Mission update

I'm still product testing the Nokia 75 with new "tabbed menu". If I wasn't getting paid for this, I would throw this thing into the nearest river, lake, body of water... I'd throw it into traffic.

For the record I don't like the phone. I have at least one or two dropped calls a day, the phone freezes up and has to be restarted every second or third day, and the OS responds slower than FEMA.

For the last two weeks (one to go) I have kept a detailed list of the good and the bad about the product in the hope of being chosen for the second phase of testing and getting my paycheck doubled. I turned in the copious amounts of notes last week and today I got the email that invited me to the focus group. The focus group will consist of 1, one and a half hour conversation and getting paid immediately after. Woot!

And I have decided on a Halloween costume for this Friday's event. It is neither frightening, funny or very well thought out. I'm sure it will be underwhelming.

I just finished watching Jay Leno interview Ron Paul and it was awful. Jay was awful. Paul was fine. He was to the point and didn't get fancy answering the softball questions. While I don't want to support a candidate of either major party, I must admit Paul is really sounding like a candidate I can get behind. I hate that he's running as a "Republican", but I know he wouldn't stand a chance as a "Libertarian".


In grosser things, I've been dealing with a zit in my left nostril since the World Series began. I'm blaming Dane Cook's annoying World Series ads.


There's been two huge blows to internet gaming in recent weeks while I don't think I've been directly affected, I've cleared out my account with Ultimate Bet. UB is not one of the sites that has been under scrutiny, but there's been enough chatter about UB in recent weeks to get me out. I'm currently using earned bonus points to enter tournaments and when those are gone, I'm done with UB.

Absolute Poker has been breached using internal staff and Poker Stars can't prevent multi-tabling (read:cheating) during tournaments. My remaining online options are limited because I am a Mac user. So I'm only left with one viable option and that's Full Tilt. We'll see how this goes.

Slogan via Georgia Sports blog
Created at makestickers.com

Well how 'bout THEM Dogs!

Color me very surprised and happy as hell.

Warning: the following link is very profane: A Florida Gator's reaction to the game.

42-30. How sweet it is!!!

Overheard in my house

"Does anyone else need anything arranged for marching band today?"

Fear this

Fear the gay chicken

Check out this

Rusty linked me as a part of the 21st Georgia Carnival of Bloggers. Go check it out and click other people's links and be a part of growing the Georgia blogosphere.

And what a great Friday!
The Georgia Supreme Court has ordered that Genarlow Wilson be freed. I am beyond happy for this young man. The only remaining tragedy is that he was ever punished in the first place.

Hold this

I've met Duane Moody twice. The second time we were both clothed and at a Georgia Podcasting Network party. Ever since the first encounter, I've been reading his blog and occasionally commenting. His recent post on door holding etiquette was great and a must read before proceeding.

Today, I and a co-worker walked over to the Bank of America building to grab some lunch. The cafeteria over there is great and cheap. I normally take full advantage of the rotating selection of items on their salad bar and a bowl of the soup of the day. A ton of healthy food for a total of about 6 bucks.

On the way into the building my co-worker and I each held a door for two women that right behind us. Neither of them acknowledged the gesture with even a slight tilt of the head. They just walked on in as if this was our thankless job to do such for them. This was the first set of doors. They had to open the second set for themselves and as they walked through and we were two steps behind them, neither of them made an attempt to leave it open for us, letting it instead close behind them. After I opened the door, I couldn't help myself. I said loudly enough for them to hear; "Thanks Ladies." Neither even broke stride. Ass-hats.

Safe for work, found via the comments on Duane's post

Ever done this?

After work yesterday I headed over to Green's to swap an empty metal keg for one full of delicious beer. The problem was that I had no idea what I wanted to place in the kegorator. I thought about Dogfish Head, Lagunitas and Sweetwater. I've tried 6 different Oktoberfests and the only one that really said "Hey big boy, wanna party?" was Ayinger's. But Green's wanted 150 American dollars for only a half a keg. That was immediately scratched from the list.

