Hulk Mad, Hulk Smash

January 4th, day of reckoning

2010-01-05T01:57:41Z

First day of class since Dec 23. The gap was not long enough. Noticed my throat was sore halfway through the day. Out of talking practice, I guess. What can I say but that yesterday's snow storm was a day early?

I've failed the battle to be positive for the new year already... though I'm doing okay about that in class. The same people continue to not buy in and continue to be scandalized that I expect some sort of effort from them.

We're not even half way through the year but we have reached the point where doing nothing early in the year starts to hurt you. You can't build a strong house on a rotten foundation. Still, we're far from the point of no return for these kids and some of them already want to pack it in. I'll just keep holding out a hand and we'll see what happens, I guess.

I have seen Avatar in digital 3D

2010-01-02T04:49:05Z

And I did not hate it. To be quite honest, I was worried after reading the reviews. I got what I wanted out of it- a love story, some fantastic scenery and a bunch of crap blowing up. All that and Wes Studi! I think the reviewer was looking for something that didn't need to be there. It kept me, my Dad, my wife AND my mom interested for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Good times.

Hockey!

2010-01-01T21:38:14Z

I love me some winter classic.

They got to the end of the Team USA announcement and I said, "Hunh? No Tim Thomas?" And then they call him up. Good ending for a guy whose team had to bail him out for a bonehead play today. Then again, Miller's name was called and he got shelled the other night. Thankfully it's for the body of work so far.

Upstate NY well represented- a couple of Buffalo's, a few Rochester's... guess youth hockey works here.

shehawken @ 2010-01-01T01:19:00

2010-01-01T06:19:29Z

i look at my last post and marvel that 1) I haven't had a shaved head in quite some time and 2) that I no longer have any facial hair.

The odd still goes, though.

Watching the ball drop, I remarked- "you know, in Canada they don't really watch the ball drop in NYC."

And then I thought of that night (and the marvelous folks I spent it with) and I remember the power going out and thinking, "I'm never getting back into my own country." And then the power came back on, and we passed around Chrissy's pink wig and it was all good.

Happy New Year my friends.

shehawken @ 2010-01-01T01:12:00

2010-01-01T06:12:41Z

Happy New Year!

2010! WHOOO!

The NFL season is waning.

2009-12-27T20:30:45Z

wow... the Buffalo Bills? Really not a good team. This is not really news to me, but every once in a while it stuns me anew. This game with Atlanta? Not even entertaining. How sad.

ETA: ooh... and the Sabres get only 1 shot (by a defenseman) in the first period enroute to a 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa.

Sometimes knowing about Chemicals is bad.

2009-12-13T02:06:34Z

Anyone have a good (yet perhaps budget conscious) rec for air purifiers? This summer the nail salon moved in below us and now, in the closed up heating season, we're having issues. The landlord is thinking of evicting them but that would still take months. They (salon owners) did get an air unit of their own and I've been sealing up pipe openings as best I can so it's better but, if they're busy, it's still bad. As in, open the windows and air the apartment for 10 minutes bad.

As a result, I'm shopping for a filter unit. HEPA is okay (and would help with the hallways smokers) but the nail solvents require activated charcoal.

Thoughts?

Friday night tv is just dreadful

2009-12-12T02:23:51Z

The best thing I can find is WWE wrestling... and really even that's not all that exciting. Though I will admit that they're heading back towards the cartoonish style of my youth. It's kind of an adult cartoon but thankfully it's not the outright hedonism of the late 90's.

What? I couldn't bring myself to watch the Hallmark movie where a) we're supposed to pretend JTT is in college and 2) that Jessica biel is his girlfriend. I won't even get into the cross country shenanigans he undertakes in a santa suit. Maybe if it was the one with John Ratzenberger as grandpa Joe...

Food

2009-12-12T01:44:36Z

Tried a new recipe last night, light Egg Nog biscuits... I'm still pondering the results. In form, it most resembles a buttermilk biscuit with a bit of noggy essence. It's not bad with some jam or butter but I'm not sure it's worth using my egg nog to make. It's just as easy to make some baking powder biscuits.

Assassin's Creed II?

2009-12-02T01:39:00Z

I hadn't realized they'd started selling the first one yet.

Football on hockey night

2009-12-02T01:33:01Z

I find this article interesting, it's about some of the hubbub around possibly lengthening the NFL season in the not-so-distant future.

