Justin cheated on Jessica...really?

Saw a feed yesterday on my Google Reader list, from where I can't recall, titled Justin cheats on Jessica.

I was like, "Seriously?" Why the hell would he cheat on JESSICA BIEL?! I mean like she's one of the most naturally pretty hotties today. Did you see her hotness in Blade: Trinity? Or how about in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry? Or in Powder Blue? Or the insurmountable masses of images of her all...over...the...Internet?

Now granted, Olivia Munn is hot in her own way but most of the time people cheat or leave for an "upgrade." I don't see Olivia as an upgrade from Jessica. Maybe a lateral move with a slight decline.

Maybe it's different for people who have been there done that but when I first saw Jessica back on 7th Heaven I was wowed. For me, I felt like she could be 2^nd to Natalie Portman.

Anyway, I guess when you can basically bang whomever you want, whenever you want, that you don't realize how great what you already got is. Poor celebs...NOT!

You're still welcome in my harem, Jessica!

Brokeback Mountain Halloween-style

Saw this in a neighbor's yard last night.

I don't know if you can make it out clearly but it is a pumpkin pot with two ghosts in it. The one in front looks like he's holding onto the rim of the pot, leaning forward while the other one "in the rear" [pun intended] is has one "hand" in the air and the other sort of touching (holding) the leaning over one.

RIDE 'EM COW-GHOST!

Cigars

I just recalled something that I learned in my B&W photography class which I never would have imagined. Actually, I guess, I actually got something I previously heard, and possibly learned, verified.

So, what I verified is cigars are not supposed to be inhaled.

Huh? What? I thought all smokes were to be inhaled for their enjoyment. Apparently not!

How I came to this question for my professor is one Saturday I was playing tennis with the regular group of guys. My long-time friend was talking about someone he knew that would smoke cigars and "he'd inhaled!"

He said this like it was a new phenomenon. I, on the other hand, said, "So, what's the big deal?" He went on about how you are not supposed to inhale a cigar because it'll burn out your throat and lungs not to mention make you cough for hours while it's doing it.

I was like, "Really?" I just assumed that smoking something meant inhaling it. We aren't all like Bill Clinton. We smoke it and we want the total effects of it so we inhale it!

Armed with this question, "How do you 'smoke' a cigar," I saw my photography professor the following Monday for class. I waited to ask him because he's been smoking cigars for about forty-five years so I figured he was an "expert" on the cigar-smoking subject.

According to Prof. Photog, "A cigar is meant to be enjoyed by puffing on it and allowing the smoke to circle the pallet and then exit, often blown threw the nose. It IS not meant to be inhaled because, yeah, [said in a humorous tone] it will kill ya. The flavor is supposed to be savored like a wine or a prime cut of steak."

So, in retrospect, I can see this explanation as very valid because I've inhaled cigars, many of them, trying to enjoy the flavor and aroma but not getting anything but a generic tobacco taste and feel. I've tried many brands thinking it was the cheap versus the somewhat expensive or the different flavors where some were stronger than others. But never have I experience an actual flavor but once, mildly.

I haven't tested the theory since learning of this interesting knowledge but I am eager to try just for science's sake...and to put my own curiosity to rest.

What do you think? Do you have a theory on cigars? What is your recommended brand (keeping in mind that I'm middle-class and a $10 cigar is way out of my budget)? I've tried Swisher Sweets and a few other "7-11-type" brands and most of them I liked licking the paper more than I did smoking the cigar.

Yahoo Advertising

I believe I've posted thoughts on this before but the ads that pop up in my YahooMail account are sometimes ridiculous.

Take today for example. I checked my mail, deleted those that needed it and then I get this advertisement:

I'm curious so I click the ad. I am taken to Urban Dealight. The original landing page has me input some information like, first name, last name, email address, date of birth and zip code. The page refreshes and now the new landing page (due to cookies I'm sure) says, "We are on our way to Dallas!" And I'm like, "What...the...fuck!?"

So, all these wonderful deals the advertisement is promising are not available in Big D just yet. Again, "WTF!?" In the ad it states, "50-95% on Dallas Restaurants, Shops, Concerts & More!" Did you read that part where it said, "DALLAS"!?!?!?! The ad should say something like, "Coming soon" or the like.

This is what I would call false advertisement. They are trying to get existing customers before they even exist in the locale. That pisses me off. So, unless these deals are phenomenal, I will be removing my name for pure disgruntled-precustomer purposes! I'm already on other "deal" lists and websites. I don't need another that I can't trust before I even used it.

Bastards!

Email humor 10/26/2010

Too bad, Amigo

A beautiful fairy appeared one day to a destitute Mexican refugee outside an Arizona immigration office.

"Good man," the fairy said, "I've been sent here by President Obama and told to grant you three wishes, since you just arrived in the United States with your wife and eight children."

The man told the fairy, "Well,where I come from we don't haveg ood teeth, so I want new teeth, maybe a lot of gold in them."

The fairy looked at the man's almost toothless grin and -- PING! -- he had a brand new shining set of gold teeth in his mouth!

"What else?" asked the fairy, "Two more to go."

The refugee claimant now got bolder. "I need a big house with a three-car garage in Annapolis on the water with eight bedrooms for my family and the rest of my relatives who still live in my country.. I want to bring them all over here."

-- And, PING! -- In the distance there could be seen a beautiful mansion with a three-car garage, a long driveway, and a walkout patio with a BBQ in an upscale neighborhood overlooking the bay.

"One more wish," said the fairy, waving her wand.

"Yes, one more wish. I want to be like an American with American clothes instead of these torn clothes, and a baseball cap instead of this sombrero. And I want to have white skin like Americans."

--- And PING! -- The man was transformed - wearing worn-out jeans, a Baltimore Orioles T-shirt, and a baseball cap. He had his bad teeth back and the mansion had disappeared from the horizon.

"What happened to my new teeth?" He wailed. "Where is my new house?"

The fairy said, "Too bad, amigo, now that you are a White American, you have to fend for yourself."

---

Consider Yourself Randomized!

---

In the news 10/26/2010

From cbs11tv headline reads:

Two Boys Shocked During Downpour Saturday

Click here for article while it lasts.

Read the story. It is a story of awesomeness. It warmed my heart to know there are kids out there like this. Maybe there is hope for the future.

To have one kid try to save his friend and then another kid go to save the two of them is just...awesome! I don't think there is another word for it. It's just awesome!

I did find a chuckle in the story when the 3^rd kid's father describes what he did upon arriving at the scene:

"I started getting on James, but before I knew what happened," John Evans said. "I said, 'what are you doing down here? What are you doing playing?' He said, 'no, I was helping I was helping.'"

It reminds me a lot of what my dad would have said and had said many times. He'd jump my ass before he knew the situation. My dad probably would have been proud but at the same time would have said, "If you wouldn't have been there, you wouldn't have gotten in trouble in the first place!"

Anyway, I hope the kids recover. It's a great neighborhood to live in even if the culvert isn't properly maintained for safety by the city.

