Hear Me Say

Despicable

2008-01-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004147460_rbstevens270.html

Everyone should read the above story regarding Jerramy Stevens. It speaks for itself. You can read some comments on the story here.

sermotion:furious

Read it all

2007-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

"THE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES EACH DAY HOLDS SHOULD STAGGER THE MIND. THE SHEER NUMBER OF EXPERIENCES I COULD HAVE IS UNCOUNTABLE, BREATHTAKING, AND I'M SITTING HERE REFRESHING MY INBOX. WE LIVE TRAPPED IN LOOPS, RELIVING A FEW DAYS OVER AND OVER, AND WE ENVISION ONLY A HANDFUL OF PATHS LAID OUT AHEAD OF US. WE SEE THE SAME THINGS EACH DAY, WE RESPOND THE SAME WAY, WE THINK THE SAME THOUGHTS, EACH DAY A SLIGHT VARIATION OF THE LAST, EVERY MOMENT SMOOTHLY FOLLOWING THE GENTLE CURVES OF SOCIETAL NORMS. WE ACT LIKE IF WE JUST GET THROUGH TODAY, TOMORROW OUR DREAMS WILL COME BACK TO US.

AND NO, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO JOLT MYSELF INTO SEEING WHAT EACH MOMENT COULD BECOME. BUT I DO KNOW ONE THING: THE SOLUTION DOESN'T INVOLVE WATERING DOWN MY EVERY LITTLE IDEA AND CREATIVE IMPULSE FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEDAY EASING MY FIT INTO A MOLD. IT DOESN'T INVOLVE TEMPERING MY LIFE TO BETTER FIT SOMEONE'S EXPECTATIONS. IT DOESN'T INVOLVE CONSTANTLY HOLDING BACK FOR FEAR OF SHAKING THINGS UP.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO I WANT TO SAY IT AS CLEARLY AS I CAN:"

sermotion:agreeable

50mil and a boatload of pics

2007-11-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

'Eli the Terrible' was the first headline I saw, only minutes after walking out my front door. That was to be the theme for the rest of the day. In the worlds of internet sports, local papers, and the blogosphere, Eli was relentlessly trashed.

He deserved it for the bullshit performance he put up yesterday. But that was only a footnote in most of the writing. The real point was that Eli is a bust after being drafted number one overall in 2004.

I'm a big Eli Manning fan. He's a large part of why I'm even a Giants fan these days. I normally react defensively when he's getting badmouthed. But he is often very difficult to defend. In nearly 3 and a half seasons of starting, I don't remember any game where Eli played well from kickoff to final whistle. I do believe that some of that blame lays at the feet of the coaching staff. How much, I'm not sure of, but I do think that its more than they're getting now.

I want to see Eli become one of the greats. That doesn't mean winning a superbowl, he doesn't have to (a la Marino), and in fact it wouldn't be enough. What he needs to do for that is play very well on a consistent basis.

Below, I compared Eli to most of the quarterbacks in the league right now. What it came down to was that, in my opinion, Eli Manning is in the upper level of mediocrity. He's definitely 'good enough.' But thats not what the Giants and all their fans thought they were getting in 2004. We either have to admit he is what we see now, or hold on to hope that he can still get better. I'm in the latter camp for now.

The three columns below are:
Players name / Better than Eli / Would trade Eli for

Tom Brady Y/Y
JP Losman N/N
Kellen Clemens N/N
Miami N/N
B Roethlisberger =/N
D Anderson N/N
Carson Palmer Y/Y
S. McNair N/N
K. Boller N/N
Peyton Manning Y/Y
David Garrard N/N
Vince Young N/N
Matt Schaub N/N
Philip Rivers =/N
Jay Cutler N/N
Brody Croyle N/N
McCown/Culpepper N/N
Tony Romo Y/N
Donavan McNabb N/N
Jason Campbell N/N
Brett Favre Y/N
Jon Kitna =/N
Tavaris Jackson N/N
Rex Grossman N/N
Jeff Garcia =/N
Drew Breeze Y/N
Carolina N/N
Atlanta N/N
Matt Hasselbeck Y/N
M. Leniart N/N
K. Warner N/N
Alex Smith N/N
Mark Bulger N/N

QBs that I consider better than Eli, but would not trade for, are either a) not that much better, or b) not yet proven over a long enough period of time.

It is somewhat encouraging to see that only Brady, Manning, and Palmer would I rather have than Eli. Although I will say that Romo is getting closer, as his consistently good play continues.

sermotion:impatient

I know its NY, but ...

2007-09-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

"They're cheering because Pennington's going out. I don't care what anybody says." Phil Simms, during the broadcast of Sundays NY Jets game.

"... rip the tar out of Jets fans for cheering when Chad Pennington got hurt ... What a sickening, shameful display." - Peter King, in his MMQB column.

I like when Simms calls games, I consider him one of the better football broadcasters on TV right now. And I read Peter Kings stuff most days on SI.com. But I have to disagree with them on this.

I was watching the Jets game when Pennington went down. I didn't get any impression that the crowd was cheering because he was hurt. Instead, I thought they were cheering for him because he was eventually able to get off the field on his own strength. I was surprised when Simms made his comment, and as the rest of the media took the same viewpoint I figured I probably just missed something.

But I've since spoken with three different people who were at the game (and not together). All three said they were cheering for Chad, not for him getting hurt, as I had originally thought. I gotta believe that my initial reaction combined with what these three game-goers say is the truth. I can't imagine the fan that would boo a player -- Pennington in particular -- while he's writhing in pain on the field, let alone a stadium full of them.

And this business of making some story out of the crowd cheering for Clemens? OF COURSE they're cheering for Clemens, he's a backup QB coming into the game to relieve the injured starter! They BETTER be cheering!

sermotion:peaved

9'1

2007-07-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I paddled out into the waves again this past weekend. I had almost given up after my last attempt, but since I was at the beach and the surfboards were there too, I figured I'd try one more time.

I spent an hour and a half paddling out, not catching waves, and paddling out again. Paddle to the left, paddle to the right. Paddle into waves and don't catch them. Paddle back out again. Eventually I gave up and paddled back to shore. But after giving up for a second time, I was disappointed with myself, and felt like I had let my brother down. So after lunch, I tried again.

This time, with a longboard.

Amazing. My first few tries I was riding the break of waves, in the whitewash. When I stood up, I felt like everything was in slow motion. I was very aware of the distinctly different feeling of the board under my feet, which until then had spent the entire morning under water. I felt every little vibration coming through the board from the water against the bottom of it. I looked in the faces of the people I surfed past and saw them watching me. Watching from the viewpoint I had taken all morning, watching everyone else.

After a few rides like this, I started dropping in on the face of waves. Real surfing! I was ecstatic after my first real ride, and looking back over my shoulder I saw my brother going absolutely nuts with excitement for me, slapping the water and screaming after me. I went back out and did it again. And again. Eventually my brother went in to take a nap on the beach, and I kept surfing. When my brother came back out a little later on, he said it was 3:30 and he had to get to work.

I had been out for 4 hours straight, and wasn't nearly ready to leave. But I had to, and I'm now left with the itch to get back to the waves this weekend. I can only hope that the longboard is there. And pray for surf.

sermotion:ecstatic

Twisted

2007-06-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've twisted my ankle. Again. For years these things have been twisting, spraining, and breaking. On trampolines, basketball courts, and football fields I have fallen to the ground grimacing. It has even gotten me a few times when I was daring enough to walk down the street!

This time I saw a doctor, which I normally don't do, but there's one right across the street from me. Its been in a soft cast for a week now, and will probably come off this weekend. Walking up to my fifth floor apartment has been outstanding. I try to avoid my stairs whenever possible, and it hurts to walk too far still, so I've been couped up in my apartment most nights. I have finished Feast for Crows, watched the Big Lebowski 3 times, played every song I know on the guitar twice, cleaned my apartment and eaten delivery every night.

This is getting freakin' old.

sermotion:bored

Sicko

2007-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlDAUKSh9CQ

Michael Moore's newest film promises to strike a particularly resonant chord with me. I grew up without health insurance, my brother still doesn't have any, and my uncle is dying from a disease that he can't afford to treat. Meanwhile every other friday i look at the $1000 that the government takes from me, and wonder why they can't help my family.

I can't even hold a conversation with people about the topic because I get so disgusted with the state of things. Dennis Kucinich made some statements in the last democratic "debate" that seemed to indicate he favors an approach to universal health insurance that I'd agree with. I need to learn more before I can get behind it though.

sermotion:enraged

For which it stands

2007-04-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning in Central Islip Courthouse the other day. I was there for two minor offenses. The courtroom opens around 9, and session starts at 930. At 915 the place was packed with people who had taken off work to come to this place, most of whom were nervous about how much money this was going to cost them for their offenses.

"Offenses." What a bunch of bull. More like "excuses for the state to collect money from the people." I was annoyed before I even got there, but my aggravation was to grow. At 950, when the judge still hadn't arrived, I was thinking to myself how he would address a defendant who showed up to court half an hour late. Behind his chair, across the wall and in large letters, were the words "In God We Trust."

"God." Never mind entirely that it is illegal for God to play a role in US court decisions. Is that meant to imply that the court is on Gods side? As if they sit up there together and judge me? Because God is so pissed about my petty little "offense." I do not buy that. Their God is more annoyed at their corruption than he'll ever be at anyone for doing 75 in a 55, or burning a plant and inhaling.

We sat there well past 9:30 waiting for The Honorable Justice Shitbag to show up. During this time we got to watch the half retarded court reporter and a couple of former straight-D students (aka cops) joke around about "at least we get paid to be here," and refer to us as "these people" with a noticeable sneer on the last words.

At one point the idiot reporter said "Checked once, checked twice. Naughty and nice... well more naughty in this room," and then shared a laugh with her moron coworkers.

At 10:13 the judge strolls in right on time and court gets under way. All the attorneys go first. Even attorneys that show up at 10:30 after the rest of us sat there for an hour plus. The attorneys have disinterested conversations with their clients and kiss the judges ass while he talks down and completely disrespects anyone in front of him. I always thought that Judge Judy was just an asshole on TV who got ratings, but in my experience judges really are like that.

The attorneys get their piece, the state gets theirs, and the people get pounded.

sermotion:pissed

Principle

2007-04-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

Some people are very upset with a specific post on this blog. I won't mention the people or the post, so as not to raise its Google rank even higher. I am tempted to remove the post, since it is not at all important to me, and offends people I never intended to offend. It was done in jest, and only offers my personal viewpoint. I am very hesitant to censor any content for any reason, though. So while I would rather have never posted it in the first place, it will remain.

sermotion:hesitant

I have a huge monitor

2007-02-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

Joost looks like it could be fun. I like the shots I see on the website, and I like the idea in general. For someone without cable who only watches DVDs and VOD on my PC, this could be great.

Along those lines, Netflix has rolled out its VOD service to some users, and I am lucky enough to be one! The streaming video has been seamless in my experience, and my only complaint is the limited selection of movies. I do hope this selection is growing.

sermotion:excited

Shut me down

2007-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

The only thing thats brought me close to wishing I believed in a Heaven was the loss of people I really loved. I had previously thought that the main catalyst for faith was for people to give themselves some solace that their lost family, friends , and lovers were actually in a better place.

Another point of view to consider, and one which I have considered before settling on the aforementioned thought, was that people are driven to faith in order to believe that they themselves are going to a Heaven. I entirely agree that self-interest is part of faith, but I don't think that it motivates people to adopt a faith in the first place. Most of our lives we are not worried about death or the afterlife, whereas we are witness time and time again to the deaths of those whom we do not believe should die.

Anyway, in finally finished A Brave New World, there was a conversation between two characters which offers a new insight to these considerations. Quoting from Maine de Biran, the character Mustapha Mond reads: "... religious sentiment tends to develop as we grow older; to develop because, as the passions grow calm, as the fancy and sensibilities are less excited and less excitable, our reason becomes less troubled in its workings ... whereupon God emerges as from behind a cloud; our soul feels, sees, and turns towards the source of all light, turns naturally and inevitably..."

Still, it could always just be mental conditioning.

sermotion:tired

Not Quite Better

2007-02-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

Several days ago I took on my second day of snowboarding in as many weeks. Everything I learned the first day came back to me quickly, and I was able to take it to the next level. Or try to. This resulted in another week of bruises, aches, and pains.

But this time, it gets worse. I had to take Nyquil to get to sleep after my long day of snowboarding, which was surprising to me considering the extreme physical effort I had exhausted on the mountain that day, as well as the pathetically few hours of sleep I had the night before. But I felt crummy and could not get comfortable, and just attributed it to the brutal day of lessons.

The next morning the truth was revealed. I awoke with a fever of 102, and a sore throat that turned out to be strep. I have spent the last 4 days on the verge of delirium, burning with fever and unable to eat or even drink much at all because of the pain in my throat. With my snowboarding bruises to top it all off, it has been a miserable week.

Lying on my couch to avoid the street noise, I have seen what it is to be really alone. All the phone calls in the world do not make up for the moment when you need your medicine, a different blanket, a small glass of water, or a tiny meal -- and you have to get it yourself. If not for my very close friend, who sacrificed the whole of her evenings to care for me, my sick week would have been infinitely worse.

If you find yourself burning and bruised and desperately in need of help, appreciate the people in your life that give it to you.

sermotion:grateful

SUI

2007-02-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Napster has the shittiest user interface I have ever used. It is difficult to tell the name of the song that is currently playing, it is entirely unintuitive how to queue up songs, and it logs you out after a "long period of inactivity." A friend of mine today remarked "why would they possibly give a shit how long you've been inactive???" When you log back in after this inconvenience, it freezes the shitty user interface until it finishes whatever processing it needs to do. When it completes it then performs, in rapid succession, any actions you tried to do while it was frozen. Maximizing, minimizing, moving... all rapid fire. Its also impossible to use with keyboard shortcuts (as there are none), and has a limited selection of music.

