text:
Saturday, April 30, 2016

Thought Drake's Was A Coffee Cake

During the week, we all have to get up early around Camp Clifford.

My beautiful wife works a shift that starts at 5 a.m. and I'm usually out of bed at various times in the middle of the night.

And I have never once had to chase one of my kids out of bed to face their responsibilities of work or school.

They get up and go.

But I appear to be the only one who is not pissed about it.

"You have way too much energy in the morning," Sam has said on many days.

Friday was a little bit strange.

Jake was up and dressed by the time I hit the stairs at six.

He looked wide awake too.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Drake's album dropped."

"The coffee cake guy?"

Jake missed it completely.

"And it's awesome," he said.

Drake appears to be the Springsteen of the youth.

Apparently they had been waiting some time for the album to drop.

"You got it already."

"It dropped at 2 a.m.,...couple of clicks," he said.

"Excellent," I said. "I'll have to grab it tonight."

Jake knew I was joking.

I wouldn't stop Drake for a conversation if he happened to deliver my mail to the house one day.

"Thanks," I'd say. "Have a nice day."

But Jake and Sam and Quinn and even dopey Matt were beyond excited.

"Greatest record ever made," Matt said as I broached the subject later on.

And then Jake swung by with some of the lyrics.

"I know you'd rather read the lyric than listen to the beats," he said.

Truthfully, he shows me a lot of rap lyrics...there are clever rhymes, but there are also obscure references, a tremendous amount of boasting, some clever curse words and it all seems too busy to me...

...but then Jake did make me listen to a bit of the "music."

Not an instrument being used...all created on a computer.

I try not to be disparaging because I enjoy the fact that they are listening, reading, singing is a gift to all.

"Some of it is okay," I said.

Which was like my Dad, listening to Frank and Dino, tell me that there was merit to Pink Floyd.

...when it is all said and done...

...I'd rather have the coffee cakes.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Old Love

Went for lunch yesterday and was joined by a good buddy.

As we were chatting about saving the world in our jobs as construction safety guys I noticed that my buddy kept glancing at the table over my shoulder.

"What's up?"

"There's an old couple behind us," he said. "They are showing their love. Public displays of affection."

"Old?" I asked.

"Real old," he said.

"They must not be married," I answered.

There's a bit of discomfort when you want to turn all the way around and take in the scene, but I pretended to look out the window.

They were old!

"You think it's an affair?" my buddy asked.

"Has to be," I said. "If I tried to sit next to Kathy in a booth instead of across from her she'd probably punch me."

"And he keeps leaning in and kissing her cheek or holding her hand."

I laughed.

"Yeah, that isn't happening for me anymore," I said.

"Me neither," my buddy said.

He's been married longer than me.

I watched as the old dog got up to get drinks for himself and his gal.

While he was at the drink stand she took the paper off of his straw for him.

Together they got their drinks ready and then they each bit into their food at the exact same moment.

How lovely.

"Yeah. They haven't been together long," I said. "There's no way that they are that in love if they've been hanging out for years and years. We're at the stage in our marriage where my wife does shit on purpose just to aggravate me."

My buddy laughed.

"You're right."

We kept glancing back at the couple who was obviously enjoying spending time with one another.

I wish I knew the back story.

My over/under on the length of their relationship is about three months.

But good for them...

...they seemed to have found love late in life.

Three months from now they'll be sitting across from one another.

"Can you get my straw ready?" He'll ask.

"Are your fingers broken?" She'll respond.

Hold her hand as long as you can.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

"Uh, I'm Not Pregnant"

Was speaking with a first-time mother-to be.

The young woman was definitely on the pregnant side, but it is a little weird to ask...

Back a while ago my beautiful wife asked a woman in a bar:

"When are you due?"

The woman replied with:

"Uh, I'm not pregnant."

My wife tried to shuffle her way out of it by quickly asking about the kids that the woman did have.

Then she doubled-down:

"Sometimes it's difficult to lose the baby weight. How long has it been?"

The woman said:

"13 years."

I was horrified.

I escaped to the bathroom only to be joined by two men who entered in near-tears.

"Did you hear that broad ask Megan about being pregnant?" The first guy said.

The second guy was laughing so hard that he couldn't answer.

I didn't bother to add to their conversation.

I did have the guts to ask.

"How far along?" I asked.

"Six months," the young lady answered.

(Thank God).

"That went fast for me," I said.

(That's funny).

She didn't laugh. Her face told me that she was wondering what the hell I said.

Yet she was off and talking...about how excited she was...and how awesome it would be.

And I thought of the moments of my children and seeing them for the first time.

"Living proof that God exists," I said.

The new Mom was happy to hear that.

But then I hit her with part of my stand-up act.

"About six months from now you're going to be standing in the middle of your kitchen, in the middle of the night and that kid is gonna' be screaming and you're gonna' wonder, 'why the hell was I so excited about this shit?'"

She laughed.

"I want you to think about me when it happens," I said. "But it's gonna' happen."

"But it's all worth it, right?" She asked with hopefulness filling her eyes.

"My youngest kid is only 15," I said. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

She laughed again.

What a cool part of life.

Better than asking a not pregnant woman when the baby is coming.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Live Streaming

I heard a line in a radio commercial that got me thinking...

...about an idea for a book.

I kicked the line around as a title for a book and then my mind got moving.

I saw the main character.

Then the secondary characters.

And then the brainstorm hit.

The entire plot line.

I didn't have a brand new black notebook with me, but I did have my phone and a notes section.

I was typing into it so quickly that I didn't hear the first announcement to board the plane.

What if!

Back years ago my sister Carrie Lynn was great at doing the plot lines with me...

...she'd say...

"You need to make her flawed in some way."

"Have him give her something that she cherishes. Then when she loses it!"

All great stuff.

The best part about writing something new.

I was energized.

I sat on the plane and just kept doing the 'What if.'

The notes section was filling up quickly.

I have to get a black notebook.

I have to get a black notebook!

I have to get a black notebook!!

And by the time we landed I had filled the entire notes section.

They were all so alive by the end of the flight.

"You're a little crazy," I considered.

Hope I can pull it all off somehow.

I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

He Was Amazing!

There was certainly a moment, after the death of Prince when I thought to myself:

"This is going to get a little crazy."

The tributes.

The kind words.

The endless playing of the songs.

And there was a moment when I decided to put on an episode of Judge Judy rather than hear from the people who were being interviewed who were just clamoring to let the world know that:

"Prince was perfect."

People want to have their moment to say goodbye...

...they want to say kind words.

All words that seemingly fit the entertainer...

...but I was waiting for it.

Someone finally posted such a message.

Then there were people who were quick to point out that:

I sort of find that kind of stuff fascinating.

You didn't like him?

Don't comment.

You're tired of reading about it?

Don't read about it!

It was bound to get tiresome, but how is it going to stay out of the news?

He died young, of strange circumstances.

He was a chart-topper.

(Okay, I'm tired of hearing Purple Rain, but I just stop listening to it a few notes in).

But why so angry?

He was a newsmaker.

He will be mourned by a lot of people.

The tributes will continue for a little while longer...

...and then Prince's career will be evaluated in specials or on shows...

...that you don't need to watch.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Kelly Ripa Needs Me

I can do that job!

The show would have to be called Fuzzy & Ripa, but we could make it work.

I'd tell her about what she needs to fatten up a little bit too.

Yet Kelly Ripa is in the news this week because Michael Strahan up and quit his job as her co-host.

Then news broke that they hardly got along anyways and that his leaving wasn't all that much of a surprise to anyone...

...except poor Kelly.

She had no idea!

So, rather than go into work and put on a bold face she essentially called in sick for a week.

She's due back tomorrow.

Where she will have to sit there and yuk it up with Michael...

...even though she wants to choke him.

So, why not bring me in???

I'm ready!

We may have to move the show to cable as the F-word may eventually slip out, but they have delay buttons for that sort of crap, don't they?

(I'm a little concerned that there will now be memes of me and Kelly seated side-by-side as Chris Colantino takes shots at me daily)

But I'm willing to suffer for my art.

I'd be funnier than Michael.

I don't have the big gap in my teeth, but I could go out there with a chew in...

I watched Kelly & Michael every day when I was off with the hip injury.

I loved her energy.

She's no Kathy Fazzolari, mind you...

...but Fuzzy and Ripa.

It could work.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Bucky F&*$ing Dent

I finished reading the book Bucky F&*$ing Dent that was written by the actor (and I guess writer) David Duchovny.

I heard him speaking about the book on a radio show and decided to grab it.

Duchovny explained that he was in the New England area and he heard two Bostonians talking about the game in 1978 to settle the AL East. The guys were roofers and when they got into the discussion one mentioned:

Bucky F&*$ing Dent.

As writing ideas was all Duchovny needed to get started.

The book was really good...I enjoyed the characters and the baseball talk throughout.

I also liked it because I recalled every single minute of that day so long ago.

I even remember the day before...

...I was listening to the Yankees play the lowly Indians.

All they had to do was win and they would eliminate the Sux.

They got hammered.

I was 13 years old.

I was pissed!!

Mostly because the game to settle it all would be played on Monday afternoon...and I had school and a soccer game immediately following it.

I hated soccer but was on the team because I liked the coach.

"I'm skipping the soccer game," I announced.

"You aren't skipping anything," Mom said. "You signed up. You have to show up."

I was miserable!

"You'll be home for the end of the game."

I tried Dad...but he sided with Mom:

"You have to do what you said you'd do."

(Those two really ruined me as I became the most responsible adult ever!).

So I went to the game...

...I had a tiny transistor radio.

I knew my coach would let me listen during the soccer game because he was also a Yankees fan.

Except he wanted to listen to the game too!

I had the radio through the first few innings.

Boston 2 New York 0 was the score in the middle innings when Coach Loretto grabbed the radio from me and sent me into the game.

I was kicking and screaming...but I went into the game and never really drifted from the sideline much.

"Fuzzy!" Coach yelled out across the field, "Bucky Dent just hit a three-run homer!"

I thought he was messing with me.

Dent didn't hit homers!

I ran straight off the field as the ball went rolling by. Coach Loretto was laughing. We shared the radio bud for a moment.

It was true!

Mercifully the soccer game ended.

I made my way home.

