Can we adjust the lights a bit love? 

Woo hooo

Two separate Kiss references in the same week!!!


I'm 18 again!

Cue Alice Cooper;

"I'm 18 and I like it"

Time passes

Long ago I did some research for ESPN, check that I did some research for my friend Michael. The payment was meant to come from ESPN, but they still haven't sent me the check.

Would I do it again? For Michael yes, for ESPN no way.


'minter won't work for ESPN' newsflash

I'm sure the powers that be are sleepless over this news. Actually I'm sure I would, but I'd need a deposit up front.

Why?

Why is the London bombing such a bigger story than the floods in India?

Why is the missing PA pregnant woman not as big a story as the runaway bride or the Aruba case? I would say looks, but the missing woamn looks very pretty in the only pic I've seen. So what gives?

Who sets this agenda?

Easy goth rock test

I fixed all the typos but they didn't take, so enjoy.

For those about to Fatwa

Good news on the Fatwa front yesterday. This is a good step, we need more to speak out like this.

King of cups****** warning this could be a TMI post

I went cup shopping last night. After hearing Corby's soccer rack story again (it involved things swelling quite a bit, and needles) I decided I didn't want to play cupless anymore. The trouble is the cups I used to wear for baseball, and softball are quite large, I'm talking gravy boats, or banana splits. Many NFL players don't wear cups because they don't like the perceived restriction of movement, and in soccer I need more freedom than I ever did on the diamond. Now in my experience when a man runs around like a nut, he's not at his best, not like a cold pool mind, but still. Nature puts things away when they are not needed. So I won't be serving banana splits in other words. I picked out the absolute smallest cup that I thought would offer some measure of protection, without making me feel like Gene Simmons in a giant cod piece.

The other problem that had to be addressed was the raspberry on my hip, it's been five days and it still hurts and looks terrible. So I decided I need the modern version of the compression short. I found one made by Under Armor that seems to fit the bill, it's like a compression short, but not as long, and made of a more comfortable material.


Alas my turn comes.

Sock size men's 10-13
Under armor size large
cup youth size large

I was just sure the cashier was gonna say something like.

'sir this is a YOUTH size'

What do you say?

It's not mine....it's for my son...honest..this sort of thing ain't my bag baby...I'm comfortable with my masculinity. really I am...honest.....

Thankfully my self respect was sparred any acknowledgement of the size differential.

hmmm?

Did pirates really need a flag? Do modern pirates still fly the Jolly Roger?

Be right back, I got some googlin' to do.

Dear coworkers

Must you burn popcorn every afternoon? Have you no pity?


Love,
R

Haaaaarg

Pirates are big players on kid's shows. Kids grow up thinking pirate is a legit gig. Fireman, Policeman, mailman..erm persons....and of course pirate.


I should've been a pirate.

Federalist society

I don't recall ever being a member of the Kiss army either, but it IS signed in Kiss blood.

things I miss 

ahhh 

old days 

jimi wallet 

Me hardies 

Hoist the jolly roger

When I lived with Scott I owned a pirate flag. You know the familiar skull and cross bones model, which I believe is called a Jolly Roger. Well we decided it needed to fly from high atop our third story balcony.

After a week or so the apartment people told us we had to take it down. I noticed other apartments were flying various flags. So I went to the office and asked to see some documentation on the ruling, they had none. They said the flag was inappropriate.

The U.S. flag I get, but people were flying things like bumble bees and butterflies. I told them if we had to take ours down then the bee was coming down too. They didn't see it this way, and I finally gave it up. But most days after 5 P.M. and every Saturday night, the Jolly Roger flew proudly anyway.....harrrrrg

Monster cereals discography

Count Chocula
Frankenberry
Boo Berry
and the lesser known failure, called Fruit Brute

Hankerin'

I hanker for a hunka, a slap or slice or chunka....Remember that weird Saturday morning thing.

What was the point of a PSA about how to make snacks?


Man that Housepants tune has me a hankerin' for some breakfast today.

Blossom

Doonesbury called Rove 'Turd Blossom' i think that's funny.

Liverpool's new signing is 6' 7", hence the gag 

Hey remember

Remember when you had to look up credit cards in the little book? While the suspect had to stand there feeling stupid waiting. The print was so tiny, it was impossible to do quickly.

'Just one sec, I need to look this card up in the book, it may be stolen'

Awkward.


What happened to those containers that held windshield wipers at gas stations? they were about the size of a newspaper dispenser...did wiper sizes used to be more universal?

Don't you hate it when a cashier comments on what your buying? It seems like no matter what I buy the clerk wants to chime in.

Bodywash 'is this any good?

CD 'I liked the old stuff'

If not my purchases, my wallet gets every time. I use this lame little plastic wallet, which I guess is not at all common.

God forbid I buy a plunger
'trouble with the shitter huh?

So yes, I embrace the self pay line..much better thanks.

Pet peeve 2

There is a certain type of coworker who feels perhaps he isn't getting his due, and therefore feels he must cc anyone and everyone whenever he actually does something. Those individuals who are copied have no action to take, and often only a passing interest in the goings on.

'Dear Purchasing
I'm about to run out of _______'

CC: company President, CFO, Operations Mgr, your congressman, God.


This strategy usually backfires, because all the above parties just find you annoying.


This guy is a tool, don't be this guy.

Rock n roll country style

Mindy McCready has more arrests and overdoses than hits. Why am I shocked? I guess cause Nashville tries to put this wholesome image forward, but the truth can be very different.


