Allergies suck. Seriously.
I'm fighting them, and my daughter is fighting them a lot worse. This morning, I had to take her to get some blood work done (her mother is sick, so I got the last second call). Now, sticking a needle into a 3-year old will bring a bad enough reaction, and leaving it in to draw blood is that much worse, poor baby.
But she's so sweet... I was holding her tightly, one helper is holding her arm still, and the lady is taking the blood... she's wailing (and dammit, it hurts), and when finally it's over, she gets the piece of cotton and the Daffy Duck band-aid, and turns to me and says (sniffling), "Daddy, I love you so much!"
Think she doesn't own me? Think again.
--Curt
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A little unreality for you...
This is surreal... a website that matches random Family Circus cartoons with random Nietzche quotes...
http://www.losanjealous.com/nfc/perm.php?c=10&q=17
Just keep clicking "Refresh"
Then stare into space for a while...
http://www.losanjealous.com/nfc/perm.php?c=10&q=17
Just keep clicking "Refresh"
Then stare into space for a while...
Take cover! It's a Rant! And a tangential one at that! AAAAAAAH!
Most days, I'll check out "TheDailyWTF" to get an injection of geek humor. But this, while definitely a WTF, isn't funny.
http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Oklahoma-Leaks-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Social-Security-Numbers,-Other-Sensitive-Data.aspx
To boil it down, the URL of a link on the State of Oklahoma's website listing "known sex offenders" included the SQL statement used to retrieve the data. Which essentially means that I, or anyone with a week of SQL training, could modify the statement to retrieve whatever data was in the database. That's outrage number One. This is the LAST thing you do, and it's just the mark of an ignorant/lazy programmer, as well as ignorant/lazy bosses. Outrage number Two: When the issue was called to the attention of the State of Oklahoma, they didn't do anything about it.... UNTIL it was shown that the employees data was vulnerable also. That's just lame.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about...
Now, I have a daughter. I fully agree that sex offenders are pretty low on the "deserving of oxygen" scale. What truly bothers me about the idea of a "sex offender" registry is the hypocrisy of it. Why isn't there a "drunk driver" registry? I'm one hell of a lot more worried that my daughter is going to get killed by a drunk driver than by a pervert. Why isn't there a registry for "Politicians who want to distract the voters from the real issues"?
Oh. Never mind.
I'm not blaming politicians for this, mind you. If we didn't want to be distracted, we wouldn't be. The last politician who insisted on telling us what we NEEDED to hear rather than what we WANTED to hear was Jimmy Carter in 1980, and we all know what happened to him. We don't want to hear about drunk drivers, because too many of us drink. As far as I'm concerned, every car should have a breathalyzer in it, to prevent anyone blowing a .05 from starting the car. Everyone who has been convicted of DUI should have a flashing green light on top of their car to warn the rest of us.
Makes about as much sense as a "sex offender registry"...
I'll stop this rant now, because I've got about four other tangents to go off on, and they each deserve their own thread, and I don't want to drown you in vitriol.
Take care,
Curt
http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Oklahoma-Leaks-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Social-Security-Numbers,-Other-Sensitive-Data.aspx
To boil it down, the URL of a link on the State of Oklahoma's website listing "known sex offenders" included the SQL statement used to retrieve the data. Which essentially means that I, or anyone with a week of SQL training, could modify the statement to retrieve whatever data was in the database. That's outrage number One. This is the LAST thing you do, and it's just the mark of an ignorant/lazy programmer, as well as ignorant/lazy bosses. Outrage number Two: When the issue was called to the attention of the State of Oklahoma, they didn't do anything about it.... UNTIL it was shown that the employees data was vulnerable also. That's just lame.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about...
Now, I have a daughter. I fully agree that sex offenders are pretty low on the "deserving of oxygen" scale. What truly bothers me about the idea of a "sex offender" registry is the hypocrisy of it. Why isn't there a "drunk driver" registry? I'm one hell of a lot more worried that my daughter is going to get killed by a drunk driver than by a pervert. Why isn't there a registry for "Politicians who want to distract the voters from the real issues"?
Oh. Never mind.
I'm not blaming politicians for this, mind you. If we didn't want to be distracted, we wouldn't be. The last politician who insisted on telling us what we NEEDED to hear rather than what we WANTED to hear was Jimmy Carter in 1980, and we all know what happened to him. We don't want to hear about drunk drivers, because too many of us drink. As far as I'm concerned, every car should have a breathalyzer in it, to prevent anyone blowing a .05 from starting the car. Everyone who has been convicted of DUI should have a flashing green light on top of their car to warn the rest of us.
