So, as you all know, I've been playing a lot of tennis lately. And, for the most part, I play against one guy - my buddy Tucker. Tucker is, frankly better than me at everything. In fact, since we're pretty similar, I'd say that Tucker is even better than me at being me. I'm better than him at Halo, but I think that's one of those things like being better than someone at chess. Yeah, its quasi-impressive, but you don't want to tell girls about it.
Anyway, I'll play Tucker at tennis, and he'll usually win. And he'll usually win big. When I play him, I'm so concerned about making a mistake that I make several of them.
But yesterday, I played my friend Brian. And I was a lot better against Brian than I am against Tucker. In fact, I pretty much dominated because the only two games that I lost were based on my own mistakes.
And here's the funny thing. When a serve happens in a game against Tucker (my serve or receiving his), I expect to lose the point. When I win, it's because he did something stupid, or I did something amazing.
Against Brian, I expected to win every point. And if not, I at least thought it was up for grabs.
And I guess it has to do with intimidation. Against Tucker, I've lost the majority of the time. So I base how I play against him on all the previous times we've played. I know that he's going to get a lot of points and win a lot of games, and I'm going to have to take points and games when I can get them. It's why I get frustrated when I make a stupid mistake, and it's why I'm so defeated when he's able to return a really nice serve I make. Because, honestly, I need the breaks.
When I made a mistake against Brian, I was okay. I knew I was going to be able to do better the next time, and I had confidence that I could come back and win any game.
What's really funny is that Brian's probably better than Tucker at tennis...he's just really rusty. He's able to spin the ball in really awesome ways, and his serve is a lot harder. The problem is, based on his rustiness, that he makes a lot of mistakes. His great serve wouldn't land inside the box, and he had to do a softer one to avoid double faulting. He'd try a really nice slice or drop shot, and it hit the net or went out.
So, as we played, I knew that if I played a nice and conservative style, he'd screw up. And it allowed me to try some things that I wouldn't dare try against Tucker.
It's the kind of stuff that needs to translate into my games with Tucker. Because then our games might actually be pretty competitive.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Moving
1. Congratulations to Ashley, who had a nice cathartic move to his own condo. I'm moving with him, and the place looks really nice. I'd also like to thank him for a nice deal on rent.
2. Huge thank you to Tucker and Keely. Ashley and I owe them huge, and hopefully we can pay them back soon. I thank God for such great friends.
3. I had a huge hit to the gut as I arrived back at the apartment to find that most of my stuff had been packed for me, and Tucker was scrubbing my bathtub. Especially since I'd spent the afternoon at a fantasy football draft. I was under the impression that we were just moving my big stuff in the morning, and that I'd move the rest of my stuff today. Thus, my #2 point.
4. I bought a bed today. Man, beds are expensive. Also, for someone who has slept in a bed for my entire life, I know next-to-nothing about beds.
5. Most of my stuff was moved in Saturday, and I still haven't slept there. Hopefully I'll finally sleep there tomorrow.
2. Huge thank you to Tucker and Keely. Ashley and I owe them huge, and hopefully we can pay them back soon. I thank God for such great friends.
3. I had a huge hit to the gut as I arrived back at the apartment to find that most of my stuff had been packed for me, and Tucker was scrubbing my bathtub. Especially since I'd spent the afternoon at a fantasy football draft. I was under the impression that we were just moving my big stuff in the morning, and that I'd move the rest of my stuff today. Thus, my #2 point.
4. I bought a bed today. Man, beds are expensive. Also, for someone who has slept in a bed for my entire life, I know next-to-nothing about beds.
5. Most of my stuff was moved in Saturday, and I still haven't slept there. Hopefully I'll finally sleep there tomorrow.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Always
"Always" - Bon Jovi
This Romeo is bleeding
But you can't see his blood
It's nothing but some feelings
That this old dog kicked up
It's been raining since you left me
Now I'm drowning in the flood
You see I've always been a fighter
But without you I give up
I can't sing a love song
Like the way it's meant to be
Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore
But baby, that's just me
And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always
Now your pictures that you left behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry
One that made you have to say goodbye
What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you say your prayers try to understand
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man
When he holds you close, when he pulls you near
When he says the words you've been needing to hear
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time
Yeah, I will love you baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
If you told me to cry for you I could
If you told me to die for you I would
Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you
Well, there ain't no luck
In these loaded dice
But baby if you give me just one more try
We can pack up our old dreams
And our old lives
We'll find a place where the sun still shines
And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always
Dreams suck. Stop. Haunting. Me.
This Romeo is bleeding
But you can't see his blood
It's nothing but some feelings
That this old dog kicked up
It's been raining since you left me
Now I'm drowning in the flood
You see I've always been a fighter
But without you I give up
I can't sing a love song
Like the way it's meant to be
Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore
But baby, that's just me
And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always
Now your pictures that you left behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry
One that made you have to say goodbye
What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you say your prayers try to understand
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man
When he holds you close, when he pulls you near
When he says the words you've been needing to hear
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time
Yeah, I will love you baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
If you told me to cry for you I could
If you told me to die for you I would
Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you
Well, there ain't no luck
In these loaded dice
But baby if you give me just one more try
We can pack up our old dreams
And our old lives
We'll find a place where the sun still shines
And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always
Dreams suck. Stop. Haunting. Me.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Police Pace Car
I take the Toll Road to work every day, and it's pretty crazy sometimes. People are usually travelling 70-75 mph in the left lane, and there's almost always someone who's 10-15 mph faster than that. It was also the sight of my infamous "making a guy mad on the highway" story that I'm pretty sure I've already told everyone.
