as simple as it should be...

Eagle Cam from Sidney, B.C. | CBC Screech Hollow | Feature | CBC British Columbia

2010-05-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Eagle Cam from Sidney, B.C. | CBC Screech Hollow | Feature | CBC British Columbia

Share the Crazy Cheezy Dream

2010-03-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Teamwork

2010-03-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

With all the divisiveness in our society these days, I thought we could all use some inspiration to work together.

4 Hands VS 1 Guitar - Funny videos are here

Hilarious!

2010-03-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Space Sushi / Happy Pi Day!

2010-03-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of Pi Day (3.14), the coolest nerd in the world:
Who says astronauts aren't cool anymore? Sure, the diaper girl ruined it for a while, but this guy rocks! First, Soichi Noguchi invented space sushi. Check it out:

I want is so bad I can taste it!!! Space Sushi, Space Sushi, Space Sushi.

Then, this beautiful bastard tops himself by posting amazing photos from orbit on TwitPic no less!
If the American space program were this good at self-promotion, they wouldn't have to make up fake plans to land on mars every five years just to get funding.

Aaron Ramsey Arsenal Injury

2010-02-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you who think soccer is less dangerous than american football... Aaron Ramsey disagrees with you today. For the record, I have a cousin also named Aaron Ramsey, but this is not him (you can relax mom). That said, this is really sad for the very talented young Welsh player. The poor Arsenal veterans seemed shocked. They must have felt like they were experiencing deja vu; they watched their teammate Eduardo da Silva break his leg similarly two years ago almost to the day! The odds of two such horrific injuries happening on the same team in only a few years must be astronomical.
I also feel really bad for Ryan Shawcross who made the challenge. He was clearly distraught, and they wouldn't show the replay on TV, but I read that in slow-motion the challenge doesn't look to be very malicious. The coach of the England National team must agree, because he reviewed the tape and decided to select Shawcross for the national team anyway.

That reminds me of an injury that happened last year... the difference being that this defender, Axel Witsel, definately had intent to injure. He only got an 8 game suspension, but it should have been more; he clearly looks down and intentionally stomps on the guys leg. Don't watch this if you have a weak stomach!

NBC Ruins the Olympics... And Loses Loads of Cash Doing It

2010-02-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy the Olympics are almost over. I love the winter olympics, but NBC's coverage has been almost unwatchable. First, it is nearly impossible to find the broadcast time an channel of the event you want to watch -- unless you want to watch figure skating. In which case, there is no hope for you. Second, it feels like for every twenty broadcast minutes, you see about 4 minutes of actual competition. I don't have time for that. If you are going to tape delay something, edit it up nice and tight so I can see see the whole competition in thirty minutes. If you do that, I will gladly watch all your commercials. I won't sit through Bob Costas or some lame slice-of-life piece. And I won't dvr 15 hours a day just to fast forward ninety percent of it. Hopefully, NBC runs out of cash soon, so ABC/ESPN can get the Olympics some time in the future.

So Many Games!!! I love you NCAA.

2010-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

I take back most of my disparagement of the NCAA over the last few years. Much to my wife's chagrin, the NCAA have made available online every tournament game from the Sweet 16 on from the last decade. Get it Here. So many games, so little time. I see declining productivity in my future. I'm currently watching the 2000 Final Four Game between Florida and UNC

Danish Coach Costs Star Skater Certain Gold

2010-02-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

So you are a veteran, gold medal winning speed skater. In fact, you are a national hero in the Netherlands where, believe it or not, speed skating is the second most popular sport (soccer is #1). In that case, NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR JACKASS COACH!!!! Actually, you have to give the guy some love. In the end, he refuses to blame his coach for costing him the gold, saying "we did it wrong". Mr Kramer you are my new hero. You are clearly a better man than -- well, than I am. Not only are you a beast of an athlete, you have the character and emotional maturity to the what is right in the most difficult of circumstances. As for your coach, he had better watch his back when his flight lands in Amsterdam... Someone may try stone him with tulip bulbs or decapitate him on a windmill blade.

Thundercats Script Leaked

2010-02-23T06:07:00.001-08:00

I don't really care, but I know some people who do.... so here's a link to the leaked script of the upcoming Thundercats movie. Normally, I refer to features as "films", but I can assure you this will be a movie.

Oprah Tries to Wipe off Drew Brees' Birthmark (with video hilarity)

2010-02-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Oprah thinks Drew Brees' birthmark is lipstick and tries to wipe it off on national television. WOW! Talk about not doing your job. First of all, anyone who has ever seen Drew Brees knows he has a birth mark. Second, Oprah clearly never met or talked to Drew before the interview, and none of her producers thought to mention the mark to her. Oops!

Contemplating work on your day off

2010-02-21T06:41:00.000-08:00

Here's the first of what I'm sure will be many links devoted to TED:
Mike Rowe celebrates dirty jobs | Video on TED.com

Conan Tour Coming to a City Near You?

2010-02-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

Online media outlets are reporting that Conan O'Brien may be taking his show on the road to do a live tour in the US and Europe. Read here: Conan O'Brien update

Frightened Rabbit

2010-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Scottish band Frightened Rabbit have been on heavy rotation on my music player over the last few years. I just clamped my skull in a vice grip to keep my head from exploding in anticipation over their forthcoming album release this spring.
I'm also trying to devise a diabolical plan for getting out of work in May to see them at the Fillmore in SF.
Here's a video of a old song

Here I go again on my own...

2010-02-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

After a long absence.....

...

...

a long, long absense...

I'm back and scouring the internets for stuff that might interest you.

