The readers of Q Magazine love Radiohead almost as much as I do...

According to this article from The Sun, the readers of Q Magazine voted three Radiohead albums into the top 10 greatest albums ever, including numbers 1 and 2. Now if only they would realize that Kid A is better than OK Computer...

This blogging 'ish is for real.

So I heard the other day that a friend from high school, Byron Crawford, has made big news with his blog. Then I ran into his young brother and inspiration for my dreadlocks, Jason, today at the Rams game (yes, they rolled over for the Niners), and he reiterated how big Byron's blog is. He even makes money off people advertising on his site. How dope is that? I wish I had interesting stuff to say so I could make money off of writing stuff. Anyway, check out his blog here.

This week's fortune.

Look to the next month for some pleasant surprises.

This week's fortune.

You are one of the people who will go places in life.

My favorite birthday wish.

I received a few calls, voicemails, text messages, and e-mails today wishing me happy birthday. While Jegro's hillarious voice message was absolutely entertaining, my favorite wish was an e-mail from Tom Musick entitled "24 candles":

24 Reasons Why I Love Obi:

1. Hugs before and after man-dates
2. Busch Stadium: Hit it Here, Mark
3. Our very own Coldplay song
4. Talking life with Moms
5. Getting fooled by your old voicemail
6. Backyard football in the dark
7. Deep thoughts about deep things
8. Heisman talk with the Orjih Bros.
9. High school tennis matches
10. Ben and Jerry's in DuPont Circle
11. Cold Stone on Tito Jackson's birthday
12. Dairy Queen at our seat by the mulch
13. Lix (before the name change)
14. Ted Drewes on a Sunday stroll
15. Janet Jackson costume
16. Learning to love Radiohead
17. My first beer at Evans House - a Natty Light
18. Will Clark's winning walk in Milwaukee
19. Climbing the Alma Mater
20. Driving me home from Jordan's 21st birthday
21. Watching Asian porn in Robert's basement
22. Watching fireworks 17 stories above D.C.
23. Admiring Rob Bell's legs
24. Being friends with one of the world's Best Men

Happy Birthday Obi.

Your friend,
Tom

My next computer MUST have an AMD processor in it.

I am slightly disappointed in myself because the two computers I have purchased so far both have Intel processors in them, which have conistently been outperformed by AMD processors. The redeeming factor is that they are both Dells, and that I got a discount on them through Boeing.

After reading yet another article demonstrating the superiority of AMD processors, I'm pretty sure that there is no way that I am buying/building an Intel-based computer the next time around.

Why I can't leave St. Louis.

Last night was one of those nights when I couldn't fall asleep because I had so many thoughts running through my head. They mostly involved the vastness of the world and how I want to see as much of it as I can. This then lead to a conclusion that I can't really appreciate a place while just zipping through as a tourist...I need to spend some time there to really get to know the place.

Then came a question to myself: if a situation came up where I was offered an awesome job somewhere else, whether in the States or not, would I take it? I think the conclusion I came to was that I probably wouldn't unless it was something I absolutely couldn't turn down...as in triple my salary or some other amazing benefit. I think this is because I have so much tied up in St. Louis...friends, family, school. I feel like I would need somebody really close to me to be in a place that I would consider moving to. The thought of starting a whole new life alone kinda scares me.

I guess that'll do for the random thought of the month.

My laptop is back.

The screen seems to be working properly, so everything should be back to normal.

This week's fortune.

Serious trouble will bypass you.

I have finally conquered the Alma Mater statue.

I would have posted this entry sooner, but the display on my laptop died, and I am in the process of replacing it. But anyway...

My visit to Champaign was a good one. I spent time with Chuk, watched the Illini score three touchdowns, and took a few pictures on the Alma Mater statue. One of the highlights also had to be Matt Jackson checking me out as I changed in the hotel window and wishing that I would take all my clothes off...until he realized it was me, and not a hot girl.

Anyway, here's me on the statue...


And of course I had to take a dirty one with Tom and Jeff.


Thanks to Jennica for the camera-work.

Google Base is online.

From Google...

Google Base is a place where you can add all types of information that we'll host and make searchable online.
You can describe any item you post with attributes, which will help people find it when they search Google Base.

Looks like eBay has some competition...and it's free.

Find it here.

This week's fortune.

Get your mind set...confidence will lead you on.

This week's fortune.

You will accomplish more and more if you try.

My newest quest.

Because of my never-ending desire to become cool and hip, I have deciced that I want to eat at all of the places on this list. If anybody wants to go to any of these trendy restaurants with me, holler.

Take that, Google.

In the never-ending online service war, Yahoo! has unveiled the test version of their new map service. It offers the interactivity (dynamic scrolling without page reload) of Google Maps with added features such as locations of points of interests (ATMs, schools, gas stations, movie theaters, restaurants, etc). Until they roll it out as the final release, you can find this beta version here. I await Google's response.

Never scare a brother.

This video is absolutely hillarious. Check it out.

Thanks to Jamaal for forwarding it.

This week's fortune.

You are generous, affectionate, and impulsive.

Editor's note: Most accurate fortune yet.

Since Google generally does everything better...

I am giving Google Talk a whirl. Unlike the other major chat applications, it doesn't install toolbars and other unwanted programs, nor does it change your settings without your knowledge.

In order for this to work, though, I need some friends. You can download the app here. If you do so, add me as a friend.

Now if only they would add a calender to Gmail...

While we're on the topic of race...

People need to quit being so sensitive and "politically correct." According to this article, the Air Force Academy reprimanded their head football coach for rationalizing a loss to TCU by saying that they "had a lot more African-American players than [AFA] did and they ran a lot faster than [AFA] did." He further commented that "It just seems to [him] to be that way. African-American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to [him] that they run extremely well."

What's wrong with that? Is anybody really going to argue that his comments were without merit? Don't mistake me as a member of the Fisher DeBerry fan club...this is the same guy who hung a banner which read "I am a Christian first and last ... I am a member of Team Jesus Christ" in the locker room last year, and we all know how Obi feels about religious intolerance. However, I don't think he should be reprimanded for stating something which is pretty much common sense.

This week's fortune.

You are one of the people who will go places in life.

I hate to rant about a previously discussed topic, but...

I have not been the subject of much racial discrimination in my life. In fact, there have been only maybe two times that I have felt that I was the victim of such an act. However, I don't think I'll ever let one of them go.

If you read my post on March 21, 2005, you witnessed a faux-expletive-laden explosion regarding Jim Caple, a writer for ESPN.com, being pictured on the Alma Mater statue on the campus of U of I. If you recall, this is the same statue I was busted for climbing while a student there. Well, I received an e-mail earlier today aptly titled "i see no black people and no po-po", which contained nothing more than this picture:



I have made it my personal mission to take a picture on top of the Alma Mater when I visit Champaign next month. Hopefully, I will return to post that picture on this very blog that you are reading. If not, I might be in jail. But more likely, I will probably forget.

Thanks to Julie for the picture.

This week's fortune.

There is excitement to be found everywhere you go.

Today's weight.

175 lbs.

Target weight: 170 lbs.

This week's fortune.

Share your abundant humor with others.

Steve Kim fired shots at the U.N.

From CNN...

