This one's a MUST READ!

http://maintcoders-revenge.blogspot.com/
Nice post about the State of the Union!!

I been workin' on de railroad.....

Work.work.work.work.
I run my own business as a graphic designer, and it's growing, not quite at the pace I'd like, but it IS getting there.
So just in case, I've got a part time gig which smooths over some rough spots on the financial side of things.
I do both, from 7 am, until 10 pm, Monday through Friday., Then, as if I don't have enough to do, my former manager (and best friend)...(no, she's still my best friend, just former manager at the part time gig) offered me a chance to wait some tables as I do have some excellent customer service skills. (waitaminute, aw, crap, now she IS my boss again, so that would make it...oh, the hell with it)
Where was I?
Oh yes, working.
So I added 9+ hours on Sunday to my schedule.
I really, really miss having free time.
People say, "Well, you're home by 10:15, you can still get a good night's sleep".
Uh-HUH.
5 hours dealing with lunatic clientele, teenage employees, (but whyyyyyy can't I wear the railroad spike through my lip?), antique equipment, and a building that's coming down around my ears.
Could you just go right to sleep after that?
Nah, you have to unwind.
So I do some internet stuff, write the ol' blog, check out the message boards, and wind up with some TV.
I usually get to bed around 2.
Damn, is it 7 ALREADY?
I need a vacation.
Far away from all of this.
What's the Yukon like this time of year?
I'll bet there aren't a lot of people there.
Where else is damn near deserted this time of year?
Siberia?
The top of the Matterhorn?
North Dakota?
As long as no one asks me how to get to the &*%$#@ Space Needle, I'll be happy.
I'll give 50 Bonus Points for the best suggestion far away from the madding crowd.

Why you wanna REMAKE a classic?

On the Verdict, I spotted the news that the classic Ingrid Bergman film, Gaslight, is going to be remade.
WHY?
Is Hollywood, that bastion of new, and inventive ideas going to find an actress as beautiful and talented as Bergman?
No.
Can't be done.
She was one of a kind.
Will they at least maintain the spooky Victorian London setting?
Nah, it'll be set in Hollywood or Beverly Hills.
(Just so they can claim it's a "reimagining" of the original, mind you)
It'll be filled with lame-ass quick cuts, third rate talent, and won't be one TENTH as spooky as the original was.
They'll have to have a "cool" soundtrack, so we can listen to some wretched band of hacks who are currently enjoying more fame and success than they'll ever deserve.
It'll be on video shelves within two months of stinking up the screen at our local multiplexes.
And then, after it's been declared a complete disaster, some jack-ass in Hollywood will bitch once again, "It's all the fault of kids downloading movies!"
Ahem.
Mr. Executive?
Could it possibly the fact that you're putting out pure, grade-A, 100% crap?
Is there a possibility that your sinking profits could be a result of your poor choices?
I saw a TON of flicks last year.
Horror. Comedy. Drama. Chick flicks (hey, you get dragged to them some times).
I saw many a "blockbuster" flick.
Every single one of them was mediocre at best.
In 2005, I saw ONE film, one film only that blew me away with it's originality, it's cleverness, and the gosh darned fun I had watching it.
It was Wallace and Gromit-Curse of the WereRabbit.
The finale to Star Wars, Harry Potter, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, King Kong, big box office numbers, but Hollywood still claimed things were going bad.
Maybe if there were 50 movies as good as Wallace & Gromit?
I mean, it's just a suggestion.

Why kant Jonny speell gud?

