FITS OF MANIA

Kate! We have to go online!

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:19:16 GMT

So I mostly watch the Tonight Show online so I have to sit through the online commercials. I don't mind because there is usually only one 30 second spot per break compared to four or five for an actual TV commercial break. However, for the Tonight Show the only commercial they play is one for Capital One credit cards and it bugs the shit out of me. I know it shouldn't but I can't stand it.

A group of people are milling around a beach, in the background there is a crashed airplane, very Lost-ish. This guy has somehow patched together a computer out of spare parts from the wreckage. He gets online and the survivors gather around the screen, he then proceeds to build his own Capital One credit card with his own personal picture on the card. The picture he chooses is him eating a huge cheeseburger. One of the survivors leaps at the picture of the burger and breaks the computer. The last shot shows the guy who broke the computer attempting to paddle away from his angry fellow survivors.

What I get angry about is why aren't the people pissed at the guy who decides to build his credit card with their opportunity to call for help? I would murder that guy, its like the millionaire on Gilligan's Island- money is useless on deserted islands! I don't know, maybe because I'm such a big Lost fan that's why it bugs me so much. I can't stand the idea of a rescue attempt foiled by stupidity...or black smoke monsters...or Ben. God that commercial bugs me. Rage. Mix it up, nbc.com.

Forget about my last post, this post is the most important in the history of blogging.

Versus!

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:49:08 GMT

Netflix vs. Redbox
Redbox? C'mon, its basically vending machine Movie Gallery/Blockbuster. Whats wrong with that? Well as a four year Netflix subscriber I'll answer that: A lot. Limited selection, inconvenience of the trip, additional charges for late returns, limited availability of titles.

Netflix? Yeah you have to wait a little but the selection is amazing. Nothing compares to it. No late fees. Plus they have the Watch Instantly feature which has gotten tons better recently.

Winner - Netflix

Jay vs. Conan
The Tonight Show has been suffering for a long, long time. Jay-Walkers and newspaper misprints. Non. Stop. Laughs. I've said this for a long time and I mean it, Conan O'Brien - funniest man on TV. He's earned the spot too, he had been at the Late Night desk forever, so what does NBC do? Gives Jay Leno a show that is basically the Tonight Show, that will air an hour before Conan. So his reward is to follow Jay's unfunny crap yet again. C'mon NBC.

Winner - Conan O'Brien

Sirius Satellite Radio vs. Free Shit Radio
Like Netflix, try it and you won't know how you got by without it. Meg has had one in her car for a couple of years, I recently installed one in my truck, its great. The only thing free radio is good for is the Jim Rome show and that's about it.

Winner - Sirius Satellite Radio

This has been the most important post in the history of blogging.

TrucBQolf

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:23:29 GMT

I finally have an actual vehicle. I posted awhile back on how great bicycle commuting is, well, here's the thing. When it is actually cold/snowing/raining or you need to be somewhere more than five miles away, its not the best option. So I spent part of my refund check on a truck my parents found, I didn't pay that much for it and it was a pretty nice find. It's a 1997 Ford Ranger, it had only one previous owner and only 83,000 miles, not too shabby. Plus, it's a truck which will be handy. Stephanie has already enlisted me to help her move in May.

I didn't purchase anything silly with my refund money except for a new charcoal grill. Its a full size Weber kettle grill which is a pretty versatile grill. I can do standard direct grilling and also indirect grilling, or slow cook barbeque. The plan this weekend is to do a slow cook, depending on what is reasonably priced I'll either do a pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches or spare ribs, which I have not done before. Meg is going to help me with coming up with our own rub and sauce.

I was on the fence about staying with my golf class. I didn't need it and the first day of class gave me the impression that it was going to be a hassle. But when we actually got to practice putting, it was pretty fun. I was worried because it isn't your standard ESS class where you show up, make an effort and get an A, this class is actually performance based. The first test involves us actually having to make a shot in under a certain amount of strokes. I'm not too concerned but I do need some practice.

I'm not at work.

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:06:26 GMT

I'm not at work and I'm not sick. My boss decided to redo the schedule with me alternating every other Sunday. But I didn't get that message so I was dropped at work and then had to be picked up again right after. The up side is I get to watch the Panthers game live which is something I haven't got to do all season. The downside is I'm out roughly 50 bucks, aaaand we're nearly constantly broke so that doesn't help.

