Castle Shima

Hey, we just drove 700 miles with your food and it occurred us that there wouldnt be world hunger... if you people would live where the food is! You live in a fu**ing desert!! ...Nothing grows here!! Nothing is gonna grow here!!... Get your kids! Get your sh*t! We'll make one trip!! We'll take you where the food is!!

We've got deserts in America... We just dont live in them, a**hole!!!
-- Sam Kinison on world hunger

::: Tower View :::
Truth In Advertising


hat tip: RedCurlzz
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Addidas buying Reebok. "My Reeboks" doesnt have quite the same ring.
**********

Man racks up $19,700 charges in sex hotline. Geez, I've ordered out before but thats ridiculous.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
I broke out the old Sam Kinison cd, Louder Than Hell. Another favorite line of mine:

I've seen the Crucifixion in the movies. There's always 20 or 30 Christians standing around saying "Its a shame he has to die." And Jesus is always going "Maybe I wouldnt have to if someone would get a ladder and a pair of pliers!"

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

How will I live without mixed greens? You mean I can have all the radicchio I want? Stop! I'm getting a chubby.
-- John Pinette, talking about diets

::: Tower View :::
When One Isnt Enough
After today, I'm going to be one of those that support the ban of cellphone use while driving.

On the way to pick up lunch at McDonald's, I made a left turn out to get off of the work campus. A woman coming from the opposite direction and trying to pull into the campus, misjudged her own left turn and almost clipped the back of the Jeep. She didnt even bother putting the phone down.

Then while pulling into the drive thru, another car came from the opposite side, sped thru the parking lot and whipped around in order to beat the rest of the cars into line. The driver, who was on the phone at time, couldnt turn the wheel far enough and went up the curb while making the u-turn.

Finally, after getting my order and trying to leave the area to get back to work, I had to make a left turn at an intersection. The car on the other side of the intersection runs the stop sign, trying to beat me from making my left turn. The driver of the that car fails to notice the oncoming car on her right side, which had right of way.

Her passenger looks shocked as the oncoming vehicle braked just in time to prevent the accident. She looks incredulous when I made the symbol of a gun with hand and pulled the trigger. Which is abit ironic considered she never put down the cellphone during the entire incident.

What was even worse was that the driver from the oncoming car was also on her cellphone and never put it down, even though she almost t-boned someone.

Geezus people. There are hands-free mics nowadays.

Morons.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Owning a car can cost extra money. Time to get a bicycle. Ha!
**********

A new planet is found. Geez, I can barely remember the nine we have now.
**********

Woman assaults child at miniature golf course. That what happens when you ask a womam about the way she grips the shaft and hits the balls.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Chasing Lance is on.

Its the Discovery Channel's version of the old Lance Chronicles that OLN did last year.

Tonight's episode, "The Last Ride," covers the Dauphine Libere, which is the final training race prior to the TdF. I hadnt seen this one yet, but have to admit, its ok.

Its a better option as opposed to the news or some of the other repeats showing on tv.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Now this chapter of his story closes on the Champs Elysees today. But instinct tells me this story is not yet over. It cant be. Lance live on, go well, and "Live Strong.” See you down the road.
-- Paul Sherwin, OLN cycling commentator

::: Tower View :::
La Fin D'une Ere
Once again, I awoke early to catch the first showing of today's final stage. This would be Armstrong's last hurrah. There were mixed feelings of watching him ride this one last time.

Sure, he's just a retiring, not dying, but somehow it was still sad. How would golfers feel if Tiger said "Tomorrow is my last day. After that, I'm done?" How did fans feel when Gretzky retired?

Watching Armstrong take the podium one last time, the tears of joy flowing from him, Sheryl Crow, and the rest of his family was sad, yet inspiring.

The speech he gave was the only one ever allowed in the Tour's history. And then giving thanks to Ullrich was great, especially since Lance had always felt the German was his greatest rival. And even then, they were able to keep a decent friendship over the years.

