cachemaine

Swine

2009-05-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

Great visual representation of the ridiculousness that the swine flu has become.

Lego business card

2009-03-29T15:20:00.003-04:00

Article here. More here.

Soundwave message as a bracelet

2009-03-29T15:16:00.002-04:00

More here.

Parked Car Fail

2009-03-29T15:15:00.002-04:00

Monocular

2009-03-29T15:11:00.004-04:00

We went skiing a few weeks ago. Saw a guy at the lodge using one of these, watching his kids come down the mountain. Who does that?

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg

2009-03-29T15:10:00.001-04:00

World's largest train model. Here.

Snowplow vs. Bike Rack

2009-03-29T15:07:00.002-04:00

Advantage: Snowplow

Word of the day: snark

2009-03-02T16:50:00.004-05:00

I was reading the comment section of this post on Apartment Therapy, where the writer was asking for suggestions to fix-up their bathroom.
The reader's comment was: 'The first thing to do would definitely be straightening the floor to horizontal position.'
I thought it was mildly humorous, and later in the post, I found out what that type of comment is known as.
Snark- definition: combination of "snide" and "remark".

The Vader Project

2009-03-02T10:42:00.003-05:00

100 artists' renditions of the iconic Darth Vader helmet on tour.
Website here.
Pics of all here.

R2-D2 Boom Box

2009-03-02T10:41:00.002-05:00

Light-up door handle

2009-02-27T22:29:00.004-05:00

"...or car door handles that illuminate upon touch to help you open them at night." Um...how does lighting up after you've touched it help you to use it? I'm pretty sure that if I touch the door handle, I can probably figure out how to use it without it having to light up for me.

Daylight Saving Time

2009-02-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

Turn ahead the clocks 1 hour- March 8th- just over a week away.
More daylight after work; I can't wait!!!!

failblog.org

2009-02-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

At-At Boom Box

2009-02-22T15:30:00.002-05:00

Procrastination

2009-02-19T09:43:00.002-05:00

How to get work done in 2 easy steps:

1. Find your internet browser of choice.
2. Close it.

So true, rocketjumper, so true.

Hit 'shuffle'

2009-02-18T21:44:00.004-05:00

Got this idea from my friend Luke, who swiped it from someone else.
1. Turn on your ipod
2. Set it to play your entire music collection
3. Hit 'shuffle'
4. Write down the first 10 songs that come up

To quote Luke: 'That’s right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It’s time for total musical honesty.'

Give it a shot. Here's mine.

Wheel in the Sky- Journey
Carousel- Buckcherry
When a Man Loves a Woman- Percy Sledge
Empty Garden- Elton John
The Curse- Disturbed
Glycerine- Bush
Don't Ask Me Why- Billy Joel
Belief- John Mayer
Sweetest Goodbye- Maroon 5
Territorial Pissings- Nirvana

Yikes, that's a rather sissy playlist. But, that last one made me laugh. :)

My setlist for biking at the gym:

2009-02-18T21:37:00.002-05:00

Bad Habit- Offspring
American Badass- Kid Rock
Devour- Shinedown
You're Gonna Go Far, Kid- Offspring
Animal- Pearl Jam
Indestructible- Disturbed
State of Love & Trust- Pearl Jam
B.Y.O.B.- System of a Down
Porch- Pearl Jam
My Apocalypse- Metallica

Look familiar?

2009-02-18T10:21:00.005-05:00

Found this on Etsy via thechnabob. My brother had the Return of the Jedi sheets, and I had the Star Wars ones. I still have one of the Star Wars pillowcases. I take it on all my field trips for school. Just trying to show my students that you're never too old to be a kid. :)

for Dave

2009-02-18T10:19:00.001-05:00

Characteristics of Students Today

2009-02-17T13:02:00.001-05:00

This one is from 2007, but still relevant. I'm sure the #s have increased since then.

Did You Know?

