Phil's Slice

U2's Joshua Tree tour, 2017

2017-05-17T15:23:00.001-04:00

It has been no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am going to see U2's latest tour- the Joshua Tree 2017. (30 years since release) I checked out the opening night jitters in Vancouver, and the much better show in Seattle. The visuals are STUNNING. Here are my thoughts so far:

The point of this tour is NOT the up close and personal. It is the grand scale of the JT. Huge imaginary. Big ideas, etc, repeat.
Unless you have to see Bono sweat, getting to the stadium whenever is fine.
Save your feet, save your back, show up, find a nice viewing spot, and enjoy the ride.
There is no creative message like the I&E tour. (btw, that was an AWESOME tour)
The screen behind the band displays in 8K. Its insane. It is more amazing than the PopMart screen by a country mile.
Yes, the band is playing the entire JT album in order. You know that is happening every night. They have one new song that is closing the tour... hints at the new album.

That all said: I'm planning on attending two shows- one in DC and one in Philly. I am not planning to get to Philly before 4pm. Its fathers day. I want to enjoy the visuals and take it all in. There is an outside chance I could get a photopass, but not counting on it.

I am also looking forward to seeing/hearing the Lumineers play to be honest. They are one of the few "neu-folk" bands I enjoy. I honestly would have paid to see them perform on their own. I was sad when I saw their tour dates last year and they were not coming close to Baltimore.

The DC show is a completely different beast. I believe it is going to be explosive, riveting, and generally one of the "must see up front" sort of shows. I do want to camp out all day for that one to get close to the "B-Stage" perhaps. We shall see how the weather goes, how I feel, etc.

My problem with zombies

2017-03-22T17:29:00.001-04:00

I do like The Walking Dead, however I am not a fanatic. I like the stories, and mostly the post-apocalyptic sort of world people try to survive in. Its interesting to see what the world would be turned in to, even if it is full of bad CGI. I am currently re-watching the show for the heck of it.

The zombie-world themes have really taken an upbeat with this show, along with books/movies like World War Z. (as always, the book was a much better story) There are MANY different types of zombies, here is a helpful guide.

Almost all rely on the zombie feeding on the humans, or sometimes animals, to keep going. Ok. Fine.

My primary problem consists of a purely energy issue. How do zombies keep going for so long? Do they have some sort of newly crafted fission power source with the infection? Could we hook a couple up to a wheel of some sort and have endless power? Has human evolution gone such that zombies have the ability to move longer than humans?

Sure, a lot of energy has gone away from keeping the brain going... but still- there is no way these creatures can go endlessly. They are still constrained to earth based issues. No alien lifeforms coming in here.
My theory has me just holding up in a cabin in the woods for about 6-12 months, and the zombie population would be exponentially reduced. That or just move to the north, freezing cold for a while. Bring lots of food, a good snug location, some power, and wait it out. Seriously.

As a side note- Walking Dead seems to consist of only skinny zombies. This is at odds with the general population obesity rates in the United States. (1 in 3 adults is obese)

Side note #2- I am super happy the show does not show zombie babies or very small children.

Things I wish I had known when I was 18

2017-02-14T21:06:00.001-05:00

I wrote this list a while ago for a friend's son who had turned 18. Someone else at work asked me what I would advise for his son who is about to turn 18 and, we assume, go to college. I think just about all of these point still hold true.
Figured this is a good enough place to share my list of "Things I wish I had known when I was 18."

