OK so last time we talked about how using brown paper bags seems to work better than newspaper, right? OK so here’s another tip I discovered.

It was one of those “hey, I think I am on to something” moments. I tore off the top half of a brown paper bag to light the barbie, and this part when open looks like a big brown donut, right? Well I crumpled it up like it was, and put it in there like a small brown donut. The figuring was that this would keep the paper from snuffing out the flames below completely, allowing all the heat to hit the coals directly. See because now it’s a chimney all the way through, not a ceiling of paper and then a chimney.

Trust me, it works so very well; your coal will light so much faster & easier. Trust the ‘bob, OK? Give it a shot.



Dammit! I’m made a LIAR!
The Girl made me do it, OK? Not long after I posted the blog about waiting to see Iron Man on disc, she went and told me that we had two free tickets to the movies. Free. And, Tickets.

Of course now we have to go see Iron Man. Tonight. :-D.

Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes. I will be ready a little afterwards. Iron Man and I will meet in person about an hour later. Oh Yeah, baby.



Zoey went OUT today!
Well I wanted to take Miles out today, and Zoey wasn’t limping around nearly as much, and I wracked my brain figuring out what we could do about it. Well I figured a trip to the beach would be OK. The sand would be forgiving on her foot, MIles could still do everything he does, and we’d get out of the house.

It worked wonderfully. So wonderful in fact, that Zoey was running around full-tilt. Yeah, limp at home, go full-bore on the sand apparently. She had fun! She even went so far as to go swimming. Yeah, swimming. Zoey. Swimming.

So she’ll probably be a little sore later, but hey now she’s run off some energy and we know that she’s OK. Might have set her healing time back a day or two, but I would bet she thinks it was worth it.

Tags: Animals, earth conditions

Has gone. I gathered that it was not the creatine, but rather some serious sinus-cavity backup. I figured this because a few days prior to the headache I was having issues with my tooth aching, which I had hoped was a sinus/drainage issue and not a dentistry issue (because I loathe dentist trips even more than doctor visits). I noticed that as the toothache subsided, the headache began. Then they both started disappearing as my midnight breathing improved. So…


The Creatine
I’m went back on it. Going to give it a shot, see if my muscles just absolutely explode out from where they are. If I’m not ‘ahnold’ by July, then truly this stuff was a gimmick :-D



Zoey’s Foot Update
Well the foot wrap lasted just 24 hours from put on to stayed off. She lasted longer than we thought she would honestly, but eventually it was off. We figured that since she’s home-ridden until it’s better anyway, we’d see how she did with it off and not struggle about it. Well shortly after the wrap came off, so too did the little flap that was hanging on by a thread.

It seems to be healing well, though. She’s not really limping on it anymore, she’s still being cautious about it, but not overly so. In fact, we’re contemplating taking the dogs – that’s both of them – to the beach later this afternoon. See I figure the beach is a great place to test her out; it’s soft & forgiving, and there’s really just not much there for her to hurt herself on. The only worry is sand in the wound, but it’s mostly sealed off now, and that’s just a wash away from being a never-ran thought, so whatever.

I wish I would have taken a picture of it when it happened or when we got home and cleaned it up, so that you could see the progress it’s made. Sorry though, wasn’t thinking of it at the time.



Iron Man
This movie has been on my must see list since I saw the trailer. It looked fun, and I knew it was going to be a Summer blockbuster, so I wasn’t overly-concerned with the plot premises being weak, which I totally expected. Well it turns out I needn’t have feared at all.

The overall reviews for the film are far better than I had predicted. Now the trouble is trying to keep myself from having the “high expectations” mentality when I finally get around to seeing it. Which, of course, won’t be until it comes out on Blu-Ray. So, end of Summer?



Also looking forward to…
The Dark Knight. I hear that the teaser trailer in Iron Man is like 6 minutes long and has caused people to consider other religions, it’s so good. Which for me is actually enough reason to avoid Iron Man in the theatre. See I really really want to see The Dark Knight, and I have since I saw Batman Begins even. But I fear they’re hyping it too much (see “high Expectations”). Not only that, but they’ve gone so far with the whole Exclusive Trailer bit that I’m afraid I will have seen the whole movie by the time it comes out this Summer, and ends up on Blu-Ray this Winter when I will actually watch it.

