Why did the Philly mayor leave the iPhone line?
OK, why does my hometown have to make national news for this kinda stupid crap?
Mayor Street gets in line for an iPhone and then leaves prematurely when he's reminded that the City o' Bro-Love is going to hell in a hand-basket right under Street's reading glasses? There are soooo many things wrong with this story.
1) No self-respecting tech-geek who gets in line at 3am for a new gadget leaves the line early unless it's in an ambulance. Seriously! You act all nerd-core, but you're a fan-boy!
2) When you are asked why you are standing in line for anything instead of being at work, always say, "I took the day off for this." Never ever say something stupid like, "I can do my job where I am." quote
3) OK, John...sigh...I know you're the dumbest mayor since that guy from D.C. BUT for crying out loud, learn to spin! You want an iPhone? You want to sit in line for it? Make it a frackin' publicity stunt! Get the news people out there with you and talk about how you want to lead a technological revolution. Talk about your plans to cover the city in WiFi hotspots. When some punk kid asks you about the murder rate, talk about how technology can lead us into a bright future.
4) When you are the most powerful man in one of the top 10 cities in America, you find an intern to sit in your place. It's better to have a story out that you wasted an intern's day in line than your own.
5) Dude...did you see what you're wearing? If you're gonna wear a hat in public, show some pride! Put on a Phillies cap! Seriously, do I have to think of everything?
6) Finally, after this stunt, just stick with your iPod. After your term is up, you won't need the "phone" features...nobody's gonna call you!
Update: John got his iPhone! And apparently he did use a bit of suggestion #3. Someone must have sent him these suggestions on his now "obsolete" blackberry. Lord, this story almost makes me glad I moved to the south...
Friday, June 29, 2007
Clueless Middle-American Commentary
Deep down I still have a child-like vision of the world that my parents created for me: Everyone is equal. Everyone is welcome. Things like race, gender, sexuality, income make no difference to God and shouldn't to you. When you feel lost, lonely, frightened, just hold out your hand and Jesus will be there. Only hate hate! Stand up for what you believe in. And finally, all faithful Christians are liberal democrats.
OK, so neither of them every came out and said "all faithful Christians are liberal democrats," but it took me until college to find a reasonable counter-example. This is not to say that all liberal democrats are Christian. But, that the example of good Christian fellowship in my life have almost always been liberal democrat and the examples of wrong, anti-Christian behavior have too often been conservative republican. And so admittedly, I think the jury is still out on this subject. But I digress...
On to the point of this little rant. The news has been bombarding us with a lot of ethics questions lately. The Supreme *cough* Court has recently issued some bombshells on abortion & race. My sister recently posted in her blog about the treatment of "practicing homosexuals" by religious conservatives.
At some point, while I was sleeping, moral conservatives re-claimed the mantle of Christianity in America. And here's my problem with that...I see little, if any, of what my parents taught me in the collective example of the public face of moral conservatism. In fact, I find a lot of what I'm seeing to be immoral, judgmental and downright wrong.
Don't believe me? Check out this article for an extreme example: The Other Jamestown Party.
The most amazing part to me is that this country is becoming amazingly bipolar. Perhaps not since prohibition & the roaring 20's have we seen such a vocal group of moral conservatives matched up against such a glut of self-destructive over-indulgence. The dark paths in life are so obvious yet we are so oblivious to them. We as a society seem to be stuffing our faces on the objectification of women with our increasing acceptance of pornography in our every-day lives. Gambling too has become so commonplace that people have become anesthetized to it's slippery slope. Remember the 7 deadly sins?
The truth is that our country needs those moral conservative voices to wake us up. But it's up to us to see that these voices are wrong. They are not the voice of God's desires. They are the voices of our fears. More and more, I've begun to wonder how we can take these self-righteous causes of the moral majority and turn them into the righteous cause of Christ. I'll leave you with this one insane example (something I've suggested before) for the simple purpose of getting those neurons firing.
The abortion debate would be moot if we did a better job of protecting women's rights in the first place. Teaching young men & women about their sexuality and their responsibility should not be the role of the Government. It should be the job of *gasp* the church! Is not the human body a "temple" and isn't sexuality a gift from God? And, this isn't a call for another abstinence program. Young people who are given the tools to make good decisions usually do. Yes, that means that sometimes they won't. That's also part of God's gift called free will.
Think about that. Think about all the other hot-button topics that divide us. Ask yourself: Is everyone welcome here? Do we treat everyone equally? Do things like race, gender and income mean something to me? Why? What can I do to build a better tomorrow?
OK, this was a much longer and jumbled post than I expected. Yet, I'm hitting the publish button anyway.
OK, so neither of them every came out and said "all faithful Christians are liberal democrats," but it took me until college to find a reasonable counter-example. This is not to say that all liberal democrats are Christian. But, that the example of good Christian fellowship in my life have almost always been liberal democrat and the examples of wrong, anti-Christian behavior have too often been conservative republican. And so admittedly, I think the jury is still out on this subject. But I digress...
On to the point of this little rant. The news has been bombarding us with a lot of ethics questions lately. The Supreme *cough* Court has recently issued some bombshells on abortion & race. My sister recently posted in her blog about the treatment of "practicing homosexuals" by religious conservatives.
