Blood Red Obsidian

5 Years

2011-07-06T19:29:00.003-04:00

Wow, It's been just about 5 years since I have posted anything to Blogger! Can't say I've missed it really. I'm not a very good writer and don't feel that many people want to read my random thoughts. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'll check back here in a few weeks and find out people are demanding I post more about myself and my life....

Somehow I doubt it :)

Test of the 1st Amendment

2006-08-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

Do people really need these

2006-08-18T21:56:00.000-04:00

Towel Day

2006-03-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

2006-01-17T05:41:00.000-05:00

Nothing like coming across a site in the morning before work dedicated to "Bush Bashing". That idea is even better when it includes a book like this.....

Here is the site
http://cluelessgeorgegoestowar.com/

Google Video

2006-01-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

Google recently launched their video service. Looks pretty good, although I don't see myself buying videos anytime soon. Here is a really cool Depeche Mode video that I found while roaming around the site.

The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit

2005-10-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

Detroit could be looked at as a city in ruin, but some of those ruins have very interesting histories and stories.

read more | digg story

Illusion

2005-10-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

I love this one. Look at it closely.

Doomsday Clock Timeline

2005-10-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

A time line for "Lost"

2005-10-08T14:18:00.000-04:00

For all 'Lost' fans out there. A fairly detailed timeline of happenings in the ABC TV show 'Lost'

read more | digg story

Neiman Marcus Fantasy Christmas book

2005-10-01T06:04:00.000-04:00

If you are rich and have it all, this is the place to do your christmas shopping. I would like the Neiman Marcus Hybrid Lexus please.

read more | digg story

Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It...

2005-09-07T00:12:00.000-04:00

Found this on the web and thought it was great :)
And yes, I am a geek and proud of it.
--------------------

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they’re well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are... plus, I’ve never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They’re useful. In this tech-savvy world, it’s great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They’re more romantic than they’re given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such... but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like ‘em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like ‘em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They’ve got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it’ll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they’re more attentive than guys who “have more options”. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they’ll likely have mental lists of all the things they’d love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I’m not really familiar with this myself, but I’ve friends who’ve been intimate with geek guys and it’s raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra... all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won’t have to worry much about your geek guy getting his “groove” on with club hotties because, frankly, he’ll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won’t have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he’ll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I’ve seen this happen.
Me: “Eww. Victoria Secret’s Models... They’re so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!”
Geek Guy: “ooooooo...”
Me: “Hey!” *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: “What?”
Me: “Never mind...”

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren’t jerks. I can’t stress this enough. You’ll more likely get “Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?!” than “Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on...” They’re awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code... a geek can dream).

12.) They’re rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won’t care. He does too! They won’t get pissy if you don’t wear make-up or don’t want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They’re usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won’t have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he’ll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce...

14.) You’ll almost never have to hear, “Yaw dawg whazzap!!” plop out of their mouths. Unless it’s in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get “wasted”, so you won’t have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps...

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that’s a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than “DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!” Believe me.

Found at http://hartford.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/66795671.html

Laughing at the gas station

2005-08-21T00:11:00.000-04:00

These days, there is not much to laugh at while pouring the contents of your wallet into your gas tank. Since my in-laws were taking their Jeep up north with them for a week and a half, I had to put some gas in my suburban. The gas tank gauge was reading just about empty and the truck has a 45 gallon tank. I arrived at the station with $50 and put all of it in the tank. When I went into pay, the attendant asked if that even got me a 1/4 tank of gas. After laughing and admitting that it was a bit over a 1/4, but still under 1/2, he informed me that due to the high price of gas, the station owner was now providing complimentary tubes of KY Jelly in the bathroom. It was 6 a.m. Way to early to talk with strangers about KY. However, once I got to work and got some coffee in me, I realized that was pretty funny and did get a good laugh over it.
However, the laugh was not good enough to merit paying such high prices. As individuals and as an entire country, we need to figure out a way to reduce our need on oil. We have had plenty of years to do this, why haven't we? 13 years ago, I bought a Geo Metro that got 45 MPG. Why is it so hard to find something like that now? Toyota has done a great job with their hybrid, but for the people that these gas prices hurt, how can they afford a brand new car? America needs to wake up and realize most people don't need a huge SUV. I personally am waiting for this car to become available. The fortwo coupé would look nice in my driveway.
And before anyone bites my head off for having a suburban, let me explain that I have 6 kids and a wife. In 2 years, I will gladly be getting rid of it. Anyone want to buy a slightly used chevy suburban with only 272,000 miles on it?

Geek in training

2005-08-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

I was killing time this morning going through pictures on my computer. Picassa is a great program for finding and displaying them. Anyways, I came across these and I just had to post them.

They have to learn young how to replace the power supply on a computer.

MMPOG's

2005-08-06T16:52:00.000-04:00

For the longest time, people have been trying to talk me into getting into games such as EverQuest, World of Warcraft, or other MMPOG's (massively multi-person persistent online games). I have been avoiding getting started due to the monthly fees that all of these games charge. Well, last night I was playing around with Stumble Upon and I came across a list of free MMPOG's. After browsing it for a few minutes, I decided to try this one, Conquer Online. It caught my eye because of the Anime look of it. After letting the client download overnight, over a 600 meg download, I gave it a try this morning. I have to say that I am hooked. Except for the "ass-munchers" that run around killing noobs like me, I am having a great time in the game. There is probably not the polish to the game that one of the big ones have, but it is fun. After this little experiment, I just might have to break down and try the real thing.

Kris,
No matter how into this game or any other MMPOG game I get, never let me spend real life $ on virtual things for the game. No real estate, dragons, vorpal blade swords, or gem encrusted staffs. Although if I come across a Cloak of Invisibility, you might have a hard time stopping me :)

Dream job - Google

2005-08-05T21:47:00.000-04:00

For years, I have always thought that working for Google would be a dream. unfortunately, I am not near the geek I would need to be to get a job with them. They offer the coolest perks for their employees. This just stunned me.
-----------------------------
Just to give you an idea of what our chefs turn out, here's the daily menu for one (admittedly the largest) of our 5 cafes.

SALADS
Ahi Tuna & Avocado Poke
Fresh line caught Ahi tuna diced with organic avocados and minced ginger, habanero chilies, cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds, tossed with a fresh dressing of orange juice, rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, tangerine oil, sambal oeleck and garnished with black and white sesame seeds.

Calypso Rice Salad
Perfectly steamed wild rice with Valencia orange segments, currants, diced red bell peppers, cilantro, green and red onions, mint, coriander and cayenne, tossed with orange juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Tuna Melt Salad
Al dente elbow macaroni tossed with mayonnaise, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and lemon juice, then topped with tuna salad, cheddar cheese and green onions.

VEGHEADS
Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Skewers
Organic eggplant, tomatoes and onions, skewered, baked, and topped with cilantro chutney and yogurt sauce.

Stir-fried Cauliflower
Organic cauliflower stir-fried with mustard seeds, turmeric, diced tomatoes and red onions.

Greek Spinach Salad
Organic baby spinach, Greek feta cheese, roasted tomatoes, red onions, Kalamata olives and toasted pistachio nuts, tossed to order with a dressing of fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, oregano and minced garlic.

CHARLIEâ€™S GRILL
Pork Loin Steak
Berkshire Farms pork loin brined in marjoram, paprika, red wine vinegar and brown sugar, then seared to perfection. Served with a roasted red pepper sauce.

Eggplant Ratatouille
Organic eggplant roasted with Roma tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, white onions, bell peppers, garlic, basil, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Organic russet potatoes mashed with buttermilk, cream and butter.

BACK TO ALBUQUERQUE
Agua Frescaâ€? Mora
Blackberry infused water.

Pollo en Huerto
Free range chicken with garden vegetables: organic zucchini, onions, fresh corn off the cob, tomatoes, green, red and yellow bell peppers, carrots, jalapeÃ±os, cilantro, garlic and oregano.