Neighbors: WIN! City: FAIL!

---

Consider Yourself Randomized!

---

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). I posted about this movie (here) before it actually came out with some opinions. Now that I've seen the movie I can fully share based on actual viewing. I made it sound official but I'm just going to type random thoughts and observations.

So, as I previously mentioned, Jackie Earl Haley sucked as Freddy. He wasn't scary to me at all. Now that could be because I'm older than when I saw the other Nightmare movies but I still get a chill every now and then when I see something that really "scares" me. The mask that Jackie wore made him look more like an alien-type thing because it kind of smashed his nose (probably planned that way) unlike the original Freddy mask. I prefer the nose because for me it made him more menacing and scary. Maybe it was the overall shape of the mask, I don't know, but it just wasn't as scary. Not to mention that even in make up, Jackie's bright, blue eyes shown through making him look more like a mishap burn victim versus an evil, vengeance-ridden dream killer.

The choices of actors that look like high school students obviously was not a priority. The blond girl and that guy from Twilight looked too old although the Twilight guy (I think he was Dean in the movie) was short-lived...literally. The blond girl playing Kris was on the Melrose Place remake. She looks even older than Twilight guy. After Googling the cast, the three other people are at least 23 years old but they didn't "look" as old as the others, especially that guy that was the first victim in the movie with Megan Fox where she ate guys.

The death of Kris was very reminiscent of one of the other movie's characters (I think the first girl in the original). The way she was slammed around the room and ran up the walls and ceiling and then slashed across her chest, which didn't expose any boobage I might add, dammit! Also, the way her boyfriend was chased by the cops, captured and then subsequently killed in his cell was very original-like as well.

The bathtub scene with...oh shit, Nancy like from the original. I think I've made a correlation here or something. Okay, never mind, two different last names but both Nancy...Nancy is very similar, to similar for me, to the original Nancy bathtub scene.

The plan to get Freddy out of their dreams and into the real world is a good idea although I'm not sure why it never works. If he can kill in "his world" and it affects the real world, why won't getting him into the real world and killing be the end of it? I just don't get it other than the fact it would allow for shitty sequels. At the end of the movie when Freddy appears in the mirror and Nancy sees him (while not dreaming) and is able to reach from the mirror and jab her mother in the back of the head and through her eye sockets (which was really cool) and pull her back into the mirror really pissed me off. I just don't know what the hell is going on: is Freddy in the real world or is he not? Is he able to be finalized (deader than dead) or not? I just don't like this unending ending!

Finally, I was able to walk through my dark house and go to bed without issue of having after fear (that's like after shocks for an earthquake). Where is the fear? I could chalk that up to age difference but they previewed The Exorcist before playing the movie and seeing Linda Blair with her green face, blueish eyes, and pop-out varicose veins gave me the chills like I got when I saw it back when I was a kid some 20+ years ago. Look at it here.

So, I would consider this movie a major fail and you can pass on viewing it. If you want to see a Nightmare movie, rent the original (for better scare factor) or Dream Warriors (for the brief shot of the awesome boobies nurse).

Email humor 10/25/2010

Mama's Bible

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers and prospered. Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.

The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."

The second said, " I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."

The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."

The fourth said, "You know how Mama loved reading the Bible and you know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well.

Well, I met this preacher who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took twenty preachers 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

The other brothers were impressed. After the holidays Mom sent out her Thank You notes.

She wrote: "Milton, the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."

"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered, so never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."

"Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound, it could hold 50 people, but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same."

"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

Luv Ya,
MAMA

---

Consider Yourself Randomized!

---

Get Him to the Greek (2010)

Saturday night I rented and watched Get Him to the Greek (2010). I'm not much of a Russell Brand or Jonah Hill fan. I think they are both one-dimensional actors. Jonah's movies are pretty funny. The self-deprecating roles are his strong suit. The fat-guy-makes-fun-of-self-and-girl-likes-his-honesty-and-thinks-he's-cute roles are not true-to-life because the girl may think he's cute but she IS NOT going to make out with HIS ass. Russell Brand...he's just, well, Russell Brand. Cooky, crazy and he played his part well.

I think I typed about getting either Robin Hood or Get Him to the Greek a few posts or so ago and how the Blockbuster employee said he'd pick Robin Hood. Now, after seeing both, I'd have to say that they were equally enjoyable. I actually think I liked Greek slightly better because it was a better comedy than Hood was an action/drama.

My favorite role was that of Sergio, aka. Sean Combs. I think P.Diddy's lines were written well and his delivery was energetic and hilarious. Sergio's overall lines were nowhere near as much as the two main characters and yet his screen time is more memorable to me. There were times I remember with Russell and Jonah but Sean's just struck me as spot-on for the role with a side of comedy without being too obviously comedic. And just so you know where I'm coming from, I can't stand Puffy! He's grates my nerves with his arrogance and pompousness in his MTV shows and his overall ego he gives off. I don't doubt the guy is genuine and honest but to profess that he's a king of something is way over the top (but at least he's closer to it than that blow hard Kanye West).

Anyway, I thought Greek was a very enjoyable movie. I wasn't expecting it to be with the comments from the BB employee and some online but I think they are mistaken. I expected much more from The Hangover and I feel it wasn't as good as a movie as many professed. I wouldn't pay $10 for it but I would try to bogart it off a friend.

You have a pink hummer

And I'm not talking about that kind of hummer.

The wife and I saw this pull into the parking lot at Rusty Taco the other evening. It was a cross between bubble gum pink and Pepto Bismol pink. The guy that exited the vehicle wasn't a big guy nor was he feminine-looking. Maybe he just liked the color or it has something do with his career or maybe it's a Mary Kay car (hopefully from his lady friend's career and not his but I guess men can sell Mary Kay too).

Anyway, it was interesting to see this color on such a "masculine" vehicle and not have obvious advertisements to sort of explain the coloring. Not that it needed explaining, it just...okay, it needs explaining to me.

On a side note, I think I saw a picture on a funny blog that had a picture of the back of a Hummer. The rear bumper of a Hummer has "Hummer" on it and the person's license plate said, "GIMEE A" which I thought was funny.

So, now I move on...oh, and by the way, yes it's a busy day at work today...NOT!

Benefits presentation is done!

I mentioned something about my benefits class the other day here. I started this post Tuesday and am just now getting around to finishing it.

I had my presentation day on Tuesday. I was a little nervous. Not because I'm afraid of speaking in front of people. I get antsy but not so much nervous. I typically get nervous doing a presentation because I'm not extremely familiar with the information I am presenting. I am more relaxed when I can talk more from the hip than having to check cue cards or read a slide. I just don't feel like investing my precious time in learning/living a topic that I'm going to use until approximately mid-December but it definitely would have made the delivery of my presenting smoother. Actually, I think it went pretty well.

