The Librarian Returns

And he's going to get those overdue books from you one way or the other.

I'm glad to see TNT is doing a sequel to the first movie. While it wasn't the best thing on TV, it was a decent show.

SOURCE

Part Four of Salvatore's Podcast

Here's the fourth installment of Bob's podcast via rasalvatore.com. Mainly focuses on Drizzt and his 20th anniversary.

Who would you invite to your Thanksgiving Dinner?

So on my way home I tend to daydream. A lot. So yesterday I began to ponder who I would invite to my dinner table for Thanksgiving. While I didn't have time to think of a complete list, I did get a few people down on paper (so to speak, i actually used my phone as a voice-recorder, after all, it's hard to write and drive).

So here's my invite list in no particular order. Feel free to add your own or come up with your own list.

Bertha Richard (pictured at left)

My grandmother on my Dad's side. She passed away in 1987 rather suddenly and, being a kid at the time, I never had the chance to ask a lot of questions. She was a great cook and, after she died, the family ended up eating a lot of pies from her freezer. So while I knew her, I didn't KNOW her. I've always wanted to know more about her. I would want her to cook the dinner.

Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart

These great actors would be our entertainment. I know there's a long list of female actors I could have included, but I had a difficult time narrowing it down. So I settled for these two. Maybe they could re-enact a scene from Harvey (with Grant being the rabbit of course).

Mr. Rogers (pictured at right)

I grew up with him on PBS and had the distinct opportunity to have him speak at my college graduation. It's hard to describe hundreds of students and their parents singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor" in a gym. But I'd really like to know if he was a sniper in Vietnam. And I'd like him to give the blessing.

Shakespeare and Socrates

These historical figures would be there simply for eye-candy. I've always wondered how they dressed.

Valentine Hollingsworth (signature is above)

This ancestor of mine helped William Penn settle America. From him I would like to get a perspective on what the trip was like and how hard it was to settle the land. I'd also like to know how life was (in Europe and over here) as a Quaker. He would put the "Thanks" in Thanksgiving.

Elaine Cunningham and Kurt R. A. Giambastiani

These two authors have struggled to "make it" despite their hard work and quality content. While they are published authors, they would "keep it real" at the table. Elaine has always been, in my eyes, a writer disguised as a mother. Kurt would provide a worldly point of view while being a typical PacNorWester (Pacific North Westerner).

George Phillips (far right, second row)

Another ancestor, this one my grandmother's (Bertha from above) father. He was a hard worker and homesteaded in Nebraska. But I'd really like to know if he killed his daughter Violet. If so, why and if not, who did? Quite a morbid discussion for the dinner table, but we all need a black sheep in the family, right?

Friends and Family

I'd of course invite all my friends and family. While that is quite a large number (all family, not many friends), it would be great to see everyone together, eating great food, and talking about everything.

Destiny's Way Review

Read my review here.

Dreams, Dresses, and Drills-edited-

Dreams

Last night I had some bizarre dreams. I'm never sure if it's because of what I ate for dinner (left over pork chop, rice, and tuna salad with crackers) or things I saw during the day (car lift, people at work, phone calls, etc.).

Needless to say, last night was memorable. My brother-in-law had his foot crushed by his father. He dropped something on it (can't remember what now). Then there was the dream about the Phantom cars (as in Phantom was the type of car).

Weird.

Dresses

Here's Elizabeth sporting her new Christmas dress for the year. Took some doing to get her to pick one she liked, but when threatened that Mommy and Daddy will pick one if she doesn't, she's usually pretty fast.

Drills

-edited-

Torn for the deaf-edited-

If I could only get away with this skit at -edited-.....

Elaine talks religion

One of the blogs (Live Journal in this case) I follow is that of Elaine Cunningham. She's an author of fantasy, historical fiction, and essays, but I know her best as the writer-mom who speaks her mind.

And she displays this talent quite well in her recent post about religion. My favorite quote "Honey, at some point, it's ALL made up" sums it up quite nicely for me.

Video Contest Anyone?

In a futile attempt to increase my blog traffic, I'll be holding a contest to see which video gets the highest page views [rules and limitations below]. To help things along (especially for those that haven't seen any of my videos), I've included a little data for you to digest.

• Month-to-date [as of 11/14/06] results for my top five videos and largest number of downloads are below.

• My Praying Mantis video did well last month (soundly thumping both METRA videos combined).
• New videos could be added to the mix at any time.

Here are the rules and limitations.

1. Relatives are not eligible.
2. Winner must reside in the United States,thus making it cheaper for me to mail your prize [this may be waived if I don't get much participation].
3. Winner will receive a free Ford Mustang t-shirt (black in color).
4. All contestants must choose two videos. One for the Most Page Views category and one for the Most Downloaded category.
5. In the result of a tie (more than one person picking the video with the most page views), the tie breaker will be the video with the most downloads.
6. Data will be collected using Google Video Reports on December 1st to determine the winning videos.

If all goes well, I'll have another contest next month. You can check out my videos HERE.

Survivorman Returns!

