So I go to Subway last night.
Its quarter to 11:00 on a Wednesday night. I'm driving down 51st Street, looking for somewhere to eat. Everything is closed!! Taco Time, Quizno's, Mr. Sub. Everything is dark and shuttered.
I planned to go to Subway anyway. I like Subway. I wanted a sweet onion chicken teriyaki.
I get there, and the guy making the subs is functionally retarded. No, he's not all twitchy or anything, but one of the droolers would probably have been more capable at the job that this mouth breather. And it isn't helping any that the people ahead of me are little more than retarded themselves. A couple who looked to be 20. God I hate people that can't make up their mind about what to order. The dumb girl changed her mine THREE times about what she wanted. And bitched about the lack of sauces.
Subway was OUT of mayo. How do you run out of that!?! It goes on bloody near every sandwich that goes out. Its just one of those things you have to have in stock. They were also out of Italian sauce but that's less popular than mayo.
It took at least 10 minute for Winky the Wonder Worn to do two six inch subs. His only slightly more literate companion also came in as i was in line, and the two sad sacks talked about inconsequentials that mean little more than I wouldn't get my sub until midnight.
I get to order my sub. They have no chicken. NO CHICKEN!?!?! By this time I'm so pissed off I just want out of there. I order a monterey steak and cheese. They are out of the cheddar cheese. OUT OF CHEESE!?!?!?! My GOD does this store have anything!?! Fine, I get it with monterey cheese anyway, but I've given up all hope that this guy will be able to complete my order in a timely enough fashion. My only hope for salvation in this situation is that he's not sufficiently bright to operate the credit card machine and thus my sub will be free. He followed all the right steps but we'll see if it shows up on my monthly bill.
Suffice it to say, it was NOT a stellar Subway experience. I may not revisit that location again. If you're 30, and can't get a better job than late night Subway, maybe you should eat a bullet.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Reflections on a Wednesday night:
As I sat in my truck tonight, waiting for it to warm up, I took note of the fact that it was 10:21 and the radio station I was listening to was 102.1.
Apparently the small sample bottle of waste water from Souris, with the iron oxidized, has confused a lot of people. (Come on! Given that I was putting it in there as a question, you had to know it wouldn't be that easy.)
You can't really stereotype who should be at a Slipknot concert. There was a diverse collection of people in the beer garden. (the guy with the grey hair, and the couple that looked like they'd come upon a satanic ritual, were obviously not there for the music though)
We didn't get that blizzard they were advertising. Nonetheless, the wind was stiff enough that my truck needed another gear on some of the hills.
(P.S. So far so good with the truck)
In my opinion, Killswitch Engage was the best act, and they didn't do an encore due to audience apathy.
I have to take back a blog I did earlier. I was listening to the radio on the way in to Saskatoon tonight, and there's actually a lot of support being rallied for the tsunami victims. I guess it isn't getting the same level of over-exposure because it happened some place remote, instead of the heart of world media, New York, U.S.A.
As I sat in my truck tonight, waiting for it to warm up, I took note of the fact that it was 10:21 and the radio station I was listening to was 102.1.
Apparently the small sample bottle of waste water from Souris, with the iron oxidized, has confused a lot of people. (Come on! Given that I was putting it in there as a question, you had to know it wouldn't be that easy.)
You can't really stereotype who should be at a Slipknot concert. There was a diverse collection of people in the beer garden. (the guy with the grey hair, and the couple that looked like they'd come upon a satanic ritual, were obviously not there for the music though)
We didn't get that blizzard they were advertising. Nonetheless, the wind was stiff enough that my truck needed another gear on some of the hills.
(P.S. So far so good with the truck)
In my opinion, Killswitch Engage was the best act, and they didn't do an encore due to audience apathy.
I have to take back a blog I did earlier. I was listening to the radio on the way in to Saskatoon tonight, and there's actually a lot of support being rallied for the tsunami victims. I guess it isn't getting the same level of over-exposure because it happened some place remote, instead of the heart of world media, New York, U.S.A.
