In the beverage store today, and the guy behind me was rocking a killer mullet and a t-shirt that said "Strippers Love My Pole."
All class, that guy.
I didn't stay behind to see if he was driving a Camaro.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
How convenient
Katrina allowed the government to evict New Orleans blacks from public housing, even the buildings that survived the storms.
What are the odds that those apartments become upscale condos?
Or, to quote someone more eloquent:
(h/t litbrit. Thanks, I think. Now my head hurts even more.)
Among the miles and miles of devastated houses, rubble still there today in New Orleans, we found dry, beautiful homes. But their residents were told by guys dressed like Ninjas wearing “Blackwater” badges: “Try to go into your home and we’ll arrest you.”
These aren’t just any homes. They are the public housing projects of the city; the Lafitte Houses and others. But unlike the cinder block monsters in the Bronx, these public units are beautiful townhouses, with wrought-iron porches and gardens right next to the tony French Quarter.
Raised up on high ground, with floors and walls of concrete, they were some of the only houses left salvageable after the Katrina flood.Yet, two years later, there’s still bars on the windows, the doors are welded shut and the residents banned from returning.
What are the odds that those apartments become upscale condos?
Or, to quote someone more eloquent:
They wanted them poor niggers out of there and they ain’t had no intention to allow it to be reopened to no poor niggers, you know? And that’s just the bottom line.
(h/t litbrit. Thanks, I think. Now my head hurts even more.)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
I Shuffle, Therefore I Am
Let's what our little algorithm gives us today:
Public Enemy - Can't Truss It (Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black)
Andrew WK - It's Time To Party (I Get Wet)
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot (Employment)
Melissa Etheridge - Like The Way I Do (Melissa Etheridge)
Led Zeppelin - Traveling Riverside Blues
Ben Folds Five - Philosophy (Naked Baby Photos)
Nirvana - Lake Of Fire (Unplugged)
Rush - Natural Science (Permanent Waves)
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle (Bleed American)
Johnny Cash - No Earthly Good (Unearthed Disc 1)
Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again (Diary of a Madman)
Judas Priest - The Green Manalishi (Unleashed in the East)
Αποστολος Νικολαιδης - Παντα Με Γλυκο Χασισι
U2 - Party Girl
Bruce Springsteen - Open All Night (Nebraska)
Public Enemy - Can't Truss It (Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black)
Andrew WK - It's Time To Party (I Get Wet)
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot (Employment)
Melissa Etheridge - Like The Way I Do (Melissa Etheridge)
Led Zeppelin - Traveling Riverside Blues
Ben Folds Five - Philosophy (Naked Baby Photos)
Nirvana - Lake Of Fire (Unplugged)
Rush - Natural Science (Permanent Waves)
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle (Bleed American)
Johnny Cash - No Earthly Good (Unearthed Disc 1)
Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again (Diary of a Madman)
Judas Priest - The Green Manalishi (Unleashed in the East)
Αποστολος Νικολαιδης - Παντα Με Γλυκο Χασισι
U2 - Party Girl
Bruce Springsteen - Open All Night (Nebraska)
Tucker Carlson - Homophobic troglodyte douchebag
And totally pleased with his gay-bashing self.
No, really.
He's bragging about going to get a friend to rough up a guy who made a pass at him.
No, really.
He's bragging about going to get a friend to rough up a guy who made a pass at him.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
More Sitemeter geekery
Of course, I skew those numbers because when I first go to the page, I'm not automatically logged in, so that counts as a visit. Those Mac numbers are mostly me.
OK, I'll play along...
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
- fucking (5x)
- crap (4x)
- ass (3x)
- dead (2x)
- drugs (1x)
And I haven't even gotten started.
Also, ass is bad, but no mention of tits?
UPDATE: I blame Toast for one of the "ass" instances.
Psycho coward, qu'est-ce que c'est?, fa-fa-fa-FA fa-fa fa-fa FA fa
So much goodness.
Facing a draft, Nugent bravely wet his pants
He fits right into the GOP, doesn't he?
Facing a draft, Nugent bravely wet his pants
So Ted Nugent roams a concert stage while toting automatic weapons, calls Barack Obama "a piece of -----" and says he told Obama to suck on one of his machine-guns. He also calls Hillary Clinton a "worthless bitch" and Dianne Feinstein a "worthless whore."
That Nugent, he's a man's man. He talks the talk and walks the walk, right?
Except when it was time to register for the draft during the Vietnam era. By his own admission, Nugent stopped all forms of personal hygiene for a month and showed up for his draft board physical in pants caked with his own urine and feces, winning a deferment. Creative!
He fits right into the GOP, doesn't he?
You've Been Told
To go read this right now!
Iraq, the giant Republican cash grab.
Or, as Jonathan Chait said about the GOP, "[a]n organized conspiracy to redistribute wealth upwards."
(h/t Toast on the quote)
Iraq, the giant Republican cash grab.
