oops

Well it would appear that sprinkler systems and large metal stakes to hold down a moonbounce do not get along. I am waiting for the damage as the poor guy walks around, digs around, futzes around with my sprinkler system to fix the damage that was caused by a mixture of things. Some my fault- others I am not so sure. Let see what the damage is (to my wallet).
I am sure I posted before about my hatred of grass- if not- news flash- GRASS IS STUPID.
We surround our houses with grass for what? So we have something to .....(just interrupted with the bill- $80- not horrible but a lot to pay for a stupid stake). Anyway- I forgot my rant.
Damn grass.
Have a nice weekend.

Good video

Since this came out of VA and it is so important to normal people I thought anyone should read this. It disagrees with what I always thought so since I learned something- maybe you will too!

Why no humor?

So it seems to me this entire blog thing is only any good if it is funny. No one wants to read crap that I bitch about. So I guess I am going to change direction and really only put amusing things up here so maybe people will read it.
What is up with wacked our phrases that I have to enter on websites so they can make sure I am not an automated response. Is it so bad on the internet that we have to challenge the brains of the humans we created it for? I just responded to my wife's block and I had to type in Itidm. WTF is Itidm? Well I will never know because it was WRONG! I had to then type in Pydtmf. I really have no idea what that is either but I did it right and I was given the privilege to post on her blog.
How is it it can be that hard for me to post but I get 150 spam emails a day?
I think Windows is a nice OS. Granted - it has issues but when it comes to functionality and ease of use I have to give the gold star to windows.
Linux and Unix are fine for stability- and even function- but NOT ease of use.
Mac- too closed for me- open up and sell just your OS Apple and I will give it a shot.
Why is it I have .3 acres and when my son rides his power wheel he will find the two piles of dog shit that exist on that .3 acres? Then why is it that dog shit sticks like glue to power wheel tires?
As I blog I am listening to a con call, responding to email, fixing files I broke and the TV is playing in the other room. Am I multi-tasking or am I just ADD?
I go with ADD based on the way this is flowing.
Is it offensive to gay people if I call something so obviously gay, gay in front of a gay? I think I met my gay word quota on that sentence.
Why can I not spell? I went through 12 years of school and then 5 years of college and I can spell no better than a 4th grader. Probably worse. I think I drank away that portion of my brain.
How mean is too mean to an asshole?
Oh well. That is enough for now. I promise to try and be funny in text. I have my challenges!

Ahhh Grilling

So I was talking to a friend and it turns out he is interested in learning how to grill. Grilling and barbecue are two different things. He asked if I had any or knew of any books to help him. I of course do have some I could loan him- and of course I will if he wants them. My issue is that I love grilling so much that I would prefer to show him what I have learned. For me it would be fun to either provide assistance in learning or to run a class from my house. From picking out the equipment needed all the way up to pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, starch and the use of aluminum foil. So all those that are close in proximity to me I would be happy to help either teach you at my house or come to your house and run several live demos. Of course the best way to learn is by doing. So if I am teaching you that means I do nothing by advise and step in if you ask me to.
I have spent the last 15 or so years perfecting my grilling techniques. I have my own preferences and bias but overall my results speak for themselves. I would be happy to pass those results on to you.
Benefits from grilling are:
1) Awesome tasting food
2) lower fat food in some instances (cook with less oil or fat for lubrication)
3) less clean up if you do things the true outdoors way
4) enjoyment of nature while cooking
5) easier to prepare larger quantities of food in less amounts of time
This is just to name a few. So- for those interested- lets set up some time and a course schedule and get started!

In the Minority- get used to it!

