Beat One, One to Go

I managed to beat the NWN2 game last night. The final battle is pretty epic, in that you are supposed to control nearly all of the companions you have accrued during your time playing the game. In addition, you are fighting against some extremely high-level villains who have a variety of skills.

Then, once you complete the first battle, you get a moment to rest and save the game, and then the next villain comes out. Once he’s defeated, another set of mobs attack you before you have an opportunity to do much of anything. Then, the final mob attacks. All during these battles, you have to pay attention to the clues being spoken by various members of your party as you need to destroy statues, destroy portals, and use certain abilities in order to be successful. And, with the mobs and number of characters you are trying to control, those messages may fly by very quickly.

All in all, I felt that the graphics were much better and the rules engine superior to that found in NWN (and its add-ons). However, NWN was a more fun game to play, as the story made more sense and you had more choices as a player of what to do and where to go. NWN2 really forced you into a linear progression that had few variations even if you played once as a Lawful Good character and the next time as a Chaotic Evil character. Basically, there are three chapters and you have some “evil” choices/directions in chapter 2 you can make—but the story is the same; you are just playing on the other side of the cut scenes and conversations. There is something wrong with a game when you get nearly the same minions and missions as a paragon of light and goodness or as a scion of darkness and evil!

Also, when the game was first installed and the first few game updates were available, the game engine ran smoothly and without any noticeable hitches on what was determined as the “standard” setup for my CPU, memory, and graphics card. However, after the most recent update (1.04), my game play shot to hell and I had to disable many of the features that I could run with no difficulties prior. Also, I went from having smooth transitions and virtually no errors or crashes to jerky transitions that took much longer to load, errors, and the occasional crash. I have a pretty solid gaming machine, so I can only imagine how tough it was on others with lesser or borderline machines.

The fights against the Red Dragon, Fire giants, and the fight against the two Black dragons were really well-done and nice—almost worth the price of the game alone. However, I don’t think this game has much replay value. I will probably uninstall it from my system now that I have beaten it.

As a brief aside: If only they could make a game that was in-between Elder Scrolls and the two NWN. A game with great play- /replay ability, awesome graphics, some ability to play online with friends or networked (doesn’t have to be as complete as with a fully online game), and the option to follow the main storyline or do more of your own thing. I mean, I would love to play Morrowind with my friends online; the ability to create nearly any character and do nearly anything would rock the house. Or, a DnD-based game that has true “modules” that you can run with your character, instead of being a persistent world online (ddo.com) or limited focus/scope storyline (NWN2). Wouldn’t it be great to buy the equivalent of NWN, get some friends together, download and play a fully-tested and complete module?

So, after beating that game, I turned my attention back to City of Heroes. I played for an hour last night and got one tenth of the way to level 50-- only about 4.2 million XP to go. I am close to reaching the end of the level progression in that game and unlocked the two new archetypes for use.

Been Tagged

I apparently was tagged. I am tasked with writing 10 quirky, odd, weird, or unusual things about me. Most people I know would likely say just writing my name would be enough. ;-)

Let's see what/how many I can come up with:

1. I have predominantly awful dreams. However, many of these "nightmares" have really weird themes to them: like the recurring dream that I am living in 29, the Cubans parachute in to take over (ala Red Dawn), and the Godzilla comes trampling over everything. Yes, Godzilla -- and in my dream it doesn't look any more real than it does in the Toho movies.
2. When people sleep near me (same room or within a room or two), they tend to not remember their dreams or have generally pleasant dreams-- while my dreams get worse. A few friends have actually called me a "dreamcatcher" because of this.
3. While visiting England on a tour, Chris M. dared me to streak through our floor of the hotel. I said what the hell, took off every stitch of clothing, and casually walked an entire circuit around our floor. I learned two important things that day: 1. people at that time in England tended to leave their doors open and be up and about at 10 pm at night and 2. they didn't mind seeing a skinny white American walking buck-naked through their hotel. Oh, a third thing-- cute cockney-accented girls have very nice things to say to and about skinny, naked American boys walking through hotels. >:-)
   
4. I have a strange fascination with, and attraction to, fire. As a child, my family pretty much always let me light the fires (and M has learned to do the same). I can sit mesmerized by the flames for long periods.
5. In grade school, there were two groups of guys from my block who walked to school. On the way, we would often have "rock wars" (isn't it amazing that young boys would think throwing and being hit by large stones before school is fun? I wince a little at this memory). I have a natural sidearm delivery when throwing and one day, with Chris E. and I were on the far side of Mesquite Springs Rd and Doyle D. and his buddy on the close side, we were chucking rocks. I didn't see a car coming and threw a rock-- and, because of my sidearm delivery, I threw the rock through the open window on my side and it came out the open window on the other side and still nearly hit Doyle! Everyone saw that, we were all amazed, all agreed I couldn't do that if I tried to, and then ganged up and walked to school.
6. The very first time I tried water skiing (at the Colorado River with the Cole family), I strapped on the skis, they explained what was going to happen, I popped right up, did three circuits of the inlet we were in, and then stopped. I then proclaimed that I had mastered skiing, I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, and I have never water skied again. Afterward, I fell asleep on my stomach on a lounge chair and got the worst sunburn of my life; it involved large, puss-filled blisters and deep red flesh. Mom and my sister got to take turns seeing how large a piece of my flesh they could remove when it started peeling.
7. One day while jogging with mom and Mr. Cole on Highway 62 east of Utah Trail, I hit the "runners high" they talk about and felt like I could run forever. I have had a very similar out-of-body experience when drawing, painting, and writing a few times.
8. At my sister's wedding there were only a handful of us from the west coast there. When it came time to throw the garter, I was reluctantly pushed out to stand at the far end of the line. Scott threw the garter and, like magic, it curved and curved. I pointed at it and started to say something when the garter ringed my finger and I reflexively closed my hand on it. When my sister threw the bouquet, her maid of honor and a fellow west-coaster, Mary, caught it. With all the PA people there versus the few CA, it is strange that two CA people caught the items. Oh, and I still have the garter.
   
9. Wristwatch batteries don't last very long in watches I am wearing. I get this trait from my mother. A 5-year lithium battery will generally last about a year or two. Cheap batteries can go dead within a year. Also, we both go through vacuums like tissue paper; can't get one that consistently works or doesn't need constant maintenance.
10. While in college, there was a creepy guy who moved into our dorm wing. Before we realized how creepy (let's put it this way-- we wouldn't leave any of the female residents alone if he was around and the police became involved at one point), we all just sort of avoided him. One day I was showering in the handicap stall (we had two stalls total and no handicapped people, so it wasn't like I was interfering with a disabled person's ability to shower), I had just finished and was drying off when I heard someone come in and start brushing his teeth. Then I heard someone else come in and start talking to the first-- and it was El Creepo. The voice that answered was my friend and roommate, Chris L. Thinking it wouldn't last long, I just quietly finished drying off, wrapped the towel around myself, and waited. They talked for a solid 20-30 minutes, the creepy guy going off in many random and bizarre directions. Finally, Chris managed to extricate himself from the conversation and they both left. By this time, I was sitting on the floor in the shower stall, still with the curtain closed. I then left the stall and went back to our room (which was directly across from the bathroom). I don't think Chris has ever completely forgiven me for that one! In my defense, the last thing I wanted was to be accosted by the Creepy One virtually naked!!

I don't think I am going to tag anyone else. I'll just let you enjoy these revelations.

TV Outcomes

The following blurb was on the IMDB.com website for Friday, March 9, 2007:

More Revelations About British Broadcast Scam

In what is fast becoming a scandal involving virtually all of Britain's major broadcasters, London newspapers today (Friday) revealed new allegations that programs featuring competitions in which viewers pay a telephone fee to vote on the outcome have been rigged. Alistair Graham, head of ICSTIS, which regulates premium-rate telephone lines in the U.K., accused some TV producers of engaging in "semi-fraudulent behavior" and confirmed that ICSTIS was currently looking into allegations of fraud affecting ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and the BBC. "If we have any evidence in which we believe there is a possibility that a criminal offense has been committed, we have very close links with the City of London police and I can assure you that we will refer such evidence to them to investigate." Meanwhile, the producer of the quiz show Brainteaser apologized Thursday after disclosures that the Channel 5 program ran bogus contests on at least five occasions and said that viewers who paid $1.50 to phone the program would receive refunds. The program is produced by the seemingly suitably named Cheetah television, a division of Endemol, producers of Big Brother. (NOTE: In Thursday's edition we incorrectly noted that Big Brother airs in the U.K. on Channel 5; it airs on Channel 4.)

