Where did the year go?

Sooooo....this year flew by.  I have no idea where it went.  It seems like when we are younger and in our childhood, the year drags on.  However, when you grow older, the end of the year comes up quicker and quicker.  

Before I knew it, boom, December.  I don't know how I feel about this.

Building a case for Rod

Yes people, the Detroit Lions did not win a game all year (although they did win all four pre-season games [go figure]).  So we'll get that elephant out of the room.  And yes, come next season, I will be cheering for them.  Loyalty (go figure).  I am pretty damn sure that Rod Marinelli will lose his job as a result of this season, but that would be a grave mistake.  Throughout the entire season, through all the questions and doubters, he has been nothing but class.  You see some coaches who blow their lids after one stinking lose and their teams are close to being in the playoffs.  But Rod, not so much.  He was always calm and collected while addressing the press.  Now in the locker may have been a different matter, but to the public, he was professional.  And the team seemed that way as well.  There were only a few games where the team looked like they had quit, but not many.  And they were so close near the end of the season, but they just couldn't close.  Kind of like the Tigers this year, they just found ways to lose games.  

This season is not Marinelli's fault, he inherited the team.  Detroit got rid of the reason for this year in Matt Millen.  Once the organization fired him, they were on the right track.  And the right track is going to start with the draft.  They have the number one overall pick, but they need to trade it away for defensive players that are well established and some draft picks.  They dumped Roy Williams at the right time and screwed Dallas out of three picks *insert evil laugh*.  The offensive players are there, but that is about it.  Defensive linemen, secondary players, and offensive linemen should be the targets during the draft.  

I leave you with this.  The best quote you can take away from this organization that did not win a game all year.

“You’re in this dark tunnel and you’ve got no way out, you’re waiting for light, and you see that light, what do you do? What do you do? You start digging and getting out. … I’ve always believed you stay in the tunnel and you keep digging when you expect no light. You have the same faith when you expect no light. You have the same belief in what you’re doing when you expect no light. … It’s dark and I’m going to dig through. My shovel is sharp and my pick is sharp and my will is outstanding.”

ayuda me

I never thought I would hear myself say or think this, but I got a new coffee maker!  And boy am I excited.  It beats the hell out of the cheap one I have been using for the past year.  And I also got a new thermos!  Which can hold more coffee.  I have officially made it into adulthood because of the excitement over the maker and thermos.  Dorky?  yes.  But have you seen me at work at four o'clock in the morning without coffee?  Scary.  

We didn't have any snow for Christmas this year, which is a bit sad.  We got a decent storm last year and had close to seven inches at this time last year, and it made me happy.  But this year sucked because of the lack of snow.   

And another note, I received a few itunes gift cards, but cannot think of any music to look for.  

Suggestions?

christmas time stuff

We are watching A Christmas Story right now, and there is nothing better in this movie than the nostalgic feel of the christmas morning scene.  More than the kids ripping apart the wrapping, it is the expressions on the faces of the mom and dad.  Just the joy that they have watching their kids.  

As much as people think it is all about the Red Rider BB gun, the movie is more than that.  It's about family, more than anything.  

• Idolizing the father
• Having a life long understanding with your mother
• And the fighting with your brother

And the final scene of the mom and dad relaxing with the christmas tree alit and the snow falling at night.  Magic.  

No sooner are the computer keys cooled off from my last post that I walk out of the store today and in the parking lot is a red volkswagon beattle.  Red, with fake antlers coming out of the windows and a big red ball of fuzz on the grill.  

kansas people are idiots.  

AND, all the snow that I was so happy to see a few days ago is gone.  

kansas weather sucks.

wreaths and bows

The fact that it is seven days from christmas doesn't stop me from hating on people.  Today's topic:  people who put wreaths or bows on the grills of their vehicles.  What the hell?  I don't remember seeing this in Michigan (where there is snow and feels like christmas for a few months) and have only noticed it down here in Kansas.  I can't wrap my mind around this vehicular decoration.  

Why did this trend start?  It serves no purpose.  Why not just drive with a santa hat on.  And that is another thing, people shopping with santa hats on.  Or reindeer antlers.  Stop it!  Just wear a christmas sweater.  

Why not use that wreath or bow to cover up that marriage equals one man plus one woman bullshit bumper sticker you plastered on you car?  

wrapping

I was never good at wrapping presents.  I haven't had that talent for cutting the wrapping paper just the right length so it folds up nice and neat and professional looking.  Oh no, if you get a wrapped present from me, a minimum of one side is going to be all jacked up and messy.  One side may look nice, but the other side, holy shit.  

And I suppose I could make the argument that I don't put much stock in wrapping because it is just going to get torn into come Christmas morning, but no.  Never had the wrapping talent.  The wrapping gene is missing from my DNA.  But so what, right?

first real snow

Wichita has encountered the first real snow of the year.  It isn't much, but it is better than looking at the dead grass.  We did get a little bit of a snowfall, which caused people to drive ten to fifteen miles an hour slower, but it melted away the next day because it was in the fifties.  

Hopefully it will stay cold enough.  Right now it is overcast and just snowing a little bit, flurries if you will.  When I talk to my parents, they are always telling me about the three and four and five inches of snow that fell just that day and how it is compounding on top of the feet of snow.  Having snow accumulate on the ground a month before christmas really helps to get me in the 'holiday spirit'.  Down here, not so much.  It sucks having just wind and no snow.  But now, if this stays on the ground, the snow is here and I will be more willing to listen to christmas music and finish up my shopping.  All because of snow.  

things about movies

IMDB is a fantastic website for everything movies.  however, they have a list that I have issues with.  The IMDB top 250 in which movie lovers can vote on what they think is the best movies of all time.  Now, they have the first three right, shawshank and the first two godfather movies (although I believe shawshank should be number three, not numero uno).  and then there is the dark knight.  Number four.  not so much.  I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that people think that is movie is better than cinematic classics (and I am talking movies that everyone should see regardless of movie taste).  The top twenty movies, really, are movies everyone should see, but there are some iffy ones (for example, The Dark Knight, and two LOTR movies [good movies, but top twenty worthy, I think not])

And I know that there was all the hype around Heath Ledger's performance, and that is the only reason to see this movie.  I am not going to lie to you, it was amazing.  But it was overshadowed by Aaron Eckhart and his god awful performance.  

