Warmest January

It's all but official...January 2006 will be the warmest January since records have been kept. Of course with our luck it won't get above zero for much of February...

The overall mild winter has helped my heating bill(s) considerably...with the cost at an all-time high.

Super Bowl Thoughts

So Super Bowl XL is almost here. I really don't like or despise either of these teams, so really am indifferent about the game. My first hunch is that this game is going to be a blowout and what little interest I have in this game will quickly be gone.

Since I've moved here (8 years ago) I've attended the same Super Bowl party. It has been at a few different locations, but has always been a well attended and really fun time. But one of my biggest pet peeves about going to a well attended Super Bowl party is the commercials...and really, it is the people who think the commercials are the best part of the game itself. These same people are the ones who will laugh after every commercial if it even attempts at any from of humor. And futhermore, what really drives me nuts, is when these very same people will laugh so loudly at a 'funny' commercial during the Super Bowl, yet the commercial is not a new one and if this person had watched the Conference Championships or any previous other sporting event would have seen this commercial...which just highlights even further how lame these people truly are.

Anyway you cut it, I have Monday off (as I have taken off for many a year now) and regardless of the game, I'm confident I will be having a good time.

Longtime No Blog

I've been extremely busy at work and plenty of activities at home that are keeping me from doing some blogging, but found a moment to get some thoughts down...

First, I can not begin to say how happy/relieved I am that the Broncos lost in the AFC Championship game. I'm not really too glad Pittsburgh won, but I will take any team over the Broncos. The early talk is that Pittsburgh is the early favorite for the Super Bowl...the 6th seeded AFC team...just shows how far superior AFC teams are over the NFC at this time. I really don't have too much of an interest in either of these teams, so I'm hoping the Super Bowl is a good game.

Next, the winter/weather in my region continues to be mild for the season. Unless some cold air hits the region before the end of the month, the average high temperature for January could be over 20 degrees...which is unbelievable considering some winters the entire month of January may never get above 0 degrees. But I'll take it!

NDSU Men's Basketball team beat the 13th ranked Wisconsin Badgers...this was a huge win for the Bison and begins to legitimize the school as a legit Division 1 school although still ineligible for playoffs for another couple years. This win was probably the biggest win for a men's basketball team from the state of North Dakota ever...yes, it is that huge for this state.

My plate is full for the remainder of this month and much of February...but I'll try and keep the blog as 'fresh' as I am able too...

Jockstocks Trouble Page

I've had a lot of inquiries about the status of the Jockstocks web site.

There were web pages that at one time would list any issues with the web site Jockstocks but as of June 2011 all of those pages have been removed and are no longer available.

Jockstocks does have a Facebook and Twitter account and their status might be posted on either of those locations. 

(Updated 8/28/08)

{Updated 6/2/11)

(Updated 8/25/11)

SCOTUS Judge Nominations

Politics in this country is a disgrace.

The little I've been paying attention to the confirmation hearings of Sam Alito to the Supreme Court had me thinking 2 thoughts:

1. Apparently the only and most important ruling/law in America today is abortion. I can not believe that this issue is at the forefront of whether or not a person can be confirmed to the highest court in the land. Alito would merely have to give his opinion on abortion for or against it and he would likely not be confirmed...how is that for a double-edged sword? But in the end, ridiculious that a single issue could be the sole reason for not confirming a person.

2. These confirmation hearings are really less about Alito and more about some senators seeking some quality 'air-time'. I think there is no doubt that several senators are 'grandstanding' so that they can see their face on the national news in the evening.

Politicians in America are elitist bastards. They no longer have any grasp of what common people in America care about or what they want. Abortion is far down the list of priorities on my care scale...how about protecting our civil liberties and for freedom, the very basis of why our country was formed...naw, no one cares to be free...let's focus on abortion. Just plain stupid in my opinion.

Apple Computers Taking America By Storm...NOT

Here's a new subject for my blog... that being my dislike of Apple computers...and really, I should clarify this, it isn't just Apple computers it is also the "Apple-Heads" (as I like to call them) that really drive me nuts. These Apple-Heads are people that think Apple computers and anything Apple makes is the cat's meow and far superior than PC's. Many even think that because they are of the Apple faithful that they then are superior than PC users for some reason. Because it was announced today that Apple has cracked the 4% market share for pc's I feel compelled to go on record now:

Apple computers and most* Apple products SUCK - end of discussion. I am not saying this blindly, I have used many an Apple in my time. They suck in many ways on many levels, but Apple-Heads refuse to believe the truth. The first and most obvious fact about Apple's is that whatever you pay for an Apple (or IMac) is about 2 to 4 times more than you would pay for a comparable PC...yes, 2-4 times. So by selecting an Apple computer, you are first accepting that you've probably paid over 2 times as much for your computer than a good PC. And what is even really silly now is that the top-end PC's are far superior than any of the top Mac's and continue to lead.