Reggie hit a homer to make it New York 5 Boston 2 but there was still time left.

As we pulled into the driveway I was struck by a strange sight:

Dad's car was home!

I raced to the house.

Dad was sitting in the living room watching Goose Gossage try to hold on in the 9th.

"Why aren't you working?" I asked.

"I'm sick," Dad said.

We both laughed.

Goose hung on, retiring Yaz on a popup to Nettles.

Yankees 5 Red Sox 4.

Two weeks later they won the World Series for the 22nd time.

So, to David Duchovny...

...thanks for the memory!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Curt Schilling: Fired!!!

So, ESPN finally did it.

After suspending Schilling for his meme on Muslims in which he couldn't disguise his hatred, he was finally let go when he offered his invaluable intelligence on the transgender issues that some people face.

It doesn't matter much what he said, but first off, his 1st amendment rights were not violated.

The government did not swoop in, gather his big, goofy ass and send him off to a prison.

He was fired by his employer.

For conduct that was most likely not allowed in the contract he signed.

That happens every single day.

To people not as famous as fake-bloody-sock boy.

Hell, he blocked me on Twitter for something I said about his financial failings that cost the state of Rhode Island millions so if he's all about not being offended...

Schilling loves attention.

He lives for the moments when we are speaking his name.

I'm hoping never to have to comment again.

Back about a year ago he posted something about his daughter. A bunch of fans were nasty to them. The 'fans' were straight up idiots. The remarks were horribly insensitive.

Doesn't Curt get it?

That some of his remarks are insensitive to people he doesn't know?

He posted a photo of a man who was comically dressed as a woman and there was hate speech attached.

He didn't create the meme...

...but he posted it.

Along with his highly valued spin on it.

ESPN had looked the other way twice.

(He had also posted about one of the presidential candidates being buried under a jail).

Adios, Curt.

I always knew the sock had paint on it.

'Cause you bent down to tie your shoe every 3rd pitch.

We get it.

You're the greatest.

Everyone who's different than you sucks.

Hope you aren't signing up for unemployment in Rhode Island.

They might garnish your wage.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Prince's Death

The news broke at around noon yesterday.

Like for a whole bunch of people my age there was a real sense of disbelief.

Prince died.

Now I'm not going to pretend that I was fanatical about his music, but I certainly knew all the hits and I immediately thought about seeing Purple Rain back when I was in college.

It was a great movie.

But he put out 38 records and I don't know more than 20 songs by name.

So, I wasn't a super fan by any stretch of the imagination, but it shook me quite a bit.

Perhaps because he was a star of my late childhood.

More likely it's because a sudden death of a young man is scary for all of us.

Did he really die of the flu?

Are our lives really that fragile?

Perhaps his death won't be all that mysterious when it all shakes out.

And yea, our lives are that fragile.

That is a little of what truly brought me down.

There is so much wasted energy in all of our lives.

We worry about so many little things that aren't really worthy of our time.

I was driving a long way and I listened to hours of the coverage of his death.

(I must've heard Purple Rain 70 times).

Every program summarized Prince's life's work.

There was speculation about his death.

And it continued to shake me.

It ends. That's it.

And we all face that fate.

When you straight up give death a lot of time in the thought of just a normal day, you don't dwell on some of those mundane, ridiculous aspects of life.

I thought about my life's work and how I am happy with how it has all played out for me on a personal and professional level.

Not a lot of regret.

I thought of those I have lost and how five more minutes of time would be worth every single dime I could make from here on out.

I considered my family... knowing that I've given them all the best parts of me (and some of the other parts)...

...again, no regrets.

And I've had fun.

Life has not always been easy, but there has been a lot of fun.

There is fear when you consider that a 57-year old man can just drop.

But it happens every day.

Just open the local newspaper.

And the fear comes from the fact that it's out there for all of us.

So live.

Laugh and love.

Cliché, I know.

But that's all there is.

R.I.P. Purple Dude.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Chicago Airport

Sitting in terminal K.

The place is a city in and of itself. Want a burrito? Chinese Food? Mickey D's?

There's a bookstore and a cold stone creamery.

People from every continent are represented...walking signs of prejudice or hate.

And we all know how great an airport terminal is to just people watch.

I listened to a Dad and his son talk about the Cubbies.

This is the year.

The kid has no idea what it has felt like not to win...or the curse of the bully goat.

A woman walking two steps in front of me abruptly changed her mind about the direction she was going and turned straight into me.

She apologized.

I grunted.

Looking for a core to plug in my phone so it could recharge for the rest of the trip.

Wondering how I'd recharge.

I took some shots in the hip that clouded my mind and made sleep impossible. The hip feels better but I could be a member of the cast of the walking dead.

They are making the gate announcements.

Soon they'll be telling me how to operate the seatbelt.

"Fly safe," everyone always says.

I have no control.

Just hope I don't have to figure out the oxygen mask. I'm a little challenged on the mechanical side.

Trust that the travel will be safe.

Uh-oh, back to people watching:

There's a guy eating a burrito that's as big as a small puppy.

That would be me.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

What the Hell Is Wrong With People?

I'm sure I can go a whole bunch of different ways with this one.

--- I can talk about the guy who lied at the sperm bank and committed fraud of epic proportions.

--- I can certainly mention the woman who had a gun in her hand with a toddler in the room and when the toddler startled her, she shot the kid in the hand.

(Where are the good toddlers with their guns?)

--- I could even dabble in the visit of one of the presidential candidates who mentioned the brave people of 7/11.

Or who told us that we will win, win and win until we are sick of winning and got loud cheers.

But for the purposes of this exercise I will mention the fans of Philadelphia.

(Drop the blog Gag, and stop reading right here).

The Flyers organization gave out a token for their long-time owner Ed Snider. It was done to honor a truly good guy in sports.

You know what the great fans of Philadelphia did with their treasured gifts?

They littered the ice with them when a call went against them in a series where they are completely over-matched anyways.

These are the same fans who booed Santa Claus.

They put a jail at their football stadium.

They regularly pummel the fans of the opposing teams.

Yet it is not all about the Philly people.

A Dodger fan almost killed a Giants fan.

There are at least a dozen arrests in my neighborhood whenever the Football Frackers play.

What is wrong with people?

Now...I can see Pops shaking his head at me and whispering hypocrite...

...yeah...I used to go to the games and drink a bunch of beers and act like a dopey bastard...

...but I never did something like what happens at games now.

The Bills fans go viral every week as they flop onto their drunken asses.

Players and refs are verbally attacked.

It's crazy!

And now they honor the owner by pelting the opposing players with the tokens they were given as a special piece.

What the hell is wrong with people?

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The Bionic Woman

I used to be in love with Jamie Sommers.

She was the Bionic Woman, of course, and she had that little dalliance with the Six Million Dollar Man...but make no mistake...

...she was Clifford's first love.

What was weird about the show was that it was on right when I was figuring out that women are really sweet to look at.

Plus Jamie was so strong...she had a really amazing right arm...she could hear shit from miles away and she could run up to 60 mph...

...can you imagine how handy she would have been around Camp Clifford?

The show was great.

I know that my siblings all loved it.

I believe that Carrie and Jeff had marathon days of watching both of the shows.

Oscar Goldman was the man, too!

He was always there for Steve Austin and Jamie Sommers.

Oscar got shit done!!

The reason why this all came to the forefront was because someone posted the photo on Facebook.

My heart stirred.

I wondered if the show "stands up".

Columbo still stands up.

Rockford still holds up.

Bonanza is still great.

I'm wondering about the bionic ones.

I might have to check things out.

It has to be available somewhere, right?

Remember when she sang 'Feelings'?

I'm sure Carrie remembers.

She was crying over losing Steve Austin.

I was happy!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Trump Is Here!!!

The old great Orange one has arrived!

Donald is in Buffalo and there have been 23,000 tickets distributed so far.

I don't have one.

What the hell goes on at a political rally anyways?

It's not like he's breaking out Born in the U.S.A. of Rocking in the Free World.

Those rock stars won't let him play their music.

Will there be warm-up speeches?

Is that when the bouncers beat up the black people?

When does the Donald go on stage?

There are so many questions, but I have a few of the answers.

Donald will tell us about America and how we have been losing and soon we will be winning so much that the smiles won't come off our faces.

It's a little like Chevy Chase telling his family:

"We're gonna' have so much fun you'll be whistling zippy-do-dah out of your assholes."

Great changes are coming, America!

We're gonna' have jobs!

Plenty of low-paying jobs because we don't care for that minimum wage thingy!

We're gonna' have great healthcare...

...right after we disable the healthcare plan that is in place.

We're gonna' make the Middle East a parking lot...

...but first we're gonna' kick everyone out first, wait until they get home, then blow 'em up!!

We're gonna' be tired of winning!!

I'm tired of any and all political talk.

A guy called my house on Saturday night.

He asked me if I was voting for Bernie, or leaning to Trump.

I didn't answer him at all.

He kept trying to get me to say something that he could write down.

"Will you vote for Bernie?"

"No idea."

"Will you vote?"

"Are you leaning towards Donald Trump?"

My beautiful wife laughed.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" She asked.

"Why should I be the only one telling the truth," I asked.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Ryan LaMarre!

Boston Red Sox player Ryan LaMarre came through big for the Thunder Road Jeff Fazzolari Memorial Softball Tournament that is coming up in August.

Check this out:

How did I get four signed items by a Red Sox player?

...that's pretty interesting.

I made a friend on Twitter - Tom Ratchford.

Tom is a great guy...he loves baseball and especially the 27-Time World Champion Greatest Franchise in the History of Organized Sports.

Yet Tom is also a great fan of the up and coming Sox player Ryan LaMarre.

One day we were trading tweets about Ryan's spring training game against the Yankees.

Tom was in the crowd...and he was not wearing his Yankees gear.

He was rooting for the Yankees, quietly, as he sat and also rooted for Ryan to have a great game.

Ryan hit a homer!

I jumped in and made mention that I was happy for Ryan but that he better not hit homers against the Yankees when it really mattered.

Then I thought about the benefit.

I asked Tom if Ryan might donate some items for the tourney.

A couple of hours later I had my answer:

And Ryan went over and above expectations...

...two signed balls and two signed batting gloves.

