ah, the music of my youth.  the 90s.  it was like the 70s, but better.  we saw the advent and evolution of everything from Grunge to Boy Bands, and there wasn’t a year in the decade without some awesome soundtrack full of memories for those of us who grew up then.  when i think of my teen years, the best memories i have are tied to some of the best music.  i think of Nirvana, Sublime, Alanis Morissette, the Backstreet Boys, Snoop Dogg, Ace of Base and No Doubt.  i think of summers and evenings spent watching video after video on MTV or sitting in front of the stereo with a cassette in the recorder and the radio blasting, waiting with my finger on the pause button to catch every note of the next favorite they’d play so that i’d have a sweet mixtape of all the songs i loved to carry around in my boom box or Walkman… eventually to listen to in my car.  those were definitely the days.

one thing i’ve always been very keen to pick out about the history of everything is the way that it comes full circle, and seems to go in trends.  i’ve been wading through crappy Emo and Pop music for 8 years now, waiting for that trend to die.  now, at the tail-end of the 80s revival period, we are starting to see a show of our favorite old Grunge bands restringing their guitars and gearing up for tours and the release of new albums.  ::screeeeech:: WHAT?  yeah, that’s exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago when i learned Soundgarden was playing Lollapalooza in Chicago.

#1 – Soundgarden

that’s right.  Chris Cornell is over himself.  for now.

on January 1, 2010, Cornell announced via Twitter that Soundgarden was officially going to make another go of it.  they played their first live show in 13 years on April 16, 2010, in their hometown and followed that up by closing down Lollapalooza in Chicago back at the beginning of the month.  on September 28, their new compilation CD, Telephantasm: A Retrospective, debuts and will be included with copies of the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock game – another monumental occasion in that it will be the first time a video game has ever been packaged with a retail CD.  which, in my humble opinion, is pretty f-ing cool.  the only newcomer track on the CD is the previously unreleased “Black Rain“, which will also be featured in the Guitar Hero game.  the album will also be released that day to retail, a 2-disc set with DVD.  super.  i’ll end up having the CD, by proxy, since i will buy Guitar Hero.  double bonus for me.

so then i climb in the car the other day and hear The EDGE (our badass local rock station) announce that Bush is coming in concert.  wait, BUSH?  the Bush, like, with Gavin freaking Rossdale Bush?

#2 – Bush

okay, so maybe not ALL of these guys, but Gavin Rossdale is back with original drummer Robin Goodridge, and that’s good enough for me!  in June they announced their reunion and new upcoming tour, kicking off in California on September 25, 2010, as well as the release of a new CD, Everything Always Now.  i really hope that it can pull off what Sixteen Stone did… man, that’s still one of those albums i can just listen to all the way through and be happy.  their first single in 8 years, “Afterlife” also premiered coinciding with their announcement.

another time, about a week ago, i was listening to the EDGE again and heard a song and thought, “gee this sounds an AWFUL lot like Sublime with a different singer…”

#3 – Sublime with Rome

and i was right.  although word of the “Sublime” reunion has been on the street for a year, we are only now hearing some of what they have to offer because of a legal dispute over the name of the band.  Sublime’s demise in the 90s was the unfortunate loss of Brad Nowell, the original lead singer.  his family and “estate” did not feel it was right for the remaining members to continue to use the name Sublime without Brad, even though they were quoted as saying that they were happy to use the moniker to generate awareness and still use Sublime for something positive.  howevermuch i see both sides of the argument, the family is right – it would be no different than Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic trying to pass off another Nirvana.  Brad WAS Sublime, and it’s just not the same without him.  not that i don’t appreciate what these guys are trying to do, and glad to hear one of my old faves back on the airwaves again.

okay now i’m done with the pictures.  research for writing blogs is exhausting!  but nonetheless, i march on.

some other 90s bands (who i am also equally excited about) that have decided to give it another go include:

• blink-182 (well… they had some funny songs…)
• Creed (not sure i can take much more of them)
• No Doubt
• Limp Bizkit (ugh, WHY?)
• Jane’s Addiction
• Sugar Ray (i’m sorry but i just really feel like a teenager if i listen to their music)
• Smashing Pumpkins
• Stone Temple Pilots
• Blur

none of these can be as bad as the NKOTB reunion, though, right?  (although seriously i probably would go to that too.)

my wish list for 90s bands that should make a comeback?