2009-02-17T12:57:00.005-05:00

A presentation on the growth of the internet and technology. Amazing facts.
This one really stood out to me: 'For students starting a 4 year technical degree...this means that half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.'

Guitar Hero: Metallica setlist

2009-02-17T12:32:00.003-05:00

All Nightmare Long (THE best song off of Death Magnetic)
Battery
Creeping Death
Disposable Heroes
Dyers Eve
Enter Sandman
Fade To Black
Fight Fire With Fire
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Frantic
Fuel (can't wait for this one)
Hit The Lights
King Nothing
Master of Puppets (needs no introduction)
Mercyful Fate (Medley)
No Leaf Clover
Nothing Else Matters
One
Orion
Sad But True
Seek And Destroy
The Memory Remains
The Shortest Straw (from my favorite Metallica album)
The Thing That Should Not Be
The Unforgiven
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Wherever I May Roam
Whiplash

* March 29th release date for PS3/360. May release date for PS2. I won't hold my breath though. I'm sure that'll get bumped twice.
* go here to see the list of songs from other artists that will be in the game.

Bumper sticker

2009-02-16T09:28:00.004-05:00

So, this guy was in front of us yesterday in his beefed up Ford F350.
Huge tires? Check.
Loud muffler? Check.
Taint sticker? Check.
Seriously, what the hell is the matter with you? What went through your head when you were shopping for this holy grail of automobile aesthetics?
"Hmm. The truck looks good, but, ...it's missing something. NASCAR sticker? Nah. Calvin pissing on the Chevy logo? Nah. Wait! There it is! 'Got Taint?' It's perfect!"
Mmmm...yeah. That'll get you the ladies.

'Flapping' ad

2009-02-15T12:42:00.003-05:00

Have you seen this new online ad style? They're about 1.5 in. wide and the bottom right corner 'flaps'. When you hover your mouse over the ad, it 'flips open' like a page in a book- thus expanding the ad to 3x its size. Clever, but a little obnoxious.

Time lapse logo design

2009-02-14T09:39:00.001-05:00

The development of the 'O'

2009-02-14T09:09:00.008-05:00

For those of you interested in marketing and design, here is how the Obama campaign's signature 'O' logo came about. The logo creation process went through many drafts as seen below.

Then it was narrowed down to the final three.

With a small tweak, the final logo was created.

Below are two videos describing the creative process and the launch of the logo.
Video 1- The Development
Video 2- The Launch (see the 1:45 mark- 'going viral')

You can view the article here.

That's a cake

2009-02-14T08:41:00.002-05:00

This guy creates some amazing cakes.

NES casemod

2009-02-14T08:35:00.004-05:00

Some guy took apart an NES and a cartridge, stuffed the NES into the cartridge, and can now play NES games...through an NES game.

Death Star cost

2009-02-14T08:24:00.005-05:00

How much would it cost to build the Death Star?
15 septillion dollars.
That's $15,602,022,489,829,821,422,840,226!
Article here.

Creative water collection

2009-02-14T08:15:00.005-05:00

A company called Playpumps International is helping to solve water collection/distribution problems in third-world countries. The Playpump is 'essentially a windmill on its side, driven by children, not wind'. That's some great outside-the-box thinking. Here's a short article.

Toy-A-Day

2009-02-14T08:11:00.001-05:00

Head on over to the Toy-A-Day blog to print off everyone from the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man to Mr. T.

Oklahoma Action Figure Museum

2009-02-12T22:02:00.005-05:00

Action Figure Museum with thousands of figures
= Nostalgia Awesomeness

Same Action Figure Museum with 'superhero changing room'
= Pedophile Creepiness

To Dave, from 'The Office'

2009-02-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY.

Rubik's Cube

2009-02-11T17:20:00.002-05:00

I want some.

Time w/the prez.

2009-02-06T17:35:00.002-05:00

Senator Susan Collins (R) from Maine got 1/2 hour yesterday with President Obama- alone in the Oval Office to discuss the bailout package.
She said in a radio interview that usually there are aides and other staff in the room, but not in this case, which very rarely happens. She argued that $900 million was too much and it needed to be cut to $650.

joke of the day

2009-02-05T21:45:00.001-05:00

One of my students told me this one today.

