I heard something clever last week and thought I'd post it here:
You know the end of the world is near when....
... the best rapper is white
... the best golfer is black
... the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese
... the French call Americans arrogant
... the Germans don't want to go to war
Crazy times we live in. But I guess one thing stays constant: Kenyans dominating the Boston Marathon. A friend I knew in college was telling me stories once about when he was doing missions work in Kenya. There were these two towns that were like 20-30 miles apart, and they had to travel between those two towns kind of regularly. He said that the locals would just run the distance like it was nothing. Not only that, but pick up their heavy speaker equipment or whatever other stuff they had, strap it to their backs and just go. No wonder they always win those marathons. Makes you wonder if normal humans like us should even bother trying.
I had one of the worst mornings in a long time. Don't feel like writing about it now in detail. Anyways, I feel better so it's all good. Plus I got an unexpected email from someone I hadn't talked to or seen in a while, which made the day a little better.
I forgot to mention in my Easter Blog that I watched Anger Management with Olivia over the weekend. I thought it was pretty good, consider it "recommended" by the prestigious Dudo509 Blogspot Movie Division. It reinforced my high opinions of Jack Nicholson and Marisa Tomei.
But I think the old Adam Sandler is gone for good, if we didn't know that already. I wish he would do more stuff like Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison, but I guess chicks don't dig the vulgarity and weirdness as much. They seem to prefer the more cutesy stuff like Big Daddy, Waterboy, or Wedding Singer. (I haven't seen Wedding Singer but I figure it fits that category) Hardcore fans would probably say he sold out, so that his movies would make more money, and so he could score more with the ladies.
Another thing I should've said in my last blog was Happy Birthday to Anuj, Jeff, and Tuan. Don't know if you guys read this page but oh well. Sorry I didn't make it to your dinner or to the Buzz, but you can take comfort in the grand honor of being mentioned in my blog.
Monday, April 21, 2003
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Easter Blog
- I got a chance to play some World Series 2K3 at P's house a few days ago. There's nothing quite like playing a quality baseball game with your boys, especially if they are in the same fantasy baseball league as you. Brings back all the memories of ISR, when we would get Rover and play TP 2000 every day in my room.
- I think every one of my past roommates has complained at some point that I'm never around. Which probably isn't untrue, cause I was just that popular in college. But I think in the past week, I have seen my 2 housemates at the house for all of about 2 hours total. I'm usually here, but they get home late when I'm either already in bed or about to go to bed. Anyways, it's a weird feeling that for once, I am the one who is always around and the guys I live with are always out. Kind of a nice change of pace, actually.
- This might be the first year that Easter has not been a big deal in my life. From the days of the Easter Bunny, decorating and hunting for eggs, to the days at U of I, when Easter was a week-long event for CFC ("Passion Week"), it always seemed like a really major holiday to me. This year, it seems to have come and gone without the usual hoopla. Well, there was still Easter service at my home church, and I got Good Friday off for work, which was nice, but I just never got into the Easter-y mood this year. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me with Christmas. I doubt it will though... just gotta watch Home Alone and that makes me plenty juiced for the holidays.
- Dave Chappelle is hilarious
- It's disappointing that Bill Self decided to leave Illinois for Kansas. But three years ago, we were also disappointed that Lon Krueger left for the NBA. Things turned out pretty good for us then, and I think they will turn out just fine for us in the next couple years too. My feeling is that Self will do well in Kansas, whoever replaces Self for us will do well at Illinois, and Roy Williams will regret going to North Carolina within a couple years. For any Illinois haters reading, I recommend you read Andy Katz's article on ESPN.com. Basically, it's just saying how Kansas is such an awesome job and Illinois is for leftover chumps.
Currently Playing On My Winamp: Coldplay - The Scientist
I remember this was one of my favorite songs when I first listened to the CD last year. I forgot about it until I started hearing it on the radio lately. Who knew that Coldplay would get big, that girls would adore Chris Martin, and he would end up dating Gwyneth Paltrow? Certainly not I.
- I got a chance to play some World Series 2K3 at P's house a few days ago. There's nothing quite like playing a quality baseball game with your boys, especially if they are in the same fantasy baseball league as you. Brings back all the memories of ISR, when we would get Rover and play TP 2000 every day in my room.