• Nirvana (hah.)
• Alanis Morissette (actually, she released a CD in 2008, and a song for
  “Prince of Persia” soundtrack this year.  i’m reeling…)
• Rage Against the Machine (another hah.)
• Everlast
• Boyz II Men
• Blues Traveler
• Dr. Dre (please please please!)

hm.  i guess that’s all i have to say on that subject.

I WANT MY OLDSCHOOL MTV ANYWAY!  WTF IS THIS REALITY SHOW GARBAGE?

i wrote a letter last night to Travis’ cousin who is currently serving time FOR BEING A DUMB ASS.  i decided, as i wrote, that it was pretty much general because i don’t really know him that well, but i’m really sick and tired of people in my generation who sit around and do nothing but get in trouble and party and whine about their shitty situations.  i have no sympathy for any of my friends who continually get kicked out of their apartments, don’t have licenses or cars, can’t seem to stay off probation or out of trouble, rely on their parents and friends to take care of them and their problems…  i’m never surprised when i hear it, because every time i run into one of these people somewhere they haven’t changed since the last time i saw them.  they do nothing for themselves, they expect a handout and to be coddled and treated like they’re something special.  it’s bullshit.  i think that there are a lot of strong, smart people in our generation and i fully believe this generation has the potential to do some serious shit in the world – but it’s all up to the choices we make, ultimately whether or not the majority of us decide to grow up and get off our asses.  here is a condensed version of what i wrote, i think there are a lot of people who could apply this to themselves.

i’m sure that i’m the last person you’re expecting to hear from considering we don’t know each other well and i haven’t spent much time with you since i met your cousin.  i felt a very strong obligation to write though, after i read your last letter to Linda and heard her side.  several reasons are compelling me, but most of all, i think you need to hear from someone who understands your situation and can say things to you that you can understand.  i promise upfront that you will not like some of what i have to say (but face it, you need to hear, because you fucked up); i’m sure at the end though you won’t hate me.  please take your time reading this – read it ten times if you have to – till it all sinks in for ya and gets in there good.  you don’t have to heed my advice, but at least keep it in the back of your mind.

so you don’t know too terribly much about me, but enough to know that you and i are not so different.  we’re the same age and have faced lots of the same problems – difference being the worst trouble i ever got in was a “Disturbing the Peace” ticket in N. Richland Hills.  woooooo. :P     honestly, i probably should have been sitting where you are many more times than i care to even think about, for the same kind of stuff.  you know why?

BECAUSE I MADE BAD CHOICES.

yep, i’ll bet you’re sick of hearing that one, too, but don’t lie to me or yourself or anyone else about it because we ALL know you did.  everyone does it.  life is a series of bad decisions.  it’s all in how you handle the situations, though, as to whether you end up in jail (like you) or free and clean (like me).  nothing is ever necessarily a “perfect” good decision, because everything has positive and negative consequences.  if you manage to REALLY screw things up, the ONLY thing you can do is learn and move forward.  and by “learn” i don’t mean “don’t be so obvious next time” or “do it different so you don’t get caught”.  you have to really learn – to the point where you completely avoid that type of consequence in the future.  to the point where you don’t have to deal with it again.  like sticking your hand in fire or cutting yourself with a knife – you figure out after the first – maybe second – time that you probably shouldn’t do that again because it hurts and it sucks.  unless you like that kind of thing, in which case you probably need to be on medication and undergo intensive ongoing psychotherapy.  i’m just sayin’… hot things are hot, stupid.  either way, once you get out of trouble TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM IT.  because you’re never smart enough not to get caught and you know what’s going to happen.