At some point, while I was sleeping, moral conservatives re-claimed the mantle of Christianity in America. And here's my problem with that...I see little, if any, of what my parents taught me in the collective example of the public face of moral conservatism. In fact, I find a lot of what I'm seeing to be immoral, judgmental and downright wrong.
Don't believe me? Check out this article for an extreme example: The Other Jamestown Party.
The most amazing part to me is that this country is becoming amazingly bipolar. Perhaps not since prohibition & the roaring 20's have we seen such a vocal group of moral conservatives matched up against such a glut of self-destructive over-indulgence. The dark paths in life are so obvious yet we are so oblivious to them. We as a society seem to be stuffing our faces on the objectification of women with our increasing acceptance of pornography in our every-day lives. Gambling too has become so commonplace that people have become anesthetized to it's slippery slope. Remember the 7 deadly sins?
The truth is that our country needs those moral conservative voices to wake us up. But it's up to us to see that these voices are wrong. They are not the voice of God's desires. They are the voices of our fears. More and more, I've begun to wonder how we can take these self-righteous causes of the moral majority and turn them into the righteous cause of Christ. I'll leave you with this one insane example (something I've suggested before) for the simple purpose of getting those neurons firing.
The abortion debate would be moot if we did a better job of protecting women's rights in the first place. Teaching young men & women about their sexuality and their responsibility should not be the role of the Government. It should be the job of *gasp* the church! Is not the human body a "temple" and isn't sexuality a gift from God? And, this isn't a call for another abstinence program. Young people who are given the tools to make good decisions usually do. Yes, that means that sometimes they won't. That's also part of God's gift called free will.
Think about that. Think about all the other hot-button topics that divide us. Ask yourself: Is everyone welcome here? Do we treat everyone equally? Do things like race, gender and income mean something to me? Why? What can I do to build a better tomorrow?
OK, this was a much longer and jumbled post than I expected. Yet, I'm hitting the publish button anyway.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Pain, Fatigue and Depression
I'm going to vent for a moment. Feeling a tad frustrated and need to re-focus.
The longer I live with Fibro, the more I find I can narrow my symptoms down to three general categories: physical pain, physical fatigue & emotional depression. Usually, but not always, they attack me in that order. I spend days/weeks in pain, then days/weeks exhausted and then emotionally drained from it all. And always, there's the worry that I'll get to the end of the cycle with all three attacking me at the same time. The trick is to respond as quickly as possible to the first phase to mitigate the second phase and negate the third. Not always as easy as it might sound.
Unfortunately, I spent the last two weeks of this month in a lot of pain. Consequently, my sleep schedule (that I've been working so hard on) has completely unraveled. So, not surprisingly, this week I'm frustratingly exhausted. It wouldn't be so bad except that my brain is going a mile a minute, but I have no energy to channel all this mental activity. Last night was the first sign that I'm starting to hit phase 3. I got really, really frustrated cooking dinner. I was so tired that I was dropping things, burning things and generally making a mess. Thankfully, Slick "tagged-in."
So, what to do? Well, the trick is to keep up a balanced attack. I've got to keep exercising, keep eating right, keep trying to sleep like a normal person and keep doing my basic chores like dinner. But, I've also got to focus on doing very relaxing activities that are still mentally stimulating. So last night, instead of my usual Tuesday night World of Warcraft session, I quietly listened to the Phillies game and read some of Marley & Me.
It's days like these when I'm reminded of the lyrics from a Sheryl Crow song: "No one said it would be easy, but no one said it'd be this hard."
This is not a complaint. It would be easy to get down on myself or God for the way things are. Instead, I'm grateful. This condition could really suck if not for the grace of God. I've got Slick to see me through. It's not every wife that encourages you to leave a good job to stay home and focus on yourself. I've got family and friends who never call me a slacker for leaving my job or undependable for canceling an activity for being too tired. I've got faith that I'm on the right path. I believe that I'm learning to manage this condition. And (a little shout out to my father) I've learned from example that the important things are not easy. Important stuff takes work and dedication.
Whew...I feel better! Thanks for reading.
The longer I live with Fibro, the more I find I can narrow my symptoms down to three general categories: physical pain, physical fatigue & emotional depression. Usually, but not always, they attack me in that order. I spend days/weeks in pain, then days/weeks exhausted and then emotionally drained from it all. And always, there's the worry that I'll get to the end of the cycle with all three attacking me at the same time. The trick is to respond as quickly as possible to the first phase to mitigate the second phase and negate the third. Not always as easy as it might sound.
Unfortunately, I spent the last two weeks of this month in a lot of pain. Consequently, my sleep schedule (that I've been working so hard on) has completely unraveled. So, not surprisingly, this week I'm frustratingly exhausted. It wouldn't be so bad except that my brain is going a mile a minute, but I have no energy to channel all this mental activity. Last night was the first sign that I'm starting to hit phase 3. I got really, really frustrated cooking dinner. I was so tired that I was dropping things, burning things and generally making a mess. Thankfully, Slick "tagged-in."
