Wow, its been a long time since I last posted, but this topic deserves some plugging. Sometime over the last month or so, I stumbled upon a new TV network called Current TV. Apparently this station has significant involvement from Al Gore. It also has significant involvement from Google. There are few commercials, I have rarely seen more thn 2 in a row, and there are no "shows" so to speak. Rather, Current TV is all user created content broken down into what they call "pods". They even have assignments for viewers to create ad content for their advertisers. They pay $1000 if your ad is accepted and shown on Current TV, and you could earn up to $50,000 if your ad is liked enough by the advertiser to be shown in other markets. It's really tough to describe exactly what this network does. Its a hodgepodge of news, sports, culture, hobbies, and current issues facing the world today. Its almost as if you are allowing someone else to surf the internet for you. Ive learned about an electric car that does 0-60 in 4secs and looks like a ferrari, Ive learned about conflict in Israel/Palestine, Ive found a few new bands that I like that were featured in a "pod". Ive learned about different festivals that take place all over the country. I cant really say much more about it besides telling you to check it out. Its on Comcast and in Miami-Dade (or at least the Grove) its channel 107. I think these guys are really onto something...
www.currenttv.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Trip from Hell...
OK, so Ive been traveling a ton and the whole blog thing sorta lost its appeal. Im sure the 2 people that read it slowly cried themselves to sleep... Well, I had to post this story since it was absolutely ridiculous. Absolute nightmare of a road trip from Miami to Tulsa to Dallas to Houston and back to Miami.
So, I left Sunday for tropical Tulsa, OK with a connection in Dallas. Flying on the weekends for work kinda sucks, but Ive been getting so annihilated from going out so much that it was nice to have to "tone it down" on a Sunday. I get to Dallas and board the Tulsa flight. Should be an easy hour trip but the pilots decided to show up 90mins late in Dallas...go figure. Got to the hotel at just after midnight after taking a cab where the cab driver started screaming at someone in Arabic. I think he was pissed at the dispatch because he kept screaming, "Gligamesh ish beck naka gilgamesh leeba tatkainalsdhliajsdf dispatch gilgamesh suresh asdjfasjdhglasdjrfasd dispatch gilgamesh suresh dispatch hasldkfalsghalsdjl alsidfjla sidfliuf aisjdf l; dispatch!!!!" over and over again.
The next day, I visited some accounts, wrote some good biz, and got done early. Had a 640p flight to Dallas but got to the airport at 2p so tried to fly standby on the 440p flight. Well, the 440p flight gets cancelled ("mechanical failures") and the 640p gets delayed 45mins (no fuckin reason)... At least the bar was right next to my gate and I met a cute chick who was more of a sports fan than most guys I know. At first, I thought she was just quoting crap she read on espn.com that morning, but this chick was legit. We spent about 2hrs throwing back a few brew-has, taking sports, and making fun of the dork next to us with the bluetooth earpiece - awesome times! I still dont get why people wear those stupid things in public. Anyways, I finally board the plane and get to Dallas at 845p only to find out that they left my bags in Tulsa. Reason for this - "TSA didnt have enough time to get my bags on the plane". Thats right, 5hrs early and they didnt have time... I mustve said, "Fuck" about 100 times to the poor baggage lady because she kept giving me the "not enough time" excuse. I was doing my best to hold back rage but it slipped out a little when I ranted, "Lady, gimme another excuse please. Even lie if you have to! Tell me they thought y bags were radioactive, that they were WMDs, that they thought my electric razor was a grenade, but dont tell me they didnt have enough time when I was there 5 fucking hours early!" Went out for a good bite to eat and a much needed whiskey before heading to the hotel for some shuteye. Captain Fantastic at American Airlines said that I would have my bags delivered by 10am so at least that wasnt so bad...
Its 9am and I call the "lost baggage hotline" to get the status on my baggage. The computer attendant tells me that they arrived in Dallas at 8am and "will be delivered to me within the next 6 hours." Gee, 8am + 6hrs = 2pm last time I checked. I knew that lady was full of shit when she said 10am... Well, bags showed up around 1145am and I headed out to a crappy meeting then broke for lunch before heading to the reps office to train a new guy. From there we hit up another customer for a meeting that sucked because we didnt write business right then and there, but the customer was a really cool guy and we chatted for awhile about Miami, Superbowl, Vegas, gambling, etc (all the important stuff) and got to know each other better so at least that was good.
Then it was time to fly to Houston. My flight was supposed to leave at 830p out of DFW but it was raining like hell so it was delayed to 930p. I was afraid it would be cancelled so i cancelled the flight and called Southwest cuz they had flights at the other Dallas airport (Love Field - which was closer). The lady on the line for Southwest said they had "plenty of availability" on about 9 flights that left every 1/2 hr and that there were no delays longer than 15mins because of the rain. She said it shouldnt be a problem getting on the 6. 630, or 7p flight. When we left, it was POURING out. It was so bad that we were driving down a hill and there was 3+ inches of water on the road in the MIDDLE of the hill, not at the bottom. "This cant be good" I think to myself. I get to the airport and they can only get me on the 830p. Its 545p... I ask why and they tell me the airport has been shut down for the past 2hrs due to weather...go figure. I guess captain McSmartypants left that out of her "you should have no problem" report 15 minutes earlier.