- I think every one of my past roommates has complained at some point that I'm never around. Which probably isn't untrue, cause I was just that popular in college. But I think in the past week, I have seen my 2 housemates at the house for all of about 2 hours total. I'm usually here, but they get home late when I'm either already in bed or about to go to bed. Anyways, it's a weird feeling that for once, I am the one who is always around and the guys I live with are always out. Kind of a nice change of pace, actually.
- This might be the first year that Easter has not been a big deal in my life. From the days of the Easter Bunny, decorating and hunting for eggs, to the days at U of I, when Easter was a week-long event for CFC ("Passion Week"), it always seemed like a really major holiday to me. This year, it seems to have come and gone without the usual hoopla. Well, there was still Easter service at my home church, and I got Good Friday off for work, which was nice, but I just never got into the Easter-y mood this year. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me with Christmas. I doubt it will though... just gotta watch Home Alone and that makes me plenty juiced for the holidays.
- Dave Chappelle is hilarious
- It's disappointing that Bill Self decided to leave Illinois for Kansas. But three years ago, we were also disappointed that Lon Krueger left for the NBA. Things turned out pretty good for us then, and I think they will turn out just fine for us in the next couple years too. My feeling is that Self will do well in Kansas, whoever replaces Self for us will do well at Illinois, and Roy Williams will regret going to North Carolina within a couple years. For any Illinois haters reading, I recommend you read Andy Katz's article on ESPN.com. Basically, it's just saying how Kansas is such an awesome job and Illinois is for leftover chumps.
Currently Playing On My Winamp: Coldplay - The Scientist
I remember this was one of my favorite songs when I first listened to the CD last year. I forgot about it until I started hearing it on the radio lately. Who knew that Coldplay would get big, that girls would adore Chris Martin, and he would end up dating Gwyneth Paltrow? Certainly not I.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
Good Heavens
Yesterday night before going to sleep, for some reason I was struck with the strong urge to look up in the sky and observe the moon and the stars. Maybe it was because of a conversation I had earlier, about how the stars you see actually died millions of years ago but their light is just now reaching us. I don't know.
Anyways, it wasn't that great of a stargazing night, plus I was tired so I went to sleep soon after, but the subject hasn't left my mind since then. Something about staring into the night sky triggers a weird but good emotion inside me. I'm a pretty rational, scientific person by most standards, but there's many times when I feel a very intangible side of being human too.
It's hard to explain these kinds of surreal feelings in words, or why I have them. I think we were born with an inherent need to experience the things of nature. At least to some extent, we have a part of us that craves and desires to escape from society, however briefly, and take solace in the larger world outside. I personally have been wishing for a chance to maybe spend time alone by the ocean or something like that, to just gather my thoughts and enjoy the world around me for a few moments.
The thing is, most of us live and work in the city or suburbs, and we're surrounded by people and all sorts of media pretty much from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. Between our jobs, the social lives we lead, and all the other things we fill our time with, certain things get lost or forgotten in the midst of all the busy-ness.
Don't get me wrong - I like my job, I love all my friends and family, and I would never trade my city/suburban life for any other. I mean, without a job to work at, and without relationships, life to me would be pretty meaningless. And as far as urban life goes, I appreciate it for what it is. There have been many memories throughout my life when I have felt so awed by the sight of a big city. Like admiring the Chicago skyline any time I drive on Lake Shore Drive. Arriving at the Las Vegas strip for the first time. Looking out the window of the 747 as I left Taipei a few years ago. Or standing on the deck of a boat, in the harbor outside Hong Kong, staring at all the lights and many beautifully architectured buildings at night.
I guess what I'm saying is, even with all I have in my life, something about me as a human being elicits a strong desire to experience things that are greater than what man can make or provide.
The Chicago skyline is so impressive and great to me, but when I see the infinite number of stars in the sky, or stand on the shore of a giant ocean, everything else seems so insignificant and unworthy of comparison. And when I think about how many millions or billions of galaxies are out there, how many billions of years or more that they've existed before I was even conceived, it's a very humbling experience.
It's an annoying cliche that I try to avoid, but this kind of experience tends to "put things in perspective" for me. When I work hard to achieve goals, and list my own accomplishments, it's easy sometimes to feel like I'm something really special and important, as if it's my world and everyone else is just living in it. It's times like these when I really need to be humbled the most.
I'm reminded that the world doesn't revolve around me. That all the things I absorb myself with in my life, the things I focus all my attention on, and seem so vitally important to me, are only a very tiny part of the larger whole. And that ultimately, whether I live, die, succeed or fail in the things I do, the universe and all that's in it will go on.