But nothing really sounded exciting and at the same time fit into my budget. But....I do have some impending company and Zenu forbid that I don't have a delicious beverage to offer. I ended getting a torpedo of Terrapin Rye. And I did so for the following three reasons with the third reason being first and the first reason being second, leaving the second reason bringing up the rear.

1) It's tasty. No really. It's one of my personal favs when on tap and it goes great with almost anything.
2) It's soon to be [a Real] local brew (word has it that tours of the new location will start in a few days. Andy, I'm looking at you for the details.) and I feel that you should support your local brews.
3) It's not high grav so people can leave my house after drinking it. (This isn't an actual real reason but one offered up to the invisible god of humor.)

Topic change

I did something incredibly stupid on Wednesday. And by "incredibly stupid" I mean that by the laws that govern common sense, of which I evidently have none of, I am now required to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Yesterday, I left work in such haste that I left the door to the freezer open. And by open I don't mean cracked, ajar, unclosed, and unshut. I mean as open as the grand fucking canyon on a windy day. When I came home nine hours later, I discovered, a tray full of unfrozen ice, two cartons of melted sugar-free ice cream, nine packages of unfrozen vegetables, multiple thawed microwaveable meals and a few packages of perfectly defrosted meat.

Little did I know that this was the begining of the devastation. Turns out that when the freezer works overtime to compensate for the door being left open, the other casualty is the temperature in the refrigerator. I didn't just lose the contents of the freezer. I lost everything in the fridge as well. Salad dressings, condiments, bread crumbs, cheeses, bacon, the leftovers I was planning on eating for future dinners and lunches, jars of relish (both sweet and dill), and salad ingredients still in their unchopped form.

This is nothing but a gratuitous waste of food, money and time.
I haven't been this pissed at myself in a long time.

Drink this

The inaugural keg blew last night. I tried to pour a beer and all I got was hissing gas and sputtering foam. Remember the ending to the original Planet of the Apes? It was similar reaction.

I threw the metal husk in the back of the Hyundai, cleaned the tap and the lines and sulked silently in the corner for 20 minutes.

Now I'm stalking Green's website arguing with myself on what to purchase. I have no idea what I'm going to get.

Surprise this

This past Friday, Serena and I threw a joint surprise 30th birthday party for Dave and Ellen. Thanks to everyone who attended, especially the folks from out of town or that had to make arrangements for little ones. Here is a small batch of photos from the event. If anyone else has any pictures please give em up.

The event was held in Sweetwater's brewery and I must say that the staff was fantastic. Andy and Kim were fantastic hosts and our sales person Rochelle was nothing but professional. There was no IPA due to an unfortunate sediment incident but they put Donkey Punch in its place, so I had no room to complain.

As a parting gift I walked out with a full case of brand new, never used Sweetwater pint glasses. If you were thinking about getting me a special pint glass or any glass receptacle of any shape or size for any holiday or celebration within the next 20 years, I'm going to ask that you not.

Life is funny. As soon as I washed all of the new glasses; my keg ran out of beer.

Dress This

I have a dilemma. I'm attending a "dress-up" Halloween party on November 2nd and I have no idea what to go as. I'm looking forward to the party but I don't care for the dressing up part.

Someone is pushing really hard for Chris Daughtry and there is no way in hell I'm doing this. 1) I refuse to support American Idol 2) With the exception of the lack of hair, I look nothing like him.

But I have no ideas. Obtaining a wig and attending as "me-with-hair" was shot down by more than one person. So internets, any ideas?

Of course the downside of playing poker until 2 in the morning is that I am currently dragging ass.

In the interest of full disclosure.

Last Thursday, I took $30 and ran it up to $80 then back down to $40, then again up to $150. Then on the last hand after four hours of play I gave it all away. I knew better but got stupid. I made a tremendously bad play and got caught. I lost a total of $30 plus my bar tab of $15 pre tip. This was my first losing session in this local cash game since I started playing about eight weeks ago. While I lost, I found solace that I kept the losses to a minimum.

Tonight. I took a buy in of $30 and over four hours ran it up to $290. Minus my bar tab plus a generous tip left me coming home with $250 or $220 net. There was no card rush. I bet hard when I knew they had nothing and got called when I had the best hand. It was a night when I couldn't lose but it had nothing to do with the cards. I love this game!!!

