Thomas Shaffer Personal Hurricane

Thomas Shaffer Blog has moved

2007-02-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

I will no longer be posting on this blog. I've moved on to my own thomas site. Whenever WordPress is compatible with this new blogspot, I hope to transfer everything over. If you link to me, please update your blogroll to include my new site. Thanks.

Thomas L. Shaffer - www.thomaslshaffer.com

Free Money Blogger - Favorite New Site

2007-02-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

I love making free money, especially if it's easy. My favorite free money site is Hustler $$$. The site is definitely on top of the free money gig, and even goes as far as showing how to open multiple accounts to take even further advantage (can you say BOA?). Anyway, if you want free money, get the rss feed for free money.

Watch March Madness Online For Free

2007-02-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

CBS once again is offering to show March Madness online for free. This is a great option for those who have to work during the first round games and are unable to bring a tv to work. Signing up early will also give you faster access to the games - they run off a waiting room system, so it pays to sign up early. They also have a boss button that will open up a spreadsheet. Pretty cool. Go Heels.

Coors Light Ditka Mora and Walsh Great Stuff

2007-01-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

These Coors Light commercials are great. If you haven't watched a single sporting event in the past 3 months, you've missed some of the best advertising on television. Coors Light has taken old press conferences from some of the best sound-byte coaches in the NFL - Mike Ditka, Jim Mora, Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil, and edited their responses to answer questions from Joe Blow sports fan. The best question has to be towards Vermiel "isn't it a little hot in here for a mock turtleneck?" You can watch them all at youtube, but I've added one of Jim Mora's for your enjoyment.

Bears Fans are Insane - Give Birth Early

2007-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

We all know men are crazy when it comes to sports. It's a well known fact that our girlfriends and wives have to deal with weekends where the TV stays on ESPN or whatever local station the games are on. We (well, most of 'we') have overpriced and oversized televisions that are neccessary to watch that buzzer beater or to see whether or not his foot was out.

Most men ask one favor of their significant others during playoffs - leave us alone. No trips to Target, no repainting the guest room, no talking about our feelings. We want to watch the end of another season and we don't want to be bothered unless you are bringing us another 12 pack or freshening up the queso dip.

What I would probably never ask for (sans the Cubs in the World Series) is for my wife to induce labor for a game. But that's what Colleen Pavelka did for her husband Mark. Mark had tickets to Sunday's NFC Championship game and was facing a situation - his child could be born any day now. Maybe the doctor knew about Mark's tickets, because he informed the couple they could induce labor on Friday, and they did. So, while Colleen was in the hospital today rooting the Bears on, Mark was at the game, watching the Bears clinch the NFC and come one win closer to a Super Bowl Championship.

Now that is what I would call a labor of love.

Happy First Anniversary

2007-01-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Happy first anniversary to my wife and I. We've spent 364 days of it living in the Pacific Northwest. She is the best thing in the world to me and I love her deeply. You can stroll down memory lane with me looking at the wedding photos.

LifeHacker Best of 2006

2006-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the power of RSS feeds, I've been able to read more and do more in less time. One of the sites that I've come across since using RSS feeds is Lifehacker. Lifehacker is a blog about increasing your productivity through software, DIY techniques, and even offer reviews.

They have compiled their top 12 most popular postings for 2006. You should definitely check it out. I'm sure this site will become an instant RSS feed favorite. I've posted some of the topics, but you'll have to visit their post to find out more.

1. Hack Attack: Turn your $60 router into a $600 router
Adam came back from O'Reilly's Maker Faire event so inspired, he installed Linux on his home wireless router and practically made it do backflips. Far and away our most popular post of 2006, check out how to unlock the hidden powers of your standard issue home wireless router with free software.

2. Geek to Live: Top Firefox 2 config tweaks
What do a bunch of web-browsing geeks do the day after a new version of Firefox comes out? Jump right into its configuration to make it work exactly how you want it to.

3. Windows Vista Beta: How to dual-boot Windows XP and Windows Vista
Get your paws on an early copy of Vista but don't want to commit your whole machine to it? Here's how to have your Vista and your XP, too.

4. Geek to Live: Automatically back up your hard drive
Backing up your data is one of those things... you know you should do it, but who remembers? Here's how to set it and forget it. (If you look at no other post on this list, look at this one. Resolve to keep your data safe and redundant in '07!!)

5. Hack Attack: Top 10 Ubuntu apps and tweaks
When you decide to take the leap to Linux and banish Microsoft and Apple from your computer desktop and go Ubuntu ("Linux for humans"), take a gander at Adam's favorite applications and mods to make it more workable.

6. Hack Attack: Build your own DVR
Adam builds his on TiVO on the cheap with his PC and a copy of SageTV, and lives to tell about it.

7. Geek to Live: How to format your hard drive and install Windows XP from scratch
As most PC users who install and uninstall a lot of software know, the "wipe clean and rebuild my PC" routine can be a yearly event. Here's how to format your hard drive and start from scratch with a fresh new Windows installation.

8. Hack Attack: Become a Gmail master
Adam drops science on how to bend Gmail to your keyboard shortcut-loving will. This one changed the way I deal with email forever.

9. Hack Attack: One-click DVD rips
Rip DVDs to your hard drive in one step with Adam's freely-available AutoHotkey Windows app.

10. Hack Attack: Automatically download your favorite TV shows
Subscribe to your favorite TV downloads with BitTorrent using Ted.

11. Hack Attack: The self-sustaining iPod
You know you can use your iPod as a hard drive, and you know you can install portable applications on an external drive. Well, here's how to turn your iPod into a stand-alone plugin jukebox that'll rock out on any computer.

12. Geek to Live: Lifehacker Pack
Google's got Google Pack, and Lifehacker's got Lifehacker Pack. Check out our picks for best free software everyone should have to make their computer just work

Seattle Space Needle - It's Cold!

2006-11-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

Went to the Space Needle over the long Thanksgiving weekend. It wasn't busy, probably because it was around 5 degrees with the altitude! If you are in the area, it is definitely a landmark to check out. If you have time and enjoy music (especially Jimi Hendrix) go to the Experience Music Project (EMP) right next door. There is also a Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Looks like somebody needs a haircut!

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

2006-11-29T09:18:00.000-08:00

While the inlaws were here, Ashley went out and purchased our first christmas tree as a married couple. Last year we had a fake tree while engaged. I preferred this tree because it's easy to assemble, needs no water, and I don't have to vaccuum up after it. Ashley LOVES christmas, so getting a real tree wasn't an option. I will say that it smells nice, and Sammy loves it.

I helped with the decorations, I even got to put the first one on. You can see that in the up close picture :) Ashley really likes it because it even makes sounds and plays two movie clips. It is a very lovely tree, even though it tilts slightly at the top. After careful examination, I've determined it is the tree that is crooked and not how it is sitting in the stand.

Anyway, tis the season kids - get those trees up and the christmas lists out!

Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow - Seattle Style

2006-11-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

Soon after my in-laws left, it started snowing here. Coincidence? Probably. Anyway, You could see the snow during the MNF game, and even NFL fans probably said to themselves "Is this game in Green Bay?" Below are some pictures from the patio the night before and the next day. We tortured Sammy by putting him on the ledge. It was pretty freakin cold - He'll think twice about escaping out the front door.

Turkey Day Spread

2006-11-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

Yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Although I am thankful for stuffing and pie, I'm also thankful for the following:

*For my Mom to be with her sister and family for Holidays.
*For my family to be generally in good health (we could all be better!)
*For my family in-law making the trip out to the great Northwest to spend the week with us
*For a great job and a great wife
*For my Aunt who is spending her Thanksgiving teaching English in Thailand. She is the true definition of courage, selflessness, and spirit. If everyone in this world were 1/10 as wonderful, this world would be completely different.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone - all 5 readers!

Here is a picture of me when I was almost two helping my Grandma Lichty stuff the turkey!

Alfonso Soriano is a Chicago Cub

2006-11-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

A fellow Cubs sufferer sent me an email asking what I thought about the Chicago Cubs signing Alfonso Soriano. Below is my response.

I like it. Hendry has finally layed out a plan and is getting some talent. They still need pitching, but from what I read they are still going after that (and some left hand bats). Sure, he's signed till he's 38 or something, but he adds some much needed pop to an outfield. cubs had 51 OF hrs last year, soriano had 48. I like it. He does strike out, and I've heard "sammy jr." but as I recall we were winning with him when he was cranking 60 hrs.

There aren't many big pitchers out their worth the asking price (zito, mulder, etc). I wouldn't mind seeing them get these 2nd and 3rd starters like Meche, Lilly, or Padilla. Their price tag should be considerably lower. My biggest concern is that they still have the same pitching coach in Larry Roth. and he has been unable to keep them healthy or find the strike zone with consistency. Maybe a change in the bullpen is needed. Maybe Lou has someone in mind.

the Cubs lineup looks solid. Possible lineup:

Soriano OF
Derosa 2B (can't find a solid 2nd batter)
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Jones OF
Murton/Pagan OF possibly move soriano to center
Barrett C
Izturis SS
Pitcher

Whatever may happen, it's great to see Jim Hendry make some moves to improving on the NL's worst record. Bringing in Lou, Soriano, and hopefully some pitchers will make for some exciting seasons at Wrigley. Lou has a 3 year contract, and I'm hoping they'll do something besides get top draft picks.

Buffett and Tigers and Prisons oh my!

2006-11-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Long time no post. I've been running around like crazy these past few weeks. This past weekend was the first full weekend at home in probably a month. I've been on several trips the past month and I'm looking forward to some downtime.

Like I had said before, Ashley and I went to Vegas. We stayed at the Flamingo and had a great time. We ran around and did all the free tourist stuff - Bellagio fountains, MGM Grand sanctuary, Mirage volcano, Mirage Lions, etc. Below are some pictures.

I was also in San Francisco this past week. I was lucky enough to catch up with my Uncle who lives near there and we did some site seeing. We ate at Bubba Gump's at the Fisherman's Wharf and walked up and down to Ghirardelli Square. I know someone who is jealous of that! I also go to see Alcatraz, one of top 10 places to see in the United States. Oh yeah, and I can't forget the sea lions!

That's about it for now. I'll have more updates soon, hopefully before Evan does another site redesign.

Kazakhstan National Anthem Courtesy of Borat

2006-11-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

Off the release of the new movie "Borat" I found the national anthem that plays at the end of the movie. This may appear to be poor quality, but it's actually high quality considering the original version. Just for those who are clueless, this is not the actual Kazakhstan National Anthem.

Happy Halloween Free Cookies

2006-10-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween. To Celebrate, Doubletree Hotels are giving out free cookies. This is to everyone, not just guests. They better be good, or I know someone who is getting a flaming bag of poo in their rotating door. Find a Doubletree near you.

No costume for me this year, but I plan on doing something next year.

Viva Las Vegas Shaffer Family Vacation

2006-10-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my definition of family is me and the wife, but still, we are off to Las Vegas! 4 days of fun in Sin City. We leave early Friday and are staying at the Flamingo. Yeah, it's cheesy, but that's why I like it. Neon lights, hot pink everywhere, older vegas feel to it (none of that Venetian crap) and one of the best pools in Vegas. Oh yeah, and it's on the strip and a great central location for our plans. Friday night we are going to see David Spade do some standup. On Saturday, it's Jimmy Buffett at MGM!

This is our first vacation as a married couple. We got to go to Victoria when my Mom was out here, but this is the first one by ourselves. We are leaving Sammy at home alone. Hopefully we won't come back to a burned down building.

So, no updates for me in the next few days. I have a ton of things on my mind and lots to blog about, but I've just been too busy. Also, having your brand new car break down isn't the best experience either.

Great things to keep you busy over the weekend:
Secret Stash: Build yourself that Scooby-Doo hidden room you've always wanted
ABC's Lost Review: check out this great review site for ABC's hit show Lost. I've even contributed (once).
UNC Football Coach Search: Who will replace John Bunting? Evan thinks Butch Davis is using UNC to get a better paycheck.
Do-It-Yourself: You can have a cool Mac wannabe power cord too! How to build a magnetic power cord like the Apple MagSafe Connector.
Book Swap: Similiar to the hit tv show Wife Swap, you can now swap books!
Pumpkin Head: No more Triangle eyes and teeth for pumpkins! Free PDF pumpkin carvings that will really make some noise. Somebody please do the Calvin and Hobbes one!
Double Down: Blackjack strategy for the novice. This won't work on the $100 tables I'll be at. I won't be at them gambling, I'll just be at them!

Viva Las Vegas Everybody. Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Evan

2006-10-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my buddy. I met this fool in Graduate School where we both realized how much we hated educational authorities, stupid students, and the fun that can be made at P1! Too bad we can't celebrate in Vegas. I'll think of you and Jen when Ashley and I are tipping back the coronas! Seriously though, have a great birthday and many more!

