Or at least, all hope of comedy is lost. Not that it was ever really in doubt, but I am convinced yet again that my brand of humor just doesn't jive with the rest of the people in the office. This is why I generally keep to myself when I'm at work - to avoid those awkward silences when I make a funny remark only to be met by blank stares and cricket sounds.
A perfect example ocurred just recently. I have two meetings to attend, both of which are less than exciting to me. I asked someone what time the meetings kick off by saying - "so where's this killer party gonna be that we got invited to today?" Crickets. Blank stares. Someone finally chimed in by saying something like "killer...party?" Seriously. It's not that complicated of a joke. I simply referenced the lame ass work-related meetings as a killer party. Failure of epic proportions.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
OMG, dead body captured on google street view!
Oh wait, she was just playing dead.
I've heard plenty of funny stuff people have done when the Google car comes by. And I'll be the first to admit that if I got the chance to pose for the Google car, you bettre believe I'd do something comedic. I probably wouldn't play dead, however. Probably.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1302422/A-body-Google-Street-View-Dont-worry-just-girl-playing-dead.html
I've heard plenty of funny stuff people have done when the Google car comes by. And I'll be the first to admit that if I got the chance to pose for the Google car, you bettre believe I'd do something comedic. I probably wouldn't play dead, however. Probably.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1302422/A-body-Google-Street-View-Dont-worry-just-girl-playing-dead.html
Friday, August 13, 2010
Mario Balotelli on his way to Eastlands
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11679_6310525,00.html
It's about time! I'm excited to see how explosive City's attack will be in upcoming seasons. Last season brought in the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez up front - I don't count Roque Santa Cruz because he didn't have much of an impact - and Adam Johnson on the wing. This season we bring in David Silva out wide and now Super Mario up front.
City certainly won't be lacking in the talent department when the Premier League kicks off this weekend. It will be fun to watch the new players gel with the rest of the squad and I think the dearth of talent will pay off in spades late in the season. By sheer numbers, City should have fresher, more talented players to close out the year and that can only help in their push for a top 4 position and an invite to the Champion's League.
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone
Try not to play in the woods today, camp at dilapidated campgrounds, explore rickety 2+ story houses, etc.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Golden Eye on the Wii? Book it.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/goldeneye-wii-james-bond-controller,news-7757.html
Talk about a blast from the past. I can't remember how many days were consumed in the basement of our old house playing Golden Eye on the N64. Does this ring a bell? 4player action on the big screen TV, winner stays in, losers rotate out. I remember on any given afternoon we'd have a GRIP of people hanging out waiting for their turn in the rotation. 10+ years later it won't be nearly the same when I fire up the game, but it'll be pretty sweet nonetheless.
Talk about a blast from the past. I can't remember how many days were consumed in the basement of our old house playing Golden Eye on the N64. Does this ring a bell? 4player action on the big screen TV, winner stays in, losers rotate out. I remember on any given afternoon we'd have a GRIP of people hanging out waiting for their turn in the rotation. 10+ years later it won't be nearly the same when I fire up the game, but it'll be pretty sweet nonetheless.
Friday, August 6, 2010
More billionnaires make the giving pledge
http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/08/04/40-billionaires-sign-the-gates-buffett-giving-pledge/
I don't want to dive into the details of why these pledges are being made, how the donations will benefit those that are donating, etc. I just like the face value of this article. Feel free to check out The Giving Pledge website here.
I don't want to dive into the details of why these pledges are being made, how the donations will benefit those that are donating, etc. I just like the face value of this article. Feel free to check out The Giving Pledge website here.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
First time for everything
Mark it down on your calendar. Today is the first time that I've been able to get my daily sales report to balance the first time around. Without boring anyone with details, the stumbling block comes from three multi-page reports that I need to draw data from. If one of those entries is incorrect, I get denied and I have to pore over all of the damn figures again.
Needless to say, I got lucky today and when I hit the balance button, everything was in balance! Win.
Needless to say, I got lucky today and when I hit the balance button, everything was in balance! Win.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Starcraft 2 - Early impressions
So... I've been playing SC2 for the past few days now and early results are very positive. Not unlike most players of the original Starcraft, SC2 has been a long-anticipated sequel. The sequel hasn't disappointed yet.
First, let's talk about the gameplay experience. For hardware we have the following:
*Intel E2200 processor - dual 2.2 GHz processors
*2 GB DDR2 ram
*Radeon 4670 video card - 1 GB DD3 ram
This is far from a gaming setup, and the only real saving grace is the lovely video card. SC2 recommends that my comp run on the high default for graphics and texture, but I kept getting the damn paged pool memory warning so I turned texture down to medium and kept the graphics default at high. I still get the memory warning, but it's not nearly as quick to set in. That, and I have yet to get the warning that I've run out of page pool memory altogether.
