Batten Down The Hatches, For I Have Discovered Facebook
So I broke down and signed up for Facebook about a week or so ago... and I am simply astounded at how many people I know from high school that are on there. More are emailing me almost every day. It's like the ten-year reunion, albeit six years late and we're scattered all over the place as opposed to being in some auditorium. If you're looking to find me on Facebook, I'm not the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jay Ramsperger.
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, 12 October 2K9
I had a friend, was a big baseball player
Back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool, boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside, sat down, had a few drinks
But all he kept talking about...
Glory days, well, they'll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days... glory days...
Well, there's a girl that lives up the block
Back in school, she could turn all the boys' heads
Sometimes on a Friday, I'll stop by and have a few drinks
After she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby, well, they split up
I guess it's two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times
She says when she feels like crying
She starts laughing, thinking about...
Glory days, yeah, they'll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days... glory days...
Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
And I'm going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old, I don't sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture a little of the glory of
Well, time slips away and leaves you with nothing, mister
But boring stories of...
Glory days, yeah, they'll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days... glory days...
Glory days, yeah, they'll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days... glory days...
-- Bruce Springsteen
"Glory Days"
Born in the USA (1984)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sayonara, Farewell, Amen, Chunky Peanut Butter
(and yes, I really did use that as the title for an email)
'Cause there's no time for fussing or fighting, my friend
But baby, I'm amazed at the hate that you can send
And you... painted my entire world
But I... don't have the turpentine to clean what you have soiled
And I won't forget it
-- Bad Religion, "You"
There's damned few phrases that are more exciting and terrifying than "Last email from the George Washington". I'll freely admit that my time on board Kitty Hawk drastically colored my view of 7th Fleet. The only time GW got the lockdown while I was there was for Fast Cruise, our dress rehearsal for underway we do coming out of every yard period. And after the hell of packing up two gym lockers full of stuff, as four years is far too long to homestead on ships, I was ready for a restful flight home.
As most of the 8 people in the world who read this know, things hardly ever go that smooth for me. First leg: Tokyo to LA. 9 and a half hours, with a little girl about 18 months old and five rows ahead of me, crying loud enough to be heard by most everybody in the cabin approximately every half-hour. We get off, make it through customs ok in time for the second leg: LA to Dallas. Flight's delayed about a half hour, ok, difficult but not impossible to make the connection, provided the flight leaves at the new time. At about 1:40 PM -- five minutes after the original departure time, kiddies -- they finally let people off the plane as it was being hoteled to us from another flight. Which means they have to spend time cleaning it and getting it ready for us.
You ever see those memetic pictures of the poorly drawn guy going "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--"? That was me right then because I was guaranteed to miss my connecting flight over this stupid shit. At length, I get put on a new connecting flight to San Antonio and arrive about 2 hours after the original arrival time.
Next hellacious experience: buying a car.
(and yes, I really did use that as the title for an email)
'Cause there's no time for fussing or fighting, my friend
But baby, I'm amazed at the hate that you can send
And you... painted my entire world
But I... don't have the turpentine to clean what you have soiled
And I won't forget it
-- Bad Religion, "You"
There's damned few phrases that are more exciting and terrifying than "Last email from the George Washington". I'll freely admit that my time on board Kitty Hawk drastically colored my view of 7th Fleet. The only time GW got the lockdown while I was there was for Fast Cruise, our dress rehearsal for underway we do coming out of every yard period. And after the hell of packing up two gym lockers full of stuff, as four years is far too long to homestead on ships, I was ready for a restful flight home.
As most of the 8 people in the world who read this know, things hardly ever go that smooth for me. First leg: Tokyo to LA. 9 and a half hours, with a little girl about 18 months old and five rows ahead of me, crying loud enough to be heard by most everybody in the cabin approximately every half-hour. We get off, make it through customs ok in time for the second leg: LA to Dallas. Flight's delayed about a half hour, ok, difficult but not impossible to make the connection, provided the flight leaves at the new time. At about 1:40 PM -- five minutes after the original departure time, kiddies -- they finally let people off the plane as it was being hoteled to us from another flight. Which means they have to spend time cleaning it and getting it ready for us.
You ever see those memetic pictures of the poorly drawn guy going "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--"? That was me right then because I was guaranteed to miss my connecting flight over this stupid shit. At length, I get put on a new connecting flight to San Antonio and arrive about 2 hours after the original arrival time.
Next hellacious experience: buying a car.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, 03 March 2K9
Yeah, I get it, you're an outcast
Always under attack, always coming in last
Bringing up the past, nobody owes you anything
I think you need a shotgun blast, a kick in the ass
So paranoid, watch your back!
