It takes the death of the King of Pop to bring me back to this blog after more than 2 weeks away. I'm finding through e-mails, IM's, and media coverage that everyone's got an opinion on the death of Jacko. (Even PTI devoted a short segment to his passing last Friday.) Not surprising at all, given the fame and infamy that defined his life. So I couldn't let the opportunity pass without throwing my two cents and silver glove into the ring.
I've always liked MJ. Never a huge fan, but appreciated his music and marveled at his talent. I listened to "Thriller" while I was cutting the grass this past Saturday AM, trying to identify what it was that drew so many people in. What struck me as the most identifiable reason was the passion in his voice. The songs are good, the lyrics are well written, but it's the passion in his voice that seems to set MJ apart from everyone else. Listening to the album, there's no doubt that Billie Jean is certainly not his lover. (And there was certainly never any doubt that the kid was not his son ;) ) Thinking further, it becomes easy then to see that same passion in his dancing, and also easy to see how his misguided passion completely screwed up his personal life.
I think it can be argued that Michael Jackson is the most famous person since Jesus. More than Elvis, more than the Beatles, more than Princess Diana. Michael transcended music- he crossed age barriers, race barriers, cultural barriers. For that reason, to the chagrin of many, his death will be a huge story for the media (and bloggers) for quite a while.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
At your service
Earlier this school year, I tried to help Owen improve his penmanship by offering him a challenge. He was getting B's in penmanship, but only because he would rush his work. Whenever he took his time, his printing and handwriting were fine. So I offered to him that if he finished the year with an A in penmanship, I would be his servant for the weekend.
After B's in both the first and second trimester, it wasn't looking good. But he persevered, worked harder at it, and with the help of some mystery "bonus points" (I know for a fact his teacher knew of the challenge), he got an A in the last trimester and somehow managed an A average for the year.
So, of course, he called me as soon as he got out of school this morning (half-day for their last day), advising him that my servitude was about to be called upon. Since I'm on call this weekend, I told him it was in his best interest to wait a few weeks to call in his winnings, so we'll do it sometime soon.
He's proud, I'm proud, and the way I see it, it saved me from paying for grades. Only problem is, Brendan's now trying to come up with some scheme to indenture me. Maybe I'll offer him Molly.
After B's in both the first and second trimester, it wasn't looking good. But he persevered, worked harder at it, and with the help of some mystery "bonus points" (I know for a fact his teacher knew of the challenge), he got an A in the last trimester and somehow managed an A average for the year.
So, of course, he called me as soon as he got out of school this morning (half-day for their last day), advising him that my servitude was about to be called upon. Since I'm on call this weekend, I told him it was in his best interest to wait a few weeks to call in his winnings, so we'll do it sometime soon.
He's proud, I'm proud, and the way I see it, it saved me from paying for grades. Only problem is, Brendan's now trying to come up with some scheme to indenture me. Maybe I'll offer him Molly.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
EXTRA!! EXTRA!! Green Lantern Dispatches of Lex Luthor, No Comment Yet from Superman
Just watched some tennis commentators talking about how excited Roger Federer must be now that Rafael Nadal has been ousted from the French Open. Federer, despite his recent success, has never won the French and has lost to Nadal in the finals there the last 3 years.
It made me wonder how much athletes who have a particular nemesis in an individual or a team find their victories bittersweet if they haven't had to defeat their nemesis to get there. This first came to me about 10 years ago. The Mets, who had been the whipping boys of the Braves for most of the 90's, finally made it to the post-season in 1999 but were beaten a step before the World Series by the Braves. The next season, the Mets and Braves both made the playoffs again, but the Braves lost in the first round. The Mets won their series, and subsequently advanced to the World Series, but it seemed "cheaper" in a way because they didn't have to go through the Braves to get there. (Yankee fans need not comment on the final round of the playoffs that year.)
You think Federer is happy Nadal is out, or will he always be questioned if he does win because "he didn't have to play Nadal"?
It made me wonder how much athletes who have a particular nemesis in an individual or a team find their victories bittersweet if they haven't had to defeat their nemesis to get there. This first came to me about 10 years ago. The Mets, who had been the whipping boys of the Braves for most of the 90's, finally made it to the post-season in 1999 but were beaten a step before the World Series by the Braves. The next season, the Mets and Braves both made the playoffs again, but the Braves lost in the first round. The Mets won their series, and subsequently advanced to the World Series, but it seemed "cheaper" in a way because they didn't have to go through the Braves to get there. (Yankee fans need not comment on the final round of the playoffs that year.)
