29 March 2012
Cool Video
This video is very cool. I found it at Bad Astronomy. The video comes from Norway, which looks like a pretty cool place to visit. Just watch it and do not judge me for enjoying stuff.
28 March 2012
Ancient Aliens Ridiculousness
The last two episodes of Ancient Aliens have been even more idiotic than usual. I love that they use the same six locations/incidents as proof and they just try to reanalyze it each episode. One of these episodes focused on Pumapunku, which is a pre-Incan site in Bolivia. You may recognize it as the place with these giant H-blocks.
Needless to say, Ancient Alien Theorists believe this place was built by aliens. The place was built with immense precision and David Chidress shows us this precision by taking a square and showing how the cuts are exactly 90 degrees. Except, if you watch him, he puts the square against the block and you can see that the square is not even close to being exact. I am not taking anything away from the ancient engineers, but if you are claiming an advanced race made these blocks and they are not 100% exact, I am not buying it.
Speaking of David Childress...who is this guy? He comes off as some expert in archaeology, but unfortunately, he actually has no real credentials. He spent one year at a university. He writes books about this crap and people consider him an expert. Makes me laugh.
Another thing the AAT kept pointing to was the fact that inside these granite blocks, there are holes drilled into them. They claim that these holes must have been cut with some kind of drill from the future. Maybe a hypersonic drill. Do you know why they claim this? When they had an expert look at the cuts, he said there was no evidence of any kind of mechanical tool used, that the markings were typical of some kind of hand tool. Granted, the guy said that he did not think they were made with the known tools of that society at that time.
Naturally, the AAT people came to the conclusion that they must have used something that we do not have yet. Instead of trying to find a reasonable explanation, they went out and said "oh, it must be a hypersonic laser drill from Space Home Depot."
One of the theories regarding how the ancient folks moved these blocks the 10 KM up into the mountains says that the people used trees as rollers. The AAT people say that this is impossible because there are no trees up that high. Umm, this is true, but there are trees near the actual quarry site. It would seem to make more sense to lay the rollers as you go, not backwards. Or you can claim that they were levitated there by aliens. Yep, that makes more sense.
The AAT also claim that the granite is flat, which is proof that it was worked by aliens. I am not a geologist, but I could have sworn that I heard in some science class once that granite can be naturally flat. I have no clue whether or not the quarry where the large stones came from actually is one of those sites that produces relatively flat blocks. However, that would probably be what I would look into.
My favorite part of the episode involved a reconstruction of what the site must have looked like. They theorize that these blocks must have interconnected to either become a landing pad or a launch ramp. Allow me to explain this for a second.
These aliens travel millions of light-years, they have a technology that allows them to basically bend the laws of physics. They either have to create wormholes, which would take an enormous amount of energy, or maybe the discovered something that travels faster than light. Even though these things sound super improbable, stay with me.
They get to Earth and the first thing they do is build a landing port made out of granite. They do not have some kind of material or portable landing pad? Why would they need a launch ramp? If they made it here, would they really need to build a granite launch pad? They would not come prepared?
Another idea is that they used Pumapunku as a base camp. Again, I ask why build such a massive structure? When our military went to Iraq, they did not start building a ziggurat to house the troops. Nor did they start making tents out of animal hides like the Bedouin use. No, they brought their own portable camps with them. You mean to tell me that aliens would not have tents? Or some awesome pop up building?
The reason the H-blocks are no longer in place is because it appears that an earthquake may have hit the area at some point. Or, if you are an AAT: aliens destroyed the site with lasers (or a meteor) before they left. Yet, I would think if they fired some super energy weapon at their own base camp that we would see some evidence. Right? Heat marks on the blocks? What if they used a meteor? I would hope there would be some evidence.
Or maybe there was a cosmic battle and another alien group came and destroyed the base. After they destroyed the base though, they flew back there and picked up all the dead aliens and dropped weapons. The wreckage was cleaned up thoroughly and to this day there is no proof of this epic battle.
The last episode focused on Bigfoot. Yep, Bigfoot. The AAT claim that there is a connection between UFO sightings and Bigfoot. There probably is a connection. Crazy people who think they see Bigfoot, whenever they see a bear, probably identify a plane as an UFO as well.
I was actually somewhat excited about this episode since I actually like watching Bigfoot shows. They are so ridiculous, but they try so hard to be scientific. I will actually give them points for that one. They at least try. The AAT do not even try. They just make shit up.
For example, they claim that Enkido from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have been a Bigfoot. Because he was described as a hairy wild man. Without getting into too much of an analysis of that story, let me just say that Enkido represents the uncivilized aspect of the world around Sumer during that time. Gilgamesh has to go out and try to defeat the wild, yet cannot. Instead he gives Enkido a girl and that tames the wild man.
I honestly did not find too much to really care about the episode. They were grasping at straws. The only really far out theory was that the aliens built the Oregon caves in order to hide Bigfoot. Seems reasonable to me.
The other day when I was at Barnes and Noble I decided to pick up Philip Coppens book, The Ancient Alien Question. I was intrigued as I read the first couple chapters. He basically goes about disproving many of the theories. Then I skipped ahead to his conclusion and he still believes in ancient aliens because of the proof in his book, which like the other "proof" is just misinterpretation.
Needless to say, Ancient Alien Theorists believe this place was built by aliens. The place was built with immense precision and David Chidress shows us this precision by taking a square and showing how the cuts are exactly 90 degrees. Except, if you watch him, he puts the square against the block and you can see that the square is not even close to being exact. I am not taking anything away from the ancient engineers, but if you are claiming an advanced race made these blocks and they are not 100% exact, I am not buying it.Speaking of David Childress...who is this guy? He comes off as some expert in archaeology, but unfortunately, he actually has no real credentials. He spent one year at a university. He writes books about this crap and people consider him an expert. Makes me laugh.
Another thing the AAT kept pointing to was the fact that inside these granite blocks, there are holes drilled into them. They claim that these holes must have been cut with some kind of drill from the future. Maybe a hypersonic drill. Do you know why they claim this? When they had an expert look at the cuts, he said there was no evidence of any kind of mechanical tool used, that the markings were typical of some kind of hand tool. Granted, the guy said that he did not think they were made with the known tools of that society at that time.