Anyone who doesn't realize that these outcomes aren't at least partially rigged is an idiot. It is like people believing that pro wrestling is "real;" they are deluding themselves.

Big Brother, American (or other) Idol, Survivor and any other of this type of show is inherently biased: they want to be a ratings success. In order to be a hit in the ratings, you have to stage, control, and pre-determine some or all of the show. If you don't have the bitch/bastard that pushes everyone's buttons, you don't have the high drama. If you don't have the sweet and somewhat naive innocent, the hard-luck case, the overcomes-enormous-obstacles person, you don't have the audience's sympathy. You need decent people with no real charisma or charm to be cannon fodder.

Watch Survivor critically, and then flip to any drama on TV, and you can see incredibly similar storytelling devices in place. You see the same craftsmanship and plot hooks used. The producer's primary goal, after all, is to entertain.

Now, look back at the many articles over the years of "technical difficulties" with the phone lines for these call-in-and-vote type shows. Every one of them has had it occur at least once. Some have also had reports of subversive or inaccurate phone numbers displayed. Some have had problems where the East Coast would show one set of phone numbers and the West Coast another. Others have had "power outages" happen that make the tally inaccurate. What about the hints and suggestions of collusions between crew and cast on the shows? Does anyone remember the quiz-show scandals, both minor and major, of the 40s? The 50s? How about the 60s? Producers and creators have been manipulating these shows from the earliest days of television. Our "games," and their manipulations, are just a little more sophisticated now.

The volume of people who have left reality and game shows admitting that scenes were re-staged, re-shot, or edited in such a way as to be misleading or inaccurate is pretty consistent. Some have even hinted or accused the show's production of actually scripting outcomes or manipulating the contestants directly. This is the reason why the producers make the contestants sign some of the most stringent gag orders in the business; they don't want the audience to know just how much is fake.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-"reality" show. I couldn't care less what people watch, as long as I have the option of watching (or doing) something else. If you like these shows and are entertained, great for you. Just remember that entertainment is the point of the show. They have to keep the audiences coming back show to show and season to season.

Pro wrestlers are still incredible athletes even if the matches and outcomes are staged. Likewise, the producers of American Idol (or any other reality program) would not have a product if the contestants on them weren't talented, smart, engaging, and unique people. Even if the outcomes are partially or wholly pre-determined, the people chosen for these shows have talent-- it wouldn't work otherwise. It is just silly to think that the producers don't coax that talent, groom it, and script sequences to play to certain contestants strengths and weaknesses so that the show follows the general course the producers want. Do you honestly think that the producers really miss such glaring problems during the background check as always seem to crop up season to season with some contestant? Is American Idol, Survivor, and Big Brother really using such poor fact checking agencies that they can't find a DUI, a battery charge, or prison stay during a person's background check? Come on, we all know better-- or should.

In the end, these shows are entertainment and nothing more. If you choose to buy into the "reality" of what is presented, so be it. That's your choice. But to then be shocked when the curtain is pulled back and we get a glimpse of the man behind is somewhat absurd.

Follow Up

I amazed Renee today. I walked into her office and said, "I need to show you something...." I then proceeded to lift both arms easily over my head. I did two pseudo-deep knee bends. I lifted one leg and rotated the foot 180 degrees, and was able to flex both hands from a full fist to completely stretched out.

Now, for the average human being, these acts are not usually a problem or very difficult. However, in early December, my RA kicked up and my medications slowed down and I have been having increasing difficulty and pain. My range of movement was affected.

My RA doctor agreed that the medication was no longer effective and we quickly worked on getting approval for a new medication. This was finally approved and I took it for the first time this week, on Wednesday. It didn't go so well.

However, the medication is working. As you can see from the range of movement I mention above, the majority of the swelling and pain has been removed, I take the stairs with little to no pain, I can move and stretch in ways I haven't been able to for awhile, and I am feeling much more chipper and full of energy because I am not in constant pain. I feel like I can bowl again (anyone who knows me well knows how positive a statement that is).

I spoke with my RA doctor about the ER visit on Wednesday. We came to an agreement that, because the medication appears to be working so well, we will try administering it again under controlled circumstances and hope that my body is getting used to it and I do not react in such a violent way again. If so, then this will become my medication for now. If not, then we have to work on another solution. So, on Tuesday, I will go to my doctor's office, we will administer the next injection, and then I will hang out in the office for a minimum of an hour to see if anything happens or if I have a reaction. If I do, they can treat me there for it or they can run me the block up the street to the ER at St. Joseph's and get me treatment there. Either way, I am confident I will get the immediate treatment that might be required should things go wrong.

I am cautiously optimistic that I will not react so poorly this time and this medication will continue to be a solid choice in the weeks and months ahead. Hopefully a week of this medication circulating through my body will ease the next injection and it will not be such a shock.

Fun Time

I scared M, my mother, my friends, and most of the people at work today. Today was the first day to take my new medication for my RA. Having never taken it before, and it coming in an injectable syringe, I had to go into my doctor's office to have them show me how to take it.

The nurse/practitioner showed me, answered a few questions I had, and then sent me on my merry way. Took me about 30 minutes to drive to work from there and, as I neared work, I started to feel a little funny. Couldn't put a finger on how, exactly, though.

Over the next 10-20 minutes I got bad fast. Felt "heavy" (I mean that literally, I felt like my arms weighed a ton and I kept stooping over because my head was too heavy to lift), I got flushed and hot, a rash developed on my chest and back, I was hallucinating, and dizzy. I asked Renee, my boss, if she knew if there was somewhere I could lie down. She didn't know, so I contact Tom in Facilities. Tom came up immediately, asked how I was doing, and made the executive decision that he needed to call 911 just in case it was a more severe reaction than it seemed.

The EMTs arrived, led by Jim. The great thing about EMTs-- they spend most of their day waiting with almost nothing to do. So when the call comes in, they leap on it. It felt like there were 15 people there assisting me. It was likely closer to 6-7, but still-- a lot of people. Firemen, EMTs, ambulance personnel-- they all came running! Jim asked me questions while Tom and others helped shoo the many well wishers and curious away from my cube. They verified the rash, the temperature, fast heart rate, and high blood pressure. Jim kept talking to me and asking me questions.

Aside: I respect the hell out of any person who selects fire, police, EMT, medicine, and the military as his/her career. It takes special people.

They put me on oxygen, which cleared quite a bit of my fuzziness within a few minutes, but I still wasn't feeling great. They gave me a ride downstairs on a gurney, and then to a nearby ER for good measure. During the ride, Kevin mentioned my BP as 180 over "palp" which is exceptionally high for me. And this was down from whatever they read in the office, so I was doing poorly, but improving. My resting heart rate was stated as 96, which also is pretty fast for someone just laying down not doing anything. My temp was 100 something, so was elevated. They were great; answering my many, many, many annoying questions patiently and working like true professionals.

Aside: I guess I should mention: I tend to talk when I'm tired, anxious, and not feeling well. I am on record as having continued to talk after passing out in gym class as well as continuing to talk and ask questions with an endoscopy tube down my throat and "twilight" medication in me-- Doctor Ennis is still amused by that one.

In the ER, Doctor Lin and Nurse Carl took over. Carl was exceptional; bright and articulate in explaining what was happening, clear in what he wanted me to do, and extremely professional and competent. He put me at ease fairly quickly.

At this point, my blood pressure dropped down to 150 over "palp" and my heart rate was down to the high 80s. My temp was still a bit over the place, as now I was fairly cold. On an average day, if you take my temperature, I'm usually a bit below the supposed average, usually around 97.5-9. They read me as 96. That's at least a 4 degree swing in less than an hour. Soon my temperature was back in a normal range and under control.

