I may have Republican Tendencies. Being "like that" and having a sense of humor are not mutually exclusive. This is hilarious.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
S Squad Fever
I read a lot of comics when I was growing up. I have often disclosed to anyone that will listen that because I spent a lot of time reading comic books, I liked to read. I only had a single subscription to a comic book series. My godmother gave me a subscription to "Thor" - and the funny thing is that when she gave it to me, it came with a Spider-Man comic book, which, at the time, I would have liked more. As it turned out, the way that the characters in "Thor" spoke to each other was intriguing. Remember, this is before I was even 12 years old and I would sit and read what I can best describe as Shakespearean-esque prose. These characters didn't say, "We must go fight Loki!" Instead they would say, "Doth thou have the drive to attack the good foe Loki!" Or something like that. My comic books are all long gone, but it's fun to think about.
I bring all of this up because apparently the upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie that is being released in August 2016 is the most-anticipated movie being discussed on Twitter. I can't say I ever read a single issue of "Suicide Squad" in all the years I read comic books. The title just never really interested me. I'm all about the new movie, though, and anxiously await its release!
I bring all of this up because apparently the upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie that is being released in August 2016 is the most-anticipated movie being discussed on Twitter. I can't say I ever read a single issue of "Suicide Squad" in all the years I read comic books. The title just never really interested me. I'm all about the new movie, though, and anxiously await its release!
I HAD THESE TOYS!
In this article, it mentions the tipped light saber - I had the Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi figures with that extra tip. And, as the article points out, they were likely to be broken off. Mine were on all three. I think they are all still in Dad's basement.
Belated Movie Review
On Saturday, May 28th, the kids and I went to see "Captain America: Civil War" in Elkader. Alex has declared he didn't like the movie because he didn't know who people were. He is not my movie person. Megan liked it. I liked it. It is actually going to still be at the Elkader theater this upcoming weekend - I would go see it again. I would probably add the 6 v. 6 battle of the heroes as an honorable mention on this list of the top 10 "Best Marvel Action Scenes."
A Plea to Return to Seasonal Sports
I so agree with the ideas expressed by John Smoltz about kids playing the same sport not just during the season, but during the rest of the year, as described in this article. I have seen the result of kids playing the same sport year-round and while sometimes there are positives, there are also negatives. For example, a young man I know was told by his baseball coach to not play golf as it would throw off his baseball swing. There's issues with that statement:
Back to the article, I see kids that play baseball year-round and think their feces is without odor. Those kids may or may not be as good as they think they are at playing the sport. I also see really good baseball players who don't play year-round and when they tried out for the high school team, they didn't make it. My hunch is that the coach knows who plays year-round and who doesn't. Maybe, in a coach's eyes, playing the sport year-round shows a commitment to the sport that he really wants on his team. After all, I agree that if you have 9 guys playing baseball year-round and traveling to different cities to play in tournaments, there is likely a bond and a trust that develops. Then, when those 9 guys go to the high school level, they are a well-oiled machine and, possibly, don't make the same mistakes as 9 guys who haven't played together.
And yet, when I think about my own athletic career, there were kids when I was in high school (Fall 1985 - Spring 1988) who swam year-round. There was a swim club (Cedar Rapids Aquatics Association or CRAA) and the really fast kids were members of that club and swam year-round. They worked on their stroke, they competed in regional meets, and they were a lot faster than I could ever hope to be. Back in those days, there was no such thing as "being cut" from the Varsity boy's swim team - if you went out for the sport, you were on the team. Period.
I don't have the answer to all of this, but I did like the idea behind Smoltz's opinion.
- It is a different physical motion with the body when you swing a golf club and a baseball bat. The main difference is where your head is pointed. Do you look down at the ground when hitting a baseball? Of course not! Do you look up at where you want to put the ball when you swing a golf club? Of course not! Two different types of swings.
- I think I am more likely to play golf when I am elderly than I am to play baseball. Golf is a lifelong sport while baseball is terminal. Even the great baseball players would probably tell you that. What is sad for me is that this young man has turned down opportunities to play golf over the last couple of years. Eventually, he will end his baseball career and then what? He will likely want to learn to play golf. Except he will be in his early-20s (assuming he plays throughout college) and will have lost years of time he could have been learning.
Back to the article, I see kids that play baseball year-round and think their feces is without odor. Those kids may or may not be as good as they think they are at playing the sport. I also see really good baseball players who don't play year-round and when they tried out for the high school team, they didn't make it. My hunch is that the coach knows who plays year-round and who doesn't. Maybe, in a coach's eyes, playing the sport year-round shows a commitment to the sport that he really wants on his team. After all, I agree that if you have 9 guys playing baseball year-round and traveling to different cities to play in tournaments, there is likely a bond and a trust that develops. Then, when those 9 guys go to the high school level, they are a well-oiled machine and, possibly, don't make the same mistakes as 9 guys who haven't played together.
And yet, when I think about my own athletic career, there were kids when I was in high school (Fall 1985 - Spring 1988) who swam year-round. There was a swim club (Cedar Rapids Aquatics Association or CRAA) and the really fast kids were members of that club and swam year-round. They worked on their stroke, they competed in regional meets, and they were a lot faster than I could ever hope to be. Back in those days, there was no such thing as "being cut" from the Varsity boy's swim team - if you went out for the sport, you were on the team. Period.
I don't have the answer to all of this, but I did like the idea behind Smoltz's opinion.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Read The Comments
I don't know who is right - todd dyer or the others - but this is the way to discuss issues.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Femme Fatale... Who?
So technically a single band is a list, right? Does it have to be a bulleted list? Yes, it's true. The curse of writing for a living rages through me on a weekend. I don't recall hearing any tunes by this band back in the day. Reading this article makes me feel like I wasn't as in touch with the music as much as I thought I was.http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/femme-fatales-long-awaited-second-album-finally-sees-light-of-day/
This is their first album.
This is their first album.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Loose Cannon
"Campaigning before union workers in Las Vegas, she decried Trump's anti-union comments and his proposal to deport millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. She said he is an "unqualified loose cannon" who should never be president."
Who is more loose than a commander in chief who doesn't respect our nation's laws. The law says that if you want to be in America, there is a process. You will get zero argument from me about the red tape that must be cut through in order to go through the process. Change the law - I am not saying that the process is perfect! I'm saying that if you don't feel like following the law to become a citizen of the United States, which laws are you going to follow? Do we get to choose? Of course not!
Salary
Umm, yes. While I am not going to discuss my salary, I can say that my salary is above the new $47,000 threshold that is now the rule of the land.
http://dailysignal.com/2016/05/19/obamas-overtime-rule-tried-at-ibm-and-it-didnt-work/
Friday, May 27, 2016
Behind the Scenes
Examining Dave Meltzer's Early Career, Impact on Pro Wrestling Industry http://teamstre.am/25keT0L
Just Spare Change
On the Omaha Craigslist site, these drums are for sale. The reason I would even look at them include the following:
13" 14" 16" 24" kick and 14x6.5 snare
Here's the Mike Mangini video. It's a long one - 24 minutes - but I found it very interesting.
The only reason I thought about Mike Mangini is because I had come across this video of Dream Theater playing a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" that was recorded with the band members sitting in front of Mangini's drum set. That reminded me of seeing his drum clinic in Davenport, which reminded me of how awesome of a drummer he is.
- My Ludwig Vistalite set has a 24" bass drum so if I were ever wanting to play a double bass drum set, this would be a great addition.
- The snare drum is a see-through shell.
- I like that there are two mounted toms. My existing set has a single 13" mounted tom. Because I watched the Mike Mangini (Dream Theater) video below. In the video, he talks about the different reasons he uses so many drums. Based upon the theories he talks about, it would be interesting to do a tom run going from 13", to 14", to 13" and then down to my existing 2 16" floor toms, plus adding the 16" floor tom that would come with this set.
13" 14" 16" 24" kick and 14x6.5 snare
Here's the Mike Mangini video. It's a long one - 24 minutes - but I found it very interesting.
