new year resolutions...

READ MORE (8 books in 2008)
The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Microserfs by Douglas Coupland

PAINT MORE (26 pieces in 2008)
Darth Maul
Matthew and Aaron
The Kids
Eric & Melissa
The Kiss
Cecile
TK-583
Dungeon Master
The Blood Princess and the Stable Boy
Neurotronic Cybercaster
Coco Monique
Dave & Sharon
Leigh Anne
Bozo the Butcher
The Grandchildren

DO MORE (activity everyday)
I am active. And I try to do something everyday. But sometimes I cannot. And sometimes I'm a little banged up from the day before. I'm fit and healthy so I think I'm doing okay.

#1(1) 3rd Planet - Modest Mouse
#2(2) Alive - VHS Or Beta
#3(3) Freestyle Over Xzibit's At The Speed Of Life Instrumental - Big Punisher & Fat Joe
#4(4) Goldigger - Kanye West
#5(5) Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
#6(6) Buck'em - Snoop Dogg Featuring Sticky Fingers
#7(17) The Mariner's Revenge Song - The Decemberists
#8(7) Shut Up - Black Eyed Peas
#9(8) Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
#10(9) B Is For Brutus - The Hives
#11(15) X-ecutionaers (Theme) Song - The X-ecutioners
#12(13) A Little More For Little You - The Hives
#13(10) BOB (Bombs Over Baghdad) - Outkast
#14(14) The Bridge of Khazad Dum - Howard Shore
#15(11) Feel Good, Inc. - Gorillaz
#16(12) George Bush Don't Like Black People - K-Otix
#17(-) Mama - My Chemical Romance
#18(22) Blue Orchid - The White Stripes
#19(21) Common People - William Shatner
#20(19) Amon Hen - Howard Shore
#21(-) Steak For Chicken - The Moldy Peaches
#22(16) How to Make A Monster (Kitty's Purrrrformance Mix) - Rob Zombie
#23(25) Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi - Air
#24(20) Evenstar - London Philharmonic
#25(-) Chocolate Jesus - Tom Waits

Top 25 as of Cinco de Mayo from 4LOM!

updated May 5, 2008

old Top 25s...

#1(-) 3rd Planet - Modest Mouse
#2(-) Alive - VHS Or Beta
#3(-) Freestyle Over Xzibit's At The Speed Of Life Instrumental - Big Punisher & Fat Joe
#4(-) Goldigger - Kanye West
#5(-) Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
#6(-) Buck'em - Snoop Dogg Featuring Sticky Fingers
#7(-) Shut Up - Black Eyed Peas
#8(-) Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
#9(-) B Is For Brutus - The Hives
#10(-) BOB (Bombs Over Baghdad) - Outkast
#11(-) Feel Good, Inc. - Gorillaz
#12(-) George Bush Don't Like Black People - K-Otix
#13(-) A Little More For Little You - The Hives
#14(-) The Bridge of Khazad Dum - Howard Shore
#15(-) X-ecutionaers (Theme) Song - The X-ecutioners
#16(-) How to Make A Monster (Kitty's Purrrrformance Mix) - Rob Zombie
#17(-) The Mariner's Revenge Song - The Decemberists
#18(-) Night On Fire - VHS Or Beta
#19(-) Amon Hen - Howard Shore
#20(-) Evenstar - London Philharmonic
#21(-) Common People - William Shatner
#22(-) Blue Orchid - The White Stripes
#23(-) Born On The Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival
#24(-) Look You In the Eyes - Healthy White Baby
#25(-) Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi - Air

As promised, my Top 25 section is back with the latest from my new iPod, 4LOM!

updated April 16, 2008

Got a new iPod for Christmas... 4LOM. I'm dragging my feet on getting my entire song library onto it. Right now it is dominated by Beastie Boys, Beck, Goodie Mob, Lord of the Rings Soundtrack, and Tom Waits. I'll have a top 25 up soon.

updated April 1, 2008

Well, well, well. It appears that iPods don't like to be left out in the car during a hot summer day in Kentucky. Vader, like Pickle, is now dead too :(

updated September 13, 2007

My original iPod, Pickle, died again on me. I didn't bother trying to revive it a second time. It was time to move on to a newer model... the sleek new Vader! I'll get a few more plays in and get a good top 25 before I post.