With the current medium/high settings, the rendering is smooth as a whistle except during the most gigantic scirmishes. For example, there was one mission where I had to erradicate a bunch of zerg that were infesting colonists. When I attack a town with 20+ ground troops and I'm met with swarms of zerg and there's a huge thing spewing green infection vomit everywhere, that bogs things down a bit. Beyond that, however, I haven't noticed the game slow down mid-flight.
The cinematic videos run smoothly also. I was especially impressed when the video involving Kerrigan pre-infestation ran without any stuttering. Loading time between the Hyperion and the missions themselves takes a while, though. Outside of that, I can't complain.
As far as gameplay goes, it felt like getting back on a bike. I haven't played SC1 or Brood Wars in forever and all of the hotkeys and various shortcuts were intact. I was happy to be able to select an SCV and hit B - R for a refinery or B - U for a bunker. I was able to hit the ground running due to the familiarity and felt like the game was too easy on the normal setting. I switched to hard and found that more suitable. I switched back to normal for my first run through the game and I've only had to restart a handful of missions to rethink my strategies.
I don't know how many missions there are in total, but I'm willing to bet I'm a little past the halfway marker in the game. Maybe this will change when I go back through the game on hard, but there hasn't been a whole lot of missions so far that required as much strategy as some of the missions in SC1 and Brood Wars (especially some of the later missions in those games). For the most part I'm able to just amass a contingent of Marines, Marauders, and Medics. The triple M is able to handle just about everything outside of the upper tier units.
That's it for now.
First, let's talk about the gameplay experience. For hardware we have the following:
*Intel E2200 processor - dual 2.2 GHz processors
*2 GB DDR2 ram
*Radeon 4670 video card - 1 GB DD3 ram
This is far from a gaming setup, and the only real saving grace is the lovely video card. SC2 recommends that my comp run on the high default for graphics and texture, but I kept getting the damn paged pool memory warning so I turned texture down to medium and kept the graphics default at high. I still get the memory warning, but it's not nearly as quick to set in. That, and I have yet to get the warning that I've run out of page pool memory altogether.
With the current medium/high settings, the rendering is smooth as a whistle except during the most gigantic scirmishes. For example, there was one mission where I had to erradicate a bunch of zerg that were infesting colonists. When I attack a town with 20+ ground troops and I'm met with swarms of zerg and there's a huge thing spewing green infection vomit everywhere, that bogs things down a bit. Beyond that, however, I haven't noticed the game slow down mid-flight.
The cinematic videos run smoothly also. I was especially impressed when the video involving Kerrigan pre-infestation ran without any stuttering. Loading time between the Hyperion and the missions themselves takes a while, though. Outside of that, I can't complain.
As far as gameplay goes, it felt like getting back on a bike. I haven't played SC1 or Brood Wars in forever and all of the hotkeys and various shortcuts were intact. I was happy to be able to select an SCV and hit B - R for a refinery or B - U for a bunker. I was able to hit the ground running due to the familiarity and felt like the game was too easy on the normal setting. I switched to hard and found that more suitable. I switched back to normal for my first run through the game and I've only had to restart a handful of missions to rethink my strategies.
I don't know how many missions there are in total, but I'm willing to bet I'm a little past the halfway marker in the game. Maybe this will change when I go back through the game on hard, but there hasn't been a whole lot of missions so far that required as much strategy as some of the missions in SC1 and Brood Wars (especially some of the later missions in those games). For the most part I'm able to just amass a contingent of Marines, Marauders, and Medics. The triple M is able to handle just about everything outside of the upper tier units.
That's it for now.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
USC doing a bit of housecleaning
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/07/usc-reggie-bush-heisman-trophy/1
So USC announced yesterday that they are cleaning house a bit in light of their recent transgressions. USC is scrubbing the campus clean of anything to do with OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush - the two guys that are at the heart of the NCAA shitstorm. USC is also giving back their copy of Reggie Bush's Heisman trophy.
At first I thought - damn. That's a pretty solid move. That could stand for something. That could show that the university is dedicated to winning, but to winning within the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA.
Then I thought - damn! That's an AWESOME move. USC is sending back Reggie Bush's Heisman, but you know who's Heisman is staying? OJ Simpson's! How's that for a message? If you screw around and sully the Trojan name, it's better to do it via double murder - allegedly - than to sully the Trojan name via NCAA sports sanctions.