That's right folks, Les Stroud [seen above in his Costa Rica episode] will be returning to the small screen for Season 2 of Survivorman (due to air in February 2007). Destinations will include Australian Outback, African desert and bushland, the Amazon, the Alaskan coast, and northern Labrador. For those that haven't seen the show, this guy is the real deal. Not some fancy special forces wanna-be, he actually survives in the wild for a week. Alone. With nothing but his camera gear and a few trinkets. Watch and be amazed.

Please, Mrs. Johnston

Make it happen already!

There's only so much suspense I can handle.......please, please make them a couple.

This Weekend's Winners and Losers

Winnner?
The weather on Friday and Saturday was wonderful. Sunny, warm, and nearly 80 degrees.
Loser?
The weather Sunday was cold and wet with temps in the 50s.

Winnner?
Spending time with Elizabeth on Friday. Lots of shopping and playing.
Loser?
The mini-golf wasn't as much fun as I expected. Too much water and she flat out said she didn't like it.

Winnner?
Buying a G.I. Joe Paratrooper Duke (very much like the G.I. Joe figure, HALO, I had as a kid).
Loser?
Yvonne making me wait until Christmas to open it.

Winner?
Having dinner with my Dad on his 62nd birthday. It was nice to buy him a meal for a change. And the crab and shrimp were decent.
Loser?
Hearing the story of how he broke up a (physical) fight between his mother and father when he was about 9. He pointed a 22 rifle at them.

Winner?
Steelers win a game (finally) coming off a long streak of loses.
Loser?
Polamalu gets a concussion early and sits out the game.

Winner?
Les Stroud for creating and particiapting in a very realiztic survival show.
Loser?
Man vs. Wild for putting a very un-realistic former special forces guy in very un-realistic scenarios.

Winner?
Cleaning the gutters on a nice warm day (it was a short trip up the ladder and the leaves weren't that wet).
Loser?
Forgetting to move the grill to a good winter spot inside the shed on the afrorementioned nice day. And only remembering it when it's cold, wet, and windy outside.

Winner?
Watching Home Alone (a classic holiday movie) for the first time in many years.
Loser?
Not being able to watch movies in the Spotsylvania Mall anymore (where I first saw Home Alone).

Winner?
My comment/rant/question making the local paper about a local traffic nightmare.
Loser?
My comment/rant/question getting edited from 2 pages to 2 paragraphs and running about a month too late to make sense.

Winner?

Seeing another episode of Heroes tonight.

Loser?

Needing to wait a few more hours to watch it.

Faith Hill had faith in the wrong person

I don't follow country music, so I don't know how big of an upset this was. But the reaction was hilarious.

Traitor Review

I feel a bit guilty posting this review before I've finished the one I volunteered for. Guess I'll prioritize and get that one finished next.

Read my Traitor review here.

Third podcast for Salvatore

Still not the best production quality. And the content on this one is pretty obvious for those that have followed Bob online and in the news. We know Devil's Due bought the rights for Demon Wars. We know he's working with Schilling on Green Monster Games. We know the next video podcast will be the same quality.

Please guys, put a little extra love into the show. Give us some more.

Heroes

WARNING

Be prepared for some rambling and spoilers from last night's Heroes.

---------------------------------------

So, I was right that Niki isn't dead. That's good. And I guessed right that Micah has a special power (kind of reminds me of Anakin Skywalker). And of course it makes sense being the kid of two "hero" parents. And I was also glad to see that he (Micah) went off on his dad (DL) about helping people.

And Hiro, my favorite, once again saves the day. And he's now met quite a few of the heroes too. But I'm starting to worry that his friend is going to die.

And what was up with the guy on fire? A bit odd. Could he be the source of the nuclear explosion in NYC?

I was also glad to see that the Petrelli brothers had some sort of discussion about flying. Not the one I wanted, but at least it was something.

And this week's comic got me to thinking about the Easter Eggs. Yes, that's right, each graphic novel online has a hidden Easter Egg. Anyway, it got me to "micro-analyze" this week's novel for, well, I don't know, but I started looking for hidden meanings in everything.

What did I find? The license plate. Each reference shows something different. I think I'm going to go back and look

Coaching and Voting-edited-

-edited-

-edited-

Voting

Today is election day (in case you didn't know already). So this morning I headed to the local school to cast my vote. I was politely accosted by the local NJROTC crowd to buy some donuts. I politely refused. Twice.

The Democrats and Republicans were nice. Just a polite "hello" and "good morning." As I walked in to cast my vote, I asked to use the electronic machine instead of the paper ballot. They were a bit shocked, and as I learned a few minutes later, I was the first to use it. Nobody even used it in the primaries in 2004. For all i know, I'm the first to use it in the county.

Anyway, one of my old high school teachers (Mrs. Ashton) was there to help run the polls, and she set things up for me. She required some extra assistance as their training seemed to be sparse. The other lady knew what the deal was and gave me directions on what to do. Essentially they activated a card (just like you'd find in a DirecTV receiver) for me. I put that card in the voting machine, cast my votes, and took the card out. Done. They gave me some direction on what to do with the machine (which was self explanatory if you read the screen) then gave me privacy to vote.

For those that care, I voted a Democratic ticket (Webb and O'Donnell). I voted NO for the marriage amendment and YES for the second and third amendments.