Anyone else feel me on that?



Don’t f*ck with Cyclones/Hurricanes
Myanmar was recently hit hard, some are expecting the toll of dead to reach well over 10,000. WOW. That royally sucks.

But yeah, I’ll gladly take the occasional earthquake over the yearly thousands of dead and billions in rebuilding, thanks.

By the way, did you know that Cyclones & Hurricanes and whatnot are really the same thing? Just a different name depending on what ocean they stem from. Kinda weird. I know a lot of people that think that cyclones are something much worse than hurricanes. Nope!

Peace.

Tags: Animals, earth conditions

So I made it through the “marathon workout” session I had planned. It wasn’t that bad once I got going actually, not as bad as I had imagined it might be. Sh!t I might actually try to incorporate it into my regular routine; sure it takes an extra hour of actual workout labor, but it frees up a little bit of “frictional” time it takes to get ready and then get “un-ready” after I finish for the second of the two workouts, so it actually saves me time if I can get away with it.

Problem is, there’s not really any I can combine except for the ones I combined for this. So it would save me a day. But still, even if I don’t do it often, it’s nice to know that I can schedule it and get away with it.



Almost didn’t Attempt it
I almost didn’t even attempt the “marathon workout.” I didn’t feel too good when I got home. Felt that maybe afer all I would have to push it all back; perhaps I was still too sick to get into it this hard this fast. Well I took a small nap outside in the sun, and then decided to go ahead and try. What the hey, I figured, I could quit if I started feeling worse.

Luckily I started feeling better instead. Yes!



Note on being sick
I have been not 100% since I started feeling crap-tastic® last week around this time, but the last few days have been kinda weird: my sinuses are draining, and suddenly I notice that one of my top-right teeth kind of hurts me when I run/jog/bounce. I am not sure what’s going on, I think it could be related to the cold… I think the sinus cavity drains over the roots of the top row of teeth, right? I think that maybe I’m just backed up right around there. Hopefully it drains OK and everything is Jake.

Because I really don’t want to go to the dentist for jack sh!t. Really.



I was actually without internet @ The Girl’s work
It was a rare occasion, but I sat so far away from the source of their “free wi-fi” that I simply didn’t get a strong-enough signal to get online.

Which meant no “mobile porn.” Damn.



People-watching doesn’t seem to be working for me
Every time I think that I’m beginning to be something worthwhile physically, I look around and see tons of guys far beyond me. This is frustrating. Especially seeing as how I just got through with a “marathon workout” session (see above, and see yesterday’s post). Dang it, it just seems that after so much hard work, I’d be further along than this. Not that I’m a nothin’ mind you, but I’m definitely not quite a something either. I’m in this funky in-betwixt area, where I’m so glad I’m not what I was, yet not really much closer to what I want.

What do I want? The body on the front of the product packaging for "The Perfect Pushup." Which I see daily. And am irritated by daily.



Sign of the Apocalypse
OK Reno, NV has been rocked by over 100 “aftershocks” over the course of a two-month period. Or since Friday. Hard to tell for sure as the editorial staff at the end of that link sorta sucks.

And furthermore, some of the “aftershocks” have been more powerful than the original quake. So the officials are warning Reno to brace for the worst, because contrary to everything they know – much like every related occurrence thus far – they think that maybe these are “preshocks” or something.

What’s kind of amusing is that is everyone’s fear when they feel an earthquake: everyone is then wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, waiting with their luggage packed so that they can flee when the next, larger, earth-destroying quake comes in a few minutes. Which hasn’t happened thus far that we know of in history, but yet which the officials are warning Reno to do. And hey, I agree – crap guys, this May be the beginning of the apocalypse. Duck.

Peace.

Tags: earth conditions

So a few nights ago we went to the symphony. They did Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (remember I had said that it was Mozart; I was wrong – that’s next month). It was very pretty.

I have lots of classical music in my collection. But nothing can really compare to the depth, the power of the live orchestra. It’s magical. The music is alive, you feel it and it’s a wonderful experience, it really is. Tonight was the first that I have ever been to see an orchestra live. I liked it. I liked it a lot. I – I think we may make this “Our Thing,” as it were. It’s just too bad that they’re off the charts after next month. I think the “season” opens up again in October. Nice. Hopefully in time for my birthday. Buy me a present, btw.



