2nd Place

Once again, I've been defeated in a Christmas lighting contest. Still winless. It's starting to get frustrating. Best decorated house for years, all the "contests" I've been in, second place every time.

-Apartments at Clemson - Wasn't sleeping with the RA so our building didn't win
-Apartments in Greenville - We weren't the "favorites", probably chewed out the building manager too many times or maybe they figured out I was the one that kept disconnecting the speakers at the poolhouse (that were always left on and loud) every day.
-No official contest in the neighbor this year, and then, it turned into an arms race. That's right, we've been one of the few that actually put anything out the last couple years. In fact, last year, less people than normal put stuff out. But this year, it was on. Neighbors who'd never put anything out suddenly got that Clark Griswald streak in them and went to town. I have to admit, we had some tough competition. I never thought that the competition was in the bag. By sheer number of lights, 1st place easily. By number of extension cords, 1st place. But a couple other houses were more "organized". Judges seem to like it more if all the lights are the same color or if there is a clear theme that is carried out. My theme is "Christmas" and we have gold lights, multi lights, double filament lights, etc.
Oh well, you can't win them all. I'll take the Cubs motto for now, there's always next year. We bought a few more things this year on sale (gotta love the Boxing Day sales). We'll take the loss and learn from it. We aren't going down without a fight.
Next year, we win.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

In this PC world, I'm not afraid to use the words "Merry" or "Christmas" on my blog.

Couple quick hits while I'm blogging:

-December has been busy (as most are), sorry I've been so quiet. New Years Resolution #1 : Blog more. Have to keep my public happy, right?

-Just finished listening to "Promise Me" by Harlen Coben on CD. Books on CD really make the miles fly by while travelling. But anyway, highly recommend listening to or reading this book. It kept us on the edge of our seats for hours.

-I love bowl season.

-I'm loving my new DirectTV install as well. This DVR is amazing. I had wondered how so many people could effectively use DVR when 80% of those same people couldn't set their clock on their VCR. But it's so easy, and takes TV to a new level. Plus, it looks amazing on my new 50" DLP TV.

-Kids these days are brats. I can't stand this "new era" of non-spanking. Everywhere I go lately, kids are running amock and need to be spanked.

Starbucks Guy

Question for all you readers out there: Over the last couple weeks, I've gotten several Starbuck gift cards. And at least twice, it's been said that I "look like a Starbucks guy". So my question is, what makes me look like a Starbucks guy? Jeni said its because I always look tired, I say maybe its because I always look jittery and nervous. Do I always look on edge? Like I've had a little too much coffee? Or maybe I look like one of those metrosexual guys who are sometimes a little too fashionable and well groomed and you always wonder a little about? I certainly hope that's not the reason. Maybe its because I'm a computer guy? Or really intellectual? I'll bet that's it, right?
I have nothing against "Starbucks guys", I guess I'm just a little miffed as to how I came to be known as one. I don't particularly care for coffee, but I do love the smell of it brewing. And I've never been one to turn down a fresh breakfast pastry or cup of hot chocalate, no matter the time of year. I'm just curious as to how I am a Starbucks guy. Thoughts?

Ron Cherry

Ron Cherry is the worst ref in the ACC. I swear he thinks we bought a ticket to see him throw a yellow flag. The calls he makes are terrible. Absolutely terrible. Whenever you see him on the sidelines, you know there will be at least 3-4 abysmal calls that will make an impact on the game. I know, I know, if you are better team, you should be able to win without all the calls going you way, there are probably other opportunities you missed. But that doesn't stop the fact that I dread seeing him on the sidelines of our games.
That said, here is a great example of a call he made during the recent NC State/Maryland game last weekend. He called a personal foul for one player "giving him the business". By him, he means the other player. Um, is that in the rule book? I didn't think that it specifically said that you couldn't "give someone the business". Watch it all here:

