I've decided I need to make a commitment to my writing. Starting tomorrow, I am going to try to average five nights per week of writing. I would have started tonight. In fact, I did start tonight. I wrote a lengthy rant about Joshua's flag football league. It was six or seven lengthy paragraphs and was only about 2/3 of the way done. I stopped and read it back and it stunk. It was long and rambling and not all that entertaining. I don't mind the first two if the third one is there, but 'entertaining' or at least 'interesting' is kind of important. I feel good about writing. I feel even better for exercising some quality control on myself. You're welcome. We'll try again tomorrow. Feel free to suggest topics or ask questions. I'm not saying I'll use them all, but if there is something you'd like to see in this space, now is your chance to ask for it.
Read More......Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Record Album Meme
Nobody has tagged me for this and I shan't tag anyone else, but I did find this one more fun than many of the memes running around out there. Hat tip to my friend Michelle over at Kill 9 Studios as hers was the first I saw. As with all of these things, there are "rules".
1 - Go to Wikipedia’s “random” page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to Quotations Page’s "random quotations":
http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your album.
3 - Go to Flickr and click “explore last seven days”
http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
It's nice to credit the photo source, but I lost the URL. So, whoever you are, thanks for the excellent picture!
4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it together.
5 - Post your photo to your FB page with this text in the "caption" or "comment" and tag friends you’d like to join in.
Here's my album:
Band: Star Vampire
Album: Sell Body Parts for Money
I think my band is a cross between The Cure and Depeche Mode.
And just in case you are curious, here is the full quote:
"The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money." -David Richerby
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Succumbing to the Single Letter Meme
There are a number of internet memes running around on Facebook, and I have been tagged with several. I'm going to give in on this one and perhaps others. But for now, here is the single letter thingy. Like all of these, it has rules. I'm not tagging anyone, cuz I don't wanna. But if you feel like doing it, go ahead.
Rules: Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and set your tags. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.
1. What is your name: Brian
2. A four Letter Word: Bold
3. A boy's Name: Benjamin Button
4. A girl's Name: Betty Boop
5. An occupation: Bartender
6. A color: Beige
7. Something you wear: Bandanas
8. A food: Banana Bread
9. Something found in the bathroom: Bathtub
10. A place: Bolivia
11. A reason for being late: Broke down
12. Something you shout: Banzai!
13. A movie title: Buckaroo Banzai
14. Something you drink: Bosco
15. A musical group: Blues Traveler
16. An animal: Bison
17. A street name: Bear Valley Parkway
18. A type of car: Bentley
19. A song title: Barracuda
20. A verb: Bloviate
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Yet Another Blog
I know. Just with the internet needs, right? And why would I start another one when I am doing such a poor job of keeping this one up? Excellent question. Don't know the answer. I'm probably just easily distracted by shiny...oooh! A fire engine! What was I saying? Oh, yes. New blog. My friend Kitten Herder wanted to start a blog to practice fiction writing, so she started Handing Over the Kayboard and asked me to be one of the administrators.
The idea is not a new one. One of us will post the opening to a story. Anyone can add to the story through the comments. The idea is to build the story in a constructive way. Don't throw away or undo anyone else's work. We may also start a commentary thread for each story as they go. That will be the place for constructive feedback. So far, only she and I have written anything. I'd love to have others join in.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Amusing Thought of the Day
I got this from my Dad, but I am not sure of the original source.
Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given her.
So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of sh..t.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Dang, That Was Close
Check out what happened 2 miles from my office. An FA-18 Hornet crashed into a house. This is the down side to working really close to a military base. Fortunately, there don't appear to be any casualties.
Read More......Friday, December 05, 2008
Ode to the Boy in Maya's Class
One of Maya's fellow students was a McCain supporter. He's disappointed in the way the election turned out. His solution? Write limericks rhyming Obama with Osama, of course. So, I helped Maya with a rebuttal:
There once was a boy in my class
Whose rhymes were really quite crass
He thought he was clever
But all he was ever
Was a really big pain in the butt
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
I Know, I'm Supposed To Tell Vacation Stories
But I am still catching up on everything I didn't do while I wasn't here. And this hilarious video crossed my monitor this morning. I had to share. I realize this does not portray my Yes on 8 friends accurately, but it does contain some good points. Plus it has some of my favorite celebs and, as I mentioned, is funny!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Back From Vacation, But Still Digging Out
View Larger Map
In the meantime, check out the route we took from Friday to Friday. I'm going to try to start writing up our adventures. There were many and they were exciting. The map above shows our stops along the way. The link from B to C was by train, not car. Otherwise, we drove all of that. Oh, and the start and Finish are at H. As an added bonus, I now know where Cornville, AZ is. Fun!
