This is so a coder's fault

From Facebook:
only from the raw results of computer programmers do you get fine sentences like this.:

just scored 1940 points for you's team. you's team
now has 28880 points and is a Scholar. Play TV Trivia >>p

Apps on Facebook are being popped out so fast that things like QA are like dirty words.

Going too far

My roommate brought the following home for me from Trader Joe's, unsuspecting the mockery to follow:

Vegetarian shaving cream? Really?

Which of course created the following chain of thought:

Since you don't eat shaving cream why bother...

followed (naturally for someone like myself) to the exclaimation... "My god, its Soylent Green Shaving Cream" because if its not 100% vegetarian for eating then it must be made of 100% vegetarian(s).......

Then it only took me a few minutes to explain my reasoning and the required pop-culture references to my roommate to explain why I was so amused...

2007

Happy New Year. I hope that everyone had a fantastic New Years Eve. I know that I did.

Well, its coming toward the end of the year.... time to add up the year:

• Finally got my Masters Degree in Computer Science
• Finally commissioned (after a 2+ year process to obtain it). Got the specialty that I wanted and am finally drilling with my unit.
• Switched my position inside work.
• Countless first & second dates.
• Met some great people, both via the Army and via the Blogger-verse.
• Fell in love and unfortunately fell out of love (Met a great woman, had a fantastic time, but it didn't work out (so sorry R))

Overall - A great year. I achieved a lot of goals and while I suffered a few misteps (like I so should have stopped taking classes after I got my degree... afraid to check my grade in that class) I really feel that I am moving forward.

Is it sad that I am afraid that 08, contrary to what someone said yesterday evening (where she said it would be two thousand and great), doesn't look like its going to be as good as 07. Unfortunately I have to head off for 5 months of Army training (most of it looks pretty worthless unfortunately) which means that much less time to spend with Friends and Family (sooo going to miss spending time with my nephew, Conor. It also means that it is unlikely that I will meet my special someone.... hard to meet someone in the first bit when you are disappearing for 5 months.). At least I get a break from school.(I was driving last night and was grinning when I remembered that I dont have any more classes/homework/tests).

Juno

Love this movie. The girl who played Juno was great, the Arrested Development reunion of characters was fun (both played great characters). Jennifer Gardner definitely defined quite desperation... her characters' desperation to be a mother and pain in not being able to do so herself was moving. There were plenty of LOL moments and lots of fun quotes. Definitely a fun movie. (even though I felt like I was the lone island of testosterone in the theater.

All in all - 8/10.

Christmas Vacation

So due to the quirks of federal leave and me apparently not taking enough leave time in the past year (or years given that I have a sizable balance) I get to re-experience that rare thing that is under-appreciated by the youth that get to enjoy it, a 2 week long Christmas vacation. Thank you "use or lose" rules!

It does lead to regressive behavior.... taking long lunches with friends and family, casual browsing of bookstores with conversation, playing video games late into the night (either with friends or family). Like last night where I was up until 4AM playing Carcassone (the deliciously simple in concept, difficult in practice game) with my roommate and my HS buddy (and to give an idea I am such a gamer that I was also playing a game of Civ 4: Beyond the Sword). My Tivo's are also looking pretty bare as well...

I did get a few good things for Christmas (some new clothes, a few gadgets from my mom, a video game (I think anything where I get a video game is a good thing.... I have been enjoying playing HL2: The Orange Box) and misc other things (another gift of alcohol from my nephew... following the trend from last year.... gotta wonder what my older brother thinks of me and my brothers in that he always gets us alcoholic gifts...)).

I am seriously enjoying this time and am resentful that come the second its due to come to an end...

I am Legend

So I mostly loved this movie. It was interesting but I need more exposition (flash forwarding to 3 years after the outbreak... meh..... not as exciting.... I am not so interested in the end result, but the effect of society crashing down is facinating). Did like the fast zombies (though it reminded me of 28 Days Later... even to the point of FFWDin past the event itself). The smart zombie, which is never addressed (probably die to trama of the Will Smith character), which is kind of annoying. Good ending!