so who am i to tell you what to do, right?  i mean, really, i’m not an expert or a therapist but i’ve been around and i’ve hit rock bottom a few times.  and i don’t know you or your friends, but i can pretty much figure out who you all are because i’ve been or been friends with you at one time or another.  i’ve done drugs, partied, broken the law – many of the things you stand guilty of – and you know what, i think that qualifies me to tell you what i think about you, your situation, and some things you might try to avoid being in that place down the line.  if i can tell you the two most important things i’ve ever learned in my life, they are this:

1. ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING.
2. BE A GOOD PERSON.

you know who taught me those things?  my drunk, selfish, dysfunctional parents.  yep, me too dude.  how they ever managed to teach us anything is beyond me, but it’s REALLY impressive that that’s the message they managed to get across.  always do the right thing, be a good person.  it sounds religious, but it can apply anywhere.  hell, if everyone tried their hardest to just do those two things, the world would be a lot better place.  and you don’t have to be anyone special to apply them to your life – not smart or hard-working or good looking or rich or anything.  anyone can do the right thing.  anyone can be a good person.

that brings us back to choices.  you have to makes choices, all the time, and every one of them is going to affect you.  take smoking weed, for example: it has many good effects that you enjoy, but it also has bad affects that have shitty consequences.  so no matter how much you like smoking it, it’s still illegal, and unfortunately the effects of that last a whole lot longer than being high AND are completely bullshit.  i admit i’m one of the more than 86% of the population that still doesn’t know why it’s illegal or have a problem with it, but it is, and until it’s not you’re probably better off staying away from it as much as possible because the consequences are not worth it.

so when you get out of jail, what are your options?  where will you go?  how will you pay for yourself?  what are you going to do?  more choices.  in some cases, you may not have any choices and that’s also a consequence of decisions you’ve made.  here’s what i think you should do:

1.)  GET OFF YOUR ASS. you’re no different than most of the rest of us.  you’re not a baby and you’re not retarded.  you had a shitty childhood but that’s not an excuse anymore because most of us did.  you have to stop relying on other people to do things for you.  people can support you and help you along the way, but you really need to do it for yourself.  you especially can’t rely on Linda to help you out.  she’s not obligated to you in any way, and in her mind you’ve burned her more often than not so she’s applying the “hot things are hot” lesson to avoid getting burned again.  that’s not to say she doesn’t care about you, but she’s much less likely to help you out if you just keep doing stuff that she doesn’t approve of and can’t see her help as being help more than hurt.  with that, it’s going to take time – you have to get your shit together and prove to her that you’re not going to do any more dumb stuff to get back in her good graces.  for now, you need to be grateful for what she HAS done and get off your ass and do some of the stuff she suggested.  there should be resources available to you for you to start making arrangements for rehab and moving forward once you get out.  do what you have to do.  no one is going to do it for you now.  you’re a big boy and you CAN do it.  you have to make yourself.

2.)  GET RID OF YOUR SHITTY FRIENDS. yeah that’s right.  no, i don’t know them but i can almost tell who they are.  and you don’t need them.  nine times out of ten people make bad choices because of other people, for various reasons.  a kid i grew up with died of a drug overdose a few years ago – pills.  i’m sure he didn’t pop them all that night thinking, “WOW, i’m going to kill myself,” since he was partying with his friends.  he was probably thinking, “WOW i’m so fuckin’ cool, i just took all that shit! i’m a badass!”  and you know what his cool ass friends did later when he started having seizures and passed out?  put him in a car and left him to die.  but they were his friends!  why didn’t they drive him to a hospital or call the ambulance?  because even OTHER PEOPLE make bad decisions that can affect you.  so all-in-all, 99% of these “friends” you have need to go.  trust me, i have TWO actual friends.  i know a lot of people and i’ve had more friends in the past, but i stay away from the “dangerous” acquaintances because nothing good ever comes out of it.  and when you’re like, “oh, i wonder how so-and-so is doing?” you probably need to let it go because those people most likely won’t change, some will still be involved in things you don’t need to, and all will provide you the comfort zone you need to revert back to your old self.  if you really want to change yourself this is important.  you will find new friends in better situations, and as long as you don’t burn them and are a good friend in return, you will have people you can rely on in the future.  if you have a friend right now that is a responsible, trustworthy person that is NOT involved in anything that’s going to get you into trouble, you can keep them around, but the rest have to go.  i had to do it.  i’m not saying cut everyone off – if you run into them or they call or something, don’t be a dick – but don’t gravitate back to them.  make up an excuse to get out of the situation if you have to: “sorry, i was just on my way to the store, i’ll catch up with you later.”  don’t piss them off but keep them at an arm’s length – remember, other people also make bad decisions and they obviously didn’t influence you to make good ones in the past.

