Happy New Year!

Wow I can't believe it's already 2009! I'll be ringing in the new year at work... how wonderful. I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year and I'll see you all in 2009.

The quest for Las Vegas!

Last Thursday Mom, Dad, Dann and myself embarked on what was supposed to be a two-hour flight to Las Vegas for four days and three nights of gambling and drinking with the occasional break for eating and sleeping. The picture above shows us hanging out at the Will Roger's World Airport lounge shortly before out flight... then it was delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed again before finally being canceled! My vote of rescheduling the trip to spring was quickly killed as the majority decided it would be better to rent a car, drive to Dallas, stay in a hotel, get up at 2:30AM to catch an early morning flight to Vegas from Love Field with a layover in San Antonio. Oh joy! We did finally make it to Vegas with only one near death experience driving down I-35 on our way to Dallas.

Dann, Mom and myself in front of decorations at the Bellagio.

Chocolate fountain at the Bellagio.

Chihuly ceiling at the Bellagio.

Christmas at the Bellagio.

Big balls in cowtown!

Comming soon: more shots of the strip and downtown as well as a shrine for Timmy. Oh and let's not forget the wonderful trip back to Oklahoma City!

Happy 35th Justin!

Even though you're an old fart and a Sooner fan, I still love you! Wow do I look stoned in this picture...

One Week to Vegas!

Leaving for Vegas in 8 Days!

9 Days Until Vegas!

O Christmas Tree

Mom and dad's tree.

Elivis topping the tree.

My tree, more traditional with no theme.

As always, Pistol Pete at the top.

Did anyone else put up a tree yet?

Loralei

My niece finally gave birth to a bouncy baby girl named Loralei on November 26th. I think most babies are usually on the ugly side especially shortly after birth but this one does seem a little sweet... or so I thought.

Anyone that knows me can tell you I have a very low threshold for children. Sure I like to torment them and terrorize them (just like my ex-boyfriends) but once I'm over them they can go away. I've never wanted kids. Ever. Period. I'm that rare breed of asshole that wants to spend his time and money on himself! That's not to say that I don't love all my nieces and nephews, it just took me 16-18 years to want to "hang" with them for more than an hour at a time.

In a moment of weakness I finally held the baby on her second night in the hospital. Four short hours later that night I was back at home reeling on my bathroom floor puking and shitting at the same time into the wee hours of the night. Coincidence? I think not. What started out that night in my bathroom (the most wretched experience I have EVER experienced) has mellowed into a weeklong offering of achiness, fever, soar throat, stuffy nose, and swollen glands. I felt so bad after work on Sunday I went directly to mom's house for some much needed titty. I returned home Tuesday night. Keep in mind that I'm 35 years old folks!

All kidding aside I think Nick and Casey have done a terrific job and I hope they have a long and wonderful life together as a family. I look forward to torturing "Lo" for many years to come as I still do to Casey, Brandy and her little beast Blaire. One thing's for sure, I won't be holding the baby any time soon just in case she really does have it out for me already!

Oh and in case you're wondering I'm not wearing a wig in the picture above, I'm just six months overdue for some Manicuring as Frank likes to say.

iTunes Top 5

Don't Cry Out - Shiny Toy Guns - 166 play count
You're Not Alone (Airplay Mix) - ATB - 159 play count
A Little Respect - Erasure - 158 play count
Go Your Own Way - The Cranberries - 153 play count
Rainy Monday - Shiny Toy Guns - 148 play count

What is everyone else listening to most often (at least on their computer)?

New Trek Trailer

The Great Promise

So I'm here feeling a little sorry for myself and this blog is the perfect place to vent since no one reads it. What the fuck happened to my life? I really did have a plan althought it might have only lasted a minute! I'm 35 years old and I've done NOTHING of any substance with my life. Oh well, life goes on.... I only wish I had the balls to NOT make it go on.

Yes we did!

Goodbye Bush! Happy days are here again!

Obama the Anti-Christ

I swiped the following post from the O-State message boards:

"This will make you re-think: A Trivia question in Sunday School:
How long is the beast allowed to have authority in Revelation?

