was my attempt to find out exactly who the culprit was without knocking on doors. I had an idea of who it was but I just wanted to make sure. So naturally like the punk little kid he is, returned our note stating for the first and last time don't touch his car. If we have a beef with ____ (Ha! totally got him) he inserted their street address and that there are no permits. Uh, hello dude what do you think reserved means?

At this point, I'm extremely grumpy and old, so I send an email to the homeowners association. Well, I think I sent one on Saturday but Monday morning I sent another one as an update on the situation. Maybe ten minutes later I receive a call from the association President. I found out that yes they are reserved but its more of an honor system or gentleman's agreement. Of course if the problem persists, further action can be taken to make the spaces officially reserved. I even learned some tidbits about the owner. Gossip gossip gossip. As of right now, the President spoke with the owner and we'll wait an see if Mr. Mustang parks there again. For the sake of convenience I hope not. But...it would be fun to see Mr. Mustang parked in our spot. I don't know what it is about rifts between neighbors but for some silly reason I like Neighbor Wars. They remind me of movies like Grumpy Old Men, the Burbs and uh...shooting blanks here. Oh well. More to come...work calls.

So what do you think?

2006-04-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm taking a poll to see if I should actually do this Bike to Work Day 2006. It's nearly two weeks away so I'd really have to work at it. I'm not a member of a gym in DC nor do I have any interest in joining one. There are no shower facilities in the building. I could bring a change of clothes and do the baby wipe cleaning method. I'm probably way to eager and therefore unaware of my current physical limitations. I'd be too afraid to leave my bike locked up out side, fearing someone would steal the seat, handle bars, front tire or anything else they can take of the bike easily. I've seen the aftermath of that senario. Oh yeah, it's Gaithersburg to DC! I'd have to get down to the Bethesday metro center by 7:00 am and then go to DC. Not to mention, I have to make a return trip home. Boy oh boy, I'm starting to sound crazy for even considering this adventure. Any t houghts?

100th post

2006-04-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

I hope no one is expecting great and wonderful things from my 100th post. I'm not even certain this is #100. My dashboard said I have 99 posts but does that count the drafts? Ah, who cares, no need to over think this post. It's number 100! Has it come a long way, possibly. For awhile, I crammed sports into the post until I decided to move all that talk into another blog, which I hardly ever write in:( Lately, I haven't written much simply because I don't have much to say. Heck, I don't even have a lot to report on in my life. There have been developments which at some point I will share so I can officially send out my thoughts into the cosmos. News flash, I think I opened something up at work I shouldn't have because I randomly get popups. It's so annoying. Not too mention I totally disregarded a helpful note in an email sent to me yesterday saying the email is not work safe. Naturally I opened the email, froze for a second and turned off my monitor. The sly cat that I am, I right clicked my mouse and prayed silently that the special slide show had closed. To my delight, it did close and disaster was adverted. For the curious ones, lets just say the slide show was a man laying in a hospital bed surrounded by some very attentive nurses. I should have know that the email wasn't work safe considering the source of the email. Former soccer mates usually send something very manly and it's normally no where near the tameness of the dial soap commercials for the oil can - "I'm a man, yes I am."

Well, that's all folks. Sorry I don't have any tall tales to tell right now. In time I will and hopefully you all will enjoy the story. Until next time....

Where am I???

2006-04-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like your mind is not in the same place as your body? Today I feel that way. I'm not sure what's going on and I feel like I'm off in some distant land while this shell of a body is going through the motions. I can still think and collect my thoughts but what I'm feeling has nothing to do with what's going on. I'm not sure how to explain it. This morning I could hear the bird chirp of my alarm and it kept chirping for a while. I could hear it but I didn't want to leave where ever I was during my dream. I felt I had to finish something. Reluctantly, I rolled out of bed and hit the snooze five minutes before the actual alarm goes off. I have one of those aroma, light and sound alarms. I usually hit the snooze 15 minutes into the little program. The alarm goes off after 30 minutes. Anyways, even though I did a little 20 minute workout, took care of Scooter, put the monday morning trash out, made lunch, ate breakfast, watched sportcenter, and made my way to work; I feel like I'm somewhere else. I went through my morning routine without any thought. I feel a sadness and that I'm searching for something but I don't know what. Whatever it is, it's not here. It's wherever my subconciousness is right now. One day, I really would like to know what goes on in my subconcious mind especially on days like today. What in the world is it doing?

Simon sure keeps busy

2006-03-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

As if "American Idol" isn't enough. First I didn't realize Simon Cowell was behind the new ABC show "American Inventors" but he's also starting a new project on NBC titled "America's Got Talent." In an interview, Simon promises the judging will be "brutally honest." Comedy at other people's expense; I'm not sure where I stand on that type of comedy. Sure I laugh and find it quite humorous and wonder what in the world are these people thinking. Then I begin to wonder what others think of me. It doesn't particularly worry me mainly because I believe we are all in the same boat. We all have inner thoughts, the little secrets and desires we don't share with anyone and they work perfectly because no one can hear them. I'm no different than any one of those people who land themselves on the show and have millions laugh at their follies. If I could let loose for a moment and expose the "me" that I know, I expect people to laugh but not in that "oh you're a funny comedian" way but more like "wow, what was that" way. I wouldn't want people to feel sorry for me because I embarrased myself but rather embrace my true self and know it's okay to step out of that shell and be their true self. Is it okay to laugh at someone for the sheer enjoyment of who they are and what they are doing? My intentions wouldn't be intened to be mean spirited but more like joining them in the moment of being yourself.

No spoilers here

2006-03-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally made it out to the theater to see a movie. My wife probably thought I was such a pain in the ass for constantly pushing to see "V for Vendetta" on Sunday. Let's just say the movie rocked! It probably won't win any awards and it most likely won't set any box office records, but I highly recommend seeing the movie as quickly as possible. If my wife or anyone else were to ask me "hey lets go see V for Vendetta now," I'd drop everything to see it again. The movie is that good. I'd see it multiple times and be first in line when it comes out on DVD. Well, not first in line and I know I sound manic right now but you just have to go see the movie. Why would you want to see a movie that doesn't have completely mind-blowing special effects, nor Oscar worthy performances? Well you'll have to see for yourself and trust me. Here, I'll help you out, go to Fandango and buy your tickets now!!

Vote for Ted

2006-03-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

I have started a campaign and it simply involves helping me attain the necessary votes in order to improve my chances of winning. The prize, a trip to the UK with four friends to visit the set of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and also to meet the cast. So visit this site and vote TedB531. Remember, you're not just helping me, your improving your chances of coming with me, as long as I win. I'll be adding this to my side bar.

Side note - Someone named Nikki already has 2,008 votes. Man, I'm so behind.

My Superhero mojo

2006-03-03T15:52:00.000-05:00

Now we're talking, a contest for me. Of course, I lost my superhero mojo. I don't know where my costume is nor do I know any of my superhuman abilities. In fact, I don't even know my purpose. Great, I'm really going to need to hit the gym. I can't have this body slide into tights. Oh wait, do I even where tights? Can anyone help me out???? I'm a superhero with amnesia.

My cow disappeared!

2006-03-03T12:21:00.000-05:00

I came across this very interesting site in my quest to reach the end of the internet. You have to click on the cow to see what happens. There goes my cow!

Ave Maria, FL

2006-03-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what to make of this proposed town by Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan. First, how in the world do you just decide I'm going to make a brand new town? How do you find enough room to go, hey here's were I'm going to build my town. Thomas Monaghan's plan is to develop a town centered by a church and to be governed by strict Roman Catholic principles. I suppose that's okay and I'm not sure why people are gearing up for legal battles. If this is some new town, where no existing people live and you make the conscious decision to move there, then hey, I guess you expect to live by the governing rules. But then, doesn't this town have to follow the laws and regulations of the state of Florida and the federal government? So eventhough people who intend to live here are chosing to obide by the governing body, are they not supposed to be provided the same legal rights as all American's? Part of the plan is to ban the sale of condoms, birth control and pornographic magazines. Oh and forgive me on this one, I can't help myself, they plan to prohibit x-rated cable television. I suppose you'll still get ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC and other basic and extended cable, since they are technically not x-rated channels but are filled with sex and violence.

Oh, you know what, this sort of reminds me of The Village. How does this guy plan to keep future generations from being corrupted by the outside world? There bound to find out what's going on around them. Again, I guess you go there to live life the way you want to, if you decide you've had enough, you move.

Dear Nicole

2006-02-28T10:40:00.000-05:00

I'm available and completely yours for the taking. My wife has informed me she wants nothing more than to have a steamy hot passionate "relationship" with James Blunt. This has opened the door for me to profess my undying love for you. Ever since I watched you in Days of Thunder, I wanted you to bear my children. I know, not very romantic, but I was like 13 or something. As I've matured into a young adult, I've come to realize what love is and how to share it with the one person destined to be mine. I was foolish not to seek you out when you were in town months ago but I didn't want to bother your work. Look, I can be your Ashton Kutcher. You're old, I'm young and about Tom's height. I'm not a gold digger, I just want to have a steamy hot passionate "relationship" with you. I don't want your money nor fame. I just want some lovin'. So call me, we can have lunch and then....we'll use our imaginations.

