Yes, I'm still here!
You ever had one of those weeks were nothing, absolutely nothing, gives you that "I've got to blog about that" feeling? Yeah, it's one of those weeks. There's plenty of interesting things happening around here. The news has been filled with stuff for me to pontificate on. I have some health-stuff to post about.
Sigh!
Who am I kidding. I'm just not feeling it. Heck, it's taken me 20 minutes just to write this much. We'll just give it a few more days. If I don't start getting the urge to write soon, I'll find the equivalent of a blogger laxative.*
* I assume this would entail watching "Fix News" until I get so angry that I have to blog about it or explode. Five minutes should be enough.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Trust Issues
Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been a long strange trip. Last week it became readily apparent that I needed to drive back up to New England to help my sister with a few things & spend more time with my family in general. It's been a good trip, more or less, that enabled me to spend some time with my college friends watching the Eagles game (sigh) & playing Wii. But I digress...
I got a TomTom (GPS) for Christmas. It's been a great traveling companion. Not so much because I need GPS -- Lord no, I have an uncanny, almost supernatural sense of direction -- but because it's been great helping me track the details like ETA, miles, how far to the exit. Getting to a major divide and having this nice British lady say, "In 2 miles, stay right" is just really helpful when you're traveling in heavy traffic on the Jersey Turnpike. So, in many and various ways the TomTom has been complete and utter Awesome Sauce...
Until, that is, she failed me...
For those who have not experienced GPS devices, the thing I learned very quickly is that they often plan routes differently than you would. To get the full value from the device, you must decide to follow (or not follow) it's directions. Once you start listening, you may find yourself on a stretch of road you've never been on. You may find yourself at the mercy of some strange British woman. I call her JaneJane...
As I approached the George Washington Bridge into NY, Jane showed me an alternative to the bridge. Route 9 to Palisades Ave. I went with her. It really worked. Jane had saved me minutes & it was a nice little shortcut. It was a reminder to me to trust her. Jane would never steer me wrong...
As I crossed the bridge, I did everything she said even when my instincts began to question her.
"Stay Left"
"But Jane, that's the lane that exits to the Hudson Parkway. 95 is the right lane." I've done this hundreds of times.
"Stay Left"
"Jane, if I don't get over now, I'm going to be on the streets of Manhattan."
"Stay Left"
"Jane you ignorant slut!"
Jane fell silent. Jane's screen began to do that recalculating thing. I, as I suspected, was getting off onto the Henry Hudson Parkway.
"At the end of the ramp, turn left."
"Jane, you're back! What do I do?"
"Turn around as soon as possible!"
"You have failed me for the last time!" In my best Darth Vader voice.
Lost - Ahem - is not something I experience outside of video games. If I've seen something once, I know it. It's like the good Lord took all my abilities to remember names, phone numbers, dates in history away & used it all on this weird visual memory. It's great, except that my crappy memory for all those other things sucks so much. I can't even remember street names. It's just this odd feeling of knowing a place and where it leads me. In 36 years, the only thing that has ever kept me from remembering how to get back to something has been modern construction. My family tells stories about people asking me for directions at the age of 6.
So, here I was on the Hudson Parkway and I remembered the time, 11 years ago, that Slick & I got a ride out of Manhattan with some of MrsMetsFan's friends after seeing Rent with the college gang. We had been on that road & I knew were it would get me.
"Jane, try to keep up."
The Hudson Parkway goes to the Sawmill to the Cross County. Jane starts to come around to my plan. Once I hit the Cross County, I was on a road I had been many times & knew that it would become the Hutchinson & eventually the Merritt. By the time she started 'helping' me, I was already in my element.
So, listen to your GPS, trust your GPS, but trust yourself too.
A wise man once told me that life is made better through the art of story-telling. A bad situation can make for good stories.
I got a TomTom (GPS) for Christmas. It's been a great traveling companion. Not so much because I need GPS -- Lord no, I have an uncanny, almost supernatural sense of direction -- but because it's been great helping me track the details like ETA, miles, how far to the exit. Getting to a major divide and having this nice British lady say, "In 2 miles, stay right" is just really helpful when you're traveling in heavy traffic on the Jersey Turnpike. So, in many and various ways the TomTom has been complete and utter Awesome Sauce...
Until, that is, she failed me...
For those who have not experienced GPS devices, the thing I learned very quickly is that they often plan routes differently than you would. To get the full value from the device, you must decide to follow (or not follow) it's directions. Once you start listening, you may find yourself on a stretch of road you've never been on. You may find yourself at the mercy of some strange British woman. I call her JaneJane...
