Bachelor in Porter Square

Here we go again

2010-01-04T10:34:00.000-05:00

Its a new year, so its time to try and quit smoking again. Let's just say that day 1 is not off to a good start. Let's see what has already pissed me off today in the 2 hours I've been awake:

Forgot my damn lunch at home
No WSJ this morning
Red Line was late and is slow as hell going from Porter to Harvard
Getting stuck behind really really slow people

I feel like I've overdosed on rage-ahol today. Argh.

Government FAIL 101

2009-08-06T21:17:00.003-04:00

All I had to do was read the first sentence of this article and my blood started to boil.

Members of Congress are increasingly turning to virtual townhall meetings--conducted by telephone--in an effort to reach more constituents while avoiding the potential that informational meetings might be disrupted by angry and persistent questioners or protesters.

We Americans vote for politicians to represent us in Washington. Its THEIR JOB to listen to their constituents! And now they're afraid to listen to those same folks who voted (or didn't vote) for them? WTF?!?

If you ever wonder why folks are so fed up with the government and consistently give Congress an approval rating around 15%, this is why. Politicians don't really care one bit what their constituents think; for them, politics is a career, not a privilege.

Excuse me while I go puke now.

A Few New Buzzwords for 2009

2009-06-09T20:19:00.006-04:00

The most excellent satirist Iowahawk has just penned one of the best posts of all time. Its a wonderful goof on the recent STUPID article in the L.A. Times spinning unemployment into "funemployment". The 'hawk has delivered a few new buzzwords that should now be a part of every gen-Xer's vocabulary:

Funemployment
Relax-cession
Starve-cation
Pro-stitution
Pro-verty Lifestyle

If you're over there, check out some of his other great posts. Iowahawk is invaluable.

BIP Exclusive!

2009-06-02T22:48:00.006-04:00

Must credit Bachelor in Porter Square!!!

Yeah, so there was a truck idling and flashing lights around my apartment all night. Was it a gas leak? Did a water main break? Is there a sewer leak?????

No - it was just the Somerville public works folks painting bike lane icons on the road. At least, I think these are bicycle icons. They're pretty bad. But the road paintings are still fresh as of 10 minutes ago. This is what I call citizen reporting!

Why Blog?

2009-06-02T20:23:00.003-04:00

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, why should I even bother blogging? In the case of Facebook and Twitter, you've got a known audience. However, blogging about random stuff on blogspot just gets lost in the ether of the Intertubes.

Which, actually might be a good thing.

I guess, if I actually wanted readers and commenters, I could easily get this site indexed by google and compile status through technorati. However, I think I'm content just letting this blog exist in the dark, unoccupied alleys of the Internet.

Nuthin

2009-06-02T20:08:00.002-04:00

Ya know folks, its been many moons since I've posted anything here on my blog. The only reason I can submit is "Nuthin." That pretty much describes what's been going on with me for the past 5 months.

I'd really like to update this thing more often, but I'd prefer to actually have something to say. And as of right now, I've got nuthin. Absolutely nothing.

I took a look at my posts from early January and I've realized that I've failed at every task I had planned to do this year. But, that failure lays solely on my own shoulders. Its time for me to get back on the gravy train and get everything back into gear.

What's For Dinner?

2009-01-11T17:31:00.005-05:00

Honey Mustard Turkey Tips with a side of Green Bean Almondine. Man, I love the ready-to-go meals section of my local Shaw's. Its a lazy bachelor's dream come true.

While buying this earlier tonight, I figured some vegetables would be the healthy thing to do, so I picked up the green bean almondine. The problem, though, is that I have no idea what an almondine is. So, for any other cuisinely-challenged folks out there, here's what almondine is:

Almondine is a culinary term indicating a garnish of almonds. The French term is amandine, but the 'almondine' spelling is probably more common in America.

I feel so much smarter now. Don't you?

Quit: Day 1 (Take 2)

2009-01-08T20:56:00.002-05:00

So, my first try this year lasted all of 2.5 days. Then I fell off the wagon. I am a bit disappointed, but I'm not going to stop trying. The more I continuously try to quit, the easier it will be.

I'm happy that I've proven to myself that with the help of my nic gum, I can actually quit. I still need to learn how to make it though the anxious times, and I just need to learn how to deal with anxiety in another fashion. I'm going to keep on trucking.

I made it all the way through work today, but didn't make it through the evening at home. I need to learn some more self-discipline, and I need to find other ways to occupy my independent time. I'm not sure why, but tonight I just fell right off.

Tomorrow, I'm going to get up, and give it another try. Just gotta keep on trying. I usually look for things that are an easy success - and quitting, I've learned, certainly will not be an easy success.

Quit: Day 3 - Failed

2009-01-07T17:07:00.003-05:00

Day 3: Failed

I'm really not sure what happened to me today. For some reason, I've been really high-strung and nervous all day long. When I left my apartment this morning, I just kinda felt strange - I turned off all my heat and moved over some old newspapers just in case the ice/snow started to leak through my roof. Once I got everything ready to go, my mind was just somewhere else and I ended up checking that my doors were locked about 4 times before I finally left! INSANE!

I made it to work just fine - albeit I was soaked and frustrated that I had to trudge through 6 inches of water in the curb at every street crossing. I even made it through the morning just fine.

However, for some reason, after lunch, my anxiety just shot through the roof. I started chomping 2 pieces of gum, but I still was extremely anxious. I kept wondering to myself:
- "Is my cat going to freeze because I turned off the heat?"
- "Is there water streaming through the tiny crack in my ceiling?"
- "Should I go home and check?"
- "Why am I being so crazy?"
- "Trust yourself - stuff is fine!"

I finally ended up heading out in the afternoon to finish the day working from home. Even when I got back here and realized that everything was just fine, I was still incredibly anxious and nervous, for no reason. The gum couldn't calm me down. Twittering couldn't calm me down. There was just no one around. I just had to get my mind off everything!

So, I broke down and had one. Booooooo! I'm disappointed in myself.

So, tomorrow, its time to climb back out of my hole and try again. It sucks, but I guess it may be a game of 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards for me. Maybe I was crazy thinking I could just do it on my first shot.

No use in bitching about it - I've just gotta get up, dust off, and do it again. Practice makes perfect.

Do You Believe It?

2009-01-06T20:00:00.010-05:00

YES! That is my brand new MacBook Pro.

I've finally switched to the Dark Side. (Or, as most people would say, I've finally seen the light!)

I haven't treated myself to anything new for such a long time. I'm pretty easy going, and I don't really have a lot of *stuff* -- I just don't need that much stuff to make it through the day. I really don't generally buy myself much of anything. Its not that I'm cheap - I just don't like wasting money on things that I'll never use. I tend to get buyer's remorse very easily.

So far, I really like this new computer. I've never had my own personal laptop - I've always felt weird using my work computer for personal stuff. So, last week, I just decided on New Year's Day that I was going to go buy a new computer. That's a big step for me -- I NEVER make impulse buys. :-)

And, maybe I did buy this too soon. According to ONN, Apple is going to introduce a new revolutionary MacBook -- the MacBook Wheel!

Quit: Day 2

2009-01-06T19:32:00.002-05:00

Well, so far I've made it through most of day 2 without a smoke. Its been tough - there are so many times where my brain just wanders off and all I can think about is getting away and having one. That's why I think, for me, quitting is much more psychological than physical. My threshold for physical annoyance is somewhat high - I can deal with all the little aches and pains without much complaint.

The largest hurdle for me, so far, is overcoming my independence and lack of self discipline. I've got my own apartment, so there's no one around to help me keep my mind off having a smoke. So far, my constant Twittering has worked, and I'm also hoping that I can keep my brain occupied by blogging. There's not really anyone I want to turn to for help - and I think I'd like to convince myself that I can do this on my own. I'll keep my fingers crossed and just hope I can continue to find the strength to fight off the desire, and keep those smoking thoughts out of my head.

I do have to say, I certainly feel much better today than I did yesterday. In fact, I haven't felt this good for quite some time now. My workout at the gym today can only be described as so-so. I haven't really gone consistently for about 2 or 3 months, so before I can have a great workout, I have to get my body back up to speed. I did a 2.5 mile run/walk on the treadmill today in about 25 minutes. I'd like to have that down to 20 minutes!

Anyways, I've got to figure out something else to blog about now. Enough about my problems, let's find something fun to talk about!

Funny!

2009-01-05T22:38:00.002-05:00

I've always had a horrible time trying to convert our English measurements in to the Metric System. But, thanks to this nifty guide from xkcd, I'll never have problems converting again!