Simply. Amazing.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Daily LOL - 7.15
If the Big 12 were countries…
Texas is like the USA - Wealthy, talented, and with seemingly endless resources. They have a big ego, but are deserving of it because they win at almost everything they do. Others often despise them out of jealousy. Their money and wealth make the world go round, and everyone wants a piece.
Texas A&M is like China - Big, powerful, and rival of Texas (USA). They live in a male dominated society, and thus their women are not allowed to be cheerleaders. Their money and power also make the world go round.
Oklahoma is like Mexico - Having no resources of their own, they have to invade the border of Texas (USA) in order to survive.
Oklahoma State is like Venezuela - There wasn't a whole lot there to start with, but without the oil money they would be nothing there at all. They have a crazy guy in charge who often shouts nonsense when he speaks.
Baylor is like Israel - A feisty little religious enclave that could not survive without Texas (USA). However, if provoked, they WILL kill you.
Colorado is like Canada - A small, unimportant bastion of liberals who are not very good at anything. Like Canada, they are bad at all sports other than hockey. Like Canada, they produce no GDP.
Nebraska is like Russia - A former super power who frequently stirs up trouble because they still think they are a super power. Nebraska (Russia) thinks it is the equal of Texas (USA), and pouts in public when it doesn't get its baby way. When they do not get their way, they take their ball and go home. Go big RED!
Missouri is like Iran and North Korea - a definite member of the axis of evil. Conniving and loyal to no one, you cannot believe anything they say (you can only watch in amazement at what they do). Like Iran and North Korea, they are hated and despised by everyone--even the Swiss.
Iowa State is like Switzerland - Boring, unimportant, not good at much of anything, but neutral and without enemies. Even the Hawkeyes like the Swiss.
Texas Tech is like Australia - Big, dusty, and a Texas version of "down under". Cowboys like Aussie's drink a lot of beer and carry weapons.
KU is like France - KU is full of socialists and they think they are better than everyone else. This high opinion of themselves is not shared by anyone else in the world. Like France, KU cannot be trusted or counted on during a time of need.
K-State is like Ireland - A gritty, feisty, over-achieving little country with a large inferiority complex. What they lack in resources, they make up by determination and people. Others can't find them on a map, but they like them because they are fun, friendly, and like to drink beer.
Texas is like the USA - Wealthy, talented, and with seemingly endless resources. They have a big ego, but are deserving of it because they win at almost everything they do. Others often despise them out of jealousy. Their money and wealth make the world go round, and everyone wants a piece.
Texas A&M is like China - Big, powerful, and rival of Texas (USA). They live in a male dominated society, and thus their women are not allowed to be cheerleaders. Their money and power also make the world go round.
Oklahoma is like Mexico - Having no resources of their own, they have to invade the border of Texas (USA) in order to survive.
Oklahoma State is like Venezuela - There wasn't a whole lot there to start with, but without the oil money they would be nothing there at all. They have a crazy guy in charge who often shouts nonsense when he speaks.
Baylor is like Israel - A feisty little religious enclave that could not survive without Texas (USA). However, if provoked, they WILL kill you.
Colorado is like Canada - A small, unimportant bastion of liberals who are not very good at anything. Like Canada, they are bad at all sports other than hockey. Like Canada, they produce no GDP.
Nebraska is like Russia - A former super power who frequently stirs up trouble because they still think they are a super power. Nebraska (Russia) thinks it is the equal of Texas (USA), and pouts in public when it doesn't get its baby way. When they do not get their way, they take their ball and go home. Go big RED!
Missouri is like Iran and North Korea - a definite member of the axis of evil. Conniving and loyal to no one, you cannot believe anything they say (you can only watch in amazement at what they do). Like Iran and North Korea, they are hated and despised by everyone--even the Swiss.
Iowa State is like Switzerland - Boring, unimportant, not good at much of anything, but neutral and without enemies. Even the Hawkeyes like the Swiss.
Texas Tech is like Australia - Big, dusty, and a Texas version of "down under". Cowboys like Aussie's drink a lot of beer and carry weapons.
KU is like France - KU is full of socialists and they think they are better than everyone else. This high opinion of themselves is not shared by anyone else in the world. Like France, KU cannot be trusted or counted on during a time of need.