WTF happened to the pool!

2006-02-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Man, people are touchy, edgy and easily annoyed. Look, I 'm far from zen-like(just ask my wife). I can get cranky and go from chill to pissed off in 4.2 seconds on some dumb ridiculously insignificant things but dude, what just happened before my eyes? Are these people really serious? I'm about to list the events that just unfolded infront of my eyes. For all of you who don't know, I joined the office American Idol pool, which ceases to exist and I'm left dumb-founded.
---------------------------------------------------
Monday February 27, 2006 5:11 p.m.
Folks...

Due to circumstances beyond my control we will not be voting at all this week in the pool. More than half our players will be at a meeting in Florida Wednesday night and will not have an opportunity to watch the show.

In the interest of being fair I figure the best thing to do is to penalize no one and just resume the pool the following week.

Thanks,
The Pool Master

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 9:39 a.m. - A participant
As best as I can tell there will be 4 out of 21 in Florida hardly half, not even a third. All of these people when they signed on knew they would be in Florida this week.

I don’t think it’s fair to the rest of us who have made a commitment to watching the show or taping it or getting the highlights somehow.

So I am officially out of the pool!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 10:01 a.m. - Another participant
in your e-mail. You said more than half. Now it's only 4 people. I don't think it's fair.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 10:02 a.m. - Another participant
I have no problem with missing a week - especially since the Pool Master will be out of town on business and unable to tally everything up.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 10:02 a.m. - Pool Master
Good riddance!

Folks... For exactly this kind of childish behavior the AI Pool is hereby cancelled for the season. I will not be running it again.

Thanks for your participation.

The "Ex" Pool Master
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what in the world just happened. What happened to good old fashion fun? Honestly, I could care less about missing a week. It's not that important to vote every week. I'll still watch the show and still be thinking about which four aspiring performers get the boot. On a side note, eye candy Becky was booted off(I never expected her to last very long) so that leaves me with Katherine to dream about. She needs to bring it on, because Ace is so damn good looking (smokin'hot might fit better) that he's getting all the attention(even from my wife!) Come on honey, where's your milkshake!

Those uncomfortable moments around parents

2006-02-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, we visited Camille's parents for her birthday celebration. We had an extremely good time, especially at the comedy club. But this is hardly why I'm writing. This in facts goes back months ago at her grandmothers house. Unfortunately for me, I experienced one of those moments you wish you weren't around to hear that, this past weekend which in turn reminded me about this last experience. It started when Camille left the room to get ready for the comedy club. We had just returned from a late lunch/early dinner and there were these two balloons from the restaraunt. Her mom grabbed both of them and said to her husband, "look, sperm." I was standing off to the side in the room. Now that's not the most embarrassing situation but still, I didn't want to hear Camille's mom reference sperm. However, this reminded me of the time I was stuck watching TV with Camille's grandmother and her mom. Don't get me wrong, I never feel like I'm stuck with Camille's grandmother or mom. I enjoy the time we all spend together. However, watching American Pie 2, with all its sexual humor, is quite embarrassing. Lets see, the peeing on Stifler's head wasn't so bad but the scene with the alleged lesbians almost killed me. Oh, and where was Camille you ask, in the other room with her aunt messing around on the computer. So there I was stuck in the room watching this movie and I wanted to die because of the embarrassment. I even resorted to fake sleeping just so I didn't look like I was enjoying the movie or see their faces. I hate watching movies or shows with such references around family. With my brothers is one thing but around parents and grandparents is a whole other story.

I'll take "a la carte" please

2006-02-10T12:59:00.000-05:00

Now we're talking. If I could get rid of all th channels I don't watch, that would be great. Sure I could program the tivo and cable box not to give me the channels I don't like or watch but I still have to pay for them. In order to get all the channels I want, I pay heavily for some packaged deal. Of course, if I had the package I really wanted, I'd be paying out of my ass for cable. Come on, what am I going to do with latin channels, the local montgomery county channel and the CSPAN's. Look I really like ESPN but I don't need ESPN news or classic, two is enough. The weather channel is unnecessary, I can check the website (another pretty penny for high speed interent). You know, it's so much easier this way, I need channels 20 and 23(or whatever the CW will be), 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, 36, 42,42, 44(hockey mondays and tuesdays), 47, 48, 51, 57, 62(need at least on news channel), 66, 69, and 75. The rest of the channels are fillers. It wouldn't break my heart if they weren't available. I don't mind having the Encore movie channels and I can occasionally sit through a show on MTV or VH1. My wife would probably want some additional channels but for me, this is it. So Comcast, how much would you charge me for this lineup?

On demand is getting better but it's far from great. How about a pay per view with tv shows. Forget the flat fees for packages. Just set everyone up with a box and charge for each show. On second thought, don't do that. You'd probably charge $5 a show and with my weekly must see list, I'd hit $70 a week easily. Oh and advertising woud go down the tubes. You'd probably have to throw in 15 minutes of advertising before the shows like they do now for movies. Luckily, the tivo handles that problem with ease. I almost don't know what it feels like anymore to sit and watch the commercials.

Okay, so why now?

2006-02-09T15:22:00.000-05:00

Back in 2002???The latest report released states that the US twarted an al Qaeda attack in LA back in 2002. Um, it's 2006, why even bring it up. Losing face on the war on terror are we? I don't care. It happened so long ago it's irrelevant. I don't even know what the importance of the release.

I love this answer

2006-02-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

The joys of Yahoo answers. I love to contribute to the endless questions that really don't have any definitive answers. Really, all questions have answers but the great deal of questions about controversial topics depend on personal beliefs. My lastest contribution:

Is my marriage valid?
We had a ceremony with a reverend but under in no way was it religious. All references to a god/religious icons were omitted. I ask because it seems to me that marriage is defined by the bible and used as the source to protect the sanctity of marriage. Doesn't my marriage threaten the sanctity of marriage because it's not valid under the eyes of god? If so, why aren't the opponents of same sex marriages fighting to stop all non relgious unions?

And soon to be the best answer:
Absolutely not. You should both be executed in front of a firing squad because clearly you're out to undermine all the laws of the universe. You're also involved in a biracial relationship and as we've learned over the years, these are just destined for failure. The only thing to make your marriage even less valid is for you to marry a biracial man at the courthouse.God clearly is about the small details as so many people are so adept at point out. Forget the idea of love. Who needs it.In Jesus's Name, Blessed Be!

Why, because it's the funniest answer I've seen. Sure I would have given it to the most serious and well thought out answer, but honestly, the guy/chick has way too many points so I'm awarding the lol answer. Of course I totally know who answered this question and he shall remain nameless.

Ha! This time you're it!!!!

2006-02-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

Finally, I'm gonna beat you all to the punch. I hate being tagged and in this case I wasn't tagged. I sorta kinda took it from Kate.

Four Places I've Lived:
Medina, OH
Fort Lewis, WA
Camp Hovey, Republic of Korea
Gaithersburg, MD

Four Jobs I've Had:
cook - Perkins
server – Shoney’s
Human Resources Specialist
Administrative Assistant

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Major League
Grosse Pointe Blank
Star Wars Episodes IV-VI (I know those are three movies, I just couldn’t make up my mind)
A Few Good Men

Four TV Shows You Love:
Battlestar Galatica
Lost
Stargate SG-1
Smallville

Four Places You've Been on Vacation:
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Burlington, Ontario/Toronto
Orlando, FL – Can you guess what?
New York City – Well, maybe not, that was more for my wife

Four Websites You Visit Daily:
Washington Post
ESPN
Yahoo Answers
CNN – it’s a cop out. I couldn’t but a list of my daily porn sites

Four Of Your Favorite Foods:
Chicken fajita buritto from Chipotle
Chicken teriyaki from Happy Teriyaki(aka Happy Kitty)
lots and lots of shrimp
Mint chocolate chip ice cream

Four Places You'd Rather Be:
Seattle
Paris
Cedar Point
Middle Earth

Four Albums You Adore:
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dreams
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Weezer - Pinkerton
The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Four People to Tag:
Camille
Phillip
Kimmmmmmm
Evolver

Best Anwers

2006-02-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

I love signing in to yahoo answers and see that I've earned a bunch of points. I'm slowly making my way to 1,000 points and level three. It helps to be voted or chosen as the best answer. I haven't had as much fun with it as Phillip has. I've seen some pretty crazy answers to some questions and can only say to myself, what in the world is this person thinking. Of course, I'm not perfect and I pick and chose the questions I answer.

Why stop at same-sex marriages?

2006-01-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

I've been hesitant to write anything about this subject but I'm beginning to get frustrated as the state governments close to me (MD and VA) are preparing state constitutional amendments for November elections. Do these amendments affect me directly? Not really. I'm happily married and it's recognized by the state. What really infuriated me was this article about the proposed amendment in VA. On page 2, a delegate explained some of the wording in the amendment and it sounds like whether your homosexual or heterosexual, civil unions, common law marriages and domestic partnerships will be prohibited in the state of Virginia. Okay, I don't live in Virginia but still, that's pretty extreme but I also know I'm going off of what someone else said. So what, if you're not religious and don't have a ceremony, you're union is illegal? What exactly is considered a marriage? For the past few years now, the term civil union has been thrown around and I guess I'm a bit ignorant to the difference between a marriage and civil union. Oh, and shame on you Maryland Democrats, you're so concerned about the upcoming state elections, you'll stop fighting to save your asses.