Meg is such an amazing chef. We had a hankerin' for chili and I was going to go with a pretty tame recipe my mom gave me, Meg goes online and finds this bangin' recipe with twice as much stuff and modifies it on top of that. Its pretty much the best chili I've ever had. Seriously.

I got a little emotional watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night. If you don't get a little emotional during the last 15 minutes of that movie go back to the assembly line because you're a fucking robot.

I had one last thought about Twilight, Bella really wanted to stay in Washington instead of moving to Jacksonville, FL. Because she loves Edward? Sure. But it might have something to do with the fact that she would be moving to freaking Jacksonville. Have you ever been to Jacksonville? If Waffle House expanded and became a city it would be Jacksonville. I'd choose to live in LameVampireVille, WA instead too.

Le blog

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:13:46 GMT

So...turns out I was supposed to be keeping a blog in French for my French class, aaaaand turns out I also missed the part where they said it was 10% of my grade. Oops. So now the plan is two posts a day until class is over. Because I'm lazy and it isn't as if the blog is being graded for correct grammar I'm pretty much going to hit up freetranslation.com for my blog translation needs.

I got a 72 on a paper in my research methods class. Am I upset? Not really. I have to force myself to go to that class, its such bullshit. The point of the class, and why it is a requirement for the major, is to help develop better research skills for writing papers. But the lectures are incoherent babble and I'm pretty sure the professor is just making up shit as he goes along. So back to the 72, I churned out a five page paper in like an hour, I knew it was crap and I expected it to be like a 60, so I can live with a 72. I'm so glad this is my last political science class, for every tidbit of interesting or worthwhile information I've learned in this program there are huge amounts of garbage you have to muddle through. Next semester I'm taking a class on the Second World War, history of NC, French business and culture, development of television broadcasting, and golf. No more political science, good riddance.

Meg and I saw Twilight last night...so...vampires...sparkle?
I'm sure this was great for fans of the books but I kept having to ask Meg questions because a lot of things weren't explained very well. Overall...eh. Okay, overall I thought a lot of things were downright goofy. But its cool, I dragged Meg to see Indiana Jones and the Unnecessary Sequel, so we're good.

Levels of Geek

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:01:29 GMT

So Wednesday before my anthropology lab we were all kinda standing in the hallway outside the class because the teacher was running a few minutes behind. Everyone is chatting with everyone else, its a very small class, like 15 people so we're all pretty comfortable with each other at this point. Anyway this one guy who is somewhere between emo and goth, which I have dubbed 'gothmo' looks at me and says, "this calls for (can't remember the exact term so I'll make one up) an intergalactic/dimensional screwdriver." I give him an I'm not quite sure what that means look and he embarrassingly goes, "Oh. It's a Dr. Who reference, its a show on SciFi, I'm just a huge geek, never mind, its a goofy reference." Hearing that I say, "Oh, well, yeah I don't watch Dr. Who, I hear its really good, I am a huge BSG (Battlestar Galactica) fan though, I love that show, its outstanding." So I think that response was appropriate, I didn't put down his stuff and said I liked an equally geeky show on the same network. The response I got though was a look of combined disgust/pity/mock, after which he turned and continued his Dr. Who references in another direction. So, I guess the lesson is even among geeks, there are some things that are out of bounds geeky, BSG being one of them. Now that I think about it, that fact that I refer to it as 'BSG' probably doesn't up my cool points any. Then again my own wife references me by the 'N' word (nerd) whenever I drop a BSG or "Frak"! Oh well. So say we all.

All grilled cheese sandwich diet

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:54:03 GMT

So my job is really...unjobish. Most days it is so slow I do my homework, read the paper, and make calls. So when I call my parents we run through the usual and eventually the conversation turns to politics. So even though I would describe myself as a Libertarian if I had to pick a party to affiliate with, I'm going to vote for Obama on Tuesday. My parents voted twice for Bush and have been Republicans for as long as I can remember. Lately though our political discussions have turned to talking about how crappy things have turned for America and with Dad I could tell he was almost coming around to my view of picking Obama. Pretty big deal as he's a guy who reads the National Review online and watches Fox News. Then Dad tells me two days ago that he went to vote early, I figured he'd vote for McCain but I cracked up when he said, "I had to go ahead and vote, you were getting to me, another 7 days and I might have voted for Obama so I thought I'd nip it in the bud." So, looks like I'm the only Teasley that will be voting for Obama, Steph and Brandy are still in the McCain camp and Mom...well, she's said that if Obama is elected he can be president he just won't be her president. When I figure out how that works I'll get back to you.