K-State is like Ireland - A gritty, feisty, over-achieving little country with a large inferiority complex. What they lack in resources, they make up by determination and people. Others can't find them on a map, but they like them because they are fun, friendly, and like to drink beer.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
David Silva signs w/ City today
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11679_6260796,00.html
The summer transfer window is shaping up well for City so far. David Silva should give City another creative winger like last season's winter transfer - Adam Johnson. You can never have too many quality players to select from and with City participating in plenty of cup tournaments along with league play, the extra depth will be very evident by season's end. Silva is fresh from being part of Spain's World Cup winning team and his inclusion speaks well of his abilities.
Along with Silva, City have also beefed up the back four with the signing of Jerome Boateng, another World Cup participant for his home country of Germany. I was happy to see Boateng's performances during the Cup and was impressed in the 3rd place game where he crossed in a ball that led to a goal.
They also brought in Yaya Toure, Kolo's brother, from Barcelona. Much like the other two signings, Yaya also represented his home country of the Ivory Coast in the World Cup. Of the three signings so far, this one is the most impressive because of City's ability to convince a player to leave one of the most successful club teams - Barca.
The summer transfer window is shaping up well for City so far. David Silva should give City another creative winger like last season's winter transfer - Adam Johnson. You can never have too many quality players to select from and with City participating in plenty of cup tournaments along with league play, the extra depth will be very evident by season's end. Silva is fresh from being part of Spain's World Cup winning team and his inclusion speaks well of his abilities.
Along with Silva, City have also beefed up the back four with the signing of Jerome Boateng, another World Cup participant for his home country of Germany. I was happy to see Boateng's performances during the Cup and was impressed in the 3rd place game where he crossed in a ball that led to a goal.
They also brought in Yaya Toure, Kolo's brother, from Barcelona. Much like the other two signings, Yaya also represented his home country of the Ivory Coast in the World Cup. Of the three signings so far, this one is the most impressive because of City's ability to convince a player to leave one of the most successful club teams - Barca.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Happy 5th of July
I decided to come to the office today rather than take the day off. One, it saves me from having to burn time off. I'd rather use that to plan for actual time off and/or vacation use. Two, I don't want to get swamped with 4 days of accumulated work if I don't have to. It's tolerable to come in on a Monday and have to catch up from the weekend. When I took Memorial Day off, I learned quickly that 4 days of work is just too much hassle.
I set my alarm this morning even though I could come in whenever I want. I also didn't dress casually today because that's just me. I joked around about coming to work in sweatpants but when it comes down to it, I'm here to work. After going through my morning routine, I got to work earlier than normal because there was no traffic at all on the highways. Not a bad way to start what will likely be an unproductive day.
So what have I accomplished in the half hour since I've gotten to the office? Well, after getting upstairs where my office is, I decided to shoot a quick video from my phone. The office is completely empty and the silence is wonderful. I'll try to link to the video later. I also completed a task that has been long overdue - I changed my voicemail settings from the past accountant to my own recorded messages. I know, right? I should have done that shit on day one!
I'm not sure what the rest of the day entails, although a cup of coffee is calling my name right now. I'll get down to business after that.
I set my alarm this morning even though I could come in whenever I want. I also didn't dress casually today because that's just me. I joked around about coming to work in sweatpants but when it comes down to it, I'm here to work. After going through my morning routine, I got to work earlier than normal because there was no traffic at all on the highways. Not a bad way to start what will likely be an unproductive day.
So what have I accomplished in the half hour since I've gotten to the office? Well, after getting upstairs where my office is, I decided to shoot a quick video from my phone. The office is completely empty and the silence is wonderful. I'll try to link to the video later. I also completed a task that has been long overdue - I changed my voicemail settings from the past accountant to my own recorded messages. I know, right? I should have done that shit on day one!
I'm not sure what the rest of the day entails, although a cup of coffee is calling my name right now. I'll get down to business after that.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Damon Evans arrested for DUI
Facepalm.
A few seasons ago it seemed like the UGA football program was having a hell of a time keeping its players from getting into trouble. Then just this offseason we had Zach Mettenberger get popped for underage possession of alcohol among other charges. Now here's the AD getting a DUI. Driving drunk is a bad idea - let's leave it at that.
The other thing I thought about was the fact that he had a passenger in the vehicle. The 28 year old female in the vehicle was not Kerri Evans - Damon's wife and mother of their two children. Let's call it like it is. When Damon Evans said "she's just a friend", I sure as hell didn't believe him. I'm sure he has plenty of female associates, being the AD and all, but come on now. You're drunk. It's almost midnight. You have a female riding shotgun that isn't your wife.