3.)  OPEN YOUR EYES. obviously shit is not working too well for you because you keep ending up in the same shitty situations.  something needs to change.  you need to start thinking – look around, look at people, really watch them – and try to spot bad situations before you’re in over your head.  you are smart enough to do that.  be aware of what you’re getting into and spend time thinking about stuff before you do it so you can figure out what the best choice for you to make is.  you are ultimately responsible for YOU.

4.)  GROW UP. it sucks, it’s no fun, it’s not easy… but we all have to sometime.  you’re not a teenager anymore.  you can’t just keep doing all you want all the time and neglecting your responsibilities because at some point it’ll just keep getting worse for you.  you’re almost 30.  you can’t keep partying and doing dumb stuff.  you have to work and take care of your business (especially if you have a child, then you REALLY need to get your crap together).  you need to find a job and stick with it, follow the rules, don’t be an asshole to your boss/coworkers.  just do what you’re supposed to do and leave.  then get a place, somewhere you can keep your stuff and be to chill when you’re not at work.  find a hobby.  get a used XBOX or Gamecube and play video games or something.  anything to distract your mind and keep you away from dumb stuff.  have one or two friends over – good friends – no parties or big groups of people just hanging out.  that’s always a time bomb full of bad decisions waiting to explode.  work on your G.E.D., go to church, even walk at a park – you can do a lot of things to get your shit together, even right now where you are – make better choices for your day so you are further tomorrow.  grow up now… because you need to get your shit together before things get any worse.

i’m not trying to be mean, and i hope you’ll at least consider everything i’ve said.  i completely believe you have the potential to be somebody, and who knows what you’d accomplish if you really try.  you’ll do best with things you are passionate about so find something to do with yourself that really makes you happy AND helps you make good choices.  all of what i told you in this letter is what helped me turn things around; i was addicted to meth at one point, lost my son, got kicked out of my apartment, my car got repossessed… and i really didn’t have any family here or stable friends until Travis came along.  i didn’t go to rehab or jail, i just got my shit together, prioritized, grew up and started making better choices.  i’m not perfect but i’d say i have it pretty good right now – right where i should be at 28 – and though it was hard work, through everything i’ve been through, i’ve always tried to be a good person and done the right thing.  as a result, i’ve made better choices.  i hope you can apply what i’ve said to yourself.  good luck with everything.  take care of yourself, and God bless.

i make it a point to try to glean some new piece of information every single day, that i wouldn’t have otherwise learned if i hadn’t taken the time to actually think of it and look it up.  this makes me a nerd, i don’t care, i love to know things.  the other night, i was having a particular problem with my compass while i was trying to make a card.  i’m NOT an idiot, i know how a compass works, but i was really upset that if i put the marker to 3 inches i ended up with a 6-inch circle.  i understand the mechanics behind it, i know that a compass only plots half of an entire circle, but at that time the people in the Math department of my brain were busy playing in a ball pit or something because somehow the concept escaped me when i drew out my circle and thought, “gee, that looks AWFULLY big,” and then realized that i WAY overdid it.  and “wasted” a piece of paper, and now i had to figure out what half of all the dimensions i needed were going to be and someone had to go tell the Math department it was time to quit screwing around and get back to work.