If you want a music service, use anything but Napster.

sermotion:pissed

The Crunchy Kind

2007-02-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Using the crunchy kind is actually a recent shift for me. Variety is the spice of life.

I've started a tech blog. Watch out world.

sermotion:geeky

Sin-e

2007-02-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Live music inspires me to get back to my guitar and write my own stuff. It'd be awesome to have originals to play at local bars. No pipe dreams of being a rock star here, just hope to play a live show again someday. I am similarly stimulated after spending last night in the East Village watching some local musicians do their thing.

A friend of mine invited me along to check out Alec Berlin, whom he knew from years back. Alec is a hell of a guitarist, and has a good stage presence and fun songs as well. It was a good show, check him out if he's going to be around your area.

Coincidentally, a guy from my high school was also at the bar that night. His coworker was playing, and had good stuff. He sang with a deep voice; acoustic with good lyrics -- Johnny Cash style.

The last band was Mook, and was like nothing I had heard before. Very weird sounds and strange lyrics, but it all worked together and I ended up staying for their whole set. Their only guitarist and singer (though he said nothing in between songs and mostly didn't face the crowd) was Paul Dano. His movies are great. All two of them!

sermotion:stimulated

Avant

2007-01-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

I've been using the Avant Browser the last few days, mostly just to try something different. The reason I chose to actually download, install, and use Avant for the past few days was the mouse gestures. By clicking anywhere and moving your mouse in a specific way you can close the browser, open a new tab, go Back, Forward, or do a bunch of other common browser functions. Overall, I've been disappointed. I find the browser cumbersome to use (even with the gestures), and it seems to take noticeably longer to load pages compared to Firefox.

Oh well, worth a try. Maybe next I'll revisit Opera to see the changes its undergone since last i used it in college.

sermotion:unimpressed

Brilliant insights on classical music

2007-01-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Goldfrapp has released the same song under two different titles and is selling them BOTH! "Strict Machine" and "Ooh La La" are both the same friggin thing with slight variations on the lyrics. Luckily I like both and occasionally listen to them in succession.

Beanie Man's "Hmm hmm" has a good reggae beat and the vocals flow in a catchy way. After reading the lyrics, I can't help but laugh when I see young women bobbing their head to this song. It reminds of the comedy bit that talks about girls dancing and signing along to the "sweat drop down my balls" song.

"Angeles" is another great one from Elliott Smith. I need to start listening to more of his stuff instead of picking and choosing songs I hear elsewhere.

"Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap is outstanding. I mentioned this awhile ago but the suggestion was met with sharp rebuttal. I repeat it here for the world to see.

Death Cab For Cutie have great lyrics, but the way they deliver them gets old fast.

sermotion:genius

What fun

2007-01-28T17:19:00.000-08:00

The upper portion of my ass hurts. This, in conjunction with my wrists and underarea of my forearms, is the worst pain in my body. That is not to say that the pain in my toes, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, elbows, shoulders, and neck is not worth mentioning. Its just worse in my wrists and forearms. And upper ass.

This is the sweetest pain I have ever felt. I got a lot out of my trip to Windham Mountain today. The one time i tried snowboarding years ago was a half day spent on my own trying to figure out how to stand up. Today, my brother selflessly sacrificed his much anticipated day on the mountain to spend the whole time on the easy trails (and 1 medium!) teaching me. And a great teacher he was. I intend to do this again.

sermotion:hurt

Soreass

2007-01-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

In two days I will tie my feet to a long slippery board and try to navigate myself down a mountain. I've only gone snowboarding once before, and it was a terribly unsuccessful outing. I'm committed to giving it one more go 'round. Last time I just took the lift up and tried to find my way down, hoping to figure it out as I went. This was a bad idea. This weekend, I'm willing to put enough time in on the bunny hills to make it worthwhile.

I'm going with my brother, who has said he'll show me the ropes (or the slopes). But since a few of his friends are now going to be there I feel obligated to have a speedy learning process. I'm sure he'll appreciate every minute he gets on the real mountain instead of watching me fall on my ass.

sermotion:excited

Its Simple

2007-01-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today John Maeda visited us at Oxygen. We spent the morning discussing our company and my teams product, and over lunch listened to a presentation John gave about his life and his most recent book. John is really an interesting guy, and although I didn't really buy into his book, we all had an excellent conversation with him. He's an entertaining guy too, which was a pleasant surprise considering I could hardly keep myself awake while reading his work. Anyone interested in finding out more about John should read his blogs, or check out some of his stuff at his online studio.

His Darfur work was particularly touching. He introduces it with a comment saying "You will feel nothing -- thats the problem." I disagree. The longer I scrolled down the page, the more affected I was.

sermotion:inspired

torpid

2007-01-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

I really want to start writing on this thing again.

sermotion:pissed

Homeless

2006-11-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

I am finding it so frustrating to find myself an apartment. Every agent I deal with seems like a sleeze ball and I haven't been able to talk myself into the fact that its just standard practice to pay these bastards THOUSANDS of dollars just for putting up a 50 word ad on craigs list. Grrrr

sermotion:pissed

Play The Violin

2006-11-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

This article has a good point.

Actually, it has several.

Two that really communicate a sinking feeling I've had lately about the way people think about things; for example, when trying to learn Math/Science/Engineering. It seems like the natural and intuitive reasoning for much of what we know -- the fact that it all makes sense --is totally lost in the classroom.

In their classes, students hear and read things like "In the equation y=x+3, the coefficient of x is the slope of the straight line, and the constant 3 is the y-intercept." They go along and memorize these tenants of a linear equation, and replicate the thought process when working with this stuff in the future. But theres nothing to memorize! That equation is a line, and when you draw it your pencil crosses the y-axis at 3. I feel like this idea of memorizing scientific explanations for intuitive facts is exemplified throughout all these fields, in colleges across the country.

Something else this article said is that "... curious, passionate people can learn anything." More to the point, people who AREN'T curious and passionate are not the type of people who I want to work with. People who know how build software in a certain way with certain tools, and aren't the least bit curious what else is out there are certainly not curious. And I'd say not passionate. Stepping back and taking this point of view on life in general, I find there people who aren't curious about new ideas, concepts, and ways of doing things. These people are usually not that interesting.

sermotion:mashuganuts

CLIDE

2006-11-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts the Knicks season. They're going to win unless something very disgusting happens. The opponents tonight were the Memphis Grizzlies. I don't know how impressive it is that the Knicks are going to defeat these Grizzlies, since the last time I watched basketball was when the Grizzlies were in Vancouver.

I didn't get very excited about the game at any point. The players seem a lot more like young thugs than they used to seem to me. Not sure if I just changed or if the league did as well, but either way I perceive it as less impressive and exciting. I only really watched the game tonight because of all the promotion I am subject to as I stroll through NY on my way to work in the morning.

Hands down the BEST thing about this game is Walt Frazier. Walt is an old time Knick who calls the games now as the color man of the broadcast, although the line between him and his counter part play-by-play man seems to be blurred. The words and phrases that Walt uses are absolutely hysterical on almost every possession. As a die hard 10 year old Knick fan, my brother father and I used to watch most of the games and cheer as much for Walt when he'd say "Starks starting to percolate now" as we did for Starks when he'd sink a 3.

So tonight may have been a bit of nostalgia for me, but hearing such gems as:

"So the Knicks off to an auspicious start" (after making 1 basket),

"Shaking... BAKING... AND ITS GOOD!"

and my personal favorite of the night- "Dishing and swishing now, Marbury is"

has me chuckling to myself even now as I write. I'll definitely be watching the next couple Knicks games, as they head into what is sure to be another painful and embarrassing season for NY basketball fans.

sermotion:thrilled

Massive Attack

2006-10-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Lately the type of music I've never felt attached to before has been coming out of my speakers at work and at home. Massive Attack are what i've been calling (most likely incorrectly) a hypnotic and trippy pair of DJs out of the UK. They happen to combine a lot of sounds that i've ended up liking though. I've tried finding other examples of music like this that I'd enjoy, but so far have been unsuccessful. Usually the music gets too fast too soon, or is very close to techno, missing the beat that Massive Attack has mastered.

sermotion:groovin

Henry Miller

2006-09-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

from The World Of Sex..., 1941

Over and over again I have said that there is no way out of the present impasse. If we were wide awake we would be instantly struck by the horrors which surround us ... We would drop our tools, quit our jobs, deny our obligations, pay no taxes, observe no laws, and so on. Could the man or woman who is thoroughly awakened possibly do the crazy things which are now expected of him or her every moment of the day?

sermotion:bleestering

Notepad Too

2006-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

I normall hit Windows-R, then type "notepad", then hit enter, probably 25 times a day or more. The simplicity of notepad trumps all the other word processing apps i have on my computer right now. What it lacks in syntax highlighting it makes up for ten fold without its auto formatting, underlining things it doesn't recognize, and saving in raw format.

But! Recently I was guided to notepad2! It adds the few things I would want it too and keeps the simplicty and quickness of the original notepad. I've managed to get it on my right-click context menu in windows explorer, but am still battling to replace notepad.exe with notepad2.exe. Windows isn't exactly being cooperative.

I found notepad2 on Scott Hanselman's Ultimate List of Developer and Power User Tools. Since POWER USER sounds a lot cooler than 'developer', I'll consider myself one of those. Hanselmans blog is also a must read for other, uhh.... POWER USERS.

sermotion:thrilled

The first name in news

2006-09-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

This morning "Forbes on Fox" had a couple analysts on with the answer to the Iran problem. They propose that in order to reach a peaceful relationship with Iran, the US should start doing business with the Iranian government. "Ipods, not bombs."

All together, the 4 of them sat up there selling this idea to viewers around the country. "Look at history! Look at China, look at Russia, both prospering countries on good terms with the US these days."

They didn't even have one person on there resisting this idea. Am I the only one watching this thinking its insane? Every dollar we send to Iran will be used to try and kill us!

This is not China. This is not Russia. They want us dead because they believe that God wants us dead. And all the capitalist dollars in the world aren't going to change that.

sermotion:confused

OS, PS, BS

2006-09-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

As part of my recent quest to enjoy using my computer, I've attempted to install the ubuntu operating system. The Xgl features of it are very enticing to me. The install process, despite all the boasts by linux diehards, was anything but smooth. Being a computer programmer by profession, and having used computers for nearly 10 years now, I was surprised to find myself unable to get the OS running after 4 hours of trying.

Anyway, I still haven't given up yet. I do need a second hard drive to install it on though. Someone at work gave me one for free, but its f'd and unusable. Also, when i first installed the hard drive, i ran the PC without my case closed, and without some of my fans running. The power supply burnt out, and i had to run to best buy to buy a new one. I got one with 50 more watts of power and am SHOCKED at the performance increase i've noticed in my computer. Apparently I had the wrong PS before. Anyway, I'm flying now.

I'm still trying to get Ubuntu installed, first step though is to find an ATA-100 (or less) drive for free or extremely cheap to install it on. In the meantime, i've found a cool toy to waste $20 and hold me over in the fun department :)

sermotion:excited

We Want Fun

2006-09-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sick of using Windows. Almost 10 years i've been using a computer now, and the whole time i've been using microsoft windows. Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP.... so many windows. Always the same experience. The start menu is in the lower left, the task bar goes along the side of the screen, programs run in boxes, and are represented by little rectangles in the taskbar. Gayness galore.

Windows Vista RC1 was released a few days ago. Vista is touted as the "most visual operating system Microsoft has ever released." I have seen vidoes showing programs running in all shapes of "windows." I have seen videos of programs being manipulated in 3D by the user. I'm talking about the windows themselves, not some program with 3D rendering!

I got to use Vista on a computer at work recently, and guess what. The start menu was on the lower left. The taskbar went along the side of the screen. The programs were represented by little rectangles in the taskbar. I was goddamn pissed.

The laptop that my job gave me is too heavy to lug back and forth everyday, so I'm buying one for myself that is lighter. I intend to fully enjoy using this computer, and so I cannot purchase a laptop running Vista. You just lost yourselves a sale MS bitches.

I am so desperate for a new user experience that I'm buying myself one of these this month. Fun to use and visually appealing makes a difference, dammit.

UPDATE: This is perfect timing!

sermotion:angry

Me++

2006-08-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

I've been into the whole self-improvement thing lately. Financially, socially, musically, professionally, you name it. I've been making a conscious effort to improve all of these aspects of myself. Be it through books, podcasts, or activities. For instance, i try to play my guitar a few hours a week (when i was fifteen i played my guitar for 3 hours every day EASY. I should probably just do that and forget everything else). I've read books out of the "self help" section of the library, where I never ventured before. I even put some of the personal interaction tips to use, and noticed unusual results.

I am normally quite standoffish without trying to be. I intend to change that. I've read two books on people skills and they've given me some tips that make me almost normal when i really try. There are some that seem fun, but I haven't tried yet. "Pay two complete strangers a compliment. Every day." Maybe i'll try it sometime. Some that I have tried are "Smile. Constantly.", "Use the other persons name", and "Make the other person feel like whatever he/she is saying or doing is extremely important." I tried these out at work and get a few more "good morning"'s each day now.

I've subscribed to several podcasts on money management as well as programming. Using Bloglines, I follow 20+ different blogs on these various topics. I've just begun snooping around on Del.icio.us and Blinklist to see what some wellknown and not-so-wellknown people are reading.

