Blog

March 4, 2006

Code

Today was the annual Maryland/Virginia joint regional professional referee clinic. I'm glad I'd decided not to attempt the fitness test today, as it was below freezing on the thermometer and the wind was gusting above 20mph. All I was doing was helping count laps and yell encouragement, but even so my fingers and my toes were frozen. Hopefully we'll have better weather for the test in New Jersey.

At some point during the lecture session of the clinic, and after I'd won a hotly contested round of buzzword bingo, my doodling gave way to making an alternative alphabet. One of the things that's most cool about my brother is that we were easily writing each other notes in the new script with relative fluency after about twenty minutes. I think this will be my new method for e-mail security. I figure I can make a quick flash application and then write a PHP script to send the e-mails. Haven't totally fleshed out the concept yet, but it'll be a fun project to kick around next time things are slow.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, at the moment, things are anything but slow. Mindshare has fixes they want by Monday morning, and I've got a project that's supposed to be done already and another in the definition stage. Of course, I still need to get the Sinclair Web Solutions site up and rework this site, but hey, twenty four hours in a day and all that.

March 3, 2006

How Do You Say

Got a phone call late last night that my godfather is seriously ill. How does one prepare to say goodbye to someone? Particularly when it's someone that had a significant impact in helping shape the adult you'd become by being a critically important presence in your childhood, but with whom you've been only sporadically in touch over the last few years? I don't even know where to start, and while I'm tremendously relieved that today's procedure went as well as could have been hoped, I know it's just given me a little while longer to collect my thoughts.

My iPod today was even more in tune with my mood than usual. It was supposed to be on shuffle but insisted on playing Peter, Paul, and Mary stuff and old Bob Dylan songs. Exactly the sort of thing my godfather used to play and sing when we'd all get together around his guitar back in the Woodbridge house. Rather than cringe and turn it off, I tried to savor the good times. I think at some point this weekend I'll make a playlist. I think he'd approve.

March 2, 2006

Activism

After Dad's wreck, he and I had a discussion about the differences between Maryland and Virginia in terms of concealed weapons. After the State Troopers dropped Dad off at the rest area, it was about five or ten minutes before Wayne and I got there. So he was waiting there with all of his luggage at an I-95 rest stop. Not exactly the world's best situation. In Virginia, he would have been legally entitled to be armed, and had he been threatened, he would have had some ability to defend himself. In Maryland of course, it's virtually impossible for a regular person to get a permit to carry a weapon. If Dad had been threatened at the rest area in Maryland, and had he been armed, he would have been committing several crimes had he chosen to defend himself. I think that concept is so ridiculous as to be offensive, and I told my dad so in a subsequent discussion. His response was unexpected, but fair. "If you're not happy with Maryland's laws, either move or lobby to change them."

March 8 is so-called Gun Bill Day in Annapolis. Among other things, there's a bill in front of the house that proposes changing the language for concealed weapons permits from "may issue" to "shall issue". In effect, it would obligate Maryland to issue permits to people who are qualified (pass backgrounds checks, etc.) instead of requiring applicants to show recent death threats or the like as justification to carry a weapon. Living in Frederick County as I do, my elected officials already support the bills, but I e-mailed them anyway to let them know I think they're on the right side of this. I think I will go to Annapolis next week and show my support. I may even testify. Good blog about the issues here, and the official shall issue site here.

March 1, 2006

Lent

Research says it takes twenty one days to make a habit. Is forty days enough to remake oneself? Stay tuned for daily updates about Lent and the countdown towards a run, a pair of jeans, and a more productive day.

February 14, 2006

He Asked. I Said Yes.

No immediate plans for a date, but we'll keep you posted.

February 5, 2006

Super Clinic

Spent the majority of the day aswirl in the crosswinds that are Virginia referee politics. I'm comfortable with my allegiances as far as that goes, but it's still a murky mess to have to maneuver. It's been a while since I attended a clinic where the average attendee was more senior than entry level referees and less senior than national referees or referees working professional games. This is the land of the know it all, the domain of the rules lawyer, and the best part is, the smell of a senior instructor (in this case a World Cup referee and FIFA inspector) draws scores of them all intent on being crowned the alpha male of the clinic. To make matters even more exciting, said senior instructor was a bit unclear on a few of the finer points of rules interpretation, and this sparked something of a feeding frenzy among that element. Not to be anything less than reverent towards national staff, but I have to say I think when you get to a point that you're the featured speaker at clinics, you're obligated to make yourself an expert on the laws and their interpretation as dictated by USSF. If nothing else, it reinforced to me my responsibility to the entry level courses I'll be instructing over the next couple of months.

Happy for Steelers' fans and the city of Pittsburgh. While I didn't really have a vested interest in the game, I think life in Seattle will go on, but had the Steelers lost, Pittsburgh might as well have been bombed off the face of the planet. Of course, with the win, they'll definitely be bombed. I heard that schools in Pittsburgh are operating on a two hour delay tomorrow. I'm just not sure the city could have recovered from a loss.

January 29, 2006

Camp, Day 4

Didn't sleep well last night, not sure if it was nerves about this morning's run, general discomfort from being sore from the night before, or what, but it was one of those nights where you feel like you're always waking up to look at the clock.

January 28, 2006

Camp, Day 3

I know you're all dying to hear about last night's session. I apologize for being behind in the update but I wound up going out for a couple of drinks with a few others. There was actually a big group that went out, but as one of the guys I was with was wearing shorts, he didn't meet the dress code for the club that the gang wanted to hit, so we wound up at a pub a block or so away. This suited me a lot better anyway, what with it being less crowded, less noisy, and with less focus on meeting members of the opposite sex. At any rate, I'm going to have to catch up on yesterday in an addendum, possibly today during lunch. In order to try to prevent any remaining non-soccer folks from fleeing in boredom or horror, I'm going to make the lecture notes a separate file, but I'll continue to include my reports on the overall experience here.

Evening Update

Results for the written and fitness test are posted. Apparently there are five other women that failed some portion of the fitness test, in addition to the five that were medically excused. What does that say about the standard? We're all going to run again tomorrow morning, but I expect at best three of the retakes will pass. They don't post the scores for the written test, just a list of the people who passed. However, Jim Allen told me my score. The good news is that I did pretty well, 92%. The bad news is that it was not the highest Maryland score. That honor goes to Bryan Roslund. Of the Maryland nationals, he's the one I'm closest to being okay with getting beaten by.

All the nationals usually go out for dinner together, but given that I have to run in the morning, I'm foregoing that to just grab something quick with another of the women who's running tomorrow and then make it an early night.

January 27, 2006

Camp, Day 2

Got up at 6am this morning to discover that my hair had been visited by hat fairies in the night and left me with these awful looking little bald patches all over. So though I hadn't planned to shower before the fitness test, it was a necessity. This left me a little cramped for time to get set and grab some breakfast. The whole eating before the run thing is problematic for me anyway, as if I'm not careful food turns into a solid ball in my stomach and I either cramp up or puke. Luckily, I have long experience with being dysfunctional in the morning so I'd laid everything out last night.

I ran a little more than 2450m in the twelve minute run. So not nearly enough to pass, but close enough to believe 2600m is within reasonable hope for the pro clinic in March. After the run we took the written exam. True to Jim's word, it was easier than last year, although there were still a couple of badly worded questions and some stuff I just flat didn't know. Still, I'm reasonably confident I passed that and look forward to finding out the scores tomorrow afternoon. After the written exam, both groups were together for a boxed lunch at the track, and then we did some field sessions on a team warmup, situational awareness, and referee/assistant referee communication. This stuff was actually pretty good, although the "warm up" would be considered a light workout to most people and wasn't particularly enjoyable after both the fitness test and lunch. Other than a bit of a strained hamstring (and that really started Wednesday), I think I came through the run in pretty good shape. The make-up for the run is Sunday morning, and I'm considering going, not because I think I could pass it, but because one of the female candidates only ran 2200m, and she thinks it was a mental block. If she decides to run it again, I'll probably go out there just for moral support. The nice thing about being in the first group was that we got to leave about an hour before the second group, as they only have enough buses to transport half the group at a time. Seniority has its privileges.

Tonight's agenda calls for a presentation from Joe Machnik on the "MLS Mission Statement" followed by something on "Refereeing in USL Div. 1 & 2" followed by Angelo Bratsis doing something called, "A Fork In The Road -- 'A', 'C', 'V'". Don't ask me what the heck that is, but Angelo will no doubt yell at us for at least an hour. Look for another update later tonight.

On the list of shoulda broughts... sunscreen and Excedrine.

January 26, 2006

On My Way To Camp

Today's theme music: "I Will Survive". I am going to try to blog from there, both so that I'll have a reminder to go back and read through should I decide to do this another year, and for the entertainment of those of you playing at home. Just so that there are no surprises though, I'm planning to use the fitness test as a measuring stick of where things are after a month of base building and then draw up the workouts necessary to actually pass the fitness test at Maryland's Pro Clinic the first weekend of March.

First Afternoon

The flight out was uneventful. I've packed everything in my carryon bag and my briefcase. Most people have a bigger bag of stuff they've checked, but I've found I usually over pack for these things, so I'll just make a list of the things I wish I'd brought. So far the only item on that list is blank index cards.

Jim Allen was on our flight, clad in jeans and a sweater and looking a lot more relaxed than anyone on his way to camp has any right to be. Despite my repeated offers to watch his luggage if he needed to stretch his legs, he kept a very close hold on the briefcase that contains copies of the national exam. I guess when you're writing the test instead of taking it, the stress level is somewhat less.

The hotel didn't have rooms ready for everyone yet, so I wound up in Jeff Gontarek's room for a couple of hours studying before they brought me my key. After getting my stuff stowed away, we grabbed lunch at a chicken place across the street. Other people are starting to get here now, but my roommate, Margaret Domka, still isn't here. The roommate selection is always something of a crapshoot and although there really isn't anyone I just couldn't deal with, I consider myself lucky to have drawn Margaret.

The agendas are available, and they've split the group into two. All the FIFAs are in group 1 and I'm with them. We're getting slightly different presentations, but I think the real goal was just to stagger things enough that the meeting space would be sufficient for the number of bodies. This is the first time (to the best of my knowledge) any of the referees have seen the division, and I'm not going to be the only one surprised to find themselves in one group or the other. I expect this will add an additional undercurrent of tension to some interactions.

First Evening Session

Tonight's session started at 7pm with about three hundred people in the hotel's ballroom. Alfred opened it with his usual enthusiasm, randomly throwing bags, shirts, etc. We all got the standard reminder about how important timing is this weekend. Every year we get treated to an incident with the sound system, and tonight was no exception. Alfred randomly turned his mike on and off, various other staff members came over to attempt to help, and eventually there was the horrific screeching that can only be accomplished by wireless speaker feedback. Good times. This year's major point of emphasis will be the use of elbows, so we'll see plenty of videos about those kinds of incidents over the next few days. Deliberate handling will also feature prominently. Not like that's a surprise given that it was a point of emphasis at all of the academies and that there was a recent position paper about it.

Jim Allen told us, like he does every year, that we have nothing to worry about. "It was easy last year and it's easier now." Ha.

Steve Olsen, who was supposed to be here helping run the PFT is home with his wife who was taken ill suddenly.

Dick Triche reviewed the procedures for tomorrow's PFT. Even just listening to him talk about this is making me physically ill. The timing procedures for this are insane. They've got like quadruple redundancy in timing, plus two separate videos. Yikes!

After this "orientation", camp officially kicked off with the presentation of the colors. Marines in dress blues. These guys weren't all that, but boy, Marines in dress blues. Drool.

The special guests were introduced, something like thirty of them, and then a short video of goals leading to the US MNT WC qualification was shown. Julie literally said, "Hooray for our team."

Dr. Bob Contiguglia gave an intro speech where he talked about the state of the men's and women's programs. He called the women's program a "dominant force", which clearly it is, but it's still nice to hear. He announced that both the men's and the women's national teams have just signed collective bargaining agreements that pay them as full time players through 2011 and 2012 respectively. He also said nice words about the refereeing program and how well regarded it's becoming internationally before closing with some more rah-rah about the MNT's chances in Germany. His closing comment was, "The Best Is Yet To Come."

The featured speaker was Lisle Austin, a member of the CONCACAF referee committee. His topic was "Professionalism in Refereeing". It was a lovefest, er, an extraordinary show of mutual respect for Alfred. He focused on "Character, Attitude, Excellence, and Conduct", but honestly, he was pretty dry and at times hard to follow.

Dave McKee spoke about Harry Baldwin, a former Eddie Pearson award winner who died this last year. Dave sounds terrible, but it's impossible to say whether that was a health issue or just emotion over having lost a friend and colleague. Dave's also sporting a pretty cool looking goatee. Quite the upgrade from his moustache. There is no Pearson award winner this year. Dave concluded his speech with a slide show of "Quotable Quotes" from a publication Baldwin had originally compiled in 1981 and which Angelo Bratsis had updated in 1991. Nothing earth shattering, but would be a nice piece to have in one's refereeing library.

John Kennedy, a national assessor from CA died last week. Services are being held for him in San Francisco tomorrow and Brian Hall spoke briefly in remembrance of him. I'd actually like to see this sort of thing incorporated into camp every year. We do a good job of recognizing the candidates that we're adding to the program, but it would be nice to allow a short remembrance of the ones we've lost as well.

Esse spoke about the number of international assignments we had this year and we saw a video with shots from many of those games set to music. Very nicely done.

Paul recognized the referees who had worked the various league finals. Greg Barkey's spoof video was shown and had the whole hall in hysterics. Finally, the FIFA badges were given to the FIFA referees, we saw another promotional video of the MNT and we're done.

There was some chitchat in the hall, but given that the meeting didn't break until nearly ten and that many of us are on different time zones, most people headed off to do some last minute cramming or sleep. Of the women, five are medically excused from tomorrow's run. At least I'll be able to find someone to run with when I take this thing at a pro clinic.

I guess that's about it for tonight. Look for an update tomorrow afternoon after the tests and before the lectures.

Oh, and on the list of things I should have brought, we can add some kind of snack food for the first night.

January 25, 2006

Finnegans Wake

No, not the drinking song, although I do enjoy that, and have two copies on the iPod. (One of which can be downloaded here, scroll down a bit.) Generally, I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, but given that Joyce's epic comes with a whole history of people struggling through it, and spending their entire careers only beginning to decipher it, I figured I wanted something I was going to enjoy having around for a while. Does anything about this cover seem consistent with anything about James Joyce? I don't think so, so I took my nice shiny new version back to Borders and ordered an old copy from Amazon. It got here today, more appropriate cover and all. I'm taking it with me to camp, not so much because I expect to make great progress, but at least in part to remind me that there's a whole lot more to my life than the soccer stuff, and that I'm pretty different from the average national referee.