"A gunman apparently protesting the state of human rights in North Korea climbed over an unpatrolled fence at U.N. headquarters Thursday afternoon and fired seven shots at the building with a revolver, narrowly missing several employees, the U.N.'s security chief said.
...
When apprehended Steve Kim had in his possession a business card from a postal processing center in Palatine, Illinois."

This act was perpetrated on October 3, the birthday of a certain "shady" friend of ours.

Read on here.

By the way, this is not the Steve Kim that we all know and love.

Many thanks to Steve for the hilarious link.

Happy birthday, Thom.

Thom Yorke, one of my idols, turns 37 today.

Today's weight.

177 lbs.

Target weight: 170 lbs.

This week's fortune.

You will continue to take chances, and be glad you did.

Is President Bush really this cracked out?

No, but whoever edited this video did a decent job of making it look realistic:
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/wmv/presaddress.wmv.

Thanks to Chike for the link.

Today's weight.

176 lbs.

Target weight: 170 lbs.

This week's fortune.

Be adventuresome and try a new look.

I noticed that I'm getting kinda chunky...

...especially around the midsection. So I started working out on Monday.

Today's weight (with pants and shirt on): 178 lbs

Target weight: 170 lbs

This week's fortune.

You have a potential urge and the ability for accomplishment.

Impressive, yet slightly scary, satellite images.

Google Earth is an application you can use to interactively view satellite images from anywhere around the world. The resolution of the images in the U.S. is scarily impressive. For example, you can clearly see the two cars parked in the driveway of my house. You can even demarcate points of interest, such as restaurants, on the images. The user interface is also well designed. Check it out if you haven't already.

This week's fortune.

Someone is speaking well of you.

Having long hair is dangerous.

I used to think that I only had to worry about getting my dreadlocks in my food. I've found out that I need to be a lot more careful with them.

I had two separate episodes today where I could have lost some hair, both related to the air-conditioner at the house breaking. Just to make sure it wasn't the AC filter, we replaced it. In the process, I got a couple of locks trapped in the filter slot and had to rescue them. When the filter replacement didn't work, I had to move a fan into my room to cool it down so I could sleep. In the process of setting the fan up and turning it on, I got a little scare as another lock was drawn into the fan cage. Thankfully, the little guy came out alright...I think.

This week's fortune.

Happy events will take place shortly in your home.

This week's fortune.

You are always welcome in many ways.

Even though it's a few days overdue...

I added my Michigan trip to my Excursions page. I also modified a bunch of the pages by adding real thumbnails so that they load much, much faster.

My thoughts are with Adam.

T-sac broke his femur today playing softball. He's about to go into surgery, and he'll have rod inserted into his thigh. Here's to a speedy recovery.

Pa headed back to Kuwait today.

...so today was a little melancholy. I might have gotten a little teary eyed a couple of times in the day, but I'll never admit to it. I'll have to cheer Ma up, as it's only her and me in the house now.

Anyway, this one's dedicated to you, Daddy...I love you.

My first Boeing travel opportunity.

The head of my department invited me along on a recruiting trip to good old Champaign, Illinois. This is not a common occurence, so I'm taking advantage of it. I'll be there on September 13 and 14. Ah, I remember the days when I went to the career fairs looking for job opportunities...now I'll be on the other side of the table.

My dad says I look like I'm gaining weight.

Wac. I guess I need to start working out again.

This week's fortune.

Good news will come to you from far away.

New job opportunity.

Katie and I were leaving a Hollister Co. store yesterday (she was looking for clothes, not me), when I was stopped by a guy who explained that he was with Abercrombie & Fitch. He told me that they were looking for 3 new managers for that Hollister store, and that I had the Hollister look going on and I looked good in it...I didn't quite understand this comment, though, as I had on a pair of Old Navy shorts and my R. Sputter Superstars soccer t-shirt. Anyway, since they were looking for a diverse representation, he was wondering if I would be interested in the position. I graciously explained that I already have a job as a software engineer and declined.

This slightly changes my opinion about A&F being a racially prejudiced company. However, I still don't plan on shopping at any of their stores any time soon.

Power is finally back at the Orjih household.

After almost three days of absence, electrical power has returned to my house. In order, the three things I missed the most during that time:
1. The Internet.
2. Light.
3. Air conditioning.

My first skydive.

Check out a few details and a video, linked from my Excursions page.

In case you're looking into acquiring an MP3 player...

CNET did a comparison of Apple's iPod Mini and Creative's Zen Micro, two of the best microdrive devices on the market. Click the link to find out who won.

Happy birthday, Christine.

Ms. Aylward turns 26 today.

This message was specially requested.

Swingers Softball Recap (8/8/05)

The Swingers returned to the win column on Monday night, posting a 19 - 10 drubbing of Master Batters in a late night contest. The story of the evening was the breakout performance by Erik "K" Gutierrez, who blasted a two run homer to the deepest part of the park and tacked on 3 more RBI's after having gone 0 for his first 7 at bats of the season. Gutierrez, noticeably larger since his last appearance, refused to answer questions about steroids in the post game news conference. However, manager Christine Aylward did have this to say, "We hired a team of chemists, and it paid off big time tonight." Gutierrez was not tested after the game.

The Red Devils struggled to find their stroke through the first two innings, plating just one run on 5 hits. Fortunately for the visiting team starting pitcher Eric "ER" Ridenhour posted zeroes in both innings to keep the Swingers in the game. Then in the third inning, the bats woke up. Second Basewoman Melanie Ureta - Granger led the inning off by reaching on an error and advancing to second base. Jamaal Granger followed with a single to push Ureta to third, and Katie Stemmler notched her second RBI of the season with a ground out to the right side of the infield which forced out Granger at second. Gutierrez then followed with his first hit of the season, breaking out of his slump in a big way. "K's" blast traveled an estimated 487 feet to straight away center field, and the Swingers were ahead 4-0. They would score 8 more times in the frame, with RBI base hits by Christine Aylward, "ER" Ridenhour, and Jamaal Granger leading to another big hit by Gutierrez. "K" crushed a first pitch fastball to the gap in left centerfield that reached the wall, driving in two more runs. Unfortunately for the Swingers, Gutierrez was thrown out trying to score on the play. "He ran through my stop sign," said third base coach "ER" Ridenhour, "I don't know what he was thinking." When asked for comment, Gutierrez had this to say: "Apparently the juice doesn't make you any faster." After going down in order in both the 4th and 5th innings, the Swingers erupted again in their half of the 6th. The big hits of the inning were 2 RBI singles notched by Adam "Chuckie" Tsacoumangos and short shortstop Dan Higa. Ron Sturm and Christine Aylward both posted excellent games at the plate, with Sturm going 2-2 including a double, and Aylward going 2-4, scoring a run and driving in 2.