Nintendo Quiz - Test your NES skills

2006-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Test your old-school knowledge of the Nintendo Entertainment System, aka NES. I remember playing all these games, which means I am old. I still have my NES somewhere, but the only game I have is Double Dribble.

Air America Goes Bankrupt - Shocking News!

2006-10-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well apparently the liberal-controlled media really does hate Al Franken. He and others are going to restructure under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. In a poor attempt at hiding the truth (common amongst the lefties) Air America denied reports about them filing for bankruptcy.

This move will no doubt "save" some money. From the story "Air America has struggled financially since its inception. Documents filed with the bankruptcy court show that the company lost $9.1 million in 2004, $19.6 million in 2005 and $13.1 million so far in 2006." Sounds like they should have put that money to better use over the past 3 years.

To put a little perspective to this, the liberal Air America lost nearly 42 million dollars in three years. Jew-hating when drunk Mel Gibson and chronic druggie/prisoner Robert Downey Jr.'s Air America grossed $33.5 million. The only thing they have in common is they both suck.

Mark Cuban Is Funny and Right - Often

2006-10-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Evan and I trade links back and forth all day. One site that we always seem to jump at first is Mark Cuban's Blog. For those who don't know anything about sports or the internet, Cuban is the owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks and former owner of broadcast.com

I'd like to think it's the money, cause Cuban says pretty much whatever the hell he wants to and doesn't necessarily have to deal with the consequences. For example, if I was to rip into my employer about some of the less than intelligent moves that have been made, I'd be looking for a job. Cuban doesn't have a higher authority, so he can say what he feels. Sure, people try to linkbait him to show that they are cool, but those people are full of themselves and IMO deserve a cockpunch.

Back to Cuban. He's been talking a lot about the Google Youtube deal, and gotten some shit. He said it was a bad idea - actually moronic. I agree. He said copyright owner s are going to get mad and eventually take action. I agree. He's compared NBA officials to DQ managers. I agree. The only thing we don't agree on is the NBA - I think it sucks, but I applaud him for trying to make it change. If I had millions, i'd probably do the same (right after I got the Cubs a World Series ring).

Today Cuban cut through all the bs and told the story how it is - cynically of course. He goes case by case showing how he can put music on his Ipod (maybe if he sends me his address, I'll buy and send him a Zune) all without worrying about copyright laws or any of that RIAA hassle. He also points out that just because "everyone is doing it" or there is a majority opinion doesn't make it right (see 2000 US Presidential election).

Mark Cuban is bringing Sexy Back, and I like it.

The David Zucker Albright Ad

2006-10-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

The David Zucker Albright Ad

Thanks to Boortz for pointing this out to me. From the Drudge Report:
In the ad, Zucker, producer of SCARY MOVIE 4, recreates former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's 2000 visit to North Korea. During the visit, Secretary Albright presented North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il with a basketball autographed by former NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

An actress playing Secretary Albright is shown presenting Kim Jong Il with the Michael Jordan basketball, painting the walls of Osama bin Laden's Afghanistan cave and turning a blind eye to suicide bombers. In one scene her skirt rips as she changes the tire of a Middle Eastern dictator's limousine.

One GOP strategist said "jaws dropped" when the ad was first viewed. "Nobody could believe Zucker thought any political organization could use this ad. It makes a point, but it's way over the top."

Zucker is the producer and director of comedies such as "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun." In 2004, Zucker, a longtime Democrat, embraced the Republican Party based on concerns he had about national security issues and voted for President George W. Bush.

See, some people get it.

MSN Soapbox Beta Site is Live

2006-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

I got my beta invitation to MSN Soapbox today. You probably haven't heard much about it since there is other big news. Anyway, Microsoft is getting into the video site market.

Initial reactions are that it is pretty good. Considering youtube was founded just under two years ago, MSN has done a good job of improving the site functionality - both in looks and with technical aspects.

I uploaded a couple videos and it was really easy. There is currently a limit of 100 megs per video, no idea if this is going to be temporary or not. Server costs are a big concern with sites like this. Below is a copy of a video I uploaded. I made this in college with my future best man and beloved dogg. I know I know - Scorcese and Spielberg SHOULD be afraid.

MSN Soapbox is so far a cool site, I just hope that they find a way to popularize it and more importantly monetize it for the stake of my stock.

Video: Duff Dogg Day Afternoon

Tesla Motors Makes Me Hate Hippies Less

2006-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

I hate the environment and all, but this thing is pretty cool. If GM, Honda, and Toyota start making electric cars like this, I'll definitely start an ING account to buy one. This is a video about the electric supercar that Tesla Motors has created. 0-60 in 4 seconds, 250 miles a charge, and a sporty featherweight frame and body make this a pretty cool ride.

Anyone rather have this than a porsche?

The Dallas Philadelphia Terrell Owens Donovan McNabb Show

2006-10-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

If you don't think today's matchup between Dallas and Philadelphia is big, just look at this map:

It's almost as good looking as the Republican Democrat mapping. Terrell faces off with his old teammates today in Philly. As if there wasn't enough gas for the fire, they were handing out free popcorn (in reference to Terrell Owen's comment 'get your popcorn ready') and free beer. Yes, the fans who once had a fully functional holding cell and court underneath the stadium were being fed free beer.

I don't have either of these guys on my pathetic fantasy teams, However I would like to see Reggie Brown have a big day.

New Tupac Song - Dave Chappelle

2006-10-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

New Tupac Song - Dave Chappelle

Damn I wish Dave C. came back on. Tupac - rest in peace...... "okay I will!"

I'm a Dirty Yankees Fan

2006-10-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Since Carlos Zambrano decided to come back from back pain to pitch a pointless game in the Cubs miserable season, I am now a Yankees fan. Apparently in my wheeling and dealing for Zambrano in a fantasy league, I told Evan that Zambrano wouldn't win 16 games. I contend it was Ev who said 18 wins, and I mentioned Z's high was 16.

Either way, the Cubs ended with yet another great season, and I am a Yankees fan. I'll just keep a smile on my face knowing that neither team will have the trophy.

Digg This: Interview with Kevin Rose Digg President

2006-09-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Those cool kids at MShift got an exclusive interview with Digg President Kevin Rose and Digg CEO Jay Adelson. Apparently the article Evan wrote a few weeks back shuffled the Digg PR Swat team into action. Evan called shenanigans on the democratic system and implied that "Digg Armies" controlled the system.

Mshift was granted an interview with Rose and Adelson to discuss the Digg process. Although they didn't get too deep into the secret Digg sauce, they did shed alot of light regarding a user's weight in diggs, time of day of story submission, and other factors.

It's a pretty good read. I'm not much of a Digg user, but I did find the information useful. You should definitely check it out, and if you want, Digg it!

Prevent Aging Male Menopause and Video IDs

2006-09-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

I was playing around with the brightcove player. Apparently anybody can just cut and paste their video id's and see all kinds of stuff. I was trying to get a video for my MySpace page. What I ended up with was even better.

Along with finding someone's 60th birthday video slide (the guy had a hell of a mustache). I found this beauty on Preventing Aging. I've pasted below. I had to cut down the width of the video so it wouldn't screw up my right rail.

I really hope this guy isn't a doctor. He would scare the shit out of me. Anyway, enjoy. I watched about 4 minutes of these videos, I have no clue how far they go on, but it's on play all.

See Jimmy Buffett in Las Vegas 10/21/06

2006-09-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Want to see Jimmy Buffett in Las Vegas? I recently purchased 4 tickets to do just that. Only problem is - I can't go! So, I did what every else in my position would do and listed them on Ebay. Hopefully by the time these Buffett tickets sell, I'll have made my money back.

If you or anyone else you know is interested in seeing Jimmy perform in Beautiful Las Vegas, you can bid for my tickets here. If you are the winning bidder and let me know you heard about the tickets from my blog, I'll spot you the shipping charges!

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Dies

2006-09-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Irwin, famous for his TV show "Crocodile Hunter" died on Monday in Australia. He was filming a documentary when he was struck by a stingray. Apparently the stingray barb struck Steve in the heart. Irwin was unable to be revived. More of the story can be read here.

Below is a home video of Steve Irwin in action at his Australia Zoo.

Nobody I Know Got Killed in South Central LA

2006-09-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day.

Crazy Snakes on a Plane Fan

2006-08-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

I was checking out my mybloglog logs (wow that sounds dumb) and I saw some traffic coming from this site. At first I thought there might be a link hidden somewhere, but turns out someone was probably just surfing through Blogger.

Anyway, some of the posts caught my attention, but none more so that this one. Now, I'm hoping that this isn't real. For those that have been under an entertainment rock for the past year, There is a new movie out called "Snakes on a Plane." Yeah, stupid title. Starring Bad MotherFucker Samuel L. Jackson, this movie is about snakes. on a plane. seriously. There has been a lot of hype about it, I'm sure most of it generated by the studio and Jackson's PR team. This movie is destined to become a cult favorite, but for now it's just a bad flick. It was tops at the Box office, but only brought in 15 million. The PR team has done a good job though, because everyone I talked to wants to watch the movie "just to see how bad it is." Problem is actually getting them to go see it.

Back to the post. I hope this is a joke. I hope this chucklehead did this to be funny and it's not real. If not, then this world really does have way too many morons. Below is a picture I've entitled "Snake for Brains." May the Gods have mercy on his soul.

2006 Third Year Wide Receiver List

2006-08-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are really into Fantasy Football, you know what this story is going to be about. For Fantasy Football, it is in the third year that the wide receiver is supposed to have their breakout performance.

I've compiled a list of this year's top ten third year wide receiver list. From a draft viewpoint, there aren't too many names that make me want to say yes. The 2006 third year wide receivers are (in order of NFL drafted position)

2006 Third Year Wide Receivers

01. Larry Fitzgerald, ARZ Already a fantasy superstar.
02. Roy Williams, DET Only superstar now that Mike Williams and Charles Rogers are struggling
03. Reggie Williams, JAX Run heavy team, should be dissappointing
04. Lee Evans, BUF #1 guy now that Moulds is gone. I like it!
05. Michael Clayton, TB Simms has a nice target to pass to.
06. Michael Jenkins, ATL Lelie and poor QB Vick make this a bust.
07. Rashaun Woods, SD New QB and limited action - 160 career yds.
08. Devery Henderson, NO Horn and Stallworth run this show.
09. Darius Watts, DEN Too much depth in Denver.
10. Keary Colbert, CAR Could explode if Smith is injured.

As you can see, This year's crop of third year wr's is pretty weak. Larry Fitz is the only top 5 receiver listed. This year I wouldn't complain if I grabbed Lee Evans in the middle/late rounds as my 3rd wideout. I would keep an eye on the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay to see how they do early in the season.

I've looked at a few of the stats, and I'm not really buying the third year rule. To me, a lot of wide receivers have the biggest increase in production in their second year. This doesn't mean I'm going to go load up on the sophomores, but for those in deep leagues or have a team plagued with injury, keep an eye out on the second year receivers.

This year's NFL sophomore class of wideouts are: Troy Williamson (Min), Mike Williams (Det), Matt Jones (Jax), Mark Clayton (Bal), Roddy White (ATL), and Reggie Brown (Phi). Reggie Brown is the man in Philly now that Terrell Owens is gone. McNabb will be throwing downfield, so be sure to grab Reggie Brown. Troy Williamson is another choice since their is no clear cut number one in Minny.

Hope this information is helpful for your draft. Good luck this season and remember to have fun!

Jail House Blues For Albert Belle

2006-08-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Albert Belle is going to jail for three months for felony stalking charges. He was arrested back in February for stalking, then was arrested again in May for contacting the victim. The victim is a former girlfriend, who in January noticed a GPS attached to the bottom of her car.

Belle hasn't played ball since 2000 when he played for the Orioles. Over his 12 season career, Belle hit 381 home runs, had 1239 rbis, and a .295 batting average. His best season was in 1998 with the White Sox, where he hit 50 homers, 152 rbis, and a .328 average. It is highly unlikely that he'll be making the trip to the Hall of Fame.

Anybody remember the corked bat incident with Belle? How about the bat thief?

Free Schick Quattro Titanium Razor

2006-08-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Schick is offering a free razor. I'm still waiting on the 6 blade razor.

Aaron Durley Big League Little Leaguer

2006-08-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

At first, I thought this story was a joke. No way that there is a 13 year old playing in the Little League World Series that is 6 feet 8 inches tall. Aaron Durley is in fact that manchild, who also weighs in at 256 pounds and wears a size 19 cleat.

When I originally read the story, the first thing that popped into my mind was Danny Almonte. He was that little league phenom who threw the first perfect game in the LLWS since 1957. However, a few birth certificates later it turned out Danny was 2 years older than the max age limit. Danny is now married and went unselected in the June 2006 MLB draft.

