Olympics

I love the Olympics. Specifically I love the camaraderie, and the sportsmanship. You have people from all over the world cheering each other on. There are international handshakes and people from nations which are normally at odds pulling others up on the gold medal podium with them.

This is the kind of thing that gives me hope for humanity. I know that it's dramatized. And I know that a lot of these athletes already know each other. In some cases they play professionally on the same team or attend the same college. But then there are the countries who send 4 athletes or countries who have never won a medal before. Still the athletes attend and compete. Some of these people only attend one Olympics, returning to lives of obscurity with little or no fanfare. Others become national heroes. These people devote their entire lives for that one race, a single shot or a critical performance.

In ways I envy them because they have a focus that is unrivaled by nearly anything else. Many times they start training before they even go to school. This dedication is staggering. And their sacrifice is substantial. But, they know what they are going to do and they go for it. Succeed or fail, they go and compete.

While I love the USA and I mostly root for our teams, I can't help but smile when I witness the jubilation that comes with any athlete's win.

So, I'll continue to watch these games occurring in London. And I'll cheer on the athletes and applaud acts of sportsmanship and generosity. And my hope is for success for all those competing, whether that means a new personal record, a gold medal or simply competing for the first (and possibly last) time on the largest stage in the world.

Congratulations to all of you. You're an inspiration.

Texting

Texting gets a lot of press for being a teenage girl thing. I think it's the best thing to happen to dudes with respect to communication in a long time. Emails are fine but the text message works over more platforms and is shorter and more to-the-point.

There's lots of times when I just want to tell someone "I'm on the way" or ask a quick question. It allows me to check in with my dudes without having to make a phone call. Let's face it dudes don't usually like to spend a lot of time on the phone.

It also allows you to have a conversation over a length of time. When it might be awkward to calm you friend just to say "what's up?" you can text it and your friend can get back to you whenever is most convenient.

Plus you can send pictures, tell someone what you want on your burger, send directions or whatever and you don't have to write it down because it's already there! Extra good for forgetful people like me.

Yay for texts!

Facebook....and shit

It amazes me how much unoriginal, re-circulated bullshit is on the internet, and Facebook in particular.

It's annoying when a friend, who hasn't posted in a week, gets online and shares 5-10 photos, statements or videos. You know what, say it YOURSELF, don't just share some lame shit someone else has already written, stolen or bastardized. It's like Facebook is suffering from the same malaise as Hollywood - nothing original.

The other really annoying thing is the new genesis of the chain letter. I'm talking about people who always...ALWAYS...share a status because it says "If you love the USA, share this photo!" or "If you think Jesus Christ has 3 testicles, share this!".

You know what that shit garners from me? A click on the line saying "Mark as Spam". JC doesn't give a fuck if you like something someone tells you to like if you love him. It's not going to make you a better Christian or a better person. It makes you a fake, posturing, unoriginal motherfucker.

It's fine to "like" things. Hey, I've liked dozens of movies and musicians. I like to get random Caddyshack quotes or see where the Voodoo Glow Skulls are playing that night.

But for the love of gum, stop screaming from the rooftops how much a supporter you are of the United States or Jesus Christ. Or, if you do, scream it in your own voice, not with recycled trash.

Edumacashun.

If you say "I could care less", then you're saying exactly that. Does that make sense? I think what you're trying to say is "I couldn't care less". So you're basically saying you don't give a shit about something, right? OK, then say it correctly.

Their, They're, There. How many times can this be abused? Answer: many. Let me try to simplify this for you. Their is possessive. This means it signifies ownership of something. Example: "That is their house". There is a destination. "Go over there." They're is a conjunction. It is a shortened form of "They are". Don't misuse these, please. It may sound harmless but it makes you look like a dumbshit and it only adds to the bastardization and destruction of the English language. Maybe if everyone clamoring for "Americans to speak English" actually learned how to read and write it correctly, their position would have a little more credence.

One of the ones that I see misused more and more often is "It's". "It's" is a contraction. It literally means "it is". It is not possessive. This is actually an understandable mistake because many possessive forms DO have the apostrophe-s after them. Examples: That is Sally's dog. That is the company's building (not companies, which is plural for company). If you say "It's over there", you're fine. If you say "That's it's tail", you're wrong (and probably shouldn't use two contractions together anyway)and are basically saying "That is it is tail". Funny, right?

