The Sox-Cubs game yesterday was ok. It's too bad Sox lost, but overall in the two crosstown series of the last couple weeks, they got back in their division race, beat the Cubs 4 out of 6, and got me excited about baseball again this season. I still hope Jerry Womanuel gets fired before the break, and there are still too many guys batting under .230, but at least the team is somewhat worth cheering for now.
In the section where me and Olivia were sitting, there were about 10 fights that happened throughout the game. We couldn't see what was going on, other than an occasional shoe that would go flying over our heads into the lower deck. I used to be all for having beer at the ballpark, but now my opinion is changing. They should consider banning sale of alcohol. Stupid drunk people at the game are funny sometimes, but after a while it just gets annoying. Maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe I'm getting sick of paying 5 bucks for a little cup of beer.
I think I'm a couple years behind the rest of the world, but only in the last few days have I discovered the fun of mobile text messaging. Short 2-word phrases sent to my phone prove to be some of the most entertaining moments of my day. The only bad thing is, my phone doesn't tell me who sent me the message, but usually I can narrow it down to 1 or 2 possible senders, based on the content.
Monday, June 30, 2003
Friday, June 27, 2003
Blogger has a new interface. It looks quite luxurious. Well, time to try it out. "I'll give it a whirl" (quote from...?)
*****
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2003
Time: 1:05 pm
Location: US Cellular Field
Matchup: Kerry Wood (2.94) at Esteban Loaiza (1.99)
I'm excited about baseball again. A chance to watch the Sox light up the current Chinese Taipei archenemy #1, Kerry Wood. And maybe I'll even bring some tomatoes to throw at Billy Krotch. 'Twould suck if rain messed up the matchup or postponed the game though.
*****
An potentially hilarious scenario brought up by P as he defeated me yet again in World Series Baseball - White Sox fire Jerry Manuel before the All Star Break. So Jerry, picked earlier by Mike Scioscia as one of the coaches for the All Star Game, has to show up in a T-Shirt to his home field, since he is no longer allowed to wear a Sox uniform. Oh man, too bad I could only wish for such a thing to happen. Not only would it be funny, but also an excellent way to pay him back for years of mishandling our pitchers.
*****
White Castle really is "What I Crave"
*****
How did I know the Bulls were gonna take a skinny white kid from Kansas/Iowa? Oh well, hopefully he doesn't ride motorcycles.
Meanwhile, the Lakers scoop up Luke Walton and Brian Cook. Interesting... But despite the Illini factor, I think I will still have to root against them.
*****
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2003
Time: 1:05 pm
Location: US Cellular Field
Matchup: Kerry Wood (2.94) at Esteban Loaiza (1.99)
I'm excited about baseball again. A chance to watch the Sox light up the current Chinese Taipei archenemy #1, Kerry Wood. And maybe I'll even bring some tomatoes to throw at Billy Krotch. 'Twould suck if rain messed up the matchup or postponed the game though.
*****
An potentially hilarious scenario brought up by P as he defeated me yet again in World Series Baseball - White Sox fire Jerry Manuel before the All Star Break. So Jerry, picked earlier by Mike Scioscia as one of the coaches for the All Star Game, has to show up in a T-Shirt to his home field, since he is no longer allowed to wear a Sox uniform. Oh man, too bad I could only wish for such a thing to happen. Not only would it be funny, but also an excellent way to pay him back for years of mishandling our pitchers.
*****
White Castle really is "What I Crave"
*****
How did I know the Bulls were gonna take a skinny white kid from Kansas/Iowa? Oh well, hopefully he doesn't ride motorcycles.
Meanwhile, the Lakers scoop up Luke Walton and Brian Cook. Interesting... But despite the Illini factor, I think I will still have to root against them.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
- I have a major craving for Bob Chinn's. The strange thing is, I think it is because I saw a commercial for Joe's Crab Shack yesterday. That's almost like saying that I feel like crafting after watching someone play Solitaire. Which does happen from time to time, but a lot of things make me feel like crafting.