The only reason I thought about Mike Mangini is because I had come across this video of Dream Theater playing a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" that was recorded with the band members sitting in front of Mangini's drum set. That reminded me of seeing his drum clinic in Davenport, which reminded me of how awesome of a drummer he is.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
When Using 8 Inches is Not Enough
I watched Rachel Maddow analyze the "Printing and Filing" process that HRC was supposed to follow. It's quite interesting. I watched it here - here - and then HAD to read this article about the 8" floppy drives. I did use the 5 1/4 floppy drives both prior to and then throughout college, but I had never heard of 8" drives, which are discussed in this article.
The takeaway? Government is inefficient. Also, HRC didn't follow the rules.
Editor's Note: After the original posting of this post, I came across an article that lays out which specific rules HRC violated: You can read it here.
The takeaway? Government is inefficient. Also, HRC didn't follow the rules.
Editor's Note: After the original posting of this post, I came across an article that lays out which specific rules HRC violated: You can read it here.
Using Labels to Document My Passions
So here it is - my 3000th post on this blog!
What do I write about the most? I was curious so I used a widget to list all of the labels I've applied to my posts. When I saw which labels were in the top 10 list, I can't say I was surprised. It's interesting to me that I used the "Republican Tendencies" tag 65 more times than I used the tag "Work." I don't know if those posts with the label "Technical Writing" should have also had the label "Work" or if there are actually 92 posts about technical writing that are non-work related. I also think that if I audited the posts that do actually have videos embedded, there would be more than 177. I've never done an audit of labels. There may even be some posts that have zero labels!
All that said, this top 10 list does correlate to the passions in my life.
In case I am curious in the future, I created a page to store the entire list.
What do I write about the most? I was curious so I used a widget to list all of the labels I've applied to my posts. When I saw which labels were in the top 10 list, I can't say I was surprised. It's interesting to me that I used the "Republican Tendencies" tag 65 more times than I used the tag "Work." I don't know if those posts with the label "Technical Writing" should have also had the label "Work" or if there are actually 92 posts about technical writing that are non-work related. I also think that if I audited the posts that do actually have videos embedded, there would be more than 177. I've never done an audit of labels. There may even be some posts that have zero labels!
All that said, this top 10 list does correlate to the passions in my life.
- Busy Life (460)
- Republican Tendencies (358)
- Work (293)
- Conversion Projects (230)
- Metallica (230)
- Technical Writing (201)
- drums (183)
- Videos (177)
- WWE (110)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (108)
In case I am curious in the future, I created a page to store the entire list.
Conspire to Do What
From this article
At this point, pretty much everyone, including Hillary Clinton’s political allies, knows that her use of a private server was a major problem and that everything she has said about it to this point is a lie. Welcome to the Vast right wing conspiracy, everyone.
Also, there's Elizabeth Warren doing HRC's dirty work, but there's a problem.
The real problem is that Warren’s general critique applies just as much to Hillary Clinton as it does to Donald Trump.
This argument is described here.
On a related tangent, the rack in Megan's closet had come out of the wall a couple of weeks ago and, with all we had going on, it took until May 21st for it to be addressed. Alex and I worked on repairing it for over 3 hours. I am not a handyman. There was a discussion about whether we should drill new holes or not. I voted for no new holes. I chose that route not because I wanted to finish sooner, but because the way I thought the hanging thingies (that's a techie term) work, I didn't think we would need a new hole. I thought using the existing hole would work fine. After all, this rack was on the wall for over a decade without an issue.
Sure enough, last night, as Megan was putting clothes back on the rack, it came out of the wall again. I went up to fix it, alone, as Alex was entertaining Melanie, Austin, and Megan (Austin's girlfriend). I started to drill new holes when I realized I was in over my head. Citing the TV game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" where contestants can "phone a friend" if they don't know the answer to a question, I phoned my friend Dave Downes. After assuring me that he wasn't busy, he came over around 7:15 and we worked together to repair the shelf. came over last night to help me out of a jam. It was 9:00 when we finished. We retired to the kitchen table and the 3 (Karen, Dave, and I) of us sat there and tried to solve the problems of the world.
Of course, politics came up and Donald Trump was discussed. Karen likes his point-blank attitude about things, especially when it comes to his opinion about illegal immigrants. Generically, she revealed that an illegal immigrant in the United States is eligible for Medicare after being in the country for 5 years. What amount of money was contributed by them? ZERO! American taxpayers pay for that.
I mentioned how I had read an article about how the Electoral College is likely to shake down - this is the article from March 2016 - and it's predicted to be a landslide victory for HRC if history is accepted as a predicting agent of the future (I know it doesn't have to be). If that prediction is true, and HRC becomes our next president, it simply means another 8 years (really, you don't think she'd run for re-election?) of President Obama's policies.
Sigh.
I'm not saying Donald Trump would be a great president or even a better president than HRC. I still say that a Marco Rubio / Carly F. ticket would have been a ticket I could have TOTALLY supported. Unfortunately, they are not running for the Republican nomination. I just saw on my email that Donald Trump now has 1237, which is the magic number of delegates he needed for the Republican nomination. It's all over but the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The #NeverTrump movement will continue to press Republicans to not vote for Trump. I'll be curious to see how this American political story is written between now and Election Day 2016. There's a new development - Donald Trump challenged Bernie Sanders to a debate - and now, Bernie Sanders has agreed to debate Donald Trump, per this article. It's getting cra-cra around here....
At this point, pretty much everyone, including Hillary Clinton’s political allies, knows that her use of a private server was a major problem and that everything she has said about it to this point is a lie. Welcome to the Vast right wing conspiracy, everyone.
Also, there's Elizabeth Warren doing HRC's dirty work, but there's a problem.
The real problem is that Warren’s general critique applies just as much to Hillary Clinton as it does to Donald Trump.
This argument is described here.
On a related tangent, the rack in Megan's closet had come out of the wall a couple of weeks ago and, with all we had going on, it took until May 21st for it to be addressed. Alex and I worked on repairing it for over 3 hours. I am not a handyman. There was a discussion about whether we should drill new holes or not. I voted for no new holes. I chose that route not because I wanted to finish sooner, but because the way I thought the hanging thingies (that's a techie term) work, I didn't think we would need a new hole. I thought using the existing hole would work fine. After all, this rack was on the wall for over a decade without an issue.
Sure enough, last night, as Megan was putting clothes back on the rack, it came out of the wall again. I went up to fix it, alone, as Alex was entertaining Melanie, Austin, and Megan (Austin's girlfriend). I started to drill new holes when I realized I was in over my head. Citing the TV game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" where contestants can "phone a friend" if they don't know the answer to a question, I phoned my friend Dave Downes. After assuring me that he wasn't busy, he came over around 7:15 and we worked together to repair the shelf. came over last night to help me out of a jam. It was 9:00 when we finished. We retired to the kitchen table and the 3 (Karen, Dave, and I) of us sat there and tried to solve the problems of the world.
Of course, politics came up and Donald Trump was discussed. Karen likes his point-blank attitude about things, especially when it comes to his opinion about illegal immigrants. Generically, she revealed that an illegal immigrant in the United States is eligible for Medicare after being in the country for 5 years. What amount of money was contributed by them? ZERO! American taxpayers pay for that.
I mentioned how I had read an article about how the Electoral College is likely to shake down - this is the article from March 2016 - and it's predicted to be a landslide victory for HRC if history is accepted as a predicting agent of the future (I know it doesn't have to be). If that prediction is true, and HRC becomes our next president, it simply means another 8 years (really, you don't think she'd run for re-election?) of President Obama's policies.
Sigh.
I'm not saying Donald Trump would be a great president or even a better president than HRC. I still say that a Marco Rubio / Carly F. ticket would have been a ticket I could have TOTALLY supported. Unfortunately, they are not running for the Republican nomination. I just saw on my email that Donald Trump now has 1237, which is the magic number of delegates he needed for the Republican nomination. It's all over but the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The #NeverTrump movement will continue to press Republicans to not vote for Trump. I'll be curious to see how this American political story is written between now and Election Day 2016. There's a new development - Donald Trump challenged Bernie Sanders to a debate - and now, Bernie Sanders has agreed to debate Donald Trump, per this article. It's getting cra-cra around here....