Also, did you know that if you are using a possessive form of a word which ends in "S" it is your choice whether to use another S or not? "Chas' blog" is correct, but so is "Chas's". I usually try to leave off the other s because it makes me feel like I'm saying Chasesesesesssssssssss.

Right. So I'm not perfect, but just wanted to mention this as 73% of the people on that thare internets seem to really fuck up our language.

P.S.
When you combine languages you really get something fun. I just read this one. How about The LA Angels baseball team. It literally translates to "The The Angels Angels". Stutter much?

Behind the boathouse, I'll show you my dark secret

So let me start by saying it's come to my attention that some people are actually reading this blog. Well, at least a couple. OK, one. I've been told "Chas, you should tell people about your blog. It's good". Hmmm. I dunno if I want to do that. However, dear reader, if YOU want to share this blog and tell more people about it, please do. After all, the BEST form of advertising is word-of-mouth advertising.

Now on to today's thoughts.

Nobody likes being lied to. Do they? I mean, people are into some weird shit. But I don't think anyone LIKES being lied to. So why, when your media source consistently and undeniably lies to you over and over again, do you keep listening to/watching it? I'm talking about Fox news, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and others like him. I'm talking about seriously skewed networks like NBC or ultra-liberal publications that have their heads so far up Obama's ass that they chew his breakfast for him. Now, granted, not all of these mentioned purposely lie and deceive the public, but many of them do. Why? Power and money. Apparently people like being lied to, right? What other explanation can there be? Surely the extremists (right and left) can't be that ignorant not to recognize when their talking-head-of-choice is spewing fantastic fabrications. OK, maybe some people are that dumb, but come on! Are they just too proud to admit, "Shit, what Glen Peck just said CAN'T be right"? Maybe. I mean, there are people out there who still think Obama isn't a U.S. citizen. They're fixated with that. Why? Because their 'head tells them it's true and they believe it just because. Lambs. Slaughter.

If Obama and his party/team/minions were able to deceive the entire U.S. government, the entire intelligence community and everyone else by fabricating his citizenship (or hiding his past) then he must be an evil genius. A mastermind of such obscene proportions that I'd think he'd find a much better position to fill than the POTUS. Those who believe he's not a citizen - If your party is so inane as to be unable to find ACTUAL proof of his lack of citizenship after all these years, then maybe your party is dumb.

OK, so my point. Point? I have to have a point? Shit. OK...my point is that the media is a multi-faceted entity. It entertains. It reports. It protects. But, somehow a lot of the NEWS has passed into the realm of entertainment. And, gradually , the lines have blurred and you're not getting facts anymore, you're getting entertained. And, these people wouldn't lie to you if you didn't like it. Right? Because, bottom-line, they make money off of you being entertained. If you like what you see or hear. If you are getting some sort of value from it, then you watch/listen and they sell advertising and they make money. My question for you is, are you willing to expect MORE from your entertainment. If you want bullshit lies and fabrications, watch Real Housewives or Jersey Shore or something. If you want the truth and the facts, unfortunately, I think you...I think we all...are going to have to dig a little deeper.

This has become much longer than I intended. I wanted just a paragraph and then to move on to other nuggets of wisdom. So, I'll end here with this topic and add another short note separate from this one.

Happiness.

Is there a topic upon which more writers have focused than Happiness? OK, maybe love. and Hate. Possibly mosquitoes.

Regardless.

I heard someone state recently "Happiness isn't a destination, it is a mood". I've since repeated that ad nauseam to anyone who would listen...but mostly people who won't.

"Are you happy?" "Is your life happy?" "Does your job make you happy?" "I need to find someone to make me happy".

I've got news for you, sister, nobody is going to MAKE you happy...except you. Happiness is a mood, but it's more than that. It's a decision.

"Look at the bright side". No shit. Seriously, perception is reality and you can definitely alter your perception. People do it all the time. You have to simply choose upon what you focus. You can choose the people with whom you spend your time. You can CHOOSE...to be happy.

There are definitely things...other choices...which make being happy more often simpler. Get in shape. Have I mentioned this before, dear reader? I think maybe I have once or twice. Do cardio. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get cardio-fit. But now that I am, I will never go back. I bounce around like fucking Tigger half the time. And when I want to do something, whether it's running around with my friends' 3-yr old son or taking an impromptu hike through a local park, I enjoy it more because I'm fit and I can do it. Shit. Wit. Sorry, word salad.