So, what to do? Well, the trick is to keep up a balanced attack. I've got to keep exercising, keep eating right, keep trying to sleep like a normal person and keep doing my basic chores like dinner. But, I've also got to focus on doing very relaxing activities that are still mentally stimulating. So last night, instead of my usual Tuesday night World of Warcraft session, I quietly listened to the Phillies game and read some of Marley & Me.
It's days like these when I'm reminded of the lyrics from a Sheryl Crow song: "No one said it would be easy, but no one said it'd be this hard."
This is not a complaint. It would be easy to get down on myself or God for the way things are. Instead, I'm grateful. This condition could really suck if not for the grace of God. I've got Slick to see me through. It's not every wife that encourages you to leave a good job to stay home and focus on yourself. I've got family and friends who never call me a slacker for leaving my job or undependable for canceling an activity for being too tired. I've got faith that I'm on the right path. I believe that I'm learning to manage this condition. And (a little shout out to my father) I've learned from example that the important things are not easy. Important stuff takes work and dedication.
Whew...I feel better! Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
RIAA...working hard to kill music...
I went to Pandora today and got the below message. It seems like a lot of big entrenched American industries are failing to grasp hold of the ever-changing world around them. Much like the auto-industry, entertainment as a medium is changing dramatically. People are starting to flock to different choices and starting to ask about cost. There's a lot of dangerous old-school companies trying to derail the free-market growth of the internet. Television and music execs need to embrace these mediums and figure out reasonable rates or be doomed to the downside of product elasticity. People will pay only so much for a product...even a good product.
This is evident in Nintendo's re-emergence in the console wars. Sony & Microsoft have really incredible machines, but the Wii is innovative AND so much more cost effective.
A Day of Silence
Hi, it's Tim from Pandora,
This is evident in Nintendo's re-emergence in the console wars. Sony & Microsoft have really incredible machines, but the Wii is innovative AND so much more cost effective.
A Day of Silence
Hi, it's Tim from Pandora, I'm sorry to say that today Pandora, along with most Internet radio sites, is going off the air in observance of a Day Of Silence. We are doing this to bring to your attention a disastrous turn of events that threatens the existence of Pandora and all of internet radio. We need your help.
Ignoring all rationality and responding only to the lobbying of the RIAA, an arbitration committee in Washington DC has drastically increased the licensing fees Internet radio sites must pay to stream songs. Pandora's fees will triple, and are retroactive for eighteen months! Left unchanged by Congress, every day will be like today as internet radio sites start shutting down and the music dies.
A bill called the "Internet Radio Equality Act" has already been introduced in both the Senate (S. 1353) and House of Representatives (H.R. 2060) to fix the problem and save Internet radio--and Pandora--from obliteration.
I'd like to ask you to call your Congressional representatives today and ask them to become co-sponsors of the bill. It will only take a few minutes and you can find your Congresspersons and their phone numbers by entering your zip code here.
Your opinion matters to your representatives - so please take just a minute to call.
Visit www.savenetradio.org to continue following the fight to Save Internet Radio.
As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Clinton Campaign Is DOOMED!!!
It's come to my attention that Hillary Clinton has picked her campaign song (thanks to what has to be an incredible hoax by the users of YouTube) Celine Dion's "You and I."
So many things to say, but let me just cut through all the obvious crap and say this.
Isn't it a Canadian Airline jingle? No really, isn't it? So, not only is it a crappy Celine Dion song, but it's also a crappy Canadian Airline jingle. Couldn't they at least have picked a crappy jingle for a company from the USofA?
So many things to say, but let me just cut through all the obvious crap and say this.
Isn't it a Canadian Airline jingle? No really, isn't it? So, not only is it a crappy Celine Dion song, but it's also a crappy Canadian Airline jingle. Couldn't they at least have picked a crappy jingle for a company from the USofA?
2007 MLB All Star Teams
Who would I pick? Glad you asked...
AL
1B: D Ortiz, BOS
2B: B Roberts, BAL
SS: O Cabrera, LAA
3B: A Rod, NYY
C: J Posada, NYY
OF: I Suzuki, SEA
OF: M Ordonez, DET
OF: V Guerrero, LAA
NL
1B: A Pujols, STL
2B: C Utley, PHI
SS: J Rollins, PHI
3B: M Cabrera, FLA
C: R Martin, LAD
OF: M Holiday, COL
OF: A Soriano, CHC
OF: A Rowand, PHI
AL
1B: D Ortiz, BOS
2B: B Roberts, BAL
SS: O Cabrera, LAA
3B: A Rod, NYY
C: J Posada, NYY
OF: I Suzuki, SEA
OF: M Ordonez, DET
OF: V Guerrero, LAA
NL
1B: A Pujols, STL
2B: C Utley, PHI
SS: J Rollins, PHI
3B: M Cabrera, FLA
C: R Martin, LAD
OF: M Holiday, COL
OF: A Soriano, CHC
OF: A Rowand, PHI
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Phillies Radio
Yesterday, I complained about wasteful spending. Hopefully, I just found a good use of $15. That's the cost of a complete season of MLB Game Day Audio. Now, Slick and I can listen to Phillies games for the rest of the season. Not bad! I setup the laptop w/ some speakers. We can listen anywhere in the house.
Pandora
OK, this is kind of cool.