Lost in the Shuffling of New Music
Skillet is coming out with a new album soon and this is the first single. I like the catchiness of the lyrics and the arrangement and the vocals and ... and ... and ...
DAMN! I REALLY LIKE THIS SONG!!! I am eager to hear more!!!
DAMN! I REALLY LIKE THIS SONG!!! I am eager to hear more!!!
Much Respect
I have a lot of respect for the dude that took Pantera's "Walk" and changed it to a reggae tune. I have ZERO idea where I would even begin to attempt to do what he did. I listened to "Walk" on the day after Pantera's guitarist was shot.
Resurrection of a Passion
It's certainly too early to purchase a $4000 Roland electronic drum set, but I talked to a guitarist earlier today. I had spoken to him about a year ago but nothing materialized. Now, after our phone conversation, the plan is to get together after he is finished with a driveway construction project at his house. We agreed to jam these songs:
- She by Green Day
- All The Small Things by Blink 182
- The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
Back to DOS-Land
This is the DOS batch file I am using on a daily basis to compile my RoboHelp project at work. I have one project - project.xpj (no, that's not the real name - I changed it for the purpose of posting the code here). I think it's pretty sweet to be back to doing similar work that I was doing from 1998 - 2010 - using Dreamweaver to code HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I don't really have a need to author content in MS Word, which I miss a little, but not enough to dwell in misery because I don't work in MS Word on a daily basis. It's working great and makes the process of generating my deliverables so much easier than using the RoboHelp user interface. Here's the psuedo-batch file code:
cd\
s:
SET Today=%Date:~10,4%_%Date:~4,2%_%Date:~7,2%
REM | Create the Logs folder first
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs"
REM | The No Condition folders
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_CHM"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_RH"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_PDF"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_WH"
REM | The NOT Nonsecure
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_Internal"
REM | The NOT Secure
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_External"
REM | Now, compile the outputs
cd\
c:
cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp 2015\RoboHTML"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_WH" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_WH" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_WH.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_PDF" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_PDF" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_PDF.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_CHM" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_CHM" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_CHM.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "RH_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_RH_Online_Internal.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "WH_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_WH_Online_Internal.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "CHM_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_CHM_Online_Internal.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "RH_Online_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_RH_Online_External.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "PDF_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_PDF_External.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "CHM_Online_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_CHM_Online_External.txt"
cd\
s:
SET Today=%Date:~10,4%_%Date:~4,2%_%Date:~7,2%
REM | Create the Logs folder first
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs"
REM | The No Condition folders
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_CHM"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_RH"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_PDF"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_WH"
REM | The NOT Nonsecure
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_Internal"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_Internal"
REM | The NOT Secure
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_External"
md "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_External"
REM | Now, compile the outputs
cd\
c:
cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp 2015\RoboHTML"
REM | The No Condition outputs
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_RH" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_RH" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_RH.txt"rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_WH" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_WH" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_WH.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_PDF" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_PDF" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_PDF.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "NoConditions_CHM" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\NoConditions_CHM" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_NoConditions_CHM.txt"
REM | Internal-Facing
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "PDF_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_PDF_Internal.txt"rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "RH_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_RH_Online_Internal.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "WH_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_WH_Online_Internal.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "CHM_Online_Internal" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_Internal" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_CHM_Online_Internal.txt"
REM | External-Facing
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "WH_Online_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\WH_Online_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_WH_Online_External.txt"rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "RH_Online_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\RH_Online_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_RH_Online_External.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "PDF_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\PDF_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_PDF_External.txt"
rhcl "C:\Users\me\Desktop\DRM\DRM\Project.xpj" -l "CHM_Online_External" -o "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\CHM_Online_External" -g "S:\TDoc\DISARECO\__%today%\_Logs\%TODAY%_CHM_Online_External.txt"
Such a Long Time
It's such a milestone but yet it's not. Today, when I publish my 3000th post since beginning this blog 3104 days ago, it's not really a big deal. Doing the simple division, it's an average of 1 post per day, minus 104 days. God-willing, I will reach 4000 days of writing this blog on 11/8/2018. That's 896 days away. To achieve 4000 posts on the 4000th day of this blog, I will have to average .896 posts a day over the next 2 years, 5 months, 1 week, 6 days. Looks like my document challenge has been laid out!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Split
According to http://teamstre.am/20ASY27, upcoming changes in the WWE including changing SmackDown to a live show and having a unique roster from the Monday Night Raw show. As the article indicates, this is a good change because of the over-saturation of outstanding athletes trying to leave their imprint in the professional wrestling industry. I hope this change is successful for all.
Thoughtful Analysis
It goes without saying that they won't let go of this any more than they're going to let go of Benghazi or their Planned Parenthood witchhunt. In their fevered brains, they've planned this since Mitt Romney lost the White House, and they are now in dire need of something -- anything -- to take home to their constituents as proof they're not worthless leeches on the body politic.
On the same day, there is also this: Clinton Failed to Report Multiple Attempts to Hack Personal Email
Casting Stones
If this article is true, I agree.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/05/bill-o-reilly-wants-sue-his-ex-wife-10
Things Like This are why I have an Inspiration Label
I was trying to clean out a bunch of old emails when I came upon an automated email form Meg Fee's blog. I hadn't visited it in a while - [insert an excuse that seems appropriate] - and when I did, I found this: http://www.megfee.com/megfee/2016/4/19/note-to-self
How Did I Miss This
This BRAND NEW Bayside song was released a week ago and will be on their next album, called "Vacancy", which is being released on August 19, 2016. I plan to change the countdown timer on the main page of this blog after my "Days until 2000 Days" countdown ends. Thus far, there are no tour dates in Iowa (BOO!!) but hopefully there will be a second leg announced either later in 2016 or in early 2017.
What's been kind of interesting, as I await the results of whether or not files can be recovered from my 4 TB EHD, is I've been listening to "full albums" on youtube.com as I work (through my cell phone). The band below, Brand New, came up as a suggested video and, after a couple of listens, I realize they are a jewel I never knew was present in the world of music. I am disappointed that the closest tour date they have is Saturday, July 2... in Chicago. That's the same day as Alex's "farewell" concert in Grinnell. Additionally, like Bayside's tour dates, I'm hoping that additional dates will be announced.
What's been kind of interesting, as I await the results of whether or not files can be recovered from my 4 TB EHD, is I've been listening to "full albums" on youtube.com as I work (through my cell phone). The band below, Brand New, came up as a suggested video and, after a couple of listens, I realize they are a jewel I never knew was present in the world of music. I am disappointed that the closest tour date they have is Saturday, July 2... in Chicago. That's the same day as Alex's "farewell" concert in Grinnell. Additionally, like Bayside's tour dates, I'm hoping that additional dates will be announced.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Come on November
While Fran and the gang exhales with Jok's return, there is a lot of uncertainty in the air. This article - http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/iowa-hoops-exhales-with-joks-return-but-changes-remain-drastic-20160525 - outlines the unique challenges ahead.
Take Away
I don't remember the last time I spent time with DT in my ears - love the alterations to the original.
Do Not Care
As in, my Indiana Pacers are out of the NBA playoffs and I really don't care who ends up being the champions of the NBA this year.
ON BASKETBALL: Green's history may have helped him: http://bigstory.ap.org/466c164ecdbc444bae9b47685851bd34&utm_source=android_app&utm_medium=blogger&utm_campaign=share
Questioning Our Political Process on a Monday in May
This article won me over after a terrible opening. http://theresurgent.com/why-didnt-god-save-us-from-trump-vs-clinton/ Meanwhile, the Trump movement is overtaking the HRC movement.
Monday, May 23, 2016
This is Really a Movie
This looks like a movie my friends and I would have rented from Phar-Mor back in 1989. We watched "The Toxic Avenger" and a slew of B movies with Shaun Farmer and Mark Klamut instead of putting booze down our throats.
Sometimes.
Not every week.