And this just in... The arresting police officer noted that Evans had a pair of red panties in between his legs. Let's type that again for effect - he had a pair of red panties in between his legs. Yeah, she's just a friend. The officer also noted that Evans gave the following explanation for the panties - "she took them off and I held them because I was just trying to get her home". For real?
We all make mistakes. Hell, we all probably make some big ass mistakes that we really wish we didn't. Getting behind the wheel while drunk is a mistake and can lead to some real tragic shit. Sleeping around on your spouse is also a pretty big mistake. You know what's worse than all that, though? Being a damn liar.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Star Wars starring my family
Holy lol. Julian helped create this masterpiece.
http://starwars.jibjab.com/view/6ut1eJlfk3HGKKyZyqcH
http://starwars.jibjab.com/view/6ut1eJlfk3HGKKyZyqcH
Yankees fan OWNED
Dear cellular phone user,
It is highly annoying when you use your cellular phone in public places. Please cease such activity or else there may be appropriate action taken.
Regards,
Karma
It is highly annoying when you use your cellular phone in public places. Please cease such activity or else there may be appropriate action taken.
Regards,
Karma
Monday, June 28, 2010
Rubberband ball, week 1
I have a pile of rubberbands on my desk that I can't use. They're too big to use for my paperwork and if I try to double band something it causes the paperwork to fold in half. That's no good. Rather than throw the rubberbands away, I decided to start up a rubberband ball instead. I'll be posting status updates of said ball once per week for my own entertainment and possibly yours. Please keep in mind that this is a very inexact science. I don't add a specific number of bands per day, nor do I make sure the bands are of equal length, size, etc. Without further delay, here is the first picture.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Have you tried the vuvuzela button yet?
I just did, and I love it. If you haven't, queue up a youtube video and press the soccer ball icon. Having the ability to drown out ANY video on youtube with vuvuzela sounds is fantastic. A+ job, youtube!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Father's Day
I celebrated my 5th Father's Day yesterday and I think it was the best one to date. I was happy when posed the question of "what did you do for Father's Day" because I had a blast. I didn't get a free pass to do whatever I want with whomever I want. That means I didn't go anywhere lavish or do anything extravagant. So what did I do for Father's Day? I'll tell you the response I gave to my dad as we were exchanging warm wishes over the phone yesterday.
I happily told my dad that I'm sitting at home with the kids while Lizette is hard at work. You see, she had to work this weekend even though she wanted to take at least Sunday off. You know, so I could go somewhere lavish or do something extravagant. She had to put in a 12 hour day at the hospital, however, so I was more than happy to stay at home with the kids all day.
I won't pretend that I do back breaking work at my job. I have a nice desk in a nice office and I crunch numbers all day in the accounting department. I'm not working the floor as a CNA like my wife. If there's someone's work ethic to be admired, it's hers. But for 40 hours a week I do my job and it takes its mental toll. I love nothing more than being able to unwind selfishly after a hard week of work. Truth be told, it's more strenuous taking care of my kids than it is punching the clock.
That said, this past weekend was going to be spent watching the kids rather than maxing and relaxing. Come Monday morning I felt even more exhausted than when I started the weekend, but I also felt very accomplished. The kids and/or myself didn't destroy anything around the house and for the most part the weekend went smoothly. So when I sat down and was asked to recount what I did for Father's Day today at work, I didn't have a story about going anywhere special or doing anything out of the ordinary. I got to talk proudly about what's special and ordinary to me - doing my best to be a good father to my two boys and also being a good husband to my loving wife. Happy belated Father's Day to all you dads out there.
I happily told my dad that I'm sitting at home with the kids while Lizette is hard at work. You see, she had to work this weekend even though she wanted to take at least Sunday off. You know, so I could go somewhere lavish or do something extravagant. She had to put in a 12 hour day at the hospital, however, so I was more than happy to stay at home with the kids all day.
I won't pretend that I do back breaking work at my job. I have a nice desk in a nice office and I crunch numbers all day in the accounting department. I'm not working the floor as a CNA like my wife. If there's someone's work ethic to be admired, it's hers. But for 40 hours a week I do my job and it takes its mental toll. I love nothing more than being able to unwind selfishly after a hard week of work. Truth be told, it's more strenuous taking care of my kids than it is punching the clock.
That said, this past weekend was going to be spent watching the kids rather than maxing and relaxing. Come Monday morning I felt even more exhausted than when I started the weekend, but I also felt very accomplished. The kids and/or myself didn't destroy anything around the house and for the most part the weekend went smoothly. So when I sat down and was asked to recount what I did for Father's Day today at work, I didn't have a story about going anywhere special or doing anything out of the ordinary. I got to talk proudly about what's special and ordinary to me - doing my best to be a good father to my two boys and also being a good husband to my loving wife. Happy belated Father's Day to all you dads out there.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What were you doing 16 years ago when this broke out?