Or, as Jonathan Chait said about the GOP, "[a]n organized conspiracy to redistribute wealth upwards."
(h/t Toast on the quote)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Garden blogging
I'm going to float like a lepidoptera...
...and sting like a hymenoptera
They just didn't listen.
Oh no he di'n't!
Home-grown tomatoes are phenomenal.
No joke there. Next year we're doing a lot more plants. This year was a "do we have enough sun?" experiment.
...and sting like a hymenoptera
They just didn't listen.
Oh no he di'n't!
Home-grown tomatoes are phenomenal.
No joke there. Next year we're doing a lot more plants. This year was a "do we have enough sun?" experiment.
Some Saratoga photo-blogging...
Horse walks into a bar.
Bartender says "Hey, why the long face?"
Haaaaa!
Dude, that's stupid.
Hey! Jockey guy! We won by 25 lengths, we can stop now!
Just chillin'
Bartender says "Hey, why the long face?"
Haaaaa!
Dude, that's stupid.
Hey! Jockey guy! We won by 25 lengths, we can stop now!
Just chillin'
Late to the party...
...but better late than never.
The Wife and I watched the first three Flight of the Conchords episodes last night, and man is that some funny shit.
Really, watch it.
The Wife and I watched the first three Flight of the Conchords episodes last night, and man is that some funny shit.
Really, watch it.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Kitchen, done!
We were going to go out tonight, but decided tomorrow will be expensive enough, so we stayed in and ordered pizza, and I hooked up all the plumbing. We have a full working kitchen again.
See here for before and middle. Note the lovely oak, the yellow counters, and the super-80s linoleum.
And here is final:
That fridge is great, tons of room. The microwave also does convection cooking and combination microwave/convection for superfast cooking and browning.
Bamboo floors.
That faucet is huge, with a built-in pulldown sprayer. And amazingly enough, one of the least expensive faucets Kohler makes. We were looking through their stuff, and everything we liked was $800, $900, $1200. Um, thanks, but no. Then I modified my search a little, and saw this for $250. You get so conditioned to the high prices, my first thought was "What's wrong with it?" Absolutely nothing, is the answer to that question.
Here's a detail:
On the left we have a soap dispenser, on the right a filtered water faucet. That doesn't match at all, but it came with the filtration system, so I'll use it until we find something we like.The undermount sink rocks. I've always liked that look. The left basin is extra-deep, 10 inches instead of the usual 7 to 7.5. Very helpful for large pots.
Phew. It's only been three weeks, but having half a working kitchen was getting to be a pain. Doing dishes in the utility sink in the laundry room, etc.
Now we're cookin'!
See here for before and middle. Note the lovely oak, the yellow counters, and the super-80s linoleum.
And here is final:
That fridge is great, tons of room. The microwave also does convection cooking and combination microwave/convection for superfast cooking and browning.
Bamboo floors.
That faucet is huge, with a built-in pulldown sprayer. And amazingly enough, one of the least expensive faucets Kohler makes. We were looking through their stuff, and everything we liked was $800, $900, $1200. Um, thanks, but no. Then I modified my search a little, and saw this for $250. You get so conditioned to the high prices, my first thought was "What's wrong with it?" Absolutely nothing, is the answer to that question.
Here's a detail:
On the left we have a soap dispenser, on the right a filtered water faucet. That doesn't match at all, but it came with the filtration system, so I'll use it until we find something we like.The undermount sink rocks. I've always liked that look. The left basin is extra-deep, 10 inches instead of the usual 7 to 7.5. Very helpful for large pots.
Phew. It's only been three weeks, but having half a working kitchen was getting to be a pain. Doing dishes in the utility sink in the laundry room, etc.
Now we're cookin'!
Friday T&A
Luba
Meira
Ksena
Krissta
Altea
I never get invited to these...
Gotta throw some bad bolt-ons in here.
Mmmm, flexy!
Meira
Ksena
Krissta
Altea
I never get invited to these...
Gotta throw some bad bolt-ons in here.
Mmmm, flexy!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Good vibrations
Melissa has a post about Alabama's ban on marital aides possibly going before the Supreme Court. That should be good, if it gets there.
I often wonder, though, when I'm brushing my teeth, if Oral-B and other companies don't do bang-up business in Alabama and other such states.
Also, do the women down there buy a lot of cucumbers? (Link NSFW) You know, for salad.
I love this stuff. It's just goes beyond nonsense.
The vibrator as we know it today was invented for doctors and midwives, because there was a booming business in curing women's "hysteria."
"Hysteria was considered to be a disease of the womb which caused irritability, discomfort and a general malaise."
Or, as sane people would know it, sexual frustration and/or the extreme horniness that accompanies a woman's period.
Yes, women used to go to the doctor to get rubbed off monthly (or even more frequently). The “hysterical paroxysm” (orgasm) would cure them of their disease.
But the manual stimulation could take a long time, and there were a lot of patients. No shit! {slaps forehead} So the vibrator was invented as a medical device, so they could get it done faster.