You'd think that this would be a discouraging thought, like I'm just a mere little individual and my life doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. But actually, deep down I feel strangely peaceful, knowing that I could mess up my life in the worst possible way imaginable and the universe won't care one bit.
Okay, so I don't really mean that last part. That's a pretty twisted way of looking at things. But I do take comfort in these thoughts because in a way they affirm my belief in God, that he is in control of everything, and not me.
It's like when you're a little kid, the feeling of knowing that whatever happens, your mom and dad will always be there, loving you and taking care of you all the way. It's a sense of security, but so much deeper than that. Well, by now I am more or less independent of my parents, but I refuse to believe that I am on my own, or that I am the highest being of them all. I still have a strong need to look above myself, to God who watches over me in everything I do. Knowing that I'm in control of my own life, but God is in control overall, is a very settling thought for me.
Some of you reading are probably thinking I'm crazy. "How does he get all that from looking at stars?!" The answer is, I don't know. Like I said before, human nature is so intangible and hard to explain in words. I may not know exactly why I enjoy looking at the stars or watching the waves of an ocean, but I do know that these things satisfy a part of me that other things in my life cannot.
I don't wish to quit my job, move to unsettled land in Canada, build a cabin in the wilderness and hunt for food. But I think I need at least some feeling of being in touch with nature, beyond the routine of daily/weekly/monthly life that I'm starting to settle into. Like the guy in Office Space said, "Human beings were not meant to be caged up like animals in cubicles and stare at computer screens all day." We weren't meant to simply watch TV, play golf, and drink beer the rest of the day when we get home from work either. Not that those things are bad, but too much of it ends up being just a jumble of distractions that clouds your mind and soul.
So I don't know what I'm gonna do, if anything at all. Maybe I should get a telescope and read up about astronomy. Or maybe I just need a vacation or a break from the routine. Anyone out there feel like going camping and looking at stars? I think now I'm just babbling on. Well anyways... I'll figure something out eventually.
Yesterday night before going to sleep, for some reason I was struck with the strong urge to look up in the sky and observe the moon and the stars. Maybe it was because of a conversation I had earlier, about how the stars you see actually died millions of years ago but their light is just now reaching us. I don't know.
Anyways, it wasn't that great of a stargazing night, plus I was tired so I went to sleep soon after, but the subject hasn't left my mind since then. Something about staring into the night sky triggers a weird but good emotion inside me. I'm a pretty rational, scientific person by most standards, but there's many times when I feel a very intangible side of being human too.
It's hard to explain these kinds of surreal feelings in words, or why I have them. I think we were born with an inherent need to experience the things of nature. At least to some extent, we have a part of us that craves and desires to escape from society, however briefly, and take solace in the larger world outside. I personally have been wishing for a chance to maybe spend time alone by the ocean or something like that, to just gather my thoughts and enjoy the world around me for a few moments.
The thing is, most of us live and work in the city or suburbs, and we're surrounded by people and all sorts of media pretty much from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. Between our jobs, the social lives we lead, and all the other things we fill our time with, certain things get lost or forgotten in the midst of all the busy-ness.
Don't get me wrong - I like my job, I love all my friends and family, and I would never trade my city/suburban life for any other. I mean, without a job to work at, and without relationships, life to me would be pretty meaningless. And as far as urban life goes, I appreciate it for what it is. There have been many memories throughout my life when I have felt so awed by the sight of a big city. Like admiring the Chicago skyline any time I drive on Lake Shore Drive. Arriving at the Las Vegas strip for the first time. Looking out the window of the 747 as I left Taipei a few years ago. Or standing on the deck of a boat, in the harbor outside Hong Kong, staring at all the lights and many beautifully architectured buildings at night.
I guess what I'm saying is, even with all I have in my life, something about me as a human being elicits a strong desire to experience things that are greater than what man can make or provide.
The Chicago skyline is so impressive and great to me, but when I see the infinite number of stars in the sky, or stand on the shore of a giant ocean, everything else seems so insignificant and unworthy of comparison. And when I think about how many millions or billions of galaxies are out there, how many billions of years or more that they've existed before I was even conceived, it's a very humbling experience.
It's an annoying cliche that I try to avoid, but this kind of experience tends to "put things in perspective" for me. When I work hard to achieve goals, and list my own accomplishments, it's easy sometimes to feel like I'm something really special and important, as if it's my world and everyone else is just living in it. It's times like these when I really need to be humbled the most.