Netflix brought me 'Little big man' I do not recall why I had this on my list, but it was terrible. It starts with Dustin Hoffman in this old man mask, and his voice sounds kinda muffled like Planet of the apes characters. Then it dawns on me, he looks like the effing fake old man Six flags/Magic mountain dancer! I hit stop and never looked back.

That reminds me, add all the corny Planet of the apes movies to my netflix list. Now that's entertainment I can count on.

Apology

Tony Blair has apologised for the shooting of the Brazilian national in the tube station.


It occurred to me that I don't recall hearing a U.S. President apologize for much of anything. Can you remember any? Did Clinton apologize for Monica, or Paula, or pot? It seems it's not in our nature to admit any wrong doing, lest we be more liable or something. Honestly I see this as a character flaw.

Were sorry we went to war over WMD, we were wrong. Now that we're there, we want to try and make the best of it.

Something like that would be nice.

Hot hot heat

It seems my friends all over are not having much fun with this heat thing. How on earth can I be the most well adjusted of the lot? I have hyperhydrosis which means I will sweat when no one else will, and in a manner that can safely be called profuse.

The heat is lovely, and is your friend.


Brazilian music helps, as does west African stuff.

I wish I could help more of you to feel what I'm feeling, cause for over 30 years I've been the most miserable SOB on the planet in TX summers. If I can rise above, anyone can.

I may die of heat stroke, but otherwise I'm good.

Pet effing peeve

My biggest peeve at work is the following scenario.


Someone asks you for information you've already given them, and if that weren't enough, the easiest way to find it again is to go to your sent items and search by the same person's name to find it, and send it to them again.


'why yes I will send that exact same file to you again, since you are too stupid to find it'


This story could be fake and therfore a non-firable offense.

Worst snack food

What's the grossest snack food? For me it's down to beef stix vs. snoballs.

Any thoughts?

In the interest of poetry *

* language warning..big time

My favorite line is 'all I'm sayin' is there ain't no question who the man is'

Pistol grip pump


Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine

I was raised in the hood called what the diffrence
The brothers in the hood be Chivalrous
So i rest defense on my ligaments
Pistol grip pump on my lap, riskin it
Full life living it, never giving it back
Too late for slipping, so slack up
On my lap its on your lips so track shot
A steel dick more clip for pump but
All im saying there aint no question who the man is
In my civic or in this show biz
I drill the fool, kill the fool
Come on what you say?
i think i can take care of all you muthafuckas don't delay right away

Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine
Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine

Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times, right?
Cause tricks be out for your blindside
Never understood it, but remember i showed you
That in these times you gotta look over your shoulder, strap
Well that ain't nothin' but the intent of gettin high
And a cop giving you shit for just passing you by
If your ever in trouble or on the double best to call your pals
If you got...?
?
Are we getting along? we family, we better be
We got your back, we got your back kid
Just dont be pointing one of them guns, allright man

Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine
Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine

Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine
Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times (3x)
They can be fucking with other niggas shit, but they cant be fucking with mine

Heat embrace

Today's embrace music is by Susan Baca.

I'm a chicken

Three haircuts in a row I've wanted to say gimme the number 1, but I've chickened out. I already get the one on the back, and sides, but I fear the all over. My fear is that it will not be Brad Pitt or David Beckham I resemble, but rather private Pile for Full Metal Jacket. In a way I don't care, I mean it's not like i'm doing it to look like Mr. Jolie, I know that won't happen. It's not a fear of looking like a tool, cause I look like a tool anyway. Next time I'm gonna do it...I think

Oh and

No I'm not hiding from the fact that FC Dallas played the their worst game of the year on Saturday night. On the astro turf and football lined rubbish pitch of Salt Lake, the boys hacked up a huge furball. The only thing worse than the field was Dallas' performance. Good thing we have 10 of the last 13 at home, our form has really dipped lately.

Get that cheese grater going against the grain wearing me down

Saturday practice went well scored a goal and got my number. I wanted Carriger, but it was taken so I got number 8 (Gerrard)

Sunday I played a scrimmage with the over 40 guys, and while I did manage a goal, I missed a far better chance and it's one I'll be seeing in my sleep for a while. I couldn't believe the space I had, and instead of taking the shot, I tried to play it across and we ended up going backwards. I keep getting asked to play up front, which I've never done before, so I don't have a real striker's mentality. Not sure I like this Striker business, your touches are contingent upon service that may or may not be there, it can be frustrating, and if you range back too far to get the ball then you are oft out of position.


Later I took a mighty tumble, and scrapped the skin of the left side of my body from calf to shoulder. The worst areas are on my calf, my left butt cheek and my forearm. I have these little cuts on my hand that make me look like a junkie. So I was awake a lot last night feeling like I need a skin graft.

When I did sleep I dreamed that this blog was made into a musical, and was playing at Six Flags. the reviews were poor, and I was embarrassed.

Oh and playing a game at 2 pm when the temp is 100 and there is no shade at all, is embracing the heat fully.

Netflix-The party monster shockumentary (I always hated club kids)Also a punk documentary that's running on IFC which was pretty good.


Random question; What was the first R rated film you saw? Mine was 'Eat my dust' Staring Ron Howard My father took my sister and me, and I just remember feeling so tense at every cuss word, and there were tons of them. It wasn't worth it. The first one I enjoyed was Fast times at Ridgemont high (snuck in) and Scanners (also a sneak job) you?