You think Federer is happy Nadal is out, or will he always be questioned if he does win because "he didn't have to play Nadal"?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Just call me "The Snake Whisperer"
Was out cutting the grass today and out of the corner of my eye saw a rather large black snake sneaking along the base of the house into the front flower bed. About an hour later, I had finished mowing and was trimming along the back of the house and came upon the same snake, stretched out right in front of me, just sunning himself.
After a brief thought of just chasing him away, I decided that no matter how docile this guy might have been, he needed to go. So I went back to the shed, grabbed the hoe, and went back for him. He was no longer in the spot he was, but I figured he hadn't gone far. Found him just a few feet away, coiled up under the steps to the back door.
Our hoe has two sides- a standard blade side, and an opposite side with two prongs (kinda looks like a claw hammer). I reached under the steps with the hoe, pulled him out with the pronged end, then went to work with the blade side. He never stood a chance.
Pretty freaky, because even after I gave him that beat-down, he was still writhing somewhat. So I got the garden shovel, took it to his neck and rendered him headless, to which he responded by still writhing. He did stop moving enough for me to stretch him out- I paced him out at just over 4 feet long, and by his looks (and how much shovel it took to get all French Revolution on his neck), I figure he was a good inch and a half in diameter.
My brief internet research tells me he was likely a black rat snake, harmless and possibly helpful, as he was probably feasting on the field mice that live in our yard. While that gave me some regret, since mice are more of a nuisance than he would have been, I think the kids would be more OK with seeing a mouse in the basement than a snake in their playhouse longer than they are tall.
After a brief thought of just chasing him away, I decided that no matter how docile this guy might have been, he needed to go. So I went back to the shed, grabbed the hoe, and went back for him. He was no longer in the spot he was, but I figured he hadn't gone far. Found him just a few feet away, coiled up under the steps to the back door.
Our hoe has two sides- a standard blade side, and an opposite side with two prongs (kinda looks like a claw hammer). I reached under the steps with the hoe, pulled him out with the pronged end, then went to work with the blade side. He never stood a chance.
Pretty freaky, because even after I gave him that beat-down, he was still writhing somewhat. So I got the garden shovel, took it to his neck and rendered him headless, to which he responded by still writhing. He did stop moving enough for me to stretch him out- I paced him out at just over 4 feet long, and by his looks (and how much shovel it took to get all French Revolution on his neck), I figure he was a good inch and a half in diameter.
My brief internet research tells me he was likely a black rat snake, harmless and possibly helpful, as he was probably feasting on the field mice that live in our yard. While that gave me some regret, since mice are more of a nuisance than he would have been, I think the kids would be more OK with seeing a mouse in the basement than a snake in their playhouse longer than they are tall.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Blog fodder
The cruel irony about having plenty to blog about is that it often means there's no time to do the blogging. Marathon training has picked up lately (although you'd never know it from the official finkathon blog, which has suffered the same neglect as this one has), and am still in the throes of getting this new business off the ground. This week's tasks- getting the bank to lend me some money, getting worker's comp insurance and a business license, and figuring out how I'm going to do payroll.
Lots of resources available online for small businesses, and despite never having done this before, I think I'll be able to do most of the management myself. Love to hear any tips you might have, especially things you wish you knew at the beginning.
Lots of resources available online for small businesses, and despite never having done this before, I think I'll be able to do most of the management myself. Love to hear any tips you might have, especially things you wish you knew at the beginning.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
To infinity...and beyond!
I remember STS-1 well- watched it live in my 4th grade classroom and have been fascinated ever since. Haven't seen a live launch in many years, but thanks to this series of interconnected tubes, I can watch them whenever I want. No matter how many times you see it, it never gets old.
Here's STS-125 heading out on its way to repair Hubble. (From about 2pm yesterday)
Here's STS-125 heading out on its way to repair Hubble. (From about 2pm yesterday)
Friday, May 8, 2009
Yes, I still work here
Lest you think that my new "venture" has caused me to abandon this blog, I feel the need to at least post something to show you I still care about you.
