This weekend was an interesting blend of achievement and cancellation. I had been hoping throughout the week that something might go down back home, since Joe and Dana both turned 21 last week, with mine on the horizon. Unfortunately nothing happened though as Joe told me on Thursday that the outlook was bad; Dana got sick last week and was going to just do family stuff at home, and Joe was probably going to go to a bar which would exclude Ray and Mike. It really wasn't a big deal, and it's not like it was heavily pinning my hopes on, but since "events" out in Jersey seem to be quite rare, this weekend seemed like a good spot for shit to go down.
Saturday is when things fell into place. We had talked to JWB3 and Eric about coming to check out the house in Philly so we could get money issues out of the way and get a real good look at the place. For those of you who don't know, the great house experiment of Drexel failed (as Jay and I predicted it might), and bad blood now resides between the duo of Eric and Kyle and the rest of the house. After there was a blow up where fists were practically thrown, it was clear that said duo would not be returning at the end of the lease. Jay and I had to find a place to live anyway, so we stepped into the fray. We worked out a real nice agreement with Kyle and Eric on the whats/whens/and hows, and John and Kaitlin seem more than willing to fill in the rent vacancy with people they already know.
We got there around 2 and didn't leave the city till about 8. Even though it's west of Penn's campus, the bike ride to Drexel isn't bad and the neighborhood is really nice. Surprisingly nice actually. The house itself is a three story, 6 bedroom place, with everything including washer/drier. There is even a small backyard with grass and a wooden deck which means that BBQ's will happen frequently (that sounds ridiculous to be excited about, but if you're not from the city you have no idea how rare that is). The house is a little old, but so is every one in the area. It's still nice the way it is, but if you wanted to improve it, all the place needs is a little paint and minimal effort. What's great is that Jay and I will basically get the entire third floor, which includes a bathroom, for about $500 a month each after utilities. After checking out the place, my mind immediately started to brainstorm on how I want my room set up, and I'm really looking forward to moving in. We also paid Eric and Kyle for the security deposit (which we get back), the rent for May, and our share of the part-time rent for March.
After that was done, I grabbed a Western pizza from Ed's and we hooked up with D-Money and Jeremy at their place. I hadn't seen them in awhile, and we basically just chilled and shot the shit. We brought up the future AC casino trip that's in the works, plans for trout fishing on the weekends, and a possible camping trip down on the coast (possibly NC).
Once we got back and Jay left, I went over to Kent's to hang out for the rest of the night, and basically dorked it out the rest of the night. By the way, it's incredibly easy to lose track of time when on your computer. Sunday was a bit of the same, hanging at Kent's just to kill time.
Today at work should be real busy, but starting tomorrow I will be getting treated to infinite meals to celebrate my birthday. I might be testing the water to see what people are up to this week, but if you want to do something feel free to let me know.
And a baba booey to you all.
February 27, 2006
February 23, 2006
Ordinarily Amazing
This week has been pretty boring and uneventful. This weekend should be a little better, since on top of my regular routine I'll be checking out the house I'll be moving into before school, going to KOP and hopefully seeing people from back home. All that fun, however, isn't till tomorrow night, so I still have a little while longer to trudge on ahead. At this point, I'm running on autopilot, hoping that the hours fly by like minutes so I can get to the promised land called "weekend".
My computer is basically back to normal now. I still haven't copied my music from the iPod back onto my computer, and I lost all the pictures of friends I had, but DeadAim is up and running ( I gave Triton a chance and hated it ) and I've made huge strides in personalizing my computer to the way I want. Basically, all I need to do for that is get pictures and sounds on there that make my computer "mine". It's a little anal and definitely unnecessary, but it's how I likes it. My screensaver has always been a montage of hand picked photos, and I'm pretty happy with the new batch. I found an amazing pic of my girl, Marilyn Monroe, probably the best one I've ever found, and it reflects the strength of my new lineup. Going on a search of MM really reminded me how absolutely drop-dead gorgeous she was. She's easily one of, if not the most, beautiful women in any lifetime.
My computer is basically back to normal now. I still haven't copied my music from the iPod back onto my computer, and I lost all the pictures of friends I had, but DeadAim is up and running ( I gave Triton a chance and hated it ) and I've made huge strides in personalizing my computer to the way I want. Basically, all I need to do for that is get pictures and sounds on there that make my computer "mine". It's a little anal and definitely unnecessary, but it's how I likes it. My screensaver has always been a montage of hand picked photos, and I'm pretty happy with the new batch. I found an amazing pic of my girl, Marilyn Monroe, probably the best one I've ever found, and it reflects the strength of my new lineup. Going on a search of MM really reminded me how absolutely drop-dead gorgeous she was. She's easily one of, if not the most, beautiful women in any lifetime.
Also, I think I got a lot of latent junk that had been hanging in my brain out last week in my multiple blog tirades, so I'm kinda out of stuff to talk about currently.
One thing I find incredible is this story that Jay uncovered and sent to me today at work. After I read it, and the contract, I was really blown away. It's amazing to me that people like this asshole actually exist and are able to carry on that kind of shit. I really recommend that if you can handle some graphic sexual explanations and can stomach the writings of a complete prick, then click on the above link and prepare to have your mind blown.
February 20, 2006
Fall of the Machines
For anyone like myself who relies strongly on their computer for social networking and survival in the face of boredom, there are two words that can instantly make a person feel overcome with dread and fear: reformatting Windows.This weekend was pretty much dominated by my computer woes. It all started on Friday, when a commute absent of traffic and a pleasant day ofwork got me suspicious that I was in for a nice karma kick (remember in Seinfeld when Jerry said his life always breaks even, well I'm the same way). After getting sat in Felicia's section at Ruby Tuesday's later that night, I knew I was doomed.
I have to tip my hat to fate; having my computer die as retribution for good times really didn't cross my mind and I was taken completely by surprise. What happened was I tried to download a helpful UI for Warcraft and was actually playing for a bit before I decided to take a break and restart my computer so the installation could take effect. As Windows tried to shut down, my screen turned black and then the "physical memory dump" window popped up. I figured I would just wait for it to finish, restart my computer, and remove what I figured to be a corrupt UI. But the memory dump never started, and after about five minutes of watching nothing happen, I perhaps sealed my fate and held down the power button for a manual shutdown.
Whether one of the UI's corrupted my files, the installment went terribly wrong, or a manual restart messed up my computer, I'll never know. When I tried to restart to assess the damage, my computer couldn't even load Windows in safe mode. After shooting some pool and getting advice from Jay on Saturday, I transported my dead computer to Kent's to try and repair. That failed, as did reinstalling Windows components. So with no options left to me, I was forced to wipe my harddrive and reformat.
If you've never had the pleasure of reformatting, I highly recommend you fuck your computer up one day just to give it a go. All things considered, the process went relatively fast. Over a span of "just" six hours, I was able to do the following:
- update all my drivers (video, sound, etc) since reformatting leaves you with the absolute basic
- download and install over fifty Windows updates
- reinstall Service pack 2 (long as hell)
- download Mozilla, AIM, Symantec and MSOffice from online
- reinstall Warcraft (4 discs, 6 gigs) and the subsequent 7 patches
***I probably restarted my computer a grand total of 17 times***
Sunday, I went to Jersey to make sure my Mom's computer was working fine and to install the RAM I took out of my computer into my sister's computer (one man's junk is another person's upgrade).
Since I didn't even play well during my Saturday pool session, the only real highlight of the weekend was eating this little Italian place my Mom works at on Haddon Ave. in Collingswood. The brick oven looked like it could turn out a mean pizza or calzone, and the bread was incredible enough to back up those expectations, but I went with the Lobster Ravioli and did not regret it. Plus, I got a few pretzel-filled chocolates from this candy shoppe across the street. It's like a solid chocolate with a pretzel in the middle, and the lady covers them with a wide array of toppings. I got 3 with mini Reeces Peices and 1 with mini Snow Caps. Fucking good.
February 15, 2006
Comfort Level
One thing that I've enjoyed about my current job is that, unlike my last co-op, there is a stronger and more dominant social force in the office. Last year, it was me and three other lab rats cut off from the rest of the staff. This group is younger and more interactive, and there's a larger number of people to come in contact with. With higher volumes of conversation, however, comes increased levels of frustration: disagreements happen more frequently here as compared to Chester Water, but that comes with the territory.
"Brokeback Mountain" has been a hotbed of conversation, not only here, but throughout the pop-culture world. Everyone's been talking about it, so it's not surprising to me that it eventually came up here. The men have been put on the spot to go see the movie, and when some of us said that we had absolutely no desire to see it, the accusations flew and words like "afraid" and "homophobic" started to fly. Luckily (for me), my evasion skills are covert level, because unless I want to get involved, I'm a fairly quite person (people who know me won't believe that LoL). But given the atmosphere created by a blog, I felt this would be a good place to address the topic.
The question is: "Why don't you go see that movie, people say it's a great film . . . what are you, homophobic?"
If you want the politically correct answer, I don't want to see this movie because it degrades and slanders the institution of family. I've read plenty on how Ang Lee has used his director skills to show a sharp contrast between the happy life and comfort that the cowboys feel when with eachother (the open fields, running water, sunshine), and the dark and dreary, often depressing and suffocating world of heterosexual family burden. Like or dislike the movie, this contrast is obvious. Now I can't speak for Lee, so whether he did this to create a foil for homosexuality to show how it can be a beautiful and fulfilling life, or whether he did this to show how family life isn't all it's cracked up to be, I can't say. But the message is clear. Family, home, parental responsibility, loyalty, love: all these are called into question by the film and shown in a hateful light, and because of that, whatever love story he is trying to show is tainted to me and unappealing.