When I die

Scatter my ashes along the pacific coast highway in Big Sur, while playing a selection of Burt Bacharach and Hal David tunes.

coffee can okay

70's theatrical faux documentaries on the supernatural

In the 70's I saw these documentary type films on Bigfoot and Noah's ark in the theatre. Bizarre, does anyone else remember these things?

Summer signings

Liverpool's new boys


Mark Gonzales-winger
Peter Crouch Sriker
Pepe Reina GK
Bolo Zenden-MF
Momo Sissoko MF
Antonio Barragen CB?


Momo used to be a defender at Valencia so he may have some versatility.

Enough

Enough with the current event talk.
Random questions;

Are the Amish dull?

Pleats, in or out? I'm thinking out for the most part, but I am wearing them today.

How far will you drive to pay less for gas?

Can you setup a tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot? or must it have wheels?

Have you ever believed in ghosts, Bigfoot, or ufos?

Ia making a sex tape ever a good idea?

pilot jail time

This freaks me out a bit. Were they wrong? of course they were, but consider it for a moment. Have you ever settled your tab six hours before work? Most of us have, in fact I wonder how many pilots have. For most Americans 6 hours constitutes a nights sleep. Many of us have joked 'I'm prolly still drunk' the next day, but luckily there was no prison time.

Pilots should be held to a higher standard, and I do think these men were in the wrong, but I can't help thinking the punishment seems extreme. Fired? yeah, but prison?

Am I missing a key part of the story? did they drink again in the morning?

We can't seem to keep molesters behind bars, but there's room for pilots who drank too much the night before, and people who had pot.

This is the new worst post ever.

Actual conversation (rated R)

Does the guy jerk off the whole time?
I haven't seen the movie
But you said you'd read the book this film is based on?
I did, but I don't remember any jerking off
Look, I've been watching this film for 15 minutes and the guy has jerked off twice...


Said about 'Door on the floor'

is it right

When we sought to punish Castro, we actually punished the people of Cuba.

When we sought to punish Saddam, we actually punished the people of Iraq.

Is it right to put innocents in such a dire situation, because we have a dispute with their countries leadership (often leaders who may not have the best interest of people in mind anyway)

It's been how long since Fidel, and Che nationalized the refineries and pissed us off so much? Does this make any difference to a Cuban family of five who have nothing?


Maybe we should consider assassinations after all.

Hard times in the land of plenty

So the Yen was revalued up 2.2%, which is at least 30% lower than it should be. This week there have been three big layoffs announced, HP, Kimberly Clark, and one other one that escapes me at the moment.

So with Chinese money still artificially under-valued, don't look for much in the way of manufacturing to be returning. China fears it will lose business to other LCE's if they were to make any dramatic changes, and they are probably right.

The future looks a bit bleak at the moment, we are losing competitive edge, we have a massive trade deficit, and all the LCEs are gaining technical skills.


This administration scares me by not embracing the scientists. Remember how the scientists (some of them German) saved our asses in WWII. Science is a good thing.


This is the worst post in the history of the Minter blog.

I don't get it

8 released from Gitmo

Cnn; 'The announcement said the latest releases included three detainees found no longer to be enemy combatants by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal. One was released to Sudan, one to Saudi Arabia and one to Jordan.'


so were they wrongfully imprisoned or did they have a change of heart?

Is this what passes for due process?


Did they say;

You know I've been doing a lot of thinking these last 800 days, and come to think of it, I no longer wish to be an enemy combatant. Just send me home, and I promise I harbor no ill will.

Cnn again 'A three-officer board generally decides whether the prisoners remain enough of a threat to justify keeping them at Guantanamo. Their home governments and families are allowed some input, but they are not afforded legal representation. Each prisoner can be released, transferred to his home government or kept in detention.'

Monitor

I'm getting a new 17" flat screen monitor for my office, I can't imagine how my number came up. Everyone else must already have one in order for my turn to come up. I'm pretty happy cause the monitor I have now is 17"...deep..this freaking thing takes up a huge corner of my desk.

What will I do with the extra space? Perhaps an odd collection of curios will be in order.

Shuffle

My Ipod created an awkward situation today. I play it through the JBL rig so it can be heard while I work. Well today I got back to my office with a supplier and we walk in my office to the tune of Pistol grip pump as performed by Rage against the machine.

Now if you know the song, you will recall it has the lyrics;

pistol grip pump on my lap at all times'
they can be f***ing with other n****** s*** but they can't be f****** with mine

I couldn't hit skip quick enough. It's funny cause Sophie packs 5400 songs only about 20 of which have profanity to speak of, so what are the odds?

Time

I've been contemplating the value of time lately. Time is indeed the only measure of our lifespan. At the end of our life, money won't matter near as much as time. You get a finite amount of time in this life, and that's it. What value do you place on it?


I think most of us sell ourselves short.

If a two mile commute gives me back an hour a day, and nearly a day a month, what value do you place on that? The more I think about it the more value I think it should have.

I will give Filibuster a fair shake next week, in the interest of time.

Freezing and it's supposed to be 100 today

I made the mistake of wearing a short sleeve shirt today, since it's supposed to be 100. It's simply too cold for short sleeves in our office, and I'm cold. I could bring a jacket, but c'mon...

So what becomes of my many short sleeve shirts? Are they all relagated to weekend duty? If you can't wear them on 100 degree days when can you wear them?