Christmas insanity

2007-12-05T05:52:00.001-08:00

If you are reading this post right now, you are lucky. I am living this post, and it hurts. Every year my wife arbitrarily decides when Christmas time starts, and then proceeds to immediately lose her mind. She shrugs off all of her responsibilities so that she can be completely dedicated to only doing Christmas related activities. Needless to say, I was worried when I realized that Thanksgiving was on the earliest possibly date this year, leaving open the possibility of the longest Christmas insanity ever. Thankfully, she waited until this week to begin the holiday season, but she is quickly making up for lost time. On monday night she made me get a tree and decorate it in the same night! Finally, about 10 pm I gave up and went to bed; I have no idea how late she was up decorating.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

2007-11-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here in total silence contemplating how sad it is that Fresno seems much nicer from the inside of a hospital room. Of course, the Fresno Surgery Hospital makes the Ritz look like Motel 6, so thats not too much of a insult. My mom just had total hip replacement surgery, so I'm here and Julie's at home taking care of all the animals... oh, yeah, and working a little too. I keep thinking to myself, wasn't I here a year ago. A little over a year ago I was in Fresno when my brother was hospitalized and my mom's husband left within the same few days. I thought we had finally gotten through everything, and now my mom has a hip replacement and my grandfather has lung cancer.
I have to admit that my thoughts often go back to that day a little over a year ago when I wrote this post. Some good contemplation there on my part, and encouraging to think about. Here is my happy thought that gets me through the day: Kota, my dog. The best dog in the world!

Scooter Bonds??

2007-11-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Does the White House really have nothing better to do than make statements about how disappointed they are in Barry Bonds? I'm actually very surprised. I thought lying to grand juries was par for the course at the White House. In fact, I assume that if Bonds is convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice, President Bush will commute his sentence. Right Scooter?

2007-10-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, ladies, Cosmo gives really bad advice. Here's how to destroy your relationship (Cosmo-style). Worst advice ever!

Could this be true?

2007-10-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I'm too lazy to sit down for 5 minutes to post on my blog, but these people rescued a penguin, nursed it back to health, and trained it to go to the store for them. I don't know if I can believe it. But it was on TV so it must be true!

Bugger Off!

2007-10-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here's something for all of you who resent my lack of posting. (Beware some bad language)

I have been busy enjoying soccer.

2007-09-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that most Americans would rather have MacGyver around in an emergency than any other TV or movie hero. Question: Why do people in New Zealand care?

Just plain sad.

2007-09-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Crazy. I came across this story about a guy who spent days building a guillotine with which to end his own life. Lets just say, he was successful. I thought to myself, this has to be truly odd and unusual. Then I found even more stories of men doing this. The most amazing thing to me is that these people often spend days building these large, elaborate devices without arising suspicion from anyone. Sad.

Kevin Everett

2007-09-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

This story is absolutely amazing. We hear so often about scientific research that will have an impact on medicine, but it is sometimes difficult to see how it will impact the lives of people. Everyone who has played football at any level knows that you walk on the field knowing full well that you may break your neck and never walk again, or may even die. Breakthroughs in medical and emergency response are making that much less likely. Fifteen or twenty years ago, Kevin Everett would have likely died from his injuries. Even five years ago, he would have likely been paralyzed for life. Thanks to the efforts of emergency responders and medical professionals, and to some new treatments, Everett moved his arms and legs today, and has a good chance of making a full recovery.
Many of the techniques used were developed by the Miami Project.

Cheater Cheater Bundchen Eater!

2007-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you are a football team who cheats by using a video camera to steal defensive signals. Then, one game you get totally caught, but, amazingly, you get away with it... Most likely because the NFL doesn't want to tarnish the legacy of its most recent dynasty. Can you say "cover up"? An intelligent person would wipe his brow, take a deep breath, thank the Lord (or the devil with whom you made a deal) you got away with it, and never risk doing it gain. I mean, if you got caught once, it would surely happen again. That logic was clearly lost on the Patriots who clearly cheated this weekend. As far as I'm concerned, they have cheated in every game they've won in the last 10 years. Good luck proving they didn't.

And Jimmie, I know what you are going to say. At least they never got caught. Much less twice!

Moving Day

2007-09-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

helping my brother move to Oakland this weekend... Julie just said, "You don't have to point out my wrongness for everything I say." Wrong again. Luckily, she is eating donuts, so she can't be mad. Plus, I have lots of goodwill built up right now after buying her this cool machine.

2007-09-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

I was just getting ready for bed tonight, when I got an email from a friend of mine. He is in the army and he just got to Afghanistan. I know that we have been at war (sort of, I guess not officially according to some) for years now, and there are people that I know or have known who have been serving. This is the first time I can say that one of my friends, who I communicate with and try to see regularly, is an active participant. It is a strange feeling. There are a number of complex issues involved in the whole situation, and my feelings are even more conflicted by some issues surrounding my friend's enlistment. I guess it just really brings home a situation that I have spent so much time thinking and talking with others about. Whether or not it changes any of your positions, it just feels totally different thinking about the war when someone you care about is actively involved in fighting it. I haven't totally thought through all my emotions; I just hope he's safe.

Who has time for kids?

2007-08-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, we have quite full house of animals. For those who don't know, I will briefly run down the list.
1)D'Wayne - cat - the elder statesman of our animals at the house, he is an indoor cat who loves attention from people and insists on sleeping in our bed every night even though I am allergic to cats.
2)Kota - Border Collie/Australian Shepherd Mix - He is our calm and gentle dog. He good and lives to please and get attention from his people. His downsides are that he likes to find things that died a long time ago and roll around in them, and sometimes he is a little neurotic.
3)Daisy - 8 month old border collie - Crazy! Always into everything. Digs, chews, jumps on, pulls over. Cute and ornery.
4)Fishtank - 55 gallons - I currently have 6 very active fish and 2 crayfish. I am really happy with this tank, but the crayfish destroy everything and make a lot of waste. I am constantly changing water, replacing plants, cleaning algae, clearing filters, etc.
5)Sweetie - Mustang (the horse, not the car) - Julie got Sweetie years ago. We plan to build a corral by our house, but for now she lives at Julie's Grandma's. She's a lot of fun and really only needs to be fed twice a day and visited by the farrier occasionally. When it isn't too hot, Julie tries to ride her or work her out at least once a week. I used to do it too, but developed a severe horse allergy last year and can't really do it any more.

Now that you have the stats, you might be saying, "that isn't so much." Well, after working at least 10 hours a day (including many saturdays), when you get home and it is 108 outside, taking care of all the pets sometimes feels like a little more than I can handle. The dogs are always into some kind of trouble, and everywhere I try to lay down there is cat hair. Well, now there is another one. Julie's family got 4 new bred heifers a while back and the first one gave birth this week. The calf seems fine, but the mother got all messed up during labor and died yesterday. Now Julie is hand feeding the calf and we are hoping it will live. Maybe she will take some pictures tomorrow and post them.