January 24, 2006

Crickenberger 5K

My normal running route is just more than three miles, and I've decided that my goal for the summer will be to clock a twenty-five minute trip. I wanted to get it out there before I come home from camp and people think crazy fitness goals are and overreaction to my time there. This might be an overreaction to the impending birthday this summer, or just another crazy jock thing, but it has nothing to do with camp. It would however, be a lot more fun if I had some friends along for the trip. Early June, fun run? Anyone? Bueller?

January 22, 2006

Drawing The Curtains On The West Wing

NBC announced today that this, the seventh season, will be the last for the once hit show The West Wing. I'm not at all disappointed by this. I think the show took a nosedive after Aaron Sorkin left and another one with this season's focus on new characters in the election storyline. I had high hopes that Leo McGarry, the character potrayed by John Spencer before his sudden death last month, would be allowed to live on in the universe of the show, just being off-screen for the remaining episodes. However, producer John Wells and the rest of the powers that be have announced there will be a two part episode dealing with the character's death from a heart attack, like the actor. I'm annoyed that they're closing the door to potential for the character, I mean, would it have been so wrong to leave the option open for a reunion show years from now where they referenced "President McGarry"? Wouldn't that have been a nice tribute to the guy who was really the heart of the show? More than regretting the loss of potential though, I'm angry that writing a death story, and particularly one where the character dies under circumstances very similar to those under which the actor died is prostituting the very real grief of his co-stars, and to a lesser extent, his fans.

January 21, 2006

Everybody's Fine

Got to return a favor involving emptying out wrecked cars today. Don't ask me how, but somehow I've become the "dependable" one.

January 19, 2006

Running With Marines

I've never been a big fan of listening to music while working out. It just doesn't do that much for me, and having to carry something strapped around my waist or to my arm has been a further deterrent. That's all changed since Christmas. I got a spiffy little iPod shuffle from my spiffy little sister. The thing is about the size of a pack of gum and weighs less. With no moving parts, there's none of that obnoxious skipping that was always an issue with CD players and the like. It's so tiny I can just tuck it into the waistband of my shorts and go along without feeling like I'm going to lose either it or the shorts at any given moment. That still wouldn't be enough to have me headed out the door humming every day, but the additon of three albums of Marine Corp running cadences has done it. Many of the cadences are integral parts of my childhood memories, either from having my dad marching the four of us around, or from hearing companies of Marines running by the house, school, or soccer field singing. The pace is right, they're all short enough I can pay attention even when winded and gasping, and they're pretty funny. It is, however, a lucky thing that my running route is rather isolated. I'm not sure the sight of a single runner chasing a large dog and singing one side of somewhat bawdy cadences wouldn't be enough to have concerned neighbors calling the pyschiatric ward in more densely populated areas.

January 18, 2006

It's Not A Gay Cowboy Movie

It's a gay sheepherder movie. Having a close friend who was a cowboy (and evidently a fiesty one) in a previous life, I have been reliably informed that to confuse cowboys with sheepherders is an offense on the scale of confusing Virginians with West Virginians. Apparently, the epic rift between the two of them stems from, among other things, the fact that sheepherders castrate their charges, er, orally. To quote my knowledgable (but clearly not experienced) cowboy friend, sheepherders "cut, suck, and spit". Who could blame cowboys for being incensed over this confusion?

January 16, 2006

Golden Globes

So Brokeback Mountain (yes, the gay cowboy movie) won best picture - drama, and Walk The Line won best picture - comedy. Having seen them both and been touched and moved by both, I'm hoping for Brokeback Mountain to win best picture at the Oscars and Joaquin Phoenix to win best actor. I have a feeling it won't go down that way, but we'll see. To be fair, I haven't seen Capote, which is the other big contender (Phillip Seymour Hoffman won best actor - drama for the title role), so I admit to making a judgement without all the facts on this one.

Brokeback also won for best song, which I favored, until I realized the song that had won was not the Willie Nelson one that plays at the end. That song, orginally written by Bob Dylan, resonated with me particularly, and is in fact already on my iPod. You can hear the whole thing here. The song that won, written specifically for the movie, is called "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" and is sung by Emmylou Harris. To it, I give a resounding, "meh."

January 12, 2006

The Complete Calvin And Hobbes

The jewel of all comics is now in my possession.

January 9, 2006

Finally Getting Back To Routine

As wonderful as family around the holidays can be, it's kinda nice to have the place to myself again.

January 5, 2006

Ick, Sick

Not sure where I picked up this bug, but I felt crummy all day. Didn't get anything done, and now the list is backing up again.

January 4, 2006

Little People

One of the cool things about having little kids (well, in my case one singular little kid) in one's life is that you can buy toys that you really want on the excuse that you're giving them to the kid. Case in point, the Fisher Price Little People Garage series. The piece that didn't make it in time for Christmas got here today and I took it apart and played with it on the theory that the package had gotten wet and it needed to be tested out. Very cool toys.

However, one of the nice things about not having your own is that you can still have kids' toys yourself. I got Bernard for Christmas and I'm just trying to decide the most appropriate prominent place to display him.

January 3, 2006

Gnome Reception

In a story that will doubtless get added to the insane lore of my family, I had dinner with a kidnapped gnome down in Bethesda.

January 2, 2006

On The Road

In an amusing example of how my life differs from normal people's, I got almost out of my parents' neighborhood before my phone rang with a quick consulting gig and I had to turn around and set my laptop up on their dining room table for a few hours. Good times.

January 1, 2006

Happy New Year!

Still in Virginia Beach with the folks. This may be the longest I've been here in one stretch since I graduated from college. Amazingly enough, no one has killed anyone yet.

December 26, 2005

Lazy Monday

Spending the entire day chilling with my family. Drinking scotch, playing cards, eating leftovers, and enjoying Christmas presents.

December 8, 2005

Hanging Out At FMH

I am highly annoyed that this hospital doesn't have wireless. I'm anxiously looking forward to the day when wireless is just a given and not a cause for celebration.

I'd be a bit happier to see more attention paid to the basics of germ prevention here. I don't care that it's winter and excessive handwashing can cause hands to crack and whatever, I want to see people either put on a pair of fresh gloves or I want to see them scrub their hands with antibacterial stuff in my presence every time they walk in here.

December 7, 2005

Library

I stopped by the Frederick Library today to pick up some books to keep Pop occupied while he's recovering from surgery. I was dismayed to note that while they're well stocked on self help and pop novels, they're missing classics like James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake and Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities.

December 6, 2005

Snow Day

Funny how even when you don't have anywhere to go or anything particularly important to do, a "winter storm warning" and the accompanying snowfall make a good excuse to just hang out inside and do nothing.

December 5, 2005

Winter Wonderland

It's nice to be home, as the tournament really didn't go well, but the transition from 78 degrees in Tampa to four inches of snow here was a tough one.

November 30, 2005

Like Riding A Bike

The map of places I've managed quick changes becomes more dense every day. Today, owing to a ridiculous story involving dry cleaners, wardrobes, dog hair, procrastination, and an ongoing hatred of irons, I had to change in the economy lot at BWI. At least this time I had a camisole on, but it was broad daylight. Luckily, no one wandered past the car while this was taking place.

I can't believe it's been four months since I've flown anywhere. I felt like I'd forgotten everything about the way it works, but part of the problem is today's flight to Tampa leaves from BWI instead of Dulles. I also learned that my sunglasses won't set off the metal detector. I've gotten so used to wearing them pushed up on my head I didn't even realize they were there until I was through. Now that I'm not ten minutes away from the Dulles Airport, I'm thinking I may actually prefer BWI's system. At least you don't have to ride the shuttle to get to the gates here. Having never flown to Tampa before, I'm struck by how many old people in wheelchairs are sitting here waiting to board. I guess it's that time of year and the sunbirds are all flying south for the winter.

I have the screen turned down to its lowest setting, so I'm hoping that people around me can't look over my shoulder at my spreadsheets or for that matter, this blog. The child sitting in the gate area across from me is a stunning reminder about why I hate children. Loud, noisy, rambunctious, and under nothing which resembles control by his parent. I have yet to actually yell at him, but I have broken out the glare. He has just been joined by two other children from another row, and I'm able to point out that child noise grows exponentially instead of arithmetically.

It probably isn't a real good sign that the people I think have cool haircuts are recovering from cancer. This is the second time I've complimented someone on how cool their hair is, meaning short and kinda spiky in a style that looks easy to maintain, only to be told that they're recovering from chemo. I think they're pleasantly surprised, and I am sincere, but I really don't think it says good thing about my taste in style.

Okay, I couldn't take it anymore. They announced there were still upgrades available, and I actually asked the gate agents if there were children sitting in business class before I told them to upgrade me. Heh. Let the nasty, noisy little snot noses sit in the back of the plane and scream.

They say air travel is becoming more and more like taking a bus, but the pilot breaking in every twenty minutes with interesting tid-bits about the cities we're flying over seems a bit much.

When I get back, will someone please remind me to go online and add this trip to my AirTran miles.

November 29, 2005

What's With The Blog?

One of the downsides to living the life electric is that people expect a certain level of productivity from you even when you've unplugged. The downside to losing my daily two hours in the car driving up and down Rt. 15 is the loss of what was frequently creative time, either germinating my own ideas or on the phone with friends and colleagues generating new ideas (well, and I do miss the sports radio a bit too). I obviously still have my phone, but my schedule has been so varied, and that time just doesn't seem to present itself as easily anymore. One of the things I'm finding hardest about working for myself isn't setting boundries, like people warned me it would be, but rather is managing my time and priorities (or as Mike Soto would say, "Goals, Priorities, and Limits!"). I find now that I'm sitting in front of the computer more because I want to, because I'm actually working on something, than because I'm getting paid to just sit there, I have a lot less interesting tidbits from the web to share. I'm not sure that's a bad thing, but it's hard to sit down and blog when you don't feel like you have anything to say. Newly back from thirtysome hours of driving, I've had time to recharge those ideas and conversations, and suddenly I have something to say again.

November 27, 2005

Walk The Line

We saw the Johnny Cash movie this afternoon. It's like Joaquin Phoenix is channeling Johnny Cash, absolutely amazing. My attempts to evangelize this point were brought up somewhat short though, when I was exhorting a friend to go see it, and she said, "Well, do you think we'd like it even if we're not Johnny Cash fans?" I guess I didn't realize there were folks out there who weren't. So I lead a fairly sheltered life, what else is new?

Leaving the theater today, I saw another bumper sticker that I think needs to go on the bike rack. It said, "Yankee Hater". My only question is whether I can sport that sticker living, as I do, in an area populated largely by yankees and with the numbers growing every day. I guess I need to wonder too, if they'd realize I meant them and not the baseball team.

November 26, 2005

Standard Of Care

It's a sad statement about how society is evolving that my significant other thinks that if I buy Pillsbury pie crusts and add canned cherry pie filling, I'm taking good care of him by making "home-baked pie". My grandfather considers it to be a barely acceptable compromise if I use Pillsbury pie crust, but only because he's had to suffer through my attempts at actually making the crust myself. However, anything less than cherries he buys from the local orchard boiled down to make filling would not only be unacceptable but would be an affront to all things good and decent in his life. It must be nice to have had someone so devoted to you that you think the world usually works that way. I'm not even sure that in my grandmother's day you could buy pies at the grocery store, I think everyone just made their own as a matter of course.

November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving

Prolonged phone conversations on the trip down gave rise to discussions about things we take for granted. My siblings and I grew up in a home where love and support were as much a part of daily life as the air we breathed. None of us has ever had cause to wonder, even for an instant, about whether we were loved and cherished. We had the normal fights about who was whose favorite and typical battles over curfews and behavior, but that love underpinned the whole family and we could and did take it for granted. Growing up in that sort of an environment provides the kind of security that lets one take risks later, knowing that there's always that net to fall back on if you have to. The only problem with all that is that you think of it as so natural you don't fully understand what a rare gift it is, or how valuable other people find it. It just flat doesn't occur to us that everyone's family isn't like that, and in our somewhat small social circles, maybe most are, but this Thanksgiving, I think we could all reflect on how blessed we were and are to have these kinds of bonds.

On the theme of blessings and taking things for granted, I've got a number of friendships I value greatly, and I'm upside down on pretty much all of them right now, owing to a variety of issues. As we constantly have to remind my mother, holidays aren't about the food, but I think sometimes we forget what they are about. For me, they're about the people, and although I'm only spending Thanksgiving with one of my important people this year, that doesn't mean he's the only one I'm thankful for (not to say I'm not thankful for him, I am!). I'm sure the following list isn't going to be inclusive, but there are a few folks I need to call out. The following is in no order at all.

Steve and Ruth, for going above and beyond the soccer parent role into actual in loco parentis lately. I'm always in their debt, but October and November were worse than usual. How many parents can be counted on to come over and help with code they don't really understand, go on three hour drives on twenty minutes notice, and compile powerpoint presentations that have literally been thrown into their lap? Not to mention supplying cookies and a comfortable nap space, I realize I'm not going to catch up on this one, but don't feel like it's ever unappreciated.

Mary Peyton and John, for providing a home away from home on little to no notice on several occasions. It's nice to have the kinds of friends where you can call at 10:30 at night and say, "If I ask nicely, can I crash at y'alls place tonight?" and expect the response to be, "Yeah, sure, your towel is still on the shower rod and we haven't changed the sheets." It's even nicer when they don't laugh too much when you say, "Thanks, come open the door, I'm in the driveway." I'm not sure I'm the only reason they recently got high speed internet, but I'm pretty sure I was a factor. It's awfully nice to be able to use their place as a remote office in a pinch, even when they're out for the evening. Not sure how to catch up on this one, but I'm thinking it involves lots of babysitting, which I'm more than willing to do. Of course, my door is always open, but that doesn't mean much when y'all don't get up this way much.

David Hichak, for almost single-handedly keeping my national badge for another year. Any other assignor would have thrown up their hands in frustration and disgust long ago. Dave, I know we don't keep score, but you know I owe you.

Kimberly, for dealing with the fact that I'm always asking her questions but I never have answers for hers. It's nice to have friends that are a few steps ahead on the path and willing to shine the light back.

Aunt Darlene, for dealing with me bailing on plans at the last minute repeatedly. I really do want help with the marketing side of things, and maybe December will be better for that.

Pop, for dealing with the fact that despite his assumptions that my working from home would mean he saw me more, he's actually seen me less. Most eighty-two year old grandfathers aren't up helping with code at three in the morning, but he has been. Boston Market frozen dinners might not be quite as bad as cat food, but he did allegedly get stuck eating them six consecutive nights and he hasn't complained about it *too* awfully much. I know he doesn't read this, but he gets included anyway.

