scott is my name

Moving

2008-03-28T12:19:00.002-05:00

I'm finally moving officially off of Blogger to a standalone domain (scottismy.name) and running my blog with WordPress.

It doesn't look pretty right now but it'll get there. In the mean time if you are still visiting this blog via vsellis.blogspot.com you need to go to scottismy.name.

If you are already using scottismy.name and getting redirected, no changes necessary.

Vacation

2008-03-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

I'm taking a few days vacation and having a very important meeting with a Mouse through Sunday March 16th and won't be posting during that time. If you are interested in what's going on you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vsellis

I'll resume posting and the mini-course when I get back. Time for a break.

Have a great week.

Scott

snowfall frisco

2008-03-06T16:44:00.002-06:00

Recorded at my house in TEXAS about an hour ago.

Puts my previous post in perspective. :)

An Inconvenient Truth for Al Gore

2008-03-04T15:28:00.005-06:00

... or climate change or whatever you prefer to call it. I'm not a fan, nor am I convinced of the "science" behind much of the claims because a lot of it is bad science. I have also heard accusations that the only people who don't buy into the Global Warming scare have ties to big oil, blah blah...

I had to post because the founder of The Weather Channel is speaking out against the network and others for the false alarmism.

Read the whole thing here.

It's about time someone picked up the baton and started running in the other direction.

BTW, before you flame me, and do so if you want but before you do, keep in mind; I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't take care of the environment better than we have in the past, only that much of the so called science that supports the theory of climate change is very incomplete and so far from the truth Al Gore would like us to believe that it bears heavy skepticism.

BTW, it snowed in TEXAS last night...

Dr. Citron

2008-03-02T12:08:00.003-06:00

Tried this last night at it was pretty good:

1/4 Grey Goose Citron
3/4 Dr. Pepper with Imperial Sugar

Turned out pretty good. My stepdad used to tell me that when they were kids they drank Dr. Pepper warmed up with lemon in it. Texas thing I guess, but sounded pretty good though I've never tried it. As a firm believer that vodka goes with anything Wendi and I tried a variation on a theme and it came out pretty good. Struck me as a summer drink.

Sarah Brightman - "Symphony"

2008-02-27T14:03:00.004-06:00

I just found out Sarah's new album "Symphony" is out now. If you like Sarah's stuff, you get the excitement. If not, go figure it out. Some of the coolest music and one of the most etherial voice out there.

Yes, I'm geeking-out right now.

Super Cool Update: Ok, now I'm shittin' bricks. I'm listening to the album in the background while I work and the song "I Will Be There With You (Where The Lost One's Go)" comes on. It's a duet, and I instantly recognize the second voice, Paul Stanley of Kiss. No kidding.... they guy never really got credit for his voice.

Breast Massaging Robot

2008-02-26T22:59:00.001-06:00

Go to GeekBrief.tv:

Brief 318 is a must watch. No explaining it, just watch. You have to love the spirit of the Japanese.

I'm seeing an odd trend in posts this week....

Sponge Bob Rectal Thermometer

2008-02-25T21:56:00.001-06:00

Quite possibly one of the funniest things I have seen in a looooong time.

http://www.bd.com/thermometers/products/sb_musical.asp

hat tip to Doug for finding this one.

Disney Dreams Portrait Series

2008-02-25T11:05:00.003-06:00

If you haven't seen the celeb filled ad's from the Disney Dreams Portrait Series check them all out. Very Cool.. photos and composites by uber photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Below is Cinderella featuring Scarlett Johansson.

The Decline of Western Civilization

2008-02-23T10:50:00.003-06:00

First watch the video then read the quote below (personal editorial comments in bold).

Quote from a book written by Alexander Fraser Tyler who lived from 1748 to 1813. The book was titled, "The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic"

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always vote for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury, with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy and is followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

These nations have progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage; 1754 - 1774
From courage to liberty; American Revolutionary War
From liberty to abundance; 1800's
From abundance to selfishness; 1960's
From selfishness to complacency; 1980's
From complacency to apathy; 1990's
From apathy to dependency; Early 21st Century
From dependency back into bondage. Mid 21st Century

Truly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

To be clear, money is not evil, only the love of money for the sake of money is evil.

I am not a doom sayer, but I don't go through life with my eyes closed either. The decline is preventable if we see the causes as they are coming (we do) and we are willing to make the sacrifices and do the necessary work to keep it from happening. If we continue in our complacent stance, sooner or later the decline will be our fate. But the future is not yet written and this doesn't have to be our destiny.

Friday Scott

2008-02-22T17:21:00.005-06:00

It's Friday, and it's been a long couple of weeks and I still have tons of work to do. So in the spirit of my buddy Brian (I'm going steal his quote and making it my own, even though I just gave him credit)

It's Friday, and despite all I have to do...

Friday Scott doesn't care about Monday Scott.

There is a margarita waiting for me, I have to go.

Trying to Ignore the Election

2008-02-21T10:08:00.001-06:00

I have already said this but I am sick of it already. I could go on and on but instead I'll link to what should become a timeless post by Neal Campbell.

Angry White Men

2008-02-19T17:08:00.002-06:00

The notion may not be popular but they will vote in force this November to be sure. They are the forgotten voters who will make the difference.

Hat tip to Adam for passing this on...

Angry White Men

hit by a bus

2008-02-18T16:25:00.002-06:00

I just got off the phone with my good friend Brad who actually got hit by a bus last weekend (in his car). That old joke has been around so long I'm not quite sure how far I can take it now but since he is ok and suffered no major injuries, I'm sure he is going to become the poster child for getting hit by a bus... I'll Photoshop that as soon as I can find a picture of him...

Brian's Wine Warehouse

2008-02-17T12:47:00.002-06:00

For the last couple of months, the DJCC Wine Tasting committee has had the privilege of meeting weekly at Brian's Wine Warehouse. Brian's is a quaint little wine store with a selection of great wines, many of which you may not come by easily in other stores. Brian's is a little out of the way an has no significant sinage to mark the location but sits comfortably at the end of a little strip mall on Monticello, just west of McKinney adjacent to the alleyway.

Last Friday, I decided to stop in and pick up a bottle of wine and had a chance to meet Brian himself for the first time. Friendly, unassuming and he handed me a glass of wine as soon as I walked in the door, before he knew of my affiliation with the DJCC. I think he just made a friend, and customer, for life.

If you live in Big D or ever happen to be in town I highly recommend stopping by Brian's. And while you are there ask if Bruce is around, you'd be hard pressed to find a more genuinely knowledgeable and helpful wine guru that will make you feel at ease no matter how much or little you know about vino.

Election Stuff

2008-02-15T15:54:00.005-06:00

I need to rant...but before I do something beautiful in a picture from Greg Martin:

I was sick of the campaigning a year ago when it all started. Now I just wish it was over. More than anything I wish Hillary would just go away. I'm almost not even concerned about who it ends up being, just not her.

I'm still beaming that that Patriots lost the Superbowl. There is justice in the world.

People, and this means almost everyone, just have no idea how to communicate and it's pissing me off.

My allergies won't leave me along this week, and that is pissing me off too.

Amazing Images

2008-02-12T09:56:00.001-06:00

If you like cool picture check out these amazing works in photoshop.

http://www.vertustech.com/blog/2008/02/11/32/

Google Forms

2008-02-11T13:30:00.000-06:00

More goodness from Google.

If you create a Google Spreadsheet, you can send out a form, in e-mail that when people fill it out will automatically populate your spreadsheet.

It'll be even cooler when you can save that form as, or embed it in a web page but for now it's still more cool stuff from Google.

To make it work, create your spreadsheet (ideally with headers in the top row for the data you want to collect) and then click "share." You will have the "forms" option there. Then you can do some basic customization on the fields and send it off.

Sun Tzu

2008-02-07T14:14:00.001-06:00

"All war is based on deception."

go and ponder...

DJCC Winetasting 2008

2008-02-04T19:12:00.001-06:00

The Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce is having it's 8th Annual Wine Tasting on February 23rd at the Dallas Contemporary Museum of Art. If you live in Dallas be there. The usual crowd will be 300-400 young professionals from around Dallas supporting a helluva good cause. Proceeds from the event go to support the DJCC's Easter Egg Hunt for the blind.

Ok, so here is the breakdown:

Wine Tasting features wines from all over the world including a special contribution from Vincent Arroyo Winery that you can't buy anywhere but direct from the winery (thanks guys!) so if you want to try the best damn Petite Syrah ever you'll have to buy a ticket and show up.

Funds from the Wine Tasting go to support the Easter Egg Hunt for the blind (March 8th, watch the DJCC website for details). Since you are probably confused I'll clarify one important detail, we don't torment visually impaired kids. We have beeping eggs for them to find and it's an amazing experience to watch them hunt.

For $30 (non-member price) you get to try wines from all over and socialize with the best of Dallas' Young Professionals.

Even if you can't make it but want to support the EEH, go by a ticket. (Don't worry, I'll drink your wine).

back by popular demand

2008-02-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Apparently some of my friends and family actually enjoyed my random musings, or more likely, wanted personal stuff they could make fun of me about so at your request I have reinstated my personal blog. All of the "old posts" are moved over (pain in the arse). Now that that is over I'll start posting new random crap, well, actually I already did....

Lola

2008-02-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

There is a little restaurant in on Fairmount St. in Dallas called "Lola" that I always wanted to try just because it looked neat. After asking people about it, the few that were even aware of it either said it was fantastic or had heard it was so.

As a birthday gift from my Mom and Stepdad, I took Wendi there for dinner on Friday night and I'm pleased to report that Lola might be one of the best kept secrets in Dallas. We had a 4 course meal for $50 per and a tremendous bottle of 1987 Ruffino Sangoivese. The food was outstanding from start to finish and the wine list quite respectable. The atmosphere is cozy, romantic and even quaint as it's in an old house, and very "Austin-ish" in that regard, though with Dallas polish. I should also mention that the service was top notch too.

When you dine at Lola you get the impression that it was opened by someone who really loved what they do and wanted to open their own little perfect place. Mission accomplished!

For a special occasion or just an excellent meal I would highly recommend Lola.

