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 |   A little bit of everything, colored my own way. |
 BLOG CHALLENGE WINNER FOR SEPTEMBER 2011 AND APRIL 2012!! ** Image ID #1901871 Unavailable **  After almost a year away, I've decided to revisit Blogville. I'm refreshed and ready...this time around it'll be a little different. I'll talk about a little bit of everything...music, sports, retail life, and more. It's not for everyone...you might not like it, but someone you know (and possibly detest) probably will! WHO THE HELL DO I THINK I AM??  We're gonna find out one way or another!  Relax, enjoy, leave a comment, tell your friends... A special thanks to Julie D - PUBLISHED!  for the 2011 Quill Awards image!"There is only one way...it is THE WAY." -Photo Jesus  "Can't you count to one??"  Thanks for stopping by and showing your support!  |
| THE PROMPT: "Write one paragraph about the word spiritual and what you think it means to you. Is being spiritual different than being religious? Do you see yourself as being either spiritual or religious? Do you have negative inner reactions to those whom you see as being religious or spiritual? Why or why not?" Good evening everyone...if you know one thing about me, it's that I have a hard time doing anything in one paragraph. While I like to subscribe to the "less is more" theory of writing, I also have the tendancy to say too much at times. But I'm game for this prompt, and dare I say it, I'm feeling almost a little cocky about this prompt. In fact, to borrow a line from an old game show, I can nail this prompt in ONE SENTENCE!! Judges?? (I will, for the sake of arguement discussion, spend the rest of a paragraph's worth of sentences answering the other questions.) Being spiritual means having an inner connection with someone or something, while being religious signifies the subscription to a specific religion's oaths, ways and traditions. I definitely consider myself to be more spiritual than religious, as I don't belong to any particular religion. What am I spiritual about? Who knows. I don't know what's up there or out there, but I do give a little bit of creedence to the "Higher Power" way of thinking. What I do know is that I was not placed here to judge anyone on anything (but far be it from me to hold my tounge if you piss me off), because I'm the "live and let live, and to each their own" kinda brotha. There. That's it. Now here's the bonus portion that came with the deluxe edition: You've probably got more spirituality in your pinky, because I wouldn't know what to even be spiritual about. Maybe it's the "inner peace" thing...well, that likes to come and go. And brushing my teeth every morning, noon and night doesn't make one religious...it means they religiously take care of their hygiene, which is cool and all. Hey, we all do it. Some dudes religiously wash their cars, and some chicks religiously paint their nails. Whoop-dee-friggin'-doo. That and $1.75 get you a cup of coffee with the big JC upstairs as long as you're good in whatever faith you accept and practice. And I'm sure your choice of religical language is all well and good for you, and if you're happy then I'm happy, but let's face it, nobody, especially  this guy  wants to be beaten over the head with it all the time. You wouldn't want me to tell you constantly how much I love cheese, and how the benefits of having cheese in my life have altered me significantly, and when I die hopefully I'll go to Wisconsin, (and I'm seaching now for a cheese emoticon, and I swear to Gouda if they have a cheese emoticon and not a hockey emoticon I might shred Cheddar until I can't shred anymore...and then I'll shred some more...nope, damn, they don't have a cheese one, but this kinda works, so I'll use it anyway  ) and, sorry...that started to get a wee bit away from me. Basically, don't preach to me, because what works for one person doesn't work for everyone, and we're no better nor worse from it. And trust me, I've done my research. I'm pretty much an outsider and an outcast when it comes to most major organized religions. I see the holes and the flaws. So you do your thing, and I'll do mine. Word.Whew. I haven't had a rant that good in awhile. Let's move on, shall we?  MUSICAL BREAK!! Debate these selections amongst yourselves politely, please. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NlfwxJzjAE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ASok9tBWc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kjf4khR9dE VITAL STATS:   I realize some people may get offended, and I'm ok with that. Why? Because I pay the rent on this hole in the wall of the internet, and I'll decorate it any way I please. Some may feel the need to explain to me why I should accept their faith...please don't. I'll direct you to the top of this page, the author's name, and have you re-read the damn entry. I accept you, even if I don't agree with certain ways and things and stuff. You can accept me for who I am, or politely move along. Please, and thank you.  Ugh. I'm gonna pack it up at that. It was uneventful anyway today. I'm not bummed or anything, but I've been sort of introspective a little too much for my own tastes today, and came to some realizations (that have nothing to do with this entry, thanks). I think I'm just gonna read a little to see everyone else's perspectives on this prompt and call it a night. If you made it down to here, thanks for stoppin' by...peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3gvqyw73wU |
| THE PROMPT: "In the past few years books have been adapted into movies. Some have not lived up to their novel origins. What book adaption have you not been impressed by? If you could, would you re-film the movie? What book(s) do you think could make an impressive movie? What book(s) do you think couldn't be made into a movie, no matter what the circumstances?" Good evening from frigid Buffalo...gimme a sec to warm up. Ok, so, I gotta tell you, I am totally unprepared for this entry. Even if I had seen it last night, I don't think that would have been enough time to gain any perspective. You see, I'm really not a movie watcher at all. I just don't have the attention span to sit in front of the tv for a couple of hours watching tv (unless it's football or hockey). In fact, during the last couple movies I've tried to watch, I've fallen asleep. And they were some funny comedies I really wanted to see  . And that's the other part of this...I only like certain movies, and I only like certain books...books that don't generally get made into movies.In my "adult life" (that term gets used very loosely}, I can name maybe 3-5 movies I can remember watching that I may have read the book also...One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and...damn, that's the only one that comes to mind. Maybe Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas also, but I don't recall actually seeing the movie. I know it's a growing trend though...lots of bestsellers in recent years seem to get spun onto the silver screen. I blame that ultimate tear-jerking machine, Nicholas Sparks. Whatever, Sparks. Chicks dig you and I dig chicks; otherwise, if I ever saw you at a bar or book burning event, there's gonna be a very one-sided conversation between you, me, and a cracked beer bottle.  I will say, however, that I did watch PJ20 recently, which is a documentary about Pearl Jam's 20-year career featuring lots of rare and unseen footage, and was accompanied by a thick, coffee table-style book of the same name that had lots of never-before-seen pictures of the band over the years. That's gotta count for something. Also, I saw the documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, which is about an alt-country band named Wilco and their struggle to release what would become their groundbreaking album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Their story goes like this: they formed after the dissolution of two country-ish bands, and put out a couple of decent albums. They finished Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, submitted it to the major label they were on, the label rejected it, Wilco held their ground, the label dropped them completely, other labels basically engaged in a bidding war for the album, and then were signed to an offshoot of the major label that dropped them, for more money. The result? One of the best albums to come out in the 2000's, selling millions of copies. A great story. So why am I mentioning it here? A book was released that briefly detailed a history of the band, and then really went on to tell the story of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Not exactly a companion piece, but two mediums paralleling the same story. That's gotta count too. What I'd love to see are more documentaries about bands and musicians like this, with companion-type books that go along with the movie. Not just some concert dvd, but a fresher, behind-the-scenes look. Nine Inch Nails maybe? The Deftones have a good story that could use this treatment. How about The Beastie Boys also, with their book The Skills To Pay The Bills? Public Enemy has a book about their history, Don't Rhyme For The Sake Of Riddlin', which could be turned into a stunning documentary...c'mon, that group needs something that can transcend anything Flavor Flav has done since his reality tv show, Flavor of Love. And while Radiohead's Meeting People Is Easy is an interesting and very well-produced dvd about a pivotable time for the band, a corresponding book would've been a really nice added touch. My best take on all of this? Atmosphere released a cd a few years back titled When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. If you purchased the deluxe version for a few dollars more, you got the cd with a hardcover, short childrens story complete with illustrations. I won't give away the entire story, but the title of the cd is the moral to the story. MUSICAL BREAK!! Here's a few songs that correlate to this entry... I left off The Deftones and Nine Inch Nails because they don't have definitive books and/or movies out (yet). Pearl Jam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3HInbSDdk8 Wilco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O72cQZeTbxQ Radiohead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlQhgdVsuI4 Beastie Boys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHUSxV9-V2g Public Enemy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQaVIoEjOM&ob=av2e Atmosphere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8zwE3qkhTA VITAL STATS:  Final thoughts on this... Add Nirvana to the list as well...and don't feed me the trashy bio-pics or anything that just focuses on Kurt Cobain. Those don't count. And Wilco made another movie, which was more of a concert than anything, but they did put out a book for the making YTF's follow-up, A Ghost Is Born, title The Wilco Book, and it included a cd of demos. It was pretty nice. Julie D - PUBLISHED! appears to be back from her little hiatus...anyone else notice their inbox all taken up by Julie comments?  Just kiddin' Julie, we know it's a busy time of year for you, and we appreciate any time you have for us. That said, I'm gonna bust outta here a little early...kind of a boring day anyway. But we'll do it again tomorrow, right? Cool. Peace, and I'll see ya then. GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9MjWBInGZ0&feature=related |