Oh my, here we go
Another loose cannon gone bipolar
Slipped down, couldn't get much lower
Quicksand's got no sense of humor
I'm still laughing like hell
You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe
You've been infected by a social disease
Well then, take your medicine!
I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain
Somehow I'm still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?
I'm so sick of this tombstone mentality
If there's an afterlife, then it'll set you free
But I'm not gonna part the seas
You're a self-fulfilling prophecy
You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe
You've been infected by a social disease
Well then, take your medicine!
I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain
Somehow I'm still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?
-- Shinedown
"Sound of Madness"
The Sound of Madness (2008)
Yeah, I get it, you're an outcast
Always under attack, always coming in last
Bringing up the past, nobody owes you anything
I think you need a shotgun blast, a kick in the ass
So paranoid, watch your back!
Oh my, here we go
Another loose cannon gone bipolar
Slipped down, couldn't get much lower
Quicksand's got no sense of humor
I'm still laughing like hell
You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe
You've been infected by a social disease
Well then, take your medicine!
I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain
Somehow I'm still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?
I'm so sick of this tombstone mentality
If there's an afterlife, then it'll set you free
But I'm not gonna part the seas
You're a self-fulfilling prophecy
You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe
You've been infected by a social disease
Well then, take your medicine!
I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain
Somehow I'm still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?
-- Shinedown
"Sound of Madness"
The Sound of Madness (2008)
Monday, February 16, 2009
My God, You Mean To Tell Me I've Not Touched This Thing In Almost A Year?!
Word life, update like a motherfucker!
So, what all has happened in my crazed life that warrants such a long hiatus, even longer than Rob T's apparent retirement?
The last voyage of the Kitty Hawk, for starters. I crossed Hawaii off my Places To Visit Before I Die List, and my mom fell in love with San Diego when my folks came up to see me. (What the hell, so did I.) And then there was Bremerton. If Sir Mix-A-Lot is writing a song about how remarkably unattractive and unintelligent a large portion of the the female population of your city is... you've got some problems.
Back in Japan for a while onboard the George Washington, helping them see what life is like out here, and no, the ship has not been on lockdown once yet.
Also, in the shock result of the year given how skewed the test was against what I've been spending the past three years doing, I made Petty Officer First Class. Which in turn catches me right up to Chris Gates, assuming he hasn't already made Master/First Sergeant.
Been getting into raiding with my tankadin on World of Warcraft, did Karazhan prior to the release of Wrath of the Lich King and recently went into Naxxramas.
IN MEMORIAM: Kenneth William Solomon, aka my last surviving grandpa, called back to the celestial home after nearly a century of devoted service. Jon Stewart may have a point about people that make the world a better place needing to stop dying, but you have clearly earned your rest.
Finally, Blog Nation, I'll be shaving my head. No, I haven't joined a cult, or even Chris's MafiaWars group he's hollering about me joining, but I'll be helping out kids with cancer. So by all means, check out the site and put some money on my melon.
Word life, update like a motherfucker!
So, what all has happened in my crazed life that warrants such a long hiatus, even longer than Rob T's apparent retirement?
The last voyage of the Kitty Hawk, for starters. I crossed Hawaii off my Places To Visit Before I Die List, and my mom fell in love with San Diego when my folks came up to see me. (What the hell, so did I.) And then there was Bremerton. If Sir Mix-A-Lot is writing a song about how remarkably unattractive and unintelligent a large portion of the the female population of your city is... you've got some problems.
Back in Japan for a while onboard the George Washington, helping them see what life is like out here, and no, the ship has not been on lockdown once yet.
Also, in the shock result of the year given how skewed the test was against what I've been spending the past three years doing, I made Petty Officer First Class. Which in turn catches me right up to Chris Gates, assuming he hasn't already made Master/First Sergeant.
Been getting into raiding with my tankadin on World of Warcraft, did Karazhan prior to the release of Wrath of the Lich King and recently went into Naxxramas.
IN MEMORIAM: Kenneth William Solomon, aka my last surviving grandpa, called back to the celestial home after nearly a century of devoted service. Jon Stewart may have a point about people that make the world a better place needing to stop dying, but you have clearly earned your rest.
Finally, Blog Nation, I'll be shaving my head. No, I haven't joined a cult, or even Chris's MafiaWars group he's hollering about me joining, but I'll be helping out kids with cancer. So by all means, check out the site and put some money on my melon.
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, Part the Second: January 2K9
Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
Sometimes it feels like... this world's gone crazy
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong didn't seem so hazy
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept?