Revelation Chapter 13 tells us it is 42 months, and you know what that is. Almost a four-year term of a Presidency.

All I can say is 'Lord, Have mercy on us!'

According to The Book of Revelation the anti-Christ is:
The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.

Do we recognize this description? ?

I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to post this as many times as
you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet..do it!
I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere."

I got a good chuckle out of it. It's amazing the cooks floating around the internets especially in Oklahoma.

Oh Those Poor Tiger Fans!

I almost feel sorry for them... almost.

My Jury Duty Experience

Monday October 6th, 2008

8:00AM: Arrive and register
8:05AM - 10:00AM: Sit and wait
10:00AM - 10:20AM: Break
10:20AM - 12:00PM: Sit and wait
12:00PM - 1:30PM: Lunch
1:30PM - 3:00PM: Sit and wait
3:00PM - 3:20PM: Break
3:20PM - 4:30PM: Sit and wait

Tuesday October 7th, 2008

9:00AM: Arrive and register
9:05AM - 10:00AM: Sit and wait
10:00AM - 10:20AM: Break
10:20AM - 11:15AM: Sit and wait
11:16AM: Dismissed from jury duty

Wages lost from two missed shifts at work: $140.00
Money spent parking: $11.50
Lunch at Subway Monday: $6.00
Being sick during the whole ordeal: Priceless

The Election

It's all over but the crying for the McCain camp!

Shiny Toy Guns: Frozen Oceans

They'll be in town Nov. 2nd in Norman.

Joey baby...

Would you like some ranch with that?

What the fuck is the obession with ranch salad dressing? Is this an Oklahoma thing? I think not after doing some research at Bitter Waitress. Why is it that most patrons at a restaurant have to have a gallon of ranch with all food items?

"Can I get a water with lemon and a side of ranch?"
"I'll have the cheesecake for dessert with a side of ranch."
"I'd like the red snapper special along with a kiddie pool of ranch on the side."

FUCK.

One day I'll own my own restaurant and I intend to have a mini fridge at each table stocked full of FUCKING RANCH SALAD DRESSING so some poor server slob making $2.13 and hour doesn't have to run to the kitchen three hundred times a shift to get a side of ranch to go along with someone's FUCKING BURNT TO A CRISP WELL DONE STEAK WITH A-1 SAUCE!!!

Many thanks to the d-bags that have the common courtesy to request a side of ranch at the time their order is being taken! You've saved me a lot of time running my ass off for a 12% tip!

Sometimes food should be enjoyed without being slathered with salad dressing... another diet Pepsi?

New Trek Next Summer

Animal Crossing City Folk

Anyone else excited?

Heading to Louisiana for the Weekend!

I'll drunk call everyone from New Orleans!

Where have I been?

Apparently on Crystal's chest!

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Friday I'm in Love - The Cure

Lay All Your Love on Me

Erasure covering ABBA

Drink of the Day: Wine (again)

La Crema Chardonnay

"Fresh aromas of citrus, butterscotch and lemon peel open to appealing hints of jasmine and nutmeg. On the palate, rich buttercream, pear and citrus meld to create a plush, rounded middle, with toast and caramel adding richness and texture to the long, lingering finish."

Having a glas now thanks to Kim's birthday present. I love getting wine as a present! Click here for more information.

Thanks again Kim!

My Friends

I had a really great birthday all things considered! On my actual birthday I worked until 2 in the morning... I got up the next day and worked from 10 AM and didn't get off until 11 PM in the evening! My friends waited for me. I met up with Crystal, Kris, Ana, and Lindsey at Lumpy's around 11:30PM yesterday. We had some shots and beers... too many! The girls got me some flip flops for our forthcomming Mexico trip along with a nasty tee shirt. I'm so thankful for my old "Pearls" friends... without them life would be a little less fabulous. Thank you Crystal, Kris, Ana, and Lindsey for always being there for me through thick and thin... I love you all! Here's to another 35 years!

35!

I'm thirty-five years old today! What a crazy day it's been... Got up, ate lunch, did some laundry, and now I'm off to work! Weeee...