For those who asked, the venture I referenced a few weeks ago is just a little side project from my current practice which will involve some nursing home care. I'll be hiring someone to help me with it, which necessitates the independent corporation. The legwork setting up the business side of things is nothing compared to the bureaucracy of enrolling in Medicare. Let's just say if you've ever wondered why things in Washington are seemingly impossible to change, it's probably because no one has figured out which of the nine gazillion government forms they need to do it.
On a brighter note, had a wonderful first communion celebration for Brendan this past weekend. Had everyone from the official finkipedia family (national division) present, and despite the rain had a great time.
For those who asked, the venture I referenced a few weeks ago is just a little side project from my current practice which will involve some nursing home care. I'll be hiring someone to help me with it, which necessitates the independent corporation. The legwork setting up the business side of things is nothing compared to the bureaucracy of enrolling in Medicare. Let's just say if you've ever wondered why things in Washington are seemingly impossible to change, it's probably because no one has figured out which of the nine gazillion government forms they need to do it.
On a brighter note, had a wonderful first communion celebration for Brendan this past weekend. Had everyone from the official finkipedia family (national division) present, and despite the rain had a great time.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Venture adventure
Not much posting going on, as I've been occupied with a new side project I'm taking on. As part of this new venture, I'm setting up a corporation and am actually enjoying the process of getting things off the ground. (While technically I'm already a small business owner, buying into a corporation is just not the same as starting from scratch).
Filed with the state for my certificate of formation, and now have my official IRS tax ID number. Next step- licenses and a bank account. Hope to be operational by June, and soon thereafter taking advantage of all the benefits both personally and professionally that come from running my own show. Maybe I'll petition the Board of Directors (me) to hold the first shareholder's meeting (singular possessive) off-site- perhaps at Citi Field?
Filed with the state for my certificate of formation, and now have my official IRS tax ID number. Next step- licenses and a bank account. Hope to be operational by June, and soon thereafter taking advantage of all the benefits both personally and professionally that come from running my own show. Maybe I'll petition the Board of Directors (me) to hold the first shareholder's meeting (singular possessive) off-site- perhaps at Citi Field?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Resurrection
Many have said the two things you can't talk about at work are politics and religion- that's what blogs are for. Touched on politics last fall, but I haven't really approached the third rail of religion yet, though not for lack of desire. In fact, I once thought about starting an entirely separate blog for matters of religion to allow for longer and deeper discussion. For now though we'll start here, and with no smaller matter than the entire foundation of the Christian faith.
I listened intently to yesterday's sermon in which the priest focused on the importance of the empty tomb. His point was that Christianity centers on the belief in the unseen, that Peter and the "other disciple" (John) left the empty tomb believing in the resurrection, though they hadn't seen anything. They went back and reported in, telling the others that Jesus had risen. Only Thomas doubted, and needed to see the risen Christ to believe. Jesus of course would soon show himself to Thomas and the others, but would then declare that with regards to the resurrection, "blessed are those who do not see, but still believe".
But what if the resurrection was more of a spiritual event than a physical one? What if it was more allegory than literal fact? Is it possible that those first two disciples came back from that empty tomb, professing their belief with such conviction that a miracle was born? What if it was not the return of Christ to a human body that was the true resurrection miracle, but rather the ability of those two disciples to believe that He would live on forever?
For Christians, a resurrected Christ is necessary to show God's ability to conquer death and to bring to believers the gift of eternal life. If the resurrection is not corporeal, than how could that need be filled? The answer is in the empty tomb. For Peter and John, the resurrection was not a vision of Christ. It was the absence of his dead body that caused them to believe. Once they believed that death had been conquered, the resurrection was real regardless of what happened to Christ's body. It is easy to question that if Christ did not return to his earthly body, then how did the tomb become empty in the first place, and how did Christ appear to the apostles later? That is not the point. How the body left the tomb does not matter, nor does his appearance later matter. Whether Christ rejoined his body at all does not matter. What matters is that we believe that after he died, Christ returned from death to live on first in John (because he got there first, of course), then in Peter, then the rest of us.
The sermon I remember more than any other was one I heard probably 25 years ago. It was given by a deacon about the gospel of loaves and the fishes. He suggested that perhaps the miracle that day wasn't Jesus creating food for 5,000 from thin air, but rather was Jesus convincing everyone other than the kid with the fish and bread to share the food they had brought with them. People in attendance, reluctant to share their food, were touched by Christ and produced enough food to feed everyone, with plenty to spare. Bible literalists would consider any possibility other than Jesus creating food to be blasphemy, but this exegesis struck a deep chord within me. It was a way to explain a miracle while still considering it a miracle.