Vegetarian Tamale Casserole
A casserole of organic zucchini, carrots, onions, green and yellow bell peppers, corn off the cob, green peas and diced tomatoes, with chili powder, oregano, cumin and garlic.

Snap Peas
Organic snap peas sautÃ©ed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

EAST MEETS WEST

Seared Day Boat Scallops in Green Coconut Curry Sauce
Day Boat scallops seared to perfection and tossed in green curry coconut. Topped with a red bell pepper coulis and daikon sprouts.

Pad Thai Noodles
Pad Thai noodles stir-fried with yellow and red bell peppers, garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, cilantro and Thai basil.

Broccoli, Cauliflower & Haricot Verts
Stir-fry of organic broccoli, cauliflower and haricot verts with garlic, ginger and Daveâ€™s special brown sauce.

Jasmine Rice
Jasmine-scented rice steamed to perfection.

AL FORNO ROMANO
Roasted Pork Loin
Berkshire Farms pork loin with mozzarella and bell pepper sauce.

Roma & Green Onion
Organic Roma tomatoes, green onions, GruyÃ?re and fontina cream.

I PIADINI
Arugula with Dried Apricots
Organic arugula with dried apricots, shaved Parmesan cheese, tossed with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

IL SECONDO PIATTO
Herb Roasted Chicken
Free range chicken legs and thighs roasted to perfection with extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and herb salt.

Creamy Tomato Polenta
A lush blend of polenta, slow roasted tomatoes, cream and butter.

SautÃ©ed Wild Mushrooms
Organic shiitake, cremini, button and oyster mushrooms sautÃ©ed in garlic and herb salt.

Capelin Pesto
Toasted pine nuts, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and herb salt.

SOUPS
Spinach Lentil Dahl
Tropical Shrimp Bisque
Wild Rice & Pork
Sweet Onion with Peas (chilled)

DESSERTS
Red Velvet Cake with Bright White Frosting
Hazelnut Shortcakes with Plum Compote
Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake
Creamy Lemon Macadamia Nut Cookies
Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

-------------------

Sigh, I should have applied with them the day I got laid off from Gateway.

Let's try this again

2005-07-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

OK, so it has been awhile since I've posted anything here. I have honestly tried a few times, but was having problems posting with Firefox. I don't really know why. I think it has something to do with Google since I have problems with Gmail also. Had to disable rich text mode in GMail to get firefox to work properly, guess I'll have to do the same with Blogger.
Lots and lots has happened since I last posted anything. We have moved back to Davison in a pretty nice house. Lots of land and no real neighbors to speak of.
Kris and I celebrated our 2nd anniversery :) and one of my daughters moved in with us. Also been trying to work a ton of hours so I can get all the overtime I can get my hands on. I will honestly try and start updating more often. Even if it is all just crap that I post.

I will leave you with this cool game. Have fun figuring it out :)
Grow

What Depeche Mode song?

2005-01-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

Enjoy The Silence--
Calm and peaceful, you understand just how
beautiful silence can be when you're with your
loved one..

Which Depeche Mode song are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-01-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

Playing with the new versions of Picasa and Hello

One week down

2004-08-29T14:01:00.000-04:00

Made it through the first week of both Tink and I working full time. She got a great job working for a real estate company at the front desk taking care of just about everything around the place. She had an interview on Wednesday and got hired on Friday, wanting her to start on Monday. Normally not a problem at all, but add a 5 year old who was starting school on Tuesday to the mix and it made things a bit more fun :) All in all, everything went smoothly enough. Pickle started school and daycare and seems to be adjusting well to both. Tink is adjusting to having to get up at 6 A.M. for work, and I am adjusting to having to pick her up after work. I don't think she would like me too much if I forgot her in Oxford.
On a side note, I've added about 5 more pages to my "book". I'll show it to you later Tink. Maybe someday I will call it a reall book, but for now, I will leave it in quotes.

Is this for real?

2004-08-29T13:52:00.000-04:00

I am truely scared now. Anytime I see this moran on tv now, I will only be able to picture this :)

The George W. Bush Garden Gnome

GMail

2004-07-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

The other day I mentioned that I had some GMail invites left. All gone now. They went fast. Google is not giving out invites as quickly as they had been, so if you e-mailed me and I did not send you an invite, please do not take it personally. I will try and get one out to you when I can. If you have gotten one from someone else, please either let me know or decline the invite I send you. That way we can spread them around a bit more.
I do have an unlimited number of Orkut invites though so don't hesitate to ask for one. It is nice adding people to the friend list :)

Listening to-- "It's a Sin - Pet Shop Boys"

Birthdays

2004-07-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

Had a great time this week with out oldest turning 17 and the youngest turning 5. It kept us all pretty busy and more or less broke :) Now we have a couple of weeks until we have another string of birthdays. One turning 16 and the other 15. Damn, I am starting to feel old. Ah well, that happens.

On a side note, I have a few GMail invites and a bunch of Orkut invites if anyone wants one. Just e-mail me or leave a comment.

[Listening to: Here Comes President Kill Again - XTC - Oranges & Lemons(03:35)]

Mickey, my son and me

2004-07-20T20:43:00.000-04:00

Was looking at old pics on the computer and came across this one from last year.

Game gem of the moment

2004-07-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to call them "Game of the Day " anymore because you would have to go back a long ways to find the last game of the day. Instead I bring you "Game of the Moment". That way I can update it any damn time I feel like it. :)

Here it is--- Free Flight

Movie Villain

2004-06-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

Great site

2004-06-26T14:01:00.000-04:00

DubyaSpeak.com : : We record the damage.

The Ultimate Geek Tool

2004-06-25T23:20:00.000-04:00

For the geek who has to have it all, we now have the Swiss pocket knife with USB memory.

http://www.swissbit.com/haupt.asp?nv=2288&spr=2

I have got to get me one of these

FireFox to the rescue

2004-06-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

SANS - Internet Storm Center - Cooperative Cyber Threat Monitor And Alert System - Current Infosec News and Analysis: A large number of web sites, some of them quite popular, were compromised earlier this week to distribute malicious code. The attacker uploaded a small file with javascript to infected web sites, and altered the web server configuration to append the script to all files served by the web server. The Storm Center and others are still investigating the method used to compromise the servers. Several server administrators reported that they were fully patched.

If a user visited an infected site, the javascript delivered by the site would instruct the user's browser to download an executable from a Russian web site and install it. Different executables were observed. These trojan horse programs include keystroke loggers, proxy servers and other back doors providing full access to the infected system.

The javascript uses a so far unpatched vulnerability in MSIE to download and execute the code. No warning will be displayed. The user does not have to click on any links. Just visiting an infected site will trigger the exploit.

After hearing that news today, I decided it was time to look into using a different browser that is not tied to IE. For a while, I had been using MYIE2, but it is just a front end for IE. After searching around, I finally decided on FireFox and so far, have been very happy with that decision. I was surprised at its speed and flexibility. After just a few minutes, I was able to track down a Google toolbar and a Yahoo toolbar. Now I have all the features that was making me hang onto IE.
Now all I have to do is convince my wife to give it a try. She hates it when I start changing things on the computer :)

Belated Fathers Day

2004-06-21T18:15:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy Fathers Day. I know, it's a day late, but it is the thought that counts.
Myself, I had a pretty good one. Nice time with all the kids and my Tink. Thank you honey. I loved the presents :)

[Listening to: Por una Cabeza -by- Astor Piazolla ]

2004-06-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

This is the love of my life. Hope you don't mind honey. Gotta post this one since you won't let me post the others ;)

Posting Pics

2004-06-13T09:47:00.001-04:00

Below is a goofy pic of myself posted using Hello. Looks like a nice easy way to post pics to blogger accounts. I'll try it for a while and see what happens.

