The Mended Meanderer

Great video article featuring a friend!

2008-12-12T04:06:00.002-06:00

Thanks to CVO for turning me toward this video. Even though I am one of those "Warm Bodied" individuals it still reminds me not to let the elements get me down! ;-)

SYS

Religion truly has reached into every crevice of our daily lives.

2008-12-11T03:36:00.002-06:00

Of course, we go through primary and secondary school learning all sorts of contradictions regarding religion and its place in our society. I am not attempting to bash religion. I am merely making the observation that religious themes have bled into many areas not blatantly concerning religion. I second the notion by believing that religion has very quietly crept into places most people (religious or not) probably never thought it would. We learn that the Church is separate from the State and so on, but is that a true statement. I think religion is right now very comfy in more institutions than we would like to admit to.

But first a quick side note. Moments of deep thought and reflection come to me at the oddest times. It's enough to make me spontaneously burst out in laughter or really bend my mind around something. Yet another example of how my head is wound differently than most, I guess.

For instance, I was watching the Geico commercial featuring Billy Jean King and one of the "cavemen" playing in a tennis match. I'm sure everyone is familiar with this one. Billy Jean and the caveman return to their chairs after finishing a set and the caveman says aloud, "I can believe I'm beating Billy Jean King!" She replies, "Beating me? You haven't even scored a point!" To which the caveman quickly responds, "Why don't you take a little gander at the scoreboard!?" Originally, the commercial then showed the score of the match as 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. The score actually appears like this:

6 6 6
0 0 0

As I was watching this commercial last night I realized that they changed it. Because when they cut to the view of the scoreboard it read:

6 6 5
0 0 0

Hmm? They changed the last "6" to a "5." Why on earth would they do that? It was weird until it finally came to me. Such a simple explanation that immediately made me chuckle but then started to concern me. They changed the score on the scoreboard because they didn't want it to read 666 because that is the duh-duh-duh-DUH NUMBER OF THE BEAST! Oh no, it's the Devil - look out! Scary shit, boy!

Seriously, folks. There was actually a call from who knows what religious group having a beef with the Geico commercial having the numbers 666 in it, that eventually lead to them changing the commercial? For crying out cornflakes, people! Stand up for yourselves. The commercial was fine the way it was. In no way did it make me think of anything having to do with 666 or the Devil until the commercial was changed. So basically, more attention has been drawn to it by the change rather than leaving it alone and keeping the numbers within the context of a tennis match. This is not rocket science here. Just the observation of an average Joe!

SYS

And now for some local news...

2008-11-22T12:48:00.002-06:00

Apparently, the citizens sleepy wilderness town of Valentine, NE can all breathe a sigh of relief as the notorious Valentine Nebraska "Butt Bandit" has finally been arrested! At 3:30am law enforcement caught the suspect in the act of applying his signature greasy imprint of buttocks and groin on a window of a local business in Valentine, NE. Since the early Spring of 2007, the Butt Bandit has left his mark on businesses all over Valentine baffling local law enforcement for some time. In addition, worries of copycat butt bandits have subsided as Valentine police believe the suspect arrested is the same man who was caught on a surveillance camera at the middle school last year.

Crazy shit! ;-)

SYS

So apparently Prince Willie's willie is making the rounds!

2008-11-21T01:15:00.004-06:00

Prince William is no stranger to paparazzi. It seems the lenses of the ruthless and shameless have caught the media dubbed "hot royal" paying the water bill at a polo match. Perezhilton.com boasts in the glory of what they refer to as "Royal Cock" while other sites are all being flooded (and crashed) by people all clambering to see Willie's one-eye.

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is (?). No pun intended. It's just a bloke having a piss who just happens to be an heir to a throne. No big deal there, right? j/k Although, it's funny how he goes about aiming his stream. It's like the gentleman's version of pissing - sort of like how you're supposed to keep your pinky finger straight when holding a tea cup. Too funny.

SYS

Weird cravings. Grounded Thoughts.

2008-11-20T13:38:00.003-06:00

The weather has gotten colder and the days have gotten shorter and at just the right time I have started to crave all things Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pies, candied yams, stuffing and not to mention delicious turkey. Yes, Thanksgiving is a sweet time of year. Many people get stressed over the Holidays, perhaps because of the hustle and bustle to tie loose ends, arrange travel, etc. I never get depressed over things like these, but realize that it can be overwhelming for some. Still, the endurance necessary for the experience is so well worth it.

So as the big day draws nearer and time runs thin remember to take the briefest of moments, taking a deep breath, to remind yourself of what Thanksgiving really means. Not just a hot kitchen, not just a long drive, not merely a disagreement waiting to happen. Forget all that stuff. Thanksgiving is togetherness! ;-)

SYS

Twists and turns and slippery slopes.

2008-11-11T16:09:00.002-06:00

Even at its dullest moments life ensures that every day is a new experience. Still, some experiences are better than others. Suffice to say that even the most stoic are at times truly challenged trying to make lemonade out of lemons.

The other day I was having a brief conversation with a friend inquiring about a mutual friend who was having a recent spell of bad luck in the form of an accident. Finding out that she was doing okay in light of all that happened made me feel better. It was then agreed upon that our friend was too great person to have to endure the mess she was in. Then I was struck for a moment.

I realized that shitty things happen more often to the best of people. And the reason for this is rather obvious. Only the truly great endure and return stronger in the presence of a tragedy, while the lesser simply cannot handle it!

SYS

It's good to be back!

2008-11-03T20:50:00.002-06:00

Life was full, times were good and it's great to be back here. I'll admit I stretched out the break a lil' bit longer to include this past weekend cause I needed time to rest up from all the Halloween/weekend high-jinks. There were many. And I have a tale or two to tell of course! ;-)

One observation I've made concerns Halloween and I mention it cause it is rather fresh in my mind. Have you ever wondered how similar Halloween and Mardi Gras are? I mean the two or completely different holidays, obviously, but look at how the two are celebrated especially among women. More and more often Halloween has become an occasion for women old and young to dress like complete sluts!

Think about it, sans the boob flashing and beads, women at Mardi Gras are basically dressed up the same way as they are at Halloween. Mind you, I saw some absolutely cute outfits that were both sexy and tasteful. Sarah Palins were an obvious trend this year. And a shipwrecked sailor girl I recall rather fondly. But I must emphasize again that they were tasteful. Not to be included with the very numerous ramble of "slutty witches" and "s&m cops" and other "wanton vixens" of all veins in bras, garters, heels and chokers.

Don't take me the wrong way, I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but I think a buddy of mine said it best: "Women should no longer dress up as street walkers when taking their kids trick or treating!" I do agree here. Ladies, please save it for the privacy of your bedroom when your kids are tucked safely in bed!

A couple of other tidbits are floating around in my melon however, I need to get a few things done so I must end here for now.

SYS

In My Head

2008-10-20T03:31:00.003-05:00

Image created by http://wordle.net/.

SYS

Time for a little break!

2008-10-01T17:51:00.002-05:00

As the Mended Meanderer approaches it's two year anniversary this month, and I myself approach the 4-year mark when I began blogging, I find it necessary to take a break from writing. I am developing a new project to take my into the next coming years and will be putting the finishing touches on it during this month.

Here in Nebraska, Indian Summer has finally approached and I will be using much of this month to unwind a bit, clear my mind, enjoy the outdoors before it gets too cold and prepare my new project. There are also some work related events that will also need my attention and rightfully so. So in the meantime, this could be the end of an old thing and the beginning of something completely new.

Do stay tuned, but it will be safe to say that nothing new will happen until the end of this month. ;-)

SYS

A treat for New Yorker's this weekend!

2008-09-23T08:43:00.002-05:00

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday (September 19-21, 2008) is Free Bike and Kite Weekend at Governors Island in New York. With help from Transportation Alternatives, Governors Island visitors can borrow a bike this weekend for up to an hour.

The first 250 visitors each day this weekend will also be given a free kite to fly on the Island’s Parade Ground. Wish I could be there!

SYS

Surprise!

2008-09-13T03:09:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of this blogger.

After a session of sweaty sex, a satiated man lay in bed
cuddling his new girlfriend as she stroked his limp dick.

Enjoying the caresses, he smiled and said, “You really
seem to like to play with that.”

“I do,” she cooed, “because I really miss mine.”

SYS

Looking Back.

2008-09-11T13:22:00.002-05:00

Photo by Alan Taylor.

We must never forget!

Ideas, direction, a theme...

2008-09-04T05:12:00.002-05:00

For those who have been reading me for a while or from the very beginning (almost four years, yikes) you'll know that I have always approached my blog in a non-theme specific fashion. Basically, I've went by the seat of my pants sharing my life, my thoughts and things that I've found funny and interesting along the way. No particular agenda to really speak of other than being "open."

But I've found myself at another crossroads recently. (Oddly enough, they seem to present themselves every two years give or take. Rather weird.) I began this journey Walking Wounded and through personal growth, healing and self-discovery found myself to be a truly Mended Meanderer. I've experienced or perhaps survived, depending on how you look at it, my share of tragedy, joy, pain and ecstasy. Despite what I've been through I find myself still with the vigor to experience more and to continually hone myself. I am my canvas after all, both physically and mentally. So I think I am ready for a change and it's got everything to do with this blog!

So what should I do? Looking at this screen I naturally shrug my shoulders and ponder the possibilities. Should I merely perform a face lift and continue on as I have for the past two years? That's hard to say. Or should I shake things up a bit, perhaps go in another direction with this whole thing? The notion is exciting but also perplexing right now. I shall have a few good night's sleep to think about this as we approach the month of October that's for sure. In the meantime, don't say I didn't warn you of some changes ahead! ;-)

SYS

Tokyo Metro's "Good Manners" Signs

2008-08-22T17:10:00.002-05:00

In the far East they seem to do some things quite differently and often more efficiently. Could you imagine signs like these on U.S. railways? Too fun!

Or at a concert...

This would be hard to enforce in NYC.

I'd rather women do this on the train rather than behind the wheel!

The key here is to use your "inside voice."

Aren't the point of head phones so that only YOU can hear the music???

SYS

Olympic Cycling Events and Times

2008-08-07T09:21:00.002-05:00

The 2008 Olympics are just about to begin and this is so super cool words cannot describe! The problem is that many events that I want to watch will be broadcast at weird times if they are even broadcast at all. Good news for fans of cycling events lies below.

NBCOlympics.com will broadcast (streaming) Olympic coverage online in the United States with a 3 hour delay after the event. Below is a list of all the Cycling events with their broadcast times. Check out NBCOlympics.com for other event schedules and broadcast times!


.	Date	Cycling Event	Time*
.	Friday, August 8	Men's road race	23:30:00
.	Sunday, August 10	Women's road race	23:00:00
.	Tuesday August 12	Women's individual time trial	20:30:00
.	Wednesday August 13	Men's individual time trial	22:30:00
.	Friday August 15	Men's and women's track individual pursuit	1:30:00
.		men's team sprint
.	Saturday August 16	Women's individual pursuit first round	1:30:00
.		men's kerin
.		points race
.		4000m individual pursuit finals
.		Men's team pursuit	19:00:00
.		men's and women's sprint qualifying rounds
.	Sunday August 17	Women's 3000m individual pursuit final	1:30:00
.		men's & women's sprint round of 16 and round of 8
.	Monday August 18	Women's points race	1:30:00
.		men's and women's sprint quarterfinals
.	Tuesday August 19	Men's madison	1:30:00
.		men's and women's sprint classifications
.		semifinals and finals


.	Friday August 22	Women's mountain bike race	Midnight
.	Saturday August 23	Men's mountain bike race	Midnight
.
.		*All times are Pacific Standard Time [PST]

SYS

Some ring tones I've made!

2008-07-25T05:23:00.004-05:00

I have to thank my buddy Zach for pointing this nifty utility out to me. Audiko is a service that not only offers a searchable database for ring tones you can download or send to your phone BUT you can also upload your own mp3 of your favorite song. Using Audiko's simple interface you can grab any 20-25 second snippet of your song and create a ring tone. Once you create your ring tone you can choose to download, send directly to your phone or do some other neat stuff.

Once you make a ring tone it becomes part of their ring tone database so you are also making a contibution for others to enjoy as well. Got a unique music track that you know would make a really cool ring tone? Just upload it, snippet and Audiko does the rest. Here are some I created in like 20 minutes just fooling around (warning: it can become addicting, folks LOL):

by audiko.net — ringtones.

Oh yeah, before I forget, y'all must check out the fantastic photos of these little critters. Mother Nature truly is the greatest architect! ;-)

SYS

You know its hot...

2008-07-20T22:07:00.002-05:00

...when the clocks strikes 10pm and the thermometer reads 90 degrees F! Yes, it is Summertime and, yes, it is HOT. Nothing like a hot time in the 'burbs. If it were not for my AC working well, I would be really uncomfortable. I love the parts of Summer (beginning and end, mostly) where it gets really hot during the day but at night with the sun down it gets just cool enough to run and play or just sit out and enjoy a cold beer without sweating more than the glass bottle. This night is not one of those nights, so I'm staying inside.

What really sucks is that I woke up to a migraine this morning and spent most of the day napping trying to let the intense pounding pass. The pounding eventually passed and now I have an itch to do something, anything but it is so uncomfortable outside. So I find myself doing something I never really do too much during the warmer months, staying at home and watching IFC. The Pope Of Greenwich Village was excellent. Suicide Kings will be great. Now, I'm all nostalgic over films and Summer times past too. Like music, great films take me back to when I saw them and what life was like for me at that time.

I remember when I first saw the movie My Bloody Valentine. It must have been close to 1983 or so and it was the Summer time. Back then I could play outside until it was dark. My Mother was strict about the rule but my father would be much more relaxed about the rule. For instance, with my Mother as soon as it was dark and the street lights came on that meant it was time to come in. But my father would still allow me to be outside as long as he still could hear the sound of children playing in the front yards. So we'd play hide and go seek as the fireflies lit up the yards and driveways. That was so cool. On one particular night, my Mother called me in and said a scary movie was on. Those were my favorites so I rushed right in without the usual begging and pleading to stay outside. The movie was My Bloody Valentine, and what a classic it was, although I would not know it that night. The only thing I would know that night was a "real" heart in a heart shaped box. Boy, they never made better slasher flicks than they did in the eighties!