As I approached the George Washington Bridge into NY, Jane showed me an alternative to the bridge. Route 9 to Palisades Ave. I went with her. It really worked. Jane had saved me minutes & it was a nice little shortcut. It was a reminder to me to trust her. Jane would never steer me wrong...
As I crossed the bridge, I did everything she said even when my instincts began to question her.
"Stay Left"
"But Jane, that's the lane that exits to the Hudson Parkway. 95 is the right lane." I've done this hundreds of times.
"Stay Left"
"Jane, if I don't get over now, I'm going to be on the streets of Manhattan."
"Stay Left"
"Jane you ignorant slut!"
Jane fell silent. Jane's screen began to do that recalculating thing. I, as I suspected, was getting off onto the Henry Hudson Parkway.
"At the end of the ramp, turn left."
"Jane, you're back! What do I do?"
"Turn around as soon as possible!"
"You have failed me for the last time!" In my best Darth Vader voice.
Lost - Ahem - is not something I experience outside of video games. If I've seen something once, I know it. It's like the good Lord took all my abilities to remember names, phone numbers, dates in history away & used it all on this weird visual memory. It's great, except that my crappy memory for all those other things sucks so much. I can't even remember street names. It's just this odd feeling of knowing a place and where it leads me. In 36 years, the only thing that has ever kept me from remembering how to get back to something has been modern construction. My family tells stories about people asking me for directions at the age of 6.
So, here I was on the Hudson Parkway and I remembered the time, 11 years ago, that Slick & I got a ride out of Manhattan with some of MrsMetsFan's friends after seeing Rent with the college gang. We had been on that road & I knew were it would get me.
"Jane, try to keep up."
The Hudson Parkway goes to the Sawmill to the Cross County. Jane starts to come around to my plan. Once I hit the Cross County, I was on a road I had been many times & knew that it would become the Hutchinson & eventually the Merritt. By the time she started 'helping' me, I was already in my element.
So, listen to your GPS, trust your GPS, but trust yourself too.
A wise man once told me that life is made better through the art of story-telling. A bad situation can make for good stories.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Khan!
Ricardo Montalban has died. The greatest Star Trek villain from arguably the best Star Trek movie is gone. In his honor, I leave you with my favorite line from the movie.
Khan: [quoting Moby Dick] To the last, I will grapple with thee...from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!
Thanks to imdb.com for helping me remember the quote
Khan: [quoting Moby Dick] To the last, I will grapple with thee...from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!
Thanks to imdb.com for helping me remember the quote
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
American Automakers...Lying Mu#^%$@ers
The 2009 Detroit Auto Show is upon us and all I have to say is BULL SHIT!
I've had a beef with the "Big Three" for about a decade. Their trucks, SUV's, CUV's all kept getting bigger and more elaborate while small & mid-sized cars kept getting less & less enticing. I got on my soapbox about GM caring more about their short-term shareholder profit than they cared about quality vehicles that consumers really wanted to buy. If they had a long-term vision for fuel economy, practicality & fun cars to drive, we might not be in this mess.
The argument against these points is two fold. One, American consumers demanded bigger. Two, nobody could have foreseen the meltdown. I find both points inexcusable. American consumers took what they gave us. Had the Big Three actively pursued quality, budget-friendly vehicles for American consumers, we would have bought them. Sure, we'd also be driving our F-150's, but there would be a better mix of options from Detroit on the road.
The writing has been on the wall that the Big Three business models were behind the times for years. But has there been any real efforts to produce revolutionary products? Has anyone been to a car show & been wowed by something that's fresh & practical? No. Well, from Toyota & Honda, sure. But what has Chevy given us? The "holy grail" named Volt? They've been advertising that shit for years and it's projected price tag will be $30-40k. How's that practical?
So, they whined for a bail-out. Under the circumstances, I even support giving them the money. (Mostly because it's a pitance compared to that miserable TRAP effort.) $15-Billion could save the industry & jobs. If it doesn't, it was "only" $15-Billion.
But, I digress...
The Auto Show is now upon us. What do we see? Hybrids & practicality. Where were they hiding these cars? Some are existing European products. Some they pulled out of their asses. Thus lending credence to my belief that they could have easily given us better a long time ago.
I saw a picture of a UAW worker protesting outside of the Auto Show. He had a sign that warned us to buy American or the next job lost could be ours. Yes, the scare tactic. That works well on me.
Somewhere along the lines we got fat & happy. Complacency set in. Innovation stopped happening in Detroit.
When it's time to get our next car replacement, I hope to have honest, value-added options. I'm looking for small, but comfortable. I'll be searching for a vehicle that finds that right balance between fuel economy & performance. A hybrid would be nice. Right now, there are zero American cars in production that interest me. I really hope that changes.
