Trivial Time

Aidan is 8!

2010-09-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. Time flies when you have children. Aidan is 8 years old today and we have not updated this blog in quite a long time.

Both Aidan and Rowan have gotten so big recently. Aidan alone must have grown 2 inches this past summer. We are a few weeks into the new school year (the 5th year of school for both) and Aidan is now a 2nd grader while Rowan is in 1st, his first year outside of PPCD in Life Skills.

Below are pictures from their first day of school. We have gotten so bad lately about keeping up with photos. It seems every big event we have to rely on utilizing our phones to capture the moment. Luckily, Brandy thought much further ahead than I did and managed to make sure the camera not only had a decent charge, but was emptied of previous pictures.

The pictures below are currently available in Brandy's Flickr account but I feel a few should probably be shared as well. They are from our 2009 trip to Fredricksburg (and Enchanted Rock) and are over a year old.

Friday

2007-05-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

Friday May 4, 2007

I started getting a cold yesterday and today I feel like shit. We almost got caught up yesterday so I shouln't be too bad. At least it's Friday. I just hope I'm feeling better by tomorrow. I hate feeling sick on the weekend.

Good news: I get paid today. We need to pay bills! The timing was just right. we get paid every two weeks, and for all I knew they could have been paid last Friday. If that were the case I'd have to wait another week to get my first check. I won't be able to deposit it until tomorrow, if that. I'm going to run to JSC in the morning and hopefully they'll credit our account immediately but chances are it won't go through until Monday.

Well, I got to get to work; it's 9:45. Too bad I don't have sick days yet, but I'm not sure I'd use one just for a cold. I can work, but like I said, I feel like shit.

Tuesday & Wednesday

2007-05-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 1, 2007 9:31 AM

Well, I stayed home last night and watched the Rockets take a 3-2 series lead over the Utah Jazz in a closely fought contest. It's been a brutal series. I hope they manage to win in Utah, I don't think they can take much more punishment.

Maybe tonight I'll see if Eric wants to hang out. I'd feel bad not going straight home; I know how much Aidan looks forward to seeing me afterward, but it would make more sense to go straight to Clear Lake after leaving here. I probably won't be getting off until around 7 anyway. I can't even remember the last time he was over our house.

Wednesday May 2, 2007 9:26 AM

I think spending my mornings with Aidan is having a good effect on him. We don't really do anything but talk about stuff but it's the bonding that he really craves. Yesterday I went straight to Eric's house afterwork and Aidan didn't fuss about it. I think it's because we visited in the morning and he knew he'd see me this morning. He crawled in bed and cuddled with me again this morning. Wednesdays he gets even more attention because Brandy takes Rowan to therapy so we get one on one bonding, and then she picks him up from school for some Mommy/Aidan time.

Last night was fun. Eric was nice enough to treat for pizza and we just hung out and played video games. We need some new 2 player games: we've been playing the same 3 games for years now.

This weekend I'm going to concentrate more on getting the house in shape to have people over and maybe I'll invite some people over for dinner. Hell, we haven't had a party in ages.

Work has been going good. We have been so busy. I wish I could find quicker ways to do the same work but you have to be precise. It's ten times as much work trying to fix a problem then it would be to do it right the first time. I'm meeting my benchmarks, as far as I can tell anyway, but I don't think Alex is. It doesn't look like he does much in a day, and I assumed he was doing stuff that wasn't apparent to me, but Priscilla gave us a talk yesterday about making benchmarks so I guess he really is slow about it. All I know is I have to bust ass to work efficiently and accurately in a day but everytime I look at his monitor he seems to be doing something other than what we need to concentrate on. I hope I'm wrong. He's a nice kid.

Monday April 30, 2007

2007-05-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Monday April 30, 2007 9:28AM

New week. The movie was hilarious. Shaun of the Dead was probably a bit better but they managed to reference pretty much every trait possible in a buddy cop/action flick. All the quick cut editing gave Carrie a headache, and I usually hate the style, but here it was hilarious because of how over the top it was. Funny shit.

When I left this morning Aidan was working 1st grade level schoolwork while relaxing in our bed. At this rate, by the time he gets in Kindergarden, he'll be reading 2nd or 3rd grade level. It's awesome. He doesn't do the work simply to please us, although that helps, but he truly seems to enjoy learning. I swear that kid is a sponge. He reminds me of myself.

Eric and I are supposed to do something tonight or tomorrow night. I'm not sure which. By the time I get out of here tonight I may not feel like driving to Clear Lake. Ideally he would come to our house so I could spend time with the boys. It's either that or not getting to his house until around 9PM and staying until midnight or so. I really don't want to spend the night at his house and rush home to get ready for work tomorrow morning. Who knows, maybe tomorrow night would be better.

Sunday April 29, 2007

2007-04-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 29, 2007 11:11 AM

Kids are still at church, I’m on the bench swing in the backyard while Brandy makes coffee.

On Friday Jerry and I both shot pretty poorly on our 9 holes of golf. It was our first time playing from the yellow tee boxes but that didn’t affect our scores much. We both played some shitty short game and putted like we’d never dropped a putt before. He ended up one stroke better than me but that’s not saying much.

Last night we ended up playing poker at Rudy and Natalie’s where there was supposed to be 16 people and only 9 of us showed up. SSDD right? We really couldn’t afford the $10 each buy in but coughed it up anyway because we knew that I would win it back. In fact, Brandy ended up playing me heads up for the first place so we didn’t have to sweat out the end. She played really good: conservative when she needed to be; aggressive when she needed to rake chips. I still don’t think Rudy and Natalie realize the skill level involved. They must think I’m pretty lucky to keep winning. ;)

Today we have to take the kids somewhere. We kept them home all day yesterday as we cleaned and they need to get out of the house besides church. At some point we are planning on watching Hot Fuzz with Jerry, Carrie, and Jarrod but I’m not sure if that’s this afternoon or sometime tonight.

Well, I guess it’s time to start enjoying my last day off.

Emovienews

2007-04-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine has started up an excellent site for strictly movie news.
He is a writer for Mania.com and always has excellent insight into the film industry.

check it out: Emovienews.com

Order of the Phoenix trailer

2007-04-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

The international trailer for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is online

Here's a direct link to the quicktime version

enjoy :)

Week in Review Again

2007-04-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this is getting a little pathetic. I haven't really been online all week and the only computer time I've been getting has been at work. Thus, all of the following journal entries are once again being mass grouped and uploaded at the same time.

At least this time I didn't wait until Sunday to catch up the journal itself!

Monday April 23, 2007 8:22 AM

Well, I got here with plenty of time to spare. I left at 7:35 just in case traffic was stagnate and it was pretty bad but I saw more than a few ways to go around it. The only stretch that you have to suffer through is 288 between Beltway 8 and 610. Still, it wasn't that bad. Tomorrow I don't have to be here until 9:30 so I probably won't leave until 8:30. It's only 15 miles but I'm driving at the wrong time. Hopefully it won't be too bad tonight. 288's eventing rush hour is usually one of the worst but I don't get out until 6:30PM so maybe it will have cleared up by then. We'll see.

Tuesday April 24, 2007 9:21AM

Working 10-6:30 now with a half hour lunch. Yesterday I went in at 8:30 to use the restroom and found out that was when they were expecting me. My recruiter told me 9AM at least twice. I even called to confirm on Friday. Well, I got out at 5PM so it worked out good.

For some reason my badge won't let me into the parking garage today (it worked fine yesterday afternoon) so I hope it doesn't get towed. I'm going to have to stop by HR on my way in to clear it up.

I like the company. There are so many stages to the operation and Joaquin, one of the floor supervisors, was nice enough to give me a full walkthrough. Technically I am a temp hire for 90 days and I got the feeling that he doesn't do that for every new temp but Brian spoke highly of me and he made it clear that he loves what Brian brings to the table. I will not disappoint.

Right now I'm just trying to get myself into the flow of the system. I sat in and saw what I will be doing mostly but they were caught up in our department and behind elsewhere so I pitched in wherever they need me. I'm pretty sure in 90 days I'll be able to walk in and know immediately what I need to get done.

Wednesday April 25, 2007 9:25 AM

I'm digging the new schedule so far. Last night I didn't get out of here until 7PM but Brandy and I got home within 5 minutes of each other. For the most part, I'll be getting home close enough to when I was before when I had to wait for Brandy to finish up. The difference is now I get to spend time with the boys in the morning as well. Aidan and Nina made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I sat and ate with them after Brandy took Rowan to therapy. I can tell that Aidan loves having me home in the morning. He crawled in bed with me and cuddled after my alarm went off.

With the ability to sleep in I have been staying up late as well. I think I'm going to limit that to when I'm reading a good book, though. I haven't been doing anything other than flipping channels so it's really just wasted time. If I get to bed earlier I can make myself get up early and start charting out a workout routine for myself and Brandy. I need to quit smoking and start running. I'm not getting any younger. At 31 if I don't start healthy habits now I may not be around past 75.

Everytime I light a cigarette Aidan gives me shit. On the one hand it's cute coming from a 4 year old, but I get sharp guilt pangs everytime he says something because it shows how much he loves me and wants me to live forever. When he says it it's not the usual cute kid comment where they say things because they know they'll get a reaction. He says it in full sincerity and honesty. In times like this I can see the future father and future leader he will be. Make no mistake: Anyone who spends a full day with Aidan knows he was born to lead. He reaons out problems and makes firm decisions. The boy is way ahead of his meager 4 1/2 years. I'm a very lucky father.

Friday April 27, 2007 9:31 AM

Friday at last! Yesterday was beautiful, today is nice, and yet it's supposed to rain all weekend. Same story different day right? Arien wants us all to go to the Deep Ella show tonight but no one wants to go. I was trying to talk Jerry into watching Hot Fuzz now that his theater is carrying it. Let's see: spend money for a ticket and drinks to see a show I could care less about or go see a movie I've been waiting for for free. I hope he decides to not go with Arien.