Random Madness

2007-08-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to make the best Jeopardy player I know even better. Study up Ed!

Here's a link for the girl who loves evil cats (all cats really, but especially evil ones). Seriously, when she sees an angry cat, she laughs uncontrollably. She loves this video:

She likes this one even more:

Here's a link for Jimmie

How about a novelty mint? One for the Woo dy's, and one that would go great with eggs.

An Apple a Day

2007-08-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back and better than ever. Kudos to Apple for the super-speedy service. I called them one day, received a box in the mail the next day, sent my laptop in the next day, and got it back 2 days later totally fixed at no cost to me. Bravo! I honestly don't know how their service could be improved. Perfection is the goal, excellence will be tolerated.

2007-08-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the MacBook is going back to Mac for repairs. Luckily, it looks like they are covered under warranty. Hopefully, I will be back up and running by next wednesday. Not having the internet is so hard. Its amazing how you take things for granted until you don't have them.

Doh!

2007-08-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry. My internet totally took a crap on me. It will likely be a few weeks before I get it back, but I will still try to post whenever I can. I plan on using other people's internet as much as possible. I'm using my in-laws computer right now. (I can't talk right now, we are being watched)

Becks Debut? Running blog

2007-08-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Beckham finally made his MLS debut today. Here is my running blog of the game:

Pregame: Ok, so Becks won't start, but is expected to play as a sub. Regardless of that, the Galaxy need to start winning games if they want to make the playoffs. Imagine, after all the tickets sold and TV attention the team doesn't even make the playoffs. They had better do well in the SuperLiga then.

Starting Line-ups: Ok, who needs Beckham? Galaxy should easily win this game based upon the starting 11's, but will they play organized at all?

Minute 1: Wow, the pitch looks terrible. MLS will be so much better off when teams no longer play in multi-use stadiums. I don't even know how they can dribble on that pitch.

Minute 5: This has nothing to do with soccer, but Julie just made me some homemade chocolate chip cookies. mmmmmm!

Minute 25: I am working on some changes to my template while I watch the game. Why do I feel like I am being subliminally influenced by the new galaxy uniforms?

Minute 28: DC goal. Very poor goalkeeping. Maybe LA can learn from that; put the ball on frame and see if the keeper makes a mistake. Have they even taken a shot yet?

Minute 29: Thinking about Ed. What a lucky guy. A galaxy fan from the get-go. Not only does his team still exist (mine was SJ, but they should be back in a year or two), they will be on TV all the time now in out-of-area places like fresno.

Minute 32: At least they are doing the picture in picture to show Becks on the bench. I felt like I missed so much of the action in the Chelsea exhibition. They just announced the attendance 46,686. Wow. More than the Nationals usually draw at RFK.

Half: I'm sleepy. Should I even watch the second half? This is just really ugly soccer. LA looks like a rec league team. Their organization is terrible.

Minute 50: I haven't seen much Landon Donovan heckling. I hear they were brutal in Toronto this week. Every time he touched the ball they would throw pink streamers at him. HA HA!

Minute 52: Harms just got slammed. That was a stupid foul. Harms just got harmed. Isn't it ironic.

Minute 67: Martino just slid from behind for no reason. Baffling. There must be something between these players. That was shocking. It looked like there was clear intent to injure. The Referee really had no choice there. That is a textbook automatic red card.

Minute 71: They are bringing Beckham in. This is clearly just to appease the fans. The weather is terrible, they are a man down, and there is no way Beckham will help them win this game.

Minute 65: They just cut away from about a minute of play to show Becks walking around in a suit before the game. What were they thinking? ESPN, hire a director who knows how to broadcast soccer. Fire the guy who directed this game. Also fire Eric Wynalda. He is a cunt. That's right. I said it: cunt, cunt, cunt. Luckily, no one is reading this boring post anymore so it will go entirely unnoticed.

Final: Thank God its over. Maybe Becks can teach his mates how to play before their next match. Notes to Frank Yallop: No Organization. Terrible Finishing. Stupid Red Cards. Keep it up and you won't be able to find a coaching job in AYSO next year.

BARCLAY'S ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

2007-08-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness the Premier League starts again in two days. I know none of you care, but you can all go.......... Okay, sorry about that. It has been a long summer of depressingly poor football on the television. Maybe now I can actually watch a game where the tv coverage shows more of the action than the injured player on the bench (was that movie called Bend it Like Beckham or Bench it Like Beckham? I can't remember.) Lots of dramatic story lines in the Premier League. If I have the energy, I might write about some in the future. Even if I don't, none of you will care.

Feeling Crabby

2007-08-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

I think the Giants should bring back the Crazy Crab. Who's that? He was a sort of anti-mascot they had for only one season in the 80's. I know they still have the costume; he made a cameo in I think '98, but he hasn't been seen since. They should bring the crazy crab back next year. Why not? the Dodgers have the Crazy Pig.

All this just so I could get in a crack about Lasorda being a crazy pig. Ah, the lengths to which I will go to make Jimmie mad.

Last crab siting:

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

2007-07-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

BRAVO! There's nothing I love more than seeing someone inexplicably compromise their morals. How did you go from hating to participating? Well, anyway, welcome WOODY.

Ironic

2007-07-28T04:01:00.000-07:00

It turns out the FCC is giving some pretty crazy call letters out to broadcasters now. Under the recent indecency crackdown, I'm pretty sure the FCC bans these stations from broadcasting the actual name it gave them. I'm not even going to post what the names are for fear that my mother will come wash my keyboard out with soap! You'll have to check them out for yourself here (check the comments for even more examples). I would love to hear if anyone knows of any others.

Happy Gilmore

2007-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Jimmie,
I finally found it!

New Poll: David Beckham

2007-07-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

New poll question up today. Check it out. Feel free to comment if you don't like the voting options you are given in a poll.

