I know, I know, it's been damn near a month since I've written anything here for the 5 (maybe 6?) of you that still check this spot on the occasional basis, and for that, I apologize.
I could give some mundane updates about the job, life in general, or the shabby state my apartment has undertaken since I started working a full-time job again. Then I spent the last 30 hours or so peeking at the TV, CNN.com, and any other place that had more information about yesterday’s tragedy at Virginia Tech. From there, I realized that:
a)my problems are pretty simple by comparison and
b)some of the Big Mouths that offer barely informed opinions on TV are going to have a field day with this. You have to almost think that some of them are absolutely are simply salivating at the prospect of deconstructing these events. It’ll mean big ratings, and even bigger exposure.
Perhaps it is because I’m only a few years removed from college, or perhaps because I went to a quiet, reserved campus, in a safe area, that I feel very moved by this whole thing.
Even at a cursory glance, it’s obvious that there will be plenty to debate about, and for all the yapping, a whole lot of problems will go unsolved.
They’ll talk about all the aspects of this tragedy, till they’ve beaten the story so far into the ground that we’ll forget the fact that this was the worst civilian massacre in the history of this country. We’ll forget the fact that 32 very innocent, contributing members of society were gunned down for no other reason than their mere existence.
They’ll ask: Is there too much violence in our society? Do we need stricter gun controls? Should someone have seen this coming? Did the University do enough to try and prevent the attack from claiming 32 lives as opposed to only 2? How accountable are they?
And you know what? It’s a whole group of questions with zero simple answers, no matter what some makeup wearing, loud-voiced- jackass, and his louder mouthed, hair-piece wearing counter part will want you to believe.
First of all, I don’t think that there was any way that anyone could have seen this coming. The angle that a lot of the news agencies are taking on this at this point is that the man who did this had shown a lot of disturbed ideas in his writings. They were disturbing to the point that the head of his English department had referred him to go to counseling at the school. Therefore, someone obviously saw signs of a troubled individual, and they made an attempt to help him, as a representative of the university. Being able to foretell an incident of this nature, from that information, would have been next to impossible. People will compel the authorities and the university to release the man’s writings, under the guise of “perhaps we can find clues so this won’t happen again”.
However, he was an adult, and an adult with no prior history of violence or aggression, no less. He was not obligated to go to any type of counseling beyond being compelled by a concerned educator. Judging from the small excerpts of writings that have been released, he seemed to have a problem with the culture that surrounded him. If that’s the case, and I can only go by the little bit that’s out there, then it’s entirely possible that he would have resisted any type of therapy, instead choosing to believe that it was the rest of the world that had a problem.
Additionally, it will be very hard to say whether or not Virginia Tech, as an institution, did enough to protect its students in the two hours that elapsed between the dorm shooting, and the attacks at Norris Hall. As one friend very astutely pointed out to me, according to the Clery Act, which has been around since 1990, a school is required to give a “timely warning” to students. According to the website for the act: “The timely warning requirement is somewhat subjective and is only triggered when the school considers a crime to pose an ongoing "threat to students and employees"”.
What will be called into question then, is if Va Tech reacted quickly enough. I’d like to think that they did the best that they could with the information that they had available. Think of it in these terms: Most college administration buildings don’t open until 8 am. The average college student, I’d wager, doesn’t get up until 8 am, and that’s if they have a 9 am class. That’s for the on campus kids. The commuters are already on the road around 8 am, making sure they get places to park for their 9 o’clocks. The first attack occurred at 7:15 AM. Chances are, in this case, that the first attack had more “direction” to it, if you will. The victims were a woman and a ‘companion’, if I recall correctly. Therefore, chances are, in this case, that the shots probably woke up students in the surrounding rooms, giving the shooter plenty of time to stow two pistols in his backpack and make his way out of the building, relatively unnoticed.
The best-case scenario from this point is that 911 receives a call around 7:25ish, meaning cops hopefully show up by 7:30-7:35. If they are lucky, an administrator gets tracked down via cell phone around 7:35-7:40, on his or her way into the office, most likely. At that point, the most anyone can hope for is that the administrators get some information together and get something out to the streets by maybe 8:30. Even then, all they know is that two people got shot, and the gunman isn’t accounted for. Even then, an email to the campus, and notification of as many resident assistants and professors as possible, isn’t going to get notification to every student before a little after 9, especially on a campus that big.
Remember, not everyone checks his or her email all throughout the day, even on a college campus. Between shuttling through to classes, stopping at the dining hall, etc, there’s a good chance that not a lot of people would have gotten the information all that much more quickly. By then, most likely, the killer was already very close to, or already at the classroom building where the worst of the killings occurred. Perhaps they could have made it happen faster, however, I find it hard to blame the university for the deaths of the students in Norris Hall.
However, there will be those who blame the university. They will get lawyers, big time, flashy, good lawyers. The type of lawyers that can win big judgments against negligent parties. Virginia Tech will get sued, the Clery act will be cited, and experts will be called to testify. Some will say that the school did all it could; some will say that they were too slow, and they cost students and professors their lives.
Somewhere along the line, most likely, a jury, or better, a group of juries, will award a lot of money to families of the survivors. It will be said that they deserve to be compensated for their loss, and additionally, that the awards will serve to “send a message” to not only Virginia Tech, but schools across the country that they must be swift to act in situations such as these.
I certainly don’t feel that either of those above statements have much validity to them. A cash award has never put a family back together, to my knowledge. It definitely won’t bring someone back from the dead. I can only hope that if there are financial considerations paid to those who lost loved ones that the recipients of those awards will use that money to help build foundations, and push for social change in whatever area they see fit. Perhaps they can push for greater control over the types of weapons that are available to the general public, or more research on the links between depression and violent criminal outbursts in adolescents and young adults. In that, they would be following the lead of those who fostered the Clery Act, and affecting some positive out of this.
Furthermore, in regards to the notion of “sending a message”, I would hope that doing so financially would only serve to put a very small exclamation point on a very loud statement. I don’t believe for a second that any university administrator that has seen the images on TV, read the accounts online and in the paper, and listened to reports on the radio, doesn’t already have every available resource towards reevaluating their schools’ plans for dealing with incidents like this. Whether its for self preservation, or better yet, I hope, for the notion of protecting valued young lives, I wouldn’t think that any administrator would want to see anything even closely resembling this nightmare taking place on their campuses.
And that, right there, kids, is the scariest thought. The fact that this can, and probably will happen again is right there in front of us. We live in a country of 275 million people. The majority of them are law abiding, decent people, who are just doing what they can with what they’ve got. There are some bad ones too. Before anyone feels too badly for this individual, calling him a tortured soul, etc. remember that he had to go through the steps to acquire these weapons, and take the time to at least plan out some of the events that would take place.
The bottom line of all this is that there are a lot of families out there going through an unspeakable amount of grief. This applies not only to the families of the victims, but the friends, and families of their friends whose children will most likely never look at the world, or their university, the same way ever again.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
And, again, I'm a Moron
Here's a sign that I'm so not ready to be working and getting up early again. And yes, it's day 2 of my new job.
This morning, I decided to make oatmeal for breakfast (and yes, I'm at least 68 years old). Well, you know the part where you have to heat up some water before putting it with the oatmeal? Well, obviously it's easy to microwave it, right?
Except, when you forget to put water in the cup. Yeah, I just microwaved an empty mug for 3 minutes.
This morning, I decided to make oatmeal for breakfast (and yes, I'm at least 68 years old). Well, you know the part where you have to heat up some water before putting it with the oatmeal? Well, obviously it's easy to microwave it, right?