Back to Big Country here. I can only imagine how uncomfortable he must feel at times. Towering over kids who are for the most part 2 feet shorter. Apparently he takes everything in stride, and seems like a good kid.

Right now his team is 2-0 and has a chance to advance. I'll be keeping up with the kid who's hero is Big Papi.

NFL Preseason is Pretty Boring

2006-08-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is, three weeks away from the start of the 2006 NFL season and I'm already bored. Apparently there is nothing to talk about. ESPN's NFL show just played what was at least 5 minutes of TO's interview with the press. This was "special" because it was his first practice in *gasp* 14 days. Is this really on my television? Was he really not on the treadmill today? As I watched, jaw dropped in awe, I picked up the following:

Reporter: TO, blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah?

TO: duh..duh duh duh duh. duh duh duh, duh duh, duh duh.

Reporter: blah blah blah, Parcells blah blah blah?

TO: duh Parcells duh duh. duh duh, duh duh, duh duh.

The show continued with yet even more on the TO practice, asking if he will be able to understand Dallas's plays. HE'S A VETERAN! The man has been in the league 10 years, i'm pretty sure he can pick up the system with little effort. Seriously, isn't there something else to talk about? It's almost fantasy draft time, and like Evan I need some up to date information on depth charts, roster moves, injuries, etc. Maybe somebody should just create a new site for fantasy footballers looking for tips, tricks, and weekly matchup insight.........

By the way, this post was created in the new Windows Live Writer from Microsoft. Definitely a cool product that every blogger should check out. You can download the Beta here.

Happy Birthday Wife

2006-08-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my lovely wife, Ashley. I love you!

Dell Laptop Fire Sony Battery Recall

2006-08-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

Dell and battery maker Sony are recalling 4.1 million laptop batteries due to their ability to catch fire faster than a duraflame log. The recall dates back to April 2004 all the way through July of this year. Dell has setup a battery recall site to explain the situation and lists the batteries affected. For quick reference I have listed the affected Dell Laptops below:

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

All batteries that are being recalled say "made in japan,""made in china," or some variation of the terms. The batteries that may be affected are the following:

1K055 C5340 D6024 JD616 U5867 X5333
3K590 C5446 D6025 JD617 U5882 X5875
59474 C6269 F2100 KD494 W5915 X5877
6P922 C6270 F5132 M3006 X5308 Y1333
C2603 D2961 GD785 RD857 X5329 Y4500
C5339 D5555 H3191 TD349 X5332 Y5466

Anyone with a Dell laptop listed above should go to the Dell site and look into the recall procedure.

This has been the third battery recall from Dell in the past five years. More about the battery recall can be viewed here. I'm sure the viral videos of Dell explosions were a large contributor to this story becoming mainstream

Redmond Dogsitter For Hire

2006-08-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have known me, know that I love dogs. Since I came to Seattle, I haven't had a dog. Ever since I was knee high to a duck, this is the longest I've ever gone without having one. Unfortunately the current place I'm at doesn't allow dogs (even though you couldn't tell with the 5 or so I see walking around daily). Next month that will change, as Ashley and I move to another apartment in September, which not only allows dogs, but big dogs. We have been dog browsing for quite some time. I really think people at the Bellevue shelter think we are nutjobs - showing up every weekend, looking at the dogs but never playing with them, then leaving empty-handed only to show up the next week. I can't blame them, it's pretty weird to always say "no thanks, just browsing."

Since we can't have a permanent dog, we've ended up dogsitting several times. It's usually Robert or Annie's dog, and it's either an in-house visit or just a stop by to feed them job. However it goes, I love it. It's like being a grandparent. I get to spend the time playing with them and having fun, and the second they crap on the floor it's "here's your dog."

Last July I was in Orlando with Annie on a big company meeting. Ashley stayed behind and puppysat for her black lab Bella. This Bella isn't to be confused with the cow back east. This Bella is a lot younger, and I hate to say it, but a lot smarter. I think she is 16 weeks now, and already has a ton of commands under her collar. Well, the weekend went fine with Ashley and Annie was quite impressed in her behavior (We don't baby and spoil dogs). A few weeks ago, Annie was in a fender bender and asked us to watch Bella. It was our pleasure. We went to her apartment and brought her back to ours. Check out that picture - isn't she cute? She is a very calm and well behaved lab. We love puppysitting for her.

This week my good friend Robert and his wife Alice are off to Utah, so we gladly took in Azuki, their Shiba Inu. A lot of people haven't heard of this breed, but it is very smart, very relaxed, and a great apartment dog. Azuki has barked only twice, and that was to let me know he had taken care of some "business" on the pee pads. He's trained to use those things which is awesome. Outside his initial "marking" of our cat Sammy's bed, he's been great. He mainly just sits in his bed as seen here.

Speaking of Sammy, let's just say he's not the biggest dog fan. After one hiss, Bella wanted nothing to do with him. Azuki on the other hand lives with a Siamese and is always chasing her around. Ashley and I got a pretty good laugh hearing the sounds come out of Sammy while Azuki ran back and forth. Needless to say Sammy is beyond pissed with us. He can't take his naps because he is constantly on the watch for Azuki. I can't wait to see what happens when we get a dog of our own!

Alcohol Plus 21 Plus 2am Equals Death

2006-07-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday night my wife woke up at 2am to the sounds of *crash* outside our apartment here in Redmond. We are on the corner next to a pretty busy road, and we constantly hear the traffic go by and a siren every other hour. We've heard honking and tire screeching, but no crunches. Anyway, she wakes up and goes to the balcony to try and see what happened. There is a row of trees blocking our view, however you could make out a car crash. Soon the sirens came.

When I woke up the next morning around 9am, Ashley told me of the accident. I didn't think much of it, but as we were preparing to go to the grocery store, we noticed the road being blocked off. I grabbed my camera and went down to the corner to see what was up.

There about 30 yards from my place was a wrecked Honda. It was resting in between the guard rails, airbag deployed. The cops had blocked off Redmond Way, and were only allowing the neighbors in. We turn on the news to see if we can catch anything, and I just get the end of a story involving a car wreck. I wasn't sure if it was the same one or not (there are wrecks here all the time). I later came across the article.

Come to find out, it was about this car wreck, and unfortunately someone died. The driver of the car was a 21 year old male who was sent to the hospital. The passenger was a female, no name or age given. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

You can't tell from the picture, but how the car ended where it was is odd. The only thing I could think is that they passed the turn they wanted and the driver tried to do a really big U-turn. That or he just lost control and took a hard left into the guardrail. The report said speed and alcohol were "contributing factors" in the accident. Yeah, that was a tough one to figure out. I'm pretty sure most accidents that occur at 2am are alcohol related.

I feel sorry for both of them, including the girl's family. It is a very sad reminder that drinking and driving is stupid. I'm no angel, and I've been stupid in the past, but I definitely learned a lesson.

Take a cab or sleep it off - it's just not worth it.

First Softball Game - Inside the Park Home Run

2006-07-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I signed up to play softball this summer with a bunch of coworkers. Our first game was tonight. Actually, it was a doubleheader. I haven't played softball in 8 years and was a little nervous on how I'd do. Well, my first at bat was pretty nice - I hit an inside the park home run. with a 1-2 count, I drilled one over the center fielder's head. I don't really remember much of the at bat, except that I was breathing pretty heavy rounding third. I think the cutoff man (or woman) bobbled the ball which allowed me to score. it was the first game and first at bat of the season, so that was pretty cool. As you can see, our teams fill the stands.

Unfortunately, that was the only big highlight for me as our team dropped both games. I'm batting 1.000 for the season, but I'm sure that will change. After the Home run, the rest of my hits were singles. I think I might have had an rbi or two, I was too busy to remember. I'm also the team manager, which is a very demanding position. You wouldn't think coed softball could be hard, but imagine a team with players who have never played the game before. It's definitely a challenge. I sat out the entire first game and only played one inning in the second game. We also need to get some pitchers. Our first pitcher left with an injury and the second was out there WAY too long. She did a great job, but it's really hard to pitch 1 1/2 games.

Hopefully we'll get a win or two this season. We all need to work on the fundamentals of the game. It's just tough because we don't have any practice times set up and everyone at work is busy. Maybe I'll just concentrate on the after game festivities. A beer tastes so good after a game, win or lose.

Italy Wins The World Cup Over France

2006-07-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Italy defeated France in the World Cup today 5-4 in penalty kicks. All non-soccer fans can now enjoy the next 3 years and 11 months. The thing that gets me about soccer and penalty kicks is that the goalie has almost no chance of blocking the shot. The goal is huge, they can't come off the line till contact, and the ball is too close for these superfoot atheletes. The only reason France lost was that one of their shooter's hit the crossbar. The Italian goalie jumped the opposite way, so it wasn't like he made a great save or anything. In all, the World Cup champioship match between Italy and France was just okay. If Zidane didn't get the red card for headbutting an Ital in the chest, maybe the PK's would have been different.

One final comment on soccer players - You guys are a bunch of sissies. I've never seen so many cry-baby, flopping, beg for whistle chumps since I watched a dook basketball game. Man up and stop falling down every time someone runs by you or brushes up against your shoulder. Pansies, everyone on you that flop. Play like a man, or go back to your doll collections.

Slow Drivers Make Me Insane

2006-07-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

I know it says speed "limit" but who doesn't drive at that speed? I'll tell you who - People from Washington State. Now, I'm from the South, where people say we are slow, but hell no we aren't this slow. I've never been anywhere where the majority of drivers refuse to come close to the speed limit. I've been on the highway where the speed limit is 60 and people are doing 45. 45!!! So frustrating.

Finding a Mortgage Broker

2006-06-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, I recently moved to Washington State from the East Coast. Before coming out here, I was in the process of buying a house. Well, prices for places here are way more than North Carolina. A mortgage back in NC for $200,000 could get you 2000 sqft. easily. Here on the eastside (meaning east of Seattle) $200k gets you the basement of a 1950's rambler that hasn't seen renovation since the Nixon administration.

Problem I've had is finding not only a real estate agent, but a trustworthy mortgage broker. A friend from High School was my NC Real Estate Agent and I used her preferred broker. Out here I have to rely on word of mouth and internet sites for mortgage brokers.

Best practices for finding the right choice and narrowing the selection is how you search for the term. Just searching mortgage broker won't give you the best results. Also, if you live in a smaller city, choose a bigger city to help improve the results. I think there are only a handful of mom and pop brokers where I am, so I chose the closest big city for the search - Bellevue WA Mortgage Broker

Right now I am sorting through my choices of who to go with. It's important to get references and build choices off of referrals. I've heard too many stories of people getting screwed over by shady agents and brokers who were either dishonest, didn't know what they were doing, or were juggling too many clients.

Best Moments of World Cup 2006

2006-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Now that the USA is out of the World Cup officially (they were out before the tourney began!), I've compiled a list of the best moments of World Cup 2006. The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world with dare I say billions of viewers. The World Cup unites the best of the best in soccer to compete for world domination, or at least domination of a soccer ball.

So, what is the best thing so far about World Cup 2006? The fans. No, not the hairy, toothless hooligans or the riot inducing knuckleheads. I'm talking about the ladies. Can't we just have a camera shot during the game that just focuses on all these chicks? Seriously, soccer is boring, but staring at a top heavy broad sporting a brazillian flag on her chest rocks. Maybe ESPN 8 "The Ocho" could broadcast this simultaneously during the games. Here's to you, ladies of World Cup 2006.
Brazil is a very beatiful country.

Das es Scharf (I forget how to spell it but I know what it means!)!

Swedes kissing in celebration of the World Cup

I don't know anything about Argentina, but I think a visit is in order.

How come I don't see people like her jumping over the fence and sneaking over the border? Immigration reform would be a lot different!

I would have put up some America World Cup 2006 babes, but we don't care about soccer!

Dane Cook Child Mimic

2006-06-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

I love Dane Cook, but not as much as this cat.

HBO Is Must See TV

2006-06-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, the Sopranos season is over (for the year). It would be nice if I could sit here and say I'm upset there aren't any new episodes this year, but I can't. This season was horrible. I have no other way to explain it. From my point of view, it looked like this season was just a string of pointless, uninteresting, zero plot driven, refusal to close open-ended storylines, failure to develop new twist episodes. I already had a disgust for Sundays since I have to go to work on Monday, but the past 2 months I've been down right miserable.

Well thank god Sopranos is over and the real shows can start playing. Thanks to HBO On Demand, I have just finished the second season for both Deadwood and Entourage. Now, when Deadwood first came out I loved it, but since I didn't have HBO for a while, I missed out on the second season. Watching 3-4 episodes a night the past week I've realized that Deadwood is now the best show on HBO. Sopranos is now second, and third overall for all HBO series (Oz is #2 all time). Deadwood is an award winning drama about an outlaw camp during the western expansion of the US. This show is filled with cussing, murder, cussing, whores, cussing, deception, cussing, bribery, cussing, greed, and just a little bit of cussing. Needless to say, I love this show.