Makes about as much sense as a "sex offender registry"...
I'll stop this rant now, because I've got about four other tangents to go off on, and they each deserve their own thread, and I don't want to drown you in vitriol.
Take care,
Curt
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Some perils of dating...
It's interesting to go on dates when you've got a 3-year old... I tend to lapse into Daddy-speak.
(begin "Who's a good dog? Yes YOU are!" voice)
"Do you like your shrimpies? They're good, yum yum!"
"Daddy has to go potty, I'll be right back, ok?"
And when trying to make the transition to bed:
"It's night-night time!"
(end "good doggy" voice)
Hint: "Night night time" rarely works...
(begin "Who's a good dog? Yes YOU are!" voice)
"Do you like your shrimpies? They're good, yum yum!"
"Daddy has to go potty, I'll be right back, ok?"
And when trying to make the transition to bed:
"It's night-night time!"
(end "good doggy" voice)
Hint: "Night night time" rarely works...
Monday, April 7, 2008
Desert Island Discs
It's time to play Desert Island Discs -- what 10 albums would you want to have if you were stranded on a desert island? One rule, no "Best of" or "Compilation" albums...
In no particular order, here are mine...
Joni Mitchell -- "Blue" -- Easily the most emotional album I've ever heard. "Little Green", the song she wrote about the daughter she had to give up for adoption, never fails to bring me to tears. Musically, she hit the spot throughout the album, the incredible singing and spot-on chord changes give me chills.
The Who -- "Quadrophenia" -- Not as many "hits" as "Tommy" or "Who's Next", this album gets on the list due to pure virtuosity. I think all four of them were at the top of their game on this album, especially Entwistle and Moon. "The Real Me" and "The Punk and the Godfather" are as good as it gets for bass and drum.
The Beach Boys -- "Pet Sounds" -- IMO, Brian Wilson was "Mozart in Hawthorne". 24 years old, and he pulls this masterpiece out of his head. Sure, some of the lyrics are high-school, but Brian was never about the lyrics. Listen to just the music and his use of the voices on "Wouldn't it be Nice", "Sloop John B", and "God Only Knows". Just magical. I would have put "Smile" here, because it was even better, but it was never released by the Beach Boys (I've heard the bootlegs, and the music was mind-blowing) and Brian's release a couple of years ago wasn't as good.
Genesis -- "Selling England by the Pound" -- Although "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is the best-known of the albums they put out with Peter Gabriel, this preceding album was Genesis at its zenith. "The Lamb" was pretty much a Peter Gabriel solo album, while "Selling England" was a collaborative effort. The long instrumentals in "Firth of Fifth", "After the Ordeal", and "The Cinema Show" demonstrate what a truly tight band can accomplish. Steve Hackett's guitar solos are like a balm to me.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- "Electric Ladyland" -- The greatest guitarist ever, at his best. The scope and breadth of the works on this album are amazing. from the straight blues of "Voodoo Chile" to the psychedelic "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" to the hard rock 'n' roll of "Come On". This album has something for everyone.
Pink Floyd -- "Animals" -- Hard to pick one Floyd album -- but this one captures all the elements of the band the best. Great guitar , bass, and drum work -- and the angst-ridden nastiness of Roger's lyrics are starting to come to the fore.
Richard Wagner -- "Tannhauser (highlights) -- Jankowski" -- I'm not too much of an opera fan, and Wagner was a rat bastard, but this is majestic music. The overture is 13 minutes of bliss for me, and the "Pilgrim's Chorus" is fantastic. I like this version for two reasons -- 1) It's the "German" version which is quicker than the "French" version, which seems to drag for me, and 2) The talents of Kiri Te Kanawa and Rene Kollo. Just wonderful. It's also the "soundtrack" for one of my favorite movies, "Meeting Venus".
Miles Davis -- "Kind of Blue" -- Add Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane to Miles, and you've got the coolest music ever made. Great album to just zone out with.
Marvin Gaye -- "What's Going On?" -- If I had to pick one album to represent the "Sixties", this would be it. Emotional, wide ranging, hip to the pain that was out there... this was from the heart. Tremendous musicianship by the Funk Brothers (who did all of the music for Motown and never got recognized for it), especially the James Jamerson bass on the title track.