Write in Stephen Colbert for president!

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:17:44 GMT

I finished Y: The Last Man. Its this brilliant comic book from Brian K. Vaughn who writes for Lost. 10 volumes, lots of sitting in Borders and Barnes and Noble, and I finally finished. I cried a little. I'm kidding. I cried a lot. Its a mind blowing book, highly recommended. And now to geek this out even more, I'm watching Clone Wars on Cartoon Network, its pretty kick ass.

Tomorrow Meg and I are going to the Lexington BBQ festival. I've always heard about it but never have attended so tomorrow we're going. I read some about it and its not a BBQ cook-off but pretty much a schmorgazboard(spell?) of southern cooking. Sign. Me. Up.

Health insurance sucks if you have a preexisting condition because you have to pay them and get nothing out of it for a year, but then after a year, health insurance is awesome! I was paying $100 for one vial of my insulin that would last me about two weeks. For those of you who are math majors, thats $200 a month. Now I pay $37 a vial, which is more than I'd like to pay but man, a ton better than what we were paying. I'm glad I've got coverage now, my docter now has me on injections before meals. I know what you're thinking but for me its great, for a long time I was on the 24 hour insulin and it wouldn't help bring my blood sugar down after meals. Having something that puts control of that in my hands is such a relief. I have insulin pens, which are much earier to carry around and don't need to be refridgerated, so I'm pretty happy with it.

So a few weeks before this semester started my car went ka-put and instead of investing another $1000 from my school refund check I decided to try commuting to work and school by bike. I have a nice Schwinn mountain bike with my own personally designed luggage compartment (translation: milkcrate attached by plastic binders to the back rack). I use the rec center at school to take a shower and get ready in the morning, so its not bad at all. Do I worry about weather conditions more than the average motorist? Yes. Do I feel that I kinda look like a homeless guy getting around town? Yep. But, after the initial investment in the bike I spend nothing on gas which is great, and I get a workout I otherwise wouldn't have. Living in town I can do this, we'd be stuck if we still lived in Archdale. From the apartment I'm 4 miles from school and 5 from work, its not bad. So finally I kissed my car goodbye, I'm thinking that next semester I'll either get another car or maybe a scooter. I'm still a long way off from having to worry about that, although October has flown by, hasn't it?

Ape bars, not monkey bars.

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:13:39 GMT

So I last updated 58 weeks ago. Sorry, been busy, like a whole year and then some busy. Meg and I were supposed to go out this evening but there were not really any events going on downtown that fit the profile we were looking for (free) and on top of that its kinda rainy, so... I'm updating LJ and Meg is playing Kingdom Hearts 2.

School is going pretty well this year so far, this is the actual factual and long awaited final year. Class of 2006!!...er, 09. I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing once I finish, I was kinda kicking around the idea of grad school, looking into the public administration program at UNCC, but I'm not sure. Mostly what is important to me is to just finish my undergrad work, its weird to think I've been at it off an on since 02.

Anthropology class is cool, we got to go on an actual field trip to the natural science center here in town. Did you know that not that long ago there were cow sized lemurs in Madagascar? I kid you not. That class is great until someone will make it spin off course. A month into class a guy raises his hand and says, "yeah, but, evolution? That hasn't been proven or anything." Dude, that was day one of class. Then someone started asking about Tarzan and how he could communicate with the apes, I worry about how much of the lecture the class is actually taking in sometimes.

Anyway, dinner time!

btw, the correct term is ape bars because monkeys do not swing from branches, that trait is specific to apes. Monkeys walk on top of branches.

Pro at crastinating

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:37:34 GMT

I have an exam less than 24 hours from now, I'm not really prepared for it so the logical solution is to waste time blogging. We moved out of the hotel sooner than we thought, which was good because the first week of school and moving were so hectic that there is no way I could have done my job there properly anyway. I'm so glad to be out of there, I know Meg is too. I love our apartment in Greensboro, lots of space, very quiet, and only 4 or so miles from campus. Its so nice to be back and school, I had my first exam yesterday and I made an 88, and I was kicking myself because one of the questions I flubbed I knew, so I would have had a 92. Afterwards I realized how different that is for me, it used to be me kicking myself because I didn't pass, not the difference between an A and a B. So i'm doing well, not sure if I want to double major, if I do it'll probably set me back another semester. Right now I'm on pace to graduate at the end of next August. Not sure just yet.