The rash slowly left me and the flushed look of my flesh took about 40 minutes or so to leave. My fuzziness and hallucinations lasted quite a bit longer, and the strange heaviness didn't go away for awhile, either.

They hooked me up to an IV of saline and that made a huge difference. At this point, I was feeling mostly well, but they still checked my heart (all strong/good) and took a chest x-ray (clear) just to be sure. They took some blood and analyzed that, as well (nothing unusual). As more of the fluids got into me, they took off the oxygen and I rapidly improved from there.

My buddy Chris arrived; apparently my friend Robert, with whom I work, saw the EMT activity at my cubicle (how could he miss it-- he's two cubes over or so) and was worried, so spoke with Renee and forwarded an email to all my CA friends with what was going on. As soon as he found out where I was taken, he passed that along as well. Chris happens to work a couple blocks north of that hospital, so took some time off and came to sit with me. Although Tom stayed with me through the entire event and is a work friend, it was nice that a personal friend could make the time.

Meanwhile, Renee phoned both M and my mom, letting them know what had happened. M was, understandably, upset, but it sounds like her new work-mate, Scott, was able to help her through it until I could call with a more personal update. I actually got a call forwarded to me while in the ER from my mom, asking if she needed to drive down. She had made arrangements to leave work if needed and could be there in an hour and half (probably less-- she knows how to move when needed!). I told her I didn't think it would be needed, so we arranged to speak later in the afternoon after she was off work.

With Tom and Chris keeping my spirits up and the saline working through me, I came out okay. Dr. Lin said they couldn't find anything. He did say that not one of my symptoms was a typical allergic reaction to this medication. However, anyone who knows me knows that if anyone is going to have the ".001%" reaction to something, it's me. I get that from my mother. Part of what makes me special. ;-)

This all happened starting about 9:00 am this morning. I was to the ER by sometime shortly after that. The ER held onto me until about 1pm, at which time Tom drove me home. Doctor's orders are to take it easy, drink lots of fluids, and let them know if anything flares up or I have any symptoms reoccur.

Aside: I'm trying to be as accurate as I can about the times, but I was a bit "floaty" due to the hallucinations and dizziness. So take them with a grain of salt.

All in all, it was much ado about nothing. However, I wouldn't trade the response I got for the world. Tom did the right thing, as having someone take me home or to the ER personally would have left the company open to lawsuits if anything should have gone even more wrong. And, of course, it may not have been a simple reaction to a new medication that went away in a couple of hours. I'd rather have someone overreact than not react enough and something bad happens.

However, I am once again struck by the quality of the people in my life.

• M was obviously upset and concerned and couldn't wait for me to call her. While she denigrates herself constantly by saying she is too emotional and doesn't handle these types of situations well, I found her to be strong, calm, and comforting and she put me at ease immediately. Of course, as she'll likely say, I'm biased. Very, very biased. ;-)
  
• Mom was willing to drop everything and come down if needed-- and she's a teacher, not something you can easily drop on a dime. But family always is first and foremost in her life.
  
• Chris showed why he is my best friend by dropping whatever he was doing and coming to just sit with me and keep me company.
• Robert shared important info around to everyone he could think of so that they knew. He is one of the most compassionate and caring people you could meet-- if you're his friend or family, he will do anything to help you. Period.
  
• Tom was both professional and a good friend by doing everything by the book but also staying with me through the event and keeping my spirits up. While he kept saying "it's my job" my only response is this: No, Tom, you definitely went above and beyond and I appreciate it. Oh, and M: Tom passes on congrats on our nuptials. He only wishes he could have performed the ceremony. :-)
  

Many people don't get the chance or make the time to evaluate their lives and those with whom they associate. Unfortunately, some of my health concerns have made me constantly evaluate both. And my conclusion has never changed: I have the best people around me. Each one is smart, compassionate, and caring. Quality, every one of them! And I have a great life; it must be great if these people are my family and friends! Having these health concerns has, in many ways, made me a better person and certainly has helped me to appreciate everyone in my life.

Thank you for showing the quality of your character and for helping me through another rough time.

***

Oh, and as an aside to anyone who cares-- my feet don't hurt. The medication may just be working! Dr. Lee, the one who prescribed it, will call me tomorrow and we'll discuss what my options are.

Pretty Woman

Last night I walked by the picture of you I have hanging by the front
door. For whatever reason, I was particularly struck by how grateful I
am to have such a wonderful woman in my life and in my heart.

I stopped and looked more closely. Once again I marveled to myself
that such an attractive and caring woman would be available when we
met and would be willing to try me out and see if we were a match.

This led me to think about our first in-person meeting, and the
nervousness we started with and the joy in each other we found later.
I thought about my first visit to SJ, meeting your family and friends
(who all turned out to be such nice people). Our trips to DHS and 29.
Our recent visit to get "library cards."

I am so, so lucky that you found me and made me yours.

I love you.

What Are They Thinking?

I just walked into the men's room upstairs here at work, turned the
corner, and heard the squelching of my shoes on wet tile. Looking
around, I saw -- how should I put this -- a lot of liquid and very
little water all over the floor by the urinals and the sinks.

We are supposed to all be adults here. I shouldn't have to deal with the
bathroom looking and smelling like the ones I was forced to use in
grade-school.

I can't help but wonder: what if I had been a client here for training?
What if I was a prospective client touring the business to see if I
wanted to hire this company? One look at that mess and I would likely
say thanks, but no. Is the behavior in here indicative of the behavior
these people have for their software, product, clients?

Even giving the benefit of the doubt that a urinal overflowed (which I
doubt-- I would assume a lot more water and a lot less "other" if that
happened), why wouldn't the person there when the problem happened tell
Facilities so it could be cleaned up? Why wouldn't they put a quick note
on the door that it is off-limits or in need of work? Something, so I
don't walk into that kind of mess.

How a person treats a bathroom they do not need to clean or take care of
says a lot about the character of the person involved.

And What She Said, Too

Read this post.

And I'll add...

(Prior to the ceremony)

And...

(Saying the vows to each other)

And...

(You may kiss the bride... and I did)

And...

(Happy couple with ceremony adjudicator, Gloria)

And...

(Happy couple with groom's mom)

And...

(After the ceremony, out front of the Courthouse)

Was a good day. A very good day.

Now, on to the paperwork....

NUMB3RS

I have enjoyed the show Numbers from its inception. It was a clever idea with a star I enjoyed since I first watched him on Northern Exposure (still one of the best shows ever-- well, okay, until the last season or so), Rob Morrow. The premise is this: a group of FBI agents in Los Angeles needs help from the lead agent's brother, a mathematics prodigy. Using math as a guiding principal, they solve crimes.

Admittedly, the premise seemed a little Schoolhouse Rock at first, as they forced these mathematical principals into every show. It seemed almost like an hour long "stay in school" special at times. But slowly the characters (and writers/directors) hit a groove and made the two disparate ideas (math and crime fighting) work together. The actors also hit a groove. Even one of my least favorite actresses, due to her seeming inability to emote on screen, Diane Farr, has hit a nice groove with her character and the rest of the actors.

Lately, however, the show has taken a turn recently with the introduction of Rob Morrow's lead FBI agent, Don, having anger issues and not letting anyone in to help him. He sabotaged relationships and it seemed like the character might be written off the show.

The last episode, called "One Hour," had the rest of his team helping an abducted child while Don was in for an hour long session with a shrink he decided to see. Without feeling forced or put on, while Don was describing how he sees his team members, they had opportunities to shine in those areas within the child abduction story. It allowed Don to realize where his anger was coming from while also allowing the team to show how good they can (and someday will) be without Don as their leader. It hit the exact right balance between each character, the writing, and the math. It feels like they can move forward with the solid foundation they have.

It is funny when a show hits the exact right "feel" to it. I cannot always point to any one thing as being why, but I just know it from watching the episode. Most shows continue in that vein until something happens. Some shows, like Studio 60, hit and then miss it again. Others are canceled before or even after they finally hit that stride (Enterprise was one such victim-- they struggled at first, but then finally hit a good balance in the last 4-6 episodes before cancellation). Numbers has always been a quality show, but with hits and misses. This last episode really hit a stride and hope the remaining shows this season are able to keep that going.

The Bard Couldn't Be More Wrong...