The airport is a total madhouse, people EVERYWHERE. The line for Chili's was at least 50 deep and there were no chances I was gonna spring for McD's or some other shit food. At least they had the most awesome thing Ive ever seen at an airport - BEER CARTS! Thats right, people walking all over the airport throwing down beers like nothing. It was like being at a Pats game! I slammed down a few Heinekens and then realized I would need to wait about 3 more hours before my flight had a chance to leave so I hit up Chili's and made it thru the line relatively quickly, no thanks to the douchebag lady that told me there were single seats that you didnt have to wait in line for - I got out of line only to be sent back... Two double whiskeys and some boneless buffalo wings later, Im ready to check on my flight since the board says we should be boarding in 30 minutes. Guess again... The Dallas-Houston terminal at Southwest is a total free-for-all. Flights from 4pm thru 8pm are taking off at different times from 2 different gates and mass confusion has ensued. One guy next to me just had a total meltdown and started flipping out and swearing like crazy while me and another girl watched and laughed. Its always easy to make friends when youre experiencing travel woes because everyone is completely helpless. Finally, after 4hrs of waiting, I get placed on the 930p flight and when I ask if my bags will be on my flight I get a "maybe, maybe not" answer. "When the weather gets like this, we just start shipping bags on whatever flight we can just to get them there", the attendant tells me. Oh, that makes a lot of sense...
I land and check the baggage carousel dont see my bags but then the girl who I had talked with earlier directed me to a big pile of bags and sure enough, mine were there! First piece of good luck! Now its pouring outside but luckily the hotel shuttles are under cover and the shuttle driver is reasonably sane. Got to the hotel at 1130p that night, 3hrs later than expected...
Its now Wednesday morning and Im really looking forward to geting out, seeing customers, and getting the fuck outta Houston and back to Miami. At around 7am, I get a text from my rep who was supposed to pick me up to go visit 4 accounts. He is 3.5hrs away in Austin where he lives and cant leave because a bridge is under 3ft of water... Go figure. We scrap the day and I check to see if I can get an earlier flight than my 7pm scheduled filght since its 1145am. There is a 2pm flight and its a 35 minute drive once the shuttle gets here to pick me up. Im gonna go for it, so I shower, pack, and make plans to head to the airport. I talk with "Keisha" who tells me that "Leroy" will be there to get me around 1230p. Its gonna be close sportsfans. Im really depending on Leroy... Leroy shows up and is on good spirits. He grabs some free coffee at the hotel and we head out - love that move. If I was a shuttle/cab/bus driver, I would never pay for breakfast or coffee ever. "Time is of the essence " I say to Leroy as we head out. "Man we gon' be there in 30 minutes, youll make it, I'll get you there." Leroy is the man. He starts telling me how this airport ride is "all Leroy" because he does it on the side for some extra cash. In fact, Leroy has had enough of this job and is trying to get a few bucks to help him out on his bus trip to Atlanta tonite. He is quitting the job after making a few "cash runs" and is leaving to start up at his old job in Atlanta later on that night. His current employer has no idea - awesome. Im loving Leroy time right now especially, because he's flooring it and basically pushing cars out of our way by honking and flashing high beams. "As you can see, Ive got a little bit of road rage in me...", he says with a laugh. Then he launches into a story about how his girl is a no-good drunk on drugs and that she "aint gon' see him no mo'" after waking him up in the middle of the night to ask for a smoke and then getting pissed because he didnt have any. "I felt like chokin her out but I kept my hands to myself. I dont need that shit. Instead, I went out on the porch and to' up all her underwears and shit and then I left. She wont see me no mo'!", he tells me. Leroy is single-handedly turning this trip around for me at this point. After a little silence, Leroy gets deep and asks, "If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?" Pretty broad question, but I say that I wish that everyone would just get along. That earns me a high-5 from my man Leroy who agrees and goes on a rant about how between sex, race, religion, etc., there's too much fighting and hating goin on these days.
We're finally at the airport and I wish Leroy luck in Atlanta and give him a nice tip. I really hope things work out for him cuz he was a nice guy that seems like he actually gives a shit about contributing to society and making a living, which is more than I can say for about 50% of the people who live in Miami. I hustle up to the AA counter and ask if I can make the 2pm flight and Im in! I catch a break and get an exit row aisle seat too! Talking to my boss, I say "I finally caught a break, go ton the early flight, got an exit row aisle, AND we're about to leave". Im feelin good now - its almost over. We board the plane...
...and end up sitting in the plane on the runway for 2 HOURS waiting for weather to pass so we can fly...UNREAL. Didnt help that the pilot let about 7 Continental flights sneak in front of us. Got home at 7p and couldnt have been happier. I helped an old lady grab her bags and then mine were then the 5th and 7th bags to come out - thanks karma. What a trip. There were points where I couldve had a total meltdown but I kept laughing because it was quite comical how everything that could go wrong, did. Ive really come full circle. Years ago, Id have been the guy at the airport flipping out. Now, I could almost care less. Im in airports so much these days that I almost enjoy them. Now Ive got a nice 2 solid weeks in Miami before my next trip so I'll have time to get caught up on housework and catch up with friends. Then its off to Newark, NJ where I will probably be stranded in a blizzard...
So, I left Sunday for tropical Tulsa, OK with a connection in Dallas. Flying on the weekends for work kinda sucks, but Ive been getting so annihilated from going out so much that it was nice to have to "tone it down" on a Sunday. I get to Dallas and board the Tulsa flight. Should be an easy hour trip but the pilots decided to show up 90mins late in Dallas...go figure. Got to the hotel at just after midnight after taking a cab where the cab driver started screaming at someone in Arabic. I think he was pissed at the dispatch because he kept screaming, "Gligamesh ish beck naka gilgamesh leeba tatkainalsdhliajsdf dispatch gilgamesh suresh asdjfasjdhglasdjrfasd dispatch gilgamesh suresh dispatch hasldkfalsghalsdjl alsidfjla sidfliuf aisjdf l; dispatch!!!!" over and over again.
