More Howard

Thanks, Internet.

Tim Howard is the Truth

The US is out of the World Cup. They're out in part because they have only one world-class player, which is not ideal when you're playing against the rest of the world. The only reason they didn't get embarrassed on the international stage is that the one player they had that is capable of delivering an all-world performance is the goalie: he was huge, and he was awesome, and he was everywhere.

How much everywhere? He had more saves than anyone has ever had in a single game since they started keeping track of these things in 1966. As I pointed out to Big Cheese, the game has changed a little since those days. He got inside the heads of the Belgian players; they knew it would take a perfect shot to beat him. The tweet from the Belgian captain Vincent Kompany (who IS world class) after the game said, "Two Words: TIM HOWARD".

A lot of the talk about how Landycakes was left off the World Cup squad* included statements like "best player in US history". This is annoying, because while Donovan is the best outfield player in US history the best player in US history is Timmy Fucking Howard. There is no player on the US team now or ever that could have turned in a performance like the one he delivered yesterday. They just aren't good enough. I'm not the only one that thinks so. (Link is to Klinnsman quote: “We cannot win this World Cup, because we are not at that level yet,” Klinsmann told the New York Times. "For us, we have to play the game of our lives seven times to win the tournament. Realistically, it is not possible.”)

On a personal level, I wept tears of joy when Landycakes kicked us into the knockout stages back in 2010, and yesterday my heart broke more than a little bit when Chris Wondolowski shanked a ball from six yards out that would likely have been the winning goal in the 88th minute against Belgium. Football giveth, football taketh away.

I don't know if it was Howard's last game as an American in the World Cup. He is 35 now but goalies can play into their 40s, so even if he isn't the starter he should get a ticket in 2018 and 2022, because when you cover yourself in glory like he did yesterday then you deserve to be in the conversation for as long as you can stand on two legs and hold your arms over your head. You have to take three keepers anyway, so fuck it: take Tim Howard. He's the best ever to pull on a USA jersey, and if you don't love that then you don't love America.


* Landon should have been on the team. Wondolowski isn't good enough, no matter how hard he tries. And that was before he shit himself on international television late in the Belgium game.

RANGE DAY - Just in Time for 4th of July

Good Trigger Discipline

This is my friend and her husband at the range. She's not as into guns as he is but I appreciate her getting out there and giving it a go. And she looks like she knows what she's doing, which counts for a lot. 

Doing Stuff

I've been away. Full report when I get back. In the mean time: the world cup is still on. Check it.

If I have any time this weekend I'll do an interim update from my temporary location. Definitely visiting one of my favorite places this weekend, is what I mean. Last chance to view the butterfly exhibit this season!

Kickoff

The World Cup is the worst. You cannot talk about the World Cup without talking about corruption, about misuse of resources, about social unrest.

The World Cup is the best. You cannot talk about the World Cup without talking about this:


That's magic right there. LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS.

It kicks off today. Watch as many games as you can - you might will see some magic.

Put It On Your Calendar: Valiant Hearts

June 25th. Count me in.

Seems Reasonable

Truth to Power

This was on Deadspin as 'The Strongest Take'. It is a screenshot of a comment on an article/slideshow in the New York Times. It would be a very boring world if we were all alike, but it would be a better world if fewer people were this stupid.

That's Not Helping

Losers

So these fuckwits decided to assert their second amendment rights and take their black rifles down to Chipotle for a burrito.

This is not advancing the cause of second amendment rights. Is anyone that is on the fence about your gun rights going to react positively to this? No. All it does is make you look like an asshole. Mission accomplished on that front.

One of the nice things about living in the USA is that you don't need to bring a rifle to lunch, and if you do then you can leave it in your truck. If you want to bring your rifle to the mall then move to Somalia.

The idiots pictured look exactly like the type of losers you would expect to see bring a rifle to the mall in the name of 'gun rights'. If you want to represent for then it is important to at least appear professional to the neutrals. You don't have to put on a tie but you can at least look presentable. Or not. Not's good.

(Strangely) Hot Jamz: Citylights by Max Elto (Original Mix)

This is a trippy 10 minute song with a weird soprano / alto / high pitched vocal and a good bassline. And some synthesizers. It's like Fine Young Cannibals decided to make a retro dance track. It's... strangely great.

I know it's hard to get behind a ten minute track and this one is a slow burner but give it a couple minutes and if it doesn't speak to you then move along. No bigs.

High as a Georgia Pine

He's Got a Built In Sidekick on His Cap

Doc Ellis was a character. He's mostly famous for throwing a no-hitter while tripping on LSD. An artist whose name I do not know suggested that they create a bobblehead to commemorate the event. If they made it then it would be the first and last bobblehead doll I would ever buy.

Cheap Heat: I Love Puns

Bee Right Over?

I have been meaning to do some longer pieces but I'm working a lot. Like, a lot. And I took on a couple side projects in my free time so the past couple weeks have been hectic. So instead of something thoughtful you get a cute graphic with animal puns. You're welcome.

Hawkward was my favorite. Just sayin'.