Quit: Day 1

2009-01-05T19:01:00.002-05:00

Well, so far so good - its 7:00PM and I've made it through most of the day without a smoke. I've been chewing this gum - I've been CHOMPING on it all day. I'm on my 6th piece so far.

So, how do I feel? Well, I'm still just really itching for a tiny little lung snack. But, I know that if I break down, I'll be so incredibly disappointed in myself. I'm hoping that I can keep my mind off the smokes tonight by making a bunch of blog posts and some twitter tweets (man, I really hate that term!).

I've noticed that my sinuses are slowly starting to feel better, and that I'm a bit more hungry than usual. I've been eating healthier today, so I figure if I do eat more often, as long as I keep the calorie count low, I should be fine. For food tonight, its another Shaw's Marketfresh a la carte dinner - meatloaf and some pasta salad.

Yummmmm. I'm hungry. Time to eat!

Quit: Day 0

2009-01-04T23:02:00.003-05:00

So, tomorrow I'm officially going to try to quit the smokes, again. I picked up some Nicorette gum today, which is what I used last time I tried to quit the habit. Those little pieces of gum seemed to work pretty well. My problem, was that I was not committed, nor did I actually try that hard.

This time, I *think* I'm more committed to stopping, and I think I have a better plan to actually quit. For me, its mostly psychological - most of the time when I want a lung snack, its because I'm bored, or I just need to escape the current situation. I never really feel like I *need* one, but I always enjoy the break from the current situation.

The other reason I failed is that I don't have any sort of peer support. I'm a very independent guy (sometimes too independent) so I prefer to do things on my own, and accomplish tasks independently. I'm horrible at asking for help - its just one of those general personality traits that I can't get rid of.

So, what this really means is that I'd like to quit the smokes on my own - but a little help on the side may actually be appreciated. I haven't told anyone I'm quitting - I just decided the other day that now is the time. I'm just going to give it a shot.

My plan is to use my blog and my Twitter account to document my day, my cravings, my accomplishments, and my failures. So, if all goes according to plan [fingers crossed] I'll be blogging and tweeting my day. I'm thinking that I'll be able to use my Twitter account to bitch and moan to the world about my cravings, or, hopefully, lack of cravings.

If you'd like to follow along, feel free to drop a comment here, or check out My Twitter Feed. (Man, I can't believe I'm actually doing this - its nuts!!!)

Can I do it alone? Or do I need encouragement? I don't know - its all uncharted territory for me. Let's just dive in and see how it all goes!

Bachelor Tip - Fresh, Fast, Tasty Dinner

2009-01-04T18:11:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite recent discoveries is the prepared foods section at Shaw's. Its near the deli / fruit / vegetable section, so its not really a place I'd typically visit on my bachelor trips to the supermarket.

What I do know, is that you can grab freshly prepared steak tips, teriyaki chicken, turkey tips, plus some veggies and potatoes all in one place. Then, when you get home, you can just throw them in the microwave and - BAM! - you've got a tasty dinner in about 3 minutes. When you're done, you can just toss out the containers and there's nothing to clean up.

I'll give you bonus points if you use plastic silverware to consume your tasty meal - then you won't have to worry about doing any dishes at all!

UPDATE: Tonight's meal, pictured above, was chicken cordon bleu with a side or corn. And yes, it was yummy!

A New Toy?

2009-01-04T16:08:00.002-05:00

I just signed up for Twitter today, and its like a brand new toy. Well, at least its new to me. And, I guess you could call it a toy web application, since there really isn't any purpose to it. Its easy, its fun, and its TOTALLY POINTLESS.

I added the twitter toy widget over in my sidebar, so not only can I ramble at length on this here blog, but I can also micro-blog my current crazy thoughts.

Since I'm a pretty independent guy, and I live by myself, I don't really have anyone to talk to when I'm out running errands or hanging out in the apartment. I think I'll use Twitter to have imaginary conversations with all those imaginary people that are hanging out with me when I'm alone. I guess that's just a little less crazy than having conversations with my cat.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T13:03:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that 2009 will be a wonderful year for you. I know that I'm certainly looking forward to 2009. Here's a few of my goals for the new year:

No more smokes!
Eat healthier
Lift some weights
Just be happy!

They seem like such tiny, simple goals - but in reality, achieving those 4 little things will be quite the task. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I can find the strength and self-discipline to conquer them all.

The Chicago Way

2008-12-09T22:28:00.004-05:00

I really don't have much to say about the Blago arrest today. What I can tell you is that is obviously a ploy to pull the Tribune Company out of bankruptcy by inflating the page views of the Chicago Tribune's web site! (Hell, I linked them twice here - but now I have to give props to the Sun-Times)

I'm only blogging about this right now because I grew up in the far south suburbs of Chicago. I've had to deal with this whole crew of Illinois politicians. This doesn't come as a surprise to me at all. I'm pretty much convinced that if you want to be in the Illinois government, you WILL go to jail at some point.

I've got so much to say about this - but I really don't feel like ranting about it now. Let's just say that when an unnecessary third airport comes to town and the government decides to take away land from your friends - and the politicians involved have no accountability, I get just a tad bit agitated.

Argh. I don't even LIVE in Illinois anymore and this still pisses me off. I shall rant later.

Stuff I Know - VII

2008-12-09T21:31:00.002-05:00

I may not know that much - but I do know why I'm not a writer or a proficient blogger. It just boils down to the fact that I am not a writer!

When I was in college, I pretty much avoided any class that required writing papers. Even in high school I hated writing papers. However, when I do write, I'm generally grammatically correct -- and I know why.

So, you ask: "How do you know? Why?"

Well, I'll tell you why -- its simple. I'm a software developer!

When I try to write, my brain is running in 5 different directions. Often, its a struggle for me to translate my thoughts into words and coherent paragraphs. However, when I can shift my brain into mathematics and programming mode, I can work for a few hours straight, without any mind shift whatsoever.

Its just the way my brain works - I love to write software. I love to solve problems. Its just so much easier to translate my thoughts into logical structures than to translate them into words.

I wish it was easier for me to translate my thoughts into English. However, I just don't think my brain is wired that way.

I need to invent a way to express my thoughts in C++ or Java or C# or Javascript or Perl. (Sorry folks, no ruby)

Stuff I Don't Know - IV

2008-12-02T23:06:00.004-05:00

Have you checked your email every 15 minutes or so, wondering why no new messages have arrived? Have you then thought, "Is my email server down? Is my email client working properly?"

And then, did you finally come to the realization that there really aren't any new messages in your inbox?

Well, all I can say is that I'm not expecting any email from anyone, and I didn't even send any out. So, I don't know why I keep checking my email!

Strange.

Stuff I Know - VII

2008-12-02T21:44:00.002-05:00

I know that I ate plenty of food during my Thanksgiving vacation last week. I also know that I consumed plenty of alcoholic beverages in celebration of my Thanksgiving vacation last week. In addition, I know that I feel like I've gained 10 pounds in the past week.

However, after stepping on the scale at the gym this afternoon, I didn't gain one pound. I actually lost 2 pounds!

What's up with that?

Bachelor Approved Bacon Treat

2008-11-24T23:08:00.007-05:00

Bacon is awesome.
Chocolate is awesome.
Beer is awesome.

Wouldn't it be great if all 3 of those things could be combined? Well, this bachelor's wish has been granted. There's a fancy-pants chocolate store in Chicago (yeah, of course, Chicago - where else would you expect a bacon and chocolate combo?) that sells a Bacon + Chocolate bar. Even better, they've got a bacon chocolate bar + oatmeal stout gift box.

If you want to get a great gift for your bachelor friend, (or this bachelor!!!!) I don't think you'll go wrong ordering this bad-ass gift. The downfall, though, is that they won't ship to Massachusetts. What an injustice! Call your legislator! (Or, you can order it without the oatmeal stout - they'll ship you that - you can get Rogue's Shakespere Stout all over the place out here)

I'm still in awe. Bacon makes anything better! Its the best food group in the world - 9 out of 10 dentists agree! (Well, at least one cardiologist agrees - that's good enough for me)

Yay! Thanksgiving Week is Almost Here

2008-11-21T15:52:00.002-05:00

The week of Thanksgiving is by far my favorite week of the year out here in Boston. Since there's so many college students and transplants living here, they all seem to leave the city and travel home for the holiday. So, for a few days each year, the city feels empty - or, at least less crowded. Its a great time to go out - restaurants and bars are not crowded at all.

