One thing worth watching on Fox News
Click here to see a reporter go off on a member of the Phelps clan.
Nice climatic ending with the reporter telling her to get out of America.
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June 29, 2006
June 27, 2006
Movie Time
Don't forget, Super Squirrel opens tomorrow.
Randomly random randomness for today
Family Guy Episode today:
Peter visits a synagogue
Cut to a bunch of nuns
Thinking they have a defector, they all grab rulers from an ammo cabinet as the head nun yells "Lock and load brides of Christ."
HA
Maybe you had to be there, but trust me it was hilaaarious.
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Needing a fix:
Iced lemon loaf and a Venti coffee = YUM
Starbucks next door = YAY
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My car needs brakes and tire rotation and balancing. It's always something.
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Being in banking, I am in a position to state with authority that all the wrong people have money.
Except Warren Buffet who is giving $31 Billion dollars to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation whose goal is to wipe out deadly diseases and further education here in the U.S.
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There is a storefront headquarters for an environmental action group called " Campaign to save the Environment" by my apartment building and I walk by it pretty much everyday. There is always a couple of the workers or volunteers standing outside seemingly taking a break from saving the world, and they are always smoking. They also toss their butts into the street. Should you be part of a campaign to save the environment if you spew smoke into the air and your lungs and then litter?
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Bush and Cheney are spending considerable amounts of time defending the snooping into bank records in the name of fighting terrorism after it was revealed in a NY Times report. I think a case can be made for justifying it, especially if it is hampering terror networks. But since they are so passionate about the reasons and say it is justified and legal, they should just answer the straight forward questions about it, defend the program and not attack the messengers. This is such a pattern with this administration, don't explain or rationalize, just smear others to divert attention. I guess they need diversions lest voters figure out there is no energy policy, foreign policy is in the crapper, and writing discrimination into the constitution takes a lot of time away from dealing with wars and such.
I contributed nothing to the world today
I was a slug today. A mass of goo that barely disturbed the air around me for the entire day. My day started way too early -- explanation below. As it has been for a couple weeks now, it was raining and dreary outside. So with no motivation to go out, I did nothing and only ventured as far as the newspaper box in front of my building and to the lobby to get my mail in the afternoon. Usually I get restless and have to get out and move, but today I was content to hibernate. I'm not sure why I was so listless and boring today. I did have a ton of laundry to do, but that would have meant going to the store to get detergent so....
So this morning at about 8:00 I get a call after which I could not fall back asleep so my day of nothingness started way more early than I wanted it to. The assistant regional manager called thinking there was a crises at my office. Yesterday I left a bit early in order to make a special stop on my way home. When I went out to my car I saw that our underground irrigation system had started leaking and was watering the parking lot instead of the shrubs and plants. I pop back inside and tell the brainiacs to stop throwing their own poop around for a minute and concentrate real hard on dialing the phone and call facilities to tell them we have a leak. Rather than taking that simple and easy to understand step, they emailed the Regional Manager who did not get the email until early this morning when she checked her Blackberry before she left her home. What she got from the email was that our sprinklers were flooding. She assumed the fire sprinklers has gone berserk and our new building was flooded and why the heck didn't I track her down yesterday? Through my haze of being half asleep, I told her it was just the flowers that were in danger and I couldn't fathom why my crap-for-brains coworkers even bothered her with it. She was relieved and when she realized I was at home and had the day off, apologized for waking me up. So started my lazy day.
June 24, 2006
R.E.M.
Man on the Moon.
I never get tired of this song.
It is just an old stereotype that...
...bankers make good bowlers.
The big bowling for chairty event/beer fest last night went well. Me and some select coworkers arrived early and were forced to bide our time in the bar so that got things rolling. Money was raised, some prizes were won, and a good time was had by all. In three games, I bowled a 101, 127, and 158. Could have been worse but not bad for not having bowled in three or four years. I won $25 gift certificate good towards Pittsburgh Pirates tickets so there is a baseball game in my future.