Entourage is a great show that revolves around an actor (fictious) and his day to day life in Hollywood. He is surrounded by his "entourage," including an older actor brother (Kevin Dillon), his best friend (and manager), and another friend, all from Queens, New York. This show is very similiar to another HBO hit of long ago, Arliss. Entourage is full of guest appearances from several actors and sports stars and does an excellent job of mixing real life with fiction. The best character has to be Ari, Vince's agent played by Jeremy Piven. Jeremy plays a great asshole, and his character really sells Hollywood and the industry. The writers do an amazing job of really selling the character of Vince and the others, making you feel like you are watching a behind the scenes "Truman Show."

There are some other shows on HBO that are just starting or I haven't had a chance to watch. The Wire is an undercover drama that is going into it's 4th season. Lucky Louie is a new sitcom written by and starring the sometimes humorous Louis C.K. Another show I'm looking forward to is Tourgasm, a behind the scenes look at a 30 day comedy tour featuring the best young comic out there today Dane Cook, as well as Jay Davis, Robert "Bobby" Kelly and Gary Gulman.

With all these shows appearing back to back to back to back to back on Sunday nights, my hitless streak on Sundays is going to end starting in 50 minutes. Maybe I'll actually be able to go into work Monday with a smile!

Worst Triple Crown In Years

2006-06-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not the biggest horse race fan out there, but it seems to me that this is the worst Triple Crown in years. The kicker of it is that it started out as being possibly the best.

The Triple Crown ends today at Belmont Stakes, where both the winners from the other two races - Preakness and Kentucky Derby, are out. Barbaro, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, suffered a life threatening injury during the Preakness and is currently recovering. Preakness winner Bernadino won't be in today's race due to "exhaustion" and is saving for the Breeder's Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

So, for the 3rd time in 36 years, the Belmont Stakes will be run without either the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes winner. Talk about crappy. I think the whole reason non-horse owning people watch these races is to see one of these horses win the Triple Crown. I don't have any stats to back this up, but I'm going to say that the Belmont Stakes has the worst ratings of all three events. That being said, I'm sure it will have better ratings than the Stanley Cup finals. Even though my beloved Carolina Hurricanes are destined for glory, they compete in a sport than has no tv viewership outside of New York and Canada. I heard they lost in the ratings to women's softball the other day. How sad is that?

Good luck to all the horses today, if I'm around the TV I might switch in time to see some rich arabian cheer for what his $70 a barrel oil hording ass can buy.

Happy Memorial Day

2006-05-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day. It's not just a day to get off work, it's a day to remember those who have fought for freedom all over the world. Thank you to everyone who has served.

Chicago Off Broadway Review

2006-05-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

So, one of the first things I did after getting married was buy tickets to Chicago. Now, those who know me are thinking "He's going to another Cubs game." Unfortunately, I am talking about the off broadway play, not the glorious Windy City. I figured if I took my wife across country, I might have to do some things I wouldn't do back home.

So, for a discounted price, I got some good seats for Chicago at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. This theatre is amazing. Built in 1928, The Paramount has undergone a multi million dollar restoration. This theatre is breathtaking. They have free tours on the first Saturday of the month, and I'm planning on going in July. So, after staring at all the chandeliers and marveling at the artistic structure, we made our way to our seats.

For those who have been living under a rock, Chicago has become extremely popular due to a little movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, and the Queen of rap, Queen Latifah. The movie received 13 nominations and won 5 Oscars, including best picture. My wife, the former dancer, loves this movie (and several other musicals).

Anyway, back to the play. Now, I don't know many people on Broadway besides Norm from Cheers. I was suprised to find out that role of Billy Flynn, the slick lawyer was being played by Greg Evigan. Now, that name probably doesn't ring a bell, but he use to be on a semi popular sitcom with Paul Reiser. No, he wasn't on Mad About You, he was Joey, the cool/hip other dad from My Two Dads. I loved that show. Well, actually, I loved Staci Keanan, but anyone who watched that show knew that Joey was the coolest dad ever. Anyway, this 2 1/2 hour play just got a little better.

Now, I'll level with you, I'm not an idiot. There was a reason I chose to go see Chicago. First of all, since I had to watch the movie 48 times, I knew that the music decent. Looking at the posters, I knew the costumes were going to be barely there. All these long legged, fit, and flexible ladies are prancing around in baby dolls, lingerie, and stockings. I think I could like the fine arts. Needless to say, I didn't fall asleep during the show since the action was easy on the eyes.

Overall, the show was pretty good. The cast was amazing, the dancing was good, singing was even better, and Joey proved once again that he is kickass. The script is well written, and they did manage to drop a few "shits" "damns" and "SOB's" in there. Did I mention the Paramount also served liquor?

So the point of all this is Chicago is a win/win for everyone. Ladies, you can drag your men to this play and know they won't fall asleep, although you may have to wipe the drool from their lips. And men, if you find yourself in the doghouse or just really want to go on that trip to Vegas with the boys and don't know how to smooth it over with the woman - take her to Chicago. She'll be excited about going to a play and will see how much you care about her. This will give you the opportunity to drop the Vegas bomb on her and she can't say no (although I can't guarantee this!).

In closing, I'd like wrap up Chicago in 6 words - legs, lingerie, 2 hours, not opera.

Corndog Launcher? Nope But What About This

2006-05-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

No wonder Brits have jacked up grillz.

The Cubs drop another one. They are 1-9 their last 10 games. Can someone get the domain www.dustysucksfirehim.com up soon? Thanks.

Halo 3 was announced, shortly after the announcement of the Nintendo Wii at E3. The trailer is available from the Bungie site. The 360 will soon be in my house.

Cash in those Delta miles, I don't know how much longer a company can stay in operation losing $23 million a day.

Zacarias Moussaoui escapes the death penalty. Personally, I just think he's chicken shit. This is his second death sentence avoided (see 9/11).

A great article about Nathan Hale was written by Ollie North. Ollie is an excellent author and you should check out his books.

Stocks dropped today on fears of upcoming inflation. My portfolio isn't doing so hot these days, and people are screaming stock bubble already. Idiots.

You thought Hip Hop rivals only occurred between rappers? Think again.

I think I like the new format of vomiting back links and blurbs to articles I've looked at for the week (or this case day). I think I'll keep this format for the majority of posts. I still want to post about the asian mustache or http://www.evankroberts.com/, but I'm really too busy to blog at a normal pace.

Damn That's a Big Baby and Other News

2006-05-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

A woman gave birth to a premature 14 pound baby came home today. Doctors decided to give the lady a C-Section when the baby weighed in at 11 pounds during her 7 month check up.

The Big Brother Television show (UK Version) has hidden golden tickets in KitKat bars to find a contestant for the next season. Rumor has it they are testing this out for the US version as it is the only way to get people to participate.

Warner Music is getting a taste of it's own medicine today - They are being sued for price fixing.

The Mariners have gone to a closer by committee, since Guardado has been struggling. When are managers going to learn that CBC never work, not to mention screw up my fantasy team(s)!!

Representative Kennedy crashed his car the other day in DC. Somehow he wasn't issued a sobriety test. Today, he entered rehab for being addicted to pain killers. Funny how Karma comes and kicks the Dems in the ass.

My old State has a budget surplus. You are welcome for the $126 bucks.

The Dow Jones hit a 6 year high today, however my company stock is just dying to hit a four year low.

The Hanso Foundation has a new website filled with crazy crap that I don't understand. I'm glad there are unemployed people in the world, or I'd never have time to figure this stuff out.

Free NetFlix Special Discount

2006-04-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Because you are my friend, I wanted to do something nice. After thinking about all the ways I could make you say "Thanks, Thomas!" I've settled on one.

I am giving you one free month of Netflix! That's right, as a close friend of mine, I am extending this offer to you. Sure, you have to sign up for a plan to start after the month (starting as low as $9.99), but you can cancel at any time.

Now, you might think this is some click scam, or that I'm getting something out of this. I'm not. I really just didn't have anything to blog and while checking my email I saw this offer. Usually it's 2 weeks, so this really is a good deal.

Personally, I love Netflix. I get my movies super fast, usually a day after I select them. I've tried Blockbuster, but their online model sucks, they never have movies, and Netflix pretty much blows them out of the water in every category. The only BB offers is coupons for free movies at the store, but let's face it - you order online to AVOID the store.

So, do yourself a favor and give Netflix a try. First month is on me!

Redeem your Free Month of Netflix here.

Top Rankings on Weird Terms

2006-04-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

So, I'm always interested in finding out how people find my blog and how my search engine optimization is doing. My secret is this - I don't try to optimize for anything, and I get top 10 listings for stuff I don't care about. The only thing I did try and optimize was my wedding site, and I did what I wanted to do. Besides that, it's just a passing hobby to offer some link burns like chuckle nuts, asian mustache, and corndog launcher.

For tracking purposes, I use MyBlogLog, which is really nice. I didn't pay for the upgrade, so data is always a day behind. I really don't mind as I check maybe twice a week and the best part is that it's free. Now, because I am signed up for fake traffic like blogmad and Blog Explosion a majority of my traffic comes from there. Now, I'm not knocking these services, I think it's great. I'm just not obsessed enough with my blog to try and drive 1000's of people to it. You can see the lack of contextual ads I'm not making money off this either. Maybe if I did get some of that 2.25 billion dollar revenue the new evil empire got last quarter, my opinion would change.

Anyway, the whole reason for this post was to show some funny searches that have found their way to my blog recently. These are actually results I have seen for my site. I wish I kept a list of all the ones I had found since I started checking. Oh well, I guess now is better than never. So, without further ado, this week's weird 5 blog traffic list.

Number 1: English people searching for Spanish = what does usted gordo mean

Number 2: The original Teacher sex scandal = Debra Lefave MySpace?

Number 3: Computer game junkies = Civ IV Crash

Number 4: I'm hot for teacher = Myspace teacher

Number 5: Finnish Bikers = Kona Blast 2006

Pamela Rogers MySpace Teacher Sex Scandal

2006-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Looking for the Pamela Rogers Cell Phone Video? Youtube has several versions out there, but I found the best one.

Pamela Rogers Cell Phone Video

In other news, 28 year old Pamela Rogers, or more affectionately nicknamed "PJ", was arrested for violating her parole. Why did I blog about this you ask? Because Pamela Rogers was just released in February for good behavior after serving 6 months in jail for having sex with a 13 year old! What is wrong with this chick? Having worked in a computer lab during Grad school in the Education Department, I know (soon to be) teachers are a little weird. I'm going to ignore the fact I married one.

Anyway, this chick had sex with a 13 year old, got caught, did time, and now got busted for allegedly contacting him. What is wrong with this chick? I mean, look at her, she's not ugly. She doesn't make me curl into the fetal position (until after I get the background scoop on her). I can see why a 13 year old would want to hit it, she's a perfect 10 considering Mary Kay Letourneau but what does she see in him? What does a 13 year old bring into a relationship, milk money? Tax credits? Discounted prices at the movies and at restaurants? Some people are just really messed up.

So, This Pamela "PJ" Rogers chick was told to not contact her child love nor his family, and was not allowed to go on the internet. So what does she do? She gets a MySpace account and contacts him and his family. Obviously good behavior in jail does not equal rehabilitaion. She obviously isn't smart either. Maybe in her child humping mind she thought "Hey, if I say I'm from Paris, they'll never know it's me." Just think, it's people like her teaching the future of our country. This former teacher was also a WCW Nitro Girl which explains so much more. Out of boredom, I have located the Pamela Rogers MySpace page.

I will lose sleep over this tonight.

I guess the recent MySpace Security Hiring is starting to pay dividends already!