This all makes me wonder what my marriage is considered. If my ceremony was not in a church nor had any referencing to God or other religious icons; does this mean it's not a marriage?

Okay, back to my point. I don't understand what's the big deal. You have your marriage. Others who don't share your particular belief, wish to join in marriage under the spirit of love. They want to live life and function with all the benefits as the traditional family. What's the harm in that? Why can't they be married by a mayor or a priest/reverends who does not see a homosexual union threatening or wrong? How is it not discrimination? If marriage is defined and limited by the word of the Bible, then why allow marriages that don't recognize the forms of Christianity/Catholicism? Why don't these unions, threaten the sanctity of marriage? Just some thoughts. More to come as I develop my thoughts and gather opinions.

Yahoo Answers

2006-01-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

I mentioned my new addiction, Yahoo Answers, and I have no added what appears to by my badge. I still haven't received special thank you but I am at level 2. Quite a few of the questions and answers are very interesting. I love answering the military questions, especially the ones dealing with finding people or personnel questions. I don't participate much with the "do you think the US should bomb Iran?" questions or "like I totally have this crush on this guy ya know, do ya think I he's like into me?"teenage queries. I'm not always the first person to answer, but I have gotten a few best answer selections. Hooray me! I'll eventually lose interest just like I lost interest in Nation States and Neopets. My nation probably has crumbled into noexistance or is frozen in time. My neopet probably is dead or is some walking corpse. Sorry OingoBoingo, I don't deserve you. I'm being sucked into things like yahoo answers and the first few weeks of American Idol and The Flavor of Love(a.ka. the Black-cheloooor-Flavor Flav). Real informative TV, I know.

It's been awhile

2006-01-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

I finally updated my blog and took off the nanowrimo stuff. If you didn't notice, I never completed. I barely even made an attempt. Anyways I also added another blog that has my interest. I stumbled across this guy who made a Star wars fan film and was featured on G4TV. It took me a month or so to actually put forth the effort to find the website and watch the forty minute feature. It's actually pretty cool for what it is. The film has some decent low budget special effects but it amazes me how much help the guy received around the world to put together the film especially computer graphics-wise. The fan film is titled "Star Wars: Revelations." It takes place inbetween episodes 3 and 4. If you have time, check it out. The director, Shane Felox is a local. Not that being local matters, just interesting to me.

New addiction

2006-01-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks Camille, I've spent the entire day on Yahoo Answer. I just reached my daily limit on answering questions. What will I do now? I'm hurting. The pain is too much. I need to answer questions now!!! I posted a few silly meaningless questions and I'm a little overjoyed at the fact people responded. I guess I'll just have to find questions to vote for the best answer and rate the best answer. I haven't spent much time reading other people's answers. Some have been very long so after a few words I lose interest. I spent most of my time answering military questions, which was sort of fun and reminded me of my days in S-1. I wonder, is there a way I could answer personnel questions online and make a living? I'm still very knowledgable about military personnel issues and I know where to look. They have online recruiters these days and now I wonder if an online military personnel resource would be a good prosperous idea. Of course everytime I answered a question, I wondered if I really should be giving out this information. It seems harmless but who knows who is asking the question and for what purpose do they really want the information. Then again, it's not like the information provided is confidential, it's all out there on the internet. You just have to know where to look and understand what in the world you're looking at. Anyways, I'm hungry and I want answer more questions. I could create another account but I want to accumulate all the points so I can get to level 2. Grrr.

God I love TiVo

2006-01-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

Yahoo and TiVo combined? Awesome, check it out for yourself.

Where's the resue party

2006-01-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

Help, I'm in danger! I fear these are my last words. I can only hope I make it out of here alive. If only I had called the Rescue Rangers. Chip and Dale wouldn't have let me down. Hopefully they find my body and these damn yellow man eating plants don't devour me. Let my wife know I fought valiantly and never gave up. I'll keep fighting until the end but with every passing moment I grow weaker. No food or water for days. I haven't seen a soul for months. Dimensia has settled in and I don't know what's real or my imagination. I don't trust anything. My bones are weary and I can barely swivel in this chair. The giant mirror is creeping me out. Damit, I need a medic! I'm losing feeling in my legs. Oh no, my left arm is going numb. I'm going into carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

A very boring day

2006-01-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of THE most boring days to date. I'm on a temp assignment today and the only thing I've done is sit and answer the phone. Oh, and the phone hardly ever rings, which is actually good. I hate answering phones. The rest of my time is spent on the internet. There's nothing for me to do. I'm tired of reading. I can't even check personal email. Second company I know that blocks personal email sites. Ugh. I tell you the headlines on washingtonpost.com haven't changed. I've read quite a few blogs and now I'm simply tired. I haven't eaten because I really don't feel like it. I should because I'll be sick later and have a headache. I should have let the phone ring and not answered the call at 9. I'd be at home freaking out about how I really need to find a job that not only pays well but something I can enjoy. Damn, it's only 1:30. Four more hours.

Postage Increase

2006-01-09T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm glad I pay attention, more like stumble across information. I hardly ever send anything through the mail but it'll cost me two more cents now. Instead of 37 cents, it'll be 39 cents. Not a big deal, but when I was about to send something in the mail today but forgot, I guess I now know why. I would have put an important payment in the mail without the correct postage. I'm saved by memory loss and CNN.com. Hooray for me.

Did I mention??

2006-01-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

I didn't introduce my new project. I started a new blog, solely for sports. I tend to ramble about sports and depending on how well my teams are doing, those rambles can last for a very long time. It's my attempt to separate sports from all the other things in my life. Though, this past year, I haven't been all up into watching sports. I had brief flashes and at times I just wanted to dump the whole thing. But that sportsmania is coming back. Actually, its been back. College bowl games and NFL playoffs will do it to just about any sports fan. Well, I guess if you like American football. I say American football because apparently futbol to the rest of the world is way more important. Try over 300 million viewers for the seeding of World Cup teams, futbol's greatest stage. Yeah, I said seeding...no games...just the seeding of teams. The SuperBowl grabs about 70-80 million viewers, I think and that's an actual game. Anyway, the blog is titled A Sports Guy's Dream. Why, because I sort of envy sports writers. I wish I could meet the players, visit the stadiums and be involved in something I truly enjoy.

Happy Happy Happy New Year, Oye!

2006-01-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

Another year down, plenty more to come, well, at least I hope so. What a year but really no need to recap. I enter the new year on good spirits. I'm out to accomplish many things, as usual but this time, no resolutions. Like Phillip, I feel they are destined for failure. I know what I want to accomplish right now, and I'll need room for others that pop up throughout the year. I often change my mind on things and how I feel impacts what I really want to accomplish. What I think now, may not hold true in July. Something may change or a new event may occur which will change my outlook and nix a resolution or two. Besides, life is in constant motion and you have to bee fluid enough to move with it and strong enough to change directions. I will say, New Year's Eve at the Frontpage was a blast. Lots of silly drunk unknowns but the most important part was spending the evening and wee hours of the new year with Phillip, Karen, Kim, Emily, Mike, Megan, Carly and the lovely Camille.

How could I forget

2005-12-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

What was I thinking?? I totally forget to inform everyone I received the best christmas gift ever. The itrip. It's this neat little device that attaches to my ipod mini, transmits to an FM station and allows me to play my music. I can now enjoy my mini in the car.

I usually don't care about these little gadgets but this little guy is great. In general, I love electronics but only certain kinds. TV's, home theater systems, video game consoles, TiVo, and computers(only for gaming or home media center of course). I'm not impressed with all these cool cellphones, PDA's, laptops, portable gaming devices and even mp3 players.

If I need to call someone or someone needs to call me, I simply need a cellphone. I don't need all the bells and whistles that come with these phones. I don't need to check my email, look at a daily planner, play games or any other things you can do on cellphones these days. PDA's are another useless device for me. I'm not a hard charging executive, nor does my busy days call for the use of these nifty gadgets. Laptops are just smaller PC's and again, I want big powerful machines. I don't travel much and I find it easier to write in notebooks or journals. So no laptop for me at this point in my life. Ah, portable game devices, that's a big NO for me. Why in the world do I want to play a video game on some small screen with lame sound, when I can sit in the comfort of my own home, on a bigger screen with surround sound? I want to see the explosions and hear the bullets whiz by, people screaming for help and jump when monsters come running around the corner. I'm sorry but portable games don't deliver for me. I ride the fence on mp3 players. I love my mini, even more now that I can listen in the car. No more carrying a case of cd's. Gone are the days of changing disks or having to listen to one band at a time. Oops, I forgot about the portable DVD players. These I can live with. I used my constantly when traveling on the metro to work. The hour long ride from Shady Grove to Crystal City was so much more enjoyable when watching a movie. Though from time to time, I felt awkward when a sex scene came up or a naked body ran across the screen. Some movies weren't meant for traveling but I wanted to laugh at times, and well, people would just have to live with Will Ferrell's naked ass running through the streets and topless women in Old School.