People praise this movie but it is not as good as the 1989 Batman (Tim Burton can really do no wrong).  There, I said it.

mmmm....meat

So as I was cutting meat for dinner tonight, I came to the realization that I hate cutting up chicken.  Even though we didn't have chicken for dinner, I still thought about it because I was cutting up some steak.  Red meat is just solid and not slimy.  Chicken, not so much.  It is just slick, and rubbery.  

Steak just kind of hangs out and gets cut.  You throw it on the cutting board (with a manly thud) and it is easy to prepare.  Very primal, I feel like I should beat my chest afterwards or stab something else.  

Franz Ferdinand's Do You Want To is playing now.  Well, do ya?  

I don't know what made me think about this today, but while I was on my first break at work I thought back to the old high school parking lot.  It was big and open and when I thought of it, I had these great memories of doing doughnuts and fishtailing before and after away swim meets.  

When we would get home, it would be twelve or one o'clock in the morning and the parking lot would be empty.  After a three or four or five hour bus trip with some close friends, even that early in the morning, I would be wound up.  Just giddy I guess.  So I would jump in the truck (my beloved first vehichle) and just go spin on the ice in the empty parking lot with no care in the world.  There were not a lot of light posts, so I didn't have to worry running into them.

The other thought I have on this is getting in my best friend's truck before leaving and having a great laugh doing doughnuts.  He had this huge lead weight in the bed of the truck to help prevent fishtailing, and it was sliding from left to right banging the hell out of the truck.  And on top of that, another swimmer jumped in his mom's little sedan and was doing them in reverse.  Writing it down now even brings a smile to my face.  

good times, good times.

sports loyalty

As I am watching the Lions game (sigh) on this thanksgiving early afternoon, I can't help but question my loyalty to them.  It is hard to back a team that is just this bad.  But the other part of me thinks that I have to support them because I have all my life.  And it isn't like this is one bad season, oh no, the Lions can't do that.  Hell, they can't even have a winning season (it hasn't happened since 2001).  And we won't even get into the playoff situation (not since the early 90's) and the last time they were the best team in football, they didn't even have the Super Bowl, it was the football championship game and that was back in the fifties.  

I point to the 2006 Tigers for my defense of supporting a team.  For years and years the Tigers were awful.  In 2005 they had the worst record in major league baseball and the next year things fell into place and made it to the World Series.  Everyone was a Tigers fan in 2006, but this year they were down and people jumped off the bandwagon again.  And those of us who are on the bandwagon for so long don't just jump off after a bad season.  So I will stay on the Lions bandwagon just so when they become a good team again (and they will) I can help people climb back on the wagon...

even if they are good for just one season. 

writing outbust

Listening to the Dewayn Brothers again.  It beats listening to the obamas and barbara walters that is on the tv right now.  

As I was checking this today, I noticed that I have posted over one hundred times this year.  Compared to the previous years, that is impressive.  But why?  I don't know.  Looking back by the months there was nothing really significant that has happened this year, I just find an urge to write some stuff down and do it.  

I rather enjoy it.  I do feel that I have lost the wanting to write creatively like I did in school.  Maybe because I was paying to do it, the classes were a lot of fun.  I just don't have a purpose for writing now.  So I suppose this is the outlet.  Just getting it out there and out of my mind.  

the FCC and janet jackson

'One Piece at a Time' by Johnny Cash is playing right now.  No wonder the auto industry is going under.  

So A had the TV on cnn for some reason (they are just as bad as fox news, just on the other side of center).  The ticker on the bottom had a headline that said 'FCC wants supreme court to investigate the wardrobe malfunction of Janet Jackson from super bowl performance in 2004'.   Seriously?  Who cares if some has been flashed the entire world.  I sure am glad my tax money may be wasted on something everyone can see for free on the internet.  

There were no more details on the story, and I hope that the supreme court just laughs at the fcc.  This pisses me off more than supreme court hearings on sports.  Open your eyes people, athletes are cheating.  You don't need to spend all this time (and money) talking to people who are lying to you about shooting drugs to get paid more.  

Stephen King books and movies

I woke up this morning with a thought going through my head....why are most Stephen King books made into bad movies?  

And I suppose I should extend that thought now that I am awake and twiddling my thumbs as I wait to go to work.  There are three fantastic movies that stick out in my mind that can argue that point.

• The Shawshank Redemption
• Stand By Me
• The Shining

That is it.  Carrie, Children of the Corn, Pet Cemetary, Secret Window are all decent movies, but none that I would have a need to own.  And maybe it is the fact that some of these movies were made twenty and thirty years ago, but they just seem cheap.  You can't capture the imagination on film.

...and then there are the made for tv movies.  The Stand, The Langoliers, It, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, The Shining.  What the hell were they thinking trying to remake the Shining?  You can't top Nicholson.  

For the most part, I will watch a movie based on a Stephen King novel or short story because I want to see how it compares to the book.  But I find my self disappointed time and time again.  

Six word essay

I was watching Mike and Mike this morning before work and they had someone on their show yesterday or a two days ago and they were talking about how a six word essay is harder to write than a six hundred word essay.  So, at five o'clock this morning, while sipping on some coffee, my mind starts going, and it went all day.  While I was working, I was trying to think of a six word essay, while I was eating lunch, I was thinking about it, while I sit here and type, I still am thinking about it.  

It is difficult because you have to get all the information out there in six little words.  It has to be strong and with no flaws.  With a six hundred word essay, you can deliver both sides of an argument and state your case for your opinion citing sources and examples.  