I always stick around here for Thanksgiving. This is the WORST time of year to travel anywhere. I enjoy the peace and quiet. I haven't flown back to see my family on Thanksgiving for over 10 years now. I just don't think its worth the hassle to fly halfway across the country to spend one or two days with my parents. Besides, Christmas is only one month away - I'll fly back to the Midwest for that holiday instead.

This year, I'm going to make my annual long-haul trek across the river to Brookline to have a tasty Thanksgiving dinner with some college friends. Oh yeah - and then we'll bust out the 16-year single malt scotch and see how much we can drink. That's what the pilgrims would have wanted - isn't it? :-)

Prudential Blues Are Back!

2008-11-20T20:15:00.007-05:00

Earlier this year I noticed that the lights on top of the Prudential building were BLUE. That was way back in March. The lights were blue for about a week, then went back to their standard white color.

Well, today, I took another gander at the Boston skyline and noticed that the blue lights are BACK! I never did figure out what's up with changing these lights.

What is up with Prudential's blue light special? Is the building on sale this week?

UPDATE: Well, I guess I'll answer my own question today. They're blue to commemorate cancer awareness. Its to bad I wasn't aware that the blue lights were for commemorating awareness. Although, now I'm aware of the awareness. So, I guess that means the blue lights did their job. Right?

(H/T Universal Hub)

Banana Bread Beer

2008-11-18T20:19:00.010-05:00

I'm really not much of an impulse buyer - unless, of course, I'm purchasing beer. Since its friggin cold outside tonight, and I didn't feel like going anywhere, I figured I'd try a new beer to warm up and relax tonight.

Despite its small size, Liquor World in Porter Square has a decent sized selection of "good" beers. I didn't feel like perusing all night, so the first beer that caught my eye would end up in my glass tonight. The first one that jumped out at me was Banana Bread Beer. I'm not generally a fruity beer-guy, however, I LOVE banana bread. So I scooped up a bottle and trudged it all the way home.

As of this instant, its sitting in my fridge chilling out. I haven't opened it yet. I'll update this post once its in a glass and gleefully making its way to beer heaven - my stomach.

UPDATE: Yum. Smells just like banana bread. Tastes like banana bread. Its darker than I expected, but is also relatively light tasting. It reminds me of a Newcastle-type beer. I dig it.

Bachelor Approved!

1, 2, 3 ...

2008-11-17T22:18:00.009-05:00

... 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 , 9,
10, 11, 12
and they all played games, at the ladybug picnic.

For some reason, every time I start counting, I count to this song. Thank you Sesame Street. A good 30 years later, and you're still in my head.

And a few more tidbits that are forever seared into my memory:

Bachelor Approved!

2008-11-17T21:08:00.004-05:00

I love technology and the progression of mankind. We will now be able to order Domino's Pizza and track the delivery without ever having to leave the sofa!

Its so perfectly bachelor-esque. I can see it now:

I'm sitting on my sofa. I'm starving and I have no idea what I want to eat. I'm watching the Chicago Bears stink it up again and I'm getting a little sick to my stomach - I need something to soak up all this tasty Miller Lite in my stomach.

Lo and behold, a tasty pizza flashes across my screen. Cheezy, meaty, crappy pizza just floating in front of my eyes. I need to have it right now!

"Just click your remote and order right now!"

Well, OK Mr. Television! I'll take a large pizza with a side of cheezy bread. -- Click --

"Thank you! Your pizza is on its way. And by the way, the Bears just fumbled the ball back to the Packers, so you didn't miss much."

Thanks TV! How awesome is that?

The best part of this whole press release, is this money quote:

This is the first time in history that the ‘on-demand’ generation will be able to fully experience couch commerce by ordering pizza directly through their television set. You’ll see a television ad for Domino’s and you’ll click ‘I want it’ through your remote. In about 30 minutes, your pizza will show up at your door.

How about those buzzwords?

on-demand generation
couch commerce

Bachelor Approved!

Fireworks? Seriously?

2008-11-04T23:03:00.003-05:00

Wow.

Standing out on my deck right now I can hear people cheering and fireworks going off. I'm assuming that the election has been called for Obama.

Really folks, this is not a sports match. There is not a winner and a loser. We're electing a President for 4 years. I honestly don't understand why folks will celebrate it like a sports victory.

Life will go on as usual. The Federal Government will continue to be incompetent, no bills will be passed, and nothing will get done.

That's what bugs me about politics these days - its nothing but a "you vs. me" mentality. And in the end, folks feel happy because "my side won". That's what really bugs me the most -- government should not be about "sides". But, thanks to our stupid 2 party system - and the imagined "blue state vs red state" divide - we're pigeonholed. What a shame.

Just A Few Inspiring Quotes

2008-11-04T20:47:00.007-05:00

Instead of sitting here complaining, bitching, and simply feeling disgusted with the state of American politics and government, I'm going to share a few of my favorite quotations of all time.

One of my favorite quotable characters is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Its incredibly difficult for me to pick my favorites, since so many of his quotations ring true.

But genius is the power to labor better and more availably. Deserve thy genius: exalt it.

Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons.

Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.

And yeah, I gotta throw a few Regan quotes in here.

Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.

I'll save the best for last - Thomas Jefferson

History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is.

Be polite to all, but intimate with few.

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.

I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too.

I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.

And most importantly:

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

Amazing. All of those quotations still hold true today - nearly 200 years later. There are so many more quotations that inspire me, however, I'm tired of writing this post. Also, the beer is starting to kick in. :-)

Cheers Everyone!

Election Coverage Boycott

2008-11-04T20:04:00.004-05:00

I refuse to watch any election coverage tonight. All night long you'll hear no-nothing talking-head pundits spewing nonsense, because there's really nothing to talk about. They'll speculate about this and that, trying to waste time while sloppy exit pollsters try to figure out who won so-and-so state based on some sampling of voters that may or may not reflect the opinions of actual voters.

Me, I'm just going to wait until everything is tallied up, and see which candidate collected the most electoral votes, then go along my merry way. In the meantime, I'm just going to chill out and have a tasty La Fin du Monde. Yum.

Right now, I'm watching some Tuesday Night Football. Did you know that Miami is playing Buffalo right now? Its Miami Ohio vs Buffalo U, on ESPN2 :-)

Granted, even ESPN is showing election results in their scroller at the bottom of the screen. Can't I just get away from this election? PLEASE?

I Hate Politics

2008-11-03T21:37:00.006-05:00

Honestly, I really hate politics, politicians, political ads, and just about anything into which you can put the word political.

I hate the news coverage of elections. Reporters spew nothing but talking points, half-truths, and flat-out lies. Are journalists so lazy that they can't even do the slightest bit of research before writing an article? Are reporters and newspaper editors so incompetent that they can't even spend 5 minutes with google to do a cursory search before printing a story? Its no wonder that newspapers are losing circulation - they seem to have lost the ability to actually print any article worth reading. Sometimes I think my junior high newspaper had more substantive reporting than most big city dailies.

I hate the fact that political campaigns have turned into nothing but character assassination and tabloid-type personal destruction stories. There's no more honest debate on the issues. I honestly don't care if so-and-so politician smoked some pot, had sex with a hooker, or lost a few thousand bucks betting that the Pittsburgh Pirates would win the World Series. (Well, maybe I'd care if he bet on the Pirates - that's just pure stupidity)

Ya know, I could rant even more -- there is no end to my utter disgust for politics. Ultimately, its such a shame that Americans are always stuck voting for the "least worst" politician for office. All the good, smart people stay away from politics -- they're the folks who actually make this country run. Instead, we're stuck voting for slimy, power-hungry, self-centered shitheads.

I'm a selfish American. My vote always goes to the candidate who will cause the least damage. I'll vote for whoever will fuck up my life the least. And that's why I hate politics. As a wise man once said: "Fuck it. I'm throwing it downfield".

What's On My Mind Right Now?

2008-11-03T20:14:00.004-05:00

What's On My Mind Right Now?

Oh no. Rex Grossman is back. Fuck it. I'm throwing it downfield!
Jabar Gaffney has to catch that ball!
I still love Ditka
Clynelish is a very tasty single malt scotch. Yum!
Dojo is the best javascript toolkit

That's all for now!

Ok, This is Kinda Cool

2008-11-01T21:41:00.011-04:00

Yeah, I know you can find pretty much any music video you want on Youtube these days. However, MTV has recently launched their own video site, MTV Music.