So if I'm not going to use it at home, then I probably won't be too interested in such things, with some exceptions. I want big screens, lots of sound and a kick ass system to tie them all together.

My new persona debacle

2005-12-27T15:46:00.000-05:00

So, I tried to insert this new persona quiz and it pushed by side bar to the bottom of the page. I'm not very good with html and the templates so I deleted the whole post. But I salvaged the persona description. Basically, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Yesss!

Roguish,quick-witted, and incredibly lucky, Jack Sparrow is a pirate who sometimes ends up being a hero, against his better judgement. Captain Jack looks out for #1, but he can be counted on (usually) to do the right thing. He has an incredibly persuasive tongue, a mind that borders on genius or insanity, and an incredible talent for getting into trouble and getting out of it. Maybe its brains, maybe its genius, or maybe its just plain luck. Or maybe a mixture of all three.

Don't ask me why, but I just like this dumb little quizzes. What's with these things anyways? They don't offer any insight as to who I am. There's no real value in them but they do entertain me for a while. Oh well, I'm addicted to them right now. I can't stop myself.

Such a lush

2005-12-27T14:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I really didn't need this to figure this one out.

You Are a Martini

There's no other way to say it: you're a total lush.
You hold your liquor well, and you hold a lot of it!

What Mixed Drink Are You?

I confess...

2005-12-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much Phillip for the tag. So without further ado;

I spend more time dreaming and talking about writing, than actual writing.
I find it terribly difficult to do things I really want to do.
I spend too much time doing nothing.
I don't have any guy friends to do "guy" things.
Despite being married to a wonderful woman, I feel lonely sometimes.
I frequently don't want to do anything.
I'm a sucker for romatic comedies and cry throughout the movie.
Actually, I shed tears almost during every movie and I don't know why.
My spiritual beliefs don't offer me complete comfort, I'm still terrified of death.
Sorry sweetie, but I want Nicole Kidman to bear my children, at least one of them.

Okay, there you have it. Due to one of my confessions, you now know why I don't tag anyone. I don't know anyone to tag. Oh, I was jut kidding about the Nicole Kidman child bearing thing. I only want my lovely wife Camille to have that honor. Though, I have it pretty easy. I don't have to carry the child around for nine months and have some kid pop out of my body. I'll be right with you sweetie, laying on the ground unconscious.

I'm alive

2005-12-15T14:28:00.000-05:00

I'm still kicking! I wish I had some extravagent excuse or explanation for my disappearance from the blog world. Sorry, I didn't spend a month searching for enlightenment. I didn't reach another plain of existence through deep meditation. No, I didn't discover a way to connect with my spirit guide. Heck, I didn't even come close to 50,000 words for Nanowrimo. A really great idea came out of it but nothing more. I wasn't off fighting world hunger or building a shelter for the homeless in preparation of the now cold season. I didn't find inner peace or a higher power.

You know what I did, I played endless hours of Madden 06. I even attempted to play a game I just completed once again but as an evil character. I'm starting to feel the need to dive into another round of NHL action and fit in time for a new but older game. Shoot, I even left my j.o.b., though not because of my video game addiction. I had to save my mental well being from the depths of painful cruel and unusual punishment. I found my savior in a big old guy who's become a giant video game icon. I'm such a deadhead. But you know what, I loved every minute of it. Sure I would have loved to have been more productive and done something with my life but the time wasn't right. It's not my turn yet. Though the time is approaching and I have some unfinished business.

Oh and before I forget, OSU rules!!! Sorry, can't help myself. In my absence, The Ohio State University Football Team defeated the Michigan Wolverines. Life is beautiful.

My superhero persona

2005-11-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Does this really fit me?

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Thunder ShieldYour Superpower is Genetic engineeringYour Weakness is Cotton CandyYour Weapon is Your Prototype LanceYour Mode of Transportation is Skis

What's" your Superhero Name?

Falling flat on my face

2005-11-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't actually fall down on my face but it sure feels like it when I think about nanowrimo. I was so hyped up about this and couldn't wait to get started. Now it's the middle of the month and probably should have something like 25,000 words or so. Hmm, my total is more like 500 something. Crap o la. I almost feel like writing and almost want to go crazy and write 49,500 words in two weeks. Of course, that's crazy talk. I'd never do it. I'm more likely to continue with another writing project I started a month or so ago. I miss that story. I was completely engrossed in a video game that I spent nearly every waking moment attached to the xbox. Then I struggled with some horrible feelings which seem to have worked themselves out. I'm not in such a poop mood anymore. I feel awhole lot better, though at times a little weird. Limbo status is freaky and a bit uneasy but it's all for the better. There's light at the end of this tunnel.

What's going on??

2005-11-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Quite frankly, I have no clue what is happening in Paris. I've seen headlines that for 8 or 9 days now, there have been riots. Is the world falling apart? Is there some slow moving alien invasion? How about the mayor of Las Vegas saying that graffiti artists should have their thumbs cut off on television. He brought up a point that in 19th century France, beheadings were common place for criminals committing heinous acts. Umm, isn't this the 21st century. Oh and don't let me forget how brilliant 54 million or so people are in chosing the leader of our country. Mr. Bush's approval ratings are at record lows. I guess you all aren't so approving after all. I'm not happy or anything about this because it's actually embarrassing. No leader of a nation should have record low approval ratings. What kind of message does that send to the world. Now we're stuck with an ineffective leader who doesn't have the majority support of his country. Not good. Not good at all. Funny, his whole reelection campaign revolved around him being a extraordinary leader.

Final note of the day, damn the Distractor!

The journey begins now

2005-11-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

Oct 31 passed by and now I'm staring at Nov 1, the first day of Nanowrimo. I spit out about 300 words just so I could update my little counter. I know, I'm lame. I couldn't help it, I just wanted to see something other than a 0/50,000. We'll see if I can over come the Distractor and knock out this novel writing. I already logged two more hours this morning with the Distractor. The last few minutes were frustrating so I've been a little deterred, at least for the time being. Well, off to see what Dr. David Wilbon will encounter today after the death of his mother.

The Good, the bad and the distractor

2005-10-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

Another birthday has passed. A very nice low key birthday. Perfect. Friday's lunch was wonderful and had a very pleasant surprise. Phillip tricked my wife and brought a surprise birthday cake for me. Very nice, Thank you Phillip. Of course my wife had a few tricks up her sleeve with balloons, chocolate and a photo shoot at the Melting Pot, later that night. No complaints here, it didn't draw too much attention, in fact, I don't think anyone really noticed. This was the good.

The bad-I feel drained today. Something in my life is sucking the creative fire from me like a Mr. Price. I know what, but I cannot reveal the source here. It's not a secret, I just don't want someone who could possibly stumble across this and figure it out. With Nanowrimo about to kick off, this does not give a good outlook for the next month. In fact, I'm not even sure what I going to write. I recently started a project which I can't use and I'm not to keen on the idea I intended to use.

The distractor-Knights of the Old Republic II: the Sith Lords. I'm having withdrawls right now. I need to play. What's even worse is that my wife is totally addicted to the game as well. I should have waited until December but I really wanted the game and I had birthday money to spare. I even woke up early this morning just to get some game time in. I usually wake up early on Mondays to take out the trash, which I did but then I quickly moved through my morning routine and played for nearly two hours. Now I can't wait to get home and play some more. This is going to take some really strong will power to balance my time.

Romance of the Jedi

2005-10-28T13:09:00.000-05:00

Man, I wish I'd seen this movie.

Talk about weird

2005-10-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

I don't always read my horoscope but for the past week, I've been checking it. Well just after I posted "another on bites the dust" I checked my horoscope. This is from the washingtonpost:

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (October 28). You dare mighty things this year, and your vibrant personality attracts many supporters. Sharing your big dream brings love in the new year. Couples recommit to their original goals, and singles find hardworking mates. Material gains in December are a sign of good things to come. Your bonds with Pisces and Aries are remarkable. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 2, 11, 23 and 35.

So very weird. This is going to be a good day.

Another one bites the dust

2005-10-28T09:19:00.000-05:00

Man oh man. Another year down and endless more years to go. My wife is on a mission and now I'm on a mission. It's time to kick start my brain into gear. I've spent enough time now goofing off, talking about what I want to do in life. Well, I've inched closer to the big 3-0, and haven't even come close. That stops now. Time to move along with a purpose. I've felt extremely lost the past few months, wondering around aimlessly. I've known since high school where I want to be in life. I've taken a few detours but I always find my way back. The big problem is staying on my path. Ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here, no more fooling around. I'm writing my novels, short stories and screenplays. I may not get published, though it would be nice to see the world of my imagination on a bookshelf or better yet, someone actually reading my words on the beach, on the metro or just sitting in the bookstore cafe enjoying my creation. I've talked and dreamed about it for years and still have yet to complete one single story. It always felt like a daunting task and a bit tiresome. My wife has given me confidence. She even helps me work out my ideas. Because of her, I know I can make this journey. Thank you Camille.