Wayne, for not whining too much about the fact that the fall has totally sucked in terms of spending time together, despite mutual expectations that the changing employment scenarios would mean a dramatic increase on that front. It's really nice to be with someone secure enough in his own place in my life to understand and accept my close friendships with a number of other guys.

Mom, Dad, HR, Mac, and Roo ... well, see the above.

All the rest of you, for dealing with me being unavailable to talk, lousy about answering e-mail, pretty much never accepting invitations to go out, but expecting y'all to always answer and respond when I call, write, IM, or visit.

November 22, 2005

iPod Love

For my birthday this year my parents gave me an iPod and it may seriously be The. Best. Present. Ever. The long drive to Memphis was made far more enjoyable by not only not having to search for a new station every twenty minutes, but by being able to select exactly what I felt like listening to at any given moment. The shuffle feature is also a lot of fun but it does tend, when one's music selections are as eclectic as mine, to lead to some interesting transitions. Imagine grooving away to the mellow tones of Sinatra doing In The Wee Small Hours only to have it jump into The Ramones I Wanna Be Sedated. Or for that matter, from Roy Rogers Don't Fence Me In to Queen's Stone Cold Crazy. I will say it keeps one awake. I did a bit of research before deciding on a car adapter, one cross country trip with a friend and her iPod and a twelve hour ride with a different friend and his. Neither of their solutions was really what I wanted, I knew I needed something that would let me see the screen and scroll through choices while driving. Maybe not the safest solution, but it beats driving and fiddling around with an iPod that's sliding all over the seat and looking down in your lap to change songs or whatever. Further online research indicated a possible solution, and several thousand miles later, I'm very pleased with it.

November 19, 2005

Actual Sleep

Last night's presentation was extraordinarily well received and a lot of fun. The tournament muckety-mucks went out to dinner afterwards and that was quite good and very much appreciated. Unfortunately, my hotel didn't have any kind of wireless (who doesn't have wireless these days?? I guess that's what I get for being in Amish country.) so I had to go back to the hotel where I'd give the presentation and sit in their lobby for a couple of hours to make a change to the Mindshare project. I enjoy the flexibility that a laptop with a wireless card brings, but I just think that my life is pretty weird by any normal standards. The best part of the night though came after that, where I actually slept in a real bed (albeit not my own) for seven uninterrupted hours! First time in I don't know how long, and it felt great.

The tour continued from Lancaster down I-83 to Columbia where I presented the law changes (the ones that took effect in July!) to referees that are recertifying and need to know this information for the exam. I will leave alone the issue that they clearly should have known this information in order to correctly officiate the matches they've done this fall. I'm hanging out here to help grade the exam and hand out new badges and then I'll be home to see if there are still more changes to be made to the project.

November 18, 2005

Tour of Pennsylvania

This morning started with a call from the project manager at 6am to confirm that I had sent files that addressed their issues from yesterday. From there I drove over to pick up an LCD projector and then up Rt. 15 to Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA for a Division III play off game. I arrived at 8:55 for a 9am meeting, but at least I was there. After the meeting, I gave my pregame to my ARs over breakfast and then curled up on the locker room floor for a nap. It was absolutely worth being considered a bit odd in order to get that rest. I felt better getting up from that than I had all week. The game was a delight, with both teams having real skill and being on the field to play not to whine. In the category of "It's A Small World", I think I may have a distant cousin that plays for Messiah. There was a Dutch name from Grand Rapids, MI announced when they read the rosters, and I think I vaguely remember that one of my cousins went there. The only other exciting thing about the game was breaking in a new fourth official. He took to it like a duck to water, and was a joy to have on the sidelines.

After lunch with my crew, I drove from Carlisle to Lancaster to be the featured speaker at the protocol meeting for a tournament. I arrived at 6, the social part of the meeting was from 6 to 7 and my lecture was scheduled for 7. Again, the timing was tighter than I like, but it worked. I don't know if it's because I'm this tired, or if I've just reached a point where I take the whole dressing thing for granted, but I decided it was easier to change out of my NISOA t-shirt and into my USSF polo by just peeling off in the parking lot rather than going somewhere more appropriate. This time I only had a regular bra on (I mean, had I had a sports bra on, I wouldn't have had any reservations at all), but it was dark, so that's okay, right? I swapped my NISOA badge for my National dress badge on my blazer and headed in. I'm going to have so much laundry to do when I finally get home from all of this.

November 18, 2005

Oft Rescheduled Assessment

As much as I would have liked to have been in Richmond all day today, and thus available to my project folks until 5:00 or so, there was just no way I was going to be safe to drive down there this morning. I laid down around 7 this morning and slept until 11 or so. Got an update from Mindshare at noon with about two hours of work and 45 minutes to do it before they had to have files to push live. I sent files and left for Richmond at 2:30 or so, having had to draft Pop to help with the driving. Of course, the project manager was on the phone screaming at me multiple times while I was driving. I did stop at a Holiday Inn Express at one point to use the wireless access point from their parking lot, but I really couldn't make any changes from the road, obviously. The game went well, other than the fact that it was freezing. Dave Hichak had sent me good help, and the guys were just happy to have a chance to play after Sunday's forfeit. There was an unfortunate incident where a player broke his leg, but he did it on a situation where there was no contact and no controversy. Apparently, he'd broken it several times before and just stepped on it wrong and heard it pop. It's quite a relief to finally get this one done, especially after all the drama leading up to it. Now I've got to assemble my paperwork to send the SRA in order to return to camp. That's a project for Sunday or Monday.

It's really amazing how despite having had no sleep, and despite having been yelled at by the PM all day, 90 minutes on the soccer field make everything at least somewhat better. From the game, I went directly to my remote office in Richmond, where the residents were out and the babysitter was rather startled by my unexpected appearance. I bluffed my way in, shut myself in the office and proceeded to work until midnight with several more conversations with the PM. I left there at midnight and Pop drove so I could get a little sleep. As soon as we got back, it was immediately back on the computer to finish the changes so that I could send them before leaving for the next game.

November 17, 2005

Sofa Return (or, Perry Hall 500)

Today was the last day to return HR's sofa since I'd been unable to make it over there either Monday or yesterday. Naturally, today it's pouring down rain. The furniture place closes at 8pm, and my project folks demanded a call at 5 which didn't actually happen until 5:30. I had to drop off a CD with the assets for Friday's presentation at my soccer dad's so he can edit my powerpoint slides for me. Then, the truck didn't have gas, so we had to stop and get that too. Rush hour in Baltimore in the rain, driving the truck, and running very late... stress on me, but I was handling it better than poor HR who was looking at being stuck with a couch she didn't want. Luckily, she got on the phone with the furniture store and sweet talked some guy into staying a few minutes late just in case. My crazy driving got us to her place, with the sofa loaded and to the furniture place by 8:03, and there was still a line of people waiting to pick things up, so it worked out fine. The three of us had dinner at Fuddrucker's and we drove home so I could get back on the computer and finish things up.

November 15, 2005

File Delivery

The files the designer was supposed to send on Saturday were delivered this morning at 2am. These files were supposed to be delivered in time for the PM to QA them and send a new list of fixes. Naturally, she didn't have a chance to QA. I made the changes I could based on the files I had and sent them over at 6 this morning. They sent changes early this afternoon. It's the neverending project. Argh.

November 14, 2005

Alarm Clocks

Got back from Pittsburgh about 2:30 this morning and printed the directions for my games today. Set the clock for 5:30 and went to sleep. Got up this morning and my first conscious thought was the awful sinking feeling that it was already light out. The next thing I did was look at my watch to find it was already 9:15. My phone call to the assignor telling him I was three hours away from my 10am match certainly ranks among the most uncomfortable phone calls in my life. David Hichak is, however, a saint among men, and handled it with his usual decorum and aplomb. I did make it down there to run the middle of the Over-30 women's final at 1pm with my godson's mom on my line. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick around for dinner or anything as I had to get back to Frederick for a 6pm meeting with the WMSOA board to discuss college contracts and whether they should go after the Div. II school that's close by. From there, home to see if Mindshare had sent changes yet.

November 13, 2005

Senior Day

After working all night on the project, I crawled into the back seat of my soccer parents' car at 5:30, pulled the blanket over my head and said, "Wake me up when we get to Pittsburgh." I'm not really sure they understood I was quite serious, but sure enough, I slept until we got there. Today was Senior Day at the University of Pittsburgh, and my adopted sister is a senior (and section leader, woot!) in the marching band, and she'd called and asked if I'd come out to be there as part of her family. It was pretty neat to be asked, and we had a good time. I finally got to meet her roommates and we all had dinner with her boyfriend's parents this evening. This was the first time the respective parents had met, and I think everyone was relieved to see that there are no obvious sociopaths. I slept all the way back too, this being the most sleep I've had all week.

November 9, 2005

Happy Birthday Dad

Still banging through on the project.

October 31, 2005

Halloween With Isaac

My annual one day suspension of child-hatred was a roaring success. Isaac's river guide costume was a hit, and I got to harass mobs of marauding trick or treaters.

October 30, 2005

Paying The Bills

Work continues on the Mindshare project. It's really nice to be able to work crazy hours because that's what's best for me instead of because someone else is demanding it.

October 27, 2005

Happy Birthday Roobear

One of the advantages of working for myself and setting my own schedule is that it allows me to do things like drive down to Harrisonburg to take my baby brother to dinner for his birthday. That was a lot of fun, and it was really nice to see him. Besides, it let me exploit his student discount at the bookstore. Even though Macs are more widely used in the educational world than in the general population, the bookstore is still frustratingly understocked on Mac specific software.

October 26, 2005

UnderArmour

I may have mentioned it before, but I continue to be a huge fan of the UnderArmour line of products. Considering I've pretty well been living in ref gear these last couple of months, and considering that I wear UnderArmour under all my stuff, I've spent a lot of time in their gear lately. While I think the short sleeved "heat gear" is worthwhile, it's the long-sleeved mock turtleneck "cold gear" that I swear by. To call the shirt form fitting is a massive understatement, considering it leaves little lines on my arms where the wrinkles were for hours after I've taken it off. Still, this is the way it's supposed to fit, and I've never found anything that does as nice a job of insulating in as little bulk as that. Now, if the nice folks over there wanted to send me some stuff to demo, gosh, I'd be happy to do that for them.

October 25, 2005

Happy Birthday HR

Today's game got cancelled because of the rain, although it's rescheduled for tomorrow, which means I have a college middle at 3:30 (luckily, it's a fairly non-competitive women's game) followed by a high school guys' middle at 7pm. No doubt it's going to be another mud bowl. Good times shall be had by all.

October 24, 2005

Skunk Dog

We can now add toothpaste to the list of things that don't remove the skunk smell from dogs.

Following my ongoing paranoia about getting to games ridiculously early, I'm sitting in the parking lot at Howard University, delighted to find unrestricted connectivity on their network.

October 22, 2005

Mud Ball

Did a college double header today in the muck. There were places on the line where the mud was to my ankles. As miserable as it sounds, and basically as it was, it's kind of fun to get out and do a couple like that once in a while.

My navigation by ice-cream places continues to work well. Unfortunately, it does seem to confuse other people when I try to give them directions.

October 21, 2005

Another Rainy Friday

As unmotivated as I am about driving into DC to do a game in the rain, the last time I got all excited about a rainout, it signalled the beginning of six days of cancellations. When refereeing is paying the bills, that's a bad thing. So I guess I'm going to stay optimistic about the chances of playing this afternoon. At least GW has a nice set of locker rooms and all, so at least I can warm up and dry off when things are done.

I'm combining business and well, other business, tonight by meeting with a friend after the game to discuss a potential new web contract. Keep your fingers crossed.

October 20, 2005

It's Amazing How Time Slips Away

I can't believe it's been three months since I last updated this site. I feel like my whole life has turned upside down since then, but definitely for the better. There is life after AOL, and it is good.

A short recap: after having heard Depeche Mode's "Blasphemous Rumors" one too many times while pulling all nighters at the office, I finally gave notice and made good my escape on August 12. I spent a couple of weeks decompressing at the beach and returned to Maryland in time for the high school and college soccer season.

Sinclair Web Solutions, LLC (as of yesterday officially recognized by the state of Maryland), is off and running, well, perhaps off and shuffling slowly would be a more accurate description, but none the less, I have indeed taken the leap into entrepeneurialism. Thoughts are being solicited about the concept of a logo that is a spider web with the SWS initials drawn into it.

July 17, 2005

Youth Referee Development Camp

I'm headed to Richmond to play camp counselor until Friday. I have no idea what to expect, but it beats being at the office.

July 16, 2005

Happy Birthday PJ

I have finished the Harry Potter book. Of course, because no one else has, I can't talk about it. I will say I think Rowling did a nice job of advancing the overall story arc, but that the individual book is not as strong as some of the previous ones. We aren't driving the dodge to VA Beach today afterall. So instead I will say that Charlie and the Chocolate factory as directed by Tim Burton was a lot of fun. It's definitely a movie that kids will enjoy but adults will appreciate. I felt like it was very consistent with Tim Burton's other movies, and much truer to the tone Roald Dahl set in the book than the first movie was.

July 15, 2005

Split The Difference Day

PJ and I have big plans today. Continuing our decade long tradition of doing something cool together on the 15th, we're going to go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

July 14, 2005

Happy Bastille Day!

No truly exciting plans today, but resting up for the weekend.

July 12, 2005

Signage

Still working on catching up, but enjoy the montage. If that link doesn't work for you, because Quicktime hates you or something, check out a somewhat less visible version.

July 8, 2005

North Dakota

Kimberly and I are still driving. We've had a number of interesting political discussions and it's funny that we are totally in agreement on some issues and radically divergent on others. We agree though that we're both at a loss for effective ways to be involved in what's going on in today's government. Neither of us wants to throw up our hands in defeat, but neither of us has immediate ideas on what to do either. I have a mantra for the future though: "I may not be able to do anything, but I will not stand by and do nothing."

July 7, 2005

A Rest Stop In Iowa

Iowa rest stops have wireless!! The excellent adventure continues, this being the first time I've been able to get online because of issues with the hotel's internet this morning. We are having an awesome time and intend to get to Des Moines tonight. Much details to follow and pics when I'm home.

June 28, 2005

Back In The Swing Of Things

Rather than try to explain a six week gap, I think I'll just jump back in and let the future posts explain any lack of previous ones. Suffice it to say, I needed to take a break from leading an open-book life for a while.