| THE PROMPT: "If you were to write at the top of a piece of paper: 'What I Know About Myself....', what would you say?" Good evening friends. Allow me to immediately speak to this prompt, and bear with me while I stare at my laptop's screen for something just short of for-ev-er. Well, here goes nothin'. What I know about myself...  Hold on...gotta turn the radio down. I can't be listening to http://www.wgr550.com/ and try to imagine just what it is I actually know about myself. I don't do it often enough anymore, but I love strapping on a big, thick pair of headphones and just falling into the music pumping through them. I love me some pistachios. I'm eating some right now, even if it's dinnertime and there's chili waiting for me. I can be very selfish at times. I can be very giving at times. Pick a topic...any topic...that you can use to associate with me. I won't give myself enough credit regarding it. I'm equal parts humble and arrogant. I'm not where I wanna be, but I'm close. I know that you don't really know much about yourself until you see how you respond in certain situations, and you won't really know until they actually happen.MUSICAL BREAK!! If I were to ever compile a biographical soundtrack to my life, I'd be foolish not to include this gem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74 VITAL STATS: I know that any day I spend laughing more than swearing is a good day for me. I know I hate cold, snowy weather. Today it was in the 40's and rainy, so most of the snow's gone. I know it's been a great winter in that respect.I know it's also time to get me some chili and kill a coupla' hours...not a real eventful day otherwise. Im sure you know yours was probably better. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOHDAuHHhws&ob=av2e |
| THE PROMPT: "In what way/ways does blogging fulfill you?" What's up everybody? Oh, you know, the same ol' same old here. So that line  there? That's my prompt. And this here is what I'm gonna say about it.To me, blogging and writing are just like any other form of art. It shares common ground with acting, singing, painting, making music, designing clothing, etc. They're all the same, but the medium used to present the final outcome is different. Singers have songs, painters have paintings, actors have roles, and the bloggers blog. I think the purpose between them all is pretty universal too. Nobody makes art because they want to suck at it. What actor says "I'm gonna take this role because it's gonna kill my career"? All of us, us creative art types, whether we realize it or not, want our product known (and even more preferrably, liked). If any of you want to disagree with the following statement, that's fine...shut down your blog, call it the end and meet me out back to discuss it, because I think you're wrong...all of us are attention whores to a certain degree. Now, I didn't say that's the primary reason, but honestly, who sits at their computer typing up what they think is something people will want to read, but it whispering to themselves "I hope nobody reads it"? It's not like it's little league baseball, when kids are forced to play but would rather pick dandelions while hoping the ball doesn't get hit near them...we made this choice and this is who we are, and dammit, we want someone to notice and appreciate and love it! Now, I'm speaking directly about myself (a subject I'm fairly familiar with) when it comes to why I do this: writing is my vehicle to be able to say whatever's on my mind at any given time, in a forum that I can control. It's basically a one-sided conversation, yet it's open-ended for the purpose of feedback. The structure suits me better this way than, say, having a conversation with a know-it-all who can't shut up and won't let you make a point because he's too busy talking himself in circles and looking dumber by the minute. We all know that guy. And how exactly is that fulfilling? Well, I don't find myself to be among the greatest of conversationalists, for one. How many minutes a month do I actually talk on my phone? Maybe 10, and it's usually the same two minute conversation five times: "Hey, I'm running late. I'll be there soon." And I'm not really a topic setter; I prefer to let other people do the talking, and then jump in at (hopefully) an appropriate moment, or (even better) a really inappropriate moment. Cuz when I'm awkward, I only feel better when everyone else feels awkward too. Now that I've run too far off on a tangent...oh yes, fulfilling? Yes. It stems from me being able to control a conversation, at least somewhere. Not that I long to be a control freak or anything, but I can talk about what I want to talk about, and if anyone wants to join the conversation, great. And if they don't, I'll just talk about something else. MUSICAL BREAK!! Just a few songs to break the monotony tonight... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkzugpIbM3g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NUboGE0p6M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xMJZHrG_94&ob=av2e VITAL STATS: I'm notorious for bitching about the prompts in the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  , but I'll tell ya, you couldn't pay me a greater-than-respectable full-time salary to be a prompt-writer for this. I stared at a blank screen last night wondering what the eff you see kay I was doing trying to come up with one. And I had damn near all month to think of one !! It probably took me less time to write this entry than it did to come up with a decent prompt. Now I get why 30DBC Creator/Founder has us doing the prompts for most of the month. That shit's crazy hard! Peace to all the prompters out there, for real. I watched football all day for probably the last time until September. Sundays are going to suck some serious ass until then.  {No effin' hockey emoticon, and I'm ok with it, but only for this week} I don't get to watch hockey at all this week, most likely. The Sabres play next on Tuesday, but I have to work...and then it's the All-Star break. Hey, maybe we'll show up and play after that! And I better have an emoticon to celebrate it!! OK, I said what I needed to say. I'm gonna troll around here for a little bit before I take my second nap of the night...see, this kid usually doesn't work Mondays, but he is in the morning. And while he's not happy about not being off again for several days, he'll do it. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0pozA71sE&feature=related |
| THE PROMPT: "Lots of people on WDC seem to have a special affinity for animals: tell us about your animal/pet experiences. Include 1 silly animal story and 1 sad animal story. If you don't feel you do have an affinity for animals (ie. You don't like 'em) feel free to tell us why and include examples of animals in your life that have reenforced your dislike." Hello again, friends...feels good to be caught up (almost! ). Now that you've read (and if you haven't by now, really, you should) some of my buddy Julie D - PUBLISHED! 's work, let's get back to today's prompt.I guess I've never really been an "animal person". Never had any pets growing up. My dad and stepmom had a few cats and eventually a dog, but I was never really around long enough to connect with them. If I really thought about it, and decided I wanted to have a pet bad enough, this is what I'd really want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ0W5hHCVOk However, justjessica1 has two cats. Cats...can't live with 'em, can't turn 'em into Chinese food (at least I can't). Two cats...perfect for locking you into a solitary position in bed for as long as animally possible (well, they're not humans, so you get "animally", because I don't know how else you'd say it)...sometimes as long as 6-8 hours. Two cats, and they shed enough to make wigs for small children that you can donate to http://www.locksoflove.org/. Two cats. Two. Enough said. Lily is the lady of the house. Tiny, dainty, very seemingly ladylike. She's friendly to a fault...your fault. When visitors come over, she makes her presence known and stays. In your lap. Any bit of attention shown to her is her cue to never leave you alone. And wherever she wants to sit or sleep is damn well pretty much wherever she wants to sit or sleep. She wanted to sit on my lap once, and took a claw through the jeans toward a sensitive boy part...that ball tap had me in agony for a few minutes. I learned my lesson...maybe someday Lily will too. Butterscotch is our other bundle of fun. Dude's a true 'fraidy cat. He hides around any company and won't come out for hours. Doesn't like to be touched. Flinches at the slightest movement. But I'll say this...he's like my own little puppy. When I come home from work and change, there he is, crawling out from under the rocking chair next to my bed. When I come in from a break out front, he's on the chair next to the door. When I'm about to go downstairs, he goes downstairs, sometimes running so fast (which is kinda funny for a fatty) he'll either overshoot the staircase, or he'll get caught up in my legs and nearly send me tumbling down the stairs. I fear someday he will succeed. And what's funny about him is that everytime he goes downstairs, he heads right back to the food dish. Attention? The only time he wants it is when that food dish is empty...and then you'll never hear the end of it from him. At one point, we actually had a third cat. He was Jess' brother's cat and he needed someone to watch him when he went overseas for awhile, so we offered. Leo was a stray once, and he still had a little "street" in him, but he was a pretty decent boy cat most of the time. We were living in the duplex down the street from where we are now...and we started to notice him wheezing a little. Then he started getting a little lethargic. We were wondering if maybe we should take him to the vet...until one morning, while I was still in bed (on the second floor), when I heard the most horrifying wail and scream coming from the basement. It was Jess...poor Leo had passed on, and was laying at the foot of the basement stairs. RIP, buddy. But Leo's story didn't end there, and I feel terrible saying this next part. We didn't know what to do with him until we could do something properly for him, because we had to get ready for work. Jess was freaking, and called her dad for advice (I'd never even seen a pet die, so I had no clue). He said to wrap him in a blanket, put him in a box, and put him outside, somewhere where other animals wouldn't get to him. So we did that and put him in a sealed garbage can until we could figure out what to do. Of course, this was during the holidays, where time was a premium and thinking doesn't always seem to go hand-in-hand with reality and rationalization. I came home late from work one night to discover the kids hadn't taken out the garbage, and I was pissed. Not realizing during my fit about the kids not doing their chores, I stormed out and took the garbage myself. What I failed to realize was that I wasn't taking the can with the actual garbage in it to the curb...I grabbed the can with Leo in it.  Sorry, Leo. I know it's undignified, and totally unintentional. MUSICAL BREAK!! Kinda hard to find a song related to cats. But I was humming this while plotting my entry... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX28LD0MiFU VITAL MEGA-STATS!! Lots to catch up on, since I missed a day: So, an old lady gave me the middle finger yesterday at work. I was cashing her out for her pictures when she started telling me what they were of...pictures of stuff around her property that she was submitting to her town for some kinda blah blah blah whatever...all I knew is that I was busy, we were shorthanded, I had other projects going on, and some lady from some state department of keeping your shit clean and together was trolling around my salesfloor looking for gross stuff. As I look up to hand her her change, she's saying, "...And you know what this town thinks about its senior citizens??" just as she pulls her arm back and launches into possibly the largest middle finger I may have ever see by someone over the age of 70. No effin' way, I just got flashed the bird by some old ass lady. I couldn't even say anything. I was stunned. I may have only been half-listening to her, but that sure got my damn attention.{e:no effin' hockey emoticon still} Memo: I still hate my hockey team. But I love this time of year...all the rumors, players starting to get traded, waking up to hopefully shiny new toys at the practice rink. Ahhh, the NHL trade deadline can not come fast enough. I really think this is my favorite time of year in sports, unless the Bills start off the season hot like they did this year. And even though it's happened a lot, and we know it's there, we never really see the bottoming-out coming until it's too late. At least the Sabres have pretty much wet the bed already. The honeymoon's over there. There's no new owner anymore to throw cash around...Pegula's been around for almost a year. Nobody who's here really wants to play here anymore, and I sense that players aren't going to want to come here anymore. This summer was a fluke; a lot of money went down the drain. #dosomethingDarcy  Saw a beverage at Wegmans today...Eurotrash Pilz http://southerntierbrewing.com/beers.html#seasonal (scroll down to Eurotrash Pilz). Not bad actually...a little hoppy but that's ok. But it really makes me think of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Vun2LYnoY Still love me the original version of that song, but you and I don't have that kind of time right now. Wow, I really thought I had more to add...I probably do, but there's too much to process and it's all in the blender of my head right now.Alrightey yo, I'm gonna go eat a hot meal and watch one hockey team dismantle the semblance of another "team". Thanks for stoppin' by...maybe we'll do it again tomorrow. Oh wait, we have to...it's my prompt and all. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7jlGRq8xZ4 |
| THE PROMPT: "Post a link to your favorite entry in the challenge thus far. Then write a review for it." Good evening folks...thanks for letting me take a night off . Just for that, you're getting a double dose of me tonight. I'mma get right to it, cuz I've got two good prompts to work off of.This is a review of Julie D - PUBLISHED! 's entry, [#744061] "Invalid Entry" . Why did I choose this?  To return the favor! She chose to review my entry from the same day...which we very eerily pretty much wrote and edited at the same time...and we wrote about the same thing! We almost posted the same music too, but that didn't happen. If it did...I don't do much reading or reviewing anymore, I'm not gonna lie. I do read some blogs from time to time, and I might review them, but I've noticed when I do get reviews, it's almost like the reviewer's got a template they're working from. So I'm just gonna do a little song and dance I like to call "Jackin' Your Review Template So I Can Write My Own". Hi Julie D - PUBLISHED! ! My name is Fivesixer and I'm reviewing your blog entry, "Invalid Entry" ! WHY I CHOSE TO REVIEW THIS ITEM:As we've each won one of the last two "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" , and you chose to review my entry on Day 12, I thought I'd return the favor and review yours...almost to sort of showcase the two, side by side. Well, not really side by side...well, with computers nowadays I'm sure you actually physically could view them side by side...or, well, how about because I wanted to. OVERALL SENSE:You can do as much with a prompt and then some! You're unpredictable in all the fun ways. There's never a dull moment when I head over to "Invalid Item" . Very well-written. CONVENTIONS:I don't even know what that means in the context of a blog entry's review, so I'm gonna skip that part... SPELLING/GRAMMAR:Considering all of the times you've banged out an entry from your iPhone, I'm impressed. Sure, there's the occasional formatting error (trust me, I know what that's like...I used to blog from my phone a lot, and then I'd have to go on to an actual computer to fix things). But you stay on top of your work, and it shows.  CONCLUSION: A fantastic blog, Julie! A well-deserved blog championship trophy is already in your trophy case, and you're on your way to a second! I don't think I could ever find a negative thing to say about you--- wait a minute, you're a Flyers fan. Eh, well, if that's the least of your problems, I suppose you'll be just fine. Just be careful...rumor has it you've got some pretty solid competition in this round. Good luck and write on! Ok...one entry down, one more to go, and a prompt for tomorrow as well. I'll save the music and vital stats portions up for the next entry...see ya in a few minutes! |
| THE PROMPT: "Tell me your favorite birthday story! It doesnt have to be your birthday, but some funny or interesting story related to someones birthday!" A late good evening friends...sorry it's so late. We had a post-Christmas get-together tonight that ran a little later than I had hoped, seeing as we have to be up mega early tomorrow. It was a blast though, and I'm glad we stayed! On to the prompt... My favorite birthday story has to be from last summer...justjessica1's 40th birthday party. Her sister and I coordinated a surprise party for her, and we pulled it off stunningly. See, we're not big birthday people when it comes to our own birthdays, which are three days apart near the end of July. But because this was her 40th, she wanted a party. And we made it happen. Her sis and I communicated through text, email and Facebook to see who was going to invite who, who was bringing what, and where it was going to be. I got in touch with friends and co-workers, and her sis got in touch with family, as well as offering her home as the venue when we couldn't get a park shelter. We split up the food and costs, and made it happen. Here's where we got really lucky...Jess spent the summer working on a team that was redesigning all of the local Walgreens stores. During our birthday week (which we usually spend taking a short vacation), all store managers were sent to Las Vegas for a "conference" (whatever that means in Vegas terms), so she got sent back to her home store for the week, and was stuck working 7:30am-3:30pm the Sunday we planned her party for. This was supposed to be a favor, working at the home store for a week, but when you're used to working a set schedule with weekends off, working Sundays is a bitch. However, since we barbecue a lot with Jess' sister and her husband over the summer, and Jess' home store was about five minutes away from them, it was perfect. I dropped Jess off at work, and shopped for the things I needed to make pasta salad. Then I picked up the 3lbs. of sausage, which I left in the fridge very inconveniently when I left for her sister's house to help with the set-up. I was 15 minutes through a 20 minute drive when I realized this. So I ran in, dropped off the tables and chairs I managed to stuff into the Saturn Ion (quite the feat, I must say), turned around, came back home for the sausage, and went right back. I arrived just in time to gather the guests in the garage...I decided at the last minute to do that, instead of leaving the house open and walking in...see, Jess just thought we were going over there after she got out of work for a quiet barbecue dinner with her sis and bro-in-law. But I figured that if I could get everyone in the garage for the few minutes it'd take for me to pick her up, I'd stick the garage door opener in my pocket. I even grabbed the tub of pasta salad to make it look like I came from home...I'm such a sneaky bastard.She changed at work while I waited for her and grabbed a few last-minute things before hurrying her out. We made sure everyone parked down the street at least, to throw her off...even then, there were cars all over the place. I snarkily suggested that someone must be having a party (and mind you, it was about a week before her actual birthday). As we walked up the driveway, rather than gravitate to the front door like we usually do, I stuck my hand in my pocket and opened the garage door...SURPRISE!! We absolutely shocked her...she was so overcome with emotion and joy. She loved every minute of it. The best part? It was setting her up all along to believe that she wasn't getting a party. If you know me, or anything about me, it's that I'm not a fan of my birthday, and think that all people should be treated like how we treat them on their birthdays...and I don't need special treatment on my birthday. I had her entirely convinced (short of being absolutely cruel) that there was to be no party. I had to be a dick about it for as long as we were planning it, just to sell her on it. I had the perfect foil and the best help from her sis, and we pulled off the best surprise pary ever. MUSICAL BREAK!! Happy first WDC birthday to the prompter, thrdeyeopen!! How exciting! Make them give you a cake! Or just add your address to your profile and receive a proper card and a thank you. Some day you'll be 10+ WDC years old like me, and maybe you'll act a lot older than that. Unlike me. I'm going with the obvious again, because I can. I'm sure this on about half (or less) of the eligible entrants' entries too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjF1bG5LUcs VITAL STATS: *waronhockeyemoticons* Sabres drop another one. This team is done. Blow it up. I'm ok with firing Darcy, because his trigger finger sucks when it actually works. He had the approval to make deals last summer and this year, but the ones he made have sucked, and I doubt he'll do anything this year. #DosomethingDarcy has become #GetanotherjobDarcy. Had a great time at that work party tonight! Low-key, no pressure, $20 for drafts/well drinks and pizza and wings. Not your typical crazy office party, but not a crazy night gettin' sloshed either. Still, the morning might be a bit of a bitch, especially since I was informed by two parties that it's going to be a little earlier than usual. I was hoping to be home in time to have this done by midnight. The whole "Blue Month" thing, ya know? But once I realized that wasn't happening, I was hoping for 1am. Didn't happen. Now I'm just hoping that life isn't hell tomorrow. But I get that it's my fault...I coulda banged out almost the same entry at 5pm, but I didn't. So much for that kind of thinking. And with that I will set the wheels of ending this tonight in motion. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you soon. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35kvXD5kVZk&NR=1&feature=endscreen |