Back to this aging thing. I'm such an adult now. I can't fake being young anymore. And what's with that anyways? Why do adults feel the need to be young and connect with the late teens, early twenties? We don't stop knowing how to laugh or have fun do we? We laugh at different things, find fun in weird "you're such an adult" things and party like it's 1999. So what if it's not as fun to drink because I'm legally allowed to purchase alcohol. I remember the excitement in getting some old guy to buy us beer for parties. Honestly, I don't know where all the alcohol came from or how we got it all. I even remember the time at Cedar Point, we had juice bottles half filled with vodka. Now it doesn't even matter. I can buy the stuff and drink it out in the open. I don't have to sneak around. Such a bummer.

I wish I work downtown right now

2005-10-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not work. I just want to catch a glimpse of Nicole Kidman, so there is no need to actually work in DC, just a visit at the right time. For years I wished I laid in bed with a bowl over my you know what and catch Ms. Kidman taking a peek. Actually, I just wished I was in Tom Cruise's place. I'm sure I would have been great in Far and Away, Days of Thunder and Eyes Wide Shut. Apparently she's in town filming for a movie, The Visiting, a.ka. Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I've only seen one celebirty in my life and it was on my way to basic training. Yep, I was standing in line at the Columbia Airport in SC as word was passed down that Hootie and the Blowfish were sitting in the airport. And to my surprise there they were sitting not too far away from me. It started on the flight as rumors floated around that they were on the plane. I just thought is was some tatic to get most of our minds off the fact we were about to begin basic. I don't know what we looked like, but it must have been weird to see a large group of people standing single file and not able to move. Military personnel greeted us at the airport made us for a line and told us to keep our left foot against the wall and shut our yaps.

Damn this week

2005-10-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

I don't have anything to really write about right now. But this week is moving at a snail's pace. Come on already and get to the end of the day Friday. I want to go home and not go to work until Monday. Maybe the slowdown is due to my birthday being on Friday. I'll be 27 folks in less than 24 hours. Not too old but not too young and definitely not 30. I'm not overly excited about my birthday and I'm not dying in anticipation of tomorrow so why the sluggish passing of time?

The Tivo is going to be busy for the next few days. Tons of horror movies are on the teli. Some I really don't care to watch but there are some that I'd love to see like the first Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. I love watching the older horror movies. Older being made either the late 70's or the 80's. A little off the topic but this is a where are they now for another fav of mine, The Goonies. Shamefully, this movie is not in my archives.

I'm back

2005-10-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

I really didn't go anywhere. Though, I have been MIA when it came to my blog. I'm not just back to blogging. I'm back to writing. I finally overcame myself and started writing. Last night I broke through my self imposed barrier and put the pen to the paper. I'm not much for sitting in front of a computer and writing. I think I'll put everything into word on the weekends. For now, I'll write with my good friends, the pen and paper. I even have a nice new notebook to untangle the big jumble of thoughts and make a story out of it. Even my wife started to write. She's practicing for the Nanowrimo november blitz. Even though she can't use the story she started last night, I hope she continues. I want to know what happens.

Even though I said I don't care about sports. I can't help but watch or talk about them. Despite sports being a big part of my life, I'm not putting anything about sports on this blog. I've decided to start another blog, solely for the world of sports. I'm working on setting it up and maybe in a few weeks, I will unveil my side project. Though it may have to wait until after November. I've to concentrate on two stories. One for Nanowrimo and the other story that I can't wait to write. Unfortunately, this blog may also suffer for the next month. Not like it really matters, it already suffers from neglect.

#17.

2005-10-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yesss, I live in the 17th best place to live in 2005. How did your city turn out?

The Rogue Nation of Caspieas

2005-10-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this game, Nation States, while reading posts on a forum for NaNoWrimo. I've created a new nation and here is a little description of my lovely nation;

The Rogue Nation of Caspieas is a tiny, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its burgeoning emu population. Its compassionate, hard-working population of 6 million enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.
The medium-sized government juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Social Welfare, and Education. The average income tax rate is 15%. A small but healthy private sector is led by the Furniture Restoration industry, followed by Gambling and Soda Sales.
Voting is voluntary. Crime is a problem, and the police force struggles against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Caspieas's national animal is the emu and its currency is the fluke.
Caspieas is ranked 5686th in the region and 62,381st in the world for Most Eco-Friendly Governments.

I'm currently struggling with an issue to ban automobiles, put a stop to protestors who disrupted several major cities by clogging the streets with cyclists or completely dismiss the issue. What to do, what to do? I may have to just dismiss the issue. I don't want to strip any civil freedoms but I don't want to hurt the economy nor the environment. Damn my advisors, I wish they'd give me more information.

Now for the job I really want

2005-10-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

When I grow up and if life wasn't so damn serious I'd love the opportunity to hunt ghosts and the supernatural. I love watching shows about real hauntings. I really enjoyed the haunted tour in Frederick. I really get excited about EVP and trying to get something on tape. Of course, when it finally happened, I remember the anxiety quickly following. It's a little scary to be listening to nothing for long periods of time and then all of a sudden you hear a voice. I think I jumped but maybe a bit more than normal due to my wife's scream. I admit to being a little freaked out the rest of the night. The place we toured that day was supposively haunted. We recorded every minute while we walked around the museum and later that night listened to every minute and got one word, "password" out of the experience. Unfortunately, we can't find the tape.

I've always wondered what drives these stories. Did the things people claim to experience or see really happen? Do the dead walk among us and find ways to communicate with the living? I'd love to be galavanting across the globe investigating every supernatural story. However, I'm scared of one thing. What if I bring something back with me unknowingly? I've heard stories that disturbing spirits may draw them to you and follow you back home. I really don't want any spirits following me home. Scooter, our cat, randomly watches nothing. He follows nothing and stares at nothing. When I say nothing, he's watching something, I just can't see anything. I see nothing. With that said, I only need one spirit in the house. I can live with that unless things turn poltergeist.

I'm adding more things of October, ghost stories. Those will come soon. I only know a few so feel free to share. I love reading about new ghost stories.

Real quick

2005-10-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I said I just don't care about sports but I can't help commenting on another example how dumb pro athlete's can be. The NBA had announced a new policy that their players must wear suits and look like business professionals. No jeans, jerseys, hats, du-rags, bling-bling and whatever else most NBA players wear. I guess the NBA, which catered to the hip hop culture, decided that the money came from a group that can't identify with hip hop. The money still loves the days of short shorts, Larry Bird, Kevin McHales and athletes who are old enough to drink. The latest dumb comment came from a player who makes $8 million a year and said players should receive a stipen to pay for new clothing to be incompliance with the league's new policy. The league average is $4 million. I make a base of $24,000. My company released a new clothing policy and I don't get a stipen. How about me, I think I need a stipen more than any NBA player. I think this player's comments are more ridiculous than the one made about how $14 million a year isn't enough to feed his family. I know not all athlete's are this out of touch but I still felt like not dropping names. It's not that important and I'm not a journalist worrying about fact checking and reliability of sources. I rely on the media, so if they get it wrong, then I'm wrong.

I just don't care

2005-10-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

It's weird, I was all into sports. I couldn't get enough baseball or football. For a brief moment, I had a need to watch hockey. I even busted out my ESPN NHL 2K5 video game to quench my thirst for hockey. Even my wife mentioned that my blog was littered with tons of sports related topics.

Now I'm worn out. I watched about five minutes of this morning's sportscenter and quickly changed over to a show I've been meaning to watch, Criminal Minds. I even snuck in an episode of Inuyasha. Don' ask, I get up way to early but I like having all the time in the world in the morning. Anyways, I simply want to see the scores of games I'm interested in but that's it. I briefly watched some football and baseball games this past weekend. The MLB playoff race heats up this week, with games on almost every night on Fox but I really have no desire to watch. I'm not excited to see who wins the World Series. I can barely find a reason to go out on Sunday to Pelican Pete's to watch the Browns play. As long as I see the final score, I'm satisfied. I keep up with the scores only to mention them to my brother overseas or to have a short conversation with my little brother in Ohio.

Mmmmm, pumpkin spice latte. Sorry, someone just blurted that out. Pumpkin, October...pumpkin. This means pumpkin, white chocolate pudding and cool whip. Yum.

Right now I could give a damn about sports. Give me the scores, that's it. I could barely watch my favorite show, PTI-Pardon the Interruption with Tony and Mike...sad. Oh well, more time for other things.

Superman has been born

2005-10-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

We're saved. Superman has been reborn. Thanks to Nicholas Cage and his wife, we have a brand new hollywood baby name, Kal-el. If you don't believe, check out the story yourself. It's actually not a new name but it's a new hollywood child with a weird name. Why do celeberties feel the need to give their newborns strange names? (Bruce Willis has Scout, Tallulah and Rumer-sorry I can't name anymore but if I look it up, I'm bound to find bunches of interesting names)They are already destined to be mocked on but to add fuel to the fire with a funny weird name only makes it worse. But that's just my opinion, I'm not the kid nor the parents so who am I to judge. But come on, Kal-el, the birth name of Clark Kent, aka Superman. Is Nicholas Cage still peeved about not landing the role of The Man of Steel? On a side note, I can't wait for the new Superman movie. I remember a buddy of mine wanting to name his first child Lucifer or was it God. Can you name your child God? Not that I'm thinking of ever doing that but there must be some happy couple just waiting to name their child God.