What's funny, though, is that the speed limit on the Toll Road is, for the most part, 55 mph. People are routinely travelling 15-20 mph over the speed limit. Some people even pass that scary 25 mph barrier on the road. It's one of the reasons why I've seen people get pulled over right in front of me several times.
(By the way, that's one of the better feelings this world has to provide. The sheer terror when you see a policeman's lights come on, and the pure relief you feel when it's some other poor bastard.)
This morning, however, as soon as I pulled onto the Toll Road, I saw a State Trooper's car a few yards behind me. Because of this, I merged onto the road at an appropriate speed, and I stayed at the speed limit in the right lane. And slowly but surely, the trooper passed me.
Behind him were about 300 cars that were forced to go the speed limit. And there was about a mile between the trooper and all the cars ahead of him. Because they were far enough away from the trooper's jurisdiction, I guess, to worry about him. They were still going 70, and we were all going 55.
And that was really funny to me. It's like when you're on the highway, and you see a police car. No matter how fast you were going, you slow down to the speed limit, and everyone around you does the same thing. It's like a parent just walked into the room, and you make a lame attempt to make it look like you're doing something more innocent than you were before.
Because we all speed. We all go as fast as we think we can get away with going. And we all do our own little things to avoid tickets (radar detectors, staying in between cars, knowing speed traps, etc). But as soon as we see that cop car, we slow down to the speed limit, and we put our hands at the appropriate "ten and two" position.
It was pretty funny, though, watching the people trying to make it to the front of the line. It was obviously the guy who usually goes 80-85 on the Toll Road wondering why everyone was going so F-ing slow this morning. Changing from lane to lane, hoping to knock off a second or two from his commute. Once they saw the cop, though, they fell in line too.
So I really think that if the police want to enforce the speed limit, just send a few patrol vehicles to drive around the highways. People drive safely when a cop is around. Heck, just park a few off the side of the highway. People see the car and slow down way before they notice whether or not someone is inside. It's really the best way to make speeders obey the law.
Of course, it isn't a cure-all. I got cut off three different times this morning on the Toll Road. All of them probably happened in the rear view mirror of the trooper so I couldn't help but laugh.
Because you also gotta wonder what he's thinking. Is he annoyed that he can't go 80? Does he think it's funny that everyone slows down on his behalf? Does he enjoy it? Because when he's driving a civilian vehicle, he sees the way people drive. And it's probably nothing like the way they drive when he's in his trooper's vehicle.
Just something funny I noticed this morning. Be safe out there, y'all.
What's funny, though, is that the speed limit on the Toll Road is, for the most part, 55 mph. People are routinely travelling 15-20 mph over the speed limit. Some people even pass that scary 25 mph barrier on the road. It's one of the reasons why I've seen people get pulled over right in front of me several times.
(By the way, that's one of the better feelings this world has to provide. The sheer terror when you see a policeman's lights come on, and the pure relief you feel when it's some other poor bastard.)
This morning, however, as soon as I pulled onto the Toll Road, I saw a State Trooper's car a few yards behind me. Because of this, I merged onto the road at an appropriate speed, and I stayed at the speed limit in the right lane. And slowly but surely, the trooper passed me.
Behind him were about 300 cars that were forced to go the speed limit. And there was about a mile between the trooper and all the cars ahead of him. Because they were far enough away from the trooper's jurisdiction, I guess, to worry about him. They were still going 70, and we were all going 55.
And that was really funny to me. It's like when you're on the highway, and you see a police car. No matter how fast you were going, you slow down to the speed limit, and everyone around you does the same thing. It's like a parent just walked into the room, and you make a lame attempt to make it look like you're doing something more innocent than you were before.
Because we all speed. We all go as fast as we think we can get away with going. And we all do our own little things to avoid tickets (radar detectors, staying in between cars, knowing speed traps, etc). But as soon as we see that cop car, we slow down to the speed limit, and we put our hands at the appropriate "ten and two" position.
It was pretty funny, though, watching the people trying to make it to the front of the line. It was obviously the guy who usually goes 80-85 on the Toll Road wondering why everyone was going so F-ing slow this morning. Changing from lane to lane, hoping to knock off a second or two from his commute. Once they saw the cop, though, they fell in line too.
So I really think that if the police want to enforce the speed limit, just send a few patrol vehicles to drive around the highways. People drive safely when a cop is around. Heck, just park a few off the side of the highway. People see the car and slow down way before they notice whether or not someone is inside. It's really the best way to make speeders obey the law.
Of course, it isn't a cure-all. I got cut off three different times this morning on the Toll Road. All of them probably happened in the rear view mirror of the trooper so I couldn't help but laugh.
Because you also gotta wonder what he's thinking. Is he annoyed that he can't go 80? Does he think it's funny that everyone slows down on his behalf? Does he enjoy it? Because when he's driving a civilian vehicle, he sees the way people drive. And it's probably nothing like the way they drive when he's in his trooper's vehicle.
Just something funny I noticed this morning. Be safe out there, y'all.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Draft Insanity
So I'm a pretty big fantasy sports guy. I usually play in at least one fantasy league for every sport. I'm in 4 fantasy baseball leagues, and I'm already signed up for 4 football leagues. I've played fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, and even fantasy golf. And it doesn't stop there - I'm even in a fantasy fantasy baseball league. The name is misleading, but its a bit more hardcore than a normal fantasy league.
I know, I'm a dork.
Anyway, I've recently stumbled upon the idea of joining 20-team fantasy leagues on Yahoo! Sports. 20 teams is the maximum allowed, and it really tests your knowledge of the sport you're playing. You can't just know the stars...you have to know everyone. In baseball, you have to know most of the starting pitchers. All of the closers. Utility infielders. Part-time DHs. In football, you have to know every QB and their backup. Kick returners. Defensive players. If Player A gets hurt, you have to know who will step up in his place. Who's injury prone, and who is their backup?
