- Dislike
I dislike Apple, Radiohead, Private Practice, Taco Bell, Toyota Priuses, The View, PETA, vegetarians, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, cold weather, doing laundry, 30 Rock, cardboard, sunflower seeds, goats, California,
that's good for now.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
World Cup
- Soccer
Yeah I'm calling it soccer. I'm an American. I'm not going to call it football just to make it seem as if I care. I know all kinds of fun words like 'pitch' and 'pace' now as well, but I'm not about to use a few words just to make it seem like I'm part of the crowd. ;)
Anyways the teams the U.S. will be facing are not a group of powerhouses for once. England will probably have their way with us but the other two games are solidly winnable. So there's a decent chance that we can make it into the knockout round (a.k.a. single elimination round or in college basketball terms you could call it the sweet 16)
And that would be a success for us considering our history. Advancing into the round of 8 past Serbia or Ghana seems like it might be too much to hope for.
Yeah I'm calling it soccer. I'm an American. I'm not going to call it football just to make it seem as if I care. I know all kinds of fun words like 'pitch' and 'pace' now as well, but I'm not about to use a few words just to make it seem like I'm part of the crowd. ;)
Anyways the teams the U.S. will be facing are not a group of powerhouses for once. England will probably have their way with us but the other two games are solidly winnable. So there's a decent chance that we can make it into the knockout round (a.k.a. single elimination round or in college basketball terms you could call it the sweet 16)
And that would be a success for us considering our history. Advancing into the round of 8 past Serbia or Ghana seems like it might be too much to hope for.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Who the heck is Nick Cannon?
- Music
'Gigolo' by Nick Cannon. I have a soft spot for songs about being a gigolo. My dad is said to have been caught singing 'Just a Gigolo' by David Lee Roth while in the hospital waiting for my youngest brother to be born.
I think it's a pleasant 'soft' boast since pretty much no one ever calls themself a gigolo with a straight face. Can you?
'Just a Gigolo' was kind to me when I sang it to open karaoke at my Brother in law's wedding. It's just a fun song. Nick Cannon's version is fun for different reasons. I like when he says the 'shawtees' call him the scarecrow cuz he lookin for some brains. I don't really get it but I think it might be funny. Well I laugh anyways.
'Gigolo' by Nick Cannon. I have a soft spot for songs about being a gigolo. My dad is said to have been caught singing 'Just a Gigolo' by David Lee Roth while in the hospital waiting for my youngest brother to be born.
I think it's a pleasant 'soft' boast since pretty much no one ever calls themself a gigolo with a straight face. Can you?
'Just a Gigolo' was kind to me when I sang it to open karaoke at my Brother in law's wedding. It's just a fun song. Nick Cannon's version is fun for different reasons. I like when he says the 'shawtees' call him the scarecrow cuz he lookin for some brains. I don't really get it but I think it might be funny. Well I laugh anyways.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Lame
-Me
This blog almost certainly has no regular readers and yet I'm feeling anxious about posting. This is my problem.
-Colbert
A 'moral authority' like Beck or Limbaugh doesn't appeal to the libs. You identify an audience, develop a message, and then you shape the message into a form that appeals to the audience. Jon Stewart too. Libs seem to respond to the 'snarky' angle just as conservatives respond to the 'moral'.
I'm watching Colbert tonight and I'm not really impressed with his schtick. There's a formula, he follows it, and if your views are similar to his you'll eat it up.
But in fairness you could switch out Colbert's name with just about anyone else's and the message would still hold true. Liberal, conservative, whatever.
This blog almost certainly has no regular readers and yet I'm feeling anxious about posting. This is my problem.
-Colbert
A 'moral authority' like Beck or Limbaugh doesn't appeal to the libs. You identify an audience, develop a message, and then you shape the message into a form that appeals to the audience. Jon Stewart too. Libs seem to respond to the 'snarky' angle just as conservatives respond to the 'moral'.
I'm watching Colbert tonight and I'm not really impressed with his schtick. There's a formula, he follows it, and if your views are similar to his you'll eat it up.