Beer-Puter

2008-01-31T17:13:00.000-06:00

I need one

As Only Jack Can

2008-01-29T15:50:00.002-06:00

Recent quote from Jack Nicholson in "The Bucket List":

"Here's something to remember when you're older Thomas - never pass up a bathroom, never waste a hard-on, and never trust a fart."

Britain's Got Talent : Paul Potts

2007-10-29T21:07:00.000-05:00

Big thanks to my buddy Brian who sent me this earlier today. He knows how much I love opera and this is an amazing story to boot. From what I have been able to gather, Paul Potts is a mobile phone salesman in Great Britain. His appearance is rather unassuming so when he tried out for "Britain's Got Talent" their version of "American Idol" (Simon Cowell included) you can see the skeptical look on everyone's face as he walks on stage but watch it turn to amazement. I'll spare you a long description because I can't really do it justice but listen below as he belts out "Nessun Dorma" one of the more famous opera aria ever written (the late Pavarotti was well known for this one). It has been a very long time since hearing someone sing was, by itself, enough to send a chill throughout my body. You can't help but root for this guy and wonder how many people out there are doing mundane jobs and will never realize the amazing gifts they have. Hart warming and inspirational. Most importantly, watch the expression of the judges and audience members as they show them.

If you want to see how the season end up...

Corporate Culture

2007-10-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

This is about 1.5 years old but a stunningly good article that every CEO, Boss, Manager, Employee and ass hole should read. This is the kind of writing that incites revolution, which I might add is as often as not a good thing, disagree? Think back on the one which allowed us to be the United States of America. Mind you, there are a ton of great managers, CEO's, bosses... out there and I have had the privilege of working for more than my fair share but I've had a couple of the other kind too.

This is a straight forward letter to top dogs everywhere, even if you aren't an ass hole, read this so you never become one. I can't do it justice so read here....

http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2006/05/open_letter_to_.html

Running

2007-10-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

After 3 years, I decided it was time to start training somewhat seriously. I have never been a fast runner but wanted to improve on my TurkeyTrot performance this year over my first go at the 8 Mile race in 2004 which I completed in 90 minutes (not great but I ran the whole thing and certainly wasn't last). My goal this year was to run at a flat 10min/mi pace finishing in 80 minutes. Still not burning up the pavement but it would be improvement. So far in my training I have managed to get down to averaging the 10min/mi mark but am only putting on 2 - 3 miles as I am trying to work my pace up a I continue to add distance.

Tonight I managed to knock it out of the park averaging 9:20 with a fast 1st mile of 8:44, representing an improvement of :36 over my fastest average and :58 over my fastest individual mile (this season). Again, if you are a runner these numbers are nothing to brag about but for me it is marked improvement and a long way toward my goal. I would attribute the significant and sudden improvement to a few factors, so runners take note:

1. Lower ambient temp. It was about 64F on my run tonight and I wasn't in the sun. I would attribute this to most of the improvement.
2. Brand new running shoes (as opposed to my 3 year old shoes which were leaving my legs in a lot of pain from top to bottom
3. I good, clean diet today.
4. Sufficient hydration.I also invested in a new gadget, the Nike+iPod footpod. Nike shoes work best on my feet and my preferred runners are also equipped for the gadget which at $30 was a bargain, especially if you are a data geek like me (hey, measure it, improve it).

The graph you see above is of my run tonight. A few notes on that; it was actually a 3 mile run, not 3.11, and the times are a little off because I was getting used to using it and tracking time, HR, and cal burn on my Polar HR monitor/watch. The HR monitor is much more accurate for measuring caloric burn (which was lower than the Nike estimate) and then there are the obvious advantages of tracking your HR over time. The first "little" dip in the run was about a 1 - 1.5 minute walk at about the 2.5 mile mark where I started to rather suddenly cramp up. The long drop off at the end was at the point the little voice inside my head (coming from the iPod mind you) indicated I was at the 3 mile mark and I didn't quite turn if off as I thought I had. The device seems to be extremely accurate too as I ran against a known route and it was prompting me at [almost] the exact places I expected as per distances I knew.

If you run with an iPod (I refuse to run without mine) this accessory is a must.

Sidenote: See the blog entry on the gmap-pedometer for another useful running tool.

Big Dee Tees Launch

2007-10-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

My good friend Chris and I decided to launch a site loaded with t-shirts aimed an having fun and perhaps being a touch irreverent. In the beginning it was meant to be a creative outlet that would pay for beer on the weekends but bigger ambitions have taken over. For now we have only logo, humor and local tee's but coming soon are graphic tee's, kid's and others. For now, the "Local Tee's" poke fun at Dallas and surrounding areas. What else is to come... well I can't tell you but keep your eye on the site or sign up for the mailing list and you'll see. (no, we won't spam you or sell or redistribute your info).

Last night we held our launch party at Suede in Dallas. The event was moderately attended but then selling t-shirts isn't exactly a new idea. Still, traffic is picking up so drop by the site and check it out at www.bigdeetees.com.

And if you have a great idea for a tee let us know, we'll pay you for it.

Scott

DJCC Volleyball Season 3: Week 7

2007-10-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

The season is over, and we went out in much the same fashion we played the rest of the season. We had a double header so we got to play lot's of ball but went 1-6 in games for the night. So ends 3 seasons of volley ball with only 1 match won the entire time. Sad but fun which is really what it is all about. I'd say I'm already looking forward to starting back up in the spring but we're still waiting for fall to arrive in Texas.

DJCC Volleyball Season 3: Week 6

2007-10-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

We rock. After three seasons and seemingly endless disappointment, the DJCC volleyball team finally won their first match. We dropped the first game (playing 3 players to 4, no one shows on time for the early game) following up with two wins in a row.

Next week is the last week or regular season and our only double header of the season. Reminds me of the '05 season. Let us hope...it end the same.

TX OU Weekend

2007-10-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

As a displaced Hoosier, the excitement of Texas/OU weekend is lost on me. I understand it, we have the IU/Purdue Oaken Bucket Game back home, I just don't care. That being said, I couldn't help but hope that Texas kicks the holy bjezus out of OU if only because of one OU fan I saw this week. While driving down Main St. In suburban Frisco I saw a kid with this emblazoned on his windows: "HONK if your a Sooner.". Now, I'm no English major, but I'm fairly sure that should have been "you're" not "your." As I was amusing a UT friend with this story last night he quipped "perhaps he spelled it that way on purpose so OU fans could read it." Clever...

Disregard my own grammatical errors or misspellings on this one, I'm writing it on a Blackberry, not in shoe polish.

DJCC Volleyball Season 3: Week 5

2007-09-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

Things are improving in terms of overall play. We actually put up a good fight most games, just can't seem to win the damn things. 0-3 in last nights outing... shameful but still fun. Perhaps we're drinking too much during the game. With our gameplay it feels like we are on the verge of something good, like maybe actually winning a match but we have to get over the hump.

DJCC Volleyball Season 3 Week 4

2007-09-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

I'm simply proud to announce that while we lost the match last Wedenesday we won our first game this season. The team played exceptionally well and we were in the second two and simply got beat by narrow margins and small mistakes. Still, it was a performance to be proud of and volleyball is fun again.... but next week we're gonna kill em'!

Exotic Fever

2007-09-19T11:42:00.000-05:00

Like many "boys" I have always had a fascination with cars, especially ones that go really fast, and the fact that I grew up in a race town (Indianapolis) probably didn't help. While I have had the pleasure of riding in some great cars (hat tip to Raj for my first ride in a Viper) I have never had a chance to sit in something that is truly classified as an exotic much less ride in one, but last night, for the first time I got to take a spin in a Lamborghini Gallardo. Owned by a friend of a friend it was fun to have a chance to feel like a kid again and get excited about something that in the grand scheme of things isn't all that important but is still deserving of the title "cool!" Lamborghini is now owned by Audi and the quality and surprising comfort and appointments in this car really showed it. I was amazed at how comfortable and quiet it was on the inside and of course, g-force fast when the hammer drops. We didn't run it up to any crazy speeds, just too much traffic, but Keith pulled it off the line a couple of times pretty good and I felt myself get sucked back into the seat, though I could tell the car still had more. I suspect since it was my first time he didn't want me to puke due to force+excitement. Still, it was really fun and left me echoing (in my head) the immortal words of Will Smith in Independence Day, "I GOT to get me one of these!"

DJCC Volleyball Season 3 Week 3

2007-09-13T00:34:00.000-05:00

Alright, this is getting ridiculous! While recreational volleyball is supposed to be for fun, and it is, part of the fun is that you occasionally win, and that is something we have yet to do so the slightly competitive and visibly discontent side of me is starting to rear it's ugly head. In the annals of sports history, this loosing streak could become legendary. Never has a team shown so much promise yet so consistently managed to come up short save perhaps for the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and only because we haven't played as many games. Dubious in our achievement so far this year we rest comfortably at the bottom after week three at 0 - 9. Despite motivating words from the legendary Coach Tyler to "get dirty" the only thing we do consistently well is drink. Coach.. maybe we should do that round of shots next time.

A Cult To Folloe

2007-09-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

Once again discovering cool new music is a past-time of mine. I had occasion to go to the Drowning Pool concert at The Palladium Ballroom in Dallas last weekend and one of the opening acts was a Texas based band called "A Cult To Follow." As I recall the lead singer said their album would be out in the spring, and it's something to look forward to from what I heard. If you want to check them out in the mean time drop by their MySpace page. The sound was heavy but melodic with solid musicianship across the board. "Dead and Gone" was a particular favorite of mine despite its softer nature, still I don't remember disliking a single song they performed. If you get a chance to check them out on tour with Drowning Pool don't miss them and keep your eyes open for the album due out sometime this spring. Add these guys to the list of great Texas hard rock and metal bands like Drowning Pool and Pantera.

...And you thought they only played country music in Texas.

Men in skirts

2007-09-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

One of my (still) best and oldest friends Rob has been a fireman in Bloomington, IN (go Hoosiers) for years. Several years ago he was promoted to battalion Chief of Training for the Bloomington FD and I had a chance to visit with him when I was in Indy last August where he enlightened me that he had taken up the bag-pipes in conjunction with his other "fireman duties" to play at special events... Never thought I'd see that guy in a skirt but he pulls it off well and while I haven't heard him play I'm have no doubt he played them well today during the Bloomington memorial service held in remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 attacks 6 years ago. There is a great slide show here (he's the one in the kilt). It makes me proud to have a friend like that so I wanted to pay him and all of those he works with the proper respects. As I toil away diligently chairing this years Rookie of the Year Awards for the Dallas Police Department I'm reminded of how easily we take for granted all of the service men and women, at home and abroad and all they do for us while we sleep, work and play.