Eric "ER" Ridenhour posted a solid starting performance after a shaky outting last week to earn his 4th win of the season, and push his record over .500 at 4-3. He struck out two batters while walking just one and surrendering 5 runs. Coming on in relief Jason Brunick also performed well, also allowing 5 runs while striking out one and walking 3 in his 3 innings of work. Defensively it was a Jekyl and Hide night for the swingers, who made several sparkling plays, but also managed to look clueless on certain occasions. The big play of the evening was "ER" Ridenhour's catch of a scorching line drive up the middle in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Ridenhour managed to stab the blistering liner, which would otherwise have ended up in centerfield and scoring at least two runs. "That was a game saving play early in the game," Commented J-Rod Ross, "If "ER" doesn't make that play, we're down early, it changes the whole complection of the game." Ridenhour was asked for comment after the game and said only, "It hurt like hell!" On the other end of the spectrum short shortstop Dan Higa commited his second error in as many games on would should have been a routine ground ball that skipped past him in the 4th inning. Also at fault was third basewoman Lynsey Winkler, who for the second consecutive game forgot what to do with the ball after she caught it. In the bottom of the sixth inning with the Swingers an out away from victory, Winkler fielded a sharp ground ball, but instead of throwing to first to end the game, she threw an errant ball home. "I get confused," said Winkler afterwards. "She has a talent for understatement," added catcher Bobbi "The General" Closser. Winkler redeemed herself on the next play however, when she snagged another grounder and threw to second to record the force out and seal the win.

After the game the Swingers announced that Winkler would be leaving the team on Thursday to join A.C. Milan of the Italian Serie A soccer league. Winkler's departure to European soccer had been rumored for weeks, and became a reality when Milan made it's final offer of $75 million for 4 years. "I'm pleased that they decided to pay me what I'm worth," said Winkler in a seperate news conference, "My time with the Swingers will be remembered fondly, but it's time for me to move up to better things." Manager Christine Aylward had this to say, "Lynsey helped us quite a bit down the home stretch. We'd like to keep her on, but our offer of $5, a Target gift card, and a six pack of root beer couldn't compare with what Milan could afford to spend."

The Swingers will rap up the season with two makeup games, the first of which is scheduled for 8:30pm next Monday night against Office Average. Good seats still remain, call the Swinger's ticket office today!

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

This week's fortune.

A thrilling time is in your immediate future.

Pics from Seattle/Vancouver.

I added material from my most recent trip to the Excursions section. I apologize for not making proper thumbnails...this makes the pages load excruciatingly slowly. On the positive side, you don't have to reload the images when you click on them to link to the full size.

Another cool picture.

Two F-15s flying over the current and future Busch Stadiums.

Swingers Softball Recap (8/1/05)

The Swingers could not continue their hot streak on Monday night, dropping a heart breaker to office average by the score of 22-2. The loss snapped a two game win streak, and dropped the Red Devil record to 3-6. Nothing went right for the visiting team on a night that featured a 2 hour delay due to a rabies scare. A large grey dog attacked a vendor just before first pitch, and play was held during a search for the animal. Witnesses claim the dog was foaming at the mouth, and one woman asserted that Bobbi "the General" Closser was later seen stuffing the pooch into her locker in an attempt to hide it. Closser had no comment, and the rabid animal was not found.

The swingers added very little in the way of excitement on the field managing just 2 runs on 4 hits. Short Shortstop Dan Higa led the game off with a linedrive single to left field, took 3rd on a throwing error, and scored on a one out RBI single by Adam "Chuckie" Tsacoumangos. Despite playing in only 3 games, "Chuckie" is among the team leaders with 8 RBI for the season, and appears to have solidified a spot with the big club after his mid season call up from the AAA Poo Flingers of Monkey's Eyebrow, NM. Reporters had several questions for the rookie, but chief among them was how "Tsacoumangos" could be pronounced "Chuhkuhmayngus." Manager Christine Aylward had this to say. "Jarrod can't spell Jared, and Adam has 20 letters in his name. Our team is alphabetically challenged I guess." "We can't hit either," commented Erik "K" Gutierrez. Gutierrez was apparently speaking for himself after posting yet another 0-fer. The former all star has yet to record a hit in 6 at bats, although he has reached base once on an error. "We're working with the team doctors to find a way to get Erik back on steriods without the league finding out," commented Aylward.

The Swingers only other run came in the second inning. Katie Stemmler reached base on an error by the pitcher, who's dentures fell out while he attempted to field the ball. Ron Sturm then blasted a double to deep right center field that bounced up against the base of the wall, sending Stemmler to third. After Amber Moodie-Dyer's ground out failed to advance the runners, Eric "C" Ridenhour drove Stemmler home with a grounder to second base. It has been a frustrating year for Moodie-Dyer, who like "K" Gutierrez is sporting a collar for a batting average. The pair are joined by Kim Brunick and Glenna Anderson as the only members of the Swinger lineup that have yet to record a hit. "Landers" Anderson has apparently fled the country after learning of a demotion to AAA. "We tried to send her down to the minors to sort out her swing, but the next day she dissappeared." It is unclear if the Swingers will continue to pay the remaining $3 on Anderson's contract. Of the three players still on the roster, Brunick has been the most successfull, notching a .400 On-Base Percentage and scoring 2 runs.

Jason Brunick took the mound for the Swingers and quickly regretted it, allowing 12 runs, all earned, on 18 hits and 2 walks. He lasted just 2 innings of work. The outting ballooned Brunick's ERA to 11.12, up from a team leading 7.00. Eric "C" Ridenhour faired no better, pitching 2 innings of relief and also surrendering 12 runs. Defensively, the Red Devils played inconsistant defense, as evidenced by rookie Lynsey Winkler's performance at third base. With one out and a man on second in the second inning, Winkler fielded a sharp ground ball at the hot corner. She proceded to chase after the runner standing on second while short shortstop Higa yelled for a play at first base. Winkler pivoted and threw wildly, allowing a run to score. "I think she'd have done better if she had kicked it like a soccer ball," commented first baseman Ron Sturm, who despite his 6'0 frame could not handle the throw. One inning later, Winkler again made a play on hard hit grounder with the bases loaded. This time however, she threw a seed to Kristen Babb who stepped on home plate to record an out. It remains unclear if Winkler will remain with the Swingers, as AC Milan of Italy's Serie A soccer league has increased their offer to $53 million, according to reports. Winkler had no comment. Manager Christine Aylward and Short Shortstop Dan Higa also had some difficulties on the left side of the infield. Higa was unable to field a sharp ground ball after it took a nasty hop, and Aylward suffered the same fate on a ball that bounced clear over her head. "Christine should have dove," commented Higa. "That was just a weak effort." Higa has quickly developed a reputation in the clubhouse as intense and overly critical of the performance of his teammates. "I guess I'm just the only one that cares about winning," commented Higa.

The Swingers announced a bit of a scandal in a press release following the ballgame. In the release, the team disclosed the true age of second basewoman Melanie Ureta. Ureta, a Filipino by birth, apparently lied about her age when she entered the professional draft. "Lying about your age is fairly common among Cuban defectors who play in the big leagues, but this is the first case of a Filipino," commented Comissioner Bud Selig. Ureta, who is listed on the Swinger roster as a 25 year old, was revealed to be 32. "We don't care as long as she continues to play at a level that makes her a cornerstone of this team," commented Manager Aylward.

The Swingers will attempt to end the regular season on a high note next Monday night against Master Batters at 9:30pm. Good seats still remain, call the Swingers ticket office today!

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

Swingers Softball Recap (7/25/05)

The Swingers are showing signs of life and extended their winning streak to 2 games after a 22-2 drubbing of Office Average on Monday night. The Red Devils were victorious despite the loss of Manager Christine Aylward and first baseman Ron Sturm, both out due to suspension. Commisioner Bud Selig issued a one game rebuke for both Aylward and Sturm after the pair tag-teamed a camera man during practice earlier in the week. Sturm headlocked the assailed media employee while Aylward repeatedly kicked the man in and around the groin. The incident, captured on film, will cost both players a one game suspension and a $5,000 fine. Neither Aylward nor Sturm had any comment.