I have no complaints about my life , but if I had one wish it would be to live closer to a legal card room.

Made by Georgia Sports Blog
Using thecheezburgerfactory generator

I played well enough for Jesus that he invited me back this week.
Two hour rehearsal on Wednesdays,
Short rehearsal plus a short rehearsal on Sundays.
Ridiculous hourly wage.
Looking like a semi-permanent job.
Woot!

And speaking of Broadway, this past Sunday, MTV aired Legally Blonde; The Musical and it was fantastic! It's 2 and a half hours of fun brain fodder. It knows cheese and does it very well, all the while never letting on that's it's in on the joke too. I can't wait for the tour.


Two weeks ago I was chosen to be a paid product tester for AT&T. My only fear in being selected for this was that the phone was going to be the technological equivalent of Steven Seagal. Flashy at times but an overall dud. Last night, I went to a Schlesinger and Associates office, picked up my new device, got a quick tutorial and filled out a first impressions survey. They cut us loose telling us to use the phone as we see fit but with a caution that we would be billed for our usage. Read: So don't go gettin all crazy downloadin stuffs.

The device is a Nokia N75 a part of the Nseries so it's definitely not a Steven Seagal. If the iPhone is a Jessica Alba/Biel/Keira Knightley, this phone is more like a Linda Fiorentino/Leah Thompson. It's going to get the job done, but it's not going to be easy and you're not going to enjoy it.

The phone is not the only thing we're testing. We're also testing a new menu. Not a new OS but just the menu. I'll probably post an entire review on the thing once everything is said and done and I've been paid. But for now I have one issue.

It's a flip phone. Not a fan. I understand the practical application of having a flip phone if it is going to spend a lot of time in a bag to prevent accidental dialing. But if it's going to live in your pocket, then why would anyone want to go through the extra step of opening it every time you needed to use the phone.

Side note: When I was probably around ten, I pointed out to my Grandfather a car that had rain wipers on its headlights and thus how cool that car must be. My Grandfather responded with; "That's just one more thing that could break." That's how I feel about flip phones.

How to annoy me - Broadway style

This is the worst thing that could have ever happened to the funniest show I have ever seen.

Clay Aiken has found his Holy Grail: musical theater.

The one-time "American Idol" contestant will join the cast of "Monty Python's Spamalot" on Jan. 18, making his Broadway debut in the role of Sir Robin at the Shubert Theatre.

The consumption of good food continued on Saturday at Taste of Atlanta.

This was my first experience at this type of gathering and everyone I talked to before hand said; "GO EARLY!" Complete with the all caps and exclamation point. It opened at 11:00 AM and Will and I rolled in fifteen minutes later.

When we first arrived we had to go exchange our prepaid tickets for a wrist band and food coupons. You have to wear a wrist band when you exchange a coupon for a sample. This was a brief and minor debacle as the only obvious location to do so had a very long line. I smarted off and made a comment to the line moderator about the purpose of buying an advance ticket to avoid lines like this. She quickly told us of a secret hidden location near the magical world of Narnia that had a much shorter line. 5 minutes later we had our pink bracelets and eating coupons.


As we got our bearings of which direction to begin heading first I looked over and spotted Ted Allen of Queer Eye fame giving an interview.


And then there was all the stuffing my face with delicious food items.
Here is a partial list of the restaurants I visited, the food I ate from them and a description if necessary.

Six Feet Under - Rat Toes - Before you dry heave all over your keyboard; a "rat toe" is a hollowed out Jalapeño pepper stuffed to the brim with shrimp then wrapped in bacon and grilled (on a stick). It was the best thing I ate all day. To say it was awesome would be an insult to the dish. It was spicy and delicate and delicious and flavorful all at once. Simply an incredible invention. It is also the dish that almost killed me later (see below).

Mitra - Salmon Balsas - I believe it was braised salmon definitely topped with a mango salsa served on top of a crispy bread wafer. Very good.