"Don't you wish your lawn was emo?"

. . .

"so it would cut itself."

It reminded me of this video.

Biggest Loser

2009-01-28T20:06:00.010-05:00

Ok, I've posted some fun and/or interesting things today. Here's one a little more serious. I have a TV show that I've become hooked on since last season: The Biggest Loser.

Now before you jump up and down calling me a loser for watching it, let me say what I have to say.

In my profession (teaching), I interact with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. There are many days where it can become stressful- just trying to imagine what some go through at home- verbally/physically abusive parents, alcoholism, lack of food/heat, etc. I come home at the end of the day and after dinner and the gym (1 month and counting, yeah!), I relax with some TV.

Flip through the channels on any given night. The programming on 9 out of 10 stations have some mix of the following: police, criminals, yelling/screaming, fighting, drugs/alcohol, and/or violence. Oh, and don't even get me started on the wing-nut, neglectful parents Dr. Phil has on his show.

How is any of this relaxing in any way? Watching people yell/fight/etc. just makes me stressed. Don't get me wrong, I like blood and guts just as much as the next guy, but not when I'm trying to wind down.

* side note: The premise of The Biggest Loser is this: Couples enter the show, hoping to lose the most weight and become 'the biggest loser'- winning $250,000.*

One of the main goals of my profession is to build self-esteem. This is what The Biggest Loser is all about. Along the way, the contestants discover a lot about themselves and what they can accomplish. For most of them, the $$ becomes secondary. They're losing weight for their health and for their families. One competitor lost 30 pounds in one week. IN ONE WEEK! For some, they end up weighing less than they EVER have.

Watching these men and women (ages 18 to 63) work their tails off and then step on the scale at the end of the show and feel proud of themselves helps me relax. The 'where are they now' segment is always uplifting as well.

If you're tired of the same old stuff, check it out.
The Biggest Loser airs weekly on NBC- Tuesday nights from 8-10pm.

Jackson Pollock's Birthday

2009-01-28T19:59:00.003-05:00

Today was Jackson Pollock's Birthday. I found a neat link where you can create your own 'paintings'. Just click the mouse button to change colors.
I made my creation above into my desktop wallpaper. I thought I was going to have an original post, until a few minutes later, I found this one online. Damn you, RocketJumper for finding all the cool stuff first.
Wait a minute...dammit! He (or she) posted the SuperFriends too.
I blame this guy.

Super'Friends'

2009-01-28T19:58:00.000-05:00

My fiancee and I just watched this scene the other day. :)

22 most used free fonts

2009-01-28T19:56:00.003-05:00

Go here for the article.

no more floppies

2009-01-28T19:53:00.001-05:00

If software were still shipped on 3.5' disks. lol

The White House website

2009-01-28T19:40:00.007-05:00

The White House website (www.whitehouse.gov) got an overhaul on January 20th at noon. The new Administration is embracing technology and the online world. The new website includes a blog, executive orders, bios, and much, much more. Very cool stuff and an easy way to keep track of what's happening in DC. Go here to view the first blog post describing the changes.

The Dark Knight video game for 8-bit NES

2009-01-28T19:40:00.001-05:00

Cool logo designs

2009-01-28T19:37:00.004-05:00

Go here for more.

Happy 25th Anniversary, Mac.

2009-01-24T21:57:00.001-05:00

Here's to another 25! (listen to the crowd go crazy at 2:52)

Let freedom ring

2009-01-20T20:30:00.006-05:00

At 12:00 today, I sat in our school library with my students. The lights dimmed, the TV perched atop its cart. On the screen, the camera panned across the estimated 1 million spectators.

A lone woman screamed 'We love you Obama!'

As we sat there in silence, Senator Obama was called forward. His hand was placed on the Lincoln family Bible, and he uttered the 35 word oath.