This weekend is going to be a clean house project. We've been slacking at it and can't afford to do anything anyway. Besides, if it rains all weekend we won't have any excuse to ingore the mess in our house. It really isn't that bad but living with two toddlers makes it easy to get trashed and yet makes it that much more important to keep clean. I've been putting off small maintenence issues for awhile and need to get them caught up.

Work is going well. I'm starting to learn where I fit in and where I can contribute. There is always a ton of stuff that needs to be done so I'm never short of finding work. I had an issue with one project yesterday where files were out of order and I didn't catch it until almost leaving but managed to fix the problem and get out at 7PM. Lesson learned. From now on I'll double check everything before I scan it and make sure everything is in the correct order. Come on weekend!

Well, we didn't go to the show or the movie. I ended up getting out of work early so I don't go over 40 hours and Jerry got out early also so we went and played 9 holes of golf!
Great start to a weekend if you ask me :)

Week in Review

2007-04-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 22, 2007 2:21PM

Taking a break at the Autism Fair. It's been a week since my last post but it's to be expected considering the week.

Starting with Monday: We went to the parent support group in Angleton directly after leaving Brandy's work and as we were leaving BACH I noticed we had a flat tire. We ended up driving the 50 or so miles up 288 on a tiny spare at 50 mph. It was 9:30 at night when we finally got home.

On Tuesday: Brandy didn't finish up work until 6PM and only then remembered she was going to try and clear up a tax issue for her grandmother so that took another 2 1/2 hours and we weren't home until 9PM.

Wednesday evening Brandy went to NotSuoH for poetry but first had to accompany her brother to a car dealership to prevent him from making another stupid mistake. I stayed home, ate dinner early, and played with the boys in the backyard until sundown. Wednesday was nice.

Thursday my buddy Kevin and I played 18 holes of golf in La Marque and took way too much time. We didn't finish until 7:30PM and me and Brandy didn't get home until 8:30. It was well worth it, though. I needed the experience and I won't be getting any more opportunities to play during the week. I played bad: I shot a 111 but I progressively got better. Front 9 I shot 25 over par but on the back 9 only 14 over, and four of those were on the 10th hole where I shot a quadruple bogey. The last 8 holes I had 2 double bogeys and 6 bogeys. Much better! Plus I had a couple of 300+ yard drives for the first time. It did wonders for my swing. Which leads me to...

Friday: Played 9 holes after work (my last day at Coffee O!) I warmed up with a bucket of balls and immediately noticed a difference. I shot 3 pars, 5 bogeys, and double bogey'd hole 8 for 7 over; which isn't my best score but close to it. The big improvements were how straight and clean I hit the ball and distance. I dropped 2 or 3 club lengths for most holes. On hole 5 (148 yards to the pin) I used to hit a 5 or 6 iron depending on the wind. Friday I over hit the green with an 8 iron. Now I just need to work on putting. I'm still mostly 2 putting, which is good, but I've missed out on some great opportunities for birdy due to this. Rarily will I sink a putt 5 or more feet from the pin and I want to change that. I need to if I want to lower my scores.

That night was nice as well. We played Scattergories with Brandy's grandmother and she really enjoyed it. It was nice. We should make a game night so she has something social to look forward to besides church. We all had a good time.

Saturday was the best laid back day of all. The weather was beautiful so we spent the whole day in the backyard with the kids. We even ate breakfast outside. I set up the kiddie pool and the kids had a blast just playing with Mommy and Daddy. That night we went to Kevin and Nikki's for a party. Burger's and beer in the backyard with great adult conversation. It was fun and reminds me of how much work we need to do at our house to get it back in shape for our own Spring/Summer evening parties.

That's pretty much it, but a pretty busy week all in all. So far the Autism Fair has been relatively small but it was expected. We're just trying to do as much as possible to get the word out. It's early yet so we'll see how the next couple of hours go.

Tomorrow I start out at MRC and I'll admit I'm a little antsy. I know I'll be fine and it's normal to have jitters before starting a new job. I'll do my best to make a good impression and learn my duties as quick as possible. What else can I do until I've actually got it down? I'm probably more nervous about how the Rockets do in the playoffs this year.

Sunday Morning

2007-04-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 15, 2007 10:10AM

One of the great qualities of having such a large backyard is all the area to practice pitch shots. I'm halfway tempted to install a putting green near the back. Not one of those astroturf kind either, but a real grass sodded putting surface. It can't be that expensive or complicated can it? Keeping it maintained (as well as making sure the kids don't tear it apart after a rain) should be the largest concern. Jerry's right. We should just build our own course.

We went out last night with Brian, Kevin, and Francesca and got in early at about 1:30AM so I decided to watch a little T.V. Once again I fell asleep on the couch! You'd think my body would be screaming at me by now but I actually feel quite refreshed. I woke up at 7AM just before the boys and as soon as they pulled out of the driveway to go to church I fired up the lawnmower and cut the backyard. Hence my pitch shot practice: There's just something about fresh mowed grass that makes me grab my clubs.

I don't know what to make of this new bio-rhythm. Maybe I'm just getting old. Last night made sense. Even if I wasn't tired when I decided to stay up, at least I had been drinking. But all the other nights I just seemed to pass out the moment I got a little peace and quiet. One thing is for sure: even after sleeping on the couch I've been waking up early and feeling refreshed. This weekend I've enjoyed the morning relaxation as opposed to sleeping in until 10 or 11, or worse: having Aidan wake me up at 7:30 after only 2 or 3 hours of sleep. I've been getting up before him.

Saturday Morning

2007-04-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

April 14, 2007 8:20AM

I fell asleep on the couch again last night. That's about the fourth time this week that I've passed out as soon as the kids were in bed. The thunderstorm woke me up at 4AM this morning so it hasn't been all that bad. It was nice to be up so early and able to relax with some peace and quiet. I've needed it after this week.

I am so glad I only have a week left at Coffee O. It's amazing: just the known fact that I am leaving has already started the place spiraling into shambles. Rusty is freaking out and can't seem to pull it together. Everytime I offer him solutions he comes up with more problems. Mostly they're stress induced but a lot has to do with the fact that he knows he's not only going to have to work shifts but train someone on managerial duties.

I hate to see him this way. He's been so happy the last couple of months with profits increasing 23% for my tenure but we all know that it won't be long for them to plummet again without the efficiency that I bring to the table. Still, it's his own doing. He should have been looking for someone the moment I took the job. I told him that it would be temporary, that I would continue looking for something better, and if an opportunity arose I would jump on it. He's got one week left.

On the new job: my position has already changed. No longer will I be working intake. They are starting me off as a scan clerk. Brian says that it could work out great because they are going to be looking for a team lead in that department soon. All the more reason to master it quickly. It's nice knowing that not only will I get holidays off, benefits, and better pay but there will still be room to advance. As underpayed as I am now I still make far more than anyone else employed by Rusty. I make more money in straight pay than any of my employees would working time and a half. (But then again, I don't think Rusty pays anyone overtime unless they threaten to sue him like John, Ryan, and I did.) And even if I don't advance it's still a better job and I'll be getting valued experience. One more quality to add to my resume'.

On the homefront: everything, with the exception of money which is quite tight right now, is going okay. Aidan has been a bit whiney lately, though. He'll cry over little things if he doesn't get his way. For example: last night Brandy cooked dinner but he wanted me to, and he got so mad that he started to cry. Brandy says he's being manipulative and I agree. We made him sit in his room until he "decided to be happy."

Other than that he's great. He's growing up so fast. There's this little girl in his class that he has a crush on and, knowing he's only four, I asked him if he liked her and he said, "Daddy, I love her." Love? I thought. He probably doesn't know the difference. So I asked him, "How do you know it's love?" And he replied, "Because my heart beats hard when I'm near her." Oh my God, I melted!

Rowan is showing tons of improvement socially and verbally, I decided that I am going to speak to him as though he is normal in one on one situations. He doesn't always respond to questions or directions but is doing so increasingly more often. Whereas before he wouldn't respond at all. Even when he doesn't respond he usually indicates that he understands my requests but is choosing not to comply. It's still a major step.

It seems like not that long ago that I would come home from work and he wouldn't even lift up his head to look up at me. Now he comes running from the other side of the house as soon as the door opens, and demands hugs and playtime for the next hour. He needs and craves our attention. As long as we continue to nurture and encourage this behavior he might make leaps and bounds with other people outside our immediate household.

Here, too, is another great aspect of my new job. Working 9:30 AM to 6:30PM the boys will see me in the morning and at bedtime. It looks like it should work out for everyone except Rusty. One more week!

Beer Bike Race Today!

2007-04-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that the annual Beer Bike relay is going on today at 2PM at Rice University.

Here is some background information on the event if you are interested.

There is not going to be a parade this year because the race was initially supposed to take place on March 31 but was postponed due to the sudden collapse and death of junior Parker Robert Redman on the day of the race.

Previous years statistics

Markets Suffer After Russia Bans Immigrant Vendors

2007-04-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW, April 13 — From a stall inside the Rizhskiy vegetable market, Rustam K. Umarov conducts an illegal trade in oregano, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, saffron powder and shish kebab marinade...

from the New York Times

“They think that they will take this work from us, that when we leave, they will have this work,” he said. “But they cannot work like us.”

Police detain Kasparov at Moscow march

2007-04-14T03:05:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion, was detained by police Saturday as supporters of his organization tried to hold a forbidden protest march in central Moscow.
read more

Job Interview

2007-04-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

April 5, 2007 9:09 AM

Sitting at a Starbuck's off Bissonet. I have a job interview at 10:30 just down the road but I don't have too much time to write. They want me there half an hour early to fill out paperwork.