Practice

Just a game of SKATE.

Cepeda is an 'amateur' and Trent McClung is the pro. I have read that since this video dropped Cepeda has some sponsors now.

Note that McClung describes Cepeda as "consistent". That's not the best of compliments in skating; it's what you say about a guy who's style is boring but drops tricks like a metronome. On the other hand: consistency is itself a style. And it works for a competition like this. Watch some of the other videos to see what it looks like when the tricks aren't performed by flatland savants. McClung is really good at this, but Cepeda is a specialist.

History: Photos from the 1968 Southeast Asia Tour

One of my uncles - the one I'm not very close with - joined the Army in the late 60's to fight Communists. (That was a thing people did back then. Eventually we even had a draft to bulk up the armed forces, sent a bunch of people to the other side of the world at great expense. A lot happened and over 50,000 Americans were killed. You may have read about it.) Anyway, he quit a promising career in the military and became a journalist. Presumably because he wanted to spend his life earning peanuts and not getting shot at (as opposed to just earning peanuts in the Army, although when you get promoted you can make pretty good money, especially in retirement).

Anyway, he took a lot of pictures when he was there but he never talks about it. Ever. These photos were found in my grandfather's stuff that he never got around to sorting through until recently. That is an old-school M16 and some seriously retro (and bad ass, back in the day) tiger stripe camo. He was a medic in the Green Berets, hence the Special Forces camo and Montagnards.

Imagine my surprise when these hit the inbox. This is what he says:

Going through a box of my dad's stuff that I'd stored since he died and came across these, taken 46 years ago this month. They're old enough now to be actual historical photos....

I don't remember the top one at all--probably shot by one of my Montagnards. The lower one is a little girl with malaria. We went into a village called Plei Bong on a Medcap (Medical Civil Action Patrol) and her dad brought her out to me. She had a high fever alternating with chills, so I called in a helicopter evac. Didn't occur to me at the time, but It was a pretty primitive area, two days' walk to get in, people eating monkeys and rats, and suddenly a Huey appeared and whisked the whole family to an American hospital. They must have thought they'd been abducted by aliens....

Hot Jamz: Cocoon by Cathedral (Dinnerdate Remix)

Play this, open a window, enjoy some sunshine, brew up a cup of coffee, hang out. The remix embedded below is completely free. Superb.

Do Work

Long time readers will recognize that the blog is a bit light on content these days. I don't have time or energy to explain stuff in detail. And if I bump into a funny story it ends up getting lost before I can get around to writing it down. Busy doing work and stuff.

Back in the day when I lived at Chez Swenson (love and miss you guys, btw) I used to head out the door every day and make one of two jokes. One was about bringing home the bacon, which is funny because I didn't eat pork at the time. But my special favorite was to walk out the door and announce my departure by saying, "I'm off to go be fucking awesome at my job - see you tonight." Mom always laughed. She's good like that.

I will mention that unfortunate my habit of ordering cooking ingredients in excess continues. Another issue with the Amazon portion size. The latest mistake was 18 oz of guajillo chile powder. Typical spice jar size is about 2 oz. I need 1/4 teaspoon, or roughly 1/10th of an ounce. If that doesn't make sense just imagine that I need the smallest unit of volume measure above a pinch, and I ordered a jar that weighs over a pound. For f's sake. Again, not expensive, but now I have a lifetime supply. Come December if you're wondering why you got a build-your-own mole spice kit for Christmas, well, surprise! Maybe I'll sneak it into cookies or something.*

Speaking of cookies, this is exactly what I would do if someone put a cookie in front of my face while I was sleeping.





* As if I would ever modify the super bitchin cookie recipe. Come on.

Mistakes Were Made - Chiles in Abundance

You Sure That's Enough?

I got a slow cooker and immediately began researching recipes. A slow cooker appeals to me because I like to eat but am not much interested in devoting a lot of time to cooking. Baking, yes. Cooking, not so much. With a slow cooker you just put all the stuff in, turn it on for 4 or 6 hours or whatever, come back later and it's done. Perfect. And you can make stuff in quantity for future consumption. Awesome.

You know what else a busy person like myself would prefer not to do? Make several stops at different grocery stores for various items, such as for mole chicken, which has a LOT of ingredients. I'm busy playing xbone, blogging, working, lifting heavy objects to improve my physical fitness, reading, or whatever. The store is a pain in the ass.

Amazon Prime came to my rescue, because they deliver. Just be careful about quantities or you might end up trying to buy a bag of chiles to make mole in your slow cooker and end up with 12 bags of chiles. I thought it seemed weirdly expensive when I was buying but figured that chiles were just pricey. They are, but only if you buy approximately 12x more than you need. Oops. Too many to use, not worth the time or effort to return. Now I have to research recipes that use chiles.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Throwback Thursday (early): Man Overboard by Blink 182

I have an old ipod that I use to listen to music in my car. Since I don't buy music any more all the dance mixes are current but the music ranges from "a bit dated" to "jesus I haven't heard that in ages". The only playlist of any note is Workout Jamz, which is the entire Lagwagon catalog, the entire Green Day catalog, some Rise Against, Face to Face, Strung Out, Bad Religion (some strong contenders for throwback tracks there), etc, etc. And most of the Blink 182 catalog, a band whose music I still enjoy. One of the fun things about the list is I just put it on shuffle and look forward to the surprises. This was one of them.