Next week I start my membership at NYSC (pfff, see how long THAT lasts). I'll always be a fat kid, some of us are just made that way. But even without the physical results, working out makes you feel good about yourself.

The books and podcasts are mostly a result of me needing something to do on the 3 hours I spend on the train every day. The guitar and gym are just a nice side effect. I think its good to be on a constant mission to improve myself. But really, when i think about it, nobody I know really needs any improving :)

sermotion:embarrassed

Ad Cubes

2006-08-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Looking to promote a website on the cheap? Check out AdCubes. You can still get in cheap!

sermotion:silly

Big Pappi

2006-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

About a month from now I'm going to Boston. I'll be there for a week at the Best Practices conference with my boss. He and I are taking the train up on sunday night and staying though the week. The conference itself should be very rewarding. As a programmer, particularly one as interested in agile principles and practices as I am, this conference is an opportunity to take away some great knowledge and meet some intelligent people. I expect it to have a very positive effect on my programmer self.

I also don't want to spend the whole time learning about programming, eating, and sleeping! This is only the second time i'll ever have been in Boston, and I'd like to take something more than programming from it. The show is Sept 10th-14th, and if anybody knows anything exciting going on in that city at that time, PLEASE tell me! My boss is a cool dude, and would probably be down for going to a concert or something too.

Hopefully it'll be a great week. I'd like to come out of there a better developer with a few good nights in Boston behind me :)

sermotion:excited

Music NY

2006-07-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

I had about an hour to kill before my next train. Normally I wouldn't have actually gone to the station that early, I would have found something along the way to entertain me. I thought the train was much sooner though.

Since I was going to spend the next hour around Penn Station waiting, I figured I'd take a walk around the station and check out some of the new places I'd read about in the A.M. News paper I pick up from the guy on 32nd street everyday (I do the Sudoku in it on the way home). Specifically, there was a new wine store I thought I'd check out.

After I plugged my head into my iPod and walked around for about 10 minutes in a fruitless search for this wine store, I spotted a street performer (he was in the station, not on the street) and figured I'd go listen to his music. There was a small crowd of middle class white people around, also waiting for their trains; most were ignoring him. He was a hip looking young black dude, with thick Marley-style dreads, and a green & yellow acoustic guitar. The sign behind him said "Jahstix" and it turns out he's pretty popular.

He was good, i really enjoyed listening to him. Just him and an acoustic, belting out his own lyrics to a bunch of half interested long islanders. I was going to write more about it, but I you all can just check out the link. Hearing it live and stripped down to just him and his guitar, though, was a very pleasing experience.

Even more to the point, I am impressed by people like Jahstix once or twice a week. I always throw money into their instrument cases, or buy a CD from them. The talent on the streets of new york is one of my favorite things about this city.

sermotion:happy

Hello World

2006-07-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have just consumed a VERY tasty chocolate ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles. Media-messaging this to google makes it very easy to get it to my blog :)

sermotion:cool

Bump Top

2006-06-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to think of an application to work on in my own time, using XAML to create a rich user interface thats fun and satisfying to interact with. I don't even know what I want the app to do yet, but I know I want it to be fun to use.

BumpTop is a perfect example of this. Although it aims to replace the desktop, as opposed being a application you run and close, it is still really cool shit. This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to be doing in .Net 3.

The WPF blog also has a bunch of playful little apps that show off WinFX's ability to create a fun user experience.

sermotion:cool

Score for Pedro

2006-06-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Pedro Martinez.

'nuff said.

sermotion:cool

It was banana coconut

2006-06-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Oxygen had their summer party yesterday. Kicked off at 1 on an old barge at Pier 63. Great time, best company party i've been too. Its a very young, spunky company so we were all having a lot of fun. Good food, free drinks.

I was peer pressured into a pie eating contest. I didn't even know thats what they were doing until some woman came up and grabbed my arm with both hands and said "You're the new guy, you're in. Come with me!"

But i went for it. My department was cheerin me on the whole time with a lot of enthusiasm. I came in a very close second out of seventh. It was very intense, I heard my name over the PA "in a very close second! This is going to be hard to call!" First place would've gotten me a $100 gift card, but second place just got me a stomach ache.

I really felt like ass afterwards though, good god. I felt like i got the shit kicked out of me in the middle of a hangover. A couple of the guys from the contest and myself were throwing up in the bathroom afterwards. I was pretty much beat for the rest of the day.

Overall was a great time though! And now everyone in the company knows me as "one of the pie guys."

sermotion:sick

Moo'd

2006-06-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Jamba Juice makes a smoothie/shake thing called the Peanut Butter Moo'd. I had a bunch of these on my last trip to L.A., and fell in love with them. When I first realized there was a Jamba Juice in Times Square (turns out they're all over the f'ing city, actually) i took the first opportunity I had to head down and order myself a Peanut Butter Moo'd.

But the lady behind the counter told me they were discontinued. How the hell you discontinue a goddamn smoothie is beyond me, especially when I can see the peanut butter sitting on the counter. Plus it was still on the menu! But I was SOL, it ruined my whole day.

Today, a few months later, I took a walk on my lunch break to the Jamba Juice on 8th & 23rd and there it was! Up on the menu. Still skeptical, I placed my order and waited for the response from the young cashier. "What size?" YESSS!!!! My prayers have been answered, my dreams have come true. As I glanced over to the available sizes to remind myself what the term was that this particular establishment used for "large", the cashier spoke again. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm out of peanut butter."

Oh my goodness.

This little strumpet had no idea how much she had crushed me. The dissappointment must have been evident from my face, or the "fuck!" that came out much louder than I intended, because she asked me what the matter was.

"I've been waiting for one of these for almost a year now, I haven't been able to find one since I was in Las Angeles."

"Well you could try 7th & 24th."

A glimmer of hope. "THANK YOU!" I exclaimed as I hauled ass out the door. I trecked up and over a block in less time than its taken me to write this blog, and entered my second Jamba Juice of the day. A homosexual couple on line in front of me was debating over what to get and turned to ask my opinion. "Peanut Butter Moo'd" I said. Homo #1 said he hated peanut butter, and #2 agreed.

"Good actually, because I've been trying to get my hands on one of these for a very long time, and if you guys had gotten the last peanut butter there would have been a serious problem here," I said with a smile. We all shared a laugh and actually made some small talk while waiting to order. Homos love me.

When the time came I placed my order, and got the same request for size that I hadn't had the chance to reply to earlier. I wasn't going to hesitate this time and let this bitch ruin my day. "The biggest you've got! With a protein boost, too!" ( "Boosts" are optional additions to your smoothie.)

"WOW! You're excited, huh?" I could hear the homos chuckling at me from the waiting area.

"Fuckin A right I am!" We both laughed, I gave her my name and went on to wait for my jamba juice.

And here I sit, 30 minutes later, sucking on my Power Sized Peanut Butter Moo'd with protein boost, blogging about it, and smiling from ear to ear.

sermotion:thrilled

Oh!

2006-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

So Oxygen is going great. Started two weeks ago, and already feel like a real contributor to the team. I'm on lunch right now, but my days have gotten so long that when i do get some free time on the weekends i prefer to spend them with friends enjoying the nice weather NY is experiencing the past few weeks. That or napping. I really wanted to get at least a fragment of a post up about the new gig though. I'm just very tired usually. The long commute to work (nearly 2 hours door to door) isn't really bothering me yet. It may wear on me in the long run, but for now i'm really fine with it. And man i love this city.

I crunched some numbers this weekend. Not sure if some simple arithmetic in your head really counts as crunching, but either way. I did some calculations. And if i were to turn in my car and move to Manhattan, $1600/mo rent would be breaking even for me when you consider the the cost of my car,gas, insurance, and my train ticket. Personally I couldn't care less about having a car or not, I'd much rather my money went towards living in a place like Manhattan than to a damn automobile. But thats just me. So i'd be breaking even, except i'd get about 3 extra hours a day and live in the city. $1600 should be enough to find a place here, and i'm even willing to go a little higher than that if i have to. So that looks like the plan for now, when my lease is up in December.

That of course depends on how secure my position is here at Oxygen. OXygen is a cable channel, not a software company. And this effort they're making (and money they're spending) is something they've wanted to do for a long time. But if business gets bad, software will probably be one of the first departments to feel the pain. And I'm the newest guy on the team. I'll just have to ask for an honest opinion about the reality of it when I am about to make the move.

Hopefully things will be looking good. I really love this job so far, I can't think of a much better situation to be in. Here's hopin it doesn't end any time soon, and to enjoying it while it lasts!

sermotion:happy

Warm you up

2006-05-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

We're damn near done with the latest project, Nicks brain child of a long island fuel oil directory. As there hasn't been any advertising for it yet, none of the companies are signed up and are thus all the free listing, which is just black text with name and phone number.

The idea is they can pay to be more prominantly listed, with more information (address, price, sales pitch, etc) displayed.

Feedback?

sermotion:excited

It's not double homicide, but...

2006-05-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

Peter King really surprised me with his latest MMQB column. Generally speaking, I'm a big fan of his writing. I've read all the Monday Morning Quarterback columns, along with the MMQB-Tuesday Edition columns, since before the 2005 season started. There have been very few times I found myself on the opposite side of Mr. King's opinion, and never so starkly opposed as I feel now.

Reggie Bush, the #2 overall pick in this years NFL Draft, has the potential to be an even bigger factor in his games than Ladanian Tomlinson is now. But he's a rookie. He's NOT EVEN a rookie yet, he hasn't' signed anything with the Saints, he's just been drafted. And he has asked the NFL to change the rule that requires NFL tailbacks to wear numbers between 20 and 49 (i think) so that he can wear the #5 that he's worn since high school. And Peter King thinks they should let him.

Maybe it seems trite to make such an issue over what number a player is wearing, but its the principle of the matter. Reggie hasn't even signed with an NFL team yet! He hasn't even PRACTICED! To put it on a much smaller scale, imagine someone new starting at work and on their first day asking for special treatment so they can go to lunch when nobody else can. That'd annoy the crap out of me! And THAT person has already started the job, Reggie is still weeks or months away from signing anywhere.

I think the NFL needs to deny this request as soon as possible. If they cave, and change a long-standing rule to gratify this pre-rookie -- of whom I happen to be a fan of, in all cases but this -- their integrity will suffer and they'll lose the respect of players and fans. Not to mention the slap in the face it sends to guys like Gale Sayers, Terry Bradshaw, Randy Moss, or O.J. Simpson, all of whom sacrificed their own personal preferences out of respect to the league.

sermotion:angry

All of us

2006-05-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

In two weeks i'll turn 26. That number makes 30 seem very close, very real. Four years goes by fast these days. I had more things in mind for my thirtieth birthday than i seem to be on track for right now. Or so I thought. But when you think about it, a lot can happen in four years. A lot can happen in two.

Two years ago I was just out of college, making $12.50/hr as a helpdesk kid at an insurance company. Lots of my friends were making $45,000 salaries or more, or had at least moved away from long island. I was in a shitty job, and living in a shitty house with a bedroom so small that my bed occupied the entire floor. I drove a 1995 Ford Contour with 100,000 miles on it. It was an ugly bright blue and offered a very shaky though reliable ride. I was still in love with a girl I needed to get over. As pathetic as it sounds, things seemed hopeless. I compared myself to my peers and felt like a loser.

Two years later, i'm about to start my third job with a salary more than triple my helpdesk job. My car is an '06 Altima (special edition!) which I am thoroughly enjoying. I've got a nicer house and a nicer room, though still not living in luxury. While I may never have gotten over the girl, i've gone on to love and lose others, dump and be dumped, and I am better for all of it. I no longer compare myself to anyone, and no longer feel like a loser.

I haven't done all I wanted to do, but partially i blame that on wanting to do too much. How can i start and run a successful software company while also being a covert agent for the CIA while also mastering the french language while also recording an acoustic album of orginal songs while also living in manhattan while also living in L.A. while also buying a house while also taking several cooking classes while also reading a list of books so long I can't type them out on one single spaced page.

I'll probably always, or at least for awhile, get wrapped up in these ideas of the moment i have and want to do, but for the most part now i focus on a small few of them. I'd like to be self employed, i'd like to own a house. While these arent exactly around the corner, I'm on a decent track for both.

Anyway, if so much can change in the years of age between 24 and 26, while living in Patchogue, I imagine a whole lot more can change for me in the next two years. Especially since i'll be spending my days -- if not living in -- Manhattan.

Then I'll be 28, and have a fresh start on another two years, when i'll turn 30.

sermotion:love

"Ya'll" is just more convenient

2006-04-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my 5 day trip to South Carolina for Jeremy's wedding. I was looking forward to the experience of seeing the South and staying there for a few days at least, instead of just sitting around in an airport for a few hours. I stayed in Orangeburg, SC, where Jessica - the bride's - parents live. Very small town, and exactly what you would imagine when you picture the stereotypical south.

They live on what seems like an old plantation house. Gigantic house, set way back off the road with a huge yard. The yard itself was about 5 acres, with gardens and gigantic trees. The property probably went on for another 20 acres. The house and property together probably went for about the same price as 18 terrell, and about a fifth of the taxes. Oh well.

Being down there for five straight days I got a good feeling of what the south is like. The biggest surprise to me was how big a part of life the Civil War still is. Confederate flags, Southern Generals, and "South Will Rise Again" bumper stickers were everywhere. I did not eat at a single place that didn't have a painting/picture of Robert E. Lee. Which is cool because I'm named after him :). But they probably didn't believe me when i told them that. Nor did they believe that my brother was also named after a Confederate General.

Life also moves at a much slower pace down there. Nobody is in a rush to do anything. Even simple things, like the pace that people walk out, the speed they speak, or how long it takes them to count the change at the gas station. Its all in slow motion, which I found aggravating at times.