Top 25 Horror Flicks

2005-10-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is more like a work in progress. I would probably change my mind on this over and over but here's my attempt.

25. Alien-It may be scifi but it had the scare factor and the gross me out alien bursting through the chest.
24. Children of the Corn-I don't remember much but I just feel it has to be on here.
23. The Fly-A giant fly never gave me more creeps than this one.
22. Child's Play-I never wanted the My Buddy doll after this movie.
21. Psycho(1960)-I loved the original version, the remake was okay but it did have Viggiooooo!
20. Saw-Carey's overacting was downright bad but again the gross out affect wins.
19. An American Werewolf in London-Another great movie my dad let me watch when I was young.
18. The Evil Dead-Classic Bruce...can any horror flick list be without the might Bruce Campbell?
17. The Thing-yet another scifi movie and more heads walking and parinoia.
16. The Blair Witch Project-Yes, I admit to thinking this was real, which made it awesome. Then I found out the truth and it stunk. But if I watch it every now and then and forget about the truth, this movie can scare.
15. Pet Sematary-It's on my list, but I won't watch it. Feverish nightmares are alittle too much for me.
14. The Skeleton Key-More of a new movie, but excellent twist and you can't deny the spookyness of voodoo.
13. Scream-A great movie, had the scare factor but the sequels, come on, not good.
12. Halloween-As referenced in Scream, the Scream Queen, Jamie Lee Curtis makes this movie. 11. 28 Days Later-Zombies are usually slow lumbering no-brainers, but these quick and nasty zombies giving it a refreshing feeling.
10. Hellraiser-I love Pinhead.
9. Carrie-I secretly wished I could tell that kind of story about my prom.
8. The Sixth Sense-Not really scary. It had it's moments. The best "I see dead people" movies.
7. Poltergeist-Another childhood viewing leaving me scarred and tormented. But I now can watch this movie.
6. Night of the Living Dead-Classic zombie movie, even if it isn't terrifying.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street-Another first of a series. Freddy is a gonna getchya.
4. The Ring-Scary, down right scary...can't they all stop watching the tape.
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974)-The original is great and I even liked the remake with Jessica Beil.
2. The Shining-Ultimate cabin fever.
1. The Exorcist-If you ever watch this and suddenly a crazed face flashes on the screen and your TV screen goes blank, you're screwed. It'll never work properly. Trust me, I know, the 32-inch television resting in the closet fell victim to this outstanding movie.

Also receiving consideration were my Halloween favorite, Shocker, Friday the 13th, Stir of Echoes, The Omen, Candyman, Cabin Fever, Jaws, Silence of the Lambs, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Darkness Falls. Also, I could not give consideration to Rosemary's Baby, Phantasm or Suspiria because quite frankly, I have not seen them. It's not that I have no intentions, I just haven't gotten around to them. Plus, I'm no there are some movies that recently came out like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which looks good but I haven't made it to the theaters lately.

Here's a coinky dink

2005-10-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

Weird, just last night I made the comment about Kevin Federline being a golddigger and wouldn't you know, I find this lovely video.

It's over...the fat lady sang her song

2005-10-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

Crap...that's it. The Indians ran out of steam and lost six of the last seven and missed the playoffs by one game. All the shoulda, woulda, coulda's mean nothing now. The Indians breathed new life into baseball and Cleveland sports for me. I'll move on to another heart attack, with the Brownies but that may be more suffering than the exciting playoff run the Indians gave to all sports fans.

I took a slide this weekend in my NFL weekly picks. Luckily no one else had a great week so I'm only two back. I never mentioned this but I'm doing in an office pool at my old job. The overall winner, will receive a jersey of their favorite team. I won last year but we didn't have any sort of prizes. This year is different and I'll just have to defend my make believe title and pick a whole lot better than last week. So not important, I know.

Hey Bartender...ol' Jobu needs a refill!

2005-09-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

I'm envoking the powers of Jobu. Three very important games remain and the Indians need all the help they can get. Look Jobu, I like you, I stick up for you, but if you don't help them now, I say f@#* you, I'll find some other icon. Now all we need is some Willie Mayes Hayes, Pedro Cerrano, Ricky Vaughn and good old Lou Brown. All joking aside, this year was great. The Indians brought back my excitement for baseball and Cleveland sports teams. No matter what, win or lose, I'm proud to be an Indians fan and I truly enjoyed this season and the run they made. Unbelievable baseball and too bad someone has to be left out of the playoffs. With a little help from Jobu, it won't be the Indians. Go Tribe! now cue the music...Wild Thing!

Now I'm a Yankees fan

2005-09-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

Only for one reason would I ever root for the NY Yankees a.k.a "The Evil Empire." Sorry Boston but you're one game behind the Indians for the wild card spot and the ChiSox's just clinched the AL Central. The best the Indians can do is win tonight, and sweep the ChiSox's for a tie. However, the ChiSox's would win the tie breaker leading the series 11-5. There is no more room for losing, the Indians must win every single game. No more losing to the stinking Devil Rays. Don't break my heart and choke right at the end. You all lost three straight games and are about to be the cause of my heart attack. Now I could root for Boston, but I don't want to risk both teams beating out the Indians. I feel more comfortable rooting against the team behind the Indians than the team in front. Especially since that didn't go so well the first time with the ChiSox's. So let's go Yanks beat them Sox's.

Another amazing story

2005-09-28T14:55:00.000-05:00

Just adding to the inspirational stories...This kid, Bobby Martin, in Dayton has no legs but still gets on the field to play high school football. NBC ran a story (see the video)on Bobby when referees told the team that Bobby was not allowed to play after halftime since he was in violation of a rule. A rule that really doesn't apply to Bobby...every player must wear shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. Um, not to be cruel or funny, but the guy has no legs, therefor no shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. One interesting point, had the refs never prohibited from playing that second half, a story about Bobby Martin may never had been done and I wouldn't be right this. Oh, and for those of you who want to know about the other amazing story, you'll have to go through Phillip "Race Report"and then Cassie. Sorry, I can't let you all just jump to the story about a first time marathon runner without stopping by.

My blood pressure is rising

2005-09-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

Well, not really. I am getting a bit frustrated with the Indians. Come on guys, losing two straight is not a good thing. It's not an awful thing but when the ChiSox's lost two straight and eliminating their two game lead with wins would have been perfect. But noooo, you don't gain any ground but at least you didn't fall back. Then the Red Sox's and Yankees lost so we didn't gain any separation. You're all tied for the wild card and I don't know how long I can take this. Only five games left and possibly the biggest showdown in recent years against the leading ChiSox's. I think I'm gonna be sick.....

Could this be?

2005-09-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

Thank you Govenator. People laugh at celeberties getting involved in politics and world affairs. For the most part, the criticism is silly and I think most have good intentions. But Ben Affleck, Senator of Virginia? 1. I'm glad I live in MD. 2. Is Ben Affleck the answer for the Democrats. Come on Democrats, make me proud. Stick it to the Man...get me Jack Black.

Ha!!

2005-09-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

How do you like them apples Mr. Blogger? I published my post on October. You can't stop me.

My favorite month is coming...

2005-09-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Fine, I'll make this quick...Sorry, I have a few choice words for Mr. Blogger. October is my favorite month. Partly because it's my birthday month but mostly for all the things associated with October and Halloween. I almost could careless about my birthday. It's nice and a yearly reminder of how long I've been here in this realm. The birthday/halloween parties as a child rocked!

What really makes me smile in October are the horror movie marathons. I'm sure TNT, TBS, Bravo, A&E and the SciFi Channel will be rolling out the monster movie marathons very soon. I know Encore Mystery has the entire month devoted to horror movies. Hellraiser or Exorcist anyone? Freaky story about the Exorcist and the TV coming soon. I do have a restriction placed on one movie...Pet Cemetary. I will not watch this movie. Not even for a little bit. Let's just say I had a bad experience and I've never quite gotten over it. I did get over my bad Poltergeist experience and I love watching that movie but Pet Cemetary is still a no-go for me.

Another great thing about October...haunted houses and tours. Now, I don't know any haunted houses around here except for some Fright Fest thing that I think is near RFK. I've never gone. I did go on a haunted tour, which I really loved. I'm not just saying this because my wife took me to it on my birthday. I really do love real ghost stories which is what most of the haunted tours revolve around. I've heard there are some in DC, Alexandria and some of the surrounding areas but I've yet to go on those. Hmm...maybe this year. Who knows. I am a little scaried that something might happen but that's for another post.

In the spirit of October, here are a few post topics coming soon...the freaky story about the Exorcist, all time favorite horror flicks and a profession I secretly would love to do if life wasn't so serious.