So tonight we have a double-feature of modern day film noir dark comedies centered around organized crime. For a movie lover this is a real treat. I'm certainly enjoying this so far comfy and cozy on the couch with the AC. But a little something inside wishes I was still outside with the fireflies being called inside by my Mother informing me that some gangster movies are on. My childhood sure was a trip!

SYS

A rather full 4th of July weekend.

2008-07-07T11:04:00.002-05:00

No need to overstate that this past weekend was fun on many levels. As I get older it seems that I am more content with the simple pleasures that result from being with friends and enjoying traditional activities. That said, my ears are still ringing but I have recovered nicely from the weekend's festivities.

There is nothing quite like good food, good times and good people to make a holiday like America's Birthday so much fun. As a nation we have, indeed, veered from the path I think we should be on. But at the same time I would be an utter fool to not still support my country and more so the fellow citizens who share my space. After all, people still make up much of what I cherish in this world, so I celebrate them in all their glory. America, fuck yeah!

Besides BBQ, beer and blowing shit up, lot's of other things happened over the weekend in the world as we were partying!

Another southern bigot bit the dust. Another hundred thousand or so and we should be in good shape!

Some truly unique tinkerers have built some freakish looking bikes!

A hundred or so new words have been added to the latest addition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary including my personal faves:

–Air quotes (1989): gesture made by raising and flexing the index and middle fingers of both hands, used to call attention to a spoken word or expression.

–Mental health day (1971): day that an employee takes off from work to relieve stress or renew vitality.

–Mondegreen (1954): word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung. From the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of „laid him on the green“ as „Lady Mondegreen.“

–Wing nut (circa 1900): Slang: one who advocates extreme measures or changes; radical.

So remember kids, when you are partying hard someone else is hard at work or heading for the dirt nap!

SYS

Life is all about the boom de yada!!!

2008-07-01T14:41:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of xkcd.

;-)

SYS

Basking in the great outdoors!

2008-06-22T23:34:00.002-05:00

All has been so unexciting recently. I would describe it as boring, but boring is sort of negative. Nothing negative has happened, but nothing exciting either. I am getting more outdoor time which is awesome really but nothing I am overly excited about. The other morning I headed out on a bike ride/geocaching mission but ended up getting a flat tire. First, I didn't find the cache which had me mildly bummed but then on the way back home I get a flat. It was kind of a buzz kill but then again it made for a great walk to enjoy the sunrise. The sunrise that morning was spectacular.

I've been recording little impromptu videos randomly over the last week or so and I will try to get them edited and uploaded asap. Also, it's good to see Photobucket.com back up and running! ;-)

SYS

Old man or Oldman? It's still art!

2008-06-13T12:17:00.003-05:00

Indeed! :-)

SYS

Hey Twitter users!

2008-06-09T08:42:00.002-05:00

For those who do not follow or may not have heard heard through the news and e-zines, the Mars lander PHOENIX made a successful landing on Mars over the Memorial Day Weekend. In a stroke of utter genius and/or to more likely automate news of its progress the Phoenix lander has been connected to a Twitter feed. So you can login to your Twitter account and choose to "follow" updates auto-generated by the on-board computer on the Phoenix lander.

There is two-way communication with the computer on-board Phoenix (obviously) and updates are also provided by the NASA team using data retrieved from Phoenix's data downloads. Check out this cool shot of Earth and our Moon taken from the night sky of Mars:

Anyone even remotely interested in this program's mission should definitely check out the Twitter feed.

;-)

SYS

Rites of Manhood

2008-06-08T19:40:00.003-05:00

Ladies do not get upset with me! I know it is equally daunting being a woman as it is being a man in today's age. Plus in retrospect, getting to manhood and womanhood is oft full of systematic ridicule, embarrassment and sometimes blinding fear. Remember nocturnal emissions? Periods? (or rather, having a "friend" over for the weekend?) Acid washed jeans??? Just kidding about the acid washed jeans but come on they were hideous. The only silver lining adults have is the fact that when we do look back we can most of the time laugh at ourselves and each other knowing we had all shared a common collection of experiences we lump together as "growing up."

But ladies you'll have to indulge me for a moment or two when I offer the notion that boys have it a little bit tougher. In this world, becoming a man can be terrifying when granted we have adopted some rather ridiculous standards of what being a man is and/or means. Seriously though, as screwed up as we are in modern society, some considered to be "old world" societies have us beat hands down! Below is a list of some mind-boggling rites of manhood practiced in our modern world. Forget about getting laid or riding a bike, folks!

#5. Vanuatu Land... Diving. (2 links) All you've got to lose here is the possible hip-socket or cervical vertebrae. We're often told women love a man in uniform. Women there must a man with a severe limp or who drools. Go figure.

#4. Australian Aboriginal Circumcision and Subincision. (2 links) And you thought that Adam Youch, Michael Diamond and Adam Horowitz must of had it rough, eh? Personally, I prefer that my shrimp are butterflied not my own tender loins.

#3. Hamar Cow Jumping. (2 links) Now I've heard of the cow that jumped over the moon, but never a boy who jumped over a cow being pulled head-to-tail by two eunuchs! Oh my, the things man will go through just to be able to kill and have sex.

#2. The Algonquin Drug Trip. (1 link) Hold on just a minute now. This is nothing like that Grateful Dead concert you attended in well... what year was that again? Here, boys looking to become men are brought to a sacred spot (often caged and bound), force-fed super strong hallucinogens and left to endure the utter nightmare that awaits them. Not quite your typical weekend in the 'burbs!

#1. The Matis Hunting Trials. (1 link) Talk about the gift that keeps on giving (no not Herpes). The whole point of a trial is to get through it not revisit it! I think if I were a Matis youth I'd become a vegetarian and then hope a great spirit dropped of some Tonka trucks on it's next visit!

To be honest though, I think they left one out here on this list. Probably somewhere between #4 and #2 they should have added a sixth terrifying rite of manhood: Middle School Gym Class! ;-)

SYS

"...dagga dagga doo-doo day doo-doo!"

2008-06-06T01:30:00.002-05:00

THEY'RE BACK! ;-)

SYS

Net Neutrality is very important!

2008-06-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

You may recall that recently I got upset at the state of my cable service coupled with the very large monthly subscription rate I was paying. So I did something really radical deciding to get rid of it all and go Basic everything (while still being able to get PPV and Movies on Demand). Since giving up all of my higher tier subscriptions I have to say it took some getting used to but I am doing fine. I have a feeling if this were the Winter when I am outdoors the least it would probably be harder to adjust. But with fingers firmly crossed I am doing okay. lol

Now let's get back to a more serious note. So imagine that accessing the Internet would be the same experience as subscribing to cable TV. Just think about it for a minute. You'd pay a subscription fee and you would get a package of certain channels (er, sites) of material to look at but limited to only those that fell within your package. This works just like tiers on cable and satellite TV subscriptions, where the higher the tier the more channels you get. This means that the more you're willing to pay the more internet content you would be allowed access to. But this would also mean that some big store brand websites would start to dominate the internet while other smaller, more "niche" websites would no longer exist.

The reason smaller sites would no longer exist is that their traffic would be filtered towards those big store brand sites that would be picked up by an ISP (much like channels picked up by Cable providers) and away from them. In essence, a website like Truemors (one of my personal faves) would soon be no more because their traffic would plummet and the revenues they make off of ads would shrivel up. Small websites would be bankrupted unless, of course, they were picked up by an ISP and offered within a subscription package. If they are picked up then everything would be fine. But who's to say that an ISP like Time Warner for instance would be interested in picking up Truemors or eBaum's World or even Sherdog. Something's beginning to smell funny, isn't it? You know what that smell is? It's bullshit!

We already pay for internet access whether it's dial-up, satellite or broadband (which is expensive enough, damn it). And for that at times hefty premium we get access to the whole world wide web totally and completely unfiltered. This is the way the internet was intended and that is why it is as big of a community as it is and will be ever-growing. But large corporations along with your ISPs (yes, all the ones in the entire world) are calculating the money that is going out the window by having access to the internet be open. When the internet is open for all to use and to travel through without filtering it is said to be neutral. Corporations and ISPs do not want the internet to remain neutral and are in negotiations RIGHT NOW to have internet neutrality end by the year 2012. Is this another conspiracy theory? No, because some ISPs (perhaps even yours) are willing to admit it if you ask them. Besides, why wouldn't they be excited? The revenue that a non-neutral internet would generate for all major corporations would be huge. And that my friends is no bullshit!

Head on over to IPower and learn more about this initiative driven by the major corporations and commercial interests. Their goal is to end net neutrality by the year 2012. Sounds a bit far off but it's really just around the corner, folks. Also, watch the video below from a group of concerned activists at IPower who discuss what the average person can do to get the word out and stop this initiative.

SYS

The sequels you may or may not know about.

2008-06-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

Summer (just around the corner, folks). The time for a sea of Summertime blockbusters causing us to bombard our national cinemas like lemmings. While there are many stand alone features I am anticipating, this Summer seems to be the "Summer of the Sequel." And as you'll soon find out this trend will continue for the next few Summers... yikes.

Big up to Den of Geek for compiling this list of 30 (holy shit) sequels either down the pipe or ready to hit us this Summer/Fall. Some are intriguing but others I was better off not knowing about.

Seriously, another I Am Legend??? Obviously, it was a hit this past Holiday season, but for what? My guess is not many people read the book or saw the far superior film adaptation The Omega Man starring the late Charlton Heston. To say I Am Legend was a reinterpretation is stretching things a bit, but (yes indeed) folks they're gonna continue the saga. Question: From which ending are they going to continue the story? Answer: Who gives a shit cause it's gonna suck!

SYS

I guess Curtis Mayfield was right...

2008-06-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

when he sang, "If there's a Hell below, then we're all gonna go!" Yet I cannot help but look at this obvious atrocity in the name of free speech as a bit disturbing in a murky sense. Reason I chose murky is that when I look at my fellow man and woman (only to whom I consider myself to be actual peers with) I can see instances when they would be punished simply because they were subject to their own human condition. It should go unsaid that rapists, child molesters, etc. have a place in the ever burning pit that is Hell (or Hades, if it even exists - more on this later). But Sports Fans? Pot Smokers? Even hypocrites???

Besides there being obvious flaws in the list, for instance Homosexuals and Lesbians are on the list. That is just a redundancy in my opinion. A woman who is a homosexual is a lesbian. Maybe they wanted the extra emphasis and shock value or something; possibly in hopes of sticking it to women even harder. Because we all know that most religions in this world are highly misogynistic but it'll be a snowball's chance in - well, you know where - that misogynists will ever make the list. That would really be hypocritical on their part. Which brings me back to hypocrites. WTF??? I mean hypocrites aren't nearly as prevalent as assholes but I think it's safe to say that everyone is at least related to one. Perhaps more if you really think hard on it. I know I am and that is not saying anything profound at all. But then, how do we judge someone a hypocrite? Isn't it wrong for us to judge lest we're to be judged ourselves? I don't think we can ever know for sure. Even to think that if we used the most rudimentary definition of the word as our basis the list of hypocrites would grow exponentially. I mean we could wipe out all the health care workers who smoke cigarettes out in one shot! Along with everyone else in the world for that matter.

I think the underlying theme of messages like these is that in order for religions to work they need to fill the minds of people. Let's face it, the fear of damnation and everlasting hell (or being forced to watch Lawrence Welk reruns for eternity) is a powerful control!

SYS

What struck me at last night's CBS broadcast of Elite XC.

2008-06-01T08:43:00.002-05:00

For those of whom are not fans or possibly do not follow the sport quite as closely as I, last night marked a turning point for the sport of MMA. CBS was the first major broadcast television network (excluding cable networks) to air a mixed martial arts card by the Elite XC organization. For those with cable TV or satellite, Elite XC is a joint venture with cable network Showtime and other various entities including world renowned boxing promotor Gary Shaw. Of course, last night's telecast was equally worthy because it featured Miami, FL street brawler-bodyguard turned Elite XC star fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in the main event. It's obvious that despite the fact that the card featured a title defense by Ruthless Robby Lawler the main draw for this event was for Kimbo Slice. Yes, folks. One day you're a homeless ex-felon making quick cash entering unsanctioned backyard bare knuckle street fights, the next day your videos of your fights hit YouTube which catch the eyes of officiants in the MMA world. And then stardom. Only in America.

But I like Kimbo and think that it is cool that he along with other professional fighters in the MMA arena can now actually make ends meet through their sport. The climb to stardom in MMA is not easy but it far surpasses what other fighters have had to go through back in the day. Progress? Yes. Flaws? Many still. One seems to be more of an ideology perhaps. Take for instance Brett Rogers, a father of three, who has recently climbed up the ranks of MMA heavyweight fighters in the sport with humble beginnings not so dissimilar to that of Kimbo. In interviews he mentions how he is glad that he can now "work" (fight) and get paid more now in the sport to help support his family. With this in mind, I could not help but notice that he sports two huge lengths of bling around his neck. Obviously, he must be doing more than "alright." And if they weren't new pieces, I wonder how many paychecks they set him back?

Now Kimbo has got himself a big ol' fist of bling around his neck that I think is as awesome as it is cheesy. Cheesy due to the fact that even Sir Mix-a-Lot pardons his own personal outdated examples of bling lust with the clever hook, "Excuse the gold, the video is old!" Awesome because no one else but Kimbo can even pull something like that off. And talk about an accessory truly matching the mood and character of the owner? Never before has a piece of jewelery been perfectly paired to an individual. (I draw this observation from far too numerous examples in our Hip Hop community.) The difference with Kimbo is that he has, indeed, reached stardom. So I guess the additions of bling are more understandable for him. For Rogers, however, I might think he could cash in both of those big links and set up a few CDs for his kids who most likely will be heading to college someday. After all, Rogers might be the next rising star but he has not broken the horizon just yet. In the world of MMA, all it takes is one severe injury or a string of losses to send you all the way back to repairing truck tires! ;-)

SYS

Happy Birthday Brooklyn Bridge!

2008-05-23T03:44:00.004-05:00

I would have liked to have been there in person but just seeing this amazing photo taken by none other than Amazin' Jane fills me with a real sense of the moment. Terrific shot of a very beautiful U.S. landmark. It's kinda grand sharing a birthday in the month of May. May is such a great month to be born. Lot's of flowers, warm weather, the smell of freshly mowed lawns, thunder storms. Yes, I said thunder storms!