The Allman Brothers Band -- "The Allman Brothers Band" -- One of the best debut albums ever, and they completely spoiled Southern rock for me -- nothing anyone else did could compare. Great lead vocals by Gregg, and the band was outstanding.
Honorable mention -- again, in no particular order, and I'll probably add to it.
The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper", "Revolver", "Abbey Road", "The White Album", "Rubber Soul"
The Rolling Stones "Exile on Main St."
Bob Dylan "Highway 61 Revisited", "Blonde on Blonde", "Blood on the Tracks"
Steely Dan "Aja", "The Royal Scam"
The Who "Who's Next, "Tommy"
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon", "Meddle", "Wish You Were Here"
The Doors "The Doors", "L.A. Woman"
Bruce Springsteen "Born to Run", "Greetings from Asbury Park"
Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life", "Innervisions", "Talking Book"
The Eagles "Hotel California"
Neil Young "After the Gold Rush", "Harvest"
Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water","Bookends"
U2 "War", "The Unforgettable Fire"
Van Morrison "Moondance", "Tupelo Honey"
Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Madman Across the Water",
Carole King "Tapestry"
REM "Automatic for the People"
Cream "Disraeli Gears"
The Band "Music from Big Pink", "The Band"
Muddy Waters "Hard Again"
Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced?", "Axis: Bold as Love"
King Crimson "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Yes "The Yes Album", "Fragile", "Close to the Edge"
Derek and the Dominoes "Layla"
Cat Stevens "Tea for the Tillerman", "Teaser and the Firecat"
Genesis "Foxtrot", "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"
Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage"
Emerson, Lake, & Palmer "Trilogy", "Brain Salad Surgery"
Grateful Dead "American Beauty", "Workingman's Dead"
Arlo Guthrie "Alice's Restaurant"
John Lennon "Imagine", "Double Fantasy"
Paul McCartney "Ram", "Band on the Run", "Venus and Mars"
George Harrison "All Things Must Pass"
Santana "Abraxas", "Santana"
In no particular order, here are mine...
Joni Mitchell -- "Blue" -- Easily the most emotional album I've ever heard. "Little Green", the song she wrote about the daughter she had to give up for adoption, never fails to bring me to tears. Musically, she hit the spot throughout the album, the incredible singing and spot-on chord changes give me chills.
The Who -- "Quadrophenia" -- Not as many "hits" as "Tommy" or "Who's Next", this album gets on the list due to pure virtuosity. I think all four of them were at the top of their game on this album, especially Entwistle and Moon. "The Real Me" and "The Punk and the Godfather" are as good as it gets for bass and drum.
The Beach Boys -- "Pet Sounds" -- IMO, Brian Wilson was "Mozart in Hawthorne". 24 years old, and he pulls this masterpiece out of his head. Sure, some of the lyrics are high-school, but Brian was never about the lyrics. Listen to just the music and his use of the voices on "Wouldn't it be Nice", "Sloop John B", and "God Only Knows". Just magical. I would have put "Smile" here, because it was even better, but it was never released by the Beach Boys (I've heard the bootlegs, and the music was mind-blowing) and Brian's release a couple of years ago wasn't as good.
Genesis -- "Selling England by the Pound" -- Although "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is the best-known of the albums they put out with Peter Gabriel, this preceding album was Genesis at its zenith. "The Lamb" was pretty much a Peter Gabriel solo album, while "Selling England" was a collaborative effort. The long instrumentals in "Firth of Fifth", "After the Ordeal", and "The Cinema Show" demonstrate what a truly tight band can accomplish. Steve Hackett's guitar solos are like a balm to me.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- "Electric Ladyland" -- The greatest guitarist ever, at his best. The scope and breadth of the works on this album are amazing. from the straight blues of "Voodoo Chile" to the psychedelic "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" to the hard rock 'n' roll of "Come On". This album has something for everyone.
Pink Floyd -- "Animals" -- Hard to pick one Floyd album -- but this one captures all the elements of the band the best. Great guitar , bass, and drum work -- and the angst-ridden nastiness of Roger's lyrics are starting to come to the fore.
Richard Wagner -- "Tannhauser (highlights) -- Jankowski" -- I'm not too much of an opera fan, and Wagner was a rat bastard, but this is majestic music. The overture is 13 minutes of bliss for me, and the "Pilgrim's Chorus" is fantastic. I like this version for two reasons -- 1) It's the "German" version which is quicker than the "French" version, which seems to drag for me, and 2) The talents of Kiri Te Kanawa and Rene Kollo. Just wonderful. It's also the "soundtrack" for one of my favorite movies, "Meeting Venus".