June 27, 2005

Batman

Everyone should be secure enough in their own lives to go catch a movie alone once in a while. Schedules just hadn't worked out for me to see "Batman Begins" with friends, and I particularly wanted to see it on the big screen. So taking advantage of the fact that Washington thunderstorm traffic is even worse than Washington traffic normally, I decided to wait out the delay at the theater. I think this latest iteration may be the best one since the first (the one with Michael Keaton as Batman). I'm not sure where they can go with it, since so much has already been done, but I do hope we get some sequels with this writing/directing team.

June 10, 2005

Happy Birthday Mac

My crazy brother is celebrating his birthday with a bunch of my soccer kids up in New Jersey. Wish I could be there to cheer them all on, but I am confident they'll do great.

May 19, 2005

Star Wars Geekdom

As annoyed as I get with AOL at times, I'll admit it's pretty cool to have a job where the boss sends out a note to the entire department telling them to knock off early and go see the latest geek movie. Actual notes about the movie tonight. Yes, this is two movies for me this month. Possibly a new record, but that's a conversation for another time.

May 18, 2005

Biking

Out on my bike again this afternoon, I was suprised by the lack of basic manners on the trail. I understand it's a multiuse trail, and I'm thrilled that's it's crowded with everything from fast club pacelines to parents out walking with little kids in strollers. Anything that has people outside and moving instead of inside in front of the televison works for me. Having said that, it's basic common sense that you stay to the right of the trail so that faster users, be they bikers, skaters, or people on horseback, can come around. If two people are walking side by side, they need to be especially aware of their surroundings and move over when faster people are coming up behind. People who choose to wear headphones also should stay as far to the right as possible and not stagger all across the trail when they can't hear people coming up behind them. I got stuck behind one group of about six women on bikes going much slower than I was, but they were spread across the entire width of the trail. Also, when parents take their kids out on the trail, they need to teach the kids the rules. I had to dodge around a couple little kids that were riding all over the trail with their parents doing nothing whatsoever to corral them. Being the courteous rider that I am, I didn't squish them, but other people easily could have. That brings me to my next point, people who are out there riding fast need to be understanding and considerate of other users. I saw a very fit biker buzz a couple on their bikes totally unnecessarily just because he was impatient. Behavior like that keeps those kind of people off the trail, which might be nice in the short term, in that the trail will be less crowded, but is counterproductive in the long term in that the more people that use these trails, the more people that support these trails and others and the more great trails like this we get. I myself admit to being guilty of buzzing slower people and almost squishing children on only one occasion and that was because my insane brother was captaining the tandem and I had no control over the situation. One last note about being out:  I was wearing my VA Tech jersey (thanks again, Mac!) and got quite a few comments like, "Hey GO HOKIES!" or "Way to represent!" or just "Yeah, Tech!". I know Tech alumni are thick up here in Northern Virginia, but it's pretty cool to be reminded like that.

May 17, 2005

Yoda Love

Those of you who have known me since I was in kindergarten (hi Mom, hi Dad), and who've paid attention (bye Dad), know that I have long carried a torch for the 3 foot Jedi Master. I was Yoda for Halloween the year I was five. The year I was four I was Darth Vader with my dad's gas mask. I remember this was very scary to some of the kids that were home at the houses where my dad (welcome back Dad) took me trick-or-treating and I had to take off the mask. Now this was long before American children had any experience with why people might need gas masks, and these were clearly American children, so maybe I was just a very intimidating four year old, who knows. But anyway, with the latest Star Wars incarnation opening on Thursday, I am back to my old ways. I've long had a copy of Yoda's milk poster on my computer, but if anyone knows how to make a poster size print, I'd dearly love to have one. Also, and I hesitate to admit this, I am giving some thought to obtaining a life sized Yoda. If I could think of an appropriate place and/or method to display one without coming off as the absolute loser geek that I am, I would already have one. Input, anyone?

May 15, 2005

Northern Ireland

PJ set me up with a DVD called, "An Everlasting Piece", a comedy about two toupee salesmen based in Northern Ireland. It's funny, but it's also interesting social commentary on the state of the conflict there. Not sure I'd pay for it, but definitely interesting dinner and a movie fare or conversation provoking entertainment for having people over.

May 13, 2005

Friday the 13th

Not being terribly superstitious myself, Storm and I went adventuring this morning. We literally went "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house". How many other people can honestly make that claim? Sometimes I live in a pretty cool little world.

May 12, 2005

Hanoi Jane

Jane Fonda has a new movie coming out tomorrow, "Step Monster", with Jennifer Lopez. The movie is going to suck, I think most rationale people can agree to that. What bothers me isn't that, it's that a lot of people are going to see this with no concept of who Jane Fonda is. Some of us are too young to remember, and the people who are old enough to remember, not only didn't teach the lesson, but seem to have forgotten it themselves. Jane Fonda's 1972 trip to Vietnam definitely resulted in American soldiers being tortured, may have cost some their lives, and certainly did nothing productive to help end the war. A great deal has been written about her trip, both at the time and since. Much of it is right wing polemic, and some of it is just urban legend, but there are some reasonably unbiased accounts of the whole situation. There's also a book covering her trip over there, but it's clearly written with a hard right slant. However, she undeniably did commit traitorous acts for which she was never punished. Americans have a well-deserved reputation for being apathetic, for forgetting things that the rest of the world realizes are important, and for letting convenience trump principles. For once, convenience and principle align here. The movie is going to be awful. When was the last good Jennifer Lopez movie? Has there ever been one? Skip the movie, save your money, and do nothing to encourage or support Jane Fonda's professional success.

May 11, 2005

Rules and Discipline

No, I'm not writing a bondage post (or AM I?). Tonight I'm attending a meeting to determine the appropriate response to a coach threatening to kill a player on the opposing team. Boys under 15 team, mind you. Can anybody say "perspective"? The league's "Rules and Discipline" committee requires a hearing on the topic and as a match official for the game, I have to go repeat what I wrote in my game report. I just can't express what a great use of my time I consider this to be.

May 10, 2005

I Trust My Papers Are In Order, Comrade

The Real ID Act was passed by the Senate today. It was attached to a supplemental spending package that funded, among other things, the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and tsunami relief. I'm saving my rant about how the legislative process of riders and amendments undermines the intent of democracy for another day. Several links with more information are available here. There are any number of reasons to oppose this bill, from the left leaning anti-discrimination perspective to the right leaning states' rights and balanced budget perspectives. It's all but a done deal, as I cannot imagine that President Bush won't sign the bill, but it's another step down the path to 1984 and Big Brother. For a Robert Heinlein republican such as myself, it just flies in the face of everything I believe is right and important. Heinlein said, "When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere." Unfortunately, there isn't any where else to go.

May 9, 2005

Arrianna Huffington Is An Obnoxious Talking Head

She may also have the next real thing in news. The Huffington Post launched today with a list of celebrity bloggers. It's a great mix of people from politicians, to actors, to bloggers, to nobodies. I think her play on "The Washington Post" is a little too obvious though. She easily could have gone with something more original. Like the established power that they are, however, the Post failed to comment on that in their article on the site. Whether or not it catches on, the concept of putting a bunch of really interesting people online together certainly bears some attention over the next few months.

May 8, 2005

V - E Day

For those readers who don't remember, today is the 60th anniversary of the day the Allies declared victory over Hitler's Germany. Why this is considered such a big deal in comparison to September 2nd, or V - J day, is beyond me. I even asked (one of) my WWII vet grandfather and he couldn't explain it either. Regardless, there have been celebrations worldwide. In Germany, an extreme right party planned a march to protest Germany's "cult of guilt". Police and counter-demonstrators prevented them from taking their planned route. Without wading into the minefield that is German politics, and especially their feelings about WWII and the subsequent reconstruction, I want to take a moment to celebrate the fact that I live in a country in which even people with an abhorrent message are entitled to march in protest of their government's laws. Isn't that what all those men died to protect some sixty years ago in Germany and throughout Europe? Something to think about today.

May 5, 2005

Cinco De Mayo

We had an eclectic group of folks over for fajitas and margaritas tonight. The more time I spend in Memphis the more I like it. We're going to start having two drink maximums though, or people are going to stop coming over. What is the appropriate response when one's significant other says, "I'm tired, I'm going home, here's cab fare?" For me, that'd be it. I'd have the cabbie drop me at the airport instead of the house. But I guess it depends on what works for you. My mom actually thinks that's an incredibly liberated relationship, because when her significant other (aka my dad) says, "I'm tired, I'm ready to go" she always gets suckered in to going too. My dear friend Rob points out that this dilemma would never come up for me, because I would be the one saying "I'm done, find your own way home" and my significant other would be the one still dancing the night away. So I guess whatever works. At any rate, I'm looking forward to many more casual nights of friends around the house, whereever that house might be. For those of you who made this one so much fun, let's do it again soon!

May 4, 2005

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

I finally got to see the movie! Considering that I see significantly fewer than ten movies a year, and perhaps fewer than five, the fact that I'm using "finally" to mean I saw it the Wednesday after it came out on Friday should show how incredibly excited I am about this film. Of course, it did take more than twenty years to get a film produced, so perhaps "finally" isn't as inappropriate a word choice as it might have seemed. I literally sat on the edge of my seat and bounced up and down for a good portion of the movie. Also, I think I will have to buy the soundtrack. In a rare departure from my normal standards, I think the movie is strong enough to stand on its own, as more than just an interesting interpretation of the book. Usually I demand that someone read a book before seeing a movie adaptation of it in order not to have the book ruined by the film. However, in this case, the movie exists in the universe of the book, but it won't ruin it if you haven't read it. By all means, go see the film.

May 3, 2005

Top Ten Signs You're Spending Too Much Time Flying

• You have "airport shoes".
• You take clothes out of your suitcase to put them in the washer and then out of the dryer to put them back into the suitcase.
• You choose your security line based on which agent is checking because you know which ones are fastest.
• When the security agent checks your boarding pass he says, "Good to see you again," instead of "Thank you ma'am," like he does to other passengers.
• You keep a small set of ear buds in your briefcase just in case.
• You have a toiletry kit that just stays in your suitcase because it's easier than packing and unpacking it all the time.
• You do most of your pleasure reading and see most current movies somewhere 40,000 feet above the ground.
• You know which restaurants are good choices for meetings in the Atlanta airport.
• You don't think it's weird to see people sitting on the floor next to the water fountain because you know that's where the outlets are.
• You have a "regular" door at which family members and friends pick you up. At more than one airport.

April 30, 2005

National Referee Requirements

Nearly three months after national camp, I've finally completed the requirements to keep my national badge. Mac and I flew up to Rochester and both passed the fitness test this morning. I've taken the fitness test in Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, California, and New York, and it's interesting how they each have their own unique culture. Had fun, met some new friends, and did what I had to. I don't have to take the fitness test for a whole month. Woot.

April 29, 2005

Flying With Tall Marty

Apparently that part of the flying security process when they check your boarding pass as you walk through the metal detector is just for show. I know this because Mac and I switched boarding passes to see if they'd notice. They didn't. Of course, Mac got frisked, but that's because he looks like a threat.

April 27, 2005

Where The Buffalo Roam

From the "You can't make this up" files... Many of you know I'm attracted to the concept of rural living. I tell the story about coming home from a date to find a bunch of cows loose in my yard with a warm fondness for living a lifestyle that suburbanites can't really appreciate. However, commuting to work through a herd of buffalo is perhaps beyond even what I think is cool.

April 26, 2005

Blacksburg Pics Up

The pics from the weekend with old Canterburians are up. The direct link to a picture that is terribly uncharactertisic of me is here. Isaac is the one on the right. It's funny, my good friend (and Isaac's dad) John asked me while we were hiking if I feel like it's been ten years since we were all together in college. I told him then, and I feel like maybe it defines where I am mentally, that most of the time I feel like it's been fifty years. It seems like a distant dream of another somewhat related but indistinct person. But when all of us are together again, and we pick it up just like we left off with the same dynamics and no awkwardness for all that we've added significant others and kids to the mix, it feels like it was just yesterday.

April 25, 2005

Back in the Office With More Book Reviews

I'm afraid there isn't much exciting to report today. I'm back in the office, sadly. I'm trying to get pics from various trips uploaded, but my computer is not cooperating. I desperately need a nap, but that seems unlikely. Ugh.

I have finished two more books. The first, Blood Meridian : Or the Evening Redness in the West, was one given to me by my brother. I am sorry to have to report that I do not hold it in the esteem that he does. He actually had the nerve to tell me, "It's like Faulkner, but good." Oooh, that kid can twist a knife. At any rate, it's vaguely reminiscient of Faulkner, but it's not particularly good. If you're looking for a book with fun prose, okay. However, it's sadly lacking intriguing characters, any sort of pacing, or a discernable plot.

The second book, Ace Atkin's Dark End of The Street, was a recommendation from my mom because it's based primarily in the Memphis Blues scene. It was a good airplane book, with characters that didn't line up with the normal mystery stereotypes and lots of references to Memphis local points. Not sure I'd recommend it to those of you with no connection to that part of the world, but I enjoyed it.

April 22, 2005

Flying

At some point, even the most pleasant semi-vacations must come to an end. I'm en route back to DC today. My flight out of Memphis was delayed because of the thunderstorms this morning, so I missed my connection from Atlanta. As I write this, sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting three hours for the next connection, people are gathered at the windows, watching the skies turn dark and then rain come down in sheets. Lightning has started, and our ever helpful gate agent is making comments like, "well that's it, it's all over" and "better hope this doesn't turn into a funnel" and "well, at least you're on the ground for this instead of in the air". I'm envisioning myself working out in the aisles of the airport tonight as I spend a very uncomfortable night on the couches here. Maybe it will blow over, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope.

April 21, 2005

Chocolate Malts

Since I missed my opportunity for good chocolate malts while in Blacksburg, I gave up and tried to make my own last night. I'm not 100% sure what the problem was, but rather than thick and malty, they turned out like glorified chocolate milk. I'm seeing a milkshake maker in my future.

April 20, 2005

Ladies Who Lunch

So I am still having a hard time adjusting to Memphis thought patterns. Washington, and for that matter, most of Virginia, still thinks it's unusual for women to quit their jobs to stay home with their kids. In Memphis, not only is it considered weird to keep working after you have kids, it's still considered kind of weird for women to keep working after their husbands are successful in their careers. Hence, people down here think it's weird that I haven't quit my job to be a full time power spouse. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around such a concept, but apparently I am supposed to join committees, volunteer a lot, and have lunches. Ha. I did have a very pleasant lunch today though, at the Museum with our neighbor who is a docent there. We really like them, but I'd been busy pretending to work and focusing on working out this week, so I hadn't had a chance to get together. I called this morning and she proposed lunch. It was fun, but it took three hours. Of course, a lot of that time was walking around the museum, which is cool, but still. I can't believe this is what's considered normal down here.