Drink of the Day: Wine

St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc

Wonderful aromas of ruby grapefruit, lime juice and honeysuckle join with a vibrant core of grapefruit, hints of pineapple, nectarine and lemon grass. The texture is inviting and supple with enough racy acid to keep it all focused.

Learn more here and here.

One of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs, though it's a little hard to find in the OKC area restaurants. Grab a bottle at the liquor store for around twenty bucks.

5 More Days: Mario Kart Wii

See you online!

We Are Piolts

Shiny Toy Guns... I LOVE this song...

"Holding close my secrets
Naked broken pieces-from the madness in what you do
The fingers point right back at you
What about my problems?
The people try to solve them
I guess I’m under the weather...
Since no one else belongs here, with me

Hello mother,
Some news for you
I’m really not that crazy.
Hello father,
I'm curious?
Why you think there's something wrong with me.
Sunday I cried all night...
And it hurt so bad
But if you try to understand--
This is who I am.

Color coated sweetness
Swords beneath my clean dress
I'm making sense of shattered dreams
Because I want you to be proud of me
What about my problems?
The people try to solve them?
I guess i’m under the weather
Since no one else belongs here with me...."

Drink of the Day: Pink Tea

Pink Tea

2 oz. Ciroc Vodka
1 oz. Pama Liqueur (Pomegranate Liqueur)
Build in a tall glass filled with ice
Fill with soda
Top off with a splash of 7-UP/Sprite
Garnish with a lime wedge


Yummie. It's also good to try it with Absolut Pears Vodka.

Dallas Cowboys '08 Football Schedule

Regular Season

Sun 9/7 at Cleveland 4:15 pm
Mon 9/15 Philadelphia 8:30 pm
Sun 9/21 at Green Bay 8:15 pm
Sun 9/28 Washington 4:15 pm
Sun 10/5 Cincinnati 4:15 pm
Sun 10/12 at Arizona 4:15 pm
Sun 10/19 at St. Louis 1:00 pm
Sun 10/26 Tampa Bay 1:00 pm
Sun 11/2 at NY Giants 4:15 pm
bye
Sun 11/16 at Washington 8:15 pm
Sun 11/23 San Francisco 1:00 pm
Thu 11/27 Seattle 4:15 pm
Sun 12/7 at Pittsburgh 4:15 pm
Sun 12/14 NY Giants 8:15 pm
Sat 12/20 Baltimore 8:15 pm
Sun 12/28 at Philadelphia 1:00 pm

They Might Be Giants!

Birdhouse in Your Soul. Anyone remember this from '90? Hello? Is anyone reading this blog?

15 Commandments!

I love Mel Brooks.

Minimize your own impact on global warming

WE has a list of actions that any individual can take to minimize their own impact on global warming that can be found here. This got me thinking, what other steps can we as individuals take to help minimize global warming as well as help preserve other aspects of the environment? Here's my list:

There are toilets on the market which allow a consumer to determine how much flush is needed... you know depending on what's in the bowl. If this step is a little out of your price range you could update the old toilet that dumps 40 gallons of water each time you flush it to one that only dumps 10 gallons of water per flush. If this option is still out of your price range you could adopt Timmy's favorite toilet philosophy: "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."

STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER! I'm serious. For one thing studies have shown that the contents of bottled water are no more pure than what you can simply drink from the tap (and it's REGULATED whereas the bottled water industry is NOT). Even more importantly it is estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature that approximately 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottled water industry every year. Now think about this, what is used to produce bottled products (a petroleum product)? Oil. What is used to transport bottled products? Oil. Where do most bottled products end up? In a landfill. I know it's convenient to purchase and carry bottled water but I think this is one luxury we should and can give up! Here's some other reasons to give up bottled water.

Purchase or rent "An Inconvenient Truth", it will scare the crap out of you. As the jacket for the DVD says: "watch it. share it. donate it."

Here in Oklahoma vote, contribute, and volunteer for Andrew Rice. He's running against Senator Jim Inhofe, embarassment to many Oklahomans for saying: global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people". Do a little research, there's a myrid of reasons this man should be thrown out of the Senate!

These are just a few suggestions by me. What do you think?

The dream is over...