One big plus was the friendliness of everyone. The cashier making conversation with you, the waiter staying a few extra minutes, those things were annoying. But the friendliness of the people in general was refreshing. We all felt comfortable at the wedding, even though we knew nobody. I think a better way to put it is that everyone is real down there. At least everyone i met.

In new york, its like people are in costume and you can almost see the strain on their faces as they consider what everyone around is thinking about them. (I hear this is even more exaggerated in LA). The natural truth of the people i was with in the South was refreshing. I unfortunately will have to learn to deal with the superficial nature of northerners (or at least NY'rs) that i never noticed before, because i dont really want to live down there.

But if i ever do, i don't think id have to worry about making any friends.

sermotion:surprised

Not-paint brush

2006-04-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

The link below is really friggin cool. Its a video showing a project at MIT, where a "paint" brush has been created that does some nifty stuff. Its not a paint brush, but it is used to draw/paint with. The video also comes with a superb beat playing in the background.

The Brush

sermotion:cool

Google Rules

2006-04-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Ok i've complained about Blogger before, but its gotten better. I haven't lost a post in a very long time, and now this.

I sent the above image from my cell phone to go@blogger.com, and 10 seconds later it was here on my blog. That is a very nifty feature.

You can even call 415-856-0205 and leave a voicemail, and a few seconds later there will be an mp3 of your message posted on your blog! If you don't have a blog, it'll create a new one for you and send you back a code you can use to go and "claim" the new blog as your own. You can also use that code to add the message/pictures to an existing blog instead.

sermotion:thrilled

Pro Bono

2006-04-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

The shared goal of myself and some of my close friends is to become self employed. Eventually very wealthy and self employed, but as long as I can pay the bills, eat, and have a warm bed i'll be a satisfied self-employed young man. In persuit of this goal, there are a few active projects we've been trying to bring to life to make money.

I also have a pretty specific goal, unrelated to making money. In fact, I expressly do NOT want to make money off of this idea. I want to create some sort of community website that isn't a money maker, but just a hobby of mine. Nothing like myspace, more like CodeProject or the now-barren Devhood. These are both technical communities, and thats not really what i'd like to do, but i'm not sure exactly what i would want to make. Maybe one for wine, but there's already so much out there. The theme of the place would have to be something I'm passionate enough about to stay interested and maintain the thing.

Ideally i'd like to do the entire site myself. That means the front end too, which would restrict it to straight html and css. I ain't no artist, everyone knows it. But I think i can pick a color scheme well enough to not scare anyone away.

Anyway, its sort of this burning desire i've had lately, and i'm interested in finding out what any of you out there think. Even if you're some secret visitor that I don't know about peeking in on my blog. I CAN SEE YOU.

sermotion:silly

Release me

2006-03-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

I know how many people read my blog, its about 5 tops. And i know at most one of them will be interested in what I'm about to blog about, but its bothering me very much and I want to blog it. I will try and explain for those of you who are unfamiliar with the subject material.

Visual Studio is the microsoft app I use to program in. The same way somebody would use MS Word to write up a letter or report, I use MS Visual Studio 2005 to write up a program. There are by default, two different configurations you can work in when using VS. Debug, and Release. The Debug configuration creates bloated and slower code, but allows you to -- using a debugger -- step through your program line by line and become intimately familiar with how it is behaving. The release configuration creates applications that are quicker and smaller, but doesn't allow you to debug them.

Visual studio also has built in support for creating installers for your programs. So with a few clicks, you specify which of your many projects in your program is the top level, main point of entry, however you wanna say it. The primary project. And the built in installer project then goes off and finds everything else that your primary project needs to be installed with it. When you do this, you must specify to the installer project if you want to include Debug or Release versions of your code. You can also just specify the "Active" configuration, which means whatever configuration you are currently in, when you build all your code into a program, thats the configuration the installer will use.

OR SO ONE WOULD THINK !

What actually happens when you select "Active" configuration is VS adds all the code in your active configuration, and leaves it that way regardless of what you switch too. So if you setup your installer project in Release mode, then switch to debug mode, and rebuild your installer project, all of the projects will still be included according to their Release versions. Which means not only can you not debug it, but any changes you've made to your code in Debug mode will take effect in the installed version of your application until you switch back to release mode and rebuild all your shit!

Bad Microsoft! Very bad!

Another annoying point, but defendable from microsofts point of view, is that the installer will use any code you have in the Global Assembly Cache before it uses anything in your particular project. So if you are developing Application X, and you also happen to have this application installed on your computer and in your GAC (maybe you tested out the installer), then when you make changes to your code and rebuild your installer, it will actually include the version of your code in the GAC, not the one with all the changes you just made in your project.

Sonofabitch.

sermotion:angry

They told me to shoot

2006-02-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

This past sunday, with Hamas in control of Palestine, Iran restarting uranium enrichment and Iraq spinning more and more out of control everyday, the VP of the united states was exactly where you might expect to find him. Out quail hunting with his friends.

Well, ok. He can't work all day every day, right? One afternoon of hunting is forgiveable. But if i was the 78 year old hunting partner that Dick shot with a shotgun, i wouldn't be so forgiving. The reports first said the man was doing fine after getting a faceful of buckshot, but today we learn that the this lawyer friend of Cheney suffered a heart attack after having some of the shot lodged in his heart.

Cheney insists that the intelligence beforehand said there was supposed to be a bird there. Asked if he would do it all over again, Dick replied "Of course, you've got to trust your intelligence, thats what its there for. Thats why those institutions are in place. If they tell me theres a quail there, then i'm gonna shoot."

sermotion:sick

MYSPACE

2006-01-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

SUCKS! Jesus Christ man, i signed on to myspace for the first time in awhile yesterday, what a pain in my ass! Every link takes a good 30 seconds to load, and friggin random music comes blaring out of my speakers on most peoples pages (why oh WHY is there not an option in IE for me to turn off embedded music in web pages). Ok so the music isn't exactly a problem, it just happens to annoy me personally. But half the time I click anything the page just doesn't load, and after a good minute or more it will go to some bland ("Sorry there was an unexpected error!") page. An unexpect... what kind of errors are you expecting? Sometimes.. and this is my favorite... the page will load, you'll see it for a second, and then BAM! "Sorry an unexpected error has occured."

WHAT?! But the page was loaded! The goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain!

Now i may take my sweet time getting stuff done at work, but when i'm finished with it, the f'ing thing works. This guy took a shit in a computer case, screwed it shut, stuck a myspace sticker on it and sold it to fox for millions! Brilliant on his part really, but what a pain in the ass for the thousands and thousands of users. I was going to go leave messages for the people on my friends list, but i only got through about 3 of them before i couldn't tolerate it anymore.

Hope I'm Wrong

2006-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

God I love football. 16 weeks a year, plus playoffs, the country is treated to the most cerebral sport in the world. All week long teams draw up strategies, closely studying and getting to know their opponent intimately. On The Holy Day these plans come to fruition, and every single play for all 4 quarters the teams do battle. Each play takes eleven men acting in complete unison to work. Skill players make reads -- not on single players on the other side, but on the entire opposition -- anticipating their plan off attack. People complain that football has too much "down time," 30 seconds between every play. But its because football has more thinking involved than any other game.

Football requires a good coach, a good quarterback, a good running back, good receivers, and good linemen. Thats just the offense. Baseball requires a squad of talented athletes, but is still not the thinking mans game that football is. In the NBA, one player alone can make the team good. You could put "King James" on any team and they will be dangerous. Don't even get me started on the NHL.

My favorite football city is NY, the Jets and the Giants. I have caught shit on more than one occasion for not choosing one over the other, but that's just the way it is. I root for them both. And this week, my Giants fight in the playoffs.

Sunday marks Eli Manning's first of hopefully many playoff appearances. Eli is showing signs of greatness in his first full season as an NFL quarterback. His inexperience is also obvious at some points. I'd like to see Eli win his first playoff game ever, do that and the giants have given me more than I hoped for. I wanted them to make the playoffs, even as a wildcard, when the season started. As it went on, I upgraded my requirements to wanting them to win the division. And they did. To get a win against the Panthers this weekend would be great.

The NY Football Giants can beat any team on any day, anywhere. Unfortunately, they can also lose to any team on any day. Their inconsistencies make it all but impossible to hope for a Superbowl appearance, but getting a first round win against the Panthers is within the realm of possibility.

While Carolina has played the run well this year, I think Tiki still has a great game with over 100 yards rushing. Either Plexiglass, Toomer, or Shockey will also need impressive numbers to give the giants a chance, and that'll depend on Eli. If the Panthers get in his face, there'll be trouble.

Carolina's Steve Smith is the NFLs leading receiver, and the giants have a well-known weakness in their secondary. The Giants are going to need 4 or 5 dbacks to keep up with Smith and his buddies, putting the pressure on Osi and Strahan to get to Jake daylight-come-and-you-gotta-Delhomme all on their own. If they can do that, it gives the giants a fighting chance.

In the end, i think the Panthers D forces young Eli into too many mistakes and send the Giants packing. Sure hope I'm wrong. I usually am, so thats a bonus for the Giants right there. They've already had a good run this year, and I'm proud. They got their 11 wins. I draw the line there at 11, between good and mediocre teams. The Tuna said it best when he said "A 10-6 team is just as good as a 6-10 team."

Price of Press

2005-12-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

The N.Y. Times reported today (as its tabloid counterpart the LA Times did earlier this week) that the Pentagon has been paying Iraqi journalists to report optimistic articles on a democratic Iraq. The Pentagon actually writes the articles up themselves, then pays the Lincoln Group, a public relations firm, to translate them into Arabic and submit them to Iraqi newspapers and advertising agencies.

Since the unveiling of this news, there have been mixed feelings in Washington. Some believe it is an effective way to spread propoganda, while others believe it is "ethically despicable." Ok, "ethically despicable" may be going a little far, guys, but I see your point. I think there are compelling arguments both for and against the Pentagons actions, but personally I don't think theres anything wrong with it. Propoganda has been a weapon of war for a very long time, and an effective one. Muhammad Abdul Jabbar, the editor of one Iraqi paper, thinks the US is wasting its money, but I would disagree. The control of information is a very powerful weapon, and I think it was being effectively in this case.

Its also worth pointing out that this is not a violation of freedom of press or freedom of speech, taking these as basic rights in a democratic nation. Paying for "advertising" in Iraq does not forbid editors from printing anything. If the US is doing this, then yes that would be a violation of those hypothetical rights. They're spreading their propoganda, not censoring anything. As far as we know at the moment, anyway.

I certainly see the other side of the argument as well. This would be illegal in the US, but it isn't illegal for the US to do it in Iraq. I think mostly I'm ok with it because I see it as an effective and peaceful way to build up support for a democratic Iraq, and thus get US soldiers out of there sooner.

Its all a moot point now that the Times broke the story. Any article printed in an Iraqi newspaper supporting the new Iraqi government will now be met with heavy criticism and accusations of bribery. Even if it is a sincere account of the authors opinion.

I actually read in the Times that they were the ones to break the story, so as for that fact I just took their word for it.

Bedtime Stories

2005-11-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

When my brother and I were about 4 and 6, respectively, my father would read us a few chapters from a book every night before bed. We read Treasure Island, Around the World in 80 Days, The Old Man and the Sea, or sometimes chapters from the bible. He would do voices for the different characters or stand up and act out part of the story. We loved it, so much in fact that as i grew up i continued to read those same books over and over. I remember pointing out on my tenth birthday that i had just finished The Old Man and the Sea for the tenth time.

But our favorites, by far, were Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We probably liked them so much because of all the cool voices my dad would do for the many different characters.... heh, i'm chuckling now remembering it. He must have read each of those to us 3 or 4 times, and i read them each myself as well. I came across our old copy of Huck Finn once when i was in high school. You could tell how much it had been used, the cover was as thin as the pages in the book, and you could barely see the picture from all the creases in it. I'm annoyed now that in all the links to the books i've supplied here, none of the covers are the ones I remember.

Anyway, I was browsing around some sites reading select portions of Huck Finn this morning... and yes I'm at work, I don't wanna hear it. Last night, i was in borders for a good hour leafing through books on the middle east conflict, and that was still fresh in my mind this morning as i came across the excerpt below. Maybe my dad could read this bedtime story on his next trip to Israel (yes he's going again, and no i'm still not jewish).

"Did you want to kill him, Buck?"
"Well, I bet I did."
"What did he do to you?"
"Him? He never done nothing to me."
"Well, then, what did you want to kill him for?"
"Why, nothing -- only it's on account of the feud."
"What's a feud?"
"Why, where was you raised? Don't you knowwhat a feud is?"
"Never heard of it before -- tell me about it."
"Well," says Buck, "a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man's brother kills HIM; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the COUSINS chip in -- and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But it's kind of slow, and takes a long time."
"Has this one been going on long, Buck?"
"Well, I should RECKON! It started thirty year ago, or som'ers along there. There was trouble 'bout something, and then a lawsuit to settle it; and the suit went agin one of the men, and so he up and shot the man that won the suit -- which he would naturally do, of course. Anybody would."
"What was the trouble about, Buck? -- land?"
"I reckon maybe -- I don't know."
"Well, who done the shooting? Was it a Granger-ford or a Shepherdson?"
"Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago."
"Don't anybody know?"
"Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old people; but they don't know now what the row was about in the first place."

Some Kind of Pussies

2005-10-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to catch the Metallica movie "Some Kind of Monster" on VH1 the other day. I caught it from the very beginning, and watched through to the end. Metallica are modern day icons, having influenced millions of young musicians the world over. And if I understand it correctly, James and Lars' do the majority of writing for the band, so they can sort of hold that title on their own. It is arguable that those two are irreplacable, while any other members are just role players.