April 17, 2005

Church

I snuck in an extra church appearance this morning in addition to my normal Christmas and Easter appearances. It's funny, because I really appreciate the Episcopal liturgy, but I just don't make it a priority at home. Might have to start working on that problem. Anyway, this morning was particularly fun because it was a whole pew of Canterbury alums and then the little guys joined us for communion. This was the first time I've been to church with Isaac since he was christened, so that was neat.

The ride home, while again very enjoyable as far as interesting conversations with an old friend and fellow IQ club member, got very interesting when there was a wreck about a half mile ahead of us that shut down the highway for five hours. For some substantial period of time, we were literally out of the car playing cards in the middle of the highway. Between the two of us, we managed to have a ridgerest (think insulated sit pad for those of you who don't backpack) and light, food and water, and two decks of cards. Not bad considering only one of us was a boy scout.

April 16, 2005

You Can Go Home Again

Got into Blacksburg about 12:30 this morning after a very pleasant ride up. Four of us old alumni hung out with some current Canterburians and their friends. They were absolutely hilarious. Oddly, we were able to convince them that we were very cool back in the day and that they need to make real efforts to stop being such duds. For those who knew us then, this is falling down funny. Of course, it was also funny to have to duck questions about what we do, because if we told them that one of us is a state trooper, it might have been awkward for the ones who were both underaged and quite inebriated. Still, a good time was had by all.

This afternoon we took the whole group, including two not-quite-two year olds hiking up to the waterfall known as "The Cascades". It's about two miles each way and the little guys were perfectly happy in their backpacks. However, it has been decreed that I am not allowed to dictate activities anymore without them being approved by a committee. Apparently, not everyone thinks a force march is as much fun as I do.

April 15, 2005

Roadtrip

Heading up to Blacksburg from Memphis for the weekend. A bunch of old Canterbury friends are meeting up and I'm riding up there and back with my friend Rob who's down here doing his first post-doc at UT-Memphis. I think it's about a twelve hour drive, but at least we'll each have someone to talk with.

April 14, 2005

Taxes and Memphis

Possibly for the first time since I became responsible for my own taxes, I (or rather, in this case, my accountant) have filed them before the 15th. Admittedly, this is because I'm out of town, and they had to be done before I'd be back, but still, it's a nice trend. I'm getting money back this year, which is also a nice trend. It's primarily because of the $2000 deduction for buying a hybrid fuel car. I bought the car primarily because given the 40,000 miles or more that I drive every year, I needed all the fuel economy I could get. I mean, it's cool that hybrids are better for the environment, and the tax write off is nice, and it's cool that you can drive them in the HOV lanes alone (well in some places you can), but for me, it was just about the mileage. Still, I wonder how many people bought one for some other reason than the "it's good for the environment one". Probably most people did. Which forces me to wonder, what else could we be doing to make it more attractive for people to be more environmentally responsible? Not to look like a liberal weenie, but at some point you have to ask yourself how much good we could do by making things just a little easier.

I'm sitting outside writing this from the absolutely gorgeous porch swing my grandfather made for this house. It's warm, the sun is out, the birds are doing their weird little bird things, and there seems to be a wasps' nest under the shutter behind the swing. Ahh, the glories of spring. Not having neighbors at home that do anything interesting, it's kind of cool to be outside in the daytime here and watch all the little people out moving around. The ninety-year-old across the street just had her ladies' social or something, the little kid down the cove has been out walking with her nanny, and the next door neighbors have been in and out on who knows what errands. Of course, in good Southern tradition, they're all dressed for a day out. I, however, am in sweats and a long sleeved t-shirt. Something tells me I'm not quite going to fit in around here. Beyond that though, I have to ask myself whether this being home all day thing would ever work for me. I mean, theoretically I'm working, but since things are slow at the office, I'm not exactly working very hard, so it's not difficult to imagine how life might be as a "permanent freelancer". Honestly, I'm not sure I'd be at all good at it.

A chocolate malt. I have been craving a chocolate malt for weeks now. The problem is, I'm particular about these things, and it's not all that easy to find one that meets my specifications. It's got to be made with ice cream, not shake mix. It's got to be chocolate ice cream, not vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. It's got to be so thick that drinking it requires some effort, and it can't have whipped cream and a cherry on top. Not all ice cream places even carry malt powder any more, so this is a big thing. But last night, I think I dreamed about ordering a chocolate malt. I was at an ice cream place and there was a big menu board up behind the ice cream and they had malts. I think when you start dreaming about something it's reasonable to say you've crossed into the world of unhealthy obsession. Now we all know I have bizarre dreams anyway. Do the words "pygmy hippopotami" bring back memories? And then there was the one with the stabbing. But since this is something I can actually do something about, I may have to do some research on where one can get a good malt down here.

April 13, 2005

Blog, What Blog?

You wouldn't think that going to a major conference for the better part of a week would so negatively impact my blogging, but I'm afraid it did. I have all kinds of comments and observations though, so look for some major retroblogging.

April 10, 2005

Wineries, Day Two

Our adventures in wine country continued today with six more wineries, bringing our total to nine for the weekend. We spent the night in Geyserville, a little town that seems to cater to wine tourists. Lots of little shops and cafes. However, they must think everyone is passed out drunk by 5pm, because everything closes early. The odd exceptions were the bookstores. What does that say? Drunk people won't buy clothes or dog toys, but they will buy books? I still haven't figured that one out.

Lunch today was at a little cafe between wineries. The food was excellent, but the waiter was a total character and definitely made the visit memorable.

I enjoyed the day, although I was careful to pace myself so that I actually had a head for the different wines and was still capable of driving back to the airport to catch the red-eye home. Overall on this trip, I was surprised to enjoy the Zinfandels as much as I did. Maybe I just haven't tasted that many because I tend to prefer the Cabernets, or maybe California Zins are particularly good, but they were a pleasant surprise. In nine wineries, we bought 12 bottles, in addition to the case of "Stu Pedasso". Getting these home requires packing them into a "shipper" and checking them. No big deal except that carrying a box full of wine around requires a great deal of creativity with duct tape.

April 9, 2005

John Muir Redwoods

So we decided to check out of the hotel and head up the coast to do some wine touring for the weekend. First stop once we got out of town was spending the day hiking in the redwoods. These weren't the ones you drive through, but rather the ones where the United Nations met to honor FDR. Maybe slightly smaller than the others, but still immense. I spent a lot of time thinking about how cool a tree house from these would be. As usual for me when I'm out hiking, I wished I had more time. We're planning to be back in December, so maybe I'll take a daypack and boots and plan a long day out here then.

Continuing up Route 1 along the coast, we drove through little resort towns, but think beach towns 30 years ago, not the cookie cutter condos you see now. They lived up to San Francisco's reputation for barefoot hippie towns. We had lunch at one of the little cafes in one of these towns and I had a sandwich on sourdough. When you only get out here a couple of times a year, it's easy to forget what real sourdough is supposed to taste like. Just a couple of bites into the sandwich brought it all back. Like the elusive lobster bisque, I order sourdough plenty of places that I should know better, hoping to recapture this taste. One of these days, I'll learn that I should only order lobster bisque in Miami and only order sourdough in San Francisco. Everywhere else I order either I'm disappointed, and yet I like them both so well I keep ordering them.

Driving north after lunch took us past a few wineries, each with their irresistible siren song. Dating a wine connoisseur has afforded me many opportunities to visit Maryland and Virginia wineries. Visiting California wineries is different. Maryland and Virginia wineries expect people who come in to taste to buy wine. California wineries are happy to sell you wine, but they don't seem to care one way or the other. Maryland and Virginia wineries pour you enough to taste, barely. California wineries pour about half a glass of each wine you're tasting. Maryland and Virginia wineries are populated by people who know wines, or at least want to pretend they do. They don't want to talk with other winery customers outside the group with which they came. California wineries (and maybe all of California) tend to be more social, with something of a pub like atmosphere where everyone is chatty with everyone else. Weird, but fun. Here's one where our East Coast wineries win though. None of the wineries out here had crackers or croutons or anything to break up the different wines. Virtually every Maryland and Virginia winery that I've visited has had something like that out. In a tongue in cheek jab at the wine snobs, one of the wineries today has a label called "Stu Pedasso" (say it fast). We liked the wine, but we loved the concept. Many of our wine friends should expect a bottle for Christmas as we bought a case.

April 8, 2005

Rain

It's raining out here today, and it's funny to watch how that has changed the dynamics of the people on the street. Not nearly as many people are out at all and no one tried to get me to hand over change today. People just seem to be withdrawn into their own dry little orbits as opposed to open and paying attention to the rest of the world. That's not a very good description, and I apologize, but suffice it to say, the weather definitely impacts city life. This is probably obvious to most of you, but since I live in the country and work in the suburbs, it was a new observation to me.

Today's conference highlight was Evan Spiridellis from JibJab. I had no idea the level of effort that goes in to producing one of their movies. I guess I thought that most of what they did was cut and paste collage stuff, but there's a whole lot of old school animation as well. At any rate, in addition to being impressed with their work all over again, I thought Evan was very accessible and funny. One of the coolest parts of his talk was watching him watch us. Internet writers don't get a chance to interact with their audiences the way that stage actors or musicians do, so this was a very rare opportunity for him to watch people reacting to his stuff. Of course, we loved it, so it was a huge amount of positive feedback, and watching him react to that was great.

The conference ended today with them giving away a lot of free stuff from various sponsors. I didn't get anything, unsurprisingly. I've been trying to decide what the big takeaways were from this conference. People go to conferences for a bunch of different reasons, or maybe a combination of several. To get away from work, to learn specifics about the technology, to see new ways of doing things, to meet established experts, to network and build contacts, and who knows what else. Although I've definitely enjoyed being out of the office for a few days, I think the biggest thing I've gotten out of this conference is just the renewed excitement about flash. Being around this level of energy, intellect, and creativity has gotten me motivated about producing flash stuff again in a way that I haven't been for months. There's something to be said for just putting a bunch of brains in a room together, and I definitely felt surrounded by brains here. Granted, most of them function on the other side than I do, but that's not all bad. Anyway, the major benefit of the conference was definitely stoking my creative fires.

As with many cities, there's a lot of bicyclists out here and like many cyclists with stuff to carry, a lot of them are using Timbuk2 bags. Since Timbuk2 originated out here, maybe the percentage is even higher. At any rate, I have one of these messenger bags at home. I'm concerned that perhaps I'm a Timbuk2 poser. Afterall, the bags were originally developed for bike messengers, which I sometimes think I'd dearly love to be in my dropping-out-of-society fantasy. To be fair, I did buy mine to use on the days I ride in from Leesburg, but I use it a lot more often just because it's functional, comfortable, and cool. Given that I am boycotting The North Face for basically selling out, I'm very concerned that I'm a poser here. Worse, I've been giving real thought to getting another Timbuk2 bag to for times when I just need a laptop and my notebook, and not everything that goes into the big one. That would virtually never get used on the bike. So the question is this, if I'm buying gear from a brand that I like, to use for something other than it's defined purpose, is that the same thing as TNF deciding to start marketing to urban teenagers instead of using their money for R&D into better products for the hardcore outdoors crowd? I think maybe there's a fine line here between whoring for the label and supporting good products, but I'm going to claim to be legit here, since I do use the one bag for commuting (albeit only occasionally) and since the company has remained true to its original mission of producing bags that meet the needs of cyclists (and yeah, are cool). Speaking of coming home with fires stoked, I'm pretty excited to get back on my bike too.

April 7, 2005

SF, Day 3

How do you tell the difference between a native San Franciscan and a homeless person? Homeless people don't own iPods. ::pause for laughter:: Seriously... sometimes I'm passing someone on the street and I have to ask myself if they're a homeless person getting ready to accost me for change until I see the trademark white earphones.

The absolute highlight of the conference today, and maybe of the conference so far, was Ze Frank's presentation. I was really hoping he'd get a little more into the hows and whys of what he does, but even without that he was hilarious and it was beyond cool to see some of the newer stuff he's working on.

When I was in high school, I had a friend with this theory that radio waves were addictive. Thus people would get in the car and turn on the radio, not so much because they loved the music, but because they were physically addicted. The same concept applied to people that walked into their houses at night and flipped the television on first thing before even taking off their coat. Now clearly the argument can and should be made that this isn't a physical addiction but rather a behavioral one stemming from a more common human desire for companionship.

I would extend this theory now in the internet age. Those of us who live online are becoming addicted, or at least habituated to having the constant availability of information and communication. If I'm sitting at my desk and suddenly start wondering about say, the difference in the original "Apocalypse Now" ending and the ending in the commonly released version, that information is just one or two clicks away. If I'm suddenly reminded of a college friend that I want to encourage to attend a reunion, I can shoot off an e-mail as fast as I can type. The withdrawal effect of being "unplugged" when for example, driving home, is remarkably like what I expect addicts experience when they're without their habit of choice. This plugged-in/unplugged phenomenon is becoming more pronounced with the increasing availability of wireless internet. Now it's not enough for me to be online from my desk, I want to be able to surf the web with my laptop on my lap on the couch and I feel quite put out when that isn't possible. Is all of this really just the force of habit or is it indeed time to commission some research on the nature of these radio waves?

April 6, 2005

Another Exciting Day in SF

Another cool thing about being on travel for business is that when unexpected incidents require emergency laundering, it's as simple as calling the valet laundry and letting them know you have items for them to pick up. You leave a bag of clothes inside your room by the door and when you come back at the end of the day, they're clean and hanging in the closet. On a personal trip, with a similarly limited wardrobe, I probably would have found a local laundromat and done the wash myself. This way is definitely cooler.

It's really interesting to just people watch at this conference. It's a flash conference, but it's definitely design-centric. As such, it attracts a lot of design types, creative, interesting people. There isn't a profile per se, but certainly, young, with trendy hair cuts (most guys have some kind of "product" in their hair) and the "design look" like suit coats over t-shirts with jeans, or a t-shirt over an untucked dress shirt. When I'm running my own firm, I'm going to be cool enough to dress like this. Meanwhile, I don't even bother to pretend. Also, virtually everyone here has a laptop with them (there's free wireless throughout the building) and Macs outnumber PCs by probably almost 10 to 1. Again, just a reality of the design/creative world.