And that's great! But, when you're healthy you also alter your brain chemistry. Your neurons fire more efficiently, you not only have energy for the body but you have energy for your mind. That goes a long way towards making you mentally limber enough to choose to be happy.

Choose to do something you love. If you hate your job, make a change. Need more school? Take it. Need some certifications? Do it. Need to downsize your car, house, pet or blu-ray fixation in order to afford it? DO. ET.

We're surrounded by media that fixates on the bullshit bad stuff. Politicians, greed, hunger, malice, selfishness. Avoid that shit! Watch uplifting stuff on the tele. Watch CBS Sunday morning for your news. Listen to happy music. TURN OFF THE BULLSHIT.

Got that friend who always brings you down? Feel like you owe it to them to hang around and try to build them up? You don't. Not if it's going to pull you into the depths of despair. If you are miserable you will only make others miserable and we don't need any more miserable people bleeting around.

Now, don't get my wrong, everyone has sad days. Mad days. Bad days. It happens. But, with a little mental floss, you can turn those bad days into a bad DAY. Or, maybe some sad hours. Or, eventually a few mad/bad/cad/sad/plaid minutes.

You'll be doing us all a favor. So, dust off that smile, get off your ass and start spreading happiness like it's a fucking flesh-eating virus.

That is all.

Getting fit

Starting at the end of last year I decided to get in better shape. I'd always worked out on and off, but the last 5-6 years it was mostly off. In 2010 I started walking regularly on the treadmill. But, then when I started my new job in October 2010, I stopped working out and started eating more. Not good.

In the spring of 2011 I decided to hire a trainer and go to the gym regularly. My trainer was good and he knew his stuff, but he wasn't really that committed to me. Thus, I didn't commit to him. It helped a little, but when he kept missing appointments I finally decided to quit.

In September I bought a treadmill so I could walk at home and have no excuses for not going to the gym. I did a few other exercises at home too. I got back to the shape I'd been in in 2010, but nothing ground-breaking.

Then a friend, a trainer, introduced me to HIIT (high intensity interval training). Since I have a treadmill, I decided to try it. It sucks. It was so hard! I had to take many breaks. The first week was brutal. The second week was almost worse! I kept having to take breaks. By the 3rd week I was pushing myself a little harder. I did a little more. After a month I wasn't having to break as much. I've now been doing it for 8 months. I've increased the intensity/speed and I've raised my incline 4x, the most recent just last week. I'm in college shape. And, by that I mean the kind of shape I was in when I was a freshman and junior in college. Yeah, teenager. In fact, I'm probably in better shape, I'm just older.

I see a lot of people my age trying to get in shape. I have some friends who have had great success. But, I also see a lot of people doing the "Shakeology" stuff and extreme diets like Adkins. I think whatever works for you is what you should do. You're going to have to change it up now and then to keep making strides. But, here is the number one rule: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!

You can't take a pill. You can't eat a magical shake that sheds pounds. And, if you could how healthy do you really think it would be? If there was a chamber where you could step inside, get radiated and lose 50% of your fat, I'm sure a LOT of people would do it. And I'm sure a lot of people would grow a 3rd arm in the middle of their forehead. While that is extreme, you get my point.

Here is the gist of weight-loss and keeping in shape. If you expend more energy than you consume in calories you'll lose weight. If you eat more calories than you expend you will gain weight. So, you have to know these two things. Use something like MyFitnessPal.com to track your intake and to gauge your energy usage. This is the MOST IMPORTANT step.

I spend about 4.5 hours a WEEK staying fit. Here's how it breaks down: Mon, Wed, Fri I do my HIIT on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes. My HIIT is a 20-minute program, but I often throw in an extra 5-10 minutes of cooldown. I run in front of the TV. I drink a protein drink afterwards for recovery.

On Tue, Thur, Sat I go to the gym. I make a point never to be in the gym longer than 1 hour unless I'm interrupted or something. Most of the time I leave about 45 minutes after I enter. I lift weights and build muscle. Muscle is important in a LOT of ways. It burns calories. It protects you from injury. And, recent studies have shown, that it actually delays the aging process. Work your entire body. Some of your biggest muscles are the legs, glutes (butt), back and stomach. Even if you have a gut, if you have strong muscles under that gut, you're burning more calories and keeping yourself stronger, more fit, better able to fight disease and you're going to live longer, plain and simple.