Weather Wars

2005-09-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, here come the conspiracies and a new face, Scott Stevens, a meteorologist gone rogue. He has taken up a new project, proving that mother nature is no longer in control and that Hurricane Katrina was an attack on the US. I'll believe this one when I see it or when there are about five or six more hurricanes striking all our coasts. Oh yeah, and that 7.7 or greater earthquake that Mr. Stevens claims will be the next big attack. Maybe you should have kept this quiet, kept your day job and drove yourself crazy in the wee hours of the night figuring this one out. But no, you've gone and left your job and have a lovely website asking for donations to fund your research. One word...SCAM! Or is it? Could these events been an attack on the US? Did the Russians create a "fantastic" weapon capable of launching natural disaster strikes? What a perfect and totally deniable weapon. Only time will tell if this guy has lost it or that we are the fools and he's had it right from the beginning.

If you're reading this...

2005-09-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

20 Facts about Myself:

1. I'm tired of trying to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and I'm no different.
2. I like watching HGTV and dreaming about my dream home.
3. If I had a $100 million, I'd still work because I worry too much.
4. I love me some chicken tika masala
5. I don't like to be grammactically correct all the time. I like me some misuse of language.
6. I can't stand seeing people leave the shopping carts in the middle of parking spots.
7. I'm too embarrased to wear my kilt like a true Scot's man.
8. I wish I could eat what I want, when I want and not suffer the consequences of my stomach's desire.
9. Spiders scare the crap out of me but I'll still kill them for my wife.
10. I want to communicate with the other side.
11. I believe in love after first sight.
12. I assume all people are good in nature until they prove me otherwise.
13. I eat my lunches inside my car to avoid people at work.
14. I suck at making lunches...I make the same thing every day.
15. Eating the same foods over and over again doesn't bother me.
16. I can't seem to sleep past 8 am
17. I hate running but I feel the need to run...though that doesn't mean I actually run
18. I thought I would never drink coffee, damn you Starbucks.
19. Death scares me...I haven't even come close to leaving my mark.
20. I really hate describing myself and this took me all day to write...

I know the rules but I'm sorry Phillip, I just don't know that many people, soooo
whoever reads this....TAG you're it.

How Machiavellian are you?

2005-09-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

My results...

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead...
But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself.
You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place.
You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

I don't know if I can take this

2005-09-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

The Indians took 2 out of three games against the ChiSox's and trail by only 2 1/2 games. They lead the wild card by 1 game over the BoSox's. Forget football, baseball is too intriguing right now. I'm an American League boy and could really care less about the National League but they have their own drama. However, the AL has the fading ChiSox's, the slumping BoSox's, the hated Yankees, the red hot Indians and two teams from Cali, um, the Angels and A's. All six of these teams are fight for for playoff spot, so two teams are going to be left out. I haven't been this excited about my Indians in a long time. I can only hope they can keep winning and either leap past the ChiSox's or hold off the Sox's and Yankees. I'd prefer to knock off the ChiSox's but it maybe easier to hold off the Sox's and Yankees. On paper, the Indians have the easier schedule but the one team that scares me are those pesky D-Rays from Tampa. They've beaten up the Yankees and tripped up the Sox's, so they know they can be a spoiler but hopefully they are Yankee and Sox spoilers and rollover for the Indians. Yeah right, every game is important and ever win brings joy but a loss brings pain, suffering and a panic attack. I wish I could just turn my head and cover my ears but I just can't do that. I want to experience either the sweet joy of victory or the dreadful pain of disappointment. Whatever happens, I don't want to be the one who didn't go through either emotion. If the Indians logo wasn't so ridiculous and offensive, I'd have my Indians hat on all the time the their little logo plaster everywhere.

Now I really don't want to watch Ghost Whisperer

2005-09-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Here's part of an article from the washingtonpost on Ghost Whisperer;

[The lowdown: In the face-off of God vs. ghosts, ghosts triumphed: "Ghost Whisperer" replaces the beloved "Joan of Arcadia," which CBS abruptly canceled in May after only two seasons. TV's next big thing Wentworth Miller (currently starring in Fox's "Prison Break") guest stars in the "Whisperer" pilot as a dead soldier trying to connect with his son. Miller is a busy guy: He also played Satan's minion in the final two episodes of "Joan."]

CBS dumped "Joan" for Jennifer Love Hewitt? UGH!!! Poo on CBS. Not only is "Ghost Whisperer" a complete knock off of "Medium" it's supposed to replace "Joan." I think I feel the vomit. I must admit, I never watched "Joan" when it was on CBS. Only until our friend Phillip loaned season one did I get my first glimpse of a show I now love. Oh well, "Ghost Whisperer" comes on Fridays which are taken up by SciFi channel's excellent SciFi Friday shows "SG-1", "SG-Atlantis" and "Battlestar," which means I won't be pressed to change any settings on our TiVo. And for those who would like to read the entire article here it is.

Doom on you...ESPN and Fox

2005-09-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

I'm still excited. Very excited. BUT...the gosh darn sports networks are not broadcasting a single Indians game. The surprise team of the year, and not one of the networks can find it in them to show at least ONE game. C'mon, who wants to see Toronto and the Yankees? Though, I suppose Cleveland vs KC isn't that exciting either. Oh, and Fox, figures they would broadcast the Yanks and BoSox's. Nevermind the Indians and ChiSox's. I should take a vacation to Medina for the next month or so to watch baseball. I'm sure that will go over real well. I'm sure my little brother will be watching every night on Ohio Sportsnet or a local network. Err...these are times when I wish I lived in Ohio. I can't get excited about O's, Ravens, Redskins, Mystics, Nationals, Wizards or any other team in this general area. Except possibly for the Caps. Cleveland doesn't have a NHL team but believe me if they did, you bet your ass I'd be cheering them on. Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks....OHIO!!

Total excitement

2005-09-19T09:24:00.000-05:00

Well, it may not be for other people, especially if you really don't care about sports but for me right now I'm excited about sports. For the better part of the year, I really could care less about my home teams. The Cavs crumbled(big shocker for a team from Cleveland) and the Indians didn't start off too great and the ChiSox's built a 15 game lead.

Now, the Indians are 3 and a half games back, destroying that 15 game lead as of Aug 1. They lead the damn Yankees by one and a half games in the wildcard. Ladies and gentlemen, that's a playoff team. Unfortunately, this has to be the most exciting and nerve wracking time. Thirteen games left in the final two weeks of baseball. Six games are against the ChiSox's, and a good showing may launch the Indians above the Sox's marking maybe one of the biggest chokes in recent memory. Well, almost the biggest choke. Last year's beautiful downfall of a 3-0 Yankee lead in the ALCS, is the biggest choke. Alright ESPN, you better start showing some of these games. I want to see my Indians win. If all goes well, I'll be even more of a nervous wreck when the playoff starts and a run to the World Series involves the Indians. I'll be glued to Fox and ESPN every night the Indians play.

Adding to the excitement are by beloved Brownies. They may have beaten a fading Packers team but a win is a win. And what could be more nail-biting than Brett Favre driving his team down the field, scoring a touchdown and kicking an onside kick. Nothing...but the Packers didn't recover that onside kick so disaster avoided. Browns win. However, it's early and this is supposed to be a rough rebuilding year(again). But I don't care, they won and I'm ready for another game. Bring on the Colts. Though, a few more games like the Cincy game, and I'll be changing my tune to make it stop. I had this same feeling last year only to witness a nine game losing streak to end the season.

So not only are my two favorite home teams winning but I feel good today. This should be an excellent day and the perfect completion would be a win tonight for my soccer team. We've lost three straight and have played no where near to our potential but I'm starting awake from my coma. A few hard shots on goal last week and I'm starting to be able to play harder than I have since I started this a few months ago is giving me more confidence. More confidence equals better play and increases my ability to contribute to this team and better our chances of ending this horrible losing streak.

What a crap weekend

2005-09-12T09:09:00.000-05:00

I feel like I have no room to complain especially with all the hard work my wife is doing but I can't help it. My first two let downs aren't important at all. First, Saturday night my Buckeyes blew a late lead over Texas and lost the game. The biggest game of the early college football season and Ohio State blows a home game that they should have won. Then on Sunday, my beloved Brownies fell to state rival Bengals. What a crappy sports weekend. On the brightside, the Indians shelled the Twins 12-4 and have a one game lead over the Yankees for the wildcard spot.

What actually made the weekend crappy was that my wife worked all weekend. I did get to spend some time with her but for the most part, she worked like it was a weekday. I am proud of my wife, she rocks! So what did I do with my time? Well, I sure didn't do anywork that I brought home with me. I sure as hell didn't write a damn thing, which is beginning to really annoy me. I want to write, I have so much stuck in my head that I want to get out but I can't concentrate. I wonder off every few seconds. This is not good. I basically sat around and did nothing worthwhile. Played videogames, watched football and drank beer. Very exciting stuff. Oh and the old car needs a new rim. Great. I did avoid a mullet disaster by getting a haircut. I was getting dangerously close to a mullet, brought to my attention by my wife while playing with my hair last week. All in all, a boo weekend.