The crowd came unglued.

For the next 15 minutes, the audience and I hung on every word. This dream of change finally became a reality.

Welcome home, Mr. President. We've been expecting you.

Guitar Hero: Metallica- article

2009-01-18T09:16:00.005-05:00

"Hey, look, maybe you are thinking Dad is a complete dork, but he's got his own video game."- Lars Ulrich, drummer.

"Blame it on Ice Cube...

2009-01-17T18:55:00.002-05:00

... because he says it gets funky
When you got a subject and a predicate...'

(NWA- 'Express Yourself')

Argh

2009-01-17T18:49:00.004-05:00

I really need to upgrade my video game system. I just read that Pearl Jam- Ten is being released for Rock Band downloadable content in March. One of my top 10 albums ever.

'Is Poppy-cat a toothbrush?'

2009-01-17T18:38:00.002-05:00

I wasn't sure if I should feel sorry for the sad cat (28sec. mark) or laugh my ass off. Nevermind. I just watched it again. I chose the latter.

It's coming...

2009-01-17T18:31:00.002-05:00

Holy freakin' crap. I've been waiting for this for 2 years.
It's too bad that it's made by Guitar Hero (since Guitar Hero: World Tour was so horrendously designed- the PS2 version at least). But, it'll still rock.
Coming for PS3/360 in March. For PS2 in May.

2 turntables and a microphone

2009-01-15T18:18:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've had such a good day. My students were awesome, my meetings went really well, and Gaming Club was a lot of fun.
As I drove home, this song from Beck came on the radio (89.3WHSN). It was one of those, 'wow, I haven't heard this song in forever' and brings you back to where you were when you used to listen to it kind of songs.
Today was a good day.

*note: I wanted to have the original video here, but it has been removed from youtube.

Movie Poster Remakes

2009-01-07T14:52:00.005-05:00

Very clever. You can see more of this guy's artwork here.

Cheat

2009-01-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

Monday

2009-01-05T20:41:00.002-05:00

Well, my thought of completing 5-10 more items on Sunday didn't happen, but that's alright. I still feel like I accomplished a ton of work around the apartment last week. :)

Screw it.

2009-01-05T20:36:00.002-05:00

I had no idea there were so many different kinds.

Sunday

2009-01-04T12:07:00.001-05:00

It's noon on Sunday, and I've crossed off a total of 50 items on my 100 item 'to do' list!
Not bad for a week's work.
The day just started, so I'm hoping to cross off 5-10 more before the end of the day.
Then, it's back to reality on Monday [work].

I had one

2009-01-04T12:04:00.002-05:00

I totally forgot about this. I used to have one when I was a kid. Doesn't get much geekier. :) (photo courtesy of RocketJumper)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T12:14:00.002-05:00

We went out to a local casino last night for a little while before heading downtown. It's new to the area, and we thought we'd give it a shot.
It's all slot machines- no table games, which is good, because I figured I'd blow through less $$.
In 2 minutes at the $0.25 slots I lost $10.
But, in 5 minutes at the $0.02 slots I won $400!!!!
My fiancee suggested that I cash out.
That was probably a good idea.
Happy New Year!

Wednesday

2009-01-01T12:13:00.002-05:00

11 items completed.
53 to go!

Rollin'

2008-12-31T11:12:00.002-05:00

* Comic courtesy of RocketJumper.

One year in 40 seconds

2008-12-31T00:13:00.003-05:00

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

* NOTE: press the 4 arrows button in the bottom right to watch this full screen- it's even more impressive.

Tuesday part 2

2008-12-30T23:45:00.000-05:00

Today's goal was 20 items.
I crossed off 22!
Only 64 to go.

An odd place

2008-12-30T14:00:00.003-05:00

When cleaning my microwave today, I discovered what looks to be a coaxial cable jack inside it. I wonder what would happen if...

Fate? Irony? Karma?