I do pose this question, which teacher is crazier and hotter, Pamela Rogers or Debra Lafave? I think it's a toss up, but the award goes to the bipolar Debra

NFL 2006 schedule released

2006-04-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

It's hard to think about football since baseball just started, but the NFL 2006 schedule was released today. A few teams of note:

Super Bowl Cheats Pittsburgh Stealers (yes, I know it is Steelers)

Wk Date Opponent Time (ET) Coverage
1 Thur. Sep 7 Dolphins 8:30 p.m. ET
2 Mon. Sep 18 @ Jaguars 8:30 p.m. ET
3 Sun. Sep 24 Bengals 1:00 p.m. ET
5 Sun. Oct 8 @ Chargers 8:15 p.m. ET
6 Sun. Oct 15 Chiefs 4:15 p.m. ET
7 Sun. Oct 22 @ Falcons 1:00 p.m. ET
8 Sun. Oct 29 @ Raiders 4:15 p.m. ET
9 Sun. Nov 5 Broncos 4:15 p.m. ET
10 Sun. Nov 12 Saints 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
11 Sun. Nov 19 @ Browns 1:00 p.m. ET
12 Sun. Nov 26 @ Ravens 1:00 p.m. ET
13 Sun. Dec 3 Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
14 Thur. Dec 7 Browns 8:00 p.m. ET
15 Sun. Dec 17 @ Panthers 1:00 p.m. ET
16 Sun. Dec 24 Ravens 1:00 p.m. ET
17 Sun. Dec 31 @ Bengals 1:00 p.m. ET

NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks

1 Sun. Sep 10 @ Lions 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
2 Sun. Sep 17 Cardinals 4:05 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
3 Sun. Sep 24 Giants 4:15 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
4 Sun. Oct 1 @ Bears 8:15 p.m. ET
6 Sun. Oct 15 @ Rams 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
7 Sun. Oct 22 Vikings 4:15 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
8 Sun. Oct 29 @ Chiefs 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
9 Mon. Nov 6 Raiders 8:30 p.m. ET
10 Sun. Nov 12 Rams 4:15 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
11 Sun. Nov 19 @ 49ers 4:05 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
12 Mon. Nov 27 Packers 8:30 p.m. ET
13 Sun. Dec 3 @ Broncos 4:15 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
14 Sun. Dec 10 @ Cardinals 4:05 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
15 Thur. Dec 14 49ers 8:00 p.m. ET
16 Sun. Dec 24 Chargers 4:15 p.m. ET
17 Sun. Dec 31 @ Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX

And my old home town team Carolina Panthers

1 Sun. Sep 10 Falcons 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
2 Sun. Sep 17 @ Vikings 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
3 Sun. Sep 24 @ Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
4 Sun. Oct 1 Saints 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
5 Sun. Oct 8 Browns 1:00 p.m. ET
6 Sun. Oct 15 @ Ravens 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
7 Sun. Oct 22 @ Bengals 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
8 Sun. Oct 29 Cowboys 8:15 p.m. ET
10 Mon. Nov 13 Buccaneers 8:30 p.m. ET
11 Sun. Nov 19 Rams 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
12 Sun. Nov 26 @ Redskins 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
13 Mon. Dec 4 @ Eagles 8:30 p.m. ET
14 Sun. Dec 10 Giants 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
15 Sun. Dec 17 Steelers 1:00 p.m. ET
16 Sun. Dec 24 @ Falcons 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX
17 Sun. Dec 31 @ Saints 1:00 p.m. ET NFL on FOX

Biggest matchup of the year - Week 5 Sun. Oct 8 @ Eagles 4:15 p.m. ET NFL on FOX T.O returns to Philly.

Are you ready for some football?

The Tax Man Cometh

2006-04-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

I really hate taxes. Actually, I don't mind the principle behind taxes, I just hate paying them. This year my taxes have been extra tricky. Since I moved last year, I have to file in 2 states. Well, actually just one because Washington does it right and has no state tax. North Carolina on the other hand has taxes on top of taxes on top of taxes. It's funny, people complained about the sales tax in WA being 8.9%. Try living in NC where the tax is 7% now (I think. it's at least 6.5%) and having to pay income tax. Hell, there is even a loophole where you can deduct sales tax in Wa. Anyway, my taxes this year are pretty much 0 - I owe a couple hundred to NC and will be getting a couple hundred plus change from the Feds. Next year should be fun as I get to file "married" for the first time. I'll probably owe a shitload too because of my exemptions. Anyway, taxes suck but I wanted to remind everyone that April 15 is the big day. Failure to get those returns postmarked by Mark's Birthday will get you in some serious trouble with the IRS.

Seattle Mariners Baseball Opening Day

2006-04-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, 8 months ago I made a huge change in my life. I gave up having an NHL team in my town. Now, to some people this would be horrible, but for me, it was great! I gave up hockey in exchange for Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA. Now, I consider trading NHL for the NBA a wash, but getting baseball and football is a huge win. I moved to Seattle last August and was able to check out a seahawks game where they won and finished undefeated at home for the season, only to be cheated in the Super Bowl. But enough about football, it's baseball season!

Monday was Opening Day (Opening night featured the Chicago White Sox putting a hurting on the Cleveland Indians. Never living in a baseball town, I wanted to catch an opening day game. A couple months ago I woke up at the crack of noon and bought some Seattle Mariners tickets. I made sure to get Opening Day tix, as well as a few key AL matchups. Now, as a lifelong Cubs fan, it's hard to watch American League baseball. The DH is a sin, but this isn't the time to get involved. But since the Mariners are in the AL, I feel I can root for them and it not interfere with my love of the Cubs. The best thing that could happen for me is to see these two square off in the World Series, but I'll settle for playoffs.

Traffic to the game was present, as expected. I've learned that if you want to be anywhere downtown, you have to leave yourself plenty of idiot time. Idiot time is what I refer to drivers around this area and their inability to obey traffic signs, like speed limits or exit signs. I really think my blood pressure has gone up since moving to the Pacific Northwest. Anyway, after an hour or so of idiot time, we are privileged enough to drop $20 on parking across the street from Safeco Field. Now, for those that haven't been to Safeco Field, let me tell you it is a nice ballpark. I've been to only a handful of Major League parks, but the Mariners have a nice home. The coolest thing is the retractable dome, a must have for an area like Seattle. Of course the weather was lousy on Monday, so they had to close the roof. Even though we were enclosed, the atmosphere was still open (or maybe that was the cold ass breeze blowing down my neck). The ballpark is really wide open and has lots of things to do besides watch the game you just dropped $70 bones to see. I really like the bullpen in left field that you can walk up to. I enjoyed yelling "Bartolo, Mira - Usted es gordo" to the Angels' pitcher Bartolo Colon. I wonder what is worse, my spanish or his english. Anyway, The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Matt Hasselback and some of the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. The pitching match was between (as I said earlier) the Angels' Bartolo Colon and Seattle Mariners' favorite Jamie Moyer. This is Moyers' eleventh season with the M's since being traded by the Boston Red Sox.

There are some new faces on the M's. Retired is Dan Wilson, retired after 14 years in the big leagues - 12 of them in Seattle. But out with the old and in with the new as Kenji Johjima is the new catcher. Kenji is fresh of the boat from Japan, where he played 11 years and an impressive .299 batting average. He's also capable of hitting the long ball, which he did on Monday. The Mariners also acquired crazy journeyman Carl Everett. Carl is playing with his 10th team (twice with the White Sox). Hopefully he can provide some power to the lineup. One word of advice Carl - your position is designated hitter, so hit.

The game was fairly exciting. History was made when Kenji took the field, becoming the first catcher to make the transition from japan league to the MLB. Only first and third haven't been filled by the land of the rising sun. Vlad Guerrero led of the season with one (of probably 46) home runs to put the Angels up 2. There were 20 hits for the day, and the Angels squeaked out a win 5-4. Angels game ball goes to Orlando Cabrera who went 3-5 with 2 rbi's. M's game ball goes to second baseman Jose Lopez who went 2-5 with 1 rbi in the loss. Jackass award goes to Angels DH Garrett Anderson, who batting in the 3 spot went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and left 3 on base. Mariners Jackass goes to pitcher JJ Putz, who with back to back 0-2 counts and 2 outs couldn't put the batters away.

My guess is that the Mariners are going to struggle again this year. The Angels and A's are going to battle it out in the West for first (and possibly the wild card). I just hope the M's can finish ahead of Texas. I don't want to be rooting for last place teams all season.

Chicago Cubs Baseball Season 2006

2006-03-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

I got a joke for you. How do Cubs fans know it's baseball season? Their star players are on the disabled list. It's going to be another long season.

Blog Mad Beta 2 Launch

2006-03-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, the new blog traffic site BlogMad launched their beta 2 version. Users are now allowed to upload their blogs, surf for credits, and increase traffic to their site(s). I just noticed this today, so I don't have the exact date it went live. There is a verification process for BlogMad, so you aren't allowed to sign up your buddy's geek site.

I'll be testing it out over the next few days. I currently use BlogExplosion, which accounts for alot of my traffic (outside of my random top spots on some engines). It will be nice to see some competition once BlogMad gets the user base up. Currently they don't have many active sites but I'm sure that will change shortly. The setup they have is very similiar to BlogExplosion, with a clock counting down and the user having to click the correct number. They also have a credit lottery, where tickets cost 10 credits. You can also setup your blog with a referral link to increase credits.

Honda CRV 2006 - Our New Car

2006-03-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

The new car in the Shaffer family. I must be getting old because I lost some of my haggling skills when at the dealership. They made more off of me than I would have preferred. I got a few extras that were already on it like door guards, mud flaps, and the cargo mat. I also dropped some on fog lights. For some reason I really like them. I'm sure they'll help out with the lovely Redmond weather we have.

I traded in the Honda Accord that I just bought barely a year ago. They of course tried to screw me out of the true value, but after I told the finance manager he was full of it, they decided to pay off the value. Well, apparently when they called the bank my most recent payment wasn't marked off, so guess who got a little extra back in the bank? Stupid dealers. I really do think they are the scum of the earth. Them and mass tort lawyers.

Kona Blast 2006 - My New Moutain Bike

2006-03-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Well, a few months ago I got married. Most of the gifts were in the form of gift cards from various places. My groomsmen did hook me up with the best gift card however, a couple hundred bucks to the local bike shop. In the card they hinted that I needed to drop a few pounds and learn how to share only one car. Well,

I finally found a Saturday where the weather was nice and I had time to shop. I was talking with a friend at work who is an avid outdoorsman. He pushed me towards the Kona mountain bike. Kona is a brand I hadn't heard much of (but let's be honest, the last time I owned a bike it was a Hutch, and I don't even know if they still exist). The frames of these mountain bikes are squared off, which gives it some more stability. Anyway, being on somewhat of a budget (the tax man cometh) I looked for one of the best low level entry bikes they had. I ended up looking at the Kona Blast, a nice bike that has some better than average upgrades on it. Most of the parts are Shimano, chain, wheels, shifters, etc. This particular style has front suspension (I don't have the bones for full suspension), which has a Marzocchi fork. From what I was told, it's italian so it must be good. Since I'm on an italian kick, I'll have to agree. I took it for a test ride in the parking lot and ran over a few curbs.

I've never had a bike with shocks on the front, so it will definitely take some getting used to. I also got a helmet, you know, for when I take it off some sweet jumps. I guess I'll have to start riding it to work. I also can't wait till my first wipeout. I'll probably throw the bike off a cliff. Good thing the frame has a lifetime warranty!

My Fetching Cat

2006-03-23T22:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah yeah, dogs are man's best friend. Too bad man's best friend is usually landlord's worst enemy. Well, my wife (then girlfriend) a few years ago got me the best graduation present ever. Actually, it was the second best. I originally asked for a Harley Davidson but she bailed out on that one. So, I got a cat instead. He's over 2 years old now, and he's a spitting image of his daddy, just slightly less hair (zing).

One of the great things that Sammy does is fetch. He's better than some dogs I know. It started with him bringing those tiny toy mice back to me. Since he's all grown up now, those are good enough. His fetch toy of choice is a stick with a string on the end that ties to a little feather thing. Our apartment is a loft and my computer is upstairs. Usually around 10pm, he'll come upstairs, bitchin, draggin the stick behind him. this turns into a good 10 minutes of me tossing the toy over the ledge and Sammy hauling tail downstairs. Our neighbors must think we are nuts (who can blame them). When he retrieves it and brings it up stairs, he starts meowing when he gets close to me. As soon as I grab it, he bitches some more, but waits for the overboard toss.

Well, I can't play fetch all night long so Sammy reminds us of his talents. Every morning, and I literally mean every morning, we wake up with at least one of his toys on the bed and 3 or 4 scattered around the bed. Mind you, these toys are all downstairs when I go to bed. I think he misses the days when I could stay up till 4am. Hell, I miss those days. Damn the man and student loans!

Google Joins S&P 500 - There goes the Neighborhood

2006-03-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

So Google has joined the S&P 500. Well that's just great. So in 12 + months when the P/E ratio goes to a normal number, the stock price will drop like a rock and screw up index funds all over the street and reak havoc on the market. I knew they would be added sometime, but they are still immature as a company and stock. This one revenue trick pony is going to stumble soon.

UNC Beats Murray State

2006-03-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

UNC squeaked by Murray State Friday night. I was on the edge of my couch, literally tugging at my hair. I kind of enjoyed it, since it might be the last time before I end up scalped. Tyler Hansbrough dominated again, scoring 24 points and pulling down 9 boards, 4 of which were offensive. The stat that kills me - both teams shot at least 40% of their shots from the 3 point line. Murray State had more offensive rebounds, but UNC led the way with 34 total. They also had 3 times as many assists, which shows me that they are getting some great ball movement on the offense.