As normal I had problems with the math...... 80% mortality (for evenness lets use the 6 billion number from the movie)... 1.2 billion survivors... though they then make the claim that there was a 1% immunity rate. Then pull a 12 million number out... thats when if you turned to me in the theater you would see me doing hand number gestures.... I would argue that it should be 60 million (hey, if you were a survivor 19:1 odds are way better than 99:1)... wouldn't the people immune to the conversion also be immune to the airborne virus?

Yep, thats me... arguing math/logic about a horror/SF movie...

Doh!

Blogger.... oh Blogger... why do you not have a private post feature? Why must it be all or nothing? (though I share the blame for keeping what I did out there)
So someone (R... Again.... so sorry) saw this blog and I wasn't as discrete (i.e. shutting my yap or keeping it as a draft) with some personal stuff.

The internets are neither as small or as impersonal as you may think it is... trust me that is one lesson that I have learned and I am sorry if I hurt or prolonged the pain of that woman.

How the Army Plans a night out

Information has been redacted to protect the innocent (or in the case of some of the characters, not so innocent).

So, its the middle of Christmas party season and if we don't plan a night out on the town, its just not going to happen. So, here is the concept of the operation:

1) Meet up at 1730 ** DEC 2007 at ORP *** Street.
2) Consume pregame drinks and argue about who can build a better fire or about the playoffs or any other such stuff.
3) At 1930 ** DEC 2007 we cross the LD and board waiting trans to *** for *** at ***.
4) 2100 ** DEC 2007 pass phase line green and head to wicked good House party in nearby **. (We will bring our own beer to make our arrival more welcome.)
5) Operation talk with strangers will then proceed until 2300 ** DEC 2007 when we board provided trans for last time for a ride to ***.
6) 2330 ** DEC 2007 Alpha Team arrives at Phase Line Red to begin assault on ***. Likely targets include ***, *** and ***.

7) LOA - 0200 ** DEC 2007 Trans back to ORP *** for rest and recovery.

It's a plan everyone can love!

Commander's Intent - Kick Ass time with flexibilty for opting in for any portion.

Safety Considerations: By hiring a large SUV for trans we get everyone home safely and get to feel like rock stars for a few hours.

Sigh

I was seated at a party, talking about what I do to the woman next to me, when my date proudly also mentions that I was in the National Guard. Promptly the woman next to me said, "Oh! I am sorry" To which I quickly replied that "I wasn't, I volunteered after 9/11 and am proud of my service." (suprisingly for me since I am normally a bit slow on the comebacks)

Then she asked if I had been deployed. Of course I hadn't and said that I still needed more training. Of course she said "I bet you are hoping that we pull out of Iraq as quickly as we can". (on a roll here, unusual) I stated that "Actually I would like to finish the job and leave Iraq in a stable state, better than we found it"... Then noting the nudge from my date I dropped the line...

It took me quite a while to get over the shock of the first response.. I didn't even mention it for a couple of days since I was kind of stewing over it.

God save me from Liberal idiots...

The Perils of Modern Dating (aka Facebook can create awkward situations)

So dating in the 21st Century is a lot more complicated than it was in the past. And so was breaking up (the main focus here).

Somehow I believe that it was a little harder to be able to peer into the lives of the people that you dated back in the days before Facebook. You definitely didn't get situations like I just had happen:

I broke up about 2 months ago with a girl who I had been dating for 5 months. I kind of dragged her onto FB but she seemed to take to it. Photos were taken, tags added. When we separated I a) wasn't really thinking and b) didn't listen to advice. I should have cleared the photo's (not delete them, just from FB and moved them to my private file store) and dropped her as a friend (not a forever thing because I want her to be my friend eventually) as otherwise you can see way too much of what is happening in the other persons life. I think they had it easier in the old days.... take the photographs down, avoid the places where you may run into each other... its a lot harder in this electronic land.