And so for these brief few moments, we forgot the troubles of the world and watched a rider, a father, a survivor, a champion, a hero, and a legend ride off into the sunset.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Vino steals the final stage. Now here was a guy determined to make sure he could get a job next year.
**********

Wear Yellow is online for viewing. Sure its another Nike site, but its the place to get 10/2 gear.
**********

Infernal Affairs goes Hollywood. This Hong Kong smash was an excellent film. Hopefully, Scorcese wont screw it up.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Its Going Down by X-ecutioners with Mike Shinoda and Joe Hahn

Its going down
A logical progession
On a timeline...
The seperation narrowed down
to a fine line...
To blur the edges
So they blend again properly...
Take you on an audible odyssey

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

My mother didnt like what I did to try to get pregnant. She's a traditionalist. She says "I dont know why you cant get pregnant like your sisters and I did." So I told her, "Its because I dont like the taste of gin."
-- Margaret Smith

::: Tower View :::
And Today Makes Seven
As if there was any doubt, Lance Armstrong clinches his seventh Tour De France win. So I sat there glued to the tv, watching as rider after rider came through the finish, excitement growing as the top contenders began to go out onto the road.

Jan Ullrich looked awesome as he raced through the route, speeding along as the Ullrich of old. Ivan Basso started strong and although fading towards the end, he didnt have to worry about losing his spot.

Empathy had to go to Michael Rasmussen. He's already clinched his King of the Mountain spot, but still competed as if he were winning the whole thing. Two crashes and four bicycle changes later nipped that in the bud. He probably felt he was lucky to even finish.

Then there was Armstrong. He sped thru the route almost faster than the escort motorcycles that were there. Now that is enforcing your will.

So congratulations to Lance and the whole Discovery team. Job well done. Enjoy tomorrow and get out of the way of the sprinters. Ha!
**********

Blog Typing
hat tip: Lisett

Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical

You blog like no one else is reading... You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose. Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily. But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll!

**********

Cult Of Personality

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Love not allowed in Wal-Mart. Its against corporate policy.
**********

Australian team making progress after major accident. Get better, lasses. We'll see you soon.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Constantine is on.

The movie is based off a comic book called Hellblazer. I admit that I do like this version since its trying to keep close to the book, but I still find myself comparing them. It really is better than I had first imagined.

So if you arent a comic purist like me, then you might like this detective/occult style movie. If you are a hardcore fan, then you definately wont like it.

Especially since Keanu isnt blond, English, or an actor. heh...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

That "Go Lightly" stuff is mislabeled. I've had diarrhea before and thats not it. It doesnt even come out like diarrhea. It comes out like a mist. I took my pants off and the back of my legs looked like I OD'd on tanning lotion.
-- Robert Schimmel

::: Tower View :::
Attack Of The Georges
I spent way too much time watching the Tour this weekend.

Seeing Georg Totschnig and George Hincapie win their first major Tour stages was awe-inspiring.

Enough to ride 55 miles in the blazing heat... Drinking thru four bottles of Gatorade... And still getting frigging dehydrated to the point where I couldnt even raise my head without my neck hurting like hell.

My body ached so badly that I couldnt raise my arms above my shoulder because my trapezius hurt all the way down my lower back. Even sitting up hurt the back. Pedalling made the legs feel heavy and shot pain up my spine.

To make matters worse, I felt absolutely silly because I had to keep down in the dropped handlebars because it was the only way the legs would work. But then I couldnt see where I was going.

Driving home was an adventure. First I had to physically throw the bicycle into the back of the Jeep. Not too smart considering I had brought the really good bike with me. But then again, I couldnt raise my arms to put the damn thing on the rack. Sitting in the seat shot series of spasms along the Trap that I kept wiggling while driving. Which was probably a good thing considering I couldnt turn my head to look out the windows.

It took a little bit longer than normal, but I did make it home. A glass of salt water, a nap, and a hot shower helped tremendously. A quick weight check showed I lost 3lbs in the process. Not the way I want to lose weight.