Thunder storms are real cool to me. Back east, thunder storms would roll in in a rather predictable fashion. Warm air coming off the land would mix with cool air from over the ocean and voila: "let's get ready to rumble" kids! But out here is corn country thunder storms develop in a unique way unfamiliar from the observations of my youth. They seem to come more unannounced, abruptly in a way that strikes you as, "wow, it's booming outside!" And the sky's lightning show is really grand out here cause of the far less presence of light pollution. I walk outside and can see clear to the next county as flashes light the clouds and the ever awe inducing strikes light the horizon.

I only wish it wasn't raining so hard so that I could set up my camera to try and nail some shots. I know I have a setting which will trigger the shutter when light flashes but I have to play around with it more. Oh well, I'll still enjoy the show! ;-)

SYS

These turbulent times.

2008-05-15T19:34:00.002-05:00

I was reminded today about an important initiative for Human Rights. As far as we have come in decades past, both in our own back yard and globally, it still amazes me that this issue is still as hot as it is. Don't get me wrong, Human Rights is white hot and deservedly so. What really amazes me is how so often the pains and efforts of concerned individuals to create a global awareness miss fruition. Is it due to the fact we have become bogged down in our own immediate daily distractions as with many common folk? Or are we perhaps jaded?? Those of you who know what makes me tick could probably guess what my opinion is. But with all fairness I will offer that Human Rights issues are simplistic in their immediacy - we need to remind ourselves that not everyone receives the fairest of treatment, even in a country like the U.S. The problems are social, economical, physical and behavioral and it is here that the problem sheds it's simplicity and dons a rather enigmatic garb of convolution.

But to be honest, we will never have unity in our race unless humans learn how to ethically treat all other non-human species on this planet. We can dream. We should dream!

SYS

More on Bloody Mary's

2008-05-05T21:06:00.002-05:00

There are a couple of neat resources I found while combing the interwebs in search of information on the Bloody Mary beverage and it's history.

You can also find some information here. ;-)

SYS

The Art in a Women's Bathroom

2008-05-04T04:07:00.005-05:00

Damn it, if it's not true but beauty is where you find it!

SYS

Strong's Bloody Mary

2008-05-04T03:54:00.003-05:00

So I was struck by a creative nerve recently and decided to do some experimentation at work over the last two weeks or so. I tested a rather small sample size and so far have found positive feedback. I think the results are quite good now that I have been able to tweak my initial recipe notes (see above).

I'd like to present you a throw back if you will to the original Bloody Mary's as you may recognize by the use of gin as opposed to vodka. I give you Strong's Bloody Mary:

---
Strong's Bloody Mary (stirred)

Ingredients:

2.0 oz Gin
1 can tomato juice
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Approx. 4 tbs. Olive brine
2 lime wedges
4 green olives (whole)
Tobasco sauce
Salt

Preparation:

Take a highball glass and fill it to approximately 3/4 full with ice. Add Gin, tomato juice, lime wedges and olives. Add fresh juice from half a lime (if you are using bottled or "sweetened" lime juice use slightly less OR a healthy splash). Add four (or more, according to customer request) of olive brine. Next, add six drops of tobasco sauce and finish with a healthy 2 shakes of salt. Stir contents well. Top off with ice and serve.

Notes: Even though the vodka varieties of the Bloody Mary are more popular, I decided to go old school and use gin as that was the spirit used when the drink was first invented. Another preparation will involve pickles (and the brine) but I need to iron that one out a bit more. I am also experimenting with a "shaken" preparation to the above recipe.

---

So there you have it. I also want to experiment with a recipe that takes advantage of pickle brine. And I love pickles! ;-)

SYS

If you can't say it, say it with a card...

2008-05-01T22:57:00.003-05:00

Amen! ;-)

SYS

Today, I needed a good chuckle!

2008-04-30T17:56:00.002-05:00

And I got it thanks to my friend Teryn!

SYS

A great example of important fitness principles.

2008-04-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

As some of you may know I offer personal fitness consultation to a number of clients most of whom are really good friends. Recently, I received word from one buddy that he has not only gained strength but has also lost 8 pounds to boot. Warm fuzzies like these make my day!

For those of you who are on the thin side or consider yourselves to be "hard gainers" when it comes to strength and size there is an excellent article which covers many of the principles I use in my personal consultation.

Head on over to here and enjoy! ;-)

SYS

A self experiment I feel will be worth while.

2008-04-21T16:54:00.002-05:00

I never thought I would actually reach this state but YES I am currently fed up with Cable, in particular Time Warner. In an attempt to try and just "deal" with the current state of things I have done something I never though I would do. I have canceled all my premium cable subscriptions, even HBO and HDNet.

My reasons for being disgruntled are simple. For the nearly $300 dollars I have been paying per months there is simply not that much new stuff on. With my former package I was getting all channels and their HD offerings, except for Encore. We all know this past winter was very brutal so outdoor activities for me were kept to a minimum. Besides, the gym, work and going out that left a lot of time for me cooped up in my crib watching TV. Other than weekly shows like The Wire and Dexter I found I was watching a lot of nonsense. My basic gripe was that I am really interested in HD channels. But in order to get the HD tier package I had to subscribe to the premium channel packages as well. So instead of allowing me to have simple HBO east/west in HD I had to have 12 different HBOs as well. Same for SHOWTIME, TMC and CINEMAX. In the perfect scenario all I would have liked were HBO, SHOW, CINE, TMC, HDNet, HDNet Movies and MOJO - all in HD. You can keep all of the other version of HBO or Showtime because basically they show the same shit in a given month. I mean I already have a DVR box so if something is on when I am not up I can DVR it and watch it later on. But no, Time Warner doesn't allow this type of streamlined service. If you decide to "a la carte" those channels on top of the basic cable package the cost still adds up!

So as of right now I am a Basic subscriber until further notice. This still allows me to get IFC and AMC as well as get on Demand Movies and PPV, which suits me fine for now. Now that the weather is getting milder I will be enjoying more outdoor activities away from the one eyed monster! ;-)

SYS

Drunk people CAN be funny!

2008-04-21T15:52:00.004-05:00

This past week flew by rather fast and once again I found myself longing to be outside in the seasonable (about freakin' time) weather we've been having. This weekend in particular was a great treat since we had warm temperatures instead of the typical pattern of great weekdays and weekends that are cold and suck! So needless to say when I wasn't working this weekend I was partying extra hard although my alcohol consumption was rather mild. (More on this later.) Alas, I feel better since the rise in temperatures because now I have my apartment all opened up and the fresh air is very welcomed!

In town, the warm weather usually brings the people out in droves. On top of which it was the Red&White game for UNL so plenty of fans were in the capitol, drinking, looking for a good time and perhaps a good fight. Friday night was a very comical night regarding drunks looking for a fight. This one rather large dude had approached the door to the bar a bit early in the night, which surprised myself and the doorman on duty. Contrary to my immediate wishes, the drunk "shrek-man" was able to stumble just inside the door and proceed to give us grief. After, the doorman explained to shrek-man that he could not come inside you could clearly see the drunk start to get very testy. At first, he demanded my doorman call him a cab to which my doorman refused since he had not been drinking at our establishment. Inside my mind I was in agreement but I showed nothing but my poker face as I slowly positioned myself ready to settle the situation. Sure enough, shrek-man wanted to have a word with the manager, in other words "me." I simply stood without saying a word allowing my steady eye contact and slow shake of my head to do the speaking because obviously anything I would have had to say to him would have been lost in the drunken fog between his ears. As my doorman stepped closer to him to usher him out of the doorway I saw what I didn't want to see: shrek-man took a swing at my doorman. Now it was ON.

As I plowed through the doorway taking shrek-man and my doorman with me outside all I was thinking is that I hope my doorman did not get hit or that this asshole would not try to swing on me because I usually do not beat around the bush when it comes to that. No one got hit but what would happen next would truly turn our frowns upside down. Shrek-man's pants came tumbling down to his ankles during the scuffle! LOL What a complete asshole!

The incident ended with shrek-man giving us all the finger out of anger and most likely embarrassment. Although, he did try to get into another bar across the street but it was all a lost cause as the bicycle police were waved down and the guy was hauled off to detox - again, with one more drop of the draws for good measure. As the police took statements from myself and my doorman I could not help but crack a smile and giggle at the recount of the incident. The officers shared in the grinning and chuckling. The rest of the night was easy-peazy lemon squeezy! ;-)

SYS

I love finding people who know what they are talking about. Example: Free Range Kids.

2008-04-11T11:47:00.003-05:00

It just tickles me pink! :-) Seriously, I have a blog that I feel everyone should visit to check out the articles and leave comments cause I think it is a super important situation that has developed which is causing harm in the long run.

Head on over to Free Range Kids and read some of the latest columns and side bar links. This is a very good idea and it is amazingly enlightening that someone other than George Carlin (who I admire) has the balls to say what need s to be said regarding our children.

True, I do not yet have children of my own but when I do you best believe I would owe it to them to give them the best start possible. After all, we all want our children to be leaders and not followers and above all survivors!

SYS

Your outlook often reveals your chances of success or failure.

2008-04-10T19:42:00.004-05:00

Facing daunting circum-
stances either in life's realtime or while on the drawing board can leave us feeling as thought there is no way through. I experienced this the other night while having deep conversations about life and business. Then, I reminded myself that fear of action will ultimately result in an unwanted outcome. The old wisdom of, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" still remains simple, pure and correct.

For example, it's not always a bad thing to find yourself between a rock and a hard place! :-)

SYS

There really is no excuse for y'all!

2008-04-08T15:25:00.002-05:00

No, this isn't directed at everyone obviously, just the laziest lot of you!

Don't have money for a gym membership? Not a problem. Don't have any weights at your crib?? No problem! Got a portly pooch you wish you could spend more time with??? Bonus, baby! Now get off your ass, show your pooch some needed LOVE and build some fucking muscle all at the same time!

This fella right here completes an entire complex with his best friend:

Booyah! Totally awesome, IMO.

I've never wanted a bulldog so badly in my life. lol

SYS

Muxtape is a mixtape only cooler!

2008-04-07T10:06:00.003-05:00

So I made myself a Muxtape this morning after getting turned on to it over at one of my favorite blogs. So far it is catching on in a major way across the ol' Interwebs as my Google Reader had about a half dozen other bloggers all talking about it. So I wasn't going to miss out on the fun of expressing myself musically. Besides, John Cusack in "High Fidelity" is one of my all time faves, especially when he talks about the art of the mixtape. But no, this is a MUXTAPE and needs its very own consideration. So be sure to check mine out over here and leave me a comment as to what you think!

Hey, and let me know if you make one of your own when leaving a comment. There's nothing to hold you back cause it's FREE! ;-)

SYS

A funny picture sparks a sad realization...

2008-04-01T05:45:00.006-05:00

So I found this picture floating around the interwebs and I'll admit I did chuckle. And then I thought, "how pathetic." Not because of the guy, the girl or the photo in whole. But at the message it was saying.

Of course, there are examples of superficial people in all ages which comes from the fact that we still teach these attitudes to children. How far we have become, eh? I also understand that everyone is super-sensitive to and uber-aware of suggestive body language, inappropriate touching, sexual harassment and all of that. Don't get me wrong, unwanted advances and sexual harassment are not appropriate. But I think we have let these negative attitudes and super sensitivities affect us so drastically that we can no longer simply embrace a person in a friendly manner without causing insult or worse.

Take this insecure chap (at least in the present context) attempting to put his arm around a rather attractive colleague. An innocent gesture given the circumstance. Come on, people it's a group photo! It's such a shame a nice warm photograph of friends/students/colleagues had to turn into something else. Case in point, the original title of the photo as posted was...

"When a nerd holds a woman."

Shame, indeed. But then again, to reflect, contemplate, understand and laugh a little is healthy too. It reminds us that we shouldn't be taking ourselves so seriously in the first place. ;-)

SYS

And I thought Wacky Pataki was a crazy fuck...

2008-03-30T05:42:00.003-05:00

Is it me or do all Republicans seem as though they are a little off? By off I mean in the sense that your great grandfather in his late nineties during a holiday dinner, after seemingly napping peacefully, will open his eyes wides gazing at everyone in the room and ask, "who are all of you people and where is my horse!?"

True, I shouldn't pick on Pataki anymore since he is no longer governor of my home state and he never got caught cheating on his wife with a high priced call girl. But the memories of all the large number of students at college I came to know my first year not being able to attend their second year due to the vast increase in tuition set forth by Mr. Wacky are still stained rather darkly in my mind. As we all, things are very interesting in New York right now.

I read this article and I think everyone will get a kick out of it. It concerns everyone's favorite Republican candidate for President. Have fun!

SYS

Now this chap has some vert!

2008-03-25T04:48:00.002-05:00

All I can say is, "holy shit!"

That height of 66 inches is only 4 inches shorter than I am (5'10" = 70 inches). Damn!

SYS

A lovely advertisement.

2008-03-18T12:13:00.003-05:00

The past two weeks rolled by rather quickly. We were sprinkled with days that were truly a tease to us Spring time romantics and instead of blogging, emailing and whatnot I found myself outdoors, biking, golfing, frolfing, etc. Yes, the Spring time ants in the pants is upon me!

Good news: I will be a contributing editor to an E-Zine. My first article is due around the first week of April and I will have more news on this as my first article nears completion.

In the meantime, the Midwest Minimalist turned me on to this lovely ad. Where was this for the last Superbowl broadcast??? lol

SYS

Blood Sausage with Human Blood!?!

2008-03-05T16:06:00.003-06:00

No, folks I only wish I could have made this shit up! lol Where's Stephen King, he'll get a kick out of this for sure. ;-)

Apparently, some lovely, spirited chaps decided there's no better way to pay respect to fallen airmen comrades than to consume some good 'ol Blood Sausage (known as Blotwurst in Germany) made from, you guessed it, the fallen comrades own real blood! Now for us who have grown to love Blood Sausage, I being partial to Irish Blood Sausage myself, it is nothing more than sausage that is dipped in beef blood to add flavor and give the sausage a distinctly dark color. Some better Irish Blood Sausages are almost completely black when cooked and so effing delicious. But human blood is probably a bit more than kicking it up a notch! They should have consulted with Emeril Lagasse, damn crazy krouts!