I have come up with one, and it is a political one.  One that will make many of my friends smile, and one that will make some of my friends cringe:

-George Bush fucked it up, royally.  

Odd comment

Listening to Moby at the moment.  It is great background music because it is just kind of there.  

I was at work yesterday and helped someone find some product they were looking for.  Something I do every day at work, not a big deal.  But as I was walking away, she said to me 'that beard looks good on you.  not everyone looks good with a beard.'  What do you say to that?  I was floored, it is one of those comments where the only thing you can really say is 'ummm, thanks.' or I guess it could be punctuated with a question mark.  

It made me think of the only other time I have been floored by a random comment by someone I had no idea who they were.  The second year I worked on Mackinac Island, I was headed down to the docks with three co-workers to head to the mainland to do an overnight work program.  So we all had backpacks and stuff for sleeping.  I was carrying my pillow in front of me and some lady walked out of a store, pointed at me and said 'Now that is a man after my own heart.' and continued on her way.  The four of us stopped and just kind of stared at each other and couldn't do anything but laugh about it for quite some time after that.  And I'm not talking about mentioning it later that day or two days later, I'm talking months afterwards, one of us would say it and would have to explain it to people who weren't there.  It never seemed as funny to others as it did to us.  

HOLY SHIT!

I know that every year it seems that Christmas is getting earlier and earlier.  The store had Christmas lights out before Halloween was done.  Yes, before the month of November, Christmas lights were out on the shelves.  Why is this important right now?  

Because Dr. Seuess's How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on the television right now.  Seriously, I know that it is a classic.  We are still watching it now, but Thanksgiving hasn't even happened.  

Seattle trip

We made it back to Wichita from our trip to Seattle.  The flights were good and  went smoothly.  It was great to see Chuck and meet Lauren.  Very relaxing.  We didn't do a whole lot.  We went to Pike Place Market (the place where they throw fish all over the place), a music museum, the Sci-Fi hall of fame/museum and did some shopping.  I found a few records at a used record store.  There are lots of those.  All of the hippies settled in the Pacific Northwest after the seventies ended.  They gave up the grass and sold their records to invest in Starbucks and other coffee shops.  More music for me! 

I don't know if I would want to live there though.  The weather would get to me.  And the drivers.  They are horrible!  The speed limit is fifty, they go forty-eight.  I was only there for four days and I was getting pissed about it.  

If you live in the ICT area, I will apologize for bringing this crappy weather back here from Washington state.  It was been over cast and rainy the entire day.  Apologies.  

In Seattle

On the way to Seattle, I was stuck next to an airplane talker.  Yup, someone I don't know who found it necessary to small talk.  I'm sorry, but I don't give a shit where you are from, where you are going, or what you do.  

Sure a little small talk is fine, but when you start a conversation about what you do for a living, I really want to draw the line.  Unfortunately, I am not a huge douche bag and I talked to this guy out of....well, convenience isn't the right word, and 'niceness' isn't either.  I can't find the right word.  We went out drinking tonight and m grammar isn't up to par.  Deal with it.  

Basically, I hate people who find it necessary to make extended conversation just because you are sitting next to me for a couple of hours.  Don't you have a book to read or music to listen to?  

quickly now.

just a quick blip.  

If you don't vote, you can't complain.  Plain and simple.  If you don't take part in your democratic right, how am I suppose to value any opinion you have on the next four years?

I can't.

economy and gasoline

I have yet to figure out the relationship between the economy and gas.  As the bottom fell out of the stock market recently, the gas prices dropped.  When the stock market was up up up, so was the price of gas.  Shouldn't it be the other way around?  As the economy struggles, wouldn't the price of gas go up?  Does that not make sense?  Or is it because no one has money, the gas prices go down.  This is probably why I would never pass an economics class (be it high school or college).  

The only reason I was thinking about this today is that gas is below two dollars a gallon today.  It went down to one dollar and ninety nine cents.  I filled up yesterday at two o' five thinking that as the stock market rallied earlier this week, gas prices would go back up again.  Guess not.  It went down again.  What the hell?  

I just don't want to think about it too much.  It hurts my head.  

childish politics

Not listening to anything right now, just watching the (possibly) final game of the world series.  Philly is winning four to three right now, bottom of the seventh inning.  As nice and fuzzy as the Tampa Bay Rays are this year, they haven't been around long enough to win the world series.  Sorry guys.  

One of A's co-workers asked her if I liked politics, what with my love of history (and you know, the whole college degree thing).  I don't.  I really don't.  Sure, all the ways they pass laws and bills is interesting, but politicians are so childish when it comes to elections.  It always starts out nice and focused on what each person wants to change or their thoughts on hot topic issues.  And that is fine, that is what it should be about.  But then it just gets nasty and mean.  Mudslinging, top notch mudslinging.  And some may think that that is what politics is about, defaming your opponent to make yourself look better, but shouldn't it be about how they will help or protect the voters' interest?

Politicians remind me of kids on the school playground getting in trouble by the teachers.  They just start naming everyone else for doing something wrong.  

As I listen to clips of McCain rallies and hear the crowd boo anytime they talk about 'that guy', or start hearing the words terrorist or traitor come out of the crowd, I think has this gone too far?  What if some 'patriotic' person tries to harm Obama?  Are they not the terrorist attacking Americans?  That is some scary stuff to think about.  

Desert Island

Listening to My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder.  I had no idea he sang this song.  

I was watching The Office (American version) at work last week.  I have no idea what season it was or even the name of the episode.  They were all standing around outside because the fire alarm went off in the building.  Anyway, they played a game to pass the time, desert island.  Basically name five *fill in the blank* you would want if you were alone on an island.  They listed books and movies, and of course I thought that would be fun......