| THE PROMPT: "Who is the person (living or dead) that has had the greatest influence on you & your life? How have they influenced you?" Good evening friends! Today's prompt, coutesy of Julie D - PUBLISHED! , is pretty self-explanatory, and I can easily share my answer.Given how I've driven the circumstances in my life, I'd have to say it's justjessica1. If you're unfamiliar with our story, check out "I'm Studying You" , starting around entry #166. This woman put me through the ringer, but I persevered, and over three years later we're still both in one piece. Basically she met me at one of the lowest points in my lfe. I had been through a terrible relationship, had an awful experience with depression, was unemployed, and losing everything. But in her I saw something. And months later, she saw something in me and finally made use of the phone number I gave her. I think that's why she's still using the same cell phone since we started dating...no smartphone is worth her taking the time to text me that fateful afternoon, leading to dinner and drinks and history later. Let's skip the cheesy "first face I see in the morning, last one at night, in my dreams when I sleep and in my imagination when I'm awake" stuff. I mean, who else could possibly put up with me? Smart, beautiful, and has the will to tolerate me and all my weirdness and silliness and stupidity. That's devotion. And that's all I need...one person who doesn't see you for your flaws, but for who you really are despite them. That's not only influential, but inspiring. There's only a few people in this world I can claim they've made me a better person, and she's at the top of the list. Love you sweetie!MUSICAL BREAK!! Yup, I'm totally going there. I'm the mayor of Obvious City. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oQEPfe-O8&ob=av2e VITAL STATS: Nothing big goin' on today...must be one of those lulls in the month that gets pretty lullish. Listening to the Sabres game {Hi, we're WDC, and we still don't have a hockey emoticon} and it's tied at one, at Chicago. It's on Versus the new NBC Sports Programming channel, and we don't have that package on DirecTv. But we get MSG for most of the other games...a lot of local cable subscribers aren't watching the game either because they dropped MSG on January 1st. Not that Sabres' games have been worth watching lately. Oh well. Kinda got a little headache goin' on too, so I'm gonna get out of here and relax some. Take it easy everyone...peace and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiw7jqsgGFA |
| THE PROMPT: "If you have five (5) days left to spend together with your love one how would you spend those days?" Good evening y'all...here we go again with another morbid prompt. Why do we only have five more days together? Is one of us dying? Is the world ending? Is justjessica1 smartening up and leaving me for someone richer and worth a lot more money, who's also more attractive and knows how to make his own coffee in the morning? Well, for argument's (and entry's) sake, let's assume we don't know any of these things other than on day five we find out it's all over. Given who we are, I'm not sure that anything would change or be done any differently. Perhaps maybe there'd be some kind of feeling of dread that gets mentioned in passing. Maybe we get some kind of unknown urge to try a new restaurant for dinner. Maybe I'll want to watch a movie and not accidently fall asleep during it. Hell, maybe we'll even go to a movie. That's a sure sign of the world ending. I don't see a celebration...what are we celebrating? There's too many unknowns. How would we have enough time to know we both had time (or money) to take a vacation? Would airfare be cheaper, or even more expensive? Would we just continue to go to work anyway, knowing we might be spending too much time together if we didn't? And what if it turned out to be a hoax, and we had to stand behind all the things we've said and done (or didn't do)? Truth is, I just don't know without knowing a lot more. I know this...if it's the apocalypse, we'll spend at least one day (probably day three or four) making sure the house is immaculate before the coming of the end. She'd hate to leave behind a cluttered house, that's for sure. MUSICAL BREAK!! Ugh...what to do, what to do... Ok, this is the best I can do. http://www.youtube.com/user/Officialblurchannel?feature=g-all-a#p/f/0/0DjHKqb365... And I can't play any song by them while not thinking that if the end of the world had a soundtrack, this might be the second song on it (and don't ask me what would lead off that soundtrack...with my luck I'll be asked to curate it, and I don't know anyone who would want that job). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk&ob=av2e VITAL STATS: A pretty boring day, since I had to work in the evening and basically waited around all day to do so. I don't even have any good stories about work today. It was that boring. Winds in the 60-mph range, temps dropping back into the 20's, and more snow this week. At least it's January, and we've been lucky so far. And it can still get worse, but at least it won't be for as long. I can practically smell March...and it smells minty!That's it for tonight. Not a great entry by any means, but it's in by midnight, so it's cool. Gonna screw around for a little bit and try to make it as early a night as possible, since I've gotta be up a lot earlier than I want to. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIEsmGzo2UE&ob=av2e  |
| THE PROMPT: "When you went to sleep last night, it was in your own bed or familiar surroundings. You wake up this morning in a strange bed and unfamiliar surroundings. You recognize your reflection with some differences, the face in the mirror is an older/younger version of you. Everyone you meet knows you, but by a different name. Where are you? What is your name? How do you believe you arrived in your present location?" Well, hello there, friends. Quite the interesting prompt tonight, as opposed to the train wreck last night's prompt turned into. I'm glad I wasn't alone in that aspect. Here's where I get a little weird tonight. Let's set aside the fact that lately I've been able to remember my dreams, which is something that rarely happens anymore. And they've been weird, to say the least. Let's also toss out my sordid past, where I've woken up next to a stranger or two (or is it once or twice woken up to a stranger...I get that confused). Ok, I'm done being weird. For now. I've had many phases in my life. I've met many people and made a lot of great friends. I've made impressions on people, many of which have made impressions on me. I'm very grateful for that, even if all that means is "I can't hold a job for more than four years, and yet these people are still my Facebook friends anyway". All 13-friggin'-hundred of you. But I digress. I had a job at a local electronics retailer for almost five years, and I made a ton of friends and learned a lot during that time. The catch? Our name buttons also carried a "nickname". And I'm willing to guess that 95% of the company was known more by their nickname than their real name. How does this tie in to the prompt? Dreams. I recently have run into old coworkers, family members, and other people that knew me as more than just my real name. It was either a nickname or an experience...and I carried those into my dreams for some reason. I went by "Bert" in my last blog, partially because it was my nickname not only at that electronics job, but my cousins called me that for a short time, and it was something I was called in Boy Scouts when I was a kid. I could go on about names and nicknames, but that'll hafta wait for another time. So on to the actual prompt. I wake up to an older version of me...a much older version than I can even imagine, yet a version that can still function the same way I can now (I have my faculties, and I'm not crapping myself). I'm still the same. I'm whoever I'm known as. They all know me as how they've known me, whether it was as a kid or an adult. Maybe I'm in the same bed I fell asleep in...maybe I'm not. Maybe it's a hospital gurney. Maybe the mirror I'm looking into isn't really showing me "me"...maybe I'm seeing a lot less gray hairs. Maybe it's a country club. We can golf! Only I've never golfed in my life outside of a driving range. Maybe I got here because I couldn't remember how I got anywhere. Maybe it's a dream. Or maybe I have a disease that doesn't allow me to remember anything. MUSICAL BREAK!! All I could think of during this prompt was this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMAe31FFHbo&ob=av2e VITAL STATS:  Yup, another botched prompt/entry. Sabres are down 3-0 after one period. I finally watched PJ20 today. Nostalgic and impressive. It really took me back to a lot of places. Top five all-time music dvd's (subject to change, and in no particular order):Pearl Jam, "PJ20" Wilco, "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" Radiohead, "Meeting People Is Easy" Atmosphere, "Sad Clown Bad Dub" The Tragically Hip, "That Night In Toronto" That's it for tonight folks...I promised justjessica1 I'd fold some laundry, so I guess I'd better get to it, lest I have to pack it. Have a better night friends...peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwi8m4SIejE |
| THE PROMPT: "AHHHH!!!! It's the Zombie Apocalypse! Run for your good-for-nothing lives! Okay, hopefully that got your heart racing, and your brain a-firing. The situation is grim, the undead are coming for the brains of the living and you must protect yourself and your loved ones. What would you use to protect yourself if ZA occurred right this second? This means that you are limited to what is in your place of residence/work/education/wherever you are. Be realistic- you probably don't own an assault rifle, machine gun, flamethrower, or a bazooka, or some other such weapon. Be practical- do you really want to lug around a 10lb chainsaw, especially when it attracts more undead through noise, gets stuck, and more than likely you don't know how to use? Less is more- Limit yourself to as few weapons as possible, which will help you out at all ranges of combat- Far range, Medium Range, Close range, and Intimate range. Well, I'm off to grab my weapons- oh wait, I just picked up a sand-wedge golf club. Not ideal, but it will do until I can get to the 12-gauge and the 30-06 in the back bedroom. Oh, and I just grabbed my sword-like letter opener- perfect for stabbing a Zed through the ear canal." Ok, I have zero experience with zombies. I could give a fuck about them. I don't watch movies and I've never read a book about them. So, to me, they don't exist. I don't even know what they are. Hearing about them gives me hives. Weapons?? Is this a freakin' video game?? I so am not the person to be responding to this prompt. It's too advanced and too far out of my league. How's this? When these zombies attack, I throw books at them? Just to get them off their game (whatever that game is). No, better yet, we try to bro and chick it out with hugs and chili dogs. Like, "Hey, we don't really have to all lose our brains...we can talk it out and stuff." And then I convert them to my side of things. Humanity is saved once again. MUSICAL BREAK!! Only to celebrate my least-favorite prompt ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LE0KpcP05I&ob=av3e Even worse? I have to suffer through this song at work every couple of hours or so.  VITAL STATS: This is not even enjoyable for me tonight. I don't mean to call this prompt stupid, because it's not. It's just that it's 100% +5 unrelatable, no matter how much imagination I put into it. The end result is an entry shorter than the prompt itself. And like prompt, the entry is not interesting. That is all. Thank you, and GOODNIGHT NOW. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=6Ejga4kJUts |