Parting is not “sweet sorrow”—it is one of the most unnatural and wrenching experiences. And it is getting old. Yes, we are sorrowful, but there is little “sweet” involved when you know you won’t see your honey for a month or more. You love a person and you expect to be with that person. Constantly leaving isn’t getting easier, even if we are getting more “comfortable” (re: resigned, acquiescent, reconciled) with the process involved.

 

We are doing what we can, working on the paperwork, collecting the data, making a note of the questions we have for our lawyer, and will, hopefully, get this process worked out swiftly.

 

The end of March cannot come soon enough for me!

What She Said...

Read this post.

Something to Think About

I wrote the following to a friend and it struck me as a pretty good comment on people and our lives today:

One thing that a lot of people forget is that, when things get the most hectic and an individual is feeling the most overwhelmed with what is going on, is the time they need their friends and family the most. Yet most human beings tend to try to go it alone and become distant from just those sources of comfort and assistance that they could use.

Side Effects

I decided on Monday to spray some orange all-purpose cleaner and degreaser on my grill, as I had not cleaned it in a long time and you could barely tell that there was a window in the front, let alone see any of the instructions or temperature settings on the panel with the gas nobs. With the intention of coming back after 10 minutes or so to wipe off the grill, I sprayed the orange cleaner all over the outside, then on the appropriate places on the inside, and then on the gas tank.

However, I never made it back to wipe it down.

As I sprayed the cleaner, I felt something odd. When I looked down, places on my hand had split open where the somewhat leaky spray bottle was dripping cleaner. I had a large patch of dry skin everywhere where they cleaner had touched my flesh. I was even bleeding at a couple of the cracks. My hand burned a bit and it felt generally uncomfortable.

I had used this particular cleaner quite a few times in the past. I liked it for both its strength and the citrus orange scent. I couldn't remember it ever wounding me in this manner before, so I was a bit surprised that it would hinder me now.

I went into the kitchen and thoroughly washed my hand clean of the cleaning solution and dried it completely on a new, unused towel. While the slight burning sensation went away after washing, the dry patch and the cracking of my flesh was still apparent, so I got some lotion and rubbed that onto my hand. It took about an hour after applying the lotion for the hand to start feeling normal, at which time I re-washed it and re-applied lotion to the area.

Today, it looks fine. While there are two small spots where blood dried and formed a clot (very, very small, but I mention them for completeness), the rest of the area no longer looks dry, chapped, or cracked open.

Not sure what happened between the last time I used that cleaner and this weekend, but I think my opinion of it has changed a bit. I am considering dumping the rest down the drain and finding a new all-purpose cleaner to use. I probably should give it one more chance and see if something similar happens; that reaction could have been relating to something outside of the cleaner and may be only a one-time occurrence.

However, I forgot to go out and wipe down the grill, so it is likely just as dirty looking as before. Especially as it was covered in what I am sure was slightly-sticky cleaner and a small breeze was blowing.

Cravings

I find it odd how we suddenly crave things. I am experiencing the second strong craving I've had in the past couple of weeks.

About two weeks ago and lasting for a little over a week, I was craving salty things. Pickles, chips, pizza, meat, Top Ramen-- anything I could get my hands on that was salty.

This past week that craving died and a new one emerged: chocolate milk. Between Wednesday and today I have consumed a gallon and a half of milk, all as chocolate milk. Today I went to the grocery store, got 4 more half gallon jugs, finished the previous set's gallon and am about half-way through one of the new one's at 2 pm. For me, this means two large scoops of Nesquik chocolate milk powder which is hand-stirred into a glass of milk. You keep the spoon and continue to stir as you drink the milk.

I do not prefer Hershey's syrup, which I know some people use to make choco milk. To me, it doesn't mix as well with the milk and doesn't give the best saturation of chocolate flavoring throughout the glass. However, I also understand proponents of Hershey's syrup when they say that the powders sometimes clump together and can be a little gritty. To each their own.

Back to my main topic; what could it mean that I can't get enough of this particular drink? Is my body craving even more calcium than I usually intake? That's hard to believe with the amount I consume normally. Does it say something that I have gone from salt to milk?

What will the next craving be? And, possibly most important, am I pregnant???!!

;-)

Fun

Last February, my arthritis doctor switched me to sulfasalazine. This medication worked generally well until October. He increased the dose from 1 pill twice a day (2 pills total) to 3 pills a day (I could decide whether it was two in the morning and one at night or the other way). He said if I didn’t see improvement by January 1 to increase to 2 pills twice a day (4 pills total). He scheduled a return visit for February.

I followed his instructions. When I saw absolutely no benefits to three pills a day by January 1, I increased my dose to 4 pills a day. It is now the middle of February and I am still suffering through pretty bad bouts of arthritis pain and swelling.

The doctor gave me a new script for the drug so I could get the correct amount. As I had plenty of refills on the existing script, I waited to turn in the medication until January and just got my prescriptions a bit more often during the 3 pills a day dosing. Increasing the dose again in January meant I couldn’t really do that any more—I needed to start getting the correct amount, as I didn’t want to pay the copay on new prescriptions every 15 days. However, I needed to call the insurance company and explain the situation and find out if they would require anything or have any issues. So I continued to get the original script through the end of January while I contacted them and went about my business. (Mistake number 1.)

Once the insurance question was answered, I went to my Sav-On pharmacy a couple of weeks ago. I very patiently explained to the “receptionist” person and then the head pharmacist that I had an existing script for 2 pills a day and my dosage had increased, so I needed to use the new script to update the existing script to 4 pills a day. The first woman didn’t understand what I meant, but the head pharmacist knew exactly what I needed. He described what needed to happen to the girl, and then left her to type his instructions. Unfortunately, it worked out that I had just picked up a prescription a few days earlier, so I didn’t need it refilled at that time; I just needed her to update the script so that, when I refilled it, it would have the correct number of pills. (Mistake number 2).

A little over a week ago, I received an automated call that I needed to pick up my prescription before they cancelled and restocked it. I called immediately. The boy on the phone was denser than a neutron star—no matter how I described the situation to him, he just wasn’t getting it. I spoke to someone else and explained what had happened, what was supposed to happen, and that I didn’t, at that time, need the script filled. This person understood, said she was taking care of it, and all would be right with the world. (Mistake number 3).

This week my prescription got low enough to reorder, so I called the pharmacy, used the automated refill service, and went to pick up my prescription today. They had filled it, but at the previous amounts (2 pills a day total). I explained the entire thing again to the girl working the counter; the same girl who, even though I spelled my last name (I don’t pronounce it to people, I simply spell it), couldn’t find my prescription under “S” on the shelf. Of course, there is no “S” in my name-- anywhere. Idiot.

Nancy, the best counter-worker there, was listening and she came over to help. She knows me by name. She looked up everything in the computer and discovered that the person I spoke with on the phone had simply canceled the new script.

She was smart and capable enough to understand what I needed. She said that she had to cancel the old script and replaced it with the new script. She then had the pharmacist on-call stop what he was doing, verify everything, and put double the remaining amount in the jar so I could pay and leave.

What is frustrating is not that it took so many people to get it right, that I was lied to, or that I had to deal with such stupid people. It is that:

• Each person seemed to get to a point where they understood what I was saying, in agreement with what needed to be done, and then did something—that didn’t help the situation.
• My next arthritis doctor appointment is next week, on Tuesday, and it is very likely the doctor will switch me to a different medication, making all of this moot; the increase in medication has not helped. I have been taking the 4 pills a day for a month and a half and I am in more pain today than I have been for quite some time. It appears this medication just isn’t cutting it for me and we’ll have to try something else.

She Wasn't That Special

Okay, enough!

Anna Nicole Smith was not a smart woman. She was not a particularly attractive woman. She was certainly not a talented woman. She was mostly famous for being famous and for taking off her clothes.

She was a mess, financially and personally, by all accounts. Her reality-TV show pointed out all her flaws. She was certainly not the second coming of Marilyn. Get over it.

She is not and was not worthy of this non-stop eulogy with which the media is inundating us. She was an odd woman who led an odd life and died an odd death. A one-paragraph note at the end of the celebs section of the newspaper or at the end of that day's Insider TV show is all this warrants.