Now, men, if you're attentive and GGG, you know a satisfied woman is a good thing. Hell, I know how cranky I get during a dry spell of, say, 24 hours or so.
And yet there are men who in the name of the bible and the Baby Jeebus would like to prevent this. What. Fucking. Morons. Meanwhile, you know they're all popping Cialis and Viagra, for "procreation," you know.
I often wonder, though, when I'm brushing my teeth, if Oral-B and other companies don't do bang-up business in Alabama and other such states.
Also, do the women down there buy a lot of cucumbers? (Link NSFW) You know, for salad.
I love this stuff. It's just goes beyond nonsense.
The vibrator as we know it today was invented for doctors and midwives, because there was a booming business in curing women's "hysteria."
"Hysteria was considered to be a disease of the womb which caused irritability, discomfort and a general malaise."
Or, as sane people would know it, sexual frustration and/or the extreme horniness that accompanies a woman's period.
Yes, women used to go to the doctor to get rubbed off monthly (or even more frequently). The “hysterical paroxysm” (orgasm) would cure them of their disease.
But the manual stimulation could take a long time, and there were a lot of patients. No shit! {slaps forehead} So the vibrator was invented as a medical device, so they could get it done faster.
Now, men, if you're attentive and GGG, you know a satisfied woman is a good thing. Hell, I know how cranky I get during a dry spell of, say, 24 hours or so.
And yet there are men who in the name of the bible and the Baby Jeebus would like to prevent this. What. Fucking. Morons. Meanwhile, you know they're all popping Cialis and Viagra, for "procreation," you know.
Busy busy busy
Well, I got the weight/yoga room done. Really nice. Now all it needs is a TV, for The Wife's yoga tapes & DVDs.
Almost done with all the wood flooring downstairs, and the granite should be installed today. I'm kind of surprised they're not here yet.
A flood of pictures should follow in the next couple days.
Almost done with all the wood flooring downstairs, and the granite should be installed today. I'm kind of surprised they're not here yet.
A flood of pictures should follow in the next couple days.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Movie Review
Beerfest
Two German-Americans put together a drinking team to compete in an underground drinking tournament in Germany. Also, avenging their grandfather from some family slight.
Really, the "plot" is irrelevant. Sight gags, drinking gags, general slapstick. Totally sophomoric, and that may be giving it too much credit. You'll laugh, you'll groan.
It's bad enough that it comes around to being good enough to watch. Once. It lacks the staying power that other cult movies have (Animal House, Caddyshack, etc.)
But if you're sitting around after a few drinks, and looking for a silly way to kill some time on HBO, this will work. That's pretty much how the five of us came across it, Saturday night.
3 stars
Two German-Americans put together a drinking team to compete in an underground drinking tournament in Germany. Also, avenging their grandfather from some family slight.
Really, the "plot" is irrelevant. Sight gags, drinking gags, general slapstick. Totally sophomoric, and that may be giving it too much credit. You'll laugh, you'll groan.
It's bad enough that it comes around to being good enough to watch. Once. It lacks the staying power that other cult movies have (Animal House, Caddyshack, etc.)
But if you're sitting around after a few drinks, and looking for a silly way to kill some time on HBO, this will work. That's pretty much how the five of us came across it, Saturday night.
3 stars
Movie Review
The Wife is going away to a yoga retreat for 3 days, so we spent last night on the couch to spend a little time together and attack the Netflix queueueueueueue.
Hot Fuzz was the choice.
All I really knew going in was it was a parody of sorts of the standard buddy-cop action flick.
Ambitious city cop gets transferred to a job in a sleepy country town, because his success is making all his colleagues look bad. Of course, stuff starts happening that the indifferent and incompetent local police just shrug off as "accidents." Wacky hijinx ensue.
I really enjoyed this, but it took a while to get into. The build to the payoff, comedy-wise, was slow, but worth it. I loved the rapid-fire editing, and it was fun picking out the references to older films. There's so much stuff in there that it seems to cross the line from spoof to homage. But that's fine too. Excellently played lead (Simon Pegg) and supporting roles. Love Timothy Dalton's character.
4 stars
Hot Fuzz was the choice.
All I really knew going in was it was a parody of sorts of the standard buddy-cop action flick.
Ambitious city cop gets transferred to a job in a sleepy country town, because his success is making all his colleagues look bad. Of course, stuff starts happening that the indifferent and incompetent local police just shrug off as "accidents." Wacky hijinx ensue.
I really enjoyed this, but it took a while to get into. The build to the payoff, comedy-wise, was slow, but worth it. I loved the rapid-fire editing, and it was fun picking out the references to older films. There's so much stuff in there that it seems to cross the line from spoof to homage. But that's fine too. Excellently played lead (Simon Pegg) and supporting roles. Love Timothy Dalton's character.
4 stars
Sunday, August 19, 2007
More on domestic spying
H/T oddjob, more on using satellites on Americans.
And the sheeple say nothing...