I'm reminded that the world doesn't revolve around me. That all the things I absorb myself with in my life, the things I focus all my attention on, and seem so vitally important to me, are only a very tiny part of the larger whole. And that ultimately, whether I live, die, succeed or fail in the things I do, the universe and all that's in it will go on.
You'd think that this would be a discouraging thought, like I'm just a mere little individual and my life doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. But actually, deep down I feel strangely peaceful, knowing that I could mess up my life in the worst possible way imaginable and the universe won't care one bit.
Okay, so I don't really mean that last part. That's a pretty twisted way of looking at things. But I do take comfort in these thoughts because in a way they affirm my belief in God, that he is in control of everything, and not me.
It's like when you're a little kid, the feeling of knowing that whatever happens, your mom and dad will always be there, loving you and taking care of you all the way. It's a sense of security, but so much deeper than that. Well, by now I am more or less independent of my parents, but I refuse to believe that I am on my own, or that I am the highest being of them all. I still have a strong need to look above myself, to God who watches over me in everything I do. Knowing that I'm in control of my own life, but God is in control overall, is a very settling thought for me.
Some of you reading are probably thinking I'm crazy. "How does he get all that from looking at stars?!" The answer is, I don't know. Like I said before, human nature is so intangible and hard to explain in words. I may not know exactly why I enjoy looking at the stars or watching the waves of an ocean, but I do know that these things satisfy a part of me that other things in my life cannot.
I don't wish to quit my job, move to unsettled land in Canada, build a cabin in the wilderness and hunt for food. But I think I need at least some feeling of being in touch with nature, beyond the routine of daily/weekly/monthly life that I'm starting to settle into. Like the guy in Office Space said, "Human beings were not meant to be caged up like animals in cubicles and stare at computer screens all day." We weren't meant to simply watch TV, play golf, and drink beer the rest of the day when we get home from work either. Not that those things are bad, but too much of it ends up being just a jumble of distractions that clouds your mind and soul.
So I don't know what I'm gonna do, if anything at all. Maybe I should get a telescope and read up about astronomy. Or maybe I just need a vacation or a break from the routine. Anyone out there feel like going camping and looking at stars? I think now I'm just babbling on. Well anyways... I'll figure something out eventually.
Thursday, April 17, 2003
Insulting My Fanhood
My 2-day stint at first place in Dudo League Baseball is over. But I remain upbeat about my team.
After Tuesday night's debacle at the Sox game, and reading Piya's blog, I have been thinking about my Sox fanhood. As many of you know, baseball is my favorite sport and the Sox are my favorite team. But in the past few years, I have found it harder and harder to support them as a fan.
The toughest thing for me is not when the Sox lose. Of course, I love to see them win, but I could still love my team and follow them religiously if they were in last place. What bothers me the most is that there are literally zero players on the Sox that I like. I used to like Frank Thomas, about 10 years ago when he was good and I didn't know he was a jackass, but since then I have hated him more and more with each passing season. I never liked Billy Koch, Flash Gordon, or even Bartolo Colon, either, and those happened to be our top 3 signings this season. My hate for Koch has intensified already, as it's less than 3 weeks into the season and he's blowing big saves.
The rest of the guys, I am pretty indifferent to. Magglio, Buerhle and Konerko are good players, and Crede has potential. But I couldn't really say I love watching any of them. It's been a while since there was a Sox player I liked. I thought Mike Caruso was gonna be awesome, but then he showed why there are no good lefty shortstops in the league. And I was starting to like Ray Durham more, but then my best friend Kenny Williams (worst... GM... ever) traded him away.
In any team sport, and I think in baseball more than any other, the human factor is so very important. Okay, so in some cases (Yankees, Braves, Lakers) teams can win on pure talent alone, but I really believe the best way to go is to build team chemistry and play together as a whole. Some good examples in the past few years are the Angels, the Twins, and this year's Royals. Not only do they win, but they're a lot more fun to watch too.
But "chemistry" seems like a foreign word to the Sox. We have no clear leader on this team. Our players don't seem to be focused on winning, nor do they show hustle. This shows that they don't care about letting down their teammates. We lack solid fundamentals in fielding, baserunning, etc., which is at least partly the fault of Jerry Manuel and the coaches.
We've had no shortage of prospects in a pretty good farm system, but so few of them seem to develop into true star players. Meanwhile, Kenny gets these big name players in the offseason and hopes that they the team will magically mesh together, all of a sudden.