throughout this process of grumbling to myself in my head about how stupid Geometry is and why can’t it just be what it is, i considered what the plural of compass might be as it had escaped my brain, had it ever been there before.  compasses?  compassi?  compi?  i had no idea, but then it started to bother me, as things like that always do.  the ADD department took over after that and turned things back over to the Art department, and i became entrenched in making my card and forgot all about compass until Saturday, when i was bored and glanced over at my craft area to see that compass rear its ugly head at me from my utensil cup.  grrrr.  and since i really had nothing better to do, i picked up my laptop and went to Dictionary.com, determined to know what the plural of compass was since Travis was on the phone and i couldn’t ask his opinion.  before i got to that point, however, there was a banner at the top of the page that advertised a “feature” from the site that said, “how does the insurance company determine whether or not something is an Act of God?” and the head of ADD was like, “OMG!  i’ve always wanted to know that!”  compass forgotten for the moment, we clicked the link.

so, i know what an Act of God is, generally, but i don’t recall ever having seen the actual definition for it or specifics or anything, so i was intrigued enough to read through everything the page that came up said.  Reference.com defines an “Act of God” as:

“act of God,  in law, an accident caused by the operation of extraordinary natural force. The effect of ordinary natural causes (e.g., that rain will leak through a defective roof) may be foreseen and avoided by the exercise of human care; failure to take the necessary precautions constitutes negligence, and the party injured in the accident may be entitled to damages. An act of God, however, is so extraordinary and devoid of human agency that reasonable care would not avoid the consequences; hence, the injured party has no right to damages. Accidents caused by tornadoes, perils of the sea, extraordinary floods, and severe ice storms are usually considered acts of God, but fires are not so considered unless they are caused by lightning.”

screeeeeeeeeech.

what?  okay.  maybe since i was on the compass track, the Make Sense Out of Fancy Definitions department was on vacation for the moment.  i went back over it in my head:

An act of God, however, is so extraordinary and devoid of human agency that reasonable care would not avoid the consequences; hence, the injured party has no right to damages.

now i know that Catastrophic insurance or something to that effect covers people who would be in these types of situations, but just to hear it put so bluntly, i laughed for about five solid minutes after re-reading the statement and letting it sink in a little.

so you’re telling me, that i can be an idiot and beyond that if something stupid happens to my house it will be fixed, but if one day God looks down and says, “i think a Tsunami would look nice from up here,” that the people involved in the “injury” part of the damages would not be entitled to recompensation because it was God’s fault and they can’t do anything about that?  it’s like a big, double F-you.  i thought it was the other way around, and even as i write this, and rereading that statement, i am still confused.  i’m not an insurance agent, and i’m not really that familiar with insurance stuff – as long as the stuff i need covered is covered “incaseshit”, then i’m not really interested in the specifics.  it just reads a little odd to me, is all, and i’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for all of it but i’m simply satisfied that i walked away having had a really good laugh for myself and having learned what could be considered an “Act of God”.

and i’ve told you all of that to tell you this:

the plural of compass:  compasses.

and now you know.

Fritz – aka “Fritter”
1994 (?) – 2010

in tribute.

today, my parents had their old miniature Poodle, Fritz, put down.  he was like 16, and blind, and missing all his teeth, and had what we think was a stroke that paralyzed one side of his face… but he was loved.  ugly and mean as he was, he was loved.

we got “Fritter” (or “Fritter B” as he was sometimes affectionately called) in the summer of 1996, after a friend of my aunt’s had rescued him from an abusive home.  he was very tiny, and his black poodle fur was matted.  he spent a good part of the first few days at our house hiding and snapping at everyone that came near – except Mom.  he grew to love our Mom so much, that there were times when no one else could even go near him.