Naturally, the AAT people came to the conclusion that they must have used something that we do not have yet. Instead of trying to find a reasonable explanation, they went out and said "oh, it must be a hypersonic laser drill from Space Home Depot."
One of the theories regarding how the ancient folks moved these blocks the 10 KM up into the mountains says that the people used trees as rollers. The AAT people say that this is impossible because there are no trees up that high. Umm, this is true, but there are trees near the actual quarry site. It would seem to make more sense to lay the rollers as you go, not backwards. Or you can claim that they were levitated there by aliens. Yep, that makes more sense.
The AAT also claim that the granite is flat, which is proof that it was worked by aliens. I am not a geologist, but I could have sworn that I heard in some science class once that granite can be naturally flat. I have no clue whether or not the quarry where the large stones came from actually is one of those sites that produces relatively flat blocks. However, that would probably be what I would look into.
My favorite part of the episode involved a reconstruction of what the site must have looked like. They theorize that these blocks must have interconnected to either become a landing pad or a launch ramp. Allow me to explain this for a second.
These aliens travel millions of light-years, they have a technology that allows them to basically bend the laws of physics. They either have to create wormholes, which would take an enormous amount of energy, or maybe the discovered something that travels faster than light. Even though these things sound super improbable, stay with me.
They get to Earth and the first thing they do is build a landing port made out of granite. They do not have some kind of material or portable landing pad? Why would they need a launch ramp? If they made it here, would they really need to build a granite launch pad? They would not come prepared?
Another idea is that they used Pumapunku as a base camp. Again, I ask why build such a massive structure? When our military went to Iraq, they did not start building a ziggurat to house the troops. Nor did they start making tents out of animal hides like the Bedouin use. No, they brought their own portable camps with them. You mean to tell me that aliens would not have tents? Or some awesome pop up building?
The reason the H-blocks are no longer in place is because it appears that an earthquake may have hit the area at some point. Or, if you are an AAT: aliens destroyed the site with lasers (or a meteor) before they left. Yet, I would think if they fired some super energy weapon at their own base camp that we would see some evidence. Right? Heat marks on the blocks? What if they used a meteor? I would hope there would be some evidence.
Or maybe there was a cosmic battle and another alien group came and destroyed the base. After they destroyed the base though, they flew back there and picked up all the dead aliens and dropped weapons. The wreckage was cleaned up thoroughly and to this day there is no proof of this epic battle.
The last episode focused on Bigfoot. Yep, Bigfoot. The AAT claim that there is a connection between UFO sightings and Bigfoot. There probably is a connection. Crazy people who think they see Bigfoot, whenever they see a bear, probably identify a plane as an UFO as well.
I was actually somewhat excited about this episode since I actually like watching Bigfoot shows. They are so ridiculous, but they try so hard to be scientific. I will actually give them points for that one. They at least try. The AAT do not even try. They just make shit up.
For example, they claim that Enkido from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have been a Bigfoot. Because he was described as a hairy wild man. Without getting into too much of an analysis of that story, let me just say that Enkido represents the uncivilized aspect of the world around Sumer during that time. Gilgamesh has to go out and try to defeat the wild, yet cannot. Instead he gives Enkido a girl and that tames the wild man.
I honestly did not find too much to really care about the episode. They were grasping at straws. The only really far out theory was that the aliens built the Oregon caves in order to hide Bigfoot. Seems reasonable to me.The other day when I was at Barnes and Noble I decided to pick up Philip Coppens book, The Ancient Alien Question. I was intrigued as I read the first couple chapters. He basically goes about disproving many of the theories. Then I skipped ahead to his conclusion and he still believes in ancient aliens because of the proof in his book, which like the other "proof" is just misinterpretation.
Weigh-In Wednesday VIII
This morning I stepped on the scale and was happy to see that I was down to 178.8. I know, this is exciting news to everyone. People have actually noticed the weight loss at work, which makes me pretty happy.
Speaking of work, I have some news to share with you. I have been transferred from the Altoona location of The Place That Shall Not Be Named to the Indiana location. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I am excited to try something new and the chance to prove myself at a high volume store.
However, I am sad to leave Altoona. The place is not easy to work at, yet I have been there for three years and I have grown to love it there. I enjoy many of the people who work there. Another thing I will is having family members stop there to see me. I highly doubt any of them will just happen to be going near Indiana.
Yesterday was my final day at Altoona, today I start at Indiana. It should be a fun time.
Speaking of work, I have some news to share with you. I have been transferred from the Altoona location of The Place That Shall Not Be Named to the Indiana location. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I am excited to try something new and the chance to prove myself at a high volume store.
However, I am sad to leave Altoona. The place is not easy to work at, yet I have been there for three years and I have grown to love it there. I enjoy many of the people who work there. Another thing I will is having family members stop there to see me. I highly doubt any of them will just happen to be going near Indiana.
Yesterday was my final day at Altoona, today I start at Indiana. It should be a fun time.
27 March 2012
New Laptop Again
I think most of you know about my recent laptop troubles. If not, you can check them out, here and here. Anyways, I sold enough stuff on ebay (mostly comics, but a few other things as well) to go purchase a new laptop. Talk about fun stuff.
I went to Best Buy after work yesterday and looked around for a bit. I only saw one that I liked, but it was the floor model. I decided to go to Staples to see what they had. Everything they had was out of my price range.
So I went back to Best Buy and played with the floor model again. I tested it out a bunch and really liked how it felt. A bunch of the other ones were a pain in the ass to use. I would either not like how heavy they were or how it felt typing with them. I asked the guy (once I was able to find someone) if the floor model was worth purchasing. He said that it still comes from the warranty and that it had only been out for a week. I decided that it was definitely worth the price, so I purchased it.
The guy tells me that it will take 2-3 hours for them to reset it back to factory preferences. They would call me when it was ready. I went to Barnes and Noble to look at a book or magazine before I went to eat at Panera Bread. Well, I got sucked into reading a certain book (do not worry, I will discuss this in another post) and a bunch of magazines. I killed about two hours and then went to eat (without anything to read).
Once I was finished eating, I decided to head to Best Buy to see how much longer it would take. I got another awesome tech guy there. Geek Squad. They should be called the Legion of Uber-Assholes. I have never had a good experience with them.
This is our conversation:
Me: Hey, is my computer ready?