I wish I could have gotten the whole day off but ended up having to switch shifts with Jessica so I'm closing tonight. She's working with Marywyn so I bet that's going over lovely. I don't care. I wasn't going to miss this interview for anything.

It's for a medical information company and for some reason I can't even remember their name. Brian is a manager there and he says they are hiring for two immediate positions and there are four of us being interviewed with me and a girl as the prime candidates. It looks pretty much like the position is mine to lose. I told the recruiter that I have to give two weeks notice but I may slide on that if it means the difference in getting the job or not. I better remember to tell her that. I don't want to totally screw Rusty but I need a better paying job with benefits and the benefit package is excellent. Brian loves the company and if I get the job I'm sure I'd advance just like everywhere else I've worked.

On another note, I left my phone in the car last night so my battery is pretty low. I hope they don't have any catastrophes at the shop today. I should try to get Spencer to cover my shift tonight seeing how the kids have Good Friday off and he's losing hours because of Easter. I shouldn't get my hopes up though. Man, I can't wait to get paid vacations, holidays off, and personal days! I've spent way too long at a short staffed and undermanned company. It wears down everyone. Rusty will never learn how to properly take care of and hold on to his employees. Even one's who think it's cool at first grow tired of the place. Well, gotta go.

9:31 AM

Well, that was a short drive. I'm here with 30 minutes to spare. I figure I'll chill for 15 minutes or so and go in a little early. I'm parked in a visitor's space that says,"Parking for a maximum of 1 hour." I hope it's not going to be an issue. My interview is slated for an hour from now.

The company,by the way, is called Medical Research Consultants: MRC. I'll google them when I get home. I know they are a relatively small company, and there is probably only so far you can go without a college degree, but one can keep his hopes up, right?

They reside in the fourteen story Chase building off the West Loop and Bissonet. It's a shorter drive than the Seabrook shop for sure but Brandy and I will no longer be able to car pool. I need to work on her getting a better job. She makes $9.50 an hour but no benefits. I keep telling her that even places like Target offer benefits and not much less in income. Oh well, one step at a time. I know she wants to go back to school and if I hadn't left Universal she'd probably be looking at Fall courses already. I just want her to be happy and our family to be secure. As long as we are always looking to improve we should get there sooner rather than later.

5:34 PM

At work. I called Spencer and left a message but I'm pretty sure I'm here for the duration. We close at 10:30 so I think I'll switch duties with Chelsea to make sure we're out no later than 11PM

11:18 PM

Well Spencer never called me back and this is the first chance I've had to write anything

I'm at Dixie's Diner getting some grub before bedtime. All I've had today was two doughnuts on the way intown and a cookie from the batch I baked this afternoon.

I got the job - they still need to do a background check but it's pretty much sealed up. Brian said they told him I start in 2 weeks. Rusty didn't seam pleased but I think he figured it was coming once I told him I had an interview. The way I see it he should have been planning on this day since I took over Seabrook. I told him I didn't want to manage and that as soon as a better opportunity came I'd be gone. I guess he didn't think it would be so soon.

Well, I've had a long; full day and I have to be back at work in six hours so I'm going to cut this entry short. Besides, my food just arrived :) Man, I'm starved!

Autism Conference et. al.

2007-04-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

The following journal entries are from today's trip to the Woodlands Methodist Church for a conference on non-verbal types of autism. Let's just say that Brandy and I would have had a much better time taking the day off to do just about anything else.

April 02, 2007 11:47 AM

We're having lunch at Chipotle Grill in the Woodlands open air mall. The mall is pretty cool. It almost feels like a mini village. This is supposed to be the same design for the mall they are building near our house. Pretty cool.

We're up here to attend a conference on non-verbal types of autism which starts in a little under an hour. Hopefully we learn something or at least get a work book. I have always been pretty dubious about the impact of conferences and how they may initially change behavior but old habits kick in and most people revert to the way they were before attending. If we actually learn something that could help Rowan hopefully we can make it a part of our daily routine. If not, at least Brandy and I got the day off together.

12:41 PM

The conference is about to start and I'm already feeling a bit drowsy. I should have warned Brandy that I have a tendancy to fall asleep in these things, but, then again, she signed me up without asking me.

It took us awhile to find the right hall. The church is a series of mazes that reminds me of department stores trying to keep customers in. It's not surprising seeing how they both operate the same clientele with pretty much the same general type of merchandise. (items people really don't need yet feel they cannot live without). Brandy remarked that it felt like a museum and yet I thought it more resembled a fancy mall.

It seems everywhere I look people are spending tons of dough on unneccessary things but everyday we have to eek it out just to put gas in the tank to get to work. I need to find a better way to increase income and, at the same time, micro-manage how we spend it. Benefits would help tremendously. It seems as though we always get hit all at once. Last week we had three doctor visits and one dental plus medicine for all. It's not cheap. I know I made the right decision for the boys in leaving Universal but the income was triple what I make now and the benefits were excellent. Well, no sense pondering over the past. I need to move forward from this point on.

1:01 PM

I am one of only three men in a room filled with chattering women and that's not counting the fact that one of the other two looks girly enough to not count as a man. This is going to be a long three hours. At least Brandy secured us seats directly next to the coffee and snacks. Side note: unless I have an earth shattering experience, make sure Brandy deosn't sign me up for anymore of these estrogen extravaganza lectures. (deep breath)

Some lady informed us a few moments ago that the campus (as she referred to the church/mini-mall) is non-smoking. Like the words of some Methodist late 40's Woodlands soccer mom means jack shit to me. I would have to walk 3/4 of a mile just to leave the grounds. (At least I should be thankful that they didn't make us pay for parking. It wouldn't have surprised me)

1:35 PM

I have read the entire work book and the speaker is still on page 6. It is a mixture of listed procedures (for the first 10 pages or so) and worksheets for running clinical tests. (the last 20 pages or so) The most interesting aspect is in the first few pages where it breaks down forms of communication: how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally. That should give us an outline of ways to work on Rowan's communication. He is already doing many of them but not on any consistant basis, and then only for items he really wants.

If she doesn't go over material not in this book I probably won't sit in here for the entire lecture. It's been on for about half an hour and I'm already bored to death. All of this information should only take 30 minutes to get across.

2:37 PM

Taking a smoke break. I warned Brandy to wake me up if I start to snore when we get back in there. The speaker was going over procedures to get a non-verbal child to repeat simple sounds. None of which apply to Rowan. Brandy said that this was just a beginning procedure and I directed her to the handout/outline which shows that this simple procedure will make up the next two hours of the lecture.

It's too bad. I wish we were at a lecture more specific to Rowan's needs. I should just stay in the car and take a nap. It's too bad I left my book at home.

"America had better start getting used to dealing with somebody who understands power"

2007-04-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

It looks like people are finally starting to notice these things:
Putin increases power

"It's definitely [gone] way back to the Soviet Union," says Berezovsky. "Not in the sense of ideology, but in the sense of the organization of power."

Vermont Life VIII

2007-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, this is 7 months in the coming but I have been pretty damn busy since returning from my trip to Vermont. I figure that before I make another post to this blog I should at least finish posting the journal I kept while I was up there.

The following entry was written in the evening of the same day I made my last post.
Here you go, finality!:

August 19, 2006 7:59 PM EST

Less than two days of vacation left. I'm finally reading. You'd think with all of this free time I'd be reading up a storm. (I brought about 6 books with me) But I've been too busy exploring. I really haven't written anything either. Just this semi-daily journal and only this so I can remember my stay and give a detailed account of my time here for anyone interested.

I wish I had a laptop. I feel no inspiration sitting in the apartment but the moment I get downtown I feel the urge to spin a yarn. It's no use trying to handwrite these instances. Everytime I've tried my mind is always two paragraphs ahead of my hand. I can barely gather enough patience to write these entries.

I'm eager to get back home but I almost feel as though I have accomplished nothing in my trip. I haven't seen Michael since our first visit (I think his phone is dead) and Rob and I have only worked on one song.

In retrospect, none of that really bothers me. If I've learned anything it's that I don't care to record the old tunes. If I were to make music now it'd have to be progressive, new, and entirely from the soul. That's the only kind that interests me. It's become less about music itself and all about art. Notes and chords are merely paths to expression like word or paint. It's all about finding divinity within humanity.

I guess that is why I've become so impatient with the arts. Once you've had a connection like that you want to experience it everytime. Yeah, I'm a snob. I admit it heh, heh.

August 21 2:53PM EST

I've got my boarding pass, checked my baggage, and now have a mere 2 hours and 15 minutes before takeoff. It's been a long two weeks. Eight more hours and I'll be in Brandy's arms again.

Man, talk about time warps. I've never felt so unproductive in my life. I can't wait to get back to the hurry-up life of living in a big city. I forgot how laid back small town life can be. Relaxing, but that's what I needed.

I absolutely need to have Rob come and visit. I told him that once he visited he wouldn't want to go back. He agreed. I finally convinced Ashlyn into wanting to visit but Rob said that in two weeks his mom would get her to change her mind. I don't doubt it. She is such a pessimistic woman. She only sees her pre-concieved idea of a downside to everything. I wonder how one person can live so damn ignorant. She's only harming herself.

Well, I made a quick run through security to get a paper and cup of coffee and it only took about 5 minutes. You'd think Mondays would be busier. Lucky me. Once I saw how easy it was I stepped back out for a cigarette. My body started complaining about going 7 hours before another as soon as I took my first sip of coffee. I'm going to drag as much time outside as I can dare because once I get on that plane I won't be getting off until I've claimed my baggage in Houston. It's going to be arduous but it seems I have no choice in the matter

That's the end of my journal thus far. Like I said, it's been 7 months since my last entry but I think I'll start it up again. We'll see.