Keep up the good work Rob! And keep those legs in shape! :)

Pavarotti Dead at 71

2007-09-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Admittedly I'm a little late with this news but I felt compelled to pay my respects to one of the greatest voices of our time and perhaps historically. It wasn't really until my early to mid 20's that I gained an appreciation for Opera and it was primarily because I was doing a bit of "acting" and in route got involved with several opera productions (non-singing parts mind you) in Dallas and Indianapolis including The Magic Flute, Aida, Tosca and Turandot (notable as it's aria Nessun Dorma was a Pavarotti signature piece). In due course, I absolutely fell in love with the Opera. While I realize the genre is not really accessible to most people I would argue that is because they have never been to an opera. If you don't know the story (or speak Italian) to just sit an listen to it is difficult, you have to see it and hear it to really appreciate the stories. Still, despite it's relative inaccessibility, Pavarotti did wonders for making it accessible to millions. Pavarotti was known most obviously for his soaring, powerful and clear voice but also for his incredible stage presence, personality, generosity and humor. Where opera is often regarded as somewhat pompous to those who don't like it or understand it, Pavarotti reached out and embraced opportunities to work with other singers and artist from both classical and pop culture. I'm sorry I never had an opportunity to hear him perform in person but we are fortunate to have so many of his performances and recordings forever at our fingertips to enjoy (I hope) forever. Still, his presence on the world music stage will be greatly missed by many opera fans and non-fans alike. Nessun Dorma...

Mawage...

2007-09-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well Adam and Sarah finally tied-the-knot over Labor Day weekend in Charleston, SC. All that planning paid off as it was a beautiful wedding, full of fun and happiness. It was well planned in every detail save for the "bow-tie incident" which was really only a beat-down for a few of us (I hate to admit I'm such a dunce but those things are a nightmare to tie). Destination weddings are always fun and this one was no exception. Timing was exceptional and notable as I'm sure it's harder to get it right than it would appear. There was always something to look forward to and do but plenty of down time to check out the town, go for a run and still get some rest, which was important since I still felt the need for recovery post-bachelor party two weeks prior. The food was consistently good down there and the boat-tour of Charleston Harbor with dinner was a great idea for the rehearsal dinner.

A few item's I'd recommend if you ever find yourself in Charleston would include a run along the waterfront, a walk on the pier at Waterfront Park, a meal at High Cotton, and any of a number of bars on Market Street. In fact, downtown Charleston was surprisingly "hoppin'" and a bit more formal "going out" than I expected but perhaps that is a southern thing. If you happen to make it out to the burbs at all (Mt. Pleasant specifically), head to "Red's Ice House" to sit out by the water at a cool, casual, rustic bar (we're talking flip-flop's and t-shirts here).

After all was said and done, the dancing was over and the wedding winding down, the happy couple rode off in a carriage into the night and the rest of us were left to close the bars down and look forward to "who's next." Stay tuned, March 2008... (and no, It's not me getting married in March!)

b-Koz it's a bit off...

2007-08-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

Lot's of people have unique and interesting hobbies but my buddy Brian might just take the prize with this one. Collecting scooters and mopeds. To the left is his latest acquisition, a 1980 "Roadmaster." I love the irony of that name. I'm not sure exactly what inspires a grown man to start buying these things but I laugh every time he picks up another and am now trying to encourage him to "pimp his ride," at least one of them. I think he is up to 4 motorized bicycles so far but if you happen to have one in the garage leave a comment here, he'll probably buy it from you.

Bachelor in the Big Easy

2007-08-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

Much to the amazement of my friends I had never been to New Orleans. So on the occasion of Adam's bachelor party I had my first opportunity to explore the Big Easy and see what all the fuss was about. We crashed at the W in the French Quarter which was a great location, in the heart but not right on the strip (aka Burbon, though within easy staggering distance). It was a bit hot and muggy all weekend but we consumed sufficiently to not mind or maybe just not notice. The French Quarter really was a cool place and as unique an area as anything I have seen in the U.S. We gambled at Harrah's (lost my a$$), pounded beers at the Blacksmith (one of many supposedly haunted places in N.O. but I think we were too blind to see anything) and had burgers at Clover Grill (highly recommended)... twice. I don't think Adam remembers much of the weekend but I'm sure he'll be feeling it for a long time to come so if he needs a reminder, he had a great time as did all of us. I've never seen a man struggle so hard to eat a piece of pizza in my life! I don't know what else to say about the French Quarter, it's really one of those places you have to experience for your self. Coming home I vowed no drinking for 2 weeks and violated that within two days but the beer I had sat so uneasily that I had to leave it be. Adam gets the rock star award for the weekend though, I was impressed but will say nothing more than that.

Picured above is only about half the crew on Sunday at Jackson Square trying diligently to walk off the hangover. How Adam is smiling I have no idea!

Marie Digby

2007-08-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

As a musician I love hearing new talent, especially before they really take off. While a bit more of a hard-rock guy I like a variety of styles. I have surprisingly enjoyed the melodic minor sound of Rhianna's "Umbrella" so I started to play it acoustically myself just for fun. When I heard Marie Digby for the first time playing it acoustically on the radio I was instantly smitten with her voice and style. This young artist has a sound that could lead her down the path of killer career and I for one hope so, as long as she avoids the usual trapping of trying to be something she is not (see early Tori Amos or Alanis Morisette before the just did their own thing). As if "Umbrella" wasn't enough, her haunting rendition of "What I've Done" (Linkin Park) reminds me of the kind of spine-chilling covers I've come to expect from the likes of Tori Amos so I have embedded it below. Yes, Tori fans, it might a little early for that kind of comparison but you can hear the evolution coming. I'd fly to L.A. to check out a show but hopefully she'll come to Dallas before that.

Visit her here:
http://www.myspace.com/mariedigby

Free Hugs

2007-08-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

Winter with Scott

2007-08-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

If you know me.....

60 above zero:
Texans turn on the heat.
Scott plants a garden.

50 above zero:
Texans shiver uncontrollably.
Scott sunbathes.

40 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
Scott drives with the top down.

32 above zero:
Distilled water freezes.
Scott wears a knit hat wile driving with the top down..

20 above zero:
Texans don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
Scott throws on a sweatshirt and gets upset because all of his Texas friends are calling asking if it's "safe to go outside."

15 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
Scott finally turns off the Air Conditioner.

Zero:
People in Texas start to die.
Scott closes the windows.

10 below zero:
Texans fly away to Mexico.
Scott gets out his winter coat.

25 below zero:
Dallas disintegrates.
Scott goes outside to find Texans in need of help.

40 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
Scott has one last cookout before it gets too cold.

100 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Scott ponders SCUBA trip to Antarctica.

460 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale.)
Scott gets upset because his vodka actually froze.

500 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Scott remembers waiting outside for the school bus on mornings like this as a kid in Indiana.

Free Money! A Public Service Announcement

2007-08-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Apparently there are occasions where things get lost, most notably money, that doesn't make it to its rightful owner because of relocation, death or some other mix up. When that happens, the funds end up (by law) in the hands of the state where you lived. Apparently this is the one occasion where the government isn't going to do everything in it's power to keep our money and is happy to return it to us. I suspect this is because the IRS is not involved in the states "Lost and Found" department. Anyway, ever state has an Unclaimed Property Bureau where, if you there is something that rightfully belongs to you, you can claim it. Typically it involves a quick and easy search on their website, filling out a form and mailing it in along with a few standard pieces of documentation to prove you are you and not just some vagrant trying to steal someone else's stuff. Hint: look for yourself in whatever city(s) and state(s) you have resided in. I'm happy to report a small but worthwhile windfall was waiting for me and might be for you too.

Start here http://www.kantrowitz.com/kantrowitz/uncl-prop.html to learn more about it and scroll down for links to all of the individual state sites to claim your riches. There are any number of way's you can end up with unclaimed property so I won't go into it here but needless to say, it's worth a minute or two to look.

BTW.. this all came about because I got a letter in the mail from a company that was going to reclaim my property ($) and send it to me, for a fee of course. You might choose to do this for the convenience but it's not worth it, the process is just too easy. I decided to investigate and I'm glad I did. I'll normally just throw away letters like that without further consideration, which, albeit rarely, would have been throwing money away.

DJCC Volleyball Season 2

2007-08-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

The last game of season two came to an end in the usual fashion, 1 match, 3 games, 3 losses... sad but true. We looked a lot better than we did before but still couldn't pull out a win. There is now debate about the likelyhood of a 3rd 2007 Season. If the DJCC doesn't sponsor a team we may create our own spin-off and give it a whirl but that remains to be seen. Recreational volleyball is about fun and not winning, but it's not about loosing either and stinking it up this bad hurts. Even the margaritas couldn't ease the pain last night.

Uh Oh, here we go....

2007-08-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

I like Dallas. It has an identity all it's own, plenty of good people, makes an easy travel hub is reeks of opportunity without the cost of living my friends on the coasts suffer. Granted, they have an outdoor lifestyle I envy and all things being equal, the west coast would probably be ideal but the point is Dallas really is a decent place to be. Now that my requisite "I like where I live" butt kissing is over I do have one less-than-flattering thing to say about Big D. When it comes to pretense, L.A. has nothing on this town other than more celebrities. I think this town has more $30,000 millionaires than anywhere in the world and most people set their standards impossibly high failing to realize that "Friends" and "Sex and the City" isn't real life, but I'll save the media rant for another post. And for every poser, there are 1,000 quite genuine and wonderful people here, but like everything else, those that perpetuate the Dallas reputation tend to get the most attention. If that is the only real complaint I have about the city (other than the summer heat, I am a Yankee after all) then I've got it pretty good, but it was still worth mentioning. The good folks more than make up for it but it bothers me when I see people I know and care about getting a little more caught up in it than is healthy. Enjoy it, but don't get devoured by it. The single biggest example isn't that everyone is driving the nicest car, living in the coolest place or enjoying the easiest job, it's that too many of them care entirely too much about what other people think, so the problem ends up perpetuating itself because everyone is more worried about everyones perception of them rather than worrying about just being themselves and living the life they want to have, which is hard enough. Though now that I think about it, that is probably why so many do it in the first place. Something I read summarized my feelings about this more perfectly than I ever could have on my own:

"...be bold and don't worry about what other people think. They don't do it that often anyway."