The next day, I visited some accounts, wrote some good biz, and got done early. Had a 640p flight to Dallas but got to the airport at 2p so tried to fly standby on the 440p flight. Well, the 440p flight gets cancelled ("mechanical failures") and the 640p gets delayed 45mins (no fuckin reason)... At least the bar was right next to my gate and I met a cute chick who was more of a sports fan than most guys I know. At first, I thought she was just quoting crap she read on espn.com that morning, but this chick was legit. We spent about 2hrs throwing back a few brew-has, taking sports, and making fun of the dork next to us with the bluetooth earpiece - awesome times! I still dont get why people wear those stupid things in public. Anyways, I finally board the plane and get to Dallas at 845p only to find out that they left my bags in Tulsa. Reason for this - "TSA didnt have enough time to get my bags on the plane". Thats right, 5hrs early and they didnt have time... I mustve said, "Fuck" about 100 times to the poor baggage lady because she kept giving me the "not enough time" excuse. I was doing my best to hold back rage but it slipped out a little when I ranted, "Lady, gimme another excuse please. Even lie if you have to! Tell me they thought y bags were radioactive, that they were WMDs, that they thought my electric razor was a grenade, but dont tell me they didnt have enough time when I was there 5 fucking hours early!" Went out for a good bite to eat and a much needed whiskey before heading to the hotel for some shuteye. Captain Fantastic at American Airlines said that I would have my bags delivered by 10am so at least that wasnt so bad...
Its 9am and I call the "lost baggage hotline" to get the status on my baggage. The computer attendant tells me that they arrived in Dallas at 8am and "will be delivered to me within the next 6 hours." Gee, 8am + 6hrs = 2pm last time I checked. I knew that lady was full of shit when she said 10am... Well, bags showed up around 1145am and I headed out to a crappy meeting then broke for lunch before heading to the reps office to train a new guy. From there we hit up another customer for a meeting that sucked because we didnt write business right then and there, but the customer was a really cool guy and we chatted for awhile about Miami, Superbowl, Vegas, gambling, etc (all the important stuff) and got to know each other better so at least that was good.
Then it was time to fly to Houston. My flight was supposed to leave at 830p out of DFW but it was raining like hell so it was delayed to 930p. I was afraid it would be cancelled so i cancelled the flight and called Southwest cuz they had flights at the other Dallas airport (Love Field - which was closer). The lady on the line for Southwest said they had "plenty of availability" on about 9 flights that left every 1/2 hr and that there were no delays longer than 15mins because of the rain. She said it shouldnt be a problem getting on the 6. 630, or 7p flight. When we left, it was POURING out. It was so bad that we were driving down a hill and there was 3+ inches of water on the road in the MIDDLE of the hill, not at the bottom. "This cant be good" I think to myself. I get to the airport and they can only get me on the 830p. Its 545p... I ask why and they tell me the airport has been shut down for the past 2hrs due to weather...go figure. I guess captain McSmartypants left that out of her "you should have no problem" report 15 minutes earlier.
The airport is a total madhouse, people EVERYWHERE. The line for Chili's was at least 50 deep and there were no chances I was gonna spring for McD's or some other shit food. At least they had the most awesome thing Ive ever seen at an airport - BEER CARTS! Thats right, people walking all over the airport throwing down beers like nothing. It was like being at a Pats game! I slammed down a few Heinekens and then realized I would need to wait about 3 more hours before my flight had a chance to leave so I hit up Chili's and made it thru the line relatively quickly, no thanks to the douchebag lady that told me there were single seats that you didnt have to wait in line for - I got out of line only to be sent back... Two double whiskeys and some boneless buffalo wings later, Im ready to check on my flight since the board says we should be boarding in 30 minutes. Guess again... The Dallas-Houston terminal at Southwest is a total free-for-all. Flights from 4pm thru 8pm are taking off at different times from 2 different gates and mass confusion has ensued. One guy next to me just had a total meltdown and started flipping out and swearing like crazy while me and another girl watched and laughed. Its always easy to make friends when youre experiencing travel woes because everyone is completely helpless. Finally, after 4hrs of waiting, I get placed on the 930p flight and when I ask if my bags will be on my flight I get a "maybe, maybe not" answer. "When the weather gets like this, we just start shipping bags on whatever flight we can just to get them there", the attendant tells me. Oh, that makes a lot of sense...
I land and check the baggage carousel dont see my bags but then the girl who I had talked with earlier directed me to a big pile of bags and sure enough, mine were there! First piece of good luck! Now its pouring outside but luckily the hotel shuttles are under cover and the shuttle driver is reasonably sane. Got to the hotel at 1130p that night, 3hrs later than expected...