Here's something else to remember. Did you get fat overnight? Did you eat an extra piece of cake at a wedding and then - BLAM! - you woke up 150lbs overweight? Was it that one Summer when you worked at McDonalds that put on 50lbs? (well, ok, yeah that could do it) Or, did you do it gradually? I'm betting you did it gradually. And, you should lose it gradually. You should get involved in a program that is built for long-term success. Yeah, you could probably lose 50lbs in a month if you tried very hard. But, it just makes it that much easier to GAIN that 50lbs back in a month. If you plan on losing 1-2 lbs/week, your body will be better off. It'll adjust. You won't throw off your balance. And if you do it gradually and the right way, you're a lot less likely to burn yourself out.

Time is a big issue with people. They don't have time to go to the gym or walk on a treadmill for an hour every day. So, make the most of your time. INTENSITY! Don't go to the gym, stand around, watching TV and talking. Get in, do your shit and GET OUT! Hit it hard and then take off. If you can build yourself up to running, then RUN! Running for 20 minutes beats walking for an hour ANY day. Plus you're building up your heart and lungs and muscles. After a month or two of high-intensity cardio you will not BELIEVE how much energy you have. If you can't afford a gym or the time to go to the gym, buy a program at home. Get P90x. Get some equipment you can use at home. You don't have to set up a professional gym in your house, but with a stability ball, some hand weights and some creativity, you can build muscle at home. Don't have a treadmill? RUN OUTSIDE! Yeah, even when it's cold. Yeah, even when it rains. Pretty soon you'll be so bad-ass you will laugh at obstacles.

Diet is a HUGE deal. You're not going to get a 6-pack by eating 5lbs of bacon/day. Remember the old adage "you are what you eat?" It's true. If you want to be lean and mean, eat protein. If you want to have a strong heart, avoid saturated fat. If you want to have energy and boost your immune system, eat the right kinds of vegetables. Take EVERY OPPORTUNITY to make the right choice when eating EVERY MEAL. If you can put off eating that burger for another day or another week or another month, you'll be much better equipped to eat it. When you're 5 pants-sizes below what you are now, by all means, go eat a Blizzard. Maybe make it a medium instead of a large, but DO IT. It's fine! And then turn around and go right back to your normal diet. Here's another thing to remember. "Diet" does not mean temporary. "Diets" are temporary. "Ooooh, I can't eat that, I'm on a diet". "Nooo, bacon isn't on this diet". "No carbs! I'm dieting". No. What you're doing is temporary. You need to change your way of life. So your D I E T is what you eat. It's what you eat every day. It's your plan to feed yourself for the rest of your life. When they talk about the diet of an animal they are talking about what they consume every day. You're an animal and you're no different. Use your head and make the right decision. If you make the right decision 99% of the time, you're going to be AWESOME.

My father always said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right". So, take this advice in your 30s or 40s or even 50s. Do it right. Take the time to plan. Consult a professional. Read up. THINK ABOUT IT. Change your life and live longer. Live longer for your kids. Live longer for your family. Live better and healthier FOR YOURSELF.

You can do it.

Apologies, please!

Apologies are way too common and commonly insincere. I say fuck apologies. Do your best to do things for which you'll never need to apologize. And, in the rare case you must apologize, be genuine. Remember, there is no heart without ache. There is no bravery without fear.

My dog, Jax.

OK, I know everybody thinks that their kid is the cutest or their dog is the neatest or smartest. It's human nature. But, my dog, Jax, really is the best dog in the whole world.

He is naturally kind and gentle. From the time he was about a year old, weighing about 100lbs, he would play very rough with me, but whenever a child would come over and try to play with him, he'd immediately back off and cease being aggressive at all. It wasn't something that was taught to him, it is just his nature. Any small human he gives a wide berth, is extremely kind and patient and makes sure he doesn't hurt them. I've even seen a toddler grab hold of a handful of fur and skin and use Jax to help him get up. Jax didn't move, didn't wine, didn't even give a look of "ah, shit, what is this guy doing?". He just stood there and waited until the kid was stable on his feet.

He's got some personality. He always wants to play, even at 10 years old. And when he doesn't get his way or doesn't get the attention he deserves, he'll pout. For instance, he'll go into the closet and orient himself with his backside pointing towards me. Or he'll go lie down somewhere and emit a huge dramatic sigh. He doesn't get angry. He doesn't whine or cry or chew things up in frustration. He just sits there and waits for me to get off my computer or finish cooking food or whatever I'm doing.