Sure, they haven't encoded and released every video they've ever played, but there's a bunch of good ones up there - and the video quality is top notch. Not only that, the responsiveness is much better than Youtube.

The reason I bring attention to the MTV video site, is that they have some band interviews, plus one of my favorite mindless VH-1 videos: Pop-up video. Plus, they'll actually let you embed the videos.

Let's give it a try. Here's one of my all-time favorite videos, in pop-up video format.

Dire Straits |MTV Music

OR, watch Wierd Al take on Dire Straits:

Weird Al Yankovic |MTV Music

Which one is better? I can't decide!

An Awesome Classic Videogame

2008-10-28T20:40:00.005-04:00

Well, thanks to this post by adamg over at Universal Hub, I've found an online emulator one of my favorite video games of all time: Qix. (I don't really know who Ed Harding is, nor did I really digest the post over on his site -- I just saw the word Qix and redirected my brainpower to more important things - like playing the game and writing this blog post!)

Its a pretty simple game to play, but requires a lot of patience to earn a great score. For the best score, you want to claim as close to 99% of the screen as possible. My strategy has always involved creating many thin blocks, thereby forcing the Qix itself into a smaller and smaller space. Once you've got it trapped, if you've set up your blocks the right way, you can make a slow dash to claim up to 99% of the space.

Also, the sound effects totally rule. The game is from 1981, and I still friggin love the "soundtrack".

There's a few sites that have this Qix emulator - its just a simple shockwave application. And, pretty much every site you see has the same app running. I'm not sure why, but this is the link I like the most.

What's your high score?

Stuff I Don't Know - III

2008-10-23T22:12:00.004-04:00

How can people walk around listening to headphones? I really just can't do it. I like to hear everything that's going on around me. I like to hear if people are running up behind me. I like to hear if there is a car coming around the bend before I cross the street.

I just like to hear what's going on around me.

Besides, I don't know how many times I've seen headphoned folks drop something and can't hear the nice folks yelling "you've dropped something." I'll be honest, when that happens, I simply shrug and say too bad.

Do these folks who listen to headphones all day hate the real world that much? Do they really hate people so much that they have to live in their own private world?

Like I said, I just don't know.

I'm Still Here - I Swear

2008-10-23T20:30:00.012-04:00

Hey all - I'm sure you're all wondering why I haven't created any posts in the last few months. The only reason I have is that I haven't really had anything interesting to say. It was a fun summer, and so far its been a fun autumn. Now that its getting colder outside, I'm sure I'm going to have many more lonely nights at home, which will hopefully drive me to spout out some more random thoughts and jibber jabba.

So, to enlighten all of you trusty readers, I'll reach into my inbox and answer all of those amazing questions you've been sending me. Let's take a look at my inbox:
Oh, geez. Well, I guess I'm not answering any of your fan mail tonight. So, ya know what I'll do -- I'll just have a little Q&A with myself! Let's begin.

Q: Dude, what have you been up to the past few months?

A: Well, I watched my beloved Chicago Cubs finish atop the National League, and they promptly CHOKE in the playoffs. I watched my second favorite team, the Red Sox, stumble into the playoffs and lose to the upstart Tampa Bay Rays. (I DID watch game 5, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire series -- it was a great battle. I'm disappointed the Sox didn't win, but I'm not distraught.)

I watched Tom Brady go down 10 minutes into the Patriots season. On the other hand, I've watched none other than Kyle Neckbeard Orton lead the Bears offense like a super star. Is this some kind of bizarro world?

I found my inner nerd and attended the Ajax Experience conference over in South Boston. Yes, I'm a javascript geek - and yes it was totally friggin awesome. And, in case you're wondering, my javascript library of choice is Dojo.

Besides all that, I've had plenty of beer, played plenty of kickball games, had plenty more beer, and a lot of fun.

Q: Dude, that's boring shit. What about you love life? Where are all the ladies?

A: Really? Is that all you care about? You just wanna know whether I've scored?

Q: Yes

A: Well, that's not a question.

Q: I don't care. This isn't Jeopardy. Answer the damn question.

A: Fine. I went on a handful of first dates, but never felt any sort of connection. I did, however, go out with an awesome girl for a few weeks - and had a great time. Again, though, it didn't pan out. I guess I just didn't feel that certain spark, even though it was awesome.

Q: What do you mean you didn't feel that "spark"?

A: Dude, I don't know. I guess my heart just wasn't in it. Ya know what I mean?

Q: No, I don't.

A: Well, there's just that certain feeling, that certain je ne sais quoi that I'm looking for.

Q: Je ne sais quoi? WTF does that mean?

A: It means you're a shithead. In French.

Q: You're calling me a shithead?

A: Yes.

Q: Dude, you're calling yourself a shithead.

A: That's not a question.

Q: You're the one who's making up these stupid questions!

A: All right, this is getting stupid. I'm having a fake argument with myself in a fake Q&A post.

Q: Fine. One last question: Phillies or Rays?

A: I'm rooting for the Phillies, however I really have no idea who's going to win this series. The Rays are a great team, and it wouldn't surprise me if they won the whole thing.

Well, I've run out of material for this post. However, I think I like the idea of answering random questions. I think I'll start a new "Ask a Bachelor" gimmick. I'm sure, everyone out there is just dying to find out the opinion of a single 30-something bachelor.

So, got any questions? Ask a bachelor. I'll give you the honest bachelor answer.

Yay. Its Friday

2008-06-20T21:38:00.004-04:00

Why is it that in college, everyone looks forward to going out and parting on a Friday night, but nowadays, I look forward to going home and doing nothing on a Friday night?

Well, I can tell you that tonight, I'm just completely wiped. I've gone out for the past 5 nights in a row, and I'm just all set for a break. Besides my daily partying, its been a mentally draining week at work too. I've not only been working on my current project, but I've had to pick up the work of 2 other co-workers, plus our outsourced team in Belarus.

I'm looking forward to SLEEP!

Thanks Starbucks!

2008-06-17T20:01:00.007-04:00

Thanks Starbucks! I had to walk around work all afternoon smelling like Frappuccino with a big coffee stain all over the front of my shorts. It's not fun trying to explain to everyone that I didn't pee in my pants - its a friggin Frappuccino stain.

How the heck did I get the stain? I'm still not quite sure what happened. All I know is that the bottom of this particular glass bottle of Frappuccino simply broke off while I was holding the bottle and the entire contents spilled all over my shorts! How the heck does the bottom of a bottle just fall off?!?!?

Now I have to go de-Frappucinno my shorts. Yay.

Chicago Defeats Boston? Dewey Defeats Truman?

2008-06-12T20:39:00.004-04:00

This afternoon, the Chicago Cubs had a 1948 throwback game. The Cubs wore their 1948 jereseys and the Atlanta Braves wore their 1948 Boston Braves jerseys. In the end, the Cubbies won in 10 innings with Reed Johnson's walk-off Hit By Pitch! (I'm sure that HBP felt pretty good!)

The most interesting part of this game was the WGN throwback broadcast. The Cubbies broadcasters (Len & Bob) dressed up in their 1940s suits and hats. For the first few innings, WGN broadcast the game in black and white and only used the camera angles that were common at the time. In the 9th inning when Jim Edmonds (I still can't believe he's on the Cubs!) smacked a home run to left field to tie the game, WGN displayed some old school "Hey Hey!" graphics as Len did his best Jack Brickhouse imitation. And finally, when the Cubbies won the game in the bottom of the 10th, he let out Harry's famous "Cubs Win! Holy Cow!". I really wish I could have seen this game! What an awesome day at Wrigley!

Here's a few clips over at MLB's website that give a good taste of the game:

Jeff Francoeur smacks a 2-run Home Run in the 2nd inning (black and white)
Jim Edmonds ties the game with a Home Run to left field (HEY HEY!!)
Reed Johnson's game winning Hit-By-Pitch (OUCH!)

Enjoy!