Then we have Jerry Reinsdorf. I'll give him some props for at least showing some effort to spend money and improve the team, but he's still a putz overall. I'm still a little pissed that he didn't put more effort into making New Comiskey a better ballpark from the start, at a time when really nice fields like Camden Yard and Jacobs Field were also being built. And this year, he dumped one of the oldest names in baseball and made our stadium "US Cellular Field"*. As if the White Sox tradition and personality weren't dry enough already.
So they wonder why Sox fans don't show up to games. No, it's not because we're still bitter about the strike. No, it's not because of the neighborhood. No, it's not even because the stadium is unfriendly or because they raised prices for parking. It's because the team is just not worth paying to watch. I mean, I still follow the Sox on TV, and I've still been going to some games, but I would go so much more if they gave me a reason to get excited about being at the park.
They could do the Jumbotron pizza races, plane races, which-cap-is-the-ball-under game, and Kiss Cam all they want. They could have all the promotions you can possibly think of. They might even try making parking free with ticket stub and reducing the price of hot dogs to under $3. But all that's gonna do is probably attract more of the lowlifes who just wanna get drunk, run on the field, and do something stupid. True Sox fans go to the park for good baseball, not for all the other stuff.
The fact is, what we true fans really want is a team to get behind and cheer for, one that will make us actually want to get off our couches and drive to the field to root them on. We need more of the players who show leadership by example on the field, who are friendly to the media and make an effort to show appreciation to the fans. We'd like to see people hustle to first base, slide headfirst into home plate, and dive for groundballs. We want to see high fives, rally caps, or jumping out of the dugout to watch a home run.
You can't expect us to pay to see a team that blows leads late in the game, with guys who can't lay down a bunt, and who get caught stealing for the final out when you're down 3 runs anyways. It's just not right.
Hopefully we see improvements in the Sox organization sometime soon. I say we get rid of Frank Thomas and Kenny Williams for starters and see where it goes from there. Maybe dump Jerry Manuel too, for good measure. I don't care, waive the whole team and call up your minor league affiliate. I bet they're more entertaining to watch anyways.
I guess in the meantime, I'm gonna have to reluctantly follow my team and hope for the best. I still have faith that we can win this year. It's just not an easy time for me to be a Sox fan, that's all.
*****
US Cellular happens to be on my "list" too, which includes Structure and Home Depot. Me and my sister used to have PrimeCo. It sucked, so eventually I switched to Cingular and she switched to VoiceStream. But for some reason, when we quit, they kept a one-cent balance on my account. Now, Voicestream is T-Mobile and PrimeCo is US Cellular, but throughout all this time, PrimeCo/US Cellular have been sending us bills for $.01 every single month. We've called more than once to have them fix this, but obviously they never do because the bills keep coming.
I think next week I am gonna stop into the US Cellular store nearest me with a baseball bat and ask them not-so-politely to fix my balance and terminate my account. Maybe I'll bring a bucket of pennies and fling them at the employees.
*****
Update on the pants: I tried the "Goof-off" stuff on my pants based on Rich's comment, but I think, like he said, the paint was already brushed deep into the fabric beyond repair. Thanks for the suggestion anyways, though, it was worth a try.
On the plus side, Goof-off has a nice gasoliney smell. It gave me a nice dizzy and high feeling as I went to bed last night.
My 2-day stint at first place in Dudo League Baseball is over. But I remain upbeat about my team.
After Tuesday night's debacle at the Sox game, and reading Piya's blog, I have been thinking about my Sox fanhood. As many of you know, baseball is my favorite sport and the Sox are my favorite team. But in the past few years, I have found it harder and harder to support them as a fan.
The toughest thing for me is not when the Sox lose. Of course, I love to see them win, but I could still love my team and follow them religiously if they were in last place. What bothers me the most is that there are literally zero players on the Sox that I like. I used to like Frank Thomas, about 10 years ago when he was good and I didn't know he was a jackass, but since then I have hated him more and more with each passing season. I never liked Billy Koch, Flash Gordon, or even Bartolo Colon, either, and those happened to be our top 3 signings this season. My hate for Koch has intensified already, as it's less than 3 weeks into the season and he's blowing big saves.
The rest of the guys, I am pretty indifferent to. Magglio, Buerhle and Konerko are good players, and Crede has potential. But I couldn't really say I love watching any of them. It's been a while since there was a Sox player I liked. I thought Mike Caruso was gonna be awesome, but then he showed why there are no good lefty shortstops in the league. And I was starting to like Ray Durham more, but then my best friend Kenny Williams (worst... GM... ever) traded him away.