due to the abuse (assumably) he was REALLY mean.  anyone who’s been to my parents’ house can testify to the fact that you don’t f*ck with their dogs.  he spent a good part of his life growling, either at someone or something, or sometimes nothing at all, depending on his mood.  he was never the smartest dog, either, but his simple-mindedness made him funny and lovable (when he wasn’t trying to bite your fingers off, of course).

in 2001, Fritter had a litter of puppies with my parents’ Jack Russell Terrier, Half Pint, and they ended up keeping the runt of the litter – fondly known as Chippewa, or “Chippy” for short.  Chippy has Fritz’s personality x10.  it was probably not a good idea for this dog to have bred, but my parents love their pets…

Fritter has spent the last few years of his life fairly quietly at my parents’ home, except for the occasional teasing from my brothers and i, and took many trips with Mom and Sirenna to Piedmont Cabin.  he enjoyed swimming, riding the mule, and hanging out on the pontoon boat, and of course being an asshole, which was his favorite pasttime.

we will never forget Fritter – his green Christmas sweater and the way it matted his fur into the shape of the sweater (and the fight to get it off)… the way he started paddling his legs within 10 feet of a body of water when held in the air… walking in circles because he forgot what he was doing then growling for no reason… the way he could stand on his front paws while taking a crap…  Fritter will definitely continue to be loved and missed by all whose lives he touched.

Fritter (left), with Chippy & Little Kitty, Christmastime 2003

emoticons.  smilies.  call them what you will, they are cute, sometimes funny, and a huge part of our life today.

emoticons were first used during the 19th century in humorous or casual writings, and are used to express the emotion of the writer through written or keyboard glyphs or characters.

19-Sep-82 11:44    Scott E  Fahlman             : - )
From: Scott E  Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-20c>

I propose that the following character sequence for joke
markers:

: - )

Read it sideways.  Actually, it is probably more economical
to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends.
For this, use

: - (

in 1982, Scott Fahlman suggested the use of these “character sequences” in a post to the Carnegie Mellon University computer science general board.  and here we are.

i have always had a smiley infatuation.  i even mark the end of my signature with a       = )  !!!   i also have this weird desire to find, save and collect smilies from the internet.  i was reminded of this yesterday as i was browsing around trying to find some cute custom smilies for this site – i liked the little green aliens (courtesy of Bouncy-Bubbles.net), they just look like they’re having so much fun!

sooo…. today, i am going to present you with a collection of some of the biggest, best, and coolest smilies i have found on the web, and some links to smiley/emoticon sites around the web.  there are some very creative and talented people out there – smilies are generally created pixel by pixel, so imagine drawing these creations with little tiny dots in a program like Photoshop, ending up with some of these results.  these artists definitely deserve our gratitude for their amazing work!  enjoy! 

Guitar Emote Hero Revamp
by ‘CookiemagiK @ deviantART

Super Mario Emote Brothers
by ‘CookiemagiK @ deviantART

Lightning Bug
by hsn2555 @ deviantART

Upmote
by MixedMilkChOcOlate @ deviantART

:tetris:
by alder-sketch @ deviantART

The Emoticon Creator
by jennifuh @ deviantART

:MovieNight:
by jagscupid @ deviantART

1 – :airguitar: by Marc-pHX @ deviantART
2 – :Cowabunga: by MenInASuitcase @ deviantART
3 – :droplet: by SparklyDest @ deviantART
4 – The Knights Who Say Ni! by livius @ deviantART
5 – :killtwobirdswithonestone: by arrioch @ deviantART
6 – Don’t eat emoticons Kirby by ChaosMole @ deviantART
7 – :lag: by Link3Kokiri @ deviantART
8 – Ninja vs Pirate by ‘CookiemagiK @ deviantART
9 – omg a spider by dutchie17 @ deviantART
10 – :mushroomemote: by TheBourgyman @ deviantART
11 – :teenager: by xxfangirlkillerxx @ deviantART
12 – Super volley revamp revamp by ‘CookiemagiK @ deviantART