But in fairness you could switch out Colbert's name with just about anyone else's and the message would still hold true. Liberal, conservative, whatever.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Heck of a holiday
- Thanksgiving
Oh god.... Well the week started badly with me being a total ass to Kim. The details aren't really important, it's just enough to know that I behaved badly and it made for a rough weekend. That was last Saturday and Sunday.
Then on Monday I didn't sleep much due to a few early appointments Kim had to keep, then on Tuesday I had to get up early again for a haircut, then on Wednesday I had to get up early again so we could run out and buy a baby carrier. But Thursday is when things really started to go bad.
First I didn't sleep much at all due to a fussy baby and an early departure for upstate NY. Four hour drive later and I'm visiting with Kim's family. They're all very nice so it's not a chore, but I decided to send a message to my best friend who'd been nice enough to invite my Mom and middle brother for Thanksgiving dinner. They weren't there. Apparently my younger brother decided to make a dinner too, but he didn't tell anyone and when my Mom was confronted with competing turkeys she snubbed my best friend. I'm so mad at my family for doing this to him, and he's too nice to say anything but I'm sure he's mad too.
I repress my anger and try to sleep on the couch with the baby, and apparently I missed when Kim's uncle was offering to buy us the TV I wanted. Yeah he was drunk at the time but still....
Then the next day is Black Friday so of course it's a pain in the butt shopping day, traffic and crowds and such. I finally get Kim out of there and my Mother calls, she wants to tell me that the property taxes weren't paid for in 2008 and the state is going to foreclose on her house. Except my name is on the lease as co-signer so it's also MY house and MY credit at stake. And 'oh by the way I don't qualify for LIHEAP this year so I can't afford to get heating oil either' got tacked on at the end. The fun never stops.
And so I finally get back to Harrisburg, thinking it's time to relax but the dog runs out into the street and just misses getting his head smashed by a car. That's fine though, cause the Pitt Panthers lose on a last second field goal that derails their season in the next to last game. Just a little kick to the junk, the cherry on top of a crap sundae.
I guess I could focus on the positives, but I hear that dwelling on your problems is nature's way of helping you solve them. I guess I'm doing a lot of solving tonight. Yep. Lots of solving......
Oh god.... Well the week started badly with me being a total ass to Kim. The details aren't really important, it's just enough to know that I behaved badly and it made for a rough weekend. That was last Saturday and Sunday.
Then on Monday I didn't sleep much due to a few early appointments Kim had to keep, then on Tuesday I had to get up early again for a haircut, then on Wednesday I had to get up early again so we could run out and buy a baby carrier. But Thursday is when things really started to go bad.
First I didn't sleep much at all due to a fussy baby and an early departure for upstate NY. Four hour drive later and I'm visiting with Kim's family. They're all very nice so it's not a chore, but I decided to send a message to my best friend who'd been nice enough to invite my Mom and middle brother for Thanksgiving dinner. They weren't there. Apparently my younger brother decided to make a dinner too, but he didn't tell anyone and when my Mom was confronted with competing turkeys she snubbed my best friend. I'm so mad at my family for doing this to him, and he's too nice to say anything but I'm sure he's mad too.
I repress my anger and try to sleep on the couch with the baby, and apparently I missed when Kim's uncle was offering to buy us the TV I wanted. Yeah he was drunk at the time but still....
Then the next day is Black Friday so of course it's a pain in the butt shopping day, traffic and crowds and such. I finally get Kim out of there and my Mother calls, she wants to tell me that the property taxes weren't paid for in 2008 and the state is going to foreclose on her house. Except my name is on the lease as co-signer so it's also MY house and MY credit at stake. And 'oh by the way I don't qualify for LIHEAP this year so I can't afford to get heating oil either' got tacked on at the end. The fun never stops.
And so I finally get back to Harrisburg, thinking it's time to relax but the dog runs out into the street and just misses getting his head smashed by a car. That's fine though, cause the Pitt Panthers lose on a last second field goal that derails their season in the next to last game. Just a little kick to the junk, the cherry on top of a crap sundae.
I guess I could focus on the positives, but I hear that dwelling on your problems is nature's way of helping you solve them. I guess I'm doing a lot of solving tonight. Yep. Lots of solving......