He's a Red Sux player!!

And I really, really like him!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Beeps, Buzzes, Chimes & Bells

There was a day about 5 years ago when I left my phone at home.

I drove about an hour to an appointment before I knew that it was missing...

...and by the time I discovered my mistake...

...I couldn't go back.

I was on the road without my phone!

Dear Lord!!

I thought about that on Friday afternoon as my phone rang.

(It doesn't actually ring...instead it plays Street Fighting Man by the Stones).

But I answered it.

While I was talking to someone about a work-related problem I heard a buzz in the background.

Incoming text.

Then the damn thing buzzed again.

I took the phone away from my ear long enough to read a notification from ESPN about Adrian Beltre agreeing to a contract extension with the Texas Rangers.

Back to the call!

Another beep.

My beautiful wife trying to touch base.

The damn guy was trying to talk my ear off.

I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying.

Why would the Rangers extend Beltre? He's nearly 40!

Another buzz.

An update from CNN on who the pollsters thought won the debate.

The original text buzzed again.

(Just in case I'd missed it!)

"You still there?" the guy actually talking asked.

"For a minute," I said. "Because I'm ready to roll down the window and throw this phone as far as I can."

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"Evidently someone flashed my number on a billboard because everyone has called me at once."

"I'll let you go." he said, finally.

I was pulled off to the side of the road.

When the call went dead I saw all the notifications.

2 texts, 4 emails, 2 notifications, 6 Facebook notices and 1 missed call.

I ignored them all.

I threw the phone on the floor of the passenger side.

I turned up the radio and drove to the next stop.

Thank God we are all able to stay connected.

Every second of every day.

Remember the days when you could get lost at the bar?

"Tell her I'm not here!"...

...would be called out every time the phone behind the bar would ring.

That's never gonna' happen again.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Hoop Talk

Back when I lived out in California I had a casual interest in the Golden State Warriors.

I rooted for them but they were was a little like being home in Buffalo, hoping the home team could win.

I even had a couple of Warriors shirts and hats.

Of course, they won the title last year and this year they were even better...

...winning an incredible 73 of 82 games.

That's amazing.

I watch some basketball because of the kids...who love it.

I watch mostly to root against LeBron, or Floppy the Crybaby as he's called here at Camp Clifford.

Stephen Curry is a tremendous shooter.

Reminds me of me as a younger man.

Now the pressure is really on the Warriors. They have to bring home the hardware as the kids say and that isn't a done deal. The Spurs and even Floppy's team have a chance.

"Who are your top five greatest basketball players ever," Jake asked as soon as I walked in the door from work.

"Wilt, Bird, Jordan, Jabbar and Ernie D.," I said.

Jake laughed.

Then he began arguing with Sam about it.

Jake had Kobe on his list and Sam was talking Floppy.

"There were a lot of great players," I said.

I was talking about Jerry West and Walt Frazier.

"How about Curry? He gonna' make it?"

Jake has shown me clips of Curry nailing shots from the parking lot.

"He's one of the best shooters ever," I said.

73 and 9.

Now they have to back it up.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

A Huge Secret

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert had a big secret.

Hastert was a coach and a teacher in the town of Yorkville, Illinois.

Evidently, and admittedly Hastert molested some young boys while he was there, before leaving for the State Legislature in the early 1980's.

For years and years Hastert was in the national light as a well-respected politician who was second in line to the office of President of the United States.

The entire community was extremely proud of Hastert's career.

...almost the entire community.

There were boys left in the wake who knew the secret.

Boys who suffered at the control of a sick mind.

"Mr. Hastert acknowledges that as a young man he committed transgressions for which he is profoundly sorry."

That is what his vile lawyer said.

First off, Hastert wasn't all that young.

The use of young man makes it sound like he was experimenting a little bit as he became an adult.

One of whom died of AIDS after living a highly confused life after his spirit had been robbed of him.

And the use of the word 'transgressions'????

Like he slipped and fell onto four kids who just happened to be naked at the time.

This man belongs in a cage for the rest of his days!

The article that I read on it said that Hastert is hoping that the life he led will allow him to pay some restitution to his 'victims' and serve a sentence that begins and ends with probation.

God help us if that happens.

I stared at a photo of Hastert standing beside Cheney as Bush made a speech.

He wore a look of resolute determination as the President spoke.

I looked for a hint of perversion behind those eyes.

How did he live his life after that?

He showed up at the funeral of the young man who had died of AIDS.

He showed up at the funeral!!

How arrogant can one be?

That was in 1995.

The sister of the man confronted him.

He didn't deny it.

He slimed away like a slug.

Later, when the heat was turned on...he called the authorities and claimed that there was a plot to extort money from him.

He called the authorities!!!

There's a special place in the hell that he so believes in for him.

If he gets it I'm going to be severely pissed.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Changing Baseball

Remember when Pete Rose bowled over Ray Fosse in the All-Star Game?

Rose was coming around third.

Fosse was blocking the plate.

Rose hammered him and was safe at the plate.

Fosse suffered a busted shoulder and never regained his All-Star form.

Rose always called it a 'good baseball play'.

It won't ever happen again.

The blocking the plate rules have changed.

Cut to last year's playoffs.

Chase Utley threw a slide at second base.

He broke the leg of the Mets Shortstop Reuben Tejada.

It was a garbage slide.

Utley thought it was a 'good baseball play.'

The rule has changed for the 2016 season.

Everyone is in agreement that the rule is stupid.

I'm not a huge fan of replay.

It sounded like a good idea knowing that an ump couldn't cost a kid a perfect game with an absolutely horrendous call at first...

...or that a homer could be ruled fair when an ump blew it.

But it's gone too far.

Now a runner holds the tag on the guy sliding into second. If the guy (who is clearly safe) lifts his spike a quarter of an inch off the bag to dust himself off and the tag remains, the runner is out.

(Unless it happens in favor of the Yankees).

But garbage.

And the bat-flipping, grandstanding, celebrating by dragging a dead parrot around the bases...

...I am an old guy...

I hate it.

Why are they messing with my game?

Stop it!

We still need good baseball plays... of orchestrated celebrations!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

He's Your Son

Parenting is a crazy endeavor.

As a kid, you don't even begin to recognize what you're putting your Mom and Dad through, of course, but as a parent, you have just enough knowledge to know exactly when your kids are messing something up.

Yet the real tricky part is that your kids are little mini-mes of you and the beautiful wife.

Thankfully we are blessed with the ability to easily distinguish which characteristics that our kids display being to which one of us.

For instance.

There is one clean bedroom in the house.

It's mine.

It's easy to point out that each of the children followed the example of one of their parents.

Not mine.

And then there is the ability of one of our children to just go with the flow.

That's Sam.

He is not following my example in the above example.

Sam has a lovely personality that is not prone to displays of extreme emotion. If something makes him mad it's hard for us to know, because he moves on.

Yet Sam is now being called Little Clifford around the house because he has a tendency to nudge the others (who are captured in a life of pure leisure) to do a few of the things around the house that need to be done on a daily basis.

"He's starting to act like you when you're out of town," my beautiful wife said.

"And that's because the other two act like you," I said.

(Not a brillant remark).

And of course there are a whole bunch of moments when I catch myself acting just like my parents...

...when I sing to the dogs...that's pure Mom...

...when I bellow any name to get someone into the room to grab me a water, or turn on the television...that's Dad.

As a parent it is comforting to know that a little bit of you moves on down the line.

One of our children is going to perform an act...

...reprimand one of their kids...

(perhaps one named Clifford)

And they're gonna' think...

"I just sounded like the old man."

And that will be really cool.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Bob O.

I have a good friend.

He's another safety dude.

Bob Overhoff, the safety manager at LP Ciminelli.

Well, this week Bob received a safety award.

The Edward J. Waring Award for safety excellence through the years.

He really, really, really deserved the award and I'm proud of the goofy bastard.

You see, Bob and I have worked in concert for years and years.

Back about 20 years ago we worked together.

(Sorry, Bob, I have to tell the story).

We were in a busy office when a salesman came by looking for Bob.

"Is Bob Overhoff here?" the man had the extreme misfortune of asking me.

"He's over there," I said. "The guy who looks like he's wearing a moose suit."

Through the years, we have laughed a lot.

Also, there aren't too many days that go by when we don't send a message that is all about safety of the guys we work with.

Bob watches my guys.

I watch his.

Together we have made a difference out there.

But this is about Bob!

"That Overhoff is a good dude," one guy who works with my masonry crew said. "He's approachable. He cares about us."

And I know Bob well enough to know that the guys in the field mean more to him than any award he can ever receive.

Bob has made a difference.

In a lot of lives.

Including mine.

Congrats, Moose.

Long-time coming!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Rocky Balboa Is Old

Watch Creed last night.

A fine edition to the Rocky series.

The acting was good. The fight scenes were great.

Like every movie in the Rocky Series...

...I enjoyed it.

But my mind wandered a little as the movie unfolded.

I saw the first Rocky when I was back in junior high school.

There had never really been such a movie although Raging Bull was a great boxing movie.

But Rocky had something.

By the time Rocky II and Rocky III rolled around, Stallone was in the prime of his life.

I distinctly recall seeing Rocky III with a girl and my ever-present buddy Jeff Renaldo and his date.

My date asked me, as we were leaving the theatre about my physical aspirations.

"Why can't you get some muscles?" She asked.

"I don't want muscles," I answered.

We both laughed.

The years flew by.

But when you go back to a Rocky movie...

...time sort of stands still.

In Creed the Stallone character talks about getting older.

"Time is undefeated," he mentions.

That blows!

Why do we have to get older???

But we do.

And each phase of life brings its own challenges.

Every girl since that date back in 1982 has asked the same question about the muscles.

I don't want 'em.

And now I'll never have them.

But as the movie went along I thought about all of the things that happened since I first saw Rocky Balboa on the big screen.

An entire life has unfolded.

The Balboa character references the happiness, the sadness, the top of the mountain and the valley floor.

We watched him live and we watched him fail.

Just as we all have.

I hope there's ten more movies in the franchise.

I hope I'm going to a premiere for the movie about Rocky's grandchild's first fight... about 2040.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Anti-Discrimination: Great Job, Bruce!