And, to the now 6 men who all think they may be ANS's baby's father I have this to say: get a freaking life! This is not your moment of fame. Get out of the limelight and back under the rocks form which you crawled.

Rain

This morning I awoke while it was still dark and heard the pitter-patter of the rain on the lane below my window. It slowly lulled me back into a state of light, happy sleep from which I was able to open my eyes a few times without breaking the sleep cycle.

I don't know what it is, but rain usually makes for a more pleasant rest and an easier, slower awakening in the morning. Especially when it is a light, long rain rather than the thunderstorms we typically received in my home town; wherein the sky would unzipper and a torrent would fall for ten to thirty minutes, and then cease and dry up as though no rain had ever fallen.

Also, the cloud cover tends to make it a bit darker in the morning, so it is easier on my eyes to awaken without the glare of the sun impinging itself onto my retinas.

I am sitting in my front room, thinking about making some hot cocoa and with the blinds open so I can watch and wonder at the rain falling softly from the sky.

What a great way to start a lazy Sunday.

The Final Stretch

I have been playing City of Heroes since very shortly after release. Matter of fact, I recently received my 33 month Veteran award within the game.

During that time, I have played a character called Red Thorn in a few initial iterations, but then successfully and consistently with the final version (a Scrapper using the Spines primary and Invulnerable secondary power sets).

While playing, I have had an unspoken agreement with myself not to do anything that I have heretofore considered "cheating;" midding, re-running profitable missions numerous times to maximize XP gain, trading Influence between characters, etc.

The game increased the maximum levels from 40 to 50 total some time ago. However, I never got a character above the high 20s to low 30s until Red Thorn (and only a few since him, too). I worked for my XP, experienced as much game content as I could, ran Task Force missions sometimes, joined PUGs (pick up groups) infrequently but often enough to gain the benefits of teaming. I slogged along. For awhile there, about a year, I had some friends join me in playing and all of our characters benefited and raised levels nicely. However, life intruded and first one, then another, and finally the third stopped playing regularly and I was back to the slow grind through the levels.

Levels 1 through 15 were easy and quick. Levels 15-25 were slower, but still easily accomplished. Levels 26-31 were okay. But then I hit the 32-39 stretch with Red which is the worst grind in the game. At these levels, the XP needed for the next level is significantly higher and the benefits to leveling are fewer and farther between. At level 32 is the last time you gain a Power on the every other level routine; at that point it become every third level with only Slots available on the other two levels.

I plugged along, but found myself starting many new Alternate characters as the boredom grew. In the 30s, too, missions started getting much harder to complete for a primarily solitary character. Many of the missions had an Elite Boss, Giant Monster, or full Boss which was nearly impossible to defeat on my own. In addition, the powers of the villains turned to using the two items against which virtually no archetype has any form of resistance. So, on top of it being a slow grind through levels, I was experiencing even more frequent setbacks due to inability to complete a mission or virtual deaths to my character.

Holding out hope, I continued the grind. Those with whom I grouped said that this relaxed and the fun returned in the 40s. And, when I finally turned 41, I experienced it; XP was once again faster to accumulate and the powers I got were more exciting and worthwhile. However, the villain groups continued to be stacked against a solitary player and I had to seek out assistance for ways in which to tackle those mobs against which I had no defense and little hope of success.

I made it to level 45 with Red Thorn before the huge XP requirements finally got to me. Over the last 4 months or so, I have rarely played that character (or, even CoH in general) as my frustration mounted again.

Recently, I picked it up again and managed to get Red to 46 primarily on my own. But it took me as long to get him from 45 to 46 as it normally does to raise a character from 1-20. And then I did it-- I got a request to "mid" from a person and I accepted it.

CoH has certain level caps to dissuade people from "cheating." If you are on a team and you are within 5 levels of the highest person on the team (whether through natural level or an ability to artificially raise your level via Side Kicking), you get XP. If you are on the far side of that level (i.e., as close to the 5 level limit as possible) you also get the maximum XP for the villains you face, as the assumed threat to you is much greater.

At level 46 I could Side Kick (SK) another character so that they reached level 45 and were at the tail end of the 5 level limit. Being as my character was 4 levels below the highest people, I also got good XP. In two approximately 2-hour sessions, I was able to go from 46 to 47+. Another two 'midding' sessions and I was just shy of 48! I was able to reach 48 by finishing some of my impossible missions that I couldn't complete on my own from level 45 on.

So, now I am level 48, with only about 5 million XP to go until 49 and then, I'm guessing, another 7.5 million or so until 50. At level 50 I will unlock some new abilities and archetypes with which I can play the game. Plus, I will have a modicum of prestige at being "a Level 50" on the server.

I still cannot fight certain villains and bosses (just ran up to a low-level Babbage and, in one hit, he took my level 48 from fully healthy to dead!). I still run across certain missions I cannot succeed at on my own. But I am much more confident that I can reach 50 in a short(er) time frame. At this level, I may have fewer opportunities to mid, as well, but I think I can do it.

Hopefully, soon, I can go back to Galaxy City, where Red Thorn started the game, and level up that final time and hand out Influence to newbie characters just starting out.

Only about 12 million XP to go!

Holiday

Today is America's second largest, favorite holiday, after Thanksgiving. The Super Bowl is a huge flash and spectacle and is most often a blow-out affair.

Indianapolis vs Chicago

I think that Indy needs to play primarily mistake-free football in order to win this. The way Chicago's Defense dismantled the New Orleans Saint's Offense (which was actually ranked higher in most categories to Indy this season) shows that they are to be feared, even with the losses to its secondary. However, Manning is the best quarterback in the league, and he has three superior receivers to throw to in Clark, Wayne, and Harrison. However, Indy also has a history of folding in the biggest of games, which they must avoid.

Chicago, on the other hand, has the dominant Defense and an offense that is below par. As long as they can run the football with Benson and Jones, it will keep the pressure off of Grossman and their fair to middling receiving corps. If, however, Indy can keep up the pressure on Grossman and stuff the run as they have in each these playoff games (going from allowing 173 rushing yards per game in the regular season to 73 during the playoffs), I think they can force the Bears QB into mistakes and keep giving the ball back to Manning. If Manning can stay on the field, that means the Bears D is on the field, slowly getting more and more tired dealing with Manning's constant pressure.

Most of the experts I read and see on TV are expecting something of a blow-out game; I've heard scores for Indy in the low- to mid-thirties and for the Bears in the mid-teens to low twenties. I think this game will be closer and lower scoring than that.

My prediction: Indy 24 - Bears 17 on an end of the game drive by Manning for a TD.

Basketball Diaries

I am very frustrated watching the NBA these days. The rules are interpreted in such a way that the offense nearly always has the advantage and the super-stars always get the calls against the non-stars.

The rules say that whomever initiates contact is the one who should be called for the foul. But actually watch any contest and you will see that is the exact opposite of how the calls are made. For example, in the Lakers vs Wizards game yesterday, Andrew Bynum was standing with his hands raised straight up. He was already in foul trouble and didn't want to be called for his next one. Arenas drove directly at him, leaped into Bynum's chest while simultaneously elbowing Bynum to clear some room for his shot-- sure enough, Bynum was called for a foul and Arenas went to free-throw line. How many fouls were committed? Arenas initiated contact by jumping into Bynum and Arenas elbowed Bynum in the chest to clear room. Fouls called? Bynum for, apparently, being in the way.

I used to laugh because in the 90s, Reggie Miller would shoot shots by leaping into the air and kicking out his legs (remember that both kicking and initiating contact are supposed to be fouls on the one initiating either) and he would get to the foul line all the time for free-throws, not to mention getting his defender into foul trouble. In some of Jordan's most famous videos, he is pushing, pulling, grabbing, and knocking down his defender (all are fouls) and not only making the shots but also usually making it to the line for free shots.

Another huge gripe I have is the referee who calls the play. The NBA went to three refs because fan's perception was that having two wasn't enough-- so many calls were missed. I have seen no improvement in calling since the third ref was added; now, on about half the plays I see fouls called, it is the referee who is out of position and who could not possibly see the foul who makes the call. Just because you hear flesh-on-flesh contact does not mean that a foul was committed. And, if the player's back is blocking you from the play, rely on one of the other refs who are spaced so that they have the advantage on you to make the call. If they don't, assume no foul was committed and let the players play!