-Timothy Ferriss

Dining in:Indy

2007-08-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, this isn't areally about dinning, it's about old friends. Last night I had a chance to have dinner at Bravo! in my hometown with several old friends and l have the good fortune of having many who were all willing to find babysitters and take time out from their busy schedules as parents and professionals to entertain me for the evening. When I calculate the friends I have who are willing to do so, whether in Dallas or Indy I am reminded of how fortunate I am. I make pleanty of jokes at my own expense regarding my "single" status, and tease you for your minivans and getting tired early but I never forget who you really are and how grateful I am to have you. A little mushy for a blog no doubt but having just lost my 3rd family member in about the last 6 months today you can't help but be reminded of the things you have to be thankful for, especially friends and family.

Simpsonized...

2007-07-26T14:42:00.000-05:00

While I find the Simpson's humorous I don't watch much TV, including The Simpson's. However, I've seen The Simpson's enough times over the years to "get it." Anyway, As I recall there was one episode where homer entered the "real world" and apparently now Erik has uncovered a site that takes things in the other direction. If homer was cool, I'd be a dead ringer for him (on the left), or maybe Paul Shaffer in Simpson land.. and Erik (on the right) looks like.. well... Erik.

End of Volleyball Season 2

2007-07-26T07:53:00.000-05:00

With one match left in the season I can only laugh at how truly bad we are. We lost 3 out of 3 games to PWC2 last night including an embarrassing routing of 21 - 6 in game 3. While I don't mind loosing in a rec league like this, there is something about doing it in that fashion that makes me either want to laugh, cry or just have another beer. Naturally I chose option three...twice. All that aside it's been a blast playing, hanging out and meeting people. The last match is next week and then it's tournament time. Everyone gets in but we probably won't show given the AM start time on a Saturday morning.

End of the trip 07

2007-07-23T13:14:00.000-05:00

Mantrip 2007 is behind us now and save for a good sunburn and a couple of scrapes we all returned well intact. 36 holes of golf, the first 18 of which I spent in the sand, as it turns out thanks largely to my "friends" who did their best to ensure I ended up there, 1 long day on the Lake of the Ozarks at and the usual gambling, drinking, eating and nonsense that goes on. We definitely got out more on this trip and had a great time doing it. The crew was light a few guys but hopefully everyone makes it out next year. As for the wives and girlfriends who send their boys off every year on this adventure, I can only imagine it is one of he best things you do for him AND you all year long. Erik kicked our butt's at golf but attained Dirty Dollar on the ponies which we kindly handed off to Syd to keep him safe and in good memory of the friends back home before he heads to Iraq. A few months in the desert and a cold bathroom floor will probably start looking good again. Martin was ever the trooper keeping us all safely home and coming up the big winner via the gambling en devours, Matt played a perfect hos, Chirs was the first to get SERIOUSLY plastered and I somehow dug a crater to China in the sand, paid for a good chunk of my trip by winning well at cards and LCR and came home with a new appreciation for Czech vodka which I'll probably never find again. 08' looks like a hopeful whitewater rafting trip... see you guys then.

Branson, misery

2007-07-19T00:12:00.000-05:00

After much Russian and Czech (amazing I can spell that right at the moment) vodka and a 3.xx hour road trip from KC we arrived safe in Branson(ish). We have pool, darts, beer, a grill and Matt's wife Ang keeping us entertained, not to mentioon kicking a$$ at pool and looking great, Matt married very well. Congrats dude!

Mantrip 7

2007-07-18T16:16:00.000-05:00

Sitting at Dallas Love field looking forward to another long weekend of steaks, beer, cigars and booze wondering how haggard looking I'll be walking off the plane in 96 hours. I'll try to crackberry blog this thing as we go and see how it turns out. It's a light crew this year with only six of the ten attending but will undoubtedly still be fun. Syd goes to Iraq soon so I'm sure we'll try to send him off in syle.

I haven't quite recovered from the wedding bash on Saturday and now this. All this self abuse and all I can say is "Thank you sir, may I have another!"

Ready for Fall

2007-07-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not ready to start complaining just yet because amid all the rain we've had in Texas this year it's been a fairly cool (by Texas standards), though humid, summer. But once I get through my major vacationing, I am personally ready for the end of summer, the start of Football season, changing of the leaves (if you live in a place with trees) and cooling temps. The only downside is that as we approach November the presidential race will heat up as we go into the year log "home stretch" of campaigning, and I'm already sick of the whole thing. Regardless, having grown up in the Midwest, fall is a great time of year and I miss it when it rolls around. Still we take what we can get and I have had enough 90% humidity days and breaking a sweat because I walked out to my mailbox at 6 in the evening. Either way, pre-season officially kicks off in less than a month so usher in the holidays, better weather and Sunday's in High Def!

Up Nort! Vacation Pt. 2

2007-07-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

After the exploits of Vegas a [truly] relaxing vacation was in order. My family has a house in Northern Michigan that I visit every summer. This place is so restful you can't help but relax whether you want to or not. The house sits on Mullet Lake (named for the fish, not the haircut), one of the larger inland lakes in Michigan (20 minutes south of Mackinaw City). Mullet is a pristine 12 x 3 miles of open water which is a comfortable 72 degrees (at the surface) this year. It's a little more humid than normal but since the temp doesn't get much above the low 80's during the day it's tolerable and there is always the lake for a swim if you get warm. It's beautiful scenery for a daily run and the morning swims are the perfect way to start a day. And if all of that fresh air doesn't knock me out by 10pm (about when it finally gets dark here) then sitting at the end of the dock stargazing exceeds anything you can imagine. It gets dark up here, damn dark, so you can see everything from the Milkyway, to meteors, planets, galixies, sattelites (no kidding) and more stars than you dared imagine exist, all with the naked eye. And what is there to do? Plenty if you are so inclined. Boating, wave runners, hiking, swimming, Mackinac Island, fishing, golf, and the usual array of shopping, movies and so on. But for me, I think just sitting here listening to the waves, sleeping late and breathing in all that fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.

Rehab

2007-07-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

For years I've wanted to spend a Sunday at the Hard Rock in Vegas and enjoy the spectacle of Rehab. On July 1, 2007 I finally knocked that one off the list of things to do before I die. If you have never heard of Rehab, it's hard to imagine the appropriately, if not ironically named event. Every Sundy durning the pool season (roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day) the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino hosts the pool party of the week, every week, called Rehab. The easiest way to describe it is spring break on steroids, all crammed into about 10 hours. Just imagine you and 5000 of your closest scantily clad friends, pouring alcohol down your throats for 9 or 10 hours, swimming, gambling and people watching while a DJ mixes it up and more hard bodies per square foot than your average California gym, in fact I am pretty sure this one party is why most people go to the gym in the first place. Our crew decided we may only do this once so we spared no expense, rented the cabana with a view and ran the gauntlet from open to close. With one server per two cabanas we were never without food or drink and at a balmy 115(ish) degrees that day we had plenty of sun to boot. Thank god I was slathered in SPF 30 or my pasty self would have resembled your garden variety radish by the end of the day. It takes the party a couple of hours to get fully up to capacity but once it does it is a mass of people in and out of the pool, some of the skimpiest bathing suits I have ever seen, and several I wish I had not, including the fella wearing a ladies g-string as if it were a Spedo (not a good idea either way). But then this is Vegas so anything goes. True this is rehab in that it is a break from the real world, yet the irony is that once you get through this day, rehab (read: 12 step program and a liver transplant) is exactly what you will need; not to mention another vacation just to catch up on your rest (but who really needs that anyway). If you ever get the chance, do Rehab. If you are going to be out there all day I recommend springing for the cabana so you have a place to get away from the sun while still entertaining and enjoying good service as well as stash your crap (they have safes in them). Meet your neighbors early and your party will get twice as big twice as fast.

I would be remiss if I didn't make a few recommendations including the soaked watermelon balls (watch out for the green ones), mimosa's to kick it off and if I didn't emphasize it enough, spring for the cabana. If you are wondering how that works (I didn't know either), you don't actually pay for the cabana. Rather (depending on the day, event, ...), you get one with an agreement to spend a minimum amount on food and beverage throughout the day (you'll get charged that much whether you do or do not spend it so eat and drink well). Call em' up, tell them you are interested and they'll take care of the rest. You'll also get to go through a VIP entrance making entry to the party much quicker and easier than standing in line with the masses waiting to get in (worth it right there). Plan ahead, it will could be spendy but do it with no regrets, once you are there you'll see why.

Yes there are more pictures from that day and no you can't see mine but you can see the ones taken for the HRH. Because what happens in Vegas... well, you know the rest.

Nick and Sam's

2007-06-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

Once every three to six months, I meet with a couple of friends for a guys night out, which in our case means trying out the better steak restaurants in Dallas, which has many, enjoying some cocktails and after dinner another beverage and if the mood strikes, good old stogies. For a long time we have ventured into one of the more well known local steakhouses for drinks and appetizers but never for dinner, so on the occasion of this men's evening we decided to give it a go. Nick and Sam's is very well known in Dallas and is frequented by many of the who's who in the city. Last night we saw Tony Romo (Cowboy's QB) and several [gigantic] Cowboy's linemen. [SIDEBAR: if you ever have the Sunday afternoon football fantasy of "I could do that if I got back in shape" forget it, you can't, you'll get killed and eaten for lunch and your insurance won't cover that.] Needless to say, expectations for dinner ran high. I am afraid to say that while the food was not bad, the over all experience ran so short of expectations that we could only determine that Nick and Sam's is more of a place to be seen and less of a place to enjoy an extraordinary meal. I'm not sure where to start but the beginning is usually a good place so here it goes.