As I started heading back out there I realized (after much needling by my roommate) that I really needed to move the pictures off my profile (because it's just awkward to still have pics up of last GF's.... it can create issues for anyone new that you are dating). So I did... and then I got the email questioning why I had removed pics of her (as well as one where I went to see a chick flick, querying whom I had gone to see it with). Ugh... so awkward. I should have done this stuff in the first place and now I am prolonging her hurt. So many considerations... so complicated.


I am not even going into the new issue of "When to remove your profile from dating sites.." that has come up more than once in the past few years.... too early you look desperate, too late, not into her enough... Argh....

Strike Week 4?

Okay... so the first show has run out(The Office... shocking I know given that a number of the actors are also writers)... and a number of shows are running on fumes...

It's created an odd TV season, with the fewest cancellations that I have ever seen (shows that would have been canned, like Journeyman or Cavemen, have gotten a lease on life... heck Journeyman will end itself gracefully... that in normal times would have had them meeting the axmen quite a bit earlier..).

But this needs to end soon.... They are soon going to be seriously affecting Pilot season in short order.... That and I want more episodes of my favorite shows!

As a side note here is what I am a "fast consumer" (i.e., doesn't spend much time on my Tivo)

• Dirty Sexy Money (so deliciously sordid)


• Chuck (show gets better and better)


• Reaper (love the Devil)


• Bionic Woman


• Heroes (overcame the problems of the first few episodes)


• Bones (my favorite procedural)


• NCIS


• The Office


• Samatha Who


• How I Met Your Mother

Everything else is a background show or something to watch during the coming pause.

Embarassed

So in an interesting week of revelations I learn that my roommate hooked-up (aside, in my mind hooked-up means having sex... not so in hers) with my HS buddy last week (mango infused rum. Its dangerous) but I also learned this amusing factoid:

Last year I came home from a Christmas party (a work one) and passed out half naked on the couch.... So then my roommate comes back and learned that I was naked in the most important way... my boys were hanging out and enjoying the breeze. Apparently she was quite shocked and took advantage of meeting some people far, far away from my condo in short order...

I will be teasing her about both of the above for quite some time...

Enchanted

Yeah, I the guy saw enchanted. The date I was with wanted to see a movie (and I wanted to extend the time with that woman) so of all the movies it seemed the best.

And it was GOOD!

It was very self-aware (periodic requests to stop singing), slightly mocking of the genre (you met him yesterday and are getting married today?) but also in the spirit of the genre.

The musical in Central park was awesome, the scene where the city wildlife clean the apartment was great and overall I am throughly impressed.

Yeah, you could tell what was going to happen but you wanted it to happen anyway... heck you expected it to happen.

And they lived happily ever after!

Everyone Stuffed now?

I know that I am.... definitely eating very light today... AT WORK.....
Just seems wrong to be at work on day that most people have off. Though I imagine that very little real work will occur today.

Did I really eat 3 pieces of pie?

I missed having my closest brother at Thanksgiving this year... It felt wierd not having him (this year they flipped the whole Thanksgiving with us, Christmas with her family deal..)

On the plus side I ran in the PWBA 5 Mile race down in Alexandria yesterday morning. 47:30, a 9:30 pace... not too bad given that it was hot...

Now back to "work".... Which will very definitely include a trip to the gym in a little bit.

Scary....

To set the scene:
Make food (and oh so healthy combo of steamed veggies and chicken breast). One in the oven (chicken... which results in a lot of fat/liquid in the glass plate used) and the other on the stove.... prepare veggies (low fat salad dressing) come back, get chicken out and lay on stove.... which of course you thought was off.... get chicken and drink... eat.... minutes later hear and smell something.... stupidly move plate a bit, whereupon liquid comes in contact with charred area.... super hot glass spewed everywhere.... Give prayer that nothing hit you (the charred hole in the ground is a hint.... thank god there was enough time to realize that you had goofed and back up).
I am going to be spending the next hour cleaning up glass that has traveled a very long distance...
Thank god I am redoing the kitchen very soon...