It's intense, but it's a lot of fun. But since I can only get 8-12 guys in my own fantasy leagues, I usually just find a public 20-team league. Which means, while I'm with strangers, I'm probably up against some of the more hardcore people in the fantasy universe.
Yeah, I know, I'm still a dork.
But I didn't know how hardcore these people were until last night. I had my 20-team league draft at 8pm, and I'd carved out my night for it. 20 teams and 24 players per team will take a while, and I knew it'd be about 3 hours. But its on the computer...so I wasn't really worried about it.
7:45 comes around, and I try to log onto Ashley's laptop. Nothing. I try my computer (which is famous for crapping out during Yahoo! drafts) - nothing. I even try the computer hooked up to the big TV in the living room. Stuck.
The draft is about to start, so Ashley is helping at this point. He looks around and sees the message board for the league.
And people are freaking out.
Between 7:30 (when the draft opened) and 11:00 (when the draft ended), there were almost 50 posts. There were accusations of cheating. BS-bombs being thrown around. Threats to quit. Other types of threats. And even thoughts of retiring from fantasy sports altogether.
That last one was probably a pretty good idea for some of these people.
It wasn't a huge deal to me. I like fantasy because it makes non-Cowboy games interesting. Before fantasy, there was virtually no reason for me to watch a Bengals-Rams game. But now that I have Laveraneus Coles and Donnie Avery on my team, I can watch. It's fun to win, but I think it's just fun to play.
These guys, though, are in it to win it. Because some of them could never get into the draft, it wasn't "their" team - it wasn't "fair." That whoever won would have a "Bonds-like asterisk" next to the victory. And I just laughed - because there's no reason to take this that seriously. Even if this was their only league, they were taking it too far. This isn't for money, and it's a freakin' public league. There are no real bragging rights except for a column in your Yahoo! profile.
Plus, these guys are probably in 10+ leagues. They should be able to get over it quickly.
As for me, I sat around and waited for the window to open. It finally did right before my pick in the 6th round. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my team. My first two picks were spent on Brian Westbrook (when healthy, a fantasy god) and Reggie Bush (potentially the same situation). My QB was Tony Romo (I've ranted on Romo before but he's a solid fantasy QB), and my WRs were the aforementioned Coles and Avery. I added Ted Ginn Jr. (#1 receiver in Miami and return specialist), and that set up the majority of my team.
From that point on, I was able to make my own picks. I think I got a couple of steals:
Marty B, aka Martellus Bennett, in the 11th round.
Washington's defense, ranked the 10th D in Sports Illustrated, in the 17th round
DeMarcus Ware and James Harrison, the top two sack guys, in the 8th and 10th rounds
I don't know, we'll see. But unlike 19 other humans, I was pretty pleased with the draft last night. Sure, it was annoying to not get in immediately. But the top 100 players are pretty interchangeable...and most of them are going to give similar output. In leagues like these, it's the other 300 players that get drafted that make the difference.
And at the end of the day, it's a game. And as Gordon Bombay famously said, "game should be fun."
I know, I'm a dork.
Anyway, I've recently stumbled upon the idea of joining 20-team fantasy leagues on Yahoo! Sports. 20 teams is the maximum allowed, and it really tests your knowledge of the sport you're playing. You can't just know the stars...you have to know everyone. In baseball, you have to know most of the starting pitchers. All of the closers. Utility infielders. Part-time DHs. In football, you have to know every QB and their backup. Kick returners. Defensive players. If Player A gets hurt, you have to know who will step up in his place. Who's injury prone, and who is their backup?
It's intense, but it's a lot of fun. But since I can only get 8-12 guys in my own fantasy leagues, I usually just find a public 20-team league. Which means, while I'm with strangers, I'm probably up against some of the more hardcore people in the fantasy universe.
Yeah, I know, I'm still a dork.
But I didn't know how hardcore these people were until last night. I had my 20-team league draft at 8pm, and I'd carved out my night for it. 20 teams and 24 players per team will take a while, and I knew it'd be about 3 hours. But its on the computer...so I wasn't really worried about it.
7:45 comes around, and I try to log onto Ashley's laptop. Nothing. I try my computer (which is famous for crapping out during Yahoo! drafts) - nothing. I even try the computer hooked up to the big TV in the living room. Stuck.
The draft is about to start, so Ashley is helping at this point. He looks around and sees the message board for the league.
And people are freaking out.
Between 7:30 (when the draft opened) and 11:00 (when the draft ended), there were almost 50 posts. There were accusations of cheating. BS-bombs being thrown around. Threats to quit. Other types of threats. And even thoughts of retiring from fantasy sports altogether.
That last one was probably a pretty good idea for some of these people.
It wasn't a huge deal to me. I like fantasy because it makes non-Cowboy games interesting. Before fantasy, there was virtually no reason for me to watch a Bengals-Rams game. But now that I have Laveraneus Coles and Donnie Avery on my team, I can watch. It's fun to win, but I think it's just fun to play.
These guys, though, are in it to win it. Because some of them could never get into the draft, it wasn't "their" team - it wasn't "fair." That whoever won would have a "Bonds-like asterisk" next to the victory. And I just laughed - because there's no reason to take this that seriously. Even if this was their only league, they were taking it too far. This isn't for money, and it's a freakin' public league. There are no real bragging rights except for a column in your Yahoo! profile.
Plus, these guys are probably in 10+ leagues. They should be able to get over it quickly.