Its now Wednesday morning and Im really looking forward to geting out, seeing customers, and getting the fuck outta Houston and back to Miami. At around 7am, I get a text from my rep who was supposed to pick me up to go visit 4 accounts. He is 3.5hrs away in Austin where he lives and cant leave because a bridge is under 3ft of water... Go figure. We scrap the day and I check to see if I can get an earlier flight than my 7pm scheduled filght since its 1145am. There is a 2pm flight and its a 35 minute drive once the shuttle gets here to pick me up. Im gonna go for it, so I shower, pack, and make plans to head to the airport. I talk with "Keisha" who tells me that "Leroy" will be there to get me around 1230p. Its gonna be close sportsfans. Im really depending on Leroy... Leroy shows up and is on good spirits. He grabs some free coffee at the hotel and we head out - love that move. If I was a shuttle/cab/bus driver, I would never pay for breakfast or coffee ever. "Time is of the essence " I say to Leroy as we head out. "Man we gon' be there in 30 minutes, youll make it, I'll get you there." Leroy is the man. He starts telling me how this airport ride is "all Leroy" because he does it on the side for some extra cash. In fact, Leroy has had enough of this job and is trying to get a few bucks to help him out on his bus trip to Atlanta tonite. He is quitting the job after making a few "cash runs" and is leaving to start up at his old job in Atlanta later on that night. His current employer has no idea - awesome. Im loving Leroy time right now especially, because he's flooring it and basically pushing cars out of our way by honking and flashing high beams. "As you can see, Ive got a little bit of road rage in me...", he says with a laugh. Then he launches into a story about how his girl is a no-good drunk on drugs and that she "aint gon' see him no mo'" after waking him up in the middle of the night to ask for a smoke and then getting pissed because he didnt have any. "I felt like chokin her out but I kept my hands to myself. I dont need that shit. Instead, I went out on the porch and to' up all her underwears and shit and then I left. She wont see me no mo'!", he tells me. Leroy is single-handedly turning this trip around for me at this point. After a little silence, Leroy gets deep and asks, "If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?" Pretty broad question, but I say that I wish that everyone would just get along. That earns me a high-5 from my man Leroy who agrees and goes on a rant about how between sex, race, religion, etc., there's too much fighting and hating goin on these days.
We're finally at the airport and I wish Leroy luck in Atlanta and give him a nice tip. I really hope things work out for him cuz he was a nice guy that seems like he actually gives a shit about contributing to society and making a living, which is more than I can say for about 50% of the people who live in Miami. I hustle up to the AA counter and ask if I can make the 2pm flight and Im in! I catch a break and get an exit row aisle seat too! Talking to my boss, I say "I finally caught a break, go ton the early flight, got an exit row aisle, AND we're about to leave". Im feelin good now - its almost over. We board the plane...
...and end up sitting in the plane on the runway for 2 HOURS waiting for weather to pass so we can fly...UNREAL. Didnt help that the pilot let about 7 Continental flights sneak in front of us. Got home at 7p and couldnt have been happier. I helped an old lady grab her bags and then mine were then the 5th and 7th bags to come out - thanks karma. What a trip. There were points where I couldve had a total meltdown but I kept laughing because it was quite comical how everything that could go wrong, did. Ive really come full circle. Years ago, Id have been the guy at the airport flipping out. Now, I could almost care less. Im in airports so much these days that I almost enjoy them. Now Ive got a nice 2 solid weeks in Miami before my next trip so I'll have time to get caught up on housework and catch up with friends. Then its off to Newark, NJ where I will probably be stranded in a blizzard...
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Enough hating on the Patriots
Most people that know me know that Im originally from Boston and have been in Florida for almost 6 years. We Bostonians are die-hard sports fans, so when I moved I brought my sports allegiances with me. I am a die-hard Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins fan. Ok, so I kinda gave up on hockey altogether, but I still manage to keep up with the B's in the standings. After dealing with years upon years of turmoil as a Red Sox fan, watching my beloved Celtics transform from an NBA dynasty to an embarrassment, and dealing with crappy Patriots teams, I finally caught a break. I had began to LOATHE Drew Bledsoe during the 2001-'02 season because he was a loser. He just had this "loser funk" about him that, no matter how good he appeared, you just knew he would never win it all. I was begging for a change and didnt mind waiting another 5 years if it meant finding a winning QB. Well, I got my wish when Bledsoe got his clock cleaned against the Jets and in walked Tom Brady.
The Patriots went on to win the next 3 out of 5 Superbowls and we Bostonians FINALLY had a winner to rally around. It was uncanny what this team did to Boston Sports spirits. I felt that their model of, "no superstars, no ridiculous contracts", should be applied to every team in life. Isnt that the American way? Be typecast as the underdog, disrespected by the media, and then use that as fuel, work hard as a unit and succeed? Apparently not everyone shares the same sentiments. After the Pats went on to win another 2 Superbowls, the haters came out of the closet. Im sure that more than half of these people were rooting for the Pats to win that 1st SB, but after watching them dispel another 2 teams they began to hate on them.
I guess I really dont understand how you can hate on this team? Their QB is the ultimate role model - doesnt cheat with steriods, doesnt blame teammates for losses, doesnt whore himself out in advertisements. Their coach is the ultimate football geek. He loves the game and formulates a strategy to beat his opponent. He also keeps all the bullshit out of the media's hands, which is quite possibly the thing I love most about the Patriots and also possibly why others hate on them. For some reason, fans and the media love to hear all the bullshit. Drama like Terrell Owens causing problems on every team because of his ridicluous ego, and other guys that ridicule teams with celebration dances, trash talking, etc. when theyre losing the game. Its stuff like this that the Patriots dont stand for. They also wont pay people ridiculous contracts based on 1 year of good performance. The mentality is this - If you want to win, take what we give you and come put in 150% every day and youll achieve Championship status. Its worked with many guys so far and its awesome to see it still continue. Guys like Deion Branch and David Givens who wanted ridiculous contracts were shown the door. New guys that were total jobbers on other teams came in and whattya know, we're in the AFC Finals.
Given all of this, I just dont see how people can hate on the Patriots outside of being just plain jealous that it isnt their team winning. If Tom Brady & Co. were to start acting like assholes, Id understand the logic behind hating on this team. Until then, stop with the jealousy and stop your crying. The Pats have a good chance to head to the big dance again this year, and it would be perfect because theyll be in my (somewhat new) backyard and Id be going to the game!