- Microsoft just released the latest version of their Pocket PC OS (called Windows Mobile). Toshiba is offering the upgrade for my model (e755) for $19, but only if you bought the thing between May 18th and now. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I got it before that date. And I will NOT pay $50 to upgrade a model I paid over $500 for only a couple months ago. It's not so much the $31 difference, it's the pure principle of it all. So, I'm gonna have to figure out if there's a "cheaper" means of obtaining this upgrade. (Stork and Goods, I'm looking in your direction)
- One thing I forgot to complain about in last Friday's Hulk experience was crying babies in theaters. Why would you bring your baby to a movie? Especially the opening night of the Hulk? Maybe if it was Finding Nemo or some other G-rated cartoon, I would kind of understand, and that's still a big maybe. There's no way your baby's gonna enjoy any movie, let alone a crappy one with a big scary green monster that looks like Jose Canseco. I mean, as a 23 year old grown man, even I was scared. Okay, so I wasn't, but still.
Parents need to be taking care of their babies at home, not in a crowded, loud theater where they are gonna probably traumatize their little infant, and disturb everyone else in the process. If you really want to watch a movie, why not rent one? And if you really, REALLY have to watch the Hulk the first night it comes out, get a damn babysitter. But I would like to think that if I had a baby of my own to take care of, I would be willing to forego watching any movie until a better time was available. I don't care if it's Matrix Revolution, Return of the King, Star Wars Episode III, Austin Powers 4, or Jeepers Creepers 2, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Yes, I'd like to think that if anything is worth missing a movie for, taking care of your baby child would qualify. But for a lot of people last Friday, I guess they don't think the same.
- Microsoft just released the latest version of their Pocket PC OS (called Windows Mobile). Toshiba is offering the upgrade for my model (e755) for $19, but only if you bought the thing between May 18th and now. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I got it before that date. And I will NOT pay $50 to upgrade a model I paid over $500 for only a couple months ago. It's not so much the $31 difference, it's the pure principle of it all. So, I'm gonna have to figure out if there's a "cheaper" means of obtaining this upgrade. (Stork and Goods, I'm looking in your direction)
- One thing I forgot to complain about in last Friday's Hulk experience was crying babies in theaters. Why would you bring your baby to a movie? Especially the opening night of the Hulk? Maybe if it was Finding Nemo or some other G-rated cartoon, I would kind of understand, and that's still a big maybe. There's no way your baby's gonna enjoy any movie, let alone a crappy one with a big scary green monster that looks like Jose Canseco. I mean, as a 23 year old grown man, even I was scared. Okay, so I wasn't, but still.
Parents need to be taking care of their babies at home, not in a crowded, loud theater where they are gonna probably traumatize their little infant, and disturb everyone else in the process. If you really want to watch a movie, why not rent one? And if you really, REALLY have to watch the Hulk the first night it comes out, get a damn babysitter. But I would like to think that if I had a baby of my own to take care of, I would be willing to forego watching any movie until a better time was available. I don't care if it's Matrix Revolution, Return of the King, Star Wars Episode III, Austin Powers 4, or Jeepers Creepers 2, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Yes, I'd like to think that if anything is worth missing a movie for, taking care of your baby child would qualify. But for a lot of people last Friday, I guess they don't think the same.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Layoffs
One thing I've started to notice lately is that I am a little too popular. Most people think that you can never have too many friends, but actually, over-popularity can be problematic. It's like the episode of Simpsons when they get a pool and Lisa becomes popular. Then Martin (the nerdy kid) gets a better pool and ends up with so many friends that his pool bursts. It's a lot like that, yah.
So, I have decided to start laying off friends. This means you would be removed from my Pocket PC list of contacts, your phone number would be erased from my cell phone, and if you have a blog/xanga page, I'd have to delete my bookmark to it and stop checking for updates. Of course, you would still be allowed to contact me by phone or email, and I would be happy to be a reference or write a recommendation for you to get a new friend to replace me. However, the layoff process requires that we no longer hang out together in person.
If you happen to be among the laid-off, please don't take it too hard. It's nothing personal, the decisions on who to cut were purely practical and professional, rest assured. Among the major factors I considered:
- Distance: Logically, people who live/work closer to me have the advantage over those who are far. It's only reasonable. Those of you close to me in P-town, consider yourselves fortunate.
- Race: Taiwanese friends obviously have the edge over non-Taiwanese. In general, the yellower you are, the better chance you have of avoiding this wave of layoffs.
- Common Interests: For example, if we can craft together, work out together, or are in the same fantasy baseball league, those kinds of things are considered.
- Benefits: Things like getting me a discount at Best Buy or hooking me up with pirated movies/software count for significant plus points.
- Contact History: If you have been keeping up with me regularly by email/phone calls/IM/etc., your efforts have not gone unnoticed! Now is the time when you finally reap the fruits of your labor.