If you'll note, I link to several other Blogs.
Read them, and notice something; they are all articulate, and they can actually spell the language they're using.
Why has the Internet brought us a generation of retards that can't spell?
Here's a sampling from a typical sports message board:
"YOU FUCKING LOOSERS SUCK! STOP YOU'RE WHINGING! YOU QUATERBACK SUX!"
Oh, me, oh, my, wherever do we begin?
I suppose "LOOSER" is as good as any.
The word you are attempting to use, my inarticulate and possibly neanderthal friends, is LOSER.
There is only ONE O in it. Loose is a completely different word than lose. Looser isn't a word to describe fans of a certain team. (That would be spelled S-E-A-H-A-W-K-S F-A-N-S for those curious about such matters)
Moving on to YOU'RE.
Used correctly, it is YOU ARE, as in "You ARE an incoherent moron". For the usage you ARE attempting, it should be YOUR, as in, "Please cease YOUR mangling of the English language".
Whinging? There are apparently a number of dolts who think this is the correct spelling of whining.
Sad, no?
Then my favorite, the usage of YOU, when they are attempting to use YOUR.
"Send you files to this e-mail address: blithering_idiot@aol.com."
Can they not spell this?
Or are they too damn lazy to type that extra letter?
I'm going to place the blame, not on the internet, but on the parents.
My mother and father were extremely well spoken, having mastered the tongue that their parents spoke. They went through school and learned how to speak, write, and otherwise express themselves in a clear, and coherent manner. Most of today's parents were part of the 70's and 80's when "Hey, dude, let's party!" was considered a superb bit of dialogue. They also had piss poor schooling by babysitters instead of teachers. Then they added massive drug and alcohol abuse to the mix, and gee, their kids are complete retards. I'm from the same time period, and yet, I too, am able to express myself in a manner that others can understand.
Why is this?
Because my parents gave a shit about my education.
When the teachers dropped the ball, they didn't.
When I misspoke, I got a warning first, and a smack if I continued to incorrectly use the language.
Harsh, to some, but it works.
I know there are those who say, "Oh, it's only the internet, it's not a big deal."
Wrong.
It is a big deal.
I got an e-mail from the CEO of one of my clients.
It was filled with the most wretched examples of writing, spelling and grammar that you could find.
This man is 45.
I could express myself better at 8.
How dumb are HIS kids?
How dumb will THEIR kids be?
"Look! Bonk make FIRE!"?
Or perhaps another generation or two down the line?
"Urrghh. Uggh. Huuuhhh."
That will be part of the valedictorian's speech at Stanford, Class of 2056.

Shout out to everyone I know, or have ever met!

There.
You've all been mentioned.
Quit whining.

I do love the movies....

I've loved movies ever since I was a little kid. My first ever memory of going to the movies was That Darn Cat! I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5. My favorite kinds of movies are pure popcorn. You know, flicks that aren't all that hot, plot or acting-wise, but they entertain you. Pretty good FX are a must on a good popcorn movie. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. King Kong. Jurassic Park. The Mummy. No big, long winded message, no eloquent dialogue, just a good thrill ride of a flick.
I don't look down on them, my rating is based on pure entertainment value. The top price for a movie around the Puget Sound is 8.75 If I feel I got 8.75 worth of movie, it gets a top rating. Grading a FILM however, takes a little more work.
Do you like to talk about movies?
Want to meet a bunch of other people who do as well?
www.dvdverdict.com is the place to go.
They have reviews posted 6 days a week (most weeks) by a team of dedicated, diverse and well rounded critics.
They give you the details on picture and sound quality, let you know how good the extras are, etc. The database is easily searchable, and each movie has links to imdb.com.
What more can you ask for?
Oh, yeah, they also have the Jury Room.
A messageboard dedicated to opinions, mini-reviews by non staff, what we're all watching, and a whole heap of other subjects. Books, music, etc all get discussed there, and by a truly colorful cast of characters.
Some of my faves include:
Addison Dewitt, the snide, articulate and cultured gent with a sharp wit,
Molly, whose avatar reflects her quite accurately, tough, smart, and she takes no BS from anyone,
Steve Powers, a likeable wiseguy from the frozen north with a penchant for Indiana Jones,
Mike Jackson, a Judge for the Verdict, and the main tech guy who keeps the site running, he's a fan of Tim Burton movies,
Chris McLinch & Erick Harper who both do a lot to dispell the myth that Republicans are all swine, and they do it with wise words and kindness, not preaching,
Chris Sax, the SHIT STIRRER supreme, who can puncture anyone's self importance with just a few words, and he starts arguments extremely well (I no longer fall for his bait),
Sara, the film student who wants to be a pro critic, and Tim Burton's biggest fan,
and GoBear, passionate defender of the Left, and extremely nice guy.
They're all there on a daily basis, and they're all extremely welcoming to new people, drop by, sign up, and tell us about your favorite movies!