AssBag: Did we call you?
Me: No, but the other guy said it would take about two to three hours.
AssBag: Ugh, let me check. [goes over to computer] Nope, it is only at 11%, we just started it.
Me: Oh, so how long will it take?
AssBag: Probably six or seven more hours.
I went home and kept thinking about how much I hated Best Buy. I mean seriously, that place is the worst. Unfortunately, it is about the only place where you can get any technology. There are no computer stores in this area anymore.
And this is not the first time I have had problems with Best Buy. Probably not the last time either. Anyways, I have a new laptop and I am sitting here typing this from it, so life is pretty good.
I went to Best Buy after work yesterday and looked around for a bit. I only saw one that I liked, but it was the floor model. I decided to go to Staples to see what they had. Everything they had was out of my price range.
So I went back to Best Buy and played with the floor model again. I tested it out a bunch and really liked how it felt. A bunch of the other ones were a pain in the ass to use. I would either not like how heavy they were or how it felt typing with them. I asked the guy (once I was able to find someone) if the floor model was worth purchasing. He said that it still comes from the warranty and that it had only been out for a week. I decided that it was definitely worth the price, so I purchased it.
The guy tells me that it will take 2-3 hours for them to reset it back to factory preferences. They would call me when it was ready. I went to Barnes and Noble to look at a book or magazine before I went to eat at Panera Bread. Well, I got sucked into reading a certain book (do not worry, I will discuss this in another post) and a bunch of magazines. I killed about two hours and then went to eat (without anything to read).
Once I was finished eating, I decided to head to Best Buy to see how much longer it would take. I got another awesome tech guy there. Geek Squad. They should be called the Legion of Uber-Assholes. I have never had a good experience with them.
This is our conversation:
Me: Hey, is my computer ready?
AssBag: Did we call you?
Me: No, but the other guy said it would take about two to three hours.
AssBag: Ugh, let me check. [goes over to computer] Nope, it is only at 11%, we just started it.
Me: Oh, so how long will it take?
AssBag: Probably six or seven more hours.
I went home and kept thinking about how much I hated Best Buy. I mean seriously, that place is the worst. Unfortunately, it is about the only place where you can get any technology. There are no computer stores in this area anymore.
And this is not the first time I have had problems with Best Buy. Probably not the last time either. Anyways, I have a new laptop and I am sitting here typing this from it, so life is pretty good.
23 March 2012
Fantasy Baseball Draft Results
A new season is upon us and for once, we actually had people join the league. 16 teams (at one point I was afraid we might have 18 or 20). I know some people have some fears about a league of this size, but allow me to say that it excites me. I just wish that I knew we had this many people from the beginning so we could have discussed adjusting roster sizes. Oh well, always next year. If this is successful though (meaning, highly competitive), then I think we should discuss making this a keeper league and doing it every year. Just a thought. Anyways, on to the draft results.
Allow me to introduce the teams:
Burnett's Eye: Sean (7th place last year)
Oviedo Pseudonyms: Gideon's friend?
academic challenge: Michelle (8th place last year)
Swing'nTheBigStick: Gideon's friend?
Fuck You All: James (3rd place last year)
A Chore to Four!: Ryan (1st place-3x in a row)
DC Buccos: Jason Offord (5th place)
Something Clever: Me (6th place)
Game Changers: Don (JasonI's dad)
Babe Carruth: Gideon's friend?
El Natural: No idea
Smutty Bastards: Dustin (friend of mine)
Big Jacker: David (2nd place last year)
losing in 3rd: JasonI (4th place last year)
Darvishsanity!: Gideon (9th place last year)
Pittsburgh Peas: Pat (11th place last year)
I like the idea of having two divisions. Mainly because it changes things up a little bit. Yahoo divided the league up, and it actually worked out well. Okay, moving on.
Rounds 1-3
As you can see, I had the second pick. Unfortunately, Lindsey's computer would not log into Yahoo for me. I did not get there until the second round. If I had been there, I may have taken Kemp, but most likely I would have went with Pujols or Votto. I truly believe that you really need a first baseman in the first round. Oh well though, Kemp is a fantastic player, but I do not believe he will replicate those numbers.
Unfortunately by the time my second round pick was coming, I just got into the draft and did not get a chance to see who I took. Seriously, I had like 14 seconds left to draft, so I took my boy Giancarlo Stanton. I guess I will have a beastly outfield, haha.
In the third round, I decided to go with Sabathia. I always want one ace pitcher and it seemed like people were going pretty crazy with pitching early on. I hate falling into that trap, but it is hard not to allow it to happen.
During this round, there was only pick that I questioned: Offord took Desmond Jennings in the third round. Was he ranked that high? Or does Offord believe Jennings will have a huge season? I am not making fun of the pick, I just like to know the rationale. For example, I have no clue why Don would want Asdrubal Cabrera that early in the draft.
Rounds 4-6
Once I realized I was not getting one of the big first basemen, I decided to look for Eric Hosmer. He was a nice addition last season and I think he will improve. He could be the kind of guy who breaks into that elite first baseman category. Although, I will not lie, I was starting to bite my nails toward the end of round four. I wanted him in round five, but he was the next player available after Phillips (who I would have taken if JasonI did not take him). It was going to be a huge gamble.
Interesting how an injury can make everyone ignore you. Buster Posey was taken in the second round in many drafts last season. This year I picked him up in the fifth round. That is a nice place for an elite catcher. My next pick was C.J. Wilson. I liked that one as well.
I really like that James was able to get Ian Kennedy in the sixth round. If he regresses a little bit, he might still have as many wins as Wilson or Darvish. If he does not regress, does James have a 20 game winner for cheap?
Rounds 7-9
Here is the pick I liked: Dee Gordon in the 7th round. My point about Asdrubal Cabrera is that he will not replicate last season, but I have a guy who will probably come close to Elvis Andrus numbers. The dude can flat out fly around the bases. I am hoping for 50-60 SBs this season.
I actually did not care for the Gio Gonzalez pick. I have no idea why I took him. I was not really ready to start drafting closers. Although, I did make a huge mistake, I really thought Dustin Ackley would be available in the 10th round. So in the next round I took Freddie Freeman (a nice backup if Hosmer fails-or combine the two of them and they equal Pujols). Unfortunately, Offord swooped in and saw Ackley sitting there and stole him from me.