Bizzaro Night at Fenway

2008-06-05T21:37:00.003-04:00

For some reason, tonight is bizzarro night at Fenway Park! Its not a full moon tonight, so I'm struggling to explain this chain of events:

Manny smacks (slams! CRUSHES!) home run 503
Parking attendant on Lansdowne Street gets his 30 seconds on TV for finding the ball
Coco Crisp hit by pitch, charges mound, throws a few punches, and then takes quite a few more
3 players ejected
Carter takes over in left field, Elllsbury moves to center
Ellsbury makes a great catch and rolls up on his right wrist
Ellsbury taken out of game
Drew moves to center field, Youkilis plays right field (for the first time in his career!)
Youkilis and Manny get into a fight in the dugout! WTF?!?!
Remy and Don get into a (hilarious) scrum in the broadcast booth
Manny tweaks right leg checking his swing , ends up with a walk, and trots to first base
Francona checks on Manny, says he's OK, and returns to dugout
30 seconds later, replaces Manny with pinch runner Kevin Cash
When not playing DH, Cash runs back out to bullpen to help warm up pitchers
Lester, Timlin, and Aardsma limit the Rays to 1 run and win the game

Tom Caron on NESN sports desk says its all because of Stephen King was on the pre-game show. I can't think of a better excuse, can you?

I have to watch the post-game show and interview with Francona just to see what the heck happened tonight!

Longfellow Trudge?

2008-05-29T19:36:00.004-04:00

I noticed today that the Red Line has been trudging oh-so-slowly across the Longfellow Bridge today. When I left work and made it down to the Kendall stop, the trains were simply crawling through the tunnel. I think you could easily walk over the bridge faster than the trains were running. (Note: all I can picture is that scene from Office Space where Peter is stuck in traffic and watches the old man with the walker pass him by on the sidewalk) Despite that, the ride from Kendall to Porter was just as normal as can be.

So, I checked the MBTA's Transit Updates and I saw this brand new excuse for subway delays:

Red Line is experiencing 10-15 minute delays through the downtown area due to a track problem at Charles

I thought I'd seen every excuse from the MBTA. Usually Red Line delays are caused by "Medical Emergency", "Signal Problems", or "Switching Problems".

The thing is, I'm a train guy, and I have no idea what a "Track Problem" is! What the heck is a track problem?

Sports Karma?

2008-05-24T23:46:00.012-04:00

So, a bit of history: I'm a born and bred Cubs fan from Illinois. My grandma started taking me to Wrigley Field for Cubs games when I was 8 years old. As a result, I've come up with this fuzzy sports karma for the night.

Bachelor in Porter watches Oakland vs. Boston baseball
Oakland defeats Boston in baseball
Boston defeats Detroit in basketball
Detroit defeats Pittsburgh in hockey
Pittsburgh defeats Chicago Cubs in baseball

So, that must mean

Chicago Cubs watches Bachelor in Porter blog

In Soviet Massachusetts, baseball watches you!

What the heck does this even mean? Does this make any sense? Have I had too much scotch tonight? Are pigs flying? What time is it?

Eh, I know the answer. I blame Global Warming! (Even the NFL is concerned)

Almost Warm Enough

2008-05-24T23:04:00.003-04:00

Its 60 degrees outside right now. If it was about 10 degrees warmer, I think I'd be deck-blogging tonight. Its something that I've always wanted to do - but just haven't done so yet.

One of these days I really want to take my laptop onto my deck, kick back, grab a beer, and do a little blogging from the deck. I don't know what I'll talk about - but that's not important. Sitting on my deck and wirelessly typing gibberish is the name of the game.

Stuff I Don't Know - II

2008-05-22T20:36:00.009-04:00

I don't know why I find this picture hilarious. I really don't know why.
Why is this funny?

Stuff I Know - VI

2008-05-22T20:22:00.002-04:00

There's a few things that I know today:

Leaving your umbrella at home is stupid. I left it at home today and ended up getting drenched walking from the Porter subway stop back to my apartment. Ugh.
I don't eat Indian food. There's something about it that just doesn't sit well in my Midwestern stomach. I grew up with Mom-cooked meatloaf, pork chops, pot roast, and fish sticks. Yum.
Staying out at the bar until 1:30 A.M. on a WEDNESDAY night is downright dumb. However, it sure seemed like a good idea at the time.

Time to Get the Heck Out...

2008-05-12T21:55:00.005-04:00

Its time to get the heck outta ~~Dodge~~ Dome. Its obvious that domes and the Sox are not getting along very well this season. They've got a mere 2 wins in 12 games - having been swept in Toronto and Tampa. They eeked out a win in Tokyo, and only took 1 of 4 here in Minnesota.

Baseball is meant to be played outdoors on natural grass. I can accept a retractable roof, as long as the stadium has some natural grass - which Milwaukee and Phoenix have done very well. No more turf! No more domes!

Why Remy and Orsillo Rule

2008-05-12T21:48:00.002-04:00

During a slow Red Sox game, Remy and Orsillo have some of the funniest banter. This evening was no exception.

In the top of the 8th, after some prodding from Remy, Orsillo finally admitted he stole the pajamas he got on the JAL flight to Tokyo. And even better, he says they're comfortable, and make you look like a chef.

Of course, Remy, in his typical gruff style, couldn't stop complaining about the length of the flight. He's never going to take a flight that long again - his back has finally recovered! Its obvious he's not a big fan of long trips. He admitted that in his opinion, Taunton is too far.

Classic. That's why I love these guys. They're a big reason I love watching Red Sox games.

I've Got Nothing To Say

2008-05-12T21:12:00.002-04:00

I've got nothing to say right now. However, does the fact that I'm telling you I have nothing to say, actually mean that I have something to say?

Stuff I Know - V

2008-05-08T22:33:00.018-04:00

The Sullivan Tire commercials with Dustin Pedroia need to go. I love crappy local commercials, but this one is full of pure awfulness. (Shudder)

I used to think that the Eagle Insurance commercial I saw growing up in Chicagoland was the worst ever. Now, thanks to Pedroia and Sullivan Tire, I'm not so sure. Decide for yourself:

Look at ~~those low rates~~ that 1980s hair!

Even More Brain Fried-ness

2008-05-08T21:59:00.004-04:00

I just walked into my kitchen to pour a glass of wine. Instead, I opened up my cupboard and started to make coffee. I now have a pot of coffee ready to be brewed tomorrow morning, an empty wine glass, and another random blog post.

Pedroia Smash!

2008-05-08T21:39:00.003-04:00

In the top of the 8th inning tonight, scrappy 5' 6" Dustin Pedroia (MLB politely has him listed at 5' 9" and 180lbs -- what a joke!) lifted a short fly ball to left field with the bases loaded and only one out. When he got back down into the dugout, NESN had a great shot of him smashing his baby helmet into the rack.

Why is that interesting? I don't know! As soon as I saw that, the first words out of my mouth were "Pedroia Smash!".

Granted, that's never going to supplant the image that I think of every time I see the guy bat. Don't get me wrong -- he's a great baseball player. But, man, he's got a great equation to describe his life:
[Jack Daniels] + [Holiday Inn Express] + [Dustin Pedroia] = DRUNK

My Brain is Fried Tonight

2008-05-08T20:26:00.004-04:00

I just had one of those days at work that was utterly mentally draining. My brain is just fried. I spent all day reading though, understanding, and refactoring some of the worst J2EE code I've ever seen in my life. I've never seen someone use so much code to dynamically create a simple HTML SELECT box!

My brain is just so dead, I've been staring at my blog for the past 20 minutes trying to figure out what to post. This is all I could come up with.

However, I do have enough brain power to tell NESN and the Red Sox: I Approve! Nice job NESN!

Celtics or Red Sox

2008-05-06T21:42:00.004-04:00

Well, deciding which game to watch tonight started out as a tough decision. But, after bits and pieces of the first half of the Celtics game, it was obvious that I had to tune into Tim Wakefield's gem tonight. He pitched an incredible game tonight. He merely pitched eight innings, gave up a meager 2 hits, 0 runs, and struck out six. I always enjoy watching classic Wakefield.

Now, to make things even better, the Sox game was a quick 2 1/2 hours. So I can watch the rest of the Celtics playoff game -- let's hope that the 2nd half is much better than the first.

Stuff I Know - IV

2008-05-06T21:11:00.003-04:00

Super Mario Kart for the Wii is totally awesome. Nintendo has kept some of the good parts from the GameCube version and brought back the best parts from the N64 version of Mario Kart.

Its fun to play with the Wii Wheel, but its soooo much better to use the Wiimote and the Nunchuck.

Heh. The spell checker didn't like this post at all. :-)

Man, I Feel Old Today

2008-05-06T16:46:00.007-04:00

No, I'm not talking about slowing metabolism, nor the loss of unlimited energy, nor the fact that I can't party like its 1998. I feel old today because 10 years ago:

Seinfeld went off the air
Kerry Wood had his 20 strikeout game (Wow, check out the SportCenter clip. Those were some of the nastiest sliders and curveballs I've ever seen in my life)
I graduated college!