If you want the real, more dominant answer, here it is uncensored:
The world has gotten into this mindset that tolerance and blind, unquestioning acceptance are the same thing. Gay people exist, and they should be allowed to exist, and anyone who tries to take away their rights or slanders them or alienates them is wrong. But just because you tolerate something doesn't mean you have to agree with it. To me, as a straight man, homosexuality is . . . let's say "weird". Every fiber of my being tells me that it is: philosophically, religiously, logically, spiritually, genetically. Every pool of information and insight available to me tells me its unnatural. I'm not saying anyone is going to burn in hell, I'm not saying to deport them, I really don't care what they do but it does make me uncomfortable. But for people to stand up and point a finger at you, or anyone for that matter, because watching two guys kiss eachother grosses them out is ridiculous and unfair. Gay people have a right to be with eachother, so don't I have a right to not want to watch? Isn't that what America is supposed to be about, respecting people? If it was my choice, every hand gun in America would be off the streets, but I recognize the rights of Americans to have them and only hope that we do more as a society to make gun ownership safer. Is that wrong of me to think guns are bad when I tolerate their existence?
Let me draw a very crude but strong parallel, and please don't be offended if you fall into this category. If Ang Lee made a movie about the passionate struggle for romance of two morbidly obese cowboys, who fell in love, and used visually powerful scenes of fat people naked and making love, you'd be grossed out (if you want to say you wouldn't be, then I think you should search the internet and try to stomach some of the weird fetish stuff that I'm sure exists out there), and on top of that he makes thin or physically fit people look like hateful, taunting pricks who do nothing but work out and choke the life out of those who don't exercise.
Now that, again, is a movie I wouldn't want to see. Fat people obviously have every right to fall in love and be happy. Hell, a love scene like that, while strange and unsettling to me, would logically be more natural then a homosexual one. Ask yourself a simple question: do you think this movie would be as popular if Ang Lee had used unattractive and perhaps overweight actors?
So yes, watching two men make out grosses me out, and two men finding love isn't an interesting topic to me, and a crucifixion of heterosexual love and family values doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Look up the word "homophobic" sometime and tell me if I'm infringing on anyone's rights by saying this, or if I'm making preconceived judgments about others and shutting the door on them.
You know, Spanish speaking people existed before America found out from the Latin music craze, and gay people were always there, even before you watched an episode of "Will and Grace". This cultural fad will pass, and ten years from now you won't even remember or care about who went to go see "Brokeback" and who didn't.
If you want to sit and preach acceptance, make sure you're not the one to preach to first.
"Brokeback Mountain" has been a hotbed of conversation, not only here, but throughout the pop-culture world. Everyone's been talking about it, so it's not surprising to me that it eventually came up here. The men have been put on the spot to go see the movie, and when some of us said that we had absolutely no desire to see it, the accusations flew and words like "afraid" and "homophobic" started to fly. Luckily (for me), my evasion skills are covert level, because unless I want to get involved, I'm a fairly quite person (people who know me won't believe that LoL). But given the atmosphere created by a blog, I felt this would be a good place to address the topic.
The question is: "Why don't you go see that movie, people say it's a great film . . . what are you, homophobic?"
If you want the politically correct answer, I don't want to see this movie because it degrades and slanders the institution of family. I've read plenty on how Ang Lee has used his director skills to show a sharp contrast between the happy life and comfort that the cowboys feel when with eachother (the open fields, running water, sunshine), and the dark and dreary, often depressing and suffocating world of heterosexual family burden. Like or dislike the movie, this contrast is obvious. Now I can't speak for Lee, so whether he did this to create a foil for homosexuality to show how it can be a beautiful and fulfilling life, or whether he did this to show how family life isn't all it's cracked up to be, I can't say. But the message is clear. Family, home, parental responsibility, loyalty, love: all these are called into question by the film and shown in a hateful light, and because of that, whatever love story he is trying to show is tainted to me and unappealing.
If you want the real, more dominant answer, here it is uncensored:
The world has gotten into this mindset that tolerance and blind, unquestioning acceptance are the same thing. Gay people exist, and they should be allowed to exist, and anyone who tries to take away their rights or slanders them or alienates them is wrong. But just because you tolerate something doesn't mean you have to agree with it. To me, as a straight man, homosexuality is . . . let's say "weird". Every fiber of my being tells me that it is: philosophically, religiously, logically, spiritually, genetically. Every pool of information and insight available to me tells me its unnatural. I'm not saying anyone is going to burn in hell, I'm not saying to deport them, I really don't care what they do but it does make me uncomfortable. But for people to stand up and point a finger at you, or anyone for that matter, because watching two guys kiss eachother grosses them out is ridiculous and unfair. Gay people have a right to be with eachother, so don't I have a right to not want to watch? Isn't that what America is supposed to be about, respecting people? If it was my choice, every hand gun in America would be off the streets, but I recognize the rights of Americans to have them and only hope that we do more as a society to make gun ownership safer. Is that wrong of me to think guns are bad when I tolerate their existence?
Let me draw a very crude but strong parallel, and please don't be offended if you fall into this category. If Ang Lee made a movie about the passionate struggle for romance of two morbidly obese cowboys, who fell in love, and used visually powerful scenes of fat people naked and making love, you'd be grossed out (if you want to say you wouldn't be, then I think you should search the internet and try to stomach some of the weird fetish stuff that I'm sure exists out there), and on top of that he makes thin or physically fit people look like hateful, taunting pricks who do nothing but work out and choke the life out of those who don't exercise.
Now that, again, is a movie I wouldn't want to see. Fat people obviously have every right to fall in love and be happy. Hell, a love scene like that, while strange and unsettling to me, would logically be more natural then a homosexual one. Ask yourself a simple question: do you think this movie would be as popular if Ang Lee had used unattractive and perhaps overweight actors?
So yes, watching two men make out grosses me out, and two men finding love isn't an interesting topic to me, and a crucifixion of heterosexual love and family values doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Look up the word "homophobic" sometime and tell me if I'm infringing on anyone's rights by saying this, or if I'm making preconceived judgments about others and shutting the door on them.
You know, Spanish speaking people existed before America found out from the Latin music craze, and gay people were always there, even before you watched an episode of "Will and Grace". This cultural fad will pass, and ten years from now you won't even remember or care about who went to go see "Brokeback" and who didn't.
If you want to sit and preach acceptance, make sure you're not the one to preach to first.
February 14, 2006
The Money Tree Burns
Today at lunch, Ralph started hypothesizing about what he would do with his share if we won the lottery. What he's referring to is the Powerball tickets that I chipped in for with a couple of others here at work in the hopes of a miracle (I think the pay out went over the $300 million mark, not sure though).With greenbacks on the brain, my mind naturally started down the path of tangents. Suddenly, I found myself worrying about this upcoming school year and the financial burdens that come with it. I guess it's not a surprise: I'm fairly certain that I start to sweat this stuff right around this time every year. How can I help it? My taxes aren't done. My FAFSA isn't complete. The return to classes is around the corner, and with it comes a sizeable bill from Drexel and estimated city living costs for the next year. I've already determined, for piece of mind and wallet, that I want to get an extra loan this year to help defer some of those financial requirements, but I've yet to apply for one. Obviously, extra loans suck, but so does having absolutely no money in the bank. I've always been one who prefers to have a cash reserve for the "just in case" scenario, and I was able to avoid those extra loans last year and figure that I'm due.
At this point though, it's just troubling to me. All of this had been churning in my head for a good month or so, but today all of it decided to push its way to the front of my mind.
I need to get thinking about something else, and not WoW either
. . . .
Jay was reminded of an old Troy McClure phrase by an article in CNN on shark attacks dropping worldwide. Naturally, he instantly thought of "Man vs. Nature, the Road to Victory" and felt the need to let me in on the joke. That got me reminiscing about Phil Hartman, one of my all time favorite comedians. What was unique, to me, about Phil was that there wasn't a whole lot out there regarding his standup routine. Despite that, I still consider him one of the best. He could impersonate anybody he wanted, and his material was limitless. He could make even the worst SNL sketch funny merely by his presence. And it's that presence that I think is what really puts him with rare company. He was definitely one of those guys that you wanted to like and wanted to laugh with. You can't write that kind of stuff, it's really just a result of character. He played a lot of characters, but the role of Phil Hartman was the best.
Oh yeah, one other thing. A couple of birthdays are coming up, one of which is mine on the first. Dana mentioned that hers is near the end of the month, and so is Joe De Playa's, and that a gathering of individuals in the pursuit of celebratory activities might happen. I'm down for a trip to Jersey if there is one, so people need to let me know. I'll probably inquire just to be safe.
Normally, one would say the "BIG" twenty first, but considering that I haven't had a drink in . . . let's see, oh yeah, never, and that I don't plan on having any in the future, it doesn't seem as big a deal to me as it does to my friends. I am looking forward to two things though: One, I'll be able to go to a casino, something which will hopefully happen by the end of March (Jay will also be 21 by then). The other is the fact that I will officially be considered 100% adult. No more closed doors, no more unavailable bar stools; all of that goes away the second you're 21. I'm sure that, when everyone catches up, a strip club trip will happen, it's unavoidable (although I doubt I'd be one to actually want to avoid that).
You get the idea though: freedom. Real freedom too. Not the kind we got when we moved up into highschool, and not the kind we looked forward to in college. This is the last step people, the only obstacle left in our way before that final "freedom", the one that comes from sweet release. And I don't plan on spiritual ascension any time soon.
February 13, 2006
Gunked Up in White
Not that white stuff. Snow, you sick pervert.
It finally happened folks. As you already know, Old Man Winter decided that all the seasonably warm weather we've been having this year should come to an end. Like any decrepit old fart, watching us young folks enjoy our merry little lives was a too much for him to stomach. And like any cunning and calculating adversary, he waited till we all felt quiet sure that this winter was incredibly gracious, that the good times would continue on into the upcoming Spring; basically, he waited till our hopes were high and our pants dropped to sodomize us all with his Icy Rod of Hell.
It started coming down on Saturday and carried into mid Sunday. Not one to let weather deter me from going out, I went to Kent's palace that day. Late that night, with the Warcraft realm down for maintainence, a 1 am food run was in order. By that point, snow was falling fast, but it was melting on the pavement. In a three hour period, however, it formed a thick sheet of gayety on the roads, and I crawled at 25 mph on my drive home at 4 am. My area got about 14 inches of the cold white bullshit when it was all said and done.