2004-06-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Working hard at goofing off

Great button

2004-06-06T08:35:00.000-04:00

I gotta get me one of these

Questions for Bush

2004-06-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

I regularly surf the web looking for interesting news stories. Today I came across something that really caught my eye. I agree with question 12 and wondered about that myself when I heard he was giving a speech at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

I thought I would repost it here instead of sending it out by e-mail. All credit for these questions goes to TomDispatch.

Twelve questions for President Bush Meant to Help Strengthen His Remaining Speeches about Iraq
By Chalmers Johnson

1. Please tell us more about your notion of "full sovereignty" for Iraq. Will this be like our returning Okinawan sovereignty to Japan in 1972, when we retained exclusive control over the 38 military bases on the island and the deployment and behavior of American forces on them?

2. Please tell us: If we plan to return Iraq to the Iraqis, why is the U.S. currently building fourteen permanent bases there?

3. Presumably the American troops to be stationed on these bases will remain under the control of the Pentagon and beyond the legal reach of any "sovereign" Iraqi state. Such arrangements are usually covered by a "Status of Forces Agreement" (SOFA) that we normally impose on the government in whose territory our bases are placed. Who will sign the SOFA on the Iraqi side? What are its terms? Will it be binding on the new government you hope the Iraqis will elect early next year?

4. The sovereignty discussion has been focused mainly on the question of who will control the actions of what troops -- Iraqi or American -- in the coming months. But American advisers will be stationed in every Iraqi "ministry"; the new government will evidently be capable neither of passing, nor abrogating laws or regulations laid down by the occupying power; and the economy, except for oil, will remain open to all foreign corporate investors. Please tell us if this really strikes you as "full sovereignty"?

5. You say that we will tear down Abu Ghraib prison if the Iraqis so wish. What if they wish to preserve it as a monument to our cruelty as well as Saddam Hussein's?

6. Your administration has recently confirmed that while captured Taliban and al Qaeda fighters were not, in your eyes, covered by the Geneva Conventions, Iraqi prisoners and detainees were. The acts in Abu Ghraib prison contravened those conventions. We now know that teams of interrogation experts were sent by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, commandant of our Guantánamo prison from Cuba to Abu Ghraib to teach Americans working there "better" interrogation techniques. If these contravened the Geneva Conventions, should General Miller be brought to trial for this? If General Miller acted at Guantánamo and elsewhere on the basis of guidelines and urgings from his superiors in the Pentagon and the military chain of command, should they face the same? Your views on this would be appreciated.

7. If it turns out to be true that some of the acts of torture in Abu Ghraib prison were, in fact, committed by members of the Israeli intelligence services, who were placed in the prison via our independent contractors, does this not further confuse American policy in the Middle East with that of Ariel Sharon's Israel? Is this really a good idea?

8. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the war and occupation in Iraq by 130,000 U.S. troops now costs close to $5 billion per month, or $60 billion a year. So far the war has cost American taxpayers $186 billion in direct military expenses. You've asked for another $425 billion in defense appropriations for the 2005 Pentagon budget, plus another $75 billion for Iraq, $25 billion for the development of new generations of nuclear weapons, and untold billion for such things as military pensions and veterans' health care. Not included in these figures are the multibillions in secret amounts spent on the CIA and other intelligence activities, not to speak of other Department of Defense "black budget" activities kept out of the appropriations process. Where is all this money going to come from? Why is our government putting all this money on the tab for future generations to deal with?

9. Speaking of military pensions and health care, would you please address the fact that something like 30% of the troops who participated in the first Gulf War are now seeking disability payments for illnesses contracted there -- chiefly as a result of our use of depleted uranium shells. Would you please discuss some of these long-term dangers of modern warfare (even when our initial short-term casualties seem relatively modest)? How will our military hospitals be able to care for all the soldiers who are likely to develop cancer or give birth to children with birth defects as a result of the current war?

10. On June 1, 2002, in your West Point speech enunciating your new doctrine of preventive war, you said there were 60 countries that were potential targets for regime change. Would you please list those 60 countries for us, and are you still determined in a second term to proceed down this list?

11. If you are determined to start new wars, or if the Iraq war drags on and not enough soldiers re-enlist, will you reinstate the draft?

12. Why do you usually give your speeches to the American people before audiences of servicemen and women at military academies, on bases, and the like, where they have been ordered by their superiors to attend and to applaud? Why not give one of your speeches -- especially if you're going to propose reinstating the draft -- at a large state college?

Chalmers Johnson is the author of The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic and of an earlier volume, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire, among other works.

Wow

2004-05-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I have to say I am impressed. I just logged in to rave about my new Belkin SpeedPad N52 and got quite a suprise by all the changes to Blogger. Looks much better and easier to use then the old version. If they keep this up, I just may have to update more often :)

Why?

2004-05-05T19:51:00.000-04:00

Why do I take these damn things. I keep telling myself just this one more and then that will be all. I can quit any time I want to. I need to join a support group or something....

Tarzan!

What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Dante's Inferno Test

2004-04-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You approach Satan's wretched city where you behold a wide plain surrounded by iron walls. Before you are fields full of distress and torment terrible. Burning tombs are littered about the landscape. Inside these flaming sepulchers suffer the heretics, failing to believe in God and the afterlife, who make themselves audible by doleful sighs. You will join the wicked that lie here, and will be offered no respite. The three infernal Furies stained with blood, with limbs of women and hair of serpents, dwell in this circle of Hell.

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Extreme
Level 7 (Violent)	Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Very High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Moderate

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Damn, I had the Worst score you can get :) Why doesn't that suprise me?

GMail

2004-04-29T19:22:00.000-04:00

I'm a happy camper :) Just got signed up for Googles new GMail service. Because I use Blogger, I was invited to join. I have to say I love it. Ads are very minimal. Service works great. A few small problems with it though. I use MyIE2 as my main web browser and it does not always work correctly with GMail, but I will find workarounds.
Off to play some more with it :)

Kill Bill

2004-04-28T09:50:00.000-04:00

Day after Tinks surgury and all went well. She was doing much better last night then I thought she would be doing. Spent most of the day sleeping, but then was up and bouncing around like her normal self. Took today off just incase it all catches up with her at once.
Finally watched "Kill Bill Vol.1" last night. Damn good movie. Going to be seeing Vol.2 at the drive in this weekend if the weather is nice and everyone is feeling up to it.
Other then that, not much else going on in this part of the world. Work is going well. I found out last week that I am the IT dept :) and I love it. Got this really nice old tool box that was Tink's grandfathers from when he worked for GM in the tool room. The whole box is made of wood. Don't see many of them anymore. Working on getting it cleaned up, but even covered in dirt and dust, several people at work offered to take it off my hands for me LOL I don't think so. After doing some searching on the web, I found out that it is a Gerstner from around 1941 or so.

I'm turning into a tool junkie. Gotta collect more at garage sales this summer :) If that fails, there is always E-Bay.

[Listening to: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra - Kill Bill (2:40)]

Easter

2004-04-11T10:37:00.000-04:00

It is easter once again and it's fucking snowing outside. I am so sick of winter this year. I usually don't mind it too badly, but this year sucks ass.

I usually don't answer the Friday Five questions, but this week I thought I would.

1. What do you do for a living? I work for a spring company making of all things, Springs

2. What do you like most about your job? Not getting stuck in a rut doing the same thing everyday. Always something different. Plus, I could not ask for better bosses/owners. Charlie and Nevin are the best people I have ever work for.

3. What do you like least about your job? I have only work there about 6 months and have never done anything like this before. Everything is new to me and I get frustrated because of the time it takes to learn.

4. When you have a bad day at work it's usually because _____... I have spent a week setting up a machine to run a part and something breaks 5 minutes after I start it running. Just happened yesterday.