The Patriots went on to win the next 3 out of 5 Superbowls and we Bostonians FINALLY had a winner to rally around. It was uncanny what this team did to Boston Sports spirits. I felt that their model of, "no superstars, no ridiculous contracts", should be applied to every team in life. Isnt that the American way? Be typecast as the underdog, disrespected by the media, and then use that as fuel, work hard as a unit and succeed? Apparently not everyone shares the same sentiments. After the Pats went on to win another 2 Superbowls, the haters came out of the closet. Im sure that more than half of these people were rooting for the Pats to win that 1st SB, but after watching them dispel another 2 teams they began to hate on them.
I guess I really dont understand how you can hate on this team? Their QB is the ultimate role model - doesnt cheat with steriods, doesnt blame teammates for losses, doesnt whore himself out in advertisements. Their coach is the ultimate football geek. He loves the game and formulates a strategy to beat his opponent. He also keeps all the bullshit out of the media's hands, which is quite possibly the thing I love most about the Patriots and also possibly why others hate on them. For some reason, fans and the media love to hear all the bullshit. Drama like Terrell Owens causing problems on every team because of his ridicluous ego, and other guys that ridicule teams with celebration dances, trash talking, etc. when theyre losing the game. Its stuff like this that the Patriots dont stand for. They also wont pay people ridiculous contracts based on 1 year of good performance. The mentality is this - If you want to win, take what we give you and come put in 150% every day and youll achieve Championship status. Its worked with many guys so far and its awesome to see it still continue. Guys like Deion Branch and David Givens who wanted ridiculous contracts were shown the door. New guys that were total jobbers on other teams came in and whattya know, we're in the AFC Finals.
Given all of this, I just dont see how people can hate on the Patriots outside of being just plain jealous that it isnt their team winning. If Tom Brady & Co. were to start acting like assholes, Id understand the logic behind hating on this team. Until then, stop with the jealousy and stop your crying. The Pats have a good chance to head to the big dance again this year, and it would be perfect because theyll be in my (somewhat new) backyard and Id be going to the game!
Monday, January 15, 2007
I dont wanna hear it!!!
If there is one thing I cant stand, its people that disrespect other people. One thing that really gets me fired up are the assholes who need attention so badly that they have to play their goddamn music at levels that arent even suitable for the human ear. Why? What is the point? Do you want to become deaf at age 15? Are you that much of a loser that you need people to pay attention to you even if its because they find you annoying and want to rip your jugular out? I really dont get it...
When I was 16, I had just got my license and I liked a lot of rap music. However, being from a small town that consisted of 99.8% white people with nice upbringings, .1% hispanics, and .1% jews/blacks, I never got into the whole "lets play rap music as loud as possible" thing because it just didn't fit my style and its surroundings. My friends loved to blast music in the car and I place about 99% of the blame on them as to why I always ask people to repeat themselves cuz Im not sure what the hell they said from being half deafened at an early age. Sure, I liked that music, but I didnt feel the necessity to project my likings upon people who either a.) could care less, or b.) didnt want to hear that bullshit. For me, it was a respect thing. I will respect you and not subject you to the music I feel like listening to and you respect me by not judging me based on my listening preferences. And whattya know... A few years later I really grew a large distaste for rap music, but mainly because it became a bunch of bullshit with no core to it at all. Dont get me wrong, this isnt about rap music alone. Its about all the assholes who drive around playing their music at levels that are unsuitable for most eardrums, no matter what genre it is.
Im serious when I say that Im investing in a company that develops trendy hearing aids for 16yr olds. This shit has gotten out of control. I was driving home from work the other day, getting fired up by listening to some Rolling Stones before going out to pound some brew and whiskey with a buddy. I had my recent favorite, "Cant you hear me knockin?" on the tuner at a decible level suitable for my car only, when all of a sudden Paco and his 1996 Ford Taurus rolls up blasting some latino bullshit that was making his trunk and doors rattle like a mo' fo'. Now Ive gone from fired up in a good mood to fired up in a bad mood, and I aint even drunk yet. I really dont get the whole point of this bullshit? When did it become a requisite for coolness that you had to annoy everyone in a 1 mile radius with you obnoxious music? And when did i become cool to drive a car thats worth $1000 and put a $2500 stereo system in it and make it sound like total shit? We as a society need to lose this bullshit right now.
My frustration peaked today on a flight from Miami to Charlotte. Im sitting next to some dude that feels it necessary to tell me his life story about living in South America (I dont give a shit), commuting to Washington DC (see also - I dont give a shit) and flying in general (ooh look, we're on a plane... whoop dee frickin doo!!) All things aside, he seemed like a nice guy and one that I certainly could dominate in the quest to gain the middle armrest (which I totally annihilated him on, giving him maybe a total of .5 milliseconds of comfort for his left arm...rookie). Then, as Im reading a nice article in the sky mag, he starts listening to his iPod... Not only is he listening to spanish bullshit at 7am (which I find hard to take really... who listens to salsa at 7am? Dont you kinda need to be in party mode for that music? Or at least dancing? This is something about the Latin culture that I dont understand and have little desire to actually understand...) Well, its now 8am and we've got another hour or so before we get to NC and he is blaring this shit into his ears. Im wondering if he even has eardrums left at this point. Im enraged, but not because its bothering me and my quiet time, but more because its showing a total lack of respect for everyone within a 4 seat radius. I collect my thoughts, suppress my rage, and decide its time to ask him to turn the shit down... So, I tap him and say, "COuld you do me a favor and turn that down please" while giving him the "you better do what I say or you may find out that a human as well as a small carry-on item can fit under the seat" look. He respectfully obliged and got a little red in the face from embarrassment (probably because he was listening to total pussy music at this point) and turned down the bullshit spanish crap. I felt a wave of silent applause erupt around me. One dude gave me the, "thank god you did that man, I was going insane" look. That pretty much justified it for me.