The charging versus blocking foul call is one that exemplifies these issues the clearest. It shows the disparity between the super-star and the workman player and that the plays are rarely called in the correct order. In the same Lakers game last night, Arenas drove toward the basket. Bynum was already there, feet appearing to be out of the circle. Turiaf rotated over, also keeping his feet outside the arc. Both were there, between Arenas and the basket before he began his leap. Arenas leaped forward, directly into both defenders who held their ground even knowing they were going to get 200 lbs of guy leaping knees first into them-- yet they were called for blocking instead of Arenas being called for charging. I rewound the play a number of times (gotta love TiVo!) as well as watching the NBA replays of the play-- it sure looked like a clear cut call from every angle-- but the ref who called it as blocking was the guy who was behind Arenas and didn't have a good angle on who initiated contact! And the other two refs didn't over-rule that call because the first ref was the senior man on the court.

I am only presenting these Lakers highlights as proof because that was the last game I saw and those plays stick out. And I will admit I am a Lakers fan; however, there were a number of equally poor calls on the Wizards against the Lakers. And I see the same poor foul calls when I am watching other, non-Lakers teams play against each other.

I wouldn't be so up in arms except that the result of all of these dubious foul calls is that the people the fans pay to see (whether in the arena or via their cable bills at home) are taken out of the game if they have fouls against them. Therefore, the fans do not get to see the team or players they are paying to see.

My solution to this problem has a few steps:

1. The refs need to be retrained so that they only call fouls they actually see. They also need to be trained to be "colorblind" when calling fouls-- doesn't matter if a star or non-star is involved.
2. Take the third referee and put him/her behind a monitor. They watch the game live on this monitor and their job is to overturn plays called by the on-court ref. This will, I believe, help the on-court refs to only call what they see. The replay time would be limited to 10 seconds; in basketball, that is a lifetime and would be plenty of time to overturn something.
3. Coaches would get 2 challenges per half for egregious calls. If the calls are overturned, play resumes. If the call is upheld, the team that challenged loses a time out. If they do not have any time outs, they cannot challenge.
4. Revise some of the rules to take the subjectivity out of it. The hand-check rules are superfluous and highly subjective, for example, and should be revised to make it a clear case of "if X happens, it is a foul."
5. It is true that fans like scoring, however, that does not mean that fans want only offensive-minded games. We cheer just as hard for the solid block, the defender holding his own against the offensive player, steals, and whatnot. What we want is the best game we can watch. So, let the players play a bit more. Do away with some of the rules that highly favor offensive players and get back to having an even, fair, solid contest where the best teams win.
   

Portable Readers

One idea from the Star Trek universe I always found quite useful were the portable readers they carried around. They could download duty rosters, reports, or pleasure reading into these tablets and take the devices with them wherever they went. Over the last five years, manufacturers have started to make our first real-world models of these devices with varying amounts of success.

 

Sony has a beautiful new portable reader available, the PRS-500. I think this is a fabulous idea, as portable readers would allow me to take many of my favorite or new novels with me when I travel in one small, lightweight, and convenient location, rather than, as I did at Christmastime, stuffing multiple different sized and weighted books into my carry-on.

 

In addition, Sony has improved aspects in this portable reader that other PRSes have not, as yet; this PRS will display multiple PRS formats (BBeB Book, PDF, RTF, TXT, DOC), pictures (JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF), and music files (AAC7, MP3). Also, it has an easily expandable memory system (using either the Memory Stick or SD memory cards).

 

This PRS device allows you to scale the text bigger and smaller-- no need for a magnifying glass or reading glasses. It also has limited scan functions for flipping around in the book, in case you forget where you were or want to refer to something specific but don't remember exactly where it was.

 

While these are great steps forward for the PRS idea in general, there are a few reasons that keep me from investing in this (or another) portable reading device.

 

Compatibility

Manufacturers of these devices are not aggressive in making sure that they are compatible with the majority of eBook formats. While this Sony design is better than most I've seen, a quick look at some of the largest eBook retailers showed me that I still could not download and read (virtually) any eBook out there. Nothing on the Sony technical page indicates I could install eReader, for example, or view any document in the .PRB or .PRS formats, all of which are strong competitors in the marketplace.

 

Availability

On each of the eBook sites I ventured to, I did a quick search for some of my favorite authors. I was unable to find all but the most recent books of theirs, and many authors were not available at all. Some authors are only found at specific eBook sites, which forces you to get their reader software or PRS in order to view eBooks for them. Others are not available at all. And, out of the hundreds and thousands of books available at a library, book store, or online, those found in eBook formats are relatively few. For example, for one of my all-time favorite authors, Stephen R. Donaldson, I was only able to find his most recent novel on any of the eBook sites I searched through; what about his other award-winning novels?

 

Affordability

This is a two-fold complaint; first, if the products are going to primarily be book readers, then spending $350 for the Sony PRS-500 seems a bit steep. Especially when you consider that it cannot be used to read many other popular formats and that, in order to save or "convert" my library to electronic copies, I have to spend more money on memory sticks.

 

Secondly, while many eBook titles are slightly cheaper than their paper counterparts, the difference is often negligible. If I do not have to pay for the paper, the shipping and handling, or the physical store location, the costs for these versions of the books should be significantly cheaper than the actual book-- not slightly cheaper. I saw a few popular novels selling for $12-15 on eBook sites; that is nearly the same cost as the hardback copies of the novels, let alone the softback!

 

Adaptability

Now, since these devices tend to be a good size for these types of things, I would think $350 was a decent price if I could play my UMD movies on them (the screen on the PRS-500 is about twice the size of that found on the PSP). If I could use a stylus and write my own notes or highlight passages of interest for downloading to my PC for research papers, quotes, and other uses, it sure would be convenient. What about having wireless capabilities, so I could browse the Internet to buy, download, and view or listen to new books, movies, and music? Or the ability to hook into online, streaming radio stations and play music? How about a clock, calendar, and some simple games? What about a "share" function, so I can share my favorite novels with friends and try to get them hooked on a great work or author, so they will buy stuff too ("shares" would have a timed function, like 48 hours or so, in which the recipient could experience the product before needing to purchase a license to keep it)? What about a toned-down version of Word for simple document creation? What about a module for speed-reading courses-- an electronic device might be a very good way to allow someone to practice these techniques and have the device "stream" the content on the page in a way to improve a reader's speed and accuracy. What about a simple speech recognition mode and a microphone? How about an auditory text reader for blind users?

 

I realize that, at this point, I am strongly moving the purpose of this device away from its intended use. However, the size of the device and the incredibly nice LCD screens we have now make these ideas strong candidates for a device of this sort. When I first got my PSP as a gift, I wondered if I could install and use eBooks on it-- the screen is a bit small, but I figured the software would allow me to scale the text to make it better, easier to read. It is only a matter of time before something like the PSP and its multitude of functionality is merged with a portable reading device.

 

I see the Portable Reader System as a viable concept. However, manufacturers have not reached a cost point or a functionality point at which I think the current price and feature set is worthwhile. I have outlined strong ideas for steps they could take to make the current price seem like a bargain. My hope is that, over the next few years, these devices will continue to evolve into the multipurpose, useful tools they can and should be.

Nice Start to a Monday

So, I am sitting on Culver stopped behind a bunch of traffic at a light thinking to myself, “You know, our roadway system really moves a lot of people without a lot of accidents.”

Bam!

I jerk forward and my seatbelt stops me—the woman driving the white Jeep Cherokee behind me doesn’t see that traffic is stopped, or isn’t paying attention, and plows into me. Ugh!

We motion to each other to get over to the side of the road and I hop out with my first question being, “Are you alright?” and I smile at her. In the few fender-benders I’ve had, it is my experience that people come out angry and yelling because they are scared. By asking how the person is and smiling, I try to put whoever the other person is at ease. Seems to work, as the woman is a little shaky but otherwise becomes calm and smiles back. I would guess she’s in her late forties or early fifties with dark hair dyed so that it comes across very maroon in places. From her dress, she looks like a professional of some sort.