World Dominaton

2007-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wow. I guess you never really know someone. It turns out that my wife is a communist sympathizer. She has taken over a Soviet sub and is leading a revolution to return Russia to comunist rule. Don't believe me? Fine, here's some photographic evidence. I am willing to swear under oath that this photo was taken on a Soviet sub and has not been doctored in any way.

Who is Ron Paul?

2007-07-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

I think I may have found the candidate I will be voting for in the next presidential primary... seriously. I'm not one for soapboxing, but I think everyone should at least check out his website and think about some of the issues involved. I certainly don't agree with all of his positions, nor do I think he will win the next election, but I hope that supporting him will help open some eyes about how needlessly huge the federal government is and how much money and liberty it is costing all of us. RonPaul2008

My Simpsons family portrait

2007-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what you would look like if you were in The Simpsons. Now you can find out. You can create your own avatar at simpsonsmovie.com
Here's what Julie and I might look like...

Can I come too?

2007-07-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Hello there little missy. It seems nobody told you the bandwagon was full. Well, hop on then."
Still poking and prodding, but Julie has authorized me to announce her new blog is up and running. Visit her at julerton.blogspot.com

What the.....?

2007-07-08T09:50:00.001-07:00

Very creative... Tunnel House. Maybe if these guys spent less time recreating their Science Fiction fantasies their house wouldn't be getting demolished.

News and Notes

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

News and Notes:

Julie is tinkering with a new blog for herself. Its not ready yet, but stay tuned for more info later. I am also working on some updates for my blog. I have added a new poll feature on the sidebar. I intend to update the question weekly and am really interested in gauging the opinions of my readers on what I hope will be some interesting issues. This week's is just a silly, stupid poll for the purposes of set-up. I promise better polls to come, and I hope to add more upgrades that will enrich the reading experience very soon. Please vote so I can see how many people will be interested in this feature.

Checklist

2007-07-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Lets see -- Dogs? Check.
All the crap for the dogs? Check.
Wife? Check.
Clothes? Check.
Crap to pick up dog crap? check.
Rental car to hold all the crap? Check.

Well, we finally made it to Fresno. Gotta get going if we want to make this guy's show tonight. Really excited to see more of his work. More news of Fresno to follow. Yes I rented an SUV, and, yes, I am ashamed. Feel free to call greenpeace on me.

US Border Fence Accidentally Built in Mexico

2007-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Oops. A US border fence was accidentally built on Mexican Soil. On the one hand, its never good to illegally enter another country and set up what is technically part of a military installation. Mexico has every right to ask them to remove it and seek some sort of damages for the intrusion. On the other hand, this is out in the middle of nowhere. It seems like the respective governments own most of that property and aren't using it for anything other than a border. What real difference would it make to move the fence 6 feet in one direction or another. I think the best solution would be for the US government to apologize and offer to lease the land from the often cash-strapped Mexican government for the going rate in the area. It seems like most of the land in the area is semi-arid farmland. Guessing how much farmland leases for in that area, I would say that leasing the land for maybe even 40 or 50 years would be cheaper than moving the fence. After that time both governments could reassess their positions, so to speak. Plus, Mexico would get some money out of the deal. But, of course, governments don't always do the logical thing. I'm sure this will take a long time to resolve and end up costing the United States taxpayers lots of money.

Slow day on the beat, Officer?

2007-06-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Think people are mean? Think the government is unfair? Just be thankful you don't live in Toronto...

News Anchor Freaks Out

2007-06-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

I've watched this several times and I can't figure out if this is staged or real? I'm all for standing up for what you believe in, but aren't there bigger issues to take a stand against. Also, didn't she make the story even bigger than if she had just read the copy as quickly as she could and moved on to the next story. If it is real, I at least have to give her some credit for realizing that there are more important things to report on than PH and having the balls to do something like that. Fight the Power!

Hope for the Future

2007-06-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

It looks like some of the best and brightest high school students had a message for the President yesterday.

Survival of the fittest

2007-06-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there's this show that I'm totally obsessed with-- Man vs. Wild.
This guy is totally my hero. Anyway, the other day my wife asked me what I would do with my life if I could do anything i wanted. I didn't have an answer, but I just realized that I would probably do what this guy does. Except I don't think I could. Well it turns out I can do one thing he does...we both blog on blogspot.

oops

2007-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been very busy lately. I know that is a very overused excuse, but this time it is actually true. Anyway, I had to take a few hours off work to take Daisy to the vet after she had a fall today. She broke all 4 bones in one of her little puppy paws. She will be having surgery on Thursday, followed by a few weeks of difficult recovery. The vet gave her some pain medication, so she came home all drowsy today. I did manage to wake her up long enough to show her splint to the camera.

Presidential Myspace

2007-05-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

The current President doesn't have one, but many of the candidates running for president in '08 have Myspace pages. Most are very odd and awkward to say the least. Some border on bizarre. Today I will link to Mitt Romney. I think he is the first Mormon on Myspace. The comments section is very odd. Lots of incoherent thoughts and very poor spelling/typing. You can find out his favorite music groups and books, though. I think its safe to say he is the first and only governor of the great state of Mass. to list Brooks & Dunn as one of his favorite musical groups.

Well since you asked...

2007-05-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Furniture by Adam Wall

This guy made us some amazing tables. Check them out here.

A different kind of "Handy Manny"

2007-05-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have already seen this, but I was shocked to learn that some customers in New Jersey tuned into the Disney Channel only to find pornography. Comcast was to blame, not Disney. Check out the story.

Taxes

2007-05-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Wow. On my last paycheck I had $729 dollars withheld for taxes, social security, etc. The majority taken out was for federal income tax. In fact, so far this year I have paid more in federal income tax than on any single living expense. I pay more in federal income tax than I pay for rent, transportation, food or health care.

A GREAT SEGUE

2007-04-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

So Boris Yeltsin died yesterday... in related news, I have been listening to an indie band for a while now called Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin . I would say that anyone who liked the old Weezer sound might like them, but that doesn't totally define them. They are in SF today and somewhere around LA LA Land tomorrow. I wish I could go, but I have to be responsible and work.