Pandora
It's a free internet radio from something called the music genome project. Basically, you put in a song or artist that you like and it spits back similar music. It even tells you a blurb about the song and why it was chosen. You can have several channels in order to explore different music styles that you like.
Pandora
It's a free internet radio from something called the music genome project. Basically, you put in a song or artist that you like and it spits back similar music. It even tells you a blurb about the song and why it was chosen. You can have several channels in order to explore different music styles that you like.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Nickle & Dime Me Until I Die
So, first a little back-story:
One step on my simplification and efficiency plan is to look over stuff like our various phone services. See we never ever use the house phone. In the 2.5 months I've been at home we've averaged one real inbound call a week and zero outbound. 99.999% of the calls on our house phone are of the telemarketing variety. 99.999% of our personal calls are done on our cell phones. Slick has insisted that we need a land line for emergencies. I've kept it so I don't have to give out my cell phone number to people. In other words, out of a concern that we can't dial 911 & don't want SPAM on our cell phones, we've been paying $35/month for phone, long-distance & voicemail. Does this sound stupid to anyone else?
Today:
Today, we went to Verizon Wireless and got new local phone numbers. (All part of the plan) By the time the saleswoman was done, we walked out with 2 new phones for free, 300 more minutes a month, and a smaller monthly bill. That's right, our bill will be smaller. Yes, now we have a brand-new 2-year contract, but so what. Verizon Wireless has provided great service for us. They rock!
Anyway, we get home from shopping and I find out that our house phone is dead. I've got to call service. That's right, I'm now calling for service on something I never use, but pay $35/monthly. While I'm on hold I find that they have all these really cheap basic plans. Cool, I'll just switch to one of those. Right? Wrong! Only if I have DSL! I can cut out voicemail & long distance and pay $25/month, but I can't go lower. I nearly canceled our phone service right there.
So, today was a mixed bag. I've got a nice new phone and we cut $20 out of the monthly bills. But, I've also got to wait for a Windstream service person to call me (on my cell phone) to set up a time to come fix my land line...the one I never use. How stupid does that sound?!? I tell you how stupid...
I think the house phone is going by-by!
One step on my simplification and efficiency plan is to look over stuff like our various phone services. See we never ever use the house phone. In the 2.5 months I've been at home we've averaged one real inbound call a week and zero outbound. 99.999% of the calls on our house phone are of the telemarketing variety. 99.999% of our personal calls are done on our cell phones. Slick has insisted that we need a land line for emergencies. I've kept it so I don't have to give out my cell phone number to people. In other words, out of a concern that we can't dial 911 & don't want SPAM on our cell phones, we've been paying $35/month for phone, long-distance & voicemail. Does this sound stupid to anyone else?
Today:
Today, we went to Verizon Wireless and got new local phone numbers. (All part of the plan) By the time the saleswoman was done, we walked out with 2 new phones for free, 300 more minutes a month, and a smaller monthly bill. That's right, our bill will be smaller. Yes, now we have a brand-new 2-year contract, but so what. Verizon Wireless has provided great service for us. They rock!
Anyway, we get home from shopping and I find out that our house phone is dead. I've got to call service. That's right, I'm now calling for service on something I never use, but pay $35/monthly. While I'm on hold I find that they have all these really cheap basic plans. Cool, I'll just switch to one of those. Right? Wrong! Only if I have DSL! I can cut out voicemail & long distance and pay $25/month, but I can't go lower. I nearly canceled our phone service right there.
So, today was a mixed bag. I've got a nice new phone and we cut $20 out of the monthly bills. But, I've also got to wait for a Windstream service person to call me (on my cell phone) to set up a time to come fix my land line...the one I never use. How stupid does that sound?!? I tell you how stupid...
I think the house phone is going by-by!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
What's that pinging sound?
Hail? WTF??? My sister just reported hail at her place in CT just last week. And now, Charlotte? Wow! And not just a little hail. These were 1/4" to 1/2" stones.I've got at least one more shot for you after this one.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Success Measured in Belt Loops
A few people have asked how things are progressing with my pain and fatigue management. All things being equal, I think things are going well. I know that this isn't an over-night process. Progress and milestones are important. So, here's one:
I have a 2-year old belt that I got for work. It's clearly worn down at two loops. I am one loop smaller than both of them now. So, the nutrition plan is going well and I'm making progress with the exercise regiment.
There's still a long way to go, but I'm feeling positive.
I have a 2-year old belt that I got for work. It's clearly worn down at two loops. I am one loop smaller than both of them now. So, the nutrition plan is going well and I'm making progress with the exercise regiment.
There's still a long way to go, but I'm feeling positive.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Tour de France - Mort!
I've always had a soft-spot in my heart for Cycling. I used to ride my bike every day in highschool. My fibromyaligia makes it difficult for me to cycle now, but that hasn't changed my love for cycling or my love for it's biggest race the Tour de France. Over the last few years, I've stood by the tour and one of my favorite athletes, Lance Armstrong. But today, enter the straw that broke the camel's back. This may be my last tour stage.
Tour de France punishes Riis after doping admission
Sigh! Riis, for those who might not know, was the first guy to win the tour after the Miguel Indurain era. Riis, along with Ullrich and Pantani, was one of 3 single tour winners after Indurain and before the Armstrong era began. You may or may not recognize any of those names other than Armstrong, but let me speak plainly for a moment. Every tour winner since Indurain has now been suspected of, involved in or suspended for drugs or doping. EVERY ONE!