Dairy farming: Organic vs “Conventional”
I was reading some “Did You Know” facts about a local dairy co-op while on lunch @ work the other day. They were saying that 19 of their members were “conventional” dairy farmers and 24 were Organic. And it got me thinking. It’s a simple question, and it’s a simple answer.

What is “Conventional?” And what is “Organic?” Conventional is by definition what is done ‘normally.’ Organic is taken to mean that the product is raised/groomed/created without the use of synthetic chemicals. Up until sometime around the middle of the last century, there were not many synthetic chemicals to bother mentioning. And it seemed to me, isn’t ‘Organic’ actually ‘Conventional?’

I mean, that’s the way it’s typically done, in nature for sure, and also around most of the globe and throughout history. Conventional is Organic. At least it should be. I am not sure why it’s perverted now, though.

They should rename ‘Conventional’ to more accurately describe what it is: “Hormone- & Unnatural Antibiotic-infested farming.” Or they could just shorten it to “Unnatural Farming.” I’d be OK with that too.

Seriously though, think about that next time you hear the word ‘Conventional.’ It sounds very low-key, very tame, something that you could take for granted. But really think about what it’s being applied to. It seems to me that just like “No Child Left Behind” was a victory of title over substance, they are using language to quell any fears that what they’re really doing might arouse. No one wants to buy milk that comes from “Hormone- & Unnatural Antibiotic-infested farming,” or even “Unnatural Farming.” But hey, Milk from “Conventional” farming methods? That doesn’t sound so bad!

Yeah. I’m all-organic, baby. And proud. And healthy. Thanks, I’ll pass on the “Conventional.”

Peace.

Tags: Politics, earth conditions

Today I got in my workout. Yay for me, except that I had to laugh at myself once I was damn near through.

See, I had started doing my back exercises, and I felt really strong. So I upped the weight a little, then a little more… 20 pounds more than I would normally do. Like, 20 pounds more than I would have done the last time I did them. That’s quite an improvement! Trust me!

Well it seemed like quite an improvement. Until I was damn near done, and I realized that I had put on the 25lb plates instead of the 35lb plates I normally use. Whoops!

Anyway, I guess it goes to show that I know my limits rather well. (2x25+20=70; 2x35=70).



The Guffaw over LeBron & Vogue
I got a glimpse of the “provacative” Vogue Cover featuring LeBron James & Giselle Bundchen (she’s hot btw). But have you heard all the ruckus over the perceived “racial overtones” of the cover? You know, that it portrays black males in a “vicious manner,” with an angry face and “clutching” a helpless white woman…

I know it sounds absurd, but in reality I see where they’re coming from. It DOES look like a scene from King Kong (the good version, not the “Jack Black’s in it totally f*cking it up version.” I hate Jack Black, btw). What would have been so bad about him being dressed to the nines? He could have still held a ball or something. Why have him in such an “active” stance, with such a scowl on his face (yes I know he’s almost smiling, but still it’s not a “hi nice to see you” sort of appearance either)?

They may not have necessarily meant it in that way, but they should have nabbed that before it went to print. Voque’s been around awhile, their covers are usually pretty well-conceived; this might not have been intentional, but it probably wasn’t an accident, either.



Did you see this video yet?
If you know me personally, then I already emailed it to you. But if you don’t know me personally, then maybe you haven’t seen this video.

It’s a rather lengthy video by internet standards (upwards of 20 minutes), but also very important. It’s also very spot-on. I’ve been saying essentially the same thing for years, and I’ve seen how people tune out; it’s funny how quickly people will bury their heads in the sand and just claim ignorance, so they can continue being someone else’s pawn.

Anyway, I didn’t learn anything from the video. Which isn’t to say that I’m smarter than anyone, only saying that it’s not news, if you’ve listened to me you may recognize some of what the narrator says. But it’s put together well, and ties a lot of things together nicely.

Definitely worth checking out. What are you waiting for? Click already!

Peace.

Tags: earth conditions, hate, Gym

Tags: earth conditions

I have been saying this for what, years? Finally, a California University reveals that Daylight Savings Time is an utter farce.

Duh. I have been saying that it’s a waste, based on the same principles that they cited as causes for the lack of savings, and an actually-expanded costs of DST.

And what about factoring in the safety concerns? How many people are injured during the first week or so of the changeover?