Microsoft taking on Google?-edited-

So I'm reading up on my RSS feeds and find a little blurb about Microsoft's Local.Live site on my cousin's blog.

Interesting that I noticed the same thing that day. I was a bit too pre-occupied with looking at Charlie Batch's haunts to think much of the countdown clock. Why did I care about Batch? I'm a Steeler fan and my wife is from neighboring West Mifflin.

Will Google remain the champ? I don't know. I love the close-up shots on Local.Live (-edited-), but the regular sat images are dated (like this one with the golf course that has been removed for some time). Google does have better click functionality (double left to zoom in and double right to zoom out) and more current images. Plus the ability to see the same thing only better in Google Earth is great. But Local.Live lets you draw on the map and add to a collection.

Anyway, I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out more about this change.

Looks like I'm a bit ahead/behind the times. Microsoft has just rolled out their new mapping system. They have the hybrid (road and sat maps) option and 3D maps. -edited-

Walking in the footsteps of my father

This weekend I walked in the footsteps of my father. How, you might be ask?

Well, my parents divorced when I was about 2 years old. While many children (and their parents) have a difficult time with divorce, I was lucky enough to have two parents that cared more about me, than about their personal differences. To this day, they still talk to each other and remain friendly. I never knew what I had until heard stories of kids being dropped of at the local 7-Eleven to meet the other parent.

But I digress. My father raised me from the divorce through high school. I would spend summers (and sometimes a school year) with my mother. But my Dad was the one who get me ready for school everyday, took care of me, fed me, etc. Being a single, divorced, father of one couldn't have been easy.

But we survived. And I think we both came out stronger from the experience.

And this weekend I got a peek into what my father dealt with when I was a kid. Yvonne went off to a huge craft show in Richmond, so I got to spend the day with Elizabeth. While she normally goes to swim class Saturday mornings, I decided to take her into town instead. So we stopped for breakfast at our favorite place (Old Town Bar & Grill) where she devoured a pancake, a piece of toast, and some of my bacon. From there we went to the local Home Show at the Expo Center. She got a balloon and went potty, but that was about all the excitement we saw.

From there, we went shopping at the bookstore (where she picked up a Dora Christmas book), the toy store (where she picked out stuff for "Santa" to put on her "Christmas list"), and to the kitchen store (where we picked up an oven liner). Then we went to Best Buy (where she picked up a Ruby and Max DVD), lunch at McDonald's (we both got Happy Meals), and groceries at Wal-Mart. On the drive home, while she was napping, I got some gas and a chocolate shake from Carl's.

We came home and while she slept some more, I watched a movie and did the dishes. Then we headed out to dinner at Pizza Hut where "Bizzy have ssghettis and Daddy have pizza." On the way home we called Mommy, who was just about home herself.

So it was a busy day. And Sunday we went to see Santa Clause 3 (the three of us plus Dad). The movie was okay, but the previews for Deck The Halls made me laugh more. And Elizabeth sat still for about half the movie (better than expected) and went potty twice.

All in all, a great weekend. The only cloud we saw was the Steelers loosing Sunday and the fact that I need to clean the gutters out on the shed yet again.

-edited- and Home

-edited-

-edited-

Home

Walking back from getting the paper this morning, I rather enjoyed the breeze (despite it being freezing cold). The sky was clear and the trees were waving around. The leaves were alive with color while in the last moments of their death. Quite moving.

Emmy Nominations

Revver (the host for some of my videos) has been nominated for an Emmy.

Hopefully this will drive more pageviews for them and more money for me.

Dorks, -edited-, and Other News

Dorks

Well, it appears Mommy is NOT a dork. And seeing as how it was implied I might be sleeping on the couch, I'll attempt to refrain from making more videos that make fun of my wife.

-edited-

-edited-

Other News

Not much to report. Trying to work on getting some info together for the next family newsletter. Also dropped off some clothes and shoes at Goodwill yesterday. My closet is running out of room with my new additions, so it's time to get organized. I also stopped at the new shopping center in Massaponnax (South Point). Target wasn't open when I was there (and I didn't feel like waiting 15 minutes), but I did see a new Best Buy being built. All they need now is a Kohl's and we might start shopping there instead of Central Park.

These shoes were made for sitting

I recently purchased a pair of Nunn Bush dress shoes with fancy gel insoles. Well, they broke. I know I'm a big guy, but I'm not that big. And they shouldn't break after a few wearings. So in an effort to rectify the issue, I sent them (the insoles) back to Nunn Bush. Below is my letter to them. We'll see what happens.

Weyco Group, Inc.
333 W. Eastbrook Blvd.
Glendale, WI
53212

Dear Florsheim/Nunn-Bush,

I recently purchased a paid of Nunn-Bush shoes (model 81477, size 10 medium) from my local Kohl’s department store. I feel obligated to inform you that while I enjoy the fit and style of the shoe, the gel insoles are defective. I’m returning them to you so you can research the cause behind their break-down.