So much has happened since then that it seems more like a year and a half since those 2 weeks of idle time. I wasn't lying when I mentioned the hurry-up world that normally occupies my life. I'm often surprised that I remember to breathe and I am convinced that If I don't find a way to slow it down I'm going to look up and find the boys in college while wondering where it all went.

I promise I will not neglect this blog as much as I have lately. I also promise that I will attempt to make more posts about my life and family, not just curiosities that strike my fancy.

It's never too late...

Vermont Life VII

2006-08-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2006 12:05 AM

I'm writing this in pen because apparently I lost all my lead somewhere in my bag. Not that it matters much. I lost my erasure a week ago anyway.

The open mic went well. Everyone played cover songs for the most part. The only exception was this one guy who ended his session with an awesone original track. He was in his mid-fifties and looked like an Environmental Science professor but was the only person who played with pure passion and abandon. I guess it helped that he played a lot of Dylan.

The only other person of note was the host. Another in the mid-fifties range. He was mostly hit or miss but that was primarily due to which song he chose. His Chuck Berry rocked and his Skynard dragged. All in all it was fun, a nice change.

I'm back at Kipling's Pub. Coffee this time but if I feel a little frisky I may get a Guiness. Who knows... it's early.

1:05 AM

I'll never understand what it is about this town and women who are in relationships. The entire time I lived here I only dated one girl who didn't have a boyfriend already.

At the pub I met a nice, albeit slightly drunk, woman named Liz who early in our conversation announced that she was getting married within the month. And yet, soon after, let me know in no uncertain terms that I would be welcome going home with her. She was nice and attractive despite being 37 years old. (I actually thought I was older than her at first) And this is the part I don't get: as nice as she was, she was still willing to have a tumble behind her boyfriends back. I couldn't even think of cheating on Brandy no matter how beautiful or intellectual someone is. If I did, I wouldn't have married her. All I could think during her flirtations was, "poor guy". If she's already thinking of cheating after a 30 minute conversation and a few stupid bar video games she shouldn't even consider marrying someone. Needless to say, I left before she got the wrong impression. It's too bad. She was a cool person to talk to. A good mix from the usual Brattleboro suspects.

Vermont Life Part VI

2006-08-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2006 5:19 PM EST

I'm back at Mocha Joes. The eggplant was delicious. It looks like I'm skipping out on dinner tonight, though. They're going to be serving it any minute and I just now got downtown, It's okay. I can fend for myself just fine. (I'm eating a blonde brownie the barista dubiously called a "Congo Bar") Besides, I could use the privacy.

After dinner last night Ashlyn stayed over at Rob's parents house and I actually managed to get him out of the house for a few beers. We weren't out long, however, when Rob insisted we go home where we could drink for far cheaper. We talked for a bit but he jumped on the computer to show me something, ended up playing a game, and got sleepy enough for bed soon after. I didn't stay up too late once Rob went to bed. I knew we had a physical day ahead.

This morning we picked up Ashlyn and headed straight for Wantastiquet Mt. The climb was okay. We took the long winding way up because Rob didn't want Ashlyn to do anything dangerous. I understood but man was it long! It would have been much funner taking the mountain head on but we didn't even do that last year when it was me, Rob, and Brandy climbing it.

For the descent I broke away from the two of them so I could take the rugged straight down approach. What ended up happening is when I got to the bottom I called to see how far down they were. They were only halfway down, off the trail, and semi-lost. I climbed straight back up to them and warned him against trying to go down the way I came because it was a straight vertical thirty foot drop off. That was easily the best part of our hike when I scaled the wall to get up to them. If Rob had taked Ashlyn all the way to the drop off it would have been difficult for her to climb back up to another area. We hiked along the side of the mountain until we eventually ran into the trail again. So after a quick bath and shave here I am.

I'm going to see how long I can wander around downtown resisting shopping. There's an open mic tonight at the Mole's Eye Cafe at 8:30 and I figure I could check it out. It beats sitting around doing nothing. Hopefully, there will be a few good entertainers but with the small talent pool of eastern New England I'm not counting on it. All the good singers/bands are probably playing gigs for money, not making appearances at small town open mic sessions.

Vemont Life Part V

2006-08-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been shying away from typing these up (somewhat due to the whining nature of some of my posts) but I need to catch up seeing how my last post was five days ago.

The first entry picks up in the aftenoon where my last one left off: on Monday August, 14th.

5:46 PM EST

I'm at the top of the hill in Memorial Park. I say hill but it's still about a 700ft high climb. All in all, a short steep hike. It's nice and peaceul. Most of town is obscured from view by the other hills that make up the Connecticut River Valley but I have a nice angle at Wantastiquet Mountain in it's full glory with a good look at the open lane where we descended last year. The falls and the creek are too small to make out from this distance but the break in the trees clearly shows the straight down direct approach we took.

It looks like Rob and Ash have decided to hike up and join me.

August 16, 2006 3:43 EST

No post for Tuesday. We left the apartment relatively early and I didn't bring my bookbag. By the time I'd hiked downtown I wasn't willing to backtrack to Rob's just for my bag. A sixty second drive takes far longer on foot.

We took Ashlyn to a multi-activity play facility for some mini-golf and go-carts. They also had a driving range and I took some time to work on my swing. It was fun but if I had known we would be gone all day I would have stayed in Bratt.

First off, it took forty-five minutes just to drive there using state highways. No one has said anything but I think Pat is afraid to get on the interstate. (Not that there's any traffic on it up here!) We could have shaved approximately twenty minutes off our drive right there. It didn't help that on the way back we stopped at not one but two stores. Whatever...

I'm at Mocha Joes and I'm finding it increasingly difficult and tiresome trying to get back to the Spencer's for dinner. Tonight it's at 5PM and it's bad enough that I have to stop whatever vacation activity/project I'm into but I have to hike all the way back to their house and then back to whatever else I do. It's as if everyone forgets I don't have a car. They just expect me to be able to get wherever I want at the same rate of speed as everyone else. I've just been skipping dinner a couple nights but I feel rude doing it and tonight they are making one of my favorites: eggplant parmisan. So I can't skip out. The other problem is by the time dinner is finished, and I've stayed a polite enough time, all the shops in town have closed. This doesn't bother them because they have no reason to go into town, They live here and can come sight see anytime the urge fills them. It's a bit frustrating.

I need to come hang out at night even if most places are closed. I haven't been sleeping well anyway. At least I have been updating my blogs more often. And I've found some interesting resources on autism.

With all this focus on Rowan I am going to do my damnest to make sure Aidan does not feel neglected. If you put it in the proper perspective it becomes clear that we have two, not one, children who require special needs attention and education. Rowan because of speech and social skills and Aidan who is highly gifted and talented.

I went to the Book Cellar today to look for books about raising a child with Asprger's/Autism and stumbled upon am excellent book on gifted children titled Parenting Gifted Kids by James R. Delisle PhD. I sat there for over an hour reading chapter after chapter and ultimately could not buy it simply because it was $16.95 and we need to hold on to our assets until I'm earing a paycheck again. I need to put it on an Amazon wish list or something though because we are going to need help in raising Aidan or he will go through some of the same complications I went through that still effect me to this day. Most of my radical views on the educational system are molded after my own experiences as a gifted child not being put to uses that best flex his intellectual muscle. The truth is that public school is best used for conformity, and for an average (or below average) child it is adequate in preparing him/her for society. With a gifted child. however, conformity stymies growth emotionally and intellectually. I will not allow that path for Aidan.

Autism Speaks

2006-08-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Autism Speaks has a heartbreaking short documentary about the difficulties in raising a child with autism entitled: Autism Every Day.

I highly recommend taking 13 minutes of your time to see how the other half lives.

Small | Medium | Large

Hopefully Rowan is not as severe as some of these unfortunate children are. We haven't even had him diagnosed. Our appointment is at 3PM on Tuesday August 22. Please keep him your prayers and wish him luck!

Vermont Life Part IV

2006-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

August 14 2:34 AM EST

It's the wee hours of a Monday morning and I barely have enough moonlight to read my own writing. I'm in the Brattleboro Commons again and with temperatures closing in on the upper 30's I can't help wondering how Michael is faring.

I came so close to calling it an early night but had initially decided to watch "Cast Away" until Brandy called.

She was feeling lonely so I stopped the movie and decided to take a walk while we talked. Next thing I knew I was in a relatively new pub chasing Guiness with Green Mountain Coffee. My kind of place, right?

Well, the hour is late, I still have a short hike before I can rest, and the three Killians I killed before leaving, as well as the three Guiness I killed downtown, are starting to catch up to me. So I think I'll leave this slightly drunken entry short.

One reminder before I begin my trek: John, you must hike downtown more often at night and try to write. The atmosphere is so quaint and serene and there aren't too many opportunities to capitilize on left. Enjoy your vacation to the fullest!

2:47 AM EST

One more update before my hike: The number of casualties, and consequently flags, has grown to 2,595. Four more Americans have perished in Iraq.

P.S. I can see my own breath, it's that cold!

Vewrmont Life Part III

2006-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

August 12, 2006 3:36 PM EST

I'm on the top deck of the summit lodge on top of Mt. Snow. Man, the view is awesome! It's too bad the lodge and upstairs bar are closed because onlay a beer could satisfy me more than the view after the long hike up.

Joe made me proud. He made it all the way with me and we are looking at making the nearly vertical descent down the north face. The route we took up was no means easy. Instead of taking the hiking trails we went straight up the ski trail. We took a few breaks along the way but most were in the beginning. Once Joe got his wind and climbing legs he became a trooper. I really didn't have any problems but I did have to catch short 60 second rests after the really steep parts.

There's a wedding about to start here at the summit lodge and all I can think is the girls are going to freeze their panties off with the way the wind whips off the north face. At the base the temparature is about 75 degrees and up here it's got to be 42-46 degrees. Right now all the girls are hiding in the lodge which I believe they rented.