I don't have the answer, but for now I'm gonna go walk in the warehouse for a few minutes to thaw.

Soundtrack

I wish I could build a soundtrack to this blog, I tried but it failed. There are many songs that I would like to play on here.

Today it would be Lila Downs' version of the Doris Day hit Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps which is sung mostly in espanol.

oh well screw it.

oh and I promise not to make anymore auto-erotic asphyxiation jokes.


That is all.

And in every office...

coworker 'my guys are gonna need to work overtime to get these orders out'
me 'okay shouldn't be a problem, when do you need to work ot?
coworker 'last week'


Not really part of the solution.

Sounds

Now you can enjoy sound samples of recent Minter blog referenced songs.

Note the Mexican Shuffle and a Serge Gainsbourg sound clip links at the right.

Please play along it took me like 25 minutes to set them up.

dude

The only files I have on my laptop are the songs in itunes. I ahve saved no other files at all. So now I find that I've still got 1.2 GB of space in my Ipod, but I'm maxing out my laptop's storage.

I know the programs take up space and all, but can an Ipod really store as much as my laptop? Shocking

Scotty

Star Trek figures were very much like dolls. They wore fabric clothes, and had fair complexions. The accessories were a pale blue Barbie color.

Once I lost my Scotty figure for over a week, turns out he was up in the tree right where I left him. A bird had left a mark on him, but I just imagined it was some alien slime.


So today comes the news that Scotty has passed away. I set my light blue phaser for stun in his honor.

Sweeeeede

So I send an urgent email to Sweden (now mind you this is my contact who is supposed to not be on vacation like the rest of the country) and I get this back;



Hej!
Jag har semester är tillbaka 15/8


Which either means I'm on vacation til the middle of August, or Har Mar Superstar is on tour this semester.

That's hot

I'm getting ripped for my heat theory.

It's simple really, Eskimos don't complain about snow, and people in the Amazon don't complain about moisture. The heat is a fact of life in this area...hence the embrace.

Or as Kenny Loggins and Steve Perry might duet 'don't fight it'

Filibuster

Shockingly I heard back from the filibuster interview guy today. It had been so long I didn't understand who he was at first.

I've been a bit bewildered so at one point he says 'you don't sound very excited about it' as I was scrambling to remember who the hell he was.


Well EFF! you say you are gonna call people for second interviews 'early next week' and then in fact wait almost four weeks to call, so I would say it is you sir who does not sound too excited. For eff's sake.

Have you ever considered what a charade this whole process is?


They always say things like 'we are calling the top four or five candidates in for a second round of interviews etc.

If in the first round you didn't get it down to at least three, then you mustn't be very good. And secondly if you would let the interviewee actually talk, you might not need a second round at all.

So much of it seems like bs to me. I doubt there are really four other people, but they don't want me to get cocky.

I'm not even sure how interested I am, but it is like 2 minutes from my house which is huge.

Here comes the nice

Got to get some sleep
I'm so nervous in the night
I don't know how to stop
No, I don't know how to stop
I don't know how to stop
I don't know how to stop-Peter Gabriel


I hurt my groin so bad last night at practice that I could barely walk to the car. I had ot take a bath instead of a shower, and it was hard to get out. Many Advil later there is hope. It's clear that I must sit for six weeks if I'm to heal properly, but the season starts in August..so screw it.

Pipe dreams

'I read it all every word, and I still don't understand a thing'-Travis

Sing when you're winning

In music stores we would often need a customer to sing a particular song they sought. This was a priceless experience. In the days before the internet, customers had fewer options. There was the massive phonolog book, but you needed to know either the title or the artist to get anywhere. Often the best solution was to sing a bit of it.

Over the years customers sang all types of songs to me, often as I was chocking down a laugh.

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain.....

aw aw hey you who said that, baby how've you been...

stead of taking just one bite........ That was a hard one...'that's all' Genesis.

I really prided myself on being able to identify even the most random of songs from any era. We would have a very high kill ratio, pretty much only sending the mentally unstable home empty handed. There was no pleasing the guy who would shout Leo Kottke! at us for example.

I kinda miss being serenaded by strangers off the street.

Toil and servitude

Some of the people with the worst gigs here are the happiest. Guys who work out in the warehouse heat are always laughing and joking, and seem so carefree. Those of us in the hermetically sealed, sterile, office of the future, must toil in abject misery for every day that remains.

Perhaps it's all in the attitude, so I'm gonna work on that.


Toil eff yeah!

Still life

'say do you have the new Rolling Stones album Still Life on cassette? I asked the clerk

'It's right here but it sucks'

I remember laughing awkwardly as I paid. Now if memory serves this guy was a year older in my school, and if I had asked he might've pointed me in the direction of King Crimson instead.

the lesson? never trust a hippee in a green apron, nah Still life does kinda suck. Always trust hippees in aprons.

Years later I saw a Kids in the hall sketch that was exactly the same, only substitute Depech Mode for Rolling stones. I loved this sketch, thought it was genius, because of course I had lived it.

Tuesdays with worry

There's much on my mind, and most of it cannot be blogged.

Comments

I can't seem to get blogger to tell me when I get a comment. I've changed my settings but still no pop up or email or anything. Something about my browser again.


Soooooo if I've been unresponsive to a comment it may well be because I haven't seen it.

Headline

'U.K. think-tank links London bombings to Iraq war'

Was a think-tank really needed for that conclusion?