Because the sheeple are afraid of the giant Muslim uprising!!!
Fucking Bush voters...
And the sheeple say nothing...
Because the sheeple are afraid of the giant Muslim uprising!!!
Fucking Bush voters...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
On this date in history... and the following week
1977.
We're moving to Greece. My parents took teaching jobs at American Community School, in Athens. It's a chance that young people take. Dr. Dorbis, the school Administrator, was quite a persuasive recruiter, and well, my father is Greek. "Sure, we'll go for two years." It wound up being 20. But that's another story.
We land in Brussels. Get in a cab. My dad's the very sociable type - throw him into a roomful of strangers and he'll have 20 friends in 20 minutes. So, what's going on? Elvis died. I swear my Dad said "You're kidding" and "I don't believe it" about 197,625,487 times. Cabbie turns on the radio. Non-stop Elvis. News stations, music stations, every fucking station. Elvis has left the planet.
My dad's a huge Elvis fan. Had a lot of 45s, albums, and reel-to-reel tapes with stuff he got off the radio. I was too, by osmosis. I was only 7, but I was a latchkey kid. I'd get home from school before my parents did, and have an hour to myself (call CPS!!!!). Since I was a young loner nerd, I knew how to operate all the audio equipment (primarily because I got scolded for putting my dad's records on my Fischer Price record player). I would play the Elvis and Beatles 45s and bop around the house, shaking my hips Elvis-style and everything. It was probably hott. Or at least cute.
One of the most resonant memories of my younger years. Get off the first plane ride I remember, get in a cab in a different country, and Elvis is dead. Weird.
The next day, we flew to Amsterdam to pick up our car (which we had shipped over from NYC). I got a mini-cake, and the whole plane sang Happy Birthday. Now that's pretty cool too.
From Amsterdam, we drive to Italy. Stopped off in Germany, to visit relatives in Bonn, so I'm not quite sure how long all of this took. 4 or 5 days, maybe. Get on a ferry from Brindisi to Patras, Greece. First night, my Mom's a little queasy. Probably just a little seasick. Second day, she's a lot queasy. Go to the ship's doctor. Mrs. T, you're pregnant.
Sur-PRISE!
That's a heady fucking week for an 8-year-old, I'll tell you. Leave everything you know behind to move to a whole different country. Elvis is dead. A planeload of people serenading you on your birthday. Drive through Europe. And you're going to be an older brother.
Phew.
We're moving to Greece. My parents took teaching jobs at American Community School, in Athens. It's a chance that young people take. Dr. Dorbis, the school Administrator, was quite a persuasive recruiter, and well, my father is Greek. "Sure, we'll go for two years." It wound up being 20. But that's another story.
We land in Brussels. Get in a cab. My dad's the very sociable type - throw him into a roomful of strangers and he'll have 20 friends in 20 minutes. So, what's going on? Elvis died. I swear my Dad said "You're kidding" and "I don't believe it" about 197,625,487 times. Cabbie turns on the radio. Non-stop Elvis. News stations, music stations, every fucking station. Elvis has left the planet.
My dad's a huge Elvis fan. Had a lot of 45s, albums, and reel-to-reel tapes with stuff he got off the radio. I was too, by osmosis. I was only 7, but I was a latchkey kid. I'd get home from school before my parents did, and have an hour to myself (call CPS!!!!). Since I was a young loner nerd, I knew how to operate all the audio equipment (primarily because I got scolded for putting my dad's records on my Fischer Price record player). I would play the Elvis and Beatles 45s and bop around the house, shaking my hips Elvis-style and everything. It was probably hott. Or at least cute.
One of the most resonant memories of my younger years. Get off the first plane ride I remember, get in a cab in a different country, and Elvis is dead. Weird.
The next day, we flew to Amsterdam to pick up our car (which we had shipped over from NYC). I got a mini-cake, and the whole plane sang Happy Birthday. Now that's pretty cool too.
From Amsterdam, we drive to Italy. Stopped off in Germany, to visit relatives in Bonn, so I'm not quite sure how long all of this took. 4 or 5 days, maybe. Get on a ferry from Brindisi to Patras, Greece. First night, my Mom's a little queasy. Probably just a little seasick. Second day, she's a lot queasy. Go to the ship's doctor. Mrs. T, you're pregnant.
Sur-PRISE!
That's a heady fucking week for an 8-year-old, I'll tell you. Leave everything you know behind to move to a whole different country. Elvis is dead. A planeload of people serenading you on your birthday. Drive through Europe. And you're going to be an older brother.
Phew.
Kitchen, continued...
Well, the floor in the kitchen has been done for a couple days, and I'm almost done getting it into the foyer. As great as it looks, and that certainly feeds the motivation, this is getting old.
But we have guests for the weekend, so I need to finish a lot tonight.
This is the normally weekend of my annual Saratoga Racetrack party (Saturday's big race is the Alabama), but not this year. It's just too difficult to cook for, and clean up after, 10-15 people. So just my friends from Boston, Tom and Alicia, and a good friend from Troy, John.