East Andrews - blackened fish tacos - Oddly topped with a pineapple salsa. But in fact, it was very good and tasty, but also somewhat basic.

Just Loaf'n - Jambalaya - A fair concoction but very heavy on the rice and red pepper. You know it's too much of one ingredient if even I can point it out. But they did give a very healthy serving.

Taverna Plaka - Lamb Meatball - Dry enough, but still surprisingly greasy. Probably because they were pan fried. They were just ok.

Dish - Duck Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa - If there was an award for most misnamed dish, this would be it. Should have been named Duck Taqittos with Green Chili Salsa. And it was great. The tender duck was served inside a crisp corn shell with a salsa was the perfect amount of spicy.

Cafe 458 - Basil Pesto Shrimp and Grits - A tasty but basic dish but this is not the cool part. This restaurant is only open to the public for brunch on the weekends. The proceeds of the weekend go to feeding the homeless at the same location during the week.

Sear - Savannah White Shrimp and Corn Chowder - Effin awesome. My second favorite dish of the day. So good that I'm going in the near future.

Hsu's - Kobe Beef Hamburger - Fair. The cheese on the burger covered most of the taste of the meat. It also didn't help that they pan fried the meat instead of using a grill.

Finally, I had one coupon left and almost a totally full belly. I was saving this ticket for another Rat Toe. By this point it was two hours since we started and the lines were starting to get long. The line at Six Feet Under was at least 15 people deep.

I handed away my last ticket and received a Rat Toe at least 50% larger than my previous treat. I took a bite and it again was just outstanding. Two more bites and it was gone. 30 seconds after finishing my last bite my mouth was visited by what could only be described as the seventh concentric circle of Dante's Inferno. My mouth has never felt such raw pain. Within a minute the pain spread to my chest. Then to my stomach. This lasted about 25 minutes. 25 minutes of pure scorching hot death in my body. I looked around for a piece of bread, glass of milk, or raw onion, but none existed, so I did the next logical but stupid move. I cracked a big ol Diet Coke. Of course this did nothing but make sure my entire mouth and throat were covered in searing hotness.

The only thing I can figure is that the Rat Toes from earlier in the day cooked longed and sacrificed more of their spicy prowess in the process. As the day and the lines got longer the time the treats spent on the grill became shorter and thus had more punch.

All in all Taste of Atlanta was a very good experience due to getting there early and avoiding the long line that were starting to show up as we left.

Sundial

I successfully ate my way through the weekend, although at one point I didn't think I was going to make it.

Friday night I met Aaron and Mel at the Sundial restaurant to celebrate Aaron's birthday and their recent relocation from Vegas. The Sundial is located downtown on the top three stories of the Westin Hotel. The top level is an observation area, the floor below is a bar/lounge and the floor below that is the restaurant. Both the restaurant and lounge levels slowly rotate around exposing you to gorgeous views I didn't think Atlanta possessed.

We started out on the lounge level and had a few cocktails while we caught up and Aaron pointed out items of interest to Mel.

When we got hungry we went down to the restaurant level. To start, Mel and I split the Ahi Tuna served two ways and both ways were delicious. The sashimi pieces around the edge of the were so thin that tore when I tried to delicately pick them up. The spicy tuna tartar in the center was topped with an awesome radish, cucumber, and avocado relish. While Mel and I were delighting in our raw fish, Aaron opted for the corn bisque with lobster that smelled as good as he said it tasted.

For the main course, we were the opposite of original and all ordered the low country boil consisting of clams, shrimp, scallops, andouille sausage, corn, and potatoes in a spicy clam broth. We each agreed that it was fantastic. The seafood was not overcooked and the potatoes were delicate but didn't fall apart. The broth could have been spicier but that's just me.

For dessert the couple split the creme brulee topped with the freshest strawberries I have seen in a long time along with a a sugar twist cookie. I opted for a delicious glass of Knob Creek whiskey.

With the exception of the tuna-two ways I thought everything on the menu was fairly priced. The service was great and the view was absolutely stunning. I'll go back and I hope sooner than later. I really want to try one of the steaks or maybe the scallops Oscar; all of which passed by my eyes and made me jealous after I had ordered.