- Social Status: You don't have to be super rich to hang with me, but let's face it: nobody likes to be friends with someone who's really poor. If you don't have any money, then sorry, I guess you're out of luck.
Other than that, official policy also exempts immediate family members from being laid off. So if you happen to be my mom, dad, or sister, then you don't have to worry about this.
Again, if you get a layoff notification from me in the coming days, don't be too down. It's tough for me to let go, but the circumstances really force me to cut personnel, as hard as it may be. But, if more friendship positions open up in the future, you will definitely be among the first to be considered.
Best,
Joe
* The preceding blog was a joke. I know a lot of you reading were getting worried about losing me, but I'm not really gonna lay off anyone. Yes, each and every one of you are my friend for life! I just felt like writing something different in my blog. And the idea of laying off friends amuses me.
So yeah, I do think the more friends, the better. I don't go out of my way to meet new people anymore, but that's one thing I miss most about college - being able to meet new friends on a regular basis, without ever having to put effort into it.
"More friends! More allies! More, I say!"
One thing I've started to notice lately is that I am a little too popular. Most people think that you can never have too many friends, but actually, over-popularity can be problematic. It's like the episode of Simpsons when they get a pool and Lisa becomes popular. Then Martin (the nerdy kid) gets a better pool and ends up with so many friends that his pool bursts. It's a lot like that, yah.
So, I have decided to start laying off friends. This means you would be removed from my Pocket PC list of contacts, your phone number would be erased from my cell phone, and if you have a blog/xanga page, I'd have to delete my bookmark to it and stop checking for updates. Of course, you would still be allowed to contact me by phone or email, and I would be happy to be a reference or write a recommendation for you to get a new friend to replace me. However, the layoff process requires that we no longer hang out together in person.
If you happen to be among the laid-off, please don't take it too hard. It's nothing personal, the decisions on who to cut were purely practical and professional, rest assured. Among the major factors I considered:
- Distance: Logically, people who live/work closer to me have the advantage over those who are far. It's only reasonable. Those of you close to me in P-town, consider yourselves fortunate.
- Race: Taiwanese friends obviously have the edge over non-Taiwanese. In general, the yellower you are, the better chance you have of avoiding this wave of layoffs.
- Common Interests: For example, if we can craft together, work out together, or are in the same fantasy baseball league, those kinds of things are considered.
- Benefits: Things like getting me a discount at Best Buy or hooking me up with pirated movies/software count for significant plus points.
- Contact History: If you have been keeping up with me regularly by email/phone calls/IM/etc., your efforts have not gone unnoticed! Now is the time when you finally reap the fruits of your labor.
- Social Status: You don't have to be super rich to hang with me, but let's face it: nobody likes to be friends with someone who's really poor. If you don't have any money, then sorry, I guess you're out of luck.
Other than that, official policy also exempts immediate family members from being laid off. So if you happen to be my mom, dad, or sister, then you don't have to worry about this.
Again, if you get a layoff notification from me in the coming days, don't be too down. It's tough for me to let go, but the circumstances really force me to cut personnel, as hard as it may be. But, if more friendship positions open up in the future, you will definitely be among the first to be considered.
Best,
Joe
* The preceding blog was a joke. I know a lot of you reading were getting worried about losing me, but I'm not really gonna lay off anyone. Yes, each and every one of you are my friend for life! I just felt like writing something different in my blog. And the idea of laying off friends amuses me.
So yeah, I do think the more friends, the better. I don't go out of my way to meet new people anymore, but that's one thing I miss most about college - being able to meet new friends on a regular basis, without ever having to put effort into it.
"More friends! More allies! More, I say!"
Somebody's Got A Case Of The Mondays
I saw the Hulk on Friday, and man, it was a pretty forgettable experience. It's not like I was even expecting an awesome movie, but about halfway through, I really wanted to just leave. Maybe I just don't understand the comic enough to appreciate the movie. Still, I think I would've been much better off watching 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Got my car tinted early Saturday morning. Did "light" in the front, "medium" in the back and rear (50%/38% for people who like percentages better), and I'm pretty happy with the results. Dark enough to block some sunlight and make the car a little cooler, but not so dark that I look like a crack dealer. So hopefully it won't attract cops.
Watched Austin Powers 3 at night, and realized that it loses a lot the second time around. Even though Britney is in it, the movie overall doesn't have nearly the staying power of the first two. Still entertaining, and I thought it was good seeing it at the theater last year, but not something I would watch over and over.
