Life Is Good

It's 12:30 am and I'm sitting on my front porch using the laptop over the wireless connection. The sprinkler is going and it seems like it's trying to rain. Just a fine mist coming down from the sky. Still no baby, but we have a long weekend to relax. Maybe baby, maybe not.

The neighborhood is quiet, only the occasional car, none of them with the awfully loud thumping stereos that we often get earlier in the day. The sky is overcast, so it's really light out. On top of that, we're fortunate to have a street light at the end of the property and I've turned on the porch and walkway lights, so it's well lit out here.

The front door is opened the slightest amount so that the alarm system doesn't chime when I go in and out (Lori is in bed already) and I can hear the cats running around. No growling or hissing, they're not harassing each other for once.

It's nice just to sit here quietly. Peaceful.

Tougher Than Nails

Little boy walks in with a bloody nose,
Got beat up on his way home from school, aga-in,
His dad caught him running out the back,
Tears in his eyes and a baseball bat, oo revenge,

Said son I won't stop ya, but before you go,
Let me tell you a little story bout the toughest man I know,

You hit him and he just turns the other cheek,
Don't think for a minute he was weak,
Cause in the end he showed them,
He was any-thing but frail,
They hammered him to a cross,
But he was tougher than nails,

Well he droped that bat like it weighed a ton,
Father put his arms around his son and said, just let it go--oo,
Believe me I've been in your shoes,
Had to ask myself what would Jesus do, here's what I know,

Whenever I'm in doubt, I look up what he said,
It's all there in the good book, in black and whitnd red,

Hit him and he just turns the other cheek,
Don't think for a minute he was weak,
Cause in the end he showed them,
He was any-thing but frail,
They hammered him to a cross,
But he was tougher than nails,
Yea in the end he showed them,
He was any-thing but frail,
They hammered him to a cross,
But he was tougher than nails,
Tougher than nails, oh, oh, oh,
-- Joe Diffie

Painful Irony

It hurts. Why do the L and the T on NoGayMarriage.com look so gay? I mean, the typeface works for the word "Gay" but you can't use a frilly cursive script font for a single letter mixed with a standard typesetting font. Even in a non-gay way, it's a really horrible choice.

James Lamb, International Track Star

This James Lamb runs the 800. I ran the 800. A couple of times. What are the odds?

And this James Lamb graduated. I did that, too. Wow.

Still, Tennesee does suck

Lori sent this article across as a follow-up. I had complained a few months ago about how Tennessee was harassing a disabled guy. Turns out he's a scumbag, but Tennessee's still in the wrong and the Supreme Court backed that up.

Chosen Ones? Why?

Lori sent this article across about how Israel purposefully attacked a US Naval ship, intending to sink it and put the blame on the Arabs during the six day war and how the U.S. then ordered it covered up. Words fail me.

No News...

No news on Baby Watch 2004. So, we're going to end our simulacast and turn things back over to our colleagues at dad2be.

Baby Watch 2004

This is quite possibly it, folks... minor contractions have started. The Wife is taking the opportunity to get some sleep, but we don't think The Baby's content to wait until Friday to make her debut.

Worst Censorship of the Week Award

With the signature line "Yippie-ky-ay M-F," it stands to reason there'd be a lot of censorship in the movie. But flipping past FX, they had just started the buddy one (3?) and Bruce Willis is standing in Harlem with a sign that reads "I Hate Everybody." (He's in Harlem and the sign originally reads "I Hate " and then, well, you know.)

Somehow I don't think "I Hate Everybody" would seem that out of place in any part of New York City.

Killer Balloons

This is an interesting article on MSNBC.com about companies still working with dirigibles... they're being explored as ways to provide sub-orbital communications relays above the battlefield, or as spy vehicles, capable of staying aloft over a target for up to a year, well above the range of any weapons. They're also being considered as safer, albeit slower ways to get to and from space, and as floating platforms at the edge of space that can be used as waypoints for vehicles traveling into space. Weird.

Sprint PCS sucks Globally

epinions.com

Administrative Irony

I used to work for a company, an internet startup. I was a contractor before the company had launched and then became its first hire. I worked for them even before leaving college, and when I graudated, they paid my expenses to move to California. In the very beginning, we had no offices, but worked from home, and when we all needed to meet together, met at my apartment because it was centrally located.

Then we got offices, and we got bigger, but we never found our stride. We grew, but the pace was uneven and the leadership kept plans to themselves until the last minute when they needed something done.

Eventually, much of the original cast were pushed out and leadership brought in new blood who hadn't suffered through the start-up process. Including me. Then the company that was financing the startup got purchased by a major company and they got a new name, their old name being sold to Microsoft who used it for awhile for a product but has already all but abandoned it, no longer selling the product.