updated April 23, 2007

Concretins.com
Gamespot.com
Flickr.com
Rebelscum.com - Great Star Wars collector's site.
CNN.com - When I want news spoon fed to me... yummy.
What Would Tyler Durden Do? - Snarky commentary about Hollywood. Brilliant!
IWatchStuff.com - Movie news and trailers.
-----------------
Quicktime.com - Movie Trailers
IDontLikeYouThatWay.com - Gossip on the stars
TheSuperficial - More gossip on the stars
Fark.com
theForce.net - Because I'm a Star Wars geek at heart
NASA.gov - 'Cause astronauts are cool!
-----------------
Twinkie's Blog
smorty71's Blog
Stacy's Blog

Playin' - Super Mario Galaxy
Watchin' - BSG 4(who is the final Cylon?)
Hearin' - Gnarls Barkley & Billy Talent
Seein' - Iron Man & Speed Racer
Paintin' - Coco, Dave & Sharon, Dottie
Readin' - Microserfs | Lovin' - New puppy

Derby in St. Louis

As a long-time Louisville resident I have had my fill of Kentucky Derby revelry. That's not to say that I am a Derby-hater. I am not, by any means. But I did not shed a tear over a lost Derby party opportunity when I made a deal with my daughter to take her to a My Chemical Romance concert out of town that weekend.

So the deal was this: Bring up her grade in each class by one letter grade and don't get another 0 on any single assignent I and would take her and two of her friends to St. Louis to see My Chemical Romance in concert. The wife decided we could make a vacation weekend out of it and I agreed. We had a helluva time finding tickets (the thing was sold out) but thanks to a Craig's List guy named Darien (and some greenbacks) we had four tickets and were on our way. We had two hotel rooms for the fam and the two friends, Clover and Aquakitty (apparently kids don't go by their real names anymore... who knew?). The plan was to hit the following: the City Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the Star Clipper comic shop (it was Free Comic Book day that Saturday), the Delmar Loop, the St. Louis Arch, and of course the concert.

The City Museum was rockin'. We got some great pix there. The weather did not cooperate the next day so the zoo was out. We did manage to make it to the Star Clipper to pick up our free comics and some other stuff. Julie, Will, and I went to go see Iron Man while the grrrls went to see Baby Momma. Iron Man ruled... one of the best movies of a Marvel property ever. Robert Downey, Jr. was a terrific Tony Stark.

The show was good. It was loud (and I had earplugs in). The Pageant was an awesome venue. I started out on the lower level but it was too crowded and rough so I moved to the next level next to the ramp with Aquakitty. My five favorite moments...

1. The show stopped and lights came up during the second open act, Billy Talent. The lead singer started ranting about being careful and looking out for one another. During this three security guys came running up the ramp holding a KO'ed mom with her daughter in tow. They shortly returned and removed a punk from the crowd. My guess was that he dropped a 'bow on her during some moshing mayhem.

2. Gerard Way, the lead singer for MCR, complained early in the show about the new jeans he was wearing. He said that the zipper just would not stay zipped. He mentioned it several times during the show and got a pretty good laugh from everyone. I chuckled everytime I saw his hand go down there to zip back up. It seemed to annoy him, which reminded me that we're all human with our little mundane problems, even rockstars.

3. I'm not the biggest MCR fan but I do like a few of their songs a lot. Their performance of "Mama" was incredible. There were several points during the song that gave me chills.

4. After the show we stood in a very long line to get a chance to see the band members. Gerard had already warned us that they had a long drive and would not be able to see us. But Kelsey was determined to get her guitar strap signed. We stood for an hour and Frankie, the lead guitarist, did make his way out. He finally made his way to us and I got my ticket signed for Kelsey (she managed to get her strap signed). About eight people later they whisked him away. The grrrls had already gone to the merch room by then, which was shut down right after they got there. It was their lucky night.

5. Kelsey telling me how much she appreciated me going with her :)

As if that weren't enough for one weekend, as soon as we got home I rushed over to the Louisville Pizza Company with Will for the Concretin Video Release Party and the bestowing of the 2007 Golden Gnar Award. OMP was the lucky recipient. And the DVD is awesome! I can't wait to skate again.

And on that note, I also made the decision to retire from soccer. I'm hanging up the boots to focus on painting, skating, and family. I took a session off and didn't miss it. And I realized while watching the Concretin video that I don't get excited about soccer like I do about skating.

And one final bit of haps, Will successfully dropped in this week. I'm so proud of him. Go check out his pix. Way to go, son!!!

Oh yeah, and happy Cinco de Mayo!

Art Show at Conglomeration 2008

I spent this last weekend at the Conglomeration 2008 Scifi and Fantansy convention at the Clarion Hotel in Louisville, KY. I went last year with the kids (check out this awesome pic of our costumes) and we had a blast. But this year we had an extra incentive... I had four pieces in the Art Show! Check 'em out...