| THE PROMPT: "Explain something or someone that you feel is widely misunderstood." What's up everybody? Boy, I'll tell you. I can already feel my blood starting to boil from a rant building up...it suddenly doesn't feel as cold in my basement anymore. Give me a few minutes and... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj26N10Ymlg Well, not the whole green thing, but I'm gonna kind of flip the prompt a little because really, what I can't understand are some of the few simple things in retail life that people just don't seem to get. Allow this list for your consideration:  It's Saturday, and it's the last day of an ad that came out six days ago...the previous Sunday. We are going to be out of items, because other people shop here, and maybe needed the cheaper can of coffee sooner. Lord knows, we only sold through 12 cases of it since it came back in stock on Wednesday. Don't blame me that you waited until the last minute for something...it isn't going to be any cheaper. And don't blame the shitty weather as an excuse for you not being to get here, cuz not only did we have to get here to make sure we were open, but we also had to take care of everyone else who decided it might be a good idea to shop during a snowstorm. On a related note, when you come in for something and we're out of stock, do not take it personally. I'm not holding out on you. I don't want you to not buy something. And while we're at it, don't look at me and tell me we're always out of everything. Clearly, if you notice, we've got a hundred thousand other items available for you to purchase, and you may need some. Like mouthwash, Mr. Stankbreath . If we were indeed out of everything, we wouldn't need cashiers to ring anyone out, stockpersons to restock other merchandise, and managers to oversee the employees. Your statement? Obviously invalid. One last thing about this...if you're, like, the tenth person in the last hour to ask me if I can check to see if a specific item is in stock, and I can (instantly and without hesitation) tell you we're out of it, it's not because I don't want to check. It's because we're effin' out of it. And I'll gladly check the stockroom again. And the office. And the cooler. And the pharmacy. And the bathroom . And yep, it's still out of stock. When four or five items (usually related) in a section are either marked down or on sale, that does not make the entire aisle marked down or on sale. Yes, I marked down four of the thirty colors in that particular brand of lipstick, but your shade isn't one of them, ma'am. And neither is the foundation made by that same company. And if you want a beauty tip, uhhh, they're not gonna help anyway. This is one of my personal favorites...I'm here to answer your questions and offer assistance. What I'm not here to do is be your personal shopper. Don't walk five feet into the store, look up and around, do a 360, and ask me while I'm counting money if I can tell you where something is. The aisles are marked in a general way with what's in them. Use your sense of logic (I know, I'm asking a lot) and determine for yourself that the "tissues" are located in the aisle marked "paper products". It's a simple concept. Along those same lines, don't tell me that you can never find anything when you make it obvious that you haven't been looking. Don't hand me your list and tell me to find everything for you. That's not customer service, that's slavery. Clearly, you found the beer in your fridge before you came out this afternoon, so maybe you can find your own hemorrhoid cream. And the excuse that we "moved everything around and changed everything"? That doesn't fly anymore. We did that over six months ago.  While it's hysterical for us to watch you try to reach something that's obviously too high for you to grab or too far back, what isn't so funny is having to fill out the paperwork when you slip and break your hip rather than asking one of us to help you. See, here's a secret: we know where the ladders and stepstools are. The bottom shelf, sadly, is not them. Conversely, the bottom shelf is not empty just because you're too lazy to bend down and get a product that was buried at the back of the shelf. True story: A very morbidly obese man once asked me if I could get him some Miracle Whip because the shelf was empty. Knowing I'd just filled it 15 minutes ago, I checked, and sure enough there was plenty there, just not at the front of the bottom shelf. Oh, and he wanted three of them. THREE!! I realize it's on sale and at a really good price at that, but maybe if you laid off the stuff a little, you'd be able to bend down and get it yourself.OK I'm done. If I keep going, I might just explode. This is only a partial list of things I can't quite understand about people. And it's not just one particular group of people, mind you. These people come from all walks of life, every day. Maybe someone can explain to me just what it is that I'm not seeing. MUSICAL BREAK!! Hard to find are quality clips of this band on YouTube, but I've kinda finally managed to, although the audio and the video start to get a little out of sync. It's an epic performance of one of their early songs, and one of my personal favorites. It's got some personal meaning to it also. I encourage everyone more than ever to check this out...it starts slow, but stay with it. They played this song both times I've seen them live, and it's amazing. Shades of what was to come for this band, within this performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_HBJ5sHcJU VITAL STATS: {STILL NO EFFIN' HOCKEY EMOTICON??} Let's turn on the Sabres game...Sabres and Islanders tied at 2 near the end of the second. The injuries this team have suffered are no joke, but let's not sugarcoat things...our expectations for this team may have been way too high considering the core of the team, and the honeymoon of new ownership that has promised to breathe new life (while untying the purse strings) into the franchise. Ownership has delivered...management, coaches and players have not. Ok snow, we get it. Hahaha, yeah, we missed you, but you can stop now. Furrealz. Like, I'm done with you now. Sylvester Stallone is coming to town soon. In what's billed as "An Evening With Academy Award Winner...". So, he sits on stage for a two hour interview about his life? Maybe does some candid one-man-acting of his famous bits? Ummm, no thanks. I don't need two hours of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_wCGLufiaMWell, I gotta go. Dinner time. While I'm not a fan of eating so late, I'll take some Applebee's takeout, when it's Provolone-stuffed Meatballs with Spinach Artichoke Dip. All good in this neighborhood, and here's hoping yours is all good too. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=BWz8EjlyM4Q&NR=1 |
| THE PROMPT: "Do you believe that bad things happen on Friday the 13th? Give us the reasons why you do or don't. Are there any other superstitions you believe (or don't believe) in?" What a day people! What's up everybody? I gotta tell ya, I tend to find myself fearing the worst whenever there's a "Friday the 13th". I don't know exactly why. Maybe because of the mystique that's always been pushed around about it. Maybe because I've probably had a Friday the 13 or two where bad things have happened (just don't ask me for specifics...maybe they weren't that bad if they weren't that memorable). I've seen bad things happen to others on this day. I have a friend who suffered from Triskaidekaphobia when we were younger. Basically, it's the fear of the number 13, and it can be crippling at times. You can read all about what it is here, since it would take too much to explain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskaidekaphobia Maybe it's coincidence, or just dumb luck, but yeah, I'm always looking over my shoulder a little more on Friday the 13th. I wouldn't say I wasn't superstitious, but I do have my little quirks...When I play hockey, before each game I slap my left pad and then my right if I'm playing goalie. Before shooting a foul shot in basketball, it's three dribbles twirling backwards and then shoot. Softball? Three digs in the dirt with my left cleat before each at-bat. That's just sports. I've got other quirks, but that could just be from OCD more than anything, and non-superstition related. At least it never occurred to me that they may be superstition-based, anyway. Like if one shoe comes untied, I have to re-tie the other one as well. And when I lace my shoes, the frontmost-facing lace on one show goes over the eyelets and on the other shoe the lace goes over the eyelets. If I get one hand wet, I have to wash them both. I know, I'm weird. But that's why you love me .MUSICAL BREAK!!: OH MY FREAKIN' GOD this is hilarious! I could care less for the original version of this song, but this is just kind of what I needed... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzfQwXEqYaI VITAL STATS:  Normally I'd be the first one complaining that there's now a foot of show on the lawn when I awake, but really, I can't. It's barely snowed all season. My ten minute drive to work took 45 minutes. Must be Friday the 13th. Said pile of snow was still in the driveway and walkway when I came home. Then the lady of the house came home and lost it on everyone. Hey, I've worked all day, and actually, the walkway wasn't that bad. Annnnnd I had just gotten home as well. Blame the kid who's been home all day if the walks aren't shovelled...not me. He can and probably did look out the window once or twice, and since schools didn't close he knew what was up. Yup, it's Friday the 13th.Alright, well, I'm gonna listen to the Sabres game, since I don't want to be near anyone right now for fear of being annoyed, or snapping, or just downright ugliness. So here's to Friday the 13th and all of its wonderful glory . Hope it wasn't so bad for the rest of you...stay safe and GOODNIGHT NOW!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP6Sc4XQFyw |