But the company has plugged on, moving to better offices, getting more mainstream exposure (even appearing on news.google.com fairly regularly). I still think the design never quite made it. We had an Art School artist-artist (still a good friend of mine) when we needed a Community College production artist, so he felt stiffled and never really got to do stuff as exciting as he wanted to. And they've never really improved on it, just making changes as needed to reflect a change in navigation and offerings. Sure, maybe new colors, but never a pop, never a splash.

All this to say that I've been gone since April 1998 and I looked on their staff list and the only person who is stil there from when I was there is their Office Manager. (She answered phones, greeted walk-ins, kept the supply closet stocked and circled things in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety that he should care about, to save him time.)

I've been at my current job since February 2001 (as a volunteer and a contractor) and I've seen at least 10 receptionists come and go, some promoted out, but many, just leaving. And that doesn't include the plethora of week-long or month-long temporary receptionists.

Cartastrophe (Pink 2)

Cool... Blogger now hosts images.

Full story: http://tvjames.blogspot.com/2004/05/at-least-it-wasnt-pink.html

I'm not who you think I am

If my wife is right and the government is reading my blog, then this is the one that will get the guys in the suits visiting me... Somewhere along the line, my name was placed incorrectly on some document. Based on that document, others were issued. To the point where I am firmly well known by a name that actually isn't mine. My social only lists an initial, but my driver's license is wrong. Quite possibly my diploma. Pretty sure my wedding license. Medical records. Credit history. It's minor, but it strikes me as interesting tonight. Nothing I can really use to my advantage in any way, but interesting none-the-less. I am living a very boring lie.

Fun Fact: Sex while on duty is not illegal

Seems some police officers were enjoying on-duty booty and now their lawyers are saying they did nothing wrong. Ummm... at the very least, if they are on duty, shouldn't they be doing work-related activities?
(knbc4.com)

You can hear me now and you'll be hearing me for a long time to come

When we got DSL installed, Verizon talked me into a package of calling features for the phone because it was roughly the same as the few ala carte options I had on the phone. One of them was a 'distinctive ring' number, a second phone number on the same line that rang differently when someone called it.

Well, I promptly forgot the number and so we never gave it out. But, it rang non-stop none-the-less. The walk-up call-box at a nearby condo dialed it when you tried to gain admittance, the former number holder didn't pay his credit card bills and apparently I forgot to donotcall.gov it. So we'd just know that when it started ringing it wasn't for us. Sometimes we'd mess with the people at the condo but often time it was just annoying.

So I had called Verizon a few weeks ago and they tried to help me, but they assigned it to a line man who called me the next day, a Saturday, trying to figure out why he had been assigned. I told him about the condo and he said "Yeah, why'd they assign me? I'd just mess things up worse." But he said he'd swing by the condo place (I didn't know where it was, but he was able to look it up in the phone company records) and see if there was anyone who could fix it.

Apparently there wasn't, because the calls continued.

So I called Verizon the other night and said "Can you change my distinctive ring number? And can I not be charged for that?" and the operator said "Yes, and yes." She also checked to make sure that I was getting all the discounts I should be and then said it would be done within an hour. It was done 10 minutes later.

That's why Verizon rules.

We don't care how many bars you have

AT&T spun off AT&T Wireless into its own company. Then the new company sold itself to Cingular Wireless. That deal is still in progress.

But Sprint still keeps running ads on Bloomberg criticizing AT&T and AT&T Wireless.

I guess that didn't phaze AT&T because they've now announced a deal to resell Sprint PCS under their own name.

Yeah, that's good... the technical ineptitude of Sprint PCS combined with the customer service cluelessness of AT&T. AT&T spends a lot of money training their customer service reps to be professional and curteous to the point where you feel like they care. But talk with them long enough and you'll realize that AT&T doesn't give them enough information to allow them to be helpful and you start to hear the edge in their voices.

A sporting James Lamb

So this guy's in sports but I have no idea what this article is even talking about. nj.com

The Little Girl

Her parents never took the young girl to church,
never spoke of his name,
never read her his word.
Two non-believers walking lost in this world,
took thier baby with them,
what a sad little girl.

Her daddy drank all day and her mommy did drugs,
never wanted to play,
or give kisses and hugs.
She'd watch the tv and sit there on the couch,
while her mom fell asleep,
and her daddy went out.

And the drinking and the fighting,
just got worse every night.
Behind thier couch she'd be hiding,
oh what a sad little life.
And like it always does,
the bad just got worse,
with every slap and every curse.
Until her daddy in a drunk rage one night,
used a gun on her mom,
and then took his life.

And some people from the city,
took the girl far away.
To a new mom, and a new dad,
kisses and hugs everyday.
Her first day of sunday school,
the teacher walked in,
and a small little girl,
stared at a picture of him.