Page Updates

2007-04-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

In an effort to make my page more entertaining, I am tinkering with some upgrades and changes. I have added a link to some video in the upper right hand corner of my blog. If you click on one of the images, the video will play at the top of my page. I'm going to try it out by featuring some music I am currently listening to. One warning: I am not responsible for the video content featured. The videos are automatically chosen by google from search terms I enter. I check it as best I can, but don't blame me if some weird S & M video accidently hops up there. Anywho, hope some of you enjoy some music I'm listening to lately.

2007-04-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've mentioned it, but my wife loves The Office. Here's a clip from next weeks episode.

2007-04-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

It seems I've come down with a stomach ailment so I'm not sure if we will make it to MCC or not.

MCC

2007-04-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone going to MCC this weekend? I think Julie and I will drive up on Saturday morning.

feel scrambled?

2007-03-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, your day was shit. You can only console yourself by finding ways to fit both "your" and you're" into the same sentence. Oh, and by checking out these pictures.

Julie and dogs

2007-03-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Farm Pond Fishing

2007-03-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

We had to build a small pond behind our house for irrigation on the farm. We plan to stock it with fish and hope there will be some good fishing out there. In order to give the fish a more acceptable habitat, I designed some structure and put it in. I was hoping to include some pictures, but blogger is being stupid right now. In other news, Julie cut her hair. If anyone comments something like "why didn't you put up a picture of her new hairstyle?" I will explode in a fit of rage. Isn't it funny how technology can make you so angry sometimes. Anyway, she cut off a 10 inch braid to donate to Locks of Love.

Around the World

2007-03-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been fishing in Mexico for almost a week. The fishing wasn't very good, and I'm glad to be home. Other than that, I haven't had time for anything other than work, home, pets, wife. Not in that order. Hey, did I just hear that Switzerland invaded Liechtenstein?

Dog Days of February?

2007-02-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we got our new puppy! Her name is Daisy, and she is a border collie. We think she is between 6 and 8 weeks old. She came to us from a shepherd with whom the farm does business. I am hoping that she has some herding instincts so that maybe I could learn to work dogs with sheep or even cattle. Daisy and Kota are already getting along pretty well. They both slept in the laundry room last night without any major problems. Daisy is adorably and loves to be cuddled and held by people. Thankfully, Julie had the day off today, and I think she held that puppy almost all day. Daisy has already latched onto her. I was hoping to update my Flick'r account with some pictures, but I seems to be down right now. I guess I will have to post a few here now.

Julie and Daisy on our brand new lawn

Dana, Kota and little Daisy

Kota is still my buddy. I didn't have to drive too much for work today, so he got to spend the whole day with me. That was fun. He is really getting excited about digging in gopher holes, and he falls asleep at my feet every night while Julie and I watch tv.

Update City

2007-02-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure you can tell, I've finally switched over. I am actually very happy with the switch because now my mac browser can do all the simple things you all have been able to do for all of eternity. I can change my font, size, color, and many other things. Stay tuned while I blow your mind....

What the ....?

2007-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

Check this out. winmysoul.com

Woodworking

2007-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so on the farm we are having a bit of a gopher problem. The problem is there are too many of them, and they really mess things up. So we have been trying to get rid of them, with very little success. So I am building these owl houses that will hopefully attract more owls to the area to eat more gophers. I have discovered that I'm not very good at working with wood on anything that needs extreme precision. Granted, I'm not exactly working with professional tools, but I would really like to be able to cut a straight line. It would be great if I cut 6 pieces that fit together in a cube perfectly, with all the edges perfect. No matter how hard I try, I simply can't do it. Needless to say I really admire how hard it is to do what this guy does.

2007-01-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

We made it back from our trip. It was a lot of fun. I thought I would include a picture of one of the highlights.

This is actually really cool. Julie got to pet and feed some dolphins. Who can say they've done that?

I Feel Betrayed

2007-01-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

Is nothing sacred anymore? The internet is ruining the world. I guess you never really know someone. The other day Julie and I went to Sea World and really enjoyed watching a couple of Beluga whales swim in their enclosure. Now, sure enough, I find out that even they have a sex video! I demand that Sea World take them off exhibit immediately. A family organization like the one that owns Sea World (Anheuser-Busch) cannot be promoting this kind of pollution of our morality. I am outraged!

Playoffs

2007-01-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Charger mania is gripping San Diego. All week there have literally been half a dozen huge Chargers celebrations a various locations throughout the city per day! The game doesn't start until 1:30, and there was already a huge traffic jam to get to the stadium at 7 am this morning. The gates weren't even open yet, but literally thousands of cars were lined up waiting to be allowed in to tailgate.
As for the game, I don't know who will win, but the Chargers clearly have the better team. If you look at it from a matchup perspective, the Chargers win at most positions. It remains to be seen, however, if the Patriots have a game plan to neutralize this disadvantage.
So much has been made of San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer's playoof record. For those of you who have been in a cave for two weeks, he's got 200 carrer wins (a hall of fame type number), but is only 5-12 in the playoffs with no Super Bowl Wins. Most analysts say this makes him less of a good coach, but I disagree.
Coaches get their teams ready to play on a weekly basis. Great players win playoff games. Schottenheimer has coached some less than great teams into the playoffs, but they simply didn't have the talent to win in the playoffs. Other coaches wouldn't even have gotten some of those teams into the playoffs. To me, this shows that Schottenheimer is a great coach, and I think he has the talent to at least get to the Super Bowl this year.

Woman Dies From Radio Station Contest

2007-01-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Can this story possibly be true? If it is, this may be the most damage a radio station contest has ever done.

2007-01-13T20:08:00.001-08:00

If you ever go to San Diego, go to the Bali Hai for dinner. Call and make a reservation for a table by the windows at a time you know will be after dark. Beautiful view. They also are a great value. Julie and I both had drinks, crab cakes, dinners that included soup and salad, a dessert and coffee. I was shocked when I got the bill (in a good way for once). It was the cheapest meal we have had since we left Bakersfield. The food was top-notch, and the service was great too! It was so good, we are honestly considering eating every meal there for the rest of the trip. This place is seriously amazing. It would be worth an expensive dinner for the view alone. Yet the food is also great and totally underpriced for what we have experienced in the city so far. I highly recommend this place.