Neurotronic Cybercaster

TK-583

The Blood Princess and the Stable Boy

Dungeon Master(in remembrance of Gary Gygax)

And here we are before the show dressed as Batgirl, a Nazgul, and a Wizard. Looking forward to next year!

Weekend of the Living Dead

I love my step-daughter. And she certainly must love me. She suggested that we spend Friday night (and then it turned into Saturday night as well) watching George A. Romero's quadrilogy of death... "Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead", "Day of the Dead", and "Land of the Dead". We both had a blast. And I had forgotten how good "Night of the Living Dead" was. Her favorite was "Land of the Dead", Romero's latest.

Now that she has seen the master at his work she is ready for some more modern fare: "28 Days Later", "28 Weeks Later", and the "Dawn of the Dead" remake. We'll also both be ready for Romero's newest movie, "Diary of the Dead". It's kind of like "Night of the Living Dead" filmed like "Cloverfield". Sounds exciting!

Thanks, sweetie, for sharing my love of zombies and sitting through 8 hours of zombirific cinema :)

CNET Networks Sucks!

So I'll let in on a little secret... I didn't leave CNET Networks on my own terms back in November. I was terminated. Dismissed. Fired. Now while I am one to come forward and admit when I screw up this is a case when I can't do that. I was wronged by a rotten boss, period. But this is not why I'm posting.

It appears that I haven't been the only one wronged by a rotten boss. I heard from my buddy and former coworker, Travio, on Wednesday that he was getting laid off on Friday. I later learned that others are suffering the same fate: Morton, Garmon, Frazier, Rich, Kara, Jenna, and 115 others across the nation. Some of the people I heard should have gone a while back. Some, IMHO, are necessary to CNET's survival.

As a friend and former coworker put it in an IM, "I survived, but I feel like a deckhand on the Titanic." Yipes!

UPDATE (April 1, 2008) - There is now a For Lease sign in fron of the building. Holy cow!

Don't worry, your job is safe

CNET Building For Lease

"Do you smell something?"

These are the words my wife spoke as I was dozing off last night. I *did* smell something. I looked outside because surely nothing was on fire in the house, right? After a quick check I determined that something in the house was burning - a candle or a computer power supply by my reckoning. Julie thought it could be gas so I called 911. We were directed outside to wait for the fire department. She yelled at me to get out of the house while I still looked for the source. I leashed up the dog and walked around the front of the house where I found her standing by the front door. Ever see "Backdraft", honey? Get on the front lawn with me :)

So the first of *four* fire trucks roll up. It was raining and we were not dressed for the occasion. The neighbors were roused and quickly joined ranks. I was called in by a firefighter so I knew that the problem wasn't gas. He insisted that it was a candle and I insisted that, while I appreciated his professional opinion, it wasn't a candle. We searched through the house until I heard someone cry "Got it!"

I walked into the kitchen to see two firefighters neck-deep in my dishwasher. A plastic cap from a water bottle (my favorite Apple water bottle) had fallen through the rack and was smoldering on the heating element. Oy!

I told the guys that I was sorry for dragging them out. I explained that my father is a retired firefighter so I know how much it sucks to get dragged out. I told them that I hoped I hadn't dragged them away from their dinners and they smiled. I called dad and he said that they were probably just happy to not have to actually work that night. Julie had to endure a few quick lectures from a few firefighters (and I had my say) but is going to get a new dishwasher out of the deal :)

Boba Fett is #001

"I want them alive. No disintegration."

That's what Darth Vader told Boba Fett after he had gathered the most qualified group of bounty hunters to bring back the ship, the Millennium Falcon, and its crew. I fell in love with Boba Fett in that very moment. I mean, disintegration... can he actually do that? Killing someone is badass. But making them completely disappear? That had to take the work of a specialist, my 6-year old brain reckoned, and was probably a trait of someone who meant business. But I digress...

I am a Star Wars fanatic. I loved the movies growing up. Loved them! And I even enjoyed the prequels. I didn't so much care for Jar Jar Binks but I pretty much can tolerate everything else. I was especially impressed with the Clone Wars animated series and eagerly await the new animated *and* live-action series coming later this year and in 2009. But, as I do so often when given the rare opportunity to talk Star Wars (other than with my 11-year old Will), I digress...