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The power block
- Music
Every now and then I hear a block of music on the radio that restores my faith in radio. Usually I feel pretty good about a car-ride just so long as I can find a halfway decent song to follow up the first halfway decent song and I'm often stuck flipping stations to find the good stuff. Every now and then I get lucky however, and get one station playing a few great songs in a row. Today was one of those days.
We start with 'Oops I did it again' by Britney Spears. Not normally a 'good' song, but the length of time since I last heard it has restored my interest and it was nice to remember Britney as she existed a decade ago. Barely legal, bangin' body, sexy voice, not yet the caricature she would later become. I think she could have just stayed herself and been successful, and I think maybe her behavior was a sign of insecurity. The press made a lot of her success and the comparisons with Christina Aguilera and it seemed to me that she was always chasing the ghost of herself, never really sure what the public wanted but desperate to find it.
Enough of that crap.
Second song was Milli Vanilli's 'Blame it on the Rain'. They're fakes of course, but the song is still fun to listen to. Nostalgia rears up again.
Third song was 'Lets go Crazy' by Prince. The other two songs were great for a warm-up but when you start playing crazy good good jams by Prince you get me to roll the windows down, turn the volume up...
And then they hit me with the grand finale. Naughty by Nature's 'O.P.P.' It's hard to describe how good it feels to blast that tune at the end of a nostalgic set. And ya know there was a time about 10 years ago when it wouldn't have been such a big deal. I may have even changed the station before Britney's song was over. But that was then and this is now. And I loved it.
- History
I finished the 'Atlas of World History' yesterday. Another good feeling. I now know a hell of a lot more than I did before I started. Big surprise eh? I think it's going to do a lot to increase my understanding of world events and it should have positive results in increasing my understanding of economics and politics as well. Everything's related to everything else.
Every now and then I hear a block of music on the radio that restores my faith in radio. Usually I feel pretty good about a car-ride just so long as I can find a halfway decent song to follow up the first halfway decent song and I'm often stuck flipping stations to find the good stuff. Every now and then I get lucky however, and get one station playing a few great songs in a row. Today was one of those days.
We start with 'Oops I did it again' by Britney Spears. Not normally a 'good' song, but the length of time since I last heard it has restored my interest and it was nice to remember Britney as she existed a decade ago. Barely legal, bangin' body, sexy voice, not yet the caricature she would later become. I think she could have just stayed herself and been successful, and I think maybe her behavior was a sign of insecurity. The press made a lot of her success and the comparisons with Christina Aguilera and it seemed to me that she was always chasing the ghost of herself, never really sure what the public wanted but desperate to find it.
Enough of that crap.
Second song was Milli Vanilli's 'Blame it on the Rain'. They're fakes of course, but the song is still fun to listen to. Nostalgia rears up again.
Third song was 'Lets go Crazy' by Prince. The other two songs were great for a warm-up but when you start playing crazy good good jams by Prince you get me to roll the windows down, turn the volume up...
And then they hit me with the grand finale. Naughty by Nature's 'O.P.P.' It's hard to describe how good it feels to blast that tune at the end of a nostalgic set. And ya know there was a time about 10 years ago when it wouldn't have been such a big deal. I may have even changed the station before Britney's song was over. But that was then and this is now. And I loved it.
- History
I finished the 'Atlas of World History' yesterday. Another good feeling. I now know a hell of a lot more than I did before I started. Big surprise eh? I think it's going to do a lot to increase my understanding of world events and it should have positive results in increasing my understanding of economics and politics as well. Everything's related to everything else.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Clean-up time
- Lockerz
I signed up for a market research community. Log in every day = 2 points. Answer a single question every day = 2 points.
Total of 4 points per day.
Accumulate 600-1000 points and you can trade them for something interesting like a PS3. I can't vouch for it personally but I have a few friends I trust who can and did. So I'm trying it.
If I invite some people I can get prizes quicker, so if you're interested or even if you're not really interested but you're willing to waste a few minutes creating a log-in, please give me your E-mail address. The goal they set for me is 20 invites and I don't even know if I have that many friends, but I'm gonna give it a go anyways.
- Music
Fleetwood Mac. I prefer Lindsey Buckingham's vocals to those of Stevie Nicks.