But while the dining experience was very good, the company was better.

I was so looking forward to UGA basketball being a competitive force this year.

Guess I'm going to have to wait another season. You're getting a free ride to college. Is attending class and doing your homework really that much of an inconvenience?

If anyone would like to go to Taste of Atlanta this weekend, give me a buzz. I think I'm going to go Saturday and I have access to some cheaper tickets.

I just ordered Bacon Salt.
I'm anticipating your questions.
Yes, I ordered the flavored three pack.
Yes, I going to put this on everything.
And of course; prior to receiving Bacon Salt, my blood pressure is an awesome 104 over 62, so bring it on.

Drink this

I really like the internet. And I really like the news. But this somehow slipped past me (thanks Will). Imagine a world without Jack Daniels whiskey. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to stock up and then sell my stash to my friend at inflated prices.

With that said. On the recent return trip to Lynchburg we discussed the feasibility of purchasing our own cask of Jack Daniels. I have it on good authority that a Cask in the state of Georgia costs about $9,000. We figure we need a total of ten people to go in at $900 bucks a piece. In exchange you would receive 24 bottles of delicious Jack Daniels Single Barrel Tennessee Sipping Whiskey.

Who's in?

No. Really. Think of it as an investment for your future.

Read this

Tony wrote on the internet.

I've been very interested in The Echo Project for a few months. I've kept an eye out for news and announcements and have been generally impressed with the lineup that at first was slow to develop and them seemingly exploded. And I'd love to go but I'm not interested in forking over one hundred and fifty dollars, so I'm working the angle of; "Hey, Modern Skirts, you wouldn't think about playing this gig without your horn players would you? WOULD YOU!?!?!?"

But today Butch Walker posted something that makes me wonder about the organization of The Echo Project.

yep. i cancelled it.... but let me tell you why before these assholes get the satisfaction of seeing a red cent from any of the folks that were gonna try to get off work on a friday to see me play at noon for only 45 minutes anyways.

they first off, decided to put me on first on a friday, instead of giving me a better time slot (i mean, i'm not bragging, but i'm worth a few people in my own hometown), because they wanted to use me as bait to get people to actually come out early on a friday (not gonna happen). i was pretty pissed at that, and honestly, i get it.. the promoters are new at this, and didn't know me from shit, so i had the good fortune of being accidentally cc'd on an email from them saying "oh he sold out the Tabernacle.. we need him to play first on the festival to bring in more people..."

and guess what? at 160 bucks a fucking ticket for the 3 days (ironically, the days i didnt get to play have day passes avail for way cheaper, but the friday, you have to buy the 3 day pass), i would rather you see me play a real show (like i am gonna do at the Loft later that night, and will be way more fun and intimate).

here's the kicker though.. when they found out i was playing the show acoustic solo / piano, they said they didn't want me if i did that... what?????? what's the fucking difference? they had no idea that the same amount of people come to see me acoustic (if not more) than when i play electric. sorry to say, but i was offended and told them to fuck off and keep their money (they wanted to cut my pay). at this point, all i wanted to do was play a festival for a good cause and be a part of something beautiful..

all i can say, is if anyone payed that much money to come see me play that early on a friday, for such a short set, i am sorry.. please sell your ticket (unless you are still gonna get your money's worth by seeing some more acts). i will make it up to you.

see you soon.

butch

I just had an amusing chat with a friend. It started when I emailed that I would not be at trivia this week because Jesus hired me to play this Sunday which meant a rehearsal on Wednesday.

The chat went like this:

Friend: Congrats on getting a gig with Jesus

Me: It was a really tough audition process

Friend: So was part of the audition turning Water into Wine? because I'm thinking "HEY, Great party trick."

Me: Then I healed the sick, raised the dead and sight read some Babbie Mason charts. Totally normal audition.

I hate to say this, but I told you so.

We do not have a good football team.

None of our wins have been impressive. None. It turns out that Alabama is still rebuilding, OK State turned out to be a nobody, we had trouble against Ole Miss, and Western Carolina scored more points on us than their three previous SEC opponents combined.

