Holiday Etiquette

This year, unfortunately, was just like any other year as far as retail goes. It never fails, people will always exhibit the same behavior year after year when it comes to holiday shopping simply because they refuse to learn and adapt. Allow me to elaborate.

It's a few days before Christmas and your wife has gotten your daughter a Wii (or DS) and she has tasked you with going out to buy a game for her. You walk into your nearest game outlet (in this case lets just say Game Stop). You push your way through the tens of people in the store and you say "Hey, I need your help. What's a good game for the Wii (or DS)?" to which you, being the cynical retail employee, reply "I'll be right with you, sir". That simply won't do though because for one reason or another THIS guy is way more important than those tens of people he pushed through. So, you finish your transaction with the person in front of you and then hand the register over to a fellow retail soldier and you tend to your father in need. You ask him questions that any loving father should know like: "Is this a boy or girl? How old is the child? What does the child like to do? Do they watch TV and if so, what?" With any luck this father can answer maybe 2 of these questions. Depending on the age I always start with Dora and Diego and then gradually upgrade until I can get to Zelda or Metroid.

Next we have the slightly more patient customer. This one will actually wait in line and THEN have this conversation with you. People. it should be known that the closer we get to the holiday the less time you have to chat with retail employees. Why is that? Because we have lives and we want to go home to our families. I have no problem going about this with you say in early December or earlier than that but not on December 24th. That is asinine. There are other things but I'm going to let this sink in first before I go on another rant.

The Rule of "Ish" As It Applies to Time

I was discussing punctuality with my girlfriend the other day and we came across the term "ish". What I mean by ish is this: "Hey, lets meet around 7:30ish". Now, what does this mean? We discussed the possibilities and came up with this. The Rule of Ish is essentially a 30 minute window of time in which you can arrive at your destination. Therefore, if you have a lunch meeting for 12:30ish then you have a window from 12:15 to 12:45. Anything within this bracket of time falls within the ish however once you venture outside the window you start flirting with other times or even other ishs.

Now, if you choose to adopt this theory then you must make sure that the other party accepts it too. So if someone says 12:30ish and you show up at 12:43 and that person does not abide by the ish then they have grounds for getting upset and possibly leaving your late, hungry butt at the restaurant.

When applying the Rule of Ish make sure that the term "ish" is actually used. Even in a world where everyone utilizes the Rule, 12:30 is 12:30. 12:30 does not mean 12:35, 12:40, or 12:42. It can, however, mean 12:15, 12:24, or 12:29. This is only true if YOU, the early one, does not get upset when the other party arrives at 12:30. Being early is a habit that I believe in and I am able to amuse myself for the 10-15 minutes I will be waiting.

TRL?

A thought popped into my head today: how ridiculous was TRL?

Now for those who don't know, TRL (Total Request Live) was a show on MTV that consisted of Carson Daly counting down the top 10 requested videos in the span of an hour (or an hour and a half...its not really that important). The show took place in a building in Times Square. The studio held somewhere near 5o people, the camera crew, Carson Daly, and his ego. As the videos played, there would be a ticker on the bottom of the screen which showed messages from the people watching. At times there were also video interruptions of someone in the audience giving a "shout out" to someone watching. Now, that all sounds like a typical MTV show and I guess, for what its worth, it was. To me, TRL was on par with a modern day incarnation of American Bandstand...only worse. Nobody danced, the videos were shortened, and Daly was super awkward at times (not to mention they had their share of TV uh ohs's like Da Brat revealing her bare breast on live TV years before Janet Jackson did). Like I said before, TRL was similar to American Bandstand. Who wants to watch Dick Clark stand in front of a bunch of teens...talking...trying to be funny? Nobody. Well that can't be true because TRL ran for ten years. Daly was only there until 2002 but I never watched an episode without him in it.

Another crazy point about TRL was the juxtaposition of the comments and some of the songs featured on the show. Imagine a teenage girl interrupting Papa Roach's "Last Resort" to say hello to their grandmother back home. Is grandma really watching? Do we really need to hear you screaming with excitement about how awesome it is that you are on TRL? No. Let me listen to the mediocre song and get on with my life.

I know I didn't have to watch TRL but Carson Daly was just so damn cute.

I'm gettin' a desk!

So my roommate informed me today that he has a "NICE" desk that I can have/borrow for the time. This works perfectly because of what I discussed in my previous post. I are excite!

In other news, Christmas is right around the corner and, thus, so is my Birthday! I will be turning 24 and absolutely nothing will change. I guess I am done with milestones for the time being.

I am aware this is a short post but its because we are still moving and setting up.