In any team sport, and I think in baseball more than any other, the human factor is so very important. Okay, so in some cases (Yankees, Braves, Lakers) teams can win on pure talent alone, but I really believe the best way to go is to build team chemistry and play together as a whole. Some good examples in the past few years are the Angels, the Twins, and this year's Royals. Not only do they win, but they're a lot more fun to watch too.
But "chemistry" seems like a foreign word to the Sox. We have no clear leader on this team. Our players don't seem to be focused on winning, nor do they show hustle. This shows that they don't care about letting down their teammates. We lack solid fundamentals in fielding, baserunning, etc., which is at least partly the fault of Jerry Manuel and the coaches.
We've had no shortage of prospects in a pretty good farm system, but so few of them seem to develop into true star players. Meanwhile, Kenny gets these big name players in the offseason and hopes that they the team will magically mesh together, all of a sudden.
Then we have Jerry Reinsdorf. I'll give him some props for at least showing some effort to spend money and improve the team, but he's still a putz overall. I'm still a little pissed that he didn't put more effort into making New Comiskey a better ballpark from the start, at a time when really nice fields like Camden Yard and Jacobs Field were also being built. And this year, he dumped one of the oldest names in baseball and made our stadium "US Cellular Field"*. As if the White Sox tradition and personality weren't dry enough already.
So they wonder why Sox fans don't show up to games. No, it's not because we're still bitter about the strike. No, it's not because of the neighborhood. No, it's not even because the stadium is unfriendly or because they raised prices for parking. It's because the team is just not worth paying to watch. I mean, I still follow the Sox on TV, and I've still been going to some games, but I would go so much more if they gave me a reason to get excited about being at the park.
They could do the Jumbotron pizza races, plane races, which-cap-is-the-ball-under game, and Kiss Cam all they want. They could have all the promotions you can possibly think of. They might even try making parking free with ticket stub and reducing the price of hot dogs to under $3. But all that's gonna do is probably attract more of the lowlifes who just wanna get drunk, run on the field, and do something stupid. True Sox fans go to the park for good baseball, not for all the other stuff.
The fact is, what we true fans really want is a team to get behind and cheer for, one that will make us actually want to get off our couches and drive to the field to root them on. We need more of the players who show leadership by example on the field, who are friendly to the media and make an effort to show appreciation to the fans. We'd like to see people hustle to first base, slide headfirst into home plate, and dive for groundballs. We want to see high fives, rally caps, or jumping out of the dugout to watch a home run.
You can't expect us to pay to see a team that blows leads late in the game, with guys who can't lay down a bunt, and who get caught stealing for the final out when you're down 3 runs anyways. It's just not right.
Hopefully we see improvements in the Sox organization sometime soon. I say we get rid of Frank Thomas and Kenny Williams for starters and see where it goes from there. Maybe dump Jerry Manuel too, for good measure. I don't care, waive the whole team and call up your minor league affiliate. I bet they're more entertaining to watch anyways.
I guess in the meantime, I'm gonna have to reluctantly follow my team and hope for the best. I still have faith that we can win this year. It's just not an easy time for me to be a Sox fan, that's all.
*****
US Cellular happens to be on my "list" too, which includes Structure and Home Depot. Me and my sister used to have PrimeCo. It sucked, so eventually I switched to Cingular and she switched to VoiceStream. But for some reason, when we quit, they kept a one-cent balance on my account. Now, Voicestream is T-Mobile and PrimeCo is US Cellular, but throughout all this time, PrimeCo/US Cellular have been sending us bills for $.01 every single month. We've called more than once to have them fix this, but obviously they never do because the bills keep coming.
I think next week I am gonna stop into the US Cellular store nearest me with a baseball bat and ask them not-so-politely to fix my balance and terminate my account. Maybe I'll bring a bucket of pennies and fling them at the employees.
*****
Update on the pants: I tried the "Goof-off" stuff on my pants based on Rich's comment, but I think, like he said, the paint was already brushed deep into the fabric beyond repair. Thanks for the suggestion anyways, though, it was worth a try.
On the plus side, Goof-off has a nice gasoliney smell. It gave me a nice dizzy and high feeling as I went to bed last night.