Also, Julie looked really beautiful tonight, but she always does.

check it out at BaliHairestaurant.com (don't know why blogger won't let me hyperlink right now)

Soccer in America

2007-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

The big news today is that David Beckham will be coming to MLS and playing for the LA galaxy for a reported $250 million. I don't know how the league can afford it, and I think that it makes some crazy assumptions about how much of the contract will be covered in endorsement money. But I leave all the talk about this to the sports stations; Sportscenter anchors love talking about this just so they can bring up Victoria and show scantily clad pictures of her.
In terms of the international game tapping into the American market, I think there is a much more interesting story. With the news that Clint Dempsey has been approved for a work visa in the UK, EPL team Fulham now has 3 current or former US national team players in their team (I think Brian Mcbride technically retired from the national team after the World Cup). Word has also been out for weeks that Fulham are also pursuing a transfer for US player Oguchi Onyewu who is currently playing in Belgium. The question is, with so much quality talent out there, why so much interest in US talent from Fulham. A likely reason is that they are finding US talent highly undervalued internationally. What they get out of McBride is a steal for what they pay him. Maybe they just are finding that they can get good US players for cheaper than their international equivalents. Then again, the $4 million they paid for the unproven Dempsey certainly seems like more of a gamble than a frugal tactical move. I think its possible that they are hoping to tap into a growing US market for top-tier soccer. There are a handful of cable channels that now regularly broadcast premier league games in the US, and some of the ratings numbers indicate that more people in the US want to watch the EPL than the MLS. Can you blame them? It is possible that Fulham could parlay some of these US national players into a loyal fan following in America. Time will only tell.

Mobile Blogger

2007-01-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

Julie and I are visiting San Diego for our anniversary. We just arrived at our hotel and my mobile wireless internet works great. My plan is to blog every night, but I don't know if I will make it. We didn't really do anything today except drive. We packed and left this morning, stopped at the store for a few last minute travel items, and spent some serious time in traffic. We also ate at "Il Fornaio" in Del Mar. I know that this is a chain, so its not like I'm reviewing a local place. The food was good and the view of the sea was beautiful. We had a corner table upstairs in the glass-walled, covered patio. There was a great panoramic view of the sea and coastline. I hate places like Del Mar, though. Everyone is so pretentious. Crazy! Its like a different planet these people live on.

New Year's Resolution

2007-01-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year (a little late)! New year's day came and went without much fanfare for me since I went to bed about 9pm on new year's eve so I could get up at 4am to go fishing the next day. My father-in-law and I were in a tournament. We came in 5th place out of 31 boats. In this tournament 5th place payed off, so I won money for the first time ever in a fishing tournament. We almost won back the money we paid to enter the tournament. Anyway, I have 2 resolutions for this year. Sleep more and spend more time with Julie. So far I have been failing miserably at both, but I plan to make up for it soon.

Oh Christmas Tree

2007-01-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Has everyone else taken their Christmas Trees down already? If you had one, that is. We sure haven't. I hope Julie lets me take ours down before June. I took this picture of the tree with the camera in my new computer.

Back in the kick of things

2006-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

I just did the smartest thing I've ever done in my life. I ordered the upgraded sports pack with directTV. Now I get about 30 sports channels including most of the regional Fox Sports channels, and more importantly Fox Soccer Channel. I have already instructed my DVR to record all Premiership games that come on. This moring I watched Fulham (one of my current favorites to watch) play some tough football to gain a draw against a slumping Chelsea in west London. Its huge for Fulham to get a point on the road at one of the best clubs, and its a huge dissapointment for Chelsea to only get one and lose more ground to Man U. Best of all, I watched it on my DVR so I could fast forward through breaks in the action, set ups on corners, etc. I only hope that I have enough time to keep up with the EPL as much as possible this year.

Will it blend?

2006-12-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

have you ever looked at something and thought "I wonder what would happen if I put that in a $825 blender"? Stop what you are doing and go straight to willitblend.com Click on "Don't try this at home," and watch in amazement.

Wireless Blogging

2006-12-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my new Macbook Pro Laptop and my brother getting me the new Verizon Wireless Broadband express card, I am now back on the internet. I never thought I would be blogging totally wireless, but I am doing it right now. I feel like a time traveller living in the not so distant future. I know that wireless internet has existed for quite some time, but the speed (or lack thereof) didn't seem practical to me. This new express card is even faster than I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, Cable broadband is still much faster, but this remarkably close. Now, for all you know, I am writing this anywhere. In my car... in the back yard.. on the toilet... wherever. Just thought I would share my joy with you all.

Happy Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

Merry almost Christmas. This has been an exciting week. It was good to see Jimmie and Christina with their son, Dillon. They were nice enough to make time to come by our new place this weekend. Our other exciting news is that we got a new dog.

His name is Koda, and he is a 13 month old aussie-border collie mix. He stays with me all day on the farm, and then follows Julie around the house all night. Later in the evening, he likes to sit at my feet with his bone while I watch TV. Needless to say, we have already gotten very close to him.
Anyway, hope everyone has a very good holiday. I hope to see some of you in Bakersfield on wednesday.

Christmas time update

2006-12-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok... so I' back -- sort of. I still don't have internet at home yet, but I am resolute to start blogging regularly again. The move has been good. Looking forward to Christmas. I now have DirectTV. Want to get more channels on that. Hoping to order those soon. I am excited that Simpsons Season 9 is on DVD now. Got it yesterday but haven't watched any yet. Hope all is well with all of you.

I wish peace and joy for everyone this holiday season and for all time!

What is wrong with the American heart?

2006-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Our new home passed final inspection and now we can move in. There is still so much work to do and I am exhausted; I honestly cannot comprehend how it will all get done in the next few days. I know it will, though. Posts might be sketchy for the next week while I get moved. Here's something interesting to think about in the interim:

2006-11-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

Thursday is the final inspection for our new place. Hopefully, that means we will be in our new home tomorrow night and moving our stuff in on Saturday. Julie gave our 30 days notice to our landlord today. I can't wait for it all to be over. I have been working myself sick (literally) on the house for at least the last month and we have been waiting for this for almost a year. Note to self: call satelite company tomorrow... must have cable TV as soon as possible!