2008-12-30T12:48:00.003-05:00

So, I've had this coffee pot for nearly ten years. Works like a charm. Just now, I was cleaning my kitchen and said to myself, 'wow this coffee pot has really held up. I bet it'd be hard to find replacement carafes if it broke.'

That was about the time that it slid off the counter and shattered on the floor.

Tuesday

2008-12-30T11:17:00.002-05:00

So, since last night, I've added 18 items to my 'To Do' list.
That brings the total up to 100.
Did 14 yesterday, so I have 86 to go.
Goal for today: complete 20 items, with no new ones added.

mmmmm...

2008-12-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

You know when you haven't had something in a week, and when you finally get it again, you're not sure it will be as good as you'd imagined?
Well, it was.
Damn, that was a good iced coffee.

Monday

2008-12-29T17:10:00.001-05:00

14 items done today.
68 to go.

82 items on my 'To Do' list

2008-12-29T17:06:00.003-05:00

So, I have this week off (school vacation), and I'm motivated to get stuff done. Finally. I'm really making an effort on getting back on track with the Apartment Therapy Cure. Putting stuff away, hanging stuff up, and getting rid of clutter.

An unexpected surprise

2008-12-23T16:27:00.004-05:00

Just when you think you've been slacking off at work over the past week, with the holiday season burnout setting in, your Superintendent and School Board present you with a 'Board of Education Faculty Award'- in front of all the employees in your school district.

I was 1 of only 5 staff in the district to receive the award- and technically, I'm not even employed by the district; I just work within the school!

They said a lot of wonderful things about me and the job I do. What a fantastic way to start my vacation. :)

#1 on Amazon's 'bestsellers in office products' list

2008-12-21T18:13:00.003-05:00

How sweet is that!?!

Brussels sprouts wreath

2008-12-12T16:18:00.004-05:00

Apartment Therapy has some good stuff on it. But once in a while...sheer craptasticness.

To make up for the phone call

2008-12-12T15:36:00.001-05:00

I placed a custom order online for an Xmas present today at 11:15 and they sent me a confirmation email shortly afterward.
At 3:30 I got an email stating that it had been shipped!
Talk about a quick turnaround!

Yet another flawed system...

2008-12-12T15:31:00.002-05:00

I just got off the phone with my bank.
Goal: to order new savings acct. deposit slips with my correct mailing address on them (I just noticed they had my 2yr. old address on them- shows how often I use them).
Estimated time it should take: 5 minutes

Right.

When I called, I was connected to a representative within 30 seconds...sweet.
Yet, it took me 16 MINUTES to complete such a simple task.
The rep kept telling me, every time I change screens, I have to re-enter your address.
Let me guess, Microsoft created your software?
That was ridiculous. It actually would have been quicker for me to drive to my local branch, meet with a rep, and get the info. changed in person. Heck, I probably would've had time left over to pick up an iced coffee.

Picross

2008-12-11T17:04:00.004-05:00

My brother introduced me to this game over Thanksgiving. It's a cross between Sudoku and Minesweeper. I quickly became addicted ... nearly breaking up my engagement. :-P

Cliff Clavin, you're a smart man.

2008-12-11T17:00:00.001-05:00

'Well you see, Norm, it's like this . . . A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the heard is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers. ' (*emailed to me from my father)

Why I hate the Foo Fighters

2008-12-11T16:50:00.003-05:00

Earlier I posted the worst xmas song. Here's the worst alternative rock song (currently):
Foo Fighters: Let it Die.
Here's why.
24 out of the 46 lines of the song are: "Why'd you have to go and let it die?"
That's 52%. 52% of the song is the SAME THING.
I abhor songs that repeat the same line over and over and over.
This song makes me want to run my car into a guardrail every time it comes on the radio.
Oh, and it's not just the lyrics, the instruments suck too. Dave Grohl, your talent ended with Nirvana.

Mr. Grinch

2008-12-11T16:40:00.002-05:00

This came over the streaming iTunes radio the other day. First time I'd heard it- guitarist Gary Hoey. It's pretty rockin'!