I normally blame Lance for inspiring my cycling obsession. I think I'll be blaming Georg and George for this one.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
NRA cancels convention due to city weapons ban. Isnt this a great way to lose $15 million dollars in revenues? Morons.
**********

Sheryl writes song for Lance. "Make em suffer?" Isnt that the theme for most marriages?
**********

Sandra marries Jesse James. Now are we going to see tattoos all over her?
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Ruby, Dont Take Your Love To Town by Cake

She's leaving now
Because I just heard the slamming of the door,
The way I know I heard it slam
A hundred times before...
And if I could move,
I'd get my gun
And put her in the ground...
Oh Ruby,
Dont take your love to town

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Baker: Damn! And that is the guy we are in bed with!
Me: Ummm, I wouldnt say that too loudly around here.
-- from a conversation at work

::: Tower View :::
Pop Quiz, Hotshot
Hat Tip: Fury




**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Bloggers pay the price for saying too much. And then there was this one time, in band camp...
**********

We're Not Afriad is online now. Who is afraid of the big bad wolf?
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Brick by Ben Folds Five

She's a brick
And I'm drowning slowly...
Off the coast
And i'm getting nowhere
She's a brick
And i'm drowning slowly...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Mike, dude, seriously. I dont care how good it tastes. How can you seriously eat something called a "Sloppy Woody?"
-- my comment during lunch

::: Tower View :::
Stage Four Fiasco
I think I may have taken my cycling obsession to a new low.

I was supposed to be in charge of the team today since the boss took an extra day off. So I kept updating the Tour de France website, trying to catch updates of the Team Time Trial (TTT). This type of stage is when all nine riders go from point A to point B. At least five guys have to finish and the team with the fastest time wins.

So when the Phonak team left point A, I was totally glued to the site, answering my teammates with grunts and "Sure, whatever." When T-Mobile left the start point, it was "Hm? Ok, as long as we dont burn down the house." As Lance's team, Discovery Channel, left, I had to resist the urge to bolt downstairs to the gym and watch the rest of the race.

That lasted for about 5 mins. Then it was "Ok, guys. I'll be right back" and it was a race to the gym.

That is definately the way to show leadership and initative, hm? Thank God there was a crowd downstairs doing the same thing. Ha!

It was a very exciting stage and a major nailbiter with Discovery winning the day by a mere 2 seconds. They set a race record of completing the stage at an average of 36mph. Gah, I'm happy if I can get above 14mph!

When I strolled back to the office, a few of the guys had been looking for me. Fortunately it was just so we could go to lunch. Now lets see if I can get away with that for the rest of the month.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Discovery Team celebrating TTT win. And the yellow jersey is back to where it belongs. For now.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Yes, I've got stage 4 of the TdF on. I'm sorry. Its going to be like this for most of the month.

I should get a tshirt that says "Cycling Geek" and have the arrow pointing up.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

You know, it's dirty business doing one's duty. But just occasionally it's a real pleasure.
-- Colonel Tavington from The Patriot

::: Tower View :::
Independence Day
Its the Fourth of July so remember what this day entails.

Its not the sales, vacation time, or barbeques. It the fact that we won our freedom from an oppressive state. Even after the Revolutionary War, it took many years before the country could even be stabilized and start becoming what we are today.

Remember this when comparing our freedom to other countries around the world. Then be proud of our country.

Everyone have a safe and fun Fourth. Try not to blow your fingers off with the fireworks. Ha!
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Shannon Elizabeth getting a divorce. Woohoo! Boo boo kitty f_ck!
**********

Seoul Raiders coming soon. Tokyo Raiders was awesome! Too bad it will be another few years before this hits the US.
**********

Luther Vandross passes away. Another cool voice has left us.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Stage 3 of the TdF is on. I'm torn between watching the show, working on the blog, playing City of Heroes, or doing what I'm supposed to be doing: office work.

Well, you can tell which one, won out for now. Heh...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

The Tour is a two thousand mile race and people sometimes win by one minute. Or less. One minute in nearly a month of suffering isnt that much. So the people who win are the ones willing to suffer the most.
-- Lance Armstrong

::: Tower View :::
It Has Begun
The Tour de France 2005 began today with the individual time trial. This is when you ride by yourself for a certain distance going against the clock. The person with the fastest time wins the stage.

The cyclists go out in reverse order, from position 189 to 1, with one minute waiting period between each rider. Jan Ullrich, the Kaiser and one of Lance's top rivals, started out second to last. Lance was the final rider of the day and would start one minute behind him.

I can only imagine the dismay as Jan felt when Lance was actually catching up to him, then eventually passed the German. Ivan Basso, another one of Lance's rivals, had to go the thru the pain last year when the title was up for grabs.

These guys are doing 30 to 35 mph at a distance of 12 miles. I get upset when I get passed and I'm only doing 12 mph down the street.