| THE PROMPT: "We have seen significant technological advancements in our time. Sites like TED and Big Think offer amazing ideas. What do you think will be the next big thing?" Good evening friends! I'm looking at that prompt and probably thinking the same thing as 90-95% of you. Now, by "Next Big Thing" (or NBT, as I'm gonna call it), I mean something that's gonna revolutionize our lives. Like the inventions of televisions, microwaves and cell phones did. Things that slowly catch popularity until the prices come down and the "need-to-luxury" ratio swings closer to "need" than "luxury". What I'm thinking about as the NBT possibly already exists and might not even take much to make these days if the right people are involved. The biggest hurdles? Logistics, by far. And economy. How many people are currently in this round of the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" ? 17. Let's say 15 are still active at this point. I'm gonna estimate that (myself included) a total of ten of us will have said the same thing. It's 2012 already; WHERE THE HELL ARE OUR FLYING CARS??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qcMjG1KL2QWe're adults now! We are living, now, in what we once dreamed to be the future when we were kids. And what was the coolest part of the future? Not the robot maid. Not the sprocket. Not pressing a button and having your meal dispensed in pillform. It was the damn flying cars!! Tell me tv didn't set us up for the big fail there. What kid wasn't thinking, "Man, when I grow up, I'm gonna fly to work in my car and fold it up into a suitcase!" George Jetson wasn't a CEO or a baller or some head honcho. He was everyman; a regular old factory worker. He probably made around the same amount of money as we all make, give or take. AND he was the home's sole source of income...he provided for his wife, two kids and a dog, as well as the robot maid. And that show ran on tv, what, in the sixties or seventies, when it was only them and the Flintstones waging animated tv war? How did George Jetson even afford all of his swag?? Don't tell me Rosie was some robot-related welfare thing that the government funded. I don't get it. Many of you purists aren't gonna like this theory, but I'm gonna promote it with the ol' "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" routine. I say George Jetson was a pimp on the side. He had some underground operation (how does that even work if everything's well above sea level?) where he was selling sex for robots, and Rosie was his bitch. She got paid, and got room and board for keeping the house clean. Jane, his wife, never said a word about it as long as their were dead presidents in that wallet that she could have her own way with at the shopping center. Admit it; it's a solid idea...and you're also singing "Jane, his wife" from the theme song when you read that last sentence. But you know what would probably be even bigger than the flying car business (and could definitely happen sooner)? Even though I don't watch the tv show Breaking Bad, I'm familiar with the storyline, and I think remaking the Jetsons (substituting in the robot sex underworld for the drug underworld) into a Breaking Bad type of show is a win-win for absolutely everyone. And that's something I'll be willing to bet the space farm on that none of the other challengers has mentioned. MUSICAL BREAK!! I can remember the time when this album was the NBT. Amazing lyrics...once in awhile, under extreme emotional duress, certain live versions of this song can make me cry when hearing the emotion in his voice. "He used to surgery, for girls in the eighties...but gravity always wins." Excellent line, even without the fact that breast implants were a "pretty big thing" in the eighties (pun, sadly, intended). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKd06s1LNik&ob=av2e And why don't grocery stores look that cool nowadays? VITAL STATS:  A relatively lame Thursday Jerkday at work today. Thursday Jerkday is a joke between me and a coworker. We're both of the same opinion that people tend to be bigger jerks on Thursdays for some reason. Today wasn't so bad...I mean, there's always gonna be idiots as long as there's oxygen and Walgreens has stuff on sale, but today was slightly more tolerable. Pizza for lunch and dinner? Please and thank you!{hockey emoticon war} Jason Pominville of the Sabres makes the NHL all-star game, while Thomas Vanek doesn't? Screw the emoticon for a minute...what the hell is wrong with the NHL?? Four crappy Ottawa Senators are voted in by fans to start the game, and Vanek doesn't go? Good citizens of Ottawa, thank you for being enthusiastic participants in the fan balloting, but you're all a stinkin' bunch of homers. Just because the damn game is in your city this year doesn't mean your team is deserving of more than one person to play in it. If my hockey emoticon right now were a red maple leaf with the Senators' logo on it, on fire with a skate blade through it, I would promise you I'd turn it into some kind of letterhead and fire off a nasty letter to the NHL and whatever newspaper services Ottawa. Ottawa Sun? Ottawa Sentinel? Google says....Both are right! Only, the Ottawa Sun services the Ottawa in Canada. The Ottawa Sentinel services the citizens in Ottawa, Ohio. Betchya didn't know that one! What I'd really like to know is how "Ottawa" sounds when it comes out of the mouth of a Canadian, versus how it sounds coming from an Ohian Ohioian Ohiese Ohioist Ohioistian, uhhh, a person from Ohio. Alright, well, while you guys dream up your big technological advances and whatnot, I'm gonna waste the rest of the evening thinking of other cartoons from the past that should be remade with themes from today's tv dramas in mind. Everybody stay safe and (try to) behave, and we'll do this again tomorrow. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ShiCJ5RpKI&feature=related |
| THE PROMPT: "Time. We all have it, but nobody completely understands it. What are your thoughts on time?" Hello, fine people. Such a nice night in The 'Lo. I want you all to, if you would, take a minute and repeat the prompt to yourself, and then think about it. What's wrong with it? Is it because we don't always really have time? Or is it just the thought of me asking you to take an entire minute to read 16 words? Time. It's really about what it is, and what it isn't. Allow me to spit, twist and reinvent cliches, for time's sake. (I'm on a deadline here. Time is of the essence.) Time seldom caters to fools, yet it's a boundary that doesn't discriminate. We all have physical time. That physical time being spent usually robs us of our emotional and spiritual time. Time dedicated to something means less-to-no time for other things. Time means planning; you have the gift, or you don't. One thing's for certain: time waits for no one. "Life happens while you're busy making plans." -John Lennon To say "time is money" is to speak folly...show me what bank has the minutes of my youth in it, so I can rob it and go back in time, knowing what I know now. Time isn't just a magazine, although we all know I've got more issues than subscriptions can fulfill. Most of us are controlled by a clock. Some for a paycheck. For others, it's an internal clock. Some will do anything they can to make it through that eight hour shift; some are counting minutes 'til their next meal. Some can't wait to go on vacation, while others can barely make it to their next paycheck. Whether we know it or not, there's a clock ticking over us with some kind of meaning attached to it. Time owes us nothing and is never refundable. Nobody gets "time served" for waiting at the drive-thru or being laid-up with a broken neck. You might get second or third chances, but every second is a one-time deal. I can't find it on WDC (the title escapes me), but I once wrote something that started with these two lines, and I think they're biographical in a general sense: "It was the time of my life. It was my life at the time." I need to find that so I can put it in context to see what I meant. That might take awhile. Time for a smoke...be right back. I'm back. While I agree with the concept both in sports and in disciplining children, I think we're advanced enough to call both something other than a "time out". Whether we acknowledge it or not, so many things we do in life are governed by time. From the way we work, to how we prepare food, to the way we reminisce over moments passed ("Remember the time we..."), time is the single standard. So much is measured by time; while finite or undetermined, a timeframe is usually what we look at. And, time is all around us. It's never ending. Seemingly, like this little gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU&ob=av2e Thank goodness that's over. I thought it'd never end. Time, after time, after time, after time, after... Time for me to move on.MUSICAL BREAK!! Best piece of advice I may have ever learned from a song, especially with the time reference: "No need to be void, or save up on life, no, you gotta spend it all." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W801soTVAwo&feature=related VITAL STATS: I don't care what's happening. On my next non-football day off, I'm finally gonna sit down and watch PJ20. Then I'm gonna thumb through the gigantic PJ20 book. And then I may listen to my entire collection of Pearl Jam live cd's, which is a lot of them. And then I might nap, and do it again. So, G-Stamm at work and I have this long-running, if now not-as-dormant joke about this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HtNG0IFBdY&feature=related Stamm's got his girlfriend's son trained...every time he says "Whoa-oh, Black Betty", the kid says "Amberlamps". It's funny and cute and all. While in the midst of my cleaning up at work last night, I came across a toy vehicle we sell...press its buttons and it plays "Black Betty". I had to bring this to Stamm's attention this morning, and without hesitation he had to buy it. This prompted the following remark on my Facebook Timeline (there's that damn word again!) from his girl, and I quote: "The hate train is on it's way, when you start to hear "black betty"...run. You will need the amberlamps! Lol", to which I responded, "Best. Toy. Ever!!" That song is gonna be that kid's favorite song for years, all because a Vietnam vet kicked the crap outta some punk givin' him a hard time on a bus. {hockey emoticon wars} I hate my hockey team. #DosomethingDarcy I can't go into a room without searching for a clock. I don't wear a watch because it becomes a magnet for walls or anything else I can bang it into. I literally am a slave to pretty much every clock I see, be it the alarm clock, the time clock, or the one on my phone.Let's just call it a night right now, shall we? Time has changed everything, proven us wrong (or right), is or is not on our side, and never ceases in our amazement. Time keeps the world turning, as the Universal Clock once led us to believe. And like The Byrds sang, "Turn, Turn, Turn". Let's hope for the best of them, and not the worst of them. Love you all....GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGc89OTOL0g |
| THE PROMPT: "If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?" Yikes! Is it me, or have some of the prompts been a little morbid so far? End-times, and now last meals? I hope it's not me... What's up y'all? Here's what makes me feel a little weird about "If you knew...". If you knew it was gonna be your last meal, it's probably because of one or two reasons: 1) you're dying soon; or 2) you're a prisoner facing execution. And if it's me awaiting the fate of #2, make sure it's done right...blindfold me in front of a firing squad and stick a cigarette (preferably a Marlboro Menthol 72 so at least I know what my last smoke would be ) in my mouth like they used to do in the cartoons, and countries that aren't as civilized as the United States.So you're saying I've basically got a chef on hand, willing to prepare anything I want (all fates aside) because I'm never gonna have the need for food again. Chinese food is out, because I'd definitely be hungry again 20 minutes later. Mighty Taco is probably out too, since it's probably tacky to order out for your last meal anyway, and if for some reason I'm not in Buffalo at the time, it'd probably take http://www.mightytaco.com/main.php a couple of days to ship a few frozen burritos over. Pizza's a no-go, because I probably had pizza within the last few days as well. This might sound funny, but I do have a "favorite meal". I guess if I had to choose, it'd be a full-spread turkey dinner, just like Thanksgiving. All the trimmings: mashed potates, gravy, corn, mashed turnips, cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing...and by "all the trimmings", that's all the picky eater in me eats. What, you were expecting green beans? This is my last meal, not yours! Surround me with all of my favorite people: past, present and fictional...because it's not a meal without them. And then, I bid this world adieu. MUSICAL BREAK!! This guy's coming to town soon to do a solo acoustic show, and I've never seen him live (at least I think I haven't). But I really wanna see him with a full band. We'll see, as I've got time to decide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5f4Na2xTgU Besides, that's probably a more fitting choice than this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDFnLzNEtxY&feature=related VITAL STATS:  I swear, every computer I touched today, including this one, has been working a lot slower than normal. And no, smartasses, it's not the user. What a coincidence that a food prompt comes along right around the same this catalog comes in: http://www.penzeys.com/. Yes, we get a spices catalog. They give away free stuff! C'mon man! That awkward moment that you mention to your boss that there's a tv show called Wife Swap, and she starts freaking out, and you're forced to play it off like you don't know about something you probably shouldn't know...  Well, that's it for tonight. Time to try and make myself sleep a little before I turn around and hit the job-place up again on the bright and early side. Hope it's a good night/day for you guys too. Peace and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGmw-2s1qgU&feature=related |