Yeah, let’s just dump DST. It’s all about control, nothing more. Government mind control over its subjects.

That's, uh, YOU, people...



Throat caught up with me
I had to spend a lot of time conversing last night, and now my throat is paying the price. I’m hoarse, my throat’s a little inflamed, and I’m glad that I now have two days off in a row. I won’t be working out, maybe just taking the dogs out and getting some things done around here I need to get done.

Like oil changes. Maybe a blog, similar in design & content to this one.

Peace.

Tags: earth conditions, Politics

As you may know by now, we’re engrained in the Organic Culture. We try to get organic whenever possible, with a 90% success rate. Yes it’s slightly more sometimes (slightly less others), but we eat 3 times a day and care about our health and the quality of the food we eat, so it’s worth it.

We also love Round Table Pizza. If you know me, you know this. No secret. Well, of course they use quality ingredients, that’s why it tastes better than Dominos or any other brand I’ve had. But do they use organic? Probably not. So we figured we’d remedy that situation the same way we remedied brownies, cookies, steak, and everything else: make it ourselves!

Because of course all you do is fling some dough around, put tomato sauce and cheese and pepperoni on it and cook, right?

WRONG WRONG WRONG! Talk about eating crap. WOW. This pizza blew. We figured we were failures in more ways than one, first being horrible pizza cooks, and also using the wrong crust recipe…

Well it turns out we were right, but it was sorta not our fault. Pizza’s involved! Found this thread whilst looking up the recipe for RTP’s crust. We had no idea that pizza-making was such an involved process. 14 pages in, and these guys still can’t get it right. And they seem to know what they’re talking about. Hell if I do. And if you know me, you know something right away: I’m too damn lazy to go through all that for a pizza that’ll last <10 minutes on my plate.

Obviously, Round Table has a customer for life.



Cast Away
Watched this movie last night after we got home from Denny’s (more on that later). Was tired, wanted an easy movie to watch that I could fall asleep through and not miss much, yet still be entertained whilst I was awake. I think it was a good choice.

It’s a good movie. I know it can be kinda boring in some senses, corny at times even (I have made FIRE! - shut up...), but it does a good job of focusing you on a certain select few issues/emotions, and staying with them. Such as, what is lonely? That is lonely. He was lonely. And what would it feel like to be him? I mean for me and possibly many others, the thought of being trapped on a tropical island? No problem, huh? But here we are, peaking in at the reality of it, and maybe it’s not all that great. I mean yeah, he was totally alone, but I can imagine being there with the one other person I’d want: Marisa Miller. OK OK, The Girl… Would we be OK? It’d surely be a nice vacation for a few weeks. But after that? Would we grow tired of it? Would we crave modern society? I just don’t know.

Especially considering that we’re two people who are actively considering not having kids. Would we keep that mentality when presented with life alone on a deserted island? Would we have kids to have company? To take care of us? To build a society? To form unions and Social Security?

Just don’t know. I guess I’ll have to crash a plane to find out for sure. But it’s an interesting internal debate, and I think processing the reality of it could probably make a lot of so-called loners realize they’re not that into being alone after all.

It’s a good movie. And I didn’t even touch on how it points out all we take for granted, and how far removed we are from all that survives us. Another day perhaps.



Capitalism at its… Best?
Recently decided that I could use a larger iPod, say a nano or something of that nature. Nothing outrageous, just something with a screen (my Shuffle has none) and thus the ability to easily navigate more than one playlist, and play the music I’m in the mood for when I'm in the mood for it.

The brand new nanos are a little bigger than I care for, and they place an emphasis on the screen I don’t care for either (thanks, I have a 52” HDTV for watching movies, thank you very much). So the older, 2nd-gen. nanos seemed like a good fit.

Until, that is, I tried to price them out. They’re not made any more, so limited supply, coupled with their apparent appeal, and you have older equipment that is 300% more expensive than the current-gen. Amazing. Yeah, sorry, but I’m not paying $450 for an iPod. It better… well, it better do unspeakable things for me for that much coin, if you are pickin’ up what I’m throwin’ down, as the kids say these days.

I could get one of them iPod Touches for that much money! Sh!t! Maybe I will!

Probably not.

Peace.

