Thursday, September 28, 2006

Bravo!

Chad Hermann - Teacher. Wordsmith. Madman. But as great as he is at wordsmithing and being a madman, he is in a class by himself when it comes to teaching. It's one thing to learn in class, but another to become inspired. Chad inspires people.

Otherwise, I'll let this long-awaited article speak for itself.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Grr.

Today's news vaguely reminds me of one of my first posts.

"On Tuesday, congressional Democrats put pressure on the administration to disclose more analysis by the intelligence community on Iraq and the new generation of Islamic terrorists."

I don't want to sound redundant. But again, when we have information that's potentially damaging to NATIONAL SECURITY, it pisses me off when idiot politicians trivialize it over party differences:

"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, asked that the chamber go into secret session to discuss the intelligence reports, something the House has not done since 1983. The proposal was denied by a vote of 171-217 along mostly party lines."

Really professional, you turd-buckets. Way to do what's best for your little club instead of what's best for the country.

Monday, September 25, 2006

...

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

A Void.

That's what's in between my ears after I'm finished with work and school these days. Here are some scatterbrained thoughts:

-I think it's been over a month since I've washed my car. Ouch.

-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rule, but I wonder if the upcoming computer-animated movie will.

-Running is still painful.

-One-arm pushups are difficult.

-Best candy bar ever: 3 Muskateers.

-Hopefully the space between my ears won't be so vacuous and my writing won't be so pointless in 4 weeks. October 14, ladies and gentlemen...it's going to be crazy...

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Running in the Rain.

Today, embarking on a 6-mile run, I noticed dark grey clouds and thought, "no, it's not going to rain for at least an hour or so." I thought wrong.

About half a mile into the run, the sky took a dump on my wife and I as we trotted along. At first, it was fairly gentle, and then, the downpour grew heavier and heavier until it was an all-out deluge. Curiously, I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. I don't think I've even run in those conditions before, at least not nearly to that extent, but I always pictured it as being a fairly unpleasant experience. I have to admit, I actually liked it other than the the soaked-shoes factor. Whereas it's usually punishingly hot around here, it was a unique experience to run with the ultimate cooling system beating down the whole time.

I don't have anything else to report because before I hopped on Blogger, I noticed this. Otherwise, it's time to get back to the Management Game...

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Rant.

Link.

You have to believe that when we die, there is some sort of parity in what happens to us. Hopefully most people with good hearts who try to live well will be rewarded with their choice of heavenly accommodations. And hopefully the aforementioned piece of human waste is on the receiving end of a perpetual gang-bang by a bunch of really ugly demons in hell right now.

Make no mistake, I think that going on a shooting rampage is right up there with the most despicable things a human can do, but the poison cherry on top of all these acts is these people killing themselves every time. It’s just not fair. If you have the audacity to commit such a heinous crime, you should have the balls to stand up to society and explain yourself. By shooting yourself instead, you not only prove to the world that you had no good reason in your head for what you did, but that you’re also a spineless prick. Have fun rotting in hell, you coward.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Garbled.

It’s unfortunate that I’ve become totally attached to my cell phone, because it really sucks. Think about it. You pay about triple what you used to pay for your land-line per month for bad reception and lost calls. Whereas you used to have a large headset, sometimes equipped with a gigantic pad, you now have a phone that is too large to be invisible in your pocket but way too small to wedge between your head and shoulder without injuring your neck. We see even more backlash with the person randomly talking to themselves (or you? Who the hell knows?) through a Bluetooth headset that’s connected to the phone in their pocket (or they’re just trying to look like they’re important).

Like I said, I’m totally attached, though, and feel a slight twinge of sheer panic when I realize that I’ve left my phone at home and I’m – gasp – DRIVING somewhere, where anything could happen and I might need a phone to call for help! At least no one can argue against their utility for real emergency situations where you truly need to get a hold of someone. I just hope that if one of those events occurs, my fickle phone will actually RING.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Music for the Masses.

I was just browsing through Amazon reviews for some of my favorite albums, which I often do while I have tests running and have a couple minutes of free time. Today, I perused the reviews for OK Computer, typically referred to as Radiohead’s masterpiece, to see what others had to say. Apparently there is a bit of a tiff going on in those forums at present because the former 5/5 rating got knocked down to 4.5 by some detractors that gave the album bad ratings. It’s a bit interesting to observe people’s vigilance about other people’s opinions, but even more interesting is when I also feel vigilance about other people’s opinions. Because hey, it’s their opinion, right? They can feel however they want to feel, right?

The issue lies in how such feelings are expressed. If I were to read a lengthy, thoughtful review that asserted that Radiohead’s music isn’t any good because it rehashes soundscapes that have been previously been dreamt up by other artists, or that Yorke’s vocals are perhaps too simplistic or scatterbrained, it would be hard to argue with such an opinion. But it’s fairly difficult not to be irked by mindless dribble such as “I have tried and tried but I just can’t enjoy this boring album. After the first half of Karma Police I just get bored and don’t want to listen to it anymore.” If you think OK Computer is boring, I question your definition of entertainment. Plus, if you bought it just to listen to “Karma Police” you are missing the point.

Bob Dylan recently came out with a new album and I’ve been a little surprised by how much love it’s getting. I think its current Metacritic score (which compiles most available critics’ reviews) is the highest ever. However, I think the impetus behind such praise is that Dylan has transcended beyond the poseur audience and landed strictly with the purists. Those that “get it” hear his stuff and think it’s great. Those that don’t – and they include me to a certain extent – have respect for him and otherwise move on to other music they find more appealing at this point in their life.

I have no doubt that someday Radiohead will reach “legend” status, if they don’t break up and go out in a blaze of glory first. I’m definitely looking forward to that day. In the meantime, if you think that OK Computer is boring but have no rationale at all behind your opinion, you’re probably better off keeping your baseless comments to yourself. Otherwise you’re going to hear a loud response from those that “get it.”

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Ouch.

Well, tonight was rough. My beloved Longhorns had the epitome of a "growing pains" game with a new quarterback and an inexperienced secondary. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes earned it and looked incredibly solid, with no turnovers and no real holes in their offense or defense. I hope the Buckeyes are able to remain undefeated for the rest of the season - it'll make us look better.

As always, Hook 'em!

Friday, September 08, 2006

12 Inches of Vision.

Today in the gym I heard Snow while I was lifting weights - you know, "Informer, blah blabity blabity blabity blabity blabity blabity lickey boom boom down." And I thought to myself, "Wow, 1993 just wasn't ready for what Snow had to offer." Because now we have Sean Paul, Shaggy, and and other assorted reggae-inspired pop fluff circulating throughout the airwaves, and I've got to say, Snow sounds pretty damn good next to the alternatives.

Snow, you were robbed, man. It's time to make a comeback in the U.S. - the masses are now ready for your unique brand of cracker-reggae-rap.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Weak.

Misc.

Yes, I'm still here. Barely. Various musings:

-Management Game is sucking time away like I didn't believe. A wise man keeps repeating that moderation is the key, but there is so...much...information.

-I would love to post observations, thoughts, strategies that we've been using - but I'm actually weary that some crafty full-timer will find this site and use it to their advantage. Not today, buddy!!!

-Cue Garbage's "I Think I'm Paranoid."

-Running is going pretty well, although it's hard to fit them in with the time constraints.

...And finally, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Myriam and Robb - a couple so admirable and outstanding that Monika and I hoped for their imminent marriage over two years ago. The world is now a better place! We can only hope that amidst their quests to save the universe, they take the time to spawn at some point, or the intelligence quotient of Earth will plummet hopelessly as a result! ;-)