What a week!
Man, I go and post about how I don't hate school, and I promptly go and get drowned in homework. Blah! I'm almost caught up there, so it's time to catch up here.
First order of business:
I've been tagged.TEN THINGS I'VE NEVER DONE:
1) Go to Ireland. I really, really, really want to. Everyone I talk to that's been there says it's awesome.
2) Attend a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. Someday, they're going to tear it down. Not soon, but someday. I kind of want to wait until my 13-month old son is old enough to remember the trip, though.
3) Been a best man at a wedding. I have plenty of friends and three brothers, but it just hasn't worked out.
4) Been to a strip club. Seriously.
5) Gone skydiving. I don't really want to, either, but I haven't done it.
6) Since today is Memorial Day, I'll say that I've never been to a memorial service for our soldiers of any kind. I think I'll do that someday.
7) Been arrested. Close, but no cigar.
8) Sticking to the school theme, I've never gotten a degree of any kind. When I do in 2006, it'll be one of the proudest days of my life.
9) Played poker in a casino. In particular, I'd really like to head to Vegas for the World Series of Poker and enter one of the $1500 or $3000 no-limit buy-in tournaments.
10) Caught a foul ball at a baseball game. I know the odds are kind of long, but I've been to lots of baseball games, seeing as how I'm a
partial season-ticket holder and all.
I don't hate school anymore
When I was the age most rational people attend college, I attended college.
Actually, I registered for some classes and showed up every now and then. I never did get any kind of degree, completing about 60 credits worth and finally deciding that I just couldn't do it even one more day. I hated school. I have never been one to tolerate busy work, and that's how I looked at most of my assignments. If it interested me, I did it. If not, I did it half-ass or not at all.
Now, having come to the realization that my boss is actually the devil and that I no longer wish to work where I do forever, I'm going back. I started at Colorado Tech Online in January. Oddly enough, I not only don't hate it, but I'm making a superhuman effort (by my standards) to learn and do well. I have a 4.0 through the first half-dozen classes I've taken (they're about five weeks long, with a lot of work packed into that time) and have given thought to continuing on after I have my Bachelor's.
I can't really put my finger on why I'm willing to work at this now. I sure as hell wouldn't have worked like this 10 or 12 years ago. Maybe it's because my Business Management classes actually seem relevant, whereas none of it did before. Or maybe it's because I've matured - another problem in my younger days was the never-ending (and I do literally mean NEVER) party scene I was on.
Of course, some of the people on that scene managed to get their education in the process.
With any luck, I'll be done next March. Armed with a degree, I should at least be able to get the hell out of the dungeon I'm in now. I really ,really like most of my co-workers, but other aspects of the job just aren't worth it anymore.
If anyone reading this is lacking a degree and thinking about going back to school, I'd recommend at least checking out some online programs. It isn't the Ivy League, for sure, but I enjoy my classes. I never thought I'd say such a thing not too long ago.
Some Braves stuff
Kyle Davies made his major league debut for the Braves against the Red Sox and threw five shutout innings tonight. John Thomson and Mike Hampton are out with injuries, so hopefully Davies can put together a few decent outings until the rotation is healthy again.
Raul Mondesi is hitting an even .200. Of course, Bobby Cox's stupid ass hates young players, so I'm sure Mondesi will continue to play as long as he can drag himself out of bed every morning.
The
Padres, who just swept Atlanta, are my pick to win the NL West. Their pitching gets almost no run, but it's pretty impressive.
Marcus Giles is 3 for his last 25. I thought he tried to get kicked out of the game Friday night when he was called out on a check swing. Giles bears watching, because since 2003 his numbers have
dropped off pretty dramatically.
Working with the public is great
An employee I supervise is getting married in August. She's working like hell to lose weight. Here's a conversation she had with a dumbass patron in our office the other day.
Dumbass: So, how much weight have you lost?
Employee: About 20 pounds.
Dumbass: Yeah, you can really see it in your face. You used to look like this (puffs out his cheeks); now you look like this (smushes his face with his hands).
Employee: (speechless)
Dumbass: You look
good though!
So much for tact...
The geeks come out at night
So, the new
Star Wars movie is out. So are the odd folks that just have to see it. To wit:
Mark, 27, currently is unemployed, which he says makes it easy to spend his day watching "Star Wars" repeatedly. "I even moved back into my parents' basement," he said sheepishly.
I'm thinking "Mark" should reevaluate his priorities. I mean, I like Star Wars as much as the next guy, but c'mon...
Haiku of the Day
An ode to the many horrendous drivers in Michigan:
on the expressway
drivers, left lane, we're waiting!
express - i think not.
He's not so bad after all
All this time, I was under the assumption that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was a clueless, corrupt, and wasteful politician. Kilpatrick has been accused of a variety of spending frolics by City Council members, such as hotel rooms for family members, ultra-expensive dinners, etc. Detroit faces a budget deficit of about $300 million, so you can imagine how some feel about news like this. But the news isn't all bad.