| THE PROMPT: "Good versus evil. Does it truly exist? What are the gray areas? Do good people do bad things? Do evil people do nice things?" Good evening everyone! I think this is a good (and easy) topic to dicuss, so I'll jump right in. Good vs. Evil (which will be referred to from now on as "GvE") certainly exists...it has to. I know it sounds cliche, but it's in order to provide balance in the world. Ya know, the whole "peace can't exist without war" argument; I think it fits in right along those lines. It provides at best a black-and-white comparison between two factions. It's either good (likeable, useful, relevant) or evil (distasteful, improper, unnecessary). I assume most, if not all of you, were scholarly enough at one point to have read William Golding's novel, Lord Of The Flies. Basically, a bunch of kids are left on a deserted island after a plane crashes and kills all of the adults. It's the classic tale of GvE. More about that later though... Of course, there are many, many exceptions (or "gray areas"), and far too many examples to name. Just because something isn't good, that doesn't always make it evil. Like vegetables, for example. I don't like squash, but it's a food that happens to be of nutritional value, so it can't totally be evil. Or actors who play bad guys in movies...you may hate their character, and that character may be evil-intentioned, but that actor may be a very good actor. There's too many variables in play to just ride the "good" or "evil" sides, and generally, there's three sides to every situation when trying to determine what is what. People, however, are typically a pretty easy read once you get to know them. You know who to trust and who to watch out for. While those characteristics certainly aren't cut-and-dry definitions by any means, they provide a good reference point about people. And I firmly believe that even good people can do bad things, intentionally or not. The other day we discussed things we'd like a do-over for, and I don't believe there's a single good person out there who at least once hasn't done something completely out of character, hasn't made a mistake or hurt someone, some way, in their life. And while I'd like to admit I want to believe the majority of people out there are good (or I prefer first to at least see the good in them), there are bad people out there. But how does it work? How do they do nice things? I can't answer that easily, but this is how I see it: if you're a murderer, a rapist, a high-ticket con artist...if you have any of those capabilities within you, and you act upon it, here's how you find the good within the situation. That person is going to be caught and taken off the streets, thrown in jail, and will hopefully learn their lesson (unless your name is O.J.). That's one more criminal taken out of society, and another potential victim spared. Without evil, there's no good. If good has no opposite, it just is, and if it's all we know, then all we have is status quo. Now, back to Lord Of The Flies. Even though it's probably been at least 20 years since I read it or saw the movie, I still remember the one thing I took away from it: Evil can exist in even the most innocent things. I believe that, and using logic, I can believe the opposite of that statement to be true also; that even the most evil of creatures can have a heart and/or remorse. Neither of these statements absolves their opposites nor their own actions, but like I said, it just is. One last little bit about this: the best part of the "gray area" between good and evil? It's called satire, in my opinion. Everybody knows the whole Tim Tebow deal by now, ultra-Christian, celebate, overall good guy with a mediocre arm but otherwise all-worldly athletic ability, who is constantly mocked for his religiousness, but for the most part, wins games? Does he deserve to be mocked? I'm not one to judge. But that great institution of comedy, Saturday Night Live, can and will do whatever they want. http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/tebow/1374394 MUSICAL BREAK: One last thought about GvE: it's all based (morality aside) on personal perception of what we consider what each means. Our likes and dislikes can serve as a filter. Take music, for example. Remember in the eighties, when we could turn on MTV and actually see music videos? You know, the ones our parents claimed played "the devil's music"? My grandmother actually blamed her tv not working anymore on "all that hot music you kids watch on that MTV". But it wasn't that bad! Trouble was, their perspectives were different. Of course, they also conceived us to the likes of Elvis, The Beatles and The Grateful Dead. Case in point: I won't listen to country music, for a wide variety of reasons (that's a whole 'nother entry for another time). But that's not gonna stop you from singing its praises. That said, two good things happened in music today that you may or may not care about: 1) This band is coming to Buffalo to play a tiny club in March, and I hope I get the chance to go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjZufz23TY0 2) After breaking up around the turn of the century and splitting up into two different groups, both gaining critical acclaim, today they announced the mending of differences and have reunited. I know this excited my boy DMFM when I sent him the text! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKnpOW52qyY&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list... VITAL STATS:  It's amazing what almost 12 hours of sleep and a long hot shower will do when your back makes it nearly impossible to move. After soaking for awhile in the shower, I can breathe and move again! I don't have full range of mobility yet, but I'm close. I think I'll be able to get out of bed, and using the toilet isn't quite the, excuse the pun, pain in the ass it's been lately. Special shout out to sunnystarr, who recently gave this blog a rating of ! Thanks so much!! It's nice to know that this stuff here is appreciated.That's all for tonight...gonna relax a little, maybe see what else is goin' on around WDC, and call it a day before I go back to work tomorrow afternoon. Stay good, friends, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkIS3G64ug0 |
| THE PROMPT: "What is your greatest strength? What is your biggest weakness? Write about each and why you think it’s a strength or weakness. How would you change either of these things, if you could?" Good evening friends. It was recommended of us to treat this prompt like a job interview, because you're always asked these questions. I've always hated job interviews, because typically it means I need a job, and the interview is basically me having to talk my way into one. And the worst part of interviews? These questions. Luckily, I do pretty well in interviews, even if I don't like talking about myself. Sometimes, all you need is the right mix of confidence, humility and experience just to survive and move on to either the second interview or the job itself. While I recognize there isn't a job at stake here, I'd like to present to you the things I would like to say, but can't out of the fear of not actually gaining employment (and how they work to my benefit). Strengths: I dated your daughter in high school! Ummm, I mean, while she was in high school. (The "in" with the hiring manager.) I can waste time conservatively. (I'm economical.) Did you know that calling in sick and taking a sick day can actually make you more money with some companies than just working your regular shift? (I'm concerned about the health and well-being of others.) My sense of humor gets me more compliments from customers than write-ups from bosses. (Exempilary customer service.) I don't smell like cat pee, but your elderly receptionist does, and has the stains on her sweater to prove it. (Attention to detail.) I can retain some enough of my sobriety at the office Christmas party to convince the hot chick in Accounting to drive me home. (Responsibility.)Weaknesses: We're both glad that wasn't my kid, aren't we? (The "in" with the hiring manager.) Weakness? I get distracted easily. (I have a good cell phone plan.) I don't call in sick that many times during the week. (I'm really concerned about my coworkers' health and well-being.) Sometimes, there's a fine line between funny and offensive. (Misunderstood at a previous job.) Yo, that old chick that buzzed me in? She smells like cat pee, and she's got it all over her. (Very, very uncouth.) So if I'm hired, maybe we can hit up Applebee's after for some Long Island Iced Teas? Wanna see how I live? (Totally the incorrect way to thank someone.)I realize I totally missed on the prompt. I'm ok with that, cuz I nailed the sub-prompt. What's one bad entry in a month anyway? MUSICAL BREAK!! The corporate office called...they said you need to watch this video as part of a "retraining initiative" they're launching as a part of the rollover from last year's training conference in Woebegone, MA. Remember that conference? Neither do I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c VITAL STATS: This entry was interrupted and blindsided by what I couldn't in a million years see coming...Tebow beating the Steelers with his arm. Was that not amazing? I mean, I don't get him one way or the other, and I'm still reserving judgement on him, but the dude almost always wins. Unless I see him play in Buffalo. Then, he gets pew'd by the ministers on the Bills. How can a crappy Bills team missing some of their best players romp the Broncos and force Tebow into a bunch of turnovers, while two weeks later Tebow shreds the NFL's #1-rated defense on the ground and in the air? This is unimaginable. Lost in all of the hype of the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" , yesterday was in fact the 100th entry in this new blog. Guess it's time to stop calling it new now, huh? Must be time to rework the opening ceremonies of it too.I wish I had more for you, but I don't. It's been a football and pizza puffs and tuna sammich kinda day. And probably an early night too, since I woke up and could barely get out of bed because my lower back is tighter than...never mind, it's really frickin' tight and coughing makes it hurt. So there. Watch your Sunday funday shows, do what ya gotta do, love each other, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCC_PxRWVI4&feature=related |