He is so strong and powerful. I remember once he pulled my 200lb friend AND my loveseat across the room while playing with a pull-toy. But he never hurts anyone. He won't take a treat from your hand unless he is sure that he won't bite you. He never snaps or grabs anyone. He doesn't jump ON people, though he has been known to jump up to your level to say "hi", but he won't put his paws on you like some dogs.

He's beautiful, inside and out. And I love him dearly.

The end of 2011

Well, I am very happy to be leaving 2011 in my rear view mirror.

It was a difficult year for me and full of several failures. I endured the ending of a marriage. I survived a serious physical altercation. And I suffered through some financial worries and challenges that left a pall over much of the year.

But, through all the trials I was reminded of a couple things. First of all, I'm extremely resilient. Emotionally I am stable and secure and can handle being sad, lonely or frustrated. These are normal emotions that everyone sometimes feels. It's OK to feel them, right? I've felt them and have survived.

Physically I'm in better shape than I've been in a long long time. This not only helps me recover from things more quickly, but it keeps me from getting sick and gives me a lot more energy. Perhaps most important is it elevates my mood and keeps me mentally fresh and strong. If I could ask one thing of my friends this year it would be to get more healthy.

Speaking of friends, another thing I've realized is I have some truly great friends. This year I've been fortunate to reconnect with a few good friends. And several of my friendships have become even stronger. The group of people I can consider my friends are exceptional. I have friends who are funny, smart, successful, happy and strong. They have been extremely supportive and caring. They are loyal and generous. They ask me to watch over their homes. They carpool daily with me. They both ask for and volunteer advice. They are willing to be honest and direct with me. They'll go to a concert with me or take me to lunch. They email and call and text. They are a group of people so excellent that I'm not sure I'm worthy. So, I'll have to keep working at being a good friend in return, because they deserve it.

I almost can't comprehend that this year will be 2012. The 90s...hell even the 80s seem just a few years ago. But they are not. Time, it keeps a rollin. And 2012, you'd better watch your ass because this year things are going to be different. I'm done going with the flow. Now it's time to make waves.

Here's to all of you. I hope your 2011 was great but that your 2012 will be even greater.
Thanks for reading.

Does anyone ever read this? Do I ever write in it anymore? Not lately. But that is about to change. I'm really looking forward to the end of this year. The last half of this year was one of the toughest I've yet experienced and I'm just thankful that I seem to be a resilient soul. Here's to 2012 being the start of something new and to making myself a better person.

Facebook

Facebook is really pissing me off more than giving me enjoyment.

All of the political crap, all the posturing, etc. just really irritates me. I'm starting to remove "friends" because of the political shit they post or their incessant updates to things. I'm sure I've been removed by more than one person and I don't really care as I'm sure they don't. I removed arguably my best college friend months ago because he made a comment about not liking the gaming spam (before I figured out custom filters) and he never said word one. So, who really gives a shit? I like it as a communication tool and some of the games are fun, but I think, after nearly a year of use, that I'm growing tired of it. Pretty soon I think I'll just clean house and lock it down. I don't need the headaches the bullshit causes me.

True Christian

Liking something such as "Let's see how many true Christians are on Facebook. Like if you're a TRUE Christian" on FB doesn't make you a "True Christian", what it makes you is an unimaginative twat.

I'm so sick of getting spammed with shit like that by people who get some sense of satisfaction from telegraphing a bullshit ubiquitous comment to the world. You know what makes you a true Christian? Worshiping Christ. I used to think being a "true Christian" meant doing something nice, being a good neighbor or something along those lines. Therein lies many of the problems with the term "Christian" in the United States of America.

Most people in the US equate being "Christian" with being a good person. But, if you look at the history of Christianity, you'll find perhaps the most atrocious crimes against humanity were perpetrated by Christians. Hitler was raised Roman Catholic and often purported to be a Christian. The Catholic Church has certainly performed its share of nastiness. And, if you talk about the crusades, well, the Christians did enough murdering, raping, torture and terrorism during that period to last an eternity.

However, many of the views set forth in the Bible are very pleasant ideals. "Love thy neighbor". "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you". That sort of thing, right? The thing is, those aren't Christian morals. They are HUMAN morals. Those ideals have been around for thousands of years - long before Christianity came to this earth. If you look at nearly ever major religion, you'll find those exact sentiments backing their belief system. It's in the Koran. It's in the Hebrew Bible. The teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) instruct his followers to think along these lines. And though polytheistic traditions of Europe prior to the arrival of Christianity depends on the God(s)you primarily worship, many of the beliefs of both ancient religion and society believe in these ideals.