Boat pic

2008-12-11T16:30:00.006-05:00

Took this pic on the roadside of coastal Maine on our engagement weekend. It's no 'Suck My Wake', but it's still humorous.

Wonderful Christmas Time?

2008-12-08T16:38:00.002-05:00

Despite all the positive comments on YouTube, I'm pretty sure this is the worst Christmas song EVER.

Christmas (i)Tunes

2008-11-26T08:35:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again! I'm very excited to go shopping with my brother on Black Friday. But, I'm stuck here at work for the next 4 hours, and b/c of the schedule I don't see students today. So, I thought I'd get in the Christmas spirit.

If you go to your iTunes (download for free for Mac or PC with this link) and click on "Radio" in the left column, you can get streaming radio stations. There's a "Holiday" menu there (didn't know that till today).

I'm currently listening to the "Big R Radio- Rockin Christmas" station...and guess what just came on? Adam Sandler's The Chanukah Song- part II!

I suppose I ought to upgrade

2008-11-25T16:17:00.003-05:00

So, I'm still one of the ~~few~~ millions still in the dark ages using a PS2. I don't play video games often enough to really warrant spending the $$ for a new system. Also, I play a very limited variety of games.

So when a release date is bumped a week, then 2 weeks, then a month, I get a little frustrated. Especially when the title has been available for some systems since September. Isn't the PS 2 version supposed to be the dummy/watered-down/might-as-well-be-beta version, anyways?

...Rock Band 2 for the PS2 was scheduled for release on Nov. 18 ...and after 2 bumps, GameStop has it available for pre-order on DECEMBER 22!
Ugh.

Attention Backpack users

2008-11-25T16:12:00.002-05:00

Here's a few helpful websites for those of you using Backpack.
Oh, and if you haven't discovered the awesomeness, go check it out here.

Site #1 Some things you may not have known.
Site #2 Tagging pages
Site #3 Textile help (for making words bold, colored, italic, etc.)

Or, I could use the $$ to buy a Wii

2008-11-25T15:59:00.004-05:00

Here's a rich one: Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition(left) ...$249 ...essentially a standard Guitar Hero controller inside a real guitar body. No thanks, I'll stick with my SG model (right).

Engaged!

2008-11-22T19:57:00.006-05:00

On Saturday (11/15), Jillian and I hiked Mt. Megunticook in Camden Hills State Park.

Here's the story:
I created a fake geocache (see pic) located at the peak of the mountain, based off coordinates from GoogleEarth. We hiked in the rain for 2 hours up the mountain. Upon reaching the peak, we were soaked and exhausted. When she couldn't 'find' the geocache, I asked her to translate the hint- perhaps that would help.

Translated, it reads, 'happily ever after', to which she exclaimed, 'What the hell does that mean? That doesn't help!

I then said:
'It means I want to spend the rest of my life with you. The geocache is completely made up.'
Then, I got down on one knee and proposed. This was the best weekend of my life. :)

Electric car

2008-11-22T16:35:00.003-05:00

If you haven't checked out the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car", I suggest you do.
We watched it last week, and it was an incredible eye opener.

Just the other day, I watched a TV commercial boasting an electric car that can go up to 40 miles on one charge. Wow. If you think that's new technology, you would be incredibly wrong. We had ones that got 70-100 miles/charge twelve years ago.

In the video, you'll learn how politics, oil companies, car manufacturers, and the consumer squashed the dream (and at that time, reality) of zero emissions vehicles.

It was educational, frustrating, and sad all at the same time. It made us think about all that is necessary in order for America and the rest of the world to move forward into a greener tomorrow.

A look back at my gas station pics...

2008-11-22T16:30:00.002-05:00

On July 29th, I was excited to see gas at $3.74.
On August 13th, I was ecstatic to fill up at $3.56.
As you read in an earlier post, I just filled up for $1.99.
I just hope that the recent drop in prices does not sway America from continuing to move forward with alternative fuels/energy....but I have a sad feeling that it will.
Big Oil really has us by the cahones.