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

What if people suddenly didn't think that pasta-eating, Yankees-loving, family men didn't deserve their rights?

I'd be in trouble.

I have chosen to live my life as a Yankees fan, as a pasta lover, and as a straight man with a wife and kids.

Do I do it because God told me that I can't be gay?

Or because I believe that God thought that Red Sox fans belong in hell?

Or because of one of the commandments that said 'Thou must eat linguine and clam sauce.'

I lived my life as it naturally unfolded.

There are things I believe in that you don't.

There are things you believe in that I don't.

Laws should not be written that strip either of us of our rights.

There should not be laws on the books that strip the rights of Americans.

Right, gun owners?

But what is funny about that some of those same people screaming about rights in that situation are quite comfortable stripping away the rights of people in the gay community.

God help you if you're one of those people.

Hypocrite is a word that can be easily looked up.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band canceled a concert in North Carolina that was scheduled for Sunday.

I mention Bruce and all the members of the E-Street Band because anyone who are fans of them know exactly where their members stand.

Little Steven stood up for the rights of people in South Africa in the 80's.

Check the lyrics for Born in the U.S.A. sometime.

Listen to the Nebraska record.

Listen to the song Streets of Philadelphia.

Or 41 Shots.

Or the Ghost of Tom Joad.

Bruce stands up for what he believes in.

What he believes in more than anything else is the right of the individual to make a life for themselves in America free of discrimination and inequality.

I feel comfortable putting those words in Bruce's mouth because he has been singing them to me for the last 40 + years.

I read the words announcing the postponement.

I know that Bruce and the E-Street Band Members hated doing that.

But the point had to be made.

Bruce once famously closed a show by saying:

"No one wins unless everyone wins."

He stands for the rights of human beings.

Let the Bruce-bashing begin!

I've never been more proud of my one true hero.

Friday, April 8, 2016

The Masters

Did you see the kids of the professional golfers playing around on the greens?

Some of those kids were rolling in putts that Pops couldn't bottom out in 4.

And then their fathers were working on the par 3 course...

...there were something like 9 hole-in-ones.

Can't I have a hole-in-one this year, God?

I'm hoping to play fairly regularly, but work and my stupid, useless legs will have a say in the manner.

I golfed in air casts a few times last year!

I didn't get close to a hole in one.

And these jerks are rolling them in at will.

Ah well...we all have our talents.

But I don't get to watch a lot of the Tournament on television.

I usually just follow along on the phone because every single time I try to watch golf on television one of the geniuses around here will say something clever like:

"How bored do you have to be to watch golf?"

Golf is a great sport to play and I try like hell to tell my kids how much fun they'd have if they tried it...

...but nothing so far.

I don't get it.

They'll play hoops until it's dark, but they don't want anything to do with golf.

Their loss.

I started playing at 16 years old...and while I have never got great at it...I've enjoyed every single round.

It relaxes me.

And that might startle some of the Grape Apes who have watched me lose my s*it when I can't roll a putt in on the back nine at Eden Valley...

...but those pros might 5-putt a hole up there.

Ahh, the Masters.

No Tiger, but it will still be endlessly interesting to me.

Golf is back!

Even though they're calling for snow and single digits here in Buffalo.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Still Sickening

We watched the last episode of the O.J. Simpson series on FX.

First the Hollywood part.

The acting was great. Travolta did a good job with Shapiro. Theo Huxtable was a good A.C. Cowlings. The actors who played Lance Ito, Chris Darden and Johnnie Cochran were almost dead ringers for the real life people.

Ross Gellar as Robert Kardashian was spot on as well.

Sarah Paulson was really, really great as Marcia Clark.

But Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. was disconcerting as the two men don't look even a little alike.

...none of that crap is important.

I'm glad they did it though because time took away some of the revulsion of the case.

I distinctly recall where I was when the verdict came down.

I was at work, of course, but I was standing next to a man, Ron Eberle, who would be dead within a year or so. He was a good guy, but like me, he wasn't at all surprised when the words 'Not Guilty' were announced.

"Sickening," he said.

On that day we had watched people celebrate the verdict as if O.J. had just scored a touchdown.

A lot of people here in Buffalo still say the following when the subject of the murders comes up:

"He was a great player, though."

And I made a personal vow...

...I would never go to a professional football game at the Ralph...

...unless they took O.J.'s name off the wall of honor.

They won't.

So you won't see me there.

Because as much publicity as the O.J. case got then and as much as it is getting now...

...the fact that he chopped the heads off of two people... really still sickening to me.

The reminder that he was found 'Not Guilty' because of the smokescreens set up...

I hope they gave some of the money the series generated to the Goldman and the Brown families.

They probably didn't though.

Because the whole thing is sickening.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

A Perfect Moment

Life is pretty stingy with the perfect moments.

In fact we usually trudge along, moving the rock from one place to the next, not even appreciating the great times.

On Monday night a great sports moment became a great father-son moment.

Cut way back to 1977.

Reggie had just hit his 3rd home run into the New York night.

The Yankees were going to win the World Series for the first time in years.

My 13th birthday.

I was sitting with my Dad that night.

I can still feel how happy he was.

We shared a couple of huge salami sandwiches.

And I remember that moment through time as if it happened ten minutes ago.

During the course of this college basketball season I watched the Villanova Wildcats play at least 25 basketball games.

My son, Sam, is their biggest fan and it has been that way for at least ten years.

He has Villanova shirts.

He dreams of playing for them.

(Won't happen, but he's sure it might).

And the time of their game was like a weekly call-out.

"I get the big t.v. at 1 on Saturday! 'Nova is on!!"

Week after week.

And we all teased him a little about his crazy love, but down deep, I wanted 'Nova to win.

I really wanted them to win so my son would be happy.

I didn't know how much until Monday night.

I decided to watch the game in bed.

My hip is really barking.

But he was standing right in front of the television and they were all yelling...

...I would check in on them as the game wore on.

Yet, with 5 minutes left and 'Nova up 10, I decided to go down and see his face as they clinched it.

But it got wild!

The Tar Heels player hit a crazy shot with just about 5 seconds to tie it.

Sam took it okay, but the room was dead quiet as they went to time out.

He was thinking overtime, but he said:

In Sam's mind, the excellent point guard, Ryan Arcidiacono, was going to be the star.

And Arch did dribble the ball up the floor and in a perfect basketball moment delivered a pass to Kris Jenkins (another favorite of ours), who buried the 3 as the buzzer sounded.

A simply perfect basketball moment.

I stood straight up and pumped my fist.

I let out a yell!

(I don't demonstrate much when my team wins!)

Sam took three running steps to the other side of the room, screamed "Let's Go!!!! Big Smoove!!! (Jenkins' nickname)" and as he ran by...

...reached out and embraced me.

We yelled loudly as Jake and our extra son, Quinn, looked on in mild amusement.

And perfect moments are there for the taking.

It's a sporting event... need to put too much into it.

Unless you've been cheering with your boy.

Then it's something more.

And it couldn't have happened in any other way.

Pro sports is becoming a real headache to me with the crime and the money and the this and that...

...and college sports is certainly big business...

...but that was a great team win by a hardworking bunch.

Not a bad lesson to share with Sam.

"Big Smoove!!!"

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

7 More Months to Go!

Anyone fatigued with the coverage of the presidential election?

Let's recap.

Mexicans are rapists.

E-mail accounts can be deleted.

Clinton couldn't keep her man can she manage the country?

Bernie is a communist.

Cruz somehow slept with five women.

All Muslims have to go.

Mexico won't pay for the f%^&Ing wall.

McCain isn't a war hero.

Abortion? What abortion?

I'm all for it...or against it...or something.

Jeb's mother denounced him.

Christie looks lost.

Think about the fact that we have seven months left!

What can we look forward to?

Will it be Trump versus Clinton?

Will the GOP have a battle in the summer because everyone hates Trump except for the millions who are voting for him?

Will Clinton get the nomination even though all the states are feeling the Bern?

Will Bernie even be around by November?

So many questions.

Americans are arguing themselves silly.

The rest of the world appears to be laughing.

As a wise one mentioned the other day...

...the World Series winner will be crowned before the election is even in the books!

I'm tired of it already!!

How about you?

Monday, April 4, 2016

Let's Make A Video!

Did you see the story about the Los Angeles Laker players who decided to make a video.

D'Angelo Russell decided to interview Nick Young.

He asked him about being unfaithful...

...well the subject got there anyway...

...and Young spilled the beans (stealing an expression from the Great Orange One).

There was a problem with it.

Young had a girlfriend.

'Had' being the important word.

Because somehow, the playful interview found it's way onto the Internet and as was grabbed and shared and sent and analyzed.

Nick Young's girlfriend was able to watch it play from start to finish.

Young and Russell had been good friends.

(There's that 'Had' word again).

It's all kind of funny to those of us who are just sitting back wondering about how two people could be so stupid.

Young for telling on himself

Russell for letting it get out.

The two men then had to step on a basketball court and play as teammates.

How do you think that went?

The Lakers are about 14 and 400 anyway so it didn't really matter, but even wide open I don't think Young is gonna' pass the ball to Russell.

I tried to use it as a training tool for my boys.

"You see," I said to Jake. "Everything is captured on-line."

"Yeah, if you're a moron," Jake answered.

Good talk.

Lessons learned?

When the compulsion to make a video hits you...make sure that you know who's holding the camera.

Don't cheat on your girl and then announce it.

(We're all the better for having followed this sad story).

Sunday, April 3, 2016

I Bought New Socks!

I go for work on my back, hips, feet on a weekly basis.

For the last three weeks or so I've had to make a joke because when I take off my shoes there's a huge hole in one or more of my socks.

Good news!

I bought 8 new pair!!

(I'm really quite an idiot).

The week has been fun.

Johnny and Sam are taunting, laughing, teasing, laughing, EATING, yelling, laughing, and playing.

Man...'s so much what I had every day with my brother, Jeff...

...and while it's sad...

...I've been able to share some of the moments with Johnny now.

I told him a couple of stories where Jeff got me good.

The April's Fools joke where he got me to call the zoo and ask for Mr. Fox.

A couple of the Florida stories.

It's tough.

Life is tough.

But the laughter rings out anyway, right?

Sam and Johnny and Jake and Johnny are simply 'Fuzzy' laughing all week.