I was watching the Knicks/Rockets game when it got interrupted by the most ridiculous non-chase I've ever seen. The entire state of California was chasing after that damn Bronco. And OJ was running because... He was innocent.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Cross-post: FM10 2013/2014 end of season review
Here is my starting 11 at the end of the season:
This motley crew achieved the unthinkable by winning promotion in our first season of League 2 play. The main thing to take note of is that we had four key loan signings that will need to be replaced/renewed going into next season. I'm hopeful that our ascension to League 1 will give us access to equal or better talent either via loan or preferably via transfer signing.
Here is the final league standings at the end of the season:
Exceeding expectations doesn't come close to defining our season. We made our first season in League 2 our last with a performance that was good enough to clinch an automatic promotion by a comfortable 10 points. You can see that we were more opportunistic than dominant with our goal differential to end the season. Our +22 was the worst of the top 3 auto promoters and 4th best of the top 7. We won when it mattered.
Carlo Nash was rewarded with the League 2 Manager of the Year award after leading Exeter to a dominant 2nd half that concluded with a 1st place finish. I was 2nd in voting for the award after our spectacular run and Richard Naylor of 3rd place Rushden was 3rd in the voting.
Here is the transfer table at the end of the season:
Different day, same song. I moved my transfer budget to my weekly wage budget and didn't spend a penny on transfers. We ended the season roughly 1k p/w below our wage budget and that proves my point - we aren't in a strong enough financial position to make a splash on the transfer market. We're better off served with paying for the talent we have, seeking out smart free transfers, and working on our loan partnerships.
This motley crew achieved the unthinkable by winning promotion in our first season of League 2 play. The main thing to take note of is that we had four key loan signings that will need to be replaced/renewed going into next season. I'm hopeful that our ascension to League 1 will give us access to equal or better talent either via loan or preferably via transfer signing.
Here is the final league standings at the end of the season:
Exceeding expectations doesn't come close to defining our season. We made our first season in League 2 our last with a performance that was good enough to clinch an automatic promotion by a comfortable 10 points. You can see that we were more opportunistic than dominant with our goal differential to end the season. Our +22 was the worst of the top 3 auto promoters and 4th best of the top 7. We won when it mattered.
Carlo Nash was rewarded with the League 2 Manager of the Year award after leading Exeter to a dominant 2nd half that concluded with a 1st place finish. I was 2nd in voting for the award after our spectacular run and Richard Naylor of 3rd place Rushden was 3rd in the voting.
Here is the transfer table at the end of the season:
Different day, same song. I moved my transfer budget to my weekly wage budget and didn't spend a penny on transfers. We ended the season roughly 1k p/w below our wage budget and that proves my point - we aren't in a strong enough financial position to make a splash on the transfer market. We're better off served with paying for the talent we have, seeking out smart free transfers, and working on our loan partnerships.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The beautiful game
In about 10 minutes, Brazil and North Korea will be kicking off in the World Cup. Do yourself a favor and watch some soccer the way it's meant to be played - http://atdhe.net/20319/watch-brazil-vs-north-korea
Thursday, June 10, 2010
For once, I don't like something Google is doing
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/10/google-celebrates-bing-day/
Why? Why celebrate some bullshit that Bing does annoyingly well enough on its own? When I use a search engine I use it to search for something. I don't use it because of the background image(s). It's cool when google pays homage to various special occassions by sprucing up it's logo - such as the playable pacman game to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary.
Celebrating Bing? That's like celebrating an annoying neighbor. Or mosquitos.
Why? Why celebrate some bullshit that Bing does annoyingly well enough on its own? When I use a search engine I use it to search for something. I don't use it because of the background image(s). It's cool when google pays homage to various special occassions by sprucing up it's logo - such as the playable pacman game to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary.
Celebrating Bing? That's like celebrating an annoying neighbor. Or mosquitos.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Whoomp, there's my President
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/07/obama.music.video/
At first I thought Jim Rome was just trying to bring back a badass blast from the past. Upon further inspection, however, it turns out that there's an Obama clone in the video for Tag Team's iconic song - Whoomp, there it is. For the record, I know in my heart it's Obama in the video.
At first I thought Jim Rome was just trying to bring back a badass blast from the past. Upon further inspection, however, it turns out that there's an Obama clone in the video for Tag Team's iconic song - Whoomp, there it is. For the record, I know in my heart it's Obama in the video.