Good 'ol Kwame's
gonna pay it back!
What a guy!
Of course, he doesn't commit to how much, but I think his willingness to pay for his excesses makes him a real stand-up guy. He's racked up $210,000 in credit card charges over three years (making my wife seem positively frugal by comparison) as the only city employee to hold a credit card.
Good luck with your re-election campaign, Mr. Mayor. I think we can all learn from your "example."
First camping trip of '05...
...doesn't look promising. I've been looking forward to it for some time, but the weatherman refuses to cooperate.
Today: Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread and possibly severe this afternoon. High 66F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Tomorrow: Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 56F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Sunday: Few showers. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s.
It is mid-May in Michigan, so I can't be shocked by a forecast like this, especially when I've made plans. But my 4-year old daughter and 12-month old son probably won't care for sitting in the camper and reading all weekend.
I'm certainly down for that...but I'd much rather walk along the beach, eat smores, run beside my daughter while she rides her bike, eat smores, etc.
Worried, Pistons fans?
Indiana evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series with Detroit,
winning 92-83 at the Palace on Wednesday.
The general consensus among my friends is that this will be a 5- or perhaps 6-game series. Well, I would worry about the Pistons winning at all above anything else.
First off, I am not a Pacers fan. I do not like Reggie Miller. I detest Stephen Jackson. I don't miss Ron Artest. I think Jermaine O'Neal is one hell of a player, though - a player that can really take his team a long way. And the players I mentioned besides O'Neal (excluding Artest, who is suspended for the season) are certainly strong contributors as well. Granted, Jeff Foster will likely never again in his life have a 14-point, 20-rebound performance as he did last night.
But the Pacers were very open about wanting to play Detroit. I believe that desire pushed them past Boston in the first round. And I also think the Pistons have holes - not that you can convince anyone around here of that. For one, the Pistons aren't deep at all. Antonio McDyess is playing well, but Lindsey Hunter is garbage. Hardly anyone else gets off the bench for meaningful minutes. In addition, Detroit can fall in love with the three-pointer. When they do, they can get into trouble. Meanwhile, Foster, Fred Jones, and Anthony Johnson are solid if unspectacular players. The Pistons enjoy a definite edge when it comes to the starters, so in the end I expect Detroit will pull through.
I wouldn't bet the mortgage on it, though.
Both hands on the wheel, please
Michigan is attempting to pass
legislation that would fine or even jail motorists for watching porn on their vehicle's DVD player if it can be seen by other motorists.
An excerpt from the article linked above:
State Sen. Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond, said he introduced the bill after a mother called him to complain about an incident last year.
The woman, who declined comment for this story, told the senator that she was stuck in traffic on Interstate 96 in the Detroit area with her two children when she noticed the car in front of hers was playing a pornographic movie.
"At first, I thought it was ridiculous," Sanborn said. "Then I started thinking about it and became outraged that a person would have to be subjected to that as a captive audience.
"Parents have a right to teach their kids about the birds and the bees, rather than getting a play-by-play from the car in front of them."
I'm shaking my head as I re-read this now.
I have two young children. In that situation, I would:
a) switch lanes and move so that my kids couldn't see the video, or
b) if that wasn't possible, simply tell my kids not to look (this controversial tactic is also known as "parenting")
c) accept that people do, in fact, have a right to watch such videos
d) marvel at the idea that people actually watch porn while they drive - who knew?
By the way, Senator, when will you introduce your bill banning suggestive bumper stickers? Just wondering.
For you poker junkies
Not that I fit into that category, mind you.
Check out
Lederer's commercial. If that doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.
Happy Mother's Day, while we're at it...
Tommy Boy gets paid
Well, the Patriots
gave Tom Brady his money. Those who know me will tell you that I've in the past considered Brady somewhat overrated. This is mainly due to the fact that so many people insist on comparing Brady to Joe Montana. But right now, I think Brady is one of the best players in the league, regardless of position.
The article linked above concludes by stating that Brady has a 97-52 TD-INT ratio for his career. You may be thinking, "well, that's not even 2-1. What's so great about that?" Actually, the aforementioned
Mr. Montana didn't have a 2-1 ratio either. Of course, Montana won four Super Bowls. If Brady ends his career with four (or more, which looks possible, doesn't it?), he'll be viewed by future generations the same way Montana is by mine.
More killings in Iraq
This sort of thing really makes my stomach turn. As I've said before, my biggest concern is that I don't see an end in sight. I have never been a supporter of this war, and things like this only convince me that I was right from the get-go.
A dumb question re: Iraq
Is
this ever going to stop? I mean, has Bush considered the possibility that our mission to "spread freedom" may not have a "happily ever after?"
Allen Iverson
Goodbye and good riddance, soocer player.
Man, am I tired of watching that guy fall down. Now, I don't have to for another five months or so. Hooray!