Riis - You just read the story
Ullrich - The 1997 winner and Armstrong's biggest rival was suspended for the 2006 tour in the Spanish doping scandal.
Pantani - The 1998 winner's entire career was marred by drug allegations. He died of cocaine poisoning in 2004.
Armstrong - The 7-time tour demi-god and cancer surviver...I'll have more to say in a moment.
Landis - Hero and goat of Lancaster Co, PA. (My wife is from the area) What a great story this guy was. A hero in the making. The comeback story of the decade. The savior of the tour...may have killed it with his own doping scandal.
Back to Armstrong: I have been a defender of Armstrong for years. His story has been an inspiration. His LiveStrong organization is a champion for cancer hope. His first tour win was moving beyond words. Yet, the body of allegations and the sheer volume of other cyclists exposed for drug use makes me believe that the angry mob of French journalists are right. Even if all of it's a lie and Armstrong is innocent, cycling is so corrupted by this that it doesn't deserve my respect or attention. And so, the Tour is dead to me. I have no reason to ever go to France now.
And so we come to Baseball. Baseball is the sport of joy in my household. I rank missing Phillies games as one of our top 10 reasons we dislike living in the south. Slick, who hates spending money, nearly caved for the baseball satellite package. If it had been a better deal, who knows.
Baseball is also experiencing a lot of flack for the drug scandal. I'm really torn about all of this. I suppose that I've found myself looking the other way. What does it tell us about the integrity of our society when we do everything to win? What does it teach our children when their heroes are willing to subject themselves to dangerous chemicals to hit a ball farther?
Baseball, you're on notice! My relationship with you is a long and special one. But, relationships are based on trust and respect. I don't trust you any more baseball. And if you don't shape up, you'll lose my respect and eventually my support.
Tour de France punishes Riis after doping admission
Sigh! Riis, for those who might not know, was the first guy to win the tour after the Miguel Indurain era. Riis, along with Ullrich and Pantani, was one of 3 single tour winners after Indurain and before the Armstrong era began. You may or may not recognize any of those names other than Armstrong, but let me speak plainly for a moment. Every tour winner since Indurain has now been suspected of, involved in or suspended for drugs or doping. EVERY ONE!
Riis - You just read the story
Ullrich - The 1997 winner and Armstrong's biggest rival was suspended for the 2006 tour in the Spanish doping scandal.
Pantani - The 1998 winner's entire career was marred by drug allegations. He died of cocaine poisoning in 2004.
Armstrong - The 7-time tour demi-god and cancer surviver...I'll have more to say in a moment.
Landis - Hero and goat of Lancaster Co, PA. (My wife is from the area) What a great story this guy was. A hero in the making. The comeback story of the decade. The savior of the tour...may have killed it with his own doping scandal.
Back to Armstrong: I have been a defender of Armstrong for years. His story has been an inspiration. His LiveStrong organization is a champion for cancer hope. His first tour win was moving beyond words. Yet, the body of allegations and the sheer volume of other cyclists exposed for drug use makes me believe that the angry mob of French journalists are right. Even if all of it's a lie and Armstrong is innocent, cycling is so corrupted by this that it doesn't deserve my respect or attention. And so, the Tour is dead to me. I have no reason to ever go to France now.
And so we come to Baseball. Baseball is the sport of joy in my household. I rank missing Phillies games as one of our top 10 reasons we dislike living in the south. Slick, who hates spending money, nearly caved for the baseball satellite package. If it had been a better deal, who knows.
Baseball is also experiencing a lot of flack for the drug scandal. I'm really torn about all of this. I suppose that I've found myself looking the other way. What does it tell us about the integrity of our society when we do everything to win? What does it teach our children when their heroes are willing to subject themselves to dangerous chemicals to hit a ball farther?
Baseball, you're on notice! My relationship with you is a long and special one. But, relationships are based on trust and respect. I don't trust you any more baseball. And if you don't shape up, you'll lose my respect and eventually my support.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Phillies
So, not having cable, it's hard for me to really pay attention to sports. I still read ESPN and listen to the occasional sports-talk. Still, this wouldn't be much different than normal since I can't see most of the Phillies games anyway. So, ask me how they are doing? The glass is half-empty (or full depending on your view-point.)
The Phillies are at .500. Today, their win-loss record is about as symmetrical as they come. This kinda thing can easily happen in the first month of baseball. But the first week of June?!? It's almost kinda odd. And when I say odd, I mean planets in alignment odd. Look...
Wins/Losses - 29/29
Home Record - 15/15
Road Record - 14/14
Last 10 - 5/5
WTF? Anyway, nothing more to say, it was just odd enough to mention.
The Phillies are at .500. Today, their win-loss record is about as symmetrical as they come. This kinda thing can easily happen in the first month of baseball. But the first week of June?!? It's almost kinda odd. And when I say odd, I mean planets in alignment odd. Look...