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Ohhh, Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
Grandpa, everything is changing fast
We call it progress, but I just don't know
And Grandpa, let's wander back into the past
And paint me a picture of long ago
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept?
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Ohhh, Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
-- The Judds
"Grandpa (Tell Me About The Good Old Days)"
Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
Sometimes it feels like... this world's gone crazy
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong didn't seem so hazy
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept?
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Ohhh, Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
Grandpa, everything is changing fast
We call it progress, but I just don't know
And Grandpa, let's wander back into the past
And paint me a picture of long ago
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept?
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Ohhh, Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
-- The Judds
"Grandpa (Tell Me About The Good Old Days)"
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, Part the First: December 2K8
It's only when your poison spins
Into the life you'd hoped to live
And suddenly you wake up in a shaken panic (now!)
You'd set me up like a lamb to slaughter
Garbo as the farmer's daughter
Unbelieveable; the gospel according to who?
I lay right down
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
Don't turn your talking points on me
History will set me free
The future is ours and you don't even rate a footnote (now!)
So who's chasing you? Where did you go?
You disappear midsentence in a judgement crisis
I see my in and go for it, you weakened shill
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
You savor your dying breath
I forgive but I don't forget
You work it out, let's hear that argument again
Camera Three, go, now!
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
Baby, I am calling you on that
Baby, I am calling you on that...
-- R.E.M.
"Living Well is the Best Revenge"
Accelerate (2008)
It's only when your poison spins
Into the life you'd hoped to live
And suddenly you wake up in a shaken panic (now!)
You'd set me up like a lamb to slaughter
Garbo as the farmer's daughter
Unbelieveable; the gospel according to who?
I lay right down
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
Don't turn your talking points on me
History will set me free
The future is ours and you don't even rate a footnote (now!)
So who's chasing you? Where did you go?
You disappear midsentence in a judgement crisis
I see my in and go for it, you weakened shill
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
You savor your dying breath
I forgive but I don't forget
You work it out, let's hear that argument again
Camera Three, go, now!
All your sad and lost apostles
Hum my name and flare their nostrils
Choking on the bones you toss to them
I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
Baby, I am calling you on that
Baby, I am calling you on that
Baby, I am calling you on that...
-- R.E.M.
"Living Well is the Best Revenge"
Accelerate (2008)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, 20 May 2K8
This is the official Dean W. McFarland theme song, as the person so named has a propensity for uttering strangely homoerotic things... Anyhow, a tangent sparked by IT1 Frankmiller (it's actually two words, but for a time before he arrived, his name was pronounced as if it were but one) actually put this song back in my head...
Two-week vacation, Costa Rica, see Amor-ica
Young ladies, oh eureka! So many there to score-ica
Cruise the ocean bars with some similar-type fellows
Little Latin lovelies drinking gin and Mello Yellos
Please get me a towel
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
You're all over town
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Nowhere to go, but nothing to do
I'll be as gentle on you as tearless baby shampoo
Back to my bungalow with flesh tone kimonos
Ah, come a little closer feel the "Sting" of my "Bono", no no no no
The talk of the town
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
How you get around
In your tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Little Latin lovelies will love to drink gin
And Mello Yello in my bungalow
Lovin' me
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
All the French girls go "Zut alours, no no no no, zut alours, no no"
Coming at the target, you're as straight as Magellan
If you've got a secret weapon, well you're as sure as hell ain't tellin'
Cause your mouth made an offer that the bodies cannot veto
No woman can resist a man who looks good in a Speedo
Fuckin' get me a towel
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
You're all over town
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Talk of the town
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
How you get around
In your tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Little Latin lovelies will love to drink gin
And Mello Yello in my bungalow
La-la la-la la-la la-la
La-la la-la la-la la-la
La-la la-la la-la la-la
Zut alours, no, zut alours, no no, zut alours, no no no no no
-- Caviar
"Tangerine Speedo"
Caviar (2000)
This is the official Dean W. McFarland theme song, as the person so named has a propensity for uttering strangely homoerotic things... Anyhow, a tangent sparked by IT1 Frankmiller (it's actually two words, but for a time before he arrived, his name was pronounced as if it were but one) actually put this song back in my head...