Out of the 189 riders that started today, David Zabriskie, who started 19th, held the top position for most of the day. He would win when Lance, despite his brilliant ride, came in second place by 2 seconds. Zabriskie even set a race record for his blistering pace.

Still, it was an exciting stage to watch. Now I'm going to have to figure out how I'm going to listen to the TdF at work. Last year, OLN TV did live webcasts.

Gah, now I'm going to have to remember how to work the vcr.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
TdF stage One ups and downs. Ohh, alot of the rivals are already in trouble. Heh.
**********

Venus holds on to win Wimbeldon. I missed out on this one, but heard it was one heck of a match.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
The repeat of today's stage is playing on OLN (aka the Only Lance Network).

Kirsten Gum isnt on as much as she used to be, but I have to admit she looks better now that she isnt bleaching her hair blonde. Kirsten still doesnt know much about the sport, but at least she doesnt fit the blonde stereotype now.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Sean Connery: I'll take "Japan In the RS", Alex.
Alex Trebeck: No! Not "In The RS!"
Sean Connery: That isnt what your mother said last night.
-- from Saturday Night Live

::: Tower View :::
Salutations Once More
I must give hallos to Strawberry Leeny for coming by here. Yes, its been awhile, dear one, but thats what happens when you start getting a life. And yes, you should go to Japan with your lad. Just be prepared to spend the funds.

Oh, and if you cant identify the food, dont eat it.
**********

The Internet is for what?
Lately, I've been listening to a song from a musical called Avenue Q. Although it has puppets in it, this is definately not for the wee kiddies.

The music is catchy, but touches on subject matter that you wouldnt want to explain.

For example, what is the Internet for? For P()rn!

Kate: The internet is really really great
Trekkie: For p()rn
Kate: I've got a fast connection so I don't have to wait
Trekkie: For p()rn
Kate: Huh? There's always some new site
Trekkie: For p()rn!
Kate: I browse all day and night
Trekkie: For p()rn!
Kate: It's like I'm surfing at the speed of light
Trekkie: For p()rn!
Kate: Trekkie!

No wonder I like this show.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Avril engages Sum 41 frontman. There's going to be alot of angst in that household.
**********

Simoni drops out of the Lampre Tour team. With Cunego out due to glandular fever, the Lampre team is in trouble. This would be like the San Antonio Spurs playing without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobelli.
**********

Meanwhile Lance and Jan are getting ready. Is it me or is everyone anxious for this to start? It must be me..
**********

::: Background Noise :::
A Real American the theme for Hulk Hogan

I'm not going to bother with the words. Its a catchy 80's tune but not worth the effort. Heh...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Unitron: I woke up this morning and looked over at my wife and thought "Damn, she's hot, I would so do her."
Li Mu Bai: I can understand the way Uni feel's. I woke up this morning and said the same thing about his wife.
-- from a City of Heroes forum

::: Tower View :::
Saying Hello
I must say hallo out to NK for joining the madness and actually reading this monstrosity. Heh.. Oh, and its actually called a "blog," kiddo. Its short for Web Log.
**********

You Oughta Know
Alanis Morissette has recently released Jagged Little Pill Acoustic for the 10 year anniversary of the original cd. Starbucks is carrying it as a promotional deal so other stores wont get it until July 27th. Since Alanis is one of the few artists I will actually pay for, this was definately a good deal.

I loved the twist she did with Ironic. If you've heard the original version, be sure to listen carefully with this new version.
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Nintendogs is coming out in August. This is the only reason to get a Nintendo DS. I want either the Corgi or the Golden Retriever. Heh...
**********

BBC getting for Tour night on July 2nd. Get ready to rumbleeeeeee...
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette

What it all comes down to,
My dear friends,
Yeah yeah,
Is that everything is just
Fine, fine, fine...
Because I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxicab

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

I do enjoy looking around the room at the subtle looks and signals given during some speakers' less than honest comments. I'm glad that the pointy hairs cannot understand nonverbal (or verbal) signals given by those who ignore them. -- anonymous feedback from a recent meeting. No, it wasnt me.

::: Tower View :::
Where Is My Hammer When I Need It?
I know that everyone isnt perfect. I dont expect people to be. What I do expect is for people to show some common sense, especially when I'm in my self-righteous mood. Which apparently is all the time.. Heh.