———-

obviously, ‘CookiemagiK from deviantART is pretty good – his designs are so creative and fun!  he also has some other great artwork on his portfolio as well.  deviantART seems to be a resource teeming with options for those who create and/or collect smilies and emoticons.  there are groups (even support groups!) for people who are looking to connect with others, be challenged, and maybe even win prizes for their emoticon designs.  as far as standard old smilies go, there are some other designers who have made simpler, non-animated smilies for web use and to replace instant messenger smilies.  check some of these out:

• Mazeguy Smilies – http://www.mazeguy.net/smilies.html
• Mysmilies.com (formerly Crack’s Smilies) – http://www.mysmilies.com/
• Click Smilies – http://www.clicksmilies.com/
• Bouncy-Bubbles.net smilies – http://bouncy-bubbles.net/goodies/smilies.php#

———-

more information about smilies / emoticons @Wikipedia – Emoticon , @Wikipedia – List of Emoticons

SEE ALSO: @Wikipedia – ASCII Art

yeah.  that’s what i said too.  the original title of this photo was “Three Days Later He Had an Aneurysm”.  somehow, i’m not surprised.  i found this little gem as i was perusing my daily score of blog feeds, at Overkill 9000, where ridiculousness is king.

the official name of this obscenity is “Gigaminx”.  yeah, it even has a crazy name like that.  Gigaminx is part of a larger family of similar puzzles, called Megaminx.  these Rubix cube-like puzzles composed of 12 flat, pentagonal faces (a dodecahedron) that operate on 50 moveable pieces – 12 center faces, 20 corners, 30 edges.  enough to make your stomach do a little dive.  there are two main versions of Megaminx, in which they come in either 6 or 12 colors; variations include the above pictured 5-layer “Gigaminx”, the 7-layer “Teraminx”, and the 9-layer “Petaminx”.  the Kilominx/Flowerminx is another variation, similar to the Impossiball, in which the design is made up of only corners.

again, Fuck That.  i’ve never been able to make much sense of the REGULAR Rubix Cube, let alone scramble my brain on something like this for a while.  surprisingly, the Megaminx is not as hard to solve as it looks – not really much harder than a standard 3x3x3 Rubix.  the world record time for solving a Megaminx is 47.69 seconds.  WTF?!

in the market to make your brain boil?  Google this and you most certainly won’t be disappointed.

MORE INFO:

• Megaminx @Wikipedia
• Meffert’s Puzzle Shop (one of the two original creators of Megaminx, you can find all sorts of crazy twisting-puzzle gadgets here!)
• Jaap’s Puzzle Page (a compendium of information about many of the different puzzles)
• the original post @Overkill 9000

okay so maybe you want to ‘scuse the title of that post, but….

so on Friday, Jared downloaded the official preview trailer for the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta on Monday, May 3.  and dang.  i just can’t tell you how excited we all are.

this is the official ViDoc released by the Bungie team on Friday.  i’ve seen it probably… five times now, after having to show all my other carnage craving colleagues.  REALLY excited about the new armor abilities and the upgraded pistol and some of the other new weapons.  multiplayer looks like it’s going to be awesome too – the maps are crazy!  this is definitely set to be one of the best FPS (first-person shooters) in video game history, it definitely has the makings of a classic so far!  and the graphics… unreal.  it’s like seeing Halo again for the first time.  the lucky owners of Halo 3: ODST received a special invitation to join the multiplayer beta next Monday, May 3, to check it out and help them make sure it rolls off the shelf pristine and ready to play.  i know i’m ready – so expect me to be off the grid.  the gibs’ll be flying.

over and out, chief.

Yeah, I said it.

I don’t know what it means, but I said it, so there.