Short Shortstop Dan Higa took over managerial duties in Aylward's absence and fielded a slightly different looking lineup. Recent AAA call up Adam Tsacoumangos batted in J-Rod Ross's usual number 3 spot, and Jamaal Granger played first base for the first time this year. The moves paid off for Higa, as Tsacoumangos drove in 3 runs, and Ross 2. Granger also contributed with his first home run of the season, a solo blast that just cleared the wall in right field. It was the first of 3 RBIs for Granger on the evening. "I was inspired," said Granger, who was recently engaged to girlfriend and teammate Melanie Ureta. "My heart was on fire, and it showed on the field today." Several male teammates groaned in the locker room listening to Granger's mush. Ureta also contributed a solid performance, going 2-5, scoring a run, and driving in a pair with a 2 out second inning single. "Melanie is a cornerstone for us," commented interim manager Higa, "The moon will rise tonight, the sun will rise tomorrow, and Melanie will play second base." It was also a career night for the short shortstop, who reached base in all 5 at bats, scored 3 runs, and drove in 5.

On the mound, starter Eric Ridenhour pitched two solid innings, giving up just two runs and walking only 1 batter. It was enough to earn Ridenhour his second straight victory. Coming on in relief Jason Brunick tossed 3 scoreless frames and extended his scoreless streak to 6 consecutive innings. Brunick lowered his team leading ERA to a microscopic 7.00, while striking out 2 and walking 1. "He had excellent stuff tonight," said catcher Bobbi "The General" Closser, "His fastball was on the black of the plate, his curve had good break, and he mixed his speeds well all night." Defensively, the Swingers provided excellent defense for the pitching staff, highlighted by a sterling outfield assist at third base. Tsacoumangos handled a shallow fly ball that dropped just in front of him, and threw a strike to rookie call-up Lynsey Winkler at third base. Winkler applied the tag to give the Swingers a key second out in the 4th. Winkler was called up from the AA Badgers of Mobile, AL to boost the club during Aylward's suspension. It was a solid debut for the rookie, who reached base 3 times and scored twice. Winkler, also a soccer standout, is rumored to be in negotiations with A.C. Milan of the Italian Serie A. If the deal goes through it could be a blow to the Swinger's farm system, already depleted after midseason call ups to Tsacoumangos, Katie Stemmler, and Lindsay Mendro. Winkler had this to say about the deal: "I was a bit dissappointed with Milan's latest offer of just $46 million. We're still in negotiations, so I can't really comment any further. Please forward your questions to my agent." The only miscue for the Swingers occured when "The General" Closser failed to make a play on a foul pop up at home plate. "My dog barked and it distracted me," said Closser, who's new pet Buck Nasty was in attendance.

In a subplot to the evening, Erik "K" Gutierrez returned from substance abuse suspension to play in just his second game of the year. "K" Gutierrez was clearly not himself without the juice, posting another goose egg for the evening. He did, however, reach base on an error and score. "I'm like a dog with no teeth if I can't use my steroids," said Gutierrez, "It's no fair when I can't cheat!" Luckily for the Swingers, several other players helped pick up the slack. Kristen Babb picked up the first RBI of her career, and reached base in all 4 plate appearances, while Kim Brunick walked twice and scored before being lifted in the 3rd for "The General" Closser.

After the game the Swingers front office announced that they had made a trade deadline deal with Minnesotta to send outfielder Emily Hodapp and first baseman Brian McChesney to the Twins in return for cash considerations and a player to be named later. Hodapp, a clearly talented lefty, scored 3 runs in limited action for the Swingers. McChesney, also a left hander, batted .333 and drove in 5 while splitting time with Sturm at first. "We're sad to see half of our left handers leave the team, but financially, the deal made sense. Coed Softball is a business, and we have to operate under the financial constraints upper management puts on us," commented manager Aylward.

The Swingers are 3-5 with 2 scheduled contests left and an oppurtunity to reach .500 for the season. It is unclear if any rained out games will be rescheduled. Next Monday's game is a 6:30pm start against the Mayco Sharks, and good seats still remain. Call the Swinger's ticket office today!

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

Two of my favorite things in the same picture.

An F-15 protecting the skies over an attempted Space Shuttle launch.

This week's fortune.

Too much confidence has deceived many a one.

This week's fortune.

Many of your wishes will soon come true.

I'm on my way to becoming a rock star like Josiah Rosen.

I bought an Ibanez guitar this evening. It's a black acoustic with electric capabilities. It even has a built-in tuner. I got a black strap with lightning bolts to match. And of course I had to buy the guitar tablatures for Radiohead's OK Computer, Kid A, and Hail to the Thief...I hope to be able to play their songs within the year. Special thanks go out to Lindsay and Kinnari for helping me with my selections.

Why I can't find a girlfriend.

I figured out the 3 main reasons why I can't find a lady to make my girlfriend:

1. I don't meet women very often.
2. Most women aren't interested in me.
3. I'm not interested in most women.

To quantify this, we must make a few VERY GENEROUS assumptions:

1. I meet a qualifying female once a week.
2. 1 out of 5 qualifying females is interested in me.
3. I am interested in 1 out of 5 qualifying females.

When you crunch the numbers, the result is that I meet a potential girlfriend once every 25 weeks, or about twice a year. How depressing.

A movie not meant to be watched with your mother:

Closer...I know from experience.

This week's fortune.

Your love life will be happy and fulfilling.

*Editor's note: dead wrong.

This week's fortune.

It is always darkest just before the dawn.

Get well soon, momma!

My mother had arthroscopic surgery on her ankle this morning. The prognosis is that she'll be sidelined for about 6 to 8 weeks. Here's to a speedy recovery! After all, I need someone to cook for me...

Swingers Softball Recap (6/27/05)

The Swingers broke out of a 3 game losing streak, beating Master Batters by a 16-6 mark on Monday night, despite playing without All Stars Jarrod Ross and Erik Gutierrez. Ross and Gutierrez are both serving suspensions for violating the league's new substance abuse policy, and it is unclear when either will return.

While Ross refused to comment, Gutierrez pleaded his innocence in a press conference before Monday's game. "My lawyers and I agree, what the league found in my urine sample was cattle steroids. I ate at Outback the night before the game, and that's how it got in my system." Commisioner Bud Selig is unconvinced. "We will pursue the maximum penalty," he said. It is rumored that Ross may flee the country and join the German Women's Swim Team rather than face a suspension.

Faced with the loss of their two marquee players the Swingers called up reinforcements from AAA Monkey's Eyebrow, NM. Adam Tsacoumangos's contract was purchased from the Poo Flingers of the Pacific Coast League, and Lindsay Mendro, already on the 40 man roster, was called up. Both made big impacts in their major league debuts. Tsacoumangos was 2-3 with a homerun and 3 RBI's, while Mendro was the first female to play left field and not allow a ball to pass her on the ground all season. She also contributed a 2 RBI single in the first inning.