Two-week vacation, Costa Rica, see Amor-ica
Young ladies, oh eureka! So many there to score-ica
Cruise the ocean bars with some similar-type fellows
Little Latin lovelies drinking gin and Mello Yellos
Please get me a towel
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
You're all over town
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Nowhere to go, but nothing to do
I'll be as gentle on you as tearless baby shampoo
Back to my bungalow with flesh tone kimonos
Ah, come a little closer feel the "Sting" of my "Bono", no no no no
The talk of the town
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
How you get around
In your tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Little Latin lovelies will love to drink gin
And Mello Yello in my bungalow
Lovin' me
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
All the French girls go "Zut alours, no no no no, zut alours, no no"
Coming at the target, you're as straight as Magellan
If you've got a secret weapon, well you're as sure as hell ain't tellin'
Cause your mouth made an offer that the bodies cannot veto
No woman can resist a man who looks good in a Speedo
Fuckin' get me a towel
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
You're all over town
Tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Talk of the town
Mr. Tangerine Speedo
How you get around
In your tangerine la-la la-la la-la la-la
Little Latin lovelies will love to drink gin
And Mello Yello in my bungalow
La-la la-la la-la la-la
La-la la-la la-la la-la
La-la la-la la-la la-la
Zut alours, no, zut alours, no no, zut alours, no no no no no
-- Caviar
"Tangerine Speedo"
Caviar (2000)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Where's Eric Bischoff Now That We REALLY Need Him?
So I bummed a copy of the demo CD from the latest ish of PC Gamer because it purported to have a copy of the Warhammer Online intro movie. What I saw was at least 3 minutes of chubby editor-type expounding upon the Warhammer phenomenon, and not very well. It was obvious he took zero ranks in Knowledge (What The Hell He Was Talking About) skill, even holding up a freakin' golf club in the middle of his discourse. And there was not one CG movie or screenshot or gameplay reel to be seen anywhere. Long story short, it was made of chubby douchebag for 100% fail, and he overstayed his welcome by at least a good three minutes.
So I bummed a copy of the demo CD from the latest ish of PC Gamer because it purported to have a copy of the Warhammer Online intro movie. What I saw was at least 3 minutes of chubby editor-type expounding upon the Warhammer phenomenon, and not very well. It was obvious he took zero ranks in Knowledge (What The Hell He Was Talking About) skill, even holding up a freakin' golf club in the middle of his discourse. And there was not one CG movie or screenshot or gameplay reel to be seen anywhere. Long story short, it was made of chubby douchebag for 100% fail, and he overstayed his welcome by at least a good three minutes.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Song of the Indeterminate Time Period, 18 May 2K8
(Rationale: Probable Fraidy Cat Cruise #n: The Annihilation Of Our Remaining Free Time)
If the storm doesn't kill me
The government will
I've gotta get that outta my head
It's a new day today and the coffee is strong
I finally got some rest
So a man's put to task and challenges
I was taught to hold my head high
Collect what is mine, make the best of what today has
Houston is filled with promise
Laredo's a beautiful place
And Galveston sings like that song that I loved
Its meaning has not been erased
And so there are claims forgiven
And so there are things that are gone
Houston is filled with promise
Laredo's a beautiful place
And Galveston sings like that song that I loved
Its meaning has not been erased
And some things, they fall to the wayside
Their memories yet to be stilled
Belief has not failed me
And so I am put to the test
-- R.E.M.
"Houston"
Accelerate (2008)
(Rationale: Probable Fraidy Cat Cruise #n: The Annihilation Of Our Remaining Free Time)
If the storm doesn't kill me
The government will
I've gotta get that outta my head
It's a new day today and the coffee is strong
I finally got some rest
So a man's put to task and challenges
I was taught to hold my head high
Collect what is mine, make the best of what today has
Houston is filled with promise
Laredo's a beautiful place
And Galveston sings like that song that I loved
Its meaning has not been erased
And so there are claims forgiven
And so there are things that are gone
Houston is filled with promise
Laredo's a beautiful place
And Galveston sings like that song that I loved
Its meaning has not been erased
And some things, they fall to the wayside
Their memories yet to be stilled
Belief has not failed me
And so I am put to the test
-- R.E.M.
"Houston"
Accelerate (2008)
And Gates Says I Hardly Update Anymore...
Jim over at fewl.net finds this doozy of an article by the former skipper of the Essex which succinctly speaks volumes on everything that is wrong with the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. Granted, he waited until he was retired to release it, but I'm not holding that against him. Is it any wonder I want out of Japan?
Then again, I would've been too strongly tempted to rip a page from Belkar's rulebook if I wrote that article...
Jim over at fewl.net finds this doozy of an article by the former skipper of the Essex which succinctly speaks volumes on everything that is wrong with the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. Granted, he waited until he was retired to release it, but I'm not holding that against him. Is it any wonder I want out of Japan?
Then again, I would've been too strongly tempted to rip a page from Belkar's rulebook if I wrote that article...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