IIRC: This song was a b-side and didn't appear on an LP until they released their live album, which, unfortunately, sucked. But it had a studio version of this track so I bought it anyway. I wore it out when I got it and then forgot about it until it turned up in the shuffle. Happy times.

Anthropomorphism is Funny

So Sad

My friend stopped by and forgot her water cup. It's important to stay hydrated, but also it hurts when you leave your friend behind. So I sent her this image.

Careful observers will note that I'm making dinner, and I also park my bicycle in the kitchen. #dudespace #brodoyouevendecorate

Cats Knocking Stuff Over

What you were tired of cats? Too bad. This is the best thing I've seen all week.

Again, with Feeling

I thought I posted this already but can't find it. Cats are the best.
Dogs: also the best.

Truth to Power: Adults are Weird

This is solid gold.

Pretty sure Buddha said the same thing at some point. Pretty sure. 

Bonus points for correct use of "you're". Apostrophe was omitted but that's some advanced grammar right there. Kid is smart.

He Can't See You If You Don't Move

No, Don't Help Me, I Got It

Ahh cats are the best. Parakeets can be pretty great too if you don't mind the mess.

I'm not saying I like most animals more than most people but I'm not not saying it.

Be Free

This from Heinlen. I liked it.

Full quote (for search purposes):

"I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them. If I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do."

- Robert A. Heinlen, in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Friday is Hugs Day

Whatcha doin? Nuffin. Just hanging out. (HONK)

You know how we feel about sloths around here: they are awesome. They evolved to give trees hugs. If you don't love that then I don't know you.

Bumped into this bucket of hugs a while back and never got a chance to post it. Don't you want to pick one of those living bug carpets and feed it delicious leaves? Yeah you do.

Today is my last day at old job. 14.5 years is a long time but I won't miss it. New job starts Monday. Pumped.  Would have liked a break but I have work to do. Let's get to it.

Brief note on the career change: I am now a Presales Consultant, aka Sales Consultant, aka Sales Engineer (at my company it's "Presales Consultant"). I support Sales guys in a technical role, provide the customer with the solution and then the Sales guy works out the financial side of the deal (contracts, pricing, etc). My job emphasis is on the "technical win", presenting to the customer and positioning the solution effectively. The Sales guy can schmooze, I'm the answer guy. Can't share where I work because it's a public, customer-facing role and I prefer to remain somewhat anonymous. Because: internet. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for reading.

Paracord Bracelets are for Boy Scouts and Clowns, plus: Fighting Pistol AAR / Review

What is it, exactly? Decoration? Jewelry? An accessory? Has anyone, ever, one time, used the cord to tie something up? No. It's just a stupid looking snag risk, a friendship bracelet for preppers. That shit is wack.

Just wanted to get that off my chest. I see them all the time at classes, at the range, out and about. It's big with the preppers, mostly. And there is a lot of prepper / gun owner overlap. For me it's a flag that says the wearer is definitely carrying a knife and possibly carrying a gun. Why would you advertise that? Dumb.

In related news I took Fighting Pistol with James Yeager (again). Posted my review somewhere else but here it is again in it's entirety, for posterity's sake. I must have done something right because Yeager invited me to come out and take the High Risk Civilian Contractor Course in Camden, TN. That course is intense but I am going to do it later this year if I can get the time off.

----------------

What: Fighting Pistol Mobile (Tactical Response)
Where: Los Angeles
Who: Yeager, Morris, and 15 students. Three were alumni.
When: May 1-2, 2014

tl;dr: Take Fighting Pistol. It is worth every penny.

This was my second time through Fighting Pistol. General comments and observations:

• Took the course a second time to reinforce the stuff I learned the first time and also see what I missed. It can be a lot to process and that's coming from a person that has watched a ton of videos, read the recommended books (Stamford, Cooper), does dry practice, takes other training; I don't think anyone absorbs all the information one time through. You are exposed to it and process the content but retention is only obtained over time and repetition. So take it more than once, esp. if you can save money by taking it in Camden. I paid the full rate to take it again (no discounts on mobile classes) so that should give you an idea how important I felt it was.
• Most of what I did better on the second time was the mental stuff and lecture. I have the books so I will revisit those on my own periodically.
• Yeager said that he put together the FP curriculum by making a list of all the stuff he thought you needed to know about fighting with a handgun. Then he prioritized it, and then he taught for two days and drew a line. That became Fighting Pistol. Then he taught two more days, and that became Advanced Fighting Pistol.
• Fighting Pistol covers a lot of stuff that isn't in other basic handgun classes. You shoot from retention, from the ground, with your strong hand only and your support hand only, etc.
• Fighting Pistol is very process focused - there is a reason for everything you do and it is clearly explained. Yeager solicits questions repeatedly throughout the day. If you focus on the process and execute it correctly then you will get a good result. He says shooting is simple, but not easy. So he tries to keep it simple.
• There were a lot of new shooters and it was good to see them getting started on the right track with proper training. They definitely know what and how to practice now. Pumped to see new people that are into it and get out there.
• SHOW UP EARLY. GET THERE EARLY. BE EARLY. For real, show up at least a half an hour early. Worst case is everyone is squared away and you end up meeting some new people and talking about guns and training. That's a good outcome. Any potential issue - such as: fucked equipment, over-excitement (for real this happens), you forgot essential gear, you're band new and need some help with setup, you got lost on the way, traffic - can be fixed before class starts almost 100% of the time if you are early. You may not even know you are missing stuff until you get there so: get there early and get squared away. If you aren't early AND you have a problem it will be hard to fix without affecting someone else's class time. Yeager and Tim do not appreciate that.
• Most of the questions that people asked were already covered in Yeager's videos. It's almost like Yeager has taught the class to tens of thousands of students and had them asked before and so he created the videos to answer them in advance. Synergy.