• Patience is extremely hard, and growing harder as things are easier to obtain.
• Travel more, sit mindlessly less.
• Nature is not that far away, learn a lot about it. Respect it.
• Good friends take a long time to find. Staying friends can be a lot of work.
• Fortune does favor those who are prepared.
• I always wanted to be naturally good at something. Something I didn't have to try hard to do. Turns out, natural talent is only part of it. There is a lot of hard work, a lot, of effort, study, and curiosity to get really good. Even then, it's a start.
• Don't spend time being jealous of others, it's a one sided problem.
• Things are never as simple as they are made out to be. (Example: bumper stickers)
• A job in which you think you are indispensable means usually you've been there too long.
• Usually when you think you've got things figured out, something will change the equation.
• The family you have now may not be the same one you have in a few years.
• Some of that family will be people you choose, some you did not.
• Take care of that shell you have called a body, things will start breaking sooner than you want.
• Life is hard, be kind to others.
• You will never be as cool as you are now at 18. Seriously.
• Ingest some books, stories, and various other forms of information.
• I'm glad I never got in to the trap of credit card debt.
• I'm equally happy I started to put a little money away towards retirement when I started my first real job. The money never showed up in my pay stub so I never had it to spend.
• My parents are idiots but not for the reasons I thought. And now that I'm a parent, I'll be an idiot to my kids for reasons I don't know yet.
• I still like playing board games for the challenge, but now I enjoy it at least as much for the social aspect.
• Everything in excess, sucks.
• America is huge, I mean REALLY big. Flying over it barely comes close to understanding how really big it is.
• Prospective is amazing.
• Understanding relativeness can help drive some of the more sound decision in life.
• If you truly enjoy something, take a moment while it is occurring to marvel at it.
• Religion confuses me more and more as I have gotten older.
• Politics confuses me more and more as I have gotten older.
• Just because you have a passion for something doesn’t mean you are able to use it for a career or life goals.
• There is a VERY fine line between love and hate.
• Unless you carry a gun or work in a hospital, don’t take your job too seriously.
• I still don’t know what I want to be when I “grow up”

Breaking TicketMaster

2017-02-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

This. Is. An. Amazing. Article.

As a U2 fan, as someone who has tried to buy many many concert tickets from 2000 through last month for U2, it is actually amazing I got any tickets at all after reading this article.

To see that he was buying up almost the entire General Admission block of floor shows in various cities during shows I attended makes me wonder how the hell I got tickets at all to those shows. Yikes.

I know I've tried various tricks in the past:

Calling a TM outlet at an odd location like an measum
Knowing a second show was to be released shortly, calling and futzing around with the agent until the clock ticked over (noted in the article)
Trying EVERY SINGLE DAY to see if tickets had been dropped for certain shows
Pre-sale tickets, but only for indoor shows. Outdoor General Admission was MUCH easier to obtain. Example, my spare U2 in Pittsburgh 360 GA barely got half face value.

In any case- amazing how messed up TicketMaster was, and I am sure it will continue to be. The site has gone from bad to unusable. I've heard better results from the app for mobile than the traditional browser interface.

Still- ugh.

Gunpowder

2016-11-28T12:23:00.001-05:00

Park, get out, apply hat and gloves. Sling camera over back. Walk.

Walk away from the road and the noise. Still tethered by invisible strands in my pocket.

Been down this same path hundreds of times with my dog, still miss her. It’s been six months.

The noises change to leaves under foot and chirping birds.

Sun slowly rising over the river’s rim, my side in shade, the other golden in late fall.

While the photographs are few and far between, I’m happy to be out. Not too far, not too long.

Back home before I know it to the noise of the road, electronics, kids.

Christmas!

2016-07-25T06:59:00.002-04:00

Well, in July at least.

Today will likely be the hottest day of the year in the Baltimore area... at the very least be the hottest day by FEELING like it. Good grief, nearly 100 with super high humidity. I might as well be living in a swamp.

Funny note about this time of year, it was fairly popular back when I was working at Broad Creek. The staff really looked forward to it. It was about the half way mark of the summer camping season, so it was nice to take pause.

The event would kick off by exchanging names in a blind name exchange two weeks prior. Grab a name out of a hat and buy a present for them. At least thats how it was set up when I worked there. The staff dining hall was decorated for a couple days with all sorts of cheesy Christmas ornaments, tree, etc.

The thing is, I didn't know most of the staff then. I worked in a different area than the staff name exchange was occurring. Most of the gifts exchanged were insider jokes. Things that had occurred during the year, or previous year because the staff had known each. All I remember about my name swap was that I did the cheesiest packing ever- several layers of boxes, each wrapped up. It was horrible, and to this day I feel bad. I don't even recall the actual gift, but it was horrible because I didn't know the person very well and never made an attempt to. ugh.

Anywho- if you are in the mid-Atlantic area today, stay cool. If you have access to a pool, enjoy it. Check in on elderly neighbors. Drink lots of water, and just take it easy today.

Sierra

2016-06-27T16:07:00.001-04:00

It has been almost 12 years since Sierra jumped up in to my vehicle for the first time. It has been over a month since I last said goodbye to her. I'll admit, there have been times when I came home since she had been gone and thought she was waiting by the door like she has always done.