Bought a car, its a 97 Thunderbird, there are a couple minor things that need to be fixed up but its in really nice shape and I'm happy with it. The only down side is the car took up the small cushion of money we had left over from financial aid apart from budgeted living expenses. So we have to go ahead and get part time jobs. I'm ok with it, I was planning on working part time anyway, probably start looking this weekend.

I have a class with Meg, Public Administration. Its the first class we've had together. I get to walk out holding hands with the cutest girl in class.

In short, things are well...now back to study guide...bleh.

I wasn't prepared for glory but it was amazing

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:44:29 GMT

Is it stupid that 300 inspired me to secure financial aid and tackle all the formalities of returning to UNCG this summer? The same UNCG that is home of the Spartans?

Yeah, I guess it is.

Then I kick you in the chest and you fall down a well.

THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!

Change Ups to Salvage Season

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:28:53 GMT

I think my ideal job would be GM of a professional sports team. Because when it comes down to it you’re basically playing fantasy football sans the fantasy part. I currently am a lowly fan but I could climb my way up and be the Panthers GM in fifteen, twenty years. A lofty goal to be sure but last time I checked the Terminator was still governor of the world’s fifth largest economy. In short, anything is possible.
If I’m Coach Fox I’ve got to be thinking it is time for a change. Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer has it pegged. The Panthers are in need of a spark and that means a drastic personnel change. His suggestion, bench Delhomme and start Weinke. A few weeks back I would have thought that absurd but with the season winding down and the window of playoff opportunity growing smaller; I think it may be the right move.
I love Jake Delhomme. The man is fearless and is always passionate about the game but as Sorensen pointed out, he isn’t the Jake of seasons past. The situation the Panther’s faced at the end of last week’s game was what Delhomme excels at. It wasn’t always pretty but through pure grit he would get it done. Not last week. Not this season. As much as it would damage the Bojangles/Time Warner Cable/Suncomm marketing campaigns I think it is time for a change.
Delhomme is not completely at fault. Coach Fox and Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning are to blame as well. Fox stubbornly sticks to his running philosophy when they do not have an offensive line capable of making adequate run blocks. Henning is at fault for completely forgetting what a valuable asset Brad Hoover is. It was only due to injuries that Hoover saw as much playing time as he did a few weeks back but that was enough to open their eyes to what he can bring in the short yardage and passing game. But why did they forget? Are they actually attending the practices? Fox and Henning, as much as they may deny watching it, need to turn off ESPN and start watching their own game film.
There is not much football left to be played but that is negotiable. The Panthers can play all the way into February but a few changes need to be made.

- Bench Delhomme and start Weinke. Weinke does not have Delhomme’s fiery attitude but we don’t need fiery attitudes, we needs well thrown balls. Weinke has been a class act stepping aside and accepting the second string position behind both Peete and Delhomme. The stink of the 1-15 season has faded and its time to start.
- Officially hand Williams the starting running back position. The writing is on the wall already, after this season Foster will either be gone or given a much smaller role in the offense. Why wait? Williams, due to his small size, is able to do more with the small holes the O-line is able to provide. Foster can be a valuable asset. Use him in the passing game or even with punt returns but he is not Stephen Davis so let’s stop pretending.
- Don’t be afraid to give up on a game plan. If you’re trying to run the ball for three quarters and ten minutes, then finally decide to change your game plan; that is unacceptably poor coaching. What has worked in seasons past is not working now. The Panthers are a high profile team, time to learn some new tricks because we’ve been doing the same ones since Fox arrived and all our opponents know them by heart.
- O-line. Knock some people down already.
If we’re to see any of these changes it’ll be either this week or the next because the clock is ticking. I still have faith we can right this ship but we have to make some tough choices but better to make them now and have a shot at the post season than stick with the program and make the same changes when we’re out off the playoff hunt.

Dan Teasley is a sports columnist for the blogging community at large.

oh my my this here Anakin guy

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:57:00 GMT

So been busy, there is always something that needs to be done here at home/work. I haven't fired anyone although the thought has crossed my mind once or twice but for the most part things have been moving fairly smoothly. Ideally I'd work with one person running the desk and I'd be free to take care of paper work and things that tend to break every other minute. It doesn't though because we're a small business and having two people at the same desk at the same time would cause the hotel to vanish into a time/space rift to which only that wheel chair guy has the address.