Well, breaks over. Time to descent!

5:26 PM EST

Well the descent was precisly straight down. We're on the access road at the base of the mountain heading back to Bratt. We chose Rip Chord as our way down partly because it went halfway down the north face and then cut back uphill towards lodge side, and it's also the only double black diamond on the mountain. We had roughly a 65-70 degree grade climbing down over rocky terrain through 4 1/2 foot high grass. It was slow going but fun as hell. I hope my pics turn out good enough to see how steep the headwall was. It was steep!! Joe was a little surprised that he had to work hard on the way down but he didn't complain any. All in all, I'm glad I got him out. We had a great time!

6:39 PM EST

I guess we got here too late for dinner. I'll probably eat something later. I got my coffee, got a smoke, and I suppose that's all I really need. Rob and I are supposed to go grocery shopping tonight. That should help my belly a bit.

We're in the basement and the guys are jamming. Gives them time to focus on the band and me time to write, right? It's a little sad. They're playing Alternate Eden: a song I wrote about 9 years ago. I was looking at their play list for the music fest and the most recent song they're playing was written 2 1/2 years ago. Rob deserves so much better. He probably knows by now that his brothers will never get out of their parents' basement. Hell, we both knew it over a decade ago when we quit the band. Well, if it makes him happy after work I guess but he could easily establish himself with a band set on touring and actually bringing in money. The other night I played some of John Beebee's and Steven H.'s music and he really liked both of them. The boy just needs direction and I'm sure his talent will take over and skyrocket him to success.

Vermont Life Part II

2006-08-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

August 11, 2006 2:11 PM EST

I'm resting on a bench in Memorial Park where there are currently 2,591 miniature flags waving in the breeze: one per American casualty in the war on Iraq, twenty-four of which had ties to Vermont. (Chris pointed out the other day that the newspapers were incorrect in printing the term "Vermont soldier" because Vermont doesn't have any soldiers.)

Walking around town I can't help thinking that Steven would love this state for much of the same reasons it appealed to Michael. It is, by far, the most social state in the union and roughly 90% of the population are die hard Liberals. (They have for many years voted in the only Independant into the House of Representatives: a socialist named Bernie Sanders who is currently running for Senate)

On the one hand, it's what I love about this town: the attention to the arts and self expression but it's impossible to have a political discussion with any of them without hearing the same old rhetoric. It's as if they were reading a script of a radical liberal's radio show. So I avoid discussing politics at all. With Rob's family it is a polar opposite. The only news agency they watch is FOX and they have become staunch Republicans bordering on the extremeties of the Liberals up here. I remember them being conservative but a lot more moderate in the 90's. (All of them, with the exception of Joe who was too young, voted for Ross Perot back in '92) I guess anyone who is exposed to vast liberalism for so long can't help detesting it and drifting further and further the other way.

In other news: I accomplished none of my objectives today. (Which is the correct way to spend a vacation) It's okay. I guess it's just my body's way of saving up energy for tomorrow.

I mentioned last night that I wanted to hike to the summit of Mt. Snow and Joe said he wanted to come. Rob will be at work and it'd be great to get Joe out of the house. He has lost a ton of weight since his surgery/chemo therapy and I'm confident he'd make it alright, even if he doesn't go all the way to the summit. I had forgotten that we climbed Mt. Haystack together and got pretty high until he couldn't go further and he was in very bad shape then. I hope he's patient with me because I plan on going the full distance with or without him this time. It would be nice to come down on the North face (where all the double black diamonds are and the slope is nearly straight down) and then hike around the mountain to the main lodge, but I'm not sure he'd be up for that. It would take 3 - 5 hours not including the drive.

Brandy just called so I'm going to hike into town and withdraw some cash so I can talk to her at a coffee shop when she calls back.

3:44 EST

Apparently I have been incorrect to call the park Memorial Park. It's real name is Newfane Commons. Memorial Park is in West Brat with the hill, T-bar lift, pool, and play area. It's curious because there are no memorial plaques in or around Memorial Park but they litter Newfane Commons. Every war has a plaque and/or statue complete with the names of all Brattleboro citizens who perished. It's no wonder I got the names confused, right? Someone should tell their Selectmen that their predecessors got it backwards. I guess it shouldn't surprise me with this predominately passivist town.

3:51 EST

Okay, okay... it seems there is a similar project going on up the road in Newfane. The article I was reading was talking about that one. Hence the name: Newfane Commons. (the commons in Newfane!!) So I still don't know the name of the park I initiated this entry in because I'm pretty sure Memorial Park is the one we took Ashlynn to. I'll try to find a plaque or sign with it's name on my trek toward's Rob's parents in a little bit.

4:16 EST

I just got off the phone with Trish and she's calling John to ask if Michael's still up here. It would be great to see him. He'll always be family despite what happens between Trish and John.

We were talking about poker and it got me thinking about boring nights when Rob has to work the next day. I think I'll play in a freeroll tournament tonight seeing how I won't have to worry about work tomorrow or interuptions from the boys. It'd be a good distraction and keep my mind sharp.

I need a difficult crossword book. Sudoku's aren't doing it for me and not sure I can get the Spencers up for a game of pinochle. (not to mention that I haven't played in 8+ years and need to re-learn the rules and scoring techniques)

I am currently sitting where the 3 Seasons Cafe used to reside: in the alley next to the theater overlooking the Connecticut River. It's amazing how the buildings block much of the noise from busy Main St. I came back here so I could sit and hear Trish at the same time and have found (much like I did a decade ago) what a relaxing place it is to read or write. This used to be my last stop on my way home after book shopping a couple of blocks down, I could spend all day here!

7:38 EST

I'm still not sure of the name of this park but I'm here again on the same bench from this afternoon. I need to mention this great quality of Brattleboro's: tons of trees and rapid declines. One is rarily short of places to side-step and piss. Man I love nature!

Trish got back to me right after my last entry and gave me Michael's number. He's staying in a tent off the bank of the Connecticut River near downtown. (practically a long throw from Rob's parents on Wantastiquet Dr.) Once I got off the phone with her I gave him a call and next thing I know we were both at Flat Street Brew Pub eating dinner and killing beers.

Man I missed him! He's basically camping for a couple of weeks because his lease was up and he's about to head to Massachusetts for a month before taking a train to Mount Shasta where he's joining a Buddhist Zen Monastary.

We talked about everything from semantics, to objectivity, to the Landmark learning center which both he and Brandy attended. (He brought it up, not me) I wish we could hang out all night but I would feel awkward taking him ( a passivist liberal) to Rob's parent's (volatile conservatives) house. I did offer him the opportunity to climb Mt. Snow with me and Joe though, and if I get too bored tonight at Rob's I may just hike down to the riverside and share a tent with him.

At least I know that my trip won't exist entirely of Rob and his family. There is so much bad blood between Rob and Frog that I probably won't hang out with him unless he calls me. (Not that there's any love lost there, I never really liked Frog to begin with) Plus, if Mike is serious about living as a monk and follows through with it, this may be the last time I see him for a while unless I visit him halfway up Mt. Shasta. I believe I should capitilize on the situation and accept it simply as God's will. I must be here for a reason, right?

Vermont Life

2006-08-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping a journal while on vacation and initially was hesitant about posting in online, but I have decided that if I piss people off it's just my nature.

Here's the first installment:

August 10, 2006 4:15 EST

I'm not sure if today is Thursday or Friday. Let's see, I flew in on Tuesday and have stayed two nights so far so I guess it's Thursday.

I'm crouching on the sidwalk on Main St. smoking a cigarette in front on Mocha Joes. I had to get them to grind the Rwandan I bought yesterday because (despite what Rob says) he does not have a grinder. He handed me a Cuissinart last night and swore that it'd work just fine but the grind was so coarse, and the coffee so weak, that it was like drinking tea.

Wow. Two nights and I can't imagine what it's going to be like after two weeks of vacation! Yesterday I thought I was going to go mad from missing Brandy and the boys but I think I need this. It didn't help that we spent so much time at Rob's parents house. I love them. They are like a second family but it was too much like going into a time warp and they are by nature pessimistic unmotivated people. Sitting in that house drives me nuts! Now that Rob's working I can get out and do some self exploration.

It's funny. I actually like having to walk everywhere. It gives me time to think; to exist. You should have seen the look on everyone's face when I suggested we take Ashlynn to the park last night. Rob didn't think she'd want to go, his Mom was worried about them closing, and even Ash was hesitant. "Do I have to?" she asked me. I don't understand how they can stay cooped up in that house all day. I didn't eight years ago and I don't today. I have determined that I am not going to spend my vacation sitting on my ass listening to the same negativities. I don't care if I wear my soles out and step on a few toes while I'm at it. I need fresh air!

Update on TSA list...

2006-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Last post I was about to board a plane to New England, my how things can change practically overnight. I guess I should include all liquids to the list of unacceptable items.

From the TSA website:

Passengers may experience longer lines at airports and should plan to arrive early. Check with your specific airline and airport before flight departure time to determine how much time is needed for your flight. Passengers should pack their patience and ensure that that they do not bring any liquids to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage. These items are no longer permitted on board the aircraft. To expedite the process, avoid having clutter in your bags and minimize the number carry-on items

NO LIQUIDS OR GELS OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED IN CARRY-ON BAGGAGE.

SUCH ITEMS MUST BE IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. This includes all beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, tooth paste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency.

Exceptions: Baby formula and medicines, which must be presented for inspection at the checkpoint.

Beverages purchased in the boarding area, beyond the checkpoint, must be consumed before boarding because they will not be permitted onboard the aircraft.

Passengers traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States will be subject to a more extensive screening process.

These measures will be constantly evaluated and updated as circumstances warrant.