Here are some data points to help with your research:

- The shoes were worn to work on 3 or 4 occasions for a total of 30 to 40 hours.
- I work in an office environment with limited amounts of walking.
- I am 6 feet tall and weigh 225 pounds.
- The gel pads began to break-down after the second wearing.
- The following information was inside the shoe:

o 81477 01 10 M
o Leather Upper
o Balance Man Made Materials
o Made In India
o 1110302

Again, I enjoy my shoes and have shopped for another pair of Nunn-Bush in a different color to compliment my wardrobe. I do not intend to return or dispose of this pair since I enjoy them, they fit, and I’ve already replaced the gel insoles with a pair of Dr. Scholl’s. My intent with this letter was to simply return the defective part of the shoe so you could make improvements in the future.

Sincerely,

Neil

Is Mommy A Dork?

I'm sure I'll hear about this when Mommy finds out about it. Until then, enjoy!

Praying Mantis vs. METRA Train

So, I recently pondered which video would win, the Praying Mantis or the METRA Train.

And now, the results are in.

The Winner is.......................................The Praying Mantis!

Even combining the two METRA videos I have, the Praying Mantis video won in both categories (views and downloads). But now, the biggest question of all remains to be answered. Why the hell are people watching these videos?

Here are the stats from last month:

Praying Mantis Video
419 Views
7 Downloads

METRA Train Video (full)
147 Views
0 Downloads

METRA Train Video (preview)
142 Views
6 Downloads

Halloween 2006

Some early pictures are in for this year's Halloween.

Check them out HERE.

Halloween in King George

This is a bit of a rant, courtesy of my wife. Apparently the local Parks and Rec didn't have the best organization in place for a Halloween party for kids. Names omitted to protect the innocent.

Hello Mrs. P[omitted],

It's Y[omitted] here. I wanted to email you about some concerns I had about Halloween Funfest.

When I came home on Friday night, I found my flyer about the event. This morning I also found a poster about the event hanging at school. Neither one of them mention that this event would cost$3.00 per child to get in.

It also stated on both the poster and the flyer that there would be three categories for prizes for costumes and there were only two. I was disappointed that games and prizes were so mixed for age levels. I felt like the gym could have been separated into sections based on ages. It worried me to have E[omitted] near darts and cork guns as well as playing the same games as the much older children.At one point a golfer in front of us was about 13 or so (I know he was at least that old because I had him my first year at Potomac).

I also had some concerns about the prizes that were given out to the little ones.Many of them were not made for little ones under 3 and I had to take them away from E[omitted] because I was afraid she would choke on them.As I mentioned earlier about the gym being divided, this would also allow the prizes to be more age appropriate. I also felt like some of the students helping with the games were not making all children play by the same rules. For example, at the bean bag toss that was near the egg hunt,E[omitted] had to stand on the floor and throw the bean bags, while a young man who went after her who was about 10 stood in the same spot and leaned over the target in order to win his prize.

At the egg hunt E[omitted] and L[omitted] were sent in at the same time as two older girls about 12. As I am sure you can imagine, the older girls got all but three of the eggs.While E[omitted] had fun and so did her friends, it was a night of teaching tough lessons to a two and a half year old for me. Perhaps at the next event the games and prizes could be better divided by ages.Thanks for your help.

Y[omitted]

Green Monster Games and Heroes

Green Monster Games

Curt Schilling has opened up shop in a 30,000 square foot office space. Interesting points to note are the plans for 50-50 profit sharing with employees (planned to number 125) and the fact that there has been no release date or theme mentioned.

Source: Boston Herald

Heroes

Follows is a short recap of last night's episode. Don't read if you haven't watched it yet.

You've been warned.

Last night we saw Niki (Micah's mother) get into a potentially fatal fight with her husband DL (who also has the super-power to move through solid objects - something you would already know if you read last week's online graphic novel).

Hiro felt guilty about not saving the gamblers from their death (by Niki's yet to be determined superpower of killing people violently).

Mohinder packs his bags and leaves the city, while his female friend/neighbor trys to entice him to stay. And we find out she's working for/with the bad guy with glasses (the cheerleader's father).

And speaking of the cheerleader, Claire's dad finds her biological parents, who turn out to not be her real parents, but agents working with her father. In turn, Clair's father learns of the message "save the cheerleader."

And of course, we see the wierd symbol again, which I believe to be a DNA stand. Look at it closely and it looks like a part of the double helix.

Some Monday morning Halloween Humor

http://www.greenhorncomic.com/node/50

Pimp Hiro of Heroes

Just a friendly reminder for the fans of Heroes out there, a new episode will air tonight at 9 pm (EST) on NBC.

And don't forget the graphic novels to tide you over to next week!

Pizza and Heroes

House of Pizza

On my way to work this morning, Dad and I were talking about development and how the county (King George) has changed. One of the old memories that was brought up was the old house (or building) that served pizza on the corner by the High School. It was an old white building, was a little bit of a general store, but mainly sold pizza. They had simple tables and chairs (and maybe a few booths) inside. I vaguely recall a counter at the back with a glass front, almost like a deli. This is where you placed your order. There were steps to enter. Small lot. And I don't remember much else.

Heroes Back Door

For those that follow Heroes on NBC (see my previous post here), I've discovered the backdoor into the downloads and videos. The video link works, but there are no videos to watch (when I checked). But there are downloads available. I've already graced my desktop with Hiro, my favorite Hero.