5. What other career(s) are you interested in? I had always been interested in computers, but I am really enjoying what I am doing now. After working for Gateway for a few years, I guess I am burnt out on the computer industry

Something fun for everyone--- Just in time for Easter / Spring

Jesus Dressup

[Listening to: Mercy In You - Depeche Mode - Songs Of Faith And Devotion (4:18)]

Lots of Stuff

2004-04-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

Lots of stuff going on lately and after finally looking at my old posts, I discovered that I have not posted anything lately. So here it goes.

Finally got our new computer system. It rocks. I was not planning on upgrading as much as I did, but once I got there, I could not resist. Here is a rundown of the specs--
AMD 3000+ processor
1 gig ram
100 gig hard drive
256 meg vid card
I have been playing Unreal 2004 with it and everythign runs great. No lags on the vid or anything. I have not started to overclock anything yet even though it will be very easy to. I just really don't have the need to yet. We will see when the Sims 2 comes out if I have to overclock anything.

Last Monday, I went to the first funeral I have been to in years. I don't have a problem with dead bodies at all. I grew up in a funeral home. My grandfather owned one and I remember playing hide and seek in the coffins :) The thing I hate about funerals is the need to make everyone cry. I don't think the guy doing the service was going to be happy until he had everyone there crying. He just kept hammering the family with quotes from the bible about life going on without the deceased. I wanted to tell him to get on with it, but I restrained myself. After the funeral, we went to the family get together, also know as, "The Let's Get Drunk Party". The problem I had with that was all these high schoolers there getting drunk and wasted on what ever they were smoking. They were all down in the basement doing who knows what, then driving off to get more beer or drugs or whatever. It is amazing that no one got hurt or killed or arrested. As far as I know, but we left after a few hours and went to a friends house around the block and had a great time over there. Thanks again for dinner :)

Time to go, have to work on a science project with my youngest daughter :)

[Listening to: So Cold The Night - The Communards - (4:41)]

Let's try this again

2004-02-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

Damn, I have not done an update in ages. Please don't throw anything at me honey :) Love you.
Same old same old happening here. Tink is off at a conference today and I'm just taking a break fromm finally getting the bed room cleaned up. Yes honey, I know it is about time LOL. Gotta get it done so we can head down to the Gibraltar Trade Center tomorrow to get our new computer. Not going to be top of the line, but good enough to play The Sims 2. If you have a high speed connection, here are some videos of the game in action. Looks like it is going to kick ass. This is going to be the most expensive game I have ever bought when you figure in that I have to get a new system to play it. Oh well, it gives me an excuse to get a new system. Of course, once the game comes out, I'll never get a chance to play it cause Tink will be on it all the time. The kids are going to be getting our old system. After I clean out everything that they don't need. That will take a while since there are years of assorted junk on it. Back to work now. I promise that I will try and get better about all of this :)

Sounds like something out of a chic flick

2004-01-28T17:55:00.000-05:00

This guy got more then he planned on when he got married :)

Where have you been?

2004-01-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

Stumbled across this tonight. I may have been to more states then this, but my childhood memory is swiss cheese.

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

About Damn time

2004-01-25T11:53:00.000-05:00

Alright, I guess I have to do this. I have not done an update in quite a while. Don't know why really, just have not felt like writting anything. Things are going pretty good. Still working at the same place and still enjoying it. Damn that sounds lame. I have not done anything here in over a month and all I can think abou to write is work.
I will honestly think about it and get back here soon.

21 things NOT to do when you're seeing Lord of the Rings

2003-12-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

1. Stand up halfway through the movie and yell loudly, "Wait.where the hell
is Harry Potter?"

2. Block the entrance to the theater while screaming, "YOU...SHALL NOT...
PASS!" - After the movie, say "Lucas could have done it better."

3. Play a drinking game where you have to take a sip every time someone
says, "the Ring."

4. Point and laugh whenever someone dies.

5. Ask everyone around you if they think Gandalf went to Hogwarts.

6. Finish off every one of Elrond's lines with "Mis..ter Ander-sonnn."

7. When Aragorn is crowned king, stand up and at the top of your lungs sing,
"And I did it.. MY way.!"

8. Talk like Gollum all through the movie. At the end, bite off someone's
finger and fall down the stairs.

9. Dress up as old ladies and reenact "The Battle of Helms Deep," Monty
Python style.

10. When Denethor lights the fire, shout "Barbecue!"

11. In TTT when the Ents decide to march to war, stand up and shout, "RUN
FOREST, RUN!"

12. Every time someone kills an Orc, yell: "That's what I'm Tolkien about!"
See how long it takes before you get kicked out of the theatre.

13. During a wide shot of a battle, inquire, "Where's Waldo?"

14. Talk loudly about how you heard that there is a single frame of a nude
Elf hidden somewhere in the movie.

15. Start an Orc sing-a-long.

16. Come to the premiere dressed as Frankenfurter and wander around looking
terribly confused.

17. When they go in the paths of the dead, wait for a tense moment and
shout, "I see dead people!"

18. Imitate what you think a conversation between Gollum, Dobby and Yoda
would be like.

19. Release a jar of daddy-long-legs into the theater during the Shelob
scene.

20. Wonder out loud if Aragorn is going to run for governor of California.

21. When Shelob comes on, exclaim, "Man! Charlotte's really let herself go!"

Insane Quiz time again

2003-12-11T20:48:00.000-05:00

I keep telling myself and others that I am not going to do anymore of the stupid quizes, but then I find one that looks funny and I take it. Please forgive me

Mean lil fellow, arn't you?

What Monty Python Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

New Quiz

2003-12-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my Tink for this one :)

You are Spearmint.
You are quick-witted and sharp. You pay close
attention to details and you can tell what your
friends are feeling. You are always the first
to understand a joke and you are valued for
your insight and advice. However, you
sometimes isolate yourself from other people,
afraid to share your own feelings.
Most Compatible With: Cinnamon

Which Tic-Tac Flavor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Taking the Plunge(r)

2003-11-29T19:12:00.000-05:00

When new parents come home from the hospital after the babies birth, they are usually loaded down with free samples of stuff. Things like diapers, formula, bottles, baby wash and other assorted things. However I've come to realize that they don't give you one of the essentials. Namely a toilet plunger. Before I had kids, I don't think I ever had to use one let alone having one in the house. Now I have three of them. With a four year old in the house who loves toilet paper, I have even started to have my favorite one. How sad is that?? The standard upside down bowl shaped ones just don't do the trick. You have to use a special shaped one so the water doesn't splash back at you as you are frantically plunging away. You have to be especially fast on the upstairs clogs. Don't want them all over the floor where it can leak to the downstairs.

And don't even get me started on toilet snakes........

The Top 15 Rejected Album Titles

2003-11-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

Got this from the web..... enjoy

15> Courtney Love -- "My Sunday School Favorites"

14> Green Day -- "Hey! We Learned a Fourth Chord!"

13> Paul Simon -- "Still Breathing After All These Years"

12> Jimmy Buffett -- "Tired of Selling Driftwood Art to Tourists"

11> The Doobie Brothers -- "What Once Were Vices Now Land Us at
Betty Ford for a Month"

10> The Beatles -- "1... More Royalty Check"

9> The Who -- "Forget That 'Hope I Die' Thing, We Were Young
and Stupid"

8> Tupac Shakur -- "Blood from a Turnip: Yet Even More Crap I
Didn't Think Was Worth Releasing When I Was Alive, Volume 27"

7> Cranberries -- "Excessive Consumption May Cause Painful
Urination"

6> Jennifer Lopez -- "Bet You're Not Looking at My Butt Any More"

5> Lynyrd Skynyrd -- "Actually, Most of Us Have Been Dead
for Years"

4> Britney Spears -- "They Can't Call You a Pedophile Now That
I'm 18!"

3> Metallica -- "Don't Even Think About It, You Pimple-Faced,
Napstering Punk! Hey! Come Back Here With Our Songs!"