I put the full presentation together Monday night from about 6:30pm until about 10:30pm. I sort of started it a few days or so before and worked on it for about 5-10 minutes over the weekend. I tried to focus more on it Sunday night but that didn't happen. After wondering if I was going to drop the class or not, I again didn't want to put too much effort into my presentation if I was going to drop the class because of my 2nd test grade. I got my grade on Tuesday last week and ten I had to get my presentation together after a day or two trying to decide if I wanted to bail or not. I got all worked up about bailing for nothing because I still could have pulled a D+ or even C- and I'd be done with three more hours of class. Making me that much closer to finally graduating (this has been a long, strenuous effort for showing my kids that college is worth the output...we'll see).

Anyway, I already got my grade back, since it's a few days later, with the comment sheets from my "audience" aka classmates. Funny thing is that most of my classes where there were comment sheets for a presentation took out the commenter's name but not this one. So, if I had a vendetta against one of them, I know exactly who to headhunt!

My grade was a 92%. Now, I'm not sure the grading scale but there were not marks on the sheets. I really didn't care. I got it together and presented knowing that I didn't have to awe the professor as much as I had to just talk, inform and be done with it. The strength comments were good. They liked my knowledge, examples and thought I rocked the Q&A section (that's because I shot from the hip...BANG!). The weakness comments were good too. They were spot on in most cases but again, I wasn't going for anything special and the points they made are the parts that I really didn't care about. Things such as looked back at slides [on the projection screen], didn't address the entire audience as much as could/should have, and a lot of information on the slides. I think that was the gist of them.

In my defense even though I don't need any:

1. I looked back at the slides because I didn't stand behind the podium to look at the computer monitor like others did AND our professor does for every lecture. I tried to keep from turning to look at them but I'd get ahead of myself inside my mind and looking at the slide would bring me back to simplicity instead of rambling.
2. Addressing the audience was way down on my list. I tried to be aware of it a little bit but in the end didn't feel like putting that much thought into it. The way I was standing was more the issue than anything. I stood to one side of the screen and therefore I automatically only looked towards 1/2 to 2/3 of the class. I'm okay with that. Again, it wasn't for a business presentation techniques class.
3. I only had a couple of slides with wordy information on them but the truth be told, I didn't read from the slides. I put the information in there for hard copy viewing. I only verbally spoke about the important things on the wordy slides. Some of the comments mentioned this which was my point but others didn't get it.

So, with all that being said and done, I have one more exam and then a final for this class and I'll be done! I'm not sure how much effort I'm putting into the third exam because I'm okay with the average of 67 and 72—which is a 69.5 or in my eyes a 70. Add in the 92 on the presentation and the anticipated score of at least above 70 on the final and I'm okay with that.

Now, I have to come up with photos and make prints to present at my 3^rd critique in my black & white photography class. I think I have to have at least 10 prints so I have to get my ass in gear. Right now it's in neutral and needs to be at least in 2^nd by now.

Sometimes I can't wait to just be an employee, husband, and parent. Life is much easier when I don't have to prepare for being a student 4-6 days out of the week.

Christina Aguilera - attractive or not so attractive?

One of the big stories in the news these days is celebrity divorces. I really don't care which celeb marries the other or who they marry period. I don't care if "the seemingly happy couple" had their issues and are now separating or any of that shit. Sometimes I do wonder about things like "How the hell David Arquette got someone like Courtney Cox" but that's my extent of celeb-relationship-caring.

After the whole Arquette/Cox break-up notification, I saw an article about Christina Aguilera. It had this picture. It got me thinking: Is she pretty, really?

Upon further examination this photo and many others, she's got a shitload of makeup on. You can see all the base she uses. It changes her complexion. Maybe she wants it to but still, it's slightly disgusting in my opinion.

Add the heavy eyeliner, the thick, bright red lipstick, the overly blond hair and it gets me to to thinking, "Does she take it all off when she goes to bed?" If she does, "What does she look like in the morning?"

Now, I'm not so superficial to think that she doesn't have some sort of prettiness (hopefully) under all that makeup but if she did, why does she have to cover it up so much?

She's not the only celebrity...hell, every-day people...that does this. I think it's stupid. Some people I have seen around town that changed their color from their face to their neck. It's weird.

Anyway, I just thought I'd let out some verbal diarrhea about it.

Craigslist posting

Browsing the furniture-by-owner section of Craigslist again and came across this listing.

I guess most people would maybe do the same (I have actually given away many things that have been donated to me or things I just don't need/use anymore versus selling) but the poster is trying to make a profit off something that was DONATED by the previous owner. Now, I could see selling them for cheap (or free) but when they typed, "I am told they should be worth at least $2000 but we are open to an offer," it sets a precedence that even though you can make an offer we would like to expect something close-to or half-of the "worth" price.

It reminds me a lot of those posting where people say, "Free Oak" if you come out and dig up the tree. Or "Free Rose Bushes" if you come and dig them up. They really aren't "free" because there is more effort involved than just coming to get the items.

Oh well.

Click her for actual post while it lasts.

Blogger versus Wordpress

So, I have a two blogs: one on Blogger and one on Wordpress. They are essentially a copy of each other. That's more true than you think because I actually post in one or the other and copy the post to one or the other. It's truly a pain in the ass.

Sometimes I reference previous posts and those references have to point to their respective links on each host. Otherwise, I'll be directing people form Blogger to Wordpress and vice versa. As far as images, in the past, I would upload to Blogger which is tied to my Gmail photo account and keep those references the same since the picture location never changed. I see lately though that Wordpress puts these images on their server somewhere because the link now has a Wordpress.com address in it.

In the past, I used to import from Blogger into Wordpress. It worked fantastically for some time and then one time I noticed the import looked fine but it somehow screwed up how the Blogger blog looked. My margins were jacked. The text was jacked. The images were jacked. Everything was way effed up! I couldn't handle the non-uniformity of it and had to created a "mirror" blog on Blogger. I copied and pasted almost all my posts...yes, one at a time...because I didn't know of a more efficient way or if there even was one.

So, longer story short. I just post in one and then copy and paste into the other because I don't want to screw up the formatting.

I am too cheap, and poor, to pay for web hosting and just have each service point to my server. I have used free server-type software for creating a basic website (only basic in the sense that I didn't put too much effort into it because I am always busy and can't dedicate a whole lot of time to it) where I could access my music, photos, random software and other stuff. I even was able to password protect the initial logon. It was pretty cool.

Anyway, back on track for the reason of this post...I don't understand why the two services can't play more nicely together or intergrate some of the other's features into their own. I know there is some tech or marketing guy from each company that has created an account on the other company's product where they can get the user's view to steal implement new ideas.

I actually started on Blogger. I guess it was actually MySpace but I used it just to browse random "spaces" and connect with family/friends but it was just too convoluted. The way people would upload so much extraneous shit into their MySpace page like music, videos, and pictures made their page load painfully slow. I ended up creating accounts across many mediums because in my job we (I) need to stay abreast of ways to market and communicate to a wide variety of people in the cheapest and easist way.