Wins/Losses - 29/29
Home Record - 15/15
Road Record - 14/14
Last 10 - 5/5
WTF? Anyway, nothing more to say, it was just odd enough to mention.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
I used to be Nerd-Core - Spiderman 3 review
So, I finally saw Spiderman 3 today. It's been one of those things. I planned to see it opening night, but Slick's parents were visiting. Then Slick admitted to just wanting to see it on DvD. One thing lead to another and I finally see it nearly a month late. I'm not sure when I stopped being Nerd-Core, but it happened. At least I got to use my free movie pass.
The other issue was that I began to hear little tid-bits about the film and wasn't all that excited. My concerns were unfortunately justified. Spiderman 2 ranks as one of the best comic book superhero films of all time. Heck, it's a kick-ass movie no matter what films you put it against. I tried really hard not to hold S3 to the same standards. I really, really wanted to like S3, but it was just OK. Don't get me wrong. It's not like it was bad. I've seen a lot of bad comic book movies. It just didn't rank up there with the recent quality of such films as Spiderman 2, Superman Returns, X2 or Batman Begins. Instead, it stands shoulder to shoulder with X3, Fantastic Four and the Hulk as having lots of crunchy superhero goodness surrounded by a lot of wasted potential. Thankfully, that's still a lot better than the likes of Spawn, The Punisher, most of the Batman movies and Superman 4: The Quest for Peace!
But enough babbling, time for some specific thoughts about the movie.
- Peter & MJ: Success! The heart of Spiderman has always been in the struggles of his secret identity. Peter is the real staying power. The collapse of their relationship during the course of the film was one of the few things that was really well done. The original kiss with MJ in the rain is one of the hottest kisses in movie history. The Gwen kiss that mirrored it was like a dagger in my heart. It was painful! I didn't like seeing it happen, but it was spot-on.
- Spider Sense: WTF? There were numerous times when Spidy Sense was literally forgotten. In the first 2 movies it was so well done. Yet here, Peter gets caught completely unaware on several occasions including the first Green Goblin attack.
- Harry/Green Goblin 2: Arrgghhh! I blame the glut of villains for the failures in this story-line. The character setup was good. I'm even OK with the amnesia. The use of Harry as an outlet for Peter's anger was spot on. But, this plot-line just fizzled when Harry gets advice from his butler. I thought to myself, "What we have here is the evil Alfred Pennyworth from the mirror universe." It sucked ass. And while I appreciate the redemptive path of the character, it just ended up being a headache. Sad really.
- Sandman: So very, very close... This guy should have been the villain for the whole movie. Just like Harry's plot-line, the Sandman plot-line was overwhelmed by the need to introduce Venom. He's the perfect tragic villain. His "selfless" criminality was a perfect mirror for Black-Suit Spiderman's "selfish" justice. What a great morality play this could have been. Oh how I wished that Peter could have "killed" Sandman as the penultimate fight scene. It could have been the thing that re-awakens Peter. This would have lead up to the final fight: Peter and the suit fighting in the tower. Imagine Eddie becoming Venom as the cliff-hanger to end the movie. That I would have saved for Spiderman 4.
- Venom: I liked Eddie Brock. I hated Venom. So much wasted potential. The story-line of their rivalry was good. Eddie's exposure as a fraud was great. The way Eddie asked God to kill Peter Parker was chilling. That's foreplay. The rest was anti-climatic. Thus the need to make the Venom part a sequel. In the comic books, Venom hounds Peter for weeks before their big confrontation. Imagine an entire movie where Venom poses as Spiderman making him look like a villain. Imaging Venom terrorizing MJ. Imaging Eddie showing up at all of Peter's favorite haunts just to show him how easy it would be to destroy his life. Imaging Peter knowing that he can't beat his enemy. Imaging the last fight being him going to his certain death simply to protect all the people he cares about. This could have been Spiderman 4. Instead, Venom's dead and part of me is wondering if the franchise is also finished.
Conclusions: During the last two Spiderman movies I was on the edge of my seat. BUT this time, I looked at my watch twice. Twice! It tried to do too much. It was too long (at 2 hours 20 minutes) and needed to be longer to make everything work. Is it worth renting? Depends. Are you a fan? If so, yes. Will I own it? Yes. It's worth watching again for the crunchy goodness I did like. OK, so maybe I'm still mostly-nerd.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Dad may have a point
Before I begin this post, I'd like to thank my wife for putting up with my last posting. It painted her as being tad hysterical. Thankfully, she also thought it was funny. It was also "mostly" accurate. But I digress...
This post is an admission that my father may be kinda, sorta right about carbs and refined foods.
My father began his little Atkins diet experiment a few years ago. He's been both successful and unsuccessful. It's a testament to the effectiveness of Atkins, but also a reminder of the importance of exercise! (Dad, did you walk today?)
As you know from previous posts, Slick and I have been working hard over the last few months to create a long-term nutrition plan and to lose weight in the here and now. I find my meals to be more like dad's than previously expected. In other words, Dad's approach isn't bad. I don't like the extreme measures it and some of these other diets require, but the basic principle is there. That's why we've nearly abolished empty carbs and processed foods from the house. It all goes back to that Harvard Food Pyramid.
Anyway, Dad hates when I talk about him online, but he loves being right...mostly right!
This post is an admission that my father may be kinda, sorta right about carbs and refined foods.