Is Seattle Super?

Well, the Seaturkeys are SuperBowl bound, are they gonna win it all?
Highly doubtful.
Why?
Here's why.

Does this man look like he wants his final game to be a loss?
If you are not a football fan, this is Jerome Bettis.
Nicknamed The Bus.
Nine years ago, the Rams told him he was too old and too slow, and then they cut his ass.
Bill Cowher and Pittburgh thought differently, and signed him up.
The SuperBowl will be his last game.
In Detroit.
He's FROM Detroit.
His entire family will be there.
Every single one of his friends will be there.
This man will have a home field advantage.
He was gonna retire last year.
The Steelers lost the AFC Championship.
He wanted to retire.
Ben Roethlisberger begged him not to.
He promised him if he came back, they'd get that SuperBowl Trophy.
Last week when Bettis fumbled, nine different players told him not to worry, Bettis had carried the team on his shoulders at times, they were going to carry him.
Ben Roethlisberger won't let him down.
Bill Cowher won't let him down.
The rest of the team won't let him down.
And Jerome Bettis, who for every single carry of his incredible career has been nothinig but class and dignity, won't let HIMSELF down.
Steelers by 10.
The Bus has a big day.
He retires a CHAMPION.

Mini-review of "Hoodwinked"

Saw this with my best friend on Saturday.
The gist is that when Red Riding Hood wanders into Grandma's cottage, she discovers the Big Bad Wolf dressed as Grandma, and a woodsman smashes into the house to save the day...or does he?
The police arrest EVERYONE on the scene and Chief Grizzly wants to lock them all up, but the suave Mr. Flippers wants to investigate further.
It seems the recipes that fuel the various goody shops all over the forrest are being stolen, but by whom?
Is Red more than just a cute little girl, is there something she's hiding?
Is the Big Bad Wolf really innocent, and what does he have to hide?
Is sweet little old Grandma more than what she seems?
And just WHO is the musclebound woodsman, and why did he crash in the house at the right time?
The answers involve a hitsquad of skiiers, a cute lil' bunny rabbit, some wild stunts, and a truly heinous plot to control the goody market.
It is a LOT of fun, very silly and goofy, and you can take the kiddies.
The bad: The animation blows. The characters look as if they were assembled by different studios. Red is very poorly done, looking very stilted, Grandma looks like a rookie animators attempt at a Rankin Bass look, the Wolf likes a refugee from Madagascar, and the Woodsman looks like a second rate Incredible. Horrible. The background shots vary in quality as well, although watch them closely for a few jokes.
Had this been animated by Pixar, we'd be looking at a great film, instead of a pretty good one.
I give it....a B minus.
I rate films on how much of my money's worth I got out of it.
This was a solid 7.75.

Aaaaarrrgghhh! ALLERGIES!!!

Here's a puzzling little thing for your consideration.
Why is is that medication which is basically harmless, but extremely useful, so HEAVILY regulated in this idiotic country?
I suffer from some odd allergies in that many chemical things can get me breaking out in the mad itches. Bleach, certain detergents, etc. Pollen, dust, etc, no problem, splash some bleach on my fingers, scratch, scratch, argghhh!!
I also don't do good with pollution. When I lived in California, I took a lot of medication to deal with smog.
Over the years, I tried everything, but it seemed like the best stuff for me was horribly expensive prescription meds.
My best solution was Zyrtec.
30 days supply?
148.99 US.
WTF?
Needless to say, I could rarely afford it, and just had to suffer to the point of lifelong scars on my shins from the frantic. scratching.
THEN I moved to Washington State.
Much less pollution.
Coolness.
Allergies don't act up so much.
Still, every once in awhile, they'll pop up for an encore.
It's still 148.99 though.
Funny though, right after I moved up here, I went to watch my beloved Los Tiburones wax the inefficient clowns known as the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver BC. I took two days to wander about, and one of the places I stopped in was a Shopper's Drug Mart.
What's this?
Same drug, different name, and it's over the counter?
Nah, can't be.
It is.
Gotta be brutally expensive, though.
13.99 CANADIAN for a 30 day supply.
And this is the "brand name" stuff, called Reactine up there.
Shopper's Drug Mart also has their "generic" brand.
10.99 for the same amount?
I stock up.
Two years before, I was in a horrible car accident.
I was hit from behind while sitting at a light by a guy doing 60.
I was messed up to say the least.
Even after it was determined there was no serious damage to me, I still had a shitload of bruises, bumps, stiffness, etc.
Even with my chiropractor (hi, Dr. Larry!), I was gonna be pretty trashed for awhile, so the regular docs gave me some Methocarbomol, it's a muscle relaxant.
59.99 for a two week supply.
Well, guess what?
In Canada, it's called Robaxecet, and it's over the counter, too.
There's even generics of it.
18.99 Canadian for a three MONTH supply.