2> Michael Jackson -- "The White Album"

and Topfive.com's Number 1 Rejected Album Title...

1> Yes -- "Oh, God... Yes! Yes!! YES!!!"

Let it Snow (for now)

2003-11-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

Just got back in from playing out in the snow. Had a good snowball fight with Pickle. He is getting pretty good at throwing them. He got one down my coat and then laughed as I tried to get the snow out. He did pitch a fit when I told him it was time to come in. If it is still there tomorrow, we will probably had back out and build a small snowman.

Tink, I miss you.....

Happy Thanksgiving

2003-11-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Things were good here. We had our big dinner on Tuesday since Tink's parents were in town. Had all the usual stuff, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butterscotch yams, and of course pumpkin pie. We were going to head on down to Detroit for the big parade on Thursday, but the weather was not that great. Not cold, but rainy. So we skipped it and Tink headed up north for the weekend. Since the girls are all at their mom's for the weekend, that left just Pickle and I around the house. Since he is only 4, his idea of a great Thanksgiving meal is either bologna and cheese sandwiches or mac and cheese. My mom found out and insisted that the 2 of us come down for dinner. We had a really good time down there. Food was good. Nothing overly interesting on the menu this year. The gravy was its normal brown color instead of the green that we had a few years ago :) Correction, there was one odd item on the table, some kind of spread that went on pita bread made of eggplant, limes and garlic. Strange looking, but tasted pretty good. Had key lime pie for dessert along with homemade cantaloup ice cream. Only Pickle really like the ice cream :)

Pickle is so funny. He just came running into the office shouting that we had to go outside right now. He grabbed my face and made me look out the window. It's snowing out. When I asked him why we had to go outside, he said he had to throw a snowball at me. I don't think we will get enough for that, but I think we are going to have to go out and play in it. I love being a big kid :)

New Quiz

2003-11-20T22:19:00.000-05:00

I admit that I used to play D&D all the time, and I wish I still did play it. It was a blast to get to be someone that is so different then who I am in real life. Tink found this quiz and I had to take it. Thanks honey :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I Am A: Neutral Good Elf Ranger Mage

Alignment:
Neutral Good characters believe in the power of good above all else. They will work to make the world a better place, and will do whatever is necessary to bring that about, whether it goes for or against whatever is considered 'normal'.

Race:
Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance.

Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.

Secondary Class:
Mages harness the magical energies for their own use. Spells, spell books, and long hours in the library are their loves. While often not physically strong, their mental talents can make up for this.

Deity:
Mielikki is the Neutral Good goddess of the forest and autumn. She is also known as the Lady of the Forest, and is the Patron of Rangers. Her followers are devoted to nature, and believe in the positive and outreaching elements of it. They use light armor, and a variety of weapons suitable for hunting, which they are quite skilled at. Mielikki's symbol is a unicorn head.

Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

Is this really me?

2003-11-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

October:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to takes things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. ~~Gets angry often~~.(Actually I'm pretty easygoing) Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. ,~~Decisive.~~(Nope that would be Tink) Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

ADD

2003-11-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

Been way too long since I have done an entry. Sounds familiar doesn't it honey? I keep saying that I am going to get better about keeping up to date, but it never happens. Guess now I can blame my maybe ADD :) Tink found a medical site that had a short ADD quiz. Answering all the questions truthfully, I have to agree with the results. Although I have been convinced of that for years. Funny, I can admit that to myself, Tink and close friends, but for some reason I have a big problem bringing up the subject with a doctor. Guess I hate sounding like I'm making up problems like you hear about people doing. Doesn't make much sense I guess. TInk will have to kick me in the ass to get me to do something about it. She is good at that ;)

My job is still going very good. Getting along with everyone there and starting to get the hang of the machines. Been doing lots there. Working on making spring, tubes and even some prototypes. That is actually kinda fun. Trying to figure out how to translate the drawings into a real part and then let the engineers know how it should really be put on paper.

Game of the moment-- Canyon Glider

Good week

2003-10-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a pretty good week for a change. The new job is going great, better then I had hoped for. Been there 3 weeks and already getting a raise :) Having a real paycheck is very nice. The unemployment was not enough to pay the bills let alone do anything else.

Last Saturday, we went to go see Eddie Izzard. It was a great show. He is so funny. We got to Music Hall very early, around 6. The doors were open and no one stopped us from going in. We decided to try and find our seats and were wandering around when Eddie came out on stage to do his sound check. We stopped and started watching him. He was not really saying anything funny or important. Just rambling, when he looked up at us and said, "You can't be in here." We put our heads down and started to turn to leave when he said "I don't have a problem with it, but you are making me fucking nervous. You are looking at me like you are expecting me to say something funny. But you can't leave either. Just walk around and pretend you are not paying any attention to me!". That really got us laughing. We wandered around a bit, trying to blend in when a very big man told us we had to leave until the theater opened. After the show, we were able to get Eddies autograph and picture taken with us. I'll post them in a few days.

Time for me to get some sleep. I'm still trying to get on a good sleep schedule. Hard to get up at 5:30 if I stay up until midnight or beyond :)

Fuckable Five

2003-10-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

For a long time, Tink and I have always said that we could put five celebrities on a list for sex. In the very unlikely event that we ever ran into one of them, and they agree of course, then sex can be had with no worry about partners being mad.
Tink made up her list the other day, so it is time to make up mine. I have gone back and forth a bit on some of the ladies, but I guess I could always change it later.

Here they are in no particular order

1- Alyson Hannigan

2- Jada Pinkett Smith

3- Natalie Portman

4- Julia Stilies

5- Kirsten Dunst

Friday Five

2003-10-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

Here is this weeks questions and answers for the Friday Five--

1. Do you watch sports? Sometimes If so, which ones? Hockey and some football

2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes? The Detroit Red Wings

3. Are there any sports you hate? I can not stand baseball anymore. Used to love it as a kid, but ever since the babys went on strike, I no longer do.

4. Have you ever been to a sports event? Yes, I have seen the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Lions, and the Detroit Tigers. Oh yes, I even saw a bunch of the Michigan Panther games.

5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? No. I don't enjoy playing.

More tomorrow... I promise

New Job

2003-10-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow morning at 9AM I start my new job. Nothing glamours, but it will help pay the bills. Setting up and running press machines. I have not done any work like that in a very long time, but I guess they were impressed with me in the interview. Applied for the job on Thursday, had a 2 hour long interview that afternoon and got a call tonight around 9PM. Don't know why they called that late instead of during the day, but right now I really don't care :) I will admit that I am a bit nervous about it. Feels like I am a kid starting his first day at a new school. Will there be bullies?? Will I make friends?? And the biggest one, will I work out there?? I'll find out all of that that tomorrow, but now I have to get used to going to bed at a normal time. I'm a working guy now :)

Two down, One to go

2003-10-04T17:45:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago our cat got out of the house and got knocked up. Lucky us. Just what I wanted, kittens. I know that I am a bit at fault here. We should have gotten her fixed, but never got around to it. So she ended up having 5 kittens under our bed one saturday morning. The runt however did not make it and ended up getting buried about a week later. My youngest daughter was a bit sad about it, but that is life. The other 4 made it very well and have lately been running around the house driving us nuts. Well, two ended up leaving today :) One of them, Oz is Jen's cat, so will be here for a while still. That leaves us with one kitten, Trogdor. I had been thinking about keeping him, but with not having a job, we really don't have extra $$ to spend on everything a kitten needs. I think I am going to run into some problems with convincing Tink though. She can be very persuasive when she wants to do and I am not that good at saying no when she really wants something. Guess I need to hurry up and find a home for him before she gets home LOL

Listening to -Life for Rent- by -Dido-

Sleeping with chainsaws

2003-10-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

One of the advantages of being laid off is the chance to get to sleep in. Nothing extreme, but sleeping until 8 instead of 7. Kinda like a very long weekend. This morning however, that was not to happen. I was awoken at 6:30 am by the sound of a chain saw. I really don't care what the hell they were cutting down, but was it really so important that it could not have waited another hour or so?? I'm pretty sure that I am not the only one who enjoys sleeping in a bit. Ah well, nothing much I could do about it short of running out there and making a scene, but it is too damn cold for that. Only 33 out there and that would have woken me for sure.