If Christ can live on in each of us, than he has in fact conquered death. If we believe that Christ has conquered death, than we believe that we too can live forever. And if those beliefs are held in good faith, then isn't that what the resurrection is for?
I listened intently to yesterday's sermon in which the priest focused on the importance of the empty tomb. His point was that Christianity centers on the belief in the unseen, that Peter and the "other disciple" (John) left the empty tomb believing in the resurrection, though they hadn't seen anything. They went back and reported in, telling the others that Jesus had risen. Only Thomas doubted, and needed to see the risen Christ to believe. Jesus of course would soon show himself to Thomas and the others, but would then declare that with regards to the resurrection, "blessed are those who do not see, but still believe".
But what if the resurrection was more of a spiritual event than a physical one? What if it was more allegory than literal fact? Is it possible that those first two disciples came back from that empty tomb, professing their belief with such conviction that a miracle was born? What if it was not the return of Christ to a human body that was the true resurrection miracle, but rather the ability of those two disciples to believe that He would live on forever?
For Christians, a resurrected Christ is necessary to show God's ability to conquer death and to bring to believers the gift of eternal life. If the resurrection is not corporeal, than how could that need be filled? The answer is in the empty tomb. For Peter and John, the resurrection was not a vision of Christ. It was the absence of his dead body that caused them to believe. Once they believed that death had been conquered, the resurrection was real regardless of what happened to Christ's body. It is easy to question that if Christ did not return to his earthly body, then how did the tomb become empty in the first place, and how did Christ appear to the apostles later? That is not the point. How the body left the tomb does not matter, nor does his appearance later matter. Whether Christ rejoined his body at all does not matter. What matters is that we believe that after he died, Christ returned from death to live on first in John (because he got there first, of course), then in Peter, then the rest of us.
The sermon I remember more than any other was one I heard probably 25 years ago. It was given by a deacon about the gospel of loaves and the fishes. He suggested that perhaps the miracle that day wasn't Jesus creating food for 5,000 from thin air, but rather was Jesus convincing everyone other than the kid with the fish and bread to share the food they had brought with them. People in attendance, reluctant to share their food, were touched by Christ and produced enough food to feed everyone, with plenty to spare. Bible literalists would consider any possibility other than Jesus creating food to be blasphemy, but this exegesis struck a deep chord within me. It was a way to explain a miracle while still considering it a miracle.
If Christ can live on in each of us, than he has in fact conquered death. If we believe that Christ has conquered death, than we believe that we too can live forever. And if those beliefs are held in good faith, then isn't that what the resurrection is for?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Change you can believe in
So it wasn't entirely an April Fool's joke. Most of it was true. I used to be a horrible typist, and truly couldn't find a shift key. Didn't matter much to a science geek who had few term papers to write, but with the advent of the internet, typing was forced upon me pretty quickly. So, I could either type slowly, or just forego capital letters in the interest of speed. I opted for the latter.
Didn't take too long to get skillz, but I kinda liked the lower case thing. Became a style, an M.O. But for a while now I've been growing a little tired of it. Looking back on this blog in particular, I do feel that an all lowercase font does make the entries a little more difficult to read. (I know, the background and layout need some big time work too, but that's gonna take some HTML skillz that I haven't got yet.) So, it's time to grow up.
You may see e-mails from me in all lowercase, and for effect I won't rule out a lowercase entry here from time to time, but from now on, it's a more traditional style here at finkipedia. Except for the name.
Didn't take too long to get skillz, but I kinda liked the lower case thing. Became a style, an M.O. But for a while now I've been growing a little tired of it. Looking back on this blog in particular, I do feel that an all lowercase font does make the entries a little more difficult to read. (I know, the background and layout need some big time work too, but that's gonna take some HTML skillz that I haven't got yet.) So, it's time to grow up.
You may see e-mails from me in all lowercase, and for effect I won't rule out a lowercase entry here from time to time, but from now on, it's a more traditional style here at finkipedia. Except for the name.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
GOOD TIME FOR A CHANGE
WHEN I FIRST STARTED USING E-MAIL YEARS AGO, I WAS A HORRIBLE TYPIST AND COULDN'T FIND THE SHIFT KEY. THUS, I'D TYPE ONLY IN LOWER CASE. WHAT BEGAN OUT OF INEPTITUDE MORPHED INTO A STYLE, AND IT'S BEEN HARD TO GO BACK.