Broken Flowers

Sick, sober, and sorry

You know the scene in Boogie Nights where the character Scotty (as played by Phil Hoffman) is sitting in the cars repeating 'I'm such a f**king idiot'


Yeah well that's me all too often.

I suppose in every life there comes a time when you realize you are never gonna amount to anything (unless of course you are someone who will amount to something) for me that time is now. I'll never be rich or famous, and increasing the term 'successful' seems a stretch.

'don't you know you can't rewrite your own history'-the Thrills

FC Dallas hacked up a huge hairball in NE, leading 2-1 after 90 minutes they had two defensive melt downs and somehow lost 3-2. I can only hope it's the kind of heartbreaking, character building experience that will make this young team stronger.


In other news the Comcast guy was great, he was on time, and knew what he was doing. The guy was nice to my cat, and fixed the problem.
so yes Comcast, you did something right.

The Willy Wonk movie is pretty good me thinks.

Draw rings

My blog needs an illustrator. So if you are an artist or designer, feel free to submit illustrations for any entry. Understand you would be working on spec, but your work would be seen by perhaps tens of people.

Buckner and Garcia

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 13, 2005) -- The Tennessee Titans' top draft pick, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, surrendered to police on charges of assault and vandalism stemming from a nightclub altercation.

The victim, a pink ghost, was not immediately available for comment.

questions

Why must we swipe our card quickly? What will happen if we go too slow?


Why is it that on an airplane you can use electronics in flight but not cell phones, then once you land while taxiing you can use cell phones but no other electronic devices?


Milestone reached;

$50 for a tank of gas.

Absent in modern rock

Let's get together a list of subjects once common in rock, but we no longer hear about;

Big legs
Underage girls
Sock hops
Soda fountains
Lawdiness
Hobbits
Doing various dances i.e. watusi, or the twist.


Response songs have made a bit of a comeback in recent years.

Why I love the Harry Potter books

No, I haven't read them. I have watched a couple of the movies with the kiddo, and thought they were ok.


No, the reason I love Harry Potter is because I see more kids excited about reading Harry Potter than anything before. Harry kicks the Hardy boys' ass in terms of kid interest. In the age of the internet and video games etc, to have so many kids so excited about reading a book that has no pictures or links is cool.

When I was a kid I pretty much stuck to Iron man.

So I will not be making fun of anyone for going to release parties tonight.

R.I.F.

Championship

I've been reading a lot of graphic novels lately, and they often don't really have a punch line at the end of a little story. So in that same style this post has no real point. Cheers.


When I worked at a local record store as a second job, ostensibly to save money for a house and child. (but in truth I was desperately clinging to my youth)

We had a customer request sheet, that the buyers would use to place orders. Mostly we would write down things we had sold out of (this was a decidedly low tech store, no computer, no system, no inventories or anything of the sort)

Each Saturday as a goof I would write down some obscure act as if a customer had come in the store looking for it. Walker Brothers, Sam the Sham and the pharos, Question mark and the mysterians etc.

Well eventually I settled on Serge Gainsbourg.

'customer requests'
Brani
No Doubt
Spin Doctors
Serge Gainsbourg
Sting

I really wanted to buy some Serge records, I had read about some new r-issues that were due out. So every Saturday I wrote it down again and again.

Finally three re-issued collections came in, and bought them all.

So this morning when 'cha cha cha de loup' came on the Ipod shuffle I felt satisfied, in a dorky sort of way.

Perhaps a better analogy

100% of abortion clinic bombers were pro-lifers (ironically) but we happily make the distinction between the pro-life movement, and the people who take it to the extreme of killing innocents for religious reasons.

So why is this so hard to do in the case of Islamic extremists? I think there are several reasons. We don't understand Muslims in the same way we understand our neighbors or friends who happen to be pro-life. Fear is another factor, I mean since we didn't work in a clinic we felt like it wouldn't happen to us. And lastly I'm working on a half baked theory that humans hate complicated issues. I think we are hard wired for a fight or flight mentality, and thorny issues like suicide bombers cannot be solved so easily. It leads people to jump to the extreme in the quest for a solution. This would explain Shelley's radical response perhaps.

From what I've read of the Koran, it no more calls for the killing of innocents than the bible does, but we've seen both interrupted that way.

In truth I have no idea what I'm talking about, I'd better stick with what I know.

War on war

Shelley's podcast has me all fired up.

How do we win this war on terror? Shelley is calling for a 'war on Islam' and wants to 'outlaw' several religions.

Can you really call all Muslims 'evil' I find that assertion shocking.

Did we call for an end to groups of Christians after Jim Jones, or Heaven's gate? What about Timothy McVeigh, did he ever go to church.

Honestly how do you stop someone from blowing themselves up in a free society? Some, like Shelley propose measures that in my view make us less free.

Gitmo isn't really a solution. Yes I want to protect innocents, and yes I understand that a dirty bomb could be so much worse. And while it's true these terrorist are often fundamentalist Muslims, it is too much of a leap to say that Islam = Terror.

There are no easy answers. Outlawing Islam, and rounding up all Muslims is one of the more outrageous suggestions I've heard.

Would I like to see more Muslim leaders speak out against terror and Bin Laden? yes that would be nice.

Oh, and innocent until proven guilty isn't a liberal tradition, it's an American one.

Robots

I find that when speaking to an automated attendant, it's best to imitate an automated attendant if you hope to be understood.