My dad got stuck in NH, so "man of the house" responsibilities fell on my lap come Sunday. Electricity went out in our area for a couple of hours, so I had to wake up early and get the kerosene heater going when our heat shut off. Later, I got a fantastic upper-body workout by shoveling the walk and driveway, and attempting to transform the newly made snow heaps on our property back into drivable cars (my shoulders are still sore).
This morning was the icing on the cake (so to speak). Despite making it out of my house on time, I still got to work an hour late. Why? Because the IQ of people drops 100 pts. when they are driving in adverse conditions. There was an accident on the Blue Rt., then there was a congestion nightmare on the ramp for my turnpike exit, which alone took 45 minutes to drive 0.1 miles.
I blame myself for being so naive. Winter always gets the last laugh.
________________________________________________
No pool happened this weekend, due to you-know-who. I did get my character on Warcraft to level up to 55. Considering that the cap on level is 60 in the game, that's fucking good. Kent is up to 50 with his druid, and I'm thinking of taking a break from the leveling to get my blacksmithing up sick. I'd like to see if I can get high enough to start making weapons as a source of income and, eventually, make my own weapon for my warrior. We'll see though.
It finally happened folks. As you already know, Old Man Winter decided that all the seasonably warm weather we've been having this year should come to an end. Like any decrepit old fart, watching us young folks enjoy our merry little lives was a too much for him to stomach. And like any cunning and calculating adversary, he waited till we all felt quiet sure that this winter was incredibly gracious, that the good times would continue on into the upcoming Spring; basically, he waited till our hopes were high and our pants dropped to sodomize us all with his Icy Rod of Hell.
It started coming down on Saturday and carried into mid Sunday. Not one to let weather deter me from going out, I went to Kent's palace that day. Late that night, with the Warcraft realm down for maintainence, a 1 am food run was in order. By that point, snow was falling fast, but it was melting on the pavement. In a three hour period, however, it formed a thick sheet of gayety on the roads, and I crawled at 25 mph on my drive home at 4 am. My area got about 14 inches of the cold white bullshit when it was all said and done.
My dad got stuck in NH, so "man of the house" responsibilities fell on my lap come Sunday. Electricity went out in our area for a couple of hours, so I had to wake up early and get the kerosene heater going when our heat shut off. Later, I got a fantastic upper-body workout by shoveling the walk and driveway, and attempting to transform the newly made snow heaps on our property back into drivable cars (my shoulders are still sore).
This morning was the icing on the cake (so to speak). Despite making it out of my house on time, I still got to work an hour late. Why? Because the IQ of people drops 100 pts. when they are driving in adverse conditions. There was an accident on the Blue Rt., then there was a congestion nightmare on the ramp for my turnpike exit, which alone took 45 minutes to drive 0.1 miles.
I blame myself for being so naive. Winter always gets the last laugh.
________________________________________________
No pool happened this weekend, due to you-know-who. I did get my character on Warcraft to level up to 55. Considering that the cap on level is 60 in the game, that's fucking good. Kent is up to 50 with his druid, and I'm thinking of taking a break from the leveling to get my blacksmithing up sick. I'd like to see if I can get high enough to start making weapons as a source of income and, eventually, make my own weapon for my warrior. We'll see though.
February 09, 2006
Global Revelation
In between experiments, recording data, and socializing at work, I check this thing called the "inter-net", mostly to see what doings are transpiring. Look at my Drexel mail, swing over to some random learning at Wikipedia, then perhaps lighten my mood with an Egyptian dancing gorilla.I always check the news though. Every day. CNN International mostly, if I don't local stuff, for that I frequent CBS 3. Why international? Well, our internet is through a server in Germany, since Degussa (the company whose teat our company feeds off of) is based there. So when I search for CNN on day one of my work experience here, the international CNN came up.
There is some dangerous and depressing bullshit going on there ladies and gentlemen. You think shit is bad here? You think Katrina investigations and Austrian governators and Grammy night winners are big news? If you do, here's some easy to follow advice: pull your thumb out of your ass and start caring, or shove your head up there as well and pretend it will all blow over.
With all the decapitations, bombings, diplomat kidnappings, terrorist activities, nuclear defiance, insurgencies, escaped masterminds, Hamas leadership and cartoon-driven hysteria going on in the world, I've been driven to a very important and mind blowing conclusion:
Fuck 'em. Yeah, that's it. Screw it all. No one likes us. No one wants our help. No one wants to lend a helping hand. Oh yeah, let's just go ahead and take the next step that most of the populace here and abroad is pushing for, and just become totally isolationist. Why not? It's not like the world needs our help with anything. It's not like WWIII would have happened two times over by now without our "intervention". What was I thinking all these years? I'm ashamed of myself. All the tsunami aid, giving more money towards AIDS prevention in Africa than any other country, trying to stop absolute anarchy in the Middle East and abroad . . . all of it, not our business.
What fools we've been. Germany had it right the third time around. Cut yourself off and try to get involved as little as possible with important but dangerous issues. That's the way. Sign me up. Send our boys home and lets just ride this storm out. Good luck Europe with the bullshit, we promise not to interfere like we did in WWI and WWII ever again.
If you can't detect the sarcasm dripping from this post, then I see you actually got your head up there, well done.
On a side note, while I originally wrote it off to perhaps a Google search of family names, it's pretty evident to me now that someone, who we'll call M. Tegan . . . . wait, that's too obvious, let's go with Michael T., has been checking this blog out almost daily from work. I must write about interesting stuff, because the only other reason for a parent to check their kids blog would be to get dirt on them. Luckily for me, and despite my candor and sometimes outrageous honesty, I actually don't do anything inappropriate or illegal, so I guess I'm in the clear.
But as long as that's not the case, read on pops.
February 08, 2006
February Funk
Timing is probably one of the most important things you can master. I feel I have an above average mastery of timing. Granted, sometimes my actions or statements have been called into question (one such example being the Ashley debacle, in which timing should have been set to 'never'), but who hasn't? Lately, the timing around my perfect little world has seemed somewhat off. For some reason, it just doesn't seem like people are choosing the right times for things, it's kinda hard to explain, but in my mind I just continually find myself muttering "well that could have waited" or "it's about time".
Oh well, I guess I'll have to deal with it. One minor example of this was lunch today at work. For some reason, the company whipping boy decided that 10:50 was a great time to go pick up our orders. Instead of the usual social atmosphere of fellow co-workers at noon, I was delighted to enjoy the awkward silence of eating a cheesesteak a full half hour early. Nothing like boring conversation between two people to really liven up the work day.
Speaking of cheesesteak, I really miss a good wiz. It's a cultural phenomenon that has completely grown on me. For quite some time, I've been unable to ignore the voice in my head that tells me that a steak covered in anything but wiz is unworthy. There's a very good chance that I'll give in to my desires soon and guide myself by the light of William Penn to the focus of my mind. Mmmmmm . . . . I can taste it already.
With the exception of ball-numbing cold, there's not a whole lot to talk about so far this week. Kent place fairly well in a tournament he played on Monday. He got halfway through the final table before running into some tough luck, but he still managed to collect some decent winnings upwards of $500. The best part is he did all this while playing WoW at the same time. I'd look over, and he'd go from killing orcs to raising pocket Kings, then taking a gryphon to Ironforge to check the Auction House, then back to collecting a pot. It was somewhat impressive and quite hilarious, since he was able to do both with more than moderate success. I told him he'd have to dual-play more often, since it was his best tournament showing in some weeks.
Also, Jay revealed that he's looking to spend whatever vacation time we have this year more wisely than last year by camping somewhere in the southerly direction, probably N.C. It's obviously way to early to say anything is concrete, but I'm definitely up for taking a few days off for some outdoor activities. As long as the weather cooperates more than it did during our Freshmen trip to Virginia, it should be a pretty good time.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to deal with it. One minor example of this was lunch today at work. For some reason, the company whipping boy decided that 10:50 was a great time to go pick up our orders. Instead of the usual social atmosphere of fellow co-workers at noon, I was delighted to enjoy the awkward silence of eating a cheesesteak a full half hour early. Nothing like boring conversation between two people to really liven up the work day.
Speaking of cheesesteak, I really miss a good wiz. It's a cultural phenomenon that has completely grown on me. For quite some time, I've been unable to ignore the voice in my head that tells me that a steak covered in anything but wiz is unworthy. There's a very good chance that I'll give in to my desires soon and guide myself by the light of William Penn to the focus of my mind. Mmmmmm . . . . I can taste it already.
With the exception of ball-numbing cold, there's not a whole lot to talk about so far this week. Kent place fairly well in a tournament he played on Monday. He got halfway through the final table before running into some tough luck, but he still managed to collect some decent winnings upwards of $500. The best part is he did all this while playing WoW at the same time. I'd look over, and he'd go from killing orcs to raising pocket Kings, then taking a gryphon to Ironforge to check the Auction House, then back to collecting a pot. It was somewhat impressive and quite hilarious, since he was able to do both with more than moderate success. I told him he'd have to dual-play more often, since it was his best tournament showing in some weeks.
Also, Jay revealed that he's looking to spend whatever vacation time we have this year more wisely than last year by camping somewhere in the southerly direction, probably N.C. It's obviously way to early to say anything is concrete, but I'm definitely up for taking a few days off for some outdoor activities. As long as the weather cooperates more than it did during our Freshmen trip to Virginia, it should be a pretty good time.
February 06, 2006
Big Time
Well, Super Bowl XL is over, and what a way to end an already abysmal post-season. After squandering what was headlined by many as possibly of the greatest post-seasons in NFL history, the Big Game ended with about as much excitement, or lack thereof, as the rest. Big Ben looked terrible (although it's hard to get on the guy who carried the Steelers through the first three games of the playoffs), andPittsburg was outplayed pretty much the entire first half. However dropped passes, constant penalties and clock management that would have Andy Reid cringe helped keep Seattle at bay. Halftime came with a surprising Pittsburg four point lead.