I was going to post this pic yesterday, but if this is a preview of how my day is going to be, I'm glad I waited until today

Listening to -Little 15- by -Depeche Mode-

What day is it?

2003-09-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

Is it Friday yet? Is it even close? So far it has been one of those weeks. I feel like I have a permanent "case of the Mondays", to steal a line from Office Space. Nothing is really wrong really, just nothing is happening either. And I've gotta get something happening here soon before I go crazy, well, more then I usually am (see yesterdays entry).
Gonna have some fun this weekend though. Heading to the Michigan Renaissance Festival with some friends and family. It is going to be a great time. We went last year and even got Tink a great renaissance dress. Green with a tan vest. Looks great on her. I'll have to get some pics posted of her wearing it this year.

I also have a game to post today. I used to do this everyday, but that got tiring after a bit. Maybe I'll just start doing one a week for now.

Here it is. Enjoy and have fun.

Listening to -Summer's Cauldron- by -XTC-

Just for you Jen

2003-09-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

I know how in love you are with him, so I took this quiz just for you :)

Which John Cusack Are You?

I'll do a real entry later... It's HBO time :)

Sleep

2003-09-19T05:43:00.000-04:00

Three hours is more then enough right? This is really starting to drive me nuts. I just can't seem to sleep much anymore. I'm tired, so it's not like my body is getting enough. I want to sleep, but for some reason I just can't. Last 3 nights I have not been able to fall asleep before 2 A.M. Now that is not too bad, but I woke up this morning at 5. Don't even know what woke me. Can't remember having a bad dream or anything. Now here I sit at the computer. For the most part just staring at it really. And damn, I'm sleepy.

LA cracks down on lap dancing

2003-09-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

This is just wrong on so many levels. How is a guy (or girl) supposed to have any fun at a strip club with these new rules????
LA cracks down on lap dancing

Horror Movie

2003-09-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess this will come as no suprise to anyone who knows me :)

You are the Weasly Little Pervert. Your chances of
survival from moment 1 were 10 billion to 1.
You have just spent the last moment of your
life touching yourself while watching a girl
shower, only to have a blade of some sort
shoved straight through the back of your skull.
And you probably deserved it too!It's what you
get for annoying the hell out of everyone else
in the movie. Your death was a courtesy for all
other characters by the killer.

What Horror Movie Victim are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Nothing much else going on around here to speak of. Went to go see the second Matrix again tonight. Damn good movie. Wish I got home a bit sooner though. Missed the beginning of the new HBO series and now have no damn idea what is going on. Hopefully it will be on again some time this week.

What Next???

2003-09-04T18:40:00.000-04:00

I find myself asking that question after everything that has been going on in my life... I'm starting to feel that the old phrase "No good deed goes unpunished" is really true. For years I've tried to do the right things even if they have not been the best for myself and all I have been getting in return is big kicks in the balls. I am loosing control of my life and am not sure how to stop that from happening. My oldest daughter just moved in with her mom after problems here with her sister. Now that inself may be somewhat understandable, but oldest and her mother do not really get along. I have spent countless hours listening to oldest about stuff with mom. Several months ago, this subject came up after we moved and the kids were going to be going to a new school. It took awhile, but after talking with everyone involved, it was decided that oldest should remain living with me. No more talk about it until the other day, when the ex called me and told me she was moving in. I tried to argue but the ex told me something that was true... If she took it to court, they would tell me the oldest could live with whatever parent she wanted to... So she moved that night. No sorry dad for going behind your back.... not talking with you about this, nothing. And shit it hurts... more then Tink or anyone else can guess. I'm trying very hard not to be mad at oldest right now, but not really suceeding with that plan. I have not really talked to her since she moved, but then again, she has not tried either. Makes me wonder who is being more childish here... Her for moving the way she did or me for my wounded pride.

Add to that job hunting, a truck that is about on it's last legs, bills, house work, and dealing with all the other every day things that are going on..... No wonder Tink gets out of here when she can to go for walks and stuff.
So what is next??? I'm not sure I really want to know...

My Battle Cry

2003-08-29T12:06:00.000-04:00

Came across another little quiz toady. Pretty quick, just need your name. Here is my Battle Cry

Nothing much else going on around here. Still job hunting. I am really getting tired of the whole process. It gets really old after a while. I've started having dreams about applying for jobs too. As if it is not bad enough while I am awake, but to do it in my sleep too......

[Listening to: Cell Block Tango -from- Chicago Soundtrack ]

Damn Gas Prices

2003-08-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.... I usually don't swear that much here, but FUCK..... I just ran out to pick up some lunch and drove by the gas station. The bastards just upped the prices another 15 cents a gallon since this morning... that makes close to 70 cents in the last 2 months. The price is up to $1.90 a gallon now. And from what I just read, they are supposed to be going up even more. And they say they don't jack the prices during weekends or holidays. That is the only time the prices go up around here.
I found this site, it might help a bit. It keeps track of prices in your area. Might help get alittle more for the buck.

Killing me softly

2003-08-14T10:55:00.000-04:00

I know... stupid title for a post, but I have not done one for a while and my adoring public (all 2 of you *lol*) will abandon me if I don't put something up. Same old shit going on around here. Still looking for a job, still don't have enough $$ for everything that we need to do, Kids still think they know more then us adults, and the ex is still a pain in my ass. I threw the last one in there just as a rant. All in all, she has not been too bad, kinda like a sliver just under the skin. Not enough to really hurt, but it still bugs the hell out of you.
I guess I should not complain. There are plenty of people who have it worse then we do. We have a house, a car, food. More then a couple of people that I met today. I find it amazing that someone who has nothing can still remain upbeat and friendly. I actually admire them. It has got to be damn hard to do. They had just lost their house in a fire along with their car and all their belongings. 2 kids and they were both unemployed. Made me feel like we have things pretty good.
In an effort to break myself out of the funk I was feeling when I got home, I went to this site. A fun little execution game. You have to choose who to knock off. Harder then it sounds sometimes :)
Who To Kill
Back to the job hunt now..............

Movie Review

2003-08-10T23:24:00.000-04:00

Went to the drive in movies last night. There is nothing better then the drive in. It is so much better then a regular theater. I pull the back seat out of the suburban, put down blankets and pillows and just back the truck into the parking spot. I love the drive in because you don't have to buy the snacks they sell. We take a cooler with pop, bunches of snacks and a pizza. I have even seen people take a bbq grill in and cook hamburgers, but I think they really frown on that. We are lucky that we have 2 drive in theaters in our area. We have only ever gone to one cause it is closer though. Another nice thing about the drive in is 2 movies for the price of one. And cause you are in your own vehicle, if you don't like one of the movies, go to sleep :)
We saw S.W.A.T and Bad Boys 2. Both were pretty good, but S.W.A.T. was a bit better. I got bored with BB2 about 90 minutes into it. The movie was over 2 hours long. Much longer then it had to be. Will Smith had some funny lines that kept in going in the dry spots, but that only held my interest for so long. Ah well, it was a night out of the house that we don't get often enough. Can't complain about that.

Another Pic

2003-08-08T13:10:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post another pic to the blog here. This is one of the whole wedding party. Kris was looking at this one the other day and discovered something that we have to bust one of the girls on. Kim was barefoot :)

Wedding Pics

2003-08-07T14:14:00.000-04:00

Well, we are still waiting for our wedding pics from Karah... Karah, where are the pics?
The only ones we have so far are some from a friend of ours that took some digital pics. Here is my favorite one so far.