Stop trying to "advertising campaign" your way out of this. Build & innovate. Better yet...
Evolve or die.
I've had a beef with the "Big Three" for about a decade. Their trucks, SUV's, CUV's all kept getting bigger and more elaborate while small & mid-sized cars kept getting less & less enticing. I got on my soapbox about GM caring more about their short-term shareholder profit than they cared about quality vehicles that consumers really wanted to buy. If they had a long-term vision for fuel economy, practicality & fun cars to drive, we might not be in this mess.
The argument against these points is two fold. One, American consumers demanded bigger. Two, nobody could have foreseen the meltdown. I find both points inexcusable. American consumers took what they gave us. Had the Big Three actively pursued quality, budget-friendly vehicles for American consumers, we would have bought them. Sure, we'd also be driving our F-150's, but there would be a better mix of options from Detroit on the road.
The writing has been on the wall that the Big Three business models were behind the times for years. But has there been any real efforts to produce revolutionary products? Has anyone been to a car show & been wowed by something that's fresh & practical? No. Well, from Toyota & Honda, sure. But what has Chevy given us? The "holy grail" named Volt? They've been advertising that shit for years and it's projected price tag will be $30-40k. How's that practical?
So, they whined for a bail-out. Under the circumstances, I even support giving them the money. (Mostly because it's a pitance compared to that miserable TRAP effort.) $15-Billion could save the industry & jobs. If it doesn't, it was "only" $15-Billion.
But, I digress...
The Auto Show is now upon us. What do we see? Hybrids & practicality. Where were they hiding these cars? Some are existing European products. Some they pulled out of their asses. Thus lending credence to my belief that they could have easily given us better a long time ago.
I saw a picture of a UAW worker protesting outside of the Auto Show. He had a sign that warned us to buy American or the next job lost could be ours. Yes, the scare tactic. That works well on me.
Somewhere along the lines we got fat & happy. Complacency set in. Innovation stopped happening in Detroit.
When it's time to get our next car replacement, I hope to have honest, value-added options. I'm looking for small, but comfortable. I'll be searching for a vehicle that finds that right balance between fuel economy & performance. A hybrid would be nice. Right now, there are zero American cars in production that interest me. I really hope that changes.
Stop trying to "advertising campaign" your way out of this. Build & innovate. Better yet...
Evolve or die.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Granny Did What?
As mentioned several times, one of the big highlights of our Christmas holiday was getting Slick's Granny to play Wii Bowling.
The whole thing started on a whim, like most of my crazy ideas. I generally assumed that she would talk her way out of doing it. But my mother-in-law gave me an encouraging look and I pressed on mostly for her.
Well OK, I admit that it might have been a dubious look. It's the same sort of look Slick gives me when I'm about to be excessively silly. But 70-80% of the time Slick laughs "with" me when the dust settles. Further, I haven't broken anything or ended up in an emergency room in years. What could possibly go wrong? Right?
Well...
My cell rings tonight at 8:30. It was the Queen.. We had just queued up a DvD for "movie night." I was attempting to get the DvD to skip the seemingly mandatory previews, so I just passed the phone to Slick.
"...bought a Wii!? ... Really?"
My brain, still attempting to get to the title screen, lurched at this 1/2-conversation. Did Slick just? Who? Crap...went too far...no I didn't... Wait? A What? Who? Why won't the stupid home button just... A Wii? Huh?
"Granny?"
*Pause*
My brain, having successfully convinced my fingers to click the pause button, suggests that I listen just in case I'm in trouble or something. For once, I heed it's advice.
"...has been going over in the evenings to play with her?"
I asked my brain for confirmation. Unfortunately, it can't process this strange information & locks up. I'm on my own.
Thankfully, Slick is now off the phone laughing uncontrollably. Whew! Dodged another one!
It appears that Granny had a family member pick one up when they went to the "big-town" mall. Granny can't actually turn it on by herself. Instead, Slick's Aunt has been going over in the evenings and playing with her.
Never ever underestimate so-called "old" people. They will surprise you.
Think I should get her a copy of Mario Kart (assuming I ever find myself a copy?)
On a side note: the whole thing made us extra silly, thus making Kung Fu Panda even more enjoyable.
The whole thing started on a whim, like most of my crazy ideas. I generally assumed that she would talk her way out of doing it. But my mother-in-law gave me an encouraging look and I pressed on mostly for her.
Well OK, I admit that it might have been a dubious look. It's the same sort of look Slick gives me when I'm about to be excessively silly. But 70-80% of the time Slick laughs "with" me when the dust settles. Further, I haven't broken anything or ended up in an emergency room in years. What could possibly go wrong? Right?