I'm predicting the damage to be: 2-3 cases of beer, 8-12 bottles of wine. That's reasonable for 5 adults, right?
Also, my birfday Friday. A pancake/blowjob breakfast and a round of golf. What else does one need?
But we have guests for the weekend, so I need to finish a lot tonight.
This is the normally weekend of my annual Saratoga Racetrack party (Saturday's big race is the Alabama), but not this year. It's just too difficult to cook for, and clean up after, 10-15 people. So just my friends from Boston, Tom and Alicia, and a good friend from Troy, John.
I'm predicting the damage to be: 2-3 cases of beer, 8-12 bottles of wine. That's reasonable for 5 adults, right?
Also, my birfday Friday. A pancake/blowjob breakfast and a round of golf. What else does one need?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
They tried to make me go to rehab, I said yes, yes, yes
Apparently Amy [Winehouse] collapsed last week after taking a cocktail of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and the horse tranquillizer ketamine. The Daily Mail reports:
Via The Superficial
UPDATE: That didn't last long...
She was reported to have been caught smoking heroin in her suite by a friend, at which point her father Mitch flipped. Taxi driver Mitch arrived the next day with his wife Janis, and Fielder-Civil's stepfather Giles Civil and mother Georgette. According to a source close to the family, the meeting descended into a row and at one point Mr Winehouse grabbed Mr Civil by the throat. The source told a newspaper: "It broke Amy's heart to see her parents and in-laws fighting. "That was when she realized the drink and drugs were causing problems for everyone."
Via The Superficial
UPDATE: That didn't last long...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Hey ladies!
You know already that your appearance is never good enough. You've been told that since childhood, and see it on TV and in magazines 1000 times a day.
So why don't you get a surgically implanted bra, and fix those saggy things already?!
So why don't you get a surgically implanted bra, and fix those saggy things already?!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Movie Review
Spent a much-needed night away from home, down in the Catskills on the farm. Four cats, two dogs, and five donkeys (soon to be seven, as two of them are pregnant), tend to have a relaxing effect. Also, plinking cans with a .22.
Brought down Friends With Money, which had been sitting in our neglected Netflix pile for a few weeks. The kitchen has been keeping us busy.
Interesting character-study. Four long-time female friends, now at varying levels of financial, career, and relationship success, struggle with how these changes have affected the friendships. The men are key to the many storylines, I don't want to make them seem insignificant, but the protagonists are clearly the women. The usual assortment of crises, dramatic moments, and comical situations (life is funny, after all).
I usually really like these movies (Nobody's Fool, Sideways, etc.), but something about this fell just a little flat.
I'll give it 3 stars out of 5.
-----------------------------
1 - Ugh, why can't I give this a zero?
2 - Not terrible, I probably enjoyed some parts, but I'm certainly not going to recommend it.
3 - I liked it. Definitely not a waste of time. Judge from the description if the concept is for you.
4 - I really liked it, and you should see it. You may not like it as much as I did, but you won't feel cheated.
5 - Rave! What are you waiting for? Also, you're just wrong if you don't like it, so bite me.
Brought down Friends With Money, which had been sitting in our neglected Netflix pile for a few weeks. The kitchen has been keeping us busy.
Interesting character-study. Four long-time female friends, now at varying levels of financial, career, and relationship success, struggle with how these changes have affected the friendships. The men are key to the many storylines, I don't want to make them seem insignificant, but the protagonists are clearly the women. The usual assortment of crises, dramatic moments, and comical situations (life is funny, after all).
I usually really like these movies (Nobody's Fool, Sideways, etc.), but something about this fell just a little flat.
I'll give it 3 stars out of 5.
-----------------------------
Ratings scale intro: I'll be using the same rating here as I do at Netflix. They're a little nebulous, but this is how I see them.
1 - Ugh, why can't I give this a zero?
2 - Not terrible, I probably enjoyed some parts, but I'm certainly not going to recommend it.
3 - I liked it. Definitely not a waste of time. Judge from the description if the concept is for you.
4 - I really liked it, and you should see it. You may not like it as much as I did, but you won't feel cheated.
5 - Rave! What are you waiting for? Also, you're just wrong if you don't like it, so bite me.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Ok, one more...
Please pay attention, those who wish to preach to others...
Glass houses and all.
Johnny Cash is my hero.
Glass houses and all.
Johnny Cash is my hero.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Well, since I'm on the YouTube...
...and I've depressed the fuck out of you all (8 or 9 of you), it's time to rock.
AC/DC - I think Angus Young is literally 12 years old here.
And I have a wish. I want Toast and myself to wind up in the same old-folks home. We can go on and on and on and on and on and on about Bon Scott vs. Brian Johnson. And then get our diapers changed. And start all over again.
I'm on the bluesy Bon Scott-era AC/DC side, btw.