Nooma - Extended

Jeni and I had the chance to see Rob Bell speak on Monday night in Atlanta. It was pretty cool. I mean, we've seen most of the Nooma videos so we know what he looked like. We'd heard his sermons online a lot, so we knew what he sounds like and the way he teaches. And we've read one of his books. But still, to see him in real life was interesting.
I thought it was odd that the whole thing was just like a really long Nooma video. Basically, they dim the lights, play some music, lights come up and he comes out and just jumps right into it. No, "Hi, how are you doing" or anything like that. And at the end, they bring the music up as he is making his final points, he says "God Bless" and that's it. He walks off.
The biggest thing I disagreed with all night was that everyone gave him a standing ovation at the end. I guess I just don't think a preacher should get a standing O, I mean, technically, if his heart is right, that is God speaking through him, right? I just think that many people there were standing to praise Rob and not God.
Maybe that's why there were so many street preachers outside warning of false prophets and how we were told we were all going to Hell because we went to hear Rob speak. How we were biblically illiteric and being led astray. I just wonder if they would being saying the same things if any one was preaching. Anyone other than them that is. I mean, if Billy Graham is talking, do they say the same things?
Anyway, if you get a chance to hear him, I strongly suggest it. His stuff will really make you think. If you know don't who he is, check out the below clip.

Thieving Monkeys

I don't even have to comment on this article, you just have to read it. Hilarious.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071117/wl_asia_afp/indiawildlifeanimalmonkeysoffbeat;_ylt=AlGdlHlpL.BIIygFv9oKHEUDW7oF

Top 10 Signs You Are Stayig in a Cheap Hotel

Time for another edition of Phil T's Top 10...

Top 10 Signs you are staying in the cheapest hotel around....

1. The walls are so thin, not only can you hear the people in the room next to you, you can hear as much as two doors down, the parking lot, and the convience store across the street even when you turn on the air conditioner and the mini fridge in the room.

2. Passports/Birth Certificates are not required to check in, but based on the conversations you hear in the other rooms and the look of the other guests, they probably should be.

3. There is a noodle vending machine, dispensing several different flavors of insta-noodles.

4. There is a night window and when you ring the bell for service, the person who comes out from back looks like they just woke up.

5. Free continental breakfast is really just a loaf of bread, a couple stale bagels, and some watered down orange juice sitting on a counter. If you are one of the first couple people there, you might get some cream cheese and butter.

6. You can check in up until 7 am. Who is checking into a hotel at 6:30 in the morning?

7. There is a no limit as to the number of people you can have in a rooom.

8. Less than 2 blocks down the road is a Thai restaurant, a Korean dentist office & a Mexican grocer ALL on the same corner

9. You wake to hear people speaking a language that you don't understand right outside of your room at 3 in the morning

10. There are no elevators, real keys for the doors, pay phones, a leaf filled pool and a sign on the door emphasizes that you should use the extra lock on the door for your own protection.

4 + 5 = 9

Oh, the sad state of our American education system. At the second concert this weekend, I was standing in the concession line to buy a couple bottled waters. The teenager boy behind me was having trouble with addition, saying outloud to his girl "I'm going to get a jumbo hot dog at $4 and a large soda at $5. So, 4 + 5, that's about $10, right?". He'd already been getting on my nerves with his drivel, I almost turned around and said something after that. Seriously? About 10 dollars? No, its 9 dollars. Exactly. There is no 'about' to it. We are talking about whole numbers here, he has to round whole numbers? Its not like the prices were like 4.23 and 5.34 or something. There where no decimals involved. If you can't add $4 and $5 in your head, then you shouldn't be allowed to carry that much money on you. I guess, its been a couple days, and I still can't figure out what was so hard about 4 + 5 that he had to round up to 10. Oh well, he only had $11 and candy was $2, so his bad math prevented him from getting the candy bar he wanted, I guess our educational system is failing our kids, but at least its failing in a way that prevents rewarding their idiocracy with candy.