Except, when you forget to put water in the cup. Yeah, I just microwaved an empty mug for 3 minutes.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Just Because
I probably don't have any real reason to blog tonight, other than the fact that I want to try and be a little more consistent with updating this thing, like I used to be, way back when I started it almost 2 years ago.
You'd think that, all things considered, I might actually have a few things to write about, considering that in the last few weeks I've gotten a job, gotten my diploma (hi $30,000 piece of paper), celebrated a birthday, got an iPod, and started going to the gym on a more regular basis. That's a lot of shit that I could have talked about.
And yet, I totally don't. This is mostly a self imposed pressure, but because I know most of my friends read this at some point or another, I feel compelled to keep this nice and light, and entertaining, and funny. (Even though I'm the opposite of funny, really)
Strangely though, the fact remains is that when I started to learn that I liked to write, or had any ability to do so, a long time ago, I did it as a kind of catharsis for when I had bad days, or weeks, or whatever. Truthfully, that wouldn't play here, for a number of reasons. See, when I was taking writing classes in HS, it was the opportunity to be autobiographical without being blatantly so. I wasn't a very skilled writer then (not that I am more of one now), so I'm sure it seemed pretty obvious when I was referring to certain things. This, however, this blog, has always been unabashedly self-referrential, so when I have a bad day, or negative thoughts, they are on display for everyone to see, should I choose to write about them, which, as you may have noticed, I try not to as much anymore.
That's the thing, as I've grown as a person, and learned that I don't always have to wear my emotions on my sleeve, I've become better at putting at least a tolerable face on the days that I don't feel that great. And, we all have those days. The ones where things just don't feel quite right. Where you don't feel right in your own skin, where you question the decisions that have placed you at the station that you are in life, and wonder about your self-worth.
I had one of those days today. And it's not that I couldn't talk to almost any of my friends about it, b/c I know that I could. Generally speaking, they are a wonderful group of people, each in their own way. It's just that, what's the point? There are certain things that don't change overnight, no matter what anyone says. But, if I don't say anything and then write about it here, I wonder that isn't that just the same as telling everyone I know about it?
That's all, just kind of needed to get that off my chest.....
(oh, and Duke lost tonight in the first round of the tournament, so, you know, if the sun didn't come up tomorrow, for whatever reason, I suppose that wouldn't be all bad....)
You'd think that, all things considered, I might actually have a few things to write about, considering that in the last few weeks I've gotten a job, gotten my diploma (hi $30,000 piece of paper), celebrated a birthday, got an iPod, and started going to the gym on a more regular basis. That's a lot of shit that I could have talked about.
And yet, I totally don't. This is mostly a self imposed pressure, but because I know most of my friends read this at some point or another, I feel compelled to keep this nice and light, and entertaining, and funny. (Even though I'm the opposite of funny, really)
Strangely though, the fact remains is that when I started to learn that I liked to write, or had any ability to do so, a long time ago, I did it as a kind of catharsis for when I had bad days, or weeks, or whatever. Truthfully, that wouldn't play here, for a number of reasons. See, when I was taking writing classes in HS, it was the opportunity to be autobiographical without being blatantly so. I wasn't a very skilled writer then (not that I am more of one now), so I'm sure it seemed pretty obvious when I was referring to certain things. This, however, this blog, has always been unabashedly self-referrential, so when I have a bad day, or negative thoughts, they are on display for everyone to see, should I choose to write about them, which, as you may have noticed, I try not to as much anymore.
That's the thing, as I've grown as a person, and learned that I don't always have to wear my emotions on my sleeve, I've become better at putting at least a tolerable face on the days that I don't feel that great. And, we all have those days. The ones where things just don't feel quite right. Where you don't feel right in your own skin, where you question the decisions that have placed you at the station that you are in life, and wonder about your self-worth.
I had one of those days today. And it's not that I couldn't talk to almost any of my friends about it, b/c I know that I could. Generally speaking, they are a wonderful group of people, each in their own way. It's just that, what's the point? There are certain things that don't change overnight, no matter what anyone says. But, if I don't say anything and then write about it here, I wonder that isn't that just the same as telling everyone I know about it?
That's all, just kind of needed to get that off my chest.....
(oh, and Duke lost tonight in the first round of the tournament, so, you know, if the sun didn't come up tomorrow, for whatever reason, I suppose that wouldn't be all bad....)
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Things Parents Just Don't Understand Volume 39
Ok. Honestly, at 28, I shouldn't be making jokes about things that my parents don't get. However, sometimes, they, despite being great people, good parents, and relatively intelligent people, do manage to amaze me with their lagging in certain realms.
So, I headed home this past Sunday, to spend some time with them to celebrate my birthday, and my mother's, which is a relatively normal thing this time of year. Of course, I made this trip with a pretty hefty hangover, courtesy of Saturday night, but, that part can wait.
Over the course of the day, my father mentions that he's looking at a new set of irons for the upcoming summer. Apparently, old age hasnt' quite caught up with him yet, and he doesn't need the graphite shaft irons he bought a couple of years ago. Good for him. He also mentions that he's a little concerned about the price of said irons, b/c for as often as he golfs etc, he wonders if they're really worth it.
I asked him if he'd looked on eBay for them. You know, since you can get a lot of stuff cheaper on eBay. If words were actually physical items that came out of my mouth, the eBay suggestion would have been snatched out of the air and stomped to death by my mother before they even had a chance.
Apparently, according to my mother, who controls the spending, eBay, and in the world of shopping on the internet in general is populated by scammers, liars, and people generally looking to take advantage of you.
So, of course, I made the point that a venture, any venture, couldn't exist for as long as eBay had if the majority of the people using the site were dishonest. The whole system would implode upon itself.
That argument actually almost swayed her. Then, I brought out the heavy hitter "Mom, look, do you want to see if you can save some money on these clubs, or what?"
That at least got her to agree to let me show her on the computer how "the eBay" worked.
There, I got to answer questions about how to find stuff, etc, the usual. That stuff I could live with. Finally, I found a set that was going for about $150 less than he was going to pay for them in the store. There was like an hour left in the auction.
Mom: "Are you sure these are new clubs?
Me: Yes
Mom: How do you know?
Me: It says right there that it's a new set
Dad: These clubs just came out this year, so they would almost have to be new
Mom: Are you sure?
Me: Well, since the picutres still show the plastic sheathing around the shafts, I'm going to guess so. Besides, this guy has a strong rating, so I'm guessing that he's honest.
Mom: A good what?
Me (trying to be patient. And failing): His rating, when you sell something on ebay, the person that buys it gets to give feedback on the item and your service, etc. A higher rating means that he's sold a lot of items, and if he's got a real high percentage of positive ratings, that means that he's a good, honest seller. (Note: This guys rating was like 2300 something, and it was 100% positive. I think we were safe)
Mom: Well, if we get them, how do we pay for them? I'm not giving this person my credit card #
Me (at this point, I don't want to explain PayPal) Well, I'll tell you what, since I already have an eBay account, I'll get the clubs, use my PayPal account, and send them to your office. Fair? Just write me a check.
Mom: Well, if you think it's safe. If I don't get the clubs though, you're giving me my money back.
Me: Outstanding.
Moral of the story? I got my dad his clubs for about 135$ less than he would have paid in the store for them. And my parents didn't learn anything.
I told my dad that when he retires, he should take one of those community college classes or something that they offer for older people, that would help him really understand the internet. His statement? "I understand the internet!"