So, if you want to be "Christian", then follow the faith of Christianity. If you want to be a good person...if you want to live your life in a way that leaves the world better than when you left it, then be a good person. Take care of your fellow humans and be a Humanist. Take care of the earth and be a Naturalist. Take care of your Family and be a Familist. Do whatever you want to, but don't forget that Christianity invented neither "doing good" or "doing bad". We did that all on our own.

Airplane Luggage

It now costs to check luggage for most airlines. While I don't like this, I can understand it. It not only costs more fuel, it costs handlers, tracking systems, etc.

What really pisses me off are the people/passengers who CARRY ON their huge fucking luggage. On my last trip to St. Louis, there was one guy who had 2 carry-ons and a laptop. Aren't you just supposed to have one carry-on and a personal item? Yes.

People with their huge rollers that won't even fit in the overhead of a normal-sized aircraft are self-concerned assholes. There was one lady who couldn't even lift her bag. I helped, of course, and even I had trouble lifting it into the overhead bin. It probably weighed 35 pounds or so.

People - just pay the $20 and check your huge bag like you're supposed to. I know it's all cute and fun to circumvent the rules by packing 30 days of clothing into a bag that then contains so much pressure it's a lethal weapon. But, you're inconveniencing the rest of us, when you wheel your steamer-trunk on the plane, rolling over feet and banging arms like football players slapping teammates' hands as they run onto the field. When you have to pause and struggle with your godzilla-sized bag, you delay the plane from loading. When you have to turn your bag sideways, brace yourself against the seat and shove with all your might to get it in the overhead bin - IT'S TOO BIG! When you take up more overhead space so the guy in row 3 has to park his bag 30 rows back, YOU ARE INCONVENIENCING OTHERS!

Do you know the cleanest thing at the airport? It's that little chrome frame near each gate that says "If your bag can fit in here, you can carry it on." Why? BECAUSE IT'S NEVER USED! I blame the airlines as much as anyone on this. If you're going to have rules, then fucking enforce them, OK? If you see someone utilizing a mule train to conduct their carry-on bag to the gate, then it's probably too big.

For you, fellow traveler, just do the right thing and check your bag. Bring something on board that can easily fit under the seat so you don't have to dick around with the overhead bin at all.

Thank you. This rant brought to you by the letter J and the number 13.

Tipping

OK, so I'm going to sound like Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, but my sister-in-law thinks it's been far too long since I've ranted, so here I go....

Why do I feel guilty if I don't fill something in on the "tip" line, even if I go through the drive-through. Do I really need to put $1.00 in the Monica's Tacos drive-through as a "thank you" for them doing their job correctly? Doesn't the cost of the fucking burrito already include them putting it together right?

It's one thing if someone waits on me. If they bring me food, refill my drink, etc. I almost always tip 20%. Even if they aren't that great, I usually tip 20%. If they suck, I'll do 15%.

Today at Mimi's (which I'll probably not frequent for quite a while), we got a server who had a very stoic attitude and was brusque. Now, I don't want my server to be OVERLY friendly. I don't need to know what you did last night. I don't want a 10-minute political diatribe or a story about how much you hate your best friend right now. We are entering into a professional entertainment relationship. This means you do your job reasonably well and act like you give-a-shit and I'll pay you.

If this sounds cold, let me explain that I am ALWAYS friendly to my servers. I smile and mean it. I ASK for things, rather than demand them. I am willing to forgive a few mishaps, but if you obviously don't care AND we get bad service, well, I don't think your pay incentive (aka tip) should be that great.

Back to my Mimi's server. I ordered water with lemon. No lemon. I ordered an egg-white omelette. What I got was a burnt-ass egg with some stanky vegetables in it. One bite and I felt like hurling. It came with 2 pieces of toast. My sister-in-law got an omelette with NO tomoatoes. She got tomatoes. We both sent our food back. I got a menu and couldn't decide on more food, so I just ordered two eggs over-easy. I indicated I'd just eat the toast that'd come with my original meal.

Our server attended to us (and none-too-quickly) and brought me my eggs. I ate them and they were OK. When our server gave us the bill, she indicated that she took off the price of the omelette. I thanked her with a smile and meant it. However, when I looked at the bill, we'd been charged $1.99 for "toast and jam". The jam is on the table. The toast was the two pieces of dry toast that had come with my shitstain omelette. We paid the bill and left.