As for me, I sat around and waited for the window to open. It finally did right before my pick in the 6th round. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my team. My first two picks were spent on Brian Westbrook (when healthy, a fantasy god) and Reggie Bush (potentially the same situation). My QB was Tony Romo (I've ranted on Romo before but he's a solid fantasy QB), and my WRs were the aforementioned Coles and Avery. I added Ted Ginn Jr. (#1 receiver in Miami and return specialist), and that set up the majority of my team.
From that point on, I was able to make my own picks. I think I got a couple of steals:
Marty B, aka Martellus Bennett, in the 11th round.
Washington's defense, ranked the 10th D in Sports Illustrated, in the 17th round
DeMarcus Ware and James Harrison, the top two sack guys, in the 8th and 10th rounds
I don't know, we'll see. But unlike 19 other humans, I was pretty pleased with the draft last night. Sure, it was annoying to not get in immediately. But the top 100 players are pretty interchangeable...and most of them are going to give similar output. In leagues like these, it's the other 300 players that get drafted that make the difference.
And at the end of the day, it's a game. And as Gordon Bombay famously said, "game should be fun."
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A prayer
Tonight, I pray for hope. I pray that tomorrow will be a new day with new opportunities. That it will bring a great memory or a great friend or a great love. That anything can happen. That great things can happen. That they will.
I pray for confidence. I pray that I will have the courage to do the things that I want to do. I pray to silence the voice in my head that slows me down. That scares me. That wants things to stay the same.
I pray for courage. To act without fear. To understand that, with risk, comes reward. That things can only get better if something is done. To know that I'm the only one who can change things for myself.
I pray for acceptance. I pray for the ability to leave things in the past. To acknowledge my mistakes, move on from them, and learn how to avoid them in the future. To know that bad things have happened, but for good things to happen, I have to move on.
I pray for forgiveness. I pray, both, to be forgiven and for the ability to forgive. To know that people are, for the most part, good. That they don't mean to hurt me. I pray for forgiveness to slay the anger and the sadness.
I pray for fellowship. I pray for the knowledge that I have a fantastic support group that wants me to succeed. That wants for me all the things that I want for myself. That loves me a lot more than I love myself.
I pray for love. I pray for the ability to love myself for who I am. To be able to love others for the same reason. To see the love that I already have, and to find the love that I'm desperately seeking.
And most of all...
I pray for faith. To know that the World wants what's best for me. That everything happens for a reason. That Someone is guiding me a direction, giving me signals, and lighting my way home. That Someone exists that loves me and wants me to be happy. Wants all of the above for me. That smiles when I try. Smiles when I learn from failure. Smiles when I try again.
Tonight, I pray.
I pray for confidence. I pray that I will have the courage to do the things that I want to do. I pray to silence the voice in my head that slows me down. That scares me. That wants things to stay the same.
I pray for courage. To act without fear. To understand that, with risk, comes reward. That things can only get better if something is done. To know that I'm the only one who can change things for myself.
I pray for acceptance. I pray for the ability to leave things in the past. To acknowledge my mistakes, move on from them, and learn how to avoid them in the future. To know that bad things have happened, but for good things to happen, I have to move on.
I pray for forgiveness. I pray, both, to be forgiven and for the ability to forgive. To know that people are, for the most part, good. That they don't mean to hurt me. I pray for forgiveness to slay the anger and the sadness.
I pray for fellowship. I pray for the knowledge that I have a fantastic support group that wants me to succeed. That wants for me all the things that I want for myself. That loves me a lot more than I love myself.
I pray for love. I pray for the ability to love myself for who I am. To be able to love others for the same reason. To see the love that I already have, and to find the love that I'm desperately seeking.
And most of all...
I pray for faith. To know that the World wants what's best for me. That everything happens for a reason. That Someone is guiding me a direction, giving me signals, and lighting my way home. That Someone exists that loves me and wants me to be happy. Wants all of the above for me. That smiles when I try. Smiles when I learn from failure. Smiles when I try again.
Tonight, I pray.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Blackmail and Your Cell Phone
So my manager was at a cash checking place, and he left his cell phone there. By the time he went to his car, realized it was gone, and went back in, the phone was gone. He assumed some Good Samaritan had picked it up, and he had his friend call the number to arrange a meeting place. The friend called. No answer.
A couple hours later, after a couple of attempts, the friend got a text message from a different number. Something to the effect of "If you want your phone back, arrange a meeting place. Oh, and bring money."
I'll summarize. Jerk finds my manager's phone, and decides he wants a reward. But since he can't unlock my manager's phone to do anything, he is forced to text the friend back from his own phone.
So now my manager has this guy's phone number. Open and shut case, right? Give the police the guy's number...they find out who he is...and they get the phone back. What they do with the guy is up to them, right?
Nope. My manager is mad, and he wants to get his revenge somehow. He starts calling the number, and he has his friend call the number too. Then they start sending text messages, hopefully raising this guy's phone bill a bit. He even considers offering up a fake reward so that he can get the phone back in person.
Why he didn't want to call the police? No idea. But since he didn't, I did my best to try and find the guy's name. And I found a site where you can pay $15 and get all the information you want. Name, address, relatives, etc. Everything.
I found a log on for one of those sites, for free, and it was offering it for only $9.99 for members. He didn't want that, and I still don't think he has his phone back.
But it got me thinking - does that information need to be available to the public? Especially for $10? I really don't care if the government or law enforcement has that information because I think, as a whole, they'll only use it for the right reason.
But anyone? Stalkers? Killers? Pedophiles? Do we really need to have that much information based on a cell phone number? And landlines? That information was free.
I'm all for the freedom of information. But I'm not really sure it should be this easy for anyone to get it. And it just reminds you that it's a scary world out there.