She said "I know that man,
there on that cross.
I don't know his name,
but I know he got off.
Cause he was there in my old house,
he held me close to his side,
as I hid there behind our couch,
the night that my parents died."
(c) John Michael Montgomery

Mental Disconnect

Kevin passes on a story from cnn.com about a man, pissed about his cell phone service, starts throwing phones. He passed it on because he thought it was funny and knows how much I love Verizon. 1. This took place in North Dakota. 2. This guy was 22. So, I think this incident also serves to illustrate a couple more points. First, these states in the middle of the country continue to embarass us. Here and abroad. We need to stop giving them the chance to leave their home towns. Certainly need to stop handing them guns and asking them to protect anyone. Or, say, be guards at a prison somewhere. Secondly, imagine what it would have been like if this guy had been with evil Sprint PCS or worse-ranked (though maybe a little less evil?) T-Mobile? All cell phone services have the potential to suck. Sign the smallest contract possible the first time around, even if it costs more. But don't go throwing phones. Dumb*ss.

One Last Time

When she picked up the telephone,
His voice came on the line.
She said "This can't be happening,"
And tears fell from her eyes.
She said "What am I supposed to do?
I can't handle losin' you."
He said "I just had to call to say goodbye,
One last time."

He said "There are some things in this life,
"That are out of our control.
"Like who we fall in love with,
And when it's time to go."
And she said "What about the plans we had?"
He said "This connection's gettin' bad.
"Now c'mon baby, let me hear you smile,
One last time."

She started to apologize,
For all the things that she'd done wrong.
She said "I would have loved you better.
If only I'd known."
He said "You were the perfect wife:
Promise me you'll go on with your life."
She said "The boys won't understand."
He said "Tell 'em Daddy loves 'em and, be strong, whoa."

He said "Honey, I've gotta go."
She said "Don't you dare hang up.
There's so many things I need to say.
I love you so much."
It was almost like she felt him leave.
She cried out "Can you still hear me?"
She fell down on the kitchen floor,
When the signal died,
As the pilot tried to pull out of the dive.
One last..

NIMBY!

Sometimes we are blissfully unaware of the horrors in our own backyard... and then sometimes we find out about them. (And wish we hadn't?)

Not a good day for James Lamb

Found two more... this one's a defense attorney and this one participated in fraud. But the fraud guy's in Arkansas, so to participate in the scheme makes him above-average for the state, so hard to tell which James Lamb is worse.

Sad But True?

I could see this being a true story...

ROAD RAGE

A man is being tail-gated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard.

Suddenly, the light turns yellow, just in front of him. He does the honest thing, and stops at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tail-gating woman hits the roof, and the horn, screaming in
frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection behind him. As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer orders her to exit her car with her hands up. He takes
her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal effects.

He says, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the
'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper
sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car."

What up, America?

So, America, are you racist, or just stupid? Actually, I believe it's (c) all of the above. Cases in point: the Iraq prison scandal and voting off Latoya London last night on American Idol.

At least it wasn't pink...

Never drive over a can of paint. If you're lucky (I was) you won't blow a tire.

But, there's a good chance the can of paint will explode, getting all over your car, your wall, your garage, your driveway, the furniture you had just finished stripping and were preparing to paint with said paint, your garbage cans, your recycling, your neighbor's house, and your neighbor's walkway. If you're lucky (I was), it won't get all over your neighbor's dog.

It might also get up onto the top of the covered carport and then drip back down while you're trying to clean off your car. If you work quickly, you can probably get the paint off of the metal parts of your car, but not the plastic parts. But, you should change clothes first as the water from the hose will splash back on you and you'll have to go buy a new pair of $50 dress shoes and ruin a pair of dress slacks through the wash a few times. (You won't know until you get them out of the wash as to whether or not that was actually succesful.)

You'll probably also need to go to a carwash and to Starbucks for comfort food and take a half-day of vacation while you decide if you even still feel like going in to work.

If you're lucky (I was), it will be the five year old car and not the three month old car.

As my wife points out, if you're lucky (I was), it won't be a can of pink paint. (Note: the can of pink paint was a pint-sized can that was mostly empty. The white paint was a mostly full gallon. Trade-off, to be sure. But at this point, a moo point.)

Photos: http://tvjames.blogspot.com/2004/05/cartastrophe-pink-2.html

Pac takes Manhattan

While Grand Theft Auto takes a page from reality for its gameplay, what about going the other way? A group takes Pac-Man off the screen and makes it into a game played on the streets in Manhattan. Uh.... ooookay. As Adam Bargmeyer would say, "aaaaaanyhowwwwww......"

PETA seeks to downsize Michael Moore

Finally, an issue I can get behind. The animal-nuts think that Michael Moore eats too much and want him to become a vegetarian. Ok, so it's not a serious issue but but Moore is looking more and more like Jabba the Hutt. msnbc.com

Fun Fact

I did not know... "Best Western is a nonprofit membership organization of 4,100 independently owned hotels around the world."

That would explain the two Best Westerns side by side on Colorado in Pasadena.

Sprint PCS sucks

in Rochester (epinions.com)

Sprint PCS sucks

in Austin (epinions.com)