Round 10-12
At this point, I decided to go for some closers. I went with Marmol in the 10th. Then I took Ogando in the 11th. I am not sure if Ogando will be closing or starting (I thought that I read Feliz will be starting this year). In round 12, I decided to take Moustakas. I figured since I missed out on the really good third basemen (there are like three), that I might as well wait and take Moustakas. I believe in him.
I believe Ryan had the steal of this round by taking Jesus Montero (obviously I believe in him as well).
Rounds 13-15
I took Hellickson here, but in retrospect, maybe I should have taken Neftali Feliz. In the 14th round, I took Allen Craig. I think I will use him as my second baseman. I just hope that he is as good as we all think he is. I decided to take Venters after that. I wanted someone with holds since we use that stat as well.
Offord drafted Bryce Harper and allow me to say kudos. I honestly forgot about him, but then afterwards wished I had drafted him. He will be up at some point, and if he is even 1/10th as good as people think, well Offord has an amazing pick.
Rounds 16-18
These are the fill in rounds. I took Trout and Presley because, well you can never have enough outfielders. And, I think Trout will have a good year. Presley, well I just hope he has an awesome year. Again, Offord had another pick that I really liked: Adam Dunn. He was terrible last year, and I do not think there is any way possible he could be that bad again.
Rounds 19-21
Mayberry might end up being a really good pick for me. I hope that he hits like he did in his limited action last season, I mean one HR every 15 ABs, I will take that...
Rounds 22-23
Eh, Mike Leake. Nothing special there. I took Devin Mesoraco with my last pick. He is my backup in case something happens to Posey. He has the potential to be a 10-15 HR type of catcher. I always like to go way out there with that final pick. I like Pat's pick of Phil Hughes. I actually wanted to take him instead of Leake, but oh well.
I would go ahead and try to project each team like I did last year, but I honestly do not know if I have the time for that sort of thing. Good luck to everyone! Hope we have a fantastic season.
Burnett's Eye: Sean (7th place last year)
Oviedo Pseudonyms: Gideon's friend?
academic challenge: Michelle (8th place last year)
Swing'nTheBigStick: Gideon's friend?
Fuck You All: James (3rd place last year)
A Chore to Four!: Ryan (1st place-3x in a row)
DC Buccos: Jason Offord (5th place)
Something Clever: Me (6th place)
Game Changers: Don (JasonI's dad)
Babe Carruth: Gideon's friend?
El Natural: No idea
Smutty Bastards: Dustin (friend of mine)
Big Jacker: David (2nd place last year)
losing in 3rd: JasonI (4th place last year)
Darvishsanity!: Gideon (9th place last year)
Pittsburgh Peas: Pat (11th place last year)
I like the idea of having two divisions. Mainly because it changes things up a little bit. Yahoo divided the league up, and it actually worked out well. Okay, moving on.
Rounds 1-3
Unfortunately by the time my second round pick was coming, I just got into the draft and did not get a chance to see who I took. Seriously, I had like 14 seconds left to draft, so I took my boy Giancarlo Stanton. I guess I will have a beastly outfield, haha.
In the third round, I decided to go with Sabathia. I always want one ace pitcher and it seemed like people were going pretty crazy with pitching early on. I hate falling into that trap, but it is hard not to allow it to happen.
During this round, there was only pick that I questioned: Offord took Desmond Jennings in the third round. Was he ranked that high? Or does Offord believe Jennings will have a huge season? I am not making fun of the pick, I just like to know the rationale. For example, I have no clue why Don would want Asdrubal Cabrera that early in the draft.
Rounds 4-6
Interesting how an injury can make everyone ignore you. Buster Posey was taken in the second round in many drafts last season. This year I picked him up in the fifth round. That is a nice place for an elite catcher. My next pick was C.J. Wilson. I liked that one as well.
I really like that James was able to get Ian Kennedy in the sixth round. If he regresses a little bit, he might still have as many wins as Wilson or Darvish. If he does not regress, does James have a 20 game winner for cheap?
Rounds 7-9
I actually did not care for the Gio Gonzalez pick. I have no idea why I took him. I was not really ready to start drafting closers. Although, I did make a huge mistake, I really thought Dustin Ackley would be available in the 10th round. So in the next round I took Freddie Freeman (a nice backup if Hosmer fails-or combine the two of them and they equal Pujols). Unfortunately, Offord swooped in and saw Ackley sitting there and stole him from me.
Round 10-12
I believe Ryan had the steal of this round by taking Jesus Montero (obviously I believe in him as well).
Rounds 13-15
Offord drafted Bryce Harper and allow me to say kudos. I honestly forgot about him, but then afterwards wished I had drafted him. He will be up at some point, and if he is even 1/10th as good as people think, well Offord has an amazing pick.
Rounds 16-18
Rounds 19-21
Rounds 22-23
I would go ahead and try to project each team like I did last year, but I honestly do not know if I have the time for that sort of thing. Good luck to everyone! Hope we have a fantastic season.
21 March 2012
Justified Blew My Mind
Last night's episode of Justified was one of the best in what has been an amazing season so far. I do not need to go into everything that happened, but allow me to say one thing: Quarles explaining how his father pimped him out to men was insanely frightening. Look at this GIF of Wynn Duffy while Quarles tells this story.
That was pretty much my reaction as well.
That was pretty much my reaction as well.
Weigh-In Wednesday VII
Damn, I should have made this weigh-in Tuesday. yesterday I was at 178.9. This morning I was at 181.0. I guess Tuesday would not work with the whole alliteration thing. My stomach is starting to actually reduce in size. Lindsey actually noticed it last night. Pretty damn awesome if you ask me.
The real question is, what should I do with my weekly Wednesday post? I guess this will be a place where I give my opinion on something. Or whatever. Obviously I will post my weight...
For Valentine's Day, Lindsey bought me a subscription to two magazines: Biblical Archaeology Review and Archaeology. I used to have a subscription to BAR, but I dropped it once they only focused on the James Ossuary and was solely focused on trying to prove that the ossuary was real. I have believed from the beginning that the ossuary was a fake, but that it was probably forged a long time ago. Probably someone from the James camp trying to prove that he was Jesus' brother. That is neither here nor there though.