Watched the Sox game after church on Sunday. After beating the Cubs in the first 2 games of the series, I found myself starting to be interested in watching them again. This interest was quickly lost when we blew the game late in familiar fashion. Bartolo Colon shuts down the Cubs for 7 innings, giving up zero runs. Jerry Womanuel pulls him, puts in Dumbasso Marte with a 1-0 lead, who manages to retire 1 out of 5 batters faced and leaves with the Sox trailing 2-1. Of course, a 1 run deficit is too much for the Sox to come back from, so it's pretty much over after that. Seriously, GET RID OF JERRY MANUEL NOW. Not saying it's entirely his fault the Sox are underachieving, but it's obvious the guy has no sense of how to handle his pitchers, and that's one of the most important duties of the manager. Your supposed ace pitcher goes 7 without giving up a run. He's known for getting stronger as the game goes on, and he's under 100 pitches. Leave him in, that's what you are paying him the big bucks for!! On the other hand, Cubs leave in Zambrano, their 4th or 5th starter, for 8 innings, and come away with the win. I really want to root for the Sox but it's hard when it seems like they don't want to win.
To relieve stress from watching the game, I decided to wash my car. Washing my car takes a while, and it makes me tired, but I always love doing it. Clears my head and gets me in touch with all the little nicks and scratches of the car. Not that I like scratches and dents, but I take the imperfections as they come, and I don't sweat it too much because it adds some personality and history to my car. It's like life, it wouldn't be interesting if everything worked out perfectly all the time. It would be boring, and maybe even unhealthy, if you always had a perfect clear coat finish, even after years of driving. As long as the "rock chips" or "swirl marks" aren't too big, I guess it's part of experience that you should just accept and learn to appreciate. Anyways, the best part of car washing is at the end, my baby looks pretty. And it always seems to drive smoother when it's pretty.
Now it's back to work.
I saw the Hulk on Friday, and man, it was a pretty forgettable experience. It's not like I was even expecting an awesome movie, but about halfway through, I really wanted to just leave. Maybe I just don't understand the comic enough to appreciate the movie. Still, I think I would've been much better off watching 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Got my car tinted early Saturday morning. Did "light" in the front, "medium" in the back and rear (50%/38% for people who like percentages better), and I'm pretty happy with the results. Dark enough to block some sunlight and make the car a little cooler, but not so dark that I look like a crack dealer. So hopefully it won't attract cops.
Watched Austin Powers 3 at night, and realized that it loses a lot the second time around. Even though Britney is in it, the movie overall doesn't have nearly the staying power of the first two. Still entertaining, and I thought it was good seeing it at the theater last year, but not something I would watch over and over.
Watched the Sox game after church on Sunday. After beating the Cubs in the first 2 games of the series, I found myself starting to be interested in watching them again. This interest was quickly lost when we blew the game late in familiar fashion. Bartolo Colon shuts down the Cubs for 7 innings, giving up zero runs. Jerry Womanuel pulls him, puts in Dumbasso Marte with a 1-0 lead, who manages to retire 1 out of 5 batters faced and leaves with the Sox trailing 2-1. Of course, a 1 run deficit is too much for the Sox to come back from, so it's pretty much over after that. Seriously, GET RID OF JERRY MANUEL NOW. Not saying it's entirely his fault the Sox are underachieving, but it's obvious the guy has no sense of how to handle his pitchers, and that's one of the most important duties of the manager. Your supposed ace pitcher goes 7 without giving up a run. He's known for getting stronger as the game goes on, and he's under 100 pitches. Leave him in, that's what you are paying him the big bucks for!! On the other hand, Cubs leave in Zambrano, their 4th or 5th starter, for 8 innings, and come away with the win. I really want to root for the Sox but it's hard when it seems like they don't want to win.
To relieve stress from watching the game, I decided to wash my car. Washing my car takes a while, and it makes me tired, but I always love doing it. Clears my head and gets me in touch with all the little nicks and scratches of the car. Not that I like scratches and dents, but I take the imperfections as they come, and I don't sweat it too much because it adds some personality and history to my car. It's like life, it wouldn't be interesting if everything worked out perfectly all the time. It would be boring, and maybe even unhealthy, if you always had a perfect clear coat finish, even after years of driving. As long as the "rock chips" or "swirl marks" aren't too big, I guess it's part of experience that you should just accept and learn to appreciate. Anyways, the best part of car washing is at the end, my baby looks pretty. And it always seems to drive smoother when it's pretty.
Now it's back to work.
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