Monday, November 17, 2008
More California Earth Shaky Goodness
I'm officially a Californian. I was awakened by an earthquake at 4:30 this morning. I rolled over, noted the time, thought "Hm. I wonder how big that one was." and went back to sleep. Of course, once I was awake, I needed to get the details. So, I looked it up here. It was a 4.1 and was about 30 miles from us. Nothing was damaged and the kids didn't even wake up.
Read More......Friday, November 14, 2008
Quantum of 'Splosions
The question is, which definition of Quantum am I using? Do I just mean "a particular amount" or "a large quantity"? You'll have to see the movie to find out. Mostly, I was looking for a play on words and that was the best I could come up with. I guess I'm not feeling too clever this morning. But I am feeling like writing a movie review, so read on if you want to know what I thought of the movie...
Overall, I found the movie to be an excellent addition to the Bond Franchise. It continues the shift away from the campier Bond that was begun in "Casino Royale", but it still had a decent amount of depth to it. It's not as good as "Casino", but Daniel Craig continues to move Bond along the road to the detached playboy that other actors have made him out to be. He's also a more mortal Bond. He gets cuts and bruises and doesn't bounce into the next scene fresh as a daisy. He's also a good deal more brutal than previous portrayals. He's not glib immediately after a life and death struggle. He is brooding and intense for a bit before he relaxes. In short, Craig reminds us that double-0s are not spies but spies with a mandate to murder. Additionally, Judi Dench is superb as M.
The plot was not overly complex, but flowed well and was tight and smooth. I didn't feel it dragging at any time. And none of my vociferous coworkers were bored enough to shout at the screen. There weren't many twists, but the ones that were present were satisfying.
My list of negatives is going to seem long, but that is only because I didn't want to give any of the good bits away. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but had a few issues with the direction.
The biggest complaint is the jump-cuts in some of the action sequences. It was as though they were trying to cover up bad fight choreography by making it hard to focus on the action. I'm sure it was a stylistic choice, but I didn't care for it.
I also don't think they used a couple of the supporting characters enough. They were there for a brief moment and then suddenly gone for a long stretch. They could have been woven in better.
My last complaint is going to sound silly, but hear me out. I thought one of the action sequences stretched the bounds of the reality they had created for themselves. That's right. I'm dinging a James Bond movie for lack of realism. The problem is that they moved back toward realism with much of the action. Sure, the stuff is fantastical and in some cases probably impossible, bet it was believable in the world they created. If you see it, and I encourage you to, let me know if you can guess which stunt was too much for me.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Blog Bling Goodness!
I got an award! I am officially a "Superior Scribbler". I'd like to say I earned it due to my journalistic integrity and excellence. But that's not really what this blog is about. In this particular case, I got it because I entertain and amuse my friends. And really, that is better than journalistic excellence in my book.
So, what is it? Read on...
The "Superior Scribbler Award" was created by a high school journalism teacher for exponential love sharing and recognition for our fellow bloggers. It came to me from one of my oldest, dearest, and coolest friends: Stickthulhu over at Cthulhu's Family Restaurant. He received it for his observations, both humorous and serious on the state of our society.
The awards creator also laid down some rules for recipients:
- Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
- Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
- Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
- Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
- Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
As you can see, I've met all the conditions except the passing them on part. I even used Mr. Linky to add myself. I'm recipient #274, by the way. So, upon whom shall I bestow this honor? This is not easy, because many of the blogs I read have already received the award. I feel like the last guy to get in on Amway.
That said, the people I am awarding should not feel like they are just leftovers. I would actually break the rules and only give two or three before I gave the award to someone who was not worthy.
1) My BIL Daniel has an interesting blog about city planning called Beyond D.C.. It's primarily about the greater Washington D.C. area, but not entirely.
2) A good friend aliased Kitten Herder posts over at Hearding Kittens. We helped each other survive a challenging workplace together a few years back. Give her a read for insightful perspectives on politics, religion, and society, with the occasional family rant thrown in.
3) Barbie2be is a net friend I have never met in real life. We 'met' during my crazy stunts for breast cancer fund raising a couple years back. She lent me the now famous Pink Tutu. Her blog is an interesting blend of politics, causes, food, and personal struggles. I don't comment often, but I always read.
4) Another worthy blog is Staring at Empty Pages. Barry Leiba is well-read, insightful, and diverse. He talks about Mathematics, Logic, and Politics, but he does it in such a clear and articulate way. I don't always agree with him, but I often do. And even when I have disagreed, I've never felt he was misleading or dishonest.
5) My last nod goes to Obsidian Wings. I first found this blog through writer "publius" who had his own law and politics blog. He has since joined forces with a few other bloggers. Obsidian Wings is a great place to go for moderate oriented essays on law, politics, and society.
So, there you go! Congrats to all you scribblers out there. Spread the love!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WTF and WTF II
The kids pointed me to these weird cartoons. Clearly, Charlie needs some better ways to cope with his unicorn tormentors. It's hard to pick the weirdest thing, but I'm going to go with "Magical Leopleurodon".