The simplicity of Blogger is why I selected them for a personal site. There was Typepad and some others but I just like the ease of learning and using with Blogger. Word for Blogger was another awesome idea and then blogging via email was a step in the right direction.

Then I found Wordpress. It was different and a little niftier in the admin side. I saw that email to Wordpress was possible although sometimes it is hit or miss for me. I think it's because it doesn't like it if I put my Wordpress posting email second or if it likes to be alone period! But why would I want to send the same post via email twice when I would think multiple TOs on my Blackberry would be enough.

Anyway, I like the many different templates you can use/get for Blogger. I like how you can customize the coding as well to add hit counters, links, among other things. Wordpress doesn't allow this level of customization with their free version. Which is ridiculous to pay for me to add things in. Luckily, Wordpress has the stats in the dashboard which is a fantastic tool. I haven't dove very deeply into it but what I've used and clicked on is quite informative. I wish Blogger had this as part of their program.

Again, for me, there are likes and dislikes from both of them. I just wish they would implement the same tools or at least their version of a tool.

To bring my rant to a close, I have a Blogger and a Wordpress address for the same exact blog. If anyone is happy with the import into Wordpress, if it's been improved and won't jack up my Blogger pages, please let me know. I would much better import from one to the other than copy and paste entire posts at a time...although copy/paste makes me update it sooner/quicker than importing. If anyone has ideas on how to use one to "feed" off the other like if it was hosted somewhere else...I don't know the correct jargon, please let me know.

Simplicity is the key for me. Thanks!

I heart boobies

I really, really...REALLY do. But this isn't about me loving boobies, although in case I haven't mentioned it, I really do!

There's controversy brewing in the school districts. Apparently this is the slogan of The Keep A Breast Foundation.

It's a great slogan. But I think I should sue them for copyright infringement because I believe I coined this first a long, long time ago.

You can Google the slogan and you will find any number of stories about the controversies the bracelets and T-shirts with the slogan have stirred.

I don't have a problem with the slogan. I don't have a problem with the purpose. I don't have a problem with the college students wearing them to school.

I do think it's inappropriate for high school students and younger to promote the slogan visibly while in and around school grounds.

The many parents that are complaining about the office visit their kids have had to make are just ignorant fucks...pardon my French.

It's not about the cause the items are promoting. Most children (at least 18 and under) are not capable of handling the slogan in a proper context. Hell, I'm way over 18 and I joked about the slogan with my wife and some friends when I saw it in the paper. It's what "boys" do. You mention anything close to humanly parts or bodily noises and we lose any cool demeanor we may have had. Blame genetics.

It's great to get the word out about breast cancer or cancer awareness in general but there are places for certain forms of support. Having clothing or wrist bands that say "Save the Ta Tas" or "I [heart] boobies" is not the slogan our adolescent and younger children need to be flashing at school. If it said "Support breast cancer," I think that's different because it references something specific or a specific type of cancer. I too would complain to the school if they sent my kid to the office for that slogan. But slangs on slogans are not worth the fight. Time, money and effort is better fought on the actual issue...and that's [breast] cancer!

Kelly Brook in the nude...again

Click here for more pics while the link lasts

Kelly Brook hasn't really done it for me. She isn't strikingly beautiful but she definitely has a natural prettiness, to her. I remember seeing her in Survival Island (don't ask me how I got it on my queue because I couldn't tell you). I give her props for showing gratuitous boobies but the movie plot was fairly lame and the acting was about the same. I just IMDBed her and apparently she was in the Italian Job and Deuce Bigalow: European Giggolo for which I cannot recall even seeing her but I saw these some time ago so it could be just my memory.

Anyway, I think she's still great to look at but I'm not sure her acting has gotten any better over her few movies. She's probably still just a pretty face.

Glee GQ photos

There is apparently some controversy a-brewing about the photos of the Glee cast. I'm not sure why the PTC (Parents Television Council) is up in arms about the photos because all the participants are WAY legal. Okay, I do know why but c'mon, really?

Personally, I thought the photos were pretty racy but I like that. The girls are smoking hot even if they just wear what they do in the show. The cheerleaders outfits could do it for a lot of guys, um people!

The only thing I wonder is do you think Lea Michele would have done these photos during season one when she wasn't quite so "fit?" I thought she was pretty in a not-eye-popping way but still fine. By no means was she not fit but she wasn't as, how do you say, svelte as she is this season.

Anyway, I haven't actually watched all of season one and haven't even seen any of season two. I just see an episode here and there when the wife is watching at home or my boss mentions one to me that "I just gotta see!"

Piranha 3D

Pretty good subliminal advertising for Piranha 3D.

I don't think I'll rush out and see this movie but I do think they did a good job with the movie poster. It makes the horny little bastard in me go, "Damn! I've gotta see that movie!" But then the mature, parent in me says, "Whatever! It's just a picture and the movie will be a waste of money." They almost suckered me in.

I remember somewhat liking the original Piranha but I'm not so sure how well a remake will do even though 3D makes everything better. NOT!

I also remember that there was an original sequel and maybe even a threequel (I think). I don't recall those doing so well but I think one of them had something to do with flying piranhas which is so totally stupid since they are too heavy and their fins wouldn't be big or strong enough to cause flight. Oh wait, my bad, it was a movie. Why am I getting all ticked about them not holding to some scientific truthfulness? LOL.

All I have to say is that with boobs actresses like Elisabeth Shue, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Brook, Riley Steele and Dina Meyer, there better be some gratuitous nudity!

Either way, when it hits DVD in about 30 days, I'll rent it and watch it. It's just what I do...watch movies even if they are barely, completely unwatchable.

In the news 10/18/2010

More injuries on the Katy Trail.

From Park Cities People:

Another Katy Trail Collision Just Occurred

Click here for article while it lasts.

I just commented a few days ago on an article about the Katy Trail advocates and Dallas officials meeting to increase safety on the trail (article here while it lasts).

Without copying the whole comment I will post the relevance.

"...like how those Katy Trail occupants think they can just walk right into the cross traffic at Knox or Harvard when the Trail has the stop sign. The law is 'stop to peds IN the crosswalk' not those about to enter or enter as the car is there..."

I don't know the "hows" about the accident but my assumption is either (1) the cyclist didn't stop at the stop sign because it would impede his pace (2) the automobile driver didn't yield to the cyclist IN the crosswalk or (3) a combination of both where the driver and cyclist decided they were the right-of-way and the cyclist was too stupid to know his bike would lose out in a collision with a car.

As I also commented:

"...You gotta look out for numero uno because no one else will!"

---

Consider Yourself Randomized!

---

TCU v. BYU 10/16/2010

We have a family member that works at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. At the start of the college football season, I mentioned that I would like to attend one of TCU's home games because I've been in D/FW my whole life and have never been in the Amon G Carter Stadium. Which isn't a big deal but since I have an affiliation now with the school, I didn't want to squander the opportunity to attend a game at least once in the stadium...especially before they remodel it over the rest of the year after the football season ends. They are saying it'll be remodeled a side/piece at a time and it will be done by the 2011 season but I'm not as optimistic as whomever is saying that.