Iron Maiden - I've posted this in my newsletter, but this is an insane song. One of the best metal songs ever. And of all the crazy coincidences, it JUST came up on my iTunes shuffle as I was pasting this link.
Judas Priest - Doing Joan Baez. One of my favorite juxtapositions ever. But wow, I didn't realize Halford had started losing his shit as early as 1982. The version I have live (Unleashed in the East) is absolutely unbelievable. I realize he has no tone, but he makes up for it in power and the 75863 octaves he has (had). It's metal, after all. Oh, and another thing. If you watch this, if you were ever a JP fan, if you ever saw them live, was it really a shock when he came out? I mean, there's metal leather, and there's lllllllleatherrrrrr. C'mon, folks. Here it is in 1978. Shit sound, and still not the way I know it. But better.
U2 - this is the best concert DVD ever. And this is why this is the second-best fucking band ever. They give a shit.
Pearl Jam - This chokes me up every time I see it. I'm such a fucking sap. The all-time best.
AC/DC - I think Angus Young is literally 12 years old here.
And I have a wish. I want Toast and myself to wind up in the same old-folks home. We can go on and on and on and on and on and on about Bon Scott vs. Brian Johnson. And then get our diapers changed. And start all over again.
I'm on the bluesy Bon Scott-era AC/DC side, btw.
Iron Maiden - I've posted this in my newsletter, but this is an insane song. One of the best metal songs ever. And of all the crazy coincidences, it JUST came up on my iTunes shuffle as I was pasting this link.
Judas Priest - Doing Joan Baez. One of my favorite juxtapositions ever. But wow, I didn't realize Halford had started losing his shit as early as 1982. The version I have live (Unleashed in the East) is absolutely unbelievable. I realize he has no tone, but he makes up for it in power and the 75863 octaves he has (had). It's metal, after all. Oh, and another thing. If you watch this, if you were ever a JP fan, if you ever saw them live, was it really a shock when he came out? I mean, there's metal leather, and there's lllllllleatherrrrrr. C'mon, folks. Here it is in 1978. Shit sound, and still not the way I know it. But better.
U2 - this is the best concert DVD ever. And this is why this is the second-best fucking band ever. They give a shit.
Pearl Jam - This chokes me up every time I see it. I'm such a fucking sap. The all-time best.
I'll be there...
Because I'm a total screw-up in my own life, my only chance at redemption is to help others.
Which is why this song just destroys me. Especially when it comes up in a shuffle, after a few beers on a Friday night...
Which is why this song just destroys me. Especially when it comes up in a shuffle, after a few beers on a Friday night...
A national disaster
In one visit to HuffPo today, I see these headlines:
Are we done with these fucking people yet? Do we really have to wait until January 2009?
Another Worry For US Troops: Deportation Of Their Families While They're Away
Reprimands In Tillman Case Won't Go In Officers' RecordsRomney Paying Millions For Iowa Straw Poll Votes
Poll: Most Iowans Choose "Don't Know" Instead Of GOP CandidateGOP Leaders Accused Of Leaking State Secrets
BUSH'S WAR ADVISOR: MAKES SENSE TO CONSIDER THE DRAFTAre we done with these fucking people yet? Do we really have to wait until January 2009?
Statistics geekery
I was playing with sitemeter during my lunch break, and checked out the maps. Way cool.
Started in North America. Hey, Canada! No idea who that is.
Zoom out to the world map, and I'm surprised to see London!
I'm bad. I'm worldwide.
And considering what a numbers/stats geek I am, I need to ration my sitemeter browsing, or I'll never get anything done. Believe me, it's not about vanity. It's my OCD attitude toward measurables. Charts and graphs? Yes, please.
Don't even get me started on baseball...
Started in North America. Hey, Canada! No idea who that is.
Zoom out to the world map, and I'm surprised to see London!
I'm bad. I'm worldwide.
And considering what a numbers/stats geek I am, I need to ration my sitemeter browsing, or I'll never get anything done. Believe me, it's not about vanity. It's my OCD attitude toward measurables. Charts and graphs? Yes, please.
Don't even get me started on baseball...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Is this really that difficult?
So I'm listening to ESPN radio as usual, and an ad comes up for a local nightclub. The music kicks in, and it's Zoot Suit Riot by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. "Hey," I think, "That would be a fun show to see!"
Cue voiceover: "Coming to Vapor, on August 22nd, the Squirrel Nut Zippers."
What?! Not one person who threw this ad together knew the difference? Or did they, and were they hoping people who vaguely remember the swing resurgence of the early-mid 90s would remember that they liked that one song, but not the name of the band? Even so, it's not like people wouldn't remember Hell.
As cynical as I can be about advertising, my money's on stupidity.
Cue voiceover: "Coming to Vapor, on August 22nd, the Squirrel Nut Zippers."
What?! Not one person who threw this ad together knew the difference? Or did they, and were they hoping people who vaguely remember the swing resurgence of the early-mid 90s would remember that they liked that one song, but not the name of the band? Even so, it's not like people wouldn't remember Hell.