According to the article (and this part I find absolutely amazing), a German Airman Soldier actually appeared on a website depicting him siphoning off the blood to add to the recipe. But that didn't call attention to the shenanigans. It took a complaint to senior officers after from an airman who was approached to "donate" some of his blood to the scheme. Could they not keep up with the demand for the commemorative sausage or did they just wanna turn a fast profit by selling commemorative sausage of soldiers not exactly dead yet???

Yep, you can't make this shit up folks! Thanks to the Dethroner for bringing this to my attention.

SYS

An American Soldier and A Surrogate Pooch

2008-03-03T17:04:00.004-06:00

Side Note: It is perhaps because of these types of dualities that I continue to have a love/hate relationship with the people in this world in light of the fact that you can rarely find more compassionate and overall model behavior in people as opposed to the animals we have so-called dominion over!

First, a person who I would personally love to tar and feather.

U.S. Marine David Mortari kills an innocent puppy.

Seriously, dude. I know there are fellow alpha males out there that are saying to themselves, "so what?" but all I have to say is that I am glad I do not know you! Anyone who thinks this kind of disgusting behavior is something that someone would look forward to watching in a video is a piece of SHIT. I understand this David douche bag is serving our country but I am just a little bit concerned that psychiatric screening is not used anymore in the armed forces recruiting system. I'm also concerned about the family members and friends of this asshole who would get a kick out of this in the first place. Normally you create a video because, I don't know, maybe they care that you are alright over there and not in a fucking body bag. Am I reaching here?

Do a Google search on this guy's name and you'll see his popularity is far from skyrocketing so at least he is getting SOME of his just desserts. If it were up to me loosing a bar or two would only serve to set an example for other dummies who think serving your country might include throwing puppies or tying two cats up at the tail.

This video is just one more reason why other countries generalize about the U.S. and hate us....and one more reason why half the U.S. population has lost all faith and respect for the people who represent us overseas.

Not all soldiers are this fucked up. I know serveral people who have served our country and I am glad to call them friends! We are obligated to let the ones who are worthy of our admiration know that we care and respect them. On the other hand, I am a proponent of calling a spade a spade so to speak!

So here is some information on the bastard in this video. I hope all those who read this use it wisely. Perhaps call your city's news channels or perhaps this guys JAG office. Does this moron not realize that we live in the information age? Here's to you David Mortari, you're number one (my middle finger being clearly extended).

David Mortari
24419 Florence Acres Rd
Monroe, WA 98272-9662
Phone: (360) 794-7191
(714) 330-0418

***

A now for something that will give us all some warm fuzzies! (I know I could use some.)

A Dachshund bitch helps rear a baby piggy.

If only the nurturing instincts were always so strong in humans. Turns out this pooch took in a premature piglet after the little guy had a hard time nursing with his own mother. In his premature state, little "Pink" didn't have a suckling reflex common in new born piglets besides the fact he was very weak and his eyes were still sealed shut.

Turns out "Tink" the mother Dachshund had delivered a litter of two but one of them was still born. The idea crossed the mind of the owner (of both the piggies and the Dachshund) whether or not the Tink would allow Pink to nurse. From the looks of the photos it looks like Pink at two and half weeks old is doing well.

You can read more about this story as well as catch some updates here and here. It is nice to read news that doesn't involve politics, economics or homicidal antics!

SYS

HOT PANTS! We're not talking James Brown here...

2008-03-03T12:56:00.003-06:00

Now I've heard of giving somebody a "hot foot" which used to be a common prank in major and minor league baseball sets back in the day. But I've never heard of somebody getting hot pants (or perhaps fire britches is a better term) from of all things like riding your bike. (???)

Well, apparently this poor Polish dude was riding his bike and yes, his trousers literally caught on fire! Jumping off the bike he made attempts to put out the blaze (of course) but still suffered second degree burns on his thighs, back and stomach. Luckily his yarbles did not roast too. Yikes!

You can read about it here and here.

SYS

One can dream... ;-)

2008-03-01T15:05:00.004-06:00

SYS

Irony

2008-03-01T07:25:00.002-06:00

If this doesn't fit the definition then I do not know what does...

And one more thing!

As the weather gets warmer (albeit, rather slowly for my taste) in the next few weeks I want to remind everyone of something. Gas is currently more expensive than beer. This doesn't apply to all beer but still it should be noted that many of us actually waste more money getting ourselves to our favorite watering hole than we spend at our favorite watering hole. Don't worry, though. This isn't a reason for us all to find the nearest skyscraper to jump off of. Instead, get your friends, family and loved ones together and play this. And just for a little added bonus be sure to have them ride their bikes to the venue.

You'll thank me later or at least the morning after! :-)

SYS

UPDATE: Polar Plunge 2008 a huge success!

2008-02-26T02:27:00.008-06:00

One has to give credit where credit is due and Mr. Sanders definitely brought flair and showmanship to the 2008 Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. Here we have a shot of some body paint worn by Mr. Sanders to promote his proud employer Kenexa. Sadly, it didn't hold up as well as some of the body paint used for advertising on the backs of prize fighters, but no matter. The plunge was on, baby. Mr. Sanders remained cool and crisp like a Vlasic pickle in that frigid lake brine!

Through the help of individual contributors (no corporate sell out, power to the people) Mr. Sanders has met his goal and then some of a $1000.00 dollars raised for Special Olympics athletes. Booyah! Special thanks to all those who gave to this great cause. Y'all rock faces completely off! ;-)

The elements were brisk to say the least although the sun did help somewhat, feeling warm on the back and arms. Although it did help that I was wearing a black jacket. One thing I didn't account for was the wind which picked up right as Mr. Sanders and I arrived at check-in. For this reason, I would have worn some gloves as well as made the final decision to bring my tripod for the video recording. Holding the camera for nearly an hour straight was a bit C-O-L-D but I really can't complain that much as Mr. Sanders was the one taking the drink. Yes, those are some thick slabs of ice - 14 inches worth!

I'm guessing each of the larger slabs of ice probably weigh in at 100+ lbs. Too bad we didn't have a kegger planned because we could have had access to plenty of ice. Just be sure to bring the ax, chop-chop! he-he

And as promised the video (parts 1 and 2) highlighting Mr. Sanders Polar Plunge. I do have additional footage of the other plungers that I will be processing shortly and will post. But for now, it's all about Mr. Sanders and his mission. Enjoy!

SYS

Wednesday February 27, 2008 Note: Audio codec used to mix video incorrect. Music soundtrack is not heard. Will fix and re-post video with proper audio codec shortly! Thanks...

The time is near so come on everybody!!!

2008-02-22T08:31:00.002-06:00

As my readers are well aware my buddy Mr. Sanders will be taking the Polar Plunge at Holmes Lake TOMORROW MORNING Saturday February 23rd, 2008 in a Speedo for Special Olympics. The Special Olympics is a great cause that everyone should get involved with. Mr. Sanders can be sponsored through donations and he is EXTREMELY close to meeting his sponsorship goal. Check it out:

Since he'll be taking the plunge tomorrow morning and he is so close to his sponsorship goal I'm making this last call to give all you can. It's super easy, just do the following:

1. Click the link right here.

2. Show Mr. Sanders some MONEY and love!

3. If you're in town for the event, stop on down and cheer Mr. Sanders on or perhaps bring some hot beverage(?).

If you can't make it down to Holmes Lake for the event (and the laughs) don't fret, I will be shooting a video of the event. Sorry ladies, Mr. Sanders already requested no low angle footage! Just leave me a message right here with your email so I can send you the raw video. We're talking Mr. Sanders in a Speedo jumping into Holmes Lake in conditions that will be BRISK to say the least. Now that's theater folks!!!

Thank you one and all for giving to this great cause!

;-)

Charity never felt so cold as Roso freezes his bullocks off!!!

2008-02-18T02:53:00.001-06:00

No, no, no. You'll have to wait until the actual Polar Plunge at Holmes Lake this Saturday February 23rd to catch my homeboy Mr. Sanders in his tight swim skivvies!!!

He will be taking the Polar Plunge in a Speedo this year for Special Olympics. The Special Olympics is a great cause so please give what you can. It's super easy, just do the following:

1. Click the link right here.

2. Show him some MONEY and love!

3. If you're in town for the event, catch an eye full!!!

Hey, It takes a big pair of balls to jump in a cold lake regardless of the cause so give all you can, especially since his balls won't too big once he exits the lake. If you can't make it for the support or the laughs don't fret, I will be shooting a video of homeboy literally freezing his nuts off! Just leave me a message at my Myspace page with your email so I can send you the video. We're talking a tight Speedo, high comedy and a great cause. What more could you ask for!

;-)

A question (from a MySpace survey no less) inspired me...

2008-02-12T20:09:00.003-06:00

Q: How long have you been breathing?

A: How the hell do I know!? But I can find out!

So that's a whole lot of minutes. Wouldn't mind trading some for flier miles! j/k

;-)

SYS

Giving to a great cause!

2008-02-09T14:40:00.001-06:00

This year my buddy Christian will be taking the Polar Plunge to raise moneys and awareness for the Special Olympics! The Special Olympics is a great cause and I urge everyone to give what they can. Plus my buddy will be taking the plunge in a Speedo. So anyone in the area for the Polar Plunge should definitely grab their video cameras for that shit!

Simply do the following:

1. Follow the link right .

2. Show my friend some support and give MONEY!

3. Grab an eye full!!!

;-)

SYS

Something to Think About I'm Sure.

2008-02-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

I originally posed this question over at Yelp Talk where I try to write most of my reviews of restaurants, bars and other businesses. (I try to keep all my movie reviews here.) The following is the meat of the question.

One of the things that has passed through my cluttered mind lately, partially due to the recent news that absinthe (or how ever you care to spell it), not to be confused with the imitation product Absente as well as all new imports must be very low in thujone, has now been cleared by the U.S. for importation and sale. Now many have heard of "the green fairy" having hallucinogenic properties and what not resulting in its initial banning in this country as well as others, but in light of what we know about alcohol consumption and the tendencies of people who indulge (perhaps over-indulge) in it, does this really seem like a radical step? I mean, sure consuming something with hallucinogenic effects raises some concerns, but when you look at it all alcoholic beverages can lead to a similar affect on the person who drinks too much. The physical affects or alcohol (ethanol) on the system are widely noted. But alcohol also has mood altering and behavioral affects that anyone who has attended "a kegger" can attest. While we cannot say that alcohol affects everyone's behavior the same, we can safely say that if you mix alcohol and groups of people you are bound to witness something happen.

So this leaves me with the following question: Do you think that our Government's policies governing consumable products, more precisely the substances they contain, are accurate? Or perhaps should this recently lifted ban on absinthe spark more focus on renewing our views on other consumable products and substances in a similar vein as liquors, liqueurs, and other spirits?

I thought this was noteworthy to include here in light of the previous Super Bowl weekend and the fact that the opinions would comprise a larger relative group. Feel free to let me know what you think! ;-)

SYS

GIANTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPS!!!

2008-02-04T09:57:00.000-06:00

Holy flipping shit balls the New York Giants, the road warriors as I have come to call them (and rightfully so) did what I thought would be an impossible task. The weakest seed to reach the Super Bowl upset the heavily favored (practically from week one) New England Patriots. Honestly, I thought the Giants were gonna give it their all but that it would not stand up to the Patriots might.

But then I was reminded of the last meeting between the Giants and Patriots at New York. That game was a very close game and one that was very interesting to watch for both fans. The Super Bowl game proved no exception as it was an odd, low scoring game and perhaps odder still because the Giants defense was doing something I thought they would never be able to do as a team - pressure Brady! Plus, Eli had some great support from his offensive line and made some great throws. Of course, we are going to see what I am calling "the no-look helmet catch" for quite some time on ESPN. Yes, It is great to be a New York fan. Although, the Giants technically still play their home games in New Jersey. Shit. ;-)

SYS

You know it's so true!

2008-02-01T11:45:00.000-06:00

No matter what day of the week, no matter what month, no matter which Holiday.

I Feel Like Dave Tonight.

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator, for all your slogan needs. Get more Dave slogans.

:-)

SYS

And the first nominees for the 2008 Darwinian Award goes to...

2008-01-28T12:54:00.000-06:00

...this group of total fools!!! I like the concept fellas but engineers you are not. I'm surprised someone else in the pool is not screwing with a potato gun or something. At last, the Midwest is getting a brief yet rewarding reprieve from the absolutely frigid temperatures we had for nearly a solid four-week spell. I headed out of my apartment earlier today and was totally sold upon my first complete inhalation of warmer air that I should go out and purchase a hot tub. (I'm not going too but the thought did bring a smile to my face.)

It is nice to see some melt off of the snow and a glimpse at the muddy ground beneath. All the mud makes me want to go riding, and I am eager to do some experimentation on my shock upgrades. But that will happen later on. For now I will allow my lunch to digest and share some funny snippets I picked up over the past few weeks that didn't seem to make sense in light of the reviews I have been writing lately.

This cracked me up the other week when I stumbled upon it. How we have come full circle amazes me. What also amazes me is how a little bump in the daytime temperatures seems to have an affect on all the creatures out and about (including us). I see the Red Squirrels are out chasing each other around. The males of course trying to take the ol' skin boat to tuna town. Even some male birds are chasing around trying to convince the girls to sample their special ingredient. It's a bit premature for Spring time frolicking but what the hell. Like Lt. Col. Jack Slade once said, "When in doubt, fuck."

And believe me that's indeed what the little buggers will do. I actually don't mind squirrels in general. Yeah, they screw with you when driving your car sometimes. Should I cross? Shouldn't I cross? What's across there? Do I wanna find out? Is that a car coming? Hold still! I'm going back! Shit, that car's coming fast. Screw it, I'm crossing!!! I think their appeal lies in the fact that they have big eyes, can sit up, have little hands and seem to be constantly thinking. I like watching squirrels eat. They'll be sitting there consuming an acorn or something like a chipper shredder consumes a tree branch and then all of a sudden cock their heads and freeze as though something just dawned on them. One minute they're like, juggle-juggle, chew-chew-chew, this acorn is the bomb, juggle-juggle, chew-chew-chew, fuckin' A for acorns, chew-chew and all is right with the world. Then they stop and think, "Did I leave the oven on?" And you can tell they're thinking really hard cause they are frozen, man. Then they finally realize, "Of course not, I'm a fucking squirrel!" Chew-chew-chew, juggle-juggle.