A couple hours later, after a couple of attempts, the friend got a text message from a different number. Something to the effect of "If you want your phone back, arrange a meeting place. Oh, and bring money."
I'll summarize. Jerk finds my manager's phone, and decides he wants a reward. But since he can't unlock my manager's phone to do anything, he is forced to text the friend back from his own phone.
So now my manager has this guy's phone number. Open and shut case, right? Give the police the guy's number...they find out who he is...and they get the phone back. What they do with the guy is up to them, right?
Nope. My manager is mad, and he wants to get his revenge somehow. He starts calling the number, and he has his friend call the number too. Then they start sending text messages, hopefully raising this guy's phone bill a bit. He even considers offering up a fake reward so that he can get the phone back in person.
Why he didn't want to call the police? No idea. But since he didn't, I did my best to try and find the guy's name. And I found a site where you can pay $15 and get all the information you want. Name, address, relatives, etc. Everything.
I found a log on for one of those sites, for free, and it was offering it for only $9.99 for members. He didn't want that, and I still don't think he has his phone back.
But it got me thinking - does that information need to be available to the public? Especially for $10? I really don't care if the government or law enforcement has that information because I think, as a whole, they'll only use it for the right reason.
But anyone? Stalkers? Killers? Pedophiles? Do we really need to have that much information based on a cell phone number? And landlines? That information was free.
I'm all for the freedom of information. But I'm not really sure it should be this easy for anyone to get it. And it just reminds you that it's a scary world out there.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Central Market University
In my quest to try new things and try to be more social, I decided to take some sort of class. After looking around, one of the things that sounded pretty interesting was a cooking class, and I saw that Central Market (right next to my apartment) was offering classes.
They were expensive ($60 for a 2.5 hour class), but it looked pretty cool. I found a class in Greek cuisine, and it had a pretty nice little menu put together. So I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.
First of all, this was a pretty big step for me. I typically don't go out of my way to be social or outgoing, particularly by myself, and I was proud that I actually went through with it. I was a little nervous going in, but I was also excited. It was a chance to meet some new people, and even if that didn't work out, I had a feeling I'd learn a couple of new recipes.
Now, let me say that these Central Market classes are set up in a pretty cool way. You show up, and the main instructor gives you a little bit of set-up for how the class will work. There are three stations, and they give you an apron and all the tools you'll need. Then, they break you up into groups with one of the teachers, and each little station makes everything.
One of the reasons for the increased price is probably the inclusion of wine. They had a red and a white wine, and we were basically given unlimited refills...both during the cooking/preparation parts and the dinner itself. I had three glasses, and I never really went out of my way to ask for more. I'm sure people had four or maybe even five. Its a nice touch, and I'm sure the alcohol gets rid of any anxiety (either about cooking or cooking with strangers).
So your group basically makes one of the recipes at a time. There were four main dishes that we made, and there were a couple of additional recipes that we were given. Houmous, for example, was on the menu but not a part of the class because it's simply mixing a selection of ingredients. We got to try it, but it was pre-made. We also got a recipe for pita bread, but it was also pre-made.
And in this class, we made mousaka, a chicken dish with a white cucumber-based sauce, a Greek salad, and a shrimp in a white sauce. One of the reasons I picked this particular class was that everything sounded pretty good, and everything actually ended up tasting great.
So everything was set up for us. There were assistants around the kitchen to take away any trash/seeds/unused food, and any ingredients we needed were already pre-measured in little tubs. So if we needed a cup of milk, it was already set for us, and that made things a million times easier.
And then we were off. The instructor showed us the right way to do things, but everything was done by us. So if a cucumber needed to be peeled and sliced, we did it. If a sauce needed to be prepared and cooked, we did it. Everyone got a chance to be the "main chef" on something (I grilled the chicken, for example), and everyone seemed to be doing something at all times. We were making a lot of food, and we were always busy.
There are apparently classes at Central Market where you simply watch something being made. Celebrity chefs will come, for example, and you get to see them do their thing...and eventually eat the food they make. Some of the "cooking class veterans" said that those weren't nearly as fun, and I can see that.
Because, honestly, food that you make yourself tastes better. There's something about starting off with a couple bags of groceries and ending up with a huge meal that makes you feel like you accomplished something. It's like building a birdhouse...except you eat the birdhouse when you're done.
And one of the benefits of a cooking class is seeing how easy it all is. We made four pretty extravagent dishes, and it wasn't that hard. Of course, all of the ingredients were in front of me, pre-measured, and there was zero cleanup. But outside of that, it was pretty easy.
And, of course, I'm not going to be making five-course meals anytime soon. But now I have a relatively simple Greek shrimp recipe. And I know how to make a pretty tasty mousaka. And I know the proper way to skewer and grill chicken.
So if you have the money and the time and the interest, I think these classes are pretty cool. You get really nice ingredients from Central Market, some nice wine to go with it, and some cool recipes. If you add the value of the instruction, I think the money actually works. They also seem pretty cool about making the class work for you because there was a vegetarian and a celiac (gluten intolerant) person...and they both were allowed to make foods for them.
I'll probably go back in the future. They have a class almost every night, and you just have to find the one most interesting for you. And if you go, tell them that I sent you. Maybe I'll get a free class or something.
They were expensive ($60 for a 2.5 hour class), but it looked pretty cool. I found a class in Greek cuisine, and it had a pretty nice little menu put together. So I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.
First of all, this was a pretty big step for me. I typically don't go out of my way to be social or outgoing, particularly by myself, and I was proud that I actually went through with it. I was a little nervous going in, but I was also excited. It was a chance to meet some new people, and even if that didn't work out, I had a feeling I'd learn a couple of new recipes.