We're hampered by a new and predictable offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator that refuses to change schemes mid-drive or even mid-game. What? Like Tennessee was going to change what they were doing to accommodate us? Throw in their a horrifically thin and young offensive line and a sophomore QB and this season should be worse. And then there's this. The thought that is lingering in the back of the mind in every Georgia fan's head. Our last victory against an SEC East opponent was South Carolina in 2006.

If you think this is a good team, you're delusional.

I'll always bleed red and black, but the wool is off. Congrats to Fulmer and Co. on a game that they should have won. (Read: The Gatorade bath at the end of the game made me scratch my head.) I hate that it was so lopsided.

Go Dawgs! Beat Vandy!

UPDATED - The early line on the game is Vandy by 7.

Sean's was the first face I saw every week at Moondogs. After he stopped asking for my id each week, we got to know each other and began a bar friendship. It's the kind of relationship where you chat about safe topics like sports and current events. He was a very nice guy and I came to respect Sean and enjoy his company.

Then he started to lose his voice. It was gradual and his voice became a faint rasp. So he went to a doctor and another and another and another. He never showed his frustration of not being able to communicate or that they couldn't find the cause. Many months later they finally found the cause. Stage 4 lung cancer. He never smoked or did anything to bring this on. He moved immediately moved to Pennsylvania to be close to his family.

He started chemo in June of 2006 and the doctors seemed confident. He handled the chemo really well and his voice came back. The same day they reported that the lymph nodes had shrunk, they found a small tumor in his brain. He went through radiation and after that tumor was gone another appeared. Radiation again and that tumor was gone.

Last November treatment was halted so they could gain some perspective on the cancer and figure out if any of the treatments had worked.

That was the last I had heard until today. After a long 17 month fight, Sean died Tuesday. He was held by his fiancee and surrounded by his family when he passed.

Rest in Peace Sean. The world is less of place without you in it.

Keep fighting Troy

Remember that email I sent to Dr. Adams last week?
Here's the response from his office.

Thank you for your e'mail to President Adams regarding the incidents that occurred at the University of Alabama football game a two weeks ago. President Adams has passed on your message to me and asked me to respond on his behalf.

It is unfortunate that there were students, alumni and fans at Alabama behaved in a way not representative of the institution. I know that President Witt was very upset by what happened there, and he has spoken with President Adams about this issue. You are also correct that bad behavior, unfortunately, takes place at many campuses and stadium, the University of Georgia included. However, you should know that the type of behavior you described is not condoned or tolerated, and violators of rules and general decency are subject to any number of remedies, some of which I think we will see become even more strict as time goes forward.

At UGA, our student conduct policy allows us to address that type of student behavior, and we have done so. Students go before the University's judicial panel, and face possible sanctions that include a permanent ban from UGA athletic events and even suspension from the university. We are also applying similar standards to any fan guilty of poor behavior * inside or outside of the stadium * , and we believe the revocation of football tickets will go a long way to address such a situation. It is our practice that all violators are immediately removed from the stadium and placed in police custody. You might also be interested to know that a security committee recommendation to install security cameras in the stadium is being considered, and if implemented, could better help us identify and deal with individuals who cause trouble.

Lastly, I'd like to share that President Adams takes this issue incredibly seriously. He is the past chair of the SEC and is chair of the NCAA. As he handed me this e'mail from you, he mentioned to me that he wants to make game day behavior an agenda item for the SEC athletic directors and presidents to discuss at upcoming meetings, and also discuss with those presidents, AD's and executive members of the NCAA.

I hope that you never have to witness the things you witnessed at Alabama a few weeks ago ever again, at Alabama, at UGA or at any other campus. However, rest assured that we are serious and vigilante about dealing with this issue in an effort ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience when they come to campus.

I hope this information is helpful to you. If you have other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Regards.

Matthew M. Winston Jr.
Assistant to the President
University of Georgia

On the one hand AT&T is giving me money to test future handsets. On the other, they will drop you if you speak negatively about the company. I really hope no one at their corporate office reads this small corner of the internet. If they did they would find this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this.