Trust me. He doesn't.
So, I headed home this past Sunday, to spend some time with them to celebrate my birthday, and my mother's, which is a relatively normal thing this time of year. Of course, I made this trip with a pretty hefty hangover, courtesy of Saturday night, but, that part can wait.
Over the course of the day, my father mentions that he's looking at a new set of irons for the upcoming summer. Apparently, old age hasnt' quite caught up with him yet, and he doesn't need the graphite shaft irons he bought a couple of years ago. Good for him. He also mentions that he's a little concerned about the price of said irons, b/c for as often as he golfs etc, he wonders if they're really worth it.
I asked him if he'd looked on eBay for them. You know, since you can get a lot of stuff cheaper on eBay. If words were actually physical items that came out of my mouth, the eBay suggestion would have been snatched out of the air and stomped to death by my mother before they even had a chance.
Apparently, according to my mother, who controls the spending, eBay, and in the world of shopping on the internet in general is populated by scammers, liars, and people generally looking to take advantage of you.
So, of course, I made the point that a venture, any venture, couldn't exist for as long as eBay had if the majority of the people using the site were dishonest. The whole system would implode upon itself.
That argument actually almost swayed her. Then, I brought out the heavy hitter "Mom, look, do you want to see if you can save some money on these clubs, or what?"
That at least got her to agree to let me show her on the computer how "the eBay" worked.
There, I got to answer questions about how to find stuff, etc, the usual. That stuff I could live with. Finally, I found a set that was going for about $150 less than he was going to pay for them in the store. There was like an hour left in the auction.
Mom: "Are you sure these are new clubs?
Me: Yes
Mom: How do you know?
Me: It says right there that it's a new set
Dad: These clubs just came out this year, so they would almost have to be new
Mom: Are you sure?
Me: Well, since the picutres still show the plastic sheathing around the shafts, I'm going to guess so. Besides, this guy has a strong rating, so I'm guessing that he's honest.
Mom: A good what?
Me (trying to be patient. And failing): His rating, when you sell something on ebay, the person that buys it gets to give feedback on the item and your service, etc. A higher rating means that he's sold a lot of items, and if he's got a real high percentage of positive ratings, that means that he's a good, honest seller. (Note: This guys rating was like 2300 something, and it was 100% positive. I think we were safe)
Mom: Well, if we get them, how do we pay for them? I'm not giving this person my credit card #
Me (at this point, I don't want to explain PayPal) Well, I'll tell you what, since I already have an eBay account, I'll get the clubs, use my PayPal account, and send them to your office. Fair? Just write me a check.
Mom: Well, if you think it's safe. If I don't get the clubs though, you're giving me my money back.
Me: Outstanding.
Moral of the story? I got my dad his clubs for about 135$ less than he would have paid in the store for them. And my parents didn't learn anything.
I told my dad that when he retires, he should take one of those community college classes or something that they offer for older people, that would help him really understand the internet. His statement? "I understand the internet!"
Trust me. He doesn't.
Monday, March 05, 2007
More Reasons to Hate Duke.....
Wow, so I haven't written here in two weeks? That's kind of bad form, isn't it? I guess I haven't had much inspiration lately. And yes, I'm aware, it's just a blog, you'd think it shouldn't take much to get me to write about something, ANYTHING. You'd think, at least. Apparently, that's the case though.
However, there was something that happened yesterday evening, that is getting more than it's share of press, and opinions written about it, that I couldn't resist. As most of you know, I hate all things Duke related. This is as much a function of my fandom for UNC as it is a product of just never really seeing much that I liked about Duke. Mind you, I didn't attend either school, nor did I grow up in, or near, North Carolina. It's just one of those things that's always been. I couldn't trace the exact roots of it if you paid me. It's just that simple.
So, as anyone who catches a glimpse of Sportscenter knows, yesterday Duke and UNC played their second game of the year at Chapel Hill, with not much more of importance on the line than the regular season ACC title for UNC (a nice to have, but not vital) and nothing but pride for Duke, (no comment).
Sporting a double digit lead with less than 20 seconds left, as you may have seen, one of Carolina's stars, Tyler Hansbrough, was shooting free throws. He missed them both. He got his own offensive board, because a) he's kind of crazy, and rebounds anything that moves, regardless of the situation and b) Duke isn't a good rebounding team. Having secured a rebound 3 feet from the hoop, he did the rational thing: He tried to put it back in. The hoop would have been meaningless, as the game was basically decided.
That's when a lot of stuff starting flying. Gerald Henderson through the air. His forearm into Hansbrough's face. Blood from Hansbrough's nose. A lot of empty explanations and lies. And defense of the action from the typical Duke apologists.
In short form, Henderson's blast through Hansbrough (a "hard foul" if your an apologist) got him tossed from the game, and a one game suspension to boot. After the game, Coach K said that it was unfortunate that there were still starters in the game at that point, and that his player (Henderson) wasn't trying to hurt anyone, b/c that's "not how Duke plays".
Here's my thoughts.
1) The whole thing was garbage. It was senior day, and with a little over a minute left, and still spoting a double digit lead, Williams had put back in Wes Miller, and left Rayshawn Terry (a third senior) in the game. Bobby Frasor (who also doesn't start) was in. The fact is, UNC is deep enough that they probably have 8 or 9 guys that would start at most of the programs in the country.
Duke was still pressing. Apparently, UNC was supposed to put the back end of it's roster in there and let the Black and Blue Devils pick their way back into it. I forgot that it's in the ACC bylaws that Duke is entitled every extra-ordinary opportunity to win a game that it can't win based on talent, coaching, and execution.
2) Saying that Henderson wasn't trying to hurt anyone is like saying that Barry Bonds has never shoved a needle in his ass. Do I think he was trying to bludgeon Hansbrough out of the game? Doubtful. But, there are different levels of hurt, I think. There's the kind that knocks someone out of a game, then there's the "send a message" style. The message being that Carolina was going to try and score anymore with the game more than likely out of reach, then they were going to pay for those buckets with bumps and bruises. Remember, Coach K comes from the Bob Knight school of coaching. That would be the school of coaching that belittles refs, throws tantrums the sidelines, and takes losing as a personal insult. It's "old school" which is a polite way of saying "occasionally dirty" Which is what that foul was.
To that end, it was dirty, and should be treated as such. I don't think that a one game suspension is enough, and it certainly won't deter it from happening again. It wasn't the first UNC player bloodied by a Dukie, and it won't be the last. However, I give the Dean Dome fans, and the UNC players, a lot of credit for not exacting any physical revenge. As Henderson was exiting, it would have been easy for the fans to throw things other than insults at him. They didn't. And, with only 14 seconds left, Carolina could have afforded to send a little used player in there to take a shot at a Duke player, but they didn't. I would have liked to see Roy Williams get a little more fired up over the whole incident, especially when he had a chance to give Coach K an earful while the officials were reviewing the tape. Then again, Roy also had the satisfaction of knowing that he's taken 4 of 5 from Duke, and that with the relative talent levels of the past two years recruiting classes, he's in good shape to take 4 of the next 5. That would be the best revenge of all.
However, there was something that happened yesterday evening, that is getting more than it's share of press, and opinions written about it, that I couldn't resist. As most of you know, I hate all things Duke related. This is as much a function of my fandom for UNC as it is a product of just never really seeing much that I liked about Duke. Mind you, I didn't attend either school, nor did I grow up in, or near, North Carolina. It's just one of those things that's always been. I couldn't trace the exact roots of it if you paid me. It's just that simple.