What the fuck is wrong with this nation?
Useful, safe medications cost more than ten times what they cost elsewhere, and you have to have a prescription for it?
And don't EVEN give me George W's bullshit about how they might not be safe, Canada is many things, but an unsanitary nation of 2nd rate hacks isn't one of them.
The medications are virtually identical.
One costs and arm and a leg in the "Land of the Free".
The other is reasonably priced and available with no hassle.
And for some reason, every Shopper's Drug Mart I've been to has at LEAST five hot girls working there.

Ooooh Canada.....my home and adopted land....

The Cat Is Trying to Kill Me...I Swear!

I own (Ha!) two small furry terrorists. Their names are George and Stumpy Pete. NO, George is not named after the great unwashed bastard who sits in unearned splendor at 1600 Pensyvania Ave. He's named after George Harrison, he's jet black, and the "Dark Horse" name of Harrison's record label made me think of it. Stumpy Pete, well, here's a shot of the little monster:

The stumpy part came because he's got about an inch of a tail. He and his brothers and sisters were found on I90 after some asshole tossed them in a sack out of the car while going down the freeway.
(NOTE TO WHOEVER DID THAT- If I EVER find you, I will kick your ass seven ways to Sunday!)
Ahem, yes, Pete's tail didn't survive but the rest of him came out fine.
He's nuts. He'll sit there and cry his little heart out because he's not being petted, and then two seconds later, he's trying to remove George's throat. He's also a serious 'nip addict. Hard core junkie.
Why and how is he trying to kill me?
The why is unknown to me, the how is getting creative for a cat.
1)The easiest way for a feline to kill a human is the ol' "trip 'em while they're carrying stuff", if not a broken leg, they at least wreck the groceries. He's REAL good at this.
2)The "leap when they ain't lookin'" bit. Yes, when I stagger out in the morning sans caffiene, a 13 pound cat attempting to land on my head is a GREAT wake up. Of course his balance is shot so he flicks the claws in a vain attempt to hang on. Oooh yes. Bactine and Bandaids to go with breakfast! Some times he waits too long before he tries it, and I'm ready for him.
Now does he want to injure me doing this?
No.
He wants to sit with me on my shoulder.
When he was a 13 ounce kitten it was fine.
Now it's kinda tricky.
It's kind of startling, but not too bad.
3)"Can I give my human a heart attack"? This one takes some setup. He waited the other day until I'd gotten my cereal and milk all set, and had sat down to read the paper.
Now George will usually just yowl and yip a bit in the morning, and Pete gives me a few cries.
There's George....being cool and trying to fit underneath my computer desk's shelf.
Where's Pete?
A quick glance to the sofa.
Not there.
The food bowl?
No.
He didn't go into the fireplace, did HE?
No.
Hmmmm...where is the little tyrant?
The windowsill?
Nope.
Hmmm, well, I'll just read my paper and take a spoonful of Peanut Butter Crunch and WHAM!!!
Dipshit has leapt off of the fridge, over my head, and landed with one paw in the cereal, and the other three frantically trying to hold on.
You ever had a cat exploding out of your cereal before?
I haven't.
Heart rate?
About 283 beats a second.


How much can I get for an ordinary housecat for medical experiments?
I can pay them if needed.