That's the important stuff.
//

Several people asked me specific questions during the class about equipment. I will answer them here.

• Gun - HK P30L w/ light LEM trigger and XS big dots. Gun performed well but mags had some feeding issues at the end of both days. The magazines were not lubed at all which is incorrect according to the HK manual. Oops. I'm not sure it would have made a difference given the environment but I will find out next time I'm at the range and Tim buries my mags in the sand. Dick. (Kidding. Kind of.)
• Holster - I used the class as an opportunity to test a new holster from Blackpoint Tactical. It was great. I recommend it, would buy again.
• Mag pouches - Raven Concealment kydex mag pouches. These are worth the money.
• Belt - Ares Gear Ranger Belt; an excellent alternative for half the money is the wilderness tactical belt with the 5-stitch option.
• Shorts - wear them if they are weather-appropriate.
• Shemagh - one of the only places where hipsters and shooters overlap. $9 on amazon. Buy two.

Summer Jamz are the Best Jamz: Maurer & Maurer - Rising (Original Mix)

Into this jam right now. Officially it's Maurer (ampersand) Maurer and Nicolas Haelg and it's called Rising. This is the original mix. Probably you knew that because you can read. Whatever.

Anyway it's got a trendy saxophone sound that is all the rage right now in deep house music. I don't know if that's a synth or actually a saxophone. I'm betting synth but I can't tell. Who the hell is playing all the saxophone in the house tracks these days? No idea. It's a fun, upbeat track.

In related upbeat news my last workday at the old job is 8 May. Exit interview 9 May. After 14.5 years it was time to move on. Past time. The surprising thing about leaving the company was how hard some of my co-workers took the news. Didn't see that coming, and I was moved by their kindness.

New job starts 12 May. Get excited.

Drop Knowledge - Hip-Hop Vocabulary, Charted

This link from Friend of GJAW Scott is superb.


The largest vocabulary in hip-hop.

I always thought Lil' Wayne was repetitive and boring, even in small doses. He needs more words.

DMX comes in dead last which makes sense if you have ever heard a DMX song. But he made up for it with the delivery. I'm sure some people feel the same way about Wayne or Young Jeezy or whatever his name is.

Keeps Them Busy

I loved every part of this. Look how serious the kids are before they get started. That is intense.
I guess here in the states the youth are stacking cups or something? Good luck with that.

News, plus Frog and Toad

Frog and Toad

Limited posts lately because I have been very busy doing stuff. That stuff happened so now I can talk about it a little: I got a new job, quit the old job. No need to go into details here because anonymity and professionalism and etc but if you want details email me. I start new job mid-May.

Been at the old job a very long time (14.5 years) so my departure has caused a minor kerfluffle. They don't take me for granted - I was almost always well appreciated and well treated, esp. the last 8 years or so I've been in Software Engineering - but they will have a hard time replacing me because I am grossly overqualified.* Moving to a career where I can take better advantage of my myriad skills. Pumped.

Image is unrelated. The Wind in the Willows is insane and funny and I love that someone felt like it made sense to have Toad popping molly's, because that is insane (and funny).


* How do you think I kept my job for that long?

Take the Initiative

I WASN'T READY

My apologies if the GIFs on this page take a long time to load. It was too funny not to post.

Heart of a Champion

TOUCHDOWN

My friends kid likes to get ready for naps by putting her arms above her head.

Two months old and already winning at life.

Walkie Talkies Are the Best

Walkie Talkies never get old. Still super awesome.
Thanks Alligator Sunglasses.

No updates lately because of that other thing. Will get caught up on the backlog this weekend.

Pay Me

Me, checking to see if my tax return came in yet.

Backlog: Commentary

I got some good comments that I haven't had a chance to get caught up with. Posting a quick photo or whatever takes no time at all. But I'm procrastinating ready now so here we are.