The crappy food wasn't our server's fault and in no way did I give her attitude or indicate I thought it was her fault. I apologized for having to send it back but said that it was truly unedible. But, don't you think they could have fucking comped my $1.99 toast?! A dollar for a piece of burnt bread? Holy balls, I could buy a fucking loaf of bread at Safeway for that!

Back to my point...Trish tipped her a good $8 on a $30 tab. If you figure the cost of the comped food was an additional $4, that is still over 20%. It is a 20% she didn't deserve, however, I think I'd have felt guilty doing any less. Why? She gave us mediocre service at best. She (or the kitchen) fucked up at least two of our orders. The attention to detail was nill.

Let me hear from you readers out there. Do you ever feel the way I do? Should I give a tip (minimal at least) to someone when I do a pick-up order? Do I tip the pizza delivery guy 20% or do I just add on a couple dollars as long as the pie is quick and hot? I am getting angry just thinking about all the dollars I've spent rewarding so-so service.

HD TiVo

OK, so some of you may have a DVR - Digital Video Recorder - of some sort.

I started recording TV this way back in 2002 with my first TiVo. My friend, Brian, had TiVo and he loved it so much. I, of course, made fun of him (Oh TiVo, I love you so!) for his infatuation until I was bitten by the same bug. Being able to record your shows and watch them any time completely frees up your nights. Being able to pause live TV so you can go to the bathroom - also essential.

With technology like this, over time you get used to it. When I'd travel and have to watch only live TV, I'd feel like I was "slumming" it. I couldn't stand not being able to pause or back up to hear some key dialogue I'd missed.

During the first of the year this year we finally purchased our first HDTV and, as such, got a HD box from the cable company that had a DVR on it. At first we kept the TiVo as well as the DVR on the TV, though we couldn't record HD on the TiVo because it was just a standard TiVo. For a few months it worked OK. The new DVR was kinda neat. There were a couple things it did that were a little different than TiVo. Learning the new interface was a tad annoying, but it went pretty quickly. Then in late summer, we decided to get rid of our 3rd TiVo. With the DVR and 2 TiVo's, we just didn't need a 4th recording device, so we sold it to a friend. A couple weeks later, my oldest TiVo just died. Seeing as it was a pretty old model and lasted about 6 years, I can understand this. However, this left us just the DVR in the living room for the HDTV. We still had a TiVo in the bedroom, but now we could only record/watch 4 shows at once. This may seem like a lot, but consider you have 4-5 shows that overlap on Monday night AND you want to watch Monday Night Football, and you see the problem. But, we dealt with it. We're not talking about starving to death, we're talking about missing a show now and then, ya know?

As the year progressed, I began to hate the DVR. Controlling the fast-forward/reverse just sucks on that thing. You can move a little faster than TiVo, but TiVo has built into it's manipulation an auto-back feature. So, if you're fast-forwarding a show and you get through the commercials and your show starts and you hit "Play" as soon as you see it, TiVo actually backs up the start of play a bit to compensate for your reaction time. The Motorola DVR from Comcast did not do this. So, you'd fast-forward through commercials, see your program, hit play, then have to back up a bit and hit play again. Also, sometimes it wouldn't record a show. The culmination of this occured when it just decided not to record an episode of Survivor. We had to watch it online and before I was able to start the online episode we saw who'd been voted off. Annoying! It also started saying things like "98% full" when only a few shows were recorded and stored on it. I'd have to shut it down and restart it for it to record again. I called Comcast and they sent some magical signal through it to correct this. 4 days later it started again.

My point is, TiVo is far superior to other recording devices. Not only is the manipulation much better, but the guide, features, management of shows, etc. is beyond compare. Not to mention that you can download any show/movie you want from Amazon.com (for a fee, of course - like pay-per-view), but you can transfer recordings from one TiVo to the other. You can play music from a computer where you have MP3's stored. You can store recordings on that PC, also, either for good or just until you have time to watch them. TiVo has games on it, you can order pizza, check weather, show photos, etc. And, if for some reason something isn't recorded that you think should have been, you can go see WHY. If you delete a show you have a small amount of time to recover it. Like I said - FAR superior.