Its just scary to think that these memories are still relatively fresh in my head, yet they all happened 10 years ago. I've been out of college and working in software for 10 years!

Wow. Unbelievable.

Green Apple Pop?

2008-05-05T20:50:00.005-04:00

I dropped by Shaw's in Porter after work today to pick up a 12-er of Sprite. Instead, I left with a 12 pack of this Jones Green Apple (Pop) Soda stuff. I'm not usually an impulse shopper, but I like apples, and especially green ones - so I figured I'd give it a try.

Man, this stuff is tasty! I've had some other Jones Pop (Soda) in the past, and it was pretty good. But, dude - this stuff tastes like candy. Its awesome. And, without even realizing it, I picked out the 0 calorie sugar-free stuff. I'm honestly surprised that it tastes so good. I'm not much of a fan of the diet pop stuff.

Speaking of crazy pop, does anyone remember OK Soda? It was this crazy Dr. Pepper like, purple soda. Way back in my college days, I think the Coca-Cola company was test marketing it in the dorms at Boston U. I really liked the stuff. Unfortunately, they seemed to halt its production after my freshman year of college. Boo!

NOTE: Despite spending over 1/3 of my life out here in the Boston area, I haven't been able to kick a few of my Midwestern quirks. I still drink cans of pop instead of soda or tonic, and I wear my tennis shoes around every day instead of sneakers!

Holy Fog Batman!

2008-05-04T23:03:00.004-04:00

Some thick fog has certainly rolled in. I can't see the Prudential building from my deck tonight. In fact, I can barely see 2 blocks down the street!

Its actually kinda eerie out there tonight. It feels so typically New England outside tonight. I don't know how else to describe it. Its just really cool hanging out on my deck peering out into the fog in the distance.

Stuff I Know - III

2008-05-04T21:45:00.004-04:00

I need a new belt. I've had this belt for a couple of years now, and the 4th belt hole (the usual place I buckle it) is falling apart. My pants won't stay up without a belt, so I really should just go get one. I don't want anything crazy - just your standard brown boring belt.

Yes folks, that's some really exciting news. Enjoy responsibly!

Was That the Sun I Saw?

2008-05-04T21:27:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty darn sure the answer to that question is yes! I saw the sun trying to pop out from the clouds around 6:30 tonight. So will the rain go away for a while now? Its about time!

More Crazy Baseball Telecast Tidbits

2008-05-03T19:05:00.004-04:00

I just finished up watching the Cubs beat up the Cardinals 9-3 this afternoon. YAY! Of course Soriano was worthless again, but that's old news. The rest of the Cubs lineup has been on fire this season - and that's just fine with me.

So, just as I noticed in last night's Red Sox game, FOX was using that same zoomed out camera shot from center field for their broadcast today. I'm wondering - is this some sort of new directive from the MLB offices? The only reason I can see them switching to this new angle is to display more advertisements behind home plate. With this new angle, you can see BOTH of the rolling ads that are displayed behind the batter - instead of just one.

I'm not too sure if I like this new angle. One cool bit, though, is that you can see the break of the pitches much better. Other than that, I'm not convinced I like this new angle. We'll see if its permanent.

The other bit that I noticed was that in the 6th inning FOX somehow predicted Mike Fontenot's 3-run home run! Granted, I don't think it was a prediction - but it was a pretty big production error. While Fontenot was batting, the right-hand side of the scoreband across the top displayed "HOMERUN - Cubs" and the score switched from "3 - 0" to "6 - 0".

At first I thought this was just some "hypothetical" thing FOX was trying to relay to its viewers. I thought to myself: "Oh - so FOX is telling me that if the Cubs hit a home run here, the score will be 6 to 0. Well, thanks FOX, but I can do math just fine in my head." But right after that, the HOMERUN text faded back into the current pitch speed and the score flipped back to "3 - 0". And then, something funny happened. On the next pitch, Mike Fontenot ripped a 3-run home run on the next pitch!

So, my questions are:

Does FOX have the godly power to change the course of a baseball game?
Are the folks at FOX able to see into the future?
Is FOX secretly trying to influence baseball games and pulling for the Cubs to win the World Series?

I think my third bullet is the right answer. That's gotta be the answer. They knew Fontenot was going to hit a home run before it happened!

It couldn't possibly be a simple production error due to the fact that the game telecast is on a broadcast delay...

The Glow of Fenway Park

2008-05-02T23:25:00.003-04:00

With the overcast skies, I can see the white glow of the lights of Fenway Park from my deck. The sky over downtown Boston has an orange glow. As you turn your eyes from East to West, you can see the glow change from orange to white to orange.

NESN Camera Angle

2008-05-02T23:06:00.003-04:00

Is it me, or is the camera angle from the outfield at a higher elevation than usual? I can't quite figure out what's different about NESN's broadcast of the Red Sox game tonight. It seems as if they've zoomed out the typical camera shot from behind the pitcher.

I hope I'm not going crazy!

I Lost My Train of Thought

2008-05-02T22:29:00.003-04:00

I was in the middle of writing a great blog post, but then this damn Celtics game grabbed my attention and I totally lost my train of thought!

What a great game! (so far - its still the 4th quarter).

Once the Celtics are through, then its even more sports with the rain-delayed Red Sox game! Maybe hanging around my place on this Friday night isn't so bad....

Stuff I Know - II

2008-05-02T21:38:00.005-04:00

I know that I need to get a digital camera. I'm not interested in some cheapo, throw-away camera. Nor do I want some super-cool-mega-awesome-pixel camera. I'd like something that relatively powerful, but small enough to fit in my pocket.

There's so much that I see during the day - so many random images of daily life that I'd like to capture with some decent quality. I'm pretty sure a camera will solve that problem.

Finding solutions to problems -- that's what I do best.

Red Sox Rain Delay

2008-05-02T21:12:00.002-04:00

When I left work today, there was a nice steady rain. I walked from the subway back to my apartment through even more rain. I came home and flipped on NESN expecting to watch the Red Sox game tonight. Of course, though, they had the tarp over the field and there was a rain delay.

For some reason, despite walking through a downpour, I simply expected the Sox game to be on. Fenway Park and the Red Sox are on the television. The weather over here in Porter Square shouldn't affect something on TV! How can the weather at my house affect the Red Sox?

And then, after my 10 second mind blip, I came back to my senses and remembered how the "real world" works.

Stuff I Don't Know

2008-05-02T21:02:00.003-04:00

I really don't know what it is about catnip that makes cats so crazy. I found and old catnip toy and gave it to my cat tonight - and he wrestled the little snowman for about 10 minutes.

After that, he ran a few laps across the apartment. Now, he's just standing on the floor staring at nothing.

That catnip must be some good stuff!

Yay. Its Friday

2008-05-02T20:44:00.003-04:00

Hooray. Its Friday. Its too bad that its raining out tonight - its going to be a lonely night tonight. What's better to do on a Friday night than to go back to your apartment and hang out with your cat and your laptop?

Well, I can think of so many better things to do. However, I am kinda tired. And now that I'm home, I'm comfortable. I think I'll grab a brewski and surf the Intertubes tonight. Maybe I'll make some random blog posts -- if anything of interest comes to mind.

Its Friday! What are you doing tonight?

Stuff I Know

2008-05-02T12:48:00.004-04:00

I know that I need some new shoes. My Vans have holes in the sole. If I wear them when its wet outside I'll end up with ultra-soggy socks.

So yeah, I need to get off my lazy ass, get to the shoe store, and get some new shoes.

I'm Under the Flight Path

2008-04-29T21:25:00.003-04:00

When the wind blows from the west to the east, it seems my apartment is right under the flight path for planes taking off from Logan. Its actually really cool to stand out on my deck and watch the planes bank to their left and fly over my apartment. If you watch closely, you can see how the wind pushes the plane out to sea, as it tries to bank left and head south.

At heart, I'm a trains guy, but its pretty cool watching planes too.

Say Hello to my Little Friend

2008-04-29T20:25:00.006-04:00

MEOW! What you lookin' at?

Yeah, that's my roommate. We've been roommates for almost 8 years now. He doesn't pay rent nor does he clean up after himself. He's lazy and sleeps all day long.

On the other hand, he's really easy to take care of. I just leave out a bowl of food and refill it every couple of days. I have a bowl of water right next to that, but apparently that's not good enough for him. According to this guy's taste buds, the best water in my apartment is sitting in the toilet bowl. If that's closed, then the leftover water in the shower is a great substitute.