Well there is another ossuary out there, apparently the Jonah Ossuary is the new big find. You can go to Robert Cargill's blog to read more about it. I am hoping that BAR does not hop onto this one as well. This seems pretty clear if you read enough about the evidence.
So yeah, give these things a read. Look into them. Learn about stuff. It can be fun. I promise.
The real question is, what should I do with my weekly Wednesday post? I guess this will be a place where I give my opinion on something. Or whatever. Obviously I will post my weight...
For Valentine's Day, Lindsey bought me a subscription to two magazines: Biblical Archaeology Review and Archaeology. I used to have a subscription to BAR, but I dropped it once they only focused on the James Ossuary and was solely focused on trying to prove that the ossuary was real. I have believed from the beginning that the ossuary was a fake, but that it was probably forged a long time ago. Probably someone from the James camp trying to prove that he was Jesus' brother. That is neither here nor there though.
Well there is another ossuary out there, apparently the Jonah Ossuary is the new big find. You can go to Robert Cargill's blog to read more about it. I am hoping that BAR does not hop onto this one as well. This seems pretty clear if you read enough about the evidence.
So yeah, give these things a read. Look into them. Learn about stuff. It can be fun. I promise.
19 March 2012
The Walking Dead Season Finale
Before I begin, I just want to apologize to everyone for giving away Shane's death in last weeks episode. I normally do not put things in the title that give things away. If I ruined the episode for anyone, I feel bad about that. Although, it is funny to me that no one got pissed when I gave away Dale's death the week before. Okay, moving on...
The finale did a pretty good job of getting us off the farm. The farm was a terrible place for the group to settle. Definitely not secure and it amazes me that no one realized it. Fortunately, a herd was able to come through and murder a few people and scatter the group.
They killed off a few minor characters, but nothing major. Also, they went the ridiculous route and had everyone becoming top-shots. I mean, obviously shooting zombies in the head from a moving car is pretty easy. The group splits apart, but after a little they find each other. Well everyone except for Andrea.
The group makes a huge deal about Rick withholding his knowledge that everyone carries the zombie-disease and that is why if someone dies they automatically turn. I actually do not understand why they are so pissed about this. It just seems like a convenient way for the writers to try and make Rick somewhat interesting. Also, his little speech about the group not being a democracy was pretty stupid. I hated the slow shot of each group member's face to show their reaction to Rick's announcement that he killed Shane. Reminded me of something you would see in Family Guy, as they pan to each character, they then finish off by showing Boba Fett or something equally ridiculous.
So the beginning was great, the middle was awesome, then it started to drag about the last fifteen minutes. Then the last few scenes saved it. First, we find Andrea being chased by zombies and running out of ammo. She stumbles and seems to be done, when a sword flashes and the zombies head pops off. We see a cloaked individual leading two armless zombies in chains.
This will be Michonne, everyone's favorite katana wielding zombie killing machine. Trust me folks, you will like her. Apparently they cast her this week as well. She will be played by Danai Gurira from Treme.
After that, as Rick gives his speech about how he thinks there still is a place out there, the camera zooms out and we see that place is not so far away: a prison. This is where things become very interesting (although, I really hope they cast Tyreese for just one scene alone) and will help us find a great villain in the Governor.
The finale did a pretty good job of getting us off the farm. The farm was a terrible place for the group to settle. Definitely not secure and it amazes me that no one realized it. Fortunately, a herd was able to come through and murder a few people and scatter the group.
They killed off a few minor characters, but nothing major. Also, they went the ridiculous route and had everyone becoming top-shots. I mean, obviously shooting zombies in the head from a moving car is pretty easy. The group splits apart, but after a little they find each other. Well everyone except for Andrea.
The group makes a huge deal about Rick withholding his knowledge that everyone carries the zombie-disease and that is why if someone dies they automatically turn. I actually do not understand why they are so pissed about this. It just seems like a convenient way for the writers to try and make Rick somewhat interesting. Also, his little speech about the group not being a democracy was pretty stupid. I hated the slow shot of each group member's face to show their reaction to Rick's announcement that he killed Shane. Reminded me of something you would see in Family Guy, as they pan to each character, they then finish off by showing Boba Fett or something equally ridiculous.
So the beginning was great, the middle was awesome, then it started to drag about the last fifteen minutes. Then the last few scenes saved it. First, we find Andrea being chased by zombies and running out of ammo. She stumbles and seems to be done, when a sword flashes and the zombies head pops off. We see a cloaked individual leading two armless zombies in chains.
This will be Michonne, everyone's favorite katana wielding zombie killing machine. Trust me folks, you will like her. Apparently they cast her this week as well. She will be played by Danai Gurira from Treme.
After that, as Rick gives his speech about how he thinks there still is a place out there, the camera zooms out and we see that place is not so far away: a prison. This is where things become very interesting (although, I really hope they cast Tyreese for just one scene alone) and will help us find a great villain in the Governor.
18 March 2012
Holy Crap, Time For a Life Update
Sorry everyone, it has been awhile since I have written anything. So where the hell should I even start? How about with what I have been up to...
Work and Life
I am on a ten day stretch. Seriously, between working daylights and going to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for a Dale Carnegie class, I am pretty much exhausted. The Dale Carnegie class is so much fun! I love going to do work stuff on my day off.
After work, we have been going to dinner with our families pretty much every night. Last night we went out with my mom, step-dad, brother, and his girlfriend. It was great times. Unfortunately, I am usually ready for bed when we get home. Well, after I check ebay to see what else I have sold. I am rocking that shit out.
My Car
I need to get the headlights fixed on my car. I think the only thing I have left on them is the high-beams. This has not been such a big deal since I have been working mornings. When I head to work there are no cars on the road, so no one really minds. On the way home it is daylight.
The few cars that I have seen on the road like to flash their lights at me to let me know my high-beams are on, and in some cases the cars I am passing get pissed and flash their high-beams at me or give me the middle finger.
Anyways, tonight I am driving home from Lindsey's mom's house and as I pass a car, he puts his high-beams on to be a dick. He then follows me for a bit, then passes me and goes to give me the finger. I decided to show him that I am not an asshole. I flip my lights and just like that, I am driving in the dark. I guess this must have clued the guy in to my dilemma. Instead of the finger, he gave me the wave and slowed down so I could stay ahead of him.