On the sweet photo from when I was younger and my back didn't hurt:
Big Cheese says: actually took note of the t-shirt when I found this.
but more importantly what is the story with titanfall? you over it?
//To which I respond: I couldn't find a way to have fun in the game. The super twitchy gameplay didn't suit me so I died a lot, even after adjusting strategy and loadouts. The game is intended for solo players playing team deathmatch. I like social, objective-based game types. The maps are too small and 6v6 gameplay sucks. There are no rewards for team-based gameplay and the map does not indicate where your teammates are so you cannot exploit any type of advantage by communicating. Not, in my opinion, a good game. Battlefield is far superior but DICE has had wayyyyy too many server issues on the xbone version. Sucks.

Sweet Katie said some nice things about that photo from the wayback machine.
//TWIR: you're the sweetest.

Anonymous commenting on the same photo:
My wife: Oh my god. I don't even really recognize him.
//TWIR: That's pretty much exactly how I feel when I look at it. So.

Ze Newbs and Spud both left awesome Trainspotting-related comments on my post about Tam getting fired intae Thief. Not much to say about that except, Do you shee the beasht? Have you got him in your shights?
Clear enough Mish Moneypenny! Thish should preshent noooo shignificant problem.

Not for nothing, but Landon Donovan scoring in 2010 is the new Archie Gemmill scoring in 1978.

And finally Ze Newbs shares this fun fact about dogs, from one of of my frequent posts about dogs:
canine has biggest % range in body mass of any species. you're welcome.

//

And there we are. Thanks to y'all for reading and sharing feedback. I appreciate it.
I had better go watch Game of Thrones get some work done. 

The Best Ever Hangs It Up: Letterman Announces Retirement (Next Year Some Time)

Many people will say that Carson was the best ever. But Carson didn't have any competition, and he didn't have to go through a mid-career re-invention like Letterman did. He was great, but for my money Dave was the best.

In related news, where the hell can I get this shirt? I will pay good green American money, in quantity. Why is he wearing it? Letterman went to Ball State. No idea whence came this fantastic photo or this superb jersey. That guy rules.

Cats are the Best

We love both Cats and Dogs in this space. Business Cat is all business. You've earned it!

Magic and Dogs - Give Pups a Hug!

This is more sleight of hand and dogs than 'magic' and dogs but it's interesting to see how the dogs react. Dogs are born with an innate ability to understand gestures (especially pointing with your hand or arm) and they use your gaze to infer information and determine their course of action.*

If you are training a dog you shouldn't wear sunglasses because they obscure your face, and dogs use that information to make decisions. (It would be like taking a quiz with frustratingly vague questions.) You can see the behavior clearly here: Treat disappears and the dog looks at the magician / 'mentalist' for a hint. Then a lot of other interesting stuff happens, depending on the dog. Those say as much about the dogs temperament and the owner as they do about the dogs themselves.


* They tested this in the lab and animals you would expect to understand a gaze and gesture, such as chimpanzees, had no idea that the information was relevant. Untrained dogs knew. Evolution is awesome.  

The Cake is a Lie: Pay the Players

The NCAA D-1 Men's Basketball Tournament happens every year around this time. It coincides with much hand-wringing about how much money the NCAA - a not-for-profit organization - makes (billions of dollars, which is quite a lot) and how much money the players make (zero dollars, which is quite a lot less).

I'm not here to wring my hands; I'm here to Marcus Small double-bird the NCAA in general and the NCAA amateurism rules in particular.

The NCAA is a sham, amateur athletics is a sham, and anyone that defends the archaic notion that these players who work for free should continue to do so because something-something-education and the good of the game and whatever else is talking nonsense. Brian Philips lays it all out in greater detail, but I have been working on a post about it too and I'm not one to let good(?) words go to waste.

The NCAA amateurism rules are about control. Yes the players get a scholarship. That's a useful piece of compensation (for some), even if it is a joke when compared to the amount of value the NCAA and the school get out of the player. Still: they get an opportunity to get an education. Which is valuable, if you're in school to get an education. And it would make sense if the players were treated like regular students. Except athletes in 'revenue' sports (football, basketball) are generally not in school to get an education, they are in school to get some miserably low-wage / high-risk on the job training in the NBA and NFL's de facto minor leagues. And they are not treated like regular students (this was the crux of the ruling from the NLRB).

It's a great system from the NCAA's perspective: they do the work while YOU get paid. Then you say you cannot pay them because: education(?). I dunno. One of the things I learned in school is that you should get paid for your work. I guess that rules are different when you start collecting truly astronomical sums of money. 

All of which would be tolerable if the players had an opportunity to capitalize on their marketable skills in their private lives, away from the court or field. But they cannot, because: NCAA amateurism rules. Players do not own the rights to their own name or image. They cannot sell their autograph, cannot get paid to participate in events, cannot make money on endorsements, cannot get paid in any way. The only right a player owns is the decision to play or transfer. (Don't get me started on how unfair the transfer rules are.)

Meanwhile, everyone else makes money hand over fist: the NCAA, the school, the administrators, the head coaches, the TV networks, the apparel companies, the shoe companies, the companies that advertise at the event, the venue owners, the licensed merchandise vendors, the unlicensed merchandise vendors, the guy selling parking spots around the way, the scalpers, etc. The list of people cashing checks on behalf of these young men is absurd.