So it would seem that my way of thinking is truly and completely in the minority. I guess I am OK with it. For a long time it seemed as if America was truly conservative. It now seems that the country has changed direction. I have felt this way before. In college. I remember the Clinton years- where he acted like a true scumbag. Being a government major I was in classes where things had to be discussed. I remember being the ONLY person in the class to cry foul and disgust at the way Clinton acted. I remember people saying how he was just being persecuted by right wingers. I felt like I was trying to argue with idiots or crazy people. I now know that I was- and what a mistake it was. The simple fact is this. A majority of the population voted in a crazy left wing agenda. That must mean that he majority wants that sort of agenda. We cannot assume that since right wingers were in office for so long and did so much that the American public was right then and wrong now. Right and wrong are subjective in this case by the way. In short- the American public has no idea what it wants. We vote based on knee jerk emotion. Whoever can manipulate those emotions, wins. I doubt a large portion of the population agrees with what Obama is doing 100%. I think far less actually like the job he is doing. I guess I am blathering on that- true conservative thought has gone the way of the dinosaur. I now understand what it feels like to not have a voice. So I will no longer try and convince idealists that I am right (or that I think I am right). I will sit back and watch idealism try and fix the world. Realism can take a back seat for a while- lets see what trying to change the world gets us. So far it is 10% unemployment- and rising.
Strange how idealism gets us higher unemployment and not lower. I would really think that it would be the other way around- IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOB- HERE HAVE ONE. I guess that only works for people who want to work.
I wonder- if the world ever got "fixed" would we still have arguments about the right way to fix it? If there was no unemployment, people made good money and the stock market worked fine. If you could get a loan and there was no war. Could we be smart enough to look back and understand who made it utopia for us? I doubt it. We would find something else to argue about- because we are people and we like to argue. We would argue that there is too much good weather- we need more crappy weather. We would argue that our electric cars just do not have enough umpf to get up to 150mph on a race track. We would argue that with no war we have no innovation and with no innovation comes stagnation. We would argue that no one has time to relax because we are all too busy working. We would argue that we have gotten soft and are ripe for other countries in the world to take us over- until we got taken over. Then there would be no more arguing. Utopia cannot exist unless the entire world feels the same. Utopia could not even exist in the beginning with God involved- we spit in his face too. So does it make sense to try and get there? Why not- we have such short memories that we will forget we have utopia 5 minutes after we have it anyway.....

Socks- thats right- socks.

So what the hell is up with socks. I am a dude and I have sweaty feet. I am sorry to be blunt but by the end of the day my feet are swimming in man foot sweat. I am not happy about it- but at the very least they do not smell. It is simple hot foot syndrome. So last year I found a great shoe- Asics- gel shoes. They look like hell but they feel great. They also breath really well. So I can actually feel air moving through the shoe cooling my sweaty feet. So now what I have found is that my socks are the real problem. I cannot find simple low rise white athletic socks that will keep my feet cool. I bought expensive socks with my latest pair of shoes- nike socks. Well this was a massive mistake. The only thing worse than cheap white socks that make my feet sweat, are expensive white socks that make my feet sweat AND SMELL. Last night I was trying these Nike socks for the 4th time- after first wash. I took my socks off at the end of the day and I could not stand the smell of my own feet- if I could run away from them I would have. How the hell can I run away from my own feet?
So I have wasted good money on crappy nike wic comfort athletic socks. WORTHLESS.
Can someone please direct me to a pair of simple cotton socks that are thin enough to let my feet breath? Nothing too hard?
Maybe I just shop in the wrong places.....

Oil Rig

So I have been watching the news lately and have found that down in the gulf of Mexico- 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana an Oil Rig exploded and fell into the ocean. For the first few days I was stunned. Wow- how could an oil rig just explode like that. After that I was worried- wow 11 people cannot be found, I hope they are alright. After that I was sad- crap oil is leaking everywhere and 11 people are dead. Now I am pissed. The more I think about it the more I think that somehow this was a planned event. I have no clue who could have planned it at all. Maybe left wing environmentalists. I have heard the arguments against that theory- Gee they would not want to hurt the environment, how could they execute that, or the best- that is just crazy talk.
Is it? Some time back I read the book "State of Fear" and although it was fiction it was very well researched. It was about fear mongering and how you can control a population with different levels of fear. It also included lots of stories of environmentalist nut jobs who will do anything to further there cause.
These people are willing to do anything to move forward the agenda of saving (insert anything).
I think it is possible.
I also think it is much less likely that the government took an active role in such a thing- but they may have just let it happen.
What would be the purpose?
1) People feel the same way I did- wow that sucks bad- oil rigs = explosions and death
2) People where I live- in VA may start thinking- crap- I do not want this on my coast
3) People mobilize in a direction that they would not have otherwise chosen- such as resisting additional drilling based on recent events- such as an OIL RIG EXPLODING AND SINKING
4) The republican right wing gets upset that the administration puts a halt to drilling until we "find out" what happened. This vilifies the right wing in the perfect amount of time before an election.
5) People raise up arms to the sky and ask WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DRILL AFTER SUCH A DISASTER- so republicans have to let it drop
Results?
No more oil drilling, environmental measures pass without the concession the left made to allow drilling and we move on down the road yet again. 11 people sacrificed and for what? Bird brained ideas that oil drilling will hurt the environment. I tried to google search for previous oil rigs exploding and sinking but I could find none. I tried to remember any ever happening and could find nothing in my memory either.
You have to ask yourself- why all the sudden would an Oil Rig that is off the coast of the USA suddenly explode with no reason? If an airliner exploded above the US for no reason what would people think? Jet fuel is much more explosive than Oil- and the fumes are more explosive than the natural gas- so what would people think? They would think- TERRORISM! But the news I have been watching said nothing of the sort.
In fact maybe it was not left wings- maybe it was arab terrorists who decided they did not want the US to be independent from foreign oil- maybe they thought they would scare us.
Either way the results are not good for this country. More fear and more uncertainty.
I can tell you what will come out-
There was some sort of leak- faulty equipment maybe. Something sparked off the leak and the whole place went up. It was so sudden that 11 people died (did they die? The press is only talking about oil spills now and I am just assuming since that was the last I heard).
Probably some sort of report will come out saying that there were previous safety violations and that the platform was warned several times.
Then of course there will be character assassination of the people who ran the rig.
It will be explained away and people who think as I do that this was a purposeful action by a well organized group of some kind will just be addressed as nut jobs.
This is not a safe world we live in. We are surrounded by people who will do ANYTHING to further an agenda (if it is right or wrong) and we as the American people should not accept what is being spoon fed to us.
There is a saying in my business called FUD (fear uncertainty and doubt). Counter opposing sales people will use FUD as a means to manipulate customers. This method is common and underhanded. Sometimes it is the only way to move forward an otherwise weak agenda. Create FUD.
This oil rig disaster and the resulting media coverage is FUD- see it for what it is.