In the second half, a few missed opportunities and a trick play would lead to the Steelers effectively winning the game before the end of the third quarter. Despite my hatred for Steelers fans and my raging jealousy as an Eagles fan, it was hard for me to find fault with the players, coaches or game plan of Pittsburg, so I'm glad they were able to win one for the Bus. So here's to you Pittsburg, for finding a way to win the game long before it's end and yet doing it quite unconvincingly.
Despite the obvious lack of luster on the field, the social gathering surrounding the game was fairly entertaining. The King of Men and I trekked to the land of Jersey and the home of the DelVecchio clan. While the absence of Joey, Dana G and Mrs. C was sorely missed, there was plenty of good people and conversation to go around. All the good old boys were there, and so were a few of the guys from Rowan. The Jackson family made a grand appearance and Mr. D was his usual ghetto-fly self. Daniel and her friends were there too, which provided some much needed eye candy for what could have been an extreme sausage fest. Give my "Return to Greatness Award" to your sister Ray for getting back on par and looking incredibly good.
On another perhaps more interesting note, Jay and Kent were both featured in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. You can imagine my shock when I came down Sunday morning to find it as the feature article on the front page of the Sunday paper. Don't get too excited though, the writer wasn't exactly flattering.
Honestly, I consider Jay lucky that he didn't tell the interviewer anything incriminating about himself, because he came off squeaky clean compared to Kent. When I heard about the interview initially, I was skeptical; after all, it's not as if I thought that they were going to glorify poker playing college players. What is unfair though is that Kent spent a good two hours talking to the guy about responsibility and control, and not getting out of hand with gambling, essentially the very same messages the article was trying to communicate. Rather than use his views on responsibility, however, they decided to use his worst statements and paint him as the punch line for the audience: a young kid whose grades and lifestyle suffer from his profitable but questionable poker choice.
I don't think I'll be giving any interviews on the seedy life surrounding billiards any time soon.
Speaking of billiards, I was practically clairvoyant on Saturday. My appologies to Kent and Jay, who for a time had to sit back and watch as I won a string of two turn games. According to my sources, Eli is interested in a three team deal that would see Miami getting a first rounder and prospects, Detroit getting Abdulah Alaman, and Eli coming to Pheonixville on a future Saturday to shoot the shit and shoot some pool. Sounds good to me.
In the second half, a few missed opportunities and a trick play would lead to the Steelers effectively winning the game before the end of the third quarter. Despite my hatred for Steelers fans and my raging jealousy as an Eagles fan, it was hard for me to find fault with the players, coaches or game plan of Pittsburg, so I'm glad they were able to win one for the Bus. So here's to you Pittsburg, for finding a way to win the game long before it's end and yet doing it quite unconvincingly.
Despite the obvious lack of luster on the field, the social gathering surrounding the game was fairly entertaining. The King of Men and I trekked to the land of Jersey and the home of the DelVecchio clan. While the absence of Joey, Dana G and Mrs. C was sorely missed, there was plenty of good people and conversation to go around. All the good old boys were there, and so were a few of the guys from Rowan. The Jackson family made a grand appearance and Mr. D was his usual ghetto-fly self. Daniel and her friends were there too, which provided some much needed eye candy for what could have been an extreme sausage fest. Give my "Return to Greatness Award" to your sister Ray for getting back on par and looking incredibly good.
On another perhaps more interesting note, Jay and Kent were both featured in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. You can imagine my shock when I came down Sunday morning to find it as the feature article on the front page of the Sunday paper. Don't get too excited though, the writer wasn't exactly flattering.
Honestly, I consider Jay lucky that he didn't tell the interviewer anything incriminating about himself, because he came off squeaky clean compared to Kent. When I heard about the interview initially, I was skeptical; after all, it's not as if I thought that they were going to glorify poker playing college players. What is unfair though is that Kent spent a good two hours talking to the guy about responsibility and control, and not getting out of hand with gambling, essentially the very same messages the article was trying to communicate. Rather than use his views on responsibility, however, they decided to use his worst statements and paint him as the punch line for the audience: a young kid whose grades and lifestyle suffer from his profitable but questionable poker choice.
I don't think I'll be giving any interviews on the seedy life surrounding billiards any time soon.
Speaking of billiards, I was practically clairvoyant on Saturday. My appologies to Kent and Jay, who for a time had to sit back and watch as I won a string of two turn games. According to my sources, Eli is interested in a three team deal that would see Miami getting a first rounder and prospects, Detroit getting Abdulah Alaman, and Eli coming to Pheonixville on a future Saturday to shoot the shit and shoot some pool. Sounds good to me.
February 02, 2006
We're on an Island
Donovan McNabb, number 5, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback. If you’ve been under a rock for the last few days, or if you simply tune out your brain whenever you start to hear conversation about Philly sports, then you might not have heard the latest interview on ESPN with our man ‘5’.
I’ll give you a few moments to catch up and read the interview by Michael Smith.
Now that you’re caught up, I’ll pose this simple question to you. What the hell are people so mad at McNabb for this interview? If you can make me understand this then you’re smarter than me.
We all know the story with what happened during this season. Now Donovan is a quite leader. He leads by example, in the locker room and on the field. Rather than lower himself to the level of TO and cause an even bigger distraction to the team, he sucked it up and tried to focus on the task at hand, winning games. When no one from the locker room stood up for him, and others showed support for TO, he sucked it up. When team “leaders”, and I use this term loosely, went in front of the camera and said that TO wasn't hurting the team, he kept his eye on the prize.
With all the theatrics, injuries, and failure going on around him, Donovan did his job and tried his best in the face of adversity to right a sinking ship. So now, when the season is over and training camp still in the future, Donovan finally comes out and says what, I believe, most of the fans wanted to hear . . . his opinion.
He doesn’t take any blame off himself, he doesn’t throw any team members under the bus and he doesn’t even put all the blame on the man responsible for starting all this bullshit. He answers questions straight, and to be frank, says almost nothing that isn’t true about what happened in the locker room this year.
Teammates failing to stand up for him is a fact. Players failing to step up and say if they have a problem with the situation is a fact. Owens never approaching Donovan for help or for answers is a fact. Team disunity is a fact.
So after people complained about Donovan for always giving the “corporate” answer, now we're going to lynch him for telling the truth. Many people think he should have just kept his mouth shut and let this last year die, but when is it his turn? TO can do any press conference he wants, and Trotter can have his weekly show on WIP and give support for Owens. Isn’t it fair to let him have a turn? I think so. Give the man credit; he at least did it at the right time. He’s not doing it in the middle of the season, and he’s not doing it just before camp starts. If he wanted to speak out, now was the time, and he stepped up right on cue.
With all my support I’m showing, I admit that his race comments were off the mark. Terrell didn’t purposely choose Brett Favre for the color of his skin. In fact, the interviewer picked Brett Favre because of something said earlier in the week by my least favorite retired WR, Michael Irving. In this aspect of the interview, Donovan is wrong.
For some reason, I feel like I’m on an island on this issue. Practically everyone is calling for the head of Donovan, both in
Wait, I get it. It’s not that Donavan is wrong, it’s just th
at I’m not as informed as others. I don’t have the insight. I don’t know the truth. Donovan McNabb isn’t black, he’s not even human. He’s one of the crab-people! Yes, that must be it. They all know his master plan to make money and slowly infect the human race with his hatchlings, so one day the crab-people can one day reclaim their rightful place in the world.
Oh never mind, I forgot. People are idiots, assholes, or both. That’s a more logical explanation.
I stand behind a guy who carries himself honorably. I’ve been lead on teams by people who don’t speak up with words or confront in anger, and don’t feel that aggressive leadership is the only way. I respect people who are honest at the right time, in the right way. I want the guy who will lead me in battle, and then laugh with me in the foxhole.
Donovan, I’m a bigger fan now than I ever was.
January 29, 2006
Long Time Coming
This weekend, the greater Philadelphia area was finally graced with the long overdue appearance of on Mr. Jacob Still.
After taking care of some family stuff on Friday, Jay drove out to my house on Saturday and we headed into the city. It was odd being back at Drexel, since it has been a good couple of months since I've been there. After parking on Summer St. and cautiously making our way through the quite safe Spring Garden area, we found our way to the Red Light District. For those of you who don't know, this is where Casa Bova resides and where, pretty much weekly, giant parties are thrown each weekend to the delight of drunk girls, horny guys, and money-making party hosts.
We walked up and there was the man himself, sitting patiently on the front porch, almost as if he'd been waiting for us to stop by for more than a year. After stopping inside and paying respects to Berrrrry, we the three men of greatness headed out into the our city once more.
All theatrics aside, it was a really good time. Like we had done many times freshmen year, we walked through campus, hopped onto the Blue Line, got off at 8th street, and headed down towards South. We talked about anything that had happened over the last year or so, informing each other of anything new or interesting that had occurred in our daily lives. After walking aimlessly around South St. for awhile, we headed to Pat's for a good old 'wiz. $10.75 later, we were heading back uptown and making our way to Drexel again.
Jay and I only got to stay for a couple of hours, but it was awesome to see Jacob again and just get back into the swing of things, as if no time had passed at all since we were all last together.
Hopefully it won't be his last visit, and hopefully I'll find myself down in Florida some time in the near future.
After taking care of some family stuff on Friday, Jay drove out to my house on Saturday and we headed into the city. It was odd being back at Drexel, since it has been a good couple of months since I've been there. After parking on Summer St. and cautiously making our way through the quite safe Spring Garden area, we found our way to the Red Light District. For those of you who don't know, this is where Casa Bova resides and where, pretty much weekly, giant parties are thrown each weekend to the delight of drunk girls, horny guys, and money-making party hosts.
We walked up and there was the man himself, sitting patiently on the front porch, almost as if he'd been waiting for us to stop by for more than a year. After stopping inside and paying respects to Berrrrry, we the three men of greatness headed out into the our city once more.