BUT WHEN I RE-READ THIS BLOG, I FIND THAT READING LOWER CASE CAN BE A BIT DISTRACTING AT TIMES. SO I'VE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE FORMAT A LITTLE, AND SWITCH TO AN ALL UPPER CASE FORMAT FOR A WHILE.
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS AS YOU'D LIKE, BUT AN ALL-CAPS COMMENT SECTION WOULD JIVE NICELY WITH THE TEXT ABOVE.
BUT WHEN I RE-READ THIS BLOG, I FIND THAT READING LOWER CASE CAN BE A BIT DISTRACTING AT TIMES. SO I'VE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE FORMAT A LITTLE, AND SWITCH TO AN ALL UPPER CASE FORMAT FOR A WHILE.
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS AS YOU'D LIKE, BUT AN ALL-CAPS COMMENT SECTION WOULD JIVE NICELY WITH THE TEXT ABOVE.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
caring is creepy
is there a time limit for leaving a dead person's voice on an answering machine message? i realize that for some people, it may be the only recording they have of their loved one's voice, but after a certain period of time after a death, it becomes a little odd hearing a voice from someone you know can't really call you back.
i'm sure there are situations too that because people don't really call their own homes, they may not even realize that their loved one's voice is on their machine. do you tell them? if so, how?
it's not anywhere near the top of the things-to-do-when-someone-dies list, but i'd propose that if the deceased is the voice on your answering machine, changing the message within a week would be appropriate. having a message still there after six months (as i experienced this morning) is a bit out there. you think i should submit this to miss manners or dear abby?
i'm sure there are situations too that because people don't really call their own homes, they may not even realize that their loved one's voice is on their machine. do you tell them? if so, how?
it's not anywhere near the top of the things-to-do-when-someone-dies list, but i'd propose that if the deceased is the voice on your answering machine, changing the message within a week would be appropriate. having a message still there after six months (as i experienced this morning) is a bit out there. you think i should submit this to miss manners or dear abby?
Monday, March 23, 2009
the holy grail
i've said for years that the biggest breakthrough in medicine we may see in the next generation is synthetic blood. that's based solely on my opinion, as many would argue that potential advances in gene therapy, fetal surgery, robotics, neuroscience or stem cell therapy would qualify as even greater successes. but i feel that the development of synthetic blood would revolutionize surgical and trauma care, not to mention the benefits for cancer, cardiovascular and critical care in general. a theoretical limitless supply of blood would eliminate the need for blood banks and donor programs and eliminate the risk of transmitted diseases through transfusion.
for years, attempts at developing a synthetic analog to red blood cells have failed. no chemical substance has ever been remotely effective at replicating the red blood cell's ability to transmit oxygen throughout the body. until one is discovered, the only way to expand the world's supply of blood would be to create more blood somehow.
i read today that because of stem cell research, we are on the doorstep of this breakthrough. i've posted previously about the ethical morass that is stem cell research, but there is no denying its potential for revolutionary discoveries such as this. we'll save countless lives with this new therapy, but will we be better off? that's more philosophical than medical.
for years, attempts at developing a synthetic analog to red blood cells have failed. no chemical substance has ever been remotely effective at replicating the red blood cell's ability to transmit oxygen throughout the body. until one is discovered, the only way to expand the world's supply of blood would be to create more blood somehow.
i read today that because of stem cell research, we are on the doorstep of this breakthrough. i've posted previously about the ethical morass that is stem cell research, but there is no denying its potential for revolutionary discoveries such as this. we'll save countless lives with this new therapy, but will we be better off? that's more philosophical than medical.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
best weekend of the year
parked in front of the couch per my usual routine for the first day of the NCAA basketball tourney. like last year, had another shamrock shake courtesy of erin. this year the technology of the finkstead has been upgraded, so all the games are in HD and the wifi will allow for a running update here throughout the day.
i'll keep you posted on how my bracket fares, as well as what brilliant insights the CBS commentators impart.