In other ACC news, Herb Sendek probably got a contract extension with his team's win over California.

My bracket(s) are okay, however I'm sure I won't be winning anything. I've realized my knowledge of basketball outside of the ACC is limited but that will change now that I hardly get to see the best conference in action.

If Dook wins the National Championship

2006-03-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

If Dook wins the National Championship this year, I'm shaving my head. Although I don't have the white man afro like Evan had pre Shaffer wedding, it has gotten pretty long. My wife keeps complaining about the hair on the side being over my ears. I've also mastered the art of bed-head. The sides stick out like porcupine spikes.

Anyway, back to the point of this rambling. Duke is not good, period. They have JJ and Sheldon. Both can be shutdown, and it's not that hard of a task. The key to shutting down JJ - KEEP A MAN ON HIM!! BC failed to do this in the ACC Championship game and they got smoked. Look, he's not fast - he's white. You know they have moving screens set up for him, so pay attention. "But Thomas, what about Sheldon, he's such a force on the inside." Hell him. They won't have ACC refs helping him out so maybe when he smacks the shit out of someone they'll actually call a blocking foul. The rapist, er accused rapist, err.... person formerly accused of rape but charges mysteriously dropped, can swat the crap out of the ball. However he does foul and will foul. Go hard to the inside often and you can break them. Rebounding - Dook is horrible at rebounding. Remember that they love shooting threes, so there will be long rebounds to grab. Don't get caught up in the dook hype. "Oh it's dook, it's Coach K, they are #1." All media hyped crap. Dook during the season was 3 missed shots and several BAD calls away from more losses.

In summary, I hate Dook. But, if my statement about them not being good are wrong and they do win the National Championship, I will shave my locks.

New Car: One Year Later

2006-03-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

So just over a year ago, I bought a new car. It's a wonderful 2005 Honda Accord LX and I've managed to keep the mileage below standards. I had a few posts on how to buy a car and I think I did pretty good. Well, a lot of things change in a year, like getting changing jobs, moving across America, getting married, and finding out that a stick shift in a hilly area is not the best thing for a novice (the wife).

So, we decided to get a new car. Since money is tight, we can't both have a car so we are going to trade in the Accord and get a CR-V. It's smaller which is good for all the damn compact car parking around here, it's got decent space so we can lug stuff around (like my new bike when i get it), and it's a Honda which means affordable, safe, reliable, and holds value.

I'm supposed to go visit the guy today, and I'm a little nervous. I've never had to trade in a new car, only cars older than the Olsen Twins. It's a lot different, however I did follow my advice and looked on the KBB site and found the blue book values for both the trade-in and the new car. I have researched on Edmunds, however this time around I found KBB to have prices more in my favor. The trade in for KBB was a lot higher and would cover what I owe. I've got 5 dealerships that I'm talking to their internet rep. I actually like the guy we test drove with the other day, so I'll try my best to give him the sale. That being said, If i can get the same car for a dollar less somewhere else - peace out! Anyway, Hopefully these guys will beat each other up over the price and i'll end up with a solid deal. So far the offers are sitting just around invoice. My goal this car purchase is to get below invoice. For the Honda I paid $500 over, and even though I got a solid deal, I want a better one!

In Remembrance

2006-03-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

In loving memory of the best dog I have and will ever know. I miss you greatly and think of you always.

UNC Beats Duke: JJ Chokes

2006-03-05T00:51:00.000-08:00

83-76 UNC rolls into Cameron and humiliates JJ, Shelden, Dockery, and whatever the hell the names of some other seniors on dook's bench coach k never plays.

I've said it before and I'll repeat right now - JJ Redick isn't the best shooter in college. Hell, he's barely in the same breathe as those in the competition. This can be seen in his 5-21 shooting performance in his final game at home. He came out on fire, but tanked miserably as he missed 15 of his last 16 shots. He also was a dismal 2-10 from the 3 point line, hitting only one more than UNC's big man Tyler Hansbrough (who was 1-1).

Say what you want about my Heel bias, but the numbers don't lie. My new favorite writer seems to agree with me. The great white hype.

Anyway, a wonderful night. Happy Birthday to the SuperCool Kim, she celebrated her annual 25th bday tonight with a kickass Argosy Cruise of Seattle. I'll post about it later.

Baseball Season Begins!

2006-03-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

Well, at least single season ticket sales began today for the Mariners. I miss North Carolina and all the UNC games I had "spoken" tickets for. However, I love being in a Pro sports town. I get to see football, baseball, and basketball (if I cared).

Tickets went on sale at 10am today, and I got some pretty good seats. I'm not much of an American League fan because I'm a die-hard Cubbie, but I'm happy about my selection. The best part is I got seats for Opening Day, the most exciting day in baseball each year. I'm looking forward to taking the day off and enjoying the beginning of what will hopefully be a successful season. I also got some nice tickets behind home plate for the Red Sux. I look forward to yelling at Manny (if he's still around).

For The Love of Money

2006-02-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

Deal or No Deal is great. I could do without all the corny stuff like the banker calls and Howie Mandel, but I'll live. If you haven't watched this show, find a tv at 8pm and tune to NBC. Basically there are 26 suitcases each filled with various amounts of money up to $1 million dollars (or more). You pick one, then begin to open a series of cases. If you don't open the big dollar ones, the banker offers to "buy" your case (as it may be the $1 million). You can either take the offer, or say "No deal" and press your luck.

It's a great study for the greediness of man and our inability to do some probability mathematics (or statistics) when high stake money is involved.

Tonight also was the premiere of the new Amazing Race season. Teams race across the world in hopes of winning a million dollars. The best part of this show is seeing all the exotic places you'll probably never visit and watching relationships of people you don't know either grow stronger or unravel at an alarming rate. The couples always seem to get along the worst. I wonder how many contestant breakups and divorces have occured. Maybe one day I'll get on the show, either with my wife or good friend. I think winning would be easy with either one of those at my side.

Best Steak Ever (No Grill Involved)

2006-02-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

So, to me the biggest pain in the ass about living in an apartment is not being able to have a grill. I can live with the 1973 oven and the "two t-shirts and it's full" washing machine, but not having a grill is painful. I'm a man, damnit. I want to do manly things, things like cook raw meat over an open flame. I want to be covered in that sweet perfume of charcoal and dash of mesquite wood chips. However, I can not be a complete man living in an apartment.

So, I had to find an alternative path to the land of manhood. I wanted steak. I wanted a baked potatoe. I wanted a huge slab of medium rare meat to tear my teeth into and not pay $100 for it (or break the rules of the apt. complex). So, I decided to learn how to broil. My new favorite cooking show is Good Eats with Alton Brown. Now, I've watched him forever, but last week he jumped over my beloved Paula and became top dog.

Now, I've grown up believing that there is no other way to cook steak than on a grill. It's like calling pig cooked outside of eastern NC BBQ - it just ain't right. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Alton was there to help. During this one episode, he cooked a pan seared ribeye that instantly made me salivate. Not only did I drool with delight, but the whole process took less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Below is the recipe, adjusted to my findings.

Rib Eye, inch thick cut @ 1lb of lovely marbled meat
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
Canola Oil
Cast Iron or oven friendly pan (It's worth the $ to go buy a cast iron.)

Take the pan and throw it in the oven and turn it on to 500 degrees and turn a stovetop burner on high. While that's heating up, lightly cover the steak in canola oil and cover generously in kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. When the oven hits 500, take the pan out (carefully!), place it on the burner and drop the steak onto the pan away from you (don't get burned). DO NOT TOUCH THE STEAK FOR 40 SECONDS! after 40 seconds, flip and repeat - DO NOT TOUCH! After you have seared the second side, place the pan back into the oven for 2-3 minutes. Flip the steak and keep in the oven for 2-4 minutes (depending on your preference). Take the steak out of the oven, place a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 2-3 minutes. Take the foil off, grab a knife and fork, and begin to feast.

That's the recipe. It really does take less than 20 minutes and there is hardly any cleanup. If you want to make this a really manly meal, you can cook a baked potatoe before hand (large fork punctured potatoe covered in Olive oil and S&P in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes). My buddy Evan has a similiar recipe you could use.

Anyway, I whipped up two of these steaks with a baked potatoe and green beans for the Mrs, and we were both in heaven. So, I've learned that you can still be a man and eat steak not grilled on an open flame. You still can't call pork covered in tomato sauce BBQ, That just ain't right.

Current List of People I Dislike Greatly

2006-02-26T16:50:00.000-08:00

1. Mr. and/or Mrs. I refuse to go the speed limit.
2. Mr. and/or Mrs. I take the elevator to the second floor.
3. Mr. and/or Mrs. Cell Phone Customer Service Employee
4. Mr. and/or Mrs. IRS
5. Mr. and/or Mrs. I don't know how to park my car in a parking lot so I'll just take up 2 spaces AKA I think my GMC Yukon is a compact.

These are just a few of the people that have really ticked me off this week, the list is by no means exhausted.

Best Birthday Present Ever

2006-02-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

"Make sure you go to the PO Box before you come home for lunch."

That was all I was told. Of course, when I get there, a package (not addressed to me) from my Mom is there. I got home and my wife, Ashley, took the package from me and said "Thanks." After several failed attempts at finding out what was in the box, I gave up. I knew it had something to do with my birthday, but I couldn't make the connection with my Mom.

So after my review (flying stars, naturally), I come home to find "some" dinner being made. I noticed green beans and that the oven was on, but nothing out of the ordinary. Ashley pulled me aside and tied a shirt around my eyes and brought me back in for a smell and taste test. First was the smell. Well, I'm not really good at smelling nor am I good at leaning into a hot oven blindfolded, so I was unable to detect a distinct aroma. I did comment that the smell was "greasy". The next was a taste test.

As soon as that creamy goodness hit my taste buds, my mind started racing. That sweet, sweet taste can only be one thing - Bojangles honey mustard! The blindfold was removed and the oven door was opened to reveal the best birthday present ever - Bojangles chicken supreme strips! The meal was rounded off with some mashed potatoes. Check out the picture for instant drooling. There were 13 strips total, and I think I had 8. Very, very yummy. I got the story on the whole operation. Basically Ashley and my Mom split the HUGE shipping costs to fedex the chicken to here next day. The chicken was kept cold by a nice little insulated lunch bag and a few ice packs. I was told the chicken was still cold. It's been 6 hours since dinner and I haven't been sick so I'll take her word for it. Afterwords we made a dessert we saw on FoodTV - Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli. Basically it's fried wontons stuffed with Nutella. If you haven't had Nutella before, get your ass to a World Market or CostCo fast. This stuff can be spread on anything! If you don't believe me, ask my chocoholic friend Evan.

So, a great birthday present for the big 3-0. I'm thinking of a cool post for the special event, I just need to hash out a few details. Anyway, I'm off to dream about the best birthday present ever (besides season tickets to the Cubs)!

Powerbook Ebay Scam

2006-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

I was surfing through BlogExplosion today, and for once I was actually reading them. I came across a blogger who posted this story, and I felt it was too good not to include here.

The storyline is this - Guy puts computer on EBay, guy is contacted by scammer in UK, guy realizes the scam and in turn scams the scammer. You have to read the Powerbook EBay scam, it definitely made me chuckle.

My Friend, The Loser

2006-02-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, My friend Evan is a loser.

And in case you weren't sure, here is a picture -

Pink Panther The Movie Review

2006-02-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

Went and saw Pink Panther tonight, after I grubbed down on some hardcore happy hour treats at McCormicks. Ashley and I went to the new movie theatre in Lincoln Square (the spot where Google just bought offices). It was pretty expensive, $9.50 a ticket, but I will say it was a nice theatre. Stadium seating, and the seats were covered in leather. Large drink and popcorn came out to another $10 but in all not too expensive considering we had dinner and drinks for $20 (including tip). Anyway, onto the review.

The movie is pretty good if you are looking for a laugh. I don't see it coming up for an Oscar, but the slapstick comedy was Class A. Watching the movie, I couldn't think of a better actor to portray Inspector Jacques Clouseau, besides the great Peter Sellers. This film is supposed to be a prequel to the famous series, however after seeing it it seems more like a "Million Little Pieces" prequel considering how it seems more like a remake, but not really a remake. It offers just enough new content and plot to be out of the remake category.

Anyway, the premise is simple - the famous Pink Panther Diamond is missing and someone gets killed and it is up to the dumbass French police to solve the case. Chief Inspector, played by Kevin Kline, enlists Clouseau as a decoy in order to take the heat of the press so that the chief may locate the diamond and the murderer. That's the basic plot. If you haven't ever seen the Pink Panther movies, I suggest you watch the originals first. Actually, on second thought you should watch the new one first, and then you can watch the originals so you can truly appreciate Peter Sellers.