I really am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I'm working until 3ish then we're heading home. As manager I'm on call in case something happens but I'm not gonna fret about it. Gotta get away once and awhile.

I wanna go to see the Bobcats play, the tickets are really cheap...probably because they kinda stink but it still would be fun. We went to a game awhile back but now that I actually follow them I think it would be a lot more fun. I love Adam Morrison, my fellow type one diabetic rocks that shit.

Justice League season 2 is the new Smallville season 5.

Actually, we just say manager

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 08:26:40 GMT

My last post seemed, I dunno, as if I were addressing people I didn't know. As if I suddenly have an entirely new audience who were brought to this particular blog because of an add in the paper or something. I just felt like a jack ass after I read it again.

So I've met most of my staff and I already am looking to fire one of them. She's been there like eight years but this is my show now, suckas. I headed down just to introduce myself and she seems nice enough at first but then lays out some demands, three days off for both Christmas and Thanksgiving because "that's the way its always been." She basically informed me that I have to "work with her and not against her." I smiled and nodded. I have to deal with this crap for a week or two, just long enough so that I know how to run everything then its ultimatum time.

See the place has been run by Indian couples and they work these insane hours where if you just showed up whenever and left whenever it was fine. I think I have to get rid of her because those days are over and I don't think she is going to adjust to the change. She's already taken the liberty of 'adjusting the schedule to her needs' which would be fine by me, I understand people have obligations. However, the times she has allotted arn't because she can't work, just won't work. For example, "I changed my Thursday because I don't like working past nine." Yeah so she's probably going to be fired. It'll be fun and because we are a small business with under fifteen employees I don't even have to give a reason, 'its not working out' is good enough. If I'm letting my new authority go to my head, well, I don't really give a shit. I'm the boss. Deal with it, bitches.

Tonight it my last night with Innkeeper. I really do like this place even though it does sometimes get on my nerves. I actually take delight in the sketchiness of it all. Hookers, one night standers, drunks, drunk teenagers, regulars who feel they should stay for 1/4 of what everyone else pays, I'll miss them. Well not them but the wealth of entertaining stories they provide.

Yeah, Im totally going to swipe another Innkeeper coffee mug from the supply closet. Drop my pay to minimum wage because I didn't finish my two weeks notice will ya? Hope you like your coffee in a bowl because I'm afraid all your nifty mugs have been kidnapped by my kitchen cabinets.

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:16:45 GMT

It seems like this halloween snuck up on me but that didn't stop us from rockin it out with some sweet ass pumpkins and costumes. Heck, we even completed the costumery(new word, it'll be in Websters eventually) with a location theme.

After the trick or treaters, which were polite and cute except for the little bastard Indian kids who were incredibly rude and greedy. This is the same group of little punks that Meg had to manhandle last year. Anyway, we had the best pumpkins ever. Mine was a Superman shield, Meg did an incredibly detailed castle, and finally there was our little scary faced pumpkin. I'm sure Meg has pictures posted of all this some where.

We opted not to go to the local Halloween attractions and instead decided to go out to eat. Meg got into her Hermione costume and I was Johnny Cash. I realized thought that if I didn't carry the guitar with me I'd just be a guy dressed in black. So we opted to be Jim and Pam from the Office instead. Actually I was three hole punch Jim from the Halloween episode. To complete the Office costumery we ate at Chili's. If you watch the Office you know why that was perfect. If you don't watch the Office, you should watch the Office. It was a lot more laid back than our last two Halloweens and in my opinion it was our best.

I'm really excited about starting my new job. I've neglected livejournal for myspace, sorry. I landed the General Manager position at the Best Western in HIgh Point. My first full day is Friday and I'll be honest, there are a ton procedures I'm not 100% on. Hopefully i'll be fine. It's not a lot different from Innkeeper just slower and a nicer crowd. It's a weird feeling to step into the role of manager. I've had good bosses and bad ones so I know what things I want to bring to this.

The position comes with an apartment at the hotel and it is much nicer than I originally thought. The kitchen is huge, about 3 to 4 times the amount of cabinet space we have now, brand new flat surface stove, and dishwasher. We have a ton of closet space in the bedroom, and it's furnished with two couches, two 25 inch TV's, dressers, and a king size bed. Like I said before the rest of the expenses, power, water, cable, phone, internet, are all paid for as well. Our lease at Brookwood is not up until Feb but after that we'll only have a few things to take care of and the rest can go into paying off student loans and credit cards. All in all, we're doing great.