A bit of a smile

2003-08-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

I was doing my normal bit of surfing today and wandered on over to B3TA for a bit. There is usually something good over there to make me laugh. They had a little game going on of finding the strangest Amazon.com product reviews. You know, for every product they sell, there is an area for customers to review the product. Well, I found this one that just cracked me up. Here is the entire review along with a link so you can check it out for yourself.

Text from review:

Reviewer: An Amazon.com Customer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States
This book is one of the most disjointed novels I've read in a long while. If you think about it, it's more a collection of short stories by various authors that tell the story of God and his sundry children, most of them Hebraic. God is a pretty powerful heavy, though it's implied that he incorporeal and invisible. Although he's usually depicted in the movies sitting on a throne and sporting a long beard, in "Exodus," he appears as a bolt of fire. Other places in the book, he speaks as a burning bush. Excellent special fx all throughout.

There's a lot of begats going on, and in the chapter titled "Song of Solomon," we get a nice PG-13 to R-rated glimpse of the ... sensual mores of these people.

There's also a pretty cool story about this guy named Job and how God had an ongoing bet with Satan as to who would win his soul. I don't want to give away the ending, but there's a lot of pathos, hubris and plotlines right out of such movies as "Trading Places," "Meet John Doe" and "Life Stinks."

My favorite one, though is about Moses, and how he led his people out of Egypt and to the promised land. Along the way, though, Dathan tries to make them worship a golden calf. Personally, I preferred the movie version, as directed by Cecil B. deMille: The character development of Moses (played by Chuck Heston), Dathan (Edward G. Robinson) and Moses' mother (the ever comely Anne Baxter) is much improved. And also, in Technicolor.

There is little plot to this book, save for in the second half, much of which revolves around God's son, Jesus, an interesting fellow. Definitely, the story has finally hit a stride, so the New Testament reads like a novella. Everywhere this Jesus guy goes, he travels with his posse of "Apostles," who aren't your standard yes men. Although they all sing his praises when the going's good, one gives a great "I don't know about no Jesus" performance (Peter) worthy of a scruffy rat like Steve Buscemi. Another (Judas) sells out Jesus for a bunch of dead presidents, like Sean Penn did in "Carlito's Way." Unfortunately, Jesus gets rubbed out by an Italian gang, "The Romans," who torture him and nail him to a cross in revenge for representing on their turf. Lots of high drama here.

"Revelations" was pretty weird, sort of like watching "Fantasia" while doing mushrooms, only a lot scarier.

Altogether, an excellent read.

[Listening to: Wonderboy -by- Tenacious D ]

Battle Monkeys

2003-08-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

No explanation needed I guess --

[Listening to: Ordinary World -by- Duran Duran ]

Working at Surfing

2003-08-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

Another week has come and gone and I am still job hunting. It is starting to get really frustrating. I want to get out of the house and get busy with some kind of a job, but the only things in this area are very low paying ones. I actually would make more on unemployment then taking one of them. I do have an interview later this week for a copier company, but that is not my first choice for work. If only the .com bubble had not burst. I could be making money just sitting at my computer like all those e-mails I got said :) I don't really know if anyone ever got more then a few bucks from responding. I know we did answer some online surveys a while back and got paid for those. Hell, I could sit at the computer all day answering surveys. Instead, now I sit here searching want ads and getting distracted by all the cool stuff on the web.
One of those things I found has to be the most annoying game out there. Thanks to B3TA for this one.
Now back to the job hunt :)

[Listening to: The Crying Game -by- Boy George ]

John Ashcroft

2003-08-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

I think I have just heard the stupidist (is that a real word?) quote from our own John Ashcroft is response to questions about the newest message from al Qaida.

"If it is authentic, it would be an indication that they still hate the United States and want to inflict great harm."

NO SHIT

You really think this group is going to all of a sudden be friendly with us????

[Listening to: Blister In The Sun -by- Violent Femmes ]

50 Things

2003-08-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

50 Things

1. Your name spelled backwards: Naes

2. Where were your parents born? Mom was born in Dearborn and I think my dad was born in Lansing.

3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? I downloaded a bunch of damn security patches for XP. They will never end.

4. What's your favorite restaurant? This is actually a tough one. I don't think I really have a favorite. As long as the food tastes good, I'll eat there
5. Last time you swam in a pool? I have not been in a pool since last summer, but I have been swimming in a very cold river a few weeks ago.

6. Have you ever been in a school play? Never have and never wanted to

7. How many kids do you want? Well, I have 6, but I would like one more.

8. Type of music you dislike most? Heavy Metal

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes

10. Do you have cable? Yep.. Gotta have my cable modem

11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? I am ashamed to admit, but yes I have

12. Ever prank call anybody? Yes, when I was in High School

13. Ever get a parking ticket? Yes, and that remindes me, I really should pay it

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Probably not
15. Furthest place you ever traveled? As an adult, Texas. As a kid, I went to Washington, but don't remember it.

16. Do you have a garden? Yes, but only a flower garden

17. What's your favorite comic strip? I got lots, but the top 2 are "Baby Blues" & "Dilbert"

18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? Probably not

19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? Morning. It helps to wake me up

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Don't get to the movies very often. I don't think I have been in the last month

21. Favorite pizza topping? Pepperoni

22. Chips or popcorn? Chips

23. What color lipstick do you usually wear? Being a guy, I don't wear any except for Halloween. Then I wear bright red.

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? No, did not know you could smoke them

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? No and I don't think that I would enjoy one too much. I don't like watching them on TV.

26. Orange Juice or apple? Orange

27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine? Tink, Jen and the kids

28. Favorite type chocolate bar? anything cholate

29. When was the last time you voted at the polls? When I voted for Gore instead of Bush

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Can't remember. Not a huge tomato fan

31. Have you ever won a trophy? A long time ago for our baseball team

32. Are you a good cook? Everyone says I am, but I am too critical of my own cooking to enjoy it

33. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Of course!
34. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Sorry to say that I have

35. Sprite or 7-up? Sprite

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? Yeah

37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Zoloft

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? True love, but having the $ too would not hurt

40. Do you believe in love at first sight? Love no, Lust yes

41. Ever call a 1-900 number? No

42. Can ex's be friends? Guess that depends on the current partner

43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? Our friend Nills, who just had a beautiful baby girl :)

44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? Don't think I did

45. What message is on your answering machine? Just the one that comes with the machine. I'm too lazy to change it

46. What's your all time favorite Saturday Night Live Character? Chevy Chase's bumbling Gerald Ford

47. What was the name of your first pet? A big St. Benard named Sam

48. What is in your purse/wallet? Drivers licence, pictures of my wife and kids, S.S. card and not near enough $$

49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? I'm trying to keep this at least PG-13, so I really can't answer that right now

50. What is one thing you are grateful for today? My family

[Listening to: Wig In A Box -from- Hedwig and the Angry Inch]

Todays Strange Games

2003-08-02T17:47:00.000-04:00

Todays game of the day is actually 9 small games all centered around cats. The page is all in Japanese as are the game instructions, but all of them can be figured out without too much problem. There are also some other links on the bottom of the page with some other strange games. I have not figured out all of them yet, but most are pretty good.
If you enjoy this Game of the Day "feature", leave me a comment and let me know. Also let me know what kind of games you enjoy and I'll do my best to post some.

[Listening to: Man Who Sold The World -by- David Bowie ]

The Friday 5

2003-08-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings? My son usually has me up around 6:30 every day

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late? See the answer to question 1 :) If I can get him to play nice in his room I will usually doze back off until 9 or so

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning? I roll over and give my wife a kiss. She usually moans and pushes me away. She is not a morning person

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day? I can be showered and dressed in 15 minutes. Comes in handy when son fails to wake me up early

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast? I don't know what it is, but I love breakfast at McDonalds.