And that's awesome.

Villanova is going to be playing for the National Championship on Monday night and that may not be the biggest story in the world, but Sam is on the verge of a title.

The boys all have their favorite teams and they root hard for them.

A title for Sam would give him 2.

His Buffalo-loving and Oakland-loving brothers are stuck at the number that they'll probably stay at:0.

Sam won with the '09 Yankees.

What else?

I'm not sure when my Dad said that first, but he used to say it when there was something out of the ordinary. I think it came from a movie somewhere.

I woke up on Sunday morning and with my first step out of bed I mentioned it to Paris.

Shooting pain in that left hip.

Different pain today.

Life is tough.

Maybe it's the new socks.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Blood On Blood

Bruce has a song on the terrific Nebraska record that has a chorus:

"Nothing feels better than blood on blood."

Another lyric states:

"Man turns his back on his family; well he just ain't no good."

I thought about that a lot this week as we hosted a visitor.

My nephew Johnny made the trip to our home so that he could spend time with his cousin, and best buddy, Sam.

He also hung around with Matt, Jake and Jake's ever-present buddy Quinn.

In fact, it all started a little shaky as I got up for work on Wednesday morning. I lead the entourage of dogs into the living room where Johnny, Sam and Quinn sat watching an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

"Morning sunshine," Johnny said.

It was 5:30 in the morning!

"Why are you idiots up?" I asked.

"We just woke up," Sam offered.

But, of course, I knew better. They were coming off a night of video games, television shows and laughter.

I returned home about 14 hours later.

Sam and Johnny were shooting hoops in the driveway.

"I'm ready to block your shot, old man," Johnny said.

I could hardly walk over to him.

He tossed me the ball.

I tried to stretch as I brought the ball up.

I moved to my favorite spot on the court and really concentrated, nailing the 15-footer.

"All day," I said.

Johnny approached me.

He's nearly 6-feet tall already.

"I can block your shot," he said.

"I can't move," I protested.

(My legs were barking!).

But I dribbled and turned my back to him.

"My shot can't be blocked," I taunted.

He went for it, but I took a couple of huge steps backwards and shot the ball over his outstretched hand, bouncing it off the rim.

We repeated the action about 4 more times and even though I wasn't jumping and certainly wasn't running, my two steps back allowed me to get the ball over him.

He had no idea that I had perfected my fadeaway 30 years earlier as I tried to beat his Dad in a one-on-one.

Jeff had unbelievably long arms and the only way I could shoot over him was by stepping back.

"I can't block it!" Johnny yelled.

Sam took it all in, laughing.

"Come," Johnny tried.

"I can't play a game," I said.

"We'll get you a wheelchair," he chided.

And back and forth we went.

I had taken my five shots...I was heading to the house...I scooped the ball up and brought it back to take one final shot and Johnny lunged at me.

He got the ball with the tip of his index finger.

"I blocked it! I blocked it! The shot that can't be blocked was blocked!"

I stumbled towards the house as he taunted me the entire way.

That was the first day!

We laughed.

The boys were thick as thieves.

"It's awesome that they're so close," Kathy said as we watched them head off into their rooms with fistfuls of chicken fingers.

Nothing feels better than blood on blood.

(He barely got a finger on the shot!)

Friday, April 1, 2016

"I Blew My Leg Off"

It's amazing what people are doing to become somewhat famous.

Viral videos are all the rage and the dumber you can be, the more hits you get.

Take the story of David Pressley, a guy from Georgia.

Pressley did a public service announcement after he made his video to let the world know that safety around explosives is necessary.

Self-knowledge is a funny thing because it usually comes immediately after you've severely f*&$ed something up.

Pressley filled his riding lawnmower with three pounds of explosives.

Then he grabbed his high-powered rifle and positioned himself a little ways away because he wasn't sure how it was all going to go.

Then he got a little closer because nothing seemed to be happening.

His next shot blew up the lawnmower.

I listened to the audio of the incident because he was filming it so that he could be a star.

I heard the rifle shot.

Then the explosion.

Then Pressley say...

...very clearly:

"I blew my leg off."

He did too.

Then we hear the public service announcement.

I believe the voice belonged to Pressley.

He said:

"People got to be careful. These explosives ain't no joke."

Isn't that lovely?

I am a safety man.

Every single day I walk around, watching people work. I evaluate site conditions and write detailed reports about what might hurt someone.

For Pressley I'm imagining that I might write something like this:

"The employee was instructed not to fill up his lawnmower with explosives. He was further instructed not to aim his high-powered rifle at the explosive-filled piece of equipment. Finally, this dumb mother-#$#%% was instructed not to pull the trigger."

Pressley was genuine in his warning to everyone who was watching his video.

Take heed, people.

Don't shoot your explosive-filled lawn mower.

Phew...Thank God I told you!

Breaking News

O.J. Simpson is the guy who turned the news into entertainment when he butchered two people. Then everyone was in a battle to beat the oth...


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Richmond: 804.354.1996
Midlothian: 804.419.0492
Fredericksburg: 540.735.9350

Alcohol Use Disorder

What Is an Alcohol Use Disorder?

When the problematic use of alcohol becomes severe and leads to a number of negative consequences and dysfunctional behaviors, the person is given the diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder. This is a formal diagnosis that describes a series of dysfunctional issues associated with alcohol use.

Because it is a formal diagnosis, there are symptoms that need to be met in order for a diagnosis to be made. The issues and symptoms that lead into a formal diagnosis include the following:

  • The person often drinks larger amounts of alcohol, or drinks for a longer period of time, than intended.
  • The person spends a great deal of time drinking alcohol, recovering from the effects of alcohol use, or seeking out alcoholic beverages.
  • The person repeatedly has cravings for alcohol.
  • The person unsuccessfully tries to control alcohol use.
  • The person continues to use alcohol despite having personal, career, or financial issues related to its use.
  • The person’s alcohol usage results in them not completing major obligations in their personal life, at work, at school, and so forth.
  • The person repeatedly uses alcohol in situations where it is dangerous to do so.
  • The person gives up or reduces participation in important activities in life as a result of alcohol use.
  • The person develops symptoms of physical dependence on alcohol.

In order to qualify for diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder, the individual has to consistently display two or more of these formal diagnostic criteria over a period of one year. Of course, individuals can display more than two symptoms. The severity of the alcohol use disorder is defined by the number of symptoms that the person consistently displays over the course of a year. This combination of symptoms results in the designation of the severity associated with an alcohol use disorder:

  • Someone with a mild alcohol use disorder displays 2-3 symptoms consistently over the course of one year. This is consistent with the older notion of a substance abuse or alcohol abuse problem.
  • Someone with a moderate alcohol use disorder consistently displays 4-5 symptoms over the course of one year. This category is transitional between abuse and addiction, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
  • Individuals displaying 6 or more of the symptoms consistently over the course of one year fall into the severe alcohol use disorder These individuals would fall into the older conceptualization of an actual formal addiction or alcoholism.

Signs of a Problem

A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder can only be reliably given by a trained mental health professional. Because individuals with substance use disorders may try to hide their behaviors, deny their substance use, and justify for the ramifications of their substance use issues, many individuals are unable to even realize the extent of the problem. However, there are some qualitative and quantitative changes in behavior that may signify the need to engage in formal treatment.

  • Moderate drinking consists of up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
  • Heavy drinking consists of having five or more drinks on the same occasion at least five days out of the month.
  • Binge drinking refers to having five or more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion at least one day out of the month.

People who are engaging in binge drinking and heavy drinking are at high risk for symptoms associated with alcohol use disorders. In addition, even individuals who drink according to the above definition of moderate drinking may also experience issues related to an alcohol use disorder.

Some more practical symptoms that can signal a potential problem with alcohol use include:

  • Changes in one’s overall disposition or personality, such as irritability, resentfulness, impatience, being overly sensitive to criticism, isolating oneself, and so forth.
  • Repeated signs of the person being physically ill, such as flulike symptoms, headaches, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, lack of appetite, etc.
  • Sudden change in peer relationships.
  • Change in physical appearance, such as no longer attending to hygiene issues or dressing differently.
  • Drinking alcohol in situations where it is prohibited or dangerous, such as drinking alcohol at work, during lunch, coming into work hungover, driving while intoxicated, etc.
  • Cravings to drink.
  • Using alcohol to cope with normal life pressures.
  • Obvious signs, such as slurring words, difficulties with motor coordination, continually smelling alcohol the breath, and so forth.

Our Recovery Centers

Click one to call one of our treatment centers today.

FCCR Rehabilitation Center Midlothian VA

905 C Southlake Blvd
Richmond, VA, 23236
Phone: (804) 419-0492

FCCR Rehabilitation Center Richmond VA

4906 Radford Ave
Richmond, VA, 23230
Phone: (804) 354-1996

FCCR Rehabilitation Center Fredericksburg VA

11720 Main Street #108
Fredericksburg, VA, 22408
Phone: (540) 735-9350

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-166-65-126.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-26
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for June 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Search This Blog

Week Ending March 4th 2012 ~ Making Up Time

Monday 27th February
Firstly an update on Sunday 25th and Des reports delays due to the football traffic in Norwich. 37574 on 15.30 ex Yarmouth was 10 late from Norwich, but 25 late by Easton due to the congestion. the service was 21 late into Lynn and 16 late departing on the 17.50 to Peterborough.

Today was an uneventful day with no swaps. 37158, 37569 and 37156 out of service today at Lynn for servicing / noisy axle / MOT. Some buses fitted with new ads for the film 'Contraband' tonight.

Des writes 'Today I had 37160 on L11 16.55 ex Lowestoft. We were on time until a road closure in Gorleston making us 5 late at the library, but on time by Yarmouth. Coming back from Lynn I was driving 37568 on L8 21.35 Lynn - Lowestoft. On time until the A47 closed at Longwater for roadworks. Came into Norwich via Dereham Road and Grapes Hill - thought I'd better then check the Newmarket Road stop as I was the last bus eastbound. 5 minutes late at Norwich bus station. At Yarmouth, Haven Bridge closed so diversion via Yarmouth/Gorleston bypass making us 8 late arriving at Gorleston JPH".