So, as anyone who catches a glimpse of Sportscenter knows, yesterday Duke and UNC played their second game of the year at Chapel Hill, with not much more of importance on the line than the regular season ACC title for UNC (a nice to have, but not vital) and nothing but pride for Duke, (no comment).
Sporting a double digit lead with less than 20 seconds left, as you may have seen, one of Carolina's stars, Tyler Hansbrough, was shooting free throws. He missed them both. He got his own offensive board, because a) he's kind of crazy, and rebounds anything that moves, regardless of the situation and b) Duke isn't a good rebounding team. Having secured a rebound 3 feet from the hoop, he did the rational thing: He tried to put it back in. The hoop would have been meaningless, as the game was basically decided.
That's when a lot of stuff starting flying. Gerald Henderson through the air. His forearm into Hansbrough's face. Blood from Hansbrough's nose. A lot of empty explanations and lies. And defense of the action from the typical Duke apologists.
In short form, Henderson's blast through Hansbrough (a "hard foul" if your an apologist) got him tossed from the game, and a one game suspension to boot. After the game, Coach K said that it was unfortunate that there were still starters in the game at that point, and that his player (Henderson) wasn't trying to hurt anyone, b/c that's "not how Duke plays".
Here's my thoughts.
1) The whole thing was garbage. It was senior day, and with a little over a minute left, and still spoting a double digit lead, Williams had put back in Wes Miller, and left Rayshawn Terry (a third senior) in the game. Bobby Frasor (who also doesn't start) was in. The fact is, UNC is deep enough that they probably have 8 or 9 guys that would start at most of the programs in the country.
Duke was still pressing. Apparently, UNC was supposed to put the back end of it's roster in there and let the Black and Blue Devils pick their way back into it. I forgot that it's in the ACC bylaws that Duke is entitled every extra-ordinary opportunity to win a game that it can't win based on talent, coaching, and execution.
2) Saying that Henderson wasn't trying to hurt anyone is like saying that Barry Bonds has never shoved a needle in his ass. Do I think he was trying to bludgeon Hansbrough out of the game? Doubtful. But, there are different levels of hurt, I think. There's the kind that knocks someone out of a game, then there's the "send a message" style. The message being that Carolina was going to try and score anymore with the game more than likely out of reach, then they were going to pay for those buckets with bumps and bruises. Remember, Coach K comes from the Bob Knight school of coaching. That would be the school of coaching that belittles refs, throws tantrums the sidelines, and takes losing as a personal insult. It's "old school" which is a polite way of saying "occasionally dirty" Which is what that foul was.
To that end, it was dirty, and should be treated as such. I don't think that a one game suspension is enough, and it certainly won't deter it from happening again. It wasn't the first UNC player bloodied by a Dukie, and it won't be the last. However, I give the Dean Dome fans, and the UNC players, a lot of credit for not exacting any physical revenge. As Henderson was exiting, it would have been easy for the fans to throw things other than insults at him. They didn't. And, with only 14 seconds left, Carolina could have afforded to send a little used player in there to take a shot at a Duke player, but they didn't. I would have liked to see Roy Williams get a little more fired up over the whole incident, especially when he had a chance to give Coach K an earful while the officials were reviewing the tape. Then again, Roy also had the satisfaction of knowing that he's taken 4 of 5 from Duke, and that with the relative talent levels of the past two years recruiting classes, he's in good shape to take 4 of the next 5. That would be the best revenge of all.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
One Legged Woman To Embarass Self on National TV
So, I just saw an article that said that Heather Mills, the soon to be ex of Paul McCartney, is going to appear on "Dancing With The (kind of but not really) Stars"
You guys, this isn't even fair? Who approached who about this? Is she worried that she's not going to be getting enough publicity from divorcing one of the two surviving Beatles, so she called ABC? Or did ABC say "Hey, she's kinda sorta famous, and she'd probably come cheap, let's give her a call"
And, I know, I'm so going to burn for this but really, TV gods: Please please please, even though I don't watch this show, and still won't, let that leg come flying off on live television during some kind of spin, or pirouette, and give me something that will set the all time record for most watched clip in YouTube history. Please?
You guys, this isn't even fair? Who approached who about this? Is she worried that she's not going to be getting enough publicity from divorcing one of the two surviving Beatles, so she called ABC? Or did ABC say "Hey, she's kinda sorta famous, and she'd probably come cheap, let's give her a call"
And, I know, I'm so going to burn for this but really, TV gods: Please please please, even though I don't watch this show, and still won't, let that leg come flying off on live television during some kind of spin, or pirouette, and give me something that will set the all time record for most watched clip in YouTube history. Please?
Monday, February 12, 2007
Shotguns, Shots, and Some other items (24 Spoiler Goodness)
Apparently, I'm too lazy to post on a regular basis, so I guess I'm going to do one of those crazy catch all type posts. This probably isn't the best timing for me to write one of these, given that it was a 2 hour 24 event tonight. However, it was amazing tonight, so we'll do that first.
Jack Bauer Official Terrorist Kill Count: 3 with 1 very cool assist.
It's actually been a while since Jack actually killed a terrorist, and this hasn't been one of the stronger seasons for shootouts and the like. After last weeks episode, which was one of those build-it-up-with-not-a-lot-happening-efforts, this weeks total throwdown of devious subplots was a welcome return to form.
Let's do the less interesting stuff first: I don't know exactly what creepy Chad Lowe and creepier Peter MacNichol are cooking up against Wayne Palmer, but if they go down the "impeach the President based on trumped up thoughts of fraility of mind", then I am going to be a tad upset. It's not really the way that I want to see things go down. Especially since we've seen this once before, WITH HIS BROTHER. Once is enough, kids, that's all I'm saying.
As for Jack's father? Okay, the fact that he was ultimately behind it all, not that surprising. The fact that he would use his own grandson as leverage against his daughter in law in order to simply cover his own backside? Awful. Yet, as they say in 24, no one is safe.
Of everyone, I feel for Morris in this one. He's not trained to withstand torture, etc. And we're not talking run of the mill electric shocking, or cutting off fingers. They f'ing drilled him with what looked like about a half inch drill bit. Into his shoulder blade. I cringed pretty hard at that, to say the least.
Now, the good stuff. Jack, running point, with a MF'ing SHOTGUN. We only get maybe two of these a season. The operations that aren't "non-lethal force" rather "mf-ing shoot and kill everybody in the joint" Let's just say we watched it 2x at Drews, and I watched that part again when I got home. It was just sweet b/c there's no artistry or finese with a shotgun, it's point, shoot, and shred some bad guy's chest all over the wall.
So, if anyone thinks the show has jumped the shark? Doubtful. I don't even feel like I covered all the pertinent points with this post. And tonight was only Episode 9 for this season. So, rest assured, some sh*t has yet to go down.
And, b/c it's later than I realized, it's also the only thing I'm going to write about tonight....
Jack Bauer Official Terrorist Kill Count: 3 with 1 very cool assist.
It's actually been a while since Jack actually killed a terrorist, and this hasn't been one of the stronger seasons for shootouts and the like. After last weeks episode, which was one of those build-it-up-with-not-a-lot-happening-efforts, this weeks total throwdown of devious subplots was a welcome return to form.