Well...
My cell rings tonight at 8:30. It was the Queen.. We had just queued up a DvD for "movie night." I was attempting to get the DvD to skip the seemingly mandatory previews, so I just passed the phone to Slick.
"...bought a Wii!? ... Really?"
My brain, still attempting to get to the title screen, lurched at this 1/2-conversation. Did Slick just? Who? Crap...went too far...no I didn't... Wait? A What? Who? Why won't the stupid home button just... A Wii? Huh?
"Granny?"
*Pause*
My brain, having successfully convinced my fingers to click the pause button, suggests that I listen just in case I'm in trouble or something. For once, I heed it's advice.
"...has been going over in the evenings to play with her?"
I asked my brain for confirmation. Unfortunately, it can't process this strange information & locks up. I'm on my own.
Thankfully, Slick is now off the phone laughing uncontrollably. Whew! Dodged another one!
It appears that Granny had a family member pick one up when they went to the "big-town" mall. Granny can't actually turn it on by herself. Instead, Slick's Aunt has been going over in the evenings and playing with her.
Never ever underestimate so-called "old" people. They will surprise you.
Think I should get her a copy of Mario Kart (assuming I ever find myself a copy?)
On a side note: the whole thing made us extra silly, thus making Kung Fu Panda even more enjoyable.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Strategic Placement of Light Pole
The light turned red. I sat looking at this one just long enough to make a snarky comment. Pictures were taken just as the light changed.
Can I get a drill in mauve?
Vending Machine Decisions
Road Stops in Northern PA require careful reading when you use the vending machines...
Pepsi or Live Bait? I just can't decide!
Pepsi or Live Bait? I just can't decide!Everywhere I Look, it's the Mighty Susquehanna
We spent nearly all of our time in PA riding along the Susquehanna. First up from Harrisburg through Williamsport to the farm. Then along Route 6 into Scranton.
1913 Miles Later...
We're home from our tour of Northern Pennsylvania & Southern New England. Crazy-long hours spent in the car, but worth it to see both our families for the Christmas & New Years holiday. Not sure we can repeat it next year, but glad we did it.
Pictures to follow...
Pictures to follow...
Friday, January 02, 2009
This isn't a game...It's BOWLING
It turns out I learned something about my parents this Christmas vacation. (I may have known this and forgotten.) Growing up in a small mining town in NE Pennsylvania, they were once very serious bowlers. In another lifetime, iDad apparently won league championships and trophies.
So, it comes as no surprise that my father became obsessed with getting a very high score on my Wii. When Slick and I went out for New Years, he practiced his technique. He broke 200. He became a "Strike Machine." Of course, he learned the cold hard truth about Wii Sports - Bowling. Bowling on the Wii is not bowling. It's a fair simulation, but it's not the real deal. At some point, more "serious" play can throw off your game.
Enter iDad's nemesis...
In corner one we have...
iDad - 6' - 180lbs - Bowling Trophies - High Score on the Wii (Over 200)
In corner two we have the Grand Daughter...
"Princess Kitty" - 4' - 70lbs (maybe...dripping wet) - Has tried a Wii at a friend's house.
Kitty bowled first...
Strike... iDad was beside himself as he barely picked up his spare.
Strike... "She can't do that!" As he misses his spare.
Spare... "But she doesn't know what she's doing!"
Princess Kitty proceeded to clear all but 3 frames and bowled an incredible 179! iDad's game got progressively worse as we all howled and cheered Kitty on. We won't mention his *cough* score.
So, it comes as no surprise that my father became obsessed with getting a very high score on my Wii. When Slick and I went out for New Years, he practiced his technique. He broke 200. He became a "Strike Machine." Of course, he learned the cold hard truth about Wii Sports - Bowling. Bowling on the Wii is not bowling. It's a fair simulation, but it's not the real deal. At some point, more "serious" play can throw off your game.
Enter iDad's nemesis...
In corner one we have...
iDad - 6' - 180lbs - Bowling Trophies - High Score on the Wii (Over 200)
In corner two we have the Grand Daughter...
"Princess Kitty" - 4' - 70lbs (maybe...dripping wet) - Has tried a Wii at a friend's house.
Kitty bowled first...
Strike... iDad was beside himself as he barely picked up his spare.
Strike... "She can't do that!" As he misses his spare.
Spare... "But she doesn't know what she's doing!"
Princess Kitty proceeded to clear all but 3 frames and bowled an incredible 179! iDad's game got progressively worse as we all howled and cheered Kitty on. We won't mention his *cough* score.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
And Still We Wii
I know that I'm a tad behind the times getting a Wii this year, but wow. Even with just one controller, WiiSports and a very small space to play in the farm house, we continue to just play, play, play...