Five movies I would want on a desert island:

• Casablanca
• Gettysburg
• Good Night and Good Luck
• Stand By Me
• The Big Lebowski

Five books I would want on a desert island:

• The Catcher in the Rye
• Prison Writings:  My Life is My Sundance
• No Country For Old Men
• The Dharma Bums
• Survivor

That's it.  That is all I would need.  Other than food and water, but that isn't part of the game.  

politics and athletes

Listening to At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash.  It is a fantastic live album, probably the best one I own.  

I watched a segment of First Take on epsn this morning.  They were debating whether or not athletes (they also mentioned musicians and actors) should openly support politicians.  A few football players from the Cleveland Browns organization have been to McCain rallies and a few have been to Obama rallies.  These players have also come out and are quoted in news papers as to supporting those candidates.  Of course they have the right to do so, but I'm on the fence on this.  

Historically speaking, Ohio is huge when it comes to the election, everyone knows that.  A big swing state, plenty of electoral votes.  The fact that the Browns are in Ohio, I think, is one reason why this can be important.  If these athletes are popular amongst the fans, some may vote for who the athlete supports.  Of course basing your vote on someone else's opinion is ridiculous.  So there is that, but still, that could be a lot of votes for one candidate or the other.  Imagine the presidential election being decided in Ohio, the election being close, and this kind of story being out there.  

This could be nothing, just a slow sports news day.  I highly doubt anything will come of this, and if it were taking place in a state like Minnesota or Colorado, it wouldn't be worth talking about.  It all has to do with location, and this time it is Ohio.  

Milk Duds

I just opened a small box of Milk Duds for a quick snack.  The little ones you get in the huge bag of halloween candy.  I enjoyed them as a kid, and still enjoy them.  Anyway, the box I just opened had one milk dud.  one.  What the hell?  

If I were a little kid who busted their ass walking around and trick or treating and opened a box of milk duds that only had one milk dud in it, dude.....  Heads would roll.  I don't know how, but I would make it happen.  

It's offical

I am old.  It is ten to nine at night and I am ready for bed.  And not the 'ready for bed' meaning going and reading for an hour.  I could go lie in bed and fall asleep.   

Work definitely took it's toll on me this week.  It was one of those weeks when everything seemed to go wrong.  I fixed what I could and was asked why I didn't fix what I didn't have time to fix.  Assholes.  

I think I'm gonna finish watching this inning of baseball and I am calling it a night.  

Mourning Jake

Listening to Give Up The Funk by George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars.  I want the funk.  Gotta have that funk.    

My parents had to put Jake to sleep last week.  It got to the point where he was having trouble moving and standing up.  It was time.  He was really really old.  Especially for a shih tzu.  I can't even remember how old I was.  Had to be fifth or sixth grade.  At any rate, a long time.  

I remember when he was just a puppy and we kept all his toys in this wicker basket.  He couldn't get to the one at the very bottom.  He got half of his body into the basket before he got stuck and then just started running as best he could to try to get that elusive toy.  So here he is running all around the family room trying to get to that toy and is pushing the basket all over the place.  Something you see on america's funniest home video.  The entire family was just rolling with laughter.  

I'm not an emotional person, but this was hard.  Jake was my first real pet.  When I was really young, my sister had a dog, Lady.  A dog they picked up from the pound.  I didn't have much connection with her.  But Jake.  He was the first pet I had that I really loved.  I always loved it when he slept in my bed.  I don't know why.  It felt like a connection when he slept at the foot of my bed, or on my legs, or by my side.  Wherever he was on the bed.  

I'm gonna miss going home and having Jake there.  

old navy ad

One of the most unfortunate 'holidays' is coming up.  Columbus Day.  How does some raping, pillaging, murdering douche bag get a day named after him?  I always ignored the columbus day sales.  Whatever companies can use to boost sales, they'll do it.  

I was taken aback by Old Navy a couple of weeks ago.  I was watching tv, and an old navy ad came on with the tag line of 'party like it's 1492'.  Yeah, I'm gonna party like there are people getting raped and murdered.  I'm gonna party like there are some new guys taking full advantage of my people.  What a party.  It'll be a block party.  Fuckers.  How do they not research this?  News flash people:  Christopher Columbus was an arrogant asshole.  Dude deserves no respect.  He didn't even 'discover' anything.  People make arguments for the Vikings hanging out in north eastern canada for a while.  And then there is us...the native americans!  Yeah, let's talk about us.  we've been here for quite a while, despite the fact that the united states government tried to push us into the pacific ocean.  

This is why I could never be a history teacher for little kids.  We would get to him in the history books and I would have kids running home and asking their parents what a murdering douche bag was.  I can't stand the fact that people know what he did and still have a day with his name.  

Wear a black arm band, print and hand out some flyers, do something proactive against the guy who murdered at will.  Go back in time and kick him in the junk if you can.  Put a hole in his ships so he never gets to the western hemisphere.  

He is on my list of historical figures I would go back and kill.  Him and Hitler.  Yeah, I just put him on a list with another mass-murdering fuck head.  

And he deserves it.  

dirty.

I'm watching Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel.  

Mike Rowe is a MAN.  Chuck Norris wears Mike Rowe footie pajamas.  Yeah, I said it.  

I think the only people on TV that are more manly than Mike Rowe are the guys from the Deadliest Catch show.  

Mike Rowe wears Deadliest Catch footie pajamas.  

right to protest

listening to Bombs Over Baghdad by Outkast.  

Living in Kansas I now just expect to see dumb shit going on.  This is a very red state.  Red to the point of disturbing.  If there isn't an 'adoption is the only choice' or 'repent or die a horrible death' on every other fence post along the highway someone isn't doing their job.  The further west you get the more overbearing it gets.  

So after work yesterday, I was in need of some hops and barley because it was the end of a very long weekend.  It wasn't too long ago that I couldn't go buy beer because there was no alcohol sales on Sunday (weird, I know).  anyway, I went to a local establishment and as I'm sitting at an intersection waiting for the light to change there is a line of about two dozen people with signs.  Faaaaaantastic, abortion protesters.  I'm not gonna sit here and complain about the fact that they were protesting it, I'm gonna sit here and talk about the fact that there were families with signs.  