And here is my latest, and greatest idea! (okay, maybe not great, but it is new)
Rollerblade Track
Its a layout for a rollerblade track in my backyard. My backyard is huge. I'm always thinking of ways to fill it up. This is my newest one. If you can't figure it out from the simplistic depiction, the idea is to make a smooth track out of sidewalk blocks. My parents bought some of these recently, and since they knew the pricing (~ $5 a block (30" square)) I used that for my design.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the four curved 'corners'. Obviously a square block is not going to easily accomodate my design for roundness. I still need to figure that part out. Oh, and whether I can stay on a track that's 2-1/2 feet wide, especially in the corners.
Rollerblade Track
Its a layout for a rollerblade track in my backyard. My backyard is huge. I'm always thinking of ways to fill it up. This is my newest one. If you can't figure it out from the simplistic depiction, the idea is to make a smooth track out of sidewalk blocks. My parents bought some of these recently, and since they knew the pricing (~ $5 a block (30" square)) I used that for my design.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the four curved 'corners'. Obviously a square block is not going to easily accomodate my design for roundness. I still need to figure that part out. Oh, and whether I can stay on a track that's 2-1/2 feet wide, especially in the corners.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Somehow I got to the Middle East and dropped about half my weight.
Oh, and I need braces now.
Doppleganger
Oh, and I need braces now.
Doppleganger
Monday, January 10, 2005
So I'm watching the Core tonight.
I'm not sure how many of you will be familiar with this movie. It was a modest film that capitalizes on all the thrills of your average doomsday movie. Working against it, is the fact this was done already, in the years preceding its release. We had Armageddon, to which The Core most closely resembles. And Armageddon harnessed a far more bankable cast.
I shall skip the ridiculous movie review and get to my point. I turned it on just before we had the obligatory martyr scene. In this particular film, the martyr must leave the safe confines of the titanium worm that is burrowing to the center of the earth and go into a crawlspace, to release a compartment of the ship.
Again, we'll skip my diatribe about why the hell would you spend 20 years designing something and then not notice such a ludicrous oversight? So this guy has to leave the protective cabin of this worm vessel, and push the unlock button. They are at the core, and the temperature out there is thousands of degrees. And of course they have thermal suits but they are only rated to half of the temperature that will be in this crawlspace.
There are some things about this retarded scenario that are just too blatant to ignore.
A suit rated for 4000 degrees is not going to provide enough protection at 8000 degrees, for you to take even three steps.
If by some miracle a 4000 degree suit can do something useful against 9000 degrees, to at least enough that you can get to the button, then why not just wear two suits? Suit A burns off getting to the button, and suit B burns off coming back.
Its entirely possible I think too much . . .
I'm not sure how many of you will be familiar with this movie. It was a modest film that capitalizes on all the thrills of your average doomsday movie. Working against it, is the fact this was done already, in the years preceding its release. We had Armageddon, to which The Core most closely resembles. And Armageddon harnessed a far more bankable cast.
I shall skip the ridiculous movie review and get to my point. I turned it on just before we had the obligatory martyr scene. In this particular film, the martyr must leave the safe confines of the titanium worm that is burrowing to the center of the earth and go into a crawlspace, to release a compartment of the ship.
Again, we'll skip my diatribe about why the hell would you spend 20 years designing something and then not notice such a ludicrous oversight? So this guy has to leave the protective cabin of this worm vessel, and push the unlock button. They are at the core, and the temperature out there is thousands of degrees. And of course they have thermal suits but they are only rated to half of the temperature that will be in this crawlspace.
There are some things about this retarded scenario that are just too blatant to ignore.
A suit rated for 4000 degrees is not going to provide enough protection at 8000 degrees, for you to take even three steps.
If by some miracle a 4000 degree suit can do something useful against 9000 degrees, to at least enough that you can get to the button, then why not just wear two suits? Suit A burns off getting to the button, and suit B burns off coming back.