Tags: Entertainment, earth conditions

Another thing is that Hilary strikes me as someone who is willing to look at a problem and try to figure out the best solution, maybe even put the best people on the job. When people instantly start out with “I have a plan” speak, I get kinda turned off. Why? Well if you have a plan, you could, oh I don’t know, maybe submit it to the floor for debate in the Senate or Congress? You could do that if you had a plan. Look, our problems are complex, and to say that they “have a plan” for each and every tick is a failure of character, and kind of insulting to me, that you think I’ll buy that you’re plan is somehow a magical band-aid. Though Clinton has begun to take on that rhetoric as of late, when the campaigns were getting under way, I remember a debate focusing on education in which everyone “had a plan,” but Hilary was aware that there was a problem, and admitted she didn’t know the exact answer, but said something to the effect that it’d really have to be studied by the experts, and a plan devised. That’s true leadership, whereas “I have a plan” is more posturing than anything.

Another thing that strikes me about Obama, is something I read recently on another distant internet friend’s website. He linked to an article here, where they spoke of his affiliation with a “Black” church. But he’s black, right? So what’s wrong, you ask? Well it’s not that it’s a black church, it’s that they put black above all else. How is a leader of many people going to be for me when you belong to an organization that’s in a way against me? And against my middle-class values? How can you be a uniter, when you are so immersed in an organization that rejects most of the values you say you’re for?

And the ace up Hilary’s sleeve, for me, is that her Hubby will be first lady – er, man. I mean, regardless of what you think of his personal hi-jinx in office (I think it was scummy to do it and lie about it, though I would bet he’s not the first – the repubs hated him and I’m sure they did whatever they could to dredge up some kind of dirt on him), the fact of the matter is that he and his policies really helped bring America out of the economic drought we were fading into, and helped bring about the boom years we took for granted. He and Hilary are of the same mind, and I think having that team back in office would be so great for us.

To me, it’s of little surprise that during the 1980’s, under control of the repubs, the market and the US’s stature in the world began to crumble. Taking over from bushie #1, Clinton led off and began the US revolution. And we had our first balanced budget and budget surplus in some 20+ years. Then as bushie #2 took office, we suddenly ran back to deficit and a flagging economy. Coincidence? Hardly, I think.

Hey, I’ll support either dem that gets the nod, but in all honesty, I hope that when people vote, they’re taking a look beyond the rhetoric. Who’s more qualified? Who has done this before? Is now the time to take chances?

Hilary for President, 2008. Get it straight.

Peace.

Tags: Politics, earth conditions

Right now, tops on my list of P&S cameras to get is the Canon SD870 IS. I was debating whether to go with this or to cheap out a lil’ and get a camera more like The Girl’s. What to do, what to do….

I got it! I’ll get that camera, then she can get it too. Here, let me explain.

I got her the camera I got her because it was going to be her first digital camera. It’s a really great camera, but for me, coming from what I am coming from, I really would like to have as much control/featureset as possible, to make the transition easy and enjoyable. I think I’m really going to enjoy (yeah, that’s right, enjoy) the move to a P&S camera, but I don’t want to go too far down the spectrum and just be frustrated, either.

Now here’s the hairy part. If I have a camera that’s similar to hers only better, then of course she’s going to be upset with me. She says she won’t, but let’s be frank here: it’ll look like I shafted her on her gift, but felt perfectly OK splurging on me. And it’s not like that, I swear. Which is why I’m totally prepared to get her a matching one as well. But to make sure it’s a good fit, I’ll be the first to have it, this way we can compare & contrast, then make informed decisions.

Plus, you’re totally welcome to buy it for me.



About AAA….
Yesterday I mentioned how great AAA can be, but threw in a last-minute curveball about my experience. Something that ended like “more on that another day.” Today’s another day, so how’s this?

OK so what happened was as we left, I got stuck about 4ft off the side of the paved road. Looks flat, looks fun, but in reality it was a trap. Well crap now that I was stuck it was time to get started figuring a way out of this mess I’d gotten myself and my two dogs into.

So of course you reach for your wallet, right? Grab that AAA card? Yes of course! Well, except if you make the conscious decision to leave your wallet at home so as to lessen the chance of having it a) lost somewhere in the wilderness, or b) stolen from your vehicle as you’re too far away to keep tabs on it. This wasn’t a one-day decision, I never take my wallet with me when I take the dogs out.