FAKE STEAK????

I'm mostly vegetarian, not for any animal issues, just because the lower fat, cholesterol, etc. are healthier for you.
They've got some wonderful stuff out there now.
Boca's Chik'n Nuggets taste pretty good, as do their various hamburger types.
Morningstar Farms has some good chicken stuff to, but they recently introduced two grilled type strips, one chicken, and the other steak. You can use them in stir fry, fajitas, etc. I loved the chicken, but was hesitant to to try the steak as I didn't eat much beef other than burgers anyways.
Hooboy.
Gotta change that now.
Take the steak strips, wrap them in plastic with some diced green peppers and microwave for 50 seconds.
Take a french roll, spread a little butter or margerine on it, toss it on the grill to toast it.
When it's toasted, spread a little mayo, or whatever you prefer on it.
Take the steak strips, they'll be VERY hot. Spread them all over the roll, toss some Swiss cheese on it, toss it back on the grill for a few seconds to melt the cheese and you have...A Faux Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.
Try it, it's awesome.

Working at the factory, or why am I doing this?

I'm a graphic designer by trade. It can be a very fun and rewarding job, and I DO get to see things ahead of time when it comes to games, etc. Yesterday though, was one o' them days that can just about drive you bonkers.
One of the services I provide my clients is to "geekspeak" between the final product vendors and myself, thereby .aking my clients life easier. THEY don't know technical art terms and software info, and neither does their client, so I usually get to jump in and resolve minor issues by speaking with the art department. It's usally pretty smooth sailing, and 90% of the time, it's a PC art department that doesn't understand Macintosh compression methods. (DON'T get me started on Mac vs. PC, whatever you do) Yesterday saw me get the phone number from my client for a factory, and I noticed it was an odd set of numbers. "That's because the factory is in Hungary" I'm told.
I call, and I'm fortunate, the person who answers the phone speaks English reasonably well.
Oops. They're not in the art dpeartment. They're in sales.
Can they transfer me?
Sure.
Does the art department speak English?
"He is just speaking a small amount of English"
Wonderful.
Can they help me translate?
No.
Why not?
"He is not speaking much Hungarian, he from Croatia, speaks that."
Does ANYbody there speak Croatian AND English?
"Maybe at embassy."
48 minutes of frustration, and an ungodly phone bill.
Resolved by sending screenshots of the application along with a few simple notes.
Where's the vodka?
The day ACTUALLY went downhill from there.
My best friend in the world called.
"What are you doing?"
Just working on some art.
"What kind of art?"
You really, really, don't want to know.
"No, come on, tell me. I really want to know. Give me the details!"
She asked for this.
I'm currently using Photoshop to airbrush Supergirl's crotch.
Click.
Doesn't anyone trust me when I tell them they don't want to know?
And it wasn't anything dirty, I was using a drawing of Supergirl and Superman to create a silhouette of two superhero types. Her, um, crotch area needed to be cleaned up just a bit as my scan wasn't perfect.
Jeez.

The part time gig wasn't any fun either.
I get to be a shift lead as I'm an adult, but why can't the kids actually listen to direction?
Is wearing proper pants and a belt that hard?
Apparently it is.
They gotta wear pants that are hanging around their asses.
Just what restaurant customers like to see!
Then one of my nitiwits shows up with his shirt sleeve rolled up.
He just got a tattoo and it "itches really bad if I leave the sleeve down"
Get over it, chuckles.
SOMEhow, later in the evening I "accidentally" slapped him on the arm and told him he'd done a good job.
Oooh, what that the arm that you JUST had the tattoo done on?
My bad.
Really.

I was wrong, so wrong...at least on Saturday....