Tuesday 28th February
A second successive day without incident. 37156 & 37569 still off the road but 37158 back freshly serviced and  37159 off today for same. Malcolm aw X2 vehicle 32655 operating a 101 town service in Lowestoft today.

Wednesday 29th February
K5 had 37576 swapped for 37160 for the 10.32 Lynn - Lowestoft. 37578 was off the road for compressor attention, but 37569 was back on K4.
Major delays caused by the closure of the Acle Straight this afternoon saw 37571 on Y6 depart King's Lynn almost 40 late on the 17.45 to Peterborough. A spirited run saw it back in Wisbech at 20.11 (16 late) and departing at 20.12 (12 late). It was on time at the Southgates at 20.40 heading east. Over at Lowestoft Y9 with 37158 arrived 25 late having been diverted via Filby and then departed 16 late on the 15.55 to King's Lynn. 37579 on L10 arrived in Lowestoft 45 late and then went light to Norwich to resume its duty at 18.05. 37567 on L11 arrived into Lowestoft -40 and departed 30 down at 17.25, the same time as the 17.25 X1 short to Yarmouth. The last bus to Yarmouth had departed at 16.10 ! Lynn arrival on L11 was 11 late at 20.10.
37572 became the first X1 Gemini to break the 400,000 mile barrier today. It passed the milestone at around 20.20 tonight between Eye and Thorney on L8.

Thursday 1st March
37565/578 spare at Lynn today receiving attention. 37156 is due for MOT on Monday. No swaps today and it all seems to be going like clockwork ! The Mad March Fares promotion is now available from stops in Dereham, Toftwood, Hockering and Easton :

Friday 2nd March
Delays were worse today, so nothing unusual there. 37572 was seen 10 late on K4 this morning, while L11 was 15 down with 37568. I saw Y13 13.05 ex Peterborough which was 37566 12 late departing Wisbech.

Saturday 3rd March
37158 heads east through Walpole Highway on K1, the 08.00 Wisbech - Lowestoft this morning.

Nice to report a normal week at last. Every day this week K2 has done the following day's L8 which on Wed/Thu/Fri has then worked Y13. 37566/570 got a day off today so that they could be positioned for servicing on Monday.
37569 heads for Peterborough running about 12 late on K16 13.15 from King's Lynn today.

Sunday 4th March

Both 37159 and 37568 were kept at King's Lynn today with windscreen defects and this evening 37573 was taken out of service with some minor damage at the rear, it was replaced by 37160.
37570 is due an MOT this week, but it looks as if both it and 37566 which is due to be serviced will need to be used tomorrow morning. Assuming the usual pass, the situation should be relieved when 37156 returns from MOT tomorrow morning. This bus has not been fitted with adverts since it returned from repairs and may be out in 'all white' tomorrow.

No comments:


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

WARC-Truncated: length

text:
Documentation Virtualization Beat

From FedoraProject

Revision as of 06:14, 7 September 2009 by Dale (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

Under Construction
Work to update this page for F12 has only just begun. You can see a copy of the F11 page here.

Virtualization in Fedora 12 includes major changes, and new features, that continue to support KVM, Xen, and many other virtual machine platforms.

KVM and qemu have gained a number of new features in this release. KVM guest memory usage and performance is improved by the addition of KSM and KVM Huge Page Backed Memory. The performance of the qcow2 image format is greatly improved. Support for both SR-IOV and NIC hotplug has been added. Finally, gPXE is now used in place of etherboot for guest PXE booting.

On the libvirt side, APIs have been added for storage management and network interface management. libvirt now also runs qemu processes unprivileged.

A new library (libguestfs) and an interactive tool (guestfish) is now available for accessing and modifying virtual machine disk images.

Kernel SamePage Merging and Reduced Guest Memory Usage

Kernel SamePage Merging or KSM, allows identical memory pages to be merged by the kernel into a single page shared between one or more processes. This feature is leveraged by KVM to allow multiple, similar, guest virtual machines to have a reduced memory footprint. Because memory is shared, the combined memory usage of the guests is reduced.

For further details refer to:

KVM Huge Page Backed Memory

Enable KVM guests to use huge page backed memory in order to reduce memory consumption and improve performance by reducing CPU cache pressure. Users of KVM guests using huge page backed memory should experience improved performance with some savings in host memory consumption. The performance benefit is workload dependent.Using huge pages for guest memory does have a downside, however - you can no longer swap nor balloon guest memory.

For further details refer to:

KVM NIC Hotplug

Network interfaces may now be added to a running KVM guest using Package-x-generic-16.pnglibvirt/Package-x-generic-16.pngvirt-manager without the need to restart the guest.

For further details refer to:

KVM qcow2 Performance

The native disk image file format of qemu is qcow2. Qcow2 provides enhanced features over raw images, including: base images, snapshots, compression, and encryption.

Users wishing to protect guest machine data from host crashes commonly disable write caching on the host. Previously, this led to very poor performance for guests in qcow2 images.

The I/O performance of qcow2 disk images has been greatly improved. Users who did not use qcow2 because of the poor performance may consider to switch and take advantage of the additional features the format provides over raw disk images.

For further details refer to:

KVM Stable Guest ABI

KVM guests are presented with an emulated hardware platform or application binary interface that includes (e.g. a CPU model, APIC, PIT, ACPI tables, IDE/USB/VGA controllers, NICs etc.). When QEMU is updated to a new version, some aspects of this platform may change as new hardware capabilities are added. This is problematic for Windows guests where a guest ABI change may require a installation to be reactivated.

Guest virtual machines will now be presented with the same ABI across QEMU upgrades.

For further details refer to:

libguestfs Library for Manipulation of Virtual Machines

Added very late in the Fedora 11 development cycle, Package-x-generic-16.pnglibguestfs is now an official feature in Fedora 12. libguestfs is a library for accessing and modifying guest disk images. Using Linux kernel and QEMU code, libguestfs can access any type of guest filesystem that Linux and QEMU can.

The following tools are provided or augmented by libguestfs:

  • Bindings for OCaml, Perl, Python, Ruby, and Java programming languages.
  • Package-x-generic-16.pngguestfish - Provides an interactive shell for editing virtual machine filesystems and executing commands in the context of the guest.
  • Package-x-generic-16.pngvirt-df - Displays free space on virtual machine filesystems
  • Package-x-generic-16.pngvirt-inspector - Displays OS version, kernel, drivers, mount points, applications, etc. in a virtual machine.

For further details refer to:

Network Interface Management

Commonly used host network configurations, like bridges, bonds, VLAN's and sensible combinations thereof may now be created using the general-purpose network configuration library, Package-x-generic-16.pngnetcf. Enhancements to the libvirt API expose this new functionality to remote managment hosts with libvirtd.

For further details refer to:

Single Root I/O Virtualization

Single Root I/O Virtualization is a PCI feature which allows virtual functions (VF) to be created that share the resources of a physical function (PF). The VF devices are assigned to guest virtual machines and appear as physical PCI devices inside the guest. Because the guest OS is effectively driving the hardware directly, the I/O performance is on par with bare metal performance.

For further details refer to:

gPXE now Default for Guests

QEMU guests now make use of the more modern and currently maintained Package-x-generic-16.pnggpxe rather than the deprecated etherboot tool for PXE booting.

For further details refer to:

Virt Privileges

Changes have been introduced for QEMU/KVM virtual machines to improve host security in the event of a flaw in the QEMU binary.

  • Permissions on /dev/kvm have been updated to allow unprivileged users to utilize KVM hardware acceleration.
  • QEMU processes spawned by virt-manager on a local desktop install now run as the desktop user.
  • QEMU processes spawned by the privileged libvirtd daemon now run as an unprivileged account, user 'qemu', group 'qemu'.
  • libvirtd will change ownership of any disks assigned to a virtual machine at startup, to user 'qemu', group 'qemu', except for readonly/shared disks.
  • To revert to previous Fedora behaviour of running all QEMU instances as 'root', two config parameters are introduced in /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf. It is not recommended to change these.

For further details refer to:

Virt Storage Management

Fibre Channel N_Port ID Virtualization or NPIV allows the creation of multiple virtual N_Ports on a single physical host bus adapter. The libvirt node device APIs have been extended to create and destroy virtual adapters using NPIV.

The APIs permiting storage discovery and pool creation have been extended to discover and rescan storage on a per-SCSI-host basis. Administrators may now discover, configure, and provision storage for virtual machines without the need for multiple tools.

For further details refer to:

Other Improvements

Libvirt Technology Compatibility Kit

Provides a functional test suite for virtualization and report on hypervisor compatability.

For further details refer to:

libvirt Updated to

For further details refer to:

QEMU Updated to

For further details refer to:

virt-manager Updated to

For further details refer to:

Xen Updated to

For further details refer to:

Xen Kernel Support

The kernel package in Fedora 12 supports booting as a guest domU, but will not function as a dom0 until such support is provided upstream. Work is ongoing and hopes are high that support will be included in kernel 2.6.30 and Fedora 12.

The most recent Fedora release with dom0 support is Fedora 8.

Booting a Xen domU guest within a Fedora 12 host requires the KVM based xenner. Xenner runs the guest kernel and a small Xen emulator together as a KVM guest.

KVM requires hardware virtualization features in the host system.
Systems lacking hardware virtualization do not support Xen guests at this time.

For further details refer to:

Changed Packages

Fedora 11
Fedora 12
Upstream URL

13 packages, 5 changed, 8 unchanged.


text:
Do You Prefer Lights On Or Off?

Ah come on, get your mind outta the gutter. But I'm glad I got your attention.

All my life I've been a stickler about leaving porch lights on at night to keep the bad guys away, but now I'm not so sure. We have one large yard light, which comes on when it gets dark. Our entire neighborhood has the same type. At our gate we have a motion sensored light, just like all of the homes on our block. Then there is the back porch light and a light in the patio.

We have lived in our home for 14 years and we have had so many things stolen from our yard it's ridiculous; a shepherd hook hanger for a bird feeder, multiple pieces of yard art, some bought, some made by me, and hubby's gas can. Last summer someone broke our sensor light and left the back gate open.

The latest casualty recently was our snow blower, which was under the patio. We saw our gate open one morning so I took a quick look around the yard the next day and all of my yard art was still there. That's all I was interested in I guess. Then a few days later hubby goes under the patio to bring in some firewood and noticed that he didn't have to move the snow blower to get to it. Dammit! I could hear him yelling from inside the house.