The story of the night for the Swingers was their 12 run first frame, in which they scored their first 7 runs without the benefit of a hit. 8 of the first 10 batters walked to start the inning, and the Red Devils never looked back. Eric Ridenhour was credited with the victory for his two innings of work in which he allowed 6 runs, but the story on the mound was Jason Brunick, who came on in relief and tossed 3 shutout innings while walking just 1 batter. "He was working both sides of the plate, changing speeds, keeping hitters off balance," said manager Christine Aylward, who also caught Brunick. The outting lowered Brunick's ERA to 8.75, making him the only Swinger pitcher with an ERA under 18.

Defensively the Swingers sparkled, playing their first error free game of the year. Brunick helped himself out of a jam in the 4th inning by gunning down a runner at home with the bases loaded, and Brian McChesney added a nifty stab on a scorching linedrive down the first base side. Even when things went poorly for the Red Devils they managed to make plays. Bobbi "The General" Closser appeared to have caught a weak line drive in the 5th inning, but with typical Confederate flair, she dropped the ball. However, short shortstop Dan Higa was backing up on the play. Higa pounced on the loose ball, pivoted on one knee, and threw a strike to Amber Moodie-Dyer who was alertly covering second for a fielders choice.

With the season entering the home stretch the Swingers still have an oppurtunity to make a run. Several players have been turning in solid performances, and even without Ross and Gutierrez, the Red Devils can still field a solid Lineup. Jamaal Granger continues to produce offensively, leading the team in hits with 9 and runs scored with 10. Melanie Ureta, an offseason acquisition, has also paid handsome dividends. Ureta leads all women with 9 runs scored and 4 RBI. Two players quietly putting together solid years are Bobbi "The General" Closser and Dan Higa. Closser is hitting .444, while Higa ranks in the team's top 3 in every major offensive category. Ron Sturm has also stepped up. Despite a .222 average, Sturm has driven in 6 runs.

Tsacoumangos and Mendro join Katie Stemmler as the team's 3 rookie callups. When asked about their prospects to stick with the big club, manager Aylward said, "We're always looking for oppurtunities to improve our ballclub. Katie has done a good job for us since she's been here, and I'm sure we can find some at bats for Adam. We're still not sure what we want to do with Lindsay." It is unclear whether the Swingers will accept a Cubs fan on the roster. "I don't trust any Northsider fan," commented Higa, "The bad vibes from 97 years of losing could put us in an even deeper hole." Other members of the team were also skeptical. "I'm sure she won't fit in," said Kristen Babb. Jerico Collins added, "She'll bring the curse of the billy goat with her. Mark my words." Collins, however, had reason to celebrate after notching his first big league hit. "It's a huge weight off my shoulders," Said Collins.

The Swingers have a bye for the holiday weekend, and take the field again on July 11th against Mike Duffy's. Good seats still remain, call the Swinger's ticket office today!

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

Dust Tour 2K6.

Next year's vacation destination is a romp through Greece and Italy.

Here's who's in so far...
For sure: Me, Andy Maxwell.
Probably: Jarrod Ross, Greg Wilcox.
Maybe: Adam Tsacoumangos, Andy's friend.

I can't decide if I wanna see Weezer or not.

I'll go if someone else wants to go...

The purpose of falling is to get back up.

(that was paraphrased from Batman Begins)

First, I hurt my ankle playing soccer yesterday. I went to pivot and make a pass, and I felt a pop in my left ankle. Thankfully, the x-ray today was negative...it was just a ligament strain. I think I'll only be on the DL for a couple of weeks, at most.

Then, I crashed my desktop computer today after attempting to add 1 GB of RAM to the 512 MB that was already installed. After discovering that a house call from the Geek Squad would cost at least $150, I decided to troubleshoot the problem myself. After much searching and nearly giving up, I determined that I had fried one of the memory modules...thankfully it was only a 256 MB one.

Missed it by that much.

I posted a personal best (out of all 2 races I've run) of 29:17 in the Komens St. Louis Race for the Cure 5K this morning. This was 17 seconds slower than my goal. I guess I need to train harder...or start training...

This week's fortune.

Others are anxious to get to know you better.

Swingers Softball Recap 6/6/05

Monday night was an oppurtunity for the Swingers. Newly bolstered by the return of all star Erik "K" Gutierrez, and facing a weak Mikey Duffy's team, the Red Devils were in a perfect position to grab a win and perhaps gain some momentum. Instead, they squandered it away. The Swingers got acceptable pitching and played solid defense, but for the second straight game failed to get the offense into gear, losing 12-2.

The story of the evening was the return of "K" Gutierrez from a knee injury suffered in the off season. When asked before the game what "K's" return meant to the Swingers, manager Christine Aylward said this, "'K' is great on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. I think his return is the spark this team needs." Unfortunately for the Swingers, it was not to be. While "K" played his usual solid defense in left center field, he managed only an 0-3 at the plate, flying out to the warning track in all three at bats. "They made me get off the juice for my rehab," said "K," "Now that I'm healthy again I can start bulking back up with a little help from my trainer and his products." When asked to comment on his teammate's apparent lack of power, Eric "C" Ridenhour commented, "He just got back on the drugs, give them some time to work." Manager Aylward would not comment when asked about her players and steroid use.

The Red Devils were forced to go with emergency pitcher Jamaal Granger to start the contest, due to the late arrival of scheduled starter "C" Ridenhour, and the departure of Jason Brunick to attend to personal matters. Granger had some pitching experience from last year, and did an admirable job filling in for the Swingers. He allowed 8 runs in his 3 innings of work, while striking out 1 and walking 4. "I didn't feel quite comfortable on the mound," Granger said afterwards, "I was just trying to keep us in the game, and make my pitches when I had to." The Red Devils stepped up defensively to help Granger, with "K" Gutierrez making several nice plays in left center field, and Obi Orjih laying out to make a diving stop on a line drive in the 3rd inning. Although the umpire called an out on the catch, Orjih made the throw to first base just to be sure. It was Orjih's first good throw to first all year. "I wasn't thinking about it, I just reacted," commented the shortstop. The same could not be said of short shortstop Dan Higa, who replaced Orjih in the 4th inning. Higa's throwing error in the 5th kept the inning alive long enough to allow Duffy's to score their final 3 runs.

Offensively the Swingers had few bright spots, but among them was Jarrod "J-Rod" Ross's second home run of the season, a blast that traveled 458 feet to the power alley in left center field. "I was just looking for a pitch to drive," commented "J-Rod," "He threw me a fastball up, and I hammered it." When asked for comment "K" Gutierrez said, "Obviously he's still on the juice." Christine "Awkward" Aylward also showed some signs of life, collecting her second hit in as many games. "Awkward" had been in an 0 - 6 slump before her recent hitting streak. "I'm starting to see the ball better," commented Aylward. Also encouraging were Amber Moodie-Dyer's two walks, improving her on base percentage to .500, despite flailing at an ugly pitch in the 3rd. However, Moodie-Dyer is still one of 4 Swingers who are hitless on the season.

Looking for any way to spark her team, manager Aylward has introduced 6 awards to be handed out at the end of the season. Male and Female awards will be handed out for Gold Glove, Silver Slugger (best hitter) and MVP, along with other miscellaneous awards to be announced in the future. Upon hearing this announcement, competition in the clubhouse quickly erupted. "Nobody on this team hits better than I do," stated "J-Rod," "At least the rest of us can spell our names," responded Bobbi "The General" Closser. Award winners will be chosen by team voting.

The Swingers will look to get back on track next Monday night against Office Average, the only team they've defeated this year. First pitch is at 8:30pm, and good seats still remain! Call the Swinger's ticket office today.