I guess the point of this whole rambling is this... If you want to listen to music, do so at a respectable level. I dont wanna hear your bullshit and neither does anyone else. Youre not going to gain any sort of positive attention from playing music loud, youre just gonna continue to look like a total asshole. Take your loud ass music and shove it!
When I was 16, I had just got my license and I liked a lot of rap music. However, being from a small town that consisted of 99.8% white people with nice upbringings, .1% hispanics, and .1% jews/blacks, I never got into the whole "lets play rap music as loud as possible" thing because it just didn't fit my style and its surroundings. My friends loved to blast music in the car and I place about 99% of the blame on them as to why I always ask people to repeat themselves cuz Im not sure what the hell they said from being half deafened at an early age. Sure, I liked that music, but I didnt feel the necessity to project my likings upon people who either a.) could care less, or b.) didnt want to hear that bullshit. For me, it was a respect thing. I will respect you and not subject you to the music I feel like listening to and you respect me by not judging me based on my listening preferences. And whattya know... A few years later I really grew a large distaste for rap music, but mainly because it became a bunch of bullshit with no core to it at all. Dont get me wrong, this isnt about rap music alone. Its about all the assholes who drive around playing their music at levels that are unsuitable for most eardrums, no matter what genre it is.
Im serious when I say that Im investing in a company that develops trendy hearing aids for 16yr olds. This shit has gotten out of control. I was driving home from work the other day, getting fired up by listening to some Rolling Stones before going out to pound some brew and whiskey with a buddy. I had my recent favorite, "Cant you hear me knockin?" on the tuner at a decible level suitable for my car only, when all of a sudden Paco and his 1996 Ford Taurus rolls up blasting some latino bullshit that was making his trunk and doors rattle like a mo' fo'. Now Ive gone from fired up in a good mood to fired up in a bad mood, and I aint even drunk yet. I really dont get the whole point of this bullshit? When did it become a requisite for coolness that you had to annoy everyone in a 1 mile radius with you obnoxious music? And when did i become cool to drive a car thats worth $1000 and put a $2500 stereo system in it and make it sound like total shit? We as a society need to lose this bullshit right now.
My frustration peaked today on a flight from Miami to Charlotte. Im sitting next to some dude that feels it necessary to tell me his life story about living in South America (I dont give a shit), commuting to Washington DC (see also - I dont give a shit) and flying in general (ooh look, we're on a plane... whoop dee frickin doo!!) All things aside, he seemed like a nice guy and one that I certainly could dominate in the quest to gain the middle armrest (which I totally annihilated him on, giving him maybe a total of .5 milliseconds of comfort for his left arm...rookie). Then, as Im reading a nice article in the sky mag, he starts listening to his iPod... Not only is he listening to spanish bullshit at 7am (which I find hard to take really... who listens to salsa at 7am? Dont you kinda need to be in party mode for that music? Or at least dancing? This is something about the Latin culture that I dont understand and have little desire to actually understand...) Well, its now 8am and we've got another hour or so before we get to NC and he is blaring this shit into his ears. Im wondering if he even has eardrums left at this point. Im enraged, but not because its bothering me and my quiet time, but more because its showing a total lack of respect for everyone within a 4 seat radius. I collect my thoughts, suppress my rage, and decide its time to ask him to turn the shit down... So, I tap him and say, "COuld you do me a favor and turn that down please" while giving him the "you better do what I say or you may find out that a human as well as a small carry-on item can fit under the seat" look. He respectfully obliged and got a little red in the face from embarrassment (probably because he was listening to total pussy music at this point) and turned down the bullshit spanish crap. I felt a wave of silent applause erupt around me. One dude gave me the, "thank god you did that man, I was going insane" look. That pretty much justified it for me.
I guess the point of this whole rambling is this... If you want to listen to music, do so at a respectable level. I dont wanna hear your bullshit and neither does anyone else. Youre not going to gain any sort of positive attention from playing music loud, youre just gonna continue to look like a total asshole. Take your loud ass music and shove it!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Im going to shoot you and your dog...
I live in a nice area of Miami, very laid back, very informal. Another trend of this area is that everyone seems to have a dog. They even have constructed "dog parks", little fenced in areas where dogs can run around off of their leashes and play with other dogs. Unfortunately, because a lot of dog owners are the laziest assholes around, I constantly have to deal with the smell of dog shit in the neighborhood. I also have to remind myself and every friend that visits to be sure to watch out for dog shit when we walk to the bars.
This is one thing that really pisses me off. Ive gotten into near fistfights for asking someone to pick up after their dog takes a dump on the sidewalk outside my complex. If you have a dog, you better be prepared to pick up shit. That, or go live out in the middle of nowhere where no one has to smell that shit, like Nebraska. Another thing that I just dont get is how I can gorge myself for an entire day and not have to take a dump, but feed a dog a 1/2 cup of food and you get at least a pound of turds! Its unreal! I dont get how you put such a small amount of food into a dog and an enormous quantity of waste comes out?!?!
The people who piss me off the most are my neighbors in my condo complex who allow their dogs to take a crap RIGHT IN OUR COURTYARD!! Some of these dogs are big too and take massive dumps. When they get busted, they choose to be even more lazy and walk their dogs in the parking lot so they can shit there. This baffles me because the parking lot is probably further away than walking outside of the property to let the dog shit somewhere else. I just dont see why, dog owner or not, you would want shit in your yard. Now we have "No dog poo" signs all over the place which are funny, but also an eyesore. It really is a shitty situation...pun intended.
With all that said, Im buying a pellet gun and leaving a warning that if I catch anyone's dog shitting on the property, Im popping a cap in their ass. I feel that Im within my rights on this one. I love dogs and have one of my own. I dog-sit all the time. I either pick up the crap or I bury it in the ground. I wish everyone else would do the same.