It's been hard adjusting. No more daily walks. No more feeding her twice a day. No more scratches on the head while I eat breakfast. No more "photo-plow" moments. No more worrying about who might watch her while we went away. No more worrying about thunderstorms. No more worrying she will get taken, lost, or simply disappear.

Sierra was named Soot when I got her. That was no name for my dog. She wasn't sure what to make of all of the changes and another house. I tried crating the first night, that was the last time I tried. She always figured out the best places to sleep.

Later when she was in a house with kids, her hips starting to go bad, her walks were not nearly as long, and a much slower life, she still snuck up on the front couch for naps during the day. Sometimes I would catch her there, often I'd find short black hair left behind.

I had taken her to the vets four times for unscheduled appointments. The fourth was her last. The first time was when a dog bit her, but I didn't know until an hour after. I was next to her when it happen, but she showed no sign of a problem. The second time was when she had a large chunk of wood removed from the pad in her paw. The third time was after the fatty tumor on her side was removed, but her recovery was VERY slow. I had no idea there were dog blood transfusions.

When we would walk, either on leash or along the Gunpowder river, Sierra never cared about others. Dogs or people. When we were on the Gunpowder, she would love to chase. Not the typical retriever attitude. I don't know how many times she would chase away photo opportunities. It wasn't until recently that I could see the Gunpowder like Sierra did, encountering things first. Seeing a fox, a deer, or birds. When we would on-leash walk, she knew EXACTLY where she was going, or slow down for the choice of left or right. She knew the various routes like I know the rooms in our house.

Somehow Sierra managed to re-pay me. Not in comfort, time, or patience. One of my photos of her wound up being used in a Eukanuba national, eventually internationally, advertising campaign. I never sought that, but it came to me. People actually sought out copies of her photo eventually... it was odd to have a semi-famous dog who did in fact, did not care. Most of the money went towards helping pay for some medical bills associated with our second child. Sierra helped our family when we needed it.

She knew what was going on, photos, packing, kids playing. She knew we would always come back. From the very start, she was bonded with me. She was the perfect dog for our family. I think my children only heard her bark 10 times their entire lives. She tolerated other children coming into the house and petting her. Parties were her downfall, she would hide at first. After several parties, she gave up, and just flopped in the middle of them waiting for the food to fall.

She was part of our family. She would wait by the table during dinner. When someone got up after a time, she knew it was likely that the meal was over and she could look for dropped food. She also would lay in front of the couch in the evening while the girls would watch a show. She believed that was what she was supposed to, hang out with the family. (nasty toots aside... peehew!)

After we let her go, we had her ashes returned to us. There were a couple places they needed to be scattered. In our own backyard, my parents, and a vast majority along the Gunpowder river. Thats where I first earned her trust, where the vast majority of my Sierra stories emanate from, and where I will always think of her. I kept just a few for myself. The only other thing I kept was her leash. The rest of her things, food, bowls, etc, were given away.

Sierra was always my first photo subject for all my photography. Sometimes it was by accident.

Philmont: A Love Letter

2014-10-21T17:12:00.001-04:00

I wish I had today's technology when I worked out there. Jealous on many levels.

Philmont: A Love Letter from Tucker Prescott on Vimeo.

Fresh beat

2014-10-07T21:05:00.002-04:00

One of the things I like to do is play some of my favorite music while doing things with the kids. Just something in the background... not like we are at a live concert or anything. Also lets me pick the music instead of listening to "What Does the Fox Say?" 15 times in a row.

The other night I put my iPhone music on shuffle, and up popped Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll. Super classic... great song. I was jamming out on air guitar and I turn to daughter #1 and ask, "Do you know who this is?"

Typically when I ask this, it is U2. Which she replied that very answer... I didn't expect much. I said nope! Try again.

This floored me, she said, "The Fresh Beat Band?"

I had to look that one up...

Well, at least I got her to understand that the chant at Orioles and Ravens game came from the White Stripes. So at least I got that going for me.