I need to fix them because this crap is getting old.
Iron
Most of you have no clue how anal I am about ironing my clothes. No joke. I iron everything. I will iron my jeans if they have one crease. I was the only person on the floor of my dorm who had their ironing board out everyday.
When I moved into my apartment in State College, back in 2001, I went out and bought a very nice iron. It probably cost me $50-$60. I loved my iron. This thing was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
A few months ago it started to leak. Then about a month ago, the soleplate black coating started to flake off and would burn into your clothes. I decided it was time to throw it away and use Lindsey's. Not a wise decision.
Hers does not have a nonstick soleplate. When I ironed one of my new red dress shirts, it burnt some of the red fabric onto the iron. Now, sometimes when you iron things, red crap stains onto your clothes. This shit pisses me off.
Sadly, I cannot find one like my old one. The nicest ones I have seen were made by Rowenta. Has anyone head of them before? Also, the day we were looking at them my phone would not find them when I searched for irons. I typed in "irons", "iron reviews", and a few other things. Google just searched forever. I thought maybe I had no service and tried to search something else, but it worked immediately.
I also learned more about irons than I ever wanted. So basically, what I am asking is: does anyone have any suggestions on irons?
Work and Life
I am on a ten day stretch. Seriously, between working daylights and going to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for a Dale Carnegie class, I am pretty much exhausted. The Dale Carnegie class is so much fun! I love going to do work stuff on my day off.
After work, we have been going to dinner with our families pretty much every night. Last night we went out with my mom, step-dad, brother, and his girlfriend. It was great times. Unfortunately, I am usually ready for bed when we get home. Well, after I check ebay to see what else I have sold. I am rocking that shit out.
My Car
I need to get the headlights fixed on my car. I think the only thing I have left on them is the high-beams. This has not been such a big deal since I have been working mornings. When I head to work there are no cars on the road, so no one really minds. On the way home it is daylight.
The few cars that I have seen on the road like to flash their lights at me to let me know my high-beams are on, and in some cases the cars I am passing get pissed and flash their high-beams at me or give me the middle finger.
Anyways, tonight I am driving home from Lindsey's mom's house and as I pass a car, he puts his high-beams on to be a dick. He then follows me for a bit, then passes me and goes to give me the finger. I decided to show him that I am not an asshole. I flip my lights and just like that, I am driving in the dark. I guess this must have clued the guy in to my dilemma. Instead of the finger, he gave me the wave and slowed down so I could stay ahead of him.
I need to fix them because this crap is getting old.
Iron
Most of you have no clue how anal I am about ironing my clothes. No joke. I iron everything. I will iron my jeans if they have one crease. I was the only person on the floor of my dorm who had their ironing board out everyday.
When I moved into my apartment in State College, back in 2001, I went out and bought a very nice iron. It probably cost me $50-$60. I loved my iron. This thing was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
A few months ago it started to leak. Then about a month ago, the soleplate black coating started to flake off and would burn into your clothes. I decided it was time to throw it away and use Lindsey's. Not a wise decision.
Hers does not have a nonstick soleplate. When I ironed one of my new red dress shirts, it burnt some of the red fabric onto the iron. Now, sometimes when you iron things, red crap stains onto your clothes. This shit pisses me off. Sadly, I cannot find one like my old one. The nicest ones I have seen were made by Rowenta. Has anyone head of them before? Also, the day we were looking at them my phone would not find them when I searched for irons. I typed in "irons", "iron reviews", and a few other things. Google just searched forever. I thought maybe I had no service and tried to search something else, but it worked immediately.
I also learned more about irons than I ever wanted. So basically, what I am asking is: does anyone have any suggestions on irons?
14 March 2012
Weigh-in Wednesday VI
This morning I weighed 181.4. I cannot complain too much though since I ate a ton over the weekend. On Saturday we went to The Melting Pot at Station Square. Holy crap the place was expensive, but it was worth it.
The place is a fondue joint. I never had fondue before. I like saying fondue.
The funny thing is that when we got the main entree, it was all raw. Lindsey and I thought it was pretty crazy.
It came with chicken, shrimp, beef, and tuna. We just tossed the shrimp in the pot and let it cook. Apparently we were supposed to use our fondue fork and out one shrimp in the pot at a time. Oh well...live and learn.
It was actually a great time and I recommend everyone trying it.
11 March 2012
The Walking Dead: RIP Shane
In the comic, Shane takes Rick out in the woods in order to shoot him. Carl is the one to shoot Shane and afterwards, the book ends with Carl crying and Rick hugging him. Carl then says "it is harder than shooting than the dead ones." Rick then tells him that "it always should be."
This was the pivotal moment that defines Carl. The kid has plenty of problems throughout the book. Actually, for the most part he is cold and at times he scares Rick because he just does not seem to care when someone dies.
Unfortunately, parent groups would have had a fit if Carl was seen shooting Shane. Instead, it is much more fitting to have Carl shoot Zombie-Shane. Also, the group learns much later that someone who dies will still return to the dead. This causes Rick to head back to where he buried Shane and finds Zombie-Shane and kill him.
Next week looks like it should be pretty good. The farm will be invaded by zombies and hopefully this will force the group to abandon the area and search for some place new.
Oh, and did anyone else think the scene where Rick gives Carl the gun should probably be used as a Republican gun rights ad? "Obama wants to take away your right to give your son a pistol to defend himself from zombies."
09 March 2012
Weekend Preview
Try not to be too jealous, but Lindsey and I have a three day weekend. Before you ask, yes, we did sacrifice a few goats to Satan in order to make that happen. The real question though: what do we have planned?
We are heading to Pittsburgh with Imler, who just happened to pick up Gideon from the airport. That is correct! Gideon is making his way back to Pennsylvania. Exciting times. I expect fun times to be had by all. Anyways, tonight we are going to the Pens game and then after that, who the hell knows. You should probably get a hold of one of us to try and meet up. Do it early though, most likely will not be sober for long.
Last time Gideon and I got together was a pretty awesome time.
I just hope I can find a cool balloon hat like that again...
We are heading to Pittsburgh with Imler, who just happened to pick up Gideon from the airport. That is correct! Gideon is making his way back to Pennsylvania. Exciting times. I expect fun times to be had by all. Anyways, tonight we are going to the Pens game and then after that, who the hell knows. You should probably get a hold of one of us to try and meet up. Do it early though, most likely will not be sober for long.