This is one thing that really pisses me off. Ive gotten into near fistfights for asking someone to pick up after their dog takes a dump on the sidewalk outside my complex. If you have a dog, you better be prepared to pick up shit. That, or go live out in the middle of nowhere where no one has to smell that shit, like Nebraska. Another thing that I just dont get is how I can gorge myself for an entire day and not have to take a dump, but feed a dog a 1/2 cup of food and you get at least a pound of turds! Its unreal! I dont get how you put such a small amount of food into a dog and an enormous quantity of waste comes out?!?!
The people who piss me off the most are my neighbors in my condo complex who allow their dogs to take a crap RIGHT IN OUR COURTYARD!! Some of these dogs are big too and take massive dumps. When they get busted, they choose to be even more lazy and walk their dogs in the parking lot so they can shit there. This baffles me because the parking lot is probably further away than walking outside of the property to let the dog shit somewhere else. I just dont see why, dog owner or not, you would want shit in your yard. Now we have "No dog poo" signs all over the place which are funny, but also an eyesore. It really is a shitty situation...pun intended.
With all that said, Im buying a pellet gun and leaving a warning that if I catch anyone's dog shitting on the property, Im popping a cap in their ass. I feel that Im within my rights on this one. I love dogs and have one of my own. I dog-sit all the time. I either pick up the crap or I bury it in the ground. I wish everyone else would do the same.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Shocking...
Ive been making a solid effort to exercise and be more healthy. Now, if you saw me, you would probably be like most people and say, "You dont need to worry about that man..." But, I do. After 29 years of drinking beers like no tomorrow, my metabolism is finally beginning to let me down and Ive formed a little beer belly that Id like to eliminate. Lack of cardio is most likely the main reason for excess fat in my case. Its a personal thing and I like to look good. This is probably the "vanity rules" mentality of Miami rubbing off on me, but its not a bad thing in this case. So, I set out about 2 weeks ago to start running for the first time in probably about 2 years. One of the owners of my company has been training for a 1/2 marathon and said I should make sure to take my time to get the most out of it, so I followed this advice. When I originally set out, I planned on just doing a mile, but the next thing I knew I was doing a little over 1.5 miles! I was pretty pumped about that. I ran in H.S. and always used to get shin splints that would hurt like a bastard for a few days. This time, they started to hurt around 1/2 mile but I tried to power thru it and then by the time I stopped, my shins were just about numb. My breathing was money though. Thanks to 12 yrs of smoking cigarettes, I usually get winded at about 3/4 of a mile. I havent had one in 5yrs though and I think that Im finally starting to reap the benefits of that.
The next few times I went out, I ran 1mi (because I wanted to be quick so I could get to the Heat game in the 1st quarter) and then the next 2 times I ran just under 2mi. Well, last night I really surprised myself... I went out intent upon running 2 solid miles. My shins started to ache around 1/2 mile but I put a little more weight on my heels and was able to power thru it. My breathing was money and as I approached mile #2 I said to myself, "OK, Im not too tired and my breathing is good - just keep going until the end of the block..." Next thing I knew I had completed 3 miles - a personal all-time high! I probably couldve kept going another mile breathing-wise, but my calves were starting to get really sore, so I quit while I was ahead.
Im pretty damn proud of myself and am fired up to see how far I can push it next time.
The next few times I went out, I ran 1mi (because I wanted to be quick so I could get to the Heat game in the 1st quarter) and then the next 2 times I ran just under 2mi. Well, last night I really surprised myself... I went out intent upon running 2 solid miles. My shins started to ache around 1/2 mile but I put a little more weight on my heels and was able to power thru it. My breathing was money and as I approached mile #2 I said to myself, "OK, Im not too tired and my breathing is good - just keep going until the end of the block..." Next thing I knew I had completed 3 miles - a personal all-time high! I probably couldve kept going another mile breathing-wise, but my calves were starting to get really sore, so I quit while I was ahead.
Im pretty damn proud of myself and am fired up to see how far I can push it next time.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Friday Ramblings
Gotta love Fridays! Some mindless ramblings for you...
Played in a poker tourney last night that my "free" poker league held. $25 entry plus $5 tip for the dealer and $12 whiskey to get more chips (add-on). So much for free eh? Anyhow, the prizes were an iPod Video or iPod Nano for 1st/2nd and a bottle of Dewars 12 for 3rd. I get dealt great cards for most of the night, get a little luck, and Im dominating. I continue to dominate at the table then get impatient at the end and finish 4th... No soup for me.
Its sad to see people that cant forgive and forget, especially around the holidays. Lighten up for crying out loud!
Found out that my drunken High School buddy wasnt making thngs up when he said a guy and girl from our class got kicked out of the bar at our 10 year reunion... Apparently the girl got caught in the men's bathroom giving the guy a blow job. Both are married and were without their significant others - good times!
People that drive slow in the left lane on any 3+ lane road should be pulled over, dragged out of their cars, and beaten with a tire iron. I dont understand why this isnt a law. Well, except for the beating part. In Massachusetts, it actually is a "law". I use quotes because there are actually signs that say, "Pass on the left - Its the law!" but I doubt anyone has ever enforced said law. It just makes things a lot easier for everyone. I also dont see why people need to switch lanes when they have nobody in front of them on the road and they arent in an "exit only" lane. Im tired of Pedro and his 1986 Dodge minivan with no muffler and a bumper secured with duct tape impeding my progress on the road. I will say though, that my weaving skills are top notch and Im thinking of starting a career in Nascar just from my driving experiences in South Florida.
I guess Im not really getting why girls wear sweatpants that say "PINK" across their ass when the color of said sweatpants are not pink.