I've never faulted Metallica for changing style so drastically after the Black Album. Change is desirable, I don't think a band should stay so static for so long. I heard the most recent Iron Maiden album, and it sounded exactly like the first (Bruce-era) Iron Maiden album. I was pissed. "I've bought this album 15 times already" i thought to myself. AC/DC is another example of this. The great ones change. Elvis changed, The Beatles changed. The world may have changed with these guys, but still. Metallica's altered style was no sin.

I don't know what i was hoping for when i started watching this. I had heard it was a good flick, and i should watch it. So i kept it on. Lars is annoying, James is an alcoholic, and Kirk is a flamer. This i knew already. Everything else i saw, i was sorely dissappointed with.

James and Lars argue like a couple whos divorce is long overdue. Which is bad enough, except they speak to each other like they've been through relationship counseling for the past twenty years. "Lars, when you say this, it makes me feel this way." What the fuck? You're a rock star, James! Throw a fucking tequila bottle at him or something! "Well James, maybe you should consider things from my perspective. I mean could i be more considerate of how you're feeling? Maybe, but...." Lars communicates by asking himself questions and then answering them. Its awesome. And Kirk sits there like a goddamn 4 year old stuck in the middle of a fight between his parents. "C'mon guys, don't fight like this." Fight?? FIGHT!? This isn't how rock stars fight! This is how married sitcom couples fight.

Then half the movie is about James going into a drug treatment facility to beat his drinking problem. The whole time hes in there (over a year) he doesn't speak to Lars, and rarely to Kirk. They don't know if he's ever coming back to the band and Lars hints at replacing him if necessary. Ok Lars, like the world is going to accept metallica without a Hetfield.

During James' hiatus, Lars visits with Dave Mustaine. Finally, i think. This guy was kicked out of the band for his drunken abusive ways. And dave's pissed. Let it rip, lets hear some cursing and see some furniture throwing! Buuuut no, i forgot Dave's a born again christian. (Its worth noting here something i've noticed over the years: Born again christians, along with recovered drug addics, make horrible musicians). He vents his anger in a soft tone, mildly explaining to Lars how much it hurt him to see Metallica rise to the level they did without him. Oh yea, and he cried. He f'ing cried. On camera! "Everything I did was always second best.... waaaaaaaaa." Christ. Its like everyone they meet turns into a mary.

James comes out of rehab and is only allowed to work from 12-4 every day. He also says that nobody else is allowed to work when he's not around, 'cause he doesn't like coming into situations where things have already been decided. "Sounds like my situation for the last 15 years" says Kirk Hammett, with the funniest line in the whole movie. Metallica hires a guy for $40,000 a month to keep things smooth for the band while they work on their new album. They end up fighting with him too.

Did these guys forget what they do for a living? They are 2 of the biggest rock stars in the last 25 years, and they're acting like a pair of stereotypical housewives. If Bob Rock, Cliff Burnstein, or the $40,000/mo con artist hired to help them get along with each other really wanted to help these guys, they'd buy them a copy of Motley Crue's The Dirt, and make them read it every day. I mean, Tommy Lee went to prison for beating his wife. Nikki Sixx died and came back to life. Vince Neil killed somebody! These guys knew how to do it! (Somebody did the world a disservice by "helping" them, too.)

What is this world coming to. Is a white rapper the only rock star we have left ?!?!?

Survey

2005-10-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not at work.... i swear....
Name:
Lasome Kristoff Muzzurrelli
Birthday:
January 19th, 1978
Birthplace:
Too personal.
Current Location:
Lets put it this way. You'll need $315,000 to get a crib like mine!
Eye Color:
Brown
Hair Color:
Black
Height:
I wanna say 5'11", but i haven't measured myself lately.... a'heh
Right Handed or Left Handed:
ambidextrious
Your Heritage:
Czechoslovakian.
The Shoes You Wore Today:
My adidas are white
Your Weakness:
I am nothing but strength.
Your Fears:
NOTHING BUT STRENGTH!
Your Perfect Pizza:
There is no slice of pizza that i will definitely want at any given time.
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:
Top goal: own something to live in.
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:
"Can't talk ... gotta work"
Thoughts First Waking Up:
"I love myself"
Your Best Physical Feature:
C'mere baby, i'll show ya :-*
Your Bedtime:
That ended when i was .... sadly, like 15.
Your Most Missed Memory:
I don't "miss" anything I remember, but i did just love working at 7-11.
Pepsi or Coke:
Oh Good Lord.
Mac Donalds or Burger King:
"Mac" Donal... who the hell wrote this?
Single or Group Dates:
If by "group" you mean 10 girls and myself...... then single.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:
Triple X.
Chocolate or Vanilla:
Chocolate, goddamn these people with their friggin vanilla. Whats it taste like? Tastes like nothing!
Cappuccino or Coffee:
grande non fat pumpkin spice latte no whip
Do you Smoke:
Yes.
Do you Swear:
Fuck you. Yes.
Do you Sing:
I have the voice of an angel.
Do you Shower Daily:
..... do i shower daily.
Have you Been in Love:
No, never.
Do you want to go to College:
If i can have WH B35A again.... maybe.
Do you want to get Married:
If you'll sign a prenup.
Do you belive in yourself:
I lie to myself. And you can't spell.
Do you get Motion Sickness:
yea, its awesome, i love it
Do you think you are Attractive:
I am a beast :(
Are you a Health Freak:
You wish you were a freak like me
Do you get along with your Parents:
They worship me like a GOD!
Do you like Thunderstorms:
More than you do
Do you play an Instrument:
I play several
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:
What.
In the past month have you Smoked:
I have
In the past month have you been on Drugs:
I have, and now i no longer play for the NY Giants.
In the past month have you gone on a Date:
I got a date Wednesday, baby!
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:
I did, and everyone there was cooler than me
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:
You fat bastard. Who eats a BOX of Oreos.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:
funny you should mention that. No.
In the past month have you been on Stage:
Not with any clothes on.... ohhh!
In the past month have you been Dumped:
doing the math aaaaaaand.... nope!
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:
Yes, I go skinny dipping every october.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:
i stole your love! stole your love!
Ever been Drunk:
I'm a christian man.
Ever been called a Tease:
Noooo wwaaaay.
Ever been Beaten up:
I do the beating, i am merciless.
Ever Shoplifted:
At one point I was banned from Caldor, 7-11, and My Hero.
How do you want to Die:
I want to burn to death.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:
a kid again
What country would you most like to Visit:
I think Greece. Maybe France or Spain. Europe.
Number of Drugs I have taken:
let me think.... i need a calculator.... got it. one.
Number of CDs I own:
I lost count, I keep them all in my iPod. F the RIAA
Number of Piercings:
None if you don't count ears.
Number of Tattoos:
No tats, I spent all my money on the harley.
Number of things in my Past I Regret:
Solo uno.

In a Girl..
Favorite Eye Color:
It really doesn't matter.
Favorite Hair Color:
Pretty irrelevant
Short or Long Hair:
Long enough for me to toss them around with
Height:
I can punt a midget 15 yards, so midgets or shorter
Weight:
337 lbs.
Favorite Clothing Style:
funky. Maybe some thick framed glasses

Coming Out Straight

2005-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Homosexuality. Genetic, or psychological. What a debate. The guest on Stern this morning is the author of a book by the same title of this blog (he stole it). He was gay into his late 20's, and "came out straight" after addressing his psychological problems and going through the required therapy to resolve those issues. He dated girls in high school just to fit in, but was always turned off and pretty much disgusted by them.

He believes there are some very specific circumstances that lead to psychological problems resulting in homosexuality. He makes a very compelling argument. Unfortunately this will be a much weaker argument as a line in my blog, instead of an hour long discussion with a psychologist and author. But the short of it is that in males, they need male attention. They didn't get it from their father in childhood, they end up resenting their mothers because they're so focused on what they want from their father, and in turn end up wanting men instead of women. ::shrug:: This is just one scenario, the author had like 5 or 6 specific examples like this though. And when i consider the homosexuals i've met in my life, all of them come from some sort of dysfunctional background, some much more so than others. There is also another side to that observation, and a valid one. Everyone has some sort of dysfunction in their past. So of course gay people do too.

The argument of homosexuality being genetic is still difficult for me to accept, for two reasons. First, no homosexual gene has been discovered. In fact, nothing has been discovered in the way of genetic gayness to even hint that it is a possibility. Second, there are no homosexual animals. It is a common misconception that there are gay animals in the wild kingdom. Specifically, there is a group of gorilla's whose genetic make up is extremely similar to that of humans. These gorilla's bang man-ass. Well, male-gorilla-ass. BUT, this is situational. There are few "head-gorilla's" in the pack, and the females run the show. Only the highest ranking males can bed these fine ladies, so the rest - like men in prison - do the dance with the other lowly males of the pack until they can work their way up the social ladder.

I definitely can't believe that genetics can make people gay until some sort of scientific proof creates at least the possibility of it. I believe it is plausible that being gay is a psychologic issue. Plausible, im' not saying thats the way it is. I think there's more pointing in that direction than genetics though. This author has "helped" over 1,000 people resolve their psychological situation and come out straight. One of the most important steps is actually healing with the same sex. "Guys need to heal with guys, girls need to heal with girls." I think his point is that its important for them to get the same-sex affection that they were lacking without it having to be an intimate thing. Anyway, its "worked" over 1,000 times.

Now this viewpoint is not saying that homosexuality is a choice. The author actually said its NOT choice, they're in a very real psychological circumstance that doesn't give them a choice in the matter. That was important for me to hear to take him seriously, because i don't believe gay guys are just like "oh i guess i'll like guys and not girls, why not!" Anyway, i'm not convinced either way, but i give much more credit to the possibility of homosexuality being a result of psychology, and not genetics, than i did before listening to the show. I'll see how much of his book i can read for free on amazon.

the AXE

2005-08-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Guitar Center's got some damn fine lookin acoustic guitars there baby! I really want to get one. My buddy dropped his acoustic off at my place the other day and i been playing it all night the last few days, my fingers are actually sore right now as i type this. Oh yes, that will pass though. I've got the itch to play again, and i know i want an acoustic guitar. And i know i want a nice one. I'm lookin between $1300-$1800. Guitar center even has No-Interest No-Payments for 16 months. WHAT! I said no interest and NO GODDAMN PAYMENTS for 16 months! For my price range, it will almost certainly be a martin or a taylor. I'll play some gibsons or whatever, but i'm banking on finding a Martin (or taylor) thats going to make my day. And many days to come. I mean i can still play my electric if i want, and probably will once i'm back into the groove, but i've got no amp set up at the house and its just not what i'm feeling right now.

Its therapeutic for me to play, and i haven't in so long. One of the strangest things is when i pick it up and don't know what to play. Especially since most of what i naturally start with is old metallica or something to that effect, and there's only so much of that you're going to enjoy playing on an acoustic guitar. So i been listenin to some stuff lately that i'm going to want to learn. I was up till about 1am last night figuring out Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Life By The Drop." Five years ago i probably would've been able to play that song after hearing it once. But i got it down eventually anyway. Its awkward to sing it and play it at the same time though (especially for my roomate, poor guy) but i'll get that too. Thats to say nothing of the quality of singing.

I'll hit up the Guitar Center later this week i think, and play some of the guitars down there. I'll probably end up with an electric-acoustic, since they tend to be thinner and more comfortable for me to play. I'll see if the sound suffers at all though. Also want to check out what books they've got there. Maybe some Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaghan, i dunno. See what they've got. They sell software too, which i'll check out and get one day and have a blast playing with. All of this is very exciting.

Now my fingers just have to toughen up again.....

Lesson Learned

2005-08-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Evan and I have taken on a job doing a website for a young guy starting his own company. As he had limited cash available, and he was starting his own company just like we are trying to do, we agreed to work with him on the money to hlep him afford it. Basically we said we'd work cheap. Man we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

The job is going to get done for probably 25% of the cost it should be. Triple the price we agreed would have been a steal for him. We totally underestimated how long thigns take to get done. Not to mention work has been added on to the project so its much more work than we even originally thought. All of this is our own fault, though.

I take some small solace by thinking of the lesson i've learned through this. I made a few bucks, even if i deserved much more. But, next job i get, I'll much more accurately estimate the time and work involved, and get a fair price from the get go. I've also gained some valuable experience in dealing with a customers changing needs, as well learned how to tell clients no. I think the next job Softwave gets will be a good one, and i'll be proud of both the work i do and the way i conduct business.

Dang

2005-07-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Dammit i had a great idea for a blog this weekend and i completely forgot what it was! My life is meaningless.

SOOO hard for the money

2005-05-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle, who took a real esate class, passed the class test, and has now passed the NYS test to become a real estate salesperson!

Good lookin' michelle.

Tick Tock

2005-05-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

The clock in my room is the most awesomest clock you've ever or never seen. It's a digital display, it looks about 15 years old. Its brown and the display is red, and there is a crack in it. It was just in my room when i moved into the house, its not even really mine. But I think i'm the only one who can read it. I'll explain why, and then i won't be the only one anymore. Had to end someday.

First, i have it set 15 minutes fast. So usually you just subtract 15 minutes to get the real time. Seems easy enough. BUT its not always 15 minutes fast. The display is screwed up, so the 1's digit in the hour number will display a "7" instead of a "1" and a "9" instead of a "4". So at 7:14, it's really 12:59, making it 6 hours and 15 minutes fast. Of course it could really be showing 6:59, you gotta use your head a little. When it says "9:33" that is either 9:18 or it could be 4:18. At this point it is 5 hours and 15 minutes fast.

