Random Thoughts and Whatnot

August 31, 2006

My son

My son is a little scared of kindergarten starting next week. He's usually outgoing and assertive, but this time, he has lost some of his bravado. At the school's Open House yesterday, I think he realized he is about to become a small fish in a big pond and this transition is not going to be an easy one for him. For the past year or more he has been the big fish at the pre-school at EMU: everybody knew him, everybody loved him, he had a network of close friends and he was cool. Then pre-school ends and he is days away from starting kindergarten and after coming home from the Open House he tells me and my wife he doesn't want to go to kindergarten next week. What am I going to say? "Too bad, little man"--I didn't say that. I listened and said "Yea" a lot. Then "common, let's brush your teeth." He needs to own that he is scared an that is okay. No problem there. There is no cure for him being scared. This is a big deal, maybe bigger than when I started kindergarten, because he is coming from a pre-school that built him up tall and strong among his peers. He'll still be equal to his peers in his new school, but he's going to be roaming halls with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. And strangers. Sometimes I forget my son is still 5 years old and might get scared.

Written at 9:28 AM by David.

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August 30, 2006

Darth Vadar being a smartass

Check out this short clip of Darth Vadar being a smartass.

The kids are home from school this week so I'm putting in some hours from home. Some days I'm more productive working from home, other days I'm not. Right now, they are playing school with their stuffed animals. Cute. I'm listening to Pop 19, which is okay, and trying to get work done.

On Monday, I'm going to volunteer at the Alpha House, a house for recovering homeless individuals and their families. My wife reminded me after I signed up that it's Labor Day, and we might have plans. Does this matter? Well, I found it very rewarding last time to play with the children of the adults for two hours and for me, that would be a perfect way of celebrating labor day. I get a day off so I can give it to someone who is between jobs. It's not even the whole day; it's 2-3 hours. I'm signed up for "game night" with the kids. The purpose is so the adults can have some time to themselves to do laundry, read a book, and just have time away from the kids. Last time, I spent the good portion of the first hour playing basketball with the older kids.

Went to a Toledo Mud Hen's game Sunday afternoon. That was a lot of fun.

You want more Darth Vadar? If found this video to be sometimes funny.

Written at 10:18 AM by David.

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August 27, 2006

Death Star's Trash Situation

If I could write (which I can do sometimes) and think (which I also do sometimes) both at the same time, I might in my best attempt come up with thoughts such as this: On The Implausibility of The Death Star's Trash Compactor.

Written at 9:29 PM by David.

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August 26, 2006

Repair the trap!

"They hung a rotting deer carcass or something up in the back of the trap," he added. "When Bigfoot grabbed it, the trap door would fall and send an electronic signal down at the cabin."

So that's what they use to bait a Bigfoot--rotting deer carcass!

On a less serious note, the wife and I saw the movie Sideways tonight. Very well written and very quick. I liked the 4 characters and could identify with Miles, although he's got issues I couldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. I envy the way the guys could take a week trip and just go ... No kids, no family, no responsibilities -- of course, one of them was about to embark on the voyage of marriage. But I wish I could go out wine tasting for a week, or two. Isn't that why the movie was so popular?

Here: try the Helicopter Game.

Written at 11:38 PM by David.

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August 24, 2006

Hurt my back and now I have an excuse

I hurt my back at work today, falling off of a chair with wheels. It was stupid of me to attempt to dust the "window" in my office while standing on a wheeled chair, and I paid the consequence. There is going to be some scabbing and some bleeding tonight. When I showed my wife, the first thing out of her mouth was "Gross! Makes me sick to my stomach." Well, I guess you can't please all the people all the time.

If you absolutely need an excuse to get off the phone with a salesperson, there's this link: http://www.sorrygottago.com/ .

Written at 7:41 PM by David.