Im also not getting why clubs in Miami feel the need to rape the general public with insane cover charges for New Years Eve. If you dont want to pay $300-$500/person for a table & bottle of $50-$80 booze, you can always pay $150 and then buy $15 drinks all night. Either way you slice it, youre taking it like Mike Tyson's cell mate. I think they oughta change the name to "Summer's Eve" at those clubs because of the high volume of total douchebags who go there. I like to be around friends on NYE, not people who I could care less about.
I think we've finally gone WAY over the line with Reality TV. A show that involves loser "celebrities" becoming cops has to be the lamest idea ever. Sad thing is that people will watch it, mostly hoping that they get to see one of these "celebrities" get blown away by a drug dealer with a shotgun.
The sound of someone farting, poop jokes/stories, and general "potty humor" still cracks me up. In fact, Im laughing cuz I just typed "potty humor". I turn 30 next year.
Speaking of poop... Best birthday present I got this year was a piece of fake poo, the classic dog poo kind. Ive been waiting for that gift for 29 long years. Yesterday, I had an appraiser come to check out my condo for my refi and I planted it right in the corner of the living room by the entrance to the bedroom where I knew he'd be measuring the square footage. He comes in and says, "Uh, do you have a dog?" I say, "No, but I took care of my neighbors dog yesterday, why?" He replies, "I think there mightve been an accident..." It was awesome.
Saw the commercial with the guy that wears the green suit with dollar signs and talks about how to get free money from the government last week. Do you think when this guy dies that anyone will know? Do you think the government will be happy that their secrets are safe once again? That guy strikes me as the type of guy who goes home, puts on lipstick, and smokes Virginia Slims.
If you havent been to "The Greatest Page in the Universe" you really need to click on the link in my blog links section. Trust me, you wont be sorry. I try to read at least 1 post per day for a good laugh.
Its Friday and NYE is Sunday. Be sure to get drunk tonight so you can recover Saturday and then rage on Sunday. This way your tolerance will be much higher and youre hangover much less severe. You can thank me later.
Played in a poker tourney last night that my "free" poker league held. $25 entry plus $5 tip for the dealer and $12 whiskey to get more chips (add-on). So much for free eh? Anyhow, the prizes were an iPod Video or iPod Nano for 1st/2nd and a bottle of Dewars 12 for 3rd. I get dealt great cards for most of the night, get a little luck, and Im dominating. I continue to dominate at the table then get impatient at the end and finish 4th... No soup for me.
Its sad to see people that cant forgive and forget, especially around the holidays. Lighten up for crying out loud!
Found out that my drunken High School buddy wasnt making thngs up when he said a guy and girl from our class got kicked out of the bar at our 10 year reunion... Apparently the girl got caught in the men's bathroom giving the guy a blow job. Both are married and were without their significant others - good times!
People that drive slow in the left lane on any 3+ lane road should be pulled over, dragged out of their cars, and beaten with a tire iron. I dont understand why this isnt a law. Well, except for the beating part. In Massachusetts, it actually is a "law". I use quotes because there are actually signs that say, "Pass on the left - Its the law!" but I doubt anyone has ever enforced said law. It just makes things a lot easier for everyone. I also dont see why people need to switch lanes when they have nobody in front of them on the road and they arent in an "exit only" lane. Im tired of Pedro and his 1986 Dodge minivan with no muffler and a bumper secured with duct tape impeding my progress on the road. I will say though, that my weaving skills are top notch and Im thinking of starting a career in Nascar just from my driving experiences in South Florida.
I guess Im not really getting why girls wear sweatpants that say "PINK" across their ass when the color of said sweatpants are not pink.
Im also not getting why clubs in Miami feel the need to rape the general public with insane cover charges for New Years Eve. If you dont want to pay $300-$500/person for a table & bottle of $50-$80 booze, you can always pay $150 and then buy $15 drinks all night. Either way you slice it, youre taking it like Mike Tyson's cell mate. I think they oughta change the name to "Summer's Eve" at those clubs because of the high volume of total douchebags who go there. I like to be around friends on NYE, not people who I could care less about.
I think we've finally gone WAY over the line with Reality TV. A show that involves loser "celebrities" becoming cops has to be the lamest idea ever. Sad thing is that people will watch it, mostly hoping that they get to see one of these "celebrities" get blown away by a drug dealer with a shotgun.
The sound of someone farting, poop jokes/stories, and general "potty humor" still cracks me up. In fact, Im laughing cuz I just typed "potty humor". I turn 30 next year.
Speaking of poop... Best birthday present I got this year was a piece of fake poo, the classic dog poo kind. Ive been waiting for that gift for 29 long years. Yesterday, I had an appraiser come to check out my condo for my refi and I planted it right in the corner of the living room by the entrance to the bedroom where I knew he'd be measuring the square footage. He comes in and says, "Uh, do you have a dog?" I say, "No, but I took care of my neighbors dog yesterday, why?" He replies, "I think there mightve been an accident..." It was awesome.
Saw the commercial with the guy that wears the green suit with dollar signs and talks about how to get free money from the government last week. Do you think when this guy dies that anyone will know? Do you think the government will be happy that their secrets are safe once again? That guy strikes me as the type of guy who goes home, puts on lipstick, and smokes Virginia Slims.
If you havent been to "The Greatest Page in the Universe" you really need to click on the link in my blog links section. Trust me, you wont be sorry. I try to read at least 1 post per day for a good laugh.
Its Friday and NYE is Sunday. Be sure to get drunk tonight so you can recover Saturday and then rage on Sunday. This way your tolerance will be much higher and youre hangover much less severe. You can thank me later.
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