The dialogue was okay, not that I was expecting much. Steve Martin does a great job at creating a french english accent (Kevin Kline needs some work though). Jean Reno does a great job as Gendarme Gilbert Ponton, the inspector assigned with keeping tabs on Clouseau. Beyonce could have been substituted for anyone. I think it was clear that the casting director was looking for someone to fill seats rather than provide substance to the film. I liked her in Austin Powers Goldmember, but she really hasn't proved to me she's an actress. Noboby else really jumps out at me, except that the chick playing Nicole was kinda cute.

In all the movie was good for its purpose, and that is a film to let you forget about tax season, bills, the crappy Survivor season, and let you laugh. I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5 only because it's a comedy and isn't necessary to be on the big screen to enjoy. If you have another movie you want to see in the theater, check it out and remember to rent this one later.

My Plea for Chic-Fil-A

2006-02-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

So, living out here in Leftopia I have come to the realization that they don't know good food if it shot out their colon. So, I began making pleas to my favorite places back home to either open up shop or send me some food. The first one I sent was to Bojangles, but I doubt they'll get across the Missippi River let alone the Rocky Mountains. My second choice was Chic-Fil-A. Below is the comment I sent to them on their site:

I would like to know if there are plans to open up a Chic-Fil-A in my area anytime soon. I recently moved to Washington from North Carolina and was, quite frankly, devistated to find out there isn't a Chic-Fil-A in my area. I would LOVE to find out when and if one will be moved out here. I look around the area and the dining establishments are so limited. I haven't had McDonald's in 7 years and I don't plan on it but if I don't find a way to get a chic biscuit and some waffle fries I might be forced too! Please find a way to bring the yummy goodness that is Chic-Fil-A to the Seattle/Redmond area!

Maybe my email will be the lucky one that is read by the COO or something and they decide to not only open one up nearby, but to give me the all-you-can-eat lifetime gold card.

Ah, who am I kidding. It's worth a shot though.

One Thing I'm Glad About

2006-02-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

JJ Redick just played his last game @ Chapel Hill. Hopefully he only has one more against UNC in his college career.

Super Bowl Bird's Eye View

2006-02-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's local.live.com has a sweet featured called "Bird's Eye." Basically just some really high definition aerial photographs. Anyway, you can see Ford Field and neigboring Comerica Park from the link provided.

It's a pretty sweet mapping system. If you get a hold of some celebrity addresses it's cool to check out their houses. Malibu people suck! This is apparently Tom Hank's crib. Boy that must really suck!

New Blog Adventure

2006-02-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided to create some kind of blog with a purpose. Hell, who am I kidding, I was just bored last night so I came up with a Survivor Blog. I have 100% faith in me that it will die before the tribes merge into one, but who cares.

It's February? I'm Married?

2006-01-31T23:55:00.000-08:00

Holy schnikes. I can't believe how fast this past month went by. My pathetic little blog is now on life support! No updates, bad recent posts, and complete lack of traffic have turned this internet stop into a top candidate for organ donations.

Well, believe it or not, life does change after getting married. Life DEFINITELY changes when you live together. Long gone are the days of sitting in my pj's all day and watching football (and that's not just because football season is 99% over). Now, it's IKEA shopping time. It's Target time, Bed, Bath & Beyond time... it's cleaning time. I guess I brought this on myself. I mean, how long can a married man survive with a carboard coffee table and no bathroom mats? The answer is approximately 2 hours after the Honeymoon is officially over.

I will say marriage has its perks so far. I've had 3 meals a day, there is usually something new cleaned or decorated, and I don't get to come home to an empty house (excluding our baby - Sammy the cat). This week will bring even more exciting challenges like - How long do you have to wait at the Social Security Office to get a name change and "Are you serious it costs $100 to change your name in the system?"

I'm in the slow process of getting pictures together for our Shaffer wedding site, getting thank you notes out to everyone, and trying to do 10,000 things at work. Other than that, I've just been chillin. Hopefully I'll be able to add more here or move my blog to a less evil location.

Happy Holidays - See You Next Year

2005-12-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to everyone. No matter what tradition you celebrate this time of year, remember that the message is the same.

I'll be taking the rest of the year off and will be back up blogging full steam mid January. I'll be busy in the meantime working via NC and getting ready for my wedding January 7th.

Till then, have a happy new year!

The Vomit Streak Ends

2005-12-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Last night history was made at approximately 12:32am. At that time, I braced one hand upon the wall and the other gripping the tub and unleashed the fury from within. That fury was Bear Creek soup and a crunchy peanut butter sandwich. Now, I know without a shadow of a doubt it was the soup that did me in. The sandwich was my attempt to make my stomach feel better. Apparently that did not work. It is safe to say I'll never have that kind of soup again. Hell, I may never have soup again.

So, just like Seinfeld, the streak came to an end. I tell you, vomiting sucks. It is a great abdominal workout though. My abs are still killing me. The worst part about throwing up is the dehydration that comes with it. Luckily I was able to get some gatorade today and keep it down. But your entire body is sore, your joints are tight, and you have one hell of a headache. I felt like I was hungover. I also didn't get any sleep last night. I was literally waking up every 15 minutes and was having insane dreams.

I finally got something to eat tonight, having gone 26 hours without eating. It's staying down, which is a good sign. My body is also recovering. I know feel like I only drank a six pack instead of a case.

But maybe all of this wasn't caused by food poisoning. Maybe it was just an after effect of watching the movie version of Bewitched. I love Will Ferrell, and Nicole Kidman is hot, but I'd rather vomit again that sit through that shitastic movie.

It's official - I'm an Old Man

2005-12-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

Finally broke down and went to the eye doctor and came away with a lighter wallet and glasses. I knew my sight wasn't perfect anymore, but man what a humbling experience. After being pretty much the only one in my close family sans glasses, I finally caved in.

Thankfully, I have great insurance and there was a Lenscrafters coupon for $75 off. I actually got out of the place without needing a hug.

Now, if I can just figure out what the hell astigmatism is and if laser surgery can get rid of it.

Big Yellow Box Birthday Alice Shaffer

2005-12-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

Happy birtday to my sister, Alice Shaffer. Alice is a professional nanny in Washington DC. She also is involved with several nanny organizations. Alice also sells Big Yellow Box, which are crafts and activities for children from Crayola. If you live in the Washington DC and northern Virginia area and have an interest in Big Yellow Box by Crayola, go visit her website. You will find contact information as well as many of the Big Yellow Box products.

I don't have kids (at least that I am claiming) but Big Yellow Box has a bunch of really cool items that kids will enjoy. The best part is that they are arts and crafts that can take up some time during the day to boost creativity in your children and get them away from the television! They might even allow you to get a few minutes by yourself! So, do your kids and yourself a favor and check out Big Yellow Box.

Happy Birthday Alice!

Civ IV patch available

2005-11-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

There is finally a Civ IV patch available. Below is how you update Civ IV and what the new patch offers. Hopefully this will also end the notorious Civ IV crash when playing!
1 - Go into the Multiplayer Lobby from Civ IV and a popup will prompt you to download the patch.

2 - From the main menu, click on "Advanced", and then "Check for Updates". The game will download the patch and give you the option of installing.

This is what Patch v1.09 contains:

Changes:

- increased cost of Apollo Program...
- increased SS parts cost...
- Animal Husbandry reveals Horses
- tweaked Rifling, Chemistry, Steel, and Railroad tech costs...
- increased late-game tech costs...
- can now add two specialists in size 1 city with Mercantilism...
- final score is now modified by difficulty level...
- Speed up load times
- Global performance enhancements

Added:

- Include WB map size in the description field
- Save login name
- Added password encryption
- Added regenerate Map Button to World builder Map Mode...
- checkbox for using low resolution textures
- more logging for init failure
- minspec / video memory checking
- Added ability to change to and from fullscreen while in-game
- holding "shift" during startup will clean out the cache
- improved bink playback, added ini options

Fixes:

- ATI issue Failed to Init Renderer Fixed
- Multiplayer Lobby list jump problem and lobby crash fixed
- fixed war weariness calculation bug...
- units maintain their name when upgraded
- fixed Gold-for-Gold diplo exploit...
- fixed no research choice overflow exploit...
- Fix for voice initialization crash
- Fix addressing takeover AI and retirement OOS.
- Fixed issue with diplomacy text being always used in its first form in the translator.
- Popups, screens, and diplomacy properly cleared when exiting from main menu.
- Games protected by admin passwords (only) cannot be loaded if the version is different from the one that created the save
- Fixed bug where player could not offer any deal to other human in PBEM/Hotseat
- Sorting by date on domestic advisor now works.
- fixed bug where settlers could not move if the strategy layer was selected
- fixed Ironworks...
- fixed AI units not obeying open borders rules on declaration of war...
- fixed bug that prevent placing of units in world-builder
- fixed bug that prevented gifting of units to a human player
- stack attack infinite loop fixed
- Civic screen update fix (wasn’t showing the right maintenance and anarchy values)
- ctrl-g crash fix, optimized city bar art
- fixed right-click menu crash
- Intro movie crashing problems

Halo Movie Script Guide Review

2005-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Found a link saying they have received a copy of the Halo movie script - http://www.latinoreview.com/scriptreviews/halo/review.html

Who knows if this is the real thing. I will say that from what I read it's pretty cool.

College Basketball 2005 Season

2005-11-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Thank god college basketball is here! Just when I thought I would have to buy a hockey blocker for my TV, I was saved. The 2005 College bball season is here and it's going to be a great one. The reigning national champions, the UNC Tar Heels, were picked cleaned by the No Ballin Assocation. It is going to be almost impossible for the Heels to repeat. Roy is a talented coach, but the youth on the team will make it an incredible challenge to remain competitive.

There are some solid teams this year and the chance to win it all has never been so even. There is dook, who has remained a favorite the past few years. They will most likely win the redefined ACC, but a championship for coach K is unlikely. UConn is another preseason favorite and with good reason. UConn Only loss was Villanueva, however off the court problems are a major concern. Marcus Williams was suspended for his involvment with a theft and won't be available till January. That's still plenty of time, however team chemistry might become an issue. A favorite of mine to win it this year is Texas. The Longhorns have, in my mind, the most complete roster in the NCAA. Sophomore Daniel Gibson looks to improve on his 14 ppg freshman year. The Achilles heel for the Longhorns is turnovers. Texas averaged 14 per game. It will be a shaky season if that number doesn't improve.

Other teams to consider in the 2005 College Basketball Season:

Gonzaga Bulldogs: This once cinderella team is now a tourney favorite. Adam Morrison is in line for National Player of the Year (2004 winner Andrew Bogut from Utah).

Louisville Cardinals: Juan Diego Palacios is a stud and you can never count out Rick Pitino.

Kentucky Wildcats: Tubby Smith is poised to win a pretty weak SEC this year. Momentum is crucial come tourney time and the Wildcats should have a big does of it.

Oklahoma Sooneers: The Big 12 is pretty strong this year thanks to Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the oldest team with 3 Seniors and 2 Juniors starting. Taj Gray and Terrell Everett will have to perform if they want to help Coach Kelvin Sampson win the title.

Although I'll most likely be cussing and screaming at my television this year as the Heels experience probably the biggest loss of players in the history of college basketball. It will, however, not be a runaway by any team. I fully expect a ton of upsets, cinderellas, and coach k whining.

To college basketball, may you keep Hockey off ESPN!

Xbox 360 Compatible Games

2005-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Want to get a Xbox 360 but already invested too much in the old Xbox? Well, don't worry. A lot of thought and time was put into making the Xbox 360 backwards compatible with the older Xbox games.

There is however one small catch. In order to play the old games on the new Xbox 360 system, you have to have the hard drive and must install the first system update. I believe there will be more games added to the list in the future. Enjoy!