On the Orioles

2014-09-24T21:06:00.001-04:00

(still very little time to blog, but I felt compelled to write this one up)

I was thinking back to the beginning of the season. What my expectations were... And I suppose it went along something like this:

Challenge for a wild card with 86-90 wins
Questions about the starting rotation and bullpen
Pretty banging lineup

Chris Davis- 25+ hr, 260ish batting average
Cruz- 20+ hr, 250ish batting average
Weiters- 20+ hr, 275ish battering average
Manny- 15-20 hr, very outstanding defense again
JJ- 20hr, solid Def
Adam Jones being Adam Jones

Well, you can see where all that was going. I was hoping for an 86-90 win season. Hoping that Tillman would be able to become the ace we thought he could be. Hoping that Hunter could pick up the closer mantle after the trade of Jim Johnson, who I thought maybe the Orioles knew something I didn't.

Well, the only thing I got right was Adam Jones being Adam Jones.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the Orioles would have the 2nd best record in the majors... that the starting rotation since early June has been one of the majors best. That the bullpen would be so good, and that Britton would be the amazing closer he has turned in to.

Buck pressed all the right buttons. Every replacement player seemed to do what was expected. Defense wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I thought for sure the goose was cooked with the double kill of Weiters and Manny going out for the season.

The graph I loved to watch was the MLB post season prediction chart. Right at June 29th, the line just goes up and stays there. It was amazing.

I have no clue about this off season, and who they might keep or get or whatever... for right now, until the Orioles are done with the post season- I'm in. We Won't Stop.

And as Buck says, "I like our guys." (I think I have told this to a fellow Orioles fan at work just about every day since June)

New U2

2014-09-11T07:13:00.002-04:00

I am taking a small break from my normally dormate blog to make this posting about an amazing subject- the new U2 album.

I think I am still in shock that it just showed up so quietly and amazingly. No press pumping, no promo material, no hype at all. So very much anti-everything I have learned to expect from album hype.

Lets rewind to a few months ago. I heard through the various grapevines that they were record- lots. Heck, at one point they were planning a double album. (I even managed to find out the names of the albums) Then everything started to go quiet. Very quiet... even Danger Mouse, one of the producers, claimed he had no clue what they were doing now. I am starting to suspect he was in on the ruse, or quiet possibly just left out of the conversations as they were so quiet.

Sometime last week the rumors started to swirl- U2 was going to make an appearance at the Apple release for the new iPhone. They had done it once... well, Bono and Edge, for the new U2-themed iPod. Heck, it had been 10 years since that happened. The rumors of their involvement included, every new phone would get the new album, new streaming service via Beats audio, new single release, there to perform in support of Product (RED), etc. Lots of things, and yet no one got it right.

I left work right before the big announcement, trying to avoid traffic, and the thought was I would just catch the updates when I got home. Little did I know that they actually RELEASED the new album FOR FREE!

I didn't get to listen to it properly, because of some nasty iTunes snags, and lack of free time, until later in the evening.

Here are my thoughts about the entire matter, album included:

- First, a HUGE thank you to Guy Oseary (U2's new manager) for creating new hype. Something unexpected.

- Also along the lines of Guy Oseary: I expect plenty of interesting Internet stuff this next tour. I am not entirely sure what- streaming more shows, who knows... But I feel much more interested in this aspect than I have in tours in a very long time.

(on to the music)

- Very bass heavy in my opinion. Adam is the stand out. (sorry Edge)

- I don't care if it is a reflection of where they have been.

Yes, Bono has been singing about his mum for a while- did everyone also forget about I Will Follow, Lemon as well?

- I could do without Raised By Wolves. The tune just does not appeal to me.

- Love the fact that they were able to test out the material live before recording in studio. See Every Breaking Wave live on 360, along with North Star.

- U2 has a very hard time letting a riff go, even if it means recycling it to another song. (ref Achtung Baby Outtakes, echoes can be heard in Pop)

Thats all from me.

Back to the corner broom closet for me.

Been forever... I know

2014-08-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

It has been exactly a month since I last posted on the blog... sorry folks. Things change!

Just some quick hits on whats been happening:

Oldest child started school
Went to the beach for two days (that was my 'summer' vacation)
Ear infection prevented completion of swim lessons
Sierra actually hopped up in to the back of the van for the first time in a couple years
Been busier at work than ever
Bought my first 'in-app' purchase
Been LOVING the weather... loving it.
Thought about dropping fantasy football all together, but stuck with only one league this year.