For example if the answer is 1506

don't say fifteen o' six

say;

1 5 zero 6

in a controlled and carefully spaced fashion. If anyone hears you they will think you're a weirdo, but otherwise you're up and running in the world of the machines.

Inside 

Giraffe 

Animal Kingdom lodge 

Enid 

Brits everywhere

There were tons of brits in Disney World. The dollar is so weak, the Brits think it's cheap to to visit Disney. How can you spot them? Easy it's the Umbro trianers.

Retro Futurism

Toy town feelings here to remind you
Summers in the city do what you gotta do-Teenage Fanclub





The best things in Disney are those that have not changed, or changed very little since the 70's. I love the retro futurism of tomorrowland, and the carousel of progress.

Autoreply

I'm on holiday til Halloween, have a kick ass summer.


Comcast is torment. My internet is intermittent, yesterday for the first time in two weeks it was working, this morning not so much...WTF?

While at Disney I was introduced to a few geese that fly up 30,000 ft, this is especially impressive to someone who just got off a plane that cruised at 32,000 feet.

I didn't grow up in the best decade for plane travel. That is to say I grew up in the area of the disaster film, and I watched them all. To this day when the plane I'm on is taking off, I hear Charleton Heston's words from Airport 75, through mashed teeth 'climb baby, climb'

By the age ten I'd been on a plane once and seen several air disaster films. Not a good ratio for the paranoid.

Once on the ground the Folk Implosion lyric 'my plane landed, I'm alive' goes through my head.

This isn't to say I fear flying, I really don't, I just know what can go wrong. For example a small plane pilot can have a heart attack and crash into us poking a hole that kills the crew, and forces Karen Black to fly the plane.

Netflix-Long goodbye
Music-Ali Farka Toure and Lila Downs

Errr

I'm gone three effing business days.

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Thunder mountain


Get back and it's shite mountain

Meanwhile my Swede coworkers have an autoreply to their email that reads

'I have holiday between 2005-07-11 --- 2005-08-07.

Have a nice summer!'




Have a nice summer? eff that I have work to do. Must be nice to take a freaking month, and to know you won't be buried when you return, cause the whole country is off on holiday as well.

Room service

A $13 dollar turkey sandwich?!?!?!?!

Just add %18 gratuity and charge it to the game playa, this is the happiest and most expensive place on earth.

modern work is rubbish

'I will bring you stories and bleary eyed photos like a regular tourist' -Athlete

I'm so buried at work right now I cannot blog about my so-called adventures much.


Netflix-The conversation
Music-Husky Rescue

both are being dug...erm or digged.....enjoyed

Letting you down one post at a time

It will likely disappoint my fair readers that I will not come on here and rip Disney world. Being the cynic and noted complainer I am, you wouldn't be blamed if you expected that type of response.

After flight delays and a long bus ride to the resort we are finally shown to our room.

'A giraffe! we chorused as we looked out the window of what will be home for the next few days. Disney's animal kingdom lodge has large savannahs around the hotel, where wild animals live. Let me say that having a giraffe 10 feet from your balcony will tend to soften your stance. As was certainly the case for me.

Magic America

'have a magical day'

I've heard this twice and I'm not even off the bus. I suppose if by magical they mean waiting for and riding on buses, than I'm a regular David Copperfield. Everyone is certainly nice, maybe too nice, I find that I'm suspicious of them.

This place is a prison
these people aren't your friends-postal service

Kickoff lunch

I attended the FC Dallas kickoff lunch today, and it was pretty cool. The great Lamar Hunt was there and spoke briefly. I'm a huge Chiefs guy so this has added significance, this man was forward thinking when it came to American football and he continues to be forward thinking about soccer.

It was nice to see some of my Inferno friends there as well, but we had little time to talk, since we were all really late getting back to work as it was.

It was cool to see the players in a more casual setting, though I'm sure they would probably tell you they are more comfortable on the field then glad handing people.

I got back from lunch at like frickin' 2:45. Eff it club before employment right?

And no, I didn't commit any hotel crimes.

The printed page

I love the daily newspaper, but is it played out?

I mean the big story today is the attack in London, and there is nothing in the morning paper about it, because they had already printed. MSN, CNN, Yahoo, and the web sites of the daily papers have this story , but the good old printed copy will have to wait.

I hope the paper hangs around, since I still like to read it on Sunday especially, and I don't want to see Flanders carrying his laptop into the men's room anytime soon.

Trends

I can blog everyday about the same two subjects.

Technical difficulties, and poor customer service..usually in that order.

My internet is down so I had to call Comcast...yikes this is always unwieldy.

'okay sir the next available appt time I have is Sunday 7/10 at 11:00'
'Sunday is no good for me, how about Tue the 12th?
'Let me see.....can I put you on hold for up to two minutes?
'okay'
2 minutes of the 'Mexican Shuffle by Herb Alpert and Tijuana brass later
'Sir it seems I cannot set any appts beyond the 10th'
'let me get this straight, the soonest available is the 10th, and the farthest out I can get is also the 10th?
'sir I know it doesn't make sense but the system won't allow me to schedule anything beyond the 10th.


Since he had already suggested the modem was bad, and I concurred I tried a different approach;

'what if I just bring the modem to a Comcast office and exchange it?
'sir you could do that, but we would have no way of knowing if they would have a modem available for you there'
'okay option three, what if I go buy a new cable modem somewhere, and plug it in, will that work?
'yes sir it should'
'okay thanks'


Off the Fry's modem procured, plug it in...wait for it.....yep nothing


I call Comcast again to register my modem, and it still won't work.