Last time Gideon and I got together was a pretty awesome time.
Standing Brooms
I decided to try it for myself. And as it turns out, a broom will stand up. I noticed something though and mentioned it to Lindsey: the broom seemed to stand on it's own because of the bristles spreading out and creating a base. I also made a joke that it probably has something to do with an odd center of gravity.
As it turns out, I was pretty much right. Check it out.
Clipped from: www.theeagle.com (share this clip)07 March 2012
Weigh-In Wednesday V
I am down to 180.6, and at one point over the weekend, I weighed 179.8. I guess at this point I should set a goal. How about getting down to 165 by the end of July? I think that should be achievable, right?
Anyways, I am starting to enjoy drinking mango tea. Although, I still cannot get into regular iced tea. Sorry tea folks, it is going to take some time before I like that stuff.
I probably weighed 155 in that picture. I will get back to that point. Maybe...
Anyways, I am starting to enjoy drinking mango tea. Although, I still cannot get into regular iced tea. Sorry tea folks, it is going to take some time before I like that stuff.
05 March 2012
The Walking Dead: RIP Dale
Wow, I really did not see this one coming. In the comic Dale dies much later and has a very odd relationship with Amy and Andrea. He ends up having such a cool death that I could not imagine them not wanting to use that in the show.
Instead they decided to kill him off just as he was making his point to the group about why they cannot murder Randall. Fortunately, his death will have more repercussions than just Randall. Earlier, Carl was throwing rocks at a zombie stuck in the mud. This pissed it off and it pulled free and almost ate Carl (who then lost his pistol).
Carl blames himself, which could lead to two things: he tries to hide it and be more like his father, which leads him down a very dark path, or he could tell his dad about it and feel like his family and the group hate him, which leads him down a very dark path.
Also, we get to see Daryl become a more prominent member of the group. He has been a little bit mopey after finding out that Sophia was a zombie inside the barn. I believe that he will take up Dale's anti-Shane stance (and may actually have the physicality to stand up to him). I also believe that Andrea will want to preserve Dale's memory and become the moral center of the group.
How will this affect Rick? I think he will blame himself and begin to second guess his decisions. He will believe that Dale died because he (Rick) made a decision to kill Randall, which caused Dale to take that fateful walk. If only he had listened to Dale and given Randall more time...
Anyways, it should be an exciting rest of the season.
Instead they decided to kill him off just as he was making his point to the group about why they cannot murder Randall. Fortunately, his death will have more repercussions than just Randall. Earlier, Carl was throwing rocks at a zombie stuck in the mud. This pissed it off and it pulled free and almost ate Carl (who then lost his pistol).
Carl blames himself, which could lead to two things: he tries to hide it and be more like his father, which leads him down a very dark path, or he could tell his dad about it and feel like his family and the group hate him, which leads him down a very dark path.
Also, we get to see Daryl become a more prominent member of the group. He has been a little bit mopey after finding out that Sophia was a zombie inside the barn. I believe that he will take up Dale's anti-Shane stance (and may actually have the physicality to stand up to him). I also believe that Andrea will want to preserve Dale's memory and become the moral center of the group.
How will this affect Rick? I think he will blame himself and begin to second guess his decisions. He will believe that Dale died because he (Rick) made a decision to kill Randall, which caused Dale to take that fateful walk. If only he had listened to Dale and given Randall more time...
Anyways, it should be an exciting rest of the season.
04 March 2012
Jesus Likes Slaves!
03 March 2012
02 March 2012
Pittsburgh Sports Stuff
AJ Burnett and the DH Debate
As most of you know, Burnett injured his eye socket during a bunting drill and will probably miss some time. Last night, I heard one of the guys on 93.7 The Fan saying that if the NL had the DH, then this would not have happened.
He made a good point that it seems like MLB will probably push towards a DH in both leagues over time, especially now that there is expanded interleague play starting next season. He kept saying that owners want the DH because they do not want their investments hurt doing something that is not necessary for them. Although, what if Albert Pujols trips over first base after hitting his first home run with the Angels, destroying his knee and missing the entire season? Wouldn't we find it ridiculous if the Angels owner started saying that running the bases after a home run should be removed from the game?
This got me thinking about the DH and whether or not I would actually care if the NL started using it. Then I had a brilliant idea: at the beginning of the game, have a coin toss, the manager that calls it correctly gets to choose whether or not they will use the DH. Before you laugh, think about the strategy for a second.
-If you are playing against a team with a dominant ace, say Justin Verlander, you may want to elect not to use the DH. That way if it is close, the Tigers might have to pull him earlier than they would like in order to pinch hit.
-You can force a team to make a tough decision about their lineup. Using the Tigers again, they may have to keep Fielder on the bench in order to have a stronger defense behind them. Or if they do go with Cabrera at third base, a team could try and take advantage of a weakened infield.
-If a team has a pitcher with a little pop in their bat, they may want to elect to allow him to hit. Zambrano (back in his good pitching days) comes to mind, or maybe Micah Owings. I especially like the idea if a team has a monster hitter who really cannot field.
-There would also be major strategy changes in building a team. Obviously there are not enough elite power hitters to go around for every team. I think you would start to see teams employ more one-dimensional players who just crush balls or strikeout.
If Bud Selig decides to institute a league-wide designated-hitter, then I hope he stops by here to read this and use my coin-toss idea.
Hines Ward
The Steelers decided to part ways with everyone's favorite wide receiver, Hines Ward. I honestly wish he would just retire, but instead he will go to another team and most likely play about half the season before being cut.
One thing I will never understand though is the way some Steelers fans never see any fault in Ward. The guy has been voted the most dirty player in the league by his peers a few years in a row, yet Steelers fans say that he is just hard-nosed. If a Raven played like him, they would hate that guy. I guess that is the way it is with all teams though.
The other big question is whether or not Ward deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I am going to say yes. I think he gets in, but it takes a few tries.
Greatest Games
On Mike and Mike this morning they were discussing Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. They were asking the question if that was the greatest single game ever. They mentioned Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series as probably the greatest performance in a game ever. I actually cannot argue with this one.