All theatrics aside, it was a really good time. Like we had done many times freshmen year, we walked through campus, hopped onto the Blue Line, got off at 8th street, and headed down towards South. We talked about anything that had happened over the last year or so, informing each other of anything new or interesting that had occurred in our daily lives. After walking aimlessly around South St. for awhile, we headed to Pat's for a good old 'wiz. $10.75 later, we were heading back uptown and making our way to Drexel again.Jay and I only got to stay for a couple of hours, but it was awesome to see Jacob again and just get back into the swing of things, as if no time had passed at all since we were all last together.
Hopefully it won't be his last visit, and hopefully I'll find myself down in Florida some time in the near future.
January 24, 2006
Small Man, Big Ideas
Since there isn't anything special to share, I thought that I would take some time to share a couple of, how should I say, "choice" stories with all of you. These are from the last week or so, and should give some of you a closer look into my personal universe, and for others . . .
. . . well, maybe you'll just get a good laugh.
The Caveman
Last week was the week of Warcraft, where Kent's computer was broke and Brett's was still refusing to properly install the game. I was sitting at the table directly next to Brett on my laptop playing, and he was trying to make some money online. So I look over just in time to see that Brett has lost $200 of his small roll when his pocket tens got beat when pocket nines flopped a set. For what would be the most brief of times, he was actually somewhat calm and silent. After quietly describing to a shirtless Kent what happened, the eruption finally happened. Brett grabs his keyboard, swings it just inches from my face, and with all the force he can muster with the aid of gravity, begins to bash the shit out of his monitor. Whatever sanity he had left led him to focus on the hard corner of the box, which did little damage to the screen but enacted heavy damage on the blunt object in his grasp. As Kent thinks that he hears glass breaking and turns around, I am literally showered with keys from his keyboard. They lightly pelt my face, some even going down the back of my shirt.
When the dust finally settles, Brett is storming off to his room, Kent and myself are paralyzed in awe, and the keyboard was on life support. When Kent finally peers over the computer to see not broken glass and a serious problem, but a key-less keyboard and a debris field of buttons, we both lost it. For awhile we tried to hold in the laughter out of fear of Brett's rage resurfacing, but when he returned with a smirk on his face, all bets were off.
Facial Hair of Insanity
Kent is ridiculous. First he refuses to come out and shoot some pool even though he has no computer and, therefore, nothing to do. Then, he reveals to us that he's never been able to understand why all these foreigners in the U.S. are so concerned about getting a Visa card, which he thought was just a credit card. Later on Sunday night, with Keyur wanting to see when the next train comes through and me stopping by to check my account since I was kind enough to leave my computer at Kent's so he could use it for another day, Kent finishes up a quest on WoW and then ACTUALLY STARTS A NEW ONE. This of course led to us having to wait another two hours, which made me aggravated and Keyur miss his train into the city.
But it is his heroic antics from Saturday he will be remembered for here.
The $100 NL cash game fell through after a few no-shows, so with only four of us, we played a quick little $10 tournament just to kill some time. Then came the hand of manliness. Brett calls from the SB and sees Kent raise him preflop. Not being one to lay down here and wanting to play his suited connector, he calls. Then the flop comes with a small pair on the board and two clubs. Brett bets out 600, more than double the size of the pot and effectively committing himself to a raise. Sensing the same overbetting-to-take feel of this enormous bet, the bearded wonder comes to a startling conclusion: not only does he KNOW that Brett has nothing, but he also thinks that he can make Brett fold if he raises. So Kent goes all-in, and what do our lovely little boys have after the call from Brett???
5-2 of clubs against Q-2 off. Keyur and I are on the floor in hysterics as the board pairs again on the turn, giving Brett multiple outs to chop. Unfortunately, from a humor standpoint, a queen hit on the river, giving Kent a better two pair. I personally would have liked to have seen Q high hold up for what was essentially the tournament at that point.
Sherpa with a Dream
Keyur reminds me why I love foreigners. Everybody knows one of these guys. They are always looking for that quick money scheme, that plan that is gonna turn them into the next young "I made it on my own" millionaire. When he boasted that Kent should make him a partner in his rakeback operation, Kent asked him what kind of ideas he had.
Here is the outline of his master plan:
Buy a house in the city ( you know, since we can all just "buy" a $250K + property in the middle of the city as college students). Then, let about twenty or so kids from Drexel live there and don't charge rent. So now you're wondering "how can you make money by letting people live in your house that you just bought for free?" Simple. Mold them into an online poker-playing army that does your bidding. After all, all you have to do is teach them how to always win at poker, bankroll them on top of paying for their living expenses, accept all losses, make sure they play at least 4 hours a day and make at least $8 an hour . . . and let the money roll in.
LoL. This was my favorite part of the weekend. What made us laugh at him even more was that he made it seem like financing a poker army while in college and strapped for cash is a much easier venture then trying to get people to sign up under your affiliate account for rakeback deals.
I'm waiting on a good one for some others. Cross your T's and dot your I's Jay.
. . . well, maybe you'll just get a good laugh.
The Caveman
Last week was the week of Warcraft, where Kent's computer was broke and Brett's was still refusing to properly install the game. I was sitting at the table directly next to Brett on my laptop playing, and he was trying to make some money online. So I look over just in time to see that Brett has lost $200 of his small roll when his pocket tens got beat when pocket nines flopped a set. For what would be the most brief of times, he was actually somewhat calm and silent. After quietly describing to a shirtless Kent what happened, the eruption finally happened. Brett grabs his keyboard, swings it just inches from my face, and with all the force he can muster with the aid of gravity, begins to bash the shit out of his monitor. Whatever sanity he had left led him to focus on the hard corner of the box, which did little damage to the screen but enacted heavy damage on the blunt object in his grasp. As Kent thinks that he hears glass breaking and turns around, I am literally showered with keys from his keyboard. They lightly pelt my face, some even going down the back of my shirt.
When the dust finally settles, Brett is storming off to his room, Kent and myself are paralyzed in awe, and the keyboard was on life support. When Kent finally peers over the computer to see not broken glass and a serious problem, but a key-less keyboard and a debris field of buttons, we both lost it. For awhile we tried to hold in the laughter out of fear of Brett's rage resurfacing, but when he returned with a smirk on his face, all bets were off.
Facial Hair of Insanity
Kent is ridiculous. First he refuses to come out and shoot some pool even though he has no computer and, therefore, nothing to do. Then, he reveals to us that he's never been able to understand why all these foreigners in the U.S. are so concerned about getting a Visa card, which he thought was just a credit card. Later on Sunday night, with Keyur wanting to see when the next train comes through and me stopping by to check my account since I was kind enough to leave my computer at Kent's so he could use it for another day, Kent finishes up a quest on WoW and then ACTUALLY STARTS A NEW ONE. This of course led to us having to wait another two hours, which made me aggravated and Keyur miss his train into the city.
But it is his heroic antics from Saturday he will be remembered for here.
The $100 NL cash game fell through after a few no-shows, so with only four of us, we played a quick little $10 tournament just to kill some time. Then came the hand of manliness. Brett calls from the SB and sees Kent raise him preflop. Not being one to lay down here and wanting to play his suited connector, he calls. Then the flop comes with a small pair on the board and two clubs. Brett bets out 600, more than double the size of the pot and effectively committing himself to a raise. Sensing the same overbetting-to-take feel of this enormous bet, the bearded wonder comes to a startling conclusion: not only does he KNOW that Brett has nothing, but he also thinks that he can make Brett fold if he raises. So Kent goes all-in, and what do our lovely little boys have after the call from Brett???
5-2 of clubs against Q-2 off. Keyur and I are on the floor in hysterics as the board pairs again on the turn, giving Brett multiple outs to chop. Unfortunately, from a humor standpoint, a queen hit on the river, giving Kent a better two pair. I personally would have liked to have seen Q high hold up for what was essentially the tournament at that point.
Sherpa with a Dream
Keyur reminds me why I love foreigners. Everybody knows one of these guys. They are always looking for that quick money scheme, that plan that is gonna turn them into the next young "I made it on my own" millionaire. When he boasted that Kent should make him a partner in his rakeback operation, Kent asked him what kind of ideas he had.
Here is the outline of his master plan:
Buy a house in the city ( you know, since we can all just "buy" a $250K + property in the middle of the city as college students). Then, let about twenty or so kids from Drexel live there and don't charge rent. So now you're wondering "how can you make money by letting people live in your house that you just bought for free?" Simple. Mold them into an online poker-playing army that does your bidding. After all, all you have to do is teach them how to always win at poker, bankroll them on top of paying for their living expenses, accept all losses, make sure they play at least 4 hours a day and make at least $8 an hour . . . and let the money roll in.
LoL. This was my favorite part of the weekend. What made us laugh at him even more was that he made it seem like financing a poker army while in college and strapped for cash is a much easier venture then trying to get people to sign up under your affiliate account for rakeback deals.
I'm waiting on a good one for some others. Cross your T's and dot your I's Jay.
January 19, 2006
Respect
Everyone wants it, many demand it. You can hardly watch an episode of ESPN's SportCenter without hearing about someone who doesn't think they get enough respect. People, for the most part, want to be recognized by others as worthy and meaningful in many social scenarios.
I'm a big respect person. I've come to expect it from people because it's something I always try to give to others. Honesty with people and loyalty, two things that are very high up on my list of essentials, basically stem from how much respect you give to people and how much you get in return.
So you can imagine how..... let's say..... 'upset' I can get when I feel that I am being purposely and systematically disrespected. Sitting at lunch last Thursday, some coworkers started to randomly rant on about politics (you can probably see the flashing lights and medic units that lie ahead). I happened to mention that I disagreed with one of their statements, and a political "discussion" ensued. I use "discussion" lightly because, while I was trying to make intelligent and relevant points, my "opponent" did little arguing. Instead, he felt that discrediting the validity of my statements, openly mocking me and trying to make elaborate mind traps in order to fool me into admitting defeat were more appropriate tactics. I really didn't appreciate it and felt that he fell far short of what his intelligence should achieve.