I cycled in a training ride this past weekend. The best part about this was that it was free and several teams participated in this event. There had to be nearly 70 cyclists, which is pretty good considering it was really a small event.

The bad part was having to put up with the poor etiquette that some of the other teams allow from their riders. Prime example was the guy riding with his headset on.

Alot of riders use headsets while cycling, myself being one of them. Granted, these are illegal by most state standards, but most riders are smart enough to use the split headsets and only using one ear bud or hang them around the neck with the sound turned up.

This bozo was using the full noise suppressing headphones that would normally be used for a home stereo system. I'm not referring to the small ones like you would see on a computer system, but the full cup, heavy headphones that professional dj's use.

What made it worse was the fact that he was weaving back and forth across the lane, blocking off the road from all the other riders.

When our team captain tried to pass him on the left like she was supposed to do, he swerved over and almost hit her. She was able to avoid him by sliding over to the left hand lane, just in time to get honked at by a car coming up behind us.

Then when she finally was able to get around him, the headset rider simply says "Oh? Was I in the way?"

Its no wonder many driver's think cyclists are stupid. We do it to ourselves.
**********

Test This
Hat tip: Fury. Damn we're good...

Your IQ Is 135

Your Logical Intelligence is Exceptional Your Verbal Intelligence is Exceptional Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Exceptional

**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Spin picks "Ok Computer" as the best album in two decades. **cough bullsh!t cough**
**********

Aitor wins the Tour of Switzerland. Its amazing what adjusting your seat will do for you.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Paul Anka

With the lights out,
Less dangerous...
Here we are now,
Entertain us...
I feel stupid
And contagious
Here we are now,
Entertain us...

During lunch, Robbie and I caught Anka's performance on The View on the restaurant's tv. Anka was singing this same song in order to push his latest cd, Rock Swings.

I was curious so I ummm.. retrieved a backup version... of the cd. All I can say is that Kurt Cobain must be rolling in his grave.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

What do you call a guy that keeps his $3,000 Star Wars collection in a storage garage? Married. -- Jay Leno

::: Tower View :::
Spin or Soak
I rode in a charity event this weekend.

Cycling in the rain can not only be invigorating, it can be even energizing. Riding in a major downpour is downright scary.

Then the fact I rode in a charity ride during a downpour was silly. They already got my money.

Granted, it was still fun.

There is simply something exciting about going thru the rain, clothes soaked, and white socks turned black. There is even the tell-tale sign on along a rider's back. The rear tire of the bicycle kicks up mud and dirt so there is always a long streak of dirt going up the middle of the jersey.

Even though the temperature was down due to the storm, the body doesnt like being out in that kind of weather for that long of time, working that hard.

Mine shut down severely before reaching the goal and all I could do to recover is sleep the time away.

Gah, I still have soggy clothes sitting on the laundry room floor. My shoes are still drenched. Ewww...
**********

Snap Away
I've added a new link to the blog, Snap Judgements for the Underserving. The writing is funny, witty, and brought a smile to my face.

Besides, the writer is a cute blonde from Wisconsin named Anna.

How ironic is that?
**********

::: Out In The Yard :::
Cops giving tickets to motorists who dont share the road. Aye, thats what I'm talking about! Heh...
**********

Ullrich wins time trial in Tour of Switzerland. This man is still dangerous to Lance's 7th tour, despite last year's performance.
**********

The Discovery Channel team sweeps the final stage of the Dauphine. Hincapie, Popovych, and Lance take the podium to secure Overall Team catagory. Lance placed 4th in the final standings. This year's Tour De France is going to be really, really interesting.

::: Background Noise :::
Extreme Ways by Moby

Extreme sounds have told me...
They held me down a night...
I didnt have much to say,
I didnt give up the light...
I close my eyes,
Close myself,
Close my world
And never open up to everything...
It couldnt get me at all...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Jackie: I'm in my dressing gown
Doctor: Yes, you are
Jackie:There's a strange man in my bedroom.
Doctor:Yes, there is.
Jackie: Well, anything can happen.
Doctor: Ummm... No.
-- from Doctor Who: Rose

Tower View
But Of Course
How do you know when its going to be a bad day?

When you walk into the conference hall for a dept meeting an hour late and the first person you walk into is the senior director who happens to be leading the meeting at the time. To top it off, he is a really friendly guy and he inadently says "Hey Ken" as you walk in, bringing the attention of the other 50 people upon you, the late-comer.