If you're a good player at a big-time school then you have the Midas touch: literally everything you come into contact with makes people money. Except you. You work for peanuts. Your options are limited, and once you commit yourself to the machine you can have your right to work revoked at any time because wanting to get some of that cheese while you're still in college is a character issue. Or something. I don't even know. And don't dare smoke any weed, either. That would be breaking the rules and grounds for immediate suspension. No kid that smoked weed in college ever amounted to anything. Except for that one guy. Whatever. He wasn't athlete. No athlete every smoked wee- what's that? Oh. I shouldn't have brought it up.

This morally wrong and unjust system is perpetuated because the fat cats with the money don't want to share it. If you're cool with that, keep filling out March Madness(TM) brackets and enjoying the games. We all draw the line somewhere - most of us are not at all fussed about the working conditions in the plant where our cellphones are assembled. But if you think that employees should be paid commensurate with their value instead of being exploited by artificial, collusive wage restrictions then, well, maybe the Final Four isn't for you.

Easter Snow

WTF

Friend Lindsay says that she is tired of winter. It's 65 and sunny where I live. I said what's the big deal? She sent the photo at right. Yikes.

Everyone Was Young Once

Me on the Left

Sometimes I forget how old I am because I don't have kids and I'm not married and I still play Titanfall Battlefield as much as I like. And then one of my married friends with kids sends me a reminder. Like this one from Big Cheese (pictured, R). Thanks. I guess.

Sweet Katie took that actual picture a lifetime ago on an actual camera with film that had to be developed by businesses that existed for that very purpose. They're all gone now, like record stores.

Special bonus shout out to the Sunnyvale State University t-shirt, which I borrowed from my cousin and subsequently wore on the regular until it disintegrated. He wasn't happy about that. Turns out it was a somewhat unique item. Not least because there is no such thing as Sunnyvale State University. They sold them at an orchard for a while, but I think that's all paved over now. I could not find one online in my quick search. Even the string "sunnyvale state university" only returned a few results. Like I said: old.

Fully Committed: Future Islands on Letterman

This is some straight up white people music, although the vocal may remind you of John Newman singing with Rudimental. (Also white people music.)

The performance, it is something. Dude just goes for it. It is so unabashed, so over the top, so completely and utterly IDGAF, so earnest, that it pierces David Letterman's adamantium-grade cynicism and turns him into an actual fan. That takes some doing. Game recognizes game, as it were.

Keep in mind it's about 3 in the afternoon, cold room, crowd of bullshit tourists that waited in line to see Letterman. Basically the worst possible situation for a show, unless you're playing at 9 AM to nobody at a festival. Guy doesn't care. He brings it 100%. Respect.

Not surprisingly, the studio version of the song is really good. If you're into that sort of thing. Which, like Dave says: I'll take all of that you got.

Beaker Is the Best

They never saw it coming.

Run Like the Wind

Big Cheese sent me this. I liked it.
Puppy loves to run! I like the part where she gets to the bottom and waits for him, then takes off like a shot. So great.

Kisses Whether You Like It or Not

This is me trying to get Brutus to look at the camera without him concussing me with a headbutt when he turns to look at my face. He's not the easiest dog to photograph. Too busy being awesome. Why hold still when you can move? There might be treats!

To be fair it's confusing when one person is telling you to hold still and another person is telling you to look. If the dog isn't familiar with different commands then that is not his fault. He is leaning a bit because his right rear leg is bothering him. He tore his ACL because he is too damn bulky and people breed these dogs too large. Again: not his fault. Sucks.

Catching up with this guy and his sister this week so I'll get more pics. You care.

Parenting

An alarming number of my friends just had kids. They are very tired and busy now. I bought titanfall so I am very tired and busy too. Same thing, pretty much. Except for the part where I can sell titanfall back in a few months when I'm bored with it. Advantage: titanfall.

Sports Analytics

Is That a Cat?

Big data definitely predicted this.

Spam

Looks about right.

Throwback Thursday: Doves - Pounding

This song comes from a record that went straight to number 1 in the UK in 2002. It peaked at 83 on the Billboard charts that same year in the the US. (The number one song in the US that year was Nickelback. Those guys sold a lot of records like Budweiser sells a lot of beer. Don't care if you like it, you have to respect it.)

You can't find the video or even a rip of the song on youtube (plenty of live bootlegs, though), which doesn't make much sense considering you can find the song online for free in about 3 minutes. (You can find almost any song for free in 3 minutes.) Whatever. The video is dated but the song is great. Enjoy.



Doves - Pounding from Chris Sayer on Vimeo.

Hollow Victory

 I laughed.

Via the consistently funny Alligator Sunglasses.

Special for Spud

Custom fookin' designed for your needs!*
 
FOOK'S SAKE!




* That's from Trainspotting, if you haven't seen that movie 50+ times like I have.** 



** If you have done then you probably have a screw loose. I would know. 

Wherever You Go, There You Are

"The heart wants what it wants."
I say that a lot. It's great to be like a fox and 'know many little things', but the heart, well, you know.