But OK, whatever, from a group of people who are ridiculously liberal (to the point that its almost as scary as right-wing bible beaters), I guess I should expect that. Move on in life and forget about it. Then Friday rolls around, and the same opponent, whose name is Pete by the way, is sitting at the table again. Two others are there when the Big Boss of work sits down and inquires about some new 401K plan they are now offering. Pete is explaining what it is when, without warning, he makes reference to "his taxes not going to a pointless war in Iraq and Bush's' pockets." I'm not an idiot people, I knew immediately what the intent of this statement was: he was purposely making a comment to get under my skin. Here's a guy, a lanky Canadian of my height and possibly 75% of my weight, trying again to make me out to be a fool.
So that day, I email him, basically outlining how I didn't appreciate his unprovoked comments because I knew of his motives as outlined above. He then responds, and in the process of "indulging" my need to "e-debate", he hardly apologizes and, if anything, makes it seem as if my problems were my creation and nothing more.
Now I'm fucking furious. Indulge? INDULGE?!?!?!!??! Fuck You Buddy!
That's what I wanted to say, and maybe give him a swift roundhouse kick to the face. I sent him a response laden with sarcasm and practically bulleted points, trying to point out the audacity of his statements and put him in his place for once. I don't need a platform in front of coworkers like he does, I'll at least keep it private.
Officially, this guy is on my shit list. And you can get on there too! OK, that's extreme, but not too far off. Society is built upon the foundation of respect. If there is anything I can stress to people, it's respect. Do you have to respect everything someone does? Hell no. But when it comes to personal opinions, or beliefs, or someone's humanity in general, you should and must show respect. Don't be a fucking tard like my good friend Pete here, who goes through life trying to diminish the ideas of others in order to serve some egotistical agenda.
I'm a big respect person. I've come to expect it from people because it's something I always try to give to others. Honesty with people and loyalty, two things that are very high up on my list of essentials, basically stem from how much respect you give to people and how much you get in return.
So you can imagine how..... let's say..... 'upset' I can get when I feel that I am being purposely and systematically disrespected. Sitting at lunch last Thursday, some coworkers started to randomly rant on about politics (you can probably see the flashing lights and medic units that lie ahead). I happened to mention that I disagreed with one of their statements, and a political "discussion" ensued. I use "discussion" lightly because, while I was trying to make intelligent and relevant points, my "opponent" did little arguing. Instead, he felt that discrediting the validity of my statements, openly mocking me and trying to make elaborate mind traps in order to fool me into admitting defeat were more appropriate tactics. I really didn't appreciate it and felt that he fell far short of what his intelligence should achieve.
But OK, whatever, from a group of people who are ridiculously liberal (to the point that its almost as scary as right-wing bible beaters), I guess I should expect that. Move on in life and forget about it. Then Friday rolls around, and the same opponent, whose name is Pete by the way, is sitting at the table again. Two others are there when the Big Boss of work sits down and inquires about some new 401K plan they are now offering. Pete is explaining what it is when, without warning, he makes reference to "his taxes not going to a pointless war in Iraq and Bush's' pockets." I'm not an idiot people, I knew immediately what the intent of this statement was: he was purposely making a comment to get under my skin. Here's a guy, a lanky Canadian of my height and possibly 75% of my weight, trying again to make me out to be a fool.
So that day, I email him, basically outlining how I didn't appreciate his unprovoked comments because I knew of his motives as outlined above. He then responds, and in the process of "indulging" my need to "e-debate", he hardly apologizes and, if anything, makes it seem as if my problems were my creation and nothing more.
Now I'm fucking furious. Indulge? INDULGE?!?!?!!??! Fuck You Buddy!
That's what I wanted to say, and maybe give him a swift roundhouse kick to the face. I sent him a response laden with sarcasm and practically bulleted points, trying to point out the audacity of his statements and put him in his place for once. I don't need a platform in front of coworkers like he does, I'll at least keep it private.
Officially, this guy is on my shit list. And you can get on there too! OK, that's extreme, but not too far off. Society is built upon the foundation of respect. If there is anything I can stress to people, it's respect. Do you have to respect everything someone does? Hell no. But when it comes to personal opinions, or beliefs, or someone's humanity in general, you should and must show respect. Don't be a fucking tard like my good friend Pete here, who goes through life trying to diminish the ideas of others in order to serve some egotistical agenda.
January 16, 2006
A Singularity
Nothing. That's right, nothing.Think about this term and what it means. An absolute void, absence of anything...... nothing.
Now apply that to this past week.
Presto! That's the summation of this entry. Huzzah!
This weekend broke the trend of the past for the worse. Friday went as usual, a drowsy rendevous at Kent's place. He actually fell asleep at like 10 pm, leaving me and Brett to just sit around and yawn for another few hours.
Saturday was probably even more boring. Jay lucked out and fell ass-backwards into Flyers tickets, and being that it was a day game, no billiards occurred. Eventually I went to eat at Ruby Tuesday's, and then headed over to Kent's with my computer in hand. You see, Kent called Dell and had them come out on Thursday to fix his backspace key and ethernet, a request that bit him in the ass as the Dell Guru fucked up and officially put Kent's computer on life support. Without his laptop working, and with Brett unable to install WoW on his computer (despite trying over 40 times to my approximation.... LITERALLY), in steps John the Destroyer to the rescue.
WoW continued into the night before I finally headed home with computer in hand, to the chagrin of Kent and Brett who wanted to negotiate the property rights over night.
Sunday had some pretty good football finally. The Colts got pwnd by the Steelers, although the score would suggest a closer game then it truly was. Carolina won, as I expected, even though I am surprised that Chicago scored more than 17 points and yet lost. Being that the Eagles situation mirrors that of Carolina recently, I'm rooting for the Panthers to go all the way.
January 08, 2006
Traveling the Worn Path
While traveling the road of life, one can't help but notice the patterns that we fall into. It goes above just a daily ritual, because if you take a second to look you normally will find that even in the process of a week, the same situations and scenarios will consistently occur.
This week turned into one of those very same regularly-scheduled programs.
New Years graced me with an extended weekend, which was great in that the work week was therefore shorter. I'll take four days of work over five days of work anytime. The one problem was that I got very little sleep all week, and would just mope around like a zombie from being so damn tired. I got so much sleep on my day off on Monday that I couldn't fall asleep at a good time for the first day of work, then the Penn State game went late on Tuesday night, and finally on Wednesday night the championship game between Texas and USC.
So I stumbled into the weekend anxious not only for a chance to sleep late, but to break the monotony and actually do something stimulating. Friday I went to hang out with Kent and Brett, and was treated to the surprise of Rach coming down for the weekend. Not much really happened, just your standard night of hanging out and chilling. I did get to gain control of the TV long enough to watch the Flyers game, who won a good one against Washington to pull ahead to first in the conference AND in the entire fucking NHL. I'll tell you a secret..... those guys are pretty good.
Saturday is when the "action" happened. Went to play pool, which went fantastic. And by the word "fantastic," I actually mean "horrible." Just wasn't shooting the ball well at all. We have tried to move more to 9-ball, and actually played only that on Saturday, but our poor play went beyond getting used to a new game. It was definitely and unfortunate swing from how I played last weekend, so I guess I have some work to do next weekend to get back to form.
Then last night was the big $50 max buy in poker game at Kent's. The starting lineup included Ladies-Man Abel, Keyur "The Professor" Patel, Big Brett, King of Men, Tegatron 4000, and some guy named Dan. I won't get into much detail about specific hands, but will say that while I was getting decent cards, I also think I played them very well. I lost the first hand of the night when Kent used his skills at cheating to get himself pocket Aces while I had top pair of Kings. I lost about $24 right off the bat, re-bought an extra $20 to have a good starting stack again, and then proceeded to win many big pots. Trips against Abel, then a pot against Kent when I bet my pair and flush draw and hit, I got Keyur to lay down a straight when the flush was on the board (although this was bad for me because if he called I would have hit my quads on the river), and I also got him to fly all in when I had the nuts.
However the night was not without heartache. In for $70 and up to about $350 on the table, I lost a monster pot to Kent late in the night that doubled him up and knocked me down to a $60 profit for the night. Kent had been winning many pots in the night, admittedly, by bluffing. He was moving over the top of people and raising with nothing because of the cold cards he was getting. So when it was 4 handed, and I was holding KK after raising, I just couldn't convince myself that, on a board with disconnected and unsuited low cards, that Kent actually had a hand. When he bet all-in for 43 on the river and showed down trip eights, it was a pretty tough blow for me to take. I can't be too mad: after all, most people were down that night and I still left with a decent profit. But knowing that I could have left up at least two hundred dollars, and that I probably could have folded on the turn and saved myself a hundred....... well, I wasn't very happy for a good portion of time.
I played for about 5 hours and left around 1:30. After sleeping in today, I watched some football games and just chilled around the house.
So if you weren't paying attention, the standard pattern is: work during the week, hang out at Kent's on Friday, play pool Saturday morning, do some activity Saturday night, sleep late Sunday and just hang around in my pajamas and watch football.
Not a bad pattern if I do say so myself. Now if only I could add "bangs a hot chick" somewhere in there, I'd be happy as a clam.
This week turned into one of those very same regularly-scheduled programs.
New Years graced me with an extended weekend, which was great in that the work week was therefore shorter. I'll take four days of work over five days of work anytime. The one problem was that I got very little sleep all week, and would just mope around like a zombie from being so damn tired. I got so much sleep on my day off on Monday that I couldn't fall asleep at a good time for the first day of work, then the Penn State game went late on Tuesday night, and finally on Wednesday night the championship game between Texas and USC.
So I stumbled into the weekend anxious not only for a chance to sleep late, but to break the monotony and actually do something stimulating. Friday I went to hang out with Kent and Brett, and was treated to the surprise of Rach coming down for the weekend. Not much really happened, just your standard night of hanging out and chilling. I did get to gain control of the TV long enough to watch the Flyers game, who won a good one against Washington to pull ahead to first in the conference AND in the entire fucking NHL. I'll tell you a secret..... those guys are pretty good.