| THE PROMPT: "Here’s a mistake I would love to have a do-over for:" Wow, what a hard one! When you're as humble as I am, you have a hard time admitting your mistakes . Well, news flash: I'm not perfect. In fact, I've made plenty of mistakes in the last week alone that I'm not proud of, let alone my life's body of work in the wrong decisions department. In fact, here's a short list of recent screw-ups I'd gladly trade for a do-over: Turning awkwardly at work and tweaking my lower back a little this afternoon. Typing, among many other things, is very uncomfortable right now. I want a do-over for yesterday's entry. I also want a do-over for this morning. Not because I didn't want to wake up and go to work so I called and "changed my schedule", but because I only wore a hoodie and not a real jacket...it was a little chillier by the time I got out at 4pm 5:45pm. I suppose I don't need a do-over for staying upstairs and doing this tonight while the Sabres game is on, but if I didn't want to be spoken to while I'm typing I guess I could go downstairs. So I guess that's on me. I definitely regret convincing justjessica1 to join Facebook, where she's just posted "My boyfriend just said, 'ok, sexy poopie time'. What???!!! Lol". I'm not sure what the lesser evil is...that or me dating an LOL'er.These all qualify, for sure, as do-over-worthy. But I do have a real story, for your consideration, about a situation with real repercussions when I actually dropped the ball. A few summers ago I had a second job working the counter at a gas station/convenience mart. Easy stuff, 15-20 hours a week, two blocks down the road. Because I had worked there about 10 years ago, they figured they really didn't have to retrain me much. After getting the hang of what few things had changed, I was set to go on my own. Now, this is a pretty busy gas station. And they failed to train me on two things that did change: the money order machine, and the prepaid phone card machine. During an extremely busy night, I received a phone call from a woman who wanted to purchase prepaid cards over the phone with a credit card. Not really knowing what I was doing with this little machine, I should've said no, and little red flags should've popped up all over the place warning me that this was not something we'd refer to as a "good idea". I tried at first to shoot her down, claiming ignorance, but she got pissed and demanded to speak to someone who "knows what they're doing". I asked her to call back so I could call a co-worker (who, ironically, on his way out straight up told me to call him if I had any problems) for some help. I called him, and he was no help...he couldn't talk me through the machine without actually seeing what the screen said, because when I told him what I was doing, he couldn't picture it. And sure enough, this woman called back. I didn't want to turn her down...for all I knew maybe this customer was an elderly lady who couldn't get out and we always did this for her as a favor, and I didn't want to get in trouble for helping out a regular customer. So finally, I figured out the prepaid card machine on my own, and I was ready to take her credit card number. After the first transaction, she wanted to do another one. So I did it in between the customers I was dealing with in-store. When I went to process the second card, she wanted to use a different credit card number. That should've been my second series of (bigger) red flags, but I was too consumed by all of this by now. In the end, she purchased over $300 in T-Mobile cards, with probably six different credit cards. And I'm feeling pretty good about myself, having put over $300 in sales that would be basically all profit into my day's totals while teaching myself something new and on my own. That all came crashing down at around 8:30 the next morning. When I explained to my relief the night before why the store looked like crap and nothing was filled, she relayed that on to her relief the next morning. That person happened to be the store manager. I was still asleep, having the day off from my real job, when a very angry manager called me and asked me what happened. I told her, and she wanted me to come down to the store ASAP. I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and ran down to the store, where the manager and a supremely pissed off district manager were waiting for me. The DM didn't hold anything back. Cussing and swearing, asking me why I'd do such a stupid thing, huffing and howling like I just ran up and punched her mother. Going off on me, while customers are in the store! I was too half-asleep and stunned to even try to defend myself. Turns out the woman was using stolen credit cards . I was scammed. The store was out the $300+ and chargebacks from the credit card companies, plus the T-Mobile card minutes. They'd have to file a police report (not against me) to be able to get anything back (and they were only able to cancel a few of the cards she purchased, plus they had the woman's phone number on caller ID), but they certainly could, and did, fire me.Would I like to change the outcome of this story? No, I'd prefer to not have this story be a part of my history at all. Trying to go "above and beyond" actually cost me my job. I thought I was doing the right thing (I mean, what company in their right mind turns down a $300 sale that's mostly all profit??) but all I was doing was satisfying a scam artist. I think it was then that I coined the phrase "peoples is scumbags". And of course, I could've shot her down, and potentially gotten a nasty phone call the next day from the manager asking why I didn't help her sick grandmother with her phone card purchase. Maybe that would've at least saved my job at the expense of my service reputation, but that's neither here nor there. Obviously she wasn't my manager's grandmother. I should've just held my ground and claimed stupid and let her take it as far as she wanted to without giving in. Who knows. Oh well. MUSICAL BREAK!! I suppose I could've really let losing that job bother me (it's not that I've never left a position on less-than-desirable terms and felt bad about it for awhile), and the extra money was nice, but I was exhausted and not yet ready for a second job at the time anyway. So I guess it could've been worse...it could've been this video. You might need to watch it twice to get all of it. And it's a pretty sick song too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOBcagaI22U VITAL STATS:  Another day, and still no Hockey emoticon. Where's the "protest" link on WDC? They have one for basketball, and they're playing an abbreviated season nobody's gonna watch anyway! I know Julie D - PUBLISHED! is with me on this one. I've learned that I don't care to write about things when I can't find anything humorous about the subject. So yeah, woke up this morning and this is how my sinuses felt: like a chain was attached to the cartilage in my nose, while someone was turning a crank behind my head trying to pull my nose through the dried-up matter in my sinus cavities so I'd be able to smell my brain instead of not being able to smell the outside world. Fantastic. Then, after waking up again to actually try to go to work, I felt a lot warmer than I should've. Like, pass out warm. I probably could've, too.Well, that's all for tonight. Looking forward to sleeping in for a long time tomorrow. No kids, no work, no worries...just playoff football. Happy Sunday! Peace and GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/chronicles-of-narnia-lazy-sunday/29... |
| THE PROMPT: "Anything goes." Good evening faithful readers! Not even a week into the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" , and here we our with out first "open prompt". Yikes! Best wishes to judge 30DBC Creator/Founder with everything he's got going on now, while trying to manage this contest.This is quite a fitting prompt for this here space on the interwebs, as pretty much anything goes around here anyway. It's with great pleasure that I allow tonight to be EXTENDED LINKOMANIA!! MUSICAL BREAK!! Once this site gets back up and running, here's a great way to kill a lot of minutes... an entire Radiohead concert from 1995. http://www.ateaseweb.com/2012/01/03/listen-radiohead-live-at-lowlands-1995/ VITAL STATS PLUS!!  Yup, I'm watching the Sabres game from the comfort of my living room (hence, the tv emoticon since we still don't have a damn hockey emoticon!!)...and some of you (who might want to) are not, or have made other plans. I've said many times how much I love having DirecTv. Time Warner, the cable company in our area, has removed MSG (the home of the Sabres, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Knicks, and many college teams) from their line-up in a bitter squabble over money and channels by two large corporations. Horseshit, I say...you corporations aren't suffering yet. But the fans of the teams you show are, and will gain their retribution eventually by switching their tv services so they don't have to go out of their way to watch their favorite teams. http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/sabres_and_nhl/ag-to-get-involved-in-msg-time-war... From the "Unintentionally Hilarious Inappropriate Comments At Work" file, this exchange between my boss and I, as she was pushing a cart of boxes: My boss: "I don't wanna hit that box." Me: "You know you wanna hit that." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9mmfLLMltg&feature=related Guess you had to be there. She couldn't look at me for almost an hour without chuckling or yelling at me to stop chuckling. The NHL has scrapped their realignment plans because their players' association doesn't like it. There's gonna be a lot of angry teams next year if this doesn't get worked out soon, and I get the feeling it won't be. http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7434057/nhl-delays-realignment-plan-modified-p... This might be some sort of obscure record, but it's the second day in a row that we have someone caught in a semi-state of nudity molesting artwork. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/Pro-skateboarder-Jereme-Rogers-reportedly-a... Any guesses as to how well this is gonna go over? They're coming to Buffalo in March. I'm intrigued, but not that much after what I read in Rolling Stone magazine over the summer about the lead guitarist. http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=693814 I'll leave you with the top 5 recommendations YouTube has for me tonight...a safe if not solid list... Soul Coughing, "Soundtrack To Mary (live)"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hYMCfEsrw Buck 65 w/Gord Downie "(untitled live new song)"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwLDJHlepaM Modest Mouse, "Little Motel"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umSroVWRvpU&feature=g-vrec&context=G2fc380cRVAAAA... Third Eye Blind, "Wounded"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqdMgJkXGk Radiohead, "Supercollider"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ITxvYk-DU And Day 6 is almost in the books...that should kill a good hour or so if you're so inclined. I'm gonna wait out the rest of this Sabres game and try to get to bed at a decent hour. Peace and love to all of you...GOODNIGHT NOW!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEnLNWoln1c |
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