Remember in grade school, the good ol’ stop, drop and roll? You know, if you’re on fire, just drop to the ground and roll around to put the flames out. You know what most people do? Run around screaming until someone puts them out. Stop, drop, and roll goes out the window when you’re really on fire, even if it was fun to practice in Gym Class (and pretend you were doing Ninja rolls, LOLz…)

OK, so they even had the posters to go with it, you know the ones, with the duotone lineart pictures with the big red arrows… They depicted the steps for you, no words involved, so even those who couldn’t read would understand what they meant. My favorite was the Choking Poster – it was in every School Cafeteria across the country in the 80′s… You know, demonstrating the Heimlich maneuver and the sign for choking and all of that? That is one thing from my childhood I will never forget. They had the picture, the with the guy, who had already choked and it says “Turns Blue – Call 911″… the guy who looked like Darth Vader, unmasked and dying, with a blue duotone shaded face. Hmm… Yeah I’d say if I was a little kid and I saw that, I would RUN.

I told you all of that to bring you this little bit of humor. These images circulated around in an email message for quite some time; I just rediscovered them and laughed ’till I had tears coming out of my eyes. Not because it’s funny, but because, sadly, very accurate.

“DUCT AND COVER” – Retro Government Security Instruction Signs
(60 years later, we find out things were definitely amiss…)

RULE #1: If you are on fire, do not run.

RULE #2: If you spot a big red arrow, pin it against the wall with your shoulder.

RULE #3: If you are sprayed with a hazardous chemical, you should think about it carefully before seeking treatment.

RULE #4: If a building falls on you, you can use a flashlight to lift the debris right off!

RULE #5: Hurricanes, dead fish, and the Biohazard Symbol have a lot in common – think about it!

RULE #6: Watch out for Terrorists that have Pink Eye and Leprosy. They are known to rub their hands together maniacally!

RULE #7: If a door is closed, Karate Chop it open.

RULE #8: Try to absorb as much radiation as possible with your groin area. After 5 minutes and 12 seconds, you may become sterile.

RULE #9: Exposure to radiation may cause you to mutate to gigantic dimensions: Watch Your Head.

RULE #10: If you’re a radiation-exposed mutant with a deformed hand, close the window. No one wants to see that sh*t.

RULE #11: If your lungs an stomach start talking, stand with your arms akimbo to cause a reaction that creates bacteria, and they will stop.

RULE #12: If you are trapped under falling debris, conserve oxygen by not farting.

RULE #13: Do not drive a station wagon if a power pole is protruding from the hood.

RULE #14: A thin wall should be sufficient protection against radiation.

AND FINALLY…. Always remember to carry food with you during a Terrorist Attack. At least you will be able to enjoy a nice Coke and an apple before you die!

Think about that one for awhile…

Spring is Back!
Originally uploaded by shaunna

YAAAAAY!! I took this picture on Friday when Shannon and I went to the cemetery in Wooster, OH, to get some good shots (and get out of our houses!) We got a lot of great photos – this is the one I am the most impressed with, though. I had to throw my camera underneath it though, to get a good shot, because the poor little thing’s head was droopy!!

What a wonderful sign though – let’s just hope that there’s no more snow!!!

If you would like to see more of my {amateuer} photography, you can check out my NEW FLICKR page. Shannon has also begun adding more of her photos there, in addition to her deviantART site; so if you are a Shannon fan, you can check out more of her work on HER NEW FLICKR page. (LOLz, had to get that one in there for ya buddy – I know you have a following going!!)

Thanks for checkin’ us out, there will always be more to come…. Because we’re picture Cr@zy over here

Shannon and i took her girls today and went to the cemetary for a walk and taking pictures.  we both ended up with a lot of really cool stuff, and finding some really neat things!

interesting choice for a grave marker, don’t you think?

a pretty engraving…

part of the Veterans’ Memorial at Wooster Cemetery in Wooster, Ohio.  loved this quote….

Shannon and i both loved this one on sight – she because it was a tree, and i because i was intrigued….  her family’s name is on it which made it all the cooler…. don’t know if they’re relatives or not though…  very unique marker design.