Saturday is when the "action" happened. Went to play pool, which went fantastic. And by the word "fantastic," I actually mean "horrible." Just wasn't shooting the ball well at all. We have tried to move more to 9-ball, and actually played only that on Saturday, but our poor play went beyond getting used to a new game. It was definitely and unfortunate swing from how I played last weekend, so I guess I have some work to do next weekend to get back to form.
Then last night was the big $50 max buy in poker game at Kent's. The starting lineup included Ladies-Man Abel, Keyur "The Professor" Patel, Big Brett, King of Men, Tegatron 4000, and some guy named Dan. I won't get into much detail about specific hands, but will say that while I was getting decent cards, I also think I played them very well. I lost the first hand of the night when Kent used his skills at cheating to get himself pocket Aces while I had top pair of Kings. I lost about $24 right off the bat, re-bought an extra $20 to have a good starting stack again, and then proceeded to win many big pots. Trips against Abel, then a pot against Kent when I bet my pair and flush draw and hit, I got Keyur to lay down a straight when the flush was on the board (although this was bad for me because if he called I would have hit my quads on the river), and I also got him to fly all in when I had the nuts.
However the night was not without heartache. In for $70 and up to about $350 on the table, I lost a monster pot to Kent late in the night that doubled him up and knocked me down to a $60 profit for the night. Kent had been winning many pots in the night, admittedly, by bluffing. He was moving over the top of people and raising with nothing because of the cold cards he was getting. So when it was 4 handed, and I was holding KK after raising, I just couldn't convince myself that, on a board with disconnected and unsuited low cards, that Kent actually had a hand. When he bet all-in for 43 on the river and showed down trip eights, it was a pretty tough blow for me to take. I can't be too mad: after all, most people were down that night and I still left with a decent profit. But knowing that I could have left up at least two hundred dollars, and that I probably could have folded on the turn and saved myself a hundred....... well, I wasn't very happy for a good portion of time.
I played for about 5 hours and left around 1:30. After sleeping in today, I watched some football games and just chilled around the house.
So if you weren't paying attention, the standard pattern is: work during the week, hang out at Kent's on Friday, play pool Saturday morning, do some activity Saturday night, sleep late Sunday and just hang around in my pajamas and watch football.
Not a bad pattern if I do say so myself. Now if only I could add "bangs a hot chick" somewhere in there, I'd be happy as a clam.
January 03, 2006
Who Am I?
Stupid post but passing on the entertainment.Check this out....
... and see who you are most like. (I also scored the "Bill Clinton" the first time, lol)
Not much else going on right now. New Year's went well in Jersey, not much to report on there. Pool earlier that day went very well, as I was shooting at about 83% and playing 9-ball fairly well.
Slept the rest of the weekend, something I plan to do again shortly.
Hopefully I'll have something better to talk about next time.
December 28, 2005
Past Due
Well it's pretty obvious that I've totally lost track of time, since my last entry was almost a week ago. Yeah, my bad.
Celebrating the birth of J.C. is always good, but this year was actually near the top of the list from a purely superficial standpoint. I had a pretty short, cheap but specific list this year and I got everything that I wanted: new CDs, pool cue case, slippers, alarm clock, electric shaver.... you get the idea. Combine that with the success of my presents to my family members (I have to see if my mom was able to figure out her new MP3 player I got her, I don't know if Kristen would be much help in the technology department), and I'd say things went very well.
Christmas Eve I spent in Jersey, and dinner with the family went well. Even went to mass at St. Rose (don't tell God, but that was my first time in church in probably 4 years at least). I then got woken up promptly at 7:45 by anxious little brothers, and the wrapping paper massacre began. After phase one of Christmas was over, we proceeded to the facilities in Pennsylvania for phase two. Started opening there around lunch time, and when everything was said and done, I was a very happy little boy.
Other than family related activities, not much else happened, but that's usually the case around holidays like these. Went out to Reading on Monday to hang with Jay, Brian Bobb, and D-Money. Chilled for a bit before we all headed over to Cabelas, which for people more accustomed to suburban life, is like the KOP of outdoor supply stores. Not only did this place have every supply and accessory you can think of, they have stuffed bears and elephants, giant aquarium tanks filled with lake and stream fish, and even a plane hanging from the ceiling.
Rachel is staying at the Palace del Kent this week (she's on break from the 'Cuse), so I met up with them and Brett yesterday at our usual place. For some reason we had the longest wait ever, almost felt bad since all the times we've gone there the service has been good. Then I went back to hang out and check out his poker table that he brought from home (for anyone interested, we're gonna have a game at his place next weekend, probably on the 7th, .25/.50 NL cash game with a $50 max buy in). Then we watched the movie that Rach got for King: "Girls on Trampolines, Special Holiday Edition" !!!! Oh yea, it was as good as you think it was. Not arousing in the least to be honest, even with a few "talented" girls in it (they do get topless), but mostly hilarious and entertaining.
Now I'm looking forward to New Year's Eve. No clue what's going on yet, hopefully I find out soon so I can start planning. But tomorrow is my last day of work for the week (back to back four day vacations rule), so I get a second shot at having a fun weekend.
Celebrating the birth of J.C. is always good, but this year was actually near the top of the list from a purely superficial standpoint. I had a pretty short, cheap but specific list this year and I got everything that I wanted: new CDs, pool cue case, slippers, alarm clock, electric shaver.... you get the idea. Combine that with the success of my presents to my family members (I have to see if my mom was able to figure out her new MP3 player I got her, I don't know if Kristen would be much help in the technology department), and I'd say things went very well.
Christmas Eve I spent in Jersey, and dinner with the family went well. Even went to mass at St. Rose (don't tell God, but that was my first time in church in probably 4 years at least). I then got woken up promptly at 7:45 by anxious little brothers, and the wrapping paper massacre began. After phase one of Christmas was over, we proceeded to the facilities in Pennsylvania for phase two. Started opening there around lunch time, and when everything was said and done, I was a very happy little boy.
Other than family related activities, not much else happened, but that's usually the case around holidays like these. Went out to Reading on Monday to hang with Jay, Brian Bobb, and D-Money. Chilled for a bit before we all headed over to Cabelas, which for people more accustomed to suburban life, is like the KOP of outdoor supply stores. Not only did this place have every supply and accessory you can think of, they have stuffed bears and elephants, giant aquarium tanks filled with lake and stream fish, and even a plane hanging from the ceiling.
Rachel is staying at the Palace del Kent this week (she's on break from the 'Cuse), so I met up with them and Brett yesterday at our usual place. For some reason we had the longest wait ever, almost felt bad since all the times we've gone there the service has been good. Then I went back to hang out and check out his poker table that he brought from home (for anyone interested, we're gonna have a game at his place next weekend, probably on the 7th, .25/.50 NL cash game with a $50 max buy in). Then we watched the movie that Rach got for King: "Girls on Trampolines, Special Holiday Edition" !!!! Oh yea, it was as good as you think it was. Not arousing in the least to be honest, even with a few "talented" girls in it (they do get topless), but mostly hilarious and entertaining.
Now I'm looking forward to New Year's Eve. No clue what's going on yet, hopefully I find out soon so I can start planning. But tomorrow is my last day of work for the week (back to back four day vacations rule), so I get a second shot at having a fun weekend.
December 22, 2005
Eskin > > > > Everyone Else
When someone says to me, "Hey, do you watch any sports shows on TV?", I always say "Of course: PTI, Around the Horn, Sportcenter, Cheap Seats, etc...."
When someone says to me "Hey, do you listen to any sports radio?", I have only one answer for them.
Howard "The King of Bling" mutha fuckin' Eskin.
Recently I've been noticing that not only do many people outside of the business not appreciate or care much for Howard, but also it seems, many people on his own radio network don't seem too fond of him either.
And why should they? I mean, he is only an original member of the 610 WIP crew that turned the station into the respectable station it is now. He's only #1 in the afternoon out of all other competing stations in the male demographic. He's only consistently breaking news stories first on the station and continually updates his listeners on what rumors are going on in the NFL, MLB and sometimes NBA.
I've given the other guys a shot, and no one comes close to Eskin. Period, end of argument.....
Ok, so not the end of argument, because now I'm going to lay it out there in simple writing why Eskin is, in fact, the King of Bling.
The man knows his sports, he knows what it takes to win, he knows what a team needs and what they don't need. He's not some novice joker whose going to go along with the mindless rabble and claim "Uh, the Eagles need a wide receiver, that's their #1 priority." He knows that defense is key, and that the Eagles defensive line hasn't been getting the pass rush they have in previous years. He is connected around the leagues on a level not seen since Howard Cosell. No lie, the man has so many connections, if an agent so much as mentions an interest in trading a player to another team, Eskin is the first to let the greater Philadelphia area know. Granted, sometimes these don't pan out, but as listeners we are made aware and given time to analyze and discuss, so when a trade DOES happen, we are well prepared and already knowledgeable about it.
What makes Eskin really great is his honesty. He's not like some of the other phonies on WIP, like Mike Missanelli and Anthony Gargano, who sit there and listen politely to the caller, and no matter how idiotic the point may seem, nod in agreement with a fake smile on their face. Some people are offended by Eskins' brutal and sometimes derogatory opinions, but I'd easily say that 9 times out of 10, the guy on the other line that he calls a "dope" or "moron" really is one. I mean, if someone wants to throw Donovan McNabb under the bus for simply having a bad season in a bad year for the club while playing injured, after all that he has and will do in his career, I'd mock their intelligence as well.
And what's more, it's entertaining! That's what's really important anyway isn't it? Nice isn't entertaining, nice isn't real, and nice doesn't spark my interest. He's not some stat whore or fantasy points watcher like Missanelli, or some cheap hack like Angelo Cataldi. When someone calls in and makes an idiotic point about how there is nothing wrong right now with the Phillies pitching, Eskin is the only guy who will straight up say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!" Most importantly, he has integrity, and isn't some fair weather fan like Angelo Cataldi or a pessimist like Rhea Hughes: if something is wrong he says it but if something really isn't wrong, he doesn't jump in with the other "Philly fans" and bitch and moan.