It just doesn't make sense to keep lights on anymore, it seems all we're doing is showing them the way to the goods. I used to enjoy living on a corner because you only have one neighbor to put up with. But now I just feel vulnerable to anyone walking through the alley or on the sidewalk.

rock walls and fences cannot keep them away
And look how our house sits, up higher than anyone else on the block. You would think that would stop them. But no, they jump up on the rock wall and right over the fence. That's only when they're not coming through the gate. Yes, we have a lock but that gets to be a pain to unlock it every morning and then lock it again at night. And really, what's going to stop them from jumping over a tiny little fence anyway? I think later this year we're going to check into getting either a wood fence or a higher chain link. With having Nellie, I never thought it was fair to not let her see out of the yard. When the weather is good, she loves to sit in the back corner of the lot and watch the whole world go by. But she's getting older now and I guess safety and personal property are now more important.

from the back gate; patio to the left of the house
The patio sits about 10 feet from the back door which means they had to come from the gate clear up to the house. And one of my bedroom windows (from the basement) is right at the patio. If I hadn't had earplugs in I probably would have heard something. Now I'm a little hesitant to go to sleep thinking I have to stay awake and listen. Screw it, I'm tired. If people want something bad enough they will take it whether I'm asleep or not.

But what's next? Are they going to break down the back door and come in? People are getting desperate, they need stuff to sell in a hurry to buy that next high or whatever. I've never thought this was a bad neighborhood and I still don't but I am sure getting more uncomfortable. A few weeks ago, an elderly man at the end of the block had his garage broken into.

The only thing that gives me satisfaction is the fact that it was not that great of  a snow blower. We bought it about 5 years ago at a pawn shop for 50 bucks. The electric start had gone out and it was getting harder to pull start it. But still it was all we had and it got the job done. Hopefully we have seen the last of our snow.

Until we get a new fence I guess we'll have to invest in some large chain and locks to tie things to the posts in the patio. We have an awfully nice large gas grill just sitting there ripe for the picking.

Grumpy said…
I could use a nice gas grill. Amazing the sheer nerve of people. We once had two large flower pots stolen off our front porch, with the porch lights on. They had to weigh 50 lbs. each.
bill said…
I read somewhere recently, most burglaries are committed during daylight hours. And in my recent past I witnessed a burglary in progress but didn't recognize it as such, only as suspicious activity. I called police, asked them to check it out and the perpetrator was caught by an observant police officer who had my neighbor's stolen property sitting in his own back yard.
I actually watched as a guy stole something from Tricia's garage which is at the end of my drive. He was so open about it I assumed she must have given him permission.
I would place a bet that most thefts from your neighbourhood are committed by the same person. Not the one from Tricia's garage obviously!
Peruby said…
All lights are off at night. I like the dark. Not much stolen around my area, but that can change anytime, I am certain.

We have a lot of car break-ins. I keep mine in the garage.

Sad times.
D. Duplessis said…
Yikes, that sounds like no fun at all. We don't keep anything of value outside (if they wanna steal my flowers they can) the house. Everything, luckily, fits in the garage. Again, luckily, my patio is also about 25 feet off the ground, and the only access to it (unless they wanna bring a ladder or a rope. Sidenote: Loren actually figured out how to climb up it once so he could get into my house while I was away) is literally through my stairs to it from the outside. So I feel pretty safe, my neighborhood is real safe, I have two cops that live across the that's probably a deterrent when there's always a couple of cruisers parked in the street.

Have you ever thought about rigging up some real cheap video monitors/taping system that are triggered to record when motion detectors go off outside? That could be fun, plus you could see who it was (especially if you leave the lights on) taking your stuff! It could be a little old lady from done the block or something! :-)
Mr. Shife said…
Wow. I am sorry you have to deal with all of this. I grew up with my folks leaving the porch light on so I do it all the time at our house. We have not had any problems but we also have had ferocious basset hounds to keep people away. Take care.

Popular posts from this blog

Merry Merry

Oh Shred


text:
Sunday, 7 September 2014

Tiny Robins... Exclusive

So if you've been paying attention you may have noticed my new and shiny website, Well the website is finally and properly live, the webshop has almost got my full range in and I finally managed to get to grips with the shipping options thingie! (yep it was just me being dumb! Thanks Yola you really helped out there with your forums!)

Now that my webshop is up and running I want to offer my felty fans some perks... after all the point of having my own webshop was so I could offer my customers the best service possible! So I have added a couple of exclusive products to the website that you won't find any where else.

Firstly there are the tiny and super tiny robins they are super cute and only available from at a special price of £4.50 and £7.50 until the end of September when I shall add them to my Etsy and folksy shops (If we have any left!) at their regular price of £5 and £8.

Then there are the Tweets... I have offered Tweets for years but this is the first time you can customise your tweets! You can choose your body colour from the shop and then use the handy dandy drop down menus to select heart colour and leg colour for a totally customisable Tweet!  I will be adding more colour variations as timee goes by but if you want something you can't see there I will take custom orders so just message me and I'll be happy to discuss colours.

The other nifty thing that webshop shoppers benefit from is flat rate shipping, on other sites you pay and extra fee of 50p shipping per bird but on the webshop (as my way of saying thankee and giving a wee discount) you only pay a flat rate based on where you are in the world... yep... no extra fees! How good is that?

I'm pretty certain the website will keep getting tweaked every 5 mins because I'm a perfectionist (have OCD) and it'll never be finished but I am getting closer... thanks everyone who spell checked and clicked all the links to make sure it works... You're awesome!


text:
Emergency Assistance

Flood Insurance

Property Insurance

Press Archives

Recent Actions

Action Steps

Contact Us

Expand All | Collapse All

NFIP's Congressional Committee Chair gets 30-months in jail

Former Ohio Republican Representative Bob Ney, the only member of Congress to be criminally charged in the Jack Abramoff-lobbying scandal, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Ney had chaired the House subcommittee which held hearings into problems within FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.

Ney's subcommittee failed to act upon the problems brought to its attention in the wake of Hurricane Isabel and Katrina.

Click here for more information.

Last Modified: 020808 1731

Recent Site Updates

Catastrophe Claims News:

Victims file $2 billion fraud suit

Maryland Insurance Commissioner alerts 13 commissioners, including AL, MS, LA and TX to flood adjusters' low-balling tactics

Former Presidential appointee and TX Ins. Com. speaks out on NFIP, "Fraud may have occurred on a large scale"

Desperate Moms plead for help from Laura Bush, Oprah and Montel

DHS Internal Briefing - To the Secretary and Senior Staff; US Senators request DOJ Investigation into FEMA

FEMA Insiders Report Internal "Disaster in the making" Expert reports plummeting moral, eroded capabilities and disaster professionals leaving FEMA in droves

Press Index

Wilma, Rita, Katrina, Ivan, Frances, Charley, Alex, Jeanne, Isabel Victims Insurance Claims Related Problems? Click here for the information you can use to help you receive a fair settlement.

FEMAINFO.US is an informational site run by the survivors, for the survivors, of catastrophes. It is not affiliated in any way with any government agency. Neither FEMAINFO.US nor the author makes any guarantees concerning the accuracy of the information on this website and assumes no responsibility for any misstatements or factual or legal errors. This website provides no legal advice or representation and should be tested and supplemented by other information. Consult a lawyer for legal advice about your specific problem.

Copyright 2004-2013 FEMAINFO.US. All rights reserved.


text:
Thursday, November 29, 2012

Student Work - Stranded

Some nice work from term 3 students. Building a shelter from a wrecked vehicle.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Friday, November 16, 2012

The FZD art of book, Foundation 01, is finally out! :) Featuring selected works from FZD instructor in-class demos and student work. Available at our FZD School in Singapore. For international orders, please refer to the link below:

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Student Work

Some really nice student work from term 2. First project (first week 1 of 5) is to design a vehicle which needs to travel from Los Angeles to New York during some type of outbreak (Zombies, Disease, Vampires, etc.) and selected time period. Second project is a product to teach you science while out camping.


text:
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Taking a Break

Check out this fabulous break room at IDL Worldwide in Portland, Oregan. Aaron, just sent us this picture of our fir tree wallpaper that they recently put up and we think it looks so, so good! Love it with the chandelier and orange table. Thank you, Aaron!

In other news, the fir tree is being discontinued, so get yours fast! :)

And, speaking of taking a break, I've been so behind on blogging... I made it back from Morocco with lots of ideas and plans and am excited to share lots more inspiration and news here next year... starting with some major wallpapering at Aimee's place in MN. Happy New Year!!!

No comments:


text:
Fero exposure at QLD business forum

May 25, 2012 —

Fero’s thrust into the Queensland market takes on extra impetus next month when Group Sales Manager Philip Martin speaks at a major business forum in Brisbane.

The MESCA Briefing in Brisbane will be on June 6 and it will feature a comprehensive presentation from QCoal's General Manager, Grahame White, on the scope and development of its Byerwen and Drake Coal projects located just south of Collinsville in Queensland's Bowen Basin.

Combined, these projects will attract investment of about $1.85 billion and it is anticipated there will be significant opportunity for local input.

Philip will be keen to push the Fero name in such a competitive environment.

“It’s a good forum to shout about who Fero is. Our state-of-the-art facility galvanising plant servicing the Queensland market is all about investment in Queensland and its people.

“The Franco family has invested $30 million in the galvanising plant. We are investing in manufacturing. We see a future by investing in the latest technology; highly automated manufacturing environment.

“We want Queensland companies to support our investment, especially with our underground mining manufacturing products,” he said.

“It’s all about getting the Fero brand out there in the Queensland marketplace.”

Fero bought Sun State Coatings six years ago and last year changed the name to Fero Galv Queensland.


text:
Volunteer Form

“Those who can, do.
Those who can do more, volunteer.” – unknown

The Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation is a young organization with big dreams. We are small and run on lots of volunteer help.

Currently we need help:

  • Assisting with fundraising events
  • Developing and maintaining our database
  • Running administrative projects

To get a sense of the kinds of activities and events promoted by our volunteers check out our past featured volunteers and various events.