Taylor Swift. I didn't mind listening to her music at first, but the music station at work plays her stuff constantly. The most recent single is on a 4 hour rotation and all of her other songs still get heavy play as well. It gets so that you can't go more than 2 hours without hearing one of her endless variations on teen romance. Too much.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of my favorite bands but maybe they could stop referencing California every 30 seconds. I'm tired of hearing about the state.
- Places
Speaking of which, pop culture might lead one to believe that California is the most awesome place to be. My experience hasn't been nearly as pleasant. For example....
All I wanted was a freaking cheesesteak but I couldn't find a good one in San Diego. I finally settled for a crummy one at the mall, just eating and minding my own business when this dude and his girlfriend stand up, glare at me and walk away. It took me a minute to realize he must've thought I was checking her out. As if I would be interested in his skanky looking, flat chested bitch anyways. I was actually checking out a much hotter girl behind them.
But it creeped me out. A civilized person would've addressed me directly. I'd rather be addressed. If someone stands up and asks me if I'm checking his girl out I'm pretty sure I'd know what to say. Maybe I'm feeling froggy and I say something like ' I was just daydreaming about how she'd look like bent over my coffee table', or maybe I tell the truth and point out the hot girl behind them and we both get a good laugh out of it.
But seeing this guy jump to the wrong conclusion, pack up his meal and leave the restaurant is so foreign....
I don't even know what to think.
And there's lots of reasons beyond that to explain my dislike but I'm not trying to start fights or anything. It's just not a place I like to be.
So without any further ado I present a list of my favorite places.
1. Hawaii
2. Home (Pennsylvania)
3. Singapore
4. North Carolina
5. New York (upstate)
6. Japan
7. South Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Chicago
And somewhere near the bottom... California
Last. Virginia
I'm not even gonna get started on Virginia.
I signed up for a market research community. Log in every day = 2 points. Answer a single question every day = 2 points.
Total of 4 points per day.
Accumulate 600-1000 points and you can trade them for something interesting like a PS3. I can't vouch for it personally but I have a few friends I trust who can and did. So I'm trying it.
If I invite some people I can get prizes quicker, so if you're interested or even if you're not really interested but you're willing to waste a few minutes creating a log-in, please give me your E-mail address. The goal they set for me is 20 invites and I don't even know if I have that many friends, but I'm gonna give it a go anyways.
- Music
Fleetwood Mac. I prefer Lindsey Buckingham's vocals to those of Stevie Nicks.
Taylor Swift. I didn't mind listening to her music at first, but the music station at work plays her stuff constantly. The most recent single is on a 4 hour rotation and all of her other songs still get heavy play as well. It gets so that you can't go more than 2 hours without hearing one of her endless variations on teen romance. Too much.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of my favorite bands but maybe they could stop referencing California every 30 seconds. I'm tired of hearing about the state.
- Places
Speaking of which, pop culture might lead one to believe that California is the most awesome place to be. My experience hasn't been nearly as pleasant. For example....
All I wanted was a freaking cheesesteak but I couldn't find a good one in San Diego. I finally settled for a crummy one at the mall, just eating and minding my own business when this dude and his girlfriend stand up, glare at me and walk away. It took me a minute to realize he must've thought I was checking her out. As if I would be interested in his skanky looking, flat chested bitch anyways. I was actually checking out a much hotter girl behind them.
But it creeped me out. A civilized person would've addressed me directly. I'd rather be addressed. If someone stands up and asks me if I'm checking his girl out I'm pretty sure I'd know what to say. Maybe I'm feeling froggy and I say something like ' I was just daydreaming about how she'd look like bent over my coffee table', or maybe I tell the truth and point out the hot girl behind them and we both get a good laugh out of it.
But seeing this guy jump to the wrong conclusion, pack up his meal and leave the restaurant is so foreign....
I don't even know what to think.
And there's lots of reasons beyond that to explain my dislike but I'm not trying to start fights or anything. It's just not a place I like to be.
So without any further ado I present a list of my favorite places.
1. Hawaii
2. Home (Pennsylvania)
3. Singapore
4. North Carolina
5. New York (upstate)
6. Japan
7. South Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Chicago
And somewhere near the bottom... California
Last. Virginia
I'm not even gonna get started on Virginia.
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