My father began his little Atkins diet experiment a few years ago. He's been both successful and unsuccessful. It's a testament to the effectiveness of Atkins, but also a reminder of the importance of exercise! (Dad, did you walk today?)
As you know from previous posts, Slick and I have been working hard over the last few months to create a long-term nutrition plan and to lose weight in the here and now. I find my meals to be more like dad's than previously expected. In other words, Dad's approach isn't bad. I don't like the extreme measures it and some of these other diets require, but the basic principle is there. That's why we've nearly abolished empty carbs and processed foods from the house. It all goes back to that Harvard Food Pyramid.
Anyway, Dad hates when I talk about him online, but he loves being right...mostly right!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Attack of the Killer Bumble Bee
This afternoon we had a run in with a dangerous bumble bee! We had just gotten back on the highway after a brief pit-stop at the North Carolina Welcome Center. The dog "the Moose" was settling down in his spot on the folded down back seats. I had just pegged the cruise control at 75mph and was thinking, praying really, about the upcoming traffic around Lake Norman.
Suddenly, Slick and the Moose noticed something buzzing around over the luggage. It was...dun dun dun...a bubble bee. The Moose watched intently. Slick made concerned remarks. Then it happened, she warned the dog off.
Flashback: For years, Slick's been teaching our 50 lb black lab/cocker spaniel mix to hunt flies. One day he turned his attention to a yellow jacket. The result of this ill-fated food-chain experiment was me holding him down with my knee to pull a stinger out of his lip. Since then he's avoided bees, wasps, yellow jackets and all those "stingy things." Slick actively warns him off of these. When she does he literally jumps back. See where this is going?
Back to the Present: So there I am, cruising along at 75mph with the windows open and the indigo girls blaring when I hear Slick tell the dog "No!" The Moose realizes that his "mommy" has just saved him from biting one of them "stingy things." Pandemonium ensues as the dog tries to escape the evil, twisted, blood-thirsty bumble bee. (All this while I'm still cruising at 75mph.) Slick is insisting that I pull over. I'm thinking about the next exit.
Now, there are few places in a packed 05' Ford Escape for a 50lb dog to go to escape a rabid bumble bee. It was roughly when I got swatted in the face with his tail that I realized that this could, in fact, be a teeny-weeny problem. Perhaps Slick's request to pull over isn't a bad one.
Wait, it gets interesting...
So, I'm trying to find a place to pull over. That's right, I'm going to have to use the berm. In the meantime, Slick and the dog are huddled together in terror against her seat. I'm getting a play-by-play of the bee's location.
"the bee is over the cooler." Long straight-away with plenty of berm. Check!
"the bee is over the dog's bag." Hazard lights activated. Check!
"The bee just flew under your seat." Applying breaks. Check!*
"The bee is at your feet." Stop. Park. Emergency break. Check!
"I can't see the bee!" Bee lands on the outside of my left ankle. Check!**
"Where's the bee?" Rear View Mirror. Open door. Wait for bee to fly out door. Check!
"Is it gone?" Put car in drive. Check rear view mirror. Apply gas. Reset iPod. Check!
It's at this moment when I realize that it really was just a "big" stupid honey bee that almost killed me, my wife and my stupid dog! Oh and traffic at Lake Norman...yeah, it was fine!
* It's during these nano-seconds that I'm reminded that my father is horribly allergic to bees. But then, I've been stung a lot with no problems. But wait, didn't I read somewhere that people can develop allergies to bees? Wouldn't it be just my luck for this to be the moment. Thankfully, the words of Douglas Adams pops into my head "Don't Panic!" After all, there's a towel in the car. I'll be fine!
** On the other hand, maybe Douglas Adams was full of crap! Where are my sun-glasses?
Suddenly, Slick and the Moose noticed something buzzing around over the luggage. It was...dun dun dun...a bubble bee. The Moose watched intently. Slick made concerned remarks. Then it happened, she warned the dog off.
Flashback: For years, Slick's been teaching our 50 lb black lab/cocker spaniel mix to hunt flies. One day he turned his attention to a yellow jacket. The result of this ill-fated food-chain experiment was me holding him down with my knee to pull a stinger out of his lip. Since then he's avoided bees, wasps, yellow jackets and all those "stingy things." Slick actively warns him off of these. When she does he literally jumps back. See where this is going?
Back to the Present: So there I am, cruising along at 75mph with the windows open and the indigo girls blaring when I hear Slick tell the dog "No!" The Moose realizes that his "mommy" has just saved him from biting one of them "stingy things." Pandemonium ensues as the dog tries to escape the evil, twisted, blood-thirsty bumble bee. (All this while I'm still cruising at 75mph.) Slick is insisting that I pull over. I'm thinking about the next exit.
Now, there are few places in a packed 05' Ford Escape for a 50lb dog to go to escape a rabid bumble bee. It was roughly when I got swatted in the face with his tail that I realized that this could, in fact, be a teeny-weeny problem. Perhaps Slick's request to pull over isn't a bad one.
Wait, it gets interesting...
So, I'm trying to find a place to pull over. That's right, I'm going to have to use the berm. In the meantime, Slick and the dog are huddled together in terror against her seat. I'm getting a play-by-play of the bee's location.