Well, I can't let today go by without commenting on the season finale of "The West Wing". There's been a lot of discussion of the show having jumped the shark, and for the most part, I've agreed. I'm not sure I could have told you anything that would have made me excited about next season but then, I never, in a million years, could have predicted tonight's surprise. Santos - McGarry! Wow. I will so be watching next season. Also, in the sibling-bonding category, how cool is it to be talking over a three thousand mile, three hour time difference with someone who's watching it and reporting on it to you, but then knows you well enough not to tell you the big surprise, but rather to demand that you call him immediately after it ends on your coast so you can be excited together. Good times.

April 5, 2005

San Francisco Here I Am

Arrived in San Francisco early this afternoon. It's nice to be traveling for work where I can just pick up my baggage and catch a cab and not feel like I should stand around all day waiting for the hotel shuttle in order to save twenty or thirty bucks. My hotel is in downtown SF, which is cool, because it's central to the area. On my last trip, I stayed out by Fisherman's Wharf, and that area is actually much prettier, but this is much more interesting.

I had to hike over to the convention venue to pick up my badge and info packet. So naturally I asked the concierge for directions. I guess I look like a helpless female today, or other people define walking distance differently than I do, because he tried to convince me that not only was it too far to walk, but it was through a questionable neighborhood and to be safe, I should take a cab. Mind you, this is at like 5pm when it's still broad daylight. Whatever. So I went out and walked around for a bit and realized I had absolutely no idea how to get from where I was to the convention. So what does one do when one is lost in a major city and looking for a bunch of net geeks? Stop into the nearest Apple store of course! SF has a rather big Apple store only a couple of blocks from my hotel, and I went in there half expecting to see a bunch of people clearly associated with the conference. No dice on that plan, but I went up to a saleskid and asked her where the place was. She knew, and I told her that there were a couple thousand flash people in town for the conference, so she should expect quite a bit of traffic over the next few days. It's a good fifteen minute walk from the hotel to the conference, and there's definitely a strong homeless presence. Actually, I think I walked past a drug deal, but there were no blind alleys, and there were always people around, so I didn't feel threatened at any time.

I enjoy San Francisco a lot, but I don't have as much experience here as in New York City. The major differences, just from a first impression standpoint, are that SF is definitely cleaner and brighter but not nearly as crowded or interesting architecturally.

March 27, 2005

How Much For That Intern In The Window?

Anyone looking to hire a motivated sports intern for the summer? Check out one reasonable resume here.

March 26, 2005

Another Book Review

I finished Orson Scott Card's Shadow of the Giant. This is the most recent in the Ender's Game series. This one didn't have the pace some of the others had, but it was still nice to visit the characters (we actually get a scene with Ender again) and to explore the military and political scheming that Card sets up. Furthermore, he brings it to a semi-satisfying conclusion and the book does stand on its own. Definitely worth reading, but buy it on sale.

March 24, 2005

Tutorials

Today will be geek blog again. I've finished my first tutorial in answer to a (very simple) how-to question. It's linked from the solutions page.

March 23, 2005

Not Terri Schiavo

I am resisting the urge to join every other blogger out there and post on this topic, but I do think it's getting to be a little much when my dental hygienist feels it's appropriate to make it the topic of conversation while cleaning my teeth. I mean, talk about a captive audience, I can't even talk, she's got her hands in my mouth, and she decides *that* has to be the topic? Sheesh.

March 22, 2005

Gene's Back

Gene Weingarten has returned from his trip to an undisclosed location to host his regular Tuesday chats. Today's episode was well below his best, but it was so nice to have him back after a month of Tuesdays without him that we're willing to cut him some slack. Apparently, the article for which he was off doing research isn't coming along so well and Gene was bemoaning his utter lack of talent. He did so in the following paragraph:

"It's good to be back, except for the hollow, cobwebbed dungeon at the center of my being, an echo chamber of my own ineptitude, reverberating with defeat under the mirthless cackle of a pitiless God. I am attempting to write a complicated story, and way out of my depth. I am marinating in a foul soup of witlessness and intellectual infertility. I would sell my worthless, withered soul for an ounce of the juice that powers David Finkel or Anne Hull or David Von Drehle. The stench of failure is overwhelming; it is almost a palpable atmosphere that can be sucked into the lungs and drown you in its fetid moistness."

Does anyone else see the irony in a guy writing about his lack of talent in that kind of prose?

March 21, 2005

Catch Up

Things having slowed down at work, this week I'm trying to catch up on chores, reading, projects, etc. I'm not sure I really have a chance, but I'll keep you posted.

March 20, 2005

Terry Goodkind

Time at the beach allowed me to finish the latest Terry Goodkind book, Chainfire. Although I really enjoy this series, I was disappointed in this one because I didn't feel like he brought things to a satisfying conclusion. I understand that it's one of a series, but each book in a series should stand alone and this one advances the plot to a point and then leaves the reader hanging. More motivation for me to stop reading books by living authors.

March 17, 2005

St. Patrick's Day

So remember how back on October 10th, I said it was a shame my brother lives so far away? Well I am revising that position. He and I went out to an Irish pub tonight for drinks and Irish music along with some of his rugby friends. Can I just say that it was the most fun I've had in a while and he and I are not only mutually bad influences, but that the combination of the two of us clearly leads to a spiralling pattern of bad behavior. If we lived close enough to do this regularly, it would probably be a very bad thing.

March 16, 2005

Nag's Head Bound

Driving down to Nag's Head today to spend some more time with the adorable godson. His parents have a timeshare down there this week and they've invited me to hang out. I never make this drive in the daylight, so it was a very enjoyable trip and I remembered how absolutely gorgeous southern Virginia is.

March 15, 2005

Scaring Small Children

Apparently I'm intimidating to young children. I had no idea. The entry-level soccer referee course that I'm teaching in Eldersburg was rowdy and disrespectful last week and I chewed them out over it. I didn't feel like I was over the top, but I did feel like someone needed to make the point to them. Apparently it worked. Tonight they came early, were quiet, had studied and when I finally asked them what the difference was, they told me I had scared them last week and convinced them they were all going to fail the exam. Wow. The incredible power of being me.

March 11, 2005

The Difference Between Lose and Loose

The misuse of the word "loose" when a writer means "lose" or of "loosing" when a writer means "losing" is approaching epidemic proportions, especially on the internet. I understand that language migrates with time, but these two words have clearly different meanings and should not be that difficult to use correctly. Do what you can to correct these errors before "loosing" is considered an alternate spelling of "losing". People who know better ignoring these mistakes out of concern for the writer's feelings or to avoid seeming like a know-it-all led to the virtual loss of the correct usage of the subjunctive case, don't let the language devolve to its lowest common denominator on this issue as well.

It's easy to remember the correct usage like this, "Loose women lose respect."

March 10, 2005

Recognizing The Reality Of Crunch Time

Developers at Electronic Arts in San Francisco have filed a suit claiming they're entitled to overtime compensation. Although the suit is still pending, EA is changing the compensation packages for at least some of its developers to pay overtime instead of stock options and bonuses. (Get a login for the New York Times here.) Central to the developers' case is that so-called "crunch time" is an unavoidable reality of the software development cycle. I agree wholeheartedly with the premise and am watching the debate and coverage of this closely. I maintain though, that rather than overtime, I'd prefer my work schedule reflected the cyclical nature of the industry. I wouldn't mind the 100 hour weeks leading up to a product launch so much if they were followed by two or three weeks off so that I could catch up on the rest of my life. If I were in charge of the world, that's the way it would be.

March 9, 2005

Doonesbury Blows Duke's Mind

I read Doonesbury not because I agree with much of Trudeau's world view, but because of his phenomenal ability to capture in an image so much about a character. George W. Bush' representation as the Roman soldier's helmet with an asterisk (during the first term) is just one key example. He based the long-running character "Duke" on the late Hunter S. Thompson and is this week running a tribute to Thompson in the strip. One incredible talent saluting another, it's a meta-comic, sure, but it's pretty daggone cool.

March 8, 2005

If You Don't Like The Weather

At Tech there used to be a saying, "If you don't like the weather in Blacksburg, wait five minutes, it'll change." Well today it's been like that here in D.C. Apparently my ranting from last week paid off because yesterday was an amazing spring day, 60 something degrees and gorgeous. I went out on my bike for an hour in shorts. Today, we have blizzard conditions just short of a whiteout. Cars are sliding everywhere, the roads are downright treacherous, and the schools closed early. The fickle, fickle ways of weather, I suppose, but this is a bit extreme.

March 7, 2005

XML Editing For Dummies

I'm developing a small application for the NCAA basketball tournament that uses xml to populate text within a flash file. No big deal, except that the editorial programmers (think programming like tv, not programming like code) need to be able to maintain the xml document without having access to the raw markup. Normally, a developer is responsible for maintaining the xml, but because of staffing requirements and the need to turn this sort of information around quickly, the editorial team needs to be able to do it themselves. Luckily, there's a product out there that's fairly easy to use and gives editors access only to the text the developer decides they need. Altova's Authentic Tool is the front end for editors, and it works with their StyleVision Application on the development side. Pretty neat, and prevents me from having to build a one-off solution for the editors to get data into the xml file.

March 4, 2005

Mileage Tax

Oregon is exploring changing the method for funding highways from the current method of applying taxes to the cost of gasoline to a tax based on mileage by driver. Cars would have GPS systems that interfaced with the gas pump, allowing the tax to be calculated based on miles driven and perhaps at some point specific roads used, etc. I have two major problems with this concept.

The privacy implications of something like this are staggering. This would allow the government to literally track its citizens anytime they were driving. On the plus side, there would be some neat technological possibilities opened up by this. For example, your GPS could determine traffic on your planned route (because it would be able to sense all those other GPS systems out there) and thus reroute you to an alternative route, thereby equalizing traffic and reducing congestion for everyone. However, I think those kinds of positives are outweighed by the potential for misuse of that kind of information. It's one more step towards living in a police state and being expected to "present your papers" virtual though they might be.

Secondly, the tax structure is currently set up such that people pay into funds that support the common good. We elect representatives that we feel share our priorities about how that money should be spent, but we don't get to choose, as individuals, to which programs we'll contribute. Programs that support the common good, like public schools for example, are funded by the entire tax base, not just people who have children in said public schools. The rationale for this is that educated children will eventually benefit society, making the investment a good one for all citizens, regardless of whether they have children in school. Whether you agree with that logic or not, the same precedent applies to highways. Well maintained, right-sized highway systems benefit the populace as a whole, not just the drivers who use them most. These highways support commerce, transport food and medical supplies, allow workers to live in one area and commute to another, and enable countless other scenarios which we take for granted but which are key to American society as we understand it. Taxing drivers per mile driven would be a disincentive for all of these things and would encourage cities to practice isolationism, effectively reducing the nation to a looser union of regional strengths.

March 3, 2005

Winter Warm Up

I haven't done it yet, but I gotta go where it’s warm. I like cold weather, but I've had enough of it now. It's March. I want to be out hiking in short sleeves or out on my bike for two hours without 10 layers on. Plus, there was that one glorious 78 degree day in Memphis in February that spoiled the rest of winter for me. So I'm thinking I might just call in sick (I've got a stomach problem, I just can't stomach another day of this weather) and hightail it to Florida like this guy did. It's an expensive day, but hey, isn't my mental health worth it?

March 2, 2005

Moral Quandry

So I got an e-mail that described the following situation:

You're an AP photographer on assignment in a flood zone. You're shooting pictures of the destruction and loss of property and life. At some point, you see a guy floating in the water. You have to make a decision, do you get the shot, or do you wade into the water and save him. The e-mail then goes on to say you recognize it's George Bush (conservatives substitute Hilary Clinton here) and that the stakes are now clearly upped. Do you take the shot that will make your career and clearly win you a Pulitzer prize, or do you pull this individual out of the water so he (she, for you conservatives) can continue to do great things for America and the world?

The e-mail then asks you to carefully consider and honestly answer the following question, "Do you shoot in color, or go for the classic black and white?" Haha.

Easy punch line, but it leads to a serious question. Given a journalist's obligations to report news, what do you do in a situation where you have a chance to become a part of the story or to document it for millions of other people? Gonzo journalism, or reporting from inside the story, was pioneered by (and maybe mastered only by) the late Hunter S. Thompson. At the other end of the spectrum, you've got war journalists like Kevin Carter. I think a case can be made for both styles, but neither can be easy. Both of these guys killed themselves. Carter perhaps more from the guilt and Thompson perhaps to see the next big adventure, but who can really say.

March 1, 2005

Arc'teryx Wool Jacket

So I saw this jacket sometime last fall and bought it sometime later in the winter. Like much in outdoor apparel, it was pricey. I don't have a major problem paying for quality gear, but I'm not as thrilled with this one as I wanted to be. The good things: it's comfortable, it's warm, it's lined with fleece or something so it doesn't scratch at all. The less than ideal: it's not even six months old and it's looking kind of ratty. I don't wear it every day, and I'm not that hard on clothes, so come on. Furthermore, it's pilling pretty badly and it's an absolute magnet for dog hair which works its way down into the fabric until it's nearly impossible to get it out. Overall, not something I'd spend the money for again, but, still wearing it a lot since I already have it.

February 25, 2005

Farewell Kimberly, You've Been A Blessing

My boss and good friend bids adieu to the company and the East Coast today. Under her leadership, the team gained professional growth opportunities and the company gained a cohesive group that followed one set of standards. Her presence will be sorely missed, but I'm happy for her personally and am confident she'll find something really cool to do after she de-toxes from this place. You can all follow her exploits too. You'd think that a combination of technology making 3000 miles not that different from 30 and decades of Marine brat practice saying goodbye to friends would make this easier, but it hasn't.

February 24, 2005

It's Amazing How Time Slips Away

Is it possible there's nothing interesting enough going on to blog? Here's a quick update on what's going on with me. I'm teaching entry-level soccer referee courses, particularly Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct. I'm trying to wrap up work on my portfolio site so that link to the left doesn't give you a 404 error. I'm helping my friend and boss finish everything here on the East Coast so she can move to the frozen tundra. I'm trying to catch up on all that stuff that didn't get done while I was working 100 hour weeks. Unfortunately, none of that is terribly interesting. It also prevents me from surfing the web enough to find interesting tidbits to share. Hopefully I'll have the portfolio up by next week and can blog about that until you're all sick to death of flash development.

February 18, 2005

Pics from Vegas

Selected pictures from the Vegas trip are now online.

February 17, 2005

Where Was This When I Struggled Through Geography?

A history of the United States, in flash. Glad AOL didn't think of this.

February 11th, 2005

A Subsequent Return To Blogging

While it's not my intention to get fired over this blog, I do think anyone writing on the 'net needs to be cognizant of what they're saying given the anonymity of the readers. A number of bloggers are being fired over comments made in their blog. We had an employee get fired here, not necessarily for her blog, but for going into great detail about her terrible work habits in her blog. I mean, really, do you want your boss to know you enjoy working from home because you can sit on the couch and watch movies all day? I think most of these cases are clear situations where good judgement would have prevented the problem, but it is a lesson to the rest of us that people are reading and discretion is the better part of valor.