How do you top that off?

10 minutes after this incident, your manager whispers to you that you didnt have to be there today.
**********

Your Soul Is Mine
Hat tip: Stacie

**********

Out In The Yard
Land of the Dead is coming on June 17th. Rah!
**********

Bewitched comes out the same day. Frig..! I actually want to see this one. God, I'm old.
**********

Background Noise
One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces by Ben Folds Five

Now I'm big and important...
One angry dwarf...
Two hundred solemn faces are you...
If you really want see me
Check the papers and the TV...
Look who's telling who what to do...
Kiss my ass...
Good-bye...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Heather: I had a really good time in Oregon.
Me: We can tell, considering all the things you kept putting in your mouth -- from a conversation during spin class

Tower View
Lapse in Time
Ok, so I havent updated in awhile. Again.

Matter of fact, there was only one entry for the entire month of May. This is the price I pay for being a boring son of a *&^(#... Well, that and letting work interfere with everything. Blah!
**********

Wtf, Part 84
I saw Yahoo News story about finding the Iraqi bunker and weapons cache. I even saw it on Fox News.

What I dont see is a single mention of it on CNN's site. Wtf?
**********

Out In The Yard
Use reverse psychology to pick up chicks. Actually, you should never call them chicks. Broads hate that.
**********

Background Noise
Saturday Night Live is on with Tom Brady as the guest host.

I have to admit that this one is pretty good. Brady is actually funny as the husband that cant win his wife a prize at the local fair. The game? Throwing a touchdown pass...

Friend: Come on, Tom. Its just a game. Why dont we get some funnel cake?
Brady: Why dont you shut the hell up?!

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

So I was sitting here with this guy for an entire hour. When I happened to pull my hair back, he blurted out "Now I remember who you are! I didnt recognize you with your clothes on!" -- Denise

Tower View
Cyle Time
Time once again for Bike To Work Week.

I dont know if I will participate this year since I've got so many frigging meetings and such going on. Its bad enough that these people actually want me to work, but to they also want me to stay later.

Whats up with that? Dont these people know that I'm just there for the paycheck?

This work thing is starting to cut into my cycling time... Heh...
**********

They Forge Their Creativity
Ric notes the Ben Jr Memorial Show on Sunday, May 22.

Ben Jr was taken from this world last year due to a drunk driver.

If you happen to be in that area, feel free to join in.

Ric's friend, Intellekt, will be performing as well. Go to his site and take a listen to Freebird For Ben. Good song!
**********

Out In The Yard
Glazer takers over Manchester United. Do the Bucs need a kicker that badly?!
**********

Di Luca takes the lead at the Giro. The Tour of Italy is only its fifth stage and things are already heating up. We need some more crashes!
**********

Background Noise
In The End by Linkin Park

All I know
Time is a valuable thing...
Watch it fly by
As the pendulum swings...
Watch it count down
To the end of the day...
The clock ticks life away...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

I married into a very, very, very weathly family. If you have a choice on this, go ahead. -- Ron White

Tower View
Its been abit hectic lately so here comes a long entry.

Congratulations!
Congratulations have to go to my cousin Jane and her new husband, Ryan, for their wedding!

I had to attend this event, which isnt truly my forte, but I really didnt have much of a choice since I was part of the entourage, although I will be the first to admit it was interesting.

Why?

1) My bride's maid in crime was Judy from New Jersey. Judy is alot like me in that she is Asian, works in IT, works in project management, and even enjoys cycling. It was great to vent with someone who knew what I was talking about.

2) I was joking the Friday evening and Saturday morning before the wedding that since Jane is Asian, she will be late to the wedding. With the event scheduled for 3pm, I teased Ryan that she wouldnt show up until 4pm. Unfortunately, that afternoon, it was no longer a joke. Jane was exactly an hour late for the wedding.

3) When people are hungry and tired from standing around for an hour, they will eat anything in sight, including the hordourves (sp).

4) It was bad enough that the wedding party had literally to stand for an hour while waiting, but then we had to stand for nearly an hour and half for the actual ceremony. At one point, I had almost fallen asleep while standing. I felt bad for the bride's maids because they had to have been standing for just as long in those damn heels. How they did it amazed me.