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

This week's fortune.

You find beauty in ordinary things, do not lose this ability.

Eurotrip 2005.

A log of my recent trip to Europe can be found here. Enjoy.

Extra ticket for Coldplay.

I have an extra ticket to see Coldplay in concert at the UMB Bank Pavilion on Saturday, September 17 at 8:00 PM. Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks for caring, Pete.

I guess I have a new fan...

I am currently at an internet cafe next to my hotel in Madrid, and will be returning to the States in a couple of days. It´s been good not caring about what´s going on over there, for the most part, for a few days. When I get back, I plan on posting an entry or two detailing my journey.

On a completely unrelated note, non-American keyboards and menus/messages in ¨foreign¨ languages are slightly annoying, but kinda cool.

Greetings from across the pond.

I arrived in London 3.5 hours ago, and am readying to check into my hotel. I'm both excited and scared about the next 10 days. I've resolved to make this the best vacation EVER. It is almost 11 AM here (5 AM in StL) and the tour doesn't start until 6 PM, so I have 7 hours to kill.

The most interesting person I've met so far: Margaret, a 37 year old scientist who was born in Australia to Chinese parents but now lives and works in North Carolina...I sat next her on the plan from Raleigh/Durham to London. Honorable mention go to the engineer I sat next to on the flight from St. Louis to Raleigh/Durham, the ECU chick I met in the Raleigh/Durham airport, and the fair trade chick I met two gates down.

Kudos to Yahoo!

In their attempt to take over everything related to the Internet, Yahoo! has launched (pun intended) their new music subscription service, Yahoo! Music Unlimited. It does what Napster To Go and Rhaphsody do for less than half the price, as low as 5 bucks a month..."unlimited" legal music downloading. I use the quotes because some of their 1,000,000+ tracks are available only for purchase (e.g. any thing from Radiohead's catalogue). Note that you are not allowed to burn tracks acquired through the subscription service, though you can transfer them to approved portable music players.

In addition to the great value, the Yahoo! Music Engine's not too shabby. Admittedly, it still has it's bugs (which I've personally experienced - it is in the beta test phase), it lacks an equalizer, and it only downloads one track at at time. However, I was able to rip from 2 CDs, download an album, play a track from my library, and transfer an album to my MP3 player all at the same time.

Yahoo! Music Unlimited gets the Obezma Seal of Approval.

This weeks's fortune.

You are the evening star in someone's romantic eye.

Swingers Softball Recap 5/16/05

If Monday night had been a charity walk event, it would have been a resounding success. Instead, it was a messy softball game that the Swingers fumbled away in the final frame.

The Swingers came out of the gate strong and scored 12 runs in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of 8 free passes issued by the home team's pitcher. Dan Higa and Melanie Ureta both walked to lead off the frame, and the bases were loaded on Jamaal Granger's single to shallow right center field. Bobbi "The General" Closser then delivered the first blow with a bases clearing single up the middle for her first 3 RBI's of the year. It was a breakout game for "The General", who went 2-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, pushing her average up to .286. "The tablet a couple of weeks ago said, 'Thou shalt keep thy front shoulder in at the plate,' and it worked out for me," commented Closser. "Now if she could only catch the ball at third," added teammate Obi Orjih. There was clear tension between the two players, especially during the bottom of the 4th inning, when Orjih was heard yelling at Closser from the dugout, "I'm gonna tear your head off!" After Closser's single, Jarrod Ross broke a streak in which had had reached base in every at bat this season. Ross grounded out to short stop. "I didn't get my puffy fix, and it showed today," said Ross. Whether this is a reference to steroids or something else remains unclear. Kristen Babb followed with a walk, and came around to score on manager Christine Aylward's RBI walk. It was Babb's first run scored of her career. "We think Kristen is coming around. She knocked a base hit last game, this game she scores a run. We're looking for her to continue to improve," commented Aylward. "Of course she'll improve," stated Ron Sturm, "it doesn't get any worse." When asked to comment on her team's loss Babb said, "Yeah, but we won at pool later on, so it's all good."

By the end of the top of the first the swingers had sent 16 men to the plate, and scored 12 runs on 8 walks and 4 hits. Pitcher Eric Ridenhour, however, did not have his best stuff. The usually accurate hurler walked 11 batters and surrendered 4 home runs in his worst outting of the season. "I wasn't locating my fastball, and when you can't establish the fastball, then the breaking pitches don't help you any," said Ridenhour. "He couldn't have hit the broad side of a barn from 3 feet away," remarked short shortstop Dan Higa when asked about Ridenhour's wildness. The few pitches Ridenhour threw for strikes routinely landed over outfielder's heads, in what was a tough game defensively for Jamaal Granger and Jarrod Ross. "The Juice only helps you hit, it does nothing for your defense," said Ross. Ridenhour gave up 21 earned runs and ballooned his ERA to 18.20, while dropping his record to 1-2.

The Red Devils appeared to be in control of the contest until the final two frames, when pitching woes and defensive miscues doomed them to failure. The Swingers commited 8 errors in the final two innings, costing them 9 unearned runs. Those 9 runs became the difference in a 30-23 loss. It was a particularly rough night for Jerico Collins, who commited a costly 3 run error in right center field, and struck out in his only plate appearance. "He looks like Homer Simpson at the plate," commented catcher Amber Moodie-Dyer, "He's fat, dumb, and balding. It's really too bad he doesn't hit like Homer." For her part, Moodie-Dyer reached base twice with a pair of walks, and scored both times.

When asked to comment about the game manager Christine Aylward had this to say, "We're encouraged by the way the offense has sparked the last two games, but whenever you score 23 runs, you should win the ballgame. Erik had a rough day, but it happens. I'm more concerned with the way our defense fell apart in the last few innings." The Swingers take on the Mayco Sharks next Monday night at 7:30, and good seats still remain. Call the Swinger ticket office today!

- Dan Higa

Swingers season statistics.

Chino's a pimp.

My youngest brother, Nedu, had possibly the best game of his volleyball career against Webster Groves today. Unfortunately, I was not there. Here's his stat line: 21 attempts, 2 errors, 15 kills, 3 block kills.

Here's an actual exchange that took place on the Webster bench during the third game:

Coach: Alright, they've only really got one hitter on their team.
Player 1: Who?
Coach: You know...the big black guy...number 5...
Player 2: So what are we supposed to do?
Coach: Well...hope they don't set it to him...

Poignant Zen passage...

Life itself is a powerful teacher. To stay flexible, open, and sincere
at each juncture is worth a lifetime of "practice." To be a truly
compassionate person requires the ability to respond sincerely, being
comfortable with the apparent contradictions, confident in one's
ability to choose actions with heart/wisdom.

Taken from the commentary in this month's On The Way - The DailyZen Journal.

No rest for Tina.

Tina, my Tiburon, recently turned 1 year old on April 7. Yesterday, I took her in to get her 15,000 mile service (she actually had about 15.7 K under her belt). After the job had been completed, I was informed that her rear liscence plate frame had been broken while she was in the car wash (they have a car wash machine where customers get free washes for life)...note that I hadn't requested a wash, though I didn't mind. Because of this, they reduced my bill by $20. I was able to get a replacement frame for $10, so I came out 10 bones ahead.

Here's a picture of what they did:



Here's the replacement:

Ode to Pete Nash.