Questions from The Friday Five

And now for something very important

2003-08-01T16:42:00.000-04:00

Oh sorry... I guess it is just the game of the day. Well, I guess it would be important for the regular visitors to this site... all 2 of you :) What do they say.. It's not the quantity but the quality.
Todays game is Putt Putt golf. I know there are a ton of these on the web, but I doubt you have seen one like this. When you visit the site, it will ask a question about "Hyperload". If you do not want to keep the game on your computer, just answer no. If you change your mind, reload the page and answer yes.

And in the quiz from yesterday, I was "Bubs". I don't know what is going on with the picture that is supposed to be showing. Sometimes it is there, and sometimes not. All the coding is correct, so I'm guessing it has something to do with Geocities, were the quiz is located

[Listening to: Stars -by- T.A.T.U.]

HomeStar Runner Quiz

2003-07-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

Time for a real entry. Well, I guess not really real, but you know what I mean. Something that has nothing to do with games... So instead I bring you the other big thing on the internet... Quizes :) Just about everyone I know detests them, but after looking at their blog, you can find quiz results. I don't do them very often, but I had to do this one.
Hope you like this one Tink

Which Homestar Runner character are you?

this quiz was made by jurjyfrort

Guess What..... It's the Game of the Day

2003-07-31T20:38:00.000-04:00

Who says Microsoft does not have a sense of humor. I found this cute little game by them that makes fun of the damn paper clip that comes with Office. I hate that thing. Have fun shooting rubberbands and firing staples at it.
Kill the PaperClip

Game of the Day

2003-07-30T22:24:00.000-04:00

Todays game is a remake of the classic Pong. I actually remember playing it at a pizza place I used to go to as a kid. Loved the game and wasted lots of hard earned paper delivery money there.

CurveBall

Goodbye Bug

2003-07-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

Kind of a sad day..... It would be nice to get a hold of a new old one... Damn environmental regulations.
The Last Bug

Game of the Day

2003-07-29T16:03:00.000-04:00

This is one that I actually had to look for, not something I just stumbled across. Back in the early 90's, when my computer system was a screaming 486 running Windows 3.0, I had a paper airplane making program. It was really cool let you test and print out designs. Wasted alot of time with the kids doing that.
This is not quite as fun, but it beats trying to get your folds just right.
Paper AirPlanes

Family of Geeks

2003-07-28T22:56:00.000-04:00

This truely is a family of geeks and I love it. Currently I am sitting in the office with the laptop on my lap of all places :) My beautiful Tink is sitting next to me on the desktop system playing Black & White. She has been sitting there since around 3pm and it is now almost 11pm. That is 8 hours on one game. Damn... I can't even bring myself to do much for 8 hours straight :) Oh well, that is what I love about her. She loves playing games and messing around with the puter almost as much as I do. That does lead to some problems though, like when is it going to be my turn to play?? Guess I'm gonna have to drag her off to the bedroom and show her some different games ;)

Game of the Day

2003-07-28T19:23:00.000-04:00

Operation Slaps

A fun game from the grade school playground makes a return on the internet.

Game of the day

2003-07-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

I just found this and am busy trying to figure it out. Very surreal graphics and music

A very strange MYST like game

This or That

2003-07-25T22:42:00.000-04:00

Nothing much going on today. I have not even found any good strange websites today. At least nothing worth mentioning on here.
My wife always does these "This or That" quizes. I guess since I have nothing else to write about, I'll do the one from this Tuesday.

1) DVD or VHS?-- DVD all the way. I love those extra features
2) Best Literary/Movie Villan: Voldemort (Harry Potter) or Sauron (LoTR)?-- I like HP much better then LoTR so Voldemort wins
3) Meat: rare or well-done?-- No Mooing cow on my plate please
4) High Speed Internet-Cable or DSL?-- Cable here
5) Women: 1-piece bathing suit or Bikini?-- I love seeing the bikini, especally my wifes.
6) To be fair--Men: Boxers or briefs?-- I wear boxers
7) Beer or Liquor/Wine?-- Until our camping trip I would have said liquor, but now it is beer, Honey Brown
8) Coke or Mountain Dew?-- MD is the best
9) In honor of my 10/18/03 nuptials: Morning or Afternoon/Night Wedding?-- Afternoon wedding in a garden
10) Carpet or Hardwood Floors-- I like both depending on where in the house
11) American cars or foreign?-- I love foreign cars. Small and fast
12) Cutest TV Twin: Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen?-- Don't know, don't care. I just want to manage their porn career when they get old enough
13) Coffee: Caffeinated or Decaf?-- Only the real stuff, caffeinated
14) Thought-Provoking Question of the Week: Computers: Do they make life better or worse?-- Better for the most part.

This or that

[Listening to: Never Let Me Down Again -by- Depeche Mode]

Honda Accord Ad

2003-07-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

Albino Blacksheep - Flash / Honda Accord Ad

This has to be the best car ad I have ever seen. Check it out. Only about 1 minute long

Birthday Blues

2003-07-24T08:58:00.000-04:00

Today my little boy turnes 4. I can't believe it. I feel so lucky to be in his life. He and his mom, now my wife, moved in with me when he was only 10 months old. I feel so honored that I have been there to watch him go from crawling, to walking (quickly followed by running LOL), talking, learning, playing and in general giving me as much happiness as I hope I have given him.
These years have flown by way to quickly, for as young as he makes me feel sometimes, the idea of him turning 4 makes me feel really old. Where has all of this time gone to?

I love you Dylan... Happy Birthday

[Listening to: Stay - Dave Gahan - Paper Monsters (04:19)]

Jumping Around

2003-07-24T00:38:00.000-04:00

I think I am going to be taking the jump and making this my new diary site. It has alot of features that I really like over deardiary, but in thinking, there are some features that I am going to miss. I'm probably going to go back and forth for a while and in the process, drive my wife nuts. It still sounds strange to say wife and not girlfriend. But we went down to the Sec of State and made it official as far as they are concerned.

It has gotten very late and I have to take the oldest brat to school in the morning (Summer school sucks, and not just for the kids).

[Listening to: Diva Opera (Full Mix) - Fifth Element - (04:43)]

2003-06-26T13:49:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to all those getting married. Moot point since most places have banned it.

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Weddings (Against the Grain)

Fireworks Forever

2003-06-26T12:28:00.000-04:00

Went to the Detroit fireworks last night. Had a really good time. Did not have the best seats in the world for watching, but I had my Tink right next to me so that was worth it. We made great time getting there, arriving at Belle Isle around 5:45. The fireworks did not start until 10pm, but the island was alread packed with half of it shut down to traffic. We found a really nice out of the way place right on the river and just relaxed there for a while. Around 9 or so, we loaded up the truck and found a place that we could see the fire works better. I could not believe how big and long they went on for, about 45 minutes. Then the fun began. We had to get off the island :) That took a good 2 hours or stop and go traffic and dealing with a$$holes driving on the sidewalks and grass. We finally made it into Detroit proper and over to my moms house. Leaving there we had the fun of police not letting us turn where we needed to turn to get home. After taking a little tour of Detroits darker side, I finally made it to a freeway only to find that the connector to I-75 north was closed off with flares. I guess I was tired and cranky cause I did not let a few flares stop me. I was the only one who got on and then we were home an hour later. I don't even want to guess how long it would have taken if I had not exited where I did.

Welcome to Me

2003-03-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

My first post to this site is dedicated to one of my best friends :) Jen. I met her through my girlfriend, Tink. We just found out that she is going to be moving down here with us. I am very excited about that. My own little "harem". Truely, she is a wonderful friend. I feel very honored to know her and have her as part of my life. It is going to be great having her down here. Her and Tink are the best of friends. They make a very "powerful" team together. Both her and Tink will know what I am talking about. Hopefully someday I will be able to complement them in that department.
So get your ass down here soon Jen. I'll have a bedroom reserved for you.