5) For all my complaining, the ceremony was still one of the best ones I had ever seen. I must remember to thank Ryan and Jane for allowing me the honour of being in it.

6) I have a large family. Now my immediate family is large with all my parents, brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. At one point my family located in town is larger than some people's entire family.

That makes things abit difficult when the wedding coordinator keeps asking for family members to take pictures with the bride and groom. Then she asks for the cousins with the bride and groom. Now the bride's maids with the bride. Now the bride's maids with the groom. Now the bride's maids with both the bride and groom. Then the groom's men with the bride. Now the groom's men with the groom. Now the groom's men with both the bride and groom. Now the choir with the bride.

By the time she got to college friends, high school friends, and even the choir, the whole thing was abit tedious. When the coordinator called out for the musicians, someone growled out "F*&$ you! They left an hour ago..."

Which wouldnt have been so bad except for the fact we were still in the church at the time. It earned me a smack from Judy and a few others. Heh...
**********

Woohoo!
Happy Birthday must go out to Little Fury, Starfury's son. He just turned three and now can start getting all the cool stuff for presents.

I had to remind myself I was shopping for the boy, not for myself.
**********

Music To My Ears
Hat tip: Laura

Your Taste in Music:

80's Alternative: Highest Influence

80's Pop: High Influence

90's Pop: High Influence

80's R&B: Medium Influence

90's Alternative: Medium Influence

90's Hip Hop: Medium Influence

90's Rock: Medium Influence

Alternative Rock: Medium Influence

Old School Hip Hop: Medium Influence

Progressive Rock: Medium Influence

80's Rock: Low Influence

90's R&B: Low Influence

Adult Alternative: Low Influence

Classic Rock: Low Influence

Dance: Low Influence

Gangsta Rap: Low Influence

Hair Bands: Low Influence

Punk: Low Influence

Ska: Low Influence

**********

Out In The Yard
Couple tricks family to go to wedding. It would have been easier just to tell them food was involved.
**********

The Lion King is fading into the sunset. Mario Cipollini has been a force in European cycling for many years. So long, Cipo, and thanks for all the fish.
**********

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy comes out tomorrow. Dont panic.
**********

Background Noise
White Lines by Grandmaster Flash

Athletes reject it...
Governors correct it...
Gangersters, punks, and smugglers are
thoroughly respected...
The money gets divided...
The women get excited...
Now I'm broke and its no joke...
Its hard as hell to fight it...
Dont buy it!

Friggin XM radio. I thought it was the Duran Duran cover of the song.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

I'm tired of going to Taco Bell and hearing people whine "How come I have to work at T-t-t-taco Bell?!" Perhaps it had to do something with your r-r-r-report card?! You got straight D's! What does that spell?! Duh-duh-duh-duh! -- Carlos Mencia

Tower View
Yet More Stuff
I know I'm a geek because of all the toys I own. Between the bicycles, computers, Xbox, Playstation2, and DVDs, I have stuff that is worth more than my stock portfolio.

So to make it worse, I saw these Hokey Spokes. Neon lights on the bicycle in order to trick it out. Are you frigging kidding me?!

I'll be ordering a pair of the yellow ones for my Giant TCR 2.

Hat tip: Gizmodo
**********

Yet More Television
The International Channel has now become Asian Tv. They basically take chunks from several other Asian channels and direct them towards their own station.

So now its your chance to watch shows from the Far East. Really bad shows from the Far East.

For example, there is a show called Krystala, which is a really cheesy Filipino science fiction show. Since when did aliens speak Tagalog?!

Now there are some decent shows like Legends of Ji Gong which is a Chinese martial arts drama and they have the decency to have English subtitles.

Unfortunately, the bad definately outweighs the good. I'm still expecting to see all the Indian shows to break out in songs.
**********

Out In The Yard
Jade Empire comes out tomorrow. Frig! As if I have the time to play another game...
**********

Hincapie places second in Paris-Roubaix. Congrats George! You'll definately help make July an interesting month.
**********

Lance competes in Lemire Memorial Grand Prix. Now this was cool. Its like having the New England Patriots play flag football with your kids.
**********

Background Noise
Spice Up Your Life by Spice Girls

Slam it to the left,
If you're having a good time...
Shake it to the right,
If you know that you feel fine...
Chicas to the front...
Huh huh...
Go round...