The amazing part is Slick's 81 year old Granny. She's bowling great. She only left 2 open frames last night. Sure, we're helping her position and click buttons until it's time to swing, but she's directing us. "Don't forget to move me over."
flyDad loves the golf. No surprise there. He's analyzing the course, looking for places to shorten the hole. He's reading the greens. He's then helping the rest of us when we do it.
The Queen & I are really into the tennis game. We totally need two controllers to play together. Of course, there's no room here for both of us to play anyway. Can't wait to get it home in my TV room.
I've started researching games & accessories to pick up. Obviously, we want at least one more controller. What about the voice accessory? More controllers? Do we want the Fit (Which is expensive.) Can't wait to get it hooking up to my network and try out all the other features as well. Cainam has already told me that we can Mario Kart together over the internet.
Slick wants a guitar game. She's just not sure which. So, we have to look into that as well. My gut says that we'll get a 2nd controller, a guitar game & a used game and enjoy those for a while.
This is seriously going to cut into our World of Warcraft time.
The amazing part is Slick's 81 year old Granny. She's bowling great. She only left 2 open frames last night. Sure, we're helping her position and click buttons until it's time to swing, but she's directing us. "Don't forget to move me over."
flyDad loves the golf. No surprise there. He's analyzing the course, looking for places to shorten the hole. He's reading the greens. He's then helping the rest of us when we do it.
The Queen & I are really into the tennis game. We totally need two controllers to play together. Of course, there's no room here for both of us to play anyway. Can't wait to get it home in my TV room.
I've started researching games & accessories to pick up. Obviously, we want at least one more controller. What about the voice accessory? More controllers? Do we want the Fit (Which is expensive.) Can't wait to get it hooking up to my network and try out all the other features as well. Cainam has already told me that we can Mario Kart together over the internet.
Slick wants a guitar game. She's just not sure which. So, we have to look into that as well. My gut says that we'll get a 2nd controller, a guitar game & a used game and enjoy those for a while.
This is seriously going to cut into our World of Warcraft time.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
WoWii
Merry Christmas! Slick and I are up on her Grandmother's farm.
It's been a great time here. Last night all 35 members of the family gathered and had the annual party & gift-exchange. Today, most of us gathered again for Christmas dinner. Slick's family is a group of bright & diverse people. Conversations are varied. One minute I'm talking with one cousin about literary giants, then I move on to a conversation with the BMW-driving Network engineer and the next minute I'm talking to Slick's uncle about the bear he shot. Again, varied...
After making us agree to cut back on gift prices this year, the Queen & flyDad surprised us a Wii. Apparently, flyDad sat in a KMart parking lot before 6AM to get one. Needless to say, we are surprised and excited.
So tonight after dinner, we hooked the Wii up to Granny's TV and started playing WiiSports. I got Granny to play. She "humored" me and tried bowling with us. The Queen tried tennis & flyDad played some golf. I think they should have gotten themselves a Wii for Christmas instead.
It's been a great time here. Last night all 35 members of the family gathered and had the annual party & gift-exchange. Today, most of us gathered again for Christmas dinner. Slick's family is a group of bright & diverse people. Conversations are varied. One minute I'm talking with one cousin about literary giants, then I move on to a conversation with the BMW-driving Network engineer and the next minute I'm talking to Slick's uncle about the bear he shot. Again, varied...
After making us agree to cut back on gift prices this year, the Queen & flyDad surprised us a Wii. Apparently, flyDad sat in a KMart parking lot before 6AM to get one. Needless to say, we are surprised and excited.
So tonight after dinner, we hooked the Wii up to Granny's TV and started playing WiiSports. I got Granny to play. She "humored" me and tried bowling with us. The Queen tried tennis & flyDad played some golf. I think they should have gotten themselves a Wii for Christmas instead.
Monday, December 22, 2008
John Adams on DvD
A number of my readers (both family & friends) are American History buffs. To them, I say rent John Adams!
Of our founding father's, none is more perfectly simultaneously praised and vilified as our first VP John Adams. This is the man who worked with Ben Franklin & Thomas Jefferson to get the Declaration of Independence written. He's also the fool who signed the alien & sedition act. A one-term lame-duck who tried to honor Washington's wishes to remain neutral in the war between France & Great Britain even in the face of saber rattling inside his own cabinet.
HBO did a mini-series on the life of John Adams which is now available on DvD. For anyone with a passing interest in the Revolution, the founding fathers or the early years of our great nation, this is a must see.