The day started out wonderfully. It was a beautiful morning. I woke up around 7:30 a.m and couldn't go back to sleep. I made coffee and decided to walk the dog. I was going to walk her to Chik-fil-a and bring back some chicken minis for the family but when I got there, the line was too long for me to wait in while I had the dog tied up outside. I thought it was mean to her and rude for patrons that would walk along the sidewalk having to listen to her being upset that I was inside and she was waiting.

So, I walked back home and decided to make breakfast. I made bacon and egg taquitos. I must say they were pretty good for something I quickly threw together. I'm almost becoming a domesticated husband...not!

After breakfast, we headed to TCU because it is normally about a 25-30 minute drive from our area in Dallas. The Rangers' 2nd game against the Yankees was sometime in the early to mid afternoon. Hwy 114 was going to be shut down from Cistercian Way to MacArthur Blvd or somewhere there about. We had to take 183 to 121 to 35 to 30 to TCU just to avoid all the headaches that were going to be in the areas of the other highways.

Anyway, it was a long day but it was pretty fun. I was a tired person and yet when we got home around 7 p.m. we had a neighbor's party to join. We made it to the neighbor's party around 9ish but I left around 11:30 because I was tired and had to get up the next morning fairly early.

Without further delay, here are the descriptions of where each picture below was taken:

1. TCU Showgirls and band marching down Frog Alley about 10 minutes before the game.
2. South end zone where kids of all ages(with their parents if need be) get to go on the field and run from end zone to end zone before the start of the game. They are called Bleacher Creatures and the kids get a free TCU football jersey.
3. Middle field taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
4. North side of the field taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
5. South end zone taken from the middle of the seats under the upper deck.
6. TCU Band in the stands taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
7. Downtown Fort Worth taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
8. South zone and attached building taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
9. 20 yard line, north end of the field taken from section UF, row 16, seat 28.
10. TCU band halftime show celebrating breast cancer awareness day.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted sign inside the men's room at Mi Cocina

Went to lunch today with a coworker to Mi Cocina at Preston Rd and Forest Ln. It's the first time I've been there and the 2nd time I've been to a Mi Cocina—the one in the shopping center at Preston Rd and Mockingbird Ln.

As soon as we got there and were seated on the patio, I had to use the restroom. This is the sign they have posted on the wall.

It's not an "Employees must wash their hand" sign like you think you'd find. I found it interesting but odd...especially since it's in the men's room about pregnancy.

One other thought is that even though their restaurant isn't huge in size, to have a restroom room that is only for one occupant at a time is ridiculous. It's not like they were cramped for space when they built the place. One-person-at-a-time restrooms are more like those you find in smaller places like Taco Bell.

Anyway, the food was good although the service could have been a little better especially when there were only four out of five tables on the patio being used and one was a young lady waiting for her lunch partner for about thirty minutes while we were there.

Luau buffet plate at the Polynesian Culture Center in Oahu, Hawaii

This is a picture taken with my Blackberry of the luau dinner we had when we vacationed in Oahu, Hawaii this summer. I don't think I've posted it before but was going through the pictures on my cellphone and found this.

The luau was pretty good but it wasn't what I was expecting. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I created in my mind leading up to our actual attendance. I wasn't expecting lights, cameras and action but I was thinking of something different. The entertainment wasn't bad. The emcee had a wonderful voice and personality. I think it was more the way I felt being there. I guess I expected a more intimate type setting. It was like a giant cafeteria with phenomenal Hawaiian decorations. We sat at tables like in a cafeteria but well-decorated. They had salespeople (different from our "servers") coming around asking if we wanted those drinks-in-a-pineapple drinks and most people said, "Yes," but then you'd find out that they were like $5 each. They didn't tell you that up front and I think that's the sneaky side of business there because most people were like, "Oh, I didn't know that it cost anything but I guess we'll take it." Others turned them away after finding out about the cost. We were smart enough to ask up front and then said, "No, thank you."

I don't remember all the dishes but I will do my best to name the ones I do know:

• On the far left, the raw dish was marinated lomilomi salmon
• Top left corner is the Kalua Pig which was ceremoniously lifted out of the ground at the beginning of the luau entertainment
• At the top on each side of the plate in the small plastic containers with lids is Pipi Kaula - it's described as a beef jerky but to me it was more like a salami-type texture
• Top right corner is chicken long rice
• The big purple roll at the bottom of the plate is a roll made out of Taro which is where Poi comes from (the Taro root). This is one of the best rolls I have EVER tasted in my life! I had like 6 of them and the kids had quite a bit as well. It had a sort of sweet taste to it but not overly sweet. They were nice and warm and BIG!
• Just to the left of the roll, you'll see teriyaki beef. I prefer my teriyaki sauce to be sweeter versus salty but it was still very good.
• Smack dab in the middle is shoyu chicken. It tasted almost exactly the same way I make it at home. And it was damn good!
• Underneath it all, you'll see some salad. I got some to taste it but I wasn't going to waste my buffet on greens. The salad was good but not good enough to pick it over anything else on the buffet line.

So, I guess that's about it. I think I've briefly touched on our overall trip but since I found this picture I thought I'd elaborate on it.

Aloha!

Good news versus bad news

I had my Benefits class today after our fall break and I got some bad news and some good news today.

The good news is, I passed my second test with a 72.

The bad news is, I passed my second test with a 72.

I decided that if I were to fail this test (below the 67 I made on the first exam70) that I was going to more than likely drop the class. The teacher's syllabus says he will have three tests and one final exam. Of the three tests, he will drop the lowest grade. If test 1 and 2 would have been below 70 but above a 60, I would have looked into dropping even though 67-69 (I didn't think I'd get below the previous exam grade) would have been a D+ average. I'm okay with that. I know I've said it before but I'm not an overachiever.

There's something visually wrong to be about a C- compared to a D+. Minus just has a negative connotation to it. Besides, the grades are very close like a 69 is a D+ but a 70 is a C-. Is there really a difference between those two...I mean really?

Anyway, now that I actually got a 72 it puts the class into a better possibility for me. It says that I might be able to pull off a C- or above. Dammit, I'm not an overachiever. Why am I thinking like that? Why do I really care!? Because C is better than D and finishing this class would mean I'd have three less hours to complete.

Do you see why this was good but bad news?

Not to mention that if I dropped, I wouldn't have to prepare my presentation for next Tuesday that I'm scheduled to give. Now, I have to complete it, practice it and practice it some more. I created a a couple of slides the other day but started thinking, "Why put out this effort if I might be dropping the class?" Now that I'm mister awesome with a 72, I have to get back to business and complete the presentation. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!

Have I mentioned how much I hate taking classes? Well, hate IS a strong word but it's fucking perfect for what I feel!