"the bee is over the cooler." Long straight-away with plenty of berm. Check!
"the bee is over the dog's bag." Hazard lights activated. Check!
"The bee just flew under your seat." Applying breaks. Check!*
"The bee is at your feet." Stop. Park. Emergency break. Check!
"I can't see the bee!" Bee lands on the outside of my left ankle. Check!**
"Where's the bee?" Rear View Mirror. Open door. Wait for bee to fly out door. Check!
"Is it gone?" Put car in drive. Check rear view mirror. Apply gas. Reset iPod. Check!
It's at this moment when I realize that it really was just a "big" stupid honey bee that almost killed me, my wife and my stupid dog! Oh and traffic at Lake Norman...yeah, it was fine!
* It's during these nano-seconds that I'm reminded that my father is horribly allergic to bees. But then, I've been stung a lot with no problems. But wait, didn't I read somewhere that people can develop allergies to bees? Wouldn't it be just my luck for this to be the moment. Thankfully, the words of Douglas Adams pops into my head "Don't Panic!" After all, there's a towel in the car. I'll be fine!
** On the other hand, maybe Douglas Adams was full of crap! Where are my sun-glasses?
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Not gonna do it
My sister commented on my last post with this "tag" thing. I've looked at the rules and am not the least bit interested in participating. To avoid being called a complete spoil-sport, I'll go ahead and list some of the reasons why I blog:
- This is a journal of sorts. Things have been rough with the CFS/Fibro and I wanted a productive outlet.
- My brain is constantly on the move, even when I feel like crap. This has been serving as an channel for that energy.
- Keeps my father from constantly asking me "what's going on?"
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Don't Fence Me In
As the doom-sayers, bigots, hypocrites and nationalistic stupid-heads rush to build a fence around this country, please keep the following in mind.
Border fence a dead end for wildlife?
And while we are on the subject of protecting our nation versus the environment, why is it that our government expounds on anti-monopolies, anti-socialism, and free-market development, but can't possibly raise fuel-economy standards because it would hurt the big-three automakers. Hello?!? Do you remember the 80's when we were told that it was un-American to buy anything but American cars? Well, new plan! Until our car companies shape up, don't buy American! SIGH!!!
And since even the evil empire known as Walmart is experimenting with a sustainability program, let's talk about our own homes. Have you changed your light bulbs yet? I haven't, but I'm researching the best bulb choices. To make sure you aren't getting lighting you'll hate, make sure to buy "soft white" CFLs. Regular ones do not have a sufficient light spectrum for things like reading or color coordinating your clothing.
I've tried to be a nice little moderate. I've tried to see both sides of the issues. Well, screw it! I'm tired of lying to myself. From now on, I'm a tree-huggin' peace-nick on a mission from God to tell all the Right-wingers that they backed the wrong team!
Privative screw-heads!
Border fence a dead end for wildlife?
And while we are on the subject of protecting our nation versus the environment, why is it that our government expounds on anti-monopolies, anti-socialism, and free-market development, but can't possibly raise fuel-economy standards because it would hurt the big-three automakers. Hello?!? Do you remember the 80's when we were told that it was un-American to buy anything but American cars? Well, new plan! Until our car companies shape up, don't buy American! SIGH!!!
And since even the evil empire known as Walmart is experimenting with a sustainability program, let's talk about our own homes. Have you changed your light bulbs yet? I haven't, but I'm researching the best bulb choices. To make sure you aren't getting lighting you'll hate, make sure to buy "soft white" CFLs. Regular ones do not have a sufficient light spectrum for things like reading or color coordinating your clothing.
I've tried to be a nice little moderate. I've tried to see both sides of the issues. Well, screw it! I'm tired of lying to myself. From now on, I'm a tree-huggin' peace-nick on a mission from God to tell all the Right-wingers that they backed the wrong team!
Privative screw-heads!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Heroes
Perhaps I'm overly obsessive about the whole "got rid of cable" thing, but here we go again.
My best friend, Cainam (his screen name) pointed out (with a 2x4) that I could see Heroes on NBC.com. In fact, they have every episode with "limited" commercial interruption. Well, I dropped cable the day before the new season started so I was totally excited! Heroes was/is my favorite show (the new Battle Star Galactica is a close second.) But I digress...
It streamed perfectly and I was completely sucked in to the new plot-line. This really gives me hope for online content. If only someone could find a way for me to watch the Eagles, Phillies and Sixers for a "reasonable" price...cold day in hell...but I can dream.
Anyway, if you are a fan of Heroes or have never seen it but like good drama with super powers, check that link out. And thanks Cainam!
My best friend, Cainam (his screen name) pointed out (with a 2x4) that I could see Heroes on NBC.com. In fact, they have every episode with "limited" commercial interruption. Well, I dropped cable the day before the new season started so I was totally excited! Heroes was/is my favorite show (the new Battle Star Galactica is a close second.) But I digress...
It streamed perfectly and I was completely sucked in to the new plot-line. This really gives me hope for online content. If only someone could find a way for me to watch the Eagles, Phillies and Sixers for a "reasonable" price...cold day in hell...but I can dream.
Anyway, if you are a fan of Heroes or have never seen it but like good drama with super powers, check that link out. And thanks Cainam!
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