The local CBS station has webcams set up all around town. This one is almost exactly a mile from my house. They rotate the cam from time to time so it’s not always the same view.
Archive for category nerd
What I’d really like is a “Where Are They Now” follow-up.
If you read this little ol’ blog o’ mine, you probably have some sense of the downward spiral back into a mild interest in pro wrestling. It started early in 2009 when my son (now at just the right age for such shenanigans) began showing a passing interest when he’d catch WWE on TV. We decided on a whim to buy Wrestlemania in April and then used some connections to score freebie tickets to a Smackdown taping in May. That was all it took. My son was hooked. He now has a collection of WWE toys and evn my daughter has a passing interest. My wife and I used to be fans and…well…we have tickets to the next Monday Night Raw on January 4th. (courtesy of Santa Claus, of course)
Turns out that it’s going to be a pretty big show. TNA (a rival wrestling organization) is running counter-programming against Raw this Monday with the return of Hulk Hogan and WWE needs to pull out all of the stops on their end to compete. Raw should be a decent show with a couple of title matches and the return of Bret Hart to the WWE for the first time in 12 years. In fact, the Montreal Screwjob happened just a few days after my daughter was born. So while my wife and I get the significance of it, the kids are like, “Who the hell is Bret Hart?”
At any rate Santa hooked us up with decent seats. Section 219 (lower), Row 3, seats 1-4.
And knowing what Santa paid for those tickets (and the three hours of entertainment they provide), I still insist that amusement parks are a ridiculous value and most coaster enthusiasts have no sense of the cost of things…
…and I’ll continue to say it every chance I get.
If only the show on at 8pm was called “Slim Shady”
With my wife and daughter out of town, my son and I are playing it lazy on a beautiful late summer day – like laying around on the couch lazy. Laying around on the couch watching “Josie and the Pussycats” on Universal HD lazy. Yeah, the movie from 2001, not the old cartoons.
So one of the commercials that runs grabs my attention for it’s silliness. It’s a Franklin Mint commercial selling the set of all 50 state quarters in uncirculated condition. First thing that struck me about the commercial was the sales angle of having people talk about times in the past when they had thought about purchasing something because they had a weird instinct that it was valuable, but passed and regretted it and then flipping that into a reason to hurry up and buy the quarters set.
On top of that they mention several times that some of these coins have appreciated in value up to 400%! Yes, the math on that says some of these coins are worth up to $1. Woo!
And as a minor note they also mention at one point that less than 1% of all Americans will have a set of all 50 quarters like this. Again, the math on that tells us that around 3,000,000 people will have a set like this.
On top of that, the damn thing was like 4 or 5 minutes long. I looked for it online, but only found a couple of shorter, edited spots. Really, the long version is a gem in it’s suckiness. Do watch if you come across it.
Then a few breaks later a slap chop commercial begins, but suddenly starts stuttering and breaks into an Auto-Tuned, remixed masterpiece of musical infomercial proportions. Turns out the thing has been circulating the internet forever and I’d just managed to escape it’s greatness. It got so hot that the Slap Chop folks realized they could run it and get a better reaction than the original commerical, I suppose.
Here is the version running on TV and here is the original.
The only difference is the extra footage. Apparently they couldn’t clear the clips from Breakin’ for the TV airing so they substitued really generic footage of a people (including someone in a rabbit suit) dancing. Quite frankly, I prefer the generic footage to the Breakin’ footage. If you have seen these, watch them now. I can’t get enough of it.
Now someone just needs to remix the Franklin Mint commercial and my world will be complete.
Apparently this old video of Travis Barker doing some rudimental snare drum shit got a lot of positive fanboy/worship responses:
And this kid got annoyed at the rock star adoration for doing what most of the drumline band dorks across the country can do:
After watching both videos, I’m not sure if I want to high five the kid or punch him in the mouth.
The only thing I really want to say is, “It takes more than skills to become a rock star.”
I think in the end it’s kudos to the kid for putting it to the fanboys, but the kid ain’t ever gonna be a rock star and needs to accept the fact that beyond skills – charisma, luck and whatever else go a long way. Barker is a rock star. He could shit on a snare drum and people would think it was awesome. That’s what being a rock star is. That’s the point.
How often does being in the high school drum line get you laid, drugs, special concessions of any kind or make you impervious to plane crashes?
So yeah, nice job band geek, but leave the people have their idol because it goes well beyond being able to pull off a diddled fivelet and flam drags.
I’m bored with being an online enthusiast.
Seriously, I am. Bored with coasters. Bored with parks. Bored with the discussion mostly. A day at the park or a lap on a coaster still sounds fun, but talking about it doesn’t.
Why is that?
And from the looks of traffic on most sites, it seems I’m not the only one. This isn’t the usual off-season slow down. Is the idea of enthusiast discussion in any quantity passe? Is quality? What is quality discussion?