I brought limited items simply to escape the lengthy routine of checking in bagggage and waiting for it on the conveyer. Well, it appears I'll be leaving my toiletries here and buying new ones when I get home. (They mostly consist of travel sized packages anyway)

Have I mentioned how much I love air travel??

TSA: Prohibited Items

2006-08-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I'll be going to Vermont for a couple of weeks.I was at the TSA website
trying to check if I could carry my razor blades on the airplane and unfortunately
it falls in the list of unaccepted items because they aren't in a cartridge
but more traditional like these:

I got a kick out of how casually you find items such as hand grenades next to regular
items like golf clubs.

Here's a complete list:

# Automatic weapons
# Axes
# Baseball bats
# BB guns
# Billy clubs
# Blackjacks
# Blasting caps
# Bows and arrows
# Box cutters
# Brass knuckles
# Bull whips
# Cattle prods
# Compressed air guns
# Corkscrews
# Cricket bats
# Crow bars
# Disabling chemicals or gases
# Dog repellent spray
# Dynamite
# Fire extinguishers
# Flare pistols
# Golf clubs
# Gun lighters
# Gunpowder
# Hammers
# Hand grenades
# Hatchets
# Hockey sticks
# Hunting knives
# Ice axe/Ice pick
# Knives (any length)
# Kubatons
# Large heavy tools (such as wrenches pliers etc.)
# Mace
# Martial arts devices
# Meat cleavers
# Metal scissors with pointed tips
# Numchucks
# Pellet guns
# Pen knives
# Pepper spray
# Pistols
# Plastic explosives
# Pool cues
# Portable power drills
# Portable power saws
# Razor blades (not in a cartridge)
# Religious knives
# Replica weapons
# Revolvers
# Rifles
# Road flares
# SCUBA knives
# Sabers
# Screwdrivers
# Shot guns
# Ski poles
# Spear guns
# Starter pistols
# Straight razors
# Stun guns/shocking devices
# Swords
# Tear gas
# Throwing stars
# Toy transformer robots (this toy forms a toy gun)
# Toy weapons"

TSA: TSA Issues Guidelines to Help Passengers through Security and Expands List of Prohibited Items

Very,very bad propaganda

2006-07-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm amazed at what I find on random googles...

This is some funny shit:

Zionists Nuke Downtown Beirut - Again!

I Love Stupid Criminals...

2006-06-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Woman Loses Shirt During Robbery

This lady actually came back to get her shirt...

Chavez and Morales in trade deals

2006-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

The "Axis of good" begins

Maybe Morales should have been a bit more diplomatic in his choice of words...

Zimbabwe Opposition Leader, Others Detained Ahead of Election

2006-05-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

What passes for Democracy in Zimbabwe

Getting Ready For Launch

2006-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Discovery begins rollout to launch pad

So far it looks like we will have our first launch in a year.
On a side note, I just hired Commander Lindsey's daughter Jessica and she begins training with me tonight at 5 o'clock.

Everyone wish them luck!

from CNN

Chavez is Arming up Again

2006-05-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Chavez's 'citizen militias' on the march

Venezuela 'to buy more weapons'

"Speaking in the capital Caracas, Mr Chavez said 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles already on order from Russia were not enough.

Venezuela needed a million well-armed men and women, he said.

Mr Chavez also likened US President George W Bush to the German Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler."

Everytime Chavez uses Adolf Hitler as a reference to Bush I can't help but remember what really happened.

"Hitler's 'propagandist reason' for starting the war had already been arranged by Himmler and Heydrich at the Führer's request. The plan was of such importance that it was code named Operation Himmler and involved having the SS stage fake attacks by the Polish Army against German troops along the German-Polish border. At the Gleiwitz radio station, a Polish-speaking German working with the SS would grab the microphone and broadcast an inflammatory speech in Polish declaring that the time had come for Poles to fight the Germans. Concentration camp inmates dressed in Polish Army uniforms would be killed by lethal injections then riddled with bullets and left as evidence of the attacks, to be viewed later by members of the press."

Who knows if his control over the Latin American people will ever grow strong enough to weild this type of propaganda but Chavez is arming up for something... and the whole world knows it's not in preparation for a phony "U.S. invasion".

State Run Media, Here We Come...

2006-05-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Venezuela sets up 'CNN rival'

from BBC

To some, that sounds like propaganda. Last year, the chairman of the US Senate's foreign relations committee, Richard Lugar, referred to the planned channel as a vehicle to spread President Hugo Chavez's authoritarian message around the region.

Alberto Ravell, the head of Venezuela's main private news channel, Globovision, agrees.

"You're going to have a view of Latin America, but you're going to have the view these governments want you to have, not an impartial view," he said.

He told the BBC that all the people working at Telesur are leftist.

"They're all in one political position, and that's the political position of our president that wants to be not only the president of Venezuela but the leader of Latin America."

One Year Anniversary of the Massacre at Andijan

2006-05-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Still waiting to bury their dead

from the BBC

A New Way to Ride That Horse...

2006-05-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Nude Dude Ranch Opens

Sounds a little too adventerous for me.

I'll Take a Large Supreme...Hold the Human Flesh

2006-05-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Man Delivers Pizzas, Corpses In Same Vehicle

Apparently, in the distinguished state of Pennsylvania, there is no law against this...

ChinaRant.com

2006-05-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Houston Chronicle last sunday, officials in Beijing are trying to curb the long list of bad manners prevailent among it's citizens before the start of the Summer Olymipcs in 2008.

Here's a cute site where businessmen and visitors share their unique cultural encounters:

ChinaRant.com

Also, check out the Chinese Driving Test for an in depth look into the beauty of driving on urban streets in China.

Children Accused of Witchcraft in the Congo

2006-04-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's a tragedy that, in these modern times, people still allow fear and ignorance to justify cruel and inhumane treatment towards others.

This is a photo story from the BBC that shows how villagers in the Congo are blaming children with witchcraft simply because they are defensless to their accusations.

Witchcraft Threat

How the US 'lost' Latin America

2006-04-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Daniel Ortega may be back in power in Nicaragua soon

Peru's Ollanta Humalla

"The imperialist, genocidal, fascist attitude of the US president has no limits," Mr Chavez says.
"I think Hitler would be like a suckling baby next to George W Bush."

Here's an interesting report from the BBC on how left-wing, anti-American governments are gaining power in the Latin states

How the US 'lost' Latin America

Chavez rules out return to cheap oil

2006-04-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Chavez to host OPEC meeting on June 1

Chavez is flexing his muscles once again. Notice he again mentions an American attack. Overall, the South American nations have been sliding towards authoritorian rule so I wonder where exactly he plans on taking his army once it is established.

I hope he is telling the truth and is just delusional that America can risk the criticism of invading Venezuela because the guy is just too out of control to run a proper war.

Al-Jazeera buys Welsh sheep show

2006-04-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

"The series gives viewers a taste of a wide range of musical styles, from opera to rap, while also placing a strong emphasis on the importance of recycling and family interaction," said an S4C spokesman.

This just boggles my mind

Chavez arms up

2006-04-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Venezuela has taken delivery of three Russian-built military helicopters - the first of a total of 15 it has so far ordered from Moscow.

President Hugo Chavez said they would help to protect Venezuela if the US ever mounted an invasion.

Mr Chavez also repeated that he was ready to buy Russian fighter jets.

Washington has dismissed claims of a possible invasion as ridiculous and says Mr Chavez's military purchases pose a threat to regional stability.

read more

You know... Hitler used the same reasoning for rearming Germany.
If he doesn't mean to invade anyone then why is he lying about why they were purchased?

Pretty Soon We'll All Live Forever...

2006-04-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Doctors grow bladder cells and produce rebuilt organ

Husband On Strike To Get Bedroom Back

2006-03-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Keep the kids out of our bedrooms!!

I can honestly understand about the 3 month old. That was about the age both Aidan and Rowan were moved to cribs in a seperate bedroom.

The two year old, however, has got to get his own room!!

This is a Free Country Damn It...

2006-03-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Young honors student expresess his right to die an idiot

"If I want to be the jerk that flirts with death, I should be able to do that."

That's how you show them!

Death by Lava Lamp

2006-03-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

Death can sometimes be a beautiful seductress

You Just Can't Get Much Stupider Than This

2006-03-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

+

=

Here's proof crack makes you stupid

The Left Goes After Sen. John McCain

2006-03-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article that claims that, after portraying him as a calm respectable hero, the mainstream media is now attacking John McCain in order to prevent him winning the Republican nomination.
I'm not sure I agree with it entirely but I do agree that he would win in a landslide today if it were between him and Hillary Clinton. (Haven't the Democrats have anyone better? What ever happened to John Kerry?)

Personally, I'd like to see Colin Powell finally run.

click me

Upcoming Hurricane Season Likely Strong

2006-03-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

The top U.S. hurricane expert said Thursday that this year's hurricane season is likely to be stronger than average, though short of the record 2005 season, the costliest on record.

I hope everyone enjoyed the breather but it's almost game time again!

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones...

2006-03-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while an article comes along that just cracks me up:

U.S. Envoy Urges Venezuela to End Insults

Charles Taylor: finally caught

2006-03-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Rueters reports that Charles Taylor was caught trying to flee Nigeria which has sheltered him from facing the War Tribunal for nearly three years.

I just wish they hadn't dropped the death penalty. Who knows... maybe he can copy Milosevic.

One can hope.

U.S. thrown a curve; Cuba cries foul

2006-03-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

Castro claims he wanted to donate the prize money that Cuba should have won by finishing second in this years World Baseball Classic to victims of Hurricane Katrina but the U.S. says they don't get any money.

Trade embargo keeps Cuba from claiming any prize money from the World Baseball Classic

It looks like another plot to make the U.S. Government look bad.
All we need now is Hugo Chavez to pipe up and defend his mentor.