We were instantly seated (about 10 - 15 minutes a head of our reserved time), no big deal but it thwarted plans to grab a cocktail and appetizer at the bar before sitting down. We then sat for about the next 10 minutes before our table was even greeted and would have preferred to be standing at the bar having a martini. The room was so dark people were using flashlights to see the menu (and presumably the people across from them so forget this place for a romantic dinner with your significant other) and it was a loud chaotic environment almost to the end making conversation difficult. Once service finally began we wanted to take our time but felt continually pushed to order the next course. Having waited tables once upon a time, I know that wait-staff can time things out but clearly ours had more interest in moving things along. He wasn't pushy but the intent was projected. Still, we ordered one course at a time and did our best to pace the meal. My first martini was wrong coming with olives (ick) even though I had expressly twice said "no olives" (he probably couldn't hear me). My salad also came out wrong so at this point I'm already wondering about the place. I ordered the fillet (just a plain old fillet since the $30 an oz Kobe fillet was a bit out of my price range given that in equal weight to my "ordinary" fillet it would have run me about $210 just for the meat) and I wanted to compare to all of the other ordinary fillet's I eat elsewhere. I will say the calamari there is truly a step above, calamari is usually calamari wherever you go but the do score well with this one. The steak itself was fine but by no means exceptional, in fact it was good, nothing more. Of my friends one said his steak was good, another not good at all. The sides were moderate, garlic mashed potatoes a little too creamy and lobster macaroni and cheese, which sounded intriguing was just ok. It probably goes without saying that we skipped dessert and rushed to a favorite Irish pub, Trinity Hall to breakout the beers and cigars.

All in all, it wasn't a horrible experience but I can only think it's reputation is due to the see and be seen factor and not the actual quality of the food or service. Mind you, I realize this might sound like a harsh review but to be fair it simply wasn't the experience you would expect of what is supposed to be a top notch establishment that isn't afraid to charge top notch prices. If you asked my opinion I would suggest going for a cocktail and calamari at the bar and don't bother with dinner, go elsewhere unless you just want to be seen, in which case I still have to wonder about the exceedingly dark room. Disappointment is no fun, especially when you pay that much for it.

Nick and Sams:
Drinks and Apptizers: GO
Dinner: PASS

McLintock

2007-06-10T13:21:00.000-05:00

Knocking out a classic not on the classic movie list (but should be), this time was "McLintock". It's been so long since I have seen a John Wayne movie I had forgotten what a tremendous sense of humor the man had. "McLintock" tells the story of an self made man in the late 1800's who's estranged social arbiter of a wife (played by Maureen O'Hara) returns to town as their daughter (played by a young Stephanie Powers [remember her from Hart to Hart?]) is getting ready to come home from school. Along the way we see how he deals with racist attitudes toward the Comanche he has befriended, his wife who left in search of social status, the courting of his daughter, local politics and socioeconomic struggles, all the while trying to stay true to the relatively simple, though quite successful, man that he is. Despite the plethora of themes in the film, it all comes together quite seamlessly and handles them with a touch of humor. I'll definitely revisit some John Wayne movies if more of them are like this. Thoroughly enjoyable and definitely worth your time!

Notably the film also features Patrick Wayne, John's son.

Giant

2007-05-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

As I continue to fulfill my promise to watch the classics on Sarah's List (albeit I'm a bit behind on schedule) I decided to bite off "Giant" today, a 1956 film starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean (in his last performance, though by no means his best). Getting (more or less) swept off her feet, Taylor finds herself married and in route back to Hudson's 595,000 acre Texas ranch after he travels east to purchase a horse from her father. James Dean is the ne'er-do-well ranch hand with an eye on Taylor who after taking his abuse from Hudson winds up inheriting a portion of Hudson's Benedict Ranch from Hudson's sister after she passes away only to find oil after thwarting a "hostile takeover bid" from Hudson early on. It was a reasonably decent film which touched on several issues including class strife and bigotry and (lightly) sexism, all of which are probably reflective of the time during which the film was made.

A good film, and certainly notable it is certainly not (in my humble opinion) a Casablanca. I just hope too many of my surrounding fellow Texans don't take too much offense to my saying so!

Running : Nashville

2007-05-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

On a whim a few years ago I took up running after a buddy and I decided to run the Dallas Turkey Trot together. Of course a couple of weeks into training he crapped out but I've been running ever since. I found that as much as I travel running is the perfect workout because all I have to take with me is a pair of shoes and shorts and I can do it anywhere. However, the challenge sometimes is figuring out where to run. City streets are disruptive (stopping at every corner gets old) and it's sometimes tough to gauge ow far you have run when you don't know the course. Fortunately the Gmaps Pedometer solved the "distance knowing" problem but sometimes the where is still an uncertainty. I'm going to start blogging the places I find and the first entry is Nashville. Of course you might think I'm running to get away from the country music but in Nashville that would be an exercise in futility! However I happen to be staying right next to Vanderbilt University where right across the street is Centennial Park. With a perfect 1 mile trail through the park it makes it easy to measure your distance and it's really a rather unexpectedly scenic little park. Anchored by the Parthenon (ok, not "the Parthenon" but one made to look like it), lots of trees, flowers and a nice pond a few laps through Centennial is a great place to knock out a few miles if you happen to be staying in Nashville. Just a couple of miles west of the heart of downtown.

Chris Cornell

2007-05-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

No other way to put it... Cornell ROCKS! Admittedly, I am a biased Cornell fan. He simply has one of the more compelling and unique voices in rock, but to that end I was a little apprehensive going into the show wondering if he would sound as good live as he has on the radio and recordings. Needless to say I was not disappointed. Playing hits from Soundgarden to Audio Slave, and covers including Bob Marley, Chris Cornell put on a helluva show at the Palladium Ball Room in Dallas. The place might hold up to 3000 people but rumor has is that tickets were limited to 1500, which, judging by the size of the crowd sounds about right. I'd give you the run down of songs but quite frankly they all we excellent and I do mean all of them. Chris' voice sounded as good live as recorded on everything they played which included every well known song this guy has sung save for one Audio Slave song "I am the Highway" which just happened to be one I was most looking forward too (my only complaint). His relatively new song "You Know My Name" (from Casino Royale) sounded superb and that was the one I was perhaps most leery of live. Small venues are definitely the way to see acts like this and if you happen to be one of the lucky ones with a city left on the tour, and you like Cornell at all, go see him. Tickets were very reasonable and one of the best bargains going for any tour right now. Ok, so the show was a coupe weeks ago.. I remember it well!

Gmaps Pedometer

2007-05-02T08:46:00.000-05:00

Nifty little tool. If you happen to be a runner (or walker or biker or whatever) check out the gmap-pedometer. It pulls up a Google map of a location of your choosing and you just click-click-click point to point and it tracks the distance you mark off. For me this is especially handy when I am traveling and I need to determine the distance I am running in an unfamiliar area. I did a baseline comparison of a known route that I have measured in several ways to confirm accuracy (including driving the route (multiple times) and GPS) and the gmap-pedometer was spot on (as far as I can tell since my measurements were only two decimal places and gmap-pedometer goes to four but jesus if you are measuring your running distance to four decimal places grab a beer and chill out, could you be more anal-retentive???!!!).

Hint: You have to click "Start Recording" then double click for each point you want to mark.

Dallas Traffic

2007-04-28T00:23:00.000-05:00

It's 12:24 AM on a Friday night/Saturday morning and as I bang this out on a blackberry I'm sitting in a traffic jam on the Dallas North Toll Road.

This is wrong beyond belief. This is my life and it's ending one mile at a time.

Sweet victory, even though we still suck.

2007-04-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

The DJCC sand volleyball team had a remarkable night in their 5th week of competition. Going into the evening 3 and 10 expectations ran low. Despite all of that and a lot of Grey Goose, we managed to pull out 2 of 6 games against vastly superior teams. The Fighting John Austins, also known as team "2" won 2 of 3 loosing the third game while playing only their ladies, 5 of them (beautiful as they are) against 6 of us (who were still rotating 2 alternates).

They narrowly lost.

In match two of the double header we played some other team who's name I don't remember but they only played with 4 players and whipped us in the first two games. But that's not important now... what is important is that in game three, down by a score of 18 to 15 we rallied to win 21 to 18. Now I know you are skeptical and wondering how this is possible, and no they didn't throw the game. Yours truly came in with what can only be described as "the most wicked, grey goose induced over-hand serve known to mankind" to sweep 6 straight for a quite legitimate win. Far be it for me to brag on myself on my blog (ok, not that far), as there were several good volleys and the entire team really stepped up. Where was that serve for the other 5 games you ask? Well, let's just say the interview would go something like this:

Reader: Congrats to the DJCC win tonight in game 6, that must have felt good.
Scott: It was amazing, everyone really dug in and made it happen. We were glad to have coach Tyler back and all that goose to keep us loose.
Reader: Where was that serve the first five games?
Scott: Shut up, this interview is over.

One regular season night to go then off to the playoffs on the 28th... hopefully it doesn't interfere with Buffet. Either way I have sand between my toes and that is all that matters!

Beer beer

2007-04-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the link has been on my site for a long time but I have never really blogged anything my buddy Erik has done with regard to his home-brewing ~~addiction~~ hobby. But I was hanging with him in San Fran last weekend and, being the generous host he is, he had two different reds (favorites of mine) on tap (which he had of course brewed himself) and a whit, all of which were excellent. But what really stood out was the Coffee Stout he had made which we imbibed as "desert" after an excellent sushi dinner at Sushi Groove in Walnut Creek. I'm not big on the super dark, chewy beers (though Maredsoux 8 is a favorite) but this beer was simply outstanding and deserved a little blog-ognition. Beer has been brewing some excellent stuff for a while (and winning a few contest while he is at it) but still remains quite humble about the whole thing, despite the fact that I would rather drink his beer than almost anything on the market. All that aside, the Coffee Stout was one of the (if not The) most unique beers he has made and was so well done it was remarkable for it's uniqueness and quality. Check out his site if you have time, he has even been published in a beer mag but I'll leave it to him to add the link if he so desires since I have no idea where it is online (only seen the hard copy). Where can you get some of this excellent beer you might be wondering... you can't unless you know the man personally. Sorry to be a beer elitist and tell you all about this awesome thing you can't have but you needed to know despite it all.

UPDATE: This beer won a regional contest so off to nationals it goes. I told you it was good!!