I confess. I was flat out wrong about New England and Washington. The Skins did shut down Shaun Alexander, but couldn't get their creaking offense in gear. Time to retool the O. The Pats, ah, well, they just decided a playoff game was a good place to start falling apart!! Arrggh! And to lose to the Broncos? Ick. Ewww.
Sunday was a different story, Pittsburgh's D did exactly what I figured, put the pressure on Manning early, and wow, he can't handle it. Another big choke effort by the team that three weeks ago everyone was saying might be the best team that's ever played.
FACT: Manning blows it every time the game is on the line. And the incredibly overrated and overpriced kicker? Niiiiice choke.
PIttsburgh won by....3. As I predicted.
Chicago's inexperience did kill them as the D did a good job in keeping the Panthers in sight, but their O was so flat and Grossman's lack of games just killed them. Smith a is a one man wrecking crew of a reciever though, ain't he?
REVISED PICKS:
Pittsburgh once again gets by on killer D in Denver, and leaves the Mile High city with travel plans to Detroit. Not by much, once again, close one, 6 or less.
Carolina gives the Seaturkeys way more than Washington could, and their D gets a big game, and they too, leave Seattle with plans to hit the Motor City. Panthers by 6.
SUPERBOWL:
Pittsburgh's D teaches Carolina the finer points of shutting down a team, while their ball control Offense uses the Bus to eat the clock in a low scoring SuperBowl. Pittsburgh wins 17-9 or so, the Bus gets his ring, and hangs up the helmet on a great career. Cowher is FINALLY acknowledged as one of the coaching greats, and no one will say he can't win the big one anymore.
You heard it here!!

Why don't we get Cherry flavored PEZ in the USA?

Strawberry, orange, lemon.
WTF?
Why can I only get Cherry overseas?
This shit bothers me and keeps me up at night.
So does the list of missing foods.
Purplesaurus Rex Kool-Aid.
I really dug that flavor.
The bastards.
The ORIGINAL Chicken Sandwich at Carls. Jr.
On the French roll.
It was killer.
The current one sucks.
Marathon Candy Bars. Reggie Bars. Freakies Cereal.
Vanilla Crunch. Fruit Brute (companion cereal to Count Chocula and Frankenberry).
Where'd they go?
At least I can still buy Quisp!
www.quisp.com
And holy shit, why do they have to keep coming up with new flavors of Pop Tarts?
I'll only eat Brown Sugar/Cinnamon and Strawberry.
I give less than a shit about Darth Vader flavored PopTarts.
And why isn't there Grape Nehi Soda anymore?
I'd even settle for Grape Fanta.
But nooo...we have to stock the shelves with 83 varieties of Mountain Dew.
Does this shit bother anyone else, or am I even more disturbed than the average person?
Let me know, willya?

These guys freaking rock!

www.okgo.net
If you like your rock with a dose of humour, and a shitload of hooks, check these guys out. The video for A Million Ways will have you laughing your ass off before you notice you're dancing your ass off. On tour NOW!!!

NFL Predictions, or go Skins!

Ugh. The people up here are all in a frenzy as their beloved Seaturkeys get ready for a playoff game at Kotex PantyShield Field™, or whatever the current corporate whoring of the stadium name is. These people are delusional. One MVP and a loser QB does not make a SuperBowl contender. Plus the coach is a jackass. They go up against the Redskins. SuperBowl winning coach? Check. Three wins with three different QB's. Fearsome defense? Check. LaVar Arrington, a certified destroyer of running backs and passing games. Great offense? Check. They had a rough go last week, but Clinton Portis is no bum, and Mark Brunnell can win big games. Seaturkeys? SuperBowl winning coach? Um, yeah, Brett Favre won one by being a brilliant QB, Holmgren had little to do with it. Defense? No, not really, if they all decide to play, they can maybe make the Skins work harder, but they aren't going to be able to stop them entirely. Besides, Ray Rhode's defenses always come apart in the playoffs. Offense? Other than Shaun Alexander? No, not really. Hasselbeck sucks in pressure situations. Despite a pair of Penn State recievers, they can't be very effective when their QB hits them in the back of the helmet. Face it, if Alexander wasn't on this team, and they played in a real division instead of the Pansies of the NFC West, they'd be 3-13.
Skins by 7.
Word.
Pats vs. Broncos
The Patriots will destroy the Broncos in Denver, because cold weather doesn't exactly faze the Pats. Besides, the Pats are peaking at the right time.
Pats by 10.
Carolina vs. Chicago
This is a tough matchup, both teams are pretty good, but both of them can suck big time. Chigaco has gotten a lot of mileage with a strong defense, but Carolina isn't exactly a bunch of pansies on D, while Chicago's offense isn't a powerhouse. I think Chicago's inexperience kills them.
Carolina by 7.
Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Peyton's great, and so are the rest of them, and we should all feel sorry for Tony Dungy, blah, blah, blah. BFD. Manning has choked in every single game that means anything. Win a SuperBowl? He needs to win an AFC Championship first, and he's never done it. Besides, Pittsburgh loves to ruin other people's seasons. How can Pittsburgh pull it off? The Bus wants a title so he can retire. Big Ben wants to prove himself to the world. Cowher isn't the most veteran coach because he's stupid. Nope, Pittsburgh can win, if all goes right and they don't make any mistakes. Their D needs to hammer Manning and get him out of his rythym. Blitz. Lots of them. Knock Manning on his ass five or six times, and the game is yours. Sic him.
Pittsburgh by a whisker, 3 or less.