Unfortunately, they started naming other great things and they immediately went outside of team sports. They never once mentioned hockey. I am sure there have been some amazing hockey game performances. the one that came to mind immediately was Mario Lemieux's five goals in different ways (shorthanded, full strength, power play, penalty shot, and empty net). I just think that one is cool.
I can imagine Gretzky had some amazing games as well. Or what about some goalie performances? It just boggles my mind that ESPN does not even try to pretend to care about hockey.
As most of you know, Burnett injured his eye socket during a bunting drill and will probably miss some time. Last night, I heard one of the guys on 93.7 The Fan saying that if the NL had the DH, then this would not have happened.
He made a good point that it seems like MLB will probably push towards a DH in both leagues over time, especially now that there is expanded interleague play starting next season. He kept saying that owners want the DH because they do not want their investments hurt doing something that is not necessary for them. Although, what if Albert Pujols trips over first base after hitting his first home run with the Angels, destroying his knee and missing the entire season? Wouldn't we find it ridiculous if the Angels owner started saying that running the bases after a home run should be removed from the game?
This got me thinking about the DH and whether or not I would actually care if the NL started using it. Then I had a brilliant idea: at the beginning of the game, have a coin toss, the manager that calls it correctly gets to choose whether or not they will use the DH. Before you laugh, think about the strategy for a second.
-If you are playing against a team with a dominant ace, say Justin Verlander, you may want to elect not to use the DH. That way if it is close, the Tigers might have to pull him earlier than they would like in order to pinch hit.
-You can force a team to make a tough decision about their lineup. Using the Tigers again, they may have to keep Fielder on the bench in order to have a stronger defense behind them. Or if they do go with Cabrera at third base, a team could try and take advantage of a weakened infield.
-If a team has a pitcher with a little pop in their bat, they may want to elect to allow him to hit. Zambrano (back in his good pitching days) comes to mind, or maybe Micah Owings. I especially like the idea if a team has a monster hitter who really cannot field.
-There would also be major strategy changes in building a team. Obviously there are not enough elite power hitters to go around for every team. I think you would start to see teams employ more one-dimensional players who just crush balls or strikeout.
If Bud Selig decides to institute a league-wide designated-hitter, then I hope he stops by here to read this and use my coin-toss idea.
Hines Ward
The Steelers decided to part ways with everyone's favorite wide receiver, Hines Ward. I honestly wish he would just retire, but instead he will go to another team and most likely play about half the season before being cut.
One thing I will never understand though is the way some Steelers fans never see any fault in Ward. The guy has been voted the most dirty player in the league by his peers a few years in a row, yet Steelers fans say that he is just hard-nosed. If a Raven played like him, they would hate that guy. I guess that is the way it is with all teams though.
The other big question is whether or not Ward deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I am going to say yes. I think he gets in, but it takes a few tries.
On Mike and Mike this morning they were discussing Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. They were asking the question if that was the greatest single game ever. They mentioned Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series as probably the greatest performance in a game ever. I actually cannot argue with this one.
Unfortunately, they started naming other great things and they immediately went outside of team sports. They never once mentioned hockey. I am sure there have been some amazing hockey game performances. the one that came to mind immediately was Mario Lemieux's five goals in different ways (shorthanded, full strength, power play, penalty shot, and empty net). I just think that one is cool.
I can imagine Gretzky had some amazing games as well. Or what about some goalie performances? It just boggles my mind that ESPN does not even try to pretend to care about hockey.
01 March 2012
Ebay Salesman!
As I mentioned the other day, I have been selling comics on ebay (thanks Jason K. for the suggestion of selling them in small batches) and have actually sold a few and have a few others that have bids. Let us have a look at some of these cool items.
First thing I ever sold was my collection of Warren Ellis comics from Avatar. It included books like Doktor Sleepless, Anna Mercury, Gravel, Black Gas, Black Summer, Supergod, Captain Swing, No Hero, and Ignition City (and probably a few others).
Then the guy bought Fell issues 1-9 from me as well. So my first two items were sold fairly quickly and I was pumped about it.
It took a few more days before I sold my next item though. It was my copy of John Milton's Paradise Lost, and it was published in 1863. I ended up selling it for $11.50, which some of you might think is extremely low. However, I purchased the book for $.05, so I figure I made a huge profit.
Then a few weeks later someone purchased my collection of Red Sonja comics. I realized that it takes time to sell this crap and you need to have patience. I decided to sell more comics.
At this point, I have 61 auctions going at the moment. The four that have bids are Crossed, Hellsing manga, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, and Trigun manga. I have a bunch of people watching my Fables collection and a few other auctions.
Here are a few other things I am trying to sell as well:
All-Star Superman
All-Star Batman and Robin (The Goddamn Batman!)
Atom #20 (from the 1960s)
Batman: Death of the Maidens
A bunch of different Batman comics
Conan
Civil War and Secret Invasion
Dawn: Three Tiers
Ex Machina
Nike Pink Backpack (this is Lindsey's)
Seven Soldiers
Superman: Birthright
Superman/Batman
Y: The Last Man
Anyways, if you are interested, looked for my stuff under ngewo99.
Then the guy bought Fell issues 1-9 from me as well. So my first two items were sold fairly quickly and I was pumped about it.
It took a few more days before I sold my next item though. It was my copy of John Milton's Paradise Lost, and it was published in 1863. I ended up selling it for $11.50, which some of you might think is extremely low. However, I purchased the book for $.05, so I figure I made a huge profit.
Then a few weeks later someone purchased my collection of Red Sonja comics. I realized that it takes time to sell this crap and you need to have patience. I decided to sell more comics.At this point, I have 61 auctions going at the moment. The four that have bids are Crossed, Hellsing manga, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, and Trigun manga. I have a bunch of people watching my Fables collection and a few other auctions.
Here are a few other things I am trying to sell as well:
All-Star SupermanAll-Star Batman and Robin (The Goddamn Batman!)
Atom #20 (from the 1960s)
Batman: Death of the Maidens
A bunch of different Batman comics
Conan
Civil War and Secret Invasion
Dawn: Three Tiers
Ex Machina
Nike Pink Backpack (this is Lindsey's)
Seven Soldiers
Superman: Birthright
Superman/Batman
Y: The Last Man
Anyways, if you are interested, looked for my stuff under ngewo99.
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