Iran wants gesture of goodwill?

2007-04-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

...After they take Brittish sailors prisoner from inside Iraqi waters, are you kidding me!? I suppose when the time comes we could humor them with the courtsey of a reach-around. Anyone who doesn't think this was all staged according to the way Iran wanted it to go could currently be performing a colonoscopy on themself with their own eyeballs.

The sad thing is I believe there are a lot of great people inside Iran that would love to be rid of their leadership and we need to empower and fully and OPENLY support them in any way possible. Iran could become our greatest friend in the region (that's right I said it) if we were rid of the current regime.

All easy for me to say I guess as I sit in the mall drinking Starbucks, watching CNN-HN on a plasma banging this blog entry out on a Blackberry while waiting to go shopping at the Apple store. Cuz you know all of those thing combined make me an expert on the middle east. :)

The Week in Links: Friday, April 6, 2007

2007-04-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

I found a couple of good ones this week. These are actually useful!

Google Map Pedometer: Another great Google Map mashup. Figure out exactly how far you run/walk around your neighborhood or wherever. I've backtested against known routes and so far it's proven highly accurate. But quite frankly, if you are tracking your run/walk to four decimal places you need to take a vacation.

Food Hackers: Because chemestry never tasted so good and unix geeks need to eat too.

Dive Quest

2007-03-23T19:51:00.001-05:00

One of the cool experiences you can have at Epcot Center in Orlando is a chance to go SCUBA diving in the Living Seas exhibit. If you have ever been there, odds are you have seen divers in the tank. What you probably didn't know is that if you are certified, you can be one of them. You'll have to pay for the experience but the price is well worth it. End to end you'll spend about three hours on your quest with about 40 minutes of that in the tank. It's a blast to dive among the rays, fish and 7 - 10 foot Sand Tiger Sharks (this may be Disney it's really not recommended to touch these guys, they aren't as cuddly as the rest of the critters in the park). The park guests, and especially the kids on the other side of the glass love to say hi and play with the divers and you are now a part of the show so ham it up. If you are going to be in Orlando and are a certified diver, take the time to indulge yourself in Dive Quest. It's a dive unlike any other you'll have.

Dive Quest

2007-03-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

A bad day for burgundy

2007-03-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Maybe it’s the Hoosier blood in me but I just get off on March Madness and there is nothing better than a good, down-to-the-wire game that leaves you breathless. And when it includes an upset all the better (assuming it’s not your home team that lost). As I sit at Champions Sport’s Bar in the Marriott Orlando World Center I’m watching the Southern Illinois vs. Kansas game on one screen and the Texas A&M vs Mempis Game on another and both qualify as nail-biters with possible upsets right now. I’m not a die hard coutch potato type of sports fan but this is just FUN!!!! Hell I don’t even root for any of these teams but it is riveting and I’m not sure which game to watch ….

Update. So.Ill lost and Texas A&M both lost but almost pulled it off. They played great games, and even though it would have totally messed up my bracket I would have liked to see them win. This much good hoops crammed into such a short period of time is just awesome....gimme more!

DJCC Volleyball: Another Season Begins

2007-03-22T00:42:00.000-05:00

... and we still stand a good chance of landing in last place! Ok to be fair, I haven't touched a volleyball since the last DJCC season I participated in 2 years ago and we played a match (3 games) with 3 people against 6 so the odds weren't exactly in our favor. And to go one step further the infamous Coach Tyler is absent. Still, even if it's about beer and fun I hate to loose which we did in classic fashion. Either way, I got to go home with sand between my toes again and that felt pretty good.. here comes summer!

300

2007-03-19T00:04:00.000-05:00

I was really looking forward to 300 but found myself going into it with a little apprehension. My main concern was that it would be over the top with testosterone drama and Lord Of The Rings-ish surrealism. Fortunately my fears were unjustified and I was really able to enjoy this film. Director Zack Snyder takes a very artistic yet at times accurately detailed approach to the actual historical Battle of Thermopylae and the stand of 300 Spartans against an overwhelming (estimates range from 150,000 - 2,500,000 man) Persian army. It had some of the testosterone-drama I was concerned about but stopped short of going to far and winding up a cheesy "guy move." The cinematography was excellent, the CGI well done (but not over done) and I found Gerard Butlers portrayal of King Leonidas to be unexpectedly strong. Notable was the brief and quite sultry performance of the Oracle of Delphi by unknown actress Kelly Craig (wow). This one definitely gets two thumbs up and could easily turn into a major cult classic. Yeah, it's a comic book version of the history but it's worth your $8 and two hours. You are sure to take a few things away from this movie like the fact that Xerxes was a punk, the women of Sparta were beautiful and tough, people will die for freedom (remember this based on a very factual event) and in case you somehow didn't notice, these guys are ripped!

An interesting "side-effect" of this movie was the timely portrayal of the necessity of sacrifice for our freedom and the reminder that freedom comes at a price, it is never really free. I'll stop short of suggesting that the writers and directors were trying to use this film as a platform for political statements, but whether they were or not, it was a refreshing one this time!

Aaron Lews of Staind

2007-03-17T23:33:00.000-05:00

It was a rare opportunity to hear a favorite song writer perform solo. Aaron Lewis, the lead singer of Staind, is on the road right now, and it's just Aaron and a couple of acoustic guitars. He played a relatively intimate Nokia Center in Dallas but but I think "intimate" came from being just off center in the 9th row. Aaron really knocked it out with several covers including songs by Alice-In-Chains, Pink Floyd, Tool and others and of course the hit "cover" was Black by Pearl Jam. When it came to Staind's music it couldn't have sounded any better. Moody, melancholy angst ridden music seems to fit the solo-artist (god forbid Aaron and Sarah Maclahlan ever do a song together, we'll all be crying for months) and this was a perfect example of how. Aarons voice is really an unexpected treat and while no guitar virtuoso, he plays his songs well and it was refreshing to listen to someone who's emphasis is on the music they write, NOT on the instrument they play (it's all about the music people but that rant is another blog entry yet to come). It's fair to say the most of these aren't songs you'll listen to if you need a "feel good" pick me up but almost anyone can relate to the emotion in these songs and they are really best delivered live. Aaron is definitely an underrated songwriter and performer. The first well known song he played was "Fade" which was appropriate but he didn't leave anything out of the set. "Outside" and "Right Here" were simply awesome, "So Far Away" was a big sing along and "For You" was about as charged as an acoustic song can get. Aaron also played a new song in the works which he says will probably be called "Asleep at the Wheel." Be listening for that one, it was a very cool tune. If I could change anything I would have seen him in an even smaller venue. I wish more artists would do this kind of thing because it really gives you a chance to get closer to them and the music than you can in almost any other way. I guess the best way to describe it is to say that this kind of concert reminds me why I started playing in the first place. I went home and played into the night just because... If you happen to have one of the remaining dates on the tour be sure to check him it out, it'll be the best $50 you've spent on a concert ticket in a long time.

Brad Delp: Dead today at 55

2007-03-09T11:27:00.000-06:00

Unless you are a musician or a big fan of 70's music your first reaction to the title of this Blog entry is "Who the hell is Brad Delp, and why is he worth writing about?"

While a lot of people will argue and might even belabor the point, Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston, was one of the finest singers ever to front a rock band, and is certainly up there with the likes of Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury and Steve Perry. His crisp, clear voice, amazing range, control and pure tone have been rivaled by very few vocalists since Boston's debut album in 1976. Songs like "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind" are rock staples that almost everyone has heard (even if they didn't know who they were listening to) and most have enjoyed. I personally can't think of better examples of feel-good, fun rock songs which are as truly timeless as these. Every time I hear "More Than a Feeling" come on the radio I have no choice but to turn it up, put the windows down and just enjoy the next 3 1/2 minutes of blissful rock'n'roll! Hell, I'd probably marry a girl named Mary Ann just because.... :) And the rest of the debut album goes as well... if you haven't heard it in a while, or aren't sure you have heard it at all, turn it on and turn it up! As a tribute to Brad, despite all of the other amazing musicians and engineering quality of these albums, pay especially close attention to the vocals, sing along word for word and note for note. In fact I dare you to try, you'll have a whole new appreciation for his amazing voice, Boston's incredible music and you might just have a "feel good time" in the process. I'd even say this would be be one of the "three albums I would take with me on a desert island" because it's just that good and it never tires.

Thanks for your music Brad, you left us something few ever will and through it you will live forever! You once sang, "Well I'm takin' my time, I'm just movin' on, you'll forget about me after I've been gone."

I dare say, no we won't.

If I had Jesus' power...

2007-02-14T21:15:00.000-06:00

I never would have gotten past the turning water into wine thing.

2007-02-12T17:01:00.000-06:00

Some music just never tires. We don’t hear a lot of Bob Seger these days, after all, he hasn’t toured in decades, but his new album, “Face the Promise” is out and he is touring once more. We have an old family friend that works for him so I had a chance to catch up with John after the show. Having not seen him in 20 years it was a very welcome occasion to catch up and really the highlight of the night for me, but back to the show… Seger still rocks the house. Playing several songs off the new album, all of which sound like classic Seger, and of course the myriad of classics, Bob put on a great performance. While I love theatrics (in their place) this show was about the music more than the lights or pyrotechnics. Two of his classics, “Turn the Page” and “Night Moves” literally sent a chill down my spine in a way I haven’t experienced at a concert in years. During some of the softer parts of the songs you could hear the audience, a nearly sold out crowd at American Airlines Center, singing along and it was haunting in the kind of way that prevents you from wiping that stupid grin off your face for hours after. Several of the old Silver Bullet bandmates were there too but most notably the sax player Alto Reed. It was amazing how popular that guy was during the show with the fans, though when you hear him wailing away it’s not hard to understand why. Alto was the first bona fide rock star I had ever met while backstage at a Seger show circa 1982 and again in 1986, so 21 years later it was cool to shake his hand once more. The most surprising song of the evening was “Rock n’ Roll Never Forgets” which was one I hadn’t heard in years (even on CD) and didn’t realize it hadn’t been played until he broke it out in the encore. Other notables were “We’ve Got Tonight” and “Main Street” always a favorite of mine. Left off the set list was “Like a Rock” (which was never one of my favorite Seger tunes probably because Chevy ad’s beat it to death) and “Her Strut” which just screams classic Detroit Rock, but alas there are only so many hours in the night and sacrifices had to be made (damn it).