Batman? The Batman? Has anyone cared to actually ask him which one he prefers?

Nick at Nite used to have standards

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:05:44 GMT

The headline is a topic I will come back to at a later date as it something that keeps me up at night, which may have been their intention all along.

So I received the A'OK to head on back to UNCG. So that moves my graduation date back to, um, whenever. I'm not too worried about that, the important thing is I'm going. UNCG and I are like one of those couples that are always breaking up and getting back together. "But, I love you, UNCG." "Dan, you need to get your head and GPA together if you want this to work between us."

There are a couple of factors that might hold me out another semester. Health, lack of second car, and money. I'm feeling OK about the first but the second and third are tied together and need time to resolve. It doesn't help I quit my second job. It was getting too tough to balance it with Innkeeper and my medication schedule. But mostly, cmon? Kmart? The place sucks. Seriously.

I also found out that I'm only one class short of having a minor in history. Let that be a lesson kids, change majors enough times and something may stick. That or it'll take you a decade to graduate. Or in my case BOTH!

Green Arrow in less than 24 hours. You all know what I'm talkin' bout.

Tom Gump

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:06:11 GMT

I don't think I need to ask because it is pretty obvious. I'm a Dan. When you look at me or talk to me it seems pretty clear that the only name to attach to this mug is Dan. Or Ben. But mostly Dan. Either way, short name, preferably with only one syllable, just three letters a plus.

Then we have Mr. Tom Hanks. Tom looks like a Tom, doesn't he? Nothing flashy about the guy, he comes off like someone you know which is why he's such a popular actor. The man can obviously act as his two Oscars can vouch for. So why are they so afraid to let him play a character named Tom? Think about it, when was the last time Mr. Hanks or any major Hollywood type, played a character with the same first name as themselves? We can buy that this one character is mentally challenged, star football player, war hero, and millionaire but switch up the names, "Tom Hanks is Tom Gump", nobody goes for it and it ends up at the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart. I guess our collective suspension of disbelief has its limits.

Actors and characters sharing first names is right out. The real shame in that is it really puts a road block in the way of what I've always wanted to see, an entire movie of the actors playing themselves.

EXT-ROOF OF EMPIRE STATE BUILDING-NIGHT
Tom Cruise has explosives wrapped around his body as Samuel L. Jackson attempts to talk some sense into him.
JACKSON: C'mon, Tom. Just take it easy and put down the detonator.
CRUISE: That time is over, Jackson! We offered you a chance to be one of us and you said no. Now you pay the price!
JACKSON: I've had it with you Scientologist mother fuckers!
CRUISE: LORD L.RON HUBBARD'S WILL BE DONE!
Cruise presses the detonator button. A tense second passes. Nothing. Suddenly Cruise is clobbered from behind. Out of the shadows the attacker emerges, it is none other than...Katie Holmes?
JACKSON: Katie! I thought they had broken you down and we'd lost you.
HOLMES: All part of the plan, Sam. Cruise was just a pawn in their scheme. We have work to do.
JACKSON: I'm on the mother fucker.

Samuel L. Jackson. Gary Coleman. Tom Cruise. In-
CELEBRITY RISING 2-Reign of the Mad Scientologist
DECEMBER 2007 prepare for the madness.

Drugs. My Anti Drug.

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 07:01:14 GMT

I've never done drugs and I think it is pretty safe to say I never will. I've known people who have and I'm not passing judgment or anything, but I don't think I'm missing much. What does depress me though is the hours upon hours of 'just say no' media I sat through as a child. Why? Because in my 23 years of existence I've never, not once, been offered to partake in any drug related activity. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

G.I. Joe, the Muppet babies, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they trained me to be a soldier in the war on drugs. NO! I WILL NOT TAKE A HIT EVEN IF THIS FIRST ONE IS FREE! Kermit would be so proud of me when I barked that at the skeezy looking dealer with his backwards hat, boombox, and fingerless gloves. Sadly, that chance never came and I'm left with this empty feeling I've dubbed 'dealer neglect'.