Listen, believe what you want.  Stand up for what you want.  That is the wonder of the Bill of Rights.  Amendment number one:  freedom of assembly.  Rock out, get your assembly on.  It was peaceful.  They weren't yelling or screaming they were standing around holding their abortion kills children signs.  It was the fact that they brought their kids with them.  Jesus, leave the kids at home to watch cartoons while you go out and make asses of yourselves.  Throw on the christian channel and let them get their t.v. church on.  It was one of those moments when you wish you were in a movie so you could run someone over and they would be fine.  

Fucking morons.  Don't drag your kids to something they don't understand.  The only thing they know is what you tell them, which is going to be twisted because you are some religious nut job who wants to save everyone and everything.  

Faith is fine, and so is religion.  But the minute you start using it for an agenda you have lost the point.  Every time you try to tell someone they are going to hell for not believing what you believe, you are missing the point of being religious.  I was out last summer with a few friends and we were just drinking and having a good time.  I said something and then followed it up with 'well, I'm going to hell for that, but at least it'll be a party.' or something along those lines.  My friend then looks at me and goes off on how I need to try my best to get into heaven and save myself and blah blah blah.  I'll believe what I want and you can't change that in me.  It was ridiculous.   

I just can't stand those kinds of people and I only met people like that down here in Kansas.  Says a lot about this state.  Just sayin'.

Kansas living

Just a quick little note to make a point that I have been living in Kansas for three years.  Time has just flown by.  

I still miss the winters in Michigan and the huge lakes.  I have adapted to the state I live in now.  However, I would love to move back home or closer to home.  

Mike and Mike

I was very excited about Mike and Mike in the Morning this morning because they had Barack Obama on the show today.  Yes, I will be paying more attention to Obama on a sports talk show than going toe to toe with McCain in a debate.  

So I TIVOed (I think that is a word now in the English language) the show because he wasn't going to be on until eight in the morning.  I'm watching and listening right now, and I cannot vote for Barck Obama.  It isn't some policy I don't agree with, it isn't his stance on any hot button issue....

...I can't vote for him because he is a White Sox fan.  Yes, it is true.  He is not getting my vote because he rocks a Sox cap while watching baseball.  Sorry kids, it's true.  

(okay, not really.)

heartbeat to a new president

listening to Golden Years by Bowie.  A great song ruined by A Knight's Tale.  Movies can do that.  

I have been listening and reading up a little bit on the two presidential candidates.  This whole election thing kind of makes it important, I suppose.  *disgusted sigh*

One comment that keeps coming up is that Sarah Palin is one heart attack away from being president.  The point is that she doesn't have much experience and what will she do if she is thrust into that situation.  What about Joe Biden?  He is a heart attack away as well.  But isn't brought up or discussed because his running mate is so much younger.  

That should be a question for the VP debate:  'If your running mate dies of a heart attack, how would you run this country?'  

Sounds cold doesn't it?  But that is basically what the press is pointing to with their comments about Palin being in that situation.  

Early morning post

It is twenty minutes past the two o'clock hour....in the morning.  This is early.  Too early.  Bars are just closing down.  For those of you who have never seen it soberly, yes, two o'clock in the morning exists.  

There are some days that I hate my job, for example, today.  Because it is two in the morning.  I work at four, but couldn't fall back asleep after I woke up close to one thirty.  I suppose I could have gone back to sleep, but that makes it harder to wake back up.  

I find that happens quite a bit.  If I wake up close to an hour before my alarm goes off and I turn over and go back to sleep, it is harder to get back up.  So the coffee pot is on and it is making that which gets me through days like today.  Mmmmmm.....tasty addictions.  

All I know is that right around noon today, I will be coming home and taking a nice big fat long nap on the couch.  

rant and rave and rant and rave...

Listening to Painter's Song by Nora Jones.  One would think that I would be calmed by the voice of Nora Jones, but not so much.  

Hank Steinbrenner, co-owner of the New York Yankees, wants major league baseball to change the format of the playoffs.  Pointing to the multiple divisions as the main culprit.  The L.A. Dodgers are going to be in the playoffs because they won their division.  The record of the Dodgers is worse than the Yankees, but because the Dodgers play in a weaker division, they are going to the post season and the Yankees aren't (they play in a strong division with Tampa Bay and Boston ahead of them).  You don't hear the other owners wanting the playoff system changed because they miss the playoffs.  Why not get rid of the playoffs all together and just play an extra three weeks and whoever has the best record wins the championship.  The baseball world does not revolve around New York City.  So..........

Shut the fuck up already.  Okay?  Just stop it.  Not every organization has twenty six championships.  so shut the fuck up.  No one wants to hear you cry over missing the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years.  so shut the fuck up.  Don't blame the format of the league because your team couldn't play better than the Rays or Red Sox.  so shut the fuck up.  Why did you fire the manager who got your organization to all those playoffs?  Shut the fuck up.  So take your egotistic, childish ways and shut the fuck up.  Break in your new golf shoes, start working on your short game, and shut. the. fuck. up.    

I cannot stand Hank Steinbrenner, or his dad George, they both need to take a note from their brother/son and not say anything.  Once again Hank.....

shut the fuck up.  (sorry if you don't like all the f-bombs mom.)

numero two hundred

Listening to Sublime, Pawn Shop.  It makes me wonder how big the band could have been if brad nowell didn't die with a needle sticking out of his arm.  Selfish asshole.  DRUGS ARE BAD!