Those are the times that can't be recreated except in my mind. I don't think that I have talked to either of those guys in over 20 years.
Sometimes.
Not every week.
Those are the times that can't be recreated except in my mind. I don't think that I have talked to either of those guys in over 20 years.
Love It
This is the poster - http://www.google.com/search?q=sesame+street+poster+music+genre&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuh4aovvHMAhUCVFIKHa5yCT8Q_AUIBigB#mhpiv=1 - I saw in the background of this video:
I love Metallica.
Editor's Note: This post is the 230th I have on this blog with the label "Metallica"
I love Metallica.
Editor's Note: This post is the 230th I have on this blog with the label "Metallica"
Wrong Reason
Mick Brown, Dokken's drummer, said the original lineup (Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown) reuniting to play some shows in Japan is being done for the wrong reason: money. He's blatantly honest. After I read the article and you can do so here, I noticed in the comments this:
People want old shit from old bands nowadays.
Alice Cooper, Kiss, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Judas Priest, AC/DC., Twisted Twister's setlists etc. have the majority of old songs.
That is so true. Because I have zero desire to see Alice Cooper, I'll withhold my commentary about his setlist - he can play whatever the hell he wants to play - I couldn't care less.
Moving on, there are songs that bands must play.
People want old shit from old bands nowadays.
Alice Cooper, Kiss, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Judas Priest, AC/DC., Twisted Twister's setlists etc. have the majority of old songs.
That is so true. Because I have zero desire to see Alice Cooper, I'll withhold my commentary about his setlist - he can play whatever the hell he wants to play - I couldn't care less.
Moving on, there are songs that bands must play.
- KISS can't replace "Detroit Rock City" with a tune from "Monster"
- Metallica can't replace "Master of Puppets" with "St. Anger"
- Megadeth can't replace any tune from "Rust in Peace" with a tune from "Risk"
- Slayer can't replace "War Ensemble" with a tune from "Diabolas in Musica"
- Judas Priest can't replace "Living After Midnight" with a tune from "Turbo"
- AC/DC can't replace "Back in Black" with a tune from "Fly on the Wall"
- Twisted Sister can't replace any tune from "Stay Hungry" with a tune from "Love is for Suckers"
Satisfied with a Glass Ceiling
Chris Adler continues to impress me when I read what he thinks about heavy metal. This interview is a prime example. He realizes that Lamb of God is not going to get on Rock 108 or other mainstream rock stations and he's okay with remaining where the band is, though I'm not quite sure I agree with his assessment. There was a time when Rock 108 would never EVER play
- a Motorhead tune and yet, I heard "Ace of Spades" the other day
- a Metallica tune from their first 3 releases and yet, I hear "Seek & Destroy," "Creeping Death," and "(Welcome Home) Sanitarium" on a fairly regular basis
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Inspiration
I won't sit here, on a Sunday evening, and profess that I was as big of a fan of former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza as I am of current Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich as that would be false. As I write these words, I realize that there has never been a post on this blog with a "Nick Menza" label.
Mea cuppa.
At 51 years old, Nick Menza died. Apparently, he was playing drums at a gig when he had an apparent heart attack. I know that if there was a way to pick how I go to meet God, that's how I want to go.
Read more here & here.
Editor's Note: The tributes to Nick Menza continue to arrive in my Inbox, including this article that highlights the 10 Best Nick Menza Songs in Megadeth: http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-05-23/nick-menza-s-top-10-megadeth-songs
Mea cuppa.
At 51 years old, Nick Menza died. Apparently, he was playing drums at a gig when he had an apparent heart attack. I know that if there was a way to pick how I go to meet God, that's how I want to go.
Read more here & here.
Editor's Note: The tributes to Nick Menza continue to arrive in my Inbox, including this article that highlights the 10 Best Nick Menza Songs in Megadeth: http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-05-23/nick-menza-s-top-10-megadeth-songs
Empire All These Years
Lucasfilm Almost Built a Giant Robot AT-AT for ‘The Empire Strikes Back’
http://flip.it/rwcf1
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Trump is a Racist
Is Donald Trump a racist? I really don't know. I think there are probably more assumptions about what he thinks / believes that have a slim amount of actual truth. While I'm not jumping on the Trump bandwagon, I smiled when I saw this:
Friday, May 20, 2016
It's Alive
https://yho.com/1frqpm
Oklahoma governor vetoes bill that would have made performing abortions a felony
Every Single Woman
Why does she only want to provide this to single women? What about married women?!?
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2016/05/19/hillary-every-single-woman-in-america-should-have-federallymandated-contraceptive-coverage-n2165168
Yes, I know she means "if you are a woman in America" but in light of the Venn diagram mishap - details here - I thought I'd poke fun at her writing skills.
On another note, at George Nowlan's wake on Monday, I saw a married couple that I've known all my life. They now live in Arizona. Somehow, as we were sitting there, the husband brought up politics.
Sigh.
He is a fan of Donald Trump and thinks Trump will clean up Washington.
I came across sounding like anti-Republican voter because I pointed out that Trump isn't pro-life and I would have expected the Republican candidate to be pro-life. The husband stated, "He's pro-life." "No," I said, "he was, but now is pro-choice." "So he changed. Don't you change who you are over time?"
Ah yes, of course I change. Every one changes. I wouldn't be human if I didn't expect others to not change as I am changing, I suppose.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2016/05/19/hillary-every-single-woman-in-america-should-have-federallymandated-contraceptive-coverage-n2165168
Yes, I know she means "if you are a woman in America" but in light of the Venn diagram mishap - details here - I thought I'd poke fun at her writing skills.
On another note, at George Nowlan's wake on Monday, I saw a married couple that I've known all my life. They now live in Arizona. Somehow, as we were sitting there, the husband brought up politics.
Sigh.
He is a fan of Donald Trump and thinks Trump will clean up Washington.
I came across sounding like anti-Republican voter because I pointed out that Trump isn't pro-life and I would have expected the Republican candidate to be pro-life. The husband stated, "He's pro-life." "No," I said, "he was, but now is pro-choice." "So he changed. Don't you change who you are over time?"
Ah yes, of course I change. Every one changes. I wouldn't be human if I didn't expect others to not change as I am changing, I suppose.
Thrown a Bone
I made contact with http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/ and talked to Marc. When my hard drive is delivered from Gillware Data Recovery on Monday, 5/23, I am going to put it in the mail and send it to Drive Savers in Novato, CA. Marc said that he was going to take Gillware's assessment with a grain of salt. Maybe there is hope for the data to be recovered. I'm not ruling out the prospect of re-converting my 4000+ CDs as a possible task in my future. At bare minimum, my 36 spindles, each with at least 100 CDs (some are overstacked) puts me at 3600 CDs. I then have CDs in my other CD shelves and CDs within a couple of other cases. I have a tab in an Excel file where I will track the progress of the re-re-re-conversion (if it comes to that). I will also create a new label for that effort on this blog.
Accidently Funny
I had never seen any part of any episode of "In Living Color" until this morning. The TV happened to be on Fox when the following skit came on. Megan and I laughed and laughed.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The End of the Start
I got the dreaded email yesterday from Gillware Data Recovery in Madison, WI. This is what they wrote back:
Attached to the email was a PDF with these details:
Please review the attached statement of work and associated firm price quote as it pertains to your open recovery order. We kindly request your acceptance of the quote at your earliest convenience by calling our customer service department with a credit card number confirming your approval.
As you review the statement of work, you will notice that our engineering team as indicated that there is a 0% chance of recovering a vast majority of your data contained on your drive. This fact is because several surfaces of the internal platters are heavily damaged and therefore cannot have any binary data recovered from them. Early estimations are that we will be able to recover about 30% of the data still remaining and we could consider this percentage a successful recovery.
Attached to the email was a PDF with these details:
III. Duration of WorkReally? $2500 when "we have an estimated 0% chance of a successful recovery."
Data recovery work is anticipated to take 8-12 days after your approval to move forward with the attempt. After the preliminary evaluation of your drive, we have an estimated 0% chance of a successful recovery. A successful recovery implies that at least 90% of the customer's files are recovered.