One highlight or lowlight of the evening, depending how you look at it was from a person who works in a different office than mine. He is one of those people who thinks they are really funny (no it's not me) and is a little unaware of how he comes across sometimes. Anyway, he was drinking quite a bit and started getting a bit loud. Now mind you, this was a social outing and everyone is having fun as you would expect. But while you have fun, you need to remember that even though it is after 5:00 it is still a WORK outing. Bosses are present (and having fun themselves), the company is being represented, blah blah blah. At some point this guy made a loud remark which I didn't catch enough of it to explain entirely, but it had something to do with their team shirts being red and looking like Dairy Queen shirts and someone commenting on it and him responding something about eating a banana split off someone's buttocks. (I'm not gonna go there tonight, use your imagination for humorous insights) The inappropriateness seemed apparant to everyone but him. And also, ewww. So Monday we'll see who gossips about that and who may have heard things, etc.
June 22, 2006
Kitchen accidents
I needed to spice up my life
I bought some salt and pepper shakers.
But just the disposable kind. No commitments.
Same old cacca de toro
I decided to look like a real dedicated team player and go into work this morning at 9:00 instead of 11:30. Plus I like going downtown to work. I like the pace downtown in the city and all the people. Anyway, I left my branch out in the burbs in the hands of not one, but two managers. Before lunch I had five calls from them needing help. Still more came throughout the day in the form of calls and emails.
They both make more money than I do.
Grrrrrrr.
June 21, 2006
Pin Heads
Friday I will be participating in a bowl-a-thon for charity to benefit Junior Achievement. The big boss in Pittsburgh is on the board so in order to suck up, I mean help out a good cause, some of us at the local branches got together into teams. I'm told there will be lots of pizza and beer. Good way to start the weekend.
Cheaper than cable tv
I guess I shouldn't complain about work too much because all the drama does keep it interesting. There are three people in my branch that are clashing, Mgr, Crazy, and Hard Worker. To me all day long, Mgr is bitching about Crazy, Crazy is bitching about Mgr, and Hard Worker is bitching about both. I'm more sympathetic to Hard Worker because as his name suggests, he is good to have around and pulls his weight. The other two, I just sit and listen while trying not to let myslef get pulled in. Neither of them can shut up long enough to see that the aspects they each complain about the other, are the same things they do. I could place a mirror on every wall of the office and neither one would see themselves. I have decided to just sit back and watch while someone eventually self destructs. Meanwhile I make sure in various ways that the higher-ups know that yours truely is working hard and holding the business together and getting new customers.
Tomorrow I get a break from the show while I work in our downtown office. They had some scheduling conflicts and needed a manager to help out so I said I would be glad to assist. The nice thing is I don't have to be there until 11:30 so I can sleep in.
June 20, 2006
Quotes for today
"Why can't they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, "Who'd you call a faggot?"
-- John Stewart
It's ridiculous that we still have a hole in the ozone layer. We have men, we have rockets, we have Saran Wrap - FIX IT! !! And don't come back until you do.
-- Lewis Black
I figured it would be "So Long Suckers"
| Your Famous Last Words Will Be: |
 |
Surprise day off
Today was a good day. Started out with an early meeting downtown that was supposed to last most of the day but was cut short by the facilitator after two hours. I called my office to "check in" before I came back. By checking in I mean I was seeing how things were going and who was there in the hopes of taking the rest of the day off. They said they were fine, everyone was there and to not bother coming all the way out, "enjoy your day." Well you know I don't need my arm twisted to take a partial day off, especially on a sunny and warm day like today. I got in a great workout. I don't know if it was the great weather and scenery or my coffee was spiked with something this monring or it was the updated songs on the iPod, but I really was able to push myself farther and longer than normal. And while I'm quite sore right now, it's a good feeling. I was also able to get a lot of errands done, cleaned my apartment, and took my online course for becoming a notary in Pennsylvania all before dinner time. Took a walk after dinner and now I'm crashing on the couch and will most likely be falling asleep anytime now. I don't think I will make it to The Daily Show tonight.
June 18, 2006
Re-cap
Quick re-cap, Robot Chicken is on.
Weekend went by too fast, probably because I had to work Saturday so only one day off. It was very hot this weekend in Pittsburgh with temps hitting high 80's and into the low 90's. Computer is fixed so I'm happy and relieved. Saw a bad movie.
Awesome Sunday dinner tonight with Alison and Paul, Chicken Kiev, cheesy creamed corn, and there was some cranberry something or other in the vicinity too but I stayed away from that. I think the bread, which was my contribution, really made the meal spectacular. Homemade chocolate chip cake for dessert. YUMMY.