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Home Depot
Some of you may know about my personal spat with Structure for the past 5 years or so. Ever since they wouldn't let me exchange a pair of shorts with a bleach hole in it, I started a personal boycott. In hindsight, I bet those stupid employees probably regretted their decision, for that was clearly the beginning of the end for Structure. After I stopped going, many others noticed that their clothes weren't as cool anymore, leaving the store so empty and unprofitable that management decided to change their name to Express Men in desperate measures.
Anyways, yesterday I added Home Depot to my list. You know those little round posts that stick up out of the ground and go up to about your waist? I don't know what they're for, but they're just scattered around the store. Well, it turns out that when I went there with Brian (Olivia's brother) last night around 9, they had just painted those things bright yellow.
So we get to the checkout counter, and as he's paying for his stuff, I lean up on one of those posts, not knowing that the bright yellow paint was fresh. Before I know it, there's 2 huge yellow stains on the front of my pants. Now these weren't my old dirty jeans or anything, these were my beloved Abercrombie khakis that Olivia bought me a few months ago. I wear those everywhere, not just to Home Depot but to work, to church, to Chris Farleycorn, and around the house. So I was pissed.
Now first of all, why are they painting those things during store hours? I lean on those kinds of things all the time and I'm sure other people do too. Second of all, there were no signs that said "Wet Paint" near that post. In a high traffic area like that, you better make sure that people know what's wet paint and what isn't.
The last straw was when one of the employees saw what happened, he was like "oh that's a latex based paint, just dissolve it with water and it'll come right off." So he showed me to the bathroom and I tried to wash the paint off my pants with copious amounts of water.
But try as I did, I couldn't get the paint to "dissolve" in the water. A couple minutes later I walked out of the place with the front of my pants soaked in water with a bright yellow paint stain to go with, then drove home ("home" being Palatine now). There, I spent another 2-3 hours trying to clean of the stupid paint. To nobody's surprise, the paint didn't dissolve in the water at home either. I still don't know what that guy was smoking. Maybe latex paint really does dissolve in water when it's wet, but it sure doesn't "come right off" clothes.
So I turned to my trusty friend, the Internet, for tips on removing latex paint stains from clothes. Piya told me "I think you're screwed." Then a Google search led me to a site that recommended soaking the clothes in water and detergent, and removing the stain with a toothbrush. Sounded like a grand idea, so I tried it. Well, it didn't end up doing much, other than ruining my only toothbrush. The bristles were all yellow, but there was no noticeable difference in the stain on the pants. So this morning I used lots 'o Listerine and I'll have to buy a new toothbrush today.
Oh yeah, did you know that there are "cleaning tips" forums on the Internet? Yeah, it's where people come to share their gems of cleaning wisdom with others. They have moderators who answer your questions and everything. How do you get to be a moderator for one of those anyways? I wanna be a moderator and give people the worst advice ever. Something like this:
Q: I got some green dishwashing detergent on my sleeve. Now my white cotton shirt has a green stain! I tried rubbing it out with some water, but it just got soapy and bubbly. Any tips?
A: Unfortunately, stains involving dishwashing detergent or other types of soap are some of the toughest known to man. Do NOT put your shirt in the washing machine, that will never work. I recommend that you treat the stain as follows:
Mix a solution of two parts dog urine and one part engine oil. Used engine oil is preferable, but fresh oil should do the trick. Synthetic is not necessary. And if you don't have ready access to dog urine, cat or even human urine may work as well.
Apply the solution liberally around the stain. If possible, soak the entire shirt for a couple hours so that the deep cleansing agents found naturally in motor oil can work on the tough detergenty elements of the stain. The urine should give the solution an easy texture to work with, while also giving the room a pleasant aroma.
If the stain lingers, take the shirt to your living room and vigorously rub it on your carpet. The fuzzier and whiter your carpet, the better, for it will soak up the stain quite well. For best results, make sure you do this while the engine oil/urine solution is still freshly applied on the shirt.
*****
Other than losing this pair of pants to a paint stain, I also ripped my best pair of jeans last year. Premium denim MY EYE! Then I have 3 T-Shirts that are permanently stained from engine oil because I'm stupid. It sucks because one of them was my Singha Lager Beer shirt I got in Thailand. Another one was my Coors Light shirt I got from the Coors brewery when we went to Colorado. And the last one was my long-sleeve University of Illinois shirt, one of two Illini shirts I have left. None of those are easily replaceable, at least not in their sentimental value. >:-O
On the plus side, my fantasy baseball team is doing well. Let's see if I can actually hold 1st place this year.