Dealer neglect is the worst of all the neglects one can suffer. Drugs is a business and business as anyone who has seen the Godfather knows, isn't personal. However, dealer neglect says to a kid, "we don't want you OR your money. Its no good here, we don't even consider you a potential customer". It was as if the world of narcotics picked me last for kickball and then didn't approach me to buy drugs.

Is it too late for me? I'm afraid so. Yelling MISS PIGGY WARNED ME ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU! is not going to bring the satisfaction it would have 10-15 years ago. Also, they might assume I'm already a user if I'm screaming about the Muppet Babies and pointing my finger right at that spot between their eyes, causing them to look slightly cross-eyed as I finish the screaming proclamation, which is how I always imagined it when I would practice with a mirror.

So I'm putting the issue to rest, letting it go, and moving on. I'm an adult now and have bigger things to worry about. For example, if a guy approaches me in the parking lot after work and asks me if I want to embezzle money from Microsoft, I'll know just what to say. I've been practicing.

Get yourself to Mars

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:24:05 GMT

I'm sorta behind on this but youtube is so awesome. I was able to watch the film The Last Man on Earth in its entirety(Old movie=Public Domain) and it made me happy. I'm here at work and I feel like a genuine genius because I was able to fix the internet on the lobby computer. It wasn't difficult but they had to call the tech guy from the company to come out last week for this problem and I took care of it. Looks like somebody needs a raise. Then again, I'm not supposed to be on the computer in the first place sooooooooo we'll call it even.

Marybeth and Jody's wedding was really nice although I think I offended one of the ushers. Oops. Anyway we didn't make the reception because I wasn't feeling that stellar but the actual wedding was great and I'm really happy for Mr and Mrs Black.

I took a second job at K-Mart, I don't expect it to be a lot of fun but we could use more money. I expect it to basically be like Target but not nearly as busy. Meg works all the time, has class full time, and now has an internship at the police department. My Dad has been working seven days a week for the past month and will continue to do so indefinitely. Between the two of them I feel down right lazy, so me working a couple of extra hours isn't going to kill me.

Smallville season five is so hardcore that from now on when something is hardcore we will refer to it as season five. Example: "Dude, did you see that guy get kicked in the face? That was season five."

That's no moon. It's a space station.

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:44:46 GMT

I'm worried about my stuff, and by stuff I mean blood sugar. It hasn't been really high or anything but not as low on average as it had been. I know that at some point I'll start to become resistant to the insulin and require more to keep my levels down, I'm really hoping this isn't the start of that. I think I might be overreacting though, I've been using a different moniter and I'm not sure how accurate it is. Also I didn't stay with my schedule and ate a couple things I maybe shouldn't have. We'll see how it looks in the morning. My wife is so sweet. She is so reassuring and keeps my tendency to stress and worry in check, which is in itself a good thing as anxiety can lead to less control.

I joined a livejournal community. I've never done that before but I thought I'd join a diabetes group, I'm in one now called 'Living with diabetes'. Think some of my posts are downers? You have no idea. It should be called 'Venting with diabetes.' I'll remain a member but like I said, pretty depressing. If I get like that please some one tell me, just say "Dan, you're bumming us out". I hope the above paragraph doesn't fit that bill. I don't consider my posts about my health to be depressing, just stating what's going on. If I do get excessivly ranty about it, like I said, let me know.

So my good friend Marybeth is getting married Saturday. I'm really happy for her and Jody and I think we'll get frequent flyer points for referring new members to the young married peoples club.

My Dad calls me yesterday and asks me if I want a Charlotte Bobcats hat. I say sure and then hear distinct background noise, "Dad, are you in the store right now?"
"Yeah, on my cell phone."
Dad on a cell phone, not only Dad on a cell phone, but chatting away in a store. I don't know, Dad had always chided me for owning one and making calls at random times and places. It's just wierd. The times they are a changin.

Just thinking

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:36:28 GMT

One day when we have to decide on a name for our first child, if its a boy I like Calvin for a first name and Ellis, after Meg's dad, for the middle name. For short we will call him Cal-El. Then as our planet Krypton explodes we will send him to another world to be raised by Kansas farmers.

I've watched quite a bit of smallville in the past few weeks. It might be showing a little.

So be it...Jedi.

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:27:07 GMT

Summer is over, well not technically, but school is back in session and the Labor Day weekend has come and gone and so we'll go ahead and declare it to be Fall. I have not experienced Fall in the hotel business but if the past two nights are any indication then I could not be happier. I have been here four hours now and have had only one check in. Last night I only had three. If I wanted to I really could just go to sleep, it is fantastic.