Let's do the less interesting stuff first: I don't know exactly what creepy Chad Lowe and creepier Peter MacNichol are cooking up against Wayne Palmer, but if they go down the "impeach the President based on trumped up thoughts of fraility of mind", then I am going to be a tad upset. It's not really the way that I want to see things go down. Especially since we've seen this once before, WITH HIS BROTHER. Once is enough, kids, that's all I'm saying.
As for Jack's father? Okay, the fact that he was ultimately behind it all, not that surprising. The fact that he would use his own grandson as leverage against his daughter in law in order to simply cover his own backside? Awful. Yet, as they say in 24, no one is safe.
Of everyone, I feel for Morris in this one. He's not trained to withstand torture, etc. And we're not talking run of the mill electric shocking, or cutting off fingers. They f'ing drilled him with what looked like about a half inch drill bit. Into his shoulder blade. I cringed pretty hard at that, to say the least.
Now, the good stuff. Jack, running point, with a MF'ing SHOTGUN. We only get maybe two of these a season. The operations that aren't "non-lethal force" rather "mf-ing shoot and kill everybody in the joint" Let's just say we watched it 2x at Drews, and I watched that part again when I got home. It was just sweet b/c there's no artistry or finese with a shotgun, it's point, shoot, and shred some bad guy's chest all over the wall.
So, if anyone thinks the show has jumped the shark? Doubtful. I don't even feel like I covered all the pertinent points with this post. And tonight was only Episode 9 for this season. So, rest assured, some sh*t has yet to go down.
And, b/c it's later than I realized, it's also the only thing I'm going to write about tonight....
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Things I Would Sell Plasma to Witness...
Honestly, I don't think that it will come to that. Incidentally, I have interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday (different places) Keep your fingers crossed for me, seriously, you guys.
But really, if I needed any kind of a sign that things are starting to go right with the world, it's that David Lee Roth is going to be on this summer's Van Halen tour
This is especially cool for me, b/c Van Halen was the first concert I ever went to. Okay, actually, it was Van Haggar, when I was 15 or 16, and I'm sure that's not quite the same. So, really, this is about comparing the two versions, almost 15 years apart. Oh, and going to a Van Halen concert without being chapperoned by my dad.*
Let's put it this way. If Pittsburgh ends up being the closest venue for this show? I'd still go. Okay, I'm lying, I'd drive to Cincy, Toronto, or Guam preferrably.....
*Ed Note: Yes, I know, 16 seems old enough to go to a show by myself. Here's the story: We lived in Erie, the show was in Pittsburgh, and I had won 2 tickets on the radio. So, having had my license for 4 months or so, my mother wasn't about to let me drive by myself. And, as my father explained to me a couple of years ago "You probably could have handled driving back and forth with a friend, but I wasn't going to talk your mother into taking a Van Halen ticket away from me" Well played, sir.
But really, if I needed any kind of a sign that things are starting to go right with the world, it's that David Lee Roth is going to be on this summer's Van Halen tour
This is especially cool for me, b/c Van Halen was the first concert I ever went to. Okay, actually, it was Van Haggar, when I was 15 or 16, and I'm sure that's not quite the same. So, really, this is about comparing the two versions, almost 15 years apart. Oh, and going to a Van Halen concert without being chapperoned by my dad.*
Let's put it this way. If Pittsburgh ends up being the closest venue for this show? I'd still go. Okay, I'm lying, I'd drive to Cincy, Toronto, or Guam preferrably.....
*Ed Note: Yes, I know, 16 seems old enough to go to a show by myself. Here's the story: We lived in Erie, the show was in Pittsburgh, and I had won 2 tickets on the radio. So, having had my license for 4 months or so, my mother wasn't about to let me drive by myself. And, as my father explained to me a couple of years ago "You probably could have handled driving back and forth with a friend, but I wasn't going to talk your mother into taking a Van Halen ticket away from me" Well played, sir.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Quick Thoughts.....
I didn't even read what Sarah had to say about the Office last night, mostly b/c I wanted to post a few unedited thoughts of my own....
Dwight, in a bra? Gew. Priceless, but stomach wrenching.
Also priceless, Michael telling Karen (who they probably dress better than any of the other women on that show) that she should invest in a dress or a skirt or something*
I actually missed Ed Helms (Andy) this week. He's so batshit crazy that it's kind of wierd not having him around, especially b/c Jim was bound to do something else ridiculous to him. Incidentally, someone asked me what happened to Andy, and I'm betting NBC.com doesn't have the video up from last week, but there was a deleted scene where Andy is in his car and says "Dunder Mifflin is sending me to management training. Well, anger management. It's supposed to take 10 weeks, but I'll be out in 5, definitely" I wish I could find it on YouTube, b/c I'm obviously not doing it justice.
Dwight telling the stripper "we paid for three hours, and we're getting it" when he tells her to answer the phone.
And the highlight/lowlight for me?
Pam: Didn't Ben Franklin have syphillis?
Ben Franklin impersonator: But I don't. (Pause) My name's Gordon
Yeah, that pretty much ruined my night. When you have a relatively unique name, and then that happens? I won't be able to introduce myself to anyone for a while with out that joke coming up. Super......
*A note on Karen. Once, Steph told me that she didn't like Karen b/c the girl that played her (Rashida Jones) was the daughter of Quincy Jones, and she went to Harvard, and sang back up on Maroon 5's first album, and was really pretty, and dating the guy that plays Jim. Her life was too perfect. I think on the Scale of Irrational Thought with 1 being "I enjoy chocolate, I think I'll have a piece" (very rational) and 10 being "Satan's minions are roaming the Earth in the form of small Asian children and they are following me around" (ie-out of your damn mind) that this scores a solid 6.
Dwight, in a bra? Gew. Priceless, but stomach wrenching.
Also priceless, Michael telling Karen (who they probably dress better than any of the other women on that show) that she should invest in a dress or a skirt or something*
I actually missed Ed Helms (Andy) this week. He's so batshit crazy that it's kind of wierd not having him around, especially b/c Jim was bound to do something else ridiculous to him. Incidentally, someone asked me what happened to Andy, and I'm betting NBC.com doesn't have the video up from last week, but there was a deleted scene where Andy is in his car and says "Dunder Mifflin is sending me to management training. Well, anger management. It's supposed to take 10 weeks, but I'll be out in 5, definitely" I wish I could find it on YouTube, b/c I'm obviously not doing it justice.
Dwight telling the stripper "we paid for three hours, and we're getting it" when he tells her to answer the phone.
And the highlight/lowlight for me?
Pam: Didn't Ben Franklin have syphillis?
Ben Franklin impersonator: But I don't. (Pause) My name's Gordon
Yeah, that pretty much ruined my night. When you have a relatively unique name, and then that happens? I won't be able to introduce myself to anyone for a while with out that joke coming up. Super......
*A note on Karen. Once, Steph told me that she didn't like Karen b/c the girl that played her (Rashida Jones) was the daughter of Quincy Jones, and she went to Harvard, and sang back up on Maroon 5's first album, and was really pretty, and dating the guy that plays Jim. Her life was too perfect. I think on the Scale of Irrational Thought with 1 being "I enjoy chocolate, I think I'll have a piece" (very rational) and 10 being "Satan's minions are roaming the Earth in the form of small Asian children and they are following me around" (ie-out of your damn mind) that this scores a solid 6.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
When the Summer of George isn't Summer Anymore.
Hey, guess what? It's about 20 degrees out, so being off work isn't as much fun anymore. It's kind of hard to go sit out on your deck and have a drink when that activity would require one to bundle up and shovel the deck just for the privelege of feezing my ass of outside. So, what I'm saying is, I'm not enjoying the being out of work thing as much anymore.