It gets even better when the hours get up into the 10+ times. At 10:47am my clock will read 17:02... which is of course 5:02 in military time, making it 7 hours and 15 minutes fast.

I have a new clock sitting in my room but i just don't want to hook it up. I like my guests having to ASK ME! what time it is. I'll show them that the clock is right there, it's 15 minutes fast, thats all. Or 6 hours and 15 minutes fast. or 5 hours and 15 minutes fast, or 7 hours and 15 minutes fast, depending on what time of day it is.

Can't you tell time ?!?!

What Dreams

2005-05-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night, partially interrupted by a brief moment when i was awake. When i went back to sleep, the dream continued but on a different tangent. It takes me about 15 seconds to recount the whole thing in my head, but i think its going to turn into a lot of typing. Anyway, i thought i'd blog about it.

It was a blizzard, in the middle of the night. I'm driving down lowell ave. in CI, but all i can see is about 3 or 4 feet worth of road in the middle, everything else is snow. Everywhere snow. Very dark out, I'm thinking i need to turn my headlights on, but with all the snow i can kinda see good enough anyway. I can see headlights about a mile behind me, but they won't be nearing anytime soon. (A whole paragraph of typing just to describe a moment.)

I'm low on gas, and i'm gonna run out soon. I make the turn onto Suffolk Ave. .... which is now Terrell street. Still nothing but darkness and snow everywhere. I pull up to the curb in front of my house, not sure of how this is going to solve my cars gas problem. There's so much snow. As i get out, i can barely walk around in the snow. I'm coming up onto the lawn area, and i notice a black woman stuck in the snow in my yard. The house seems to be a million miles away. Suddenly i'm seeing from the womans point of view, her hands are out in front of her and she's patting down an area in the snow in front of her. She's on her stomach, i realize. Where she's patting starts to crack a little, and i realize whats happening.

I snap back to my own point of view, and see the wall of snow come down from further up in my yard, and bury the woman. Its going to get me too. I try to get back to the road area, but its slow moving in all the snow. The avalanche overtakes me, and i'm surfing along beneath the snow as it flows further and further down. I'm thinking 'I can't be that from the surface, good thing i made that last ditch towards the road.' I decide to wait till i stop moving to try to dig myself out. When it stops, i'm buried. Complete darkness, and all i can feel is the weight of the snow on top of me. I try to push up, but the snow is too heavy. I'm stuck here. I try again to push.....

..... but the weight of the blanket is too heavy. Blanket, i'm dreaming. Wake up. I force myself to wake up. I get to the point of awareness but still not able to push this ton of snow off of me. I'm laying in my room in the darkness with my blanket that weighs a thousand pounds. A little more... there it goes. I push the blanket down and sit up in bed. Awake, wow. That brief moment, where i'm completely aware of where i am and that i was dreaming, but still not physically able to react to it... thats a cool feeling. I should blog about this, i thought.

I laid back down and fell asleep pretty quickly. I was laying under my blankets, thinking about how pitch black it is. (In actuality, there's a light that shines into my room from the street and pisses me off.) As i slip back into my dream, i'm laying under a blanket in a bed, in a pitch black room. But my point of view is from the corner of the ceiling, looking down, and the scene is in night vision. Its weird... I'm thinking from my point of view, but looking from the corner of the ceiling. "So dark...," I'm thinking. The blizzard is roaring outside. "Thank god you're ok," she says. Who? Who said that? The woman in the ceiling. There's a woman above the ceiling talking to me. I can't hear it though, its in my thoughts. I know thats where she is. I tug the blanket closer to me and try to ignore her. She's something to fear, but i don't know why.

I hear pitter patter around my head on the bed. Whats out there? Where am I. Now i'm under the blanket, not in the corner of the ceiling anymore. I have no idea whats on the other side of this blanket, in the darkness. No more night vision, just darkness. Sounds of something lightly walking around on the bed about my head are frightening as hell. (I think i woke up briefly here, and was like... frozen in fear, and didn't move, and fell right back asleep. What a panzy.) What are those sounds!

Out of nowhere the nightvision is back, i'm looking from the ceiling corner again, and 8 huge legs come out of the ceiling directly above the sleeping me. What is that! It crashes down on top of my body, it's a huge spider with a human womans head. She's punching my sleeping body with her eight hairy creepy legs. Her body is enormous. She throws 4 of her legs in the air and the ceiling of the room blows away. From my ceiling corner, i look up and see the blizzard sky. Looking back down at my sleeping body, I'm still hiding under the blankets. "Go away," i'm thinking. The spiders human woman head looks right at me ... me in the ceiling corner .... and i see her teeth, but its not a human woman head. Its a demon head, sexless, with a red glow around it. Its smiling, but i don't know how i know that. It doesn't look like its smiling. I break away from its gaze and see my body scurrying out of the room.... good! run! The demon spider shrieks and lunges at my point of view in the ceiling corner, but i'm looking from my body now. Looking back over my shoulder at the spider lunging at the corner of the room.

When i wake up, i'm still under my blankets. Giant wimp that i am, I'm afraid to come out. It took a few seconds, but i forced myself to move the blankets away and stand up. Its 2:45am... i only went to sleep at 2:20 or so. That dream(s) seemed to happen in a heartbeat. I'm still a little spooked to look at the bed area next to me. I'm afraid there's a demon spider there. I looked anyway and there wasn't. I got up and opened my bedroom door cautiously, so as not to be sneak attacked by the demon. Just my regular dining room. I'm coming out of grogginess now, and the fear is fading away. I'm already hoping i don't forget the dream so i can blog about it. That thought must have been left over from before.

I went out and had a glass of water, splashed some water on my face in the bathroom, and went back to bed. Later on that night i jerked awake suddenly, a little spooked again, but i came out of it quickly, and couldn't even remember what i had dreamt about, if anything.

187

2005-04-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

"Fuck the police... fuck, fuck, fuck the police.. yea, fuck 'em."

That about sums up my general attitude for those sworn to serve and protect, and i'm reminded of it once again in recent news. I am thus far the only one who's angered by what I'm talking about here, but again.... my blog, not yours.

Some f'n cop was interrogating a suspect about a stabbing, and the suspect overpowered him, took his gun, and killed him. The cop probably didn't deserve to die, but he definitely brought that shit upon himself. Anyway, the suspect shoots out the window hops down 3 stories and runs away. The fuzz catches up with him three blocks later and arrests him.

Case closed, trial, sentence, life in prison ... maybe death. Right? So you would think, according to our laws and all. But the fuckin police, who are there to UPHOLD the law, always live above the law. They beat the fuck out of this guy.

They didn't just push him around and give him some body bruises. They beat this guy so bad that when he came into the courtroom, he had to wear a face mask, like Jason. The small part of his face that you could see from his eyes up looked so distorted that i wanted to puke. I am sickened now thinking about. He was so swollen that his black face was paled by the stretching of his skin.

The suspect did not deserve that. And if you think he did, it doesn't matter. Because even if you're right, it isn't the place for the police to give it to him. He goes on trial , he gets sentenced, he serves his sentence. Thats it. This isnt some medieval society or fuckin third world country where arrogant cops, who probably ended up as cops 'cause they were unqualified for everything else, dish out justice on the street. In this society, arrogant cops who can't be anythign else are supposed to just arrest people, and defend themselves when necessary.

I've been disgusted with our law enforcement since i was old enough to think about it, and i continue to be.

Softwave

2005-04-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have a company now. I got the business certificate a few weeks ago. The name on the certificate is SOFTWAVE TECHNOLOGIES, though i'm not sure what i'm going to "market" it as. Probably one of Softwave Tech(nologies), Softwave Development, or even just Softwave. The approval rate of the name Softwave has been pretty good so far, some people have disliked it though. But I'm married to it now, I already paid the $42 for the certificate.

What i wanted to get done first but still haven't gotten around to is get a website for the company up. Softwave.com is already taken, but i can reserve it in case it is not renewed when the year subscription is up. I don't think the owner is going to renew it, because if you visit softwave.com you'll notice they haven't even put any page up at all yet. Its just the webservers welcome page. But, i don't think i'm gonna reserve it anyway. I don't want to wait that long. What i'll probably end up using is either softwavedev.com or softwavetech.com. I think they're both available.

But before i get a site up, i need a logo. Once I have a logo, however simple, i can make up some business cards and start with a website. I need a marketing/artist person to help with this part, both to do the logo and help with the business cards and website. Fortunately, my girlfriend majored in graphics art with a focus on advertising design. Unfortunately, she's been too busy to do any work for good ol' Softwave. I gotta get it done though, i really need a site up. Once its done i want to maybe use google's PayPerClick advertising campaign. At the least i'll optimize it for search engine results.

It has been keeping me very busy though. Mainly because Softwave is only me. I've been doing the requirements analysis, design, programming, and testing. I've also been learning about all the Small Business Tax laws since i'll be doing the accounting as well. And, in the beginning, i fear i will be in charge of the marketing. That's not a good sign. A marketing/salesperson will probably be one of the first hired hands i get, if i ever hire any. I will certainly need some help on the programming side eventually, but i think my trusty 'ol SB roomate is willing to help out and make some money with me.

But I'm discouraged at where all the work is coming from. Everything i've done with softwave has been for one company. If that company gets a contract for a job, and if that job needs a programmer, and if they decide to hire me to do that programming, then i get work. Right now, thats it. Thats not good! So one of my short term goals is to turn that avenue of work into something like this: I get the job. If the job requires some service that i don't provide, then i outsource to someone that does. Right now, as you can tell, Softwave is basically just a development consulting company. But within 18 months or so (pretty random number there) i want to have some sort of Softwave product that we sell, probably just software.

This software, whatever it is, is going to be aimed at a very specific market. Trying to break into broad categories like "accounting software" is too difficult a task for a budding young company like Softwave. I still haven't thought of what the hell that product is even going to be, so we'll see what happens.

Well, thats where I'm at. Look for the post in the future entitled "Softwave Crashes", when the company is no longer worth the effort of keeping.

Blogger.com

2005-04-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Fucking sucks. I just wrote a couple hundred words in a new blog and lost it all when i clicked Post. Freaking waste of my time, and now you guys don't get anything to read. Suckas !

This isn't the first time this shit happened either. If you're thinking of starting a new blog, start it somewhere else.

Mexico

2005-03-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

And i'm back. From the sunny state of California. I had a great time, just as i suspected. I was much busier than i thought i would be. When i go out there, its not for site seeing and touristy things. I just go out there to hang out with my friends. But i did all sorts of stuff on this particular trip.

I landed in L.A. on tuesday morning and on tuesday night i was en route to Mexico with Tartisel. By the time we got down there and got a hotel room by the border and had some tacos, i had been going for about 18 hours on 3 hours of sleep. I was a zombie, but a determined one. We bought a trolly ticket for $4.50 that nobody ever checked and hopped off right at the border. We strolled across into Mexico and for $25 took a cab ride to the town/city of Rosarito. It was spring break, and despite the rain and the friggin river of muddy water running down the middle of the street, the place was packed. Walking around the street was like walking around in a club, and the different clubs were more like different rooms. They were very designed to be outdoors, with windows that never really closed and an open wall section as an entrance.

We spent most of the night at Senor Frogs, and drank ourselves shitty for $15. Everyone was dancing, girls were on top of the cracked wooden bar dancing, tartisel was taking pictures of all of them. With the flash on. They didn't like that. At about 2 we left and walked down the river/street to a little taco stand. In 45 seconds we passed two other taco stands and chose this one, for no reason. For $1 a piece I ate the best tacos of my life. Me and ryan had 8 or 9 tacos each. Beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos, and shrimp tacos. Guacamole and tomato. Fresh made tortilla. Oh my lord it was yum, they were about the size of your hand, and oh so good. Then we headed back.

We had to get a cab ride back, and after Tart cursed out 3 cab drivers for their high prices, we took the fourth one we found, for the same high price. As soon as we started driving, the kid Dave that was there started puking, but his mexican window wouldn't open, so he had to open the mexican cabs door and puke out that way. The driver never even slowed down, so I had to hold dave as he leaned out. I wound up with puke on me as a result of this.

About 10 minutes later, just long enough to get away from any kind of organized town and get most of the way up a modest mexican mountain, the cab broke down. Goddamn clutch burned out, just like drunken wise-ass tartisel sarcastically said it was going to when we first got in. That bastard. Dave was still puking out the door, so for some reason me and T decided that if we could get it to the top of the mountain we could coast down the other side. True, but even that wouldn't have been nearly far enough to get us back to the border. But we were determined. 3 or 4 different times we tried pushing this cab up the f'n mountain. I wanted to puke from the physical exertion mixed with the night of drinking and extreme lack of rest. My all white shoes were covered in mexican mud and puke, and several times i caught myself looking off the side of the little mountain over Mexico and thinking "thats really Mexico. It seems more civilized than i thought."

With our futile attempts at cab pushing looking less and less hopeful, the driver who spoke no english (who doesn't speak english? This is Mexico, for christ' sake!) went to the trunk and got exactly what you would think you would need to fix a burnt out clutch.

A tire iron.

Thaaaats right, folks. Apparently them Mexicans can do wonders with a tire iron, 'cause this guy was convinced everything was ok once he found it. Tartisel ran around and mockingly checked each tire, and said "Nope! tires are fine effe, don't need that shit!" My white shoes ruined, and my body defeated, i got in the cab with dave and waited for what i was sure was going to end with the cops coming and arresting us with hopes of a bribe.

But them mexi's have communication too, 'cause another cab showed up about 20 minutes later to take us back to the border. Its worth mentioning at this point that once we got into the new cab, the first cabby got in his car and drove it away. Drove that cab away. Wtf? I still don't know how that happened.