Howard has a unique, knowledgeable and loyal audience who, at times, seem to be at war with the "other" fans of WIP sports radio. Well this is me brushing aside Howard's critics and haters and calling out the inept and lackluster performances of the other WIP hosts. Hate him if you want, but my guy would kick the ass of any one of the bums you can throw against him.
Except maybe Chuck Norris, no one can beat Chuck.
When someone says to me "Hey, do you listen to any sports radio?", I have only one answer for them.
Howard "The King of Bling" mutha fuckin' Eskin.
Recently I've been noticing that not only do many people outside of the business not appreciate or care much for Howard, but also it seems, many people on his own radio network don't seem too fond of him either.
And why should they? I mean, he is only an original member of the 610 WIP crew that turned the station into the respectable station it is now. He's only #1 in the afternoon out of all other competing stations in the male demographic. He's only consistently breaking news stories first on the station and continually updates his listeners on what rumors are going on in the NFL, MLB and sometimes NBA.
I've given the other guys a shot, and no one comes close to Eskin. Period, end of argument.....
Ok, so not the end of argument, because now I'm going to lay it out there in simple writing why Eskin is, in fact, the King of Bling.
The man knows his sports, he knows what it takes to win, he knows what a team needs and what they don't need. He's not some novice joker whose going to go along with the mindless rabble and claim "Uh, the Eagles need a wide receiver, that's their #1 priority." He knows that defense is key, and that the Eagles defensive line hasn't been getting the pass rush they have in previous years. He is connected around the leagues on a level not seen since Howard Cosell. No lie, the man has so many connections, if an agent so much as mentions an interest in trading a player to another team, Eskin is the first to let the greater Philadelphia area know. Granted, sometimes these don't pan out, but as listeners we are made aware and given time to analyze and discuss, so when a trade DOES happen, we are well prepared and already knowledgeable about it.
What makes Eskin really great is his honesty. He's not like some of the other phonies on WIP, like Mike Missanelli and Anthony Gargano, who sit there and listen politely to the caller, and no matter how idiotic the point may seem, nod in agreement with a fake smile on their face. Some people are offended by Eskins' brutal and sometimes derogatory opinions, but I'd easily say that 9 times out of 10, the guy on the other line that he calls a "dope" or "moron" really is one. I mean, if someone wants to throw Donovan McNabb under the bus for simply having a bad season in a bad year for the club while playing injured, after all that he has and will do in his career, I'd mock their intelligence as well.
And what's more, it's entertaining! That's what's really important anyway isn't it? Nice isn't entertaining, nice isn't real, and nice doesn't spark my interest. He's not some stat whore or fantasy points watcher like Missanelli, or some cheap hack like Angelo Cataldi. When someone calls in and makes an idiotic point about how there is nothing wrong right now with the Phillies pitching, Eskin is the only guy who will straight up say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!" Most importantly, he has integrity, and isn't some fair weather fan like Angelo Cataldi or a pessimist like Rhea Hughes: if something is wrong he says it but if something really isn't wrong, he doesn't jump in with the other "Philly fans" and bitch and moan.
Howard has a unique, knowledgeable and loyal audience who, at times, seem to be at war with the "other" fans of WIP sports radio. Well this is me brushing aside Howard's critics and haters and calling out the inept and lackluster performances of the other WIP hosts. Hate him if you want, but my guy would kick the ass of any one of the bums you can throw against him.
Except maybe Chuck Norris, no one can beat Chuck.
December 18, 2005
So much to say, so little time
Please excuse the quickness with which this was written, as it is late and I desperately need to make sure I see enough sleep with a day of work looming on the horizon. Here's the quick breakdown of this weekend:
Went to Rowan on Friday night to hang with Mike and Ray. Turned out into a pretty sociable night when Jen Jax, Dana and Joe Flac all showed up. Was a good time getting to hang out with those guys since I hadn't seen them in awhile. Bonus point for seeing Dana drunk for only the second or third time ever, and that is always entertaining.
Saturday started off as usual. Billiards was good, felt better with how I was playing then I have in a long time. My break is improved I think, and I was really focusing well on my shots. Started to get pretty tired as day wore on, but for the most part is was a quality session of billiards.
That night, went home and rolled online for a bit. Sat at a table with the ultimate donkey player and proceeded to make him my target for the night. When I sat at the table ($10NL), he had $35 on the table and was the high stack, which would normally suggest that he is a good player. On the contrary, he was ridiculous. He raised preflop every hand, was the ultimate hero calling many times with absolutely nothing, and was totally obvious in his moves. Despite all this, he consistently would drop down to about 20-25 dollars on the table and then get a hand job by the deck when calling someone's all-in from way behind and get back up. It was pretty fun just fucking with the guy and openly discussing my goal for the night, and it got even better when I told Jay and he joined me. Eventually, we got him to bust, and as soon as he did, the entire table broke. Despite losing a hand early on to another player where my boat on the turn got beat by a suck out on the river, I left the night up in money and spirits.
Sunday was football day. The JV squad pulled out a victory against the St. Looser Hams which makes me happy. The Cowboys got spanked severely by the 'Skins, hurting their playoff chances and making me more happy.
One bad thing was the fight I got involved in against my Dad, Stacy and Kristen who all felt that not only was Michael Moore's films full of facts and truths, and that not only is making a one-sided and obviously biased film under the guise of "documentary" totally acceptable, but that he has no responsibility whatsoever as a documenter to portray both sides and that his methods (which are easily comparable to those used by propaganda mongers of Nazi Germany) are respectable and just.
So yeah, you can imagine how that ended (45 minute argument against people who use your personal political views as an excuse to ignore your arguments, proceeded by sarcastic comments and self-defeating points, capped off by me losing it and falling into a cursing tirade not seen since the days of Andrew Dice Clay).
Went to Rowan on Friday night to hang with Mike and Ray. Turned out into a pretty sociable night when Jen Jax, Dana and Joe Flac all showed up. Was a good time getting to hang out with those guys since I hadn't seen them in awhile. Bonus point for seeing Dana drunk for only the second or third time ever, and that is always entertaining.
Saturday started off as usual. Billiards was good, felt better with how I was playing then I have in a long time. My break is improved I think, and I was really focusing well on my shots. Started to get pretty tired as day wore on, but for the most part is was a quality session of billiards.
That night, went home and rolled online for a bit. Sat at a table with the ultimate donkey player and proceeded to make him my target for the night. When I sat at the table ($10NL), he had $35 on the table and was the high stack, which would normally suggest that he is a good player. On the contrary, he was ridiculous. He raised preflop every hand, was the ultimate hero calling many times with absolutely nothing, and was totally obvious in his moves. Despite all this, he consistently would drop down to about 20-25 dollars on the table and then get a hand job by the deck when calling someone's all-in from way behind and get back up. It was pretty fun just fucking with the guy and openly discussing my goal for the night, and it got even better when I told Jay and he joined me. Eventually, we got him to bust, and as soon as he did, the entire table broke. Despite losing a hand early on to another player where my boat on the turn got beat by a suck out on the river, I left the night up in money and spirits.
Sunday was football day. The JV squad pulled out a victory against the St. Looser Hams which makes me happy. The Cowboys got spanked severely by the 'Skins, hurting their playoff chances and making me more happy.
One bad thing was the fight I got involved in against my Dad, Stacy and Kristen who all felt that not only was Michael Moore's films full of facts and truths, and that not only is making a one-sided and obviously biased film under the guise of "documentary" totally acceptable, but that he has no responsibility whatsoever as a documenter to portray both sides and that his methods (which are easily comparable to those used by propaganda mongers of Nazi Germany) are respectable and just.
So yeah, you can imagine how that ended (45 minute argument against people who use your personal political views as an excuse to ignore your arguments, proceeded by sarcastic comments and self-defeating points, capped off by me losing it and falling into a cursing tirade not seen since the days of Andrew Dice Clay).
December 15, 2005
My Mission
That would describe this week. Everything has gone by so fast, maybe because nothing that I would call "incredible" happened. Kent is down pretty big from this past weekend and valiantly fighting his way back, I finished all my Christmas shopping, and I even went to Drexeline Billiards yesterday to get in some desperately needed practice time (p.s. I think I figured out my break). With only a half day and a Christmas party for work to get through until the weekend hits and the Jersey kids get on break, there's really only one thing left for me to do.
Pay attention, this could be the most important thing you will ever read, and it could influence your life for years to come.
Christopher Walken, THE Christopher Walken, the coolest man in show-business and possibly in human existence..... are you still paying attention..... is running for President in 2008.
I repeat. Chris Walken, a man who has graced us on screen in epics like 'Batman Returns', 'Pulp Fiction', and 'Pool Hall Junkies'; a man who is responsible for amazing catch phrases like "Would you care for some champanya" and "I got a fever... and the only prescription is more cowbell"; a man who instantly demands respect, with the power, grace, and charisma of a God. This man wants to be your next president.
Don't believe me? Check it out.
Then when you recover from the shock, awe, and excitement, read what his stances are.
Not only do I love this man, but I agree with almost every position he has. I am making it my duty.... nay, I am accepting the privilege of being a vocal supporter and spreading the word to all I can.
So get the word out. Tell everyone you can, and prepare for the second coming of America as we know it.
Pay attention, this could be the most important thing you will ever read, and it could influence your life for years to come.
Christopher Walken, THE Christopher Walken, the coolest man in show-business and possibly in human existence..... are you still paying attention..... is running for President in 2008.
I repeat. Chris Walken, a man who has graced us on screen in epics like 'Batman Returns', 'Pulp Fiction', and 'Pool Hall Junkies'; a man who is responsible for amazing catch phrases like "Would you care for some champanya" and "I got a fever... and the only prescription is more cowbell"; a man who instantly demands respect, with the power, grace, and charisma of a God. This man wants to be your next president.
Don't believe me? Check it out.
Then when you recover from the shock, awe, and excitement, read what his stances are.
Not only do I love this man, but I agree with almost every position he has. I am making it my duty.... nay, I am accepting the privilege of being a vocal supporter and spreading the word to all I can.
So get the word out. Tell everyone you can, and prepare for the second coming of America as we know it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