In the news 10/14/2010

From cbs11tv.com

A federal appeals court has rejected a Dallas-area parent's challenge to the Texas pledge of allegiance over the words "under God."
Click here for article while it lasts.

I say, "GOOD!"

I'm not a religious fanatic. Heck, I miss church on a regular basis because "better" plans come along. I know, I'm a sinner.

I think this is a good thing in the sense that some things don't need to be changed because they aren't really harming anybody. God is and has been a fundamental part of the country whether its inhabitants like it or not.

The Constitution says "Year of our Lord" under Article VII where it lists all the witnesses.The Declaration of Independence uses "God," "Creator," and "Divine" within the text.

The Bill of Rights gives Americans the freedom of speech and religion. It doesn't say that America needs to change the historical significance God has played to please the many different religions. It means that you can practice whatever religion you want. It means that you have the right to not say "under God" during the Pledge of the state or nation. Nobody is forcing you to believe in God versus Allah versus Buddha versus Buddy Christ.

The point I'm trying to make is nobody is forcing you to believe in God. IMO, it's a foundational thing that doesn't and shouldn't be changed for the few, if even at all. There are far worse things that need to be "fixed" in the cities, states, nation and abroad. Let's spend our monies wisely on those things versus some asinine thing like "we are Atheists and my kid shouldn't have to say, 'under God,' during the Pledge." Just mouth the word or skip it altogether, ya dumb ass! That's what I do when I don't know the words to something and nobody knows the better.

Besides, as far as I've heard, saying "God" never hurt anybody except for that one time when I was a wee little boy and it started pouring rain like cats and dogs and then hailed. I ran from the backyard to the breezeway and said, "Oh my God!" My dad said, "What did you say?!" And I said it again. That's when he hurt my feelings by yelling at me for saying "God" and ruined my happy excited moment about the harshness of the weather.

Brookhaven Community College

I just visited Brookhaven Community College for the 3rd time (I think) in my life.

The 1st was to drop my niece's husband off for his classes so I could use their truck to haul something I needed a truck to move.

The 2nd time I very vaguely recall. I don't know why but I feel like I've been there once before this time and the 1st time.

The 3rd time, which was today, I had to attend my B&W II photography class at Brookhaven.

This is the first time I was able to walk the campus. I entered the parking lot through the front entrance off Alpha Road. This entrance led me straight to the Student Center building, Building S it is called. I parked. Entered the building and asked where my professor's exhibit was. It was in Building D near the back of the campus. I assume it is the fine arts building but I don't recall if it had a particular name like Building S. So, I was able to journey through at least part of the campus.

I must say that since I was able to do so, I found that the campus is pretty nice. It's not a huge campus. In fact, I think that Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst is bigger. I'm not sure if the buildings are bigger at TCC or more spread across the campus or what but TCC really seems bigger and I think it is.

Anyway, the campus had some nice architecture, fountains and art. The buildings seemed spacious and cozy at the same time. Some of the hallways and classrooms look like they need to be "modernized" and brought out of the late 80s/early 90s. I did find it sort of empty of a plethora of students. I don't know if it just happened I was there during class time or if it was a typical Wednesday afternoon. The campus has quite a decent-sized parking lot and it seemed fairly empty as well.

So, the reason I had class at Brookhaven is for my professor's exhibit/showing of a few (40) of his prints over five decades of taking photos. I thought his prints were pretty awesome. Some of them I thought were very cool while others I think were good, interesting, thought-provoking in the sense some made me nostalgic but others were just "normal" in the sense that it seemed anyone could have taken them and anyone could think they were awesome, like me. What's nice about him and his work is that he has his own darkroom and plenty of time to print one after the other if need be. I'm not minimizing his work and efforts. I'm just saying that it would be nice to be able to hone a craft in such a way as having the lab, workroom, or darkroom in your own backyard to practice.

Anyway, that's what my afternoon entailed.

Sent on the Super Jay Network from Super Jay's BlackBerry®

Pogoplug Multimedia Sharing Device - Gray

Last week Tuesday, I saw a good deal on a Pogoplug at Buy.com or Pogoplug.com.

I've seen these before when they originally came out. Read the review at CNET and decided, "Eh." The deal at Buy.com was a little to good, for me, to pass. The price for the Pogoplug was $49.99 plus tax but free shipping. When the original price was like $129 and now at least $99 or above, I thought it would be good time to test this little product out on my home network.

I have a couple of SimplePro 500GB USB external hard drives, a couple of Western Digital 120GB portable USB drives and a few notebook hard drives I have pulled from old laptops and put in portable cases. I've dwindled down my computer count from 5-7 desktops to 2: 1 is about a year old with 1TB main drive and an added Hitachi 640GB; the older machine has 4 hard drives that range from 120GB to 200GB and is mainly used as a network backup where I backup all my files to from various notebook/netbook machines in the house.

I have a Belkin 8-port USB hub but sometimes it would intermittently "disappear" when connected to my "backup" machine running WinXP. It's frustrating to set up back up software to run daily/bi-daily and not have the drives available for some freaking reason. The Belkin hub has currently been just a charging station for my various USB-chargeable devices.

Also, the backup machine randomly shuts down which makes me lose those four backup drives. I think it's an overheating issue but I solved that part by using a floor fan to blow constantly into the case. It works but now occasionally the computer will lose video feed. I'm not sure if it's the video card because the machine will turn on although I can't audibly hear the POST. Basically, it powers on and that's it; no video image, no hard drive action. Sometimes I can let it sit, jingle a few things here and there, when it will suddenly work properly...until the next time.

So, longer story shorter, I could use some sort of networked, Internet-accessed, "clouded" access to my files. This may not be the solution but it's a good place to start at a decent price.

Stupid people at work...again

I find some of the best random blogging material by just sitting at my office desk listening or seeing what goes on around me.

I've posted about the stupid people at work and specifically the stupidest girl at work.

So, Monday she called in sick to our boss who has been out of town on recruiting trips for almost a month straight. The boss often has been sickly on the various trips and when she got back in town, she still came into the office. I'm not promoting it. I'm just saying for reference/comparison.

So stupid girl left boss a message saying she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be in until may be later after lunch time...approximately 1pm.

No big deal, right? Wrong! Stupid girl just happened to take off Friday for a three-day weekend where she apparently ventured to Austin, Texas for Austin City Limits. That's like three days of mindless drinking, partying and music listening. I'm sure the boss knew this was where she was going and then stupid girl calls in "sick."

Do you see where and why stupid girl gets her moniker?

Again, I don't care what the fuck stupid girl does. I care that her stupidity will somehow affect me somewhere down the road. What if I want to call in sick on a Monday? Now the boss will think, "Hm, [stupid girl] had a party weekend and called in. I wanted if [Jay] is 'playing' sick." See? It sets a trend for others that really isn't there but because of stupid girl, it's now in the thoughts of the boss.