This remix has been out for a month and it's not getting much traction. I find this odd, because I think it's super. YMMV. 

Mix and Match

So I guess the blog is just your typical mish-mash of dance music, political bitching, yoga stories, and dogs. Dogs whenever possible, because: DOGZ.

What I mean to say is: this mix is great.

Hypocrisy

Can you believe Russia invaded the Ukraine? What kind of country invades a sovereign nation on false pretenses? That's just the worst kind of , wait, hold on...

It appears that the good old US of A may have been involved in some type of similar situation recently. I'm trying to remember what it was... Wait for it... Ohh, that's right. The war in Iraq. Well at least it's over now. What's that?

Oh it's not over. Still going on. Okay then. Never mind.

So if you're wondering why Putin, et. al. think Kerry (and Obama) are huge asshats when they make noise about Russia being proactive in the Crimea just remember that they share a border and there a lot of ethnic Russians there. Not saying the land grab is right or wrong, just laying out some facts. Another fact: the US invades whatever country it wants, whenever it wants. It's only an issue when someone else does it.

Hot Jamz: The Tallest Man on Earth x WKND - The Dreamer

 I dig this. I hope you dig it too.

Song is three years old but the remix dropped about a month ago. You can find a download on the internet without too much trouble. Or you can just email me and I'll send it to you. Either way, really.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Consider the Wolf

This video is making a stir on the internet. I liked it. Deer are like rats, but bigger.
Hat to Big Cheese for sending.

GIVE ME ALL THE KISSES

GIMME SOME OF THAT SUGAR

Visited with Friend Ryan earlier in the week. He always laughs at me because as soon as I come in we shake hands hello and then I immediately sit down on the ground with the dogs and hug and kiss them for about 5 minutes or until they settle down, whichever is longer. No time for chat, first we have to get the hugs out of the way.

Apparently some people that visit worry about stuff like dog hair and slobber and the occasional bump or bruise when they get rambunctious. I am not one of those people. I am the opposite of those people. The dogs love it when I come over. SO MANY HUGZ AND KISSES.

One of his pups is Brutus, who he found at an abandoned foreclosure home and rescued. Brutus was about 35 lbs when he was found starving and chained to a fence in a dirt yard. Just skin and bones and his enormous noggin. He had sores and fleas and worms and various other ailments related to slowly starving to death while chained up in a small space. Friend Ryan called up his then girlfriend (now wife) and said, "honey, I think we're getting another dog." (Friend Ryan is good people.) That was about 4 years ago now and Brutus has grown into an enormous (90 lbs!!) beast ball of sugar. It's very good that Ryan adopted him because the shelters are already stuffed full of pit bull mixes. Plus he went to a very good home and is loved.

Next time I visit I will get some photos of his other dog, Roxy. She is even sweeter than Brutus, and although she is half his size she bosses Brutus around. 

BABYTIME

SO MUCH BABYTIME

My friend and his wife had a baby. Her name is Samantha. Their cat is has been around a bit longer and we are close friends because she keeps me company when I stop by at their house. Mainly because I always sit on the floor and the cat is also on the floor and she likes having company down at floor level. So my friend sent me this amazing photo of the two babes in repose. It gets no better.

Well That IS Handy

This from XKCD lets you know what time it is everywhere. Just click the link. Easy.

What time is it?

Surya Namaskara A and B in Sanskrit and English

In my TT we had to write out the scripts for Surya Namaskara A and B as homework. This little chore was a pain in the ass because it forced me to sort through some crap yoga sites and double check my work to ensure that it was correct. Related: Yoga people should not be allowed to design or deliver web content. Ever.

All I needed was a simple list of the steps. I added the breath for n00bs but if you have a regular vinyasa practice it should be old news to you by now. You want poorly lit photos and mediocre descriptions of the postures feel free to look elsewhere. You want to know how it's really supposed to go then take a yoga class. This list is intended as a study aide for someone familiar with the poses.

Special Pet Peeve PS. Do your chadurangas correctly or don't do them at all. Elbows tight to the body, wrists under elbows and upper arms parallel to the mat and no further. NO SWOOPING. Swooping puts unnecessary stress and wear on your rotator cuff. You don't get closer to enlightenment by being an asshat and hurting yourself. There's nothing blissful about doing physical therapy. If fundamentally sound chadurangas are too hard then put your knees down.

Happy practicing. See you in class.

