A New Toy?

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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 ...

... 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:

• Grover's Disco Alphabet
• Radio. Radio. Radio.
• 3-2-1 Contact
• Great Space Coaster

Bachelor Approved!

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?

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

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

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?