I don’t care who thought a ride was neat-o. I don’t care how many coasters you’ve ridden. I don’t want to see your pathetically average snapshots from your last park visit. I have no interest in your snazzy video with quick cuts in time to whatever song you like today. I don’t need to hear again about how you love a park and are starting a petition to save it from certain doom. I don’t care that there’s a financial reality and that parks are just businesses. I don’t care to read another park-created marketing blog disguised as a transparent communication tool with the handful of dorks who care. I don’t care to read another rumor about which park is getting what in 3 years. I don’t care to see super secret blueprints of the ride either.
I feel like I’ve been there and done it a million times and doing it again is getting old fast. I’m bored.
Have I changed or has the scene?
(this is also posted in the Members section at CoasterBuzz if you’d happen to like to discuss there)
Because being off by less than $500 sucks so hard.
For the record, it’s a cool little coaster.
Saw this on a couple of blogs I frequent. I just wanted to get half of them. I fell a little short.
47/100
After reading Tyler’s latest blog post, I was compelled to write a rather lengthy reply. I felt a little guilty crowding up his blog so I figured I’d share here…besides, it concerns my favorite subject – me! You may want to read Tyler’s entry and the subsequent replies (and linked article) before continuing, otherwise the following will seem even more nonsensical than usual.
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I was put in gifted classes essentially because I could read when I hit Kindergarten. Actually, I read before that.
Because I could read, I remember being sent to the library to do all kinds of tests and stuff.
Like Tyler’s district, the ‘gifted’ program didn’t begin until 2nd grade. In first grade, I got to go to the 3rd grade class for math and reading classes.
That summer I went to the high school and did a more formal testing. In 2nd grade that fall I was placed in the gifted program. 1/2 day every Monday in the library with Miss Brown and the other handful of gifted students.
After 6th grade, I opted not to continue in the gifted program in Jr. High – I was more interested in music.
I still have a lot of the material we used and worked on in the gifted program and I still think I ‘learned’ more in those 1/2 Mondays than I did in the other 4 1/2 days during the week.
Interestingly, (and I mentioned this a podcast or two ago) in my kids school now, if you can’t read in Kindergarten, you’re considered behind. I just find that amusing as 29 years ago when I went to school, the ability to read is what tipped everyone off that I might be ‘gifted’ – go figure.
No sure that actually added to the conversation – just sharing my story as well…because why do that on my blog? ;)
I do agree with Jeff. NCLB is a complete joke. I don’t have a problem with standardized testing as an arbitrary way of measuring a student’s progress or achievement (as it was in my day), but as the deciding factor as to the ’success’ of a school district or particular school or teacher or whatever is one of the worst educational ideas ever instituted. Quite simply, in our school district, I don’t feel my kids are learning as much or as well as they could – they’re learning how to pass a standardized test with very specific information. It’s sad, really.
In the school my kids go to, you could get straight A’s all year, but screw up the standardized testing – and you’ll be held back.
Luckily, they have a dad who lives pretty much outside the box to help them along. :)
As far as the linked article goes. No question – ‘gifted learner’ describes me about 98%. I could pull one or two descriptions out of the other two, but just about every description of ‘gifted learner’ applies.
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I’m done sucking my own dick now.
We went home for Thanksgiving as we always seem to. By home, I mean my parents. Normally we hit 70 west from Dayton, through Columbus and Wheeling then 79 north past Pittsburgh to my parents. This time we took 70 to Columbus and caught 71 north to Cleveland and then 80 into Pennsylvania and headed south to my parent’s house. Why? Well, we wanted to make a little stop along the way. A stop where? Here:
So what? We visited an old house in a shitty Cleveland neighborhood, right? Well, yeah. But it was this house:
Still not sure? Well here’s the source for the title of this entry and it’s easily the funniest line in the movie:
It was cool. I’m glad we stopped, but I don’t recommend traveling to visit. If you happen to be passing nearby and are a fan of the movie then it’s worth the stop…otherwise you may be let down if you go out of your way to get there.
For the record, we drove home the normal route.
I’m sure some of the more tech minded and on top of things wouldn’t find that fact to be much, but I was kinda weirded by it.
The HHR came with a year of OnStar. We really didn’t care, but tonight out of boredom we started looking through the OnStar book that came with the car and decided to mess around and activate it.
Turns out the HHR has a phone number. Who knew? That officially makes four numbers you can call to get ahold of me – both house numbers, my cell and the car. (I suppose you could technically call Jamie’s cell too – but that’s not really a direct line to me)
What kind of fucked up world do we live in when I need 4 different phone numbers?
The other kinda cool thing is we can add the car as a line to our Verizon Family plan. That’s a neat little perk that’s a bit cheaper than buying OnStar’s minutes.
Plus, I have to admit that hitting the button on the steering wheel and just talking into thin air to someone else is pretty neat. (I’m so lame)
I’m not a coffee person. I hate coffee. I really, really dislike coffee. I just don’t get it.
With that said it should come as no surprise that I just don’t get Starbucks. I don’t understand the allure, I don’t understand the big deal about the whole coffee scene.
Maybe I should say “didn’t” rather than “don’t” …
Last night we stopped by Barnes & Noble. The kids like to check out books and I find a great (admittedly egotistical) joy in finding books that have my photos in them lying in bookstores.