I fell asleep for the next 15 minutes while we travelled back to the USA. We got back to the border, ryan tried unsuccessfully to purchase a bottle of liquor from a closed mexican convenience store, and we crossed over. We didn't want to wait for the trolly so we took an American cab, which we knew would make it, back to our hotel and crashed. I was more grateful for that sleep than i have been for any other.

It was very fun. I unfortunately didn't bring my camera into Mexico, because of the horror stories i heard about the Mexican cops robbing you, but they never bothered us. Oh well. I got a good look at the city of San Diego on the way back up to L.A., nice lookin place. Looks ... cleaner? nicer? ... somehow better than L.A., just less popular.

This blog is running long now, but i'll have more about my west coast trip for your eager eyes to read in the next few days. The horror stories about the corruption in Mexico may be true, if so i lucked out. But it may be worth the risk for you, to get a taste of some of those tacos.

Manifest Destiny

2005-03-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I fly to L.A. ! I'm psyched to see James, Tartisel, and Scott. I'll be seeing Seth too. I'm staying at Seth/James place, where their girlfriends also live. And they have a big dog. 4 people and a dog, and i'll be sleeping on the couch. Those are some lucky 4 people, and one lucky dog. I might spend a night at scotts, or tarts, or both, if they invite me. Give the James/Seth house a break. Either way i'm gonna have me some fun. I'll bring my camera and my laptop so i'll try to get some pictures accessible to everyone (everyone who cares) while i'm out there. Woohoo fun for me. We might go to San Diego and Mexico. Mexico! Abby you KNOW you love it. We might not. We might also go to Vegas. I've been there already, so i'd prefer Mexico.

Sounds Familiar

2005-03-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

This country is severely divided on some key issues. Some of the most prominent issues being the death penalty, abortion, and gay marriage. I was thinking about the marriage issue, and to me it seems simple. Gay marriage should be legal. A constitutional ban on gay marriage just seems absurd. The country has become so screwed up, so wrapped up in its divisive state of taking hard stands, that gay marriage has become an "issue." Two guys/girls want to get together and fuck each other, why do you give a shit! They don't want you to participate, or even watch. Anway, thats my stand on it.

But for some time there, I was thinking along the lines of compromise. Give equal rights to gay couples, give them all the same benefits that a married straight couple gets, just without the marriage certificate. Even create a new title for it, "life partners" or whatever the hell, i dunno. Seems fair enough, the only thing missing is the governments recognition of a legitimate marriage. And in matters of love that might not be so important. So while I certainly don't agree with banning gay marriage at all, maybe it was a fair compromise with the other side.Then, last week, a california judge made a ruling that a ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. Good, i thought. But in his ruling, he made a statement that changed my way of thinking about it. The compromise i talk about above is unacceptable. The only way this is going to end is with legal gay marriage nation wide. Giving equal rights to gay couples - but not actually letting them marry - sounded familiar. It is reminiscent of a concept that the U.S. judicial system shot down decades ago. It is a concept that this country has deemed unacceptable. It is a concept that America used for years to justify racial segragation, before finally being corrected by the Supreme Court. "Seperate But Equal" didn't work out for the racists in the fifties, and it isn't going to fly now.

Gay marriage will be legal one day. It is the only fair and American outcome. In 25, 50, 100 years, the people of the time will look back on their ignorant ancestors that tried to ban gay marriage the same way most people today look back on the racist ancestors we have. The kids of the time will talk about their grandparents ... will talk about you, if that is the case ... as "old fashioned and homophobic" if you still complain about gay's getting married. My grandfather still describes black people as "colored," and i suspect he does not really approve of interracial couples. He is from a time when thats how the nation thought. A time that America has grown out of and matured from, for the most part.

It will be the same way with gay marriages. America continues to mature. Are you going to be an ignorant old homophobe? Or have you already, or will you, grow and learn with the rest of the nation.

Amazon

2005-03-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

I ordered an ion air filter off of Amazon. As some of you know, i spent all last week in bed with a high fever and infected tonsils. It was the worst week of my life. Anyway, since ive been staying in the room in which i currently live, the mold/dust of the basement below me has been bothering me a lot. And i thought it may have even played a small roll in the infection. So, I bought an ion air filter off of amazon.

The interesting part is that i chose the free shipping option. Amazon has the super-saver shipping on certain items over $25, and the air filter was $32 and qualified for free shipping. The only thing is it takes longer to ship. 5 - 9 days, it says. I ordered it on Monday afternoon from work, and on Tuesday night i was setting it up in my bedroom.

Thats amazing, Amazon. That thing must have been sitting on the dock somewhere on long island ready to go before I even ordered it! I don't know how they do what they do over there. It scares me that they are recommending a bunch of baby supplies to me.

Two wheelin

2005-03-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

I might take a motorcycle driving class. If you pass the class you get your motorcycle lisence too. Plus it'll give me a chance to ride a bike and decide if i like it or not. It never seemed like something I'd altogether enjoy, but i want to at least try it. The instructive and safe setting of a class seems just the right place to try it.

I understand they train you on "cruisers" ... harley types. I'm not sure what kind of bike i'd want to buy. I always assumed i'd want a cruiser-harley type. Doesn't have to be a big hog badass lookin thing. But two guys I know have the sport bikes. Bright colors and names like "ninja" and "katana". I automatically wrote bikes like that off in the past, but now i'd have to consider having one. I don't know why, i just like 'em! They seem much more efficient.

It'd be cool to criss cross the country on a bike with a friend or two. A buddy of mine was talking this weekend about how he wants to take a leave of absense from work and just travel the country on his harley. It'd be friggin awesome if I could join him on a bike of my own. Even cooler if we could get a third Amigo out of L.A. to come on his bike too. It would be an experience to remember for the rest of our lives.

So I'll check this class out at least, see how much it costs and when i can take it. Get a taste for life on the road!

Mr Happy Face

2005-03-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Put on a happy face !

A la Me!

2005-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna start making dinner at night instead of eating taco bell or burger king or cheerios. This is one of those plans thats never really going to pan out, but I'm gonna have a go at it. The problem is i'm going to have to spend money on food as well as make the effort of both cooking AND cleaning. I still haven't figured out if its cheaper to make your own dinner or just buy take out. But its definitely cheaper to buy take out than it is to make your own food thats good for you.

I've realized how freaking expensive it is to eat healthy. Both monetarily and in the effort required in preparing the food. And cleaning too, gotta clean up after yourself too. It really kind of sucks. Especially when I come home from work hungry, i do not feel like waiting 45 minutes for dinner let ALONE spending those 45 minutes making the dinner.

Anyway, what my gourmet arsenal consists of for now will be
steak
sausage peppers
eggplant / chicken parmesian

Thats about it. There'll be others too, that involve kit-type food. For instance grilled chicken and pasta roni type meal. Or hamburger helper! There's a bunch of stuff tahts easy to make and actually pretty good. These things are also prime candidates for lunch the next day. Some pasta meals too, though i'm not really sure I count pasta/sauce as cooking. Probably because i already know how to do it, and if i can do it it must not be cooking. There's a cooking class at BOCES for $159 i might take. There's 2 of them actually, maybe i'll take them both. It wouldn't solve the problem of me being too lazy to cook and clean it all up though.

One of my less attainable goals is to one day have a personal chef in the house. And some illegal immigrant maid. And maybe a nutrionist, or the chef can double as a nutrionist. OOhhh yea, thats the way. A chef/nutrionist. They can make more than they would as either chef or nutrionist, but cost less than hiring them seperately!

Nieve

2005-02-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

Snow can be so fun and nice, when you get to sit in your home and let it pile up outside. You can watch it through your windows and even go out and play in it, if you are so inclined, creating snow persons and snow angels and throwing snow balls at friends. Go inside and enjoy your choice of any number of warmed drinks. Its a good excuse to just chill in your home, and one of the times when actually being in your home is nicer than being outside of it. I enjoy the snow for all these reasons every time a storm comes ..... on the weekend.

But the goddamn snow also hits during the week sometimes, more often than not. Which makes sense, since "the week" is more often than not. Freaking putting my life in DANGER! on my commute home. The roads are never plowed by 6. Oh no, they're never plowed by 6. An hour or more later i get home ... if i'm lucky enough to have survived the trip. An hour! Of commuting in life threatening conditions. Have to shovel the shit out in the dark so i can get up and commute to work the next day in bad traffic at best. A lovely side effect of this .... and i'm talkin' about both weekend and goddamn weekday snows.... is that your car gets covered in salt/dirt/shit !

We've got a "noreaster" coming in tonight. Awesome maybe i'll die on the way home. If not I'll be rewarded with shoveling myself out of my driveway and waking up early to possibly do the same thing tomorrow morning. And the roads won't be plowed yet either.

Oh no, they won't be plowed.

I will find a brief moment of pleasure in enjoying the view of a winter wonderland, with all that i can see covered in snow as it still falls peacefully from the sky. A brief moment, and i'm back to having to live my life in the shit again. I'd rather just take a picture of it with me to warmer climates.

Snow is a main factor in pushing the earth into ice ages, you know! Goddamn snow, the longer it sits around the more sunlight / heat it reflects away from earth. The more it does that, the colder it gets, the more snow there is. It feeds itself in this viscous cycle, causing glaciers 2 miles high to advance as far south as long island. Even the edges of the walls of ice were half a mile high. It'd be pretty fun to stand on the ground and look up at 2000 feet of ice, while knowing that for thousands of miles behind this wall is nothing but more ice, 2 miles high. The continents sag under all the weight, and spend thousands of years returning to their previous altitudes afterwards. They are still inflating themselves back to their natural positions today, after the last glacier age crushed them down. The planet stays frozen until its very active, very molten, very hot innards decide to burst out - as they do every couple millenia - in select places and melt the sonabitch glaciers.

Goddamn snow.

With Difficulty

2005-02-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

There are things in this world which I greatly enjoy. In this episode of drlasome.blogshit.com, i will rate these most favorite things of mine against one another. It is a hard task, but I'm up for it.

Coen Brothers movies
Good god, but they do some good work, those two dorks from ... from North Dakota, i believe. Their movies have a unique style to them that touches me and so many others in oh so pleasurable ways. a'heh heh heh. Well, here they are in order from best to ... to "least best".
1) The Big Lebowski.
2) Intolerable Cruelty
3) Fargo
4) O Brother Where Art Thou
5) Miller's Crossing
6) Man Who Wasn't There
7) Hudsucker Proxy
8) Ladykillers

Fantasy Books
I'm a dork.
I like Robert Jordans series more than any others i've read because there's so much going on thats unwritten, that will never BE written, but is there for you to discover. Or at least look up on the internet. I dislike Terry Goodkind more with every book he writes, to the point where i've just stopped reading them.
1) The Big Lebowski
2) Lord of Chaos
3) Winters Heart
4) Clash of Kings
5) The Dragon Reborn
6) Storm Of Swords

Food
I love to eat but most of the time I have to try to curb it. Were it feasible for me to constantly eat until i felt like bursting, I would. This list is subject to change depending on the mood i'm in, but at this moment I feel like the following.
1) The Big Lebowski
2) rare sirloin
3) meaty lasagana
4) Hooters 911 wings
5) eggplant paremesian
6) Burrito and guacamole from Viva Juan.

Video Games
Haven't really been playing much lately, and from the looks of it if i ever played World of Warcraft it would be #1 and I'd never stop playing.
1) The Big Lebowski
2) Quake II, only in evans room though.
3) Legend of Zelda.
4) Age Empires, again in evans room.
5) Warcraft 3
6) The latest Madden game
7) GTA: Vice City

Long Time Friends
This should be fun.
1) The Big Lebowski
2) Chris
3) Mike
4) Paul
5) Seth. If I could rate him lower I would.

Girls I've slept with.
Hah! I kid. I'll list the big l for consistency.
1) The Big Lebowski.

Because you love me

2005-02-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

Buy me things.

I know there's at least two of you out there reading this bitch now. Lets see who loves me more.

Firefox

2005-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

I dig Firefox, man! It seems to be more lightweight than Internet Explorer, and the tabbed windows are a very good feature. I like the way the buttons look too :) It doesn't handle some HTML code like it should, and it was a pretty big pain in the ass for me to get a page i was programming to work with both IE and Firefox, but I still use it. At least I got it to work, which is more than i can say for my bank, whos website f's up if you use Firefox to view it.

Anyway I suggest you download Firefox and try it out. Its also much safer to use than IE, since like 100% of the web browser virus/malware/bullshit-annoyingness thats out there infects through weaknesses in IE. Thats not to say that Firefox has no weaknesses, just that nobody bothers to write malicious code to take advantage of it, since it wouldn't have much of an impact because not many people use Firefox anyway.

Try it out.

Our Commander In Chief

2005-02-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

As left wing, anti bush, blue tie democrat that I am, I must say I'm not completely unhappy with the job Dubya has been doing to start off his second term. He is encouraging bipartisan efforts in congress, making significant progress with the middle east crisis, and at least presenting an attempt at a fiscally responsible budget.

And he wants to fix Social Security. This, I support. For the zero people that read this, I will briefly explain. Basically, out of your paycheck the gov't takes 6% of your money for social security, which your employer matches (so the gov't gets 12%). This money is used to pay people, mostly old retired people, their social security checks. They paid their 6% their entire life, and now they get yours. When you are old and retired, some young kid will be paying 6% to the gov't and you will be getting the check. Well, thats the plan.