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August 23, 2006

Family Camp

Stopped therapy for a while. This is a significant event in 2006 because of the strides I've made in becoming less paranoid in interpersonal interaction. The best thing about this year is how I've come to welcome friendships instead of run the other way. I don't think I was ever dangerously shy, but my therapist once labeled me as having social anxiety. Can't argue with that. I was. I'm not saying I'm cured, but I am more free. I have soccer. I have the men's group. I have fridge at work, sort of. I can meet people in a bar or at a park or parents of my son's friends and I can get by without freaking out. That is progress.

My therapist asked me yesterday how I would react if a gorgeous babe come up next to me in a bar and said "Hi" suggestively. I told my therapist I'd "play with her" for half an hour and know it was just that. She agreed. We both knew I'd made some progress. The 2005-dave would have ?? He would have not done well.

The family & I just got back from Family Camp. This is a 2 night, 3 day camping in cabin trip sponsored by the UU Congregation. As always, I enjoyed the High Ropes and I tried something new--I went on a 2-3 hour canoe trip down the Muskegon River, in western Michigan. I enjoyed the scenery but I would have preferred to have been in the lead rather in the last canoe. Since I signed up late, I got the last canoe with Sarah the counselor. We spent half the trip doing some family counseling with a man an his autistic child in the next canoe. Still, it was good to get away from my own family for a few hours and let someone else deal with the challenging child.

Written at 7:46 PM by David.

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Or try this one

http://www.photo-fulgenzi.com/pictures/barchetta.jpg

Written at 7:41 PM by David.

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Do I even need to comment?

Written at 7:37 PM by David.

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August 13, 2006

Bigfoot sighting at Pine Ridge

If you don't believe in Bigfoot after listening to this audio, then you must be crazy. Click here for the full context.

But of course, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology denies it has the body of Bigfoot. They really don't have any other option, do they?

Written at 11:06 PM by David.

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2003 UB313

"At a 12-day conference beginning Monday, scientists will conduct a galactic census of sorts. Among the possibilities at the meeting of the International Astronomical Union in the Czech Republic capital of Prague: Subtract Pluto or christen one more planet, and possibly dozens more.... The debate intensified last summer when astronomer Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology announced the discovery of a celestial object larger than Pluto. Like Pluto, it is a member of the Kuiper Belt, a mysterious disc-shaped zone beyond Neptune containing thousands of comets and planetary objects. (Brown nicknamed his find "Xena" after a warrior heroine in a cheesy TV series; pending a formal name, it remains 2003 UB313.)"

Written at 4:22 PM by David.

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Listening to

Listening to Kent's 747. I don't like the English version as much as the original.

Written at 9:16 AM by David.

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I need a vacation

The Special Rates start at $680 per night, for the off-season periods during the year, so I can't imagine the normal retail rate.

"Each of the 28, one-bedroom, thatched-roof oceanfront suites feature a king-sized bed, living room, indoor and outdoor showers, and a private verandah."

The reason I need a vacation doesn't matter; let's just say I've been working my tail off lately and it's time for me to reward myself. I began reading a murder mystery last week, something I picked up at a "Free" garage sale. Maybe I can finish that book on my verandah. Then I'll have to bring another.

For my birthday, my kids got me a Dogbert book, a Calvin and Hobbes Book. Besides that, I received a gift certificate with which I proceeded to purchase two books and a CD. I won't begin the books until I finish the murder mystery I'm working on, but hopefully I'll have some reading left by the time I get to the island.

Of course, if I really wanted some privacy, I could close the island for the mere price of $130,000 per night.

Written at 8:40 AM by David.

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August 10, 2006

Sharing Bed Reduced Brain Power but....

"Sharing your bed can reduce your brain power - but only if you are a man, say scientists."

Although curry spice is a brain booster: "What is remarkable is that apparently one needs only to consume curry once in a while for the better cognitive performance to be evidenced."

So the bottom line is that if you are a man, and want to sleep with your lady, you better eat some curry if you want to keep mentally sharp.

(Found both these articles listed at this site: Mind Power News.

Written at 2:03 PM by David.