Wow such compassion

2005-09-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

I came across this lovely little press release reading Elliot in the morning tid bits and what can I say. Through Katrina, God destroyed a wicked city??? I don't get it. Why even go there? Can't we just accept that the weather conditions created a hurricane that just so happened to slam right into New Orleans and the surrounding areas? Oh, wait, because there was going to be this "Southern Decadence" God had to stop it. I guess 34 times is too much sin and it had to stop. This site might actually be better than Kirk Cameron's so I have another thing to do this weekend. Well, it may have to wait until later.

My funk

2005-08-30T15:29:00.000-05:00

My funk is getting on my nerves. No, it's not the smelly kinda funk, it's my mood. Lately, I've been making mistakes, simple mistakes that I shouldn't be making. I can't focus for more than five seconds. I drift off into space when someone utters more than a single sentence to me. Of course it just had to carry over into my soccer match last night. It's aweful. I totally whiffed on a shot and shanked a wide open shot. Both would have been goals, might first for the season but no, I'm in a funk. This is not fun. I thought it went away after the game. I watched another episode of Joan of Arcadia (Thank you Phillip! I love it!) and I felt so much better. But now it's late afternoon on this gloomy Tuesday, another soccer match awaits and here I am feeling the funk.

Oh gross, note to wife, don't ever get the pasta parmesan with broccoli. I know you don't like it but I sure don't like it. I'll eat the rest but it's nasty and looks strangely green.

I sure hope my funk doesn't transfer to the rest of the team tonight. Last night I think it did. The entire team seemed to been in a funk, spacing out. But that's not to say we didn't try. We had sparks of intesity but everytime we scored, the other team scored right back. Not to mention the other team was dreadful which I guess makes us down right pond scum. He comes the coulda, woulda, shoulda but we should be undefeated right now but now we're 1-3 and tied for last place. We can play so much better than our record indicates but when you think about, we deserve 1-3. We haven't played that well and it shows. We can together late last session and hoped it would carry over to this session, which it did at first. Then total breakdown. Where's our mojo??? Mojo where are you??? Probably lost in the funk. Damn you funk!!! Damn you!!!

I won't be surprised

2005-08-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

Actually, I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised another athlete is denying to the world that he cheated. Now, there is no hard evidence that Lance Armstrong cheated but I'm compelled to believe the accusers, thanks Raffy. I may have believed Lance but after Mr. Finger juiced his way to the recordbooks, I feel every athlete in question has used steroids, performance enhancing drugs or in Lance's case, blood doping. In my world of ignorance, I have no understanding how blood doping works and what scientific tests prove this blood doping thing.

The alleged Armstrong blood samples are from 1999 and like Lance I don't know how accurate a test could be on blood frozen from that long. However, I wouldn't use this as the reason not to believe these allegations and to believe in Lance. Honestly, where do athletes get off? From day one, athletes caught cheating by drug tests, ALL, say they didn't knowingly use a banned substance. Okay, for the average everyday person that might be true, but you're a professional athlete. Your body is everything. Your body allows you to do the things you do. How can you not know what you're putting in your body? I might forgive a 19 year old rookie but not a veteran with hall of fame numbers nor a seven time Tour deFrance winner(Lance never did say he did not knowingly do anything, he straight up didn't do anything, but I still lump him in here) But don't think the world is completely dumb, well maybe most, but definitely not all. Now that I think about it, who cares. All you have to do is say you didn't do it and things will be fine. You're from Texas. People believe anything a Texan says or at least the majority do here in the US.

My point is that I won't be surprised if Lance cheated. But what's so devastating about his situation is that he fooled the whole world. He possibly cheated his way to an unbelievable record of seven straight wins which could be stripped away and be one of the biggest scandals of the century.

Oh, I'm so waiting for Barry Bonds to retire before he gets busted for performance enhancing drugs.

I'm such a schmuck

2005-08-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

How many days am I going to NOT send my little brothers care package? It's probably been two weeks now and still haven't sent out his package. Just this past Sunday night, I placed the snacks in a box. I still have to put the sports print outs, seal the box and then get to the post office. That may take another three weeks. One week for each task. Though I told my brother I would, I feel weird asking people to go send packages to my brother so he can give them to the Marines that he works with. My little brother is in the Navy, but his specialty is combat medic and is attached to a Marine unit. Apparently they don't get much support from home, which is sad. Mail is such a huge moral booster. When I was in Korea, getting a package from someone meant a whole heck of alot. So I'll just say to go check out the USO website if you're interested or even search around the internet, I'm sure they are not the only ones. Oh, if his package is still at home on Saturday, someone kick my butt please.

Unbelievable chase scene

2005-08-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, I cannot believe this chase scene. Doesn't anyone get tired? It's all done on foot. I came across someone's blog who was raving about this movie and more particularly, this clip. Apparently, this is actually an entire movie Banlieue 13, which according to the raving mad fan is only available on the internet. Update dude, check out ebay. It's a wonderful tool that provides everything. Even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Funny or Creepy?

2005-08-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

Now this maybe the most interesting candidate for 2008. Forget Hilary, vote Christopher?? All I can say is blame Arnold.

Scary babies

2005-08-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

Oh my god, these babies are freaky. I'm waiting for them to move. It's not going to happen but it's like the movies when someone walks past an angel statue and the eyes move. I know it happens.

Inbetween the lines

2005-08-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

For those of you who care this is a very funny article. To those who have no clue who Terrell Owens is or don't even care about his antics, this still could be humorous. Just read between the lines.

How about an Extreme County Makeover

2005-08-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know much about Prince George's County except for the few times my wife mentions PG county. Unfortunately, I don't remember any good about PG. So to add to the unfavorable mentionings of PG is this new story about an armed burglary and the beating of a crew member's wife of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The show is working on a woman's home in PG county and the incident happened on the first day of shooting at a Largo hotel where part of the crew was staying. Needless to say, they all relocated to the Greenbelt Marriott. Way to go PG, keep up the image.

High expectations

2005-08-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, "The Skeleton Key" has set some high expectations. I saw a preview on TV Saturday night boasting the most surprising twist since "The Sixth Sense." If the wife and I don't act like the lame-o's, we will see this movie and it better not disappoint. Now, that was the first time I heard that saying, so boasting is a strong word, however, it's now in my head that this movie will have a great twist. And it better be a whole hell of a lot better than "Hide and Seek." Now that was an aweful movie and not even worth renting. Unfortunately, we paid full price to see that stinker. Did I say we're lame-o's.

We need a movie night. There are so many movies I would like to see. Actually I think that's a lie. I can't even think of five movies that are out that I would like to see. I have no desire to see remakes or nasty bikini butt Jessica Simpson. I loved Dukes of Hazzard and I'm a fan of Seann William Scott but come on, Jessica Simpson, totally creepy. I will say, the remake that was very good was "War of the Worlds." You go Tom. Awe man, missed "Batman Returns." "Do you have it black?"

Speaking of nights, when's my game night? I gonna pout until I have my game night. I want my game night. I want my game night. When's my game night. Is it time for game night.

The evidence has been erased

2005-08-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

Sorry to all, the evidence has been erased. At the request of my lawyers, I cannot comment on the situation until the matter is resolved.

Boredom

2005-08-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

I really have nothing better to do right now. Work is quite a bore. Maybe this new job will pan out and I swear I will take advantage of this extra time. I've been meaning to get my butt in gear and actually write but I haven't been able to concentrate enough to do so. My mind wonders off into lala land so quickly these days. For instance, I'm not even writing about what I intended to comment on which was my new addition to the snore alert. It's not actually a snore, it's sort of entertaining but then again, why would someone want to read about some person's NCAA '06 gaming experience as they make their way through the Heisman mode??? In fact, it reminds me of the days as a child when I would be in the backyard every Sunday afternoon after watching my beloved Browns and play out my fantasy season. I created a team comprised of fictional players who I would pit against real nfl teams. I basically played a game of football by myself. I'd start as the quarterback and depending on my play calling, I would morph into a running back, receiver or tight end. I even provided myself with play by play calls from the imaginary sportscasters. I would even do pregame highlights from last weeks fantasy game. Oh and the best games where when it snowed. So much fun.

Okay, so I'm lame but still, this little dude is providing us recaps of his games. At least I didn't expose the rest of the world to my games, until now...but it was years ago. Or was it. Maybe that's why I have a football at home and a nice little backyard. Maybe I'm just jealous he has the game and I don't. I can be such a hater.

The geek in me

2005-08-04T15:49:00.000-05:00

The is for all the gaming geeks. Geeks click here.

Was not expecting that

2005-08-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have no clue what this blog says but I surely was not prepared for the picture. I suppose it's from a horror flick but that's not the point. The point is that I simply wanted to search for some reading material and BAM! Totally unsuspecting me is terrified by this picture.

Global Domination!

2005-07-22T13:33:00.000-05:00

Warning, this is a taunt...I will destroy the Red forces threatening the lives of the Proud Blue Army. Despite only controling two territories, we will thrive. We will defeat all enemies. One battle ant a time, one enemy at a time, we the Blue Army shall defeat our foes without mercy. You should have destroyed me when you had the chance, now you will kneel before me or die!