Yeah, they are really talking about dancing. Right.

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

Alot of people are very extreme, you know. People are very sure on what they believe. You know they are either on the far right or the far left of politics. If you are on the far right or the far left, you know what you've done now? You've gone too far. -- Richard Jeni

Tower View
Random Thoughts Part 205
I've been so preoccupied with other things, I havent had the time nor the energy to update the blog. So here comes everything all at once.

1) Happy Easter to all!

2) Yet again, the news is on about the entire schiavo incident. Protesters are screaming for the govenor to step in again. My apologies to those who believe otherwise, but this is none of the government's business. There is absolutely no reason, legal or otherwise, for them to step in. Like it or not, this is their family matter.

3) The moron protestors are making things worse. For example, this idiot tried to steal a firearm from a gun store. All in the name of saving the girl.

4) Wal-Mart sucks. They just opened yet another one of their damn stores down the street from me. Traffic has now gone from bad to absolutely terrible. These things have been become the Starbucks of the 2000's.

5) I love the fact that Laura is using quotes from Coupling. I have to refrain from sending her several emails with my own personal favorites.

6) The Pretender Season 1 has finally been released on DVD. I always loved the one line from the introduction: Then one day, their pretender ran away...

7) Speaking of DVDs, The Lone Gunmen is coming out this week. Result! I loved this spin-off from the X-files. It was more humourous and off beat than Mulder and Scully were, but scully was definately more attractive. Heh.

8) Mental note: Give Jay major kinds of grief over this Indian medicine made from cow urine. This will serve him right for bring in the Tender vittles Curry every week to the office.

9) Just to make the tick off the SUV hating crowd, here is an article about the annual Jeep Safari. Talk about taking over the town from the hippies... heh... Hat tip: Fark.Com.

10) If you ever get a chance, try Mama Fu's Asian House. They have a great mix of Thai, Japanese, and Chinese fusion type of food. The prices are pretty reasonable and everything was so tasty.
**********

Out In The Yard
The Tour of California is being planned for the 2006 season. Great! Now professional cycling will have a new event: Car Dodging.
**********

SWAT 4 is coming out in two weeks. Just in time for me to buy it and put it on the shelf to collect dust with the rest of the games I dont play.
**********

Ex-Crowded House drummer commits suicide. Hey now, hey now, dont dream its over...
**********

Background Noise
I had to switch back to Richard Jeni's show A Big, Steaming Pile Of Me. I love his idea about advertising to the rest of the world that the US is a great country.

If we could sell bad food, useless thigh cream, and deadly cigerettes, then we could sell the United States if we had the right slogan. Here's the slogan for this country:

America, 20 million illegal aliens cant be wrong!

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************

From Andrew Lloyd Webber, the man that brought you "Cats," comes his newest musical "Snot!" -- Robbie at work

Tower View
Tis The Season
The Team Discovery site is up.

With the US Postal Cycling team a thing of the past, the premier US team is looking to compete more in the European races.

Lance has finally decided to try for an unprecedented seventh Tour de France win. The odds are against him considering there are still alot of new faces on the team, but for this team preparation is still the key.

In the years past, Lance would compete in a one day race called the Amstel Gold Race, which is held in the Netherlands, as part of that preparation.

This year he will be defending his title in the Tour of Georgia, which is becoming part of his routine by training more in the States.

This is great for US fans like myself, but unfortunately, I doubt if I will get to go see the ToG. I dont even have the energy to get out of bed.

Matter of fact, I'm amazed I got up to type this... heh...
**********

Out In The Yard
Speaking of training, Lance heads to Paris to compete in classic race. The race is 757 miles long. Somebody better get me a bagel while they are over there.
**********

Numerous dog suicides baffling experts. Maybe the Kibbles & Bits have been spiked?
**********

Consumer Reports names the best cars from 2004. The Suburu WRX won the best Fun Car To Drive. Result!
**********

Background Noise
Everything Will Be All Right by Limp Bizkit

Does anybody really know the secret
Or the combination for this life
And where they keep it?
Its kind of sad
When you dont know the meaning,
But everything happens for a reason.
I dont even know what I should say
Because i'm an idiot,
A loser,
A microphone abuser...
I analyze every second I exist
Beating on my mind
Every second with my fist...

***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************