If you are interested in volunteering please sign in below.  We will be in touch with you soon.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


text:
[MULTI] Severance Blade Of Darkness [PC] [MULTI3] [EN FR IT]

Severance Blade Of Darkness [PC] [MULTI3] [EN FR IT]
Genre: 3D Action Adventure RPG
Released: 2001
Language: English, French, Italian
Download Size: 676 MB
Format: ".exe" installation file
Size: 639 MB

Severance: Blade of Darkness is a 2001 3D fighting third-person PC action-adventure game created by (the now defunct) Rebel Act Studios and published by Codemasters. The original subtitle in direct translation from Spanish is Blade: The Edge of Darkness. Unfortunately, there was a TV show with the same title in the USA so the US publisher changed the subtitle to Blade of Darkness and the same label was pressed on the European copies as well, even though no sword of this exact name featured in the game.

Blade of Darkness is a hack-and-slash third-person action game in which you can play as one of four different warriors, all of whom must do bloody battle with assorted forces of evil. The game follows in the tradition of similar fantasy-themed 3D action games that feature violent melee combat, such as Die by the Sword, Heretic II, Drakan, and, most recently, Rune. Blade of Darkness distinguishes itself from the rest of these with its selection of different characters, its motion-captured character animation, and its gore effects and lighting effects. It's got some problems and takes some time to get into, but it should otherwise appeal to players who've enjoyed previous hack-and-slash action games, or those who like the idea of them.

Created by Spanish developer Rebel Act Studios, Blade of Darkness has an immediately recognizable, rather unremarkable fantasy premise--just swords, sorcery, and the like. The setting and characters in the game aren't very distinctive, though they're still pretty fun. At the beginning of the game, you choose whom you want to play as: Tukaram, a heavily tattooed barbarian warrior; Naglfar, a burly dwarf; Sargon, a venerable knight; and Zoe, a lithe huntress. These characters look different from each other, have different preferences of weapons, and have different strengths and weaknesses in terms of power, agility, and defense. However, you control the characters in exactly the same way, and they really don't play that much differently from one another when you get down to it. The main difference is, depending on which character you choose, you'll end up relying on different types of weapons. And, each character takes a different course through the game.

Being able to parry attacks is just one of the many fighting techniques available in Blade of Darkness. The combat system lets you input different key combinations to produce a wide variety of different attacks, but you must be mindful of your stamina, or you'll find yourself out of breath and a sitting duck. You gain experience as you kill enemies, and as you gain experience levels, you gain access to additional special attacks, and you get stronger and healthier. This system is more robust than that of most similar games, although it isn't quite as open as Die by the Sword's system, which lets you swing your sword arm in any direction by moving your mouse around accordingly. However, as in Die by the Sword, the combat in Blade of Darkness can take a lot of getting used to. The controls aren't immediately intuitive and don't seem very responsive, and it'll actually take you a while to get a grasp of the timing necessary to win battles. You'll often get frustrated with how your character will tend to step too far into every attack, inadvertently moving past the intended foe and exposing his or her back. You'll also find that it can be difficult to tell when your character is taking damage; there often isn't a clear visual or audible cue when you suffer a hit. Furthermore, each character's walking speed is inordinately slow. You have to double-tap the walk key in order to run, which is faster, but even the running speed can seem sluggish, at least for the larger characters. If you're more used to fast-paced first-person shooters, you'll find that it takes a while to get accustomed to the rather deliberate pacing in Blade of Darkness.

- Windows 2000 XP
- Processor: PII 400 MHz
- DirectX 8
- 64 MB RAM
- Free hard drive space: 750 MB
- 3D Accelerator 16MB DirectX 8
- 16-bits Sound Card

Post a Comment


text:
Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Obstacle Course

Exercise is tough to do indoors when you are 4. (Well and when you are 27 but for totally different reasons). Hudson longs for space to explore and move. So I made him a short obstacle course in the living room.

First he had to scurry across the love seat.

Then quickly walk across the couch.

Once off the furniture he jumped on the red mat (for as long as he wanted to as it wasn't really a race).

Next crawl through one fabric tube.

Then turn around and go through the other.
That was it.  I will probably make it a bit longer next time.  This was a good length for Hudson to get the gist of what to do though.

Mama to 3 Blessings said...

such a great idea! I may have to borrow it from you - giving you credit of coarse! :)

MommaMindy said...

Great idea!

By the way, 27 sounds so young. *sigh*

I think I was that age once...:)

Virginia Lee said...

This is such a great idea, especially for the Winter time when they are indoors more. Have to get some of that energy out. =)

If you stop by my blog I gave you an award.

Jackie said...

Your obstacle course looks like fun! I have to say that 27 seems so young to me right now. :-)

Share This Idea!


text:
Thursday, January 1, 2009

Water Color Figure Painting

A figure artist whose work I did not know of and I suspect many others did not either is William Reginald Watkins. A number of his water color paintings are for sale on Ebay right now, though some have been sold. William Reginald Watkins was born in Manchester, England and later studied at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore Maryland. There he studied under artists such as Hans Schuler, C.W. Turner and Maxwell Miller. He was a member of the Baltimore Watercolor Club, the London Royal Society of Art, Baltimore Art Director Club, National Art Director and the Maryland Institute Alumni Board. His work was exhibited both nationally and internationally. He was best know for landscapes, snowscenes, still life, portraits, and marine paintings. These are figure studies executed to keep up his craft. There is a listing at

His figure studies are carefully observed and show an understanding of anatomy and the human form. Noitice the careful rendering of form and notice also the care that went into these paintings. Watercolor is a tricky medium, that is you can't go back and correct your work so the care that went into these paintings is evident in the unity of color, nothing seems overworked or out of place in the finished work.

Two ebooks on drawing the figure are available at, Figure Painting in Watercolors, which shows the technique of British figure artists from the beginnning of the twentieth century and Lessons in Figure Painting in Watercolor which has basic lessons illustrated with prints made to resemble two stages of a water color painting in a book originally published in the 1880s.

Introduction to Painting the Nude

Interpreting the Figure in Watercolor at

Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice also at

Here's a website devoted to W. R. Watkins: WR Watkins - Nude Portraits :: 1930s — 1960s

How to Draw People at
How to Draw Proportions at

1 comment:

  1. Brilliant nude watercolour painting. All pose figures is great and beautiful works.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...


text:
Andrea K | figureFIT

Andrea K

"I am so excited about all of the healthy changes I have made in my life the past 90-days! Although I have always been a healthy person, I struggled with balancing healthy eating and working out when I started my job in July 2013. I didn't work out as regularly, ate less healthy, gained weight, and my mood and energy were dampened because of my poor choices. Joining figureFIT! and working with Liz has helped me to make my health a priority again and forced me to seek balance between work and my personal life! After joining, I quickly incorporated the weekly workouts as well as cardio and yoga. I also began eating cleaner, with a focus on fresh vegetables and lean protein. I immediately began to notice changes in my body, mind, and overall mood. The Facebook page and biweekly coaching calls helped to increase my motivation, encouraged me to think positively, and exposed me to other people who also want to live a healthy lifestyle. I have more energy, feel better than ever, and look forward to healthy meals and workouts! I want to thank Liz and figureFIT! for reintroducing me to my healthy life! I love that figureFIT! is a "LIFESTYLE PROGRAM" and not a special diet. It is about making daily choices that positively impact your mind, body, spirit, and the people around you! The 90-day challenge might be over, but my new LIFESTYLE is just beginning! I am so excited to continue on my journey with figureFIT!" Want to hear more from Andrea? Click here to our interview: Listen


text:
Thursday, April 29, 2010

Wired in, we are at the mercy of the chains we created.
I ask for mercy. I ask for a miracle I do not deserve.

I am fed constantly, wired in, constant feedback.
Nothing new will ever be needed.
The matrix can survive forever.
It requires only the ability to react endlessly to the same
I don't dream of rain anymore, and am surprised that
tears of beauty can still fall from my cheeks.
Perhaps there is an essence that cannot be erased.
No sin can taint god.
Lengthening the journey by decillions of years does not shake

An essence hidden by the time I get to the next line.
Feelings of eternity become meaningless after a second of anxiety.
Again, I try to stick the tubes deeper inside me. Eternity is just
abstract for me now, and I trade it for a second's relief.

I have heard of liberation, but have not witnessed something that
would make me give up the comforting matrix.

Is there something worthwhile between the lines?
I don't know and have no preferred answer at this moment.

At this moment I would give up the part of me asking the question.
`Why didn't I take the blue pill?'
`Like a splinter in my mind'
Forces in my mind take me one step to the left,
and then to the right.

Monday, April 26, 2010

No satisfaction,
in the crumbs I gather,
from your table,
that you missed in a moment of distraction.
I make them my main course,
and live like a hungry ghost,

Won't you give your heart completely ,
in this moment we share?
End a thousand years of hunger,
which I've been serving faithfully.

No satisfaction,
in the shadow of your beauty,
only a faint memory,
a copy of a copy

Won't you be with me completely,
in this moment we must share?
going on like hungry ghosts,
you share my sentence without need.

No satisfaction, in the crumbs I gather
from a shadow of the world I used to live in.
Lift me to a higher plane,
fill me with your attention,
You know we lift each other up.

`Come on to me, with all the life inside you,
I will give you what you need, I know by now I must.'

Blog Archive

About Me

My photo

Hi! I am a computer science postdoc. For some reason google is not finding my new homepage so I added a link from this profile


text:
Side Mount Mil Spec

FilConn has developed a unique side mount connector receptacle design. The photo below shows a size 25 38999 Series III connector with the side mount technology incorporated.

This mounting design was developed in concert with several customers who had a need for a connector but did not have the luxury of a bulkhead panel to provide the typical flange or jam nut mounting.

This application can be developed as a connector adapter with a receptacle interface on one end and a plug interface on the other. FilConn can also provide a receptacle interface and solder cup terminations for typical wire harness attachment. The mil spec compliant mating interface can be tailored to the customers needs with any shell size and insert arrangement required. Also, FilConn's standard filtering and TVS protection can be applied to this product as well.

FilConn continues to be the leader in custom connector product design and filter technology. If you have a unique requirement contact FilConn today at 480-222-3565 and speak with an engineer.