She does not deserve this car-edited-

[For those that are familiar with the Fredericksburg, VA area, I was travelling on Truslow Road - the end nearest Route 1 - in Stafford County]

As I was driving home yesterday from -edited-, I was, as usual, in my own little world. I did have enough wits about me to notice a -edited- was taking the same route, but beyond that, I was simply driving home and listening to the radio.

Out of the blue, a car passes me in the only section available to pass. The car nearly hits an oncoming car before getting back into the proper lane. All while driving at least 60 mph in a 35 zone. As it turns out, the car passed my -edited- as well.

The driver? A young female, clearly under age 20.

The car? A pink, 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe with white Shelby stripes (and a 289 engine).

This is the best picture I could get of her with the limited time I had. She was quickly lost in traffic, despite my best efforts to catch up to her (after she was in traffic and we were both well under the speed limit).

Some morning humor

Salvatore, UFOs, and -edited-

Salvatore's Podcast Continues



Bob gives us some more info on Green Monster Games and playing WoW (that's World of Warcraft for you noobs). But the camera work still needs more work. The phone is ringing in the background again, the lighting is off, there's movement in the mirror, people are talking in the background, and Bob is looking at a spot that isn't conducive to a good interview. Outside of his gaming opinions, there's not much that you learn from this podcast.

UFOs and Aliens

So last night I let Henry (our dog) out to "do his business." He has a routine where he goes out just as I'm falling asleep in bed. While some pet owners wouldn't put up with this, we do because it beats him using the floor. Anyway, he's in the yard and I'm enjoying the clear night sky full of stars, planets, passing jets, and UFOs.

Now, before you think I'm crazy, let me pause the story and tell you where I stand on UFOs and aliens. I believe in them but have never seen them. I believe the chances of extraterrestrial life existing elsewhere in the galaxy or universe is too great to ignore. If Earth can play host to so many life forms, why not another planet somewhere else? No, I don't believe aliens have visited Earth and no, I don't believe people that say they've been abducted. Sorry, it makes a great TV show but, until you can prove it, it's just fiction.

Back to the story, I'm looking at the sky (towards the North and East, in the general direction of the eastern edges of D.C.) and see what looks like a jet making it's way south. Then west. Then north. Then south again. Then east. Then stopping. Then south. At this point, my immediate thought was a helicopter was flying around, not a jet. But the helicopter was at a higher altitude than the passing jets. Something I'm not sure can happen with present-technology. Or at least happen that often.

Anyway, I went to bed with thoughts of aliens and UFOs and imaginary helicopters. Oh, and if aliens attack today, I predicted it first.

-edited-

-edited-

Praying Mantis vs. METRA Train

The Praying Mantis video is quickly outpacing the METRA Train video.

Who will win?

Stay tuned to find out!

Today's mindless game

Simply put, a flight simulator on top of Google Maps. Use you arrow keys to change direction, space to fire, and A/Z for throttle.

http://www.isoma.net/games/goggles.html

Today's Random Thoughts-edited-

State of the Company

-edited-

Fall Leaves

Just the other day I was leaving the house to come to work and I realized the leaves were already changing. Summer is gone, fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. Maybe I can get some more brush cleaned up in the backyard before the snow arrives.

Chap Stick

I got home from work last night and Elizabeth came running to the front door (always feels great when she does that). Well, she had one of her little smirks on that said "I'm up to no good." Sure enough, I saw something on her face. She almost looked like Hitler, but with a yellow mustache. And of course, a matching yellow finger. She apparently got a little too excited with the chap stick.




Morning Routine


Every morning, we have a breakfast routine. Elizabeth eats either cereal or a cereal bar. This morning she deviated from the routine and decided to have fruit puffs.


Which she's now apparently tall enough to reach.

And sneaky enough to look cute doing it.
And smart enough to open them.
And cute enough to look like a Queen when eating them.

Today's random thoughts

Virginia Flagger Certification



For those interested, you must be certified by the Virginia DOT to direct traffic. Here's the certification order form (you order a certification kit, not the certification itself).



R. A. Salvatore at ValleyCon



According to this source, ValleyCon is attempting to sign Bob for next year's event. Here's the quote:



"As I was looking over the history of the event, I did notice that author Terry Brooks was a guest several years ago, which surprised me. Next year, they hope to get author R.A. Salvatore, one of my favorite fantasy writers."



Heroes



I finally got to watch Monday's episode of Heroes last night. Wow. There are too many story lines and not enough time. But that's a good thing. It's a good show and it just keeps getting better. And now, we finally have a bit of an insight into the plot. Save the cheerleader, save the world.

And for those that follow the graphic novels as well, here's the fourth issue.

This morning's random thoughts-edited-

Alpha and Omega

I started to think about life when I saw the morning bus go by. No, it wasn't a school bus, it was a bus for the elderly to get out of their house. So I began to wonder what else was the same when we are young and old.

Thinning or no hair.
No teeth.
Eating soft foods.
Drooling.
Barely able to see or hear.
Unable to walk.
Wearing diapers.
Afraid of our loved ones leaving us.

My Priceless Outfit
-edited-

7th Heaven

I watched 7th heaven on it's new night Sunday. My biggest concern was the fact that they moved it and didn't tell anyone until last Monday when you were geared up to watch it. Yvonne's big concern was Eric was going to die soon. I think he will. It's a shame to see a great man fall.