Friday, June 4, 2010
McDonald's is trying to kill you
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcdonalds-to-recall-shrek-promotional-glasses-2010-06-04?reflink=MW_news_stmp
Even though the food is delicious and undoubtedly part of a healthy lifestyle, I will be reducing my McDonald's intake. Last time I checked, the RDA of cadmium is zero percent. You know what else contains cadmium? Another healthy choice - cigarettes.
Even though the food is delicious and undoubtedly part of a healthy lifestyle, I will be reducing my McDonald's intake. Last time I checked, the RDA of cadmium is zero percent. You know what else contains cadmium? Another healthy choice - cigarettes.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
European football
My love for european football has been growing for about two years now, and I'm looking forward to watching as much of the upcoming World Cup as possible. Beyond cheering for my adopted Premier League team, Manchester City, I'm also a big fan of the Football Manager video game series. Check out my running blog on fmscout.com. I'll probably cross-post my season ending reviews here too. They're that awesome.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Looking forward
Lizette's grandfather was in town this weekend. I hadn't seen him since he last came up for Jimmy and Carly's wedding and despite his quirks I was looking forward to his visit. Maybe it would have been a different story if he were staying at our house rather than just spending a few hours hanging out. Regardless, I always enjoy the company of family and close friends, and we had a bbq planned at our place.
Last time he and his girlfriend(?) Dee were in town, Julian was only a year younger but he's so much more advanced this time around. He can conversate better and he enjoyed talking with his great grandpa. In fact, he spent a lot of time hanging out with him. It was cool watching Julian spark the youth in Harold. I don't know his exact age off the top of my head, but Harold is definitely no longer a spring chicken. I found out that this most recent trip to visit is also going to be his last. He's moving back east to be with one of his sons and that's going to be his final destination until he passes away. We didn't tell Julian this, of course, because he wouldn't understand it beyond feeling the loss of a friend.
Another perspective came in the form of an ex-wife (Lizette's grandmother and Sandi's mom), who recently had some medical complications. I don't want to get into details but she has been moved from a typical adult family home to more of hospice care environment. She too, is getting up there in age. Unlike Harold, however, it's very difficult for her to enjoy the company of her great grandchildren - or anyone, for that matter - because she suffers from alzheimer's. I haven't taken an opportunity to meet her, but from what Lizette says she's really having a hard time identifying anyone these days.
These things got me thinking about the finality of life. Lizette was talking about how it feels odd to rekindle these connections with her grandparents only to find out those connections are fleeting ones at best. I've begun to think about that as well, and it really makes me feel the distance between my family (mom, dad, grandma) being down in California. And while my brother lives 5 minutes away from me, we don't get to spend nearly enough time together because of time constraints with both of our daily schedules.
It's probably a little odd and/or unnecessary for a 30 year old to worry about not having enough time left, but I really ought to make more time for my family. Beyond the phone calls, emails, and text messages. Maybe not so much because I don't have enough time left, but I know that my parents and grandma won't be around forever.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Safe driving practices
There's a section of freeway that I drive every morning that is notoriously riddled with traffic. On most days it's stop-and-go and I've been known to eat a banana or switch radio stations while we're going 10 mph. What you won't catch me doing, however, is applying eye makeup. That makes you an accident waiting to happen. I was tempted to snap a picture, but hey, that wouldn't be a safe driving practice.
Lucky for me, there was a highway patrol car cheesing it on the shoulder. They were helping keep the crazies in check - normally you get an assortment of morons that dart in and out of traffic trying to jockey for position or to get into the line for the exit at the last second. I thought for sure the officer would notice the rather erratic driving of the lady in front of me, who was steadily drawing on her face with an eye pencil. Unlucky for me, the police officer had bigger fish to fry as the lady went by them without any fanfare. Maybe next time the lady will get pulled over. Or maybe she'll rear end someone. Or maybe she'll jab her eye out.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
You of all people shouldn't be jaywalking
The family and I were on our way to church yesterday when my wife and I noticed something lolly. If you've driven around in Portland, you learn to get used to the amount of walkers and bikers on the road. If not, you run the risk of hitting someone, especially if you're in downtown.
The church we go to isn't in a pedestrian-heavy area, although there is a transit center nearby. Beyond that, there is a small community of sorts in the area as well, so it's not like the area is devoid of anything other than cars. When we saw someone jaywalking across the street, it wasn't a huge surprise. What was a huge surprise, however, wsa the fact that the person jaywalking had a freaking neck brace on.