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August 09, 2006

Combine art pad and digital creativity

Art Pad: create freely and bombastically.

Written at 8:48 PM by David.

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Cusor Game

Don't forget to play the cursor game.

Written at 2:14 PM by David.

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August 05, 2006

Game site

http://addictinggames.com/puzzle.html

Went to the horse trainer's home today to say good-bye to Maggie. The trainer, who is the owner, is going to have her put to sleep in 7 days. So our daughter got to wash the horse from head to foot. My wife and I got a lot of sun and took some pictures. On the way back I stopped at a garage sale on a lake and the sign said "Everything Free" so I took a few books. That was cool. It was a great gesture by the person hosting the garage sale, who I didn't even meet. Now were home & the wife is sleeping and we have soccer in a few hours, but a neighbor's son's birthday party in an hour. Busy day.

Written at 2:58 PM by David.

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20 seconds of pregnancy

9 months of gestation in 20 seconds. I saw this and thought "Ah, pregnancy is not all that bad after all."

Written at 9:57 AM by David.

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August 03, 2006

Stop taking your vitamins!

"Evidence gathered over the last few years shows that, at best, antioxidant supplements do little or nothing to benefit our health."

First, how do you measure the difference? I'm ignorant about statistics, but it seems to me any study which aims to prove vitamins do nothing would require 3 groups: (1) a group of vitamin takers, (2) a group of vitamin non-takers, (3) a group which takes vitamins infrequently. Of course, the data must be the result of interviews or self-report, since it would be impossible to design a controlled study of the long-term benefits of vitamins. Hell, even a difference in diet would skew the data. So self-reporting shows no difference in vitamin takers versus non-vitamin takers. But how do we know that illness in one area isn't offset by strength in another area. Cellular health, mental acuity, strength, stamina. Were these areas studied? Were they ignored? And what criteria did the research use to discount vitamin benefit? Then there is the placebo effect. Is there no benefit from the placebo effect of taking a vitamin?

Ever check out the poetry of Lidija Šimkutė?

Written at 6:08 PM by David.

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August 02, 2006

In in the beginning throws of creating a new template for my blog page. The result should be ready for prime time in a month or so. If only I'd put as much time into posting interesting sh** instead of designing a better looking template!

Now this is an interesting page which does an excellent job showing the Earth's size in comparison to other heavenly bodies: The Size Of Our World. Recommended for high speed internet users. And the entire "movie" takes about 4 minutes.

If you want to waste some time at work, here is a helpful page of Flash Games By Tonypa. I've tried a couple and got a little hooked on Lost Picture and Trilinks.

Written at 11:09 AM by David.

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August 01, 2006

Free movies

Earlier today, I spent a little bit of time at the hospital where my wife works. I brought the laptop and got some work done, but around 12:00 p.m. we went to the cafeteria to get some lunch and after that, the day was pretty much done.

I don't know what to write about.

Saw the movie Gods and Generals the other day. It was very well done, but 15 minutes into the movie I made a joke to my wife and said the movie will not go 90 seconds without a speech. Sure enough, as soon as I finished the statement, another joke began. It did seem like a movie of speeches rather than one of interpersonal communication. I learned about Thomas Jackson, or "Stonewall" Jackson, and learned a little bit about the South and their motivation for the Civil War. During the movie I thought about the kids and men going to battle, knowing there was a high chance they would be shot and die on the battlefield in a few short hours, or minutes. That creeps me out.

Went out to dinner last night at Damon's. We were having a pleasant time until about 1/2 a gallon of water rained down on my wife and daughter. I ran to get the manager to tell her the air conditioner sprang a leak while my wife ushered the kids out of the booth. After getting settled in the booth next door, they said they'd comp our meals. Well thanks! So just remember, if you're ever at Damon's and want a free meal, all you have to do is get the air conditioner water to spill on your table.

Here is a link entitled "Free Movies Fallen out of Copyright (Public Domain)". A few good ones I'll have to check out when I have time.

Later.

Written at 2:29 PM by David.

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