Tomorrow is the start of what I think will be an interesting week. The new Mgr called a meeting for Monday morning and in her email stated we will discussing "issues" currently affecting the office and what you can do to bring more success to our business. What "we" can do. Hey newbie, what the hell are you gonna do? You want to discuss our "issues?" Bring it on, I got my own issues, lots of em. And so it goes....
Stand up, fight dirty, whatever works...
Newscenter staff...
(New York City) Kevin Aviance - recovering from a vicious gay bashing a week ago - has made a surprise appearance at a West Village demonstration protesting the rise in violence against members of New York City's LGBT community......
"We can't fight any of these people with arms and bullets and drama. We have to fight all these people with love, every single day," he said.
"Stop the violence. Stop the hate. Just love, love, love."
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Umm, yeah you can fight back and IMHO it's time people did. Morals and reason don't work with people like this.
My review of Nacho Libre
Sucked.
Viruses, Trogans, and Worms...Oh My !
So Friday I turn my computer on and my browser automatically opens which it usually does not do, and I get a message that outgoing emails are preparing to be sent all without me touching a key or clicking a mouse. CRAP. So it takes me half a nano-second to rip the cable cord from the back of my computer thus disconnecting the internet connection. Being the technical genius that I am I start trying to investigate figuring it must be something like mis-alligned coils in the flux capacitor, but my computer is no longer interested in taking any kind of command from me. DOUBLE CRAP.
I'm back online now after being invaded by several stealthy invaders making themselves at home. Much like the uninvited guests at a party, I don't know where they came from and the ease at which they made themselves at home on my hard drive just really pissed me off. Believe me, "crap" was not the harshest word I used.
Thankfully Paul came to the rescue and spent several hours evicting the electronic A-Holes from my computer as well as adding further protection against future squatters, and now it is functioning better than ever. I'm very relieved and grateful because the last thing I needed was to have to spend big bucks fixing or replacing my computer.
June 15, 2006
Drunk trashy slut says what..
Brittany Spears being interviewed by Matt Lauer. I cannot change the channel fast enough.
Book
I am currently reading a new book I just received. It is Covering: The hidden Assault on our Civil Rights, by Kenji Yoshino. Yes books take up valuable TV watching time, but as long as it is not time for the Simpsons or The Daily Show I enjoy a good book. The following is an excerpt copied and pasted from the description on the inside cover to give an idea of what's it's about. As I get into it further I will give my insights.
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...Everyone covers. To cover is to downplay a disfavored trait so as to blend into teh mainstream. Because all of us possess stigmatized attributes, we all encounter pressure to cover in our daily lives. Given its pervasiveness, we may experience this pressure to be simple fact of social life.
Against that conventional understanding, Kenji Yoshino argues that the demand to cover can pose a hidden threat to our civil rights. Though we have come to some consensus against penalizing people for differences based on race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and disability, we still routinely deny eual treatment to people who refuse to downplay differences along these lines. Racial minorities are pressed to "act white" by changing their names, languages, or cultural practices. Women are told top "play like men" at work. Gays are asked not to engage in public displays of same-sex affection. The devout are instructed to minimize expressions of faith, and individuals with disabilities are urged to conceal the paraphernalia that permit them to function. In a wide ranging analysis, Yoshino demonstraits that American civil rights laws have generally ignored the threat posed by these covering demands. With passion and rigor, he shows that the work of civil rights will not be complete until it attends to the harms of coerced conformity.
At the same time, Yoshino is responsive to the American exasperation with identity politics, which often seems like an endless parade of groups asking for state and social solitude.......
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Unfortunetly while at Caribou this morning with caffiene life juice in one hand and the book in the other, I was interrupted by my cell phone with work issues. In my office, there are three managers, one being me, and three other staff members. It boggles my mind that I cannot leave for a day the office in the hands of two managers and three staff members without having to be bothered on my day off. Is it ethical as a manager to ignore the calls from your office? So that got me pissed off and I wasn't in the mood to read, hence my lack of my own details.
Now off to play racquetball.....
June 12, 2006
Obsessed with justice
Interesting saga and goes on forever so give yourself some tme to read through it, but neat insight into someone who won't let his friend be taken advantage of. Thanks to Alison for the link.