Toot my own horn

2006-11-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you keeping score at home, my weekend predictions can be scored as follows: NFL games: 2 for 2, Freakish Natural Disasters 0 for 1. It seems Dallas didn't implode as anticipated. Oh well, I can always hope for next week.

Turkey lurkey do

2006-11-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well, our new home in almost done, and I have been doing alot of work myself this last couple of weeks. By the end of the day, I don't even have enough strength in my arms to blog. Yes -- its very sad. Hope to have some pictures up as soon as I can take them. I am very optimistic that the final inspection will happen next week, and hopefully we can move next saturday. This stupid long weekend is causing a frustrating delay right at the end for us. Which makes me think...

Why do we celebrate thanksgiving on a thursday? It seems odd. Some people have to go back to work on friday, and others get a weekend that is, frankly, too long. I understand that this will never change now that friday has become such an important retail day, but I don't think that was originally the case. So does anyone know the original reasoning behind thanksgiving on thursday?

Thanksgiving Football Predictions:
Miami at Detroit
Even Miami can score on Detroits defense, and Detroit can't score on Miami's offense. The only way Detroit gets a touchdown is on a defensive turnover. Its already clear that neither of these teams even has a chance at the playoffs, so who cares. Sleep in and skip this 9:30 game. If you insist on watching, I think taking Miami -3 is a pretty safe bet.

Tampa Bay at Dallas
Of course, the game isn't really "at dallas", since Texas stadium isn't in Dallas. My bold prediction: A freak Texas earthquake implodes Dallas Stadium. Most people escape unharmed. Some minor injuries. Most notably, TO's throat gets hit by falling debris, and his vocal chords must be removed. He can never talk again. Tragically, he hasn't the intelligence to learn sign language, and in a stroke of poetic irony he must spend the rest of his life communicating through interpretive dance.
In addition, his huge contract makes the amount the Cowboys must pay him in workers compensation astronomical. The organization is forced to fold. The Dallas cowboys are no more. Jerry Jones is broke and marries Al Davis for his money. Together they spawn the darkest supervillain the world has ever known.

Denver at Kansas City
This is the night game and, after the tragic events earlier in the day in Dallas, the NFL cancels this game out of respect. Lucky for me, cause this one is tough to call.
Don't worry, by next week they will be saying how the show must go on and the victims would have wanted them to play again as soon as possible. Ok, if I'm wrong and Texas isn't freakishly wiped off the map, KC will roll over the Broncos. I predict they win by at least a touchdown, unless there is bad weather. If the weather is bad, this game could come down to a last minute field goal.

2006-11-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Going to fresno for a couple days while my brother has surgery...

2006-11-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

Well, its that time of year again... I have to make a wish list for my birthday/Christmas. I never used to do this -- at least not since I was about 8 years old, but Julie's family has this tradition where everyone makes Christmas lists. Why do I always find it such a terribly difficult task? I have been sitting at the computer for about 2 hours and have only added 1 item to my list. I thought that tossing back a couple of beers would make the task easier. No such luck. Its just making it harder to read. Andw evem harber to typeee;

Personal Updates & Political Rants

2006-11-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I know I haven't posted in a while... I have been very busy. We are working hard on getting our new place finished. I am very optimistic that we may be able to move within a month. I almost got a new (used) truck, but the deal fell through.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to hear another political ad ever again. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but some of the races have gotten as nasty as I have ever seen in bakersfield. Here's what I don't understand: if your 30 percentage points behind the incumbent, why would you sling mud? I can understand a certain amount of mud slinging if its a close race, but if you clearly are going to lose, the only reason to go negative is out of malice.

I'm also sick of hearing about how the Dems are going to take back the house. Not that I don't want them to. I am one of the crazy few who believes that our government works best when neither party holds both the presidency and congress. I feel that this usually leads to the most moderate and reasonable governance. Prediction: The Dems won't take back the house. Sorry, but 15 seats are alot. I just don't think they will get more than about 13. I hope I'm wrong, but thats my prediction. Most of the media polls are looking at overall national sentiment, but you have to look at each individual race. Republicans still have much better voter turnout strategies than Dems.

Whatever happens, I hope that this election brings the country together, rather than polarizing it further. Everyone has their own opinion about the president, but the thing that I will remember most about this presidency is how it divided the nation. Think back with me to 2000... its almost hard to remember, but Bush used to have the reputation as a uniter. People were saying that in the White House, he would embrace bipartisanship and bring the nation together to get things done. If you know someone who said this (I can think of more than one person right now), call them right this second, tell them they are an idiot, and just hang up.

On 9/11 America rallied around the President as it always does in times of crisis. His approval ratings were the highest of any president ever (over 90%). Now, some polls are showing his approval ratings in the upper 30 percent range, and it seems that partisan hostility is at an all time high. Its hard for me to believe that anyone else in his position could have caused more division in the last 6 years.

I hear alot of hopes and fears when people talk about the upcoming election. Hope that a regime change might be enough to bring troops home from Iraq. Fears that a liberal Speaker of the house from California might set a legislative agenda to burn bibles and outlaw all marriages except gay marriages. It think both are obviosly rediculous. My hope is that everyone living in the United States will start seeing people as their neighbors, and stop seeing them as democrat or republican (or, God forbid, an illegal alien). That those in government will spend less time and energy playing hardball to push through their agenda, and spend more time meeting about an agenda we all can get behind. My fear is that everything will stay the same.

2006-10-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Went to the 49er game this weekend. Had fun. Here's a pic.

I want to make it clear that we aren't one of those people who walk all the way up front to take a picture and look like we have good seats. these are actually our seats. I feel there should be a rule that you must take a picture of yourself from where you actually sat at the ballgame. It helps to convey your actual game experience more accurately.

What a difference a week makes

2006-10-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, I left town and it was 95 degrees. When I got back yesterday it was 65 degrees. What a difference a week makes. Julie and I went to Clear Lake for vacation last week. For those of you who are stupid, here's some info on Clear lake. Anyway, I had some pics from the trip that I wanted to post, so I decided to start a new Flickr account. I will still be posting pics on the blog, but if you want to see the stuff that doesn't make the cut or is too random to explain, check us out on flickr. i will also be adding a link on my sidebar. I hope some of you click through and check out the pics from our vacation.