Cyborg Technology is Here!

2006-03-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

From CNN.com:
Man powers robotic arms with his mind

Ben Glisan Jr. Finale

2006-03-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Well, as is evident in this story printed at KHOU.com it would appear the report that Mr. Glisan was seen to "sip on a venti-sized Starbucks cup while awaiting his turn on the stand." was issued from the Associated Press. And there is no arguing with those assholes seeing how every major publication on the planet relies on them so frequently.

Alas, my thunder is quashed and I am left like so many others who have been ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream media.

It's been fun, though

Ben Glisan Jr. Part II

2006-03-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yes... that is Ben Glisan arriving for court on Monday. It clearly is not a Starbucks drink in his hand!

Just a quick update on the Ben Glisan situation:

I confronted him about the coffee he was reported to be carrying to the courthouse and he adamantly denied drinking Starbucks. He wanted to make absolute sure that I knew he wasn't cheating on us. And the truth is I would definitely believe a former Enron executive over a National syndicate journalist every day of the week.

Also, Bloomberg reported today that if he testifies truthfully he will be released in September. With that, the following comes from a report filed today at Business Week:

Petrocelli... suggested his testimony was tied to the expectation he could get out of prison early.

"It's not fun," Glisan said of prison. "I would never wish this on anyone. I would very much like to be with my family."

He said he hoped his testimony would "result in some betterment of my situation," but added that a perjury charge could increase his sentence.

And finally... the following pictures are from today where Ben can be clearly seen carrying a Coffee Oasis Jumbo cup:

From Monday, the day of the ABC report...

Tuesday...

Coffee Oasis in the New York Times:

And finally, an artist's version of the cup:

I guess I have a letter to write!

"South Park" Roasts Chef, Literally

2006-03-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday's South Park 10th season premiere, Hayes' Chef character was struck by lightning, impaled, shot, mauled by a mountain lion, eaten by a grizzly bear, and, oh, yes, accused of being a child molester.

I love Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Ben Glisan Jr. key witness in the Enron trial

2006-03-22T12:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been meaning to post a blog on Ben Glisan for awhile now, and seeing how he has been in the news lately, I figure it's about time to get up off my lazy ass and post it.

Ben has been a customer of mine since I started working at Coffee Oasis (Seven years ago!) and he has always been polite and quiet. The type of guy that tips a dollar for a two dollar coffee. Then about two years ago he just stopped coming in. Usually when that happens it's because they'd moved or started a new job that takes a different route to work, but in Ben's case it was because he was starting the first part of a five year prison sentence that was part of a plea bargain with the federal government.

As a former Enron Corp. treasurer, he faced multiple charges of money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy as part of a 109-count indictment against his one-time boss, former Enron finance chief Andrew Fastow. To this day he still is the only ex-Enron executive to go to prison after pleading guilty.

On Monday, for the first time in about two years, Ben came in and got his large coffee on the way to the courthouse. To be honest, I was surprised to see him because he still has a little over two years left on his sentence, but I didn't comment on the trial. I didn't even realize he was already testifying until he came in.

Apparently, he has been granted a furlough during his testimony. He sleeps in his own bed, drives his own car, and has pretty much free reign to go anywhere as long as court is not in session. The only difference is he is escorted to and from the courthouse by Deputies.

Here's how he looked today about an hour and a half after leaving my shop:

So all this week I've kept my mouth shut about the trial. I figured I'd let him taste a little freedom before going back to prison and he already has the trial to remind him that he is only on vacation. He doesn't need me spoiling it for him as well. However, I think I just might scrap that idea altogether tomorrow.

You see, ABCNews in a report on Tuesday, claimed that he showed up with a Venti size cup (20 oz) of Starbucks coffee. Now, this could have just been a simple case of mistaken coffee. It seems everyone these days drinks Starbucks. We are all forced to at times if we want anything other than nine hour old coffee that has been sitting on a gas station burner all day. In fact, that is more than likely the case. I know that not long before he showed up at the courthouse he had purchased a 20 oz cup of coffee from me personally.

However, it is possible that he finished the coffee and was forced to buy another from Starbucks before making his way through the throng of press agents. So I figure it justifies me asking him to clarify the issue.

You may ask why it matters.

Well, it matters to me. If ABC is automatically calling every cup of coffee that comes in a paper cup a Starbucks drink I'm going to write them a letter. Coffee cannot be classified like copying (Xerox) or bandages (Band-Aid). As much as Starbucks has done for the coffee industry it still has some of the worst gourmet coffees available. None of this is news to anyone with any real sense of taste, so I have doubts that this was an unintentional slip of the tongue (so to speak) by ABC.
It would have been too easy to say "cup of fresh brewed coffee" but they went out of their way to not only name the brand but the size as well.

So, my conclusions are, if indeed he was still drinking a cup of Coffee Oasis brew, as follows:

1. Starbucks has entered in agreement with ABC for subtle advertising (which would absolutely invalidate their ban on subconcious advertising that made the news last week)

2. ABC News is against small businesses (or at least mine) and figures noting them in a story is only news worthy if they have been destroyed by an act of God.

3. The reporter thought that his/her specific knowledge of Mr. Glisan's drink would fill her audience with awe and a sense of absolute trust in his/her abilty to get to the heart of the story.

or (my personal favorite)

4. People convicted of conspiracy love Starbucks

I guess we'll find out tomorrow...

Beer from the Tap!

2006-03-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Plumbing mistake sends beer through homeowners kitchen faucet

This has got to be the work of God

What Celebrity Do You Look Like

2006-03-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Upload a picture of yourself and find out

Requires free registration

St. Patty's Day is only 4 days away

2006-03-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Brush up on some of those drunken lyrics

John Paul II Being Considered for Sainthood

2006-03-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Did Pope Perform Miracle After His Death?

I'm curious to hear about the other two miracles.

Rock Hall Honors Davis

2006-03-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

NPR Report

And it's about damn time

Read his short biography at jazzandbluesmasters.com

Well Europe Had It's Rats...

2006-03-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ready or not... it's coming

could this be the face of death?

Opening Day is not far!

2006-03-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Gold medalist Chad Hedrick to kick off inaugural season for Houston Dynamo

Get your tickets today!

Click here for individual games

Construction to begin on World Trade Center Memorial today

2006-03-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Families divided over NY memorial

Gubernatorial candidate Friedman Caught Drinking Beer In Parade Car

2006-03-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

"Guinness is the drink that kept the Irish from taking over the world. It would be unthinkable not to have a Guinness during a St. Patrick's Day parade. In fact, it would be spiritually wrong," Friedman said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Laura Stromberg.

I think this bastard just won my vote!

Insiders view of Katrina's effect on New Orleans

2006-03-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

A beautiful account of one man's experience throughout the devastation of New Orleans:

Five Days with Katrina

Drowning in Beer!

2006-03-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Damn Interesting » Beer Flood Claims Nine Souls

Needless to say, I'd be the one person who died from alcohol poisoning ;)

Damn Interesting » Urine For a Treat

2006-03-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

Urine For a Treat

Ahh!
There's nothing healthier than a large glass of piss!

Damn Interesting » Free-Fall from Near Space

2006-03-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Damn Interesting » Free-Fall from Near Space

This has got to be one of the coolest jobs anyone has had.
Anyone reading this that needs a guinea pig like this can email me anyday!

if you are smart you won't read this

2006-03-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Only an idiot would click this link

First there was Pong...

2006-03-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

the next generation of Pong

it's like playing raquette ball with a mouse!

Click2Houston.com - Family - Nipple-Pinching Teen Heads To Juvenile Hall

2006-03-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Click2Houston.com - Family - Nipple-Pinching Teen Heads To Juvenile Hall

and this is just pathetic

Click2Houston.com - Politics - Senator Unknowingly Saves Political Opponent's Life

2006-03-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

Click2Houston.com - Politics - Senator Unknowingly Saves Political Opponent's Life

this is some funny shit

Click2Houston.com - Technology - E-Mail With A-L-L-A-H Turned Away By Yahoo

2006-02-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

Click2Houston.com - Technology - E-Mail With A-L-L-A-H Turned Away By Yahoo

Now I don't know how they can possibly riot against an online entity, seeing how most radicals probably don't have access to the internet, but I'm curious to see if anything comes of this.

And Yahoo wonders why it's getting it's ass kicked by Google

Need to pick a lock??

2006-02-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

Greg Miller's Guide to Lock Picking for Beginners

Vanishing Point: How to disappear in America without a trace

2006-02-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

Vanishing Point: How to disappear in America without a trace

Get lost everybody!

How to Become a Republican

2006-02-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

I actually believe stuff like this hurts the Democratic Party more than it helps it.

It's still funny though.

click me!

°°°°°°°THEIR CIRCULAR LIFE°°°°°°°

2006-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

°°°°°°°THEIR CIRCULAR LIFE°°°°°°°

take a look into a day at different locals around the world
interesting peak into society on a daily and global scale

AdCritic Interactive

2006-02-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

Ordering a pizza in the all too near future

Unfortunetely, this doesn't sound too far from the truth.

Kick ass shots!

2006-02-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Some of the most amazing basketball shots I've ever seen.
I should send this to the Rockets scouting department!

Who knew skateboarders were such good basketball players?

Test your patten recognition

2006-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

I took this the other day next to my shop.
See how many four leaf clovers you can spot and then highlight my answer below to read it:

I see four of them. If you see more let me know but you are probably wrong. ;)

(note: the one on the top left is actually two 3's next to each other... look at the spacing of the leaves)

2006-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I should post a little about life...

We finally got the boys haircuts last weekend. Here's the before and after with Aidan:

And here's the after:

(Both pics are taken with my phone so sorry about the quality)

Brandy's comment afterwards was, "Aidan's head looks smaller and Rowan's head looks bigger." Now, I never thought I could imagine Rowan with a bigger head but I'd have to agree with her.