IV. Assumptions
- All provided information regarding the drive that has an impact on recoverability is accurate.
- There are no significant barriers to recovery discovered during the recovery attempt.
V. Compensation
The final cost of this recovery service will be $2500.00, if and only if we successfully recover the critical data in the requested format. This amount does not include the cost of the return media or return shipping. Return media can be provided by the customer or purchased from Gillware at the time of checkout. Keep in mind that if approval is given for this attempt and we are unable to recover your critical files, you are still under no financial obligation for any of the work rendered during the recovery attempt.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Not DV
When I read "Hillary Clinton is evil like Darth Vader" I thought I was going to come unglued. I subscribe to the theory that Anakin Skywalker is a tragic hero. His major flaw? He never EVER wanted to see a loved one die. Not his mother, not his wife.
When loved ones arrive at George Nowlan's funeral today, who among them would not give anything to not have to be saying farewell today?
How is that evil?
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/05/meghan-mccain-hillary-clinton-truly-evil
Monday, May 16, 2016
Top 30 Metallica Songs
This is an interesting list I came across. I would make the following tweaks:
30. 00:00 Orion
29. 08:26 Enter Sandman
28. 13:58 Escape
27. 18:22Hit The Lights Motorbreath
26. 22:41 Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
25. 29:08 Whiplash
24. 33:20 Wherever I May Roam
23. 40:00Die, Die My Darling (Mistifis cover) All Nightmare Long
22. 42:34 The Memory Remains
21. 47:13 The Day That Never Comes
20. 55:12 Creeping Death
19. 1:01:48To Live Is to Die Harvester of Sorrow
18. 1:11:42 Battery
17. 1:16:50Of Wolf And Man The Struggle Within
16. 1:21:08 Jump in Fire
15. 1:25:48 Fuel
14. 1:30:20Trapped Under Ice All Within My Hands
13. 1:34:25 Metal Militia
12. 1:39:36 ...And Justice For All
11. 1:49:23 Through The Never
10. 1:53:27The Unforgiven II King Nothing
09. 2:00:00 Seek & Destroy
08. 2:07:00 Sad But True
07. 2:12:25The Unforgiven The Judas Kiss
06. 2:18:53Nothing Else Matters The Frayed Ends of Sanity
05. 2:25:25 One
04. 2:32:50 For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. 2:40:00 Master Of Puppets
02. 2:50:37 Ride The Lightning
01. 2:53:20 Fade to Black
- Hit the Lights should be replaced with Motorbreath
- Die, Die My Darling (Mistifis cover) should've been replaced with All Nightmare Long
- To Live Is to Die should've been replaced with Harvester of Sorrow
- Of Wolf And Man should've been replaced with The Struggle Within
- Trapped Under Ice should've been replaced with All Within My Hands (though any St. Anger tune on this list is asking for debate
- The Unforgiven II should've been replaced with King Nothing (only because I heard it on the radio and thought it was a great tune
- The Unforgiven should be replaced with The Judas Kiss - very controversial to exclude "The Unforgiven"
- Nothing Else Matters should be replaced with The Frayed Ends of Sanity
30. 00:00 Orion
29. 08:26 Enter Sandman
28. 13:58 Escape
27. 18:22
26. 22:41 Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
25. 29:08 Whiplash
24. 33:20 Wherever I May Roam
23. 40:00
22. 42:34 The Memory Remains
21. 47:13 The Day That Never Comes
20. 55:12 Creeping Death
19. 1:01:48
18. 1:11:42 Battery
17. 1:16:50
16. 1:21:08 Jump in Fire
15. 1:25:48 Fuel
14. 1:30:20
13. 1:34:25 Metal Militia
12. 1:39:36 ...And Justice For All
11. 1:49:23 Through The Never
10. 1:53:27
09. 2:00:00 Seek & Destroy
08. 2:07:00 Sad But True
07. 2:12:25
06. 2:18:53
05. 2:25:25 One
04. 2:32:50 For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. 2:40:00 Master Of Puppets
02. 2:50:37 Ride The Lightning
01. 2:53:20 Fade to Black
Truthful Observation
I'm attending some online training. These are two slides that caused my head to enthusiastically nod in agreement. My 20+ years as a technical writer and experience being told "the problem IS the tool so we're purchasing a new one" makes me appreciate the cartoon even more! I've lived through it.
Computers Write Poetry
I think this is totally awesome:
there is no one else in the world.
there is no one else in sight.
they were the only ones who mattered.
they were the only ones left.
he had to be with me.
she had to be with him.
i had to do this.
i wanted to kill him.
i started to cry.
i turned to him.
Google's AI wrote it. Read more "amazingly mournful poetry" here.
there is no one else in the world.
there is no one else in sight.
they were the only ones who mattered.
they were the only ones left.
he had to be with me.
she had to be with him.
i had to do this.
i wanted to kill him.
i started to cry.
i turned to him.
Google's AI wrote it. Read more "amazingly mournful poetry" here.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Perfectly Stated
"It's all about me!" Mavretic opined. "Well, can a white person want to be a black person and then get minority contracts? Can a female want to be a male and go to the beach and and not have to wear a top like males do?"
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/05/watch-ex-nc-lawmaker-rants-about
Another Half Apology
Reading Kirkman's apology for the "The Walking Dead" season 6 cliffhanger reminded of the following Ten Foot Pole tune.
When "Fear the Walking Dead" finishes its second season on Sunday, May 22, 2016, I hope there is no need for apologizing. The second season started kind of slow. I actually considered not continuing to watch the show as it wasn't really interesting, but I continued to watch. Then, episode 3 picked up the tempo, followed by two more better / more intriguing episodes. Now, with the finale coming, I feel more committed to watching it Sunday and beyond.
When "Fear the Walking Dead" finishes its second season on Sunday, May 22, 2016, I hope there is no need for apologizing. The second season started kind of slow. I actually considered not continuing to watch the show as it wasn't really interesting, but I continued to watch. Then, episode 3 picked up the tempo, followed by two more better / more intriguing episodes. Now, with the finale coming, I feel more committed to watching it Sunday and beyond.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Not The Way I Think
This is wrong and I really am not being anti-anything. Both kids should go to a non-Big Ten university.
Let me Poop with my Own
When I read articles about transgender people, I am discombobulated and feel distressed. First, I feel like a lot of people are going to take advantage of the freedom I enjoy in the United States and screw it up. An idiot who chokes a 8 year old girl is inexcusable - http://www.redstate.com/sweetie15/2016/05/13/8-year-old-girl-latest-victim-inclusive-bathroom-madness/ - and making it okay for me, a man, to use the women's bathroom is just crazy, but it was done in North Carolina, as described in this article.
At the exact moment when I feel repulsed by these actions, I then get a counter argument that I find compelling. It is clear to me that I have compassionate tendencies. When I read http://patch.com/iowa/iowacity/s/fqr83/for-transgender-people-lots-more-to-deal-with-than-bathroom-access?utm_source=newsletter-daily&utm_medium=email&utm_term=politics%20%26%20government&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=article-national article and got a better feel for the daily stress of living in a transgender mind, I am sickened. Someone was told to go 1.5 miles away from where they are every time to pee or poop.
That's nuts, right?
Friday, May 13, 2016
Trust the "I Never Had Sexual Relations with that Woman"
Bill Clinton Tells Crowd 'Just Relax' About 'Bogus Benghazi Hearings' http://www.nbcnews.com/video/bill-clinton-tells-crowd-just-relax-about-bogus-benghazi-hearings-685291587984?cid=eml_onsite
Sad News
In November 2013, Marty Nowlan, who was a good friend to Mom & Dad passed away. This week, I learned that her husband, George, passed away. Marty & George were the host & hostess at our wedding. They were the couple that watched me on the night my brother was born.
This is George's obituary: https://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view/fh_id/15030/id/3718811
I knew George as a man that was clever and witty. I don't know if he was a fan of "Two and a Half Men" but I can imagine he would have enjoyed the clever and witty humor of the show in the pre-Ashton Kutcher seasons.