'sir it looks like we need to set up a service call, the next available I have is the 9th at 11:00 am'

'can I set something up for the 12th? I foolishly ask, but hey the available date changed so why not right??

'sir no I'm sorry I can't set anything that far out'
'what would be the procedure for getting an appt on the 12th?
'Sir you could call back in a day or two and try again'


I pay $170-180 per month for all the channels (though many say one moment please for hours on end) and internet access which seems to always be down..

value?


So I have no internet and no hope of getting it back anytime soon.

Identity

'people will assume you're gay!
'who? it's in the left ear, left ear means not gay'
'who would know the difference?
'mom, I'm not gay that's the important thing, who cares what people think'
'well I do when it comes to something like this'
'look' I said turning over to MTV 'Julian Lennon has an ear ring..he's not gay, at least I don't think so, my point is it's not a gay thing'
'Your father will not be happy'
'oh now HE'S gonna think I'm gay? I really think you're overreacting'


This is the conversation I had with my mother in my 10th grade summer, after the Valley View mall piercing pagoda snapped a gold stud into my left ear lobe.

Love Hangover

True story;

At lunch today 3 guys are eating.

A 'check out thoses chicks coming in'
R 'mmm hell yeah'
S 'that's my ex-wife'
A 'oh shit it is'
R 'so how bout them Rnagers this year....

We soon left....Awkward

Hotel crimes

High school can be a boring time, so in addition to stealing records from the major's dumpsters, we would find other crimes to commit.

It all started from a desire to sit in the hot tub for free. Me and some of my friends would go to hotels around town and just do stuff. Sit in the hot tub until we got kicked out, flip the do not disturb signs over to make up room early, stealing anything that wasn't nailed down. I still have one of the large silver top sugar thingies from some hotel. Salt and pepper shakers, cloth napkins, you name it as long as it wasn't ours and was not freely given. On some level the real goal was to get chased. Few things were as thrilling as being on the run from some hotel stiff. In some of the nicer places you had to be a real prick to get any attention. I distinctly remember throwing toilet paper rolls out the window of the Melrose on new year's eve. It was like being a rock star without the rock, or stardom.

'hello'
'whatcha doin?
'nuthin'
'hotel crimes?
'sure'
'be there in five minutes'
'cool'

I'm pretty sure I'm still banned from the Holiday Inn in Plano, after a graduation party where I did some freelance work involving furniture and the pool area.

Slacker by request

When I lived on 41rst street in Austin I had no AC. In the summer I had a habit of staying at one of the girlfriend's house and coming home for a few minutes before work. Work as I'm calling it started at 3 for me in those days. So one such day I roll up to the house at 2ish and there are a bunch of artsy people milling about on the lawn. Having never been around a movie set before I had no idea that people milling around is what a film set looks like. IT looked for all the world like they were on some kind of break...I swear it did...honest. Running a bit late for work I push past the coffee house crowd up to the porch and past an older man and a young man. As I passed the two men I realized that they were not rehearsing, but indeed shooting. Erm oops...I'm effing genius.

Filming stopped, I didn't hear anyone shout 'Cut' but the scene was stopped. Realizing that I'd just wasted time and film on what I thought was a student project, I felt like a real tool.

Sitting in my room distraught one of the girls tried to comfort me;

'Cool Kate Bush poster'
'Wow, it's pretty hot in here'
'Say is that Outlaw Ladies?


But I knew I had effed up royally.


The film was not a student project, it was the debut feature film of Richard Linklater called Slacker. The scene I ruined was one where the old man conspiracy nut offers words of advice to the young thief character, on my freaking porch.

I felt bad about it for years, I'm sure the budget was tight and many people were volunteering, film stock was no doubt at a premium, and here I come 6' 4" 180 lbs in my Nirvana fudge packin shirt oblivious to the whole of my surroundings.


Anywhoo I'm over it, I mean it worked out for Richard. Maybe I was good luck, he's had several hits, and has that new Bad News Bears flick coming out. So shout out to Richard Linklater and his fine films, sorry about the timewaste.

things that had better arrive today

My effing phone
my laptop disc drive
my special order Gatorade product..yeah I know

Phoneless in Dallas

So somehow in the process of switching my phone number to my new phone they effing turned the old one off before the new one arrived...genius.

Today I have no phone, and I feel naked. I'm pretty sure I'd sooner go pantless.

I won't go into the details of the ridiculous phone conversations I had with the various reps of these companies. Let's just say it involved me beating my head against the wall and saying things like 'what does overnight mean? and 'why would you switch them before I had the new one?


So those of you who call me, and expect calls from me...please be advised.

I would say call me at the office, but sheeesh I try not to answer that phone.

Dear Michael Dell (an open letter)

Mr. Dell,

When I paid for next day service on my warranty I had no idea you would use a shipper that requires a signature. As you can imagine it's difficult to repair your computer using a post it note from DHL. Had the technical support person warned me of this fact, you know on the off chance that I actually worked for a living, I would've used my work address or some other option. No, sadly I wasn't warned so when I got home yesterday it was not my much needed part that was on my door step but a note. DHL has assured me this is at Dell's request, and under normal circumstances they would've left the parcel.

So next day really means 2 days player. Since you have obviously failed to see things from your customer's perspective, I thought I'd take a moment to state my case. Are 24 hours critical to me? Not really, but what we are talking about is a frustration in an increasingly frustrating world.