Can you believe that the Army trusts me with weapons, grenades and 30 some odd soldiers? Neither can I....

Strike Week 2.

Stop the insanity.... please!! Do you know the damage that you are doing to one of my favorite mediums, Television?
Do you understand the long term damage that you are doing? The corporations that you are fighting have deep pockets and can wait you out. Your fellow employees are not so lucky.. Look at the havoc that you are wreaking on them.
I just perused the latest EW (and watched the silly WGA video on youtube) and the number of shows that are in "inventory" is looking pretty pathetically low.. and god imagine the damage if this goes too far into the new year... into my precious pilot season... That would mean no new shows for the 2008 season.

I am sorry. I admit to not having much loyalty to unions (as a white collar worker I view them as absurd for the people of my class... I can do my own negotiating thank you very much!). But I think that you are doing irreparable damage to the very industry that you are trying to extract the money from. Get back to work!

Priorities

So all this stuff going on in the world and what is my attention on?
The Strike.....
And its all about how this stupid fight(and both sides have a point... Don't writers get paid a salary? I know that I do and that everything I do is the property of my employer... What makes "creative" people so special that they deserve unique treatment? However I just want them to resolve this and if this means the media company needs to throw a few bucks the writers way then so be it) is going to impact me.
All my favorite shows are shutting down production (Heroes just announced that they may make the December episode the season finale). Of course they would do this to me now that my Tivo 3 is finally set without any further issues....

I know that the video game industry, rentals and people starving for attention (reality show contestants) are all waiting in the wings to pick up the slack.

I failed..

17 miles in (right around "The Awakening" at Haines Point) I knew I was in trouble (up til then I was doing well, 10 minute pace, on track to finish in 4:30). I made it a point to drink several glasses of water at each water point along the route, had a pot of tea in the morning before I went to the race. But it wasn't enough. The headache came first, throbbing and intense that caused me to remove my headphones. Then came the nausea, followed by cramping in the legs.. Given that I have had experience with this before (down in Alabama this summer) I knew that I was in trouble.
Stopped in the aid station just before mile 19. Medics (good Navy Corpsmen) looked at me, got my BP and then started the IV. Took the trailer bus back to Pentagon City, Metro'd back home (so wasn't going to go to Rosslyn, I didn't earn anything and I was frustrated and hurting), and showered, slept and sulked a little (yeah, not big on the whole failure thing, particularly since I was so close). Started planning modifications for next year (yep, I will be one of those people with a camelback on for the race next time). My marathon dream, at least for this year, is over.

Gotta Love self-inflicted sick leave..

Just placed on my schedule the plan for not showing up on Monday... Because, y'know, of the silly 26.2 miles I plan to run on Sunday. I must be insane...
I half think my anxiety is related to the run... I really hope that its like a lot of things, where the worry is worse than the actual event. then I remember that I am going to run 26.2 miles and am pretty sure that the event will be worse than the anticipation.
My knees are so going to hate me at the end... Big boys like me are meant to stroll, not run those sort of distances.

Though I have to say I like this taper period... after so much running its like I got some of my life back.

So this was an "off" weekend?

One all too fun HH (many thanks to the great hosts, particularily Arjewtino and I Now Pronounce You)... I think I was fine until I mistakely took the offer of a shot from the lovely jess of what? the curtains? Loved the shot, not the effects (which involved getting on the wrong direction orange line traing, then missing my stop by one when I finally got turned around).



After slowly waking up the next morning, a quick lunch with my ex (not sure I have had the chance to use that term before), then off to the DC United game where I chilled with my nephew. An early bed (or couch), a mid-sleep wake-up and movement due to the loud return of my roommate and then a late morning. Then 2 (yes, 2) dates on Sunday. Apparently I deal with a breakup by throwing myself back out there... everyone has their own way of recovering I guess. I did get to see Gone, Baby, Gone and LOVED it. really depressing.. really made me appreciate my life....