As a person who grew up fed on the "perfection" of Washington, Jefferson, Adam, Franklin...well, Franklin was the "odd" "eccentric" grandfather in the room. We were taught to laugh at his antics & admire him even more. Instead, HBO humanizes these men. He paints a deeply flawed Adams, a hopelessly idealistic Jefferson, a Franklin who knew "the game" of politics and enjoyed it a bit too much. Only Washington remained the larger than life figure I remember from history classes. Yet, even Washington was painted a pawn to Hamilton's federalist ambitions.
This HBO series is the kind of dramatic interpretation that rekindles my curiosity and makes me want to dig through my college books.
Watch it. Love it. Note that the minor historical inaccuracies or simplifications mean nothing. They have captured the time, the events and the emotions to make them more real than real. HBO films did such an incredible job casting Paul Giamatti that I forgot thinking about him as the actor.
You will learn to simultaneously love and despise John Adams by watching this film.
Of our founding father's, none is more perfectly simultaneously praised and vilified as our first VP John Adams. This is the man who worked with Ben Franklin & Thomas Jefferson to get the Declaration of Independence written. He's also the fool who signed the alien & sedition act. A one-term lame-duck who tried to honor Washington's wishes to remain neutral in the war between France & Great Britain even in the face of saber rattling inside his own cabinet.
HBO did a mini-series on the life of John Adams which is now available on DvD. For anyone with a passing interest in the Revolution, the founding fathers or the early years of our great nation, this is a must see.
As a person who grew up fed on the "perfection" of Washington, Jefferson, Adam, Franklin...well, Franklin was the "odd" "eccentric" grandfather in the room. We were taught to laugh at his antics & admire him even more. Instead, HBO humanizes these men. He paints a deeply flawed Adams, a hopelessly idealistic Jefferson, a Franklin who knew "the game" of politics and enjoyed it a bit too much. Only Washington remained the larger than life figure I remember from history classes. Yet, even Washington was painted a pawn to Hamilton's federalist ambitions.
This HBO series is the kind of dramatic interpretation that rekindles my curiosity and makes me want to dig through my college books.
Watch it. Love it. Note that the minor historical inaccuracies or simplifications mean nothing. They have captured the time, the events and the emotions to make them more real than real. HBO films did such an incredible job casting Paul Giamatti that I forgot thinking about him as the actor.
You will learn to simultaneously love and despise John Adams by watching this film.
Test Post
This is just a quick post from a new iPod/iPhone app for blogging. Headed out of town for the holidays and will only be bringing the ipod for blogging.
The app is called blogwriter lite. It looks easier to use in the touch screen than google's interface, but I can't really do more than post text.
Safe holiday travel to all of us. We have a 12+ hour drive ahead of us tomorrow. Wish us luck.
The app is called blogwriter lite. It looks easier to use in the touch screen than google's interface, but I can't really do more than post text.
Safe holiday travel to all of us. We have a 12+ hour drive ahead of us tomorrow. Wish us luck.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Almost Like Losing a Member of the Family
Majel Barrett Roddenberry died this week. She is the voice of the ship computers, she was Nurse Chapel, she was Troy's mom. When she did a guest appearance on Babylon 5 it was a sign to a lot of us fans that the show had arrived in SciFi circles. There has never been Trek without her. She will be in the upcoming JJ Abrams reboot, but after that...
Trek has been a part of my life for so long. I was in high school when the Next Generation came out. My friends, the geeks that we were, all took on the persona of crew members. Being the youngest & shortest I was, sigh, Wesley. Actually, they called me Mr Crusher. :-D
This is something I've kept hidden for years because of all the Wesley-haters out there.
But frankly, Will Wheaton and his blog is becoming a sort of hero of mine, so I don't care who knows anymore.
In our 2nd year of college, every night 11PM was "Trek" time. So many people watched the nightly ST:TNG reruns that you could walk the halls of my dorm (men's and women's sides) and never miss a beat from the episode. Star Trek movies would often come out just in time for my birthday. Our old Nissan still has my "Klingon Warrior Academy" window sticker on it.
I just plain like Trek.
Thanks for helping to keep your husband's dream alive and for being a part of my life for so long. You will be missed.
Trek has been a part of my life for so long. I was in high school when the Next Generation came out. My friends, the geeks that we were, all took on the persona of crew members. Being the youngest & shortest I was, sigh, Wesley. Actually, they called me Mr Crusher. :-D
This is something I've kept hidden for years because of all the Wesley-haters out there.
But frankly, Will Wheaton and his blog is becoming a sort of hero of mine, so I don't care who knows anymore.
In our 2nd year of college, every night 11PM was "Trek" time. So many people watched the nightly ST:TNG reruns that you could walk the halls of my dorm (men's and women's sides) and never miss a beat from the episode. Star Trek movies would often come out just in time for my birthday. Our old Nissan still has my "Klingon Warrior Academy" window sticker on it.