Here's them falling asleep at the dinner table the next night:

Rowan was actually eating in his sleep in this shot. Hilarious ;)

Cities - SkyscraperPage.com

2006-02-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

Houston buildings at SkyscraperPage.com

check out this extensive record of architecture here in the Bayou City!

here' a diagram that shows largest to smallest!

Free eBooks - Project Gutenberg

2006-02-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Free eBooks - Project Gutenberg:

over 17,000 titles online for FREE!!

this site rocks!

American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches by Rank

2006-02-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

Need to quote someone?

The top 100 speeches in streaming audio!

The Oxford Text Archive

2006-02-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

Spending too much time on the computer??
There is a ton of free literature at The Oxford Text Archive

You have to mail in a form to download them but free is free!

GameSpot Video Player

2006-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

The Playstation 3 will be here soon!

Sony E3 Game demo (streaming)

and check out the preview for Killing Zone! (streaming)

Angry Alien Productions, Sase and Topsie

2006-02-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

American Cinema in 30 Seconds reinacted with bunnies!

Highlander!

Pulp Fiction!

Star Wars!

and many, many more!

Time

2006-02-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Time

An awesome chronicle of one family's journey through time!
It makes me sad to think that it won't be long before my munchkins are making babies of their own :(

Fun Latin

2006-02-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

From Latin for all Occassions:

* My dog ate it.
Canis meus id comedit.
* I did call. Maybe your answering machine is broken.
Sane ego te vocavi. Forsitan capedictum tuum desit.
* Baby, Sweetheart, would I lie to you?
Amicule, deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
* The check is in the mail.
Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est.
* I was kidnapped by aliens. What year is it?
Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt. Qui annus est?

Insults

* I think some people in togas are plotting against me.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
* In the good old days, children like you were left to perish on windswept crags.
Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.
* If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar.
Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.
* I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult.
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione."

MSNBC - News of the Weird

2006-02-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

Well...
if a chimp can do it surely I can too!!

MSNBC - News of the Weird: "China's Xinhua news agency reported in October that Ai Ai, the veteran chimp at the safari park in Shaanxi province, who is 27 years old and who started smoking cigarette butts at age 11 when her first mate died, has finally kicked her nicotine habit. Zoo officials attributed her success to distractions such as exercise, music (via a Walkman 'borrowed' from a keeper), and better food, such as fried dishes and dumplings. [BBC News, 10-3-05]"

MSNBC - News of the Weird

2006-02-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

You gotta love news of the weird.

MSNBC - News of the Weird: "Ms. Sierra Stiles, age 8, was credited with the first bear kill in Maryland in the limited October hunting season, downing a 211-pounder from 50 yards away with her .243-caliber rifle. (She had won one of the lottery-awarded permits and then aced the safety test.) And according to a Seattle Post-Intelligencer profile in January, Aidan Gold, age 8, of Bothell, Wash., recently climbed a 20,300-foot peak on Mount Everest in the Himalayas with his dad, adding to his previous climbs in the Cascades and the Alps. Aidan said the last part of the Everest climb (a 45-degree stretch of rock and ice) was 'the (hardest) 3,000 feet I've ever done.' [Washington Post, 10-25-05] [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1-2-06]"

I love that quote at the end!

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia

2006-01-26T23:24:00.000-08:00

Some random computer paranoia I stumbled upon:

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "About a year ago, a customer from Roswell, NM, called in to place an order. To break the ice, I jokingly asked if he or any of his neighbors had seen any aliens lately. The guy laughed and proceeded to tell me all about the crazies (his word, not mine) that not only live in Roswell but who come on vacation there in hopes of seeing a UFO themselves. As he talked, I processed the order, and the last bit of information I needed to complete it was the guy's email address for marketing purposes.

* Customer: 'Email! I won't have anything to do with that Internet or modems of any sort! You should be careful about those. Don't you know that once you install a modem, the government can look into your computer and watch everything you do? That's why every night before I go to bed, I turn the monitor to the wall.'"

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "When in college, I had to make a fake advertisement for a class. I had a GIF that I downloaded that I wanted to put into it, so I sat down at the only Mac that was connected to the scanner in the school's computer lab. For some reason, it couldn't open the file, and the program crashed repeatedly. I got a lab technician to come over, and I explained the problem. She asked what I did to it and got angry with me. So I went to the Mac next to the one I was on and opened the picture in the same program. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was responsible for ruining the computer.

* Me: 'I scanned these pictures in, then tried to open this GIF I downloaded.'
* Her: 'What? You can't do that! That type of a file is for Windows machines only! It isn't supported on Macs.'
* Me: 'No, it is a standard graphic file. It can be opened on either machine, how did I get it to open on this Mac right here? See?'
* Her: 'Don't do that! You're gonna break that one also.'

To protect her computer from evil me, she leaned over and flipped the power switch off."

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "The second day I worked doing phone tech support, I was called by an elderly woman who was sobbing and panicked. After spending twenty minutes getting her calmed down, I finally found out what her problem was. She had been on the Internet and recieved the ever-popular message 'This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.' Immediately afterward, she had heard police sirens down the road and thought, 'They're coming to lock me up!'"

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "I've done my time in tech support and have managed to live through some very weird calls, but this one was the best. An older lady bought a brand new desktop system with all the extras and had been using it for about a month when she got an error about an 'illegal function.' She took apart the whole system down to the hard drive and hid it in different parts of her house, called us, and wanted to know how much longer she had until the police were going to come get her. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time on the phone putting the system back together."

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "One of my users recently came into the workforce and is literally terrified of her computer. Each sound it makes be it from the speaker or random drive noises causes her to flinch and turn pale. She sits at a custom-built wraparound desk surrounded by her computer, the switchboard, an electric typewriter (she hates that too), and the postal meter. In order to point at the screen I have to stand directly behind her chair.

She was having great problems with the telecoms software convincing herself that she really had downloaded the file. In order to demonstrate that the 'dir' command would show her that her files really were in the directory I chose the c:\dos directory to use it on.

When the dozens of filenames flickered down the screen she was so panicked that she thrust her chair backwards crushing me between the chair and the typewriter.

To simplify things, I installed Windows 95 and demonstrated how to move files from the folder to the trash can. Later I wandered by her desk and noticed a forest of icons surrounding her trash can. She hadn't managed to hit it once."

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: "At 3:37 a.m. on a Sunday, I had just looked at the clock to determine my annoyance level, when I received a frantic phone call from a new user of a Macintosh Plus. She had gotten her entire family out of the house and was calling from her neighbor's. She had just received her first system error and interpreted the picture of the bomb on the screen as a warning that the computer was going to blow up."

Computer Stupidities: Paranoia: " * Customer: 'I had an important document that was password protected, and I can't get in it. I don't know the password.'
* Tech Support: 'Ok, we do have a program the get passwords from Word documents. Can you email me the document?'
* Customer: 'No, it is very sensitive. That's why it was password protected. I won't even keep the file on the server. I keep it secure on a floppy.'
* Tech Support: 'It would be much safer if you kept it on the server. Floppies are easily corrupted. At least on the server it would be backed up each night.'
* Customer: 'That is exactly what I don't want to happen. For legal reasons, I don't want any copies of this file. I want you to come down here and get the password for me.'
* Tech Support: 'I'm not in the same office as you are, so I'll need to send someone there to your desk to help you out.'
* Customer: 'Have them call ahead first so I can get security here when they are work with the file.'
* Tech Support: 'Security? Sir, We sign a non-disclosure agreement, so that won't be necessary.'
* Customer: 'Yes, it will be necessary! This is a very important and sensitive document, and we don't want anyone touching it without some security.'
* Tech Support: 'Ok, that's fine. I'll let them know to bring the password software so they can get the password you forgot.'
* Customer: 'I didn't forget it!'
* Tech Support: 'Excuse me?'
* Customer: 'I didn't have to remember it.'
* Tech Support: 'What do you mean?'
* Customer: 'The password was written on a yellow post-it note attached to the disk and must had fallen off. It has be somewhere on my desk, but there are so many papers here I can't find it!'

I had to mute the phone so they wouldn't hear me laughing."

2006-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

some cool sites I've found. Some recently, some awhile back but I was too lazy to post:

The End of the World

Honda Accord commercial (fucking brilliant!)

Icon War

Hubble Heritage Image Gallery

2006-01-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

Check this shit out:

I just found the fucking coolest band in the whole damn world. Now, I didn't say the best band in the world but they are definitely the coolest.

Ask yourself this: Do I like The Beatles? If yes proceed.

Now ask yourself: Do I like Metallica? If yes then hit the link below to find ultimate proof that God does reward those few of us that actually love Metal and 60's pop

May I present to you Beatallica!

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Hey Dude

Sgt. Peppers Motorbreath pub band

Blackened the USSR

I Want to Choke Your Band

enjoy!

Updates at my photo blog...

2005-11-14T22:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I broke down and bought 3 rolls of film. It's been awhile since I worked with it (once in the last 2 years probably) and I certainly missed some aspects of it, but it's just so damn expensive!

Anyway... thought I'd post a few pics seeing how I went through the trouble of paying someone to develop them for me.

It was worth it, as these photos show, but there were more than a few photos that were flawed or outright stinkers as well.

I need a new digital camera! (or even a developing kit for that matter!)

enjoy!

By the way: I have been updating my photo blog N-Vision for the first time in about a year so check it out

2005-11-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

Well my camera has been AWOL for quite some time. We'll probably get another one begfore X-mas, but for now I'm stuck with old photos.

In preparation for the new camera (and due to errors I'm having with the Hello program) I have set up a new site at Flickr.

The photo is from an Easter trip in 04' to Brandy's Mothers