Miles Davis -- "Kind of Blue" -- Add Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane to Miles, and you've got the coolest music ever made. Great album to just zone out with.
Marvin Gaye -- "What's Going On?" -- If I had to pick one album to represent the "Sixties", this would be it. Emotional, wide ranging, hip to the pain that was out there... this was from the heart. Tremendous musicianship by the Funk Brothers (who did all of the music for Motown and never got recognized for it), especially the James Jamerson bass on the title track.
The Allman Brothers Band -- "The Allman Brothers Band" -- One of the best debut albums ever, and they completely spoiled Southern rock for me -- nothing anyone else did could compare. Great lead vocals by Gregg, and the band was outstanding.
Honorable mention -- again, in no particular order, and I'll probably add to it.
The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper", "Revolver", "Abbey Road", "The White Album", "Rubber Soul"
The Rolling Stones "Exile on Main St."
Bob Dylan "Highway 61 Revisited", "Blonde on Blonde", "Blood on the Tracks"
Steely Dan "Aja", "The Royal Scam"
The Who "Who's Next, "Tommy"
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon", "Meddle", "Wish You Were Here"
The Doors "The Doors", "L.A. Woman"
Bruce Springsteen "Born to Run", "Greetings from Asbury Park"
Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life", "Innervisions", "Talking Book"
The Eagles "Hotel California"
Neil Young "After the Gold Rush", "Harvest"
Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water","Bookends"
U2 "War", "The Unforgettable Fire"
Van Morrison "Moondance", "Tupelo Honey"
Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Madman Across the Water",
Carole King "Tapestry"
REM "Automatic for the People"
Cream "Disraeli Gears"
The Band "Music from Big Pink", "The Band"
Muddy Waters "Hard Again"
Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced?", "Axis: Bold as Love"
King Crimson "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Yes "The Yes Album", "Fragile", "Close to the Edge"
Derek and the Dominoes "Layla"
Cat Stevens "Tea for the Tillerman", "Teaser and the Firecat"
Genesis "Foxtrot", "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"
Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage"
Emerson, Lake, & Palmer "Trilogy", "Brain Salad Surgery"
Grateful Dead "American Beauty", "Workingman's Dead"
Arlo Guthrie "Alice's Restaurant"
John Lennon "Imagine", "Double Fantasy"
Paul McCartney "Ram", "Band on the Run", "Venus and Mars"
George Harrison "All Things Must Pass"
Santana "Abraxas", "Santana"
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Born 15 years too late...
One of the things about having 5 older siblings is inheriting their tastes... or at least having my tastes shaped by what they were into. It's unlike being influenced by your parents' tastes and rebelling against them, because I had no interest in rebelling against my brothers and sisters. What they liked was cool!
So, there I was, a 5 year old listening to Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, and the White Album (yes, I know, it explains a lot). Pink Floyd, the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell... this was my childhood (and a damn good thing it was).
The problem arises when I'm with people my age, who came to maturity listening to Bon Jovi (ahem), Twisted Sister (gag), and the Scorpions (hurl)... It's ships passing in the night... The only bands that I really like from the 80's (and weren't holdover 70's bands) are U2 (up to and including the Unforgettable Fire album) and REM.
Now, being the arrogant pedant that I am, I have the upper hand here (evil laugh)... When they try to turn me on to some cool Ratt or Poison music (those two bands actually toured together last year -- the Ratt Poison tour -- isn't that precious?), I can say (with appropriate sneer) "Heard it, didn't like it the first thousand times".
But, when I turn them on to Traffic or the Allman Brothers, all they can do is roll their eyes and say "Hey, am I in an elevator or something?"
Shit.
Did I say upper hand?
Oh well, time to go take my Geritol...
So, there I was, a 5 year old listening to Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, and the White Album (yes, I know, it explains a lot). Pink Floyd, the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell... this was my childhood (and a damn good thing it was).
The problem arises when I'm with people my age, who came to maturity listening to Bon Jovi (ahem), Twisted Sister (gag), and the Scorpions (hurl)... It's ships passing in the night... The only bands that I really like from the 80's (and weren't holdover 70's bands) are U2 (up to and including the Unforgettable Fire album) and REM.