New Place

I am currently sitting in the middle of an empty living room in front of a space heater writing this blog. It's funny, there is no heat, no furniture, and no TV yet we have internet (someone else's mind you). I never would have thought this time last week that I'd be moving out of a place I was just beginning to feel comfortable in into a whole new situation but I feel it was the right choice. I am going to be saving money and will hopefully get things back on the right track as far as my life goes.

Now, for some observations.

I feel that the reason I don't accomplish as much as I say I want to is simply because I don't have a desk. I have thought about this for a while now and it makes total sense. The only place I can sit with my laptop is on my bed or on a couch (well right now it would be the floor). While I am on my bed my elbows start to hurt if I am laying on my stomach or my back starts to hurt from sitting up with no support (much like it is right now). This limits the amount of time I can dedicate to any task involving my laptop and I can thus not devote much time to writing. It is a sad situation and one that I hope to remedy soon.

My new roommate is almost 4 years younger than me and he has friends younger than him which makes me feel kind of old. I like it in a sense because I feel like the adult and that, in a way, they look up to me; however, they are kids. I overhear conversations about high school, trouble with parents, underage drinking, etc. and I cringe a little. I know I had my share of these conversations back in the day (except for the underage drinking one. I didn't do that). I am hoping that I can influence these folks in a good way and perhaps show them there is more than throwing back shots and playing beer pong (although that can be fun on occasion).

Bill collectors are funny to me. They call and call and call and don't get the hint that I am not going to pick up. I don't have the money you're looking for (say that like Obi-Wan Kenobi). What's even worse is they feel like they're going to stick it to you by charging you fees for not paying. Yes, I can't pay so please charge me MORE than I owe. That will help everyone in the long run. Look, I am like most of the other folks in debt, I want to pay, I really really do, I just can't. Now I am sure there are people out there that run up a credit card bill with absolutely no intention of paying it back. The next step for them is to declare bankruptcy and then the debts are wiped clean (at least that is my understanding of the situation). Sure, their credit is ruined but who needs that? Cash is king...right?

Man, it feels good to rant.

Where to begin?

Hello all!

I am back from Disney and am a changed person because of the trip! Why, you may ask. Well, for a few reasons. First and foremost, I have finally ridden a freefall ride and definitely enjoyed it! There was a time when essentially the only ride I would never go near were the freefalls. There is just something about plummeting to the Earth that I don't find appealing. Well, while at Disney I rode the Tower of Terror and will gladly ride it again and again! That is small time compared to the other fear I conquered and that is my fear of being strapped into a giant slingshot and being catapulted into the air at a high rate of speed...

Hopefully that link works...if not the video is on my Facebook. That experience is one that I would never trade because of incredible it was and what it means to me. I am getting older and conquering old fears. Kudos to me.

The second thing I learned on this trip is how different my family is from other families. Notice I didn't say either was right or wrong or one does it better than the other; they're just different. Example: when my mother and I would travel to Virginia we would leave and drive until we got to where we were going stopping only for gas and necessary bathroom breaks. We would get drive thru food and eat in the car. It's all about getting to where we need to be as fast as possible. There are families out there that make the trip to the destination a part of the vacation by stopping at parks and little restaurants or gift shops. There is nothing wrong with this and this can actually be rewarding as you spend quality time with your parents or children. This is something i missed growing up and don't appreciate now. Another example is picture taking. I am not a fan of posing for pictures; I never have been. That's not to say I don't like pictures though. I think candid pictures are the best way to catch someone in their most natural state. Over the past few years, and on this trip specifically, I have realized that there are people that truly love taking and posing for pictures. They like to document everything that happens in hopes of remembering it later and being able to tell the story attached to the moment. Again, there is nothing wrong with that. I have attempted to get over my dislike for posing for pictures and am getting much better than I used to be but I am still stubborn when it comes down to it and I don't see that going away completely.

So those are just some observations I have made recently and it makes me a little sad I didn't grow up with a bigger family but I wouldn't trade mine for the world. Anyway, today is Black Friday and I had to work so I am going to take a nap. More to come!

New Form of Gaming

Hello all!

This post is going to be rather short for one reason only: I am about to leave to Disney for the first time ever!! I am quite excited!

Anywho, I was contemplating handheld gaming today. There are two main avenues for handheld games and that is Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP. However, over the past few years a third source of handheld gaming has been on the rise. That source is: the cell phone.

I have an iPhone and have had one since 2007. I love my phone because if nothing else it is there for me when I am bored. With the gaming industry paying more and more attention to cellphone games and as consumers continue to buy them it is apparent that this medium is here to stay.