Another sign that I'm not enjoying it? I'm contemplating taking the big jar on my fridge that I throw change in and marking it "March Rent". I'm guessing my landlord wouldn't appreciate being paid in a sock full of quarters though. Just my opinion.
Oh, and in referrence to Sarah's comments about my Pictionary drawings? Be careful, I might just end up going mute the next time I'm on your team, and then you won't have my seriously sick guessing abilities. I'm just saying.
Also, and this is random, but I watched the documentary Wordplay the other night, the one about the American Crossword Puzzle championships and the people that construct the puzzles and stuff. And honestly, I thought it was really interesting. So, now I've moved from Sudoku to crossword puzzles.
Between that and the change jar? I'm officially my grandfather. Someone bring me a vodka-tonic and a bowling ball. Oh wait, I already have all of those items in my apartment. Kill me now.
Another sign that I'm not enjoying it? I'm contemplating taking the big jar on my fridge that I throw change in and marking it "March Rent". I'm guessing my landlord wouldn't appreciate being paid in a sock full of quarters though. Just my opinion.
Oh, and in referrence to Sarah's comments about my Pictionary drawings? Be careful, I might just end up going mute the next time I'm on your team, and then you won't have my seriously sick guessing abilities. I'm just saying.
Also, and this is random, but I watched the documentary Wordplay the other night, the one about the American Crossword Puzzle championships and the people that construct the puzzles and stuff. And honestly, I thought it was really interesting. So, now I've moved from Sudoku to crossword puzzles.
Between that and the change jar? I'm officially my grandfather. Someone bring me a vodka-tonic and a bowling ball. Oh wait, I already have all of those items in my apartment. Kill me now.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Never Graduate
So, since I'm sitting around a lot during the day, sending out resumes, and leaving ESPN or TVLand on in the background, I get to hear a lot of commercials. This might be one of my favorites.....It's kind of hard to see, but that guy is definitely wearing a Texas A&M shirt....
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Thoughts on 24 (Spoilers if you haven't watched 10a-11a)
Official Jack Bauer Terrorist Kill Count: 1 (I don't expect this to stay at 1 for too too long, really, it's 24)
Well.
Another week, another "Holy crap, did they just do that?" moment.
So, Graham, the guy that spearheaded multiple attempts to kill Jack in Season 5 is Jack's brother? I have to admit, I didn't see it coming, but I wasn't completely in shock either when it happened. I've officially adopted a policy of not thinking very far ahead in '24' for the simple fact that I'll drive myself nuts trying to figure out what's going to happen next, b/c either I'm wrong, or I'm disappointed that I've figured it out. So, I've done the thing that makes the show more enjoyable than anything. I just don't think about it till something happens.
The odd thing about this turn of events is that it's a rare time when Jack who knows less about a situation than someone else. Jack doesn't know that Graham was behind the plots of Season 5. At this point, he still thinks it was Logan, who took the fall, that masterminded it. All Jack seems to know is that his brother is not exactly an upstanding citizen who is possibly working to protect their father from Jack and the government.
And that was enough to get Jack to punch his brother, tie him up with a lamp cord, and then put a plastic bag over his head from behind. For an episode where there were a lot more plot moving agents than action segments, the 5 minutes or so at the end where this took place definitely balanced things out.
Also, we're definitely getting our requisite amount of "drama inside the White House" this episode, and I'll all say is: I know David Palmer, and Wayne Palmer is no David Palmer. That being said, I think he's handling it well and doing a good job of not succumbing to the pressures from more aggressive members of the administration.
So where do we go from here? Well, we're getting Jack's dad in the next episode, the previews gave us that much.
Jack's probably going to do a good amount of torturing Graham, at least in the beginning of the ep, also a positive.
Also, as much as I don't want to look ahead, I want the backstory on this whole thing with Jack and Graham's wife (Marilyn), that just plain looks like fun.
Oh, did I mention that's there's still 4 tactical nukes floating around LA somewhere? Yeah, someone is going to need to find those.....
Well.
Another week, another "Holy crap, did they just do that?" moment.
So, Graham, the guy that spearheaded multiple attempts to kill Jack in Season 5 is Jack's brother? I have to admit, I didn't see it coming, but I wasn't completely in shock either when it happened. I've officially adopted a policy of not thinking very far ahead in '24' for the simple fact that I'll drive myself nuts trying to figure out what's going to happen next, b/c either I'm wrong, or I'm disappointed that I've figured it out. So, I've done the thing that makes the show more enjoyable than anything. I just don't think about it till something happens.
The odd thing about this turn of events is that it's a rare time when Jack who knows less about a situation than someone else. Jack doesn't know that Graham was behind the plots of Season 5. At this point, he still thinks it was Logan, who took the fall, that masterminded it. All Jack seems to know is that his brother is not exactly an upstanding citizen who is possibly working to protect their father from Jack and the government.
And that was enough to get Jack to punch his brother, tie him up with a lamp cord, and then put a plastic bag over his head from behind. For an episode where there were a lot more plot moving agents than action segments, the 5 minutes or so at the end where this took place definitely balanced things out.
Also, we're definitely getting our requisite amount of "drama inside the White House" this episode, and I'll all say is: I know David Palmer, and Wayne Palmer is no David Palmer. That being said, I think he's handling it well and doing a good job of not succumbing to the pressures from more aggressive members of the administration.
So where do we go from here? Well, we're getting Jack's dad in the next episode, the previews gave us that much.
Jack's probably going to do a good amount of torturing Graham, at least in the beginning of the ep, also a positive.
Also, as much as I don't want to look ahead, I want the backstory on this whole thing with Jack and Graham's wife (Marilyn), that just plain looks like fun.
Oh, did I mention that's there's still 4 tactical nukes floating around LA somewhere? Yeah, someone is going to need to find those.....
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Dreaming.....
I will, for the record, get to last nights' 24 in a little bit, at some point today.
I'm still not sure if I'm in a place where I can process all of it, especially the ending.
I must be eating something wrong, or must be a little off lately, b/c I've been having some messed up dreams lately. Sunday night I had a dream about 24, which I was okay with b/c we had just watched it, etc. However, last night, I had this really wierd dream. I dreamt that when the Browns came back in 1999 (which would have been my junior year at BW) they were so bad that they had an open tryout. Of course, that makes sense, b/c 1) They were terrible and 2) Their training camp facility is 4 blocks from campus.
Then, it gets wierd. In my dream, apparently I made the team as the 4th QB. Yes, I know, teams don't carry 4 QBs on the active roster. It was a bad dream. OK?
And, since the team was so bad, apparently (in my dream) the other quarterbacks all got injured, and somehow I ended up in a game. And I was awful, b/c I was still my regular old 5'10" small handed self. It was one of those like imagined, really embarrassing moments. I was like one-for-four with 3 picks or something? Like everytime I threw the ball it didnt' work out, b/c NFL balls are huge and I have tiny little 12 year old girls hands.
I really need to get a job, so I can start dreaming about work and stuff like that again, like a normal person.
I'm still not sure if I'm in a place where I can process all of it, especially the ending.
I must be eating something wrong, or must be a little off lately, b/c I've been having some messed up dreams lately. Sunday night I had a dream about 24, which I was okay with b/c we had just watched it, etc. However, last night, I had this really wierd dream. I dreamt that when the Browns came back in 1999 (which would have been my junior year at BW) they were so bad that they had an open tryout. Of course, that makes sense, b/c 1) They were terrible and 2) Their training camp facility is 4 blocks from campus.