February 7th, 2005

A Return To Normal Life

At long last, here's the link to the AOL Super Bowl Commercials Page.

January 27th, 2005

Geek Talk

My grandfather asked me last night how many lines of code is considered normal per day. I have absolutely no idea, because that's not how projects are scoped out here. Nonetheless, it's an interesting question. A little preliminary research indicates that it varies widely, but comes back to my point that it's not about lines per day.

January 26th, 2005

No Blog For You

January 18th, 2005

What Happened When Calvin Grew Up

As a fan of both the legendary Calvin and Hobbes and of the somewhat bizaare but thought-provoking movie Fight Club, I was amused, and then intrigued by this link my baby brother sent me yesterday making an argument for the hero of Fight Club being Calvin as an adult. Of course, this clashes badly with my own version of Calvin's adulthood represented by the strip Frazz. Being open-minded and in favor of fomenting discussion though, I will let my devoted readers make up their own minds.

The case for Frazz as Calvin. Let me send you to Eric Meyer's Conspiracy Theory as an introduction to the subject. Also consider that Frazz is a rich songwriter who works as a janitor for fun. This is consistent with both Calvin's long expositions and with his anti-establishment mentality. Check out Bill Watterson's commencement speech to his alma mater, Kenyon College, where he extolls working a job you love and shunning the "real world". Clearly Frazz is living that lifestyle. Frazz's biking could easily be a habit he picked up from his dad. Remember all the Calvin strips about the bike attacking him and all the strips where his dad is off riding? Meyer underplays it, but Frazz's girlfriend Miss Plainwell definitely resembles a grown up Susie Derkins. Not that I'm implying she is, but clearly Frazz nee Calvin's taste in women hasn't changed. Really, if you imagine Calvin grown up, can't you see Frazz?

January 12th, 2005

Don't Tell Me I'm Burning The Candle At Both Ends

Tell me where to get more wax. Seriously. Between developing a superbowl package for work, and trying to prepare for national camp, which is coincidentally superbowl weekend, I could use an extra 10 hours or so a day. My loyal audience will have to endure these difficult times.

January 11th, 2005

Macworld

Today was one of those very exciting days where Steve Jobs gets up and reminds us all why we don't have to buy Microsoft. Macworld 2005 was in San Francisco. Highlights are a new flash memory iPod and a teeny CPU. I like the concept of a portable CPU, but I think there are solutions out there for that already. Still, if Apple delivers their normal level of quality, it might be an industry leader. I think there is a limited market for people like me who really want to have a development quality box that they can take between work and home (or other remote worksites)easily. Laptops are great, but dev quality ones are expensive and you still need additional monitors and whatever to be effective. As far as the new iPod goes, I think the branding needs some work. This thing not only has a fraction of the capacity of a conventional iPod, it has a fraction of the functionality. This will probably be a good thing for my Apple stock, because it will have people who haven't previously bought Apple products buying them. From a personal perspective though, I'm not into that one.

January 10th, 2005

I Have Seen The Future

And it's us. If I stay at AOL, it will be to work with a true brain and try to implement his vision for a new world order. Basically we want to force AOL to implement the ideas laid out in The Cluetrain Manifesto. Done right, it really is a brave new world.

January 9th, 2005

Today I'm Rob

Which Get Fuzzy character are you? Take the quiz to find out.

January 7th, 2005

Darby Conley

In trying to catch up on my holiday comics reading, I stumbled across an interview with Darby Conley (who you all know is the genius behind Get Fuzzy). Cool conversation and there's a picture for you adoring teenyboppers.

January 5th, 2005

T-Shirt Blogging

First let me state for the record, that I realize I am not cool enough to read this blog, much less to wear these t-shirts. Nonetheless, some of my spiffy coder friends are into these things and my baby brother could definitely carry it off. Here's one for the outliers among my reading audience who are actually, you know, hip.

January 4th, 2005

Office Communication

A primer on good business correspondence.

January 1, 2005

Beale Street

Decided to get out of my box and do the cool thing for New Year's Eve this year. Apparently, the place to be in Memphis on New Year's is Beale Street. It's more or less Memphis' equivalent to Bourbon Street. It was completely insane. Last year two people got stabbed during the revelry, so this year they stepped up the police presence. We didn't see any stabbings. We did have a diver at Silky O'Sullivan's and give the ice to the goats. Getting out of there, shortly after midnight, was like hanging out in a mosh pit.

December 23, 2004

He's Not My Brother

But he plays him on the web. Check out the blog.

December 22, 2004

Harry Potter

The release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was announced today as July 16, 2005. Folks with nothing to do during the doldrums that afflict so many offices around the holidays should try to get all seven "Easter Eggs" from J.K. Rowling's site. When you give up, good hints are available.

December 21, 2004

Should NYC Secede

It's an interesting concept at least. I am in favor of secession as a policy. Any state, area, or group that feels it can legitimately create a new nation with all the obligations to defense, infrastructure, and foriegn relations that entails should try it. Obviously there are few if any cases where such a group could succeed in seceding. New York City might be the exception, as is laid out for thought in this article.

December 20, 2004

Digital Picture Frames

So I have been looking at digital picture frames online for some time. Unfortunately, they're both expensive and ugly. However, it seems there is a DIY alternative. Now, I am probably not cool enough to do this myself, but I know someone who is. So, I'm thinking laptop surgery party, sometime in January?

December 19, 2004

Christmas Shopping

I'm almost done with my shopping for the season. While I think I've done okay by all the people who expect presents, I'm also getting a little something for someone who's not. My crazy dead grandmother was a big fan of the Heifer Project and I think this year I'm going to send them a check for what I would have gotten her. It's an organization that puts its money into its projects, not overhead and promotes long term solutions not quick fixes.

December 18, 2004

AOL Christmas Party

AOL's reputation for Christmas parties that are above and beyond is intact. This year it was at the new Air and Space museum. Reversing the system from the past few years, they didn't issue a finite number of drink tickets but rather had legitimate open (and well stocked) bars spread all over. The museum is huge and amazing. This was much better than the parties at the hotels which have always been cramped, plenty of open space. Of course, hangars are difficult to heat, and I was freezing, but that was a small price to pay.

December 17, 2004

Inner Workings

As much as I hate becoming embroiled in political manueverings, I do love to read about them. My current brain candy is Katherine Kurtz's marvelous Deryni series primarily involved with the monarchy and the dealings behind it. The schemings in ivory towers are sometimes nearly that good. Case in point, a choice link for those of you in the academic world and fun reading for those of you who just like watching the way the academic world works. You may have to filter out a bit of a crazed feminist (e.g. women should dump husbands instead of finding careers near them) viewpoint, but I trust you can manage.

December 16, 2004

Happy Birthday Wayne

Frequent flier miles are a wonderful thing.

December 15, 2004

State Youth Referee Administrator

Due to some foolishness on the part of certain adults at a tournament in Richmond in October, the Maryland State Referee Committe was forced to replace the SYRA. Unfortunately, they replaced him with me.

December 14, 2004

Old Friends And Bookends

It's been a funny week. I've heard from two old friends that I hadn't heard from in years. Similar time frames, both were people I was close to near the end of college, but very different responses. E-mail one from my "serious college boyfriend". This was the guy I would have married had I followed the traditional life path. Of course, both of us would have been completely miserable, but we would have been traditional. It ended, not badly, but without a lot of warmth and we haven't stayed in touch. However, a mutual friend is getting married and had mentioned me to Baxter, so he sent a note. It was great to hear from him on what he's been doing the last few years and how things are going for him. I sent him a response and we'll either get together when one or the other of us is passing through or if we both make it to Jack's wedding.

Then there was the other e-mail. There's a line between seeking out old friends and stalking and I think the point when someone tells you that they don't want to continue the friendship is a pretty clear indication of that line. To continue sending cards and e-mails and to make the occasional phone call after being told that further communication is unwelcome comes pretty close to stalking. I've made choices about how to spend my limited time based on how I feel relationships enrich my life. I do not choose to spend time or energy on people who can't respect my choices and priorities. Reaching out to an old friend once or twice is one thing, but after a point one should really learn to let it go.

December 10, 2004

Happy Birthday Pop

I am spending today cooking up a storm for this crazy drinks and desserts party.

December 9, 2004

It's Not A Rugby Injury

Darby Conley, the uber talent that is behind Get Fuzzy, has apparently suffered some sort of arm injury. However, he won't comment on it, there's nothing available on the web but more questions, and the all-knowing Gene Weingarten, known to have a channel with Conley, also won't answer. I suspect foul play.

December 7, 2004

The Whackings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

It's layoff day at AOL. Something like 25% company wide and 41% within my department. I'm still employed, but I'm questioning whether that's a good thing.

December 6, 2004

Driving, Again

One nice thing about a sixteen hour drive is that it gives you time to work through your rolodex and burn cell minutes. I think I am now caught up on contacts. Another nice thing about this part of the country is that you can have Sonic as often as you want. Route 44 Cherry Limeade, woo hoo!

December 3, 2004

Showcase Soccer

I love a portable profession. There's nothing like driving around the country just blowing a whistle. Storm Soccer Showcase this weekend here in Dallas.

December 2, 2004

Road Trip, Continued

Drove the 6ish hours from Memphis to Commerce, TX this morning. I literally drove through it twice before I found it. It's not exactly a bustling metropolitan center. One of the weird things about being out here is that they actually put populations on the "Welcome to Our Town" signs. I suppose they only update them with census results, but it's much funnier to visualize the mayor going out with whiteout every time there's a birth or death.

Spent the day hanging out with an old family friend. He's in his junior year at Texas A&M, Commerce. We went to the "other" restaurant in Commerce. There are two. Last time I was out here, we went to the Italian place, so this time we had Mexican. After that we hit the climbing wall at their rec center. I made it up without too much trouble. It reminded me how much I like to climb and that I should really get back to the rock gym near work when I get back.

December 1, 2004

Christmas Ornaments

Apparently there are traditions about what ornaments go on Christmas trees. Weird things like teapots and flower baskets. I think this presents an opportunity to spin for entertainment value. Rose to compass rose, house to outhouse, and so forth.

November 30, 2004

Television

Who needs to actually watch tv, when you can spend almost as much time reading about it. Television Without Pity does a nice job of capturing both the plotlines and the ridiculousness that is television these days.

November 29, 2004

Books

As a bibliophile, and a lover of "booky" things in general, how cool is this concept? The only problem is that you have to sacrifice books to get there. I mean, using books you don't care about, like encyclopedias, is pretty boring, but sacrificing really cool books seems wrong. Of course, buying duplicates of the books you'd use seems to make the whole thing somewhat less cool.

November 28, 2004

It's Not Easy Being Gene

Gene Weingarten hit another column out of the park today. It was a team effort with Gina Barreca. Usually I think Gina's presence weakens Gene's columns. This, however, was great. Props to the Post for their willingness to handle a potentially controversial topic (unlike their policy on the comics pages). Props to Gene for the dig at the Tribune. His last several columns have been pretty lame, possibly because he's devoted significant creative energy to two outstanding feature articles. Nonetheless, this column was a refreshing return to Gene's normal level of excellence.

November 27, 2004

Happy Birthday Isaac

Yes, my amazing godson turned one today. He's walking, he's sort of talking, and he's basically a really cool little kid. Having said that, while if I wanted a kid, I would want him to be a lot like Isaac, he remains a stunning reminder of why I definitively do not want kids.

November 26, 2004

Christmas

Okay, yesterday was Thanksgiving, but now we can start getting ready for Christmas. We have a tree.

November 25, 2004

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice, very quiet Thanksgiving down here. Even though it's Memphis, and even though we're anti-turkey, we did resist the urge to have barbecue and stuck with just ham.

This year St. Jude is doing a major national fundraising campaign dubbed "Thanks in Giving" headed up by Marlo Thomas. Wayne is obviously very big on it, and it is a good reminder of the fact that today is about more than just a four day weekend.

November 22, 2004

Driving

How do you get to Memphis from Maryland? Four hundred miles on I-81 and then four hundred miles on I-40. Bonus points if you do more than ten hours after dark and double bonus if you do it in the rain. Oh, and triple word score if you do the aforementioned with two bikes on the top. Past my baby brother at JMU (who was too busy to grab dinner with me, the fink) past my old stomping grounds at Tech, past the place where I wrecked my first car, past the turnoff I took so many times en route to see the serious college boyfriend, and then west for 400 miles. Great way to see the country.

November 20, 2004

Recert

Maryland has a new policy that referees who will be attending national camp, that is, candidates and recertifying nationals, have to take a fitness test at one of the winter recerts before going. Although I oppose this policy in principle, it is nice to have an idea of where you stand with a couple of months left before camp. Following the lovely fitness test, I gave my new presentation on handling coaches' dissent. It seemed to be well received. I still need to incorporate some video and what not, but I think it has potential.

November 17, 2004

The Capitol Steps

The only thing funnier than broad spectrum, even handed political satire is broad spectrum, even handed political satire set to your favorite music. Especially appreciated was their version of "Hang Down Your Head Tom Daschle".

November 16, 2004

Solutions

I've posted the first "solution" on that page. It's basically a very annoying alarm clock. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

November 15, 2004

Andrew McLaren

In a shameless attempt to increase his blog mentions, Mac passes along the following key bit of advice: Google "french military victories" and click the I'm Feeling Lucky button.

Bicycle algebra: I have figured out that my spiffy little Honda Civic Hybrid gets about 19 miles to the dollar (assuming gas costs about $2/gallon). This is based on my current average mpg of about 38. Now mind you, Honda says the Civic Hybrid should get about 46 mpg city and 51 mpg highway. However, since the batteries are behind the back seat, there's no way to get a bike inside the car. Therefore, the bike rack on the roof seriously impacts mileage. So the point to this is that if I want to spend $60 for the new cycling jersey, I have to bike 1140 miles that I would have otherwise driven in order to justify it. Sheesh! This fails to include the complex additional equation which should be included to address the fact that the rack amounts for a 5 mile per dollar loss to total miles. In order for the math to be honest, the overall figure should really be adjusted by the approximately 30,000 miles driven per year. This figure accounts for an additional $329 in gas for a racked car versus a non-racked car. Therefore, before any bike savings can be accrued, 6251 miles must be biked.

November 12, 2004

Herons and Photoshop

Check out my "development" work today.