Warmer weather has other, how shall we say, advantages? Yes, advantages definitely. First thing that's immediately apparent is less clothing. While I love Fall for the fact that I can finally start wearing sweaters again, I equally love spring for the fact that sweaters can start coming off. When I was in college, buddies and I used to refer to Spring as "bare midriff" season as women's midriff's would come out of hibernation. True, bare midriffs are still a ways away but as I always say, something that brings a smile to your face is worth thinking about a time or two. A head in the clouds is fine as long as you have two feet on the ground. (On a side note: The above pic has got to be one of my favorite vintage posters I've seen to date. I love the caption most of all. Yep, don't come a knocking when this trailer is a rocking! lol)

Cheers to head in the clouds, bare midriffs, vintage posters and Spring!

SYS

My complete take on Rambo. No spoiler.

2008-01-26T10:56:00.000-06:00

This review is a little different from my usually detailed (sometimes to the point of pain) and lengthy (read: verbose) reviews. Not that I don't have lot's to say about Rambo and my experience seeing it on the big screen but I think in this case less will be more as the main point will definitely hit home.

First things first, we are familiar with this franchise. First Blood/Rambo is the story of "John J. Rambo," Vietnam veteran, green beret-special forces trained, and generally speaking the most elite and efficient survival/killing machine ever created by our nation's military might. (No disrespect to all you Navy Seals and Marines out there.) As a character, Rambo set the standard for the lone, ex-military anti-hero in the same vein as Clint Eastwood's "Harry Callahan" represented the lone crime-stopping anti-hero. (For Stallone and Eastwood, this worked out both good and bad because many other roles came their way but type-casting was a real bitch for both careers for a spell in Lalaland.) As a film, First Blood set this tone for the Rambo character in superior fashion. Until now it had raised the bar for the film franchise that sequels have not been able to touch by a long shot. I think it is appropriate to take note now that I do not feel the latest Rambo in any way overshadows the far superior First Blood. However, Rambo is definitely a very good time!

Stallone has learned a thing or two over his tenure as an actor, writer, and director. The majority of people still cannot get the "Yo, Adrianne!" out of their systems. But Sly is no one trick pony. The man has smarts, vision and so far has proven more than capable of saving a couple of film franchises that we all thought suffered cardiac arrest. (Yes, I'm paying a brief respect to Rocky Balboa, which I did enjoy.) Rambo definitely has a heartbeat. Along with a very good supporting cast, the feel of Rambo is gritty, harsh and unrefined. Do not expect any waste of time on the part of Stallone trying to make John J. Rambo some kind of philosophical, Zen-master like entity from his time in isolation in Thailand. Rambo has remained hard since the last film installment (perhaps harder than ever - Sly looks completely DIESEL). A welcome refreshment in Rambo will be the lack of unnecessary dialog. John J. doesn't have much to say at times but he gets his point across just the same. Same can be said for the rest of the cast as well. From the get go this film seems to want to deliver one thing: Non-stop Action. So be prepared for a killer roller coaster ride of bullets, blades, explosions and entrails.

All the combat sequences are truly a work of CGI-art. I can tell that Sly along with the Weinstein Brothers have watched their fair share of shows like Firepower, Future Weapons, etc. All jokes aside, the carnage is top notch and detail is excellent. You can almost see every round reach impact whether it be the ground, trees, rocks or soft bodies with ultimate gruesome effect. I guess I should warn people now that if you are the slightest bit nauseated by the sight of blood, do not see this film. If the site of bodies coming to pieces in mid-air, half-burning and in full view upset you DO NOT SEE THIS FILM. Some of scenes in combat look so real it makes you wonder. Forget about the old tried and true blood splatter packs, this stuff is nuts. And at the helm we have John J. kicking (er, massacring) the enemy but this time with a little help.

Yes, Rambo is a film to experience in a theater for many reasons. For one, it will renew your faith in the movie franchise. Two, as far as action films go so far this year, it's odds on the best. And lastly, the crowd around you will have this awesome vibe as you collectively share the experience. At film's end, in the theater I was in, the first two or three rows almost rose in unison to a standing ovation. If that's any inclination, you should definitely see Rambo. But take this advice - buy your tickets early. ;-)

And just one gripe before I go. Sly, if you're reading this, answer me this: How in the hell did they put together that damn stretcher for the limey so quickly? The thing looked like it was constructed by engineers, seriously?! ;-)

SYS

Woah, what a buzzkill?

2008-01-23T16:07:00.001-06:00

Ah, I'd love to be riding where this chap is for sure. It's damn cold right now although I told myself I would start to try to brave riding in the cold for the sake of fitness and the fact that I am really itching to ride more than I have been. Every bump and hit I try to take just seems more bone-rattling in the extreme cold. Don't get me wrong I have experienced cold weather, but when you dip below 20 degrees things are hard all around - especially the joints! Yikes! ;-)

Yea, I wouldn't want to try and true up that rim out on the trail. Forget the flat, that would be the least of my worries, especially if I were rolling tubeless. Hopefully the ground hog sees his shadow! We'll have to wait on that one. lol

Come on Spring! Please come fast cause I wanna huck around on my upgraded dually rig. I'm still in love with my Jamis and

didn't want to give up on her so I decided some suspension upgrades were necessary. I swapped out the Fox Float rear shock for the much burlier Vanilla coil-over since I have been bottoming out the Float. I have been getting braver over the years of riding AM/FR. Also, I swapped out the Manitou Black fork and had the Fox 32 TALAS R put in instead.

Along with the adjustable travel, the 32 TALAS is also plenty strong to handle a bit more of a beating. Plus, I love how I can adjust the geometry of the bike to suit climbs, flatland and descents. Other than the rear being stiffer I have noticed that the 32 TALAS is by default pretty plush. I'll probably adjust the PSI by about +10 and things should be evened out. I cannot wait to open her up when the weather gets a little warmer.

SYS

My Take on Cloverfield, Part 2. SPOILER ALERT

2008-01-20T13:06:00.001-06:00

The image is an actual warning posted at a ticket booth. I decided this image was relevant to the continued discussion of Cloverfield because it exploits a side effect of both the medium and shooting technique used to record the film. Now I love DV (or Digital Video) medium and use it myself on many occasions because it's cheap and because of its raw, "happening right now" feel. It's as though you are looking at documented footage en lieu of fine cinema quality. I love the low light grainy effects it makes as well. I think more films should be shot in this format because it is really versatile. True, some cinema-phile types will scoff at the thought but then again I am not a true cinema-phile. I just love movies big budget, little budget, large or small and all points in between. But this instance, coupled with the fact that no Steady-cam was used (to add more realism to the scenes where the characters are fleeing the impending attack and under direct attack), does make Cloverfield a real concern for those who suffer from motion sickness!

Some will recall the movie "The Perfect Storm" starring Mark Wahlberg, George Clooney and Diane Lane among others about a commercial fishing crew trying to score a major catch of the season (worth beaucoup bucks) that decide to brave stormy waters in order to get back home before their booty starts to spoil. They end up hitting the gnarliest of all storms and the crew end up all perishing. The only reason I mention the film is that a friend of mine and I went to see it when it first cam out and got stuck sitting rather close to the big screen. Because most of the film took place out in the ocean the entire screen was often a flow mass of water and the scenes were always in a perpetual state of motion. Being so close to the screen one's peripheral vision loses its ability to maintain an outer (non-moving) frame of reference. So in essence, your mind is tricked into thinking, due to the data received from your visual field, that it is in motion when in fact your are sitting stationary. Neat bit of science but not so neat for sufferers of motion sickness like my friend who had to sit out in his car for the last hour of the film while I watched on.

Not to get off the subject of Cloverfield, but it is important to note that this is a real concern since again, two members of my viewing party for Cloverfield did mention they had slight headaches as we were leaving the theater. So suffice to say, while you have probably experienced poor quality footage on sites like You Tube/Google Video or MySpace Video, the level of shaking in Cloverfield is taken to the exponential level. After all, even though most people are not professionals, they still try shoot decent video with as minimal shaking as possible. But when filming Cloverfield the footage was left shaking like crazy ON PURPOSE and I bet here and there it was even made worse for a realistic effect. So be cognizant of that fact heading into the theater.

With that said, Cloverfield offers an experience closely akin to The Blair Witch Project only in Cloverfield the characters actually turn around (earth shattering, right?) to see what the hell they are running from. They are running from a real ferocious monster. Plus, this monster packs a double punch. All the while its laying waste the great borough of Manhattan it's shedding these little parasitic nasties that run after people (but not animals, still don't know why) and slice and dice them faster than Martin Yan can de-bone a chicken. Here is where I pick up from Part 1 because the overall theme of Cloverfield, in my opinion, can be summed up in the following sentence:

"What the fuck?"

As we approach what we sense might be a climax (yet again the pace of the film really doesn't afford this) as our remaining cast are trying to get to Beth in time to make it off the island together, we are confronted with yet more unanswered questions. There is a scene where our group make it to the neighborhood where Beth's apartment is. Of course, they are confronted with a daunting image of her apartment building leaning against a neighboring high rise. As is the case throughout the whole movie, no task is ever marginally difficult, instead it is seemingly impossibly dangerous. But what the hell, right? Might as well risk your lives in the leaning apartment building rather than face the impending doom of the monster and its little friends! But before they set sight on the leaning apartment they are greeted by a Clydesdale pulling an empty carriage. As mentioned previously, you'd think the horse would have been picked clean by the parasites, but no and we have no idea why.

In typical storybook fashion, the troop manage to make their way up the adjacent building in order to rescue Beth. You really had a sense this was going to happen because for every challenge or sticky situation in Cloverfield, as long as you got past it there was a reward of sorts. Of course, the fact that Marlena is infected with an unknown bug resulting from the parasite bite is bittersweet not only because she had saved Hud when they were attacked in the tunnel BUT ultimately we don't know what the &@%! the illness is. We're only given an image of her bleeding from the eyes, nose and ears and what appears (from behind the quarantine curtain) to be her torso exploding. I know I'm sounding like a I'm beating a dead horse but please, throw us a bone, man!

I will not get bogged down in the chaos and disappointment that the abrupt ending presented, other than saying that Cloverfield is indeed an intense ride but one that will leave most craving answers that can only be answered in a sequel. To me this is a good idea, cause only a short time into the movie, I had the sense that this was actually a giant prequel to something bigger. One thing I have to add, in all due respect, since it might seem like I have been beating this movie up a bit, is that I did appreciate the little window into the story that happened at the very, very end of what must be considered archival footage (because everyone in the core cast is assumed dead by the audience at this point). The footage shows a beach scene at Coney Island, N.Y. where you see the boardwalk, carnival games and the ocean. Off in the distance as you hear Rob and Beth chit-chat you can see something rather large plunge into the ocean a few miles offshore. What is it? We don't know. But it might be the answer to the question of where the creature actually came from in the first place.

According to the Wiki page, J.J. Abrams is quoted as saying the object that hits the water offshore is a crashed satellite owned by the Tagruato company that awakens the beast which was lying dormant in the ocean for thousands of years. However, when you follow the citation provided it merely directs to a fan site and nothing officially from Abrams himself. Plus, this would lead one to ask, "What caused the satellite to crash?" Why would the beast in fact, having been disturbed by the crashing satellite, be motivated to sack the Tagruato offshore drilling station. There is no sign of the station in the Coney Island footage? I could see if the monster's original sleeping location and Manhattan formed a bee line right through the drilling station, then it would make sense for it to be attacked. Yet more questions from a movie that will no doubt have much buzz surrounding it for some time.

And just a side note, I know not many of you reading this review would have had a chance to actually see the Statue of Liberty or had the chance to look out of her crown. But the head of the Statue of Liberty that came barreling down the street after the monster (I can only assumed) swatted it off her shoulders was too small to look real! That bugged me and my friends for a short time too.

My ultimate suggestion: Go see it! Just don't sit to close. And don't blink. ;-)

SYS

My take on Cloverfield. Part 1 SPOILER ALERT

2008-01-19T01:15:00.000-06:00

Let me begin by saying that this has by far been the most anticipated movie I have ever wanted to see. Since the viral marketing engine (trailers, teasers, insider buzz) set forth shy of a year ago, don't forget all the nifty viral sites, I engraved "1-18-08" squarely on the center of my consciousness. And last night it finally happened. Warning: this will be a spoiler, but if you are looking for a plot synopsis, look elsewhere like the wiki.

So I attended the movie as a foursome in a pretty packed (but surprisingly not sold out) theatre in downtown Lincoln. Whether by design or by chance their were hardly any movie trailers to sit through (although the product advertisements were annoying as fuck all). I was grateful cause with a runtime of only 85 minutes I imagined they would have crammed in nearly 30 minutes worth of trailers before the film actually started. Which would have sucked. I enjoy trailers, but sometimes enough is enough, you know? So the lights fell and Cloverfield began.

And then Cloverfield ended. This movie's speed is pretty quick despite the intricate sub-story woven into the context of the battle to survive this uncategorized nemesis. Even if Cloverfield turned out to be another hour in length this would not leave you feeling the extra time. I enjoyed the pace of the movie very much. Like the majority of buzz I read before hand, this is not your typical mega-monster flick. And honestly, that was refreshing. The last thing I wanted to see was another movie like the Godzilla remake which was basically the cinematic equivalent of a profilactic. (Use once, promptly roll off, throw away. Next.) Personally, the way P. Diddy raped Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" still gives me dry heaves.

Cloverfield dispensed with a tried and true formula for many other epic monster flicks similar to that used by the old western films. There seems to be three entities to the formula:
1- there's something out there
2- whatever it is it's on its way
3- oh shit, it's here and we're fucked

By not using this tired formula, we as viewers are more easily convinced that the encounter is totally out of the blue and therefore devastatingly brutal having caught all of Manhattan with their pants down, so to speak. (Or, in the case of our characters, in a mix of intoxication, consumption of the romantic sub-drama between Beth and Rob and celebratory bliss.) Just when the tension between Beth and Rob reaches a rolling boil - the shit hits the fan proper! Immediately we are thrown into a desperate struggle of survival against the monster who has for some unknown reason targeted Manhattan Island. (More on this in a bit.)

In true Lost fashion, Cloverfield alludes to much, but delivers very little concrete fact about the beast. Obviously, this makes sense when you consider the time frame of the story. Honestly, picking up the vibe from not only my party, but the rest of the movie viewers, this worked to both advantage and disadvantage. By the end of the film, most viewers were looking for answers that were not provided. Forget about the rhyme or reason of the beast other than the fact it and it's tiny and equally ferocious partners are hungry for human flesh (but not Clydesdale flesh as was evident by the passenger-less horse and carriage Rob and company encountered on their way to Beth's apartment) and getting eaten is far better than surviving a bite.

