Friday, September 29, 2006

The Fine Art of Listening

I'm tired...spent all day working license models and proposal stuff. Throw in some soccer practice and I'll just let Dilbert speak for me today. Enjoy.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Thundercats

The half time cheer that my U-16 team shouts in the huddle before taking the field is:

Thundercats!
Thundercats!
Thundercats!
Hoooooooooo!


Tuesday, September 26, 2006

I Take Pictures of Crazy People

This was the phrase that was heard on the soccer field during the 2nd game of my U-16 team's tournament in Houma, LA.

I promise you that I will not do this story justice. About 3 minutes into the first half of our second game, I experienced one of the weirdest moments in my 20 + some odd career in soccer. A screaming insane woman came stumbling out onto the field in the middle of our game - shouting and pointing at my players and asking to see the coach. When I volunteered myself, I was rejected in favor by the requested appearance of either the tournament director or the police.

Turns out that our right fullback had decided to relieve himself in this woman's backyard. She was livid. Everyone was screaming at her (even the ref) except for one guy. He was standing on the sideline snapping pictures. In the midst of my apologies (and the player's apologies), she screams at the man and asks him who he is and what he is doing. He replies:

"I take pictures of crazy people."

Monday, September 25, 2006

The City of Falling Angels


I just finished reading The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. Falling Angels is a non fiction story about the burning of the Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy. I have never been to Italy and I have only ever been to one opera...not sure why I decided to read this. Overall though, I have to give the book a high recommendation and would love for someone who has had the pleasure of visiting Venice to let me know if this book is an accurate representation.

Berendt seems to have that rare talent in an author to create a strong sense of place and this is why I like the book so much. The book, while using the Fenice tragedy as the thread through the story, is more about the people and culture of Venice than it is about the loss of the opera house and the ensuing investigation. Falling Angels successfully took me to a new place, introduced me to bizarre and colorful people, and made me feel like I visited a city that I have never visited. In that sense, the book is great read. The plot doesn't necessarily suck you in, but the place sure does. I hereby start my lobbying to travel to Venice for my next vacation.

PS. John Berendt also wrote Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (which I have not read).

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Defeating the 12th Man

I am a casual football fan with a layman's level of knowledge of the game. I was cruising the NY Times today and found this article about adding microphones and headsets for players in order to deal with crowd noise. Doesn't sound like a good idea to this Monday morning quarterback.

"With no reasonable way to curb enthusiasm without appearing stodgy, Roger Goodell, the new N.F.L. commissioner, is floating another idea: placing microphones in quarterbacks’ helmets and speakers in the helmets of other offensive players, so that play calls and snap counts can be heard despite the din. Quarterbacks now have earpieces that allow them to hear coaches, but the transmission is cut with 15 seconds left on the play clock."

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Winding Down

Winding down another trip to NJ this week...for some reason, every night, I am collapsing and simply exhausted by 11:30 PM. Usually, I am up till all odd hours raving about some crappy movie on TV. Tonight, no movies at all. I did however take some time to catch up on some tunes. A few things I am excited about:
  1. Joseph Arthur, Nuclear Daydream
  2. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, The Letting Go
  3. Pete Yorn, Nightcrawler
  4. Dan Bern, Breathe
  5. Decemberists, O Valencia! (New single on iTunes)

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Don't have a lot of time this morning...gotta run to Starbucks. However, for those of you who are Ze fans and maybe just don't have tme to go over there...and for those of you who need to be convinced...here's a new piece of music coming out of his video blog. I confess, I like the music I find there.



the show with zefrank

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Fun With Travel

Weather in Houston yesterday was so nasty that my flight from Lafayette to Houston was delayed 1 hour. When you only have a 45 minute layover, this is bad news. We landed in Houston 15 minutes prior to my connecting flight's departure time. I made it across the airport (no easy task in Houston) in 14 minutes. They were closing the gate as I approached.

I almost broke my long standing rule of "I will never run in an airport" in order to make that flight. However, I find that running in airports just results in a miserable sweaty 30 minutes in an airplane seat. I think it is a good rule not to break.

By the way, if you are renting a car, take your driver's license up to the rental counter. Why do people leave this with their travel companion outside of the rental office?