Heroes

I'm so upset I missed last night's episode. And I can't wait to watch it (I taped it).

Agent TK's DWV Guide

Newly recycled video via Revver

I'm a Cold Hearted Bastard

I'm having my Quarterlife Crisis and Mid-Life Crisis at the same time-edited-

-edited-

3rd Reinlistment results in madness

Well, not madness, but at least a good sense of humor.

[via a co-worker who watches Deviant Art]

Bloodlines and Rebel Dream Reviews

Doubled up today on the reviews. First up is Bloodlines by Karen Traviss followed by Rebel Dream by Aaron Allston.

Read the Bloodlines review here (it's awesome!).

Read the Rebel Dream review here.

Elizabeth has boobs

Last night was a usual night, until Elizabeth started to act up. Our usual routine starts around 7 pm. I get home from work, Yvonne has dinner ready for me, we eat, watch an episode of Friends, I do the dishes, Elizabeth gets a bath, Elizabeth goes to bed, Yvonne and I watch TV.

Things started last night with Elizabeth and Yvonne singing Happy Birthday to me, even though my birthday was on the 3rd. It seems Elizabeth thinks anytime mommy makes brownies, it's dad's birthday. Well, she did a good job singing and the brownies were great. So my mood improved.

In the past, Elizabeth has copied some of what she's seen on Friends. We laugh, the audience laughs, Elizabeth laughs. A couple of weeks ago, she heard one of them say "You suck" so she said it too. Very hard to reprimand your kid for doing something funny. Well last night she was flipping her hair like the girl was doing on Friends. That kind of "sexy hair flip" you see in commercials.

Then we had the boobs. Elizabeth usually pulls up a chair to stand on to watch me do the dishes. Last night she's standing on the chair talking to Yvonne about her boobs. And yes, she was even pointing to her chest with her shirt pulled up. I really don't need this kid, you're not even 3 yet!

But at least it was a happy night.

Update - Pella Storm Door has a loose handle

No, I'm not flying off the handle, the handle is flying off. The door. Our wonderful Pella storm door.

We've had it installed for a few months now and we love it. Granted it was a bit pricey, but so far, it's well worth it. The look is great with a large section of clear glass. The handle matches the rest in the house.

Until it falls off. Rather, it pulls out. For some reason the hex set screws keep working themselves loose over time. We've tightened them and tightened them. Short of welding them, I've sent the following to Pella for recommendations:

We purchased a Pella storm door (warranty number 102405 91001 9367)a few months ago and have concerns about the handle. During normal use the handle comes loose from the spindle and occasionally gets pulled off. We have tightened the hex set screw several times but it continues to work itself loose. Is there anything we can use (like Loctite) to keep the set screws tight over time? Is there any maintenance that we should be doing to keep the handles on?

We enjoy our Pella storm door and will continue to buy Pella products in the future.

Thank you.

I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

-----------UPDATE-----------------

Here's the response I got back from Pella (the same day mind you):

Hello,

You could use loctite that should help. I am also sending a d clip to you. That slips over the base of the handle on the backside of the outside plate. You could also turn the spindle a quarter turn to get some fresh metal for the set screw to bite into.

Eric

Thank you

Pella Storm Doors

So, it looks like Loctite may help. We'll see how the D clip works too. And, if need be, the spindle turn.

RA Salvatore PodCast

Let's start with the podcast itself:



Content - Looking older and more relaxed, Bob gives us a bit of a peek into his latest book. Okay, you could probably get more off Amazon's description. Clearly not revealing anything of the plot to the audience, Bob does make the obvious statement that there is plenty of room for future books. As he said, it is fantasy.

Videography - Please, please, please tell me things will get better. I know I'm not a professional, but there really needs to be some improvement. My wife did a better job with a Praying Mantis. The camera was moved during the shot. The subject was off center and not showing his "best side." And the phone ringing in the background? Save that for the blooper reel. Save this whole episode for the blooper reel.

I'm trying my best to give you guys the benefit of the doubt since this is the first podcast. But please, I'm begging you, make the next one better. Make it more viral, more interesting, more captivating. Think ZeFrank.

Technorati Steak

Technorati Profile

What I've been doing for the last 48 minutes-edited-

-edited-

Monday Humor

I love MacGyver.

Dark Journey Review

Dark Journey

(New Jedi Order #10)
by Elaine Cunningham

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read my review HERE.

Round and round my mind goes

So today marks my 30th birthday. It’s something I haven’t celebrated since I turned 21. I think after that “landmark” age, it wasn’t as important to me. Then on my 25th birthday, I had a bit of a quarter-century life crisis. Now at 30, I feel comfortable with myself. Sad to say, but it’s taken 30 years to get to this point.

Are there things I’d like to change? Of course. I wish I were 50 pounds lighter and 15 years younger. But I wouldn’t change all the positive things that have happened to me these past 30 years. I’ve grown up through the Berlin Wall falling down, the attacks of 9-11, Presidents being shot, and Space Shuttles exploding. So many thing have happened in my life, some good, some bad, I’ve come out a better, stronger person.