This is the two hundredth post in this blog.  I would think that this should be some milestone post with great revelations about why I do this, or what relief it gives me to have people read this.  But no, not so much.  I just started writing this just because.  It was and continues to be something to do.  I enjoy it.  Writing is a great release for me.  I just can't do it for tons of pages.  I look at writing and taking pictures as the same thing.  You don't need something elaborate to be yourself.  KISS (as my dad use to say), Keep It Simple, Stupid.  When we were at the fair with the parents, we looked through the picture submissions.    A bunch of them were altered through various programs.  You could just tell.  That just really bugs the hell out of me.  That is why I don't use a digital camera for anything other than quick point and shoot pictures.  Take, for example this picture down below.  I just liked the way the trees looked in the coffee cup.  Is it the best picture in the world?  Absolutely not.  But that is the beauty of pictures taken on film.  The imperfections.  

So, sorry kids if you were expecting some 

great post, this is it.  Nothing special, kind of like the rest of them.  This is just....here.  

Onward towards the next two hundred posts and blah blah blah.  There, there is your goddamned cliche for some milestone thing.  

Now get bent.  

irritating Tigers

just a quick post...

I just checked the score of the Tigers game.  They are winning sixteen to one.  SIXTEEN(!) to one.  Seriously.  And I had two thoughts when I saw that.  

1.)  I have seen them put this kind of score on the board before and lose.  It was against Texas about three/four years ago.  We were up in Houghton for my brother's college graduation.  They were up about fourteen to four and ended up losing the game.  And that led me to the second thought.

2.)  Why couldn't they do this consistently throughout the year?  Inconsistency does not lead to the playoffs people.  After being in the world series two years ago, they aren't even going to play five hundred ball.  Unless they go about eleven and two the rest of the year.  

Get your fucking heads together this winter while you are watching a good Detroit team in the Red Wings and take some notes.  I don't care what the hell you all do, move in with each other, hang out, go to each others' churches.  Get your acts together.  Your manager is probably going to lose his job because you couldn't put together a decent enough of a season to get into the post season.  

god i need a drink!

intellectual reading

The White Stripes are playing on itunes right, I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet). 

I'm taking a few moments out of my lazy, football induced couch sitting to write a little bit about reading.  Dorky, yes.  But important.   On Art of Manliness, there was a list of the one hundred essential books for guys.  Some excellent choices, but

 some questionable ones (is it really necessary to have three biographies of Teddy Roosevelt?).  One thing that bugs me is that they list The Federalist Papers but not the Anti-Federalist Papers.  Two very separate thoughts for establishing a government, they go hand in hand.  It encompasses great minds and where they stood on the issue of their new country.  

These kind of books should be read in high

 schools and colleges throughout the country, and maybe they are, I just never had the opportunity.  The government class I took in high school was a joke.  If I had to read these books, maybe I would have had a better experience.  Even my political science class in college wasn't worth while.  So if you get the chance, support your local library and go get these two books and learn a little bit.  Not exactly the most exciting or light reading, but give it a try.  You might find something out about yourself.

As part of my boredom on my day off, I took these two pictures.  I don't know which one I like more, the black and white or the sepia.  

VMAs, hurricanes and rain

MY NAME IS SUE!  HOW DO YOU!  NOW YOU GONNA DIE!  Those could possibly be the best lines ever written in music history.  (I don't think I need to post the title to that song, if you don't know it, get fucked my friend).

A is watching the mtv music awards that she tivo'ed.  Two things wrong with that sentence.  The fact that she used the tivo to record an mtv program and the music.  Honestly, I didn't recognized the majority of the bands or performers that were on there.  I knew Kanye West, Kid Rock, (and unfortunately Britney Spears), etc.  And at what point is it considered music when all you do is play the same guitar and piano parts to Sweet Home Alabama and just write new words?  Thanks Kid Rock, way to kill a classic song.  Asshole.  

If I don't know it, I don't care.  I would love to see a band like the White Stripes on there again.  They played when Fell in Love With A Girl was popular, but that was nowhere near their best music.  They were just getting started when that album came out.  

There was an article on msn about people not wanting to leave their Texas homes with an oncoming hurricane.  I am as stubborn a German as you will find, but that is just idiotic.  As my dad says, 'I'm sorry, but...'  Who's fault is it that you are stuck on your roof with twelve feet of water surrounding you?  Not me, not the government.  You, dumbass.  I did feel bad for the people of New Orleans a few years back, but...why blame the government for your decision to stay in your home when you were told to evacuate?  If I sit in my home with a tornado bearing down on me and I get sucked out and my house gets destroyed after I was told that I should go to a shelter, who do you blame?  Me right?  Yes.  If I came out yelling at the government for my decision to stick it out, I would be no better than the people complaining from the top of their houses waiting to get picked up.  And who wants to live in a city that is below sea level anyways?  

With that said, we are getting a shit ton of rain right now.  Flash flooding is going on in the surrounding areas of Wichita.  Many people that I work with were worried about not being able to get home because of the flooding.  I am not sure what I would do in a situation like that.  Not being able to get home after work.  I would more that likely crawl into a bar for a few hours and wait for the water levels to lower.  That would make the most sense to me.  

about work

Black Mountain Side is playing right now.  It is by Zeppelin.

The main thing that I can't stand about work is that it is on the same level as high school.  Rumors, cliques, etc.  You are either in or you are out, I guess.  Which is fine with me.  I will continue to punch in, work, and punch out.  As long as the pay checks keep coming I suppose.  At the store right now it is ridiculously juvenile.  It comes to situations where if you here one thing about a person, you think 'I can see that person saying that or acting that way.'.  And you don't think much of it after that.  

Lo and behold it can come back to bite you in the ass.  It makes me want to work in a cubicle at times, but then I think about what that would be like and shudder at the thought.  And then I think about going back to school.  But that would be a bit of a hassle.  The income flow would be disrupted, and I don't really want that.  In the long run, I am happy with my job, it is just getting past all the bullshit that comes with it.  

*on a complete side note*  'How Many More Times' (by zeppelin) just started.  I love this song.  It is hard rock and bluesy at the same time.  Eight and a half minutes of greatness.  

Tearing out my heart

Listening to The Clash (Spanish Bombs).  