Pittsburgh came to a stop today
Roethlisberger in surgery after serious motorcycle crash
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pisstburgh Post Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was seriously injured and was undergoing surgery after his motorcycle was involved in a crash on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge today....
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The story is on the newpaper website above, but the latest by late afternoon today was he is still in surgery and serious but stable condition. Head lacerations, possible broken jaw, chipped teeth and broken nose are all injuries that he sustained. He was not wearing a helmet.
After hoping he comes out of it ok, two issues come to mind. One is that as a motorcycle rider myslef, I cannot understand how some people do not wear helmets. I really don't get that.
Second is that the newspaper, by early afternoon, had published the name and neighborhood of the person ( an elderly lady) who was driving the car that allegedly started to turn left in fornt of him. A quick check of phone book records and one can find her exact address. I find that an incredibly irresponsible thing to do in a town that gets so nuts over its football team. Yes it would have come out eventually but immediately identifying the person and where they live serves no purpose. Wait until the guy is out of surgery and can speak or his spokesperson can speak instead of opening these people and their nieghbors to some of the crazier fans out there. I hope they don't get run out of town.
June 11, 2006
Weekend wrap up
Caught up on sleep.
Tried a new little neighborhood Italian restaurant that not only had great entrees and a nice atmosphere but Banana Gelato for dessert which just makes it the best restaurant ever.
Had a great workout and spent a lot of time at Caribou Coffee watching the world go by and trying to figure out its problems while sipping multiple cups of caffeine goodness. Came to the conclusion that if everyone in the world would just listen to me, all would be well.
Finally got around to running errands that I put off all week as well as giving my apartment a good cleaning.
Saw "Cars" at my neighborhood theater, cute movie and neat story.
Family Dinner Sunday was at my place as Alison and Paul had stove issues while making the main dish so everything was packed up and brought over to finish cooking in my stove which I believe was used for the first time since I moved in. I use the stove top all the time, but not sure if I have used the oven.
A new TV has made its way to the top of my list of needed purchases. My current TV is getting a green tint to it and an occassional distracting wavy lines. Similar symptoms arose on Paul and Alison's TV before it gave out and had to be replaced. Hopefully it will last awhile longer and not give me seizures while I work to afford a new one.
One movie I don't want to see
Doesn't open till August but it just seems silly
Steaks on a Plane ?? What kind of action movie would that be? :)
Cars
Cars that act like people amuse me.
Cute movie.
We must protect families....
The couple in that house doesn't look like the one in the house across the street so let's not give them a piece of paper like the one the people in that house have.
Protection?? I think we should ban divorce.
June 10, 2006
Evil in a good way?
Yeah I know, I'm even shocked it's only 30%
| You Are 30% Evil |
 In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil. |
Two words
Banana Gelato.
Mmmmm...
June 08, 2006
Work work work
Work has been getting interesting. Crazy and the new manager are starting to clash. This of course will lead to bigger clashes especially now that Crazy has spoken to a higher up about it. Meanwhile I get put in the middle because they each bitch about the other to me. I just pretty much listen and hold my tongue rather than put myself into the conflicts and hopefully stay out of the line of fire. I do this even though I have this incredible urge to hold a mirror up to Crazy's face and point out that she bitches about the very same things she does. Talk about not being self-aware.
I am so glad tomorrow is Friday.
Looking...
Do you ever feel like you are searching for something but never finding it?
But I guess we already knew that
Ann Coulter is an evil heartless Bitch
Coulter writes in a new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," that a group of New Jersey widows whose husbands perished in the World Trade Center act "as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them..."
She also wrote, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much..."
......"We have been slandered. Contrary to Ms. Coulter's statements, there was no joy in watching men that we loved burn alive. There was no happiness in telling our children that their fathers were never coming home again. We adored these men and miss them every day," the women said.
June 06, 2006
Somebody needs a horse head in their bed
This weeks Sopranos episode was a dissapointment. It was the season ender and pretty much nothing happened. It had been hyped for the last two weeks and this loyal viewer was expecting something more than it delivered. My expectations were rubbed out. My viewing pleasure is sleeping with the fishes. My pasta is not Al dente....well you get the idea. There are still eight more episodes to come next year and hopefully it will go out with a bang.