Next round:
Pittsburgh upsets the Pats in Foxboro by 6.
Carolina knocks off Washington by 3.
Pittsburgh wins it all.

I think I need to build an ark

I took a vacation recently. When I left on the 16th on December, the snow we'd gotten had started to turn to rain. It hasn't stopped raining since. All of the creeks and rivers are just about to flood. I'll be fine, living on the second floor as I do, but it's not going to be easy on a lot of people if we do get flooding here. Almost a month straight of rain. Torrential downpours in California for the last few weeks. You don't think this might be anything to do with global warming, do you?
Nah, couldn't be, right?
After all, George says that it's all just nonsense.
Scientists and climatologists don't know as much as he does, right?
Not that I have anything against the other people in Crawford Texas, but jeez, I'd love to see a Biblical level flood strike Crawford, right after the wildfires torch most of it off the map. Then have the scientists explain global warming to the shithead again.
That'd be nice.
Maybe the Kyoto deal would finally get adhered to.

I'm bummed. I feel unloved.

I know it's not true, but I feel that way when work gets slow. There's a huge show this week in the promotional products industry, and pretty much all of my customers are there, ie, they're not sending me any work. It's not me, but I get that way as a result of clinical depression. Yep. I'm one of the folks that suffers from depression. You know someone who suffers from it, I'm sure. Everyone does. Do you understand what it's like though? Imagine the worst thing that ever happened to you, a death in the family, a natural disaster, getting dumped, etc. Then imagine that feeling overtaking you when there is absolutely nothing wrong in your life. You could have just won the lottery and feel horrible. Medication helps many people, but millions more go without. There is no control for them, they bounce from highs to lows, often in the space of a single day, sometimes they stay on the highs, and sometimes the lows seem to last forever. Not an easy thing to deal with. The next time you see someone who is having a tough time of it, maybe a little compassion would help.
For me, I'm just keeping busy, working on some silly-ass blog and making the house all sparkly clean.
Clean? No, not OCD Monk style clean, just tidy. Does my depression mean there's any other stuff LIKE OCD in my life? No. I am pretty compulsive though about certain things, though. 99% of the places I eat know exactly what I'm going to order before I order it. I don't like to change too much in that regard. My routines stay pretty much the same in lots of my life, too. If a job comes up with a huge rush and a tight deadline, I can't get going until I've programmed iTunes with some music. I know I'm killing five minutes choosing what to listen to, but I can't get rolling until I have music. I'll listen to the same CD in the car for three or four days. When I go to bed, I eat a packet of fruit snacks while reading. If I don't, I don't sleep as well. I have to read before bed, too, even if it's a few pages only. I took the OCD test on a website and it said I showed slight tendencies. Wonderful.

Welcome to my world!

Howdy! You've reached the semi-coherent ramblings of the 30-something graphic designer who lives in the wilds of Washington State.
What will I talk about? Anything I bloody well please. And that entails? Music. Movies. Work. Apple Computers. Hot chicks. My psychotic cats. The NHL. The NFL. Misery. Depression. My laughable love life. My quest for American made goods. My desire to someday be a Canadian.
Deal with it.