The church we go to isn't in a pedestrian-heavy area, although there is a transit center nearby. Beyond that, there is a small community of sorts in the area as well, so it's not like the area is devoid of anything other than cars. When we saw someone jaywalking across the street, it wasn't a huge surprise. What was a huge surprise, however, wsa the fact that the person jaywalking had a freaking neck brace on.
My first reaction was that someone suffering from neck pain should be taking greater care of their safety. I mean, you would hate to reaggravate most any injury and I would think a neck injury would be that much bigger of a deal. For example, when I had my hernia surgery I somewhat rushed myself back to work. I knew that I wasn't going to be doing anything super strenuous and that I was taking a relatively small risk of injury. You know what I didn't do? I didn't start a jogging routine in my neighborhood. Calculated risks. If I have an injury to my neck that calls for a brace, you bet your ass I'm staying at home. I'm certainly not going to be jaywalking.
My wife brought up a great perspective also. The fact that this person was in a neck brace meant that his range of motion and speed was greatly reduced. Not only is the neck brace very restrictive by design, the guy probably shouldn't be turning his neck side-to-side very quickly. Then again, he shouldn't be jaywalking across a relatively busy intersection, either.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
20 items or less
My wife got off work a little early today so I took her up on her offer of meeting her at the store to grab a handful of things we need for home. Let me emphasize that it was only a handful of things. The items on the agenda were as follows:
1. Infant acetaminophen - baby AJ is under the weather due to teething. Sad face.
2. Small bag of salad - complimentary towards the rest of what was planned for dinner this evening.
3. One two liter bottle of Diet Coke - my supply at work is almost exhausted.
4. A second two liter bottle of Diet Coke - one can never be too safe.
We head over to the 20 items or less checkout stands since it should theoretically be the fastest option for us. Even though the lines to these stands were a little longer than normal, you can expect to progress through them at a good rate since any sensible customer(s) would observe the item limit.
We were unceremoniously cut off at the pass by a couple that was probably in their late 40s. I didn't even think twice about it because I was saving my energy for more important battles - namely battling the illness that I wrote about earlier today. I quickly scanned the couple's shopping cart full of crap and you know where this is headed. They were clearly in violation of the stated 20 items or less limit. I'll try to post a picture that I took of the illegal activity, although it's pretty low quality. I didn't want to stir up anything with the troublemakers.
After sitting in line for an eternity thanks to the rule-breakers, I wanted to ask the cashier about the incident. I wanted to ask why he didn't do anything about the violation that he allowed to happen on his watch. When I was getting ready to pay, however, I decided not to. I made eye contact with the cashier and without saying anything at all he answered my question. He was simply too scared to tell the couple that they had more than 20 items. Better to leave a hornet nest alone instead of poking it with a stick.
Man, I feel like crap
Two days ago I started feeling a little under the weather. I know my body quite well so I had a bad feeling of what was to come. Yesterday I was feeling icky enough to start taking a little bit of ibuprofen and I was a few minutes late to work because I felt like garbage when I first woke up. Well, here we are today and man, I feel like crap.
I woke up to my alarm at 6:45a and wanted to crawl back under the covers. The alarm did its irritating job, however, and convinced me to get up. I peeled myself out of bed, turned off the alarm, and wanted to crawl back under the covers. I started reasoning with myself to stay home or at least work only half a day. Being the good worker bee that I am, though, I started the shower, turned on the space heater, popped 2 ibuprofen, and got ready for work.
After playing in freeway traffic, here I am at my desk and I think my slight fever is breaking. Either that or the office is especially hot this morning. I'm pretty sure my fever is breaking. We'll see how the day goes. I figure I'll reload on ibuprofen when I go home for lunch and should be able to power through until 5ish pm. Here's to hoping the hen house isn't too clucky today. I just don't want to deal with that junk right now.
I woke up to my alarm at 6:45a and wanted to crawl back under the covers. The alarm did its irritating job, however, and convinced me to get up. I peeled myself out of bed, turned off the alarm, and wanted to crawl back under the covers. I started reasoning with myself to stay home or at least work only half a day. Being the good worker bee that I am, though, I started the shower, turned on the space heater, popped 2 ibuprofen, and got ready for work.
After playing in freeway traffic, here I am at my desk and I think my slight fever is breaking. Either that or the office is especially hot this morning. I'm pretty sure my fever is breaking. We'll see how the day goes. I figure I'll reload on ibuprofen when I go home for lunch and should be able to power through until 5ish pm. Here's to hoping the hen house isn't too clucky today. I just don't want to deal with that junk right now.
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