By the way, I've told a couple of people or they were privy to the information the same time I was but they all say, "Isn't [stupid girl] too old to be doing this shit now?" She's 30...31 in a month or so. I take a more stand-offish approach and say, "30 is really just a number. Yes, maturity-wise you would think she'd be out of the going-somewhere-to-party-and-get-drunk phase but I guess everyone is different."

At the same time, stupid girl seems somewhat immature (mentally) at times. I think she spent more time acting like a frat boy in college than a sorority girl. Nothing wrong with that, but I would think the maturity eventually kind of just naturally occurs. I could be wrong since I purchase my evolutionist degree online.

So, what do you think? Is there an age that people should stop "partying"? I know partying is a very broad idea. For me a few years ago, playing Medal of Honor: Spearhead on my home LAN of seven computers was a party. Should I have grown out of that? Of course, part of your decision could be how much community partying is done (i.e. dance clubs, concerts, bars) versus in-house partying (i.e. LAN parties, house parties with close friends).

I'm a little skewed in my opinion because I don't drink or believe in completely wasting my hard-earned money. If I did drink, I don't see how economically smart it is to pay $5 for a bottle beer at some venue when I can buy a 6-12pk for the same or slightly more. I like listening to music but I don't need to see the band in person, especially from within the mosh pit or the you-got-charged-way-too-much-dumb-ass seats up front. I'm happy with just jamming to the music on my computer or MP3 player.

I'm just easy like that...easy like a Sunday morning!

Email humor 10/12/2010

My ex-wife started taking flying lessons about the time our divorce started and she got her license shortly before our divorce was final, later that same year.

Yesterday afternoon, she narrowly escaped injury in the aircraft she was piloting when she was forced to make an emergency landing in Southern Tennessee because of bad weather.

Thank God our kids were with me this weekend.

The NTSB issued a preliminary report, citing pilot error: Judy was flying a single engine aircraft in IFR (instrument flight rating) conditions while only having obtained a VFR (visual flight rating) rating.

The absence of a post-crash fire was likely due to insufficient fuel on board.

No one on the ground was injured.

The photograph below was taken at the scene and shows the extent of damage to her aircraft.

She was very lucky.

A funny typed review at Amazon

I forget where I found it but I'm on the RSS feed for Free ebooks on Kindle from Amazon and smashwords. They are not always free but I don't know if that is the site's error or I just see the "deals" too late. I think mostly it's the site's but mainly for the books listed from smashwords. All but one book at Amazon was indeed free and I didn't realize the one that wasn't until after I had already purchased it.

Anyway, a book listed today was Relentless (Dominion Trilogy #1). I usually read the reviews to get a feel for the book because even though it's free, I don't want to waste my time on badly written story lines.

So, in Relentless' "Editorial Review" section, the person references the likes of the author to another. The lines starts with:

Gradually, the Dick-like paranoia itself shifts into flourishes...

Now, tell me that ain't funny?

What is Symbian?

Okay, I really don't need to know what it is but every time I see the word it makes me think of another one. I guess it's because of my perverted nature or unusual knowledge of certain aspects of pornography and sex toys. I'm not into either but I think it's innate for boys/men to have a base knowledge of the two by a certain age; no definite age but some earlier bloomers than others.

So, what is the word that always comes to mind for me?

Symbian versus Sybian

You can see why the initial confusion, right?

Speaking of annoying singers

I am listening to some Internet radio via WinAmp. They are currently playing Justin Bieber's U Smile song...video here.

I hate to say it but the song is catchy. It's repetitive but not to the extreme noticeable extent of his song Baby.

He still sounds like his balls need to drop and I can't stand his "act." I know it's a marketing tool but why White singers are told to portray this ghetto image. No, it's not a hip-hop image. It's ghetto! The baggy pants. The too-big sneakers usually untied. Next he'll have a gold chain dangling that has a "J.B." or "Bieber" pendant hanging from it.

Anyway, good for this kid to come (or go) as far as he has. Apparently he and his team are doing something right no matter how much I dislike him overall.

Parents...get off Miley Cyrus already. Sheesh!

In a story over at Evil Beet Gossip,

Miley Cyrus’s New Video and the Backlash it’s Receiving From - Surprise, Surprise - Parents

Click here for article while it lasts.

I usually don't give a shit about shit like this but this just goes to show you the ignorance of today's parents.

Miley Cyrus is trying to leave behind that Disney persona. And who wouldn't when it has made you famous, made you millions, and basically run its course? Why would a 17-yr-old want to continue to play some immature role in a Disney kid show? It's not a teen show as much as it is a kid show.

Oh wait, there is one person who would ride this "success" train until its horrible death...Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel.

Anyhow, she's just like any other teeny-bopper artist that is looking to grow, mature and be relevant to a different audience. I didn't hear so much flack about Justin Timberlake becoming more risque from the teeny-bopper band N'sync to singing Sexy Back.Is it a gender thing? Boys can sing, dress "dirty" as young adults but girls can't? Gimme a break!

Oh well. I just had to chime in because I'm a parent and these parents are ridiculous. As a parent, a damn good one, I have kept my kids from listening to and seeing things that I deem unworthy.

I don't particular have a huge interest in Miley Cyrus. She has pretty decent, catchy songs...even the pre-pubescent ones. She's pretty in a weird kind of way but not striking although she's getting a little better the older she's gotten...so far. And if any marketer is worth their ego, they would tell Miley to continue to accentuate her best asset: her long legs. I mean her voice is pretty decent too but sometimes I find her a little off, more slightly flat than sharp, but it could be the way the song was written and she's supposed to sound like that. I don't know.

So, anyway, parents do your parenting and lay off blaming or pointing the finger at some entertainer.

Move the eff on!

Paramore's The Only Exception

I like Paramore. I actually like just a few of their songs...maybe more. I can't repeat verbatim the lyrics to the songs I do like. I've said it before, "I'm shallow." So, I don't really pay attention to the words so much as the melody. The exception is when I hear a word or phrase repeatedly and then it grates on my nerves because it's like that old vinyl record that's been scratched and repeats and repeats and repeats.

Paramore's song The Only Exception falls into this category. I liked the song. I want to continue to like the song. I currently dislike most of the song because of the repetitiveness of the words, "You are...the only exception. The only exception..." It's enough to make me want to jab dull pencils into my ears.

It's sad really because the lyrics are pretty decent (in between the repeated phrase) and the beat as well. I think Hayley is kind of hot. It's not enough for me to completely be into the song because of the damn repetitiveness. That damn repetitiveness just kills me. It's like having a broken arm in a cast and not being able to reach the itch under the cast to ease your suffering. Ugh, the repetitiveness. It's just repetitive.

Do you see what I mean?

So, if the RIAA would take a look at similar songs across multiple bands and genres, I think they would realize it's NOT the bootlegging/file-sharing. It's that the songs are good, the get played a lot, the repetitive lyrics get noticed more, and people are like, "I'm not buying this shit" or they have buyer's remorse.

I don't know. I'm done.

Oh yeah, by the way, I do hear the lyrics I just don't completely listen to them initially. I don't have to time to jump in and get invested in liking something without testing it out first because it may suck or it will be canceled like my TV shows.