Airforce Delta Storm
Alias
Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
All Star Baseball 2003
Amped
Army Men: Sarge's War
Atari Anthology
ATV Quad Power Racing 2
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2
Barbarian
Barbie Horse Adventure
Batman Begins
Battle Engine Aquila
Battlestar Galactica
Blinx 2
BMX XXX
Brute Force
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Chaos Bleeds
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures 06
Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005
Cabela's Deer Hunt: 2004 Season
Call of Cthulhu
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Casino
Catwoman
Chicago Enforcer
Circus Maximus
Close Combat: First to Fight
Colin McRae 4
Combat Elite
Commandos 2
Conflict: Desert Storm
Constantine
Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity
Crash Nitro Kart
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Curse – The Eye of Isis
Dark Angel
Darkwatch
Deathrow
Digimon Rumble Arena
Dinotopia
DOA 3
Drake
Egg Mania
ESPN MLS Extra Time 2002
Euro 2004
F1 Championship Season 2001
Fable
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
FIFA 2003
FIFA 2004
FIFA Street 2005
FIFA World Cup 2002
Fight Night 2004
Fight Night Round 2
Ford Mustang Racing
Ford vs. Chevy
Forza
Freedom Fighters
Frogger
Futurama
Fuzion Frenzy
Genma Onimusha
Goblin Commander
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: SA Sanitized
Gravity Games Bike: Street. Vert. Dirt.
Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
Half Life 2
Halo
Halo 2
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter: Sorcerer's Stone
He-Man: Defender of Grayskull
Hitman: Contracts
House of the Dead 3
IHRA Drag Racing 2005 Sportsman Edition
IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
Jade Empire
James Bond 007: Nightfire
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
Jurassic Park Genesis
Kabuki Warrior
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
Kids Next Door: Operation VIDEOGAME
kill.switch
Legends of Wrestling
Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events
Loons Fight for Fame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Manhunt
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Medal of Honor 3 Rising Sun
Medal of Honor Frontline
Medal of Honor: European Assault
Mega Man
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
MicroMachines Odyssey
Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing
Monster Garage
Mortal Kombat: Deception
MTV Music Generator 3
Murakumo
MX World Tour - featuring Jamie Little
Namco Museum X Next Generation
NBA Live 2003
NBA Live 2004
Need For Speed: Underground 2
NFL Blitz 2002
NFL Blitz 20-03
NFL Blitz 20-04
NHL 2004
NHL Hitz 20-03
Ninja Gaiden
NINJA GAIDEN BLACK
Outlaw Golf 2
Outlaw Volleyball
Pariah
Phantom Crash
Pinball Hall of Fame
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
Predator
Prince of Persia 4: The Sands of Time
Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Pro Race Driver
PUMP IT UP
Pure Pinball
Puyo Puyo Fever
Quantum Redshift
Rayman Arena
Raze's Hell
Red Dead Revolver
Red Faction II
RedCard 20-03
Robotech: Battle Cry
Rocky: Legends
Rogue Ops
Rugby 2005
Samurai Jack
Samurai Warriors
Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Scrapland
SeaWorld: Shamu's Deep Sea Adventures
Sega GT 2002
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shellshock:Nam '67
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Simpson's Road Rage
Simpsons: Hit and Run
Sneakers
Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945
Soccer Slam
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Mega Collection
Speed Kings
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Splat Renegade Paintball
SpongeBob Square Pants:Battle for Bikini Bottom
Spy Hunter 2
Spyro: A Hero's Tail
SSX 3
Stake
Star Trek: Shattered Universe
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2
Street Racing Syndicate
Stubb's
Super Bubble Pop
Super Monkey Ball DX
SX Superstar
Tecmo Classic Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terminator : Dawn of Fate
Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
Tetris Worlds
The Great Escape
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
The Thing
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tork
Toxic Grind
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3
Urban Freestyle Soccer
Vexx
Volvo: Drive for Life
World Series Baseball 2K
Worms 4: Mayhem
Worms Forts Under Siege
WWE Raw 2
XIII (Thirteen)
Yourself!Fitness

Vacation and Travel Deal Sites

2005-11-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

I have come up with a small list of travel sites that I check on a regular basis. Since I have moved to the west coast away from my fiancee and my family, I've unfortunately had to buy several plane tickets. I could probably devote an entire blog to finding deals and exposing the tips and tricks of finding travel deals. However, I'm too lazy to do that. Instead I'll give you 3 key points to searching for a great travel deal. Feel free to come up with your own. This is not an exhaustive list of tips, nor is the list of travel deal sites. I just wanted to alert some of you about some sites you may not know about.

First, the sites:

Travelocity: The loveable gnome site. I generally look here first. They seem to have the most current travel deal prices and the fee is $5 for plane tickets.

CheapTickets: Another great site that I check. Very similiar to Travelocity as far as travel deals and I have a very high success rate in finding the lowest cost.

Sidestep: Multiple travel site search engine. I haven't purchased anything from them, but the site comes highly recommended.

Kayak: Same as Sidestep. I think the UI is a little bit better though. They also have a new "buzz" feature which will allow you to see the best deals among the 25 most popular destinations.

Site59: Great vacation travel deal site that offers incredible deals on last minute getaways. Huge selection of vacation packages available.

Sites I do not use:

Expedia: These guys are horrible. Everytime I search there, it appears I have found the best travel deal. Then it goes to the "processing" page and Wham! I get hit with a 'I'm sorry, this deal has been updated' which usually means a couple hundred bucks tacked onto the price. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Priceline: Yeah, I know they changed their model some but I don't believe in buying plane tickets blindly.

Orbitz: I've never seen a ticket on here I would consider a deal.

Now for some tips to getting great travel deals.

Start Early! If you are looking for your Thanksgiving flight today, you're screwed. Start your normal vacation searching early to find the best travel deal.

Be Flexible! Being able to leave on a Thursday instead of a friday can save you hundreds. Red eye flights are also great (especially for west coast folks) so don't let time affect your search.

Shop Around! Even though most of these travel sites get their tickets from the same place, you can still find discrepancies. Don't forget to check the airline sites as well. Most of the time you can find the ticket for the same price minus the "processing" fee which truely makes it a travel deal. Don't give the gnome money if you don't have to! you can also check out deals from your credit card companies (such as Amex) or other membership places like Sam's Club or BJ's.

So there you go. Some nice tips and sites for you to check out this holiday traveling season. Good luck booking your vacation!

Don't Sleep With The Enemy

2005-11-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

So, my friends wife was working at a Fortune Interactive company, cruise network. Well, this past Monday she was fired... Excuse me, she was let go because the company was "restructuring." The reason I mention Fortune Interactive is that they are a competitor of Evan's employer. Now, I don't have all of the story, but I'm able to make a pretty solid educational guess about why Fortune Interactive, excuse me, Cruise Network, dismissed Jen. It's simply because she is sleeping with the enemy.

To really understand the full spectrum of the situation, you would have to dive into the seedy, dark, and mysterious world of Seach Engine Optimization. Of course, this is pretty boring to 90% of the population so I'll skip over it. Fortune Interactive is an upstart "interactive" marketing firm that is composed of ex employees of Evan's employer. Can you see where this is heading? Any, Fortune Interactive decided that because Jen is married to Evan, she is automatically sleeping with the enemy and therefore she is the enemy. Simple logic from simple people. But it simply isn't true.

I've spent many of evenings at the Robert's household and do you know what they talk about? anything BUT work. You see, some people are able to separate business and pleasure (Fortune Interactive doesn't). They would rather spend time cooking dinner, playing with the mutts, and watching FoodTV or watching Lost and Survivor than engage in mind-numbing conversations involving Search Engine Optimization. Here is a hypothetical scenario that Fortune Interactive probably thinks happens:

Evan: "Hey Babe, how was your day?
Jen: "Great Babe. Say, Did you know Fortune Interactive has uncovered some super secret SEO tips?"
Evan: "Really Babe? Please tell so I can inform my employer that treats me so well that it would please me so to tell them about our competition."
Jen: "Well, they came up with the idea of using keywords in ad copy to really enforce the value of your site."
Evan: "BRILLIANT! Let me CC my entire company tonight! I love you Babe, keep them secrets coming!"
Jen: "You know I will. Now let me make you dinner."

Are they retarded? Who discusses work at home? Hell, my fiancee doesn't even know what I do, and I LOVE that. Why bore people with stuff like this. Anyway, I think Fortune Interactive made a huge mistake, but it has opened up the doors of opportunity for Jen that would have remained locked being stuck working at Cruise Networks.

PS - For a company owned by an SEO company, their site sucks. I've seen better geocities sites made in grade school.

Relaxation

2005-11-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

How many of you are jealous of this dog right now? I'd kill to be crashed out on a couch like this guy. Check it, he's even using the pillow! No stress, no worries, no problems.

Espresso Latte And A Shank Please

2005-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

You know, maybe I just don't get it. I thought our criminal justice system was set up to punish and reform criminals. I didn't know that they should be allowed privileges and opportunities that hard working citizens sometimes can't get. Apparently, this backward state I currently live in has some tree huggin, feed the koala bear lib who thinks it's a good idea to open up a latte stand in the McNeill Island Penetentiary. Are you F*ckin kidding me?!?! They can't be serious. First off all, these scum suckin bastards get 3 hot meals, a bed and shelter, and cable tv. I work my ass off so JoJo the child molester can watch Sex in the City.

This is ridiculous. A latte machine in prison. The reasoning for it? It "might" make money. It might? you know what else "might" make money? legalized inmate prostitution. Why don't the prisons pimp out their inmates to other inmates or Washintonians. That could bring in a pretty penny. Why don't we just sell day passes out of the prison? I'm sure that would be a bottom dollar booster.

Since when is it okay for CRIMINALS to have better opportunities than free citizens? I swear, these kinds of things really piss me off. Then again, when I'm dropping 8.9% tax on crap I buy in this state, I'll at least have a smile knowing this guy will be enjoying a double latte with soy milk.

Joke of the Day

2005-11-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

So, here is the joke of the day.

A six year old boy walks up to his father and asks "Daddy, what's a transvestite?" The father replies, "Go ask your Mother - He'll know."

cue the snare and hi-hat.

Chicken Nuggets Man Style

2005-11-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

I'm no Emeril, but since I've been living the batchelor life of a married man, I've learned a thing or two around the kitchen. Now, most of the time my meals revolve around the single best kitchen invention - The George Foreman Grill. For those of you with one, I'm preaching to the choir. For those without one, I'm sorry your life is incomplete. I've decided to post a few recipes up every now and then to show that even guys with no kitchen experience can make some good meals without burning down the house.

Below is a recipe I stole from my favorite southern cook - Ms. Paula Dean. If you haven't seen her show, TiVo that show tomorrow. I knew she was a great cook the first time I saw her show. She had a quart sized bottle of Texas Pete (the best hot sauce in the world). Anyway, The recipe for the chicken nuggets is below, I've just made some minor changes. it takes 25 minutes including cook time to make. Enjoy.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NUGGETS MAN-STYLE

2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips (Lay's style not Ruffles)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (Makes about 20 nuggets)
1/3 cup butter, melted
Crushed Red Pepper
Paprika
Preheated over @ 350

Crush the potato chips inot a small container. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Grab a handful of the chicken cubes and dip them in the egg mixture and then roll them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. sprinkle some red pepper to add a little kick. Dash the nuggets with paprika to help "golden" the nuggets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat the chicken nuggets!

These nuggets are awesome. I ate every single one I made and enjoyed every bite. These taste even better with a good honey mustard sauce or BBQ sauce.

As you can see, this is super easy to make. With all that butter and potato chips it's also unhealthy so you KNOW it tastes great. For other great recipes, check out Jen and her blog.

Two Months Till My Big Fat Not Greek Wedding

2005-11-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Wow - this year has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was spending my lunch hour hanging out with Evan and letting off some steam with Halo 2. Some crazy things have happened the past 11 months. New job, new state, new friends, but most importantly - my engagement. Getting engaged was a lot easier than people made it out to be. I didn't have some huge elaborate scheme that could have blown up in my face. I just simply asked her.

Flash forward a few months to today. Church is picked, reception is set, DJ is in the works, and the bows are being tied to the invitations. What have I contributed to this process? Well, not too much, but not by choice. You see, we've been working this wedding with a bicoastal operation. I did however make us the Thomas and Ashley wedding site which I thought was pretty cool. Anyway, I'm living out in Washington State with our cat and she's living back in NC finishing up her degree. Since I haven't been there I'm missing out on a lot of really fun things - cake tasting, visiting the photographer, cake tasting, and don't let me forget cake tasting.

Anyway, 16 days till she's out here for Thanksgiving, and 44 days till I'm back east, and 2 months till we are married. I have however done some very important things like book our plane tickets and have found a possible honeymoon location. Now all I have to do is come up with some money to pay for it all and i'm set!

I'm sure these next two months will fly by and the wedding will be here in no time. I just hope my knucklehead best man doesn't screw anything up.

BlogMad.net - Increase Blog Traffic

2005-11-06T00:45:00.000-08:00

I know I've already mentioned BlogMad before (in another blog post), but I had to give them their own post. They haven't even gone live yet and I'm already excited to see what it's like.

Blogging has become a huge phenomenon. There are hundreds of blog hosting sites out there and thousands sign up every day. With so many choices out there, who is going to visit your site? Well, BlogMad is the answer. By signing up, you are able to instantly increase your blog's traffic through credits. You can earn more credits by surfing other member's blogs.

"It sounds similiar to other sites, such as BlogExplosion." True, however that's like saying Coke tastes like Pepsi or there is no difference between Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. You can view the BlogMad newsletter and see they have some really fresh plans and ideas for their site. Hell, even their banners are cool.