I just plain like Trek.
Thanks for helping to keep your husband's dream alive and for being a part of my life for so long. You will be missed.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Holiday Update aka Victims of the Almighty Sarlacc
You know all those letters you get in your holiday cards from people with the exciting stuff like "and our son just got accepted in a Doctoral program at Oxford." Yeah well, this isn't one of those updates...
It's been a "growth and development" year at the LRN's household.
Slick's job is absolutely nuts. Filed under "be careful what you wish for" Slick started 2008 looking for new career challenges and found them working on the development of a new product for her company. Of course, the project was "inherited" in an already precarious state wracked with uncontrollable and utterly unforeseeable setbacks. She with the support of her new boss has helped to guide the damn thing from the brink. My analogy has been that the new product was Han Solo trapped in carbonite. They've gotten to the point where they've rescued him from the carbonite. Currently, Slick is now stuck in chains and everyone's about to be fed to the Sarlacc.
Of course, things aren't all that bad from my end. Remember what Princess Leah was wearing at that point in the film? ...
Oh, I'm so dead for writing that.
Oh, it was so worth it!
Honestly, from my limited view, things are going exceptionally well. Sure, she's stressed as hell. Sure, she's working like mad. Sure, there's that whole Sarlacc thing. BUT she's been "noticed" at work for all the right reasons. And, I honestly think they are going to succeed. They just need to watch out for Bobba Fett.
Bobba Fett? Where?
As for me, it's all about putting one foot in front of the other. After another year of living with Fybromialgia, I'm still missing out on a lot of my "old" life. The new medications are providing hope, but they've also contributed to my re-gaining 5-10 lbs.
Hey, it's not the 50-extra I started with and it's better than being stuck in carbonite!
In a lot of ways, it's been a bad luck year for me. The intestinal infection this spring took months to get over and forced me to start over with a lot of my exercise program. This fall has been all about changing medications and dealing with side-effects. Every change has meant new adjustment periods. Yet, I honestly see myself moving in the right direction. My energy, my symptoms, my worst days are still never as bad as they were the year I stopped working. I still need to get to the "next level" - whatever that means - but it's still progress.
Let go your feelings...
I accept that dealing with a "life-altering" condition isn't about taking some pills and going about my day. These things take time. If nothing else, these last few years have taught me patience & acceptance. Those are big - HUGE - lessons for me.
Hmmm...size matters not...
I really wanted to do a lot more in the garden this year. I wanted to plant some shrubs, work on the lawn, start a veggie garden. None of that was really possible. So, I compromised with the indoor garden. Our house-plants are really happy with me. I'm enjoying it. It's baby-steps. Again, patience & acceptance.
I sense much spaz in him...
The Moose is currently barking at the kids playing outside. Turning 6, he's no longer "young." He's still a spaz at times, but he's a generally happy & healthy dog. His new thing this year is that he's learned to pull back the covers and make a nest in our bed. He also likes to snuggle up with his head on a pillow & tucked under the blanket with Slick when she goes to bed. This is fine until I want to go to bed.
I know I tend to be overly optimistic around New Year's, but I'm really excited about 2009. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Well, I suppose my fybro could get really bad, Slick could lose her job and thus our house, & the dog could find a skunk or get lost chasing a deer.
Because if I think of the worst thing that can happen, things usually work out much better and I stay happy.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & above all watch out for intergalactic bounty hunters!
It's been a "growth and development" year at the LRN's household.
Slick's job is absolutely nuts. Filed under "be careful what you wish for" Slick started 2008 looking for new career challenges and found them working on the development of a new product for her company. Of course, the project was "inherited" in an already precarious state wracked with uncontrollable and utterly unforeseeable setbacks. She with the support of her new boss has helped to guide the damn thing from the brink. My analogy has been that the new product was Han Solo trapped in carbonite. They've gotten to the point where they've rescued him from the carbonite. Currently, Slick is now stuck in chains and everyone's about to be fed to the Sarlacc.
Of course, things aren't all that bad from my end. Remember what Princess Leah was wearing at that point in the film? ...
Oh, I'm so dead for writing that.
Oh, it was so worth it!
Honestly, from my limited view, things are going exceptionally well. Sure, she's stressed as hell. Sure, she's working like mad. Sure, there's that whole Sarlacc thing. BUT she's been "noticed" at work for all the right reasons. And, I honestly think they are going to succeed. They just need to watch out for Bobba Fett.
Bobba Fett? Where?