3pm: purdue/northern iowa- miserable game to watch. purdue is horrible, but NIU is worse. 3 for 3 on the early games- memphis, texas A&M and LSU
3:07pm uconn/chattanooga- what an ankle-breaker move by the chattanooga kid on the opening trip down the floor. if they could possibly get thabeet in foul trouble, this could be interesting
3:36pm back to back to back 3's for uconn, went from 19-15 to 28-15. game over. so much for the mocs
4:34pm still unscathed, thanks to purdue. unc and uconn are locked in, just hoping cal holds on over md to keep me perfect on the day. spaghetti jimmy wins!
6:37pm local and national news break for the games, so it's over to discovery channel for a little "cash cab"- great concept, great show. as for the bracket, i was cursed by spaghetti jimmy- maryland went on a run starting at about 4:35 and blew out cali. finished 6 for 7 in the early games, with mississippi state (my pick for a sweet 16 cinderella) not looking so hot against u-dub in game #8.
8:09pm 'nova/american- best game of the day so far. 41-31 american at the half. 'nova getting no love from the home crowd. oh, and dick enberg has on more makeup than joan rivers did on larry king last night.
9:27pm 'nova finally gets the crowd behind them, finally uses their size and goes inside, and punishes american in the second half. fun game for a while, though. maybe akron will sneak by gonzaga and be the cinderella of the day.
9:59pm ...or not- zags just too much. so much for the underdogs today- 2 #10s over #7s, but wins by maryland and michigan can hardly be considered upsets. binghamton not looking like much of a challenge for the dukies. maybe VCU or western KY will represent for the little guys. won't find out until tomorrow, though, because i think i'm tapped out. DVR is now taping ER and grey's anatomy for erin, relegating me upstairs to watch the rest from bed. means i'll be asleep in half an hour. great day though- looking forward to tomorrow night.
i'll keep you posted on how my bracket fares, as well as what brilliant insights the CBS commentators impart.
3pm: purdue/northern iowa- miserable game to watch. purdue is horrible, but NIU is worse. 3 for 3 on the early games- memphis, texas A&M and LSU
3:07pm uconn/chattanooga- what an ankle-breaker move by the chattanooga kid on the opening trip down the floor. if they could possibly get thabeet in foul trouble, this could be interesting
3:36pm back to back to back 3's for uconn, went from 19-15 to 28-15. game over. so much for the mocs
4:34pm still unscathed, thanks to purdue. unc and uconn are locked in, just hoping cal holds on over md to keep me perfect on the day. spaghetti jimmy wins!
6:37pm local and national news break for the games, so it's over to discovery channel for a little "cash cab"- great concept, great show. as for the bracket, i was cursed by spaghetti jimmy- maryland went on a run starting at about 4:35 and blew out cali. finished 6 for 7 in the early games, with mississippi state (my pick for a sweet 16 cinderella) not looking so hot against u-dub in game #8.
8:09pm 'nova/american- best game of the day so far. 41-31 american at the half. 'nova getting no love from the home crowd. oh, and dick enberg has on more makeup than joan rivers did on larry king last night.
9:27pm 'nova finally gets the crowd behind them, finally uses their size and goes inside, and punishes american in the second half. fun game for a while, though. maybe akron will sneak by gonzaga and be the cinderella of the day.
9:59pm ...or not- zags just too much. so much for the underdogs today- 2 #10s over #7s, but wins by maryland and michigan can hardly be considered upsets. binghamton not looking like much of a challenge for the dukies. maybe VCU or western KY will represent for the little guys. won't find out until tomorrow, though, because i think i'm tapped out. DVR is now taping ER and grey's anatomy for erin, relegating me upstairs to watch the rest from bed. means i'll be asleep in half an hour. great day though- looking forward to tomorrow night.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
top o' the mornin'
going green here on finkipedia in celebration of the holiday. made our annual irish dinner on sunday and have the leftovers for lunch today, including homemade soda bread. (green beer will have to wait until after hours). mmmm. looking forward to a shamrock shake to cap off my day this evening.
as they say in the homeland, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, and may you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
in the meanwhile, enjoy the dulcet tones of shane mcgowan belting out my favorite irish tune.