And for reasons unbeknownst to me, I left my AAA info in my wallet, not in my car. So I grabbed the cell phone – which luckily I didn’t forget to bring – and called…. 411. Because I also didn’t have the # to AAA’s roadside assistance hotline that’s printed on the back of the AAA card. Getting their local office yields me a recording of their hours, but luckily (as I had counted on) they had a link to the roadside assistance hotline. I pressed 5. I waited on hold. Eventually I got ahold of someone and explained that I was a member, however I did not have my ID or anything on me, etc, was there any way they could otherwise look me up?

Now thus far all of this has been my fault, and I haven’t even spoken to anyone that doesn’t bark in the night. So let’s end that streak. First thing I hear is a hesitation, followed by “I’ll have to see what my supervisor says,” followed by “Can I have your membership #?” Yeah see, about that…. You may recall about 5 seconds ago I mentioned I don’t have my wallet, ID, card, checks, cash, or shirt & shoes with me. Great. Well I’m on hold again, and eventually they come back and they try to look me up by name. If you don’t know my last name, let’s just say it’s complicated, and if you do, you’re probably laughing already. So I spell it for this older lady, and she gets it wrong. I say “no no, it’s a T, as in Tom,” and she says “P, OK got it,” to which I reply “No No No, it’s a T, as in Tom” to which she replies that she’s got it now.

Time goes by. They can’t find me. They look me up in Southern and Northern Systems, no luck. So I politely inquire if she’s got the name spelled right. Of course she does, of course she does, I hear. But hey, just for kicks, how about you spell it to me?

WHAT THE LIVING F*CK ARE YOU DOING WITH A P IN THERE INSTEAD OF A T?

No I didn’t say that but boy did the thought cross my tonsils before I bit my lip. Well after finally getting the name correct, we find me in the system – in So Cal, not Nor Cal, where it should be – and they decide they’ll help me get towed a whole 4 feet to dry, solid pavement. Now it’s just a matter of getting my location…

Where am I? At the end of a dead-end road that has no name, about a mile off the freeway off an exit that I don’t know the name (I only follow the brown Park signs), in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, this is a great exercise. Well she’s got the internet (I hear it’s a wonderful thing), and she says she’s been trying to use google maps all day without success. She says it has been quitting on her all day, must be the weather (no, it’s your computer, c’mon!). She keeps telling me she can’t look it up, is there any way I can remember the name of the street that doesn’t have a sign, meanwhile I’m hearing the tick-tock of minutes fly by on my pay-as-you-go mobile phone that’s running low on minutes as it is, begging her to just open up the damn map program and type in the name of the wildlife reserve.

Finally she tries again and wouldn’t you know it works. She finds my location and the street names (Pound street? Really?), and I think in another minute or two that I’ll be rescued, right? Oh no, she’s not done with this fancy internet thing yet. She wants to see if she can find the address for the reserve, the one that’s at the end of a dead-end street anyway, and could easily be described as “at the end of the dead-end.” Well this fails miserably as I told her it probably would (“please don’t do that, there’s two different reserves with the same name 15 miles apart”), and she’s no longer looking at the right screen with the street names.

Well time ticks on, and I eventually get her to just call it in as “The end of the dead-end street.” She gives me the reference # – which I don’t think will matter as I’m probably out of minutes now anyway but whatever – and tells me it’ll be 45 minutes. This after almost 40 minutes on the phone with her.

And with that the story’s almost complete. Except that I have to mention that when the tow truck guy got there, he was surprised that I didn’t have any ID, a AAA card, or anything else other than tattoos to identify me. You know, you’d have thunk that with everything considered in this particular case, that might be important info to give to the guy coming to pull me out. Seeing as how they typically need that stuff when they get there, you know? Apparently not.



Odd Timing award of the night
Speaking of how I feared my minutes would run out mid-rescue-conversation, about 2 minutes after I got off the phone with my lovely AAA roadside assistance agent, I get a call from Virgin Mobile that it’s time to “top up” my phone’s minutes.

Guess they watch that stuff like hawks, eh?

Peace.

Tags: earth conditions, hate

Another reason I question my commitment to photography in-depth: it takes time. Having “good” equipment means having it in a good bag so as to make sure it stays good equipment. The stuff is big (at least bigger), lots of switches, dials, etc.