Now you may cite the lack of gameplay involved in most cell phone games. Most games tend to average around a few hours of gameplay if you are trying to play to completion but most games are designed to be played minutes at a time. Two of the best selling iPhone games are "Cut the Rope" and "Angry Birds". Both of these titles are puzzle games and are very easy to pick up and play and at $1 a piece they are well worth it. I recently bought Fable 3 for $60 and was extremely upset at the result. Sure, I had fun and I played it for about 10 hours but the end result was just dull. I didn't care to go back and perfect my character, I didn't want to collect everything, I didn't even care about the downloadable content that came with it. Now, when I bought "Cut the Rope" I had hours of fun and couldn't stop thinking about it until I had mastered every level. That's the mark of a good game.

Now, I feel I have come up with an appropriate name for this type of gaming and that is: "Toilet Gaming". Essentially, "Cut the Rope" and "Angry Birds" are designed to take the place of the daily paper or the magazine when you are doing your business. You don't see people bringing the NY Times to the toilet anymore because they can pull it up on their smartphones. As I stated above, most iPhone games are designed to be played minutes at a time. How long does the average person spend in the bathroom at any given time? See the perfect correlation?

Now, I still believe there is a market for handheld games and that the cellphones really have no business being in competition with the big names but as far as "Toilet Gaming" goes, they have it on lock down. There really isn't an entry cost because you already have the phone and you can get many of the games for free or at least the lite version free. It truly is a new gaming era!

To Sax or Not To Sax...To Sax

For a while now I have been wanting to discuss my feelings towards a certain musical instrument, the saxophone. Normally, I absolutely hate the sound of them. They just sound ugly to me but there are certain bands that have, somehow, utilized this instrument in their music and have made it work for me. This is my list of the top 5 bands that use the sax and use it well.

5

Pink Floyd:

I am a huge fan of the Pink Floyd and they would probably make most of my top 5 lists. The only reason they are the bottom rung on this ladder is because they didn't use the sax all that much but one of their most iconic songs from their most successful album uses the instrument a great deal. Money is actually driven mostly by the saxophone playing of Dick Parry. The wails and trills that he produces sets the manic tone of the song and makes it one of their best singles.

4

Bob Seger:

Seger is another musician that would make many of my top 5 lists and on this one it is simply because "Turn the Page" is a totally BA song. Alto Reed's mournful sax riff tugs on the heart strings and really gets you in the mood to have a few drinks with Mr. Seger. Another example of Reed's awesomeness on the sax is his performance in "Old Time Rock and Roll".

3

David Bowie:

What can really be said about Bowie? The man is incredible. The list of instruments that he can play stretches into the double digits and the saxophone is among those. His songs "Modern Love" and "Changes" really exemplify why he is an incredible musician. Modern Love's underlying saxophone playing drives the frantic pacing of the song and makes you tap your feet and snap your fingers and then the solo breaks in and makes you feel giddy as Bowie starts singing again. Changes' sax playing has a funkier feel to it and shows how Bowie can change things up stylistically.

2

O|A|R:

Of A Revolution is simply an incredible band. All the guys are incredibly talented but for now I will focus on Mr. Jerry DePizzo. DePizzo's saxophone playing is a hallmark of the band just as much as Marc Roberge's voice. I have seen O|A|R live twice and loved every minute of it. As I stated before, I normally hate the saxophone but when DePizzo wails on the songs I find myself desiring to be able to play just like him. These feelings used to only show up for more typical instruments such as the drums, piano, and guitar. One of my favorite songs, "Black Rock" has an incredible driving saxophone part that completely overshadows the guitar for me. Perhaps the best part of watching this band play live is watching the respect that DePizzo gets for his mad talent.

1

Huey Lewis and the News:

The News was always going to be number one. In fact, it was while listening to "The Power of Love" that I decided to blog about this so it's only fair, right? Johnny Colla is the man behind the sax in The News. His riffs and trills make me sing out loud with Mr. Lewis and every time I do I wish that I was on a skateboard holding onto the back bumper of a car as I ride through town. Yes, my love for the Back to the Future movies aids in my love for the band but is that so wrong? "I Want A New Drug", "The Power of Love", "Heart and Soul", etc. Huey Lewis and the News are just fantastic.

Honorable Mentions:

-Lisa Simpson

-Bleeding Gums Murphy

-Dave Matthew's Band (I am simply just not a fan of them but can recognize the talent)

Well, that's my list. Let me know what you think.