This is George's obituary: https://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view/fh_id/15030/id/3718811
I knew George as a man that was clever and witty. I don't know if he was a fan of "Two and a Half Men" but I can imagine he would have enjoyed the clever and witty humor of the show in the pre-Ashton Kutcher seasons.
Just Why is Friday the 13th Unlucky
Beyond the fact that I have never had any desire to see a moment of any of the "Friday the 13th" series of movies, I thought this article was interesting as it delves into the mythology of why "Friday the 13th" is considered unlucky. Read it here. Since it's a world-wide event, it's news of the world.
More Trump
This article by Erick Erickson lays out the #NEVERTRUMP movement.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/05/12/donald-trump-flip-flops-republican-convention-revolt-erickson-column/84228656/
And the rebuttal: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sheldon-adelson-i-endorse-donald-trump-for-president/2016/05/12/ea89d7f0-17a0-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/05/12/donald-trump-flip-flops-republican-convention-revolt-erickson-column/84228656/
And the rebuttal: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sheldon-adelson-i-endorse-donald-trump-for-president/2016/05/12/ea89d7f0-17a0-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html
More Details
Some pictures from the Bring Me The Horizon concert in Clive, Iowa. The kid in the pictures below is Alex, my son.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Odd Choice
In Des Moines, between the Silver Snakes and 68, the choice for a tune was Dire Straits' Money for Nothing.
Stay tuned for more details about the show.
With Men
I went to Matthew's bachelor party last night. It was one of a rare number of bachelor parties I've attended with no strippers and not a lot of craziness. It was a more sophisticated evening. While I consumed my Mountain Dew Code Red (MDCR), others opened bottles of Scotch and exotic beer. Matthew had bought the MDCR for me and later insisted that I take it with me as I was getting ready to go home. I am drinking one now as I write this. While I was looking forward to being a witness to the next chapter of Matthew and Sandra's life together beginning, I admit I was somewhat apprehensive about whether I would know anyone at the wedding on Saturday.
I left Matthew's apartment with that apprehensive feeling absolved of my consciousness. I was mesmerized by the conversation. As each man spoke and told the tale of their life, I really wanted to not feel like dog shit. Topics such as those that were discussed rarely come up at home - I certainly wanted to stay longer than I did.
I do want to capture a revelation, if you will. When the subject of Matthew's journey from married man to divorced man to being married on Saturday was brought up, I contributed the following perspective. Because I saw the daily pain Matthew felt as he went through his journey in 2014, I recommitted to my marriage. It was a call to arms that I needed to be a better husband and a better father and, yes, a better son. I have never kept a tally of all the divorced couples I know and this part of my post is about them, in general, excluding Matthew's situation. From the long conversations I've had with my friends and family that are navigating through a divorce, there seems to be a common thread. The routine becomes unbearable and that unbearable feeling becomes an agent of change. Without naming names, I've known couples that decide to have sex in order to gauge their commitment to each other and when the sex was bad, it's added as a tally mark on the sheet that documents why they are getting divorced. Another couple tried counseling in an effort to rekindle or rediscover the joy that they each felt on their wedding day. It didn't work. Another couple I know decided to separate and take time to themselves. That couple hasn't pulled the trigger, if you will, and may still have a chance. I pray for them and their marriage. I pray that sorting out their feelings for each other in solitude will flip on a light bulb that leads to a reconciliation.
Matthew and Sandra's wedding on Saturday will be the beginning of a chapter filled with the full spectrum of emotions. I am honored to be attending.
I left Matthew's apartment with that apprehensive feeling absolved of my consciousness. I was mesmerized by the conversation. As each man spoke and told the tale of their life, I really wanted to not feel like dog shit. Topics such as those that were discussed rarely come up at home - I certainly wanted to stay longer than I did.
I do want to capture a revelation, if you will. When the subject of Matthew's journey from married man to divorced man to being married on Saturday was brought up, I contributed the following perspective. Because I saw the daily pain Matthew felt as he went through his journey in 2014, I recommitted to my marriage. It was a call to arms that I needed to be a better husband and a better father and, yes, a better son. I have never kept a tally of all the divorced couples I know and this part of my post is about them, in general, excluding Matthew's situation. From the long conversations I've had with my friends and family that are navigating through a divorce, there seems to be a common thread. The routine becomes unbearable and that unbearable feeling becomes an agent of change. Without naming names, I've known couples that decide to have sex in order to gauge their commitment to each other and when the sex was bad, it's added as a tally mark on the sheet that documents why they are getting divorced. Another couple tried counseling in an effort to rekindle or rediscover the joy that they each felt on their wedding day. It didn't work. Another couple I know decided to separate and take time to themselves. That couple hasn't pulled the trigger, if you will, and may still have a chance. I pray for them and their marriage. I pray that sorting out their feelings for each other in solitude will flip on a light bulb that leads to a reconciliation.
Matthew and Sandra's wedding on Saturday will be the beginning of a chapter filled with the full spectrum of emotions. I am honored to be attending.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Apology Accepted
Gene Simmons talks.
And talks.
AND TALKS MORE.
Controversy usually flares up when he talks, whether it was about rap music or Prince's death. Regarding his comments about Prince's recent death, he has offered an apology. I read it. His words relate to my life, specifically:
In my experience [drug users have] made my life, and the lives of their loved ones, difficult. I was raised in a culture/crowd where drug addicts were written off as losers, and since that's the narrative I grew up with, it's been hard to change with the times.
I was brought up that way as well. I drank booze for a number of years (see below) and since I stopped on 12/31/2010, I've often pondered the idea that by now choosing to not drink booze, I am returning to the way I was brought up. A return to my roots, if you will. You see, when I was young, Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign was popular and catchy. In numerous ways, I firmly believe it instilled the predisposition I have to disliking drugs. I calculated that I probably had my first drink of booze on Thursday, November 10, 1988.
That's when I was a freshman at Mount Mercy College. I wish I could have sent "Future Paul" to that version of my self on my very first day of college with a simple message: begin keeping a journal. I regret I didn't. Instead of a consolidated journal in a single notebook, I wrote about what was happening in my life in a variety of notebooks and random pieces of paper until May 1989. Because I didn't think it was (apparently) a big deal, I don't think I've ever seen where I recorded the date of my first drink of booze. Thus, 11/10/1988 is a guess. This means I drank booze for 22 years, 1 month and 3 weeks of my life. Some of the awful decisions I made after May 1989 are documented in my journals.
Here's another tangent. The effects of drugs on the user as well as the user's family is a recurring sub-plot in "Fear the Walking Dead" series I watch on AMC. One of the main characters is a heroin addict (though in the current second season, he has not done heroin). Because of his past, the way in which other characters interact with him is interesting. This character was a different person when he used frequently. Now that he hasn't used heroin for a bit, his sister and mother still distrust him. They both recall vivid incidents of what it was like when he was in the depths of his drug abuse. I see it in his mother's eyes when she talks to him. She longed for him to not choose heroin and then was repeatedly crushed when he did. It's as if she hears what he tells her but she won't allow herself to believe him because of his past.
What an interesting thought. I will ponder it further in my private journal in light of recent events in my life.
And to bring this post back to the original intent of writing it, Gene Simmons' apology is available in this article.
And talks.
AND TALKS MORE.
Controversy usually flares up when he talks, whether it was about rap music or Prince's death. Regarding his comments about Prince's recent death, he has offered an apology. I read it. His words relate to my life, specifically:
In my experience [drug users have] made my life, and the lives of their loved ones, difficult. I was raised in a culture/crowd where drug addicts were written off as losers, and since that's the narrative I grew up with, it's been hard to change with the times.
I was brought up that way as well. I drank booze for a number of years (see below) and since I stopped on 12/31/2010, I've often pondered the idea that by now choosing to not drink booze, I am returning to the way I was brought up. A return to my roots, if you will. You see, when I was young, Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign was popular and catchy. In numerous ways, I firmly believe it instilled the predisposition I have to disliking drugs. I calculated that I probably had my first drink of booze on Thursday, November 10, 1988.