As for me, it's all about putting one foot in front of the other. After another year of living with Fybromialgia, I'm still missing out on a lot of my "old" life. The new medications are providing hope, but they've also contributed to my re-gaining 5-10 lbs.
Hey, it's not the 50-extra I started with and it's better than being stuck in carbonite!
In a lot of ways, it's been a bad luck year for me. The intestinal infection this spring took months to get over and forced me to start over with a lot of my exercise program. This fall has been all about changing medications and dealing with side-effects. Every change has meant new adjustment periods. Yet, I honestly see myself moving in the right direction. My energy, my symptoms, my worst days are still never as bad as they were the year I stopped working. I still need to get to the "next level" - whatever that means - but it's still progress.
Let go your feelings...
I accept that dealing with a "life-altering" condition isn't about taking some pills and going about my day. These things take time. If nothing else, these last few years have taught me patience & acceptance. Those are big - HUGE - lessons for me.
Hmmm...size matters not...
I really wanted to do a lot more in the garden this year. I wanted to plant some shrubs, work on the lawn, start a veggie garden. None of that was really possible. So, I compromised with the indoor garden. Our house-plants are really happy with me. I'm enjoying it. It's baby-steps. Again, patience & acceptance.
I sense much spaz in him...
The Moose is currently barking at the kids playing outside. Turning 6, he's no longer "young." He's still a spaz at times, but he's a generally happy & healthy dog. His new thing this year is that he's learned to pull back the covers and make a nest in our bed. He also likes to snuggle up with his head on a pillow & tucked under the blanket with Slick when she goes to bed. This is fine until I want to go to bed.
I know I tend to be overly optimistic around New Year's, but I'm really excited about 2009. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Well, I suppose my fybro could get really bad, Slick could lose her job and thus our house, & the dog could find a skunk or get lost chasing a deer.
Because if I think of the worst thing that can happen, things usually work out much better and I stay happy.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & above all watch out for intergalactic bounty hunters!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Would You Shut Up & Let Them Debate!
On Sunday, Meet the Press nearly featured a really great debate about health care between Gov Granholm (D) of Michigan & former Gov Romney (R-MA). Unfortunately, David Gregory cut them off.
The core question was the magical $2000/car extra labor cost. Both governors were articulate, knowledgeable and passionate about the issue. Gov Romney was making the union-busting argument based on the idea that American car companies can't be competitive due to all the salary & benefit costs. Gov Granholm was making the counter-argument that non-American companies have a leg-up due to government health-care and related government support. The debate, which I was very interested in, started there...
And then got quashed, dismissed really, by David Gregory. Actually, I thought his moderation style was rushed and lacking style. I don't like his presence in the least. But, I digress...
In a world of cable news & talking heads, there's never really any time for actual discourse. Everything is spun and filtered. Everything is presented in Sesame Street speed. Countdown (which I love), O'Reilly (boo), & all those shows is still just about listening to pundits ramble. Blah, blah, blah! Once and a while I want to hear people with "actual" knowledge & passion about an issue engage in healthy discussion. More importantly, I was really impressed with both of the Governors and wanted to hear where this was going.
The problems with the "big 3" are broader than the UAW, but the way that this is handled is going to have lasting ramifications for the American labor force. So, I don't get why these two had to be cut short so we could listen to David Gregory talk to two other reporters about how Obama's transition team is or isn't managing the Blagojevich question.
Maybe my real problem is that I'm a big enough dork to watch Meet the Press.
The core question was the magical $2000/car extra labor cost. Both governors were articulate, knowledgeable and passionate about the issue. Gov Romney was making the union-busting argument based on the idea that American car companies can't be competitive due to all the salary & benefit costs. Gov Granholm was making the counter-argument that non-American companies have a leg-up due to government health-care and related government support. The debate, which I was very interested in, started there...
And then got quashed, dismissed really, by David Gregory. Actually, I thought his moderation style was rushed and lacking style. I don't like his presence in the least. But, I digress...
In a world of cable news & talking heads, there's never really any time for actual discourse. Everything is spun and filtered. Everything is presented in Sesame Street speed. Countdown (which I love), O'Reilly (boo), & all those shows is still just about listening to pundits ramble. Blah, blah, blah! Once and a while I want to hear people with "actual" knowledge & passion about an issue engage in healthy discussion. More importantly, I was really impressed with both of the Governors and wanted to hear where this was going.
The problems with the "big 3" are broader than the UAW, but the way that this is handled is going to have lasting ramifications for the American labor force. So, I don't get why these two had to be cut short so we could listen to David Gregory talk to two other reporters about how Obama's transition team is or isn't managing the Blagojevich question.
Maybe my real problem is that I'm a big enough dork to watch Meet the Press.
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