I wait for her answer, and she says yes, before I take a long look at my vehicle and hers. I inspect my undercarriage and muffler and then open my back door to make sure it still functions correctly. Then I ask her to open her hood and I take a long look at her engine compartment, radiator, and then get on the ground and look up at her undercarriage and bumper. I see no damage to either of our vehicles and nothing immediately seems wrong with either of us.

We discuss it a few more minutes and decide we got lucky, are both fine (relatively speaking), and our cars are not damaged enough to need to exchange insurance information, and we say our goodbyes. She seems relieved; by my calm demeanor and by our not exchanging insurance—I think she knows that, by hitting me from behind, she was going to be considered at fault and her insurance would have to pay everything.

I wish her a good luck on the rest of her morning.

It is now about two hours later and the adrenaline high and excitement of the accident is wearing off and I am finding I do have a headache and my neck has a very slight kink in it—nothing serious and nothing more than my arthritis routinely causes, but it is there. As I am coming up on the time when I need to get my truck serviced, I plan on also asking them to make a more careful inspection of that area of my vehicle, just in case.

What a way to start my Monday morning.

HR Block Adverts

I thought there were rules and regulations about lying in advertisements?

I hate the current HR Block advertisements that say you should use them because they have "people" instead of a box. Talk about sour grapes-- more people use a form of online tax preparation (most notably Turbo Tax) than HR Block. So of course they are going to say something like that.

But it is entirely false. A lie. Fabrication. Falsehood.

Whether you use Turbo Tax online, or Turbo Tax through the box, you HAVE access to real, live people to help answer your questions! Yes, you have to contact them (on the online version, it is incredibly easy and you get live help right there, via phone or IM) rather than having them there in front of you, but they ARE there.

It is like the Mac vs PC ads-- most of them are incredible fabrications that makes a PC look like it doesn't come with anything-- which, is a not true. You can't get Windows without IE, you can't install it without also getting their media player and all its features, and the OS comes with many utility tools that do the same types of things that a Mac does. Now, I'm no PC purist or anti-Mac; quite the contrary, I think Macs are great. But don't lie to me in the advertisement!

And don't even get me started on the plethora of drug commercial; all lies!

Annoyingly Polite

I hate grocery shopping. Most stores aren't designed in a way that makes sense to me (why aren't all the bread products together? Why are beverages spread out-- some here, some there, some over here). The "help" is, rarely, helpful. And don't get me started on the grocery store cards in order to get "savings" -- what a rip!

So, today, I had to go to the store. I pulled in and the parking lot was a mad-house; uh oh. Never a good sign. However, inside, it wasn't too hectic. I cruised the rows, finding my various products (still noting that the store hasn't improved its selection even with all the suggestion cards I have filled out).

Everything went as smoothly as it normally does, with me forgetting the aisles in which some of the items I want are located. As I pulled up to check out, I saw my worst nightmare: a peppy young girl doing the bagging in this row. It was obvious this was her first job and she was so excited about it. She was smiling and talking a mile a minute.

What she hasn't learned yet is that people may not want to hear her endless prattling about every little thing that flits through her head. I'm sure it is important to her, but I don't give a damn. On top of that, she was making comments that could be construed as anti-store and anti-customer.

She made some comments about how working at grocery stores is not the best job you could start with, but it pays the rent (ha, ha, ha) and you get to see so many different people. Next, she disparaged the fact that I was buying cat food and litter. Apparently, she doesn't like cats and is allergic. Lastly, she commented on the large amount of beverages I was buying. What's it to her? I drink a lot of things and I like variety in my liquids. She doesn't know; maybe I'm having a party tonight. Maybe I have children at home. Who knows?

I looked at the older gentleman who was the checker. We shared a look, and both rolled our eyes. And in that moment I knew I had become one of those people. I know we were both thinking, "She's young... she'll learn."

And then, to top it all off, she said, "Can I help you to your car, sir?" Now, I know they are all supposed to say that and be polite-- but it still took me back. And then it struck me-- I'm close to 20 years her senior. I probably look like every other adult in the store that day to her young eyes.

Now, don't get me wrong-- I'm pleased as punch she has her first job. I think it is great she is getting this experience in before she graduates High School. And she is perky and nice; she hasn't learned that people suck and will stomp on you as soon as look at you. I hope she keeps her positive attitude and has a happy life. But, that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to hear it. And I don't want to experience it.

Does this mean I am getting... dare I say it... old?

Thoughts for the Day

• I have way too many mnemonics, acronyms, and abbreviations than I could ever possibly remember. No wonder I can't remember my own phone number half the time.
• How did I become the guy in which so many people confide?
• I hope they do a good job on The Dark Is Rising, book two of the Dark is Rising series. Not sure why they skipped book one, which is my favorite and about which I have often commented should be made into a movie. I guess because Will Stanton is not in book one and is in the other four. But Over Sea, Under Stone is the best novel.
• Tell me whether you want me to solve your problem or just want me to listen. It'll save time later if I know going in what is expected of me.
• I hate solving other people's PC issues. I also find it somewhat funny how often I get asked to.
• -31 C/-22 F is really, really, really cold.
• My cat is a goof. Today, for no reason at all, she just howled. I thought maybe she was dying or something, but she was just lying down and wanted some scratching.
• "Individually, look around and see what you need to do as an individual," (Bernie) Bickerstaff said. (NBA coach)
• I think President Bush suddenly realized what his legacy will be; you notice how old and discomfitted he looks lately?
• Bill O'Reilly vs Stephen Colbert-- Colbert (the parody) got the best of O'Reilly (the actuality), hands down.
• Happy Birthday, Levi Strauss (1826-1902). Without you, I'd have many more naked days.
• I wonder if a theater would be successful if, for around $12 per ticket, the theater showed a double feature. Go back to the glory days movie-going and even have a cartoon. But, if you don't stay for both features, you do not get a discount or money back.
• Addendum: Mindy has a theater that shows movie and serves drinks and food. I wonder if you could design a theater to make the best of both worlds and have it be successful? Seems like a good idea, but the tables and chairs at her theater were not comfortable.
• I wonder where this Bush will rank in the overall list of best and worst Presidents? His dad is firmly around the Fillmores and the Coolidges-- will he be higher or lower?
• I sometimes wish I still had my original, metal, Red/Green/Black Voltron Lions. They were awesome. I also sometimes wish I had some of my good, metal Transformers (Megatron who formed a pistol, Starscream, the white Porsche Autobot (can't remember name)).
• Are things more clear to me because they aren't happening to me?
• What the hell keeps biting me?

Movies 2007

This is more of a list for me to keep track of what is up and coming this year—movies that I am fast tracking to the “probably theater experience” list. I doubt I will see even half of these actually at the theater, but I’ll have the list to go back to for my always expanding Netflix list.

Name	Current Release Date	Probability	Comments
Ghost Rider	Feb 16	Low	Unless good reviews
The Number 23	Feb 23	Low	Unless good reviews
300	March 9	Medium	Looking good, enjoyed the comic
Spider-Man 3	May 4	Certain	Definitely
Shrek the Third	May 18	High	What can I say? I liked the other two.
PotC: At World’s End	May 25	Low	Really liked 1, disliked 2
Ocean’s Thirteen	June 8	Medium	Liked 1, 2 was okay
Fantastic 4: RotSS	June 15	Medium	Enjoyed the first, probably will go see
Nancy Drew	June 15	Low	I like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Might be fun to watch this.
Live Free or Die Hard	July 4	Medium	I like the Die Hard series
Transformers	July 4	Medium	I enjoyed the cartoons; but I don’t like Michael Bay
Harry Potter: OotP	July 13	High	I really like what they’ve done with the movies; each one has gotten better.
Bourne Ultimatum	Aug 3	Certain	I really like this series
Underdog	Aug 3	Low	Soft spot for the super dog
Dark is Rising	Sept 28	High	I’ve been saying this series needs a movie; just don’t know why they started with book 2.
I Am Legend	Dec 14	Low	Need to see good reviews. Was a serious, good book, but has Will Smith in main role.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets	Dec 21	Medium	Liked the first one; decent fun
AVP 2	Dec 21	Low	Cheesy fun, but likely Netflix

He Tasks Me, Starbuck

M is quick to point out to me that getting the Italian Delight sandwich made correctly (and by that I mean according to the directions/ingredients listed on the wall minus the one item I don’t like) has become my white whale.