I’ve survived my parents being divorced. For me, it was easy. They talked to each other and were civil to each other. They still talk today. I survived my father raising me. He was great at cooking fried foods and watching TV during dinner, but he taught me about life and how to be a good man. I survived my mother’s bought with Multiple Sclerosis. She still suffers the effects to this day and has done amazingly well. I survived a long list of bad relationships with women. Thankfully I found a wonderful wife that taught me how to be a boyfriend, fiancé, husband, and father. I survived my in-laws and the wedding that joined us. While initial opinions were dreary, they’ve turned out to be as weird as my family. I’ve survived countless funerals and weddings. I wish I didn’t have to go to either of them. I survived the birth of my child. Likely the hardest thing I’ve had to endure in my life. But it's so much fun now!

This past Sunday (2 days ago) marked the 12 year mark for Yvonne and I being a couple. I had just ended one of those crazy relationships (I’ll keep the names private to protect the innocent – if there were any) during my freshman year of college (in Edinboro University of Pennsylvania). I had seen this “hot girl” that had a preppy look (not so much preppy as out of my league with the pretty jewelry) around and had become friends of friends. There was a large group of us that hung out in a pack (safety in numbers). We’d eat lunch and dinner together and hang out when time allowed. So my roommate was kind enough to “leave the room” one night when we were watching Hook.

That’s when we first held hands. It was like lightening struck. I had butterflies in my stomach. We were engaged a few years later, then married shortly after that. We’ve moved from a dorm in Edinboro, to a single room apartment (two if you count the bathroom) in Edinboro, to a 2 bedroom apartment in Shelby (North Carolina), to our 3 bedroom house in King George (Virginia). Yvonne went from an undergrad student, to a grad student, to a teacher, to a reading specialist. I went from an undergrad student to a baker’s assistant in a grocery store, to a shipping clerk in a bookstore, to a tech support agent for a software company.

To celebrate our anniversary (and my birthday to some extent) we went to one of our usual haunts to see CATS (at the Riverside Dinner Theater). It was one of the best productions I’ve seen them produce since we’ve been there. And here’s a list of what we’ve seen there:

Season IV
- The King and I

Season V
- Guys and Dolls
- Annie Get Your Gun
- Oliver
- Fiddler on the Roof

Season VI
- Gypsy
- Showboat
- West Side Story

Season VII
- Oklohoma
- Man of La Mancha
- Scrooge
- Brigadoon

Season VIII
- Kiss Me Kate
- Big River
- The Sound of Music
- Ragtime

Season IX
- The Music Man
- CATS
- Nunsense (yet to be seen)
- Bye, Bye Birdie (yet to be seen)

Which brings me to Monday. What a day. I come in early to get things ready for Customer Service Week and end up getting micro-managed about what my priorities should be. I’ve been here long enough to know what the priorities are. And this week, it’s Customer Service Week. I have over 200 people relying on my skills to motivate them. Don’t de-motivate me.

But enough depressing stuff. It’s my birthday. I should enjoy it, right? I have a family that loves me, a house that keeps me warm and dry, and plenty of food to eat. All is good.

Here’s to another 30 years.

Elizabeth trying on a new winter hat

With and without my gun.

Pardon the crude language

But this is too funny to pass up.

RAS Worship

Star By Star Review

Star By Star
(New Jedi Order #9)
by Troy Denning

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read my review HERE.

This person we call Erik de Bie

Wicked heavy stuff here. But well worth the read.

"And thus, in a vain attempt to expose myself (eek!), I'm going to divulge a few things about myself -- characteristics, and beliefs. I'm just going to be very, very honest. You can believe me as you choose."

This person we call Erik de Bie

I've got a bad feeling about this.....

Real World: Ikea

6 Random Thoughts For Today

Hey. It’s early. I haven’t had enough caffeine to even have 10 thoughts yet, let alone random ones.

1. I saw a dancing deer on the back of a truck yesterday during my commute to work. I wasn’t sure what to think.


2. My wife, daughter, and father have all picked up the same cough/runny nose I have. I wish I could stay at home and take care of them since I’m feeling better.


3. The coaches (aka supervisors) at work have all gone off-site (and out of state). Which leaves my co-worker and myself in charge of our team. And she leaves tomorrow to go off-site for the week. Muhahaha!!!


4. I watched “Heroes” last night on NBC and was pleasantly surprised. While I was expecting something less than ordinary (the previews made it look as bad as “Jericho”), it wasn’t too bad. It’ll be on my “if I have time I’ll watch it” list.


5. “7th Heaven” was okay last night. I’m still severely pissed off that “Everwood” was cancelled.


6. “NCIS,” “CSI,” and “CSI: Miami” have started out good (seems I’m on a TV kick here). “CSI” wins hands down as the best season premiere I’ve seen in ages while “NCIS” is starting to get a little funky with the cheese factor.

Legacy Review

Legacy
(Legend of Drizzt #7)
by R. A. Salvatore

Rating: 2 out of 5

Read my review HERE.