Did no research at all, because research has gotten me bupkus otherwise

Went to my second Orioles game of the season, a fantastic one this past Monday.
Going to be an interesting Ravens season
A random zucchini plant grew in the back, next to my raised bed tomato patch. I have never tried growing zucchini, but this sucker TOOK OFF. The leaves are HUGE!
Can't wait for the MLB post-season with the Orioles in it

Otherwise... here are some links:

- If you need Christmas gift ideas for me... another one.

- Sounds about right, same principle can also be used for cloth washing.

- I totally agree- Flacco is not the poster child for bad contracts.

- This is a little crazy, Walmart ice-cream that doesn't melt.

- XKCD, when can we order these?

I am sure there are 15,000 things I am missing over the past month... but this will have to do for the time being. I have no idea when regular posting will come back.

Not so random photo of the day:

Can there be a modern popular president?

2014-07-29T10:51:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: I am not claiming to be a political expert. I didn’t even take a political science class in college. I did once take a dual taught class between philosophy and political science, that’s the closest I’ve gotten. Otherwise, I am pulling this information from my own opinion and observations. I am a registered Independent, and have been since I first registered.

What I am starting to come to realize is that in our current hyper-aware, only know what is currently reported, world- that I doubt any president can be popular across the board. Evidence:

#1 I was in a meeting, and someone noticed I was left handed. The mention was “If I was left-handed, I’d switch because the President is left handed.”

Yup- that was said.

#2 A news article put out by the Baltimore Sun in which the writer states, “My blood is boiling all over again in writing this. I am going to stop, before I start saying how stupid Bush is and how vile I think Cheney and Rumsfeld are.”

Uh-huh.

#3 Current “popularity” polls of the president. Yup, there are daily results!

#4 Historical prospective in comparison to the rest of thepresidents. That is, how do you rank how good ALL the presidents were in relation to each other. As time passes, the already popular ones are likely be more cemented in those spots in comparison to the more recent.

So to recap- it doesn’t matter which president is in office, you will not be popular. Each side will have issues, concerns, problems, blood fueds, etc. I suppose it does if you “like” the guy or not. The end result will be no one will like him for the most part. Ever effort will be picked apart. Feeding and clothing of children will be mocked and made in to political statements. Following the law, and agreements from previous administrations will be applied to current presidents even if they had nothing to do with it.

From what I have seen however, the manner in which ideas are presented and discussed in this hyper-aware, however short cycled the information is, dominates people’s opinions. It’s like going to church and re-affirming there is an afterlife by watching one, slanted, news station. (examples: FoxNews or MSNBC)

I also wonder what sort of difference classic popular presidents would do in modern times when news services are under each rock, opinions frequent and divisive, and the ability to communicate is at each and every person’s finger tips. One thing that is apparent, time usually heals many wounds in terms of opinion.

As one person said, it takes at least 25 years to truly understand the impact of what a president did. Good, bad, or indifferent.

Why is it

2014-07-24T12:05:00.000-04:00

(a break from the drought on postings)

I saw this article on my local Patc h. And I thought to myself- this is an interesting condition.

Why is it when there are near death experiences, people always have the experience in terms of their religion they believe in? Why don't Christians have a near death experience as a different religion? Heck, what about just different versions of Christianity?

It just confuses me and my understanding of how these things happen. If everyone experiences near death differently, does that mean there are several different after-lifes? Or is everyone wrong?

To the public servents

2014-07-20T08:23:00.001-04:00

#1 To whomever opens and closes the gates at the park by my house- thank you.

I am not sure who has this task, but they are closed and locked every night at sunset. Each morning they are unlocked and opened. I don't think I have ever seen them open at night. Its amazing.

#2 To whomever goes along the Gunpowder river and cuts the large trees out of the trail- thank you.

While it might take a few weeks, the large trees that fall over the trail have always been cut out of the way. I am not sure who is hauling a chainsaw in to make my hikes a little better, but thank you.

Changes!

2014-07-17T07:37:00.001-04:00

Due to some work changes- I am not sure if I will be able to continue with entries to this blog on a regular on-going basis. Don't worry, the changes are most likely good things in total. But for now- my efforts will likely not allow me to have leisurely time to spout regularly. (like Old Faithful)

Until I figure the new normal- expect random posts.

Off to save the world!