Now, being the arrogant pedant that I am, I have the upper hand here (evil laugh)... When they try to turn me on to some cool Ratt or Poison music (those two bands actually toured together last year -- the Ratt Poison tour -- isn't that precious?), I can say (with appropriate sneer) "Heard it, didn't like it the first thousand times".
But, when I turn them on to Traffic or the Allman Brothers, all they can do is roll their eyes and say "Hey, am I in an elevator or something?"
Shit.
Did I say upper hand?
Oh well, time to go take my Geritol...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Yeah, I'm twisted
But I wish I was as twisted as Mr. Munroe...
(You can click on the strip to see it better)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Women, and needs...
What I've discovered over the last two years of dating is that I seem to be a professional "rebound" guy. Women break up with the guy who treats them like crap, find me online, hang out with me for a month or two, then go back or find another guy who treats them like crap.
Now, this isn't really a "bitter" rant (and doesn't include my friend the "Bitter Chick"). One thing I realize now is that most people want to feel needed. Therefore, they tend to gravitate toward people they feel they can "help" or "fix". If you're with someone who has everything under control, they're pretty complete, they don't need much. Or, if you're with someone who is agressively self-sufficient (waving hand), they not only don't need much but they almost resent the implication that they do.
Sigh...
In my two marriages, I have gone from one extreme to the other. My first wife was much like me, very self-sufficient and independent, and after a while we didn't need each other -- and any tension was going to break us up. Not to say that the problem was small, it was a disagreement on where we were going to live, but had we "needed" each other more, we would have worked it out.
My second wife was like anti-matter to the first. It's a good thing they never met, because the universe might have imploded. The relationship was much more intense, due to the differences between us. She required both to need intensely and to be needed intensely, and I was unable to give her either. Not saying either of us were right or wrong, it was just an unfortunate confluence of personalities.
A word of caution -- yin and yang, while very interesting, doesn't always make for the best relationship. We have become friends again, which is a good thing both for us and for our daughter. We both realize that we should never have married, and I know that on my part (and I hope on hers), I've gone beyond blaming either of us.
So now I'm at the point where I warn any woman I date that I'm not a very good candidate for a "relationship". I'm a good friend, if you call at 3AM because your car's broken down, I'll come get you, I'm fun to hang out with and talk with, great in bed, but if you're looking for someone who needs a relationship, I'm not your guy. I'm not ruling it out if someone who is a spectacular fit for me comes along, but I remain wary.
Why date at all, then? Simply put, I love women. Not just for sex, but for company. I find it much easier to make friends with women than men, and I refuse to be so wary that I deny myself the pleasure of their friendship with or without sex.
Take care, all
Now, this isn't really a "bitter" rant (and doesn't include my friend the "Bitter Chick"). One thing I realize now is that most people want to feel needed. Therefore, they tend to gravitate toward people they feel they can "help" or "fix". If you're with someone who has everything under control, they're pretty complete, they don't need much. Or, if you're with someone who is agressively self-sufficient (waving hand), they not only don't need much but they almost resent the implication that they do.
Sigh...
In my two marriages, I have gone from one extreme to the other. My first wife was much like me, very self-sufficient and independent, and after a while we didn't need each other -- and any tension was going to break us up. Not to say that the problem was small, it was a disagreement on where we were going to live, but had we "needed" each other more, we would have worked it out.
My second wife was like anti-matter to the first. It's a good thing they never met, because the universe might have imploded. The relationship was much more intense, due to the differences between us. She required both to need intensely and to be needed intensely, and I was unable to give her either. Not saying either of us were right or wrong, it was just an unfortunate confluence of personalities.
A word of caution -- yin and yang, while very interesting, doesn't always make for the best relationship. We have become friends again, which is a good thing both for us and for our daughter. We both realize that we should never have married, and I know that on my part (and I hope on hers), I've gone beyond blaming either of us.
So now I'm at the point where I warn any woman I date that I'm not a very good candidate for a "relationship". I'm a good friend, if you call at 3AM because your car's broken down, I'll come get you, I'm fun to hang out with and talk with, great in bed, but if you're looking for someone who needs a relationship, I'm not your guy. I'm not ruling it out if someone who is a spectacular fit for me comes along, but I remain wary.
Why date at all, then? Simply put, I love women. Not just for sex, but for company. I find it much easier to make friends with women than men, and I refuse to be so wary that I deny myself the pleasure of their friendship with or without sex.
Take care, all
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