Its entirely possible I think too much . . .
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Have you ever noticed that in the great majority of motion pictures, the characters can do all manner of really bad things to a vehicle, like:
drive through a heavy iron gate
knock over a fruit or newspaper stand
hit garbage cans
drive through walls (wood or concrete)
get shot up with bullets
take enormous flying leaps over hills or ramps
navigate amongst bombs, craters, and debris that are jolting the passengers
Yet, it seems to come out nearly intact. Certainly with FAR less damage than we'd endure in a simple, minor fender bender in a shopping mall parking lot?
drive through a heavy iron gate
knock over a fruit or newspaper stand
hit garbage cans
drive through walls (wood or concrete)
get shot up with bullets
take enormous flying leaps over hills or ramps
navigate amongst bombs, craters, and debris that are jolting the passengers
Yet, it seems to come out nearly intact. Certainly with FAR less damage than we'd endure in a simple, minor fender bender in a shopping mall parking lot?
Saturday, January 08, 2005
There's something else I thought of today.
At last reported count (or at least the one I saw) the death toll from the tsunami disaster had climbed past 150,000. Given that the totals are not abating in their continual rise, I think it is safe to say that, when the final tally is made, that one disaster will have wiped the equivalent of ALL of Saskatoon, off the map.
It is a disaster. It is being covered in the media. However, what I'm not seeing is the sense of awe that we had when the two towers fell. The death toll from this event is going to dwarf the 9/11 tragedy by so many times that to compare the two will do an injustice to the suffering of the people living out this tidal wave horror.
Nonetheless, the reporting of it, or what I'm seeing in the coverage available to me, is not quite the sense of monument that we had when the towers fell. Is that fair? Its a world away from us, and so I suppose we feel a bit insulated from the gravity of what has befallen those poor people.
One city's population (or the comparative amount) was wiped from existence in the span of a day. Doesn't that merit at least as much solemnity as was afforded the city of New York?
At last reported count (or at least the one I saw) the death toll from the tsunami disaster had climbed past 150,000. Given that the totals are not abating in their continual rise, I think it is safe to say that, when the final tally is made, that one disaster will have wiped the equivalent of ALL of Saskatoon, off the map.
It is a disaster. It is being covered in the media. However, what I'm not seeing is the sense of awe that we had when the two towers fell. The death toll from this event is going to dwarf the 9/11 tragedy by so many times that to compare the two will do an injustice to the suffering of the people living out this tidal wave horror.
Nonetheless, the reporting of it, or what I'm seeing in the coverage available to me, is not quite the sense of monument that we had when the towers fell. Is that fair? Its a world away from us, and so I suppose we feel a bit insulated from the gravity of what has befallen those poor people.
One city's population (or the comparative amount) was wiped from existence in the span of a day. Doesn't that merit at least as much solemnity as was afforded the city of New York?
Are there any photographers among my devoted readership? I looked at my own blog today, and a question came to mind that I've always had, but have never pursued the answer.
How do you take a close-up?
I'm not talking about a nice crop of someone's head. What I really need to know is, how do you set yourself up to take a close-up shot of something small. Since its current, and we've all seen it (you do check my photo links, right?), let's take my example from a few days ago, and the vial of mystery fluid.
Why didn't that work?
Its almost what I wanted. I snapped just the vial of water, and the half-ass background I made for it. Its almost in focus, but not really. What was my mistake? I tried it a bunch of ways, and it never turned out clear. I try sitting back and zooming. I tried being close, and not zooming. I fiddled with flash versus no flash, in case it was a lighting thing. I tried supporting my camera with something other than my shaky hands, and that didn't work. I wish I knew where my mistake was. There are many instances where I'd like to take a close-up of something small, but I never get it right.
Thoughts anyone?
How do you take a close-up?