Lesson learned

2014-07-16T07:29:00.001-04:00

I put in a second raised garden bed this spring for more tomatoes. Each bed can best fit four plants. In the first one I put some of the bigger tomato plants, and in the second more of the grape/cherry sized ones. The second bed is in nearly full sunlight the entire day. Thats got to be better for plants, right? The first is in partial sunlight to mostly shady. I don't know why, but the first bed seems to be doing better for some reason. The plants grew huge, very healthy looking. Actually, too big.

Here is my lesson- when growing tomato plants, simply having a fence to keep critters out is not enough support to keep the individual plants upright. I need cages, something to help support their weight. As of right now, two of the plants are completely on the ground. There is not much I can do at this point of the growing season without breaking the plant. I need to just hope I can harvest some of the grown ripe tomatoes to use.

Next year- I am getting cages for each plant.

Lesson learned.

Things I think:

- I think I might try showering at night instead of in the morning. Still debating.

- I think I watched a grand total of one pitch from last night's all star game. This article sums up my feelings pretty much exactly about the entire 'celebration.'

- I think I learn something new every day- a U-boat was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during WWII?!

- I think I got my annual Ravens notification that I was not selected for Ravens training camp. Damnit.

- I think I have been offered twice this off season to buy someone's tickets for Ravens home games.

- I think it great use of time and effort to use a Live CD to do banking. Check out Brian Krebs suggestion.

- I think this is the best search I've seen on Flickr yet: "everyone else's photos." (yes, that was the search term)

Not so random photo of the day:

Storms

2014-07-15T07:24:00.001-04:00

Last night was some of the worst storms I've heard roll past our area in a very long time. For about 30-45 minutes there was tons of thunder, though no lighting. Then the big cell rolled over. A tornado threat came in to the world... my phone set the alert off- which is a nifty feature I had no idea it was a thing.

It was a little un-nerving, but the girls played in the basement and didn't know any different. Sierra was a complete mess from the moment of the first thunder, until later in the evening.

Looks like we have another round or two tonight before glorious weather rolls in tomorrow. Lets make sure we are safe and prepared for this next round.

Things I think:

- I think I missed the noticed that BC turned in to BCE (Before Common Era), and AD is now CE (Common Era), in terms of dating things.

- I think it cannot be more black.

- I think I am so happy that I accidentally missed the Home Run derby. No Chris Berman!

- I think this wins the selfie awards.

- I think drones are best at delivering BBQ, not making it. Silly people.

- I think there was already efforts to capture heat sources for cooking, we didn't need a rocket scientists to make it.

Not so random movie trailer of the day.

Loose leash

2014-07-14T07:21:00.002-04:00

When I first got Sierra, I spent some time thinking I knew what I was doing with her. I had dogs growing up- how hard could it be? Turned out to be much different than I was expecting. Walking her was a lot of work as she was a very good puller on the leash, combined with that she loved the walks. I had to do some research fast, and tried various methods- click training, gentile leader, and about 5 other things I have forgotten since. She had a lot of energy when I first got her, there were plenty of times I did two walks a day of at least 30 minutes at a click. The dog loved walking.

Flash forward to yesterday as I was walking her, she had a very loose leash. Something I had been trying to get for ten years now, and it has only happened because she has gotten older. She doesn't have the same energy, but certainly the same interest. She still hops around when I get her leash out, still prances around as I get my various bit and bobs ready for the walk.

Things I think:

- I think I drove down and up 895 4 times from Friday through Sunday. *yawn*

- I think I was on my feet for a better part of 8 hours Saturday, and was sweating for most of it... ugh.

- I think everyone in the house took a nap yesterday.

- I think I am keeping my eyes on radar for storms over the next two days.

- I think I will take any Orioles win over the Yankees, 5 innings or 15.

- I think Germany had a heck of a tournament, and the US has an amazing future on the world stage.

- I think Johnny Football is going to find out how fast the NFL is when he plays- Vick did, RGIII did... defensive linemen can chase you down.

Not so random photo of the day:

Let me get this straight

2014-07-11T07:33:00.002-04:00

I don't normally delve in to politics as it is a super touchy, super personal, area now. However, this new ruling has me very curious.
If I wanted to, I could start a Limited Liability Corp, and own it myself. It can do whatever, people can give money to it, etc. Lets say, I start the LLC as an advocate for road cone use. Fantastic everyone says! We've been lacking in proper road cone use, observation, and compliance forever! I conduct talks, I give seminars, and it is fairly successful. (At least I think so) All the money made from the LLC is piled in to a neat bundle. The tricky bit is, I charged a crap ton for this effort and many people gave with smiles on their faces.