The problem is, its not going to work out like that. More people are going onto social security than are paying into it, so there's not enough money coming in. Plus the governemtn uses the money for stuff other than social security, which its not supposed to do, but whatever. They do a lot of shit they shouldn't. Anyway, thats the problem, or so the bush camp says. Democrats will mostly say its not really a problem, at least not for a very long time.

What the MAN wants to do is allow people to use 4 of that 6%, and invest it into personal retirement accounts. That means your money is saved and invested for you, and when you retire you get it. No need to worry about someone else paying social security for you to collect, you've got your own money in your own account saved up over your entire carreer.

This presents two problems. 1) With only 2% left over going into current social security, how is the goverment going to have enough money to pay out all the social security benefits to those folks already on it right now? and 2) It makes your retirement subject to the whims of the stock market.

To both 1 and 2, i say "Bah." Bah! How's the government going to pay? Who cares, figure it out, its a one time cost to fix a desperate issue. (Again, the dems will argue that the issue is not so desperate.) My retirement subject to the stock market? Pardon me, but my and everyone else my age's real retirement is our 401k and whatever personal investments we are wise enough to make on our own, which is already subject to the stock market. The personal investment accounts will be restricted to very low risk investments.

More frightening to me is the government involement with investments in public companies. I'm talking about a government that may, in order to see its social security plan succeed, show strong favor to certain companies that have large amounts of Social Security money invested in them. This is a very discomforting thought to me.

So for the social security, i support the effort of reform, and the plan doesn't sound half bad. It may need some tweaking though. The middle east progress looks good, but you never know with that hell hole over there. I guess we'll see what happens with Iran and North Korea. North Korea is kinda askin for it right now, i really hope Bush and his cronies don't take the bait.

While I am impressed with what i've discussed here, this is still a president that would make constitutional ammendments banning abortion and gay marriage. This is still a president that not only do i feel I am smarter than, but that most other people are too. This is still a president that I would never vote for. But at least there's something for me to put in the pro's column now.

Pats

2005-02-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Three out of four. Not bad New England. They beat the Colts, Steelers, and finally the Eagles to win the superbowl. A tougher road to the superbowl, I cannot imagine. I was rooting for the Patriots since they defeated the Colts, who i would have preferred win. I kind of like having a modern dynasty in football though, which is why i was rooting for them. I just wish they weren't in the same division as the Jets.

Man am I excited about the 2005 Giants season though. I'll be following their offseason moves closely. I think Eli can become a major threat this season, only his second in the league, if they give him the right tools. He played some very good games in only his first half season, despite his dismal record. As for the Jets, who knows. In the shape they're in now, they'll never win the big games they need to.

Speculative Sciences

2005-02-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks I've been referred to two different web pages discussing two questionable advances in science, namely stopping the aging process and time travel into the past. If you're curious, time travel into the future has been proven possible and actually accomplished. Twice.

Both of these topics present questions not only of feasibility, but also of responsibility. As for the latter, it is normally the argument in science that we should strive to achieve whatever could be possible, and deal with the uses and consequences of such advances later. Unfortunately thats usually up to politicians. But I'll think about these questions in regard to these two topics in particular.

Ronald Mallett is attempting to create a time machine that will travel into the past. As i said before, future time travel has already been proven and accomplished. It works by moving really really fast and forcing time to pass slower, maybe a million times slower. In this case after 1 year, a million earth years have ellapsed and you're in the future. We're gonna have to take Einsteins word for it on this one, because for me to attempt to explain the small bit of this i think i understand would be silly. But this notion doesn't really apply to backwards time travel. Before reading the aforementioned article, I had thought that time travel into the past was impossible. As in proven impossible. I guess not, a lot of the world is taking this guy seriously. Though there are skeptics as to the way in which Mallett intends to accomplish this feat, even they seemingly admit that the theory is possible.
And what of the famous grandfather paradox, in which a man travels back in time and kills grandpa, then pops out of existence. Then his grandfather is alive again, and he pops back in, and kills him again. How would such a scenario resolve itself? Stephen Hawking thinks that the laws of nature would prevent this from happening, as in you go to shoot your grandfather and the gun jams, etc. Mallet believes that there are an infinite number of universes representing all possible scenarios as reality. Maybe he's right, and altering with the past could sort of twist these numerous universes into each other, creating a hybrid universe where you're grandfather was killed before he had any kids, but you're still alive.
But assume it's possible and in our grasp to create backwards time travel. Should we? And I'm ignoring the automatic "yes" from scientists for the purposes of my blog. Imagine the power of backwards time travel in the hands of George W. Bush. If it existed today, thats exactly where it'd be. Hopefully i don't need to explain how bad THAT could be. Basically, people with the advantage of access to time travel could use it increase their advantage even further, and pretty much have their way with the world. If i had to choose right now, I'd say create backwards time travel if you can. But I don't think you can.

And how about immortality! Ok maybe not immortality, but a cure for aging. Aging is the molecular and chemical changes the body undergoes over time. I certainly believe preventing these damaging changes altogether is possible, but there's a HUGE question as to if we should! Well whoever made that website seems to think we should, and they're only real argument for it is pretty much that we should do everything and let whatever happens happen. They also try to say that nature would find a way to reach equilibrium with never-dying humans. I dunno, on my first read I didn't buy it. I guess i could convince myself that it would be ok to have everlasting life for everybody, but it would take some real convincing. So if i had to choose right now, I'd say don't cure aging. But I think you can.

Can I live with being poor

2005-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

I've got a real problem. I want to be rich ... like really rich. Like buy giant houses for family and friends type rich. Who doesn't, I know. But this is my blog. The thing is I don't think i'll ever enjoy working. I get so bored with anything after 40 hour work weeks, there's no job that could keep my interest for a 30 year career (rock stardom and other famous making-millions type jobs excluded).

But I do have a plan, though some key details are missing. I believe the way for a normal non-famous person to get rich is to make money. I know, i know. But it gets more specific. I think you've got to have a corporation. This does not mean that you need to own a big office building and have tens to hundreds of employee's. The corporation may only be some paperwork, and its only employee could be yourself.

Once you have this corporation, it must start making money. How it makes money is not all that important, but it must make money. (How my corporation will make money is key detail #1 that is missing). But once this corporation makes its money, it must wisely invest it and grow it.

The real key to all this is the money saved on taxes. Efforts must be made to absolutely minimize taxes paid by your corporation. Taxes paid on profits left over after all deductions and investments, as well as from profits from previous investments, all need to be minized. One way to minimize taxes on investments is to find good long term investments. This will allow your money to grow over many years without ever having to sell, and therefore never paying taxes. Buying and selling a lot will not only increase tax liability but increase brokerage commissions as well.

So anyway, like I said, how the corporation makes money isn't all that important, but it does need to make money. How it invests its money and minimizes its taxes is whats going to make somebody rich. Hopefully me. I just to figure out how to make money.

Some books that led to this thinking of mine are listed below.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad A good book to read to get your financial thinking on the right track. I wouldn't reccommend any other books in the rich dad series though. They kinda stink.
Buffettology My favorite book on securities investing. Very well written and easy to understand, while giving great advice. Was reccommended to me by my banker roomate, and his banker coworkers.
The Small Investor A good book to read at first to get some basic terminology down and a general understanding of investing.
The Intelligent Investor A little difficult to get through, but basically this is the bible of modern investing. It is what Warren Buffet describes as the best book ever written on the subject. Buffettology may be a better way to start.
Inc and Grow Rich ! Haven't actually read this one yet, but have seen two reccommendations in other readings of mine. Basically I'm lookin for a book that will detail the steps of creating your own corporation.
The 16% Solution Haven't read this one either, but I hear its great. It's about a very specific area of investing, namely real estate lein certificates.

A Short History

2005-01-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

I've been reading this book A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It is basically the history of science in the world. Physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, biology... all of the main sciences are discussed in very easy to read chapters. There are no equations or terms that only a scientist would understand, but just stories about the early and modern scientists discovering what makes up our world and our universe, and how they came to be. I find it very interesting and I learn something new nearly every page of the book.

The most interesting sections to me are the sections on physics, particularly the physics that make up Einsteins universe. It is very difficult to understand his revolutionary theories of relativity because its nearly impossible to relate to what they are saying. These theories so starkly contradict intuitive thinking its amazing Einstein was ever able to contemplate them, let alone convince himself that they were true.

The book has peaked my interest in matters of "macro physics," as in physics of the universe (Einsteins theories), and quantum physics, which is physics on scale with the atom. Apparently, the two are believed to work completely differently (though not entirely so by Einstein, with his famous but misquoted "God doesn't play dice.")

I won't go into the boring detail of what exactly got me so into the physics of this book, i'd probably get it all wrong anyway. But I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone. Yea, anyone. It's such an easy read you don't have to be a scientist, mathematician, college graduate , or any other token "smart person" to enjoy it. Check it out.

And be warned, I am somewhat tempted to write a blog discussing these Einsteinian and quantum physics.

Apple

2005-01-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

I use my iPod constantly. I have a small iPod stereo in my bedroom that i dock the iPod to for listening. It actually gets pretty damn loud. I have an RCA Y-cable dangling out of my stereo in the dining room that i can easily plug into the iPod for house-wide music. And i can of course use the headphones to listen to music on the go. I have not begun using iPod for my car listening -- yet.

Anyway, I'm feeling that Apple really has the hardware design and interface shit down pat. And their new Mac Mini is just an awesome idea. It's the perfect solution for anyone that isn't computer savvy. Browse the web, check email, and make use of Apple's iLife software suite. You can use it to record your own music and make home movies etc.... stuff that everyday users can have fun with. Plus it is inherently safe from most virus', being a Mac. With a $499 price tag, this thing should make Apple some good money, and some users very happy. I can almost say that with confidence.

Almost, because as impressed as I am with Apple's interfaces (and in the case of the Mac Mini, the price), I am not altogether impressed with their software yet, and thats important. While i may not have much experience with Mac OS, the limited time i did spend with it did not leave me with a great impression. This could be attributed to the fact that i was just not accustomed to it. But i use iTunes frequently, and I dislike that as well.

If Apple can improve it's software some (or already has and i haven't realized it) the Mac Mini would make for a great computer for the non-techincal parent or musical sibling who never used a computer before. If i spend some time in front of one (and I intend to), I will write a blog here about my experience with it.

Logistics?

2005-01-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

So my girlfriend bought me a little shower-kit from the body shop, containing all sorts of mens products from Anthony ... or "Logistics for men," as they are called. Having never used these metrosexual products before, i was excited to try something new. It includes some shaving creams which have made my face ohhh so happy lately. First a preshave oil is applied.. imagine rubbing olive oil all over your face. Just about the same. Then the Anthony shave cream goes on top of that and shave away! (they also have a cream/oil for electric shavers as well). The blade just glides over your face leaving a smooth and non-irritated result that would make a baby's ass jealous. I've also experimented with some of the facial cleansers it comes with, they all smell nice i guess but i haven't really noticed my face being particularly clean. But after the shower, the "After shave balm" is applied and you're good to go.

I'd make fun of me too, but you know you want to try it now. Anthony - logistics for men. Guys, try it, ladies - buy your men some and give him an excuse to try it!

Respek

2005-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

This article made me laugh, funnier if you are familiar with Da Ali G show. If you aren't, you should familiarize yourself stat.

LONDON (Reuters) - British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen escaped a near-riot at an American rodeo while filming his satirical "Da Ali G Show."

According to a report in the Roanoke (Virginia) Times, a man who was introduced as Boraq Sagdiyev from Kazakhstan -- in reality a Cohen character named Borat -- appeared at the rodeo over the weekend after organizers agreed to have him sing the national anthem.

After telling the crowd he supported America's war on terrorism, he said, "I hope you kill every man, woman and child in Iraq, down to the lizards ... And may George W. Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq." He then sang a garbled version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The Roanoke Times reported that the crowd turned "downright nasty." One observer said "If he had been out there a minute longer, I think somebody would have shot him."
Cohen and his film crew were escorted out of the Salem Civic Center and told to leave the premises.

"Had we not gotten them out of there, there would have been a riot," rodeo producer Bobby Rowe told the paper. "They loaded up the van and they screeched out of there."

It is not the first time Cohen has wooed controversy with his show, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK and on HBO in the United States. In one episode last year, Borat sang an anti-Semitic song called "Throw the Jew Down the Well" at a U.S. country music bar, prompting protests from the U.S-based Anti-Defamation League.

Producers of the Ali G show, Talkback Thames, were unavailable for comment.

Respek!

Does Doug Brien suck?

2005-01-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

I had posted this on another site as well, so i'll paste it here so I can see how this blogger looks with a list of blogs, instead of just the one. But does Doug Brien suck?

Well he did in the final game of the jets 2004 season. He had two chances to win a playoff game and send the Jets to the AFC Championship game and missed them. Within about 5 minutes of each other. Maybe not easy, but makeable.

The offense only scored 3 points in the entire game. Marvelous. So the offense sucked too. They should have scored more points, gotten closer for Brien, but they didn't. That doesn't let the kicker off the hook. Wherever the offense puts you inside say the 33, it's your job to make the damn kick. Especially for the win. In the playoffs. When you get two chances.

And he missed a kick on the opening drive against San Diego that would have prevented overtime there as well.You owe the Jets big time next season, Doug. Screw you.

(Briefly, screw John Abraham too. This is the playoffs. Play.)

Hear me now

2005-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

So it begins. I've been reading some friends blogs of late, and the more I read the more I feel like saying. So i'll start a blog for myself to read! I will not link to my blog from anywhere, it is only here as a place for me to get out what it is i'm thinking. All very deep and meaningful, I assure you. I'm sure there will be blogs on such topics as sports, books, music, movies, as well as more specific things like work, my weekend, and how my shower went this morning. Intriguing I know, but you'll have to be patient.