There were a few hints at some possible excitement next year. A federal agent warning Tony about someone close to him being in danger from a rival NewYork family, Carmella digging more and more into the death of Adriana, and Christopher screwing the women that Tony has his sights on as well as relasping into drugs are all aspects that will hopefully be dealt with in old school Soprano fashion in the final season.
But a season that ends with a dull episode when there is so much potential for drama, suspense, and cliffhangers instead ends with a fading to blackness from a dull x-mas eve get-together is a let down to loyal fans who eagerly awaited new seasons during the excessively long periods between seasons.
June 05, 2006
Zzzzz
Why do I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? Lately I have been taking my oatmeal to work to to eat because I stay in bed till the very last minute. That has to stop. A few minutes in the morning to eat and focus on the day ahead would probably be good for me. Ten more minutes in bed really cannot make a difference. I am a terrible morning person.
BTW
It's about writing discrimination into the constitution. Keep marriage for the traditionalists for all I care, just give every life long couple the same rights.
Ok I'm done with this now. (probably)
June 04, 2006
Meow Meow
"Help, my adorable head is stuck in the railing."
Bob amuses me.
Sunday
It's been raining a lot lately here in Pittsburgh and today is no different. I went running knowing I would likely get really wet. But due to the rain and my schedule this week it has been several days (last Tuesday racquetball) since I have gotten out and exercised. My goal to get at least some exercise in everyday, even if just a good walk, has not been met recently. So giving a figurative finger to Mother Nature, I headed out. The rain keeps you cool and if you set a goal of how far to run, it helps you to keep going as you want to get it over with. At one point the wind picked up at the same time I let a good spit fly and I am hoping the big mist I got sprayed with was rain water and not that flying back, but if so at least it's my own right? I know, eww.
Weekend is almost over, back to my own place tonight and back to work tomorrow. But not before some chinese food, brownies I made myself (yes really), and Sopranos this evening. Adios.
And BTW...
In this mid term election season, the voting of enlightened and reasonable people is crucial to counteract people on their ignorant morale high horses who use scare tactics to muster support. What some people who profess to be leaders of this country don't understand is that the constitution was written to guarantee rights to all, not to be used to exclude some by those who use it as a cover for their own ignorance and prejudices.
Individuals can make a difference, just do it.
This weeks WTF...
President Bush (does this man just suck the life out of anyone else whenever he speaks?) decided to use his weekly radio address to stump for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man and one woman as well as to try to explain how we should legislate hate and how courts do not have a place in this issue as he again forgets how there are three branches of government, not just the executive branch.
Begin my rant here:
Two people in love, any two people, can only enhance society and is no threat to anyone else. Some claim it would undermine the institution of marriage? Nonsense. How would it undermine anyones marriage? How is any couple's marriage intertwined with anyone elses? Religions can have freedom to choose whether they want to sanction or bless same sex marriages, but the governments, states and local, of this country have the responsibility to give equal rights to all citizens without regard to gender, race, religion, or sexuality. Of course look how recently gender, race, and religion were discriminatory issues in this country. It is no longer legal to ban inter racial marriages and it should not be legal to ban gay unions. If your against it, how about in your own mind calling it a union instead of marriage, which BTW I am fine with as a compromise. Or better yet, woryy about yourself and work to decrease the 50+% divorce rate in your sacred institution.
You are who you are, I am who I am. If you can't deal with that get out of my way and live your own life.
June 02, 2006
Mmmmmm Oreos....
Double Stuf Oreos are so superior to regular Oreos. Why do they even bother with regular?
House party, BYOB
Starting tonight and this weekend I am house and kitty sitting for Alison and Paul while they travel to Michigan for a wedding. After work and upon arriving at the house, Chloe came to greet but stopped short and gave a quizical look like "ummm why are you coming in through the garage and where is Mommy?" But her desire to have her belly scratched won out as she plopped on the kitchen floor for some attention. Bob being Bob just kind of looked like "whatever" and then as to channel Cartman from South Park seemed to say "Respect my authority."
But later in the evening as the night dwindled on and after some fun with the laser pointer, Bob sat perched on the kitty tree for awhile, seemingly content but with one ear pointed in my direction keeping track of what was going on. Chloe, perhaps sensing my leg had fallen asleep long ago while up on the coffee table and me not wanting to interrupt her kitty coma while she was happily stretched out as far as she could stretch, just jumped off my lap. They are then off to their own spaces.
Kitties are so cute.