Then a year later, I think- I ought to see if I could run for office. Someone conducts a poll on my behalf, and there is marginal interest. Perfect! I am going to run on road cone safety! I take my LLC, and ALL the vast cash I have raised and plow it in to my newly formed campaign.

So now- I have a crap ton of money which never has to be disclosed on how it was achieved. Interesting little loop hole that is.

Off to Friday ramblings.

- Go Orioles.... let the comparisons to 1997 continue to roll in.

- I was mighty confused on why the Babe Ruth museum was selling stuff until I read the article.

- I might try to get to a CHC home football game or two this fall.

- Today marks the 158th birthday of Nikola Tesla.

- Prediction- Germany 2, Argentina 1.

Welcome back Dana Carvey:

Oh to be a kid again

2014-07-10T07:26:00.000-04:00

I was off yesterday for some around home things to do in the morning. In the afternoon, I took daughter #1 to the pool. It was not super hot, but warm enough. We spent about an hour and a half there total. Most of the time daughter was playing with her princess dive wands, which was not much involvement from me other than keeping a good eye on her. (I was looking forward to her jumping in, playing, and generally doing things we had done before... not to be this time)

Then I noticed some kids from down the street at the pool. They were middle school age, and I had no idea they even belonged to the same pool. I suppose going in the middle of the day changes the crowd I was used to after work. The kids played hard, swimming, chasing each other, and generally being middle school kids at the pool. I don't know how long they were there before us, but lets say at least a while.

In total, we were there for about an hour and a half. That included a small break at the end for a snack bar treat. I did hardly anything other than watch my daughter play. We talked with some friends we knew, I helped my daughter avoid unseen kids coming at her... generally I was personal force field to make sure hazards did not impede her dive wand fun.

After cleaning up and such, I saw the neighbor's kids down the street. They were home already, changed, and running out the door to do something else. Mean while, I was sitting on the couch ready to doze off. Thats right, standing in a pool watching my daughter play drained my energy to a point that I was drifting off. Mean while a middle school kid played hard in the same pool for much longer, and was out the door for more fun.

*sigh* I need to find some more energy or get some more sleep or something.

Things I think:

- I think I joked about missing spots on my back with sunscreen yesterday, and low and behold- I did. Ouch.

- I think I still cannot get over the beating Germany applied. Joke I saw, "Germany scored two more goals on their way back to their hotel."

- I think a huge amount, over 13,000, of videos from the Music Vault were added to You Tube. Including this gem from U2 in 1981.

- I think I am not even close to being mentally prepared for Saturday's wedding. At least the weather ought to be nice... and I get to wear my one good suit.

- I think this summer has been milder than most, and I will take it.

Not so random video of the day:

1,000,000 campers

2014-07-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 1,000,000th camper to come to Philmont. Amazing.

Congratulations to all the other 999,999 campers who have made Philmont the amazing place it is. I am sure over the next 40 years there will be another 1,000,000 happy campers through those magical hills.

Its been a while

2014-07-08T07:37:00.000-04:00

I am trying to recall the last wedding I attended. I think it was about 5 years ago to be honest. Wife's cousin wedding... yeah, it was nearly five years ago! It has been a while.

This one I am attending this weekend will be for non-family, and I don't recall the last non-family wedding I attended. When the couple announced their engagement, I offered up engagement portraits as a gift. They accepted and were happy with the results. (at least they said they were.) A few weeks after, they asked me if I would consider photographing the wedding. I decided that was too much for my meager talents, and I just didn't feel comfortable getting close to something like that.

Instead, they came back with- would I take some candid shots at the reception? Oh sure, that will be a hoot. I won't know anyone at the reception other than the bride, groom, and bride's family. (pretty much it, full stop, four people other than my wife) I am not a socialite, so weddings for people I don't know is extremely hard and draining. However, having a camera in front of me allows some distance in handling expectations. I could do that... give me something to do other than bring along the travel edition of Settlers of Catan to play with strangers.

To top it off, I was asked to take some shots at the house while the family gets ready. Alrighty- we thought the wedding started at like 2-3pm. We were prepared for that, turns out, not til 5pm. So, our time allotments were already set. Just hope I can get some of that right... a bit of pressure!