Top Gear

So last night I sat down to watch my favorite show Top Gear. This show is on BBCA and I have been watching it for several years now. It is a British show and unlike any car shows we have here in the US. It is aimed at entertainment rather than information. However you always happen to learn something along the way. The basis is essentially three British car guys. All with different ways of looking at cars. They clash frequently which is where the fun is. They seem to really like each other the way normal guys like each other. With ribbing and jokes as well as frequent adventures into the inane. So last night they had a special show. It was set in South America- Bolivia specifically. The three guys were tasked with buying used 4-wheel drive vehicles online from the UK to be delivered on a river shore in Bolivia (site unseen). They were then to drive all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The hilarity and amusement ensued and I was totally entertained for almost 2 hours. The crazy thing is that my wife came out of the shower and sat down and started watching with me. Granted- she thought it was a normal 1 hour show (so did I) but we both sat and watched together. She even occasionally laughed (like when one threatened to kill another with a machete). This was probably the best episode of Top Gear I have ever seen. And they are all good. So I have to say- if you are going to watch this show- watch last nights episode. If you are in the UK I am sure it was on last year or some time previous.
You do not have to love cars- just entertainment.

Imagine that- Health Care not for all

So with 100% left wing support, a bill written somewhere (but not in congress) fails to cover those who have real problems- but are TRYING to support themselves. Of course a group of the public that is trying to help themselves get SCREWED by a loophole in this new heath care bill. People who are already in high risk pools paying a fortune will be STUCK There- thanks congress.
WAKE UP PEOPLE. This left wing congress only THINKS it is helping people. In reality they are trying to give a hand up to people who do not want it and pushing down that actually need a hand.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100416/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_high_risk

Review of Proof

So last week I went into DC on Monday to see Bon Jovi at the Verizon center. This was the first time I had seen Bon Jovi in concert and I have been a fan for many years. The goal was to go to a nice meal before the show. I was with Heather and my wife Amy. Heather and Amy agreed on Proof and I thought it sounded OK.
To put it bluntly this restaurant kicked ass.
Aside from the menu being a little confusing I was blown away by the quality of the food.
We ordered nothing from the first page of the menu- which was mostly cured meat. We ordered gnocchi from the 1st and shared. It was melt in your mouth, buttery, potato goodness. Also some fresh herbs thrown in really livened it up, I was entranced every time I took a bite. What a fantastic way to start. I should say we did order a selection of cheeses before the first course, however I was not overall impressed with those. Since I chose them it is my own fault.
For my primary course I ordered the scallops. They were perfectly seared and each bite brought on a flood of taste and texture. There was no grit at all. This sounds like a given, but I cannot count the amount of times I have ordered scallops in a high end restaurant and gotten grit. The portion size was also perfect and the side dish of warm bread pudding (savory not sweet) was a perfect addition. Everything tasted fresh, clean and wonderful.
For dessert I ordered chocolate bread pudding. It was good- but the other components of the meal stood out as perfect.
A nod to the bar as well. I ordered a Manhattan with Makers Mark- olive- not cherry. It was perfect. I also ordered a Grey goose martini- dry and well shaken. Also perfect.
The experience was not pretentious (something I am always concerned about eating downtown) but welcoming and relaxed. Inside a brief walking distance from the Verizon center it was well placed. I was confused as to why they had open reservations just a few days before the concert and other restaurants in the area were booked. This place will be on my list from now on.
If you have a chance- GO.
http://www.proofdc.com/
The meal was better than the concert. Bon Jovi sounded fine- but I have yet to listen to the new album and he played a lot of songs from it. Overall I would classify it as too mellow. I wanted higher energy stuff. At least he still has his voice and good stage presence.
I could have done without the giant pictures of Obama and Oprah in the opening song (on the LCD screens).