That's when I was a freshman at Mount Mercy College. I wish I could have sent "Future Paul" to that version of my self on my very first day of college with a simple message: begin keeping a journal. I regret I didn't. Instead of a consolidated journal in a single notebook, I wrote about what was happening in my life in a variety of notebooks and random pieces of paper until May 1989. Because I didn't think it was (apparently) a big deal, I don't think I've ever seen where I recorded the date of my first drink of booze. Thus, 11/10/1988 is a guess. This means I drank booze for 22 years, 1 month and 3 weeks of my life. Some of the awful decisions I made after May 1989 are documented in my journals.
Here's another tangent. The effects of drugs on the user as well as the user's family is a recurring sub-plot in "Fear the Walking Dead" series I watch on AMC. One of the main characters is a heroin addict (though in the current second season, he has not done heroin). Because of his past, the way in which other characters interact with him is interesting. This character was a different person when he used frequently. Now that he hasn't used heroin for a bit, his sister and mother still distrust him. They both recall vivid incidents of what it was like when he was in the depths of his drug abuse. I see it in his mother's eyes when she talks to him. She longed for him to not choose heroin and then was repeatedly crushed when he did. It's as if she hears what he tells her but she won't allow herself to believe him because of his past.
What an interesting thought. I will ponder it further in my private journal in light of recent events in my life.
And to bring this post back to the original intent of writing it, Gene Simmons' apology is available in this article.
If I Don't Like the Questions, I Leave and Receive Money
This is not something I knew was okay to do. If I'm being asked questions by the FBI about an on-going investigation, I have the ability to leave the room. Wait, what? I am not allowed to do that? Tell that to HRC's aide - www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/11/top-clinton-aide-mills-reportedly-walks-out-fbi-interview-about-emails.html - although, if I'm receiving $75,000 from the US Justice Department, as described in this article, will there be consequences?
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Ignorance is not a Pro
I was reading the description of an online course called "Graduating from Word to FrameMaker" when something caught my eye.
Dustin Vaughn, Adobe Solutions Consulting Manager, and Stefan Gentz, Adobe's Worldwide Technical Communication Evangelist, teamed up to create an awesome video course that teaches how to take Microsoft Word (MSW) documents into Adobe FrameMaker.
"Word has no book functionality and the master document concept is, well, a concept only," said Gentz. "This is why most Word authors prefer to keep all content in one document, resulting in one big content silo, no re-use of chapters / topics, problems in the translation process, difficult handling, tons of self-written macros to fix tons of problems."
Gentz went on to point out other problems people tend to have with large Word documents including unreliable styles and unpredictable formatting behavior.
"Cross-references tend to break easily and styles change 'magically' in the whole document just because you changed something somewhere," said Gentz.
This phrase intrigued me "styles change 'magically' in the whole document just because you changed something somewhere." As someone who has used MSW since version 2.0, I don't agree with that assessment. Styles change not by magic - nothing in software is "magic" which is why I disapprove of the phrase "The window appears" as a phrase in documentation because of its "magic" connotation - but because you (the user) change a setting. The entire point of using styles (in the first place) is so that when you change a style's definition from 10pt to 12pt, all instances of that style change. If all instances of that style did NOT change, there would be zero point in even using styles. You'd be better off performing multiple (and endless) find and replace actions in the Word document. I'm not sure why Gentz is trying to persuade me to use Framemaker instead of MSW because MSW does what it is supposed to do. The logic falls apart. It almost seems as though Gentz's ignorance of how styles work in MSW.
That said, I do not believe MSW is perfect - no software tool is perfect. There are always software bugs to correct and enhancements to add.
Dustin Vaughn, Adobe Solutions Consulting Manager, and Stefan Gentz, Adobe's Worldwide Technical Communication Evangelist, teamed up to create an awesome video course that teaches how to take Microsoft Word (MSW) documents into Adobe FrameMaker.
"Word has no book functionality and the master document concept is, well, a concept only," said Gentz. "This is why most Word authors prefer to keep all content in one document, resulting in one big content silo, no re-use of chapters / topics, problems in the translation process, difficult handling, tons of self-written macros to fix tons of problems."
Gentz went on to point out other problems people tend to have with large Word documents including unreliable styles and unpredictable formatting behavior.
"Cross-references tend to break easily and styles change 'magically' in the whole document just because you changed something somewhere," said Gentz.
This phrase intrigued me "styles change 'magically' in the whole document just because you changed something somewhere." As someone who has used MSW since version 2.0, I don't agree with that assessment. Styles change not by magic - nothing in software is "magic" which is why I disapprove of the phrase "The window appears" as a phrase in documentation because of its "magic" connotation - but because you (the user) change a setting. The entire point of using styles (in the first place) is so that when you change a style's definition from 10pt to 12pt, all instances of that style change. If all instances of that style did NOT change, there would be zero point in even using styles. You'd be better off performing multiple (and endless) find and replace actions in the Word document. I'm not sure why Gentz is trying to persuade me to use Framemaker instead of MSW because MSW does what it is supposed to do. The logic falls apart. It almost seems as though Gentz's ignorance of how styles work in MSW.
That said, I do not believe MSW is perfect - no software tool is perfect. There are always software bugs to correct and enhancements to add.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Two Diverse Briefs
Brief One: This article about "The Death of Disagreement" is a great article that concludes like this:
[SPOILERS FOLLOW]
"Disagreement is healthy. It sharpens and strengthens and teaches. Condemnation we should use only with extreme care. By all means, condemn the candidates; they are accountable for themselves. But spare those forced to grapple with the same terrible choice as you. For some, the balance tilts another way."
Here's the link: http://www.city-journal.org/html/death-disagreement-14435.html
Brief Two: The reason I put the text [SPOILERS FOLLOW] above is because the second brief is to an article about spoilers - http://freebeacon.com/blog/on-spoilers/ - and it just seemed appropriate...
[SPOILERS FOLLOW]
"Disagreement is healthy. It sharpens and strengthens and teaches. Condemnation we should use only with extreme care. By all means, condemn the candidates; they are accountable for themselves. But spare those forced to grapple with the same terrible choice as you. For some, the balance tilts another way."
Here's the link: http://www.city-journal.org/html/death-disagreement-14435.html
Brief Two: The reason I put the text [SPOILERS FOLLOW] above is because the second brief is to an article about spoilers - http://freebeacon.com/blog/on-spoilers/ - and it just seemed appropriate...
Attitude
I learned about this video from this article.
Article: theresurgent.com/the-man-running-against-paul-ryan-has-this-killer-ad/
Video:
We're likely not going to see him winking in November, but if I lived in Wisconsin, I would at least want to know more about his stance on issues - health care, illegal immigration, and the role of the United States when it comes to terrorism - before I would endorse his candidacy.
Article: theresurgent.com/the-man-running-against-paul-ryan-has-this-killer-ad/
Video:
We're likely not going to see him winking in November, but if I lived in Wisconsin, I would at least want to know more about his stance on issues - health care, illegal immigration, and the role of the United States when it comes to terrorism - before I would endorse his candidacy.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Yrs, the Boat Sailed... Sadness Remained
Great article called "Damien Sandow Is WWE's Biggest Missed Opportunity in Years" on Bleacher Report Bleacher Report. When he mimicked the Miz, that was AWESOME!!!
This STINKS
I didn't know that you could stop obeying the law if you so choose. HRC can...."Get ready for a report about 'Hillary Clinton: Inadvertent Lawbreaker'
...get-ready-for-a-report-about-hillary-clinton-inadvertent-lawbreaker/
...get-ready-for-a-report-about-hillary-clinton-inadvertent-lawbreaker/
Friday, May 6, 2016
Unequal Pay is Good ... Sometimes
A professional wrestler in the WWE, Ryback, wrote a blog post about how WWE stars should receive equal pay, whether the wrestler is booked to win or lose. It's an interesting essay and, while there are clumsy phrases throughout, I concluded that Ryback is an intelligent man. I have the link below for your reading enjoyment. Ryback makes the case that there should be more equal pay for professional wrestlers in the WWE.