Now, let me say that these Central Market classes are set up in a pretty cool way. You show up, and the main instructor gives you a little bit of set-up for how the class will work. There are three stations, and they give you an apron and all the tools you'll need. Then, they break you up into groups with one of the teachers, and each little station makes everything.
One of the reasons for the increased price is probably the inclusion of wine. They had a red and a white wine, and we were basically given unlimited refills...both during the cooking/preparation parts and the dinner itself. I had three glasses, and I never really went out of my way to ask for more. I'm sure people had four or maybe even five. Its a nice touch, and I'm sure the alcohol gets rid of any anxiety (either about cooking or cooking with strangers).
So your group basically makes one of the recipes at a time. There were four main dishes that we made, and there were a couple of additional recipes that we were given. Houmous, for example, was on the menu but not a part of the class because it's simply mixing a selection of ingredients. We got to try it, but it was pre-made. We also got a recipe for pita bread, but it was also pre-made.
And in this class, we made mousaka, a chicken dish with a white cucumber-based sauce, a Greek salad, and a shrimp in a white sauce. One of the reasons I picked this particular class was that everything sounded pretty good, and everything actually ended up tasting great.
So everything was set up for us. There were assistants around the kitchen to take away any trash/seeds/unused food, and any ingredients we needed were already pre-measured in little tubs. So if we needed a cup of milk, it was already set for us, and that made things a million times easier.
And then we were off. The instructor showed us the right way to do things, but everything was done by us. So if a cucumber needed to be peeled and sliced, we did it. If a sauce needed to be prepared and cooked, we did it. Everyone got a chance to be the "main chef" on something (I grilled the chicken, for example), and everyone seemed to be doing something at all times. We were making a lot of food, and we were always busy.
There are apparently classes at Central Market where you simply watch something being made. Celebrity chefs will come, for example, and you get to see them do their thing...and eventually eat the food they make. Some of the "cooking class veterans" said that those weren't nearly as fun, and I can see that.
Because, honestly, food that you make yourself tastes better. There's something about starting off with a couple bags of groceries and ending up with a huge meal that makes you feel like you accomplished something. It's like building a birdhouse...except you eat the birdhouse when you're done.
And one of the benefits of a cooking class is seeing how easy it all is. We made four pretty extravagent dishes, and it wasn't that hard. Of course, all of the ingredients were in front of me, pre-measured, and there was zero cleanup. But outside of that, it was pretty easy.
And, of course, I'm not going to be making five-course meals anytime soon. But now I have a relatively simple Greek shrimp recipe. And I know how to make a pretty tasty mousaka. And I know the proper way to skewer and grill chicken.
So if you have the money and the time and the interest, I think these classes are pretty cool. You get really nice ingredients from Central Market, some nice wine to go with it, and some cool recipes. If you add the value of the instruction, I think the money actually works. They also seem pretty cool about making the class work for you because there was a vegetarian and a celiac (gluten intolerant) person...and they both were allowed to make foods for them.
I'll probably go back in the future. They have a class almost every night, and you just have to find the one most interesting for you. And if you go, tell them that I sent you. Maybe I'll get a free class or something.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Misc. Stuff
Just some random stuff.
1. I got home yesterday about 5:30, and I immediately went for a run to try and beat the rain. When I got home, Ashley had left to go write. So I was locked out of the apartment with no money, no phone, and no keys. It was really one of the more helpless feelings I've had in a while...there was no way to get anywhere or contact anyone. At first, I was hoping Ashley had simply gone to buy dinner. Then it was just a matter of hoping that he'd come home as soon as possible. All in all, I was out there until about 9:30. Luckily I had the iPod and could watch some saved stuff, but it was pretty rough.
2. Yesterday on the roads, for the first time, I saw a wreck. I've been involved in a couple (one as a driver and one as a passenger), but I've never seen a wreck that I wasn't participating in. I've been driving for ten years, and that's pretty amazing.
3. This LA Fitness shooting has me thinking. For those of you who don't know, some guy was sad that girls wouldn't date him (and that he hadn't had sex in a while). So he decided to go in and shoot up an all-female fitness class. And it's making me wonder about legalizing prostitution. I want to discuss it a bit with some people, and I might end up writing an entire blog about it. I just wonder if people had an outlet for that kind of frustration...if that would alleviate some problems.
4. I'm thinking about making a pretty big change in the next couple of months. If you're a reader and a friend, you'll probably hear about it pretty soon.
1. I got home yesterday about 5:30, and I immediately went for a run to try and beat the rain. When I got home, Ashley had left to go write. So I was locked out of the apartment with no money, no phone, and no keys. It was really one of the more helpless feelings I've had in a while...there was no way to get anywhere or contact anyone. At first, I was hoping Ashley had simply gone to buy dinner. Then it was just a matter of hoping that he'd come home as soon as possible. All in all, I was out there until about 9:30. Luckily I had the iPod and could watch some saved stuff, but it was pretty rough.
2. Yesterday on the roads, for the first time, I saw a wreck. I've been involved in a couple (one as a driver and one as a passenger), but I've never seen a wreck that I wasn't participating in. I've been driving for ten years, and that's pretty amazing.
3. This LA Fitness shooting has me thinking. For those of you who don't know, some guy was sad that girls wouldn't date him (and that he hadn't had sex in a while). So he decided to go in and shoot up an all-female fitness class. And it's making me wonder about legalizing prostitution. I want to discuss it a bit with some people, and I might end up writing an entire blog about it. I just wonder if people had an outlet for that kind of frustration...if that would alleviate some problems.