as they say in the homeland, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, and may you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
in the meanwhile, enjoy the dulcet tones of shane mcgowan belting out my favorite irish tune.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
finkipedia ('07, blog) **1/2 witty comments on ordinary life
not sure who really reads the tv listings in the paper anymore, but i'm glad they're still printed. the increase in channels and the prime real estate of the newspaper page has forced the consolidation of the listings down to usually a 1/2 page. for some reason, the powers that be still find it necessary to include not just the name of the program but as much pertinent information about it as the space will allow. this means that most listings get 3 to 10 word descriptions that are rarely useful but often hilarious. no true gems in today's paper, but some good ones nonetheless (the asterisks represent ratings stars):
- scifi, 8:00pm lake placid 2 ('07) * giant crocodiles
- scifi, 11:00pm eye of the beast ('07) squid eats profits
- nbc, 10:00pm law & order "by perjury" airline plaintiff murdered TV-PG (HD)
- tcm, 8:00 pm rocky ('76, drama) sylvester stallone. a boxer trains for a championship fight
- max, 8:00pm meet the parents ('00, comedy) *** a man meets his girlfriend's parents
- starz, 11:00pm the game plan ('07) quarterback dad
- versus, 8:00pm PBR bullriding "birmingham" (taped)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
downhill lies
spent last weekend skiing in park city, UT with some M'97 classmates. hadn't been skiing in about 9 years, since before we left cali. was a little worried i'd embarrass myself, or worse, break a bone or two in the process. was just like riding a bike, though. after a few warmup runs on the green slopes, i made my way up to mostly intermediate runs for the rest of the weekend. the weather was great, snow was perfect, and the resorts we hit (park city, deer valley, and alta) were spectacular. mix in some great steaks, great sushi, many beers and some poker, and it had all the trappings of the perfect man-cation.hard to tell from the free sample image, but that's me, looking like quite the ski dork in my great gazoo helmet and trendy scarf.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
wonder if they have a shamrock version?
if you've never checked out thisiswhyyourefat.com, go and take a peek. it may gross you out a bit, but it might just make you feel a little less guilty about the cheeseburger you had for lunch when you realize what some of your other options were. this is one of the less revolting images you'll find in the archives there.
it's a pic of the mcnuggetini, a delectable cocktail made from a mcdonald's chocolate shake and vanilla vodka, rimmed with barbecue sauce and garnished with a mcnugget. if i were a cardiologist, i'd refer to this as "business".
Friday, February 27, 2009
the pestilence returns
this time, it's brendan. not GI-oriented this time, which is good, but it looks like the poor guy has the flu. came out of school today with his head hung low, stating "i just don't feel good, mom". not what you expect from a second grader on a friday afternoon.
achy, feverish, sore throat, belly ache- just miserable. hopeful that a) it doesn't last long, and b) it starts and ends with him. full quarantine in effect.
achy, feverish, sore throat, belly ache- just miserable. hopeful that a) it doesn't last long, and b) it starts and ends with him. full quarantine in effect.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
"fifty-seven thousand six hundred minutes..."
the easter season gets no love. easter is a more important holiday on the christian calendar than christmas, yet it gets nowhere near the commercial attention. hard to say whether the holiday drives the lead-in season or vice versa, but either way the weeks leading up to easter have nothing on those before christmas. i can't really say that advent gets any special billing, but the generic "christmas season" certainly gets its fair share. the pre-easter season kicks off with dirty foreheads, winds down with free palm leaves that clutter your house until you get rid of them just before the next year's holiday, and ends up on a total downer of a holiday, so-called "good" friday.
lent needs to go mainstream, get the people talking about it to drive up the word on the street. mel gibson tried, but he just brought everyone down with "the passion" (besides, the merchandising options were awful). we need something with a little life in it. so, as a means of bringing some much-needed attention to the season, i'm going to propose to the u.s. conference of catholic bishops that someone there just adapt a popular broadway show and create "lent- the musical". sure, they'll have to groom over some little things (like the gay sex and the aids and the drugs and all), but the songs are way better than anything from church!
c'mon, isn't lent really a "season of love" after all?
lent needs to go mainstream, get the people talking about it to drive up the word on the street. mel gibson tried, but he just brought everyone down with "the passion" (besides, the merchandising options were awful). we need something with a little life in it. so, as a means of bringing some much-needed attention to the season, i'm going to propose to the u.s. conference of catholic bishops that someone there just adapt a popular broadway show and create "lent- the musical". sure, they'll have to groom over some little things (like the gay sex and the aids and the drugs and all), but the songs are way better than anything from church!
c'mon, isn't lent really a "season of love" after all?
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