I've just finished reading up on crafting a resume. I'm trying to land a management or asst manager gig somewhere. I by no means wish to make a career out of managing a fast food joint but right now I really just need to put money in the bank while I'm not in school.

Tonight we saw Lady in the Water. I love the second run movie theater in High Point. It's pretty close and it is only two bucks a ticket. I think we're going to see Nacho Libre tomorrow night.

Is it weird to say that I can feel myself crashing after drinking coffee? I'll drink two or three cups then two hours later feel a really strong desire to collapse. Oh geez, I've become one of those annoying coffee addicts.

The Panthers begin their season Sunday. I've followed all the tidbits of nothing news the entire off-season and it all leads to that moment of kick off and...they scheduled me to work. Sucks. I mean yeah I can tape it but knowing my luck some yokel will come in yelling the score. Not to be all Debby Downer but I can't help but have a bad feeling about this season. Something doesn't sit right with me, there's too much hype, things are looking too good, too many people predicting superbowl, I see us ripe for a fall. I hope not, but we'll see. One positive is I think I found a way to get Meg into football. Accessories. We were in a store and see started trying on Panther merchandise and then started asking me actual questions about the team and players. It was hot. Very hot.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 19:16:51 GMT

You were one crazy son of a bitch and we loved you for it. Rest in peace, Steve Irwin.

She saved the world. A lot.

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 09:05:39 GMT

Oh Man! There is a lecture series they are starting this Wednesday at UNCG that is an examination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. How awesome is that? Its free to the public and the lectures run through March. Buffy is hands down my favorite show of all time. This is going to be great. I hadn't really thought about this before but both Smallville and Lost have Buffy connections. I think that's why I also obsess over those shows. Anyway I'm geekin out, sorry.

"They got... the mustard...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuut!!!"

Quiet. Too quiet.

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 06:33:34 GMT

For a friday night it is really quiet here at work. I'm especially surprised at how slow it is considering this is the Labor Day weekend. So far though it has been anything but busy. I'm not complaining, just making an observation. Of course I've probably just jinxed myself and now fifty people will line up to check in.

If you read my posts that means you more than likely read my beautiful wife's posts, so you know about the bird situation. We rescued this pigeon with a broken leg from the parking lot here at work and now he's in Pat's old cage just chillin. I'm not sure what to do about it. I don't think a Vet will even look at the bird as it is a wild animal and zoos don't put too much priority on adopting pigeons so its starting to look like we're stuck with the bird, or 'Frank' as Meg has decided to call him. Aside from the broken leg Frank has probably never had it so good. Lots of food, nice comfortable place to stay, and Meg who is the best caretaker an animal could ask for.

On the financial front, we're slowly but surely climbing our way out of debt. The only major things we'll still owe money on when the checks have all cleared will be the chase credit card and student loans. So we've taken our credit situation from 'in shambles' to just 'eh'. Medical costs are not pretty, my insurance doesn't pay for medicine at all. We save more with Meg's Eckerd discount than we do through my insurance. That's pretty sad. I need to leave this job. The hours are screwy and make things tough with my health and I don't want to have to fight through lack of sleep when I go back to class. The insurance is crud and it is very unprofessional. On the other hand I love it because its soooooooo easy. I complain but how many other jobs do you get paid to basically watch TV and blog? Plus, I'm also closing in on the seven month mark with the company and as many of you know I don't tend to stick with a job for more than three months at a time. The longer I stay the better my resume looks.

I went to the doctor and got some pretty crummy news. I don't have to worry about this right away but at some point in the not too distant future I will have to go to three additional shots a day to control my diabetes. Where I am right now is referred to as the honeymoon period, because i'm doing much better my body is making more insulin itself and I don't need as much medication. Unfortunately it won't last and I'll have to take a shot before each meal. What sucks is I comforted myself with the thought that I only have to do one shot a day and I wondered how type 1's who have to do all those shots manage. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself though. Taking a few more shots is a pain but it is a lot better than the alternative and lots of people do it every day.

I really miss school and I hate not being there right now but sitting out like this really is the best thing. As much as I hate it I really do need some time to adjust to everything. Things will be on track at some point; health, education, career, I just need to be patient. Things could always be a LOT worse and I am very grateful for all that I have.