We now can move on to the next obvious point about Apple's sucking...where do you get software? And if you actually find a place that has more than 3 titles for your crappy Mac, odds are the PC version has been out longer and, again, probably cheaper. Boy, you Apple-Heads are really showing how superior you are by settling for an overpriced computer that you can barely get software for.

But I think the biggest factor in people becoming Apple-Heads is that they don't want to actually know or learn anything about computers. In my encounters with the few Apple-Heads that I know, only one actually knew anything about their computer other than turning it on. Because us PC users have such a wide array of software and potential problems that arise from using said software, some working knowledge of how a computer works is needed.

I will quickly move away from Apple computers and move to the I-Pod. If you own an I-Pod you are a moron...yes, that is quite a blanket statement, but I will stand by that statement. Again for probably 1/3rd of the price you can purchase a great MP3/Data player that requires no special software and a person can quickly and easily load these pc compatiable devices up with tons of content. It is again the morons of society that think I-Pod's are the cat's meow (how I don't know) but with some quick searching a person can find a better music/movie playback device for a fraction of the cost.

All Apple-Heads/I-Pod owners/users have over myself is the fact that they have spent at least twice as much money on their computer or mp3 player that is most likely crappier than one you could get for 1/2 the price.

And to conclude this piece with some sweet justice for the many discussions I have had with Apple-Heads, it sure is gratifying to know that Apple is switching to Intel chips...the very same ones that are in the PC's...which was the very basis for many Apple-Heads argument as to why their Apples are better - because they weren't intel chips....so now what do you got? Just a neat looking case?

* I do know Final Cut Studio is probably one of the top non-linear video editing software which is unfortunately made by Apple only for Apples...so you got 1 piece of software.

Kenny Mayne Is Not Funny

Most regular readers of my blog are aware of my previous blog entries (here and here) on my impressions of ESPN and how it sucks...

So for some reason I happened to be watching ESPN yesterday (or the other day) - something I routinely DO NOT do... but got to catch one of these 'funny' Kenny Mayne pieces. Now this certainly wasn't the first such segment by Kenny that I saw and upon viewing it brought flashbacks of his previous pieces... no specific details can I recall except one...that being, none of these supposedly comical segments are even remotely funny. He gets coaches, owners, players, etc... to play along with his segment, but the end result is a very poor attempt at humor.

Does ESPN have anyone that works for them that has any grasp of what is good or not? I have a little tip for ESPN executives and it is one I have given before... SHOW HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTS! But I'm sure that option is being put aside because the braintrust at ESPN is no-doubtedly working on a new lame game show that features Stuart Scott and Kenny Mayne...

Now That's A Fire!

Get that god-damn lighter fluid out of here, we don't need no lighter fluid...

... Now that's a Fire!


Check this guy out. Lighting charcoal using liquid oxygen... your grill is lit and ready to use in about 3 seconds...

My son helping around the house. (First mobile blog entry for me.)

More Work For The Wicked...

With the new year comes some new responsibilities...

North Dakota State University (NDSU) has added matrix display messge centers and video screens to their basketball/indoor track/wrestling/volleyball/etc. facility. I am going to do video production for a variety of events for NDSU (as needed), with the first basketball game being tomorrow night.

NDSU is in the process of moving up from Division II athletics to Division I-AA and in doing so are investing in their athletics, as seen in this project. I do have to admit that my work isn't all that bad... doing live event video production for sports, I'll take it! Now if I could just figure a way out to get some more pay!

Weather Service: Spot On As Usual

Oh, and I need to relay the latest National Weather Service/Media Weathercasters latest total whiff for my region...

Saturday night I watch the weather and the forecast was for snow beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing until Monday night with a total accumulation of 4 to 7 inches.

Actual accumulation as of 48 hours since said forecast: 0.0 inches. They give themselves plenty of lee-way with a 4 inch forecast, but to not even be close? Worthless...

Back At It

So today was my first day back to work after almost 2 weeks off...

It wasn't too tough to get back to work, especially since there is plenty for me to do at this time...

Just feels odd after a long break of staying up late, drinking too much and basically being care-free to have to readjust back to being 'normal'.

Chargers Lay Down

The San Diego Chargers decided to put an exclamation point on reasons why they don't deserve to make the playoffs by losing their final regular season game to the Denver Broncos 23-7. The team came out and looked unimpressive from the opening kick off until the final gun...probably relieved to just be done with this season that had so much promise and potential and ends with a mediocre record of 9-7.

Brees hurt his shoulder which means Phillip Rivers may just be around one more season in San Diego.

Right now the season is still too bitter in the mouth of San Diego fans to look back on and look for positives (or negatives)... but will be done at a later time.