I had to get some meds today, and I use the Sav-On pharmacy within that Albertson's. So, I ordered The Sandwich.

Dorothy and I walked up, were the only two in line, and she can verify that I said to the guy who has helped me at least a half dozen times with this sandwich, “Italian Delight, no onions or tomatoes.” Because it was this guy, I had to add “onions” as he always includes them even though they are not listed for the sandwich.

He smiled, as he knew what I was going to order, repeated the order back to me, and then got to work. I walked to the other side of the store to the pharmacy, took care of my business there, and came back as he was finishing the sandwich.

Back at the office, I carefully took the sandwich out of its bag, unwrapped it from the paper and, lo and behold, there were onions and tomatoes. Dorothy, in her uniquely sarcastic way of putting things said, “Well, at least you got lettuce this time!” True enough, Doro. True enough.

Now, normally I would complain. Normally I would be there asking for the manager. But I’ve actually had the manager prepare the sandwich incorrectly! It is insane.

As one who worked retail in customer-oriented positions for quite some time, I just do not understand how an entire department of people can get this so consistently wrong. This guy adds onions and frequently forgets lettuce. Another feels the cheese is unimportant and tries to add mustard and mayo to it and put it on a French roll. The manager also adds additional condiments and goes for the French roll and often includes the tomatoes. The only woman to get it right, the exact way I always order it, is the woman who sometimes works there on loan from the bakery. I guess the bakers are used to having customers being specific in what they want?

The sandwich is so tasty and such a good value that I keep going back. And each time is an adventure! When ordering it, I can almost feel the salt water spray on my face. When I get the sandwich and see how they have mangled it, it feels like the whale ramming my bow. And yet, I keep signing on for another stint at whaling—am I glutton for punishment?

Know When to Fold 'em

I went with my buddy Robert to his regular poker night last evening. Card games and gambling are two things that I generally stay away from. I usually stay away from card games because I do not generally care for them and, just as I get used to the rules and rhythm of one game, people change the game on me. I stay away from gambling because I have a bit of an obsessive personality when it comes to these activities and do not want to become addicted to it and lose my shirt (or more).

However, it was a friendly game with set limits and payouts for the top three players. So, I figured, I would be sociable, try my skills at this game, and could walk away with only loosing $40 (two $20 games).

The rules were fairly straightforward: Texas No-limit Hold’em was the game throughout (so I didn’t have to worry about new rules, wild cards, etc.), 10 minute blinds (meaning every ten minutes the blinds doubled), and your minimum bet had to be at least one multiple of the small blind (to call) or the big blind to raise. Two games, $20 buy-in for each. Red chips were 1, blue chips were 2, green chips were 5, and black/gray chips were 10. A few other incidental rules, but nothing important.

I tied for last place in the first game, being one of two players knocked out during an all-in play between three players. However, I did have one good play in the first game—I had a two hearts in my hand, was forced by the rising blinds to go all-in, and pulled out a flush draw to win the pot and stay in for two more hands. It was pretty exciting.

I did better in the second game. Fairly early on I made a “read” on a guy at the table and, with absolutely nothing in my hand (Jack high card, nothing else), managed to bluff the socks off him, steal the pot, and put him in a low-chip bind. Then, in order to set him up for later, I actually showed my bluff to the table. Robert was impressed with the move, as it was a stone-cold bluff and I had the moxie to actually show it, and said that it was the ‘play of the night.’ He also commented that I took that gentleman, who is normally a pretty aggressive player, out of his comfort zone for the rest of the game. Later on, with crap on the flop and the same person being aggressive trying to stay in the game, I played him the exact same way. I managed to get him to go all-in and then I turned over trip Deuces to take the pot on what, I am fairly sure, he thought was another bluff attempt. I managed to make it into third place in this game, and won my $20 back for the game.

What I learned from this night is that playing against live opponents is very different than playing poker online, even with other actual people (as opposed to . I did not care for how quickly the blinds went up, as it caused the players to constantly want to speed up play—and I felt a few times rushed into a bet or a fold by this. I also found that I had more success when I varied how I played—I played tighter the entire first game and was knocked out early and did not feel comfortable. I loosened up my style a bit, varied from hand to hand how I would play (tight or aggressive), and had a better read on how the rest of the table played. Robert also suggested that I could learn to use the blinds, betting position, and the “big stack” better with additional playing time; there were a few times where I probably should have used my chips and my betting position to force some people out and I did not. But that just takes experience and a better knowledge of the rules and game mechanics.

More importantly, I learned that I play very differently when it is my money on the line. The style I developed during online play with fake money just did not suit me when I had real cash on the table.

I had a great time, learned a lot, and will certainly consider playing again in the future.

Championship Caliber

Not bad, I went 3-4 and the one game I missed was the one that I thought could go either way and I said I wouldn't be unhappy if the (eventual winner) Patriots managed to take it.

This week's Championship games are:

Saints vs Bears: The Bears have a great defense, made only slightly more vulnerable by the loss of some key players. Their offense, however, is another thing-- Grossman is inconsistent and can be pressured into serious mistakes. The Saints had the top passing offense this season and have a good tandem at RB. In addition, their defense is not too shabby as it uses the "bend but don't break" philosophy. Plus, they are playing with passion, having the entire state of Louisiana behind them. I just don't think the Bears D can slow the Saints down enough and I'm sure that the Bears O can't keep up for all 4 quarters. Saints: 28-17

Patriots vs Colts: I said it for last week's games: the winner of the Pats/Chargers game will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. And I stand by that. However, the Colts are sneaky good this post season and will have some tricks up their sleeves. I expect this to be a hell of a game and very back and forth. I will reiterate one other thing from last week: it's hard to bet against Belichick and Brady in the post season. I know this sounds like hedging my bet, but I will not be disappointed if Manning can get the monkey off his back and make it to the big game; and he has Vinatieri this year. However, I just don't think he can do it against the Pats. Patriots: 31-28

One further comment: Saints vs either AFC team in the Super Bowl-- could be one of the most exciting SBs in recent memory, eh?

Prognostication

I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and actually put in writing how I think the playoffs will go in this round. What the hell, right?

• Colts vs Ravens - I think the Colts will win. I think their defense will come out with the same statement as in the previous game. Manning will have a much better day (as will his WRs) and the Colts D is enough to keep Lewis in check and contain McNair. Early in the season the Colts proved they could win tight games and they now have Vinatieri as their Kicker. While the Ravens have a stout D, their offense is not that strong and got really lucky in at least 4 games this season. Colts, 24-21.
• Eagles vs Saints - I like the Saints, playing with fire and emotion at home. However, I think the bye week may hurt the NO offense and they may come out flat. The Eagles will give them some trouble, especially Westbrook and early in the game. This could be a decently high-scoring game. Saints, 31-24.
• Seahawks vs Bears - I am rooting for the 'Hawks, but think the Bears will get the win. The 'Hawks just aren't the same team as last season and neither Hasselbeck nor Alexander are running on all cylinders. Even with the injuries, the Bears D can keep the 'Hawks O in check in what I think will be a lower scoring game. Bears, 21-17.
• Patriots vs Chargers - I have to admit that I don't care who wins this game, really. Both teams are good, solid on both sides of the ball, and are well-coached. I'll be rooting for SD and think they will pull it out on Defense. I just don't see the Pats D able to control all of the Bolts weapons. However, it is hard to bet against Brady and Belichick in the playoffs; the coach is a strategy genius and Brady is the perfect QB to enact his plan. I believe the winner of this game will be the AFC representative to the Super Bowl. However, I think it is the time and this is the team that helps get Schottenheimer off the playoff schneid. I also think this is the game where the Pats miss Vinatieri's clutch kicking. Guessing a score for this one is tough, as it could be a low or a high scoring affair. Chargers 31-28.

We'll see how I do. If Pickem this year is any indication, I will only get one right. Anyone else willing to put their thoughts on paper, feel free to post a response with your picks for these games.