As cynical as I can be about advertising, my money's on stupidity.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Charge!
For years now, I've been going to Boston the first weekend of August to play golf with my friend Tom at his club's Member-Guest Tournament. And every year, that's about the time the Yankees catch and/or pass the Red Sox in the American League East standings. It's a source of endless amusement for me and the club's transplanted Yankee fans. A couple years ago one guy said something along the lines of "Hey, Angelos is here, the Yanks must be in first place!" Too funny.
This year, of course, the Sox started too hot, and the Yanks outright sucked for 3 months, so we missed the target date because there was too much ground to make up. But thanks to an easy schedule the last month, the Yanks are within 5 games of the Sox in the East, and are right in the Wild Card mix. Predictably, the Boston sports pages are going into their traditional Fetal Position of Doom™. I even saw the question "Is this 1978 all over again?" in the Globe. I love them. Hell, I read the Boston sports media more than the New York media, because they're so amusingly pathetic. As are Sox fans, of course. I love the smell of panic in the morning. Smells like... well, its smells like any other baseball season. It's good to have things in life you can count on.
My point in all of this? Oh, I don't know, I just felt like writing something before I got back to work on the floor. But this is so much fun. Sports provide the best drama one can get. No movie, no TV series can entertain me so. One hundred and sixty-two times a year, I flip on the game and get a brand-new drama, totally unscripted, each an individual episode in a six-month season. I get heroes, villains, and plot-twists. I experience spontaneous explosions of joy, or heart-breaking and soul-crushing agony that just might kill me. But then I realize there's always 7:05PM tomorrow, when we start all over again. What's not to like?
As far as I'm concerned, the season starts Friday, when the Yanks have to start playing actual teams again. But if they win tonight, they'll have taken care of the patsies to the tune of a 21-7 record since the All-Star break. I was targeting 22-6. Not too shabby, and the definition of taking care of business.
Whatever happens, I'll be there. The best entertainment in the world.
UPDATE: Well, that was ugly. 20-8 will have to do.
This year, of course, the Sox started too hot, and the Yanks outright sucked for 3 months, so we missed the target date because there was too much ground to make up. But thanks to an easy schedule the last month, the Yanks are within 5 games of the Sox in the East, and are right in the Wild Card mix. Predictably, the Boston sports pages are going into their traditional Fetal Position of Doom™. I even saw the question "Is this 1978 all over again?" in the Globe. I love them. Hell, I read the Boston sports media more than the New York media, because they're so amusingly pathetic. As are Sox fans, of course. I love the smell of panic in the morning. Smells like... well, its smells like any other baseball season. It's good to have things in life you can count on.
My point in all of this? Oh, I don't know, I just felt like writing something before I got back to work on the floor. But this is so much fun. Sports provide the best drama one can get. No movie, no TV series can entertain me so. One hundred and sixty-two times a year, I flip on the game and get a brand-new drama, totally unscripted, each an individual episode in a six-month season. I get heroes, villains, and plot-twists. I experience spontaneous explosions of joy, or heart-breaking and soul-crushing agony that just might kill me. But then I realize there's always 7:05PM tomorrow, when we start all over again. What's not to like?
As far as I'm concerned, the season starts Friday, when the Yanks have to start playing actual teams again. But if they win tonight, they'll have taken care of the patsies to the tune of a 21-7 record since the All-Star break. I was targeting 22-6. Not too shabby, and the definition of taking care of business.
Whatever happens, I'll be there. The best entertainment in the world.
UPDATE: Well, that was ugly. 20-8 will have to do.
Half a YAY!
Well, I called it quits at 4:30AM, and still had work to do this morning, but I got it done just 20 minutes before the granite templaters came.
Here is before:
Yummy!!!
Anyway, cabinets are in, and 1/2 the floor is down.
Here is the "middle" of the project:
See, I had to get the floor to at least the dishwasher by noon today, so I could get that installed, and the put up the right vertical enclosure, otherwise the templater couldn't do his job. Now that that's done, I can just work away at my leisure, aiming for Thursday night completion.
When this is all done, I'll have a full gallery of the various stages of the process up on my photography website.
Here is before:
Yummy!!!
Anyway, cabinets are in, and 1/2 the floor is down.
Here is the "middle" of the project:
See, I had to get the floor to at least the dishwasher by noon today, so I could get that installed, and the put up the right vertical enclosure, otherwise the templater couldn't do his job. Now that that's done, I can just work away at my leisure, aiming for Thursday night completion.
When this is all done, I'll have a full gallery of the various stages of the process up on my photography website.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Installing flooring?
It sucks. Especially when there are all sorts of funky angles and cuts, and your house isn't very square.
UPDATE: Still sucks. But I've got to get 6 or 7 more strips down so the granite people can measure. Then I'm calling it quits. I've got all week to finish the rest.
UPDATE: Still sucks. But I've got to get 6 or 7 more strips down so the granite people can measure. Then I'm calling it quits. I've got all week to finish the rest.