Iron Man 2, a sort of review

I walked into my local Blockbuster to exchange my mail-order movie for an in-store movie last Thursday. I was intent on getting Iron Man 2. All of their copies were rented out. So, now I had a dilemma on my hands: what to watch instead.

I narrowed it down quickly as my kid and her friend were waiting for me in the car. I decided on either Robin Hood(2010) or Get Him to the Greek. There wasn't any other new releases that were "jumping out" at me to say, "Pick me! Pick me!"

I was having difficulty in choosing between the two because I figured "Greek" was more of a stupid humor movie while I felt "Robin Hood" was another telling of an all-too familiar story line.

I walked to the check out counter and said, "So, since you guys don't have Iron Man 2 in stock..." The BB guy said, "You mean this," while holding up a copy of Iron Man 2. I was like, "Dude, I love you man!"

While checking out, I told him I was going to ask him which movie to pick between Robin Hood and Get Him to the Greek. He said that Robin Hood was a better quality movie although Greek was funny. I mentioned that I thought the Robin Hood story was overplayed. He said this was actually a prequel to before he became "Robin Hood." I was like, "Oh." Anyway, I got Iron Man 2 to watch and I'm sure I'll get the others sometime in the near future.

I must say that I'm a little disappointed in the movie. I expected a little more than I was given. It was a decent movie...mayb 3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars. If I recall, I think the first Iron Man had a bit more overall action and better story line. I could be wrong because it has been a while since I saw the first movie.

I'm going to type about things that didn't follow suit for me because that's what I do.

• Howard Stark was so far forward in his genius that he created the schematic for a new element but he just didn't have the technology at the time to create it? But he knew the future enough to share what Tony needed to do to make it?
• Ivan Vanko built an arc reactor-based weapon from his father's notes. When he's on the Grand Prix track in Monaco, he walks down the middle of the track and the driver's are able to avoid him while seemingly driving at least 80-100mph. Why? Plow the guy. He's obviously illegally on the track so MOW...HIM...DOWN.
• Also, Happy plows the Rolls Royce into Vanko and pins him quite harshly to the Grand Prix track perimeter wall. Why didn't Vanko get broken legs or suffer badly before dying? He wasn't wearing super, specialize armor like Iron Man. I hate it when movies make people who have a "gift" invincible...of course, I guess I need to read the comics to realize Vanko's character. Oh well!
• Scarlett Johansson's character, I forget her name because that's how important it was to me, is way hot but c'mon really? I don't think ANY woman could punch me in the face and knock me out or make me lose a fight! Okay, I know it's a movie but still. Now, I'm not saying I'd win a fight against a highly-skilled female fighter. I'm just saying it would take a little more than a punch and kick to the head for me to cry, "Uncle!"
• Samuel L. Jackson is overrated! That's right. I'll say it again, "OVERRATED!" He acts the same in just about every one of his movies (almost like Ashton Kutcher, Steve Carrell, Jack Black, and that dude from Knocked Up. The yelling or loud-volume conversation Nick Fury has with Tony Stark in the restaurant made me think of him in Pulp Fiction and a couple of other roles he's had.

Um, I had more to bitch about but it's been a day or two since I started writing this. So, I'm done. I've lost train of thought. I had to study for a test, develop some film and make some prints. I've got a life besides blogging. Dammit!

The many hats of Chris Fowler

Fowler pregame of Arkansas-Alabama game Sept 25, 2010.
Courtesy of ESPN and my digital camera.

Chris Fowler (ESPN bio or wiki) has got be one of the most versatile sportscasters I've seen. This guy is freaking everywhere on television sports.

My first recognition of him is a commentating on pro tennis matches. I never understood why he was commenting on tennis when he has no formal training or background in the sport. Most of the commentators are professional players that had retired after an actual pro career in tennis whether it was short or long.

When Fowler would comment during a match or even ask questions during player interviews, I would always say to myself, "Who the fuck is this?!" and "Why is HE talking to the player?" I mean I get not every pro has a knack for speaking but John (and Patrick) McEnroe, Jim Courier, Justin Gimelstob, Mary Jo Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, that Corina chick, and even Martina Navratilova speak just fine for the interviews and have an inside, personal knowledge of the game of tennis.

Not Fowler. He seems more like one of those stats or textbook commentators. What he knows is from what he reads and from talking to those that experienced. It seems hollow to me when he commentates or interviews. I guess it's the tennis player in me but that's just the way I see it. Some of his comments (and the pros-turned-commentator's but his more) annoy the crap out of me. It's almost like he's there just to add some difference...I can't think of what that difference is but I'm sure it's something the producers come up with.

I just don't like impostors when it comes to sports. I don't know a lot about football, basketball, rugby, lacrosse, Nascar or golf. I have a working knowledge of some sports and a somewhat deeper knowledge of others. I don't comment on those that I do not faithfully know or follow. Fowler knows his stats although I feel like someone who's lived or played the game over their lifetime is more genuine than those you can read off a sports ticker.

Anyway, I'm not hating (okay, maybe a little) on Fowler. According to his wiki, he's obviously a talent that ESPN loves based on the different sports he's commentated over the years. I'm just a tennis snob and I think only tennis-affiliated people should host/comment at professional tennis events.

Dick Enberg (or Bob Costas, I think) is another one but I won't even get started on him.

In the news 10/01/2010

From the Dallas News:

Dallas woman critically injured when bicycle hits her on Katy Trail

Click here for the article while it lasts.

I'm not sure but I think that the cyclist was going way to effing fast if the woman suffered critical injuries. In the comments, someone said the woman passed away this morning. If that's true, I think there should be some form of prosecution. Cyclists want the respect and authority to ride on the streets. They should be subject to similar laws as automobiles. Basically, it could be something like negligent homicide. Yes, the jogger had on headphones but if it was a car, he'd be cited for the speeding therefore showing negligence.

At the same time, whenever I bike or walk (I hate to jog), I almost always turn to see what is coming behind me, beside me or anywhere around me for my own safety and protection. Like another commenter said, "We are surrounded by foolish people, so arm yourself with that knowledge and always play it safer. Look around you. Pay attention."

In my experience, the cyclist always thinks he/she has some God-given right to be an ass on the road/trails. It could be the cyclist minority but it seems that I am always around that minority. I've also seen tons of cyclists hauling ass on the Katy Trail.

A little tangent: Why is a person a called a cyclist when they ride a bike instead of a rider because they are riding the bike? Why not like a jogger when they jog? A swimmer when they swim or a runner when they run? Do you see the point? When you are a doer doing something the typical add on is "er," but not a cyclist. Is it dependent on the level of expertise that is required to do the activity? Like a pianist, cellist, vocalist, scientist, dentist, protagonist...do these all require some sort of special knowledge, how-to, and skill? I don't think there is something special about a cyclist compared to a runner. I don't know. Just a thought that popped into meesa head while commenting on the story.