100 Posts About Nothing

2008-04-28T21:47:00.008-04:00

Yay! This is my 100th post. Its taken me more than a year, but I've finally made 100 posts on this crazy blog thing. And of course, its about absolutely NOTHING!

In honor of 100 posts about absolutely nothing, I give you one of my favorite clips from UHF. The prize awarded to the contestant on Wheel of Fish is the same as the content of this post. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Trains in the Distance

2008-04-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

I love standing out on my deck and hearing the horn of a freight train way off in the distance. Its a drizzly and foggy night - and I can hear the distant chime of a train, but cannot see it.

This reminds me of my childhood home back in the Midwest. Late at night, you could stand outside and the only sounds I could hear were the chirping of the crickets, and the horn of some train way off in the distance.

Its an eerie, but comforting sound. Where is the train at? Where is it going?

What's in my Fridge Tonight

2008-04-28T20:36:00.005-04:00

So, what's in a bachelor's fridge on a rainy Monday night?

12 pack of Harpoon
Old package of WisPride spreadable cheddar cheese
Old jar of salsa
2 cans of Sprite Zero
1/3 jug of orange juice
1/4 jug of old milk
1/2 bottle of Coke from the Superbowl
1/2 bottle of Diet Pepsi from the Superbowl
1 bottle of Gatorade
3 year old box of baking soda
Some homemade jam a coworker gave me 4 years ago

Quite the exciting fridge, eh? What's in your fridge?

Sometimes...

2008-04-28T20:12:00.002-04:00

... ya just really need a beer when you get home from work. Today is one of those days. Meetings from 10:00 until 5:00 really drain me -- mentally.

Yay Beer.

Planning to Plan

2008-04-24T21:59:00.006-04:00

I need one of these awards. I swear, for the past few days, I've been doing nothing but attending planning meetings.

Its not that we're planning - but we're Planning to Plan! For you astute Office Space fans out there, you'll recognize that phrase from the whiteboard that was behind Peter in the conference room while meeting with "the Bobs". It was the title of a massive flow chart diagram you could see in the background.

Ya see, I'm an engineer, so I much prefer "doing" than planning, debating, analyzing, and any other hoo-haa type stuff. Just throw out an idea, spec it out, and I'll build it! Its sooo easy!

While I'm at it, I could also use a Red Swingline Stapler. According to their website, it puts the "fun" back in "functional". SWEET!

Allergies!

2008-04-24T21:01:00.004-04:00

Holy allergies Batman!

I just recovered from the flu last weekend, and now I have to deal with hayfever. Walking to work today there was an incredibly stiff wind blowing right into my face on the way to the subway. All day long I've had a drizzly nose and my eyes have been super itchy.

Thankfully Claritin has appeared in my cabinet and relief is on the way. Whatever pollen is in the air today was awful. Add that to the high velocity winds blowing around today and you've got a recipe for a sneezy, snotty, and crying bachelor in porter square.

Thanks Grandpa

2008-04-17T21:55:00.004-04:00

My grandpa would always suggest a glass of brandy to cure a cold. Well, actually he would suggest some glögg, a Swedish Christmas punch -- which is absolutely delicious and POTENT!

Tonight, I picked up a small bottle of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. I've had a tall glass or so - and I feel 100% better. Its 10:00 and I'm ready to sleep. My sinuses are clear, I feel relaxed, and just perfectly tipsy drunk enough to crash my head on the pillow and sleep for a good 9 or 10 hours tonight. That should cure me.

Thanks Grandpa!

Blah

2008-04-17T16:21:00.003-04:00

Sick.

Flu / Cold / Chills / Fever

Whatever was going around my office the past month or so finally caught up to me on Saturday. I pretty much bed (read: sofa) ridden until yesterday (Wednesday).

This morning I woke up feeling a little bit better. I was going stir crazy hanging around my apartment for 5 days straight. I just had to get out, so I came into the office today.

I'm still a bit chilly, and my sinuses are really bothering me. Other than that, I'm ok. I probably should have stayed at home, but I couldn't go another day without human interaction. (heh - not that there's much human interaction in software engineering). The only one who was happy that I was at home was my cat. Rather than sleep all day on the sofa by himself, he could sleep all day on the sofa with me.

So what do I have to show for 5 days of the flu?

ZERO blog posts
Achy muscles
Memorization of every single Law & Order episode ever made (is there anything else watching on afternoon television?)

Now, I'm debating whether to (a) spend one more night on the sofa with the Sudafed, Kleenex, and Orange Juice or (b) get some Bushmill's, pour a stiff glass, fall asleep early, and let the whisky kill the germs.

I'm leaning toward option (b) - isn't that what Grandpa used to order up as the cure for anything?

My New Word For Today

2008-04-11T11:37:00.005-04:00

Shamtastic

Definition: Super mega-awesome cool. Fantastic. Won't leave a drop of awesomeness on the ground.

Usage:
- That band's new CD is so shamtastic it soaked up all the awesomeness that the previous album leaked all over the floor.

- David Ortiz cleaned up the bases with his shamtastic grand slam! Bonus Usage: Sham-a-lama ding-dong!

- Batting Manny Ramirez in the clean up spot is shamtastic!

- That guy is a shamtastic fighter. He cleans the floor with his opponents.

Note:
Yeah, I know these are really awful. If I come up with any better ones I'll update this post. I'm sure I've got some new ones up my sleeve.

Shamwow!

2008-04-11T10:32:00.003-04:00

Shamwow? If you ask me, its more like ShamWhy! [Ha ha ha! Thanks for the applause folks, I'll be here all night.]

Holy crap. This has got to be one of the worst commercials I've ever seen. Unfortunately, that also means its going to be one of the most memorable commercials I've ever seen. Why does the guy need to wear a headset to show off the amazing qualities of the Shamwow?

I really don't want a Shamwow. I really don't need a super shammy. I had never even heard of a "shammy" until I saw this commercial. It looks just like a towel to me. Yet, I now have this strange desire to get one. Look at how absorbent it is! Wow! ShamWOW!

Gonna See a Band Tonight

2008-04-10T14:42:00.005-04:00

I'm heading over to Great Scott this evening over in Allston to see my buddy's band, The Darker Hues. I've been out here in Boston well over 10 years, and I've actually never been to this joint. I think its simply my avoidance of anything Allston / Brighton.

For only $8.00, it should be a great show. Its always fun to see your friends perform on stage. I'd describe their music as 90s alterna-rock. Their sound reminds me of the Afghan Whigs. Remember them? Here's a little refresher video.

I've been trying to get them to cover a Helmet song - since that is the greatest band ever in the history of the entire universe. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to convince them that their band's ultimate success depends not on their talent or original music, but on their ability to play some Helmet. :-)

Bill Buckner

2008-04-08T22:20:00.007-04:00

It was great to see Bill Buckner throw out the first pitch for today's game. Its great to see that Red Sox fans can put the whole 1986 debacle behind them. (well, most fans)

So, with the 1986 World Series fading from memory, I'm hoping you all can enjoy this reenactment of the infamous game. Its not just any reenactment. This has been completely reenacted using RBI Baseball on the old 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System with the radio audio in the background.

(Note: This is by far one of the coolest things I've ever seen)

I love RBI Baseball

UPDATE: Here's the link to the story of this recreation.

Smiling Moon

2008-04-08T21:10:00.003-04:00

The moon is smiling tonight. There's one big happy moon out there, smiling through the trees. Is it smiling at me? I hope so.

Hiya moon. How's it going tonight?

Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown

2008-04-08T17:53:00.003-04:00

Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. How cool of a name is that?!? Not only does he have his own Wikipedia page, he's even got his own web site too!

This guy's name has been in my head all day long. He was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs back on their 1908 team. That happens to be the last Cubs team to win the World Series.

You don't hear too many kids these days named "Mordecai". I guess the name has gone out of style since the 19th century. :-)

MLB Gamecast

2008-04-07T20:42:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of the MLB gamecast thing-a-ma-jig. I can keep up with all the afternoon games the Cubs play (and the Red Sox too!) while I'm sitting at work.

They've added a nifty feature to it this season - video replay of scoring plays. If you scroll back through the innings, there's a blue 'play' icon next to scoring plays. Clicking this link will show the video replay of the score. I think its pretty cool. Once the game is over, you can even go back through the archives of the game through the gamecast tool and catch all the replays.

Nice job MLB.

What's the time?

2008-04-07T12:19:00.005-04:00

SLIME TIME! (If you're a child of the 1980s, you've got to remember that one.)