All I can say is if you happen to be in one of his remaining cities (the tour ends at the beginning of March) and are even considering going, make it happen. For me, this old time rock n’ roll (yeah you saw that coming) is still where it’s at.

2007-02-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

Limo 2007 is now in the books leaving a trail of broken livers and pictures without which most of us wouldn't remember a thing. I do however remember the hangover which I earned by making sure I mixed every form of incompatible alcohol known. The truth is that the limo tour provides a tremendous opportunity for hardworking, type-a young professionals in the DFW area to let their hair down (or in the event you are in the 80's limo, blow it up), cut loose and shamelessly work off some stress. Thank god this only happens once a year.

Lessons learned from LT07 include:

1. At 35 drinking contests should be left to the younger crowd. Yes I can still slam a beer but I don't recover nearly as well. Thank goodness Bula-Da-Bong (beer bong fools...) was nowhere to be found.

2. If I utter the words "Party like a Rock Star" know this: 1) I mean it and 2) Please stop me.

3. Hangovers are well managed by Alka-Seltzer, water, and breakfast at Le Peep.

All in all the night went off without incident or throwing up so I guess we'll see you next year!

2007-02-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

No need to say too much but growing up in Indy with memories of the Colts moving to Indianapolis in 1984 made the Sunday Super Bowl win a long awaited moment. There were a lot of tough years of watching sub-par teams that always seemed to have promise but were short on delivery. Finally we got ours.

GO COLTS!

The Classics

2007-01-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

After a few requests to see the list of classic movies I have been "instructed" to watch here it is, in no particular order....

Sarah's List.
1. Casablanca (done)
2. Gone with the wind
3. it happened one night (done)
4. the philidephia story
5. giant (done)
6. bringing up baby
7. wuthering heights
8. all about eve
9. going my way
10. sabrina
11. going my way
12. Sergeant York* (Update added by Tiffany, next in queue)

If you have thoughts on any of these, feel free to share what you thought...

2007-01-05T13:26:00.000-06:00

After a comfy 1st class flight (thanks to an upgrade) I landed in Vegas about 7:30, headed straight for the Hard Rock, threw my crap in my room, grabbed some food at Mr. Lucky's and bolted straight for the Black Jack table. I love this game, perhaps it's the illusion that I have some degree of control but regardless I was ready to play. I started at a $10 table since it has been a while and I wanted to "warm up" (i.e. not loose all my money the first night). I found a good single-deck table with some fun chaps to gamble with, threw my money to the dealer and off we went. After a couple of hours of up and down it started to click again (those basic math skills that is). I pulled the plug about 11:30ish up about $150. Not an impressive take but considering my average $10 bet not bad. Not a late night but having been up for about 22 hours at that point I could feel the tired upon me and before I started making stupid mistakes it was better to take my funds and live to fight another day.

The Hard Rock is definitely the place to be in my mind but it was a little on the quite side last night which was fine and I'm wasn't surprised. It's 4 days after New Years and people will start filtering in this weekend for CES next week so I expect that the rest of the weekend will be the usual chaos. I can't wait.

As for today, time for a workout (what I can say I'm addicted) followed by some quality spa time and a massage. Then, more black Jack.. tonight, who knows but who cares, I'm in Vegas.

Day two of 35, life is rough! :)

XXXV

2007-01-04T12:30:00.000-06:00

35....today! So 35, what does that mean? I'm glad you asked. Other notables born on this day: Sir Isaac Newton (1642), nuff said.
Julia Ormond (1965) so georgous.
Dwight Freeney (1978 or 1980, apparently there is debate) Colts defensive end badass.

Other notable events (other than my birth of course):

1865 - The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York City.

1936 - Billboard magazine publishes its first pop music charts.

1959 - Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.

1970 - The Beatles record as a band for the last time.

1974 - United States President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.

2004 - Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.

and the date is now forever marred by :

2007 - The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.

So it goes... I'm heading to Vegas.

Movie Review: It Happened One Night

2006-12-30T22:31:00.000-06:00

"It Happened One Night" is 1934 classic and another on the Top 11 list of classic movies I have agreed to watch as assigned my my friend Sarah, a classic movie junkie. After knocking out Casablanca expectations were high and while this movie did not disappoint it didn't have quite the impact of of Casablanca for me. Regardless, you can see how this story line has influenced many a "chick-flick" ever since. I'd say if you are in the mood to watch a classic, give this one a go, but only if you are in the mood for a classic. The language is very stereotypical of the time, which is no surprise, but seemed more evident than in Casablanca. Of note, this film gave birth (as far as I can tell) to the age old concept that "if a man and woman traveling together need to hitchhike, he can't get a car to slow down to save his life and all she hast to do is show a little leg and the car comes to a screeching halt." That scene made me laugh because I could so easily envision how it would be (and has been) done in modern movies and conceptually in Bugle Boy commercials. Light-hearted with a more than it's share of memorable moments it's not quite the cultural icon of Casablanca but has certainly earned it's place in movie history.

:: off topic sort of ::

But speaking of classics and Bugle Boy's

Movie Review: Rocky Balboa

2006-12-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I went to see it. And it was good, damn good actually. Rocky is more about the story than the fight, though as with any Rocky movie the fight is central to the story. The performances are good, especially by Stallone. The sixth, and presumably last, installment in the Rocky series deserves your attention if you cared for any of the series, especially the first two. Don't forget that Rocky (Number 1, 1977) received 3 Oscars, including best picture, was best picture for the Golden Globes and was nominated for 7 other Oscars. And as movies go, this one holds up, well. It's sometimes easy to mock Sly for some of the projects he's done but if you can look past them and the fact that this is a sixth Rocky movie, you'll enjoy it. Perhaps the most touching part of the movie aren't the visits to Adrian's grave or the father son moments (which are notable), but rather the near breakdown Rock has with Paulie in the meat packing plant where Paulie works. You just believe that he means what he says. The fight is not the most dramatic or cinematic of the series but rather than trying to top any of the previous fights, they make this one fit into the movie and did a great job of it. I guess the nicest thing I can say about this film is that it doesn't need the previous five and could easily stand on it's own. Still, having seen them will definitely help it all make sense.

So get over the fact that you rolled your eyes when you first heard this movie was coming out and enjoy it. Stallone and company have earned that much.

Crazy Cat Ladies

2006-12-26T12:14:00.000-06:00

If you have ever wondered how people (usually stereotyped as women) end up the "crazy cat lady" there might actually be an explanation. Recently a correlation between incidents of schizophrenia and a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii have been documented. T.gondii is known to affect neurotransmitter function in the brain and the most dominant theories about the neurological causes of schizophrenia are with the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. The definitive host of T.gondii...you guessed it.. cats. Cat's aren't affected by T.gondii but they are the host. In all fairness, the transmission from cat to human is difficult but not impossible. This is also not likely to be the only cause of schizophrenia either but there is a documented correlation of exposure to cats (particularly at a young age) and increased episodes of schizophrenia.

Odds are you are fine with fluffy and so are your kids. But if you are one of the many single women I know who joke about never getting married and becoming the crazy cat lady, beware, if you have cats... you just might! :)

The Ultimate iPod Accessory

2006-12-25T07:55:00.000-06:00

There are few accessories for the iPod, if any, that can rival this. Ladies behold the personal friend who goes with you anywhere, knows how to keep to the rhythm of the music you choose.

http://www.ohmibod.com/

The real question is what is on your play list? So I'm soliciting ideas for the ultimate "OhMiBod" playlist. Thoughts? Leave em' in the comments and let us know what soundtrack you think would be most ideal for rocking your world.

he Week in Links: December 08, 2006 : Christmas Edition

2006-12-08T07:06:00.000-06:00

Some of my favorite links for this time of year. If you have others please leave comments and let us know for next year.

The Amazing Christmas House: Carson Williams masterpiece set to "Wizards of Winter" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a Christmas light extravaganza that would make Clark Griswold jealous.

Ding Fries are Done: Admittedly this one is a little crass but the lyrics and tone are LOL funny, though you'll likely feel remorse for laughing at this. Don't go if you don't have thick skin.

Elf Bowling: Classic Christmas time killer.

The Spirit of Christmas: Where it all began for South Park. Destine to become a Christmas classic.

Why Should a Man Get Married?

2006-11-30T21:32:00.000-06:00

... a valid question in this day and age. Gone are many of the traditional incentives for marriage, especially for men. As an almost 35 year old male who has never been married but always aspired to find the right woman with whom to spend his life, I was really taken back when this question recently came up. It didn't come up in the usual bar conversation over a beer or among a bunch of beat down husbands playing cards and smoking cigars one night, all trying to live vicariously through their one remaining never-been-married friend. Rather, this question came by way of a very attractive woman, in my age range, with similar beliefs and interests (namely photography and politics, not to mention values) who lives in a city [LA] that is comparable to my own [Dallas] when it comes to superficiality, and expectations that we can all be rock gods and movie stars. Moxie, often brash and sarcastic in her writing (which I thoroughly enjoy BTW...) has posed what is perhaps her most insightful question to date and the responses were equally so. I encourage you to pay her post a visit and take the time to read the comments, all of them. A lot of blogging is BS, as worthy of your eyeballs as reality TV (don't even get me started on that) but this is worth your time.

As for me, I had always wanted to find "her" so when I stopped to think about the "why", I knew the standard response that had always been there just wouldn't do. I needed to make sure I understood the real "why." Mind you, it didn't take long to articulate my answer but when you consider the way things have changed in the last 50 years, not to mention the last 150, the question takes on new meaning. Am I wanting this because I think I am supposed to? Why haven't I by now? Will it ever be right or make sense for me?

I'll give Mox her due for starting this and just encourage you to read the posts, you'll find my response in there somewhere too...