While I am at it- remind me not to photograph weddings. I am feeling pressure already, and I have the easy parts.

Things I think:

- I think this is a really good look into the NLF's rookie symposium. Well done.

- I think Mission BBQ has their chopped sirloin burger back! Woot!

- I think my office spaces look nothing even close to any of these.

- I think the Orioles are getting closer to that good run to create some separation in the division... also, to show they can win more than 4-5 here and there. A great confidence booster. Now, they just need to sort out the starting rotation.

Not so random photo of the day:

2014-07-07T07:39:00.000-04:00

We've seen the battle between VHS and Beta, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, and now we have what fuel source will power the next generation of vehicals?

What I have seen is a pitched battle between electric, like the Telsa, and now hydrogen.

The electric cars have all sorts of advantages right now- the more accepted hybrids like the Prius and Volt are making room for the all electric like Telsa or Nissan Leaf. The biggest advantage right now is that most everyone can plug them in at home. (assuming you own your home, and are not on the 53rd floor of a condo building- one heck of an extension cord!)

And as pointed out by The Oatmeal, if you have solar panels on your house- theoretically you could drive your Telsa with no need to buy anything more than regular maintenance on the thing. Yikes!

Now comes along the hydrogen car system, which has no infrastructure to support fueling. None... you can't roll up to a gas station and ask for a full tank of hydrogen. The nice part is that output of this fuel is water vapor. Still, the gas needs to be collected, compressed, trucked, and delivered for use. A daunting task in an environment where people bask in things like "Rolling Coal." (more on that in a minute)

There will need to be move away from gas, and car companies are figuring it out. The basic need to is move from point A to point B. How we get there will be an interesting thing to watch. Will we get away from gas in my life time? Heck no... will be a lot less gas dependent- I hope so.

Point on the Rolling Coal thing- I am not a tree hugger, but I do like them. I am all about the practical. When you get extreme views together, sparks fly no matter what. (to put it nicely) If you are bored and don't mind having your computer melt, try to read the comments on the Rolling Coal videos on YouTube. I am sure you will be out in nature, alone, trying to understand how humanity got here without blowing the crap out of everything.

Things I think:

- I think the Cheesecake factory burrito seems bigger than it is.

- I think the XKCD rocks... I would have love to seen an entire series on that topic with all the best of the current headline grabbers like, "One trick to defeat darkness!"... heck, any of these.

- I think this is a great scientific explanation of BBQ!

- I think this new tea will wind up costing 5x more than it should simply because of demand.... btw, how does it taste?

- I think one shocking fact- the latest the Orioles have been in first like they are now is the 1997 season. Wow. (no other comparisons right now)

- I think the Orioles have a good chance at winning the AL East, but they better show some spunk by rattling off a win streak sooner than later. Right now scuffling for 2 out of 3 is good, but is heart wrenching!

Not so random photo of the day:

A couple reviews

2014-07-06T13:51:00.002-04:00

The Last Ship- I wanted to like this show, however it feels like the 1960s version of Star Trek. The captain feels compelled to go on every adventure, and has his life in mortal peril every time. I will give it an episode two more, but the third one has the ~~Klingons~~ Russians homing in on the boxed in ship! Oh no!

Safeway simmer sauces- Our family used to shop regularly at Safeway, but go on there still on occasion for sales and oddly- their simmer sauces. We have found the Indian Butter sauce to be the entry drug. It hits a generic need for some Indian food without going out. However the sesame ginger has proven its meddle in several opportunities- salmon, chicken, and stir fry. All extremely useful spots!

Richardson's Farm- Simply put, the best fresh chicken in the area. Cut to order. From whole, down to quartered chicken breast. Their fresh food is amazing, and the seasonal specials with Santa and the Easter Bunny is worth the ticket JUST for the food alone. Well done Richardsons.

Broom's Blooms- Hands down the best ice cream in the area. Thankfully they are far enough away that we can't get there easily! However, they are close enough to make it an easy trip. All the flavors are just amazing. During the summer, the lines are out the door and to the parking lot most nights. The line moves steadily, and it is entirely worth the wait. People friendly, and most everyone knows why they are waiting.

In the years past, they have done fields of sunflowers which make for great photos, this year they have not. Instead, they have sunflowers ringing the corn to make up for the lack of them.