Loaded Questions #19

I haven't done this in a while, but it is nice to be back. Here we go from Loaded Questions:

Hypotheticals: If you had to run a marathon, how many miles do you think you could last?

Do I have to run? Running 1-2 miles. I could walk forever...

Anything Goes: What is life's greatest mystery?

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

No-Brainers: What is your favorite flower?

Not something I have really thought about. In the spring time I do love seeing all of the bluebonnets off the highways around here.

Personals: What do you generally sleep in at night?

Wow that is personal...boxer shorts.

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Garden State

One of the things I really didn’t appreciate while growing up was the garden that my parents planted every year. I always liked the fruits and veggies a bunch, but I don’t think I fully appreciated. Well this year my dad planted a garden for the first time since 2001, and I was by there a week or so ago, and got some fresh zucchini and squash. Nothing else was ready yet, but man, just eating those 2 veggies last week was great.

I can’t wait to go back and get some tomatoes, beans and other stuff.

Slammin' Sammy hit 600

I have been reflecting on Sammy Sosa and his 600^th hundredth home run for a while now, and I have some mixed feelings about.

1. He is a proven cheater. He used a corked bat, and I find it pretty damn hard to believe that the one time he got caught was the one time he used it.
2. A bunch of people continually harp on the fact that it was never proven that he took steroids. I am not a court of law he isn’t innocent until proven guilty in my eyes. He also all but admitted by claiming he didn’t understand the questions during the original senate meetings. Plus I remember an interview he gave before when someone asked him about steroids, and his reply was, “Do you want me to get into trouble?”
3. I am impressed though that he missed and entire season of baseball, and he is one of the best players on the Rangers. Of course that may not say much about the Rangers club this year (last in MLB).
4. I couldn’t get over all of the ding-dongs going crazy at the ballpark. It is should feel like a hollow stat for the fans around here. He hit all of 13 of his 600 home runs in a Ranger uniform.
5. After the home run, the announce on the TV said, “ How would you like to be Frank Catalanotto? Trying to follow up Sammy’s 600^th.” Catalanotto then hit a home run himself. I loved it.
6. I liked the fact that the home run landed in the bullpen. There was no mad scramble by the fans to get it. No one getting trampled. No litigation from 2 jerks over who “owns” the ball so they can turn around and sell it.
7. All of that being said. It was still kind of cool watching that live. How often does someone get to watch that? I didn’t see Barry Bonds’ 600^th live. This one I did, and watching all of those flashbulbs go off was a really cool sight.

Ultimately, after processing this all in my head, it feels like such an empty stat. Because I just know he probably hit half of his home runs, if not more, by cheating. Why should I, you or anyone celebrate cheating?

I love me some ME!

There is a comic book meme going around, and my friend Rob has agreed to interview me. Its not all comic books though, but you will get the idea.

1) There are lots of superscientific or magical items in comics. What's your favorite?

In the unofficial poll in my head the winner by a landslide (and maybe a bit clichèd) is Green Lantern's ring. He was the guy I pretended to be the most as a little kid. You can make anything with you can imagine? That was way too cool for me.

;



In a distant second place though, is Captain America's shield. I truly loved that one as well.


2) What toppings do you prefer on your pizza?

Italian sausage and mushrooms. And depending on my mood extra cheese and/or jalapenos


3) What one writer who hasn't yet written comics would you like to see try his or her hand at it?



That is a tough one. But as I am a big fan of noir and crime novels, how about James Ellroy or Elmore Leonard? And someone who was written a real good spy novel, and some decent sci-fi would be Dean Ing. But Ellroy would be my top choice.



4) Movies: What's your favorite sequel?

The Empire Strikes Back. The best out of all of them



5) Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

I may have tipped my hand here, but obviously Star Wars. I have seen all of the LOTR movies, but I haven't felt the need to watch them again. I could watch the original Star Wars trilogy right now.

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Thanks, Rob it was fun. If anyone stumbles across the blog and feels a need to be interviewed let me know.

or: Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about comics – I won’t assume you’re a comic reader – or a superhero comic reader -- when I pick my questions. (If you are, though – fair game!)

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Free Lunch!

One of the better aspects of working out of my boss’ house is having free reign over the kitchen. I can grab snacks or eat leftovers. I don’t usually, and I bring my own food for lunch, just using their exta fridge in the garage as my own. This week though I have been eating the food here. My boss and his wife hosted a baby shower over the weekend, and they have WAY to much food leftover. So I have been eating little mini sandwiches. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Little desserts. Plus, shrimp cocktails. It has been good. Heck, I even took some of the shrimp home last night and made some stir-fry with it. Does this disprove the rule that “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”? I dunno, but this at least comes pretty damn close.

eBay Auction Fraud

eBay jewellery store fined $400,000 for shill bidding | The Register

I wonder how much to a lesser degree this goes on auction sites like eBay all the time. Seems like it would be easy to have a friend artificially raise the price of a lot for you. I'm interested to see how many other stories like this come out.

I've been to a couple of charity auction before were I have seen people bid on items they didn't want to drive the price up to help out, and then sweat it out as they worried that they might win.

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Leopard Trap

This is a very cool story i thought.

Popular Science Blog - If A Leopard Calls... Hang Up!

Pretty crafty idea if you ask me...

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8 Things You May Not Know About Me

My friend Rob was tagged for a meme a while back to post 8 things you may not know about him, and he tagged me to follow him. I have been putting it off, because the challenge to me was not to think of 8 things, but to make them mildly interesting. I think I finally got a handle on what I
wanted to say. So, here we go, 8 things you may now know about me.

1. I am a very competitive person, but I think I hide it pretty well. There is almost no game I will back down from if I am challenged. Although knowing how I am, and how I will react internally (sometimes externally) I try not get myself into trouble. No one is harder on me, than me when I lose at a game.

2. I will almost never discuss politics with people. I have my opinions, and I respect everyone else's, but I learned a long time ago that you will NEVER change any one's mind. I used to listen to a lot of talk radio, and not once did I hear someone say, "Good points. You've convinced me, I have changed my stance." No one wants to back down.

3. I don't get when people talk about movies that changed their life. The 2 closest movies that I would rate that high for me would be Reservoir Dogs. When I saw this movie, I told all my friends about it, and got them to watch it. I watched this move at least once a week for 2 months. The other movie would be Clerks. The first day I watched it, I saw it three times in one day. Really restored my faith that independent movies could be great.

4. I would be almost perfectly content to eat the all of my meals out of bowls. Cereal, Soups, Stews, Ice Cream, Salads. I don't, but I could.

5. There are 2 things people told me when I was growing up, that if I didn't do them I would regret for the rest of my life. Senior Prom and finishing college. I didn't do either one, and I couldn't care less. No regrets whatsoever.

6. I am a hypocrite. I hate it when someone I don't know calls me "Man". Drives me up the wall. I do it to guys I don't know all of the time that is why I am a hypocrite. What is weird, if someone I don't know calls me "Dude", that doesn't bother me.

7. If I could have done anything in the world of arts, I would have been a drummer in a punk rock band. Don't ask me why.

8. I hate potato salad. I know, I know. I haven't tried yours, but I have tried enough that I have probably had a pretty close facsimile of yours. Cold potatoes, mayo, and onions? I'll pass. And yes I have had mustard , German, and dill as well. I don't like any of them.

So there ya go. That is 8.