The players have some very valid concerns about how even 2 extra games could be bad in terms of wear and tear on their bodies. The NFL rep shoots back that they would just be changing some preseason games to "real" games. "The preseason is something that is not being well-accepted by fans and even players," Aiello said. "Players have told us they don't need four preseason games to get ready."

No... but I think that what the players mean is that they shouldn't have to play as many games that mean nothing and the fans don't dig the preseason because they're usually being strong armed into paying regular season prices for glorified scrimmages or else lose their season tickets.

Probably the most telling thing here is the repeated sentiment by the players that the extra money they'd be paid is not much of an incentive. Tory Holt: "it can't be just about money all the time."

I honestly don't think the suits at the NFL will ever understand that.

Wha? Hockey?

2009-12-01T00:48:26Z

Powermat, you are always going to be the company with the F-ing commercials. No sense trying to disguise yourself.

It's a good thing the Sabres have a decent goalie, because the rest of them are doing a good job of making the Leafs look like all-stars. I can only hope the first period break wakes Buffalo up a bit.

Ooh- Ovie... jeez, that's bad. You can't go knee-to-knee.

ETA: Thank heavens for intermission. These recommendation letters aren't going to write themselves.

shehawken @ 2009-11-19T21:44:00

2009-11-20T02:44:32Z

Know what my new least favorite internet thing is?

The ads that fold down to cover most of the page whenever you scroll anywhere near them. There is technically an "X" to close them but when you scroll away from it, you activate the unfolding thing again.

It's here!

2009-11-17T22:03:57Z

The new vacuum!

I finally cashed in my cc thank you points and got them to send me a shiny new Eureka mighty mite! It's a 12 amp canister vac (yellow!) with a floor attachment. I have a nice rug vacuum I salvaged somewhere but it does not work on the tile of the kitchen, bathroom or front hall. They even gave me 2 vacuum bags! I hurriedly ran it upstairs and vacuumed the bathroom.

Who would have thought that I would be so excited about a new vacuum cleaner?

throwback jerseys

2009-11-16T22:15:04Z

The NFL is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its merger with the AFL. To mark this occasion, they're letting the teams wear a bunch of throwback jerseys. Yesterday, Buffalo had its old uniforms with the red buffalo helmets and Tennessee wore Houston Oilers gear. Every time I see that, I think it's just bad karma. Also, I'm surprised that houston doesn't get ticked at that. Many of these team movements were unhappy affairs.

Take tonight's Monday Night Football game: Baltimore Ravens (who once were the Cleveland Browns) vs. the new Cleveland Browns. So is it going to be the Road uni Browns and the Home uni Browns? I can't see that going over really well in Northern Ohio.

Also, every time I see them, I think of how much more I liked the old Patriots uniforms compared to the new ones.

They should fine Ochocinco to pay my student loans

2009-11-15T17:28:38Z

So Chad 85 doesn't think make-believe bribing a replay official is anything but fun?

Yeah, so it was $1. When does it start becoming real money? I'll bet the former Senator from Alaska doesn't think it's too funny. Or the cities who lost the 2002 Olympic Games. Or the people who don't get meaningful legislation done because of lobbyists.

I'm sure Chad thought it was funny. Myself, I thought the Owens-sharpie stunt was funny. This? I don't know, sometimes people have to think twice when they're in such a public position. Then again, with the scratch he's making, Chad (formerly) Johnson doesn't have to think twice about much.

From espn.com: "On his Twitter account Friday morning, Ochocinco continued to poke fun, tweeting: 'Barrack I've just been fined again, can we meet to set up a fun rule please. I can't go to mcdonalds for 2 weeks now.' "

Funny. To some people, that's a year's income, to him it's a joke. He's a heck of a good football player but right now he's not showing much as a person.

IRrelevant Astronomy

2009-11-11T20:32:45Z

One of the physics teachers at school called me in to his room yesterday and said, "I think you'll appreciate this."

When Galaxies Collide (Felicia Day and Sean Astin)

Go. Watch. Laugh.

NY: land of the fee

2009-11-11T03:43:52Z

The state's out of money, be prepared for the squeeze.