Then, it gets wierd. In my dream, apparently I made the team as the 4th QB. Yes, I know, teams don't carry 4 QBs on the active roster. It was a bad dream. OK?
And, since the team was so bad, apparently (in my dream) the other quarterbacks all got injured, and somehow I ended up in a game. And I was awful, b/c I was still my regular old 5'10" small handed self. It was one of those like imagined, really embarrassing moments. I was like one-for-four with 3 picks or something? Like everytime I threw the ball it didnt' work out, b/c NFL balls are huge and I have tiny little 12 year old girls hands.
I really need to get a job, so I can start dreaming about work and stuff like that again, like a normal person.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Please Don't Ever put a Knife through my Knee
WARNING! This is totally all about the first two hours of '24' Season 6, so don't go any further if you don't want it ruined b/c you didn't watch for some reason.
Official Jack Bauer Terrorist Kill Count: 1*
Let's start off with this: Jack looked like hell. I mean, I don't know much about Chinese prisons, or being a political prisoner, but let me just say that if how Jack came off that plane looking was any indication, then no thanks.
But really, that little exchange with Bill and Curtis when he's sitting in the hanger right after he got off the plane, when he could barely even find a voice? Just give Kiefer his Emmy right now, there's no point in even putting it up for a debate.
I think my favorite part of the episode, other than Jack getting away from the terrorists, was Wayne Palmer's reaction to Jack getting away from the terrorists. You could see him smile a little, though obviously in complete disbelief. It was kind of like in his head "thank God I didn't end up resposible for the death of someone who saved my brother's life x3 at least" combined with "only f'ing Jack could get out of that situation"
I already pretty much hate Peter MacNicol's character (Tom Lennox) He sucks, a lot. Obviously that's his role, to play the "Presidential advisor who keeps coming up with really bad ideas", but still.
Wayne Palmer as President by the way? That one's a bit of a stretch for me in the plausibility department, but I'll take it. What was his campaign slogan, I wonder? "At Least I'm not Charles Logan"? That's really all it would have taken, I suppose.
Also, can we discuss the fact that Taj is a freaking terrorist? Yeah, I know he was in other movies since Van Wilder, but really, it's Taj, okay? And he just shot that guy! And he's going to be blowing stuff up, obviously, or he wouldn't have a "package" stuffed behind the wall of his house.
It kind of made me think a little bit when Jack was standing there, before they went to chase down the next subway bomb and he says "I don't know how to do this anymore". It was like between the mental and physical abuse he took, and the fact that he obviously shouldn't be in any condition to do this, he doesn't have a choice. And you'll notice, that, in the moment, he's fine, and still able to do what it takes. When he has to, he can. I found it telling though, that he couldn't torture that terrorist. It was like he knew what it was like to be on the other side, and even though he needed the information, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It will be an interesting story line to follow, for sure.
Let's put it this way. It was son intense that I watched it last night, then had a dream about what was going to happen tonight. All I remember was that it involved a missle targeting CTU and Jack almost drowning. So, obviously, I'm way off. Some crazy shit is going to happen tonight, that much I know, just from knowing how this show works.
*Oh, and really, a note on the killing? He BIT A GUY'S NECK!!!! Are you serious?
I was going to give Jack more kills, but that guy on the subway did blow himself up, and Jack was trying to stop him, so I can't give him that one.
Official Jack Bauer Terrorist Kill Count: 1*
Let's start off with this: Jack looked like hell. I mean, I don't know much about Chinese prisons, or being a political prisoner, but let me just say that if how Jack came off that plane looking was any indication, then no thanks.
But really, that little exchange with Bill and Curtis when he's sitting in the hanger right after he got off the plane, when he could barely even find a voice? Just give Kiefer his Emmy right now, there's no point in even putting it up for a debate.
I think my favorite part of the episode, other than Jack getting away from the terrorists, was Wayne Palmer's reaction to Jack getting away from the terrorists. You could see him smile a little, though obviously in complete disbelief. It was kind of like in his head "thank God I didn't end up resposible for the death of someone who saved my brother's life x3 at least" combined with "only f'ing Jack could get out of that situation"
I already pretty much hate Peter MacNicol's character (Tom Lennox) He sucks, a lot. Obviously that's his role, to play the "Presidential advisor who keeps coming up with really bad ideas", but still.
Wayne Palmer as President by the way? That one's a bit of a stretch for me in the plausibility department, but I'll take it. What was his campaign slogan, I wonder? "At Least I'm not Charles Logan"? That's really all it would have taken, I suppose.
Also, can we discuss the fact that Taj is a freaking terrorist? Yeah, I know he was in other movies since Van Wilder, but really, it's Taj, okay? And he just shot that guy! And he's going to be blowing stuff up, obviously, or he wouldn't have a "package" stuffed behind the wall of his house.
It kind of made me think a little bit when Jack was standing there, before they went to chase down the next subway bomb and he says "I don't know how to do this anymore". It was like between the mental and physical abuse he took, and the fact that he obviously shouldn't be in any condition to do this, he doesn't have a choice. And you'll notice, that, in the moment, he's fine, and still able to do what it takes. When he has to, he can. I found it telling though, that he couldn't torture that terrorist. It was like he knew what it was like to be on the other side, and even though he needed the information, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It will be an interesting story line to follow, for sure.
Let's put it this way. It was son intense that I watched it last night, then had a dream about what was going to happen tonight. All I remember was that it involved a missle targeting CTU and Jack almost drowning. So, obviously, I'm way off. Some crazy shit is going to happen tonight, that much I know, just from knowing how this show works.
*Oh, and really, a note on the killing? He BIT A GUY'S NECK!!!! Are you serious?
I was going to give Jack more kills, but that guy on the subway did blow himself up, and Jack was trying to stop him, so I can't give him that one.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Four More Days....
Am I the only person in the world that is seriously growing impatient with waiting for the new season of '24' to start? After plowing through Season 5 in a mere three days, thanks to that lovely flu bug, I've developed a nervous tic everytime I see a commercial or a teaser for it on Fox. It doesn't help that they carry the NFL playoffs, and they had the national title game this week, (which, by the way, I'm NOT going to dicuss, ever. I don't even think it actually happened) so therefore I've seen approximately 1,398,469 teasers for the show. What's probably most sad is that plotting out my Mondays to watch 24 is the most structure I'll have had in a month. This is probably not a good thing, at least until I start working again.
At least it's almost the weekend, and I can somewhat put the job hunt on the back burner for a day or two. I've gotten into such a rut of getting up in the morning, checking email, eating some breakfast, and then some combination of doing whatever needs done around the house and spending a good 4 hours or more a day looking for jobs that by the time the weekend rolls around, I don't want to think about it for a while.
How long has this been going on? Let's put it this way, according to my iTunes, I have 8 days worth of music on there, and in the last 3 weeks, I've plowed through most of it, even the stuff I really hate. I'm just saying, I didn't even know I HAD Air Supply on there.
Fortunately, I'm looking forward to this weekend. I have a date on Friday, with someone that I've gone out with a few times already and like, but we've had to cancel out on each other the last two weeks b/c we took turns getting sick. I think ti's going to be a pretty low key dinner-and-movie thing, but we have fun when we hang out, so I don't think it matters what we do.
However, here's the thing with doing the dinner and a movie thing. At least for me.
Problem #1- Late movies (the after 9pm starts) are almost night killers, as far as I'm concerned. You get out of the theater at 11:30 or something, after being anchored ass-to-chair for 2+ hours, you don't really feel like doing much.