Surya Namaskara A

(0) Samasthiti

1. INH - Utthita Hastasana in Tadasana (Arms Up)
2. EXH - Uttanasana (Forward fold)
3. INH - Urdhva Uttanasana (Halfway lifted forward fold)
4. EXH - Chaturanga Dandasana (Plank)
5. INH - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog)
6. EXH - Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
7. INH - Urdhva Uttanasana
8. EXH - Uttanasana
9. INH - Utthita Hastasana in Tadasana

(0) Samasthiti

Surya Namaskara B; INH = INHALE; EXH = EXHALE

(0) Samasthiti

1. INH - Utkatasana (Chair)
2. EXH - Uttanasana (Forward Fold)
3. INH - Urdhva Uttanasana (Halfway lifted forward fold)
4. EXH - Chaturanga Dandasana (Plank)
5. INH - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog)
6. EXH - Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
7. INH - Virabhadrasana 1 right (Warrior 1)
8. EXH - Chaturanga Dandasana
9. INH - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
10. EXH - Adho Mukha Svanasana
11. INH - Virabhadrasana 1 left
12. EXH - Chaturanga Dandasana
13. INH - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
14. EXH - Adho Mukha Svanasana (5 breaths)
15. INH - Urdhva Uttanasana
16. EXH - Uttanasana
17. INH - Utkatasana

(0) Samasthiti

This is the Best: Royal Society Charter Book

Loved every bit of this. It was charming and genuine and fascinating all at once. 


Note how the early pages are filled with signatures from top to bottom. They couldn't have made a little more room for Hooke, maybe started a new page? No. Vellum was expensive. Fit your name at the bottom.  Christopher Wren, titan of architecture and design, doesn't even bother with his full written name. Same with Newton, who writes in a type that is inversely proportional to his impact.

NULLIUS IN VERBA is my new favorite phrase.

Don't Plan on It

You got plans? Sure you do. Everyone does. Here are some quotes about plans. 

If you want to make god laugh, tell him about your plans.  - Woody Allen

No plan survives first contact with the enemy. - Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. - Mike Tyson

See you out there.

The Troof Hurts

Friend of the Blog had to get some dental work done. I wanted to be supportive via txt msg, but also couldn't help being a dick. HUGZ! 

#MERCY_IS_SIGN_OF_WEAKNESS

No Time for Self Reflection

The intertubez, it delivers.

Not Strictly True: Lone Survivor Movie

This is late but I wanted to do some reading before I got caught up.
The Lone Survivor movie marketed itself as being based on true events. It was a hell of a long way from anywhere close to accurate. The most egregious error is the number of men that ambush and kill the Navy SEALs in Operation Red Wings. The head bad guy that organized the ambush made a video of the attack. There were 8 men in the video. Eight. Even if he had a few more that didn't want to be in the video (possible, though highly unlikely) then he may have had as many as twelve. That's not quite the 50 (!!) mentioned in Michael P. Murphy's MoH summary of action, nor is it the 30-40 in his MoH Citation. And it is far less than the number depicted in the movie.

Whatever. Hollywood is bullshit and makes stuff up. We knew that. The military is bullshit and makes stuff up. We knew that too.

Except: What chaps me is that Muphy's summary of action doesn't need to be embellished. His acts of bravery and sacrifice are beyond compare regardless of how many people were trying to kill him and his team. Tell the truth about that shit. It matters.

For a full accounting of the inaccuracies, go here: http://www.onviolence.com/?e=770

Superb Owl

WHAAA??

This little guy was discovered outside my friend's office last week (she works in upstate NY). It was rescued and taken to a shelter for recovery.

It's very bright outside during the day for owls. Or maybe he's just suuuuuuper baked. I don't know what the owls get up to in their free time. 

Heard it from A Friend Who Heard it from a Friend

Woke up with this song in my head this morning. No idea why. I haven't heard it (as far as I know) in a long time. I did hear some REO Speedwagon earlier this week on the radio, but not this song. Weird. What's going on in my empty brain during the overnight? Doesn't matter.

Keeps Me Busy, and Another Hit from Sander van Doorn

Long blog posts are in short supply because I haven't had time to sit down and write something thoughtful. I only have a limited number of brain cells and it's tough to get them all going the same direction. SQUIRREL. Plus TT and work means I am doing busy at least 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. In related news I am tired all the time. Plus: homework. But also: hot girls in yoga pants. Shed no tears for me.

At least I'll get plenty of rest this weekend. Except I won't because my peep is visiting from the East. I'm hoping jet lag slows him down or I might die. I don't mean I might die in the "oh that sucks you're so hung over" sense. I mean it in the "oh damn that's too bad he's dead he was a cool guy" sense. Yikes.

On to the music! This delicious slice of Big Room Cheese from Sander van Doorn goes out to (who else?) Big Cheese. There was a time that I would listen to this sort of jam on repeat as loud as possible. And by "there was a time" I mean "yesterday". Autotune? Yes. Catchy hook? Check. Trite lyrics about being young and YOLO and similar bullshit? OH HELL YES. This is a hammer.




Full track comes out in a few days. This song is going to be a smash hit for sure. Sometimes the world needs a slice of cheese. Don't fight it. 

You Knew It All Along

J.K. Rowling admitted recently that Hermione would have been happier had she ended up with Harry instead of Ron. The interview isn't online yet but you can pick up the glossy advertisements magazine when it comes out. If you're the type of person that reads Wonderland.

Which, there's a magazine called wonderland? What? The website says it's got FASHION MUSIC CELEBRITY ETC. It looks like the type of air-quotes-'edgy' print mag that the cool kids thumb through to identify what's not cool any more because somebody put it in a magazine. That shit is so last year.