For all those concerned, I am now employed again. I start on Friday, dark days are ahead...

We Can Solve It

We Can Solve It

Al Gore on 60 Minutes

For anyone that missed it 60 Minutes did a story on Al Gore last Sunday. I especially enjoy Gore's reaction to the current Vice President's beliefs on global warming at the 10:56 point. Enjoy!

Lyndon Baines Johnson

"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president..."

Johnson uttered these words in a televised speech forty years ago tonight. How unfortunate that his legacy has been so severely tarnished (rightly so) by the escalation of the Vietnam War under his tenure as President. Let us not forget some of the good that came durning his Presidency: the "Great Society", the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the apppointment of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court, the first African-American to be appointed to the high court, to name a few.

Click here to read more about LBJ.

How many could you take?

23

Dance Dance Revolution

Somehow Frank managed to talk me into buying Dance Dance Revolution today for the Wii. He's got until Mario Kart Wii is released (April 27th) to get it out of his system.


The collection, this and last generation.

How sweet this would be...

Click here for the story.

With Obama weakening and Clinton going off the deep end could Gore be the party's savior? Highly doubtful but one can dream...

Have I mentioned how much I love Al Gore?

Air New Zealand Pink Flight

"Quotes"

"If Tyrrany and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."

-James Madison, 4th President (1809-1817)


"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

-Ben Franklin, founding father 1755


"It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government."

-Alexander Hamilton, father of capitalism and my favorite gay founding father

Smash Brothers!

A week from tomorrow Super Smash Brothers Brawl will be hitting the shelves for the Nintendo Wii. Here's a funny commercial for the original Smash Brothers game for the Nintendo 64.

Estoy Aqui

Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 3: Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart Wii is listed as a Q2 release but considering the limited amount of information on the game I wouldn't expect to see a release this spring. Most likely Nintendo will unveil more information on the game at this years E3 conference and move the game to a fall release just in time to cash in on the holidays.

Mario Kart games are simple. Race to the finish line on a variety of tracks against multiple Nintendo mascot opponents using an arsenal of weapons such as banana peels, heat seeking shells, and blocks. Choose from a multitude of racers with varying skill sets including weight, acceleration, and top speed. Player modes have included circuit racing, time trials, battle modes, and split screen multiplayer racing. The game has appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo GameBoy Advance, the Nintendo GameCube, and most recently the Nintendo DS sporting a great online multiplayer feature.

Rumor has it that the latest entry in the Kart series will go back to its roots featuring one racer per kart (Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Nintendo GameCube offered two racers per kart giving the gamer the ability to switch between racers depending on the situation). Also rumored is the return of the power slide ability for advanced racers (a must for time trials) and an online multiplayer option that will allow you to race with up to 12 people from all over the world all at one time. Finally the game is to be packed with a steering wheel accessory that will cradle the Nintendo Wiimote for a more immersive game play experience (I think I'll stick with a more traditional approach with the game using a standard controller). See the video below for an explanation of the steering wheel accessory.

Reggie Fils-Aime's Comments on Mario Kart Wii



Mario Kart 64 is one of my favorite games of any generation and I'll be in line to try out Nintendo's latest Kart offering later this year.

Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 2: Wii Fit

One of the next big releases projected in 2008 is Wii Fit. The game is still listed as TBA 2008 but I would expect a release earlier in the year rather than later. The release in Japan in Decemeber has already yeilded over a million units sold. So what is Wii Fit? Again I refer to our friends at IGN:

"The hit combination of Wii Sports and the Wii Remote brought golf swings and tennis serves into people’s homes. Now Nintendo turns the living room into a fitness center for the whole family with Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board. Family members will have fun getting a "core" workout, and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.

Lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance to hold the perfect yoga pose. As users stand on the Wii Balance Board, included with Wii Fit, their body’s overall balance is tied to the game in a way they’ve never experienced before. Wii Fit also uses the Wii Balance Board for daily tests. These evaluate two key measures that a household can track via progress charts."

Sounds a bit bizarre huh? Those crazy Japanese!