Let's try and keep it real.

Give me back my man

24 hours after the news that Stevie G was gone for good, we get word that it was all a misunderstanding, and he is staying with Liverpool for life.


Please let this be the end of it.


YNWA

war

Conservatives and liberals both seem to be saying they want the same thing in a Supreme court justice. So why do I get the feeling it's gonna get ugly?

The Glamour of filmaking

Two films that show how tough a film can be to make are;

'the Burden of dreams'
and 'Lost in La Mancha'

Another thing that shows how hard it can be, is me ruining a scene, but more about that later.

G.G. Allen's guide to self control

yeah, that's what fashion tips from me are like

Acid wash

I don't mean to come down on you, but I truly feel the rubber band bracelets are about played out.

but hey charge it to the game right

Progress

There are people who work in a certain department at this mystery company, who cannot function without 1/3 cut manila file folders.

I've never been the sort of person who can stop doing my job over an office supply, nor have I ever worked in a department where this approach was taken.

Though no one disputes the need for folders in that department, how can the wheels completely stop if they run out? They seem to have no plan B, there is no contingency plan in place that would allow them to proceed in the absence of 1/3 cut manila file folders.

It's a life of surprises

This weekend I was carded, and more unexpectedly referred to as 'hot' by a friend of a friend..maybe it was a comment brought on by my stylish hanky. More likely it was meant literally as it was 103 freaking degrees.

It was good to see John on Saturday at the historic Cotton Bowl, the result was a dissapointing draw, but this team is missing too many players to avoid such a set back. Now all roads lead to Frisco for the Aug 6th new stadium opener.

I was kinda jones'n for a jetski this weekend, it seems like a proper way to celebrate a Holiday weekend, maybe next year.

Outlaw Lady

When I don't know what to blog, I can just recall a moment of embarrassment and go from there.

In Austin my roommate Steven had this friend Mary Lou. Mary Lou was so out of my league, she wasn't even playing the same game. Mary Lou was a few years older, drop dead gorgeous, educated, and tasteful. She was always found where anyone who is anyone would be found, she was quite the woman about town. I never considered her my equal because it was so obvious that I wasn't even close to her level. I did still want to put my best foot forward with her, I felt if I were on my best behavior she wouldn't think I was a total proletariat.

Once Mary Lou asked Steven if she could borrow a VCR. It's funny looking back I perceived her lack of VCR ownership as an example of her class. She cannot be bothered with trivialities like VCRs, she's busy with art openings and fine dining. Only a loser like me would own a VCR.

So when Steven expressed some concern about the functionality of his VCR, I jumped at the chance to loan her mine. I imagined I was quite smooth when I said 'Mary why don't you use mine, really it's no bother' I had so hoped my delivery was in a Cary Grant style. In haste I rushed into my room and disconnected the VCR, and brought it to Mary Lou's car.

A few days later Steven comes home with this shit eating grin on his face. 'Are you missing anything? he asked barely able to contain himself

'uh no, I don't think so, well obviously I am from the look of things...well?

'does the title 'Outlaw Ladies' mean anything to you?

My face must've turned ten shades of red, since Outlaw Ladies as you may have guessed by now, is a porn tape.

I could never face Mary Lou again, she knew the horrible truth about me. She had indeed seen both sides of monsignor valentine. Cary Grant would've never made such a gaff, and indeed I was no Cary Grant.

'she watched it with her boyfriend' Steven continued

'She WATCHED IT! Somehow this was getting worse by the minute, I need to move to Spain.

'oh it's no big deal, she's a very modern woman, she gets it' Steven tried to assure me

It was too late, I knew I would always be the porn guy to her, and I so didn't want to be the porn guy, I mean who does?

A week later the VCR is back in my room, thankfully returned by Steven sparring me the moment of total embarrassment. But the best part was the tape was not returned.

'Her boyfriend still has your tape' Steven offered

Oh so it's okay for her boyfriend to be the porn guy eh?

I never got it back.

'two subjects in which I'm an absolute expert, art and masturbation'-Woody Allen

I don't wanna name names

This is a partial list of labels I hope don't get applied to me anytime soon;

A person of interest
enemy combatant
estranged
drifter
journeyman
vagrant
type A
disgruntled
bitter
once proud

Happy happy joy joy

I get to go shop around town on official business today. It seems I'm in the unique position of being the only one who knows the sort of plastic box we need for a kit we sell (it's a long story, that involves manufacturing delays, and deadlines missed) anyhoo I get to go be personal shopper boy, and I have to say I love the idea. It beats sitting here listening to Flanders.

Will anyone notice if I return with shorter hair, a darker tan, or smelling of booze? See, I can't handle responsibility at all.

'man, War of the Worlds was awesome'
'but at lunch you said you hadn't seen it yet'
'at lunch I hadn't seen it...errrrrrrrrr I meant the original..what's up'

Shut it

I often blog when I should prolly keep my trap shut. You know if you can't say anything nice...

uhhh...

so look for me to clam up in the coming weeks.


I like to listen to Zero 7 in the summer heat.


Dell tech support was surprisingly good last night, it seems I've fried my disc drive already. 5000 Ipod songs pulled from 4000 different discs has taken it's toll.

Happy 4th of July! Be careful on area lakes and such.

Remember people have not fought and died for this country just so some ahole can fire you for blogging.