Problem #2- I HATE being rushed through dinner, esp on a Friday night. There's a time to rush through dinner, and a date when you've first started seeing someone is NOT the time. Unfortunately, since the theaters start most of the movies between 7 and 7:30 you're either going to rush through dinner, or you're going to dinner at like 5. With the seniors. No thanks. I mean, really, can I get a movie that starts at 8:15? Seriously.
So, I'm voting for an earlier showtime and a later dinner. Obviously, it's not all up to me, but that's the suggestion I'm going in with.
At least it's almost the weekend, and I can somewhat put the job hunt on the back burner for a day or two. I've gotten into such a rut of getting up in the morning, checking email, eating some breakfast, and then some combination of doing whatever needs done around the house and spending a good 4 hours or more a day looking for jobs that by the time the weekend rolls around, I don't want to think about it for a while.
How long has this been going on? Let's put it this way, according to my iTunes, I have 8 days worth of music on there, and in the last 3 weeks, I've plowed through most of it, even the stuff I really hate. I'm just saying, I didn't even know I HAD Air Supply on there.
Fortunately, I'm looking forward to this weekend. I have a date on Friday, with someone that I've gone out with a few times already and like, but we've had to cancel out on each other the last two weeks b/c we took turns getting sick. I think ti's going to be a pretty low key dinner-and-movie thing, but we have fun when we hang out, so I don't think it matters what we do.
However, here's the thing with doing the dinner and a movie thing. At least for me.
Problem #1- Late movies (the after 9pm starts) are almost night killers, as far as I'm concerned. You get out of the theater at 11:30 or something, after being anchored ass-to-chair for 2+ hours, you don't really feel like doing much.
Problem #2- I HATE being rushed through dinner, esp on a Friday night. There's a time to rush through dinner, and a date when you've first started seeing someone is NOT the time. Unfortunately, since the theaters start most of the movies between 7 and 7:30 you're either going to rush through dinner, or you're going to dinner at like 5. With the seniors. No thanks. I mean, really, can I get a movie that starts at 8:15? Seriously.
So, I'm voting for an earlier showtime and a later dinner. Obviously, it's not all up to me, but that's the suggestion I'm going in with.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Unfortunate
So, this newly discovered patience that I have allowed myself in the job search, the one that keeps me from taking the first thing that comes down the line, and hopefully means that I'll end up getting something that is at the very least a good career move and financially rewarding, has had it's side effects.
Ever since I've stopped working, I've been a bit on the bored side, but up until about 3 weeks ago, school took good care of that, believe me.
Bored is the least of my troubles though, at this point. It's been a long couple of weeks, between getting the flu, arguing with certain people, and my own personal touch of neurosis that I hold so dear to my heart.
Left to my own devices, and too much free time, I'm very capable of over thinking, over-analyzing, and over worrying things. The unpleasant offshoot of this is that I end up hiding in my house, listening to angry music, and feeling crappy about myself. And, as usual, it's a direct result of worrying too much about what other people think, or how they feel. Such is life.
Ever since I've stopped working, I've been a bit on the bored side, but up until about 3 weeks ago, school took good care of that, believe me.
Bored is the least of my troubles though, at this point. It's been a long couple of weeks, between getting the flu, arguing with certain people, and my own personal touch of neurosis that I hold so dear to my heart.
Left to my own devices, and too much free time, I'm very capable of over thinking, over-analyzing, and over worrying things. The unpleasant offshoot of this is that I end up hiding in my house, listening to angry music, and feeling crappy about myself. And, as usual, it's a direct result of worrying too much about what other people think, or how they feel. Such is life.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Five Days In, And......
Well, I promised myself that this would be not only a new year, but a new perspective. I would accomplish more. I would worry less, and all the little pitfalls that I've tripped over in the past would remain there. You know, in the past, and all that. Instead, I catch myself doing more of the same. Worrying, thinking that I don't measure up.
Maybe it's the fact that I haven't been gainfully employed for 6+ months.
Maybe it's the year and something without a meaningful relationship, or even a hint of one.
Maybe I'm just too hard on myself, in general.
I want so badly to succeed in every aspect of my life, that I kill myself over it if I'm not doing well in any/all of them.
It's silly, and it's hard, b/c I can't change, completely, obviously. I know the standards and whatnot that I hold myself too, and they aren't limited, that's for sure. I guess I'm just frustrated, b/c I feel like I'm putting a decent amount of effort in to certain things, both personally and professionally, and feel as though I'm just beating my head against the wall. And that's not an easy thing. When you care about someone or something, you want to feel some kind of reciprication, or reward, in return, otherwise, it feels helpless, worthless, and just plain silly.
Maybe it's the fact that I haven't been gainfully employed for 6+ months.
Maybe it's the year and something without a meaningful relationship, or even a hint of one.
Maybe I'm just too hard on myself, in general.
I want so badly to succeed in every aspect of my life, that I kill myself over it if I'm not doing well in any/all of them.
It's silly, and it's hard, b/c I can't change, completely, obviously. I know the standards and whatnot that I hold myself too, and they aren't limited, that's for sure. I guess I'm just frustrated, b/c I feel like I'm putting a decent amount of effort in to certain things, both personally and professionally, and feel as though I'm just beating my head against the wall. And that's not an easy thing. When you care about someone or something, you want to feel some kind of reciprication, or reward, in return, otherwise, it feels helpless, worthless, and just plain silly.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Recovery, Physically and Otherwise.....
You know that little mention I made of feeling pretty ill last Thursday night? Well, let's just say that from about 15 minutes after that till sometime Monday, I was victim of an illness the likes of which I hope I never experience again. I was VERY sick. I spent most of Thursday night crippled on the bathroom floor, and the better part of the next few days doing the following:
1) Being mis-diagnosed with pnuemonia
2) Not eating
3) Living on a combination of prescription drugs, tea, juice, and Tylenol PM
4) Realizng that if you're going to get sick during the NFL season, don't do it in Week 17
I mean really, there were NO games worth watching. Couple that with spending New Years on the couch (lame) and it was a pretty vicious case of the flu. Now, sadly, a lot of other people I know have it. Fortunately for me, I'd imagine by now that I've pretty much got my immunity up on it, for what it's worth.
On the bright side of all of this, I managed to not have a hangover on New Years Day, which in a way wasn't a bad thing. I caught up on sleep, and plowed through all of Season 5 of '24', so now I'm ready for Jack to come back from China in about 11 days.
So that's it. I'm alive again, and seriously hurting for some human interaction. And I really hope nobody else comes down with this flu thing. Seriously.
1) Being mis-diagnosed with pnuemonia
2) Not eating
3) Living on a combination of prescription drugs, tea, juice, and Tylenol PM
4) Realizng that if you're going to get sick during the NFL season, don't do it in Week 17
I mean really, there were NO games worth watching. Couple that with spending New Years on the couch (lame) and it was a pretty vicious case of the flu. Now, sadly, a lot of other people I know have it. Fortunately for me, I'd imagine by now that I've pretty much got my immunity up on it, for what it's worth.
On the bright side of all of this, I managed to not have a hangover on New Years Day, which in a way wasn't a bad thing. I caught up on sleep, and plowed through all of Season 5 of '24', so now I'm ready for Jack to come back from China in about 11 days.
So that's it. I'm alive again, and seriously hurting for some human interaction. And I really hope nobody else comes down with this flu thing. Seriously.
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