Wii Fit Trailer


Will this kind of "gaming" go over here as well as it has in the land of the rising sun? I would be willing to bet that indeed it will given Nintendo's track record of reaching out to and capturing casuel gamers over the last year. Will this be a game and peripheral that I would purchase? Unsure; however, the prospect of leaning left and right on the Wii Balance Board heading down the ski slopes sounds promising.

Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 1: SSB Brawl

Similar to what I did before the release of the Nintendo Wii last year I want to take a look ahead to the games of 2008. 2008 promises to be another banner "sold out" year for the Wii. It's hard to imagine that a new year can top the offerings of last with the likes of a Zelda game, a Metroid game, and a Mario game, not to mention countless other titles! We'll be discussing the projected major releases through the year in each post. First up, Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

Of course we have to start with what will be a monster release slated for March 9th. The third installment in the Smash Brothers series looks to be the biggest and best yet. If you're not familiar with the series it's basically a fighting game with a "king of the hill" mentality. Stay alive and deal as much punishment to your opponents to survive the round. Here's what IGN has to say about the title: "Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for four-player simultaneous melees! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere!" So be prepared to round up some friends at home or online and duke it out using a completely customizable control scheme for your Wiimote, GameCube remote, or Wii classic controller.

You can brawl your way to victory with a wide assortment of Nintendo mascots including old favorites like Mario, Link, and Fox McCloud, as well as newly added brawlers like Pit from Kid Icarus who hasn't graced a Nintendo game in 15 years. What may be more exciting about the line up is the addition of characters not held by Nintendo, namely Solid Snake from the Metal Gear franchise and Sonic from the Sonic the Headgehog franchise.

The title has already released to long lines in Japan with an amazing sale through rate. The same should hold true here in the states where previous installments sold tremendously totaling over 10 million copies on the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo GameCube.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Opening Cinematic



Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Game Play



More information can be found here on the Wii Brawl page or here at the Smash Bros. Dojo.

Al Gore's The Man

Click here to see why.

The GOP Needs a New Message

I used to be a political junkie. I remember when Clinton (Bill) was running for President in '91. I'd tune in to all the political shows every night before bed, especially CNN and C-SPAN. I couldn't get enough of the news from the campaign trail, debates, speeches, you name it. Maybe it was the excitement of my first Presidential vote or my naivety in thinking one person could change the country but I couldn't get enough of politics! I continued to follow politics throughout the years even during some (for me) very depressing times: the Contract with America, the Gore defeat of 2000, the re-election of GW Bush. This year I find myself not giving two shakes of a dead rats ass about the process. I'm probably not informed as I used to be simply because I don't have cable. The news I get now is what I can catch at my parents house, online, or from the Daily Fish Wrap (The Daily Oklahoman). I guess what drove home my increased apathy for our political process was the recent GOP debate in Florida. It's been years since I watched a Presidential debate either Republican or Democrat (and I couldn't stomach to watch all of it). What I watched could've been viewed during the '88 election, the '92 election or any other year! We need change. Change? Really? The party who controlled the White House and Congress for most of the last 16 years wants change? Um OK, whatever... a new direction or leadership from conservatives, I guess I can swallow that even if their 71 year old front runner isn't very fresh. What really irked me was the same old rhetoric I'd heard from years before! We need tax cuts. Tax cuts for the middle class, tax cuts for small business, tax cuts across the board! Wow. And the other side? Tax and spend liberals. Tax and spend liberals. Tax and spend liberals. I can't believe they're still beating this dead horse of an argument. Of course other issues were discussed but it always made its way back to tax cuts and staying the course with the war. I can't believe anyone would have the balls to utter the words "sustain the war" and "tax cuts" in the same breath. They're getting away with it! This is the only time in American history where we've lowered taxes while we're waging war! I'm all for lowering taxes (really, who isn't) but isn't a war a time for a country to sacrifice? To pull together and get the job done no matter the costs? Perhaps if the new Democratic Congress had kept their promise to start bringing troops home we could afford to spread a little money around. Ah well that's a blog for another day. I'll hold my nose and vote on Super Tuesday but I think I'll ignore the coverage until then. What do you think?

Shiny Toy Guns

I saw this performance in December with Crystal and Lindsey as well as others... man I really miss hanging with those girls!