Monday, September 18, 2006

Headed North


Off to Jersey for another week. We had a good weekend - full of soccer - first tournament for my U-16 team. We finished 2nd...which, for the boys, was a big disappointment. All in all though, 2nd place is a good way to start out a tournament season. The important thing is that we came out of the weekend with some definite areas we need to improve on.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

D’accord

For all of the David Sedaris fans out there.

iPod Blues

My iPod is acting up...for the second time. This will be the second time that I have to take it to Best Buy in order for the iPod repair man to tell me that the hard drive was jostled out of place. 30 GB of music potentially lost (my fault for not backing this stuff up well). Either way. I am so tempted to just chuck it out in the street and drive over it.

After my car crunches the click wheel, I would then go to Best Buy and get one of the new ones that were just announced.

Monday, September 11, 2006

A Good Place To Be

I spent today in Washington DC for work. Despite numerous emails from my company encouraging me to arrange alternate work locations and find alternate travel days...(seriously, it was weird)...I made it through just fine. Being in DC this past weekend was really inspiring actually. From the magnificent views of our nation's capital to the American flag ties on DC's metro trains today, I felt it was a good place to be on this anniversary.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

The Bubba and the President

I was in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas when I first saw the phenomena. Specifically, I was headed out to the golf course I think, when my wife's mother pulled out the Bubba Keg. As it was the first time I was being exposed to the Bubba fad, I needed to hear about it some more. When you see one in person, you'll understand. Try the website if you live in a non-Bubba metropolis.

Evidently, all of cool people in the retirement village are drinking from the Bubba Keg these days. It turns out that retirement villages have fads just like your old high school had fads. I used to "peg" my pant legs (create a tight cuff and roll them up a little). Retirees drink from Bubba Kegs.

At least that's what I thought until this past weekend. The fad has spread even further. This past weekend I was in Washington DC and was having a snack at the Corner Bakery next to the Willard Hotel. The Willard is a famous hotel in DC, its historical guests include Lincoln, Grant, Coolidge, and King. If you're the president, you've probably stayed there. While we were having lunch, a large motorcade was at the back of the hotel. We never found out who it was until the next day. Turns out it was Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran.

No, he was not drinking from a Bubba Keg...but the secret service sure was.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Fun with Travel

Today was my first experience in an airport since the great liquid drought began. No major chaos at the security gate. Checking in was a pain though. Everyone is checking bags these days because nothing can be a carry on. Sigh.

The worst part of the travel day had nothing to do with flying. Instead, I spent 40 minutes in line at Budget rental car. That will be the last Budget rental car line I ever stand in. Insane.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Ummmm...

Doctors suck. I spent half the day in one of their offices today. If he wasn't making me feel better than I would really be pissed. I'll just have to trust that this combination of medication and Merlot is good for me...otherwise...not a lot to say today. Headed to New Jersey tomorrow. Weekend in DC for a wedding. New Jersey the following week. I am packing for two weeks tonight.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Dropping Knowledge

This is a cool concept:

"On September 9, 2006, 112 of the world's most compelling thinkers, artists, writers, scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers and humanitarians from around the world will come together in Berlin, Germany, as guests of dropping knowledge.

Seated around the worlds largest table in historic Bebelplatz square, these inspiring individuals, renowned for their lasting creative or social contribution, will engage with 100 questions out of the thousands donated to dropping knowledge by the international public. Using dropping knowledge's question-rating system, the public identified 500 questions as those most likely to initiate open dialog on a social topic of most relevance to them. ... Re-fitted with 112 flat-screen monitors, the original wooden round-table will live on as a traveling exhibition, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in a real-time re-creation of the Table of Free Voices event."

YouTube has a ton of questions that you can check out...not sure if people are posting these themselves, if some are official...or what the deal is. Here is one for you.


36 Hours in Lafayette

The NY Times posted an article on their travel website about Lafayette, LA (which is where I live). The cool thing is that it talks about places that I actually go. If you want to read a little bit about my home then just follow this link. Cool deal.

We spent the weekend in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas with Carlee's parents. It was a great weekend - pretty much just spent relaxing and eating lots of red meat. Played a couple rounds of golf as well...and we are driving home tomorrow. Happy Labor Day.