10 Random Thoughts for Friday

1. Over the past 7 days, all but four of my videos on Google video have ben viewed.
2. Find all 50 "dark" movies in this picture: http://us.mms.com/us/dark/
3. While my Snakes on a Plane video has dropped in rank since the movie arrive, Seahawks Suck and Steelers Rule have jumped.
4. On the ride to work this morning, Dad and I were reminiscing about our former minister/priest/reverend. He had long hair and a beard and was very nice. Despite not attending church on a regular basis in probably 20+ years, I still remember him. I even remember going over to his house and watching the Wizard of Oz for the first time.
5. My 65 Google videos have had 2,251 page views this month (with 22,216 page views since April 15, 2005).
6. My 2 Revver videos have had 1 view since I loaded them last week.
7. The stupid Coke machine just gave me a Cherry Coke instead of a regular Coke (why can't the cans look different?).
8. My wife makes awesome oatmeal-raisin-butterscotch cookies.
9. Our latest interval update showed us running at a 100% service level.
10. Starting Monday, the Free-Lance Star will be delivered to my house everyday (instead of just weekends) for an extra 8 cents a month.

Bizzie Eats Fruit Snacks and Praying Mantis

We'll see how Revver does imbedding a video thumbnail:



And the full video player:

Wanted: Arteest

I'm looking for a free/dirt cheap artist that can design a neat logo/web page theme for my site (www.tk42one.com). I have some ideas of what I'd like but have issues creating it myself (lack of artsy-fartsy training).

So, if you're willing to work for free (or for a mean panini), please let me know.

For Better or For Worse in 42 steps

Here's the process for making one of my favorite comics (in pretty good detail).

FBorFW.com is The Official Website of Lynn Johnston's comic strip For Better or For Worse.

Star Wars Holiday Special

Wierd Al shows us how we all got our copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special.

How To Talk Like A Pirate

Just in time for Talk Like A Pirate Day.



Thanks to LoadingReadyRun via Revver.

Rebirth Review

Rebirth
(Edge of Victory #2)
(New Jedi Order #8)
by Greg Keyes

Rating: 2 out of 5

Read the full review HERE.

Image cover from http://starwars.wikia.com.

Revver busts my chops

So I've been experimenting with a new site, Revver, to help market my videos. If my METRA video continues to get as much traffic as it does, I might be able to make some money. That’s the hope anyway.

So thanks to another fan of running a video camera while driving (nalts from WillVideoForFood.com) I’ve given Revver a shot at making some money for me. Make those videos work for a change.

So far I’m a bit disappointed. Well, more than a bit to be honest. Here’s my list of complaints (in no particular order):

I’ve uploaded three videos (last week), but they have yet to be live. There are “live” people that review the videos, so some delay is expected.
After uploading my videos, I can’t view them or view their original title (the title of the file uploaded). See the next one for more.
The dashboard I get (which I like) didn’t show me the files. No big deal, it gives me a link to the videos that need attention. THAT page didn’t show me anything but a nice white background until today. Today I could finally see what I needed to add before the video going live. All easy stuff, until you try to identify the videos you’re uploading. Remember, you can’t watch them yet. And the original file name isn’t shown.
So now my three videos are up for review, all with titles, tags, and summaries of “test.”

While I know making money takes work and effort, this experience has been far from easy. Google Video (my preferred outlet for videos) only gives me issues when I’m trying to upload a large file (in which case I simply upload one at a time). While Google Video does not allow me to make money directly, I could post them to my blog, run AdSense/AdWords, and hope for the best.

But I haven’t given up on Revver just yet. Nalts has been a great source for feedback, information, and content.

And I have to at least try to make money on one of these videos.

Conquest Review

Conquest
(Edge of Victory #1)
(New Jedi Order #7)
by Greg Keyes

Rating: 2 out of 5

Read the review HERE.

Top 5 Videos for August 2006

Top 5 Viewed Videos

Snakes On A Plane Wins! - 1079 views
METRA Train in Downers Grove, IL - preview - 326 views
Shooting at the range 3 - 188 views
Seahawks Suck! - 181 views
Dad drops a mag - 161 views

Top 5 Downloaded Videos

Dad drops a mag - 3 downloads
Shooting at the range 5 - 3 downloads
Seahawks Suck! - 3 downloads
Shooting at the range 2 - 2 downloads
Elizabeth's Haircut Part 2 - 2 downloads
METRA Train in Downers Grove, IL - preview - 2 downloads
Snakes On A Plane Wins! - 2 downloads

I'm still amazed that people are downloading these videos....

Blog and Website Stats for August 2006

Blog and Website Stats for August 2006

Sep 6, 2006 - 6 Photos

Balance Point Review

Balance Point (New Jedi Order #6)
by Kathy Tyers

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Read my review HERE.

Outbound Flight Review

Outbound Flight
by Timothy Zahn

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read my review HERE.

A question for all

Do you get out of the shower wet?

I don’t.  I dry off in the shower.  All the way to my ankles.  My reasoning is two-fold.

1. I keep the bathroom rug dry.  There’s just something about stepping on a wet rug I don’t like.


2. It’s a habit I picked up in college.  I had this thing about not prancing around naked in a public shower, so I dried off behind the curtain and got the more important areas covered.

My wife does.  Lucky for her, I can live with a wet rug.  I don’t like it, but I can live with it.