I'm not talking about a nice crop of someone's head. What I really need to know is, how do you set yourself up to take a close-up shot of something small. Since its current, and we've all seen it (you do check my photo links, right?), let's take my example from a few days ago, and the vial of mystery fluid.
Why didn't that work?
Its almost what I wanted. I snapped just the vial of water, and the half-ass background I made for it. Its almost in focus, but not really. What was my mistake? I tried it a bunch of ways, and it never turned out clear. I try sitting back and zooming. I tried being close, and not zooming. I fiddled with flash versus no flash, in case it was a lighting thing. I tried supporting my camera with something other than my shaky hands, and that didn't work. I wish I knew where my mistake was. There are many instances where I'd like to take a close-up of something small, but I never get it right.
Thoughts anyone?
Friday, January 07, 2005
You know you're boring and have no life when you sit down and make up a spreadsheet like this on a Friday night.
Beverage Comparison
Beverage Comparison
Blog Guessing Game:
(yes, I know that I'm the only one that finds all these guessing games amusing)
Mystery Fluid!
What is in the jar?
(yes, I know that I'm the only one that finds all these guessing games amusing)
Mystery Fluid!
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What is in the jar?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
So, I am almost over my seething rage.
Guess what happened this morning? If you guessed, truck didn't start, give yourself a cookie. It is true, my stupid ass vehicle did not start, AGAIN!!! I am decidedly unhappy. And it wasn't, too cold to start, not start. It was the same, damnable, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO BATTERY start!!!
Okay, I guess I'm not over my seething rage yet. Thinking about it irritates me. I will attempt a coherent blog entry this afternoon, if I calm down.
P.S. Chevrolet sucks
Guess what happened this morning? If you guessed, truck didn't start, give yourself a cookie. It is true, my stupid ass vehicle did not start, AGAIN!!! I am decidedly unhappy. And it wasn't, too cold to start, not start. It was the same, damnable, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO BATTERY start!!!
Okay, I guess I'm not over my seething rage yet. Thinking about it irritates me. I will attempt a coherent blog entry this afternoon, if I calm down.
P.S. Chevrolet sucks
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Monday, December 27, 2004
This is the part about lip synching that I don't get.
Its your song. You sang it. Its your voice that's being played from the amplified sound equipment. Its not like you've never put the words to voice before. So then how the hell can you not be able to match up to your original song? This seems like a simple matter of vigilant practice. If you actually do your bloody job, and learn the stupid version of the song that you've committed to the backing track, then how can you not be able to lip sync it when you pretend to do it live?
Girls? Go back to the damn studio, and learn your flippin' song! You can all go get drunk, stoned, and turned inside out by whatever Neanderthal gorilla that has your panties in a twist, AFTER your put in the twenty god damn minutes a day it takes to make sure you can live up to your celebrity! The celebrity that got you into the club underaged. The fame that got you the narcotics for free, from the shady guy that seems to know everyone. And the mystique it took to convince a guy twice your age that it was worth the risk to bend you over the marble counter-top in the men's restroom for 5 minutes of sweaty, but meaningless visceral thrill.
Its your song. You sang it. Its your voice that's being played from the amplified sound equipment. Its not like you've never put the words to voice before. So then how the hell can you not be able to match up to your original song? This seems like a simple matter of vigilant practice. If you actually do your bloody job, and learn the stupid version of the song that you've committed to the backing track, then how can you not be able to lip sync it when you pretend to do it live?
Girls? Go back to the damn studio, and learn your flippin' song! You can all go get drunk, stoned, and turned inside out by whatever Neanderthal gorilla that has your panties in a twist, AFTER your put in the twenty god damn minutes a day it takes to make sure you can live up to your celebrity! The celebrity that got you into the club underaged. The fame that got you the narcotics for free, from the shady guy that seems to know everyone. And the mystique it took to convince a guy twice your age that it was worth the risk to bend you over the marble counter-top in the men's restroom for 5 minutes of sweaty, but meaningless visceral thrill.