New Car, Just not for me...

2006-09-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Went to Fresno this weekend to see my brother's new car. He got an '06 Mazda Rx 8 Shinka. According to my research, this car was the Car and Driver best pick for the sport coup class. I have to admit that initially I wasn't to sure about him getting this new car, but having seen it, I am very impressed. It handles like I imagine an open-wheel racecar must handle. Perhaps the most distinctive thing about the car is that it has a rotary engine. Thats right no pistons driving this baby! This amazing little 1.3 liter rotary engine puts out the horses of a big V-8 with much less weight and bulk. I am amazed!

Heres some more info on the rotary engine in this car:
Renesis Rotary Engine

Forty years of rotary-engine racing success went into the design of the RX-8’s advanced RENESIS (Rotary Engine genesis – or rebirth of the rotary engine) engine. Incorporating many elements that made the RX-7 the most successful model in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) history and brought Mazda the 1991 24-Hours of Le Mans overall win, the RENESIS engine is exceptionally well-built and capable. This racing pedigree is evident through the various motorsports series employing the RX-8, including Pro Formula Mazda and the Grand Am Cup.

By turning a triangular rotor in a cocoon-shaped combustion chamber, the RX-8’s rotary engine efficiently performs the four processes of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. The RENESIS engine is remarkably smooth and high revving — all the way to 9000 rpm — and offers a smaller engine footprint than traditional internal combustion engines (some 60 percent smaller than a comparably powered V-6, and 40 percent smaller than a four-cylinder).

Improving upon 40 years of rotary designs, the RENESIS engine boasts side intake and exhaust ports with nearly 30 percent more intake area and twice as much exhaust area than previous rotary engines. The efficiencies gained through larger intake and exhaust ports exclude the need for forced induction, a feature found on the last rotary-powered sports car from Mazda, the vaunted third generation RX-7.

The RX-8’s normally aspirated 1.3-liter engine might appear diminutive to the untrained eye when compared to large-displacement V-8s or heavyweight V-10s or V-12s. However, through the incredible efficiencies of a rotary powerplant, an advanced three-stage intake system and an electronic throttle, the RENESIS engine delivers smooth, linear power on a grand scale.

The RX-8 benefits from placing the powerplant low and far back in the engine bay in what Mazda calls an advanced front-midship layout, which lowers the center of gravity and improves vehicle balance. In addition, the fuel tank is placed ahead of the rear axle, and all seating is within the wheelbase and track of the car. Combined, these factors contribute to a perfect 50/50 vehicle weight distribution, low yaw-inertia movement and superb handling characteristics. With such excellent balance, it is little wonder the RX-8 feels right at home on even the most challenging race tracks or negotiating a tight freeway onramp.

(From rssportscars.com)

I am deeply concerned...

2006-09-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

a very sad story

This is what our country is doing, and I'm not trying to say it is right or wrong, but it is happening right now.

Just thought some of you might want to know, since the mainstream media doesn't seem to want to report it. I know most americans are more concerned about the controversy over the recent Oregon-Oklahoma football game, but this story haunts my thoughts. I understand that there are complicated issues involved and I'm not trying to be preachy (I don't really even have a side on the issue), but the thought that my country would do this to an innocent person deeply troubles me.

Sometimes the problems of the world seem so great that they are insurmountable. But if we really are the greatest nation in the world, surely we can win the war against terror without doing things like this.

"You become a monster so the monster will not break you."

Holding on

2006-09-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Julie holding a nice fish she caught this weekend (left)

Julie holding her new nephew, Ryan (bottom)

2006-09-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a clip of the Sports Guy on my wife's favorite show.

College Football

2006-09-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

College football couldn't have come soon enough this year. Seriously, my sanity was hanging by a thread. I guess I never realized the place football has in our society until this year when so many things in my life are upended. Now don't get me wrong, I am insanely passionate about the game of football(see this post), but this year I was impacted not so much by the game itself, but by the place it has in our society.
Somehow, football has become America's new passtime. Just like baseball used to be associated in everyones mind with school getting out, summer days by the pool, 4th of july parties, and sneaking in a few more playoff games before the weather turns cold, so now, it seems, we associate football with the weather turning cooler, the leaves turning color, great fall comfort foods, staying warm indoors with family, thanksgiving, and an overall sense of home and family. Even my wife who doesn't really know much about the game of football commented to me the other day that "when you have the game on it just feels homey in here."
Now, I don't think that football has done something right, and baseball has done something wrong-- Errrr... Well, lets say football hasn't totally screwed itself the way baseball has. That said, I feel much of this shift in national attitude comes from national shifts in population. As our population shifts dramatically from northern to southern latitudes, our national attitude about the seasons changes. No longer do the majority of us celebrate summer as the time when it finally is warm enough to go outside with a tshirt on. Instead, many of us now dread the terrible heat of the summer and look forward to celebrating the end of our misery, fall. And football is lucky enough to be the game that begins just as the miserable heat's grip begins to weaken.
But whatever the reason, football, especially college football, came just in time to save my sanity this year.

Updates

2006-08-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have updated some of my links and will be trying to update more as time permits in the coming weeks. Heather started off right with a nice pic of JLH! She clearly knows how to get my attention.

How to...

2006-08-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Since I know that I am the happiest, most successful person you know, I thought I should share with you some of the secrets to my success. You see, the key to being happy and getting everything you want in life is in the things you value. If you value the same things as me, you are on your way...
Things I value:

1. Investing Wisely

Just bought this yesterday

2. Celebrating Diversity

These may all be bottled in the US, but they represent international flavor.
Mexico...
United States...
Brazil...
Czech Republic

3. Creativity and Invention

Julie has invented a cake made out of brownies

Well... I guesss thats all I've got. I thought there might be more, but I was wrong. Oh, well. Now you can get started on the road to being just as happy and successful as I am. And no more so!

Got Gas?

2006-08-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

I got gas yesterday for $2.99 / gallon. I couldn't remember the last time I paid less than $3. It has to have been at least 6 months. What is everyone else paying for gas these days?