4. I'm thinking about making a pretty big change in the next couple of months. If you're a reader and a friend, you'll probably hear about it pretty soon.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Still Left Out
Okay, something a bit lighter today. ESPN, in its quest to find something to cover now that Brett Favre is retired, decided to put together a solution to the BCS quandary. Their idea is a new 40-team system that will have an official playoff. Their idea was, basically, to eliminate a lot of the "lesser" schools to "purify" the sport.
SportsNation voted on which 40 teams should make the cut, and the "official" one was done by three of their college football writers. And, for some reason, it was done in "draft" style - each would make their picks to get to 40 teams.
The first few picks were obvious. USC, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, LSU, Ohio State, etc. Teams like Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Penn State made the cut because they were also including history into this. Then came the first pick from a non-BCS conference: Utah. Then came another: Boise State. Then a final one: BYU. All the picks came from the same douchebag: Mark Schlarbach.
Ordinarily, I'd appreciate that they were including non-BCS conference teams (or as Ashley calls them, non-AQ conference teams). But do you know what Utah, Boise State, and BYU have in common? They were all beaten by TCU in the last two seasons. And TCU probably should've beaten Utah last season...at their place.
And because Mark Schlarbach picked three non-AQ teams, I think the other two douchebags were afraid to pick anymore. Because they had to get more AQ teams in. Deserving teams like Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Arizona State.
Really? Texas Tech has a gimmick offense and they get in. Texas A&M has yell practice, and they get in (and, yes, that was their actual reason). South Carolina gets in because "you have to have the Old Ballcoach."
Meanwhile, TCU is left out. TCU, a team that consistently puts up 10-win seasons. A team with two national championships, a Heisman winner, and a guy with an award named after him.
Yes, Boise State and Utah have BCS bowl victories. And BYU has a huge fan base of Mormons. I understand that. But they're not better than TCU, and I'll explain.
Boise State is a freak school. This was supposed to involve history, and Boise State has zero history. They win for three reasons: their dumb blue field makes people angry, they play no one on their schedule, and they use a bunch of trick plays.
The blue field is ridiculous. They're in the WAC, and they make very little effort to put together a non-conference schedule. This year, they're playing one road game in non-conference (at Bowling Green) with three home games. One against UC Davis, one against Miami (Ohio), and one against Oregon. One quality game (at home) and three jokes. Nice work! So they get to steamroll through a pathetic schedule, and they expect to get into a BCS bowl? It's pathetic.
TCU, meanwhile, found a way out of the WAC. They've moved conferences twice to try and earn the respect of college football instead of piling up wins against Division I-AA teams. We've scheduled games at Oklahoma (twice), at Texas, at Clemson, at Virginia, and at Arkansas. Every year, TCU schedules a game that they will be underdogs in.
Not to mention, in the Mountain West, we have to go to Utah or go to BYU. Those games are tough every year. Boise State's hardest game is a free trip to Hawaii.
And don't get me started on the trick plays. Teams use trick plays to cover up for inferior talent. Boise State used trick plays against Oklahoma because Oklahoma was better. The better team didn't win that game, and everyone in the world knows it. And that Oklahoma team wasn't that good.
And let's not forget December 23. TCU defeated Boise State the last time either team played a game.
The fact that TCU was left out was laughable to me. You want history? Two national championships and a rich history in the 30s-50s. You want great alumni? Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Bob Lilly, and LaDainian Tomlinson.
You want recent history? How about seven top 25 finishes since 2000? And two top 10 finishes (coaches' poll) since 2005. Four straight boll wins in four straight years. One of the top defenses every single season. And in the BCS discussion almost every season.
Yes, every year they find a way to lose a game while other teams have found a way to stay perfect. I understand that. But more so than any other team outside of the AQ conferences, TCU makes an effort to stand out. To prove that they belong. To prove that they should've been in an AQ conference from the beginning.
And that's why TCU should've been included. Even though, in the end, it's just a stupid fake league from an overrated network that thinks its cooler than it is. If ESPN is going to do this, they might as well get it right. And let's face it, they got it wrong.
SportsNation voted on which 40 teams should make the cut, and the "official" one was done by three of their college football writers. And, for some reason, it was done in "draft" style - each would make their picks to get to 40 teams.
The first few picks were obvious. USC, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, LSU, Ohio State, etc. Teams like Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Penn State made the cut because they were also including history into this. Then came the first pick from a non-BCS conference: Utah. Then came another: Boise State. Then a final one: BYU. All the picks came from the same douchebag: Mark Schlarbach.
Ordinarily, I'd appreciate that they were including non-BCS conference teams (or as Ashley calls them, non-AQ conference teams). But do you know what Utah, Boise State, and BYU have in common? They were all beaten by TCU in the last two seasons. And TCU probably should've beaten Utah last season...at their place.
And because Mark Schlarbach picked three non-AQ teams, I think the other two douchebags were afraid to pick anymore. Because they had to get more AQ teams in. Deserving teams like Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Arizona State.
Really? Texas Tech has a gimmick offense and they get in. Texas A&M has yell practice, and they get in (and, yes, that was their actual reason). South Carolina gets in because "you have to have the Old Ballcoach."
Meanwhile, TCU is left out. TCU, a team that consistently puts up 10-win seasons. A team with two national championships, a Heisman winner, and a guy with an award named after him.
Yes, Boise State and Utah have BCS bowl victories. And BYU has a huge fan base of Mormons. I understand that. But they're not better than TCU, and I'll explain.
Boise State is a freak school. This was supposed to involve history, and Boise State has zero history. They win for three reasons: their dumb blue field makes people angry, they play no one on their schedule, and they use a bunch of trick plays.