Also, this is one of my absolute favorite sax songs of all time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ov78kAMNg

Pride and Envy

So, today Katie ran her second 5k in her goal to run a race every month for a year. I am definitely proud of her (hence the first part of the post title). However, there is a part of me that is completely envious (and there is the second part) because I don't have something like that that I am trying to accomplish. The pride definitely outweighs the envy so I guess it doesn't REALLY matter.

Something I would love to do is try a different pizza place every month in my effort to find the perfect pizza. This would get expensive though and we all know the economy sucks. Guess I'll just have to wait for my inspiration.

Sitcom Syndrome

I came to a revelation the other day while watching my new favorite show, How I Met Your Mother. Now, before I explain my revelation I am curious to know, does anybody else grow tired of being perpetually broke, feeling like they are accomplishing absolutely nothing in their life, and grow envious of those that look like they have it all figured out? Well, I hit that point and that is where my revelation comes from.

Think about your favorite sitcoms. Whether it be Full House, Family Matters, Friends, or even HIMYM. These are families that seemingly have absolutely no real problems. For illustrative purposes I am going to focus on Friends and HIMYM.

HIMYM focuses on 5 friends: Ted, Robin, Lilly, Marshall, and Barney. Ted is a struggling architect/college professor, Robin is the host of an EARLY morning tv show, Lilly teaches Kindergarten, Marshall is a lawyer, and Barney...well nobody actually knows what Barney really does but he works at a bank. Ok, now that we have the characters established let's discuss where they live. Marshall and Lilly are married and have an incredible apartment in the city and before that they lived with Ted in his equally incredible apartment. Robin had her own little apartment (still nice considering the area) but she has since moved in with Ted. Barney has an enormous apartment that has two wall to wall TVs and numerous other luxury items. With the exception of Barney and Marshall NONE OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE ANY BUSINESS LIVING THE WAY THEY DO! Ted is a struggling architect and a professor, for him to live where he does and to be able to go out to MacLaren's Pub seemingly every night is absolutely impossible. Some of the nicest apartments in Atlanta for a few thousand a month in rent alone. How in the world can Ted afford that? He can't be making that much!

Robin's situation is a little tricky. Yes she is on TV but it is a show that airs at 4AM that nobody watches. I can't imagine she makes that much but the entertainment industry likes to throw money around so whoevenknows.

Lilly is by far the least likely person to actually live the way she does on the show. Unless Marshall has been supporting her since the shows beginning (which is unlikely because he was a law student in the beginning) Lilly couldn't possibly afford her lifestyle on a Kindergarten teacher's salary.

So herein lies the dilema, I watch this show and can relate to the characters because we are pretty close in age and some of our struggles are the same but these people never worry about cashflow. I am debating on whether I eat lunch today or not and these folks are buying ten year old scotch and martinis every day of the week. It isn't fair! I want to be at MacLaren's every night with my friends but I can't, I have bills. TV sitcoms, you make my life miserable.

I could rant about Friends too but I think you all know how that would go. Just look at Ross. He is a college professor (I can't remember if he has a doctorate or not) yet the guy can afford to travel to London at the drop of a hat, go through multiple weddings, and support two children. I don't think so.

First Post

Hello! Welcome to my blog! I have attempted to write a blog several times and I hoping this time will be successful.

I guess the best place to begin is a discussion on how hard it is to create a fun, interesting, and catchy name for said blog. My rather unoriginal blog title of "Just Another Blog" was the best I could come up with. As it seems, I am not the only unoriginal person out there (but in all fairness the first person that got the URL www.justanotherblog.blogspot.com WAS actually original). I added the 0 in the URL so I could keep it simple yet slightly quirky.

Next on the list is a discussion on the page layout and background. I am creative but I am also pretty lazy. When I opened the template tab I was immediately overwhelmed with the numerous options I had so I went with the first thing that caught my eye. Why books in the background? Do I like to read? Not particularly. I get tired when I read and, therefore, never get anywhere when I do. I chose to put books in the background in hopes that someone will stumble across my blog and would immediately become intrigued because they'll think to themselves "Hey, this person likes books and so do I. Let me read their blog religiously". Now, you may think to yourself "Well, his plan has been ruined because he just admitted to not liking to read so now said person will not read their blog religiously". My response to that is: "are you sure about that"?

The last point I want to make in this first post is what I will be talking about in this blog. The answer to that is anything and everything. I am on my computer a lot and traditionally I would upload things of interest to Facebook and, on occasion, Twitter. I will now attempt to make this my go to place for sharing things. Topics will range from video games to music, movies to food, politics to grammar, and everything in between. Really, I would love to have a semi stream of consciousness going via the internet. We'll see how well that works.