This one goes out to a co-worker that I have come to greatly admire, Pete Nash. Here are some of the reasons I think he is so cool:

• He sometimes greets people on the phone, "Pete Nash!"...you'd have to hear it to appreciate it.
• He went to UIUC, and never fails to reply to to my ILL.
• His wit and great sense of humor.
• His cleanliness - he keeps moist wipes and hand sanitizer at his desk (Being the biter I am, I do now as well.)
• He's really freakin' smart.
• He's a straight-shooter.
• He's a great problem-solver.

While I'm at it, I should also give props to some of the other great people I work with: Steve Mitori (my team leader), Dave Walter (my boss), and Lee Puett (my boss's boss, formerly my boss).

Someone should tell Unilever...

that their "invisible solid" deodorant stick is not very invisible...especially on brown skin...

My new favorite band...at least sentimentally.

Bloc Party. Their lead singer, Kele Okereke, is the son of Nigerian parents who immigrated to England. And their music's pretty good.

Also digging...The Killers, Kasabian, The Bravery, and the rest of the British-inspired dance-rock movement.

It's official...I killed Windows XP.

So I tried to dual-boot Linux and Windows on my newly acquired notebook computer... Well, I got the Linux operating system, Fedora Core 3, to work. However, Windows XP Home now crashes on boot-up...with a blue screen of death. Thankfully, I had not done much system set-up besides installing Firefox and Partition Magic.

When I try to recover it using Dell's built-in PC Restore, I get a black screen and the message "Cannot restore". And since Dell anticipated that this feature would be able to recover from the vast majority of operating system woes, they don't send the Windows installation CDs in the package...so I had to call technical support and request them. The CDs should arrive late next week.

Until then, I can only run Linux on my laptop...which wouldn't be so bad except for I can't figure out how to get WiFi to work on Linux.

Europe better be fun.

I'm missing the following concerts (here in StL) which I would normally go to because of my trip:

The Roots
The Killers
Kasabian
Dave Matthews Band*

* - I get back the day of the concert.

Jarrod Ross is my new hero

We ran the St. Louis 5K (3.1 miles) in Forest Park this morning. He finished in 21:46, while I came in at 29:43...I'm such a bum. You can check out the results (a full listing or by age group) here.

UPDATE: Check out pictures of me and Jarrod at the finish line.

I made a decision.

I went with the Dell Inspiron 600M. With the Boeing discount, I was able to upgrade to the top-of-the-line model (and get a few accessories) while only going over my original budget by $70.

It's over...

and I feel like crying...

ILL...sob...ini

Undecided 2005

I'm looking to buy a notebook computer. However, I can't find one for a reasonable price which satisfies all of my source selection criteria. You can help by taking a look at this table and telling me which one to pick. Alternatively, you can look for an option I am not aware of which satisfies my criteria.

2005 MLB predictions.

Here's what the ESPN.com "experts" are saying.

They all pick the Cardinals to win the NL central, but only two think that they'll make it back to the Series. Here are Obi's picks:

AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Angels
AL Wildcard: Red Sox
NL East: Marlins
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Padres
NL Wildcard: Dodgers
World Series: Cardinals over Twins

AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero
AL Cy Young: Johan Santana
AL RotY: Dallas McPherson (I don't know who he is)
NL MVP: JD Drew (same incorrect pick the last 4 years)
NL Cy Young: Oliver Perez
NL RotY: JD Closser (I'm not sure if I know who he is)

Anyone notice how half my award picks are on my fantasy team?

We're goin to the 'ship!

ILLini.

My newest toy.

Cretive Zen Micro 5 GB - Black.

RH Top 10.

Phoenix FM and AtEase have teamed up to create a poll to decide the top 10 Radiohead songs, to be played on the radio station.

Deciding my 10 favorites was tough, but this is what I came up with:

1. Paranoid Android
2. Morning Bell
3. There There
4. Pyramid Song
5. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
6. Airbag
7. Optimistic
8. Idioteque
9. I Might Be Wrong
10. Go To Sleep

Nerd quote of the day.

"Kleeneliness is next to Gödeliness."
- stolen from this Wikipedia article

God, Final Four tickets are expensive.

I tried to bid for 3 separate pairs of tickets to all sessions of the Final Four, and was outbid each time. My final bid on the last auction was $901...it went for $911. The one before went for $1025, though my max bid was only $800.

I officially quit. So close, but yet so far...

I'm freakin' out!

Oh my god! Greatest feeling EVER!

I must admit, I turned the TV off when we went down 10 with about 5 minutes left. While surfing the web, I couldn't help but check the score. The first time, not much had changed...in fact we were down more. When I checked again, the score was tied with 30 seconds left. I rushed to turn the game back on.

Watching OT was a roller coaster. The highs of Deron nailing the three...the lows of giving up the easy bucket or offensive rebound. And then the last play...that sucks for Arizona fans that they didn't even get off a good shot. Oh well...

Wow. Looks like I might need to contact some scalpers about next weekend after all...

Year of the ILLini.

My newest toy...

Check 'er out.

She's purrty...

What internet website is more addictive than crack cocaine?

Your favorite porn site would have been a good guess. However, I am referring to WikepediA. Two hours ago, I did a simple inquiry on chess opening moves. Now, I must pull myself away from the computer so I can get a measly 4 hours of sleep before going to work tomorrow...err, later this morning. Multitudes of links to almost anything you might ever care to know about...

This is f*ckin' bullsh*t!

Jim Caple, a writer for ESPN.com, spent a week in Champaign as part of an effort to follow the schools in the NCAA basketball tournament from campus. During his stay, he took a picture while on top of the Alma Mater statue (reference this link - about halfway down the page).

This was the same freakin statue I was busted by a white female cop for climbing...nevermind the fact that it was around 10 or 11 on a Thursday night...and that it was 3 years ago. She took down my info, then said something to the effect of "they don't want people climbing on it". F*ck that...Jim Caple posted a picture of himself standing on top of the friggin thing on ESPN.com! I hate goddamn sexist racist bitches!

I haven't been to a concert this good in a long time.

More precisely, it's been over a year and seven months.

The sold-out Interpol show at the Pageant tonight was GREAT. Their performance was spot on...album-quality tightness. The vast majority of the first half of the show was from Antics. In all, they must have played everything off that album except C'mere...my favorite song off the album, and likely their next single. Also missing was Untitled, probably one of the best first songs on any album. Other than those two, though, I was pleased with the setlist...which makes sense since I like all their songs.

I wasn't really a fan of the on-stage smoking, but I'll gladly put up with it for such quality music. Also, Paul Banks turned out to be a bigger guy than I imagined...though not really that big. And it seemed like he was gesturing to the sound guy to raise or lower the volume of his mike or his guitar after every single song. And Blasco, their touring keyboardist, seemed bored at times.

My favorite excerpt from an album review.

metacritic.com has an excerpt from a dotmusic review of The Mars Volta's Frances the Mute. It reads as follows:

An incredibly accomplished record, a true testament to the band’s imagination, intellectual curiosity and outrageous musical talent.... Unfortunately, “Frances The Mute” is also awful.

Other choice excerps from the review:

There may be moments of brilliance (and there are many), but the overall effect is one of gibberish, of Attention Deficit Syndrome with a record company advance.
...
The Mars Volta are to be applauded for releasing an album which is so obviously designed to please themselves. But the rest of us are not obliged to join them.