The latest? Replacing our unremarkable, yet serviceable license plates with some really ugly a-- version next year. To replace the old ones? $25 fee. To keep the old ones? $20 fee. I don't know why they don't just pay some people to stick us up outside our banks. It would really cut down on their overhead. No building upkeep, you know.

Oh Good Grief

2009-11-01T20:39:28Z

I do not believe how long it has taken me to just complete the first draft of this gas laws exam.

So much for finishing this, correcting 2 labs and getting the new unit finished today.

Let alone putting the bathroom fan back in and doing the ironing.

Halloween

2009-11-01T14:31:15Z

Celebrated most of yesterday by being at work. Still, they decided to go with a cautious costume look at LC, especially since we were right on the edge of the mall court where the Halloween party was being held. Cider, donuts, a band and billions of costumed youngsters. I took an old lab coat, splashed it with fake blood (not too much, not too little), gelled frizzed my hair and sprayed it black, darkened my eye sockets, gave myself a nice facial scar across the right eye and doctored up my name tag. If anyone asked who I was, I simply showed them. I was a Bad Man. I considered wandering out to give the children candy but there were glasses to be made. The rest of the staff consisted of a good sprinkling of itches, a nurse, a cat and a good representation of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. It took the edge off the day.

After that, I had enough time to go home and scrub my face, put on the skull earring and change jackets over my glow in the dark Charlie Brown halloween t-shirt before the dairyprincess and I hopped in the car to take in the Waterloo High School drama club production of "Dracula" (as directed by my sister). As all shows go with high school actors it had its ups and downs. The creepy parts, though, were truly creepy and the up close and personal aspect of a semi-theater in the round experience gave it an edge (the audience was all seated up on the stage around the performance space). The director is really getting the hang of the art of staging and her pictures are getting closer to what's in her mind with every show. Some of the kids, too, I had seen before and they were growing and maturing as well. It was a very enjoyable Halloween night out.

Well that's settled

2009-10-26T19:51:22Z

Those of you have read me for a while know that I dig zombie movies (this, of course, does not explain why I have yet to be able to get my butt into a seat for "Zombieland"... I blame school). What we have now learned is that dairyprincess is not allowed to watch them with me.

I bought the newest "Dawn of the Dead" at FYE for $3 used and we watched part of it yesterday. I have to say that, despite my abhorrence of the running, leopard yeowling zombies, this really isn't a horrid film. Watching it again, I am able to see some the foreshadowing and visual clues the director popped in at various points and I like that. However, apparently the tiny zombie at the beginning had a pronounced affect on my bride's unconscious mind. So... that'll take care of that.

And can I say I just love me some Ving Rhames? Not as much as, say, lovin' myself some Hugo Weaving but there is some love just the same.

shehawken @ 2009-10-22T19:05:00

2009-10-22T23:06:14Z

Just finished watching "Big Bang Theory."

Wheaton!!!!

fantastic.

Dear PepsiCo

2009-10-22T20:55:09Z

I'd like to thank you for being so cheap. Your conscientiousness in choosing the lowest grade cardboard for the "portable" 12 pack containers was genius. I definitely appreciated the end of my day today when the "carry handle" on the box ripped completely out and dumped the cans on the ground. Who knew that being showered with pepsi from a ruptured can would be such a delightful, refreshing experience! I especially appreciated how it accented the blue shirt, white tie and khaki slacks I had worn to teach in. Heaven knows if it will all come out but it sure was exciting! You sure know how to cap off the old workday with a splash.

Yours,
shehawken

AFC East comes back down to earth.

2009-10-19T00:54:47Z

so... Jets lose to Buffalo.

Interesting.

I have to echo the question of the tv commentator who asks, "Does anyone really want to win this game?"

Sad offensive play all the way around. I half expected it to be won on a blocked kick returned for a touchdown.

Sunny with a chance of hypothermia.

2009-10-12T01:01:47Z

Took the GL 1100 out on the 30-40 minute ride to my in-laws this afternoon. It was bright and sunshiney out but, boy howdy, was it not warm. I had intended to put the windshield on today but somehow all but one of the good bolts evaporated so that plan was nixed. I had my gloves and warm socks but the coat was a little thin. My wife claims she wasn't too cold... but then she had a big windbreak in front of her.

Maybe that's why I have a headache.

Still, if asked the question, "would I do it again?" the answer would probably be, "yeah. I think so."

Addicted.