What made me think of this? Over the weekend, the battery on my watch ran out, so its time to get a new one. However, I still instinctively put my watch on in the morning, even though its not working at all. I feel lost and incomplete without my watch on my wrist. I still look at it about 10 times a day, even though the hands are stuck at midnight (or noon, whichever makes you happier).

It feels really strange to not know what time it is. It feels even stranger, though, to not wear a watch.

Holy Hangover Batman!

2008-04-06T23:13:00.006-04:00

I can't drink like a 21 year old anymore. I seem to forget that every once in a while. I was on a mini pub crawl with my friends yesterday. We started the day around 3:00pm and ended, well, I don't even remember what time.

I do know, however, that today was a complete loss. Hungover with a nasty headache, I pretty much didn't move off the sofa until 6:00pm today. Thank goodness the Discovery Channel had a bunch of cool shows about ancient Egypt on all afternoon.

Back in my college days, I could stay out until 2:00am, close out the bar, hang out with friends until 3:00am, then get up and go to class the next day. Nowadays, it takes me a day or two to feel normal again after a crazy pub crawl. Ugh.

Warning: Bored Software Engineer

2008-04-04T14:25:00.006-04:00

I'm pinging your mom!

me@laptop ~
$ ping yourmom.com

Pinging yourmom.com [208.113.233.166] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 208.113.233.166: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=48
Reply from 208.113.233.166: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=48
Reply from 208.113.233.166: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=48
Reply from 208.113.233.166: bytes=32 time=79ms TTL=48

Ping statistics for 208.113.233.166:
  Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  Minimum = 79ms, Maximum = 80ms, Average = 79ms

It sounds dirty, doesn't it? Can't you tell I'm bored at work this afternoon?

Profound Thought

2008-04-04T13:46:00.005-04:00

When you're playing poker, its really tough to win a hand if you don't have great cards.

(In your FACE Jack Handey! I've got my own deep thoughts!)

California Pizza Kitchen...

2008-04-04T12:22:00.006-04:00

... is NOT pizza. Its merely some buttery bread shaped into a circle with crazy toppings.

Aurelio's is pizza. It says so right on their corporate logo! This is the pizza that I grew up on in the midwest. Their thin crust pizza is absolutely delicious. If you look at their menu, you'll notice that the first topping is sausage! That's the way pizza should be!

Their tomato sauce is very sweet, and their pizzas are loaded with cheese. Unlike New York style pizzas, there is not a big bubble of crust around the edge. Plus, when you slice up the pizza, you cut it in a criss-cross pattern - forming square pieces with 4 triangle pieces on the ends. Any midwesterner can tell you that the triangles are the best part of the pizza.

Yum. Now I'm hungry.

Running with the Red Sox

2008-04-02T14:10:00.004-04:00

I love the fact that there is a gym right here in my office building. Thanks to the fact that its just downstairs, I head down there pretty much every afternoon for a workout. Its a great way to break up the day and I always feel 1000 times better once I'm done.

To make things even better, the treadmills have TVs attached to them. So, this afternoon, when I head down for a run, I can watch the Sox game in Oakland! Its totally friggin awesome to head down in the middle of the afternoon to watch baseball, and get a workout at the same time.

Plus, time sure flies when you're running with the Red Sox.

I'll take my desk job

2008-04-02T11:59:00.004-04:00

I've been sitting at my desk for the past few weeks watching the construction folks erect the steel for a new building over here in Kendall next to the Genzyme building. About 3 weeks ago, there was a big hole in the ground. Now, there's already 2 stories of steel popping up from the foundation. It amazes me how quickly these guys can throw up a building.

There's another bit, though, that I find amazing, and also somewhat frightening. There's a huge 10 story crane lifting up a bunch of steel beams and effortlessly swinging them through the air. I watch these beams dangle and blow in the wind right outside my window. Due to the frame of the building, the crane operator can't see the beams flying around when he pivots the arm. I keep thinking that the beams are going to somehow come flying through my window here and take out this entire side of the building! I don't know how the guy can operate the crane so smoothly and perfectly without even seeing where he's dropping his steel I-beams.

It also amazes me that one rickety looking cable can hold this entire load swinging through the wind without breaking!

Once he's finally got the beams lowered in position, a bunch of ironworkers grab them, pull them down, and unhook them from the crane's line. These thousand pound beams are swinging through the air and these guys just grab them, and pull them down like they're twigs. I am so incredibly impressed. Then, these same workers will walk out on the beams, 2 stories in the air, and sit down to weld and bolt them together. Amazing.

I really can't believe the job these construction guys do. Erecting a steel frame is incredibly dangerous, but these guys fearlessly and effortlessly do it every day. Amazing.

So, ya know what, I'll just stick to my desk job.

Thunder and Lightning!

2008-04-01T23:28:00.003-04:00

Woo Hoo! Thunder and Lightning in Somerville!

I really miss the massive thunderstorms that would roll through the countryside back in the Midwest. So, every time I see some lightning and hear thunder out here in Bostonia, I'm on my feet enjoying the scene (however brief it may be).

So, tonight we've just had a brief t-storm pass through. However, I know the front that's following it will bring us COLD again. Good bye warm, humid weather - welcome back chilly Boston spring.

Random Thoughts

2008-04-01T23:11:00.003-04:00

My head is always filled with such random thoughts. I'm always thinking about something. I think that's why I have such a difficult time putting together a coherent blog post.

Sometimes I love my random thought process -- other times, its frustrating.

Counting Sheep

2008-04-01T22:07:00.008-04:00

I have a difficult time trying to fall asleep at night. I've tried all sorts of different things to fall asleep faster - and of course, nothing works. I won't take sleep meds, or any sort of sleeping pill - either herbal or non-herbal. My mind is simply way to active when I try to go to sleep -- there are so many things running through my head. It usually takes me an hour or so to fall asleep.

One little thing I've been trying for years, is counting sheep! Even that doesn't work. Whenever I count sheep trying to fall asleep, it goes pretty much just like this:

Thanks Sesame Street! Thanks to you, I can certainly count, but I can't count SHEEP!

Bats!

2008-04-01T19:59:00.002-04:00

No, not baseball bats. I'm talking about some alive and kicking mice with wings!

There's a few bats outside my apartment flying around. They're driving my cat nuts. He's sitting on the window sill, going crazy, watching this rodents fly around. I suppose the warm weather has finally drawn them out of hiding for the evening.

Baseball is Back!

2008-03-31T23:06:00.003-04:00

Hooray. Baseball is back. Thank you ESPN for showing non-stop baseball all day today. And yes, thanks for letting my watch my Cubs blow a dramatic 9th inning comeback in the following inning.

And, to Kosuke Fukudome: Welcome to the MLB! In his first MLB game as a Chicago Cub, he went 3 for 3 with the game tying 3-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. So far, he's batting 1.000 -- that's pretty good for a MLB debut.

Blog-a-riffic!

2008-03-27T10:33:00.003-04:00

According to Universal Hub, Somerville is one of the bloggiest towns around! I wish I had more to say - I guess I'm not bloggy enough.

How many more ways can we stretch the noun blog into verbs, adjectives, and adverbs? That would be blogtastic.

Isn't it Strange...

2008-03-20T22:19:00.002-04:00

Isn't it strange that you have to have a garbage bag to throw away an empty box of garbage bags? Every time I open a new box of garbage bags, I always feel strange throwing away the old empty box of garbage bags.

Red Sox vs. Tigers

2008-03-20T21:07:00.003-04:00

No, not the Detroit Tigers - That would be the Hanshin Tigers. I'm sure as all of you already know, the Red Sox are over in Japan and are playing two exhibition games against Japanese teams. The first game is Friday night (well, Saturday afternoon in Japan) against the Tigers. On Sunday, they'll be playing the Yomiuri Giants.

Unfortunately, neither of these games are scheduled to be televised over here. I was convinced that NESN or ESPN would broadcast the game. However, according to mlb.com, it'll only be on their MLB TV subscription service.

I'd love to watch the game. I've never seen a Japanese baseball team play - and with an 11:00 pm start time, Friday's game would be the perfect game to watch. I understand that opening day will be on March 25th - but at 6:00 in the morning, its highly probable that I'm not going to get my ass out of bed to watch.

And just an FYI - if you're interested, Game On over by Fenway will be opening at 6:00 am on the 25th to broadcast the game - complete with a delicious breakfast. Its tempting, but 6:00 am is just way to early for a lazy bachelor like me. I'll just DVR the game and watch it later.