I know this may be a stretch in the logic Ryback uses, but I am taking his argument and applying it to the fictional situation where I am the booking agent for a music festival. Should I pay the 8 bands I'm going to book the same, meaning the very first band that plays should be paid the same as the headliner. Uh, no. Never. Look at this fictional dream lineup of a day-long music festival I would love to book at Kinnick Stadium. Here's the schedule:
12:00 Doors Open
02:10-02:45 From Ashes to New
03:00-03:40 We As Human
04:05-04:45 In This Moment
05:15-06:00 Pop Evil
06:30-07:15 Breaking Benjamin
07:45-09:00 Shinedown
09:30-11:00 Metallica
Editor's Note: Schedule was revised on 5/13/2016 to use the Rock'n Derby main stage schedule as a template. See below the link to Ryback's post for the bands that are playing at that festival.
Regardless of the amount of time a specific band was playing, there is a higher demand for Metallica than From Ashes to New, the same as there is more demand for Cena or The Rock than for Golddust or R Truth. That's the way it is. The only way a band like From Ashes to New or We As Human can move into the Metallica slot is to keep churning away, playing gigs upon gigs until, eventually, they headline their own tour. A great example is Shinedown. They were not in a good slot the first time I saw them at Memphis in May in 2003. While their single "45" was starting to run up the charts, they still played around 2 PM, which is not the best slot. When I saw them in 2008, Shinedown were sandwiched between Buck Cherry & Saving Abel. When I saw them twice in 2013, Shinedown was headlining their own tour with Three Days Grace & POD opening in February and then headlining the "Carnival of Madness" tour with Skillet & Papa Roach & In This Moment & We As Human opening.
So when Ryback says, "Why not pay the talent equally? The winners have more MERCH as it is or are supposed to anyways so they get that extra perk," he has answered his own question. MERCH is not a perk - it's a clear, tangible, & measurable way to determine whether the talent should be headlining a PPV or in the pre-show. Is it fair? Of course not. The WWE Universe is finnicky. It's hard to imagine this, but there was a time when The Rock was booed and was unpopular. Sometimes things work slowly. For example, The New Day started out as heels and the stable looked like it was going to be a bust. They were unpopular and booed often. Since their debut, they have found a way to connect with the crowd to the extent that on the May 2, 2016, episode of Monday Night Raw, they were faces and teamed up with Cass, another face. Sometimes things don't work at all. The League of Nations (Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, and Wade Barrett) never caught on as a stable. When they turned on each other a couple of weeks ago, I certainly didn't shed a tear.
Read Ryback's post here
I know this may be a stretch in the logic Ryback uses, but I am taking his argument and applying it to the fictional situation where I am the booking agent for a music festival. Should I pay the 8 bands I'm going to book the same, meaning the very first band that plays should be paid the same as the headliner. Uh, no. Never. Look at this fictional dream lineup of a day-long music festival I would love to book at Kinnick Stadium. Here's the schedule:
12:00 Doors Open
02:10-02:45 From Ashes to New
03:00-03:40 We As Human
04:05-04:45 In This Moment
05:15-06:00 Pop Evil
06:30-07:15 Breaking Benjamin
07:45-09:00 Shinedown
09:30-11:00 Metallica
Editor's Note: Schedule was revised on 5/13/2016 to use the Rock'n Derby main stage schedule as a template. See below the link to Ryback's post for the bands that are playing at that festival.
Regardless of the amount of time a specific band was playing, there is a higher demand for Metallica than From Ashes to New, the same as there is more demand for Cena or The Rock than for Golddust or R Truth. That's the way it is. The only way a band like From Ashes to New or We As Human can move into the Metallica slot is to keep churning away, playing gigs upon gigs until, eventually, they headline their own tour. A great example is Shinedown. They were not in a good slot the first time I saw them at Memphis in May in 2003. While their single "45" was starting to run up the charts, they still played around 2 PM, which is not the best slot. When I saw them in 2008, Shinedown were sandwiched between Buck Cherry & Saving Abel. When I saw them twice in 2013, Shinedown was headlining their own tour with Three Days Grace & POD opening in February and then headlining the "Carnival of Madness" tour with Skillet & Papa Roach & In This Moment & We As Human opening.
So when Ryback says, "Why not pay the talent equally? The winners have more MERCH as it is or are supposed to anyways so they get that extra perk," he has answered his own question. MERCH is not a perk - it's a clear, tangible, & measurable way to determine whether the talent should be headlining a PPV or in the pre-show. Is it fair? Of course not. The WWE Universe is finnicky. It's hard to imagine this, but there was a time when The Rock was booed and was unpopular. Sometimes things work slowly. For example, The New Day started out as heels and the stable looked like it was going to be a bust. They were unpopular and booed often. Since their debut, they have found a way to connect with the crowd to the extent that on the May 2, 2016, episode of Monday Night Raw, they were faces and teamed up with Cass, another face. Sometimes things don't work at all. The League of Nations (Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, and Wade Barrett) never caught on as a stable. When they turned on each other a couple of weeks ago, I certainly didn't shed a tear.
Read Ryback's post here
SATURDAY, MAY 21
A DAY TO REMEMBER 9:30 --- 11:00PM
HALESTORM 7:45 --- 9:00PM
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD 6:30 ---
7:15PM
STATE CHAMPS 5:15 ---
6:00PM
WE CAME AS ROMANS 4:05 --- 4:45PM
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE 3:00 ---
3:40PM
MISS MAY I 2:10 ---
2:45PM
Robbie Z Says to Get High
I always have this thought when I hear the phrase "getting high" and it takes me back to 1992. I didn't wake up this AM wanting to write about Old Stew, but I put "getting high" and "Old Stew" together in my brain like salt and pepper. I'm sure I've wrote this previously on this blog, but when I played drums in Old Stew, 4/5ths of the band smoked pot. I was the 1/5th that never had any desire to even try it. In 1992, I graduated from Mount Mercy College and I knew better than to involve myself in drugs. Sure, I drank too much booze and too often I was drunk and as out of control as an individual that takes drugs, but, c'mon, who doesn't get a little wild in college? .... I had to pause so I could stop laughing about some of my wild college escapades - all of them inappropriate for permanently documenting them on this blog that is visible to the public - long enough to be able to type. It's fair to say I was a different person in 1992 than I am now.
While I certainly don't endorse the idea that anyone should get high, I do think that the Iowa Legislature should have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Right now, if someone is in severe pain, that person has to go to CO, where it is legal. The Iowa Legislature failed the people of Iowa when they failed to act. I think an issue like this should not be partisan. I would challenge the Republicans to do the research and to help the people that voted for them to do actual work.
Why this extended essay about getting high, drinking booze, and such? Well, Rob Zombie's "Get High" just assaulted my ears for the first time. While I like this groove and the parts where the guitar drops out and it's just singing and a tambourine / percussion in the background, I still am just not a Robbie Z fan. I've seen him in concert, when he was the lead singer of White Zombie, though I can't recall who else was on the bill with him at this precise moment. The guitarist, John 5 (and I only know that because he was on "That Metal Show") proves he is a great guitarist. The drumming is interesting. I even like the vocal effects.
I like "Get High" better than the first single I heard:
While I certainly don't endorse the idea that anyone should get high, I do think that the Iowa Legislature should have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Right now, if someone is in severe pain, that person has to go to CO, where it is legal. The Iowa Legislature failed the people of Iowa when they failed to act. I think an issue like this should not be partisan. I would challenge the Republicans to do the research and to help the people that voted for them to do actual work.
Why this extended essay about getting high, drinking booze, and such? Well, Rob Zombie's "Get High" just assaulted my ears for the first time. While I like this groove and the parts where the guitar drops out and it's just singing and a tambourine / percussion in the background, I still am just not a Robbie Z fan. I've seen him in concert, when he was the lead singer of White Zombie, though I can't recall who else was on the bill with him at this precise moment. The guitarist, John 5 (and I only know that because he was on "That Metal Show") proves he is a great guitarist. The drumming is interesting. I even like the vocal effects.
I like "Get High" better than the first single I heard:
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