You can read the entire review here.

More evidence that Boeing executives are schmoes.

Our CEO was forced to resign because he cheated on his wife...with another Boeing executive. To be fair, he did revive the company during a downturn. At least his replacement, though only temporarily, is a black dude.

I'm so sad.

The events in Columbus earlier today have caused me great pain. Let's hope it doesn't happen again for the rest of the season. That is all.

A fighter plane running code that I wrote flew today.

Today was the first flight for F15-K-1, the first Korean F-15, and I was there to witness the take-off. A small portion of the code running on the central computer was written by me. Needless to say, I was very excited.

Update: here's a link to the story (includes a video).

Another Radiohead test...

The How Well Do You Know Radiohead Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=7849869914232171427


My results:

OK Computer
You know 14 things about Radiohead! Hurrah!

You know quite a lot, but you could know so much more. True love lives in haunted attics, you know.

• Compared to users who took the test and are male and in your age group:
  • 100% had lower knowledge of RH scores.
• With respect to knowledge of RH, users aged 30 to 34 scored highest.

Nothing beats a free three-course meal...

Especially when you get to meet County Executive Charlie Dooley (who, coincidentally, is a former McDonnell-Douglas employee...guess I know my future profession after retirement from Boeing).

This took place at the Japanese American Citizens League St. Louis Chapter Inaugural Dinner. I was graciously invited by my friend and co-worker, Steve Mitori, who is the Vice President of Membership. I sat at a table with a couple whose last name was Nigro (and, in case you were wondering, they were white).

Also, Steve and I are looking into plans to travel to Seattle and Vancouver later this year. Get in now if you're interested.

I love the EIP.

14 days of bonus pay! Enough to make black man say..."Wahoo!"

A snippet from Boeing News Now.

Boeing ranks No. 1 in a poll by Minority Engineer magazine that asked readers what company they would most like to work for or what company they believe would provide a positive working environment for members of minority groups. "The poll results show that our efforts to attract and retain the best employees in the world are clearly working," said Joan Robinson-Berry, Boeing director of Technical Work Force Excellence. "To be the employer of choice, we must continue to appeal to a diverse range of talent."

One way to inflate my ego...

Earlier today, one of my teachers, Prof. Ron Loui, told me that I have charisma. Personally, I have my doubts about that statement, but he is a far smarter man than I can ever hope to be, so...

Tech (read: geek) update

In case you haven't already heard, there's a Napster hack that lets you burn a lot of albums for 10 bucks a month. Here's a source.

A chick from CNET thinks that IE 7 will kill Firefox. I'm inclined to agree.

Dilbert and I have something in common...

Straight from the OK Cupid! Politics Test.

You are a
Social Moderate
(55% permissive)


and an...
Economic Conservative
(61% permissive)


You are best described as a:

Centrist

You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness.

Once again, I'm not original.

For the last week, I've been walking around calling myself THE SHOCKER. A friend of mine, Joe, flashed me the hand signal at work without even knowing what I had been up to. He then explained that he had heard about it (completely unconnected to my escapades) from this link. Apparently, people are making money off this whole deal...as the article and a link within show. So the question is...can I still go around proliferating THE SHOCKER?

My style has a name.

Last night a girl that I met commented that I had the "alternative brother" look going on.

I would say that's a fairly apt description of the style that I'm going for.

No one is safe from...

THE SHOCKER!

It's better to be lucky than good.

I was sure my days without having ever been issued a traffic ticket were over on Friday. I was on I-70 East driving back to work from my orthodontist appointment, when I found myself stuck in the left lane behind an ancient minivan with visible exhaust fumes. The discharge from the car was so bad that I had to turn on the air recycling option on my air conditioner, thereby closing the outside vents. Fed up, I zipped by the minivan on the right as soon as space cleared up. As I returned back to the left lane, I reached the peak of a mini-hill, while traveling at somewhere between 70 and 75 mph (in a 60). On the other side, a police officer stood next to his car on the emergency lane to the left of the regular lanes with a speed-detecting device (I think it was a laser gun, but I couldn't really tell). As soon as I saw him, I froze...by then it was probably too late to try to slow down anyway. I thought I had been caught, as the gun seemed to be pointed right at me. I maintained my speed, maybe slowing down to about 70 even, as I passed by him while eyeing my rearview mirror and expecting him to hop in his car and turn on the lights. To my great relief, he didn't make a move, and I went on my merry way...though not in as much haste as I previously was.

Even though I drive on the fast side, I would say I'm a pretty observant driver, and can spot most cops trying to catch speeders. When this fails, though, I tend to get lucky. When I'm going really fast, there always seems to be someone else occupying the cops...and they get pulled over minutes before I drive by. The other time that I was basically caught speeding, the police officer stuck her hand out of the window of her car, which was sitting in the median, and made a motion as if she was firing a gun at me...it was kinda scary, but kinda awesome. But I'm sure this post has just jinxed all my luck...

Who wants to go to the Final Four?

Seriously...it's in St. Louis this year...and the Illini are playing like they deserve to be in it.

Especially tonight...19-0 #1 vs. 38-game home winning streak (the longest active in the nation). As Dick Vitale would not stop saying all night, something had to give. And the boys from a little town called Champaign prevailed...though not without nearly giving me a heart attack.

On a somewhat related note, the NCAA Wrestling Championships are also in the Lou this spring, and I already (pretty much) have a ticket in the Boeing suite to the finals. The Illini wrestlers are 10-1 on the year, their only loss coming to #1 Oklahoma State, and are ranked #2.

March could be a good championship month in St. Louis for us...

Is this really necessary?

Sunglasses that play MP3s...check it out.

My verdict: a little over the top, but cool nonetheless.

Eurotrip 2005.

Arrangements have been made for my trip to Europe this summer. My itinerary is as follows:

May 20 - Depart St. Louis.
May 21 - Arrive London. Join tour group.
May 24 - Travel to Paris w/ tour group.
May 26 - Tour ends. Travel to Barcelona.
May 29 - Depart Barcelona on overnight train.
May 30 - Arrive Madrid.
June 1 - Depart Madrid and return to St. Louis.

The next big thing.

With the Consumer Electronics Show 2005 going on, we get a glimpse at the latest and upcoming gadgets for this year. In my opinion, the first manufacturer to find a way to combine a digital camera and an MP3 player in a practical way would have the hottest product on the market...at least until the imitators started eating up their market share. What amazes me is that I haven't heard anybody mention this idea.

Anyway, you heard it here first.

Favorite quote form "Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".

What are you doing? There's no fighting in the war room!

(From the president to his top general, who has the Russian ambassador in a headlock.)

I thought I liked cleavage...

Don't get me wrong - cleavage is tite...as long I don't know the girl.

It seems to me that some girls think that they need to show half their breasts in order to get attention from dudes. But then those same girls complain about getting the "wrong" kind of attention from guys. I can't speak for all men, but I personally would not take a girl seriously (as in worth more than some quick action) if she was running around with her boobs hanging halfway out of her top. I probably toss around the term "slut" too much, but I guess I just prefer a girl with some class. I don't mind my woman wearing a form-fitting outfit, but I would prefer to still have to use my imagination a little bit. I think a woman can be sexy and confident without having to show it all.

Anyway, that's just one man's opinion, so take it for what it's worth...