As the baseball season winds down (twentyish games left I believe), I look back to the beginning of the year with tears in my eyes.  The Tigers were suppose to dominate the A.L. central and go to the world series.  But alas, they have done what they have done for years and years to me.  Torn my heart out and thrown it to the ground (and kicked some dirt on it for good measure).  I'm Indiana Jones and they are the creepy guy from Temple of Doom.  Unfortunately, I didn't have that little asian kid telling me to protect my heart.  Oh well.  

Talking with dad while they were here last weekend, we discussed what they need to do.  I think our plan would work.  

*If you have no idea about the Tigers lineup, I suggest skimming through to the end, it gets kind of boring for none baseball people right about now*  

Get rid of Sheffield, although it is a year too late, and put Thames in the DH spot.  The guy can't field but can really jack the ball.  There are a couple of young kids that can flat out play.  Joyce can play the outfield like no one's business.  For the love of god, get rid of Renteria and get Inge back in the infield.  He isn't the biggest bat, but an excellent glove man.  Larish, Raburn are good young utility men who could play anywhere.  The only thing that the team really needs is a catcher.  Inge isn't the answer for that.  His average plummets when he catches.  

And now the pitching (and this could be an entire entry altogether).  Middle relief, middle relief, middle relief.  Zumaya and his shoulder can't be trusted.  And as much as a I love Robertson, he needs to get out of the rotation.  Too inconsistent.  Maybe throw him into the bullpen for long relief.  Rodney may be an answer for a closer for a year (two at the most), but that is another big issue is the closing situation.  Jones is done.  If he comes back, he is going to be one of those guys that can't let go.  Kind of like Brett Favre

*Sports talk is over*

They seem to do this year after year, and it drives me to drink.  I'll use it for an excuse anyway.

football and the wife

A said the funniest thing in connection with football.  

'It hasn't been a week and I am already sick of football.'

She makes me smile all the time.  I had only turned on the football game last night for ten minutes and she said that.  Funny funny stuff.

around Wichita

The parents and I took a trip to Old Cowtown museum today.  It was nice for them to see what it was that I did for several months a few years back.  It reminded me of why I liked working there and why I really didn't like working there.  

I really enjoyed the buildings, most of which are still original with the exception of repairs and the what not.  But I really didn't like the fact that the people didn't mesh well.  When I worked on the Island, the fact that we were all the same age really helped with the outside of work aspect.  We hung out together, got drunk together.  At Cowtown, we went to work and then went home.  And that was it.  There was not a ton of hanging out with each other outside of work.  I went out with a few people (roughly my age) a couple of times, but that was it.  It was just...there.  It was a job, it wasn't much of an experience.  

So it doesn't hurt my feelings at all when I go down there and have no remorse about not going back there the next year.  Granted, I had my full time job by the following spring, but still, if I had enjoyed the work experience, I may have been enticed to go back there for off weekends and random days.  

This is a story of love...and hate

Currently listening to Cheap Whiskey by the DeWayn Brothers.  A local (kind of, just up the road from Wichita) bluegrass/rock/country group.  Great mixture of song writing and strumming.  

I came across, in my own mind, thoughts of things I love and things I hate.  Somewhat inspired by Matthew Berry, a columnist for espn.com.  He writes great articles entitled 'Guys I love, Guys I hate'.  I kind of stole this idea from him.  

So:  Things I Love, Things I Hate

• I love the website The Art of Manliness (http://artofmanliness.com)  It has tons of great articles and some funny articles, such as when it is okay for a guy to cry and ten worst products for men ever.
• I hate the price of books today.  I went out and bought two books and it cost damn near thirty dollars.  Second hand book stores are great, but I like the smell of new books and the fact that the spine isn't all shitty.  
• I hate politics.  I have been trying to get into it more and more these days.  But it is hard to watch cnn or fox news because they are so slanted that they are almost horizontal.  BBC news is great and touches on worldly issues and is very objective.  It covers tons of stories, many of which I would probably never hear of if it weren't for that organization.
• I love hockey.  And lacrosse.  And rugby (although I don't quite understand all the rules for it.
• I hate basketball.  It is an overrated sport by our country.  I think that the point system should be changed so that every time someone slam dunks the ball, they only get one point as opposed to two points.  
• I love scotch and whiskey.  Yes there is a difference, no I can't tell you what it is.  It has to do with how it is made.  I just bought a fifteen year old bottle of scotch today (much to A's dismay I'm sure).  It was a bit pricey, but not as expensive as the fifty year old bottle at the store that costs nine hundred and fifty dollars (yes, you read that correctly).  
• I hate Starbucks.  Is is really necessary to put a coffee shop on every freakin' corner or empty lot?  And what options do you need other than regular or decaf?
• I love that the new CEO of Starbucks is closing thousands of shops throughout the country.  
• I hate how different some bands sound live as opposed to the studio recordings.  Case in point:  Fall Out Boy.  Watched a live performance a few years ago at an award show and they sounded awful.  
• I love the Beatles
• And Zeppelin
• And Rage Against the Machine
• I hate radio stations today.  They play crap music and commercial way too often.  When the last independent radio station in Wichita shut down, the radio died for me in this state.  
• I love records versus compact discs.  It just sounds cooler.  
• I hate people rolling through red lights.

Help. Police. Murder.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is on the television right now.  I had forgotten how amazing Gene Wilder is.  Just absolutely fantastic.  The way he delivered the lines throughout the entire movie.  It blows Johnny Depp's performance away (and that was a great movie as well).  

And also how fucked up the oompa loompas are?  Seriously.   

Vacation plans for the future (insert John Williams music for effect)

Have You Ever by Incubus rocks the speakers.

Sifting through friends' trip pictures off of facebook really makes me want to take a vacation trip to some place not normal.  We have plans to go see Chuck up in Seattle in November (very excited, never been to Washington [state]).  I think I'll bring some explosives for some starbucks.  Thin them out a bit.  