Instead of answers we are left with lots of questions that will appropriately be answered if and when the sequel arrives. Yes, folks. From about 15-minutes in you get the sense that this has franchise written all over it. Of course, there in lies a potential evil if the sequel never materializes. (But I wouldn't worry about that too much.) Information or lack there of regarding the beast is delivered to the audience very haphazardly. This works. After all, everyone's main concern (except the reluctantly, newly lovestruck Rob) is to flee the island in hopes of escaping and avoiding the impending doom. And believe me the doom is spread pretty copiously like delicious JIF. But here is where I start to have problems with Cloverfield.

In the opening scene of the unseen beast's arrival, we see a fireball of explosion viewed from the rooftop of the party which causes fallout to strike the surrounding buildings officially marking the point where the shit hits the fan. But what exactly blew up? Was it a building? I had thought it might had been the capsized oil tanker, but later when our core cast makes it to the Brooklyn bridge we see the capsized tanker strewn ashore structurally intact. So what gives? Well, we will never know as it is never revealed what exactly caused the big explosion. We assume it's the monster but was it from an attack or possibly from it's landing on Earth? (The latter being a brief thought I had at that particular moment in the film.) But then again, why did the oil tanker capsize? Must be that the monster was in the water to begin with, right?

TO BE CONTINUED...

SYS

Interesting Afternoon Convo...

2008-01-18T16:02:00.000-06:00

[15:19] me: Word up, gangsta!
[15:20] me: great seeing you last night - that's two for two and i'm liking it!
[15:21] DJblac: lol, this is DJ right?
[15:22] me: no Strong Island - screen names suck, yo ;-)
[15:23] DJblac: oh! rock on, cool you're on my buddylist now pal! yeah ive had some fun there lately, almost getting addicted to that bar ;D ...lol, oh man that spicey pizza hit me like in the middle of the night, oooo that turned my stomach to fire! ;D
[15:24] me: yeah, i had a bout of the fire shits the next morning! it's so good going in man! lol
[15:24] DJblac: lmao! yeah that was the bomb! im working on some music right now for next week, im going to playn a TON of original remix work, pretty much my whole set will be remix work ive done myself
[15:26] me: that's a good idea! one of the reasons i liked NIJ's stuff all this time cause he would do a lot of remixes. you're gonna rock thrusday!
[15:27] DJblac: yeah i miss having nij in this scene, im pretty syked about next week already :D
[15:27] me: has anyone contacted him lately? i know he's in traction from the wreck.
[15:30] DJblac: ive been in touch through myspace but only there
[15:31] me: hope he gets better and decides to stay in NE. So is Matt psyched about playing with you on thursday?
[15:33] DJblac: yeah im letting his borrow my needles so he can work on new stuff too
[15:35] me: Cool shit! I'm glad you guys got a long awaited knod to play. The night is gonna be slammin'! Be sure to canvas all your peops so it's live yo!
[15:42] DJblac: word, ill probley be bringin in my extra sound too, lol, im way hyped :D
[15:43] me: Tell Matt to get at all his peops so the place is packs out! You know i'll be there to regulate ;-)
[15:52] DJblac: wo0t wo0t ;D im going to cloverfield here @ 5, im syked bout that too, lol
[15:53] me: Ha, i'm going with some peops at 7:35pm - great minds think alike son!
[15:53] DJblac: lol, yes sir ;D
[15:55] me: Awesome! I gotta bounce. Catch you and the flipside gangsta! Peace
[15:56] DJblac: late!
---

That's about as real as it gets, suckas! ;-)

Booyahkahshah, respekt!

SYS

So was Quentin right after all?

2008-01-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

"...heroin is coming back in a major way!" Seems like it hasn't gone anywhere to begin with, really.

The halo that I wear daily (not nightly, hehe) may not be as white and luminescent as it was when I came into this world but then again one of the side effects of age is tarnish. Just look at any other precious material, right? ;-) To come off high and mighty on the subject of drugs and fame would not be my purpose although I do have strong inner convictions which may make me appear so. With that said, it saddens me that in this present day and age we are still enduring tragedies like this. So preventable a scenario like this is, yet it seems to be an endless cycle - like a coming of age turned sour and curdled.

Most of my generation remembers hearing the news on college campuses when River Phoenix was found dead from a heroin and cocaine overdose at 23. Needless to say this struck a nerve within and outside of Lalaland (excuse me, Hollywood). It goes without saying that he was a very talented child/teen actor who would have most likely continued his success as an adult. (He was a personal favorite of mine.) Today he would have been in his late thirties making him a pseudo-senior man among today's 30-something leading men. Alas, we'll never know just how bright his career would have been, hence the tragedy with a jagged, knotted moral to it. Have things changed? Has the "game" moved forward?

The game. Sounds like such a cliche - the game. What game? The game of life? Can life really be considered a game? I mean what kind of game is worth playing when you only get one man and you are assured nothing but death and taxes at the end? I say life should never be considered a game. It's too precious. It should not be played but lived responsibly, deliberately, purposefully. Besides, we don't get a dress rehearsal nor real padding when we stumble and fall. "Lessons learned are often learned hard," is true but you'd have to agree that the statement holds a great deal of gravity today.

Could Brad Renfro's death have been prevented? Sure. But often the problem is examined to superficially. I say, you must take many steps back before you could have solved his problem. You could chock him up as another victim, but victim doesn't seem a good match here. After all, free will is like a butterfly's wings. If touched in even the slightest way they will never leave the ground. Clearly chances were taken and consequences were realized. My thoughts and best wishes go out to his family and loved ones.

Definitely sone butter fat to chew, eh?

SYS

It is a decent question, after all!

2008-01-15T08:07:00.000-06:00

In light of how most of the media readily available to us is quite sensationalized and effectively diverts our attentions from real pressing matters, I was delighted to find a bit of news in the most unlikely place. Maybe there is hope for the major conglomerates? (That's an entirely different matter all together.)

Yahoo News posted an article yesterday posing a really interesting question: "Would you eat meat or drink milk derived from cloned animals?" A simple question with a seemingly simple answer (either yes or no) but very profound within the context of our modern society. No longer the subject of science fiction and more accurately a subject of consumerism, cloning in any form is here to stay. We've come a long way, baby, from the days of splicing E. coli rings to create amino acids, proteins and other beneficial substances. Today we are creating sheep, cows, chickens in other words MEAT!

Don't worry, the FDA last year declared that meat goods from cloned animals are safe for consumption, but there is no way to test if something is desirable to eat. Or is there? I wouldn't get all excited or outraged over this subject just yet because according most of the scientists hard at work on the subject there are many wrinkles to iron out. For one, cloning (in its present form - described succinctly in the article) is still a high risk proposition. Mortality rates are still high. Second, each cloned animal successfully reared to maturity (read harvest) carries with it quite the price tag. You must remember that what mother nature provides for free we humans provide at a considerable retail mark-up! To say the least, the question seems more daunting than before.

So what do you think? Would you rather opt for Beef or iBeef??

SYS

Regarding King and a question...

2008-01-13T07:39:00.001-06:00

A question was posed to me by a friend that got me thinking critically about films I've seen and films that have scared me. Here is the original premise:

So I was down at the bar the other night and having a conversation with some fellow friends and patrons about the movies that scared the piss out of us when we were children. Between the five or six of us we could not agree on a movie that gave us all nightmares when we were kids. However, an interesting similarity did arise. As it turned out the movies that scared us all the most happened to by Stephen King adaptations (It, Cats Eye, Pet Cemetery, and so on). This was a pretty stark ratio (6:6 ) and I, now, want to know how wide spread this is? What is the movie that kept you up the most when you were a kid?

Thinking about this question I became very nostalgic but at the same time a nerve was struck. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors. He's probably the most recognizable name in the horror/sci-fi genre. So why have many of his movies been so horrible?

Below I offer my response along with what also flowed out as my mind reeled over the subject of scary movies and King.

By far the scariest movies for me when I was a kid were the Exorcist and Halloween. I saw both on cable (HBO) when I was very young. My parents never bothered with locking the cable converter, which was good most of the time but also would backfire for me. In this case it backfired cause these two films scared the shit outta me! Up until I hit me teens, I could not listen to "Tubular Bells" without getting a chill down my spine. Also, Carpenter's score for Halloween was chilling as well. I think it was the combination of both the visual shockers as well as the sound editing (superior in both films) that left the lasting impression on me as a child. Both films are dead tied as the scariest films of my youth.

As far as Stephen King movies go, I have always been scared by the books more than the films, because most adaptations were/have been truly horrible. Anything that was made for network television: It, The Shining (not the Kubrick masterpiece), The Tommyknockers, The Stand, Storm of the Century, 'Salem's Lot, Sometimes They Come Back, Kingdom Hospital, etc. were doomed cause you simply cannot due his stories justice in that format. On the contrary, some (but not all) theatrical releases have been better due to the fact that in cinema you are given more control over content and the writing is "generally" better.

My favorite film adaptations of King's work are: The Shawshank Redemption, The Running Man, Misery, The Dead Zone, The Green Mile, 1408, Carrie, Christine, The Shining (although Kubrick did weave a bit of a mind-fuck here), Children of the Corn, The Secret Window, Stand By Me, and Needful Things. While some of these are really good you could argue that some fall short compared to others.

However, as is mostly the case, there have been some box office bumblers made from adaptations of Stephen King's best works: Maximum Overdrive, Creepshow (although I admit there is some campy appeal to this one - the cameo appearances are cool), The Lawnmower Man, The Dark Half, Sleepwalkers, Pet Sematary, Graveyard Shift, Cat's Eye, Firestarter, Cujo, Apt Pupil, Dreamcatcher, etc. I think the problem with these films is that for one they try to cram a really good story into 90-minutes plus they really did not try to produce something awe-inspiring. Lots of the powerful "visions" of King's works are made rather run of the mill when placed on screen. Not to say that any of the films I've mentioned weren't at least moderately entertaining. But they do more for people who have never read the original stories than for people who've read the novels and short stories.

So that was my take anyway. What do you think?

SYS

Oh just shut the hell up already!

2008-01-09T02:14:00.000-06:00

Well I thought I had something pressing to talk about but it went right out of my head, man! Instead here's crazy, cool and truly ridiculous stuff I found in the interwebs today. (The first one is the one that pisses me off the most! Jenna, Tito, just be quiet, please?)

Wanna score six free bottles of wine for free? Heaven knows celebs can drive anyone to drink.

So if you love the show Iron Chef and custom designed kicks as much as I do, then you need to check out this very special Mongolian shoe BBQ. YUM! (Warning: Avoid the shitty waffle with any shoe!)

And just when you thought Asians were kooky, crazy and downright funky already, might I remind you of the film "Enter The Dragon" or cinema more contemporary like "Jarhead." Don't get the connection? Well sit back and let the chitin fly with JAPANESE BUG FIGHTS. No shit.

But to be honest most of the insects are not true bugs to begin with (because most - not all - true bugs, Order Hemiptera are vegetarian and have sucking mouth parts to feed on plant juices) since they would not make for a good fight anyway. But some of the match-ups are quite zany. My personal favorite is the tarantula vs. spider scorpion. Reminded me of when Mike Tyson fought Michael Spinks! ;-)

So what do y'all think?

SYS

This will NOT surprise anyone, really!

2008-01-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

Still, I cannot (but I can) believe that this and this, along with the fourth reich, are the most hotly debated items on candidates' agendas. Or at least a number of them seem to be projecting that they all are major issues that need to be driven down the throats of voters. I ask this, however. Have you taken a good look at the voters lately?

For this question, I am excluding all RICH voters. It is not a stretch to realize that they are living a different version of life than your average Johnny and Jane Q. Doe are living. If I were a member of the rich I would feel the exact same way. This is why I have believed for years that those of privilege do know where they live and afford themselves the creation of their own sheltered reality.

Personally, I think that there are other issues at hand that are much more important to my fellow voters and I. Most of us are no strangers to the fact that what is most pressing to the populous is often presented as a view askew. If it's blurry or confusing in anyway our eyes instantly focus on what is more clearly and vividly presented. This is why all mass media is censored. Don't believe me? Remember what you mom used to say about lying? Maybe it sounded something like this: "Not telling the truth is the same as making up the truth." I think lawyers would say something profound like, "omission of the truth is the same as presenting a false truth." Politicians hook up mainstream media to the marionette and present us with a show!

To be honest with you, I'm almost feeling the same way about the environment - as a tool used by politicians, mind you. As a former student of biology I still have the same strong grasp of the fragility of our environment as I did when I was in school. It just seems to me that for candidates that do not appeal to the fourth reich, environment becomes their safety net. Because regardless of whether you pray at night or not or to whom, we all want to survive on this planet, right? Although, sometimes religious fanatics have me wondering whether or not they have "thrown in the towel" on this environment concentrating solely on the afterlife.

Excuse, me. Fanatic! If you're so convinced the afterlife is so great, then what are you waiting for? Go on already. Take that leap, fall, plunge, toaster in the bathtub, what have you and leave us more concerned humans alone so we can figure out how to save our asses on Earth. Cause at the end of the day, folks, that is all we're doing. Earth will be fine without us, perhaps, so will the rest of all living things. I know it's a morbid thought, but think about it.

Well, to lighten things up a bit while I was researching/strengthening some of my thoughts before pecking away, I found some cool stuff:

H.L Mencken on how we should respond to Creationism:

"This actual conflict is joined, and it is the height of absurdity for the...compromisers to seek to evade it with soft words. That conflict was not begun by science. It did not start with an invasion of the proper field of theological speculation by scientific raiders. It started with an invasion of the field of science by theological raiders. Now that it is on, it must be pressed vigorously from the scientific side, and without any flabby tenderness for theological susceptibilities. A defensive war is not enough; there must be a forthright onslaught upon the theological citadel, and every effort must be made to knock it down. For so long as it remains a stronghold, there will be no security for sound sense among us, and little for common decency. So long as it may be used as a recruiting-station and rallying-point for the rabble, science will have to submit to incessant forays, and the same forays will be directed against every sort of rational religion. The latter danger is not unobserved by the more enlightened theologians. They are well aware that, facing the Fundamentalists, they must either destroy or be destroyed. It is to be hoped that men of science will perceive the same plain fact, and so give over their vain effort to stay the enemy with weasel words."