I not only am a Star Wars fanatic, I also am a collector. I am not a rabid collector. I am also not a collector of all things related to Star Wars. I collect some figures and sets, but my collection focuses on statues, animated maquettes, 1:6 scale figures (about 12" tall "dolls"), and the cute little Galactic Heroes line. The lone exception to this rule of thumb is my collection of items related to Boba Fett, that obscure bounty hunter first seen in the Holiday Special and then in The Empire Strikes Back.

I own many things related to Boba Fett. I mean, I don't have Boba Fett sheets, slippers, and aprons (well, I did have sheets and curtains when I was a kid) but I do own a fairly diverse collection of figures, statues, comics, and other items related to Boba Fett. So with this in mind you can only assume that I was very excited when Master Replicas offered a 1:1 ratio (life-size) Boba Fett helmet signed by Jeremy Bulloch, the man who plays him in the movies. I grabbed my credit card, pre-ordered that puppy right up, and asked retroactively if it was cool with my wife (thankfully, she agreed). And like I have to do with so many other items that I pre-order, I waited.

Well, Boba Fett's helmet came earlier this week. The box is big. And the packaging looks so official. I had it delivered to work so I wasn't too keen on busting it open right on the spot. However, since it was a limited edition and only 750 were made, I did want to know what my edition number was. It wasn't marked on the box so I opened it, untaped the plastic bag, slid the packaging out of the bag, opened the packaging, and found a black envelope taped to the styrofoam. I carefully opened the black envelope, careful not to bend any of the Boba Fett-related literature, and found the metal display plate wrapped in tissue. There was Jeremy Bulloch's signature and under that read #001 of 750.

OMFG

A coworker realized what I had in my hand soon after I did. He began to ask, "Is this..." and I just nodded. I put the metal plate back in its tissue. I put it in the envelope and carefully closed it, careful not to bend any of the Boba Fett-related literature. I taped the envelope back to the styrofoam. I slid the package back into the plastic bag. And I slid that back into the box. I think I held my breath during the whole process.

I still don't think it's real. Do I really have #001 at home? The first one of 750? My immediate gut-reaction was to throw that sucker on eBay. But I sat and thought about it for a few days and I think I'm going to keep him. Yeah, I'll keep him alright... up until someone sends a bounty hunter to steal it from my collection and disintegrates me for trying to stop him. It's only fitting :)

2008 - Read More. Paint More. Do More.

I'm looking forward to this year. In the last year I have done a lot and I want everything to kind of settle down. Last year I became a husband and an instant father to two wonderful children. In that same week we closed on her house and moved into a new one. I changed jobs, leaving CNET Networks and to work for ServicePower. And that was just the major stuff!

So with my new wife, kids, house, and job I just kind of want to live life without any life-changing events this year. My resolutions reflected that. There is nothing that needs to be done that will require monumental effort. Life is good. So the resolutions I came up with for the new year are very doable:

1. Read more. This is always a resolution but never gets accomplished. Maybe I set my goals too high. I normally set my sights on 12 books in 12 months, but I've been stuck on the same quantum physics book on string theory since 2005. I need to get on with that book and move on to what I really want to read. Therefore, the resolution stands at this: READ 8 BOOKS IN 2008 (see what I did there?)

2. Paint more. My painting waxed and wained with the demand for my pieces. And it was only in the thick of working on multiple pieces with multiple deadlines did I ever consider painting things that *I* wanted. But during those moments there was never time to work on anything other than what I was working on. Therefore, in order to satisfy the needs of friends, family, and clients as well as work in some of my own desired pieces, I pledge this: PAINT 26 PIECES OF ART IN 2008 (that's 2 per month plus 2 on the year for the arithmetically challenged)

3. Do more. I do a lot - some would argue that I have my fingers in too many things. But this isn't what I'm talking about. Do you remember the Nike slogan "Just Do It"? That's what I'm talking about. I'm getting older. I'll be 28 this year (okay, FINE, I'll be 34) and I need to keep myself in shape. I program all day at a desk. And I spend a lot of time driving the fam around. I eat well, but I need to stay physically active too. I play soccer once a week. The wife got a treadmill for Christmas. And we just finished putting two micro ramps in the basement. Therefore, my resolution is this: DO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EVERY DAY (not just walk up the steps... get a sweat going and get that heart rate up)

Simple, right? I think simple is the way to go. I wish everyone good luck in reaching their goals and keeping those resolutions this year. I'll keep you posted. Peace.

Playin' - Sins of a Solar Empire (still)
Watchin' - BSG 4(love it) | Hearin' - Tom Waits
Seein' - Zombie flicks | Paintin' - TK-583,
Dungeon Master, CoCo Monique
Readin' - The Watchmen
Hatin' - Allergies | Lovin' - Springtime

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