We also have plans to go back home in February to see the new addition to the family (going to be born in October).  Those are the vacation plans for us so far.  But I want to take a trip for a week or so and visit some random state and just relax and take it all in.  Maybe take a trip to New York and piss on Yankee Stadium or to Boston and curse them for putting seats on the Green Monster (Biggest. Baseball. Mistake. EVER.)  Who ruins an iconic part of a stadium like that?  

Assholes.  

sleepless

Listening to Down by 311

I've been up way too long.  It's been close to thirty two hours.  I went and did inventory last night and it went well (for once, it seems).  The one bad thing about inventory is that I leave and have to turn around and come back in eight hours later.  That doesn't sound that bad, but it is just draining.  There isn't a whole lot of sleep in between leaving and coming back.  So I asked my boss if I could just stay for a double shift.  After a little bit of debating internally in her head, she agreed to it.  It was just about the best thing.  I got a shit ton of stuff done that normally wouldn't have been done.  It is amazing how much can get done when no one bugs you.  

So I was just exhausted while I was working.  My only thought was that I couldn't wait to get back to the apartment and sleep.  But I just wanted a nap, not a long sleep on the bed.  But I laid down on the couch and couldn't fall asleep.  And that is never an issue when I come home after a normal day.  It is odd.  So I can't wait until tonight so I can get some sleep back.  

Thrown off

I have to do a quarterly inventory tonight at work.  Every three months my whole sleep cycle gets a bit out of whack because of this.  You wouldn't think that one day of working at night as opposed to early in the morning would funk some stuff up, but it does.  Not only do I have to work late tonight, I have to turn around eight hours afterwards and go back.  

So I have been sitting around the apartment all day bored.  I've taken the trash out, done the dishes, watched a movie (Mad Max), and other small random tasks.  But I still have three hours before I go to work.  

This sucks.

College and movies

Listening to Best of the Left podcast.  Liberals so far left, they are almost right.

As A and I were watching an episode of Gilmore Girls (yeah, what of it?)  the daughter was going away to college.  It was all sentimental and emotional and blah blah blah.  As the episode played out, I tried to recall my going away to college.  I don't remember it be a huge deal.  I'm sure that my mom cried as they drove home.  Come on, her baby went away to college, how could she not?  I don't recall having a fear come over me.  I just started unpacking and meeting some people.  Not too exciting.  Anyway, the episode was almost cliched, but it was subtle, which is what I like about that show.  Looking back at moments in that show, you see things that happen because it is a show.  Plus the humor is extremely smart.  You really need to pay attention to the jokes.  

The other thing I want to tackle is movie endings.  Particularly the happy ones.  The good guys always win and the bad guys get theirs in the end.  Why is that?  I know that there are the movies where the bad guys get away and people get a bit disappointed.  Take, for example, the Blair Witch Project.  Hands down the best ending for a movie in the past fifteen years that I have seen.  To see that guy stand in the corner and the camera falls, classic.  I have two movies that would have been so much better had the ending been different.  And this is just for the sake of the bad guys out there.  For the pessimists who want to see the good guys fail.  You are welcome

First movie:  Star Wars:  A New Hope

Plain and simple, Luke misses his shot to blow up the Death Star, Vader shoots him down and the rebel cause is bitched slapped into oblivion.  The ultimate bad guys win, flying away laughing.  

People are probably screaming at me through cyber space, but think about it.  The hope was there to save galactic democracy and in one instant, gone.  Wow, it would leave a movie theatre silent.  

Second movie:  The Matrix

As opposed to Neo being brought back to life by Trinity (and it was at that point that the movies started their decline into crap) and him 'killing' Agent Smith, he stays dead, the Agents walk away, and the sentinels destroy Morphious and Trinity and the movie ends.  

End the movie that way and the other two (plus the Animatrix) don't get made and people don't get pissed about it.  But once again, it is the system beating down a group trying to stand up against them.  It would make for great cinema.  

With those two endings, ten movies get trimmed down to two.  

Mas Olympics

NO SLEEP TIL..................BROOKLYN!

The build up to the olympic games (either games, summer or winter) starts slowly and then gains a full head of steam about two weeks before.  The first week of the games are great.  Everyone is excited to watch the different events and see different competitions that aren't normally on the television.  I watched some water polo, some handball (dude, hardcore), badminton.  And then....meh.  

The excitement kind of goes away.  For me it was all about the swimming, as I had mentioned in an earlier post.  Afterwards, I could give a shit less.  Track and field is not exciting for me, nor is bmx biking (and by the way, how the hell did that become an olympic event?).  I tried to watch some track and field, and then realized that there seemed to be a million qualifying rounds for the one hundred and two hundred meter race.  I can only watch people run a straight line so many times before I get bored with it.  I admit, swimming also has qualifying rounds, but just one.  The more 'popular' races such as the fifty and one hundred free, and other one hundred races (butterfly for example) have qualifying, but it is just two heats...TWO.  The top eight of the sixteen get in for the final race.  That's it.  

And as cool as it was to see Usain Bolt break the world records in the one and two hundred races, they weren't very exciting.  He was so far ahead of everyone in the one hundred meter that he could have made a pot of coffee while waiting for the rest of them to cross the finish line.  That includes grinding the coffee beans first!  So not very exciting, and then you have the one hundred fly where Michael Phelps wins by one one hundredths of a second.  That is .001 seconds.

It takes longer to blink.  

An Irish look

My parents spent some time in Las Vegas not too long ago and I got a drunken call from my mom.  It made me so proud.  They took it upon themselves (most likely just my mom) to swipe some coasters from an Irish pub.  They know my love for Irish pubs.  I thought I would share a picture of the coaster because what is printed on it just absolutely rocks.  

Raise a glass to resistance.

Raise a glass to rebellion.

Raise a glass to re-order.

True mentality of the Irish nation:  drinking and rebelling.  classic.