Charlie I
Charlie II
Friday, November 07, 2008
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
My friend James pointed me to President-elect Obama's transition web site. On there, you have an opportunity to share your story, your ideas, and your vision for America. This is what I submitted:
This campaign, for me, has been about Hope. Not little 'h' hope, but big 'H' Hope. The kind of Hope that we rarely see. The kind that motivates people to believe. President Obama made me believe that anything was possible. Now I look forward to helping make that change real.
I honestly think that the biggest issue facing our country, the one that could stop us from overcoming any of the others, is the hate and fear that we have been experiencing over the last eight years. President Bush claimed he was going to be a uniter, not a divider. But there was no true reaching across the aisle. He reached across to invite his opponents to come to his side, not to meet him in the middle.
We have become so polarized as a nation that the speaker of an idea has become more important than the idea itself. We need to heal those divisions and build trust if we are to end the war, protect the country, or restore the economy.
I don't have all the answers for how to do that. I'm just going to try to listen to people I know who have a different view and understand what their concerns and beliefs are. When I respond, it will be to address their concerns, not to express my fears. What is it that Covey says? "Seek first to understand, then be understood."
I look forward to the next four years and hopefully four more after that.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday Morning Silliness
I'm not sure where this came from, but it brightened my Monday.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sometimes They Do, Josh
Sometimes, I wonder where they get this stuff. We had a very weird conversational exchange at my house the other night. Here is the scene: Maya was trying on jeans and commenting on the size of her butt. She-who-is-no-help-at-all decided to have some fun with our Middle Schooler.
Mom: You do have a big butt, honey. I can't lie.
Me: No she doesn't. You're fine, Maya.
Mom: She does, but not in a bad way.
Me: *sigh*
Mom: It's a cute butt. Someimes, boys like a girl with a cute butt.
She was clearly trying to embarrass Maya. But Maya was playing along and having fun. Then, out of left field:
Josh: Sometimes they like hot, sexy girls.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Two Kid Stories
Maya and Josh do many things that amuse me. I just thought I'd share a couple from this week.
Tuesday was "clan dance" day for the 6th graders at Maya's school. They were studying ancient tribal societies and learned about tribal dances. They were required to come in some sort of tribal costume for their class presentations. Students who did not have a costume had to 'buy' one for $200 in class cash. They also would only be able to get 90% credit. As she packed for school, I noticed her putting some extra stuff in her bag. "What's all that for?" I asked her. "I'm bringing an extra costume. If someone forgets theirs, I'll rent them my extra for $150 class cash. And they won't get docked on their grade." Is this how Donald Trump got started?
On Wednesday, She-who-is-pretty-overwhelmed needed to keep Josh occupied while Maya did her homework and she did her work work. So, she told him to give Maya a practice spelling test to prep her for Friday. He was doing a pretty good job of it, with a few exceptions. After all, he is in second grade and she is in sixth. She may have the occasional word he does not know. "Maya, what does R-E-S-C-U-E spell?" he asked. "It spells 'rescue' Josh." "Ok. Your next word is rescue. Spell rescue."
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Hey, Look, A Blog!
I think I have one of those. I should post to it. Here's an Australian comedian I've recently discovered and am enjoying making fun of an insipid song that I think should be featured on my friend James' "This Song Must Die" meme.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Vacation: Day 1
Day 1 shouldn't even really count. It was only a vacation in the sense of the root word vacate, as in "we vacated California". Our flight was at 1, but we were up at 7 to finish packing and prepping the house for our departure. We were to the airport by 11 and the plane left on time. We connected in Salt Lake City and went on to Boston. The flight was more than a bit bumpy and the movie was "Drillbit Taylor", but there was no real suffering beyond that. I think we only encountered one inconsiderate person all day! We landed at Logan at 11:30 but didn't leave the airport until 12:30. Checkin at the hotel was slow because "the computer slows down when it isn't being used". We finally crashed at 2. So, why the crap have I been awake for 3 hours already?!?
FYI - The inconsiderate person was encountered when we were on the shuttle from the rental car place to the airport. We rent cars one way instead of driving and parking or taking one of the airport shuttles. Contrast: One way rental - $37 including gas. Shuttle for 4: $125+. At any rate, we were on the shuttle waiting to get dropped off at our gate, but the driver had to pick up arrivals, too. After a couple pick ups, we were pretty full and there was no room on the luggage rack. The driver was ready to leave when this woman ran up and tried to get on. He pointed to another shuttle from the same company two cars back and just waiting to pull into the spot he was vacating. He explained that we were pretty full. She insisted on getting on THIS shuttle and piled her luggage in front of the rack, making it difficult for others to get their stuff. I suppressed the urge to say something to her.