Winter in Texas

2006-11-30T16:17:00.000-06:00

WINTER IS FINALLY HERE! Rare as it is we got ice and snow in Dallas today and it finally feels like it should. I might be a biased mid-western transplant but I love it. Temps are in the 20's with a healthy windchill, crappy road conditions and a bunch of lunatics in SUV's that don't seem to realize that just because you have 4-wheel drive doesn't mean you will stop any faster when you slam on the breaks if you're on a sheet of ice. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back at your local Starbucks and watch the North Texas "Idiots on Ice" in all its glory. If I could put a sound track to it it would be downright comical. Of course that is just the beginning, my Evite calendar couldn't be more full and I still have a lot of my "up north" clothing to keep me warm. Does it get any better than this? Well... maybe, but I'll leave that to your imagination...

The Week in Links: November 24, 2006

2006-11-18T11:56:00.000-06:00

Gellert Baths: Budapest, Hungary
http://www.gellertbath.com/

The Week in Links: November 17, 2006

2006-11-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

Some good Peer-to-Peer Stock Picking Sites: If you like to trade in the market or just follow a long, get ideas from those who are doing it and see who is actually doing well!

clearstation.com - technical data analysis
marketocracy.com - best performers earn asset management fees
socialpicks.com - social networking for stock pickers
valueforum.com - energy, commodities, canadian trusts, REIT's
valueinvestorclub.com - Value investing, fundamental analysis

sellaband.com: This is a cool concept to support your favorite local band by "investing" in them. When they hit a threshold of investors, they get hooked up with producers and studios to cut a professional demo all the while, you get a piece of the action since you own a piece of the band, but hell, if you never make a dime, your $10 donation is a great way to support an unknown that you like.

mywinepod.com: Pricey but cool.. I just want to have one of these. Making your own wine about as easy as it gets. Technology meets craft...

yourlifeonfilm.tv: Documentary film makers will make one about your life, for a price. It's expensive, though not as much as you would think and what a great idea if you have the expendible income. This is definitely better than capturing a bunch of photos on a CD, but then if you make one too early on, you should plan to make a sequel down the road.

agallery.com: The website stinks but they content and idea is good. Go here to find fine art photography originals.

mppens.com: Mitchel Perchin makes cool pens. Pens don't sound exciting but here they are more like art. Expensive, but nice. Far better than anything I do on my woodlathe at home!

The Week in Links: November 10, 2006

2006-11-10T09:03:00.000-06:00

Shave Everywhere: Even if you don't buy one.. this is just FUNNY advertising. Go through all the videos and I'll bet by the end you'll want one whether you need it or not.

Hana Zen: Great sushi in San Francisco. I still like Ace Wassabi's the best for fun, food and environment, but if you are (as I was) having a business dinner, Hana is a better choice. It's less trendy, quiter and more condusive to closing the big deal over a couple bottles of sake.

Dallas Wine Bars:

Mercy: My favorite in Dallas. They have great wines and food in a classy and cool environment. Located in the convenient Addison area this is one of my favorite places to go period.

Chateaux/Bodega Wine Bar: A nice and relatively new wine bar in Dallas. This one has the most unique ambiance and is in the trendy Knox/Henderson area.

Cru': Cru is cool and for me is by far the closest wine bar to Frisco (there are two of them in Dallas, the other is located in the trendy West Village in Uptown). They have a good selection of wines, good food and staff is knowledgeable. My only gripe with Cru' is that it feels a little more like it could be (and is) a chain and I would like to see more of their great selection for sale by the glass.

There is another wine bar/shop I haven't checked out yet called Vino100 (a franchise) so if anyone has been leave a comment and let me know what you think.

John Kerry's True Colors

2006-10-31T11:12:00.000-06:00

What an unbelievable thing for former Presidential candidate to say. I am speechless that he so brazenly shows what an arrogant, thoughtless individual he really is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLuMWiQ6r2o

This comment should equal "Career Over."

Hamming it up

2006-10-30T17:14:00.000-06:00

Ever look though your old pictures and realize how often people like to make stupid faces on camera?

Here is a look back at several I've captured over the last several years... I'm sure with the group of friends I have, there will be plenty more to come!

funny faces

The Week in Links: October 27, 2006

2006-10-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

Jessica Claire Photography A friend of mine, who has asked me to take her engagement pictures was parusing photography sites and sent this one on. Jessica has a really nice look and style to her photographs, definitely worth a look.

California Castle An interesting place to hang for the right occasion. Bachelor party? Mid-evil torture fest? Liver damage weekend?

Stick Figure Death Theatre Always a classic, now for 10 years of mindless web entertainment.

Casablanca

2006-10-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

Shamelessly, a self-proclaimed movie junkie, I have never seen many of the classics. So at the behest of a friend of mine, who loves the classics and provided me a top 11 list, I'm going to knock them out starting tonight with the classic "Casablanca." So far so good. There is something undeinably endearing about the old Black and White's.

Best line so far..."I'd like to believe you killed a man, It's the romatic in me."

The Week in Links: October 13, 2006

2006-10-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

I found a few links well worth posting this week but the first one popped up at the last minute and deserves a few minutes of your attention. This is a video of a guitar player with a unique playing style which shows the kind of creatavity and talent that makes a guitar player like me want to throw the thing out the window.

Amazing Guitar Work

And now the others:

WinesTilSoldOut.com : A daily showcase of highly rated wines selling at a steep discount.

Popular Blogger: Business Week does a nice job of summarizing some of the most popular blogs on the web.

Cool MGM Video: Click on the "Enter Maximum Vegas" link to the right and watch the flash video. Very well done.

The Week in Links: October 6, 2006

2006-10-06T16:10:00.000-05:00

I read a few publications with regularity and often find reference to links or websites that I want to check out. Usually.... I forget, or can't find the article again to look up the link. So in an effort to keep track of those links and share with you interesting tidbits that you might not otherwise hear about, I'll blog a list of the links, each with a short description so you aren't just randomly clicking away wasting time, unless that is just something you want to do. "The Week in Links" will come out each Friday (more or less). So without further adue.. the first weekly "Week in Links."

The Grooming Lounge
The place to go for men's grooming products and services. I like the concept of a place that is more that just a barbershop. Hang out, have a beer, get a massage, shave, without feeling like a gimp, because it is all geared toward guys.

TED Blog
Host to interesting ideas in Technology, Entertainment and Design (among others). Some interesting video casts (TED Talks).

Hotel Vitale
Great downtown San Francisco botique hotel.

New Wheels: BMW 330Ci

2006-10-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

After driving only my truck for a few months I decided it was time to replace the S2000 I got rid of just a few months ago. While opting for something a little more practical it still had to be fun. I seriously considered and test drove a Z4 thinking I might want to go back to a roadster, practicality be damned! However the Z4 left me less than inspired. While on paper the performance specs are about neck and neck for the Z4 and S2000, but driving it just wasn't nearly as much fun to me. No offense to Z4 drivers, it's a great car, just too refined for the purist in me, who, if he is going to drive a sports car, want's to feel every detail and alas, the BMW "felt" too tame.

After much consultation with my car buddies I decided to test drive a BMW 330Ci. Looking for something fun but "only fun" was now out so a nod of practicality was appropriate. But it still had to preform reasonably well and be fun to drive. One test drive in a 2003 330Ci and I was sold. Smooth ride, quite on the inside (important if you spend HOURS commuting in traffic and use that time to catch up on phone calls [using a headset of course]), performance package so it has the beefed up suspension, wheels, brakes, ... I would consider the 330Ci a poor mans M3. Not quite the performance of that machine but an M3 would have cost me 30% more and that just wasn't in the cards right now. A rag top would have been nice but I'll save that for something else in the stable down the road. For now I have a great new ride that I am very happy with. It appeals sufficiently to my sense of fun, works well as a daily driver (the S2000 was a bit brutal for that), looks good and feels great.

I'll also give a nod to Ryan and the folks at BMW of Dallas. They were easy to work with, no pressure, good information and made the overall car buying experience a pleasureable one. That says a lot given that my last car buying experience was miserable (buying the truck, not the S2000) and I generally hate the experience, so their kudos are deserved.

If you are ever inclined, think about a BMW, they call it the Ultimate Driving Machine for a reason, and I am now a believer.

Changes are afoot....

2006-09-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

In an effort so streamline and segregate my activities a bit I'm going to be making some changes to the site soon. The wine section will get rolled into my personal blog, Investing will be gone (but I'll be contributing to other investing sites and will link accordingly) and photography (blog, images and a lot of new stuff) will get rolled into a separate site supporting my photography business (Coming Soon : ellisphotography.net). I'll keep personal snapshots here as the other site will be more professionally oriented.

This site will exist purely for my personal/non-professional blogging and snapshots. Look for changes over the weekend.

And in case you missed it, I have updated my previous post with a bunch of links in case you want to read more about all of the places we visited, so click away.

European Vacation (facts pt. 1)

2006-09-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

It wasn't quite National Lampoons but it had it's moments. A few interesting facts from the trip:

7 countries in 14 days (Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany)

Approximate beer consumption at Oktoberfest in Munich: 16 pints (that's just me).

Weight gain on the trip: 7lbs (good god)

Number of times in the same place for two contiguous days: 3

Languages Encountered: 7

Party crew in Munich: Aussies (Cheers Steve!)

New Wines from countries I have never had wine from before: 4 (Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Georgia)

Bulgaria was reportedly the 5th largest exporter of wine in the world (debatable).

Number of castles/walled cities visited: 9 (ish)

Coolest midevil city: Brasov, Romania

Most beautiful city: Vienna, Austria

New friends made along the way (that I'll likely keep in touch with): 4 (1 German, 1 Aussie, 1 American, 1, 1 Sweedish).

Miles traveled: Approximately 24,000+

The Palace of the Parliment building in Bucharest is the 2nd largest in the world only to the Pentagon.

There is almost no real relationship between Vlad Tepis (Vlad the Impaler) and the legend of Dracula.

Number of notable dead seen: 2 (1 horse 1 person)

Most beautiful women: Romania/Bulgaria followed by Germany

Best food: Loved em all!

Worst driving conditions: Romania

Best Scenery: ~~Sweeden~~ Switzerland/Southern Germany

Romania will join the EU in January.

Number of injuries on the trip (all friends): 2 minor

Number of modes of transportation: 4 (Car, Train, Plane, Bus).

Mountian Ranges Visited: 2 (Alps, Carpathians)

Round abouts: look kids, Big Ben, Parliment...

Days we missed the riots in Budapest by: 1.5

People sing country music in Bulgaria