I cut my finger pretty gnarly today at work. I had intended to show you a picture of it here, but I’m too damn lazy and it’s not a big enough deal to go to the office, break out the bag, get the camera, put the right lens on, get the settings correct (lighting, shutter speed, ISO ratings, white balance), etc. So instead I’m just not going to show you. Take that, fellow readers. Random bob cares about you.

The Girl often takes pictures of small scenes with her phone camera. I cringe at the sight of her breaking it out to do that, because to me it’s only good enough for emergency purposes, taking pictures of a scene after a car accident (which we did, actually), things of that nature. But of our garden? Our Kids? Are you freakin’ kidding me?

Yeah well she may have the right idea. If I gave up the big flashy 10 gajillion megapixel camera for a pocketable Canon Elf or something, I could take a quick pic and load it no problem to the computer to put on the web. Shit, maybe even get one with Bluetooth (it’s a wireless connection type) and make the process REAL simple. Sure I’d be giving up quality, adjustment options, & coolness points. But I’d probably use it more. I’d be like a Japanese tourist or something.

Shit. Maybe I should stick with my photo hobby then, huh?



Have idea, need funding
OK, so I’ve got a crazy idea to get into the Republican Bashing bumper sticker business. I’ve got a great idea for it, but I don’t want to give it away right now. Let’s just say that a certain political party will not like me even less than they probably currently do. Which is fine. I like thinking for myself, and doing so critically.

So who wants to donate? You always here about those venture capitalists, right? Lots of money and stuff? Hey, now’s your chance! Hop on this bandwagon before the wheels break off!

That hardly sounded enticing, huh? Maybe I’ll re-word that when I send out the flyers.



More Republican Bashing? What now?
So bush (capitalization meaningful) isn’t only dumb, he’s also one of those guys that likes to take credit for things that he had nothing to do with. You know the type, you’re at a party, they mention that they’re an architect, then start to talk about some huge span of Bridge in France, in such a fashion as to insinuate they had anything to do with it. Like it was their idea.

Yeah well, recently bush (capitalization meaningful) spilled the beans that the US is the only industrialized nation to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Except everyone but him pretty much agrees that HE had nothing to do with it, it was more a factor of an unseasonably warm Winter (read article). Even his administration dances around the absurdity of the comment.

Unless of course he wants to take credit for Global Warming, him and his Oil Buddies. Then maybe yeah, I’ll let him lay claim to it.

Peace.

Tags: Technology, earth conditions, hate, Politics

Tags: earth conditions, Animals

I LOVE thunder & Lightning. We’re not talking Garth Brooks here, folks, we’re talking the real deal. Yep, as of a few hours ago, that is the official forecast for my area.

Read it and weep.

I have no idea why I like it. It’s actually kind of scary. Sounds like an earthquake making its way to us at times. But the laser light show with full surround-sound support is worth it. And thankfully, our animals are sharp enough to grasp that if we’re not afraid, then neither should they be.


Death of a Salesman
OK, so manager or not, a large portion of my day still consists of sales. And as I was on the phone today with some dufus that felt the compelling need to explain that his son’s name was the same as mine, and then even continue further to let me know he was only 5 – in case I was confused and thought maybe I was his son – and also countless other unimportant fact-lets regarding his life, I couldn’t help but picture the rest of my life like that. I’d be one gray 30 y/o, that’s for sure.

We’ve been slow the last few months. Not necessarily slower than normal for this time of year, but ‘tis the season to pick up volume-wise. And we are. And it’s good, because as I still have some commision-based salary, I could use the help. Downside, of course, is that I’m more likely to have to talk to people. And as my stepfather would say, I do not suffer fools gladly.

Roughly translated, that means I hate stupid people. I think it's latin or something.


Tonsilloliths
I DID NOT make that word up. It’s real. Really. Check it out. I did, however, discover that this is what I have been experiencing for the last 5 years or so of my life. Gross, huh? Are you glad I shared? You should be! Dammit! How often do you get to get dibs on information like that!? Hell, if I ever run for president or something, you may be able to use it against me. In a court of law or something. K, maybe not, but now you can point and laugh as I walk down the street.

But don’t let me catch you; otherwise I may through a tonsillolith at you.

Gross. Peace.

Tags: earth conditions