That's some fat to chew. Ain't it? ;-)

SYS

Well for crying out loud, really!?!

2008-01-06T19:14:00.000-06:00

I'm so glad I actually tweak and finely tune my Google Reader so i get nothing but the stuff that will always evoke a response. Those responses vary greatly but are always literal and real.

I found an article over at the awesome truemor mill concerning a mother polar bear in captivity that has rejected her two newborn cubs. (Spoiler alert! But don't be a slack ass - visit the site cause it's fucking cool!) Apparently, she's not feeding her cubs and without some sort of intervention they will certainly perish. But officials at the zoo where the mother polar bear and cubs reside are thinking of not intervening at all. Their reasoning is that this situation happens in nature and is a natural part of the polar bears' mortality. Collectively, rates of birth, death, live-span, etc. are contribute to the polar bears' biological success in the wild, this is true.

I guess why I scratch my head at this is that on one hand, by intervening and saving the cubs by possibly finding surrogate parent(s) does represent human interference with nature. But on the other hand, with all the fucked up ways we have already interfered with nature (and for more asinine reasons, mind you) what would be the harm in sparing the cubs lives? Maybe I'm not thinking that deeply into this issue/subject or maybe I'm missing something (well, it happens to the best of us). But I would make the call to save the cubs' lives and help nourish them and raise them in some way. Hopefully, they can find surrogate parents this way they don't become too domesticated. Or maybe that is an oxymoron since they are in the zoo to begin with. Yeah, could be...

What do you think?

;-)

SYS

The Church of the Poisoned Mind.

2008-01-05T19:44:00.000-06:00

If I remember correctly, "Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky," was a quote from Charlemagne. Yeah, that dude would know a thing or two about conquering lands. But it seems at times I look at my immediate landscape and see it filled with fools. And there aren't enough seagulls in Nebraska to take dumps on them all sending them home and off the streets.

If you've ever had cable back in the day and you've experienced an outage, you see a screen with nothing but vibrant snow. Looking out into the landscape I see snow but its not snow it's all the fools fluttering around. They are all white and bouncing all over the place as thick as Strong Island mosquitoes in August. I struggle to find some peach colored individuals like me who may have a couple of pistons in their melons firing in sync. But it's hard to focus.

And I put on the jackass ears cause I screwed up. I recently misplaced an important notification about my car registration. It is currently expired and I found out that it was by receiving a parking ticket the day before last. Knowing that all I have to do is get it updated and I will not have to pay the ticket is totally cool. It's just that I felt like a jackass (twice) trying to hurry to a DMV that isn't open on Saturdays. Fuck. Fuck-ity-fuck-fuck. Things like this make me miss NY, but I cannot blame it on corn country for the mistake was mine! Oh well, now I will have a Monday date at the DMV. So exciting, right?

Meanwhile, I'm afraid to drive my car anywhere cause I do not want to get pulled over for an expired registration on top of the ticket I already hold. So tonight I stayed in, not that I was in the mood to go out but still, I would have liked the option to do so. Hopefully, tomorrow I can find a place close by my crib to watch the play-offs and get out of the crib. After taking a short nap cause the movie I was watching was such a masterpiece (insert rim shot here), I am feeling antsy. And it's 3am!!!

Since the weather reached the mid-40's today it felt like we were experiencing a Spring thaw. Hmm, maybe I should ride my bike? Will have to check the forecast...

;-)

SYS

You learn something new everyday...

2008-01-04T18:53:00.000-06:00

Become an Ultrasound technician

;-)

Lunch and Some Errands

2007-12-29T15:21:00.001-06:00

Gabcast! Strong Island Dave #2

Director's who threw us fans a curve.

2007-12-29T11:26:00.000-06:00

I apologize in advance if I sound a bit scattered but I only got a few hours sleep last night/this morning as I was out most of the night. ;-)

When I finally arrived at my apartment a few hours ago I was happy to see the sun coming up strong (like me, haha) cause yesterday was dreary, grey and utter shit if you ask me. I know I have mitochondria in my cells but some days I think I may have chloroplasts because seeing the sun can turn my mood and my energy level 180 degrees into high gear. So obviously this morning sleep wasn't in the cards. So I decided to blog.

I found an article here discussing film directors who went totally out of their own "form" to make some really good movies. I was delighted to see that I had seen everyone on the list and have most in my personal DVD collection. As a side note: I love the site where I got the list and read it frequently. The reviewers and article writers all seem like real down to earth fans/enthusiasts and not too stuffy and high brow.

So here's the list:

Robert Altman – Popeye (1980)
Francis Ford Coppola – Jack (1996)
Roman Polanski – Pirates (1986)
Stanley Kubrick - Spartacus (1960)
Walter Hill – Brewster's Millions (1985)
Brian De Palma – Wise Guys (1986)
Robert Wise – Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
John Huston – Victory! (1981)
David Lynch – The Straight Story (1999)
Sam Raimi – For Love of the Game (1999)
Gus Van Sant - Finding Forrester (2000)
Tim Burton – Planet of the Apes (2001)
Woody Allen – Match Point (2005)
Wes Craven - Music of the Heart (1999)

I know. The first thing that might strike you odd is that you may have seen these films before (perhaps not in their entirety) and have enjoyed them. Only you would be hard-pressed to guess at who directed them knowing some of the big names on this list. I realize that movie fans come in all flavors and many are purists in a sense that they engross themselves within their chosen genre. It's not that far of a reach to find that these types of fans would not really consider (speaking hypothetically) a family musical directed by Cronenburg to be a true part of his catalog of works. Or simpler still, the odd-ball film might be written off as "what the hell were they thinking?"

I argue that this list above is unique in that you have directors who diverged from their known element or style and still made fantastically entertaining films. Take a moment and ponder this list. Seriously.

SYS

Jack Nicholson PLUS things that annoy me.

2007-12-26T21:35:00.000-06:00

I subscribe to Men's Journal and I was particularly pleased with the latest addition to find my man Jack on the front cover.
In recent years Jack may have mellowed a bit, true. Reason I mention this is that you hear from him more and he is scene at more places other than nightclubs and court side at a Lakers' game. Give the guy credit. Not everybody gets to be such a definition of bad-ass in their lives. For that Jack has been blessed. In the early years of his career and fame Mr. Nicholson was known for rarely giving interviews of any kind. Of course, this added a lot to his very grand mystique.

He is probably one of only a few actors when seen on screen that we as an audience believe he is simply playing himself. Any role he has tackled has been such a complete immersion into character it's easy to assume that it's Jack playing it straight. In my opinion, the most notable and unforgettable roles for Nicholson (in which he has shined) demonstrating this unique ability were Randle Patrick McMurphy, Daryl Van Horne, Jack Torrance, Will Randall and Melvin Udall. For fans, I think these five characters represent what we would imagine most closely Jack to be like in real life. He is that convincing!

So I happily grab my copy and kick my feet up to eagerly start my read, since I have an hour or so to kill. I simply can't cut to the article straight away, though. I have to read any magazine cover to cover although not necessarily in one setting. So I see his mug on the cover and I think to myself that would make a nice keep sake, quite possibly even framed! (I dig cover art, vintage posters, etc.)But then my eyes fall to the delivery address label on lower right. Now I admit that nowadays the glue they use to attach these labels on is much more forgiving than the shit of old that would more than certainly tear and ruin a perfect cover. So I begin carefully easing the label off. Not quite a pull but more of a bending back of the label so that I can see the glue release and make sure nothing sticks. Well...

...it fucking stuck! To the cover, glossy coat, my fingers, etc. Where the hell did they get this shitty glue? This is nothing like that crap they use to attach the sample fragrances in GQ. That shit you can pull right off and it remains in its original shape for crying out corn flakes!!! So obviously, I do not have a frame-able cover of Men's Journal featuring the "Mulholland Bad Boy." I guess a trip to Barnes & Noble may be in my future once I get back. I should be thankful I only have this problem at the moment! ;-)

SYS

(A Part 2 could be in the making... Stay tuned.)

Christmas

2007-12-25T00:32:00.001-06:00

As a child I never knew how he could do it. To create images that you simply could not walk past without being held to a steady gaze of wonderment. Entranced. This image struck me earlier tonight with it being Christmas Eve and all of course. A wave of nostalgia swept over me as I thought about the Holiday, my youth and those experiences.

For instance, the way he made their faces "pop" with such a genuine expression of euphoria, it still thrills me. It reminded me of the sheer ecstasy I had felt as I stumbled dreary-eyed into the living room on Christmas morning to gaze at all the gifts under the tree. Capture any emotion with precision and without over powering it, now that's skill. No matter what the subject of the illustration, I simply knew back then I was peering into something very organic, wholesome and real.

Aside from Bob Ross (a close second), Norman Percy Rockwell is indeed my favorite artist. Hey, the dude was a New Yorker! j/k He could have hailed from Juneau, AK and he would still be my top pick. Speaking of Juneau, it feels like it out there. I stood briefly outside to just look around at the evergreens and watch my hot breath in the cold air. It brought me back.

Looking at the family peering through the window at what could be (if memory serves me) a new car in the driveway is so classic. Even though it is no where in sight you can see it there in all it's stoic glory with a light dusting of snow on the roof, hood and trunk leaving a single fresh set of tire tracks in the soft white. At my age, and with certain members of the family gone, a scene such as this will not be in store this Christmas. But the warm memories of those loved ones passed on and what we did share still fills my heart with genuine warmth. Someday not to far off I will create that same wonderment for my family as my family and Mr. Rockwell had created for me all those years.

Now that's a feeling of Christmas if I ever knew one.

SYS

Starting Over

2007-12-23T20:18:00.000-06:00

Normally, I don't do this sort of post but I really have nothing profound to add regarding this song by Korn. It's impact is so striking. Davis's haunting vocal delivery never disappoints.

So to my readers:

Read. Think. Enjoy.

---
Starting Over.

Got to face your fear, lying on the floor
Step into nothing, what the hell am I here for?
So come on and play, stab me in my heart
So long this time was wasted ripping me apart

We are the hurt inside your head
Lost in the void of what is dead
Constantly twisting things I said
Happiness is boring, need pain instead

It's starting over, starting over
Can't stand it's over, God is gonna take me out
My time is over, this time is over
Why is this over? God is gonna take me out

Crawling on the floor, all around this space
Talking to myself, what is this thing I've got to face?
Walking through a door, has it been a waste?
Going on and on thinking I could find my place

We are the hurt inside your head
Lost in the void of what is dead
Constantly twisting things I said
Happiness is boring, need pain instead

It's starting over, starting over
Can't stand it's over, God is gonna take me out
My time is over, this time is over
Why is this over? God is gonna take me out

God is gonna take me out (God is gonna take me out)
God is gonna take me out

You can't see
I'm torn away from you and everything that's
close to me
I cannot face the truth, it's nothing that
I believe
Just run away from me and thank me when you're
free from me
Come take me

Come take me
Come take me
Come take me
Come take me

Come take me (We are the hurt inside your head)
(Lost in the void of what is dead)
Come take me (Constantly twisting things I said)
(Happiness is boring, need pain instead)
Come take me (We are the hurt inside your head)
(Lost in the void of what is dead)
Come take me (Constantly twisting things I said)
(Happiness is boring, need pain instead)

by Korn
---

SYS

Taking a moment...

2007-12-23T13:46:00.000-06:00

While I'm technically on my own self-prescribe holiday "down-time" I still feel a bit rushed and antsy. One thing that doesn't help is that I have been shying away from the vino and drinking water like a camel, which in turn has me racing like a piss horse to the "tur-lette" throughout the past couple days. Ah, the sacrifices we all make for a healthier, more pleasing temple. Well, it will all be water over the dam soon cause as quickly as it arrives the Christmas season (and subsequent over-eating) will be over. Why is it that things which are so fucking good last only moments it seems but the boring, mundane and sometimes painful seem to last forever?

Hmm? For not having a lot to say I can sure peck these keys like a jack rabbit fucks! I actually did do something worth while. I checked email and wrote another review. I enjoy writing reviews. Not stuffy ones, though. I honestly consider myself an average everyman so I write my reviews accordingly. Maybe I'm not an everyman? I actually still tell (and believe) wholeheartedly that I'm only half a man. Whatever the other half is for one thing it's AMAZING! Ha ha...

SYS

Another one bites the dust!

2007-12-20T17:20:00.000-06:00

Well it looks like we can say good bye to another site that many of us have come to enjoy. Yes, Think Secret is no longer and has been shut down!

Everyone loves a little inside dish now and then. Rumor sites abound on the inter-webs and generate tons of traffic because they all cater to the tiny gossipers we all have inside us. Not harmful gossip, mind you. Just the type of gossip that sparks interest in things. Like who's gonna land the starring role in the next big budget action film. Or which celebrities are shacking up. Or what in the world Steve Jobs is gonna do next. We all love rumor sites. And sadly another one has gone down for the count.

You will be missed.

SYS

Cloverfield 01-18-08

2007-12-15T14:34:00.001-06:00

Everybody must check out this extended clip from the upcoming movie. It is terrific and I am so excited for this to come out. This is going to be a huge release!

Tagged... Now CONFESS!

2007-12-12T12:13:00.000-06:00

Never thought one of these would make it here but okay here goes.

---

Taken a picture completely naked?
Someone else snapped the picture but yes I was naked, baby.

Made out with a friend on your MySpace/Facebook page?
They became friends on my Myspace/Facebook after I made out with them.

Danced in front of your mirror naked?
Usually when I'm getting dressed after showering.

Told a lie?
Yes, I have told a few white lies or phibbs.

Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back?
Yes, but that is part of life and growing up.

Been arrested?
No

Made out with someone of the same sex?
No, I just like kissing women more.

Seen someone die?
Yes.

Slept in until 5pm?
Hell no. I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Had sex at work?
Yeah right, I wish!

Fallen asleep at work/school?
Yes.

Held a snake?
Yes.

Ran a red light?
On a rare occasion.

Been suspended from school?
No, but I've had in-school suspension plenty.

Totaled your car in an accident?
No.

Pole danced?
No, I leave that to the professionals. Or girlfriend's who have too much red wine at my place.

Smoked?
Nope. That shit will stunt your growth!

Danced?
Of course.

Been fired from a job?
Hell no, I'd quit first!

Sang karaoke?
Not my thing, really.

Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
We've all been shit-faced and silly.

Laughed until a drink came out your nose?
Yeah, I was in like the fifth grade or something.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?
Yes.

Kissed in the rain?
Yes.

Sang in the shower?
All the time.

Given your private parts a nickname?
Yes.

Ever gone out without underwear?
Yes.

Sat on a roof top?
Yes.

Played chicken?
I don't play with my food.

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?
No.

Broken a bone?
Yes.

Mooned/flashed someone?
No and yes.

Shaved your head?
Many times.

Slept naked?
That's how I sleep.

Played a prank on someone?
Hell yes!

Had a gym membership?
Lifting weights is one of my lusts!

Felt like killing someone?
Absolutely.

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry?
Yes, unfortunately.

Cried over someone you were in love with?
Yes.

Had sex more than 10 times in one day?
I actually stayed in bed with a girl for nearly 36 hours straight. I lost track of how many times and ways we shagged. It sure was great!

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets?
Nope.

Been in a band?
No.

Subscribed to Maxim?
Yes. It was given to me by my girlfriend at the time.

Taken more than 10 shots of alcohol?
Many times.

Shot a gun?
Yes.

Had sex today?
Not yet but it's still early.

Played strip poker?
Yes.

Tripped on mushrooms?
No, I get mine at the grocery store!

Donated Blood?
Yes.

Video taped yourself having sex?
Unfortunately, but I do have the tapes somewhere safe!

Eaten alligator meat?
Yes.

Ever jump out of an airplane?
No.

Have you been to more than 10 countries?
No, not yet.

Ever wanted to have sex with a platonic friend?
Yes, but only the female ones.

---

This survey sounds like something ripped off of MySpace or something. So I will not tag anyone and let this thread DIE...

SYS

“If you intellectualize about wine instead of drink it, you will never understand the experience of being drunk.”

2007-12-11T17:49:00.000-06:00

Now that wasn't me. That was a really wise man named Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain. I mean the dude was a convicted felon but otherwise a very wise man. The statement is quite true and ties into an article I read asking someone to define themselves with just one word. Just one.

A dude who dugg the story (who also happens to be related to the author of the article) thought this was a maddening proposition, but I simply think it is dumb. I wouldn't waste my time trying to define myself in one word because it simply doesn't make sense. We are dynamic people. We are ever changing in that as we grow old we are always performing audits on ourselves. At least those who are able to self-critique do. Perhaps some just don't think about it so profoundly.

A few diggers offered up some ideas of how they would define themselves in one single word.

Geek came up. As in, I am Geek. Does this make sense? To answer the question with the word "geek?" I have a feeling this person carries the label of geek as an important statement of him or herself (especially if they are involved in a tech field) but it's nothing more than a label.

According to Dictionary.com Geek gets the following treatments.

As a noun, a geek (slang) is: 1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikeable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

As an adjective, a geek is often combined with other descriptors such as lab geek or computer geek.

So I'm no closer to accepting a submission like "geek." True, there are other things I could be concentrating on but sometimes when the hour is late and you find yourself breaking away from the numbing trance that television puts you in, the brain works in mysterious ways.

Indeed.

SYS

One of the best tracks I've seen in some time!

2007-12-11T07:44:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of these blokes.

Cheers!

SYS

Stupid Human Tricks

2007-12-10T01:00:00.000-06:00

This is by far the craziest stupid human trick I have seen in quite a while. I mean we've been exposed to many acts of perversion through YouLube, MyCrack, etc. but this is not perverse nor is it gross as much as it is fascinating!

This teen suffered a major accident of some sort and had to have half his skull removed. Check out his neat trick:

SYS

Wrap Your Junk, Before You... FUNK-dat!!!

2007-12-04T22:08:00.001-06:00

Yes, it's true that sexual education in schools and other educational institutions has made improvements leaps and bounds since the days of the Coney Island White Fish. (If any of you do not know what Coney Island White Fish is, I'll be glad to explain it to you in a separate correspondence - feel free to email me: davidrmarlborough [at] gmail [dot] com.) You can even step back further to the days where we were watching Leave It To Beaver and ol' Ike was entertaining us in the White House and see clearly that America was on the verge of a true sexual awakening. I mean don't get me wrong sex as we know it today was going on back then it was just considered taboo to talk about or even suggest anything on the spicier side.

I hope that in today's (and tomorrow's) society we will realize instead of placing all the pressure on institutions to teach our youth about the birds and the bees that we as parents will step up to the plate and talk to our children about it. Obviously, not all parents are as progress as others but I think it's high time to shed the stigma of "oh I'm not comfortable talking about that" or "that's the school's job" referring to talking to children about sex. Would you rather they learn about sex (and it's impact in the world) at home or from the writing on the wall?

I vote for at home. Obviously, health classes in schools will not go away anytime soon. Just because two people figured out how to bump uglies doesn't mean they are capable of passing on something profound to their children about the whole process. right? Dreadful as that last notion is, I think we are heading in the right direction. The world is getting smaller to each new generation and they are more aware of the world at a younger age which is undoubtedly a positive. Awareness is a first step towards relevance and understanding.

So parents please let your kids know that bumping uglies is not ugly BUT is something that requires much responsibility. When something is forbidden and taboo all the more curious we as humans become. If we start engaging in something we don't fully understand then it can become dangerous. Ignorance is not bliss! ;-)

SYS

Ladies it's TRUE!

2007-12-03T18:31:00.000-06:00

Guys will stick their dicks in anything at least once!

I mean it's really nothing new under the sun. Animals with rather large brains (those with larger than humans' as well) are able to find very unique ways to get off. It was merely a few decades ago that scientists thought masturbation, an act not for procreation but for pleasure (unlike when dogs hump your leg or when your cell mate Rufus wants to spoon with you tonight) was limited to the simians. Today scientists know better.

Dolphins in captivity while in their aquariums are able to bring themselves to climax within fifteen seconds just by positioning their bodies (and their genitalia) against the water jets. Females apparently do it more frequently than the males. Kangaroos can autofellate for crying out loud! No wonder so many does can't get their beaus to leave their bush at night.

And female porcupines? Good heavens. (Engaging in the act of pleasuring them must be a sticky contest even for a male porcupine - too many pricks in the same room I think.) They carefully form sticks into vibrators to turn up the RPMs a bit and really get the job done. Talk about dwindling down a man's confidence, eh? Well, I guess if I had as many pricks as a porcupine and I had to swing them around all day long I'd get tired sometimes too.

So please ladies, don't give us quite as hard a time as we may give you (and I'm not referring to that thank you very much). We cannot help how we were made and how deeply we are programmed. Besides which, if it weren't for our ability to give chase, none of us would be here anyway. So come on people. Touch yourselves and touch someone else who's special. The world will be so much better a place to be believe me! ;-)

SYS

Only In America!

2007-11-30T01:02:00.000-06:00

Don King, Paris Hilton, The Bush Sisters. We hear storybook tales of drama, scandal, etc. all the time and say to ourselves, "Only in America."

Well this certainly belongs in the same category. Huh. Only in America.

Sweet dreams.

SYS

Very funny shit!

2007-11-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

To be honest, these lyrics are an improvement - but Sean Paul still reeks like poop du jour!

SYS

Two blogs everyone should check out at least once a week.

2007-11-26T14:47:00.000-06:00

Not often do I actually take the time to discuss why I like certain bloggers and their blogs. More often I simply link 'em to mine and be done. But two have sparked my interest because they are unique and highly entertaining. Its funny how two different individuals can take two different approaches in self expression but BOTH have such strong impact.

Anyone, who would like to actually be moved whether by nostalgia or humor should check out these blogs:

5 Things

HCwDB

(Note: I've still linked these in my people blog roll because that's how I roll - and you know this, man!!!)

While one is definitely more verbose than the other I love the way one makes me think and the other totally tickles my ribs. Kudos to great blogging. Now go now and bookmark/link-up these guys cause they are great fun!

SYS

It's as if you need a holiday after a holiday.

2007-11-25T20:52:00.000-06:00

In true holiday fashion, the big feasting day was spent grazing on delicious food, imbibing perfection one bottle at a time and letting loose a bit. I have one thing to say that Rock Band is a total blast! There's nothing quite like getting a bunch of friends together high on wine and turkey and rocking out all on the same game. I played three songs on the drums and its not only fun but a total workout! Way more difficult than it seems. No matter what the reason for the celebration, make sure you have Rock Band at your next party. i've got my spine, i've got my Orange Crush...

The second part of any good Thanksgiving weekend - football!!! Lot's of crazy games for both NFL and college. I've been into college more this fall cause of all the drama surrounding the Cornhuskers. Of course, the masses here in Nebraska are heralding the firing of Callahan. Not sure who is within the cross hairs for the job because I have not heard any buzz either way. Although, I did hear that at the end of this season there will be like 20 different coaching positions open either due to contracts ending or firings. So there could be a lot of interesting moves made in the off-season. My point of view: Nebraska should hire a defensive coach.

In case this sounds like I'm rambling, rest easy cause I am rambling! I had a couple things I've wanted to talk about but some slipped my mind as I am still getting over the latest episode of Dexter.

SYS

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

2007-11-22T12:35:00.000-06:00

SYS

De La Hoya in Drag?

2007-11-18T21:37:00.000-06:00

Well, apparently the Golden Boy really knows how to get blued as in screwed, blued and tattooed! Head on over here to see how the party went when Oscar De La Hoya decided to get freaky-deaky (my apologies Mr. Spinks) with an ex-stripper.

Of course, this incident will have some far reaching ramifications in upcoming months as the photos have already been SOLD and the lawsuits have already been filed. Hopefully, Oscar's Gold won't tarnish! ;-) I'll be following this case as I'm sure many of you sports fans will as well.

SYS

The littlest things make your day...

2007-11-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

;-)

SYS

Blame Canada! Blame Canada!

2007-11-10T00:30:00.001-06:00

World's biggest blue screens of death? Possibly. Found in Canada?? Definitely.

Apparently, this store's IT department thinks this is art or something. What strikes me as strange is that instead of leaving the blue screens alone, why not reboot and just leave a pretty screen saver until the problem is solved. Better than the blue, I think. You probably wouldn't see this happen in Tokyo though! ;-) (Courtesy of Gizmodo.com.)

SYS

I think I've been hexed or something...

2007-11-09T23:33:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I was all ready for a night of cameras, lights, FASHION as I was invited to a fashion show in Omaha at the Nomad Lounge. I was psyched because I had friends involved in the show, plus there was supposed to be a cool after hours party. After hours parties in Lincoln have been a hit or miss endeavor as of late. Obviously, this would be a good time.

Unfortunately, I didn't expect my body to drop a bomb on me. I started a new diet this week to try and curtail the usual Winter weight gain I experience since I do not ride during the Winter. I still lift cause its indoors but no riding since the cold makes it harder on my knee and ankle joints. Plus, the fact that it is damn cold also hinders the fun. So I was happy to learn of a diet some other riders use for the Winter months. But let's just say, my body (read bowels) has a bit of catching up to do. I barely had time to get laundry folded without running to the bathroom. This will pass as this diet is very balanced and is made for cutting weight (something I haven't done in a long time). Plus, I have a cheat day for the diet this Sunday so I'm looking forward to that! ;-)

SYS

Currently bringing a dying blog back to life.

2007-11-08T09:50:00.000-06:00

Things at Mended Meanderer have been quiet. That's because I am currently trying to save a blog project that has withered on the vine, but not died. I am currently trying to get mobile davis back up and running and complete. The reason I created it was to document and spark discussion about my trip and (possible future travels) to East Africa.

After recently responding to random requests for advice, knowledge, etc. of my trip I decided that I should complete the project I started and make it as robust and informative as possible, without trying to make it read like an encyclopedia or something. ;-)

So that's what I've been up to recently. If you want to take a peek and see as the site gets rolling again, you can go here.

SYS

NicheGeek.com - bleeding-edge business and services, off-beat and engrossing news

2007-11-05T08:57:00.000-06:00

I've never been ashamed to admit I like to get my "geek on" in a major way! Whether it be through music, computing, blogging, gadgets, photography or anything I take repeated pleasure in, I do them all the way. I truly immerse myself. This is why I'm writing today about NicheGeek.com - a place for the business savvy to immerse themselves.

Besides being an excellent collective of tips and tricks to improve revenue from your websites, NicheGeek offers a wide variety of articles concerning business models, marketing strategies and start-up success stories that educate and motivate. Whether you are looking to start your own business or simply want to find some new innovative services to take advantage of, NicheGeek has a lot to offer it's readers.

One of my favorites articles is a collection of video documentaries entitled 10 Google Documentaries You Must Watch. Among the documentaries that shine are BBC's "Dogfighting Undercover," HBO/America Undercover's "The Iceman: Confessions of a Mafia Hitman" and Body Shock's "Half Ton Man." Another notable read is Little Known 'Boring' Websites That Make Incredible Money With AdSense which not only briefly discusses Google's Adsense program with real world examples, but the growing population of "Gray Googlers." Lastly, I have to mention an article which is paramount for active bloggers (like myself) titled 5 Things Any Blogger Can Get for Free. From free domain name picks to free stationary, the short list will provide cool freebies to help kick-start your online and offline networking.

I'm addicted! ;-)

SYS

Write To My Blog - Beta

2007-11-05T07:40:00.001-06:00

This post was created using a free web utility called Write To My Blog - beta at http://writetomyblog.com/. It is an online word processing tool that allows you to create blog posts to a single blog or multiple blogs directly from the site. No membership is required (no need to create an account) and the service is totally FREE. WTMB boasts complete compatibility with all major blog programs providing a convenient way to post blog entries that is easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

WTMB features standard and advanced word processing tools as well as an HTML editing tool that seems full-featured. Also, part of the sight is the ability to include photos from your Flickr account and favorite videos from YouTube. As for as online word processors go, WTMB is pretty straight forward and resembles the toolbars found in both MS Word and OpenOffice. The greatest functionality I can see here is the ability to post to multiple blogs as most of us maintain more than one, thus saving most of us time!

Hopefully with more time for experimentation I will be able to post about some more robust features. Presently, though, I do recommend it to my readers.

SYS

Obviously, the issue reaches to areas outside of the U.S.

2007-11-05T05:50:00.000-06:00

I particularly found this documentary a "must-see" for anyone following the Michael Vick case or interested in stopping this underground illegal business in general.

SYS