November 11, 2004

Biking

Finally rode into work today for the first time in months. Met up with a friend in Falls Church and rode in on the W&OD from there. About 20 miles, but easy and fun. Her significant other is driving us back, so I can get my car this evening. I really had a good time, I need to do it more often. I think I will use this as an excuse to get more cool bike stuff.

Spent the day in a seminar about Adobe Photoshop given by one of the premier guys in the field, Ben Willmore. Excellent tips for advanced users. Keep watching this space for a demonstration of my latest skills.

November 10, 2004

Mullets

Something that I had noticed down in New Orleans, but failed to share with you was the number of horrible mullets I noticed. I'm disgusted by both the haircuts and the people who wear them and don't realize they're unflattering. Perhaps most disturbing though are the number of websites dedicated to this unfortunate phenomenon.

November 9, 2004

Happy Birthday Dad

Sing it together with me:
          Happy Birthday. O Happy Birthday.
          Tears and Sorrow Fill the Air,
          People Dying Everywhere.
          Happy Birthday. O Happy Birthday.

November 8, 2004

No Cavities!

Had my regularly scheduled dental check up and cleaning today. No cavities and not as much blood as usual. Woo Hoo! Stopped at the airport on my way home to finally exchange my kronar back to dollars and then had lunch at Mongolian Grill.

November 7, 2004

Big Games

Finally got to work with one of our newer UACRs today. I had a girls U16 club match to decide first place in their division. Before the game, the coaches wanted me to understand this was a "big game". I almost laughed when I told them I'd been in Philly last night for the game up there and I understood big games.

November 6, 2004

Back To Philly

Since Philadelphia is apparently considered my "home city" in the eyes of US Soccer, I got to go back up there for the US Women's match against Denmark. I took my "soccer dad" with me to do the driving. I was the 4th official, and the rest of the crew were all American FIFAs. Combine that with the fact that Eastern PA has a terrific reputation for taking care of people and we got the royal treatment. Lunch at a French restaurant, dinner at the very upscale Restaurant School, and not a penny out of our pockets for anything. I'd been to Lincoln Financial Field before for a Manchester United game and the Women's World Cup games there, but I'd never been there to referee. It's as nice from the inside as it is from the out.

November 5, 2004

Fair And Balanced

In the interest of giving my faithful readers access to both kinds of crazies, I now give you "17 Reasons Not To Slit Your Wrists" by Michael Moore, who is clearly a left wing nut job. I don't think he was really trying to be funny, but I was amused. Maybe you will be too.

November 4, 2004

Certified Macromedia Developer

Props for me. I passed the Macromedia Flash MX 2004 certification exam. It was a lot harder than I expected it to be and I studied. For the record, the study guide is pretty much worthless. This probably doesn't really affect me much right now, although I do get to start using the spiffy logo when my kit comes in a couple of weeks and I got a cool t-shirt. If my number comes up in the expected AOL layoffs, having the certification on my resume won't hurt. Remember to use bugmenot.com if you need a login.

November 3, 2004

Bourbon Street

Went out with my friend Michelle and her husband Michael for dinner and drinks. The great thing about New Orleans is that you can just pop into a bar, get a drink and take it out to walk around. I'm so glad they came over so that I had an excuse to go out. Definitely not something I would have done alone, but I'm so glad I did.

November 2, 2004

Sniffle Cough Sneeze

I have acquired a nasty little cold bug. I suppose this is what I get for kissing strange guys. Good sessions at the conference today, and I had Cafe Du Monde for breakfast.

It appears that my concern over the country's response to the election was unwarranted. Nonetheless, think about how exciting it could have gotten in this situation (read the fourth paragraph from the bottom).

November 1, 2004

New Orleans

I dropped off my absentee ballot at the post office before my flight this morning. Go none of the above! Despite a two hour delay, I have arrived safely in New Orleans for my conference. I went down to the conference center to pick up my packet and check out the exhibitors. It's a nice walk down to the conference center from the hotel. Exhibitors are unimpressive. Particularly missing is any kind of geek stuff vendor like ThinkGeek.

October 31, 2004

Congratulations Mike

The star pupil of the mentoring program passed his assessment today to go from a grade 8 to a grade 7. That in itself is cause for note, but considering he did it at 16 on a Division 1 men's game, he's got every reason to be thrilled with himself. As a mentor, I'm pretty proud of him myself.

October 30, 2004

Go DC United!

The WMSOA mentoring program got together for a "meeting" before the DC United playoff game. A good time was had by all, but there is tons of food left over. The good news is that we have tournaments for the next three consecutive weekends, so we can keep giving them the food until they finish it.

October 27, 2004

Happy Birthday Roobear

October 26, 2004

That Time Of Year

Everyone else gets to weigh in with their political rants, so I figure I'm entitled too. Like most of the country, I live in a state where my vote is extremely unlikely to make any difference in the overall outcome. Nonetheless, like the responsible citizen I try to be, I will, of course, vote. However, I'm of strong libertarian views, although not affiliated with that party. I am so unimpressed with both choices that I'm voting outside the mainstream. I think there are a lot of people in this country who fall into a similar predicament and it's really a shame that there aren't better choices for folks like us. The only way to get those kinds of improved choices is to register your displeasure in the available options. One way to do so is to vote third party. Myself, I'll be voting for Michael Badnarik. Not because I think he's a great choice, but because it's my way of saying, "Neither of these guys is any good, give me a real choice." Beyond doing that, I've been giving some thought to which outcome will be more positive. While I personally would probably prefer the country the way George Bush will run it, I believe that overall, we may be better off if Kerry wins. Not because he'd be a better president, but because a Kerry loss could fuel all kinds of backlash from his supporters. This is the most divisive election I remember and while I think both candidates are almost equally bad, I do fear the potential actions of some Kerry supporters if he loses.

Let me preface the following by saying that I agree that Pat Buchanan is a nutcase. Now having said that, he's also behind "The American Conservative" magazine which agrees with my point above that there isn't a good choice in this election. They make cases for each of the candidates this year (including Kerry) from a traditional conservative viewpoint. Well reasoned and well written articles, if nothing else.

On our last political note, check out slashdot's question session with Badnarik. Well considered, well written, tough questions and real, thought out answers. A serious departure from softball questions you see tossed to Bush and Kerry and their carefully crafted, politically correct answers.

October 25, 2004

Happy Birthday HR

After last week's roadtrip, I had my first game in eight days tonight. I really shouldn't take that much time away from soccer in the middle of the season. It makes it hard to feel in the groove when I get back to it.

October 24, 2004

Support Your School

The Hokie Bird needs your support! Also, JMU Duke Dog is looking for votes too. Check out the Capital One Mascot Bowl.

October 21, 2004

Chaste? Not For Long.

I realize many of you are tired of hearing about my exciting decorating exploits, so today I'm returning to the usual fare of amusing things that have turned up on the web. From today's Memphis paper, an article about a 13 year old whose mother is irate that the state has voided the daughter's marriage. Check out the name of the daughter. This is going to win next week's aptonym contest for sure.

In case the link to the article requires you to register, check out the following truly useful site. It's basically a way around all those obnoxious registration required hassles.

October 20, 2004

Beer Can Chicken

I realize this sounds like a redneck thing, and maybe it is, but after actually having one last night, I'm sold. Beer can chicken is the first time I've ever been impressed with a roasted chicken.

In case you need more info, here's a link everyone should add to their favorites. (Apologies for the implied language.)

October 19, 2004

Art

One of the things about getting a new house decorated is that you have to spend a lot of time thinking about what to hang on the walls. In this case, there's a lot of quality photography, but it needs to be properly matted and framed. Luckily, my mom is much smarter about these sorts of things than I am, so we are about finished and will make my grandfather actually hang them in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, we have gotten matching coverlets for the upstairs twin beds and will work on levelling them later so that we can push them together and make a king bed if we want to later on. My grandfather keeps comparing this trip to mission trips he's been on with his church groups. He seems to be of the opinion that it's a similar amount of work, but the accomodations are better.

October 18, 2004

Road Trip

The family tradition of long car trips through the night has been revived. When I was a little kid, my mom and grandfather and I used to drive to Michigan at least once a year. We'd leave in the early evening, drive through the night and get there early in the morning. The circadian rhythms that lead to people being up all night must be genetic because the three of us have done it again. We drove my mom's huge van, aka the short bus, down to Memphis to bring the porch swing. We left about 6:30pm and got to Memphis about 9:00am. Everyone drove some, everyone slept some, and it was basically an enjoyable trip.

October 17, 2004

Postage Stamps

There's something about refereeing 22 college men on a soccer field designed for 14 year olds that makes it unlikely anyone is going to leave happy. I may seriously refuse to do any games at that venue next year if they don't make some changes to the field. Not only does a field that is that mis-sized to the level of play prevent quality soccer from being played, it also increases the odds of serious injury and increases the number of fouls and the level of dissent. Our referee association should strongly encourage the school to either address their field size or move the men's games to another site.

October 14, 2004

Straw Poll

My problem child at work tried to rear its ugly little head again last night. The AOL Straw Poll was promoted in conjunction with our coverage of the debates. As has happened a lot, it's data stream didn't keep up with the votes. Of course, that's not a flash problem, and I think we have finally communicated that to the business team. It did eventually start tracking correctly again, so I suppose it's conceivable that the truly sweet little app which represents so many hours of my time might even get some promotion again, but perhaps that's wishful thinking.

October 13, 2004

Refereeing -- What I'm Not Doing

So for those of us who are both internet and quiz bowl geeks, I'm thinking this Urban Challenge thing looks like a lot of fun.

Friday afternoon I am supposed to have a middle for a division 1 college women's match. I just called the assignor and turned it back due to the still kind of sore hamstring/butt issue combined with my awful luck when getting into DC this season and a lack of enjoyment with the political side of soccer. I really think it was the right decision, but it does mean I really haven't done the Div. 1 games this season that I expected to. Lost one due to weather at the University of Maryland and now this. It's consistent with my priorities of putting college refereeing lower on the list, but still kind of a downer.

October 12, 2004

Refereeing -- Why I'm Still Doing It

Had a line tonight for a friend on a community college men's game. Same friend had called me last night for some moral support after his "worst game ever" -- one of those times you get walked to the car by the police. That was a high school girls' match. So he was understandably nervous about his first college middle the next day. But despite a few areas open for improvement, he did a nice job getting through the game with no serious issues and the winning team came up afterwards to tell him it was the best officiated game of the season. After that three of us went out to dinner and drinks. Really, this is the reason I do this. The local stuff with good friends makes it worth it and makes me wonder why I bother with the hassle of the rest of the politics.

October 11, 2004

Soccer Recovery

I may have pulled something in my butt during yesterday's final. Spent an hour this morning biting the edge of the massage table while my massage guy worked on it. I have a college middle tonight, so we'll see how it goes.

If your geek number is high enough that you remember the old text game Adventure, then check out this review of a new book on interactive fiction available on slashdot.

October 10, 2004

Priorities Again

After crashing at 6pm last night and sleeping through, today was a darn good day. Although I missed going out drinking with some of the refs and hanging out and talking shop with some of the others, again, it was a decision that made sense for me. The politics and social part of refereeing has begun to wear on me, and while I like the stuff out on the field, sometimes I need a break from the rest. With that in mind, I chose the Richmond Tournament over a more prestigious tournament closer to home and bailed on the extracurricular stuff that went on last night. My godson and his mom came out to the fields today and watched us ref. Isaac even managed to kick the miniball a little. I've been assured he'll get plenty of practice time in the weeks to come. Good games today in which I really felt like I was living up to the badge, and I got to have dinner not only with my adorable godson and his family but also with my brother and two of the Maryland soccer folks. It's really a shame that my brother lives five hours away because he and I would hang out a lot more often if he were closer. Thank goodness for IM and cell phones, I guess.

October 9, 2004

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities

One of the lessons I'm trying to live by is to make decisions based on what my individual priorities are not on a sense of urgency imposed by other folks. Sometimes that means these decisions make no sense to other people. The trip down to Richmond was an example of that. I valued yesterday's ride above getting to Richmond early. Beyond that, I wanted Thursday night's rest more than I wanted to do laundry and pack late that night. So I wanted to go home, check in there, and do some laundry before driving down. So while the external opinion of what made sense would be to meet guys driving down from MD somewhere close to work around 5pm and ride down with them, what made sense to me was to go biking, drive home, check in there, do laundry, and leave for Richmond at 1am this morning. May seem crazy, but it was the right decision for me. Of course, that means I refereed in my sleep some today, but for under-15 girls, that's basically acceptable.

October 8, 2004

Meetings

No games today, so I could be in meetings all day at the office. It was nice to get back out on my bike though, the poor thing is feeling neglected. Rode the first half with a colleague at a slow conversational pace and then raced some dude in full attire back. It was fun, and I think everyone involved enjoyed it.

I only today had time to read Gene Weingarten's Washington Post chat from Tuesday. His weekly chats are some of the most intelligent (and funny) interaction on the web. Today's link of note was to Gina Barecca's article about academics' inability to dress appropriately. She means professor types, but I would extrapolate it to include the rest of us geeks.

October 7, 2004

Washington, Day 2

Today I took the crazy relatives on a tour of DC traffic followed by some time at Arlington National Cemetery. If you ever need to be reminded what a real hero is, that's a great place to visit.

I did make it back in time to do two college matches (barely!). I'm frustrated by people being put on games that are over their head. Tonight's HS boys game was exponentially more interesting from the line than yesterday's college women from the middle.

October 6, 2004

Washington

Spent the day playing tour guide in DC. Although I am somewhat cynical about monuments after having grown up around them, I have to give credit to the designers of the WWII monument. It doesn't seem all that impressive on tv and in pictures, but to actually be there is a whole different thing. Really gets you. We also walked through the FDR monument. While I have deep issues with a number of his policies, I remain impressed with his composition skills. It's a shame today's elected officials have become so much more politicians and so much less statesmen that that kind of rhetoric is lost.

October 5, 2004

Who's On First

So I had dinner with a friend at TGI Friday's the other night and sat under a poster for Woodstock (the music festival, not the bird). The poster listed the bands and got me to thinking about an old sketch that played off of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" routine. Thank goodness for Google, I can link to it for you here.

October 4, 2004

A Day Off!

At least a day to do laundry, clean up around the house, and get a solid 8 hours of face time in at the office.

Used lunch to pick up a mini ball for my godson, Isaac. He's more or less walking, so I figure it's time to get him started on soccer. Last weekend he went to see his mom play and this weekend, hopefully he'll get to come watch me referee.

So I'm thinking about decorating for Christmas already (you can all relax, no actual decorations will go up before the day after Thanksgiving) and I was looking for Christmas lights online. Here's what I stumbled upon. All of these get the "tacky" distinction in the famous "Tasteful or Tacky" competition.