Star Trek Trailer

2008-11-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

Dude, check out who's at the 1:36 mark...it's Harold!

Ready or not...

2008-11-22T10:03:00.001-05:00

It's here! The first snowfall of the season- 11/22/08.

Monster Squad

2008-11-21T23:12:00.004-05:00

So, I came across this article the other day. Through FAO Schwarz, you can draw a creature and have them create it into a stuffed 'animal'. WOW! What a cool idea! Seeing what kids come up with would be really neat (more pics in the article link above).

Tonight, I clicked on the link to FAO to see how much one would cost. $50? $100? $150? It is custom made and all.

Nope.

Two hundred and fifty dollars!!!

What parent in their right mind would get their brat a $250 stuffed animal that they'll drool on, draw on, chew on, get dirty, or lose? Seriously? Spend $0.59 on a fridge magnet, hang up their drawing and go buy them a $20 Pound Puppy or something. I think my brother had his till he was 23.

Christmas Morning:
Brat: 'Yeah, Santa came! I'm so excited! What? Only 1 present under the tree?'
Dad: 'Yep. That freakin' drawing of yours cost $250 to bring to life. Kinda wishing you'd asked for something else now, aren't you?'

Gummi Bears

2008-11-21T23:04:00.004-05:00

One of my students mentioned the Gummi Bears cartoon in class the other day. I immediately broke out into the chorus (they think it's ridiculous when I sing, which makes it that much more worthwhile):

"Gummi Bears, bouncing here and there and everywhere. High adventure that's beyond compare. They are the Gummi Bears!"

Here's the rest in case you're interested. It reminds me of a simpler time...when cartoons had a positive message and were fun to watch. Aaah, nostalgia.

Get in line early

2008-11-21T22:45:00.003-05:00

Here's my prediction for the chase item on Black Friday (Nov. 28)....a Blu-Ray player for $150.

You know some company is going to spit them out by the truckloads, just in time for thousands of crazed shoppers to be lined up in front of Best Buy at the crack of dawn, pushing and shoving, barking orders at family members on their cell phones, and checking their courtesy at the door.

Where will my brother and I be at that time, you ask? Probably about 2 hours behind them, just in time to witness the tail end of the ridiculousness- (read: the last few angry women screaming at the sweaty and scared 19 year old 'assistant manager' when he says, 'I'm sorry ma'am, we're sold out')

Update- I just Googled 'Blu-Ray' to see if a hyphen was needed in the spelling, and here's the article that popped up: 'Blu-Ray Players for $150?'

O.A.R. Concert

2008-11-21T22:34:00.005-05:00

Jillian, Luke, and I went to see O.A.R. at UMaine on Monday night . They've got a sound similar to Dave Matthews- fun, energetic, jazzy. It was a good time, despite standing on a concrete floor for 4 hours (including opening act, Virginia Coalition). Oh, and we got a sweet hook up for tix- Jillian's brother goes to UMaine and scored us some for only $15ea. Hard to pass up! (photo courtesy Luke's iphone)

Starbucks Tie Fighter

2008-11-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

Another guy with too much free time.

Friend's blog

2008-11-21T22:28:00.003-05:00

My friend Luke's blog- all things computer, photography, outdoors, and Bowflex related. Add to your RSS feed. :)

Filled up for $1.99/gal. today

2008-11-21T17:11:00.002-05:00

Can I get a hell yeah!

A sense of pride

2008-11-05T21:30:00.001-05:00

According to some of the reader comments that I've read today, many others from countries around the world including England, France, and Austrailia stayed up late to watch the US Election last night. I've always been proud to be an American. Now, hopefully, the rest of the world can return to being proud of us as well.

Good things are on the horizon

2008-11-05T21:22:00.002-05:00

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so our children can fly.

(reader comment on Moby's website)

Election

2008-11-05T21:21:00.000-05:00