The blue field is ridiculous. They're in the WAC, and they make very little effort to put together a non-conference schedule. This year, they're playing one road game in non-conference (at Bowling Green) with three home games. One against UC Davis, one against Miami (Ohio), and one against Oregon. One quality game (at home) and three jokes. Nice work! So they get to steamroll through a pathetic schedule, and they expect to get into a BCS bowl? It's pathetic.
TCU, meanwhile, found a way out of the WAC. They've moved conferences twice to try and earn the respect of college football instead of piling up wins against Division I-AA teams. We've scheduled games at Oklahoma (twice), at Texas, at Clemson, at Virginia, and at Arkansas. Every year, TCU schedules a game that they will be underdogs in.
Not to mention, in the Mountain West, we have to go to Utah or go to BYU. Those games are tough every year. Boise State's hardest game is a free trip to Hawaii.
And don't get me started on the trick plays. Teams use trick plays to cover up for inferior talent. Boise State used trick plays against Oklahoma because Oklahoma was better. The better team didn't win that game, and everyone in the world knows it. And that Oklahoma team wasn't that good.
And let's not forget December 23. TCU defeated Boise State the last time either team played a game.
The fact that TCU was left out was laughable to me. You want history? Two national championships and a rich history in the 30s-50s. You want great alumni? Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Bob Lilly, and LaDainian Tomlinson.
You want recent history? How about seven top 25 finishes since 2000? And two top 10 finishes (coaches' poll) since 2005. Four straight boll wins in four straight years. One of the top defenses every single season. And in the BCS discussion almost every season.
Yes, every year they find a way to lose a game while other teams have found a way to stay perfect. I understand that. But more so than any other team outside of the AQ conferences, TCU makes an effort to stand out. To prove that they belong. To prove that they should've been in an AQ conference from the beginning.
And that's why TCU should've been included. Even though, in the end, it's just a stupid fake league from an overrated network that thinks its cooler than it is. If ESPN is going to do this, they might as well get it right. And let's face it, they got it wrong.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Cruel Joke of Optimism
So I'm not an optimist, and I don't think I've ever really been confused for one. I think I'd like to be one, and I think it would really help me if I were one. Every once in a while, I can trick myself into being one, but I think I've decided that those few moments are a cruel trick. I'm not sure who's responsible, but I know that it's cruel.
On certain mornings, I'll wake up with a certain sense that things might not end up horrible. That, for some reason, I might have a good day. It's just that...on those mornings...that's when I'm beginning to get scared. Because it's on those days that my day is about to fall right into the toilet.
Take yesterday for example.
I woke up from a long weekend. It was my birthday on Friday, and I had the day off. I relaxed by the pool, hung out with my friends, and experienced a weekend that didn't seem to be going 100 mph. And on a Monday morning when I was driving in to work, I had this feeling that things might be okay. I didn't have the doom and gloom that I usually feel when going to this horrible place.
Well, yesterday sucked. Horribly. I find out that the person who's accounts I've already been covering for a week is going to be out another two weeks. At least. She said she'd be out for a week. It will probably be a month. I'll admit that I'm being a bit cruel myself here, but I think the situation was carried out horribly by every party.
And the people that were covering my accounts? I'm not sure they did anything. I spent most of my morning cleaning up the mess they refused to clean up. Not to mention the fact that I don't think anyone read my out of office.
It reminded me, immediately, how much I hate this place. How dumb most of the people are. And how incredibly lazy and irresponsible they all are. I can't believe this is a profitable company...honestly.
And so on those mornings when I feel a supernatural calm or optimism, I don't feel happy anymore. I get scared because those are the days that are going to be the worst. The kind of days that ruin weeks and months and years.
Don't worry, though. I woke up this morning as pessimistic as ever, preparing myself for the worst. Because I'm starting to think that those times of optimism are there as some kind of prank. I feel good and happy just so that I can be slapped back down...as if I'm a contestant on Wipeout...running along and then some kind of thing is dropped on me so that I fall in the water.
And I'm sure whoever is in charge would laugh about that kind of thing. And I'm sure that he/she/it does.
On certain mornings, I'll wake up with a certain sense that things might not end up horrible. That, for some reason, I might have a good day. It's just that...on those mornings...that's when I'm beginning to get scared. Because it's on those days that my day is about to fall right into the toilet.
Take yesterday for example.
I woke up from a long weekend. It was my birthday on Friday, and I had the day off. I relaxed by the pool, hung out with my friends, and experienced a weekend that didn't seem to be going 100 mph. And on a Monday morning when I was driving in to work, I had this feeling that things might be okay. I didn't have the doom and gloom that I usually feel when going to this horrible place.
Well, yesterday sucked. Horribly. I find out that the person who's accounts I've already been covering for a week is going to be out another two weeks. At least. She said she'd be out for a week. It will probably be a month. I'll admit that I'm being a bit cruel myself here, but I think the situation was carried out horribly by every party.
And the people that were covering my accounts? I'm not sure they did anything. I spent most of my morning cleaning up the mess they refused to clean up. Not to mention the fact that I don't think anyone read my out of office.
It reminded me, immediately, how much I hate this place. How dumb most of the people are. And how incredibly lazy and irresponsible they all are. I can't believe this is a profitable company...honestly.
And so on those mornings when I feel a supernatural calm or optimism, I don't feel happy anymore. I get scared because those are the days that are going to be the worst. The kind of days that ruin weeks and months and years.
Don't worry, though. I woke up this morning as pessimistic as ever, preparing myself for the worst. Because I'm starting to think that those times of optimism are there as some kind of prank. I feel good and happy just so that I can be slapped back down...as if I'm a contestant on Wipeout...running along and then some kind of thing is dropped on me so that I fall in the water.
And I'm sure whoever is in charge would laugh about that kind of thing. And I'm sure that he/she/it does.
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