Some of you may know about my personal spat with Structure for the past 5 years or so. Ever since they wouldn't let me exchange a pair of shorts with a bleach hole in it, I started a personal boycott. In hindsight, I bet those stupid employees probably regretted their decision, for that was clearly the beginning of the end for Structure. After I stopped going, many others noticed that their clothes weren't as cool anymore, leaving the store so empty and unprofitable that management decided to change their name to Express Men in desperate measures.
Anyways, yesterday I added Home Depot to my list. You know those little round posts that stick up out of the ground and go up to about your waist? I don't know what they're for, but they're just scattered around the store. Well, it turns out that when I went there with Brian (Olivia's brother) last night around 9, they had just painted those things bright yellow.
So we get to the checkout counter, and as he's paying for his stuff, I lean up on one of those posts, not knowing that the bright yellow paint was fresh. Before I know it, there's 2 huge yellow stains on the front of my pants. Now these weren't my old dirty jeans or anything, these were my beloved Abercrombie khakis that Olivia bought me a few months ago. I wear those everywhere, not just to Home Depot but to work, to church, to Chris Farleycorn, and around the house. So I was pissed.
Now first of all, why are they painting those things during store hours? I lean on those kinds of things all the time and I'm sure other people do too. Second of all, there were no signs that said "Wet Paint" near that post. In a high traffic area like that, you better make sure that people know what's wet paint and what isn't.
The last straw was when one of the employees saw what happened, he was like "oh that's a latex based paint, just dissolve it with water and it'll come right off." So he showed me to the bathroom and I tried to wash the paint off my pants with copious amounts of water.
But try as I did, I couldn't get the paint to "dissolve" in the water. A couple minutes later I walked out of the place with the front of my pants soaked in water with a bright yellow paint stain to go with, then drove home ("home" being Palatine now). There, I spent another 2-3 hours trying to clean of the stupid paint. To nobody's surprise, the paint didn't dissolve in the water at home either. I still don't know what that guy was smoking. Maybe latex paint really does dissolve in water when it's wet, but it sure doesn't "come right off" clothes.
So I turned to my trusty friend, the Internet, for tips on removing latex paint stains from clothes. Piya told me "I think you're screwed." Then a Google search led me to a site that recommended soaking the clothes in water and detergent, and removing the stain with a toothbrush. Sounded like a grand idea, so I tried it. Well, it didn't end up doing much, other than ruining my only toothbrush. The bristles were all yellow, but there was no noticeable difference in the stain on the pants. So this morning I used lots 'o Listerine and I'll have to buy a new toothbrush today.
Oh yeah, did you know that there are "cleaning tips" forums on the Internet? Yeah, it's where people come to share their gems of cleaning wisdom with others. They have moderators who answer your questions and everything. How do you get to be a moderator for one of those anyways? I wanna be a moderator and give people the worst advice ever. Something like this:
Q: I got some green dishwashing detergent on my sleeve. Now my white cotton shirt has a green stain! I tried rubbing it out with some water, but it just got soapy and bubbly. Any tips?
A: Unfortunately, stains involving dishwashing detergent or other types of soap are some of the toughest known to man. Do NOT put your shirt in the washing machine, that will never work. I recommend that you treat the stain as follows:
Mix a solution of two parts dog urine and one part engine oil. Used engine oil is preferable, but fresh oil should do the trick. Synthetic is not necessary. And if you don't have ready access to dog urine, cat or even human urine may work as well.
Apply the solution liberally around the stain. If possible, soak the entire shirt for a couple hours so that the deep cleansing agents found naturally in motor oil can work on the tough detergenty elements of the stain. The urine should give the solution an easy texture to work with, while also giving the room a pleasant aroma.
If the stain lingers, take the shirt to your living room and vigorously rub it on your carpet. The fuzzier and whiter your carpet, the better, for it will soak up the stain quite well. For best results, make sure you do this while the engine oil/urine solution is still freshly applied on the shirt.
*****
Other than losing this pair of pants to a paint stain, I also ripped my best pair of jeans last year. Premium denim MY EYE! Then I have 3 T-Shirts that are permanently stained from engine oil because I'm stupid. It sucks because one of them was my Singha Lager Beer shirt I got in Thailand. Another one was my Coors Light shirt I got from the Coors brewery when we went to Colorado. And the last one was my long-sleeve University of Illinois shirt, one of two Illini shirts I have left. None of those are easily replaceable, at least not in their sentimental value. >:-O
On the plus side, my fantasy baseball team is doing well. Let's see if I can actually hold 1st place this year.
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