Monday, August 06, 2007
You've Been Told
The greatest line ever uttered on radio?
"You're a pooh-pooher with man-boob issues."
Now you know.
"You're a pooh-pooher with man-boob issues."
Now you know.
Blogmemes
I'm posting my 8 here. Naked. Fuck the rules.
1. The most people I've spoke in front of is 1500, at the UN building in The Hague.
2. I have very bad social anxiety. Alcohol is still better than any Big Pharma cure.
3. My body is highly responsive to caloric intake and activity. I apparently have no "target weight." If I sit on my ass, do nothing, and drink too much beer for 2 weeks, you can tell. If I ease up on the empty calories and work out for 2 weeks, you can tell. Curse and a blessing. At my heaviest (225) I was also in my best soccer-playing shape. My thighs were ginormous, my abs tighter, etc. When I quit soccer, I lost 15 pounds.
4. I been to more countries than states.
5. I can't afford to be an audiophile, so I'm just an audionerd. I'm going build a tube amp based on the Harman Kardon Citation II, one of the best amps ever.
6. My mother and I and listened to the Bucky Fucking Dent game on AFRTS ("A-Farts"), in Athens, in the wee hours of the AM. We yelled so loud when he hit the home run we woke my father up. So he listened to the rest of the game with us. When I got to school I was the only one who knew what happened. I was so fucking cool that day.
7. I am not spiritual, religious, or whatever you want to call it, but I have a very strong sense of "something's about to happen." Doesn't matter if it's good or bad, I just know.
8. I can't think of anything else right now.
1. The most people I've spoke in front of is 1500, at the UN building in The Hague.
2. I have very bad social anxiety. Alcohol is still better than any Big Pharma cure.
3. My body is highly responsive to caloric intake and activity. I apparently have no "target weight." If I sit on my ass, do nothing, and drink too much beer for 2 weeks, you can tell. If I ease up on the empty calories and work out for 2 weeks, you can tell. Curse and a blessing. At my heaviest (225) I was also in my best soccer-playing shape. My thighs were ginormous, my abs tighter, etc. When I quit soccer, I lost 15 pounds.
4. I been to more countries than states.
5. I can't afford to be an audiophile, so I'm just an audionerd. I'm going build a tube amp based on the Harman Kardon Citation II, one of the best amps ever.
6. My mother and I and listened to the Bucky Fucking Dent game on AFRTS ("A-Farts"), in Athens, in the wee hours of the AM. We yelled so loud when he hit the home run we woke my father up. So he listened to the rest of the game with us. When I got to school I was the only one who knew what happened. I was so fucking cool that day.
7. I am not spiritual, religious, or whatever you want to call it, but I have a very strong sense of "something's about to happen." Doesn't matter if it's good or bad, I just know.
8. I can't think of anything else right now.
Kitchen!
I spent the weekend tearing out our old kitchen so the installers could put the new cabinets in today. Not near the top of my list of things to do on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon after rounds of golf each day, but anyway. It was worth the $1200+ we saved. Essentially, I paid myself $200 an hour to do a little manual labor.
The guys came today, and cranked through pretty quickly. Around noon, The Wife asked them what they wanted for lunch. Since we have no kitchen, she was going out to get something for the two us, and offered to get them something from the local deli. They were shocked. They had never been fed before, in years of doing this! Are people that fucked up? Sure there are a lot of assholes in the world, and rude people, and selfish people, but not once had someone thrown a pizza or a sub their way?!?! Jeez.
Anyway, a couple hours later, I'm asking for advice on putting in the over-the range microwave/convection oven (sweet!), one guy starts explaining this and that, pauses, and says "Fuck it, we'll do it. Just don't tell the boss." The installation was so automatic for them it took 20 minutes. It would have taken me 2-3 hours.
See what a little kindness and consideration gets you?
Anyway, tonight I start putting the floor in, Wednesday the counter people come to measure for the granite, and 3 weeks later that'll be installed. I'll get a series of before/during/after pictures up once I get them into Lightroom.
The guys came today, and cranked through pretty quickly. Around noon, The Wife asked them what they wanted for lunch. Since we have no kitchen, she was going out to get something for the two us, and offered to get them something from the local deli. They were shocked. They had never been fed before, in years of doing this! Are people that fucked up? Sure there are a lot of assholes in the world, and rude people, and selfish people, but not once had someone thrown a pizza or a sub their way?!?! Jeez.
Anyway, a couple hours later, I'm asking for advice on putting in the over-the range microwave/convection oven (sweet!), one guy starts explaining this and that, pauses, and says "Fuck it, we'll do it. Just don't tell the boss." The installation was so automatic for them it took 20 minutes. It would have taken me 2-3 hours.
See what a little kindness and consideration gets you?
Anyway, tonight I start putting the floor in, Wednesday the counter people come to measure for the granite, and 3 weeks later that'll be installed. I'll get a series of before/during/after pictures up once I get them into Lightroom.
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