Since we’re there my wife wants to hit the cafe and score a Double Chocolate Chip thingy that she always gets from Starbucks. The kids each wanted a Hot Chocolate. I passed. It’s fucking Starbucks and I don’t do coffee based drinks.
So the kids working the counter are just WAY too personable and friendly. While they’re getting the drinks, they’re making conversation and just being cooler than kids working Starbucks should be. All the while I’m just sizing things up. One of the things that caught my eye was the collection of flavors (are they syrups?) that they use. One was Cinnamon. I dig cinnamon…a lot.
So everyone gets their drinks and the kid making them asks, “Are you sure I can’t get anything for you, Sir?”
I don’t know why I didn’t give him my usual shitty attitude (probably because they were so friendly), but I asked innocently enough what they made with that cinnamon. Still at this point just being curious – not wanting anything. He named something or other and I made with a half-interested, “Oh.”
The kid followed up with, “Can I get you one?” and I passed but he persisted, “Are you sure. Come on, they’re really great” or something to that effect. So in a totally uncharacteristic moment I gave it.
The kid makes me a Cinnamon Spice Mocha and gives me a tall. (which in Starbucks-land is actually a small) To make matters worse, he gives it to me on the house.
What can I say? It was pretty fucking good. So good in fact, that I actively sought another one for myself today – making it Venti (large to us English speaking, non-coffee drinking types).
It was indeed good…again.
I think I’m hooked and the bastards at Starbucks did it drug dealer style – they gave me the first one for free knowing damn well they’d sell me a gazillion more. Arrrrgggh!
I’m now one of the mindless masses paying way too much for warm milk mixed with coffee and a squirt or two of cinnamon flavor with some whipped cream on top – at least I think that’s what it is. I don’t care if it’s boiled horse piss with snot on top…it’s good.
I suck and I hang my head in shame…but only to take another sip of my Cinnamon Spice Mocha.
I told you I couldn’t get this damn song outta my head! I had to do something about it and the only logical answer was to dive head in and listen to it so much that I became immune. What better way to force yourself to repeatedly listen to something than to add your own music under it. (remix?)
Here’s what I wasted the last two hours of my life on:
So should I sync it up to the video and add it as a reply on YouTube or just leave well enough alone and hope it’s finally out of my system?
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*This is the first music thing I’ve done in quite a while that wasn’t meant to eventually be a tune for some coaster video
I more than a little embarassed to admit we got tickets to see Weird Al at Kings Island. But we did.
Thus completes my descent into complete dorkdom. It’s a dark day here at the bottom of the totem pole.
Everytime I get a new camera the first thing I do (and presumably most people do as well) is get into the menus and set it up to my liking. Among those settings is always some method for file numbering.
I always set mine to continuous. This means the first photo I take is numbered 0001, the second photo is 0002 and so on until 9999. Then it rolls back around to 0000 like an odometer.
Today I officially ‘rolled’ my camera. That means I’ve taken over 10,000 pictures with it. I’ve had the this one a little over two years now (27 months to be slightly more precise) and as of today have taken 10,037 photos. That works out to 371 photos each month since I bought it.
I might have a problem.
Amazing the way digital has changed the way we shoot.
Every year or so my wife and I happen to catch a movie that’s made it’s way to TV and get hooked. Usually the dumber, the better. And it’s a requirement that the movie channels play it ad naseum so that it’s hard not to catch it.
Just to get you into the right place here’s some past movies that have received this greatest of honors from us:
Road Trip
The Replacements
Rock Star
That Thing You Do
Mean Girls
The list goes on and on…and on, but those should set the bar appropriately.
The latest on the list to receive the “Have to watch it everytime it’s on” honor?
It’s so ridiculously fucking great.
I have a weird sense of humor and horrible taste in entertainment in general, but The Devil’s Rejects is easily one of the best ‘horror’ films ever. It destroys House Of 1000 Corpses and by the end of ‘rejects’ – even though I know they’re going down – once Freebird plays and they charge the roadblock, I’m rooting for them to make it this time. (some stuff is lost in type – that last bit is really good in person with a little body language and a mock teary-eyed “If I leee-eave here tomorrow” thrown in, but in text it’s not so I’ll just stop there)
At any rate, if you asked me today who I want to be when I grow up – it’s certainly Otis B. Driftwood. He’s just so damn cool it’s ridiculous. Kudos to Bill Moseley.
Too many great little moments to list individually (but if you do watch it and don’t at least chuckle a few times, then you know you don’t share my sense of humor), but any movie that also features Brian Posehn (metal nerd/comedian), Diamond Dallas Page (former pro-wrestler who was cool because he was so pathetically uncool) and Priscilla Barnes (Terri from Three’s Company) has to be worthy of such honor.
At the very least catch the scene where Otis takes Adam and Roy out to dig up the guns. It’s where the line I used for the title of this post comes from and when it’s followed by the bashing in of Roy’s skull – it’s badass stuff.