I kept wanting to get an HD TiVo, but they were pretty expensive. Finally we decided to get one for both of our Xmas gifts to each-other. I found a refurbished one on the TiVo site for a pretty reasonable price and ordered it. It arrived (free shipping) 3 days later. I called the cable company to have the cable cards installed in it. Then I called TiVo because I couldn't get my payment play to switch over to the new TiVo. Turns out that I bought one with it's own plan and, since it was a refurb, they couldn't xfr my old plan to it. So, what did they do? Well, the guy really worked to get something working for me. He said that, since I'd been a customer for 6 years, they really wanted to help me. They managed to reduce my monthly payment by $10. Oh, and they also are sending us another free TiVo to replace the one that dies. Yes, that will cost $6.95 for the monthly service on that, but the device is a dual-tuner that would cost $150. Oh, and I don't have to ship my old broken one back. And it's free, including shipping.

So, we have the new HD TiVo up and running and the free TiVo will be here soon. I re-progammed my Logitech remote to perform all the duties of the remote (while you can't have too many TiVo's, you CAN have too many remotes - the Logitech does everything - I may have to blog on that thing next) and it's working great. I'd even say that the picture is better. I set it up to record our shows and, last night I saw something totally cool. Not only does it have a little red recording light like our standard TiVo, but it displays what is recording on the front of the machine. So, it actually says "Numb3rs" on the front of the TiVo. So, you know what is recording at all times, even without turning on your TV.

This was a lot longer and more boring that I'd planned, but I just am so happy to have TiVo in HD. It's the best of both worlds. If any of you think that you want to start digitally recording your TV, please go with TiVo. They aren't the only game in town any more. But, in my experience, they are definitely the best. You might get a "free" one from the cable company, but you still (usually) have to pay to lease it. And, it isn't yours. If something goes wrong with it, you have to deal with your cable company. And I can say that TiVo support is also FAR superior to your cable company's support.

Go TiVo. Go now. Merry Xmas!

Airplane seats

You do realize that when you recline your seat on airplane you give the person behind you less room, right?

For this very reason, I almost never recline my seat on an airplane unless nobody is behind me.

You also realize that when you bang or kick or mush the seat in front of you, you're jostling the person sitting in that seat, right?

For this very reason, I almost always jostle, poke, kick the seat in front of me when someone reclines suddenly, pinning my knees to the back of the seat painfully.

Change the world one step at a time. Have consideration for others. Whether it's respecting their space, letting them into a traffic line in front of you or just taking a second to open the door for someone. It's the little things that matter. Do one.

Obama

I don't think I can truly express how happy I am about Obama winning.

I've followed Barack for a long time. For me, it's been more about his ability to lead as a PERSON...as an entity of maturity for our nation than about the positions.

America needs a change. A REAL change, not a difference. We need someone who can bring our nation back to universal prominence by his charisma and understanding. An Illinois senator. If IL isn't as representative of the USA as you can get, I don't what is.

Lead us, Barack. Bring back our reputation. Bring back our respect with the world. Bring us back from our humiliating past to a future where we can prove our strength and maturity as a nation. A nation that will lead by example and honor, rather than impudence.

Thank you, America.

If your name rhymes with Urguson...

Chris - reply to my emails, damnit! :)

M U S I C

I like music.

In fact, I like to think myself as somewhat of a scholar of music. I started piano lessons in 3rd grade, started saxophone in 5th grade, drums in 6th grade and played in jazz, concert, marching and pep band. I was even in choir, for goodness sakes!

I like a lot of different types of music, my favorites being jazz, punk, metal and rock. I have known a lot of people who've known - and taught - me a lot about music. I've had a lot of different discussions with many people about music.

Of all types of music, and all bands I've seen, I've made the realization, that one expresses my soul more than any other: The Jayhawks.

Yes, I like harder rock, generally. I love metal and punk and irreverent, political rantings. The Jayhawks aren't any of this. They don't scream or spout rhetoric. But, their music is beautiful. And, I found them all on my own. One year, while vacationing in Minnesota, I saw an album "Tomorrow the Green Grass" and, on a whim, bought it. I saw that it was a Minnesota band and figured I'd pick it up while there. It's been the best decision I've made. Nobody told me about the Jayhawks, nobody recommended them. I didn't even hear of them from a show or video or radio show.

"Tomorrow the Green Grass" is still my favorite album of theirs, but everything they do is great. I also like their cousin-bands, Golden Smog and Wilco (Wilco's new album is shear fucking genius), but, to me, it'll never get better than The Jayhawks.

I remember one party at the lake lot when we listened to this album